Let's talk about American colleges applications/preparations!

[zhy378]

since jcnet is a majority of teens, some of them are in the progress or already gone through the college applications and overwhelming tests to get into colleges. it say american colleges because i know there are some people from other countries who want to attend american colleges so they also have to go through the same requirements as people here in US. so why not have a thread on the subject of it for people who are still in highschool getting ready to get into colleges and people who have just finished highschool/in colleges/done with colleges to share their experience and advices on how they manage to survive those acceptance/rejections from colleges, college tests such as SAT and ACT, of course dont forget those Advance Placement tests!:wink2:

my experience, my highschool years was always about preparing-taking what you need to get into those four year colleges. like some of my friends thats what we all talked about it but sometimes it can be such a bored subject because when all those tests are done and we got our acceptance, the rest is history, our highschool GPA and SAT scores no longer is important anymore.

so hows everyone doing with their college applications/preparations? or any wisdoms to share?

[junnleenfaah]

well technically i'm suppose to start my college apps. NOW.. but i mean seriously, it's summer. do you HONESTLY think i'm gunna spend my summer time doing college apps? i'm sure i'll regret it later, but ohhh well. i get the ass-kicking later, and i deserve it.

right now the number 1 school i wanna go to is UT [univeristy of texas], the one at austin [the biggest one, best one]. but with the grades i have right now.. i'm pretty sure i'll be put into the CAP program and go to UT san antonio for a year then transfer to UT austin.

[xLiFEerasedx]

I'm going to be a sophomore when the school year starts in a few days where I am & I'm currently in the Pre-IB program.. My dream university is Rice, but that's probably not going to happen. My grades aren't bad, with the A's I usually get, but they aren't the best either.. :oops:

UT wouldn't be bad either. I'm not so sure about out-of-state universities though.. I think I'd be a bit more comfortable being close to home. :happy:

[Singerchick]

I have decent SAT scores.

But I screwed up my GPA badly my Junior year. POO.

I'm volunteering a lot this summer, does that help?

[junnleenfaah]

singerchick- haha, i think anything helps =P but i've learned, as low as this sounds, dont spend SO much time volunteering. cuz school's are looking for the well rounded people.

like, dont be spending all your time volunteering to the point where you have no time to study and then your grades start falling. i, unfortunately, did that. and now it's a b-tch trying to climb back up -_-

xlifeerasedx: where in texas do you live? meh, i'm not even gunna bother applying for rice. although the campus is gorgeous, psh, i could never make it in there -_- i settle for UT because it's an all around really good school, and their communications program is amazing (: and it's close to home, too.

[babyxv]

ahh college apps. I approached them the wrong way last year. First of all, I procrastinated like crazy and I did my UC essays the week before the deadline. Therefore I didn't get any second opinions or critiques which I think is a horrible mistake.

SO MY ADVICE.. is to THINK about topics for your essays. Like, even if you don't know what they're going to ask, brainstorm some unique things that happened to you or any unique traits you have. Get the first draft done SOON so you can beat other students to your writing teachers or whoever to edit your essays.

[Singerchick]

HAHA. I had this weird urge to write about the time I met Leehom I guess to demonstrate my determination. However, I decided against it because it would end up sounding all stupid and fangirly.

Anyway, I want to write something that's unconventional and that makes an impact, but I don't want to do a pity story or sound too concieted. I remember reading Leekai's college entrance essay and it was impressive, but no offense he sounded uh...a bit concieted? But I guess because he was so smart, he still ended up getting in MIT anyways.

LOL I really don't want to come off as desperate to prove myself and list all I have done, but then I don't want to do a pity story either you know?

BTW how far can SAT scores carry you? And also how much do they look at your JUnior Year GPA? I had 4.0 unweighted and around 4.5-4.6 weighted GPA until Junior Year when a lot of crap happened in my personal life and my grades just went down. I don't think I'm even an honor student anymore. If I try to raise it again for the first semester my Senior year and write an explanation in my essay would that work? I mean I don't want to try to find excuses or anything. BUT GRRRR. My VERY asian parents are going to disown me if I don't get into at least UC San Diego.

I can't think of any ideas. Boo and summer is halfway over. BOO HOO.

Junnleenfah: I'm volunteering all summer to try to get to 500 hours. And I'm stopping there. I'm not going to overdo it, but I want at least some volunteering you know?

BabyVX: You know part of my tells me I should start writing it now, but I just can't get my self to start. I think I need to attend procrastination therapy or something.

[junnleenfaah]

singerchick- 500 hours? uhh yeah.. i think you're set. lol. or more than set =P

vicky- i like your advice, but Texas public school essays are always the same pretty much every year. texas common application. i suppose that should be an advantage to us.. but i, being the stupid person i am, am not taking advantage of it. sigh.

[xLiFEerasedx]

xlifeerasedx: where in texas do you live? meh, i'm not even gunna bother applying for rice. although the campus is gorgeous, psh, i could never make it in there -_- i settle for UT because it's an all around really good school, and their communications program is amazing (: and it's close to home, too.
I live really near Plano. Have you heard of Richardson? I think I've seen you in the Texas thread.. :happy:

I don't think I'll make it into Rice but oh well, there's no law against dreaming. :oops:

Is anybody here in the IB program? I'm curious as to how much it helps for college apps and stuff..

[amisurexcitee]

ahh college apps. I approached them the wrong way last year. First of all, I procrastinated like crazy and I did my UC essays the week before the deadline. Therefore I didn't get any second opinions or critiques which I think is a horrible mistake.

SO MY ADVICE.. is to THINK about topics for your essays. Like, even if you don't know what they're going to ask, brainstorm some unique things that happened to you or any unique traits you have. Get the first draft done SOON so you can beat other students to your writing teachers or whoever to edit your essays.

haha. i think that might happen to me this year. yikes! ><" so babyxv, did you get into the UC school you wanted? just wondering. :shy:

xLiFEerasedx: awwww, you still have a chance! as long as you apply, there's always a chance! i think you can get in! :D i'm a big dreamer too. my dream school is UC Berkeley. haha, but now i've found out that UC Berkeley might not be the school for me! Oh well~

What exactly is an IB program? is IB like college prep classes? o__O;;

Recently, i've been trying to fill out some old applications because they haven't come out with FALL 2007 apps yet... well, at the schools i want to apply to, so i just took their odd apps and pretended they were the new ones because i mean, shouldn't they be pretty similar? and then i saw the page where you have to put your extracurriculars, awards, leadership roles, etc. i kinda blanked out because i don't do any school sports and i didn't really continue my extracurriculars all through HS except maybe uh, origami club and volunteering at the library. i quit ice skating and dance after sophomore year. and uhhh, i don't really have any awards except maybe for cello/orchestra competitions. eeee... is it bad to leave blank this section because i know it's kinda important to be all around. -_____-;;

[xLiFEerasedx]

xLiFEerasedx: awwww, you still have a chance! as long as you apply, there's always a chance! i think you can get in! :D i'm a big dreamer too. my dream school is UC Berkeley. haha, but now i've found out that UC Berkeley might not be the school for me! Oh well~
What exactly is an IB program? is IB like college prep classes? o__O;;
Aww, thanks. :D

I'm sorry about your dream school.. D':

IB is International Baccalaureate. It's like.. well you know what AP is right? IB is like that, except with [I dunno if this is true.. this is what my teachers told me anyway] more assignments. It's supposed to be the most rigorous course of education that you can take. It just takes a little more effort, or so they say.. :whistle:

You can go to http://www.ibo.org (http://www.ibo.org/) to find out more about if, if you want to. *nods*

[amisurexcitee]

At my school, we only have AP or Regular. That's it. =___= It would be nice to have IB classes. Do you get college credit for those courses as well, like you do for AP?

[Singerchick]

At my school, we only have AP or Regular. That's it. =___= It would be nice to have IB classes. Do you get college credit for those courses as well, like you do for AP?
IB is somewhat similar to AP classes in that they are both advanced college level, but I think IB is a more internationally acknowledged program.

[amisurexcitee]

Haha I see. I don't think I'm going to apply outside of the US unless it's for some study abroad program, but that's through the college. I guess AP classes will do me just fine then. =]

[xLiFEerasedx]

Haha I see. I don't think I'm going to apply outside of the US unless it's for some study abroad program, but that's through the college. I guess AP classes will do me just fine then. =]
Hmm, me too. xD

I wouldn't want to study anywhere outside the country. My mommy wants me to go to U in Canada, but I dunno. I just wanted a bit of a challenge so I went for IB. :D

[junnleenfaah]

xLIFEERASEDx- heyy now, dont be so pessimistic (= you never know what could happen! my school doesnt offer the IB program, only AP classes, then honors and then academic.

vicky- you're going to UC Irvine, right? i heard it's one of the sorta better UC schools . my cousin goes there- he says he loves it. lots of asians, hahaha.

[B]amisureexcitee- i think as long as you've stayed in a few clubs throughout all your high school years, you'll be fine. like volunteering at the library is good (: and in origami club, try to get one of the officer positions [if there is one]. you play cello? awesome! i <3 cello.. but i play violin & viola =P how long have you been playing for?

i'd love to study abroad actually. not all of college, but at least a summer or semester. preferebly in china [maybe shanghai, nanjing or hong kong], so i can learn chinese.

[xLiFEerasedx]

xLIFEERASEDx- heyy now, dont be so pessimistic (= you never know what could happen! my school doesnt offer the IB program, only AP classes, then honors and then academic.
vicky- you're going to UC Irvine, right? i heard it's one of the sorta better UC schools . my cousin goes there- he says he loves it. lots of asians, hahaha.
[B]amisureexcitee- i think as long as you've stayed in a few clubs throughout all your high school years, you'll be fine. like volunteering at the library is good (: and in origami club, try to get one of the officer positions [if there is one]. you play cello? awesome! i <3 cello.. but i play violin & viola =P how long have you been playing for?
i'd love to study abroad actually. not all of college, but at least a summer or semester. preferebly in china [maybe shanghai, nanjing or hong kong], so i can learn chinese.
If I got into Rice, it'd be a miracle. x___x; Thanks for the encouragement though.. :D

Yeah a lot of schools don't have IB. I guess I'm pretty fortunate to have it.. :happy: I kinda took it for granted before. :oops:

Hmm, studying abroad? Sounds pretty fun, but then again I'd probably get homesick after a day or two. ><" Unless I went with people I knew really well. I get all panicky & freaked out when it's just me.. all by myself in a country with a billion strangers speaking a language I'm not too fluent in? *DIES*

[amisurexcitee]

amisureexcitee- i think as long as you've stayed in a few clubs throughout all your high school years, you'll be fine. like volunteering at the library is good (: and in origami club, try to get one of the officer positions [if there is one]. you play cello? awesome! i <3 cello.. but i play violin & viola =P how long have you been playing for?
Haha ok! Thanks for the encouragement! I've played cello for 5 years now! How long have you been playing violin and viola? I use to play violin too! For 3 years!! ><" But now I don't remember how to play! Poop~ Haha, viola is awesome!

i'd love to study abroad actually. not all of college, but at least a summer or semester. preferebly in china [maybe shanghai, nanjing or hong kong], so i can learn chinese.
Me too! I want to study either in Nanjing, Beijing or Shanghai! I've never been to Nanjing, but from photos I've seen of it, I really really like it! And my mom was born there!! ^___^

[linny]

Hum, for help on college applications, half the battle is picking the right colleges to apply to - which for me was the hardest and most nerve wracking part. TIME recently published an article about the matter that I wish I'd read and considered before I began deciding where to apply.

For those of you who are starting to freak out or who are just curious, it's sooo worth the read (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1226150,00.html).

[xLiFEerasedx]

Hum, for help on college applications, half the battle is picking the right colleges to apply to - which for me was the hardest and most nerve wracking part. TIME recently published an article about the matter that I wish I'd read and considered before I began deciding where to apply.
For those of you who are starting to freak out or who are just curious, it's sooo worth the read (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1226150,00.html).
Whoa, thanks for the link to the article, linny. :bow: I learned so much.

Not that I would waste my time applying for all those 'name-brand' schools anyway.. :oops: But you get what I mean. xDD

[orangeman]

I'm going to be a sophomore, and in 2 years, it's SAT/ACT time. I don't even have a idea of what to do for a career in life. Junior year will be tough for me, as I will cram in as many APs possible to pass and raise my GPA.

I'm not top of my graduating class, but heck, I like to do other things than just study.
If I put effort into school and college testing, it'd work out better. In the end, I would have tried my best, and if I don't get in, I don't. I'd feel bad, but at least I strived to help myself succeed.

My point is to do all you can. Anything, in reality, is possible. When the heart and mind is determined, you'll succeed.

[reminiscentxgirl]

ahh i so remember freaking out last year about the whole college applications stuff. colleges nowadays look for practically everything.. since most hs graduates are going to college and space is definitely an issue. there really isn't any one specific thing that i could tell you guys that are super important in getting into a college since this year the colleges seemed to accept a different variety of people. some of my friends with great GPAs but horrible SAT scores got into ucla/berkeley. then there were those with great SAT scores and average GPAs that got into those schools. (sorry i can't talk about out of state colleges since my friends and i live in cali and mainly applied to UCs) but i think that high GPAs are actually really important. although many people stress that now you have to be well-rounded and everything, i think that your grades are a pretty significant factor in getting accepted into your college of choice.

but as of now, i don't think SAT scores are that influential anymore. the reason why they had to rewrite the test was because colleges didnt think it accurately measured whatever it was supposed to measure. and after the whole thing with incorrectly scoring thousands of tests this year, i'm sure the SATs significance level to colleges dropped even more.

oh! and one more thing.. if i were you guys, i'd stay away from the IB program. colleges don't really stress it. if you are able to maintain a high GPA while in the program, then that's good. however, if your grades are dropping because of it, it's best to drop out. year after year, most of the top graduates in my school were not in the IB program.

i dont know how much of the stuff i've said were actually helpful.. but during this year, especially during march when my friends and i started hearing back from the schools we've applied to, there has been A LOT of talk about college and stuff (not sure how much of this is true -_-)

anyway, i'm going to be attending UCIrvine in a few weeks (with all the other asians)! i actually really wanted to go to UCSD, but my dad said it was too far >:[ (note: it's only like 2 hours away, while UCI is 1 hr away -__-) o well!

good luck to all you future college applicants!

[xLiFEerasedx]

oh! and one more thing.. if i were you guys, i'd stay away from the IB program. colleges don't really stress it. if you are able to maintain a high GPA while in the program, then that's good. however, if your grades are dropping because of it, it's best to drop out. year after year, most of the top graduates in my school were not in the IB program.
:O Really? Hmm. Well I guess it varies from school to school I guess. Most of the people at my school in PIB [we don't have IB yet until senior high, I'm only a sophomore] have really high grades. I think most people in the top ten GPA class ranking are in PIB. But it might change when we actually start IB I guess.. :oops:

[Singerchick]

I really screwed up 2nd semester junior year. Like really bad.

LOL, because I got distracted.

If I manage to get good grades first semester SEnior year and explain it in my college essay do you think they would understand?

[zhy378]

anyway, i'm going to be attending UCIrvine in a few weeks (with all the other asians)! i actually really wanted to go to UCSD, but my dad said it was too far >:[ (note: it's only like 2 hours away, while UCI is 1 hr away -__-) o well!
good luck to all you future college applicants!

aww, reminiscentxgirl, you should go with the college you want most than what you're dad think because it is going to be you who is going through the college life for four years and not him, plus is only one hour extra, better than eight hours to northern california. but have fun in UCI!:wink2:

I really screwed up 2nd semester junior year. Like really bad.
LOL, because I got distracted.
If I manage to get good grades first semester SEnior year and explain it in my college essay do you think they would understand?

singerchick, i think they will understand especially if you're taking a load of stressful classes with a busy schedule. for example, my senior year in my AP Biology, there was this girl who failed the class and got the advice from the teacher to send a letter explaining on her failure (since UC colleges dont accept F's) but at the end of the year, she goes to the same college as i do,. UC davis. (sowie this example isnt the same situation) but yeah, im really sure they would understand because second semester junior year is pretty hectic.

[Singerchick]

aww, reminiscentxgirl, you should go with the college you want most than what you're dad think because it is going to be you who is going through the college life for four years and not him, plus is only one hour extra, better than eight hours to northern california. but have fun in UCI!:wink2:
singerchick, i think they will understand especially if you're taking a load of stressful classes with a busy schedule. for example, my senior year in my AP Biology, there was this girl who failed the class and got the advice from the teacher to send a letter explaining on her failure (since UC colleges dont accept F's) but at the end of the year, she goes to the same college as i do,. UC davis. (sowie this example isnt the same situation) but yeah, im really sure they would understand because second semester junior year is pretty hectic.

thanks for the encouragement.


If I try to get back together and raise my senior year grades do the colleges even look at my 1st semester grades?

[junnleenfaah]

If I try to get back together and raise my senior year grades do the colleges even look at my 1st semester grades?

i'm pretty sure they do. in fact, i think your senior year 1st semester grades are carefully examined by the admission board. like, 1st semester grades and grades during junior year are supposedly looked at the most. or at least thats what i've heard.

i *HATE* the top 10% rule in texas. it's SO unfair. i'm struggling so much to get into University of Texas at Austin [the main campus] because my school is one of the most competitive. to be in top 10%, you're basically a straight A student -_- while some of the other districts [the more "ghetto" ones i guess]- you can make Cs on your report card and still be top 10%. sheesh, if i went to those schools, i'd be like a freaking valedictorian.

*rips out hair*

i already applied for housing at UT even though i havent even started the application process for it, LOL. if you find out you get accepted but havent applied for housing- you're SUPER screwed cuz there'll be no place for you to stay.

[mrazfan4ever]

What a perfect thread!! I'm going to be a senior this fall, 007 :excited: Having had a lot of senior friends last year, I saw the days when they lacked sleep due to staying up late writing college essays, so I was determined to not have to go through with any of that by applying in August -when most of the apps came out-. So I have already started my apps since like August 18th, muwhahah. It's quite stressful and I'm so nervous as to hear from any of the colleges. Okay, so the personal information and essays are all done on my part. Now all I need are my teacher recommendations....I'm getting a recommendation from my two-year science teacher who I haven't seen in a year, so it's hard to try and find her contact, hahah. Hopefully I'll have all my apps in before the end of September, that's my goal and to hear from all of them before the end of the year :whistle:

Here are the schools I'm applying:

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (reach school)
Michigan State University (saftey school)
St. Louis College of Pharmacy (practically in with my priority admission ticket)

Anyway, I really want to attend Umich. It's a wonderful college with great academics and opportunity...in addition, most of my friends are graduating '10 and I have a cousin there in the engineering school who will definitely help me out if I go there. A lot of people are telling me that I'm a sure in :glug:, but that's because I portray myself as a "smart" person, but in reality...I know my limits. My GPA is all screwed up because I take all the dumb AP and honors classes, my rank sucks because it's unweighed, and my ACT score is mediocore (it's not a 29). So it's crap. And my extracurriculars include lots of community service ranging from Outreach tutoring to Community Alliance Against Substance Abuse. I participated in a 6 week summer apprenticeship program at Michigan State University, and have worked at the library since September of last year, and lots of extra clubs and groups after school. Even though, I hope it's enough. Basicaly, APPLY EARLY!

junnleenfaah-Yea, we have the rank problem at my school too! My close friend is ranked 10 out of 241, and his GPA is a 3.97?!? There's like 7 slackers above him!! It's messed up. We tried to get our principal to change the system, but he only replied that "having weighted courses will only foster an enviornment of competition with more students taking harder courses to raise their GPA". Anyway, I don't see the point in it, but w/e...got off course. Okay, you shouldn't worry too much about that GPA and rank because most colleges, especially big nice colleges will usually have regional officers who'll see the situation and understand the circumstances in which you go to school in. They'll totally see that you're a hard worker that is very intelligent as well :wink2:

Singerchick-Yep! All college applications should have somewhere where you could explain a mishap or why something slipped. Colleges will be most understanding if you have a good explanation...and reading from what you've mentioned, I'm sure you'll be okay. Keep up with your volunteer! I've heard that colleges like a student who is determined and consistent with what they love to do...meaning community service, hahaha no Leehom obsessing for this one ;)

OoOo...a good tip I learned from attending a Umich seminar: for the essays, keep a common theme.

[xLiFEerasedx]

i'm pretty sure they do. in fact, i think your senior year 1st semester grades are carefully examined by the admission board. like, 1st semester grades and grades during junior year are supposedly looked at the most. or at least thats what i've heard.
i *HATE* the top 10% rule in texas. it's SO unfair. i'm struggling so much to get into University of Texas at Austin [the main campus] because my school is one of the most competitive. to be in top 10%, you're basically a straight A student -_- while some of the other districts [the more "ghetto" ones i guess]- you can make Cs on your report card and still be top 10%. sheesh, if i went to those schools, i'd be like a freaking valedictorian.
*rips out hair*
i already applied for housing at UT even though i havent even started the application process for it, LOL. if you find out you get accepted but havent applied for housing- you're SUPER screwed cuz there'll be no place for you to stay.
><" Well when I really tried my best, my GPA was 4.06/4.5 I think? I had mid-to-high A's & I calculated that I was in the top 3% of my class in my school. But I wasn't too confident that being in the top 3% was any big accomplishment, since most people in my school are idiots. x___x;

Yeah I'd like to go to one of those "ghetto" schools too. xDD

Ooo okay, I'll keep that in mind whenever I start college apps & stuff. :happy:

[Singerchick]

I'm hopping to raise my GPA up.

I had a 4.45ish going into 2nd semester Jnr year and crap happened in my personal life and I got 2 B's and 1 C. -_-

I'm planning to explain it in my college essay and hopefully they will understand.
I'm trying to work my butt of senior year 1st semester to raise my GPA back up, so the colleges do look at your senior 1st semester grades right?



Singerchick-Yep! All college applications should have somewhere where you could explain a mishap or why something slipped. Colleges will be most understanding if you have a good explanation...and reading from what you've mentioned, I'm sure you'll be okay. Keep up with your volunteer! I've heard that colleges like a student who is determined and consistent with what they love to do...meaning community service, hahaha no Leehom obsessing for this one ;)

OoOo...a good tip I learned from attending a Umich seminar: for the essays, keep a common theme.

LMAO.

HAHa maybe if I applied to Williams and I mentioned Leehom? HAHA, j/k.

I hope they understand. I'm so screwed if they don't. My parents will disown me.

[kewlpiggy88]

okay, guys that are worried abuot their GPA: our HS counselors told us each college has their own way of doing their GPA. and High schools hafta send out a summary report that tells the college about their school. in CA we have standardized testing for high schools and there's an Academic Performance Index depending on how well the school does. stuff like that is included in the report that the HS sends to each college with all your app stuff.

our HS had this big big controversy with getting rid of Honors/AP points regarding GPA but honestly, the school's gonna see what kind of grades you get in the types of classes you took, so yeah. anyway, good luck to you guys, i was in your position last year, although i definitely took the slacker route.

[jay_is_cute]

I should visit this forum more often. I didn't notice we had a college apps thread!

Anyway, I'm in the process of appling to college now, mostly UC's. I'm really unsure of how qualified I am in getting in. I have a good GPA and decent SAT scores, but I haven't had the most "rigorous" course load that many other students at my school have. I have been very dedicated to a club at school and have done some volunteering over the summer. But I don't know if that will cut it, since my school is full of 4.5 GPA's and 2200+ SATs.

zhy378: you're at davis right? if you don't mind my asking, how were your grades/activities/etc.?

singerchick: from what counselors have been saying, UC's average sophomore and junior GPA's to get your overall. i don't think senior grades have a play in it. however, maintaining a certain level during senior year is a must. you can definitely explain what caused the major drop in grades during junior year, and how now you've overcome it, etc. I think colleges like that.

any updates on how everyone is doing on apps so far?

[mrazfan4ever]

I had all my materials (app, transcript, ACTs) in to Michigan State University by September 22nd. And I heard yesterday that I was accepted!!! I'm an official SPARTAN. Heheh, it's my back-up college and I was pretty sure I'd get in...so no biggie. Now I have to wait till I hear from University of Michigan....which I think will be around Thanksgiving time *crossing fingers*

[zhy378]

:clink: congratulations mrazfan4ever that must be ur first choice of college huh? quite early but at least ur worries are over well kinda, a bit...

jay_is_cute yes im at davis (still surviving *whew*)
my gpa were nearly passing to be honest, i was on academic probation for a quarter and thats scary especially when you found out by spring of freshmen year that some people already got kick out of college or dropped because they were near of being kicked out or they decided to take a break like attend a city college for a year to come back to davis later.

as for activities those i lack of, i should join some clubs like the chinese student association or especially asian american association since my major is asian american studies. but for one quarter i played on a basketball team, its those kind of thing where u get to start ur own lil sport team and compete with other teams.

so my advice for freshmen year, join clubs, make friends and hang out with your dorm people, etc

:shifty: so anyhoo it is almost that time of the month, college applications-woo-hoo! jk anyone started theirs yet?

[pureintuiti0n]

I've pretty much tried to not look at college aps right now. I'm a procrastinator and those aps just scare me. I have done some stuff for the college season, such as starting my essays and getting my recs to teachers. Yesterday I went to NYU Stern for a visit, and I definetly got a better sense of the school.

[AZNiNjARaVeR]

If you dont have what it takes, or just plainly slacked off in high school, a good way to get into a major university is to transfer from a community college. If you live in Cali, then places like UCI, and UCR only require a 2.4? yes a 2.4 gpa to transfer, and 2.8 for non cali people. UCLA is 3.0. The Credit required is 60 transferable credits, and can easily be done in 2 years.
Community College is also good if you dont want to spend too much cash for education. The Term, you get what you paid for, isn't a term I would use for Community College.
I spend about 700 over all for a semester at my Community College. My friend right now is spending over 3500. Huge Difference.

[Pods]

yea, I'm doing college apps too. Probably you all know about this website but if you go to www.collegeconfidential.com and click on "college discussion forum" you can ask tons of people about everything from can i get into community college to can i get into harvard to what was your biggest mistake in college. It's a crazy community. Like they all talk about SATs (the answers to the tests) which is illegal but they do it anyways so you can kind of predict your score ahead of time. Reading any thread from the past or articles from the main site will help you loads. But early apps are due soon for me and I need to get going on them. Even though many Asians will apply to schools I am goign for I still wrote an essay about asian culture/identity because as long as it's unique they will notice it...I tried to spice mine up a bit with some Jay lyrics :)

[Singerchick]

yea, I'm doing college apps too. Probably you all know about this website but if you go to www.collegeconfidential.com and click on "college discussion forum" you can ask tons of people about everything from can i get into community college to can i get into harvard to what was your biggest mistake in college. It's a crazy community. Like they all talk about SATs (the answers to the tests) which is illegal but they do it anyways so you can kind of predict your score ahead of time. Reading any thread from the past or articles from the main site will help you loads. But early apps are due soon for me and I need to get going on them. Even though many Asians will apply to schools I am goign for I still wrote an essay about asian culture/identity because as long as it's unique they will notice it...I tried to spice mine up a bit with some Jay lyrics :)

In a sense that site depresses me.

Everyone is like, "I got a 236 on my PSATS and a 2390 and on SATS" -_-.
But half of the site is like parents of extremely smart children talking about what geniuses their children are.

How very discouraging.

I was reading that site and the National Merit Selection list qualifying scores went up for a majority of the states. Dude competition is increasing for colleges, in a few years it will be impossible to go to college. Anyway I was wondering, once your a National Merit Semi-finalist, how hard is it to become a Finalist? Do they mostly base their decision on your SAT score, your personal essay, or your GPA?

My two best friends just finished their Stanford Early Apps, Oh lord why do I have such smart friends? My mom is like breathing down my back.

[iphei]

I'm doing my UC transfer app right now. It seems ridiculous to have to relive all this hell just to see if I'll get into the business school at Berkeley (Haas). AND I don't even find out until May 1st if I get into Haas, and we end school on like May 10th.

[Pods]

singerchick: don't be discouraged by the site. First of all, a lot of people lie to feel good about themselves. In general, not saying 100%, the people there are willing to help, and if you are embarrassed to post up any info about yourself just explain it in a thread, and ask ppl to pm you so you can talk to them about advice etc. It's a good community.
"I was reading that site and the National Merit Selection list qualifying scores went up for a majority of the states"
In general, the cutoff for semifinalist does not go up or down by more than a point or two each year. So, states that have traditionally low cutoffs (Idaho, Wyoming etc) will almost always be low and those that are high (Connecticut, Massachusetts, District of Columbia) will always be high. If they are higher this year, it is only by a teeny amount.
Statistically speaking, it's easy to become a finalist from a semifinalist. In fact, 90% do. But you need to have a good GPA, a strong essay, and most importantly, high SATs. imo, it's not that easy!

[Singerchick]

So I finally got my ELC letter for UC schools. But because it came so late, I already created an account, so now that they assigned me an account do I kind of just disregard the account I already created?

singerchick: don't be discouraged by the site. First of all, a lot of people lie to feel good about themselves. In general, not saying 100%, the people there are willing to help, and if you are embarrassed to post up any info about yourself just explain it in a thread, and ask ppl to pm you so you can talk to them about advice etc. It's a good community.
"I was reading that site and the National Merit Selection list qualifying scores went up for a majority of the states"
In general, the cutoff for semifinalist does not go up or down by more than a point or two each year. So, states that have traditionally low cutoffs (Idaho, Wyoming etc) will almost always be low and those that are high (Connecticut, Massachusetts, District of Columbia) will always be high. If they are higher this year, it is only by a teeny amount.
Statistically speaking, it's easy to become a finalist from a semifinalist. In fact, 90% do. But you need to have a good GPA, a strong essay, and most importantly, high SATs. imo, it's not that easy!


Thanks! lol, yeah that site depresses me but it's helpful. Does anyone know of any writing competitions that are taking place at the moment? I just feel my "awards" section of my College APP is frikin' empty.

Poo there is so many aspects to becoming a finalist. AHHHH the stress.

Also Im thinking of applying to Liberal Arts Schools such as Swathmore, Williams, Pomona, Amherst etc, but I was wondering, because those schools are smaller do you still get the same "college experience?" as you would at say a UC school or a National University?

Also I know the top Liberal Arts Colleges such as WIlliams, POmona, Amherst, etc are extremely hard to get into, do they stress the same thing on the college apps as do regular colleges?

[amisurexcitee]

Have you heard of fastweb.com? they have some writing competitions you could do and get scholarship money! yay yay yay! hehe xD i definitely recommend checking that out if you want more things to put in your "awards" section.

eeee... now i'm stressing about college too after reading about your college app experience. scary stuff~

singerchick, have you finished writing your uc essays? i'm still in the idea process. i keep changing topics. i'm not sure what to write about! ><"

btw, how many colleges are you applying to? ...you seem like you're applying to a lot. i think i'm just going for CA state schools now cuz i don't really see the point in paying so much money on out of state tuition just for undergrad when i know i'll be going to business school anyways! =]

[Singerchick]

Have you heard of fastweb.com? they have some writing competitions you could do and get scholarship money! yay yay yay! hehe xD i definitely recommend checking that out if you want more things to put in your "awards" section.

eeee... now i'm stressing about college too after reading about your college app experience. scary stuff~

singerchick, have you finished writing your uc essays? i'm still in the idea process. i keep changing topics. i'm not sure what to write about! ><"

btw, how many colleges are you applying to? ...you seem like you're applying to a lot. i think i'm just going for CA state schools now cuz i don't really see the point in paying so much money on out of state tuition just for undergrad when i know i'll be going to business school anyways! =]


I'm applying to the UCs and maybe 2-3 Liberal arts colleges, preferably Pomona, but that school is extremely selective so I dont' know.

I want to apply to Amherst and Williams, but those schools are so frikin' hard to get into, also they are out of state so yeah.

I remember I used to want to COlumbia because my dad went here, but it's so far away and my parents wanted me to stay in Cali.

[iphei]

Well, whether it's a "true college experience" depends on what you peg that experience as. For instance, do you want a huge Greek system or strong Division I athletics? 'Cause if you want those things, then you'll probably be better off at a bigger school. But I mean, if you're more focused on academics, then any college is really okay (it's really even better at smaller schools 'cause of the attention you'll be getting).

Do you want out of state though? I applied out of state just in case I wanted to and that I'll have the options open for me come May...which I'm glad I did 'cause now I'm at Illinois and I LOVE it here. I like going out of state because it gives you a totally different perspective of life. For instance, I thought that my school was a blue school. Then Jeremy Piven comes to talk at a school function and he ends up bashing on the Bush Administration...yeah, it's all good at California schools, but he was actually booed here, and it made me realize that views really change depending on where you are in the nation.

And I'm glad I chose a school with business 'cause I don't think I'm going to go to Business School straight out of undergrad. Actually, I think they generally want a lot of job experience before you can get accepted.

[Singerchick]

Well, whether it's a "true college experience" depends on what you peg that experience as. For instance, do you want a huge Greek system or strong Division I athletics? 'Cause if you want those things, then you'll probably be better off at a bigger school. But I mean, if you're more focused on academics, then any college is really okay (it's really even better at smaller schools 'cause of the attention you'll be getting).

Do you want out of state though? I applied out of state just in case I wanted to and that I'll have the options open for me come May...which I'm glad I did 'cause now I'm at Illinois and I LOVE it here. I like going out of state because it gives you a totally different perspective of life. For instance, I thought that my school was a blue school. Then Jeremy Piven comes to talk at a school function and he ends up bashing on the Bush Administration...yeah, it's all good at California schools, but he was actually booed here, and it made me realize that views really change depending on where you are in the nation.

And I'm glad I chose a school with business 'cause I don't think I'm going to go to Business School straight out of undergrad. Actually, I think they generally want a lot of job experience before you can get accepted.


^That's the thing I'm a bit undecesive. I don't know whether or not to do out of state, I was just planing to stay in state, I mean I'm afriad that I might hate somewhere new whereas in Cali at least I have some chances you know?

But I'm glad you found a school you love, I just hope my college experience can be as wonderful as yours, that's one reason I wanted to go to a liberal arts school because I can't bear being stuck in a room iwth 100 other students.

Anyway do Ucs really dissapove of C's? I had straight A's until junior year when I went through some family crap. It wasn't that bad during first semester, but things got worse second semseter and my grades in all my classes dropped and I ended up getting a C in my Spanish 4 AP class. I went from being ranked 2 in the school to like 18. Should I explain it? I mean I don't want to make it seem like I want pity and blame others, but yeah.... And it's really complicated, so considering the UCs limit their Essay lengths how would I effectly explain what happened?

My stats are decent except for my 2nd semester junior year, which sucks because I know they look at 10th and 11th grade the most.

These were my 10th and 11th grade classes and grades, am I screwed because of my 11th grade grades? I want to explain in the college APP but i don't have enough room and it will end up being just like a pity plea you know?

[jay_is_cute]

singerchick: ^ I think that's really something you have to discuss with your counselors. If you write an essay about it and do it correctly, it can be very effective. But it's also risky, since you might, like you said, end up sounding like you want pity points, which definitely isn't good. What I can say is, the colleges will see that you've been an excellent student, and then that you had a sudden drop of the grades. I'm sure they'll be curious, and if you explain it effectively in your open-ended, it can really work to your advantage. if you find the grade drop very important to talk about then you should focus your 600 words on it and re-adjust your other two topics accordingly.

my awards section...is empty. i regret never trying to go for any competitions, but too late now.

[xLiFEerasedx]

I have a question for everyone.. preferably for people closer to college apps stuff than me.. [I'm a sophomore in high school so I'm guessing this still applies to most people here xD :rolleyes: ]

Anyway, is it hard to stay in the top 10% in junior & senior year? I'm just curious because I visited a university a couple of days ago, & they said that anyone in the top 10% of their class was guaranteed in.. so is that fairly easy or really hard to achieve? I should be in the top 4%-ish of my class right now, but does the work load change a LOT in 11th & 12th grade? :?

Thanks in advance. :happy:

[junnleenfaah]

I have a question for everyone.. preferably for people closer to college apps stuff than me.. [I'm a sophomore in high school so I'm guessing this still applies to most people here xD :rolleyes: ]
Anyway, is it hard to stay in the top 10% in junior & senior year? I'm just curious because I visited a university a couple of days ago, & they said that anyone in the top 10% of their class was guaranteed in.. so is that fairly easy or really hard to achieve? I should be in the top 4%-ish of my class right now, but does the work load change a LOT in 11th & 12th grade? :?
Thanks in advance. :happy:

at this very moment [well i guess not really, i'm taking a break, hahaha] i'm doing my texas common app for UT *rips out hair*

to answer you, it really depends on what kind of school you go to. for me, it's impossible to get in top 10% and if you are, the competition is fierce [actually, that may be an understatement] to stay in and kick others out. but like i said, it depends on what kind of school you go to. the reason it's hard for me to get into top 10% is because everybody is really competitive and there's a LOT of smart people at my school. if you make all A's, you're most likely top 10%, but if you make one B in your entire high school career, you'll most likely drop out of 10%. but other schools, you can make lots of Bs and maybe even a C and still be in top 10%.

it really depends on your school to say whether the work load changes a lot or not. i think for most schools, the increasing work load is gradual so it's not like *bam* you hit junior year and you're dying from multiple all nighters trying to finish HW, study, etc. i do hafta admit that junior year was definitely the toughest year for me, but it's not like it was impossible. i think just really careful time management and having your priorities straight are what will get you through the year. but if you're top 4% [btw, wow- very impressive. you must be really smart :happy: ], i think you're pretty safe as to where you stand right now.

i say to just continue using the same strategies and work ethnic you've been using so that you can maintain your status and you should have no problem. just dont let senioritis get to you like how it's gotten to me, hahaha.

homework? test tomorrow? ppsshh.. i dont need to study. HAHA.

lol ok seriously.. dont be like me. LOL. senioritis at its best =P

but i did get my baylor app done! but that's only cuz it takes like 5 minutes to do cuz it doesnt require an essay =P

[sushii]

junnleenfaah
you're working on your texas common app too? its a pain in the butt isn't it.. i'm not even done with it yet..what colleges are you applying for? i'm planning on utd unt uta and twu

[xLiFEerasedx]

at this very moment [well i guess not really, i'm taking a break, hahaha] i'm doing my texas common app for UT *rips out hair*
to answer you, it really depends on what kind of school you go to. for me, it's impossible to get in top 10% and if you are, the competition is fierce [actually, that may be an understatement] to stay in and kick others out. but like i said, it depends on what kind of school you go to. the reason it's hard for me to get into top 10% is because everybody is really competitive and there's a LOT of smart people at my school. if you make all A's, you're most likely top 10%, but if you make one B in your entire high school career, you'll most likely drop out of 10%. but other schools, you can make lots of Bs and maybe even a C and still be in top 10%.
it really depends on your school to say whether the work load changes a lot or not. i think for most schools, the increasing work load is gradual so it's not like *bam* you hit junior year and you're dying from multiple all nighters trying to finish HW, study, etc. i do hafta admit that junior year was definitely the toughest year for me, but it's not like it was impossible. i think just really careful time management and having your priorities straight are what will get you through the year. but if you're top 4% [btw, wow- very impressive. you must be really smart :happy: ], i think you're pretty safe as to where you stand right now.
i say to just continue using the same strategies and work ethnic you've been using so that you can maintain your status and you should have no problem. just dont let senioritis get to you like how it's gotten to me, hahaha.
homework? test tomorrow? ppsshh.. i dont need to study. HAHA.
lol ok seriously.. dont be like me. LOL. senioritis at its best =P
but i did get my baylor app done! but that's only cuz it takes like 5 minutes to do cuz it doesnt require an essay =P
Woww thanks for all the info. :happy: I'll keep all of that in mind. :D

Mmm, I'm not really smart. Can't say I work really hard either. :oops: But let's just say that there are a lot of people at my school, & er.. quite a lot of them just don't care about anything.. x__x; Lucky for people like me though I guess. :angel:

Congratulations & good luck on the rest of your apps! ^^; & thanks again for answering my question so thoroughly. :3

[junnleenfaah]

sushii- yeahh, i just have the essay part left for my texas common app. which is the biggest pain of the entire application process =/ through the TCA, i'm only applying to UT austin. if i get rejected, i'll most likely do CAP program at UTSA for a year. the only other texas school i'm applying to is baylor. my other schools are out of state

[Singerchick]

Does anyone know which schools don't require teacher recs aside from the UC schools?


xLiFEerasedx Pretty much what junnleenfahh said, it all depends which school you attend. Some schools, are just easy overall and you won't drop much grade wise. But there is always the chance you'll get that nasty mean teacher who gives 1 A a year. But just try hard and don't get pre-senioritis Junior year.

I hate writing college essays. I hate the word limit, grrrr.


Do the UC schools give National Merit Scholarships? I heard they only give up to $500.

[sushii]

junnleenfaah-ugh...college essay's are the worst. yeah i was gonna apply to ucla the only out of state college i was planning to go..but i was like hmm no i'm not going to get in..baylor is a good school. though pretty expensive..i hear you have to take two semesters of religious courses..anyway good luck with your college plans and everything

[darkwinn]

Sounds like the best idea for figuring out college apps is to first figure out what u want to do in ur future then try to go to a college that will help that instead of just going to big named schools. After that the rest is pretty easy.

[junnleenfaah]

singerchick- i know most of the texas universities doesnt require teacher recs. i'm applying to u. of washington and they dont require one as well. i sent in recs anyway because the way i see it, it doesnt hurt and can only help. hopefully =P i hate the word limit too! i never thought i'd ever say that i hate 500 word essays but i do. who knew a 500 word limit could be so hard =/

sushii- yeah, isnt the out of state percentage like 4% or something like that? my friend that graduated from my school last year applied to UCLA and she actually got accepted. unfortunately, she had to turn them down because out of state tuition was so expensive. it REALLY sucks. i'd be so bummed if i had to turn down UCLA cuz of that. but she's at UT [i think she's even doing plan II], so i guess it works out? but hey, i'd still give it a shot if i were you :wink:

darkwinn- have you done the college app process? to me, the rest isnt that easy and i know what i wanna do and what college i wanna go to =/ if anything, that was easier than this whole application process part, lol

[xLiFEerasedx]

Does anyone know which schools don't require teacher recs aside from the UC schools?
xLiFEerasedx Pretty much what junnleenfahh said, it all depends which school you attend. Some schools, are just easy overall and you won't drop much grade wise. But there is always the chance you'll get that nasty mean teacher who gives 1 A a year. But just try hard and don't get pre-senioritis Junior year.
I hate writing college essays. I hate the word limit, grrrr.
Do the UC schools give National Merit Scholarships? I heard they only give up to $500.
Haha, I'll try really hard, I promise. *crosses fingers too* :D Thanks for the extra info. :happy:

[Singerchick]

One of my friends got into HArvard ED today. He checked in 6th period and he almost cried. I'm nervous about UC schools, I was too lazy to apply to other schools, and darn UC schools don't come out till like March.

My other friend is waiting her Standford ED, it was sent out today, but she was too nervous to check.

He had some IMPRESSIVE stats tough.

Weighted GPA : 4.62
Unweight GPA: 3.96
Rank 1 out of 585

SAT 1: (Single Sitting) 2220
(Best Score - combined) 2310
SAT II BIO: 800
SAT II MATH: 780
SAT II CHEM: 760
SAT II U.S History: 790
SAT II Euro: 780

President of CSF
President of Interact
Editor in Chief of Year Book
Vice President National Honor Society
350+ Hours of Volunteering at Local Hospital
3 Statewide Debate awards

That's all I know, I'm sure he's done more. But wow, our school hasn't had someone that got into Harvard for like 2 years.


Another friend of mine got into Williams. I was so excited for her, haha not because Leehom went there, but because that was her dream school. A few other people at my school applied with just as impressive stats (GPA 4.4 +, SAT 2200+) but they were all deffered or rejected. I didn't know Williams was so selective.

Weighted GPA : 4.42
Unweight GPA: 4.00
Rank 6 out of 585

SAT 1: (Single Sitting) 2290
(Best Score - combined) 2350
SAT II BIO: 760
SAT II MATH: 790
SAT II CHEM: 790

Advanced Dance
Dance Choreographer
National Merit Semi-finalist
President for Church Youth group
Publictiy Coordinator Interact club
National Honor Society
YMCA HipHop Dance Instructer


I don't why but I was all excited even though it was just my friends. haha.

I envy the people who did ED and made it because they have nothing to worry about now and regular decision folks like us have to wait. AHHH.

[mrazfan4ever]

I haven't been here in a long while...but I decided to anyway, here's an update since last time...

I got my acceptance decision to my first choice college today -well.....err...yesterday if I would have checked my e-mail-, lol. But yep, I'm an official University of Michigan Wolverine :) how exciting. I'll be sending in my deposit a.s.a.p :)

Good luck everyone!!

[Singerchick]

I haven't been here in a long while...but I decided to anyway, here's an update since last time...

I got my acceptance decision to my first choice college today -well.....err...yesterday if I would have checked my e-mail-, lol. But yep, I'm an official University of Michigan Wolverine :) how exciting. I'll be sending in my deposit a.s.a.p :)

Good luck everyone!!


^ If you don't mind can you post your stats? One of my friends is applying, but she is freakin' out because she's an out of stater.

[countess]

oh man, i'm not american or anything but i just decided to pop in because i'm in the same boat... except down in Australia!

My results are coming out TOMORROW AT 6AM and i doubt it i will sleep at all tonight. Anyways, just popping in to wish everyone the best :) Fingers crossed.

[Singerchick]

I have a few quick questions.

At the Berkeley Regent's interview what do they basically ask you? Is it a very formal interview with questions along the lines of, "What are your weaknesses/strengthes" or are they more abstract-like conversations? Anyone have any tips/pointers? My interview is on the 3rd of March and I'm getting nervous.

Also if are a Regent Scholar at UC Irvine, are you automatically given the money (granted you choose to attend) even without an interview?

Thanks! :)

[mrazfan4ever]

singerchick-wow has it been a long time since I've entered this thread...lol. It's kind of cute. Anyway, what college have you decided to enroll in in the fall? **if you don't mind me asking.

Yeah...getting in was probably hard...but now that I'm actually IN there's so much pressure to do well and not fall behind!

[Singerchick]

singerchick-wow has it been a long time since I've entered this thread...lol. It's kind of cute. Anyway, what college have you decided to enroll in in the fall? **if you don't mind me asking.

Yeah...getting in was probably hard...but now that I'm actually IN there's so much pressure to do well and not fall behind!\

LOL. I was deciding between LA and Berkeley. I didn't get Regents from LA but I did from Berkeley, however Berkeley being stingy people only offer $1000 for regents (unless you need financial aid) so I opted for LA because it's closer to home and I'd save over $1000 on plane tickets anyway. I also enjoy the LA social life better.

Yeah, the wait of getting in was nervewracking, however what's even more scary now is actually suriving college hahah.

[liliceprincess]

wow XD You all are already in a college. I am on the step before you all. This year will be my applications and preparations :cry:. Gosh I don't even know where to start. I mean there is the testing requirements..and grades and then now the applications.
My SAT scores..gosh I have one more chance to get it higher..XD at least to a point i can get into a UC school.
Then there is the grades at school. But then I think that most important for me is scholarships and financial aids.

Applications are confusing to me..like what is best..applying online or by hand? and then the recommendations and deadlines XD

[moogleonxtc]

Was looking for concert news and found this thread :D Since we are all Jay fans, I'll help out with 3 (big) college admissions tips:

1. Order of importance: SATs (or other standardized tests) 40%> Grades/GPA/School Rank 30%> Essay 20% > Other 10-30% Definitely NOT scientific but you can use it as a rough estimate.

The way I think of it, college admissions is shaped like a donut.

Getting admitted is like getting to the center hole (stay with me).

SATs are standardized nationally, grades are not, which is why SATs matter the most. Grades include not only GPA but level of class difficulty. My experience is APs > IB > Honors, etc. SATs+Grades get you into the outer ring of the "donut". Nothing makes up for bad grades and test scores!

Now, to move from the ring of the donut to the center is a bit tricker, as any of the remaining elements can make a big difference (which is why "other" is 10-30%"). Example: a strong legacy connection (or your dad donating 10 million dollars) will get you past a weak essay.

That being said, the biggest part of getting into the center is the essay. Why? Because the colleges want cool people, just like anyone else in life (employers, friends, your future mate). The essay is less about writing skills than it is about personality. If you have an interesting personality, schools might look past other things.

As far as other things, I would say recommendations > clubs, volunteer. These are the annoying ones because if you DON'T have a good rec. or involvement, it looks really bad, but if you do, it doesn't do much to help.

Note: The bigger the school, the more formulaic the calculation. My friend is a first-round admissions reader at University of GA, and they actually assign point values to everything you send in (ex: Beta club is 2 pts, NHS is 1, etc).


2. Apply to a lot of schools! Even if you think you can't get in, or aren't very interested, apply to at least 6-7 or more schools (I've heard of upwards of 20). The money you spend on applications will be rewarded by getting into a better school or by better financial aid offers.


3. Definitely visit your top schools, but leave your options open. It's important to visit, but realize that a campus is VERY different when there are students there and when students are gone for the summer. Don't look for specifics, but get an overall "feel" of the school.


3 1/2. Do research, look beyond the name (with exceptions). If you are interested in one particular field (ex: biomedical engineering, culinary arts), then look for schools with a strong program. However, be sure that it is the UNDERGRADUATE program which is strong, because the graduate school usually has nothing to do with undergrads, and it may even HURT your chances of getting in to a good graduate program if you go to that school for undergraduate.
The exception is if you can get into a top 30ish nationally ranked school (good national or good regional school), then go even if you want to be a chef and there is no chef program. Why? 1) You might change your mind. 2) The degree of the school will make it easy to find jobs even if the program is not good.
The logic is this: If you go to a strong program at a state or lesser known college, all the best and brightest at that school will naturally be in that program. You have a much lower chance of doing well since competition is both fiercer and larger (more kids at state level schools) than at higher ranked colleges.


3 2/3...a word about financial aid: don't worry too much about it. Most states have tuition cover programs, and charge less for in-state students. But the "expensive" colleges can actually be the cheapest. For the top 30ish schools or so, most will give you money if you need it just for getting in, so you will never not be able to afford it, only maybe your parents may be not that willing to give up their money :D For example, my listed costs are 45k, for which the school pays 40k. That's cheaper than in-state. A big incentive for you guys to study, huh?


If you have any more specific questions, feel free to ask me. Good luck!

[zhy378]

Applications are confusing to me..like what is best..applying online or by hand? and then the recommendations and deadlines XD

i say online. but it depends, some private colleges will already send you the paper works for application. though you can practice with the paper applications then do it online cuz sometimes being online for a long time can be a drag. so if you already filled in on paper you can do it right away or know what to expect.

as for recommendatins, do it early, dont wanna wait in line for a teacher who is doing recommendations for all their students. and also prepare for the personal statements.

[JAY_LUVER]

Why does getting into a college have to be so complicated! We only need to write 2 essays for UC's and Cal States right ? And usually how many words?

[jay_is_cute]

^ i don't know about the states, but for the UCs you have to write three essays, two that are ~200 words and one that is about ~600 words. you can probably do a google search to find the essay questions. they're roughly the same every year.

yah, i remember, the application process was super stressful. you should get started early and have a teacher or two look over your essays. if you start two late, everyone will be mobbing the good teachers.

[JAY_LUVER]

oh, its three essays? I thought it was two. I have a long way to go ... My writing isn't all that great. I should probably stop going on jay's website ... NOT! Haha, Anyways, has anyone here ever taken the ACT'S? I hear that one is easier then the SAT'S? Or does it depend on whose taking it. I've already taken the SAT once, but my score was pretty low ... so I'm going to try the ACT this weekend.

[v3rmillion]

just wondering, how many scholarships are/have you guys applied to? ...it's free money, but I hate filling out all those applications :rasp:

JAY_LUVER - I checked UC Irvine's site last week, and the essay topics are already out. this year, it's 2 essays, 1000 words total

[bebyjaystaa]

Yep, they changed the essay prompts this year. Which I'm so happy for :D Cus it's so much easier for me. If you guys need it, it's here.... CLICK (http://http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/apply/how_apply/personal_statement.html#fall08)

SO! Who started on the essay yet ? I'm already pretty stressed out. I have SATI on October 6th. And I still need to take my SATIIs one more time...don't know what subject to take T_T.

[v3rmillion]

^same story here...October SAT is prolly the last time I'll take it, so if I bomb it, then...:dead:
but I'm pretty much finished with my SATIIs..only if my SATI score looked like my SATII scores...
as for which subject to take...asme language in November if you're fluent enough at it, Math IIC isn't that hard either as long as you've had trig and alg 2/precalc, and use McGraw Hill's study guide for the concepts, Barron's for the practice tests...the curve on SAT II chem is pretty nice, most people I know got higher scores on chem than on bio. From what I've heard, US and world history are both pretty hard, and scores aren't that high either...anyways, good luck! :happy:

now I just have to make sure I don't kill my GPA...do UCs look at the first semester/quarter of senior year GPA?

[bawkbawkchicken]

Hey uc's dun look at senior year or frosh year, they just focus on soph/junior year.

OMG hahah i'm taking sat i again on oct 6th also hahaha and OMG its the day after my 17 bday. RAWR. on top of that i have this huge french ap in class presentation on my bday..ewww...-_- hahaa this sux.
n im takin lit/2c in november.

great....
eww any start on college apps yet? where are u guys applying?
im applying to 5 ucs n 5 privates...ahha id better get accepted to at least one...or it wud just b hella sad...hahahah :(

[JAY_LUVER]

Yep, they changed the essay prompts this year. Which I'm so happy for :D Cus it's so much easier for me. If you guys need it, it's here.... CLICK (http://http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/apply/how_apply/personal_statement.html#fall08)
SO! Who started on the essay yet ? I'm already pretty stressed out. I have SATI on October 6th. And I still need to take my SATIIs one more time...don't know what subject to take T_T.

For some odd reason, the link doesn't work. Omg, me too! We're on the same boat.

College Applications:
UC's - www.universityofcalifornia.edu/apply
CSU's- www.csumentor.edu

I'm applying to UCD, UCSD, USC, UCR, UCI, UCSB, CAL POLY POMONA, CAL STATE LONG BEACH, CAL STATE FULLERTON and maybe one in New York and/or San Francisco. Haha, is this too much? I know some of them I might not have a chance to get in, but its worth the try, right? I just hope I get into a college and I don't really mind where.

Where do you guys want to go or already attend one of those colleges? Any tips, ideas, and suggestions?

[bebyjaystaa]

Wow, you're applying to alot.. hahaha

I'm just gonna apply to 3 UCs, 3 privates & SJSU - San Jose State University. I actually don't mind going there :D I really love the enviornment and everything <3.

And UC's do look at senior year. They make sure that you're still taking classes to "challenge" yourself and that you improve and crap like that.

And apps aren't out yet right ? On the site, it said that it comes out in October.

[JAY_LUVER]

yes, its quite a handful. I don't think I can get into UCSD or UCD. The reason why I'm applying to so many is because my mom wants me to apply to a lot of colleges and see which one accepts/rejects me. If a lot of the colleges accepts me, I have a handful of colleges to chose from and I'm sure If I apply to all of those at least 3-4 will accept me. Plus, my mom doesn't want me to worry about the money issue, she said she'll take care of it. I guess It's better to apply to a lot of colleges then to apply to only a few and not get into any. So much work just trying to figure all the college stuff out. It's giving me a headache.
Anyways, The applications should be out soon ... Remember, no procratinating or senioritis! :X

btw, how were your guys SAT, SAT II, and/or ACT scores?
I already took Chinese, but I don't know what else to take. I can't chose: Biology, Lit ?

[bawkbawkchicken]

if your not strong in lit, dont take it. its the hardest to get a high score on, as 800 is 99 percentile, as compared to chinese 800's 57 percentile. i got an 800 in chinese, but technically i got the same score as 43 percent of the people who took it, which doesn't distinguish me at all.
2c is a recommended test to take because colleges increasingly use it to measure ur ability to use logic besides noeing the math and formulas.
for my sat score , i got a 2130. i'm retaking this saturday..which is the day after my birthday, so im really pissed off hahaah :(

[bebyjaystaa]

Wow...2130 ? That's really high :D
I'm retaking my I's this Saturday.
But I'm not sure what to take for my II's. I already took Spanish& History. T_T Not good at all.

[JAY_LUVER]

Yeah, I heard Lit was hard and my friend said you had to think like a emo kid? I don't really know what she meant by that. Math 2 is a must, but I'm going to do poorly on that section since that's my weakest subject. I guess the only thing is to practice and buy those practice books? Math 2 only goes up to trig right? I wasn't too sure if I should of taken biology because I'm taking AP biology right now and im afraid I won't cover all the information I need in class in order to do well on the test unless I cram everything... but that doesn't work for me. Oh well, its kind of too late to change my subject tests since I just signed up for it already ... crap

wow, 2130 is high! I wish I had that, mine are within the average ...
I hope I do a whole lot better this Saturday

Good news, the UC applications are out now! Remember now, don't procrastinate! Good luck everyone!!

[bawkbawkchicken]

good luck to everyone who's taking the test sat!!! hahaa i'd BETTER do well! i'm giving up birthday celebrations for this last shot T_T

wooo jay-luver could you provide me with a link to the new apps? i'm horrible w/ these things and i'll probably end up finding the old one again..
haah THNX! :D

[bebyjaystaa]

CLICK (http://universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/apply/apply_online.html)

Here you go bbchicken. Haha. Your username was too long so... :D

Anyways, I'm so busy in school I don't have time to start my essay T_T And apps. I think I'm gonna go take a look at them now :D

[JAY_LUVER]

and for the cal states - www.csumentor.com

[v3rmillion]

if you're taking SAT II bio, take molecular-- everyone seems to do better on that one. Ecology is more like English, you have to get the implied meanings and stuff...:dry:

I'm prolly applying to most of the UCs, a couple CSUs, and maaaybe USC or U of the Pacific? my mom wants me apply to UoP XD but I have no idea what I want to major in..and I don't want to get stuck in a crappy major or something I don't like :unsure:

Thanks for the links! and good luck to everyone (and happy early b-day to bawkbawkchicken :happy:) *goes off to 'study' for Saturday's SATs*

[bebyjaystaa]

Study for SATs.. T_T Haha
Whatever. I don't give a damn really on them.

And well, if you do choose a major...just choose something that's not that impacted..then later, you could transfer :happy:

[JAY_LUVER]

people who are taking the SAT's/SAT II's tomorrow - GOOD LUCK! :-)

[bawkbawkchicken]

eww i totally bombed the essay portion.
soooo...how is everyone doing on college apps?

i finished filling out most of the uc application n i'm on my 3rd draft for uc essay. i'm applying to berkeley, sd, la, davis, irvine, sb.
n then i'm applying to 5 privates - stanford, cornell, williams (LEEHOM's college HEHEHe), columbia, n claremont mckenna.
all my privates are reaches..ehh..oh well haha im just gunna try. :P
senior year is owning me tho! i have like Cs..um haha thats not good.

how abt everyone else?

[bebyjaystaa]

Oh gosh T_T I totally STOPPED on my personal statement, I'm so freaking busy. But I'm HALFWAY finished with my first prompt T_T first draft. Oh gosh, I have so much to do. It's a pain. I haven't even started with aps. I just applied for it. Aiyoh. lol

And senior year. It's not bad for me. GPA WOULD BE ok if I didn't pull a D+ in stats T_T horrible. Haha.

[v3rmillion]

ah, senior year...there should be some other syndrome besides senioritis, something like "too stressed out with college apps and classes"-itis ...half my classes are easy, the other half..I'm barely passing. My GPA this year looks horrible compared to the past two years. :worry:

haha, my English teacher returned our college essay drafts, and my paper was just covered in red ink :sweat:

ugh, October SAT scores are out...

[bawkbawkchicken]

eghh sats -_- i only improved 20 pts haha ooh well little improvement is better than none. :D

omg v3rmillion same here! i have like C's now...compared to last years 3.74 uw...oops...ahahah -_-
wow lucky at least ur english teacher grades them! ahah our english teacher is jsut like "ok go read jane eyre" test on novermber #. study. bye
-_-
sighh..

:( i hate senior year

[v3rmillion]

argh...my score dropped :oops: but I hope my SAT IIs make up for it :sweat:

I hate senior year too...:-x or at least first semester so far...

anyone finish their apps yet?

[JAY_LUVER]

Whoo, I know this is pretty late, but we're pretty much done with applications! Has anyone heard from their colleges? The only one I've heard is Cal Poly Pomona. Yay! I can't wait for the UC's. I seriously wonder which one I would get into.

[bebyjaystaa]

I got into San Jose State University! :) That's where I've been wanting to go..if I don't get into a UC

Lallala. 2 more months :D

[bawkbawkchicken]

yay jayluver and bebyjaystaa! congrats for san jose state! :)

ahh i haven't heard from any colleges yet...-_- i dun even noe when they are supposed to come out -_- haha

[xxf4luvaxx]

i thought the UCs were already out?
-- well for sure UCRiverside because i saw these people in my class checking their emails to see if they made it ;P
good luck guys!! :)

[JAY_LUVER]

oo, so all the UC's are starting to roll in! Heard any so far?

[ricepaddies]

I got into UC Davis and UC Irvine. YAY!
so now i'm contemplating on which college i should attend.
so who's going where?

[hobielover]

I couldn't get any scholarships with any universities because I graduated early. I think it's really stupid that schools punish students for being smart. Has anyone else had this problem, or am I the only one? I hated high school, but I was a Junior Marshall. I didn't go to my own graduation, though, just the graduation for the year before mine. I'm in a community college now, and my grandpa pays for it.

[Cricket]

The best advice I could give anyone for college apps is that you finish your college essay the summer before senior year so that during senior year you can have less stress! I wrote mine during the summer and was so thankful for it...I could not imagine writing mine during the school year when I'm bogged down with school work :[
But now! I'm in my last few months of high school and feeling rather relaxed :]

[v3rmillion]

UCs - Irvine, SD, and Davis... iono which one I'm going to yet, but I'm leaning towards UCSD ^^
Hmm, none of the UCs gave me scholarships, but all my private and out of state colleges did :/

The best advice I could give anyone for college apps is that you finish your college essay the summer before senior year so that during senior year you can have less stress! I wrote mine during the summer and was so thankful for it...I could not imagine writing mine during the school year when I'm bogged down with school work :[
But now! I'm in my last few months of high school and feeling rather relaxed :]

true that ;D

[tc9.jay]

I know I'm like the odd person out here cause I'm not American and I'm already an undergraduate in Singapore which is like goodness knows how many thousands of miles away from the US. But I'm applying to do my exchange in America and since there are so many people here who seem to be applying to UC schools, is UCSB a good school? I got offerred a place there but it wasn't any of my choices. I wanted to go to College of William & Mary for its liberal arts education but I didn't get it. Not too familiar with the US schools besides the usual Ivy Leagues ones. Most of the schools offerred here at my school for exchange are mostly Public Ivies though. So I applied to schools like U of Illinois - UC, UM - Ann Arbor and Penn State. I guess I'll probably try again for an exchange semester in the US. But got to say, I'm so envious of you guys, I always wanted an University education in the US!

[Cricket]

I know I'm like the odd person out here cause I'm not American and I'm already an undergraduate in Singapore which is like goodness knows how many thousands of miles away from the US. But I'm applying to do my exchange in America and since there are so many people here who seem to be applying to UC schools, is UCSB a good school? I got offerred a place there but it wasn't any of my choices. I wanted to go to College of William & Mary for its liberal arts education but I didn't get it. Not too familiar with the US schools besides the usual Ivy Leagues ones. Most of the schools offerred here at my school for exchange are mostly Public Ivies though. So I applied to schools like U of Illinois - UC, UM - Ann Arbor and Penn State. I guess I'll probably try again for an exchange semester in the US. But got to say, I'm so envious of you guys, I always wanted an University education in the US!

Penn State is a good one! :] Plus you'll be on the east coast, lol I live on the east coast :happy:

[tc9.jay]

Yeah, I think coming from outside of the US, I would definitely rather choose schools on the East coast simply because it'll be easier to explore the East coast! :-) Two of the major reasons why I'm not too keen on the UC Schools is because they are located on the West Coast and because UC schools have a majorly high proportion of Asians. People from where I'm from do choose UC because of the high proportions of Asians though, guess it's more of a comfort zone for them.

[v3rmillion]

I know I'm like the odd person out here cause I'm not American and I'm already an undergraduate in Singapore which is like goodness knows how many thousands of miles away from the US. But I'm applying to do my exchange in America and since there are so many people here who seem to be applying to UC schools, is UCSB a good school? I got offerred a place there but it wasn't any of my choices. I wanted to go to College of William & Mary for its liberal arts education but I didn't get it. Not too familiar with the US schools besides the usual Ivy Leagues ones. Most of the schools offerred here at my school for exchange are mostly Public Ivies though. So I applied to schools like U of Illinois - UC, UM - Ann Arbor and Penn State. I guess I'll probably try again for an exchange semester in the US. But got to say, I'm so envious of you guys, I always wanted an University education in the US!

UCSB has a reputation as a "party school" ...I'll let you decided if that's a good or bad thing ;] but it's right next to the beach :D

and the last three schools you mentioned are really good public schools :] but I think it really depends on what you're majoring in, since some schools are stronger/better/higher ranked on certain areas thatn others

[iphei]

If you want any info on UofI, I can give you that since I go here (and I guess a little info about the rest of the Big Ten schools, like Michigan and Penn State), but I'm also from California so I know about the UCs.