Getting into Colleges
Alright well, I have a few questions if any of you could help me out. I'm a sophomore in high school, I just switched schools this year (family moved from Idaho to Indiana) and I was wondering:
When do you start filling applications? (late junior year? fall of senior?)
When do you get acceptance/rejection letters?
Extra Cirricular Activities, which ones look good and do they look at your activities throughout your whole entire 4 years or just the ones maybe in your junior or senior year? (because I'm not in any at all right now, still adjusting, but I use to be in quite a few last year so I don't know if this is going to hurt me).
GPA wise, does having a 4.0 dramatically improve your chances over someone with a 3.9x etc, my classes right now are mostly accelerated so it's kind of difficult to get A's in them (I'm going to probably end up having like a 3.9 in the end) What about SAT's/ACT's.
Some of the schools I'm looking to get into are UC Berkeley, Stanford, Cornell, Columbia, Carnegie Mellon (the higher up ones, my dad is really pushing for me to try), I think I want to go into Engineering but maybe Marketing too. I expect my SAT's to be high 1400's (I've taken practice ones and I just need to work on vocab pretty much so I've been reading a lot lately too). Anyway, input?
When do you start filling applications? (late junior year? fall of senior?)
When do you get acceptance/rejection letters?
Extra Cirricular Activities, which ones look good and do they look at your activities throughout your whole entire 4 years or just the ones maybe in your junior or senior year? (because I'm not in any at all right now, still adjusting, but I use to be in quite a few last year so I don't know if this is going to hurt me).
GPA wise, does having a 4.0 dramatically improve your chances over someone with a 3.9x etc, my classes right now are mostly accelerated so it's kind of difficult to get A's in them (I'm going to probably end up having like a 3.9 in the end) What about SAT's/ACT's.
Some of the schools I'm looking to get into are UC Berkeley, Stanford, Cornell, Columbia, Carnegie Mellon (the higher up ones, my dad is really pushing for me to try), I think I want to go into Engineering but maybe Marketing too. I expect my SAT's to be high 1400's (I've taken practice ones and I just need to work on vocab pretty much so I've been reading a lot lately too). Anyway, input?
Comments
You start looking at colleges in real earnest in the summer of your junior year (visiting them, maybe spending a weekend at some) and then moreso during the beginning of your senior year. Some people start visiting colleges during their junior year.
Apps are either due on November 1/15, or Jan 1st depending on if you apply early or normal. Most schools (aside from Harvard, Georgetown, Yale and some other) require you to go the school if you apply early and get in.
If you apply early you find out sometime during the winter and can just sit back, if you apply normal you won't find out til around May.\\
For Engineering, the schools you listed previously are pretty good, except for Columbia which is rather weak. CMU's CS is the best in the country, but the rest of their engineering is the second weakest of the schools you listed.
Hope this helps! (ooh and it's my first post ever)
I actually transferred here from a state school by Buffalo (SUNY Geneseo.) My high school grades weren't stellar but I went to a prestigious big name specialized public science school in New York City (Stuyvesant) so that helped alot. We're a big Cornell feeder, and we got about 60 kids into Cornell last year.
My stats from High School were: 1460 SAT (720V/740M), I had a 92.17 average, there was no class rank, and I was the senior class president. At Geneseo I pulled a 3.9 for the first two semesters, and ended up doing some independent research.
I love Cornell! It's absoultely amazing how much this school offers (our course guide is the size of a yellow pages) and we seem to be very good in everything. This year I'm taking computer science classes together with a class on dog care (I have two dogs, and CU has the best vet school in the world.)
Where else would I have a roommate that goes to a TOP-5 interior design school, while going to a TOP-5 CS school myself. It's great!
As for engineering colleges, I am a civil engineering student at Virginia Tech. NickV would have you believe that I am getting my degree from sears, but it's not the case. Tech is ranked pretty well in terms of engineering (especially civil) if you buy into that sort of thing. Generally, as far as engineering goes, all the schools in the top twenty-five will give you an excellent education that will allow you to excell in your career.
The REAL determinant for success is experience. The more on-site experience you have (internships/co-ops), the more the employer will be interested in you once you graduate. For the most part, as long as you went to an accredited engineering university(ABET, if you go into engineering, most likely you'll hear about it), it's experience that really matters.
But most of all, once you find out what colleges you got into, choose the one where you think you could LIVE, not the one that is going to look good on a resume. Remember, you have to live at college for four or five years. It is not a decision to be taken lightly.
Plus, consider your and your parent's pocket book. Is it better to spend all their money(or even worse, get into debt with loans) now on undergraduate education, or to spend it on graduate school?
Just some things to think about from someone who goes to a (i can see you cringing) state school.
Oh stop it. I never attacked any other school. There are plenty of great schools out there that provide great educations (VT being one of them.) I just said I love Cornell, and I just gave him my opinion regarding the schools he listed.
You're right, experience is BY FAR the most important thing to getting a good job after college. A student at any school (from the Harvards down to the Community Colleges) will have a hard time getting a job in this economy (my roommates are having a hard time.)
[quote]Plus, consider your and your parent's pocket book. Is it better to spend all their money(or even worse, get into debt with loans) now on undergraduate education, or to spend it on graduate school?<hr></blockquote>
All the schools he mentioned give generous amounts of financial aid. Cornell has given me a 20,000 grant this year for my education. My parents are actually pretty poor, but I'm leaving CU with only a little more than $25,000 in debt. I don't think it's that bad.
[ 12-03-2002: Message edited by: NickV ]</p>
<strong>I went to a prestigious big name specialized public science school in New York City (Stuyvesant) so that helped alot. We're a big Cornell feeder, and we got about 60 kids into Cornell last year.
My stats from High School were: 1460 SAT (720V/740M), I had a 92.17 average, there was no class rank, and I was the senior class president. </strong><hr></blockquote>
I know stuy! thats where Hackers was filmed
(the olympic-sized swimming pool is on the 1st floor, not the roof <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" /> )
I went there freshman year of HS, but transferred... too big
HOW DID YOU NOT GET INTO STANFORD RIGHT OUT OF HS? those are great grades!
anyways, to get back on topic. The main thing is to find a school that fits YOU. With grades like you have and a 1450+ SATs you will have the basics for getting into the top schools... but you WILL need more...
think about doing community service... not only will you help people out (it can be very fun if you find the right place) but you can help yourself get into an ivy... PLUS you will probably have a bunch of stories that you can mold into your college essay. That is what my essay was about, an experience on a meals-on-wheels run in manhattan, i delivered a meal to this old lady...but she was stark-nude... very gross... but i made it funny
the main thing is to find a place that you ill love, and if you love the place it will be easy to convince them to take you, especially if you have such a great base in terms of SATs and GPA like you do.
do you want to stay close to home?
would you mind a big school?
you probably want a liberal school...
is ivy important to you?
do you want to go to a catholic school?
Do you want to be close to a big city?
Do you want a big sports program?
do you want fraternities?
Do you care about the M/F ratio? (remember you will be living there for 4 years)
Nick is right, you really should apply early if you find out you REALLY want to go to one school, or even if you are trying to decide between a group of 3 or 4 schools... it really makes the rest of senior year a whole lot less stressful... I got my college acceptances over spring break when I was on vacation in italy...(im a freshman at BC)...lets just say it was an...experience
CMU is a great school for engineering, i have a friend who goes there.
check out <a href="http://www.collegeboard.com"; target="_blank">www.collegeboard.com</a> (or is it .org?) for the basic information about 99% of the colleges in the nation. Pretty good resource.
Oh BTW. do you use a TI-89? you really should look into it, makes algebra (and a lot of pre-calc stuff (and beyond that too)) go much faster, i bet you could up your math SAT score by a good 30 points with it...
although it is nice to have a big name school that everyone knows behind you
take as many GPA boosters as you can. don't let yer difficult classes hurt you. my high school was very competitive (college prep private), and because of this a 3.5 was considered very high. pretty much everyone there would have gotten 4.0s in public school. this basically screwed all of us over. our 3.5s were competing against applicants w/ 4.5s and 4.3s and bullshit like that. grade inflation is a load of crap and i am still bitter over this. some schools take no work to get a 4.5, while my school didnt make it possible to even get above a 4.0, which was hard enough. and being a more difficult school and a very good education doesn't matter when comparing numbers--who would you take? an guy w/ a 4.3 or a guy w/ a 3.5?
so...basically, just be careful. if you have the option of taking a difficult class that could hurt your GPA, don't take it. grades mean everything for getting into top schools. extracurriculars did nothing for me...
although being wellrounded helps, it always comes down to having above a 4.0 these days just to have a chance...
When do you get acceptance/rejection letters?<hr></blockquote>
There are realy no rules when you should start. I know people who start Sophomore year and others who start summer of Junior-Senior year. Personally I started thinking about it middle of junior year, got a list over the summer and visted a few places. I talked to my guidance counsolor in the fall and got everything together. As a sophomore you could being to get a list together now, dosn't hurt.
Applications were mostly due on Jan. 1 (not early desision/acceptance). You get your letters in March or April(I forget exaclty the week, but around there).
[quote]Extra Cirricular Activities, which ones look good and do they look at your activities throughout your whole entire 4 years or just the ones maybe in your junior or senior year? (because I'm not in any at all right now, still adjusting, but I use to be in quite a few last year so I don't know if this is going to hurt me).<hr></blockquote>
Umm yea I did like 3 things in high school, if that. I checked off a few things taht i attened mybe one or two meetings for. I know someone who just checked random boxes off. The more you do really the better, but don't stress over it if you don't have enough to fill all the blanks.
[quote]GPA wise, does having a 4.0 dramatically improve your chances over someone with a 3.9x etc, my classes right now are mostly accelerated so it's kind of difficult to get A's in them (I'm going to probably end up having like a 3.9 in the end) What about SAT's/ACT's.<hr></blockquote>
They really do look at everything... grades, SATs, extra activites, your school experience, jobs, skills, etc.
I had a solid B average and a 1060 (yea don't I suck?!) I got rejected from some of my safty schools and accepted into some of my reach (BC being one of them) . One thing i have learned is that College exceptance is really more like a lottery. There are just too many factors to consider, including those you can't control such as location, number of applications from your school, race, gender, religion, class etc. They will tell you that these things do not play a role, but they most definaly do. After doing this just a year ago (and watching friends doing it now) all I can say is try your best, and definatly do not stress out.
Another tip do not just pick a school based on polls of party school, M/F ratio, and other stupid things like that. You're paying a lot of money to go to a school so that you can make a lot more money later in life. Don't **** it up because you're weekends lasted Wednesday evening till Monday morning.
Good Luck!
[ 12-04-2002: Message edited by: Dogcow ]</p>
<strong>I'd just like to say that I love art school. All you silly people and your academic talk. It's cute. Really
and what the hell does art every do for progress...?
<strong>
When do you start filling applications? (late junior year? fall of senior?)
</strong>
<hr></blockquote>
senior year. early deadline is usually 10/31, regular deadline is usually 12/31.
<strong>
[quote]
When do you get acceptance/rejection letters?
</strong>
<hr></blockquote>
Early: around dec 15
Regular: around April 5
<strong>
[quote]
Extra Cirricular Activities, which ones look good and do they look at your activities throughout your whole entire 4 years or just the ones maybe in your junior or senior year? (because I'm not in any at all right now, still adjusting, but I use to be in quite a few last year so I don't know if this is going to hurt me).
</strong>
<hr></blockquote>
They look at the ones you put down on the application. You usually have to indicate the years involved. Extra curriculars do matter. Do stuff that you like, and move up the chain of command.
<strong>
[quote]
GPA wise, does having a 4.0 dramatically improve your chances over someone with a 3.9x etc, my classes right now are mostly accelerated so it's kind of difficult to get A's in them (I'm going to probably end up having like a 3.9 in the end) What about SAT's/ACT's.
</strong>
<hr></blockquote>
GPA is measured relative to those in your school. SAT is a much better lowest common denominator, if you will. Both are good to have in your favor. Obviously, the classes you take have some impact too, but you should be able to figure this out on your own.
<strong>
[quote]
Some of the schools I'm looking to get into are UC Berkeley, Stanford, Cornell, Columbia, Carnegie Mellon (the higher up ones, my dad is really pushing for me to try), I think I want to go into Engineering but maybe Marketing too. I expect my SAT's to be high 1400's (I've taken practice ones and I just need to work on vocab pretty much so I've been reading a lot lately too). Anyway, input?</strong><hr></blockquote>
I guess that by this time in sophomore year I had taken the PSATs, and I got 720V 710M then. I ended up with 750V 800M when I took the SATs about a year & change later. It seemed to work out for me. I'm an '04 EE at Princeton right now. (Stanford sucks donkey balls!)
My words of advice:
I know where you come from attitude wise, and I think you need to take a proverbial chill pill. If you get all geared up, you're going to get nervous and mess up somewhere along the line, then you'll get discouraged and it will be ugly. If you loosen up about it, you'll be happier and do better. Concentrate on high school now, college, later. In Junior and Senior years of high school you'll have plenty of guidance about college matters.
[ 12-04-2002: Message edited by: Splinemodel ]</p>
As for extra cariculars, I did Varsity Golf, Basketball, and Baseball. I am in the "leadership class" which is basically student government that the faculty picks. I did some community service too but only because it's required. Basically, I don't do much so you should probably do more than that.
The college search is difficult at first but I had it narrowed down to where I wanted to go in a matter of months. I didn't seriously begin looking until the summer going into my senior year. You have some time so don't burn yourself out. I've seen too many people burn out on the college thing and suffer academically in school, ruining their chances to get into a college of their choice. By this fall I knew where I wanted to go and I applied for Early Decision at Trinity U. and will find out Dec. 15. If you are 100% sure where you want to go, I HIGHLY recommend Early Decision.
[ 12-04-2002: Message edited by: G4Dude ]</p>
When choosing a college, a wide range of factors should go into your thought process. I wanted a good journalism program at a strong liberal arts school, I wanted to get out of Minnesota but stay in the Midwest, preferably in or near a sizable city with lots to do. I didn't want a large impersonal state school, and I didn't care much about the party scene. Hello, Northwestern University. It was the perfect choice for me.
Life is a long journey -- work hard and make smart decisions and you'll be fine. Good luck -- and don't forget to enjoy high school!
I took all AP and honors classes, I had a GPA of something around 3.7 (unweighted), 1500 SAT, I did drama, band and played Ultimate in high school?a good public high school. For me the most important thing in deciding was visiting. I went to Carleton and Carnegie Mellon (after I was accepted), I liked the atmosphere in Carleton, but I decided to go to CMU based on visiting and seeing the wonderful research facilities for biology and chemistry. I'm a 1st year biology major, and I love college. Try if possible to visit the schools, it's the only way to truly get a feel for the school. If you do well on the PSATs you'll get lots of mail, once you have a couple of bags full, take a college book and go through your mail, looking up anything that looks interesting. That's what I did, and I ended up with a good list of schools.
There isn't any one thing you can do to secure a place at a school (besides having your parents donate a building), acceptances are highly randomized as to whether or not qualified people get in. Everything you have mentioned, grades, test scores etc. are part, but something bad can be made up for. Consider all your options, not just big name schools, go where you think you will fit in and prosper. I probably could have gotten into Ivy League schools, but I knew that that's not where I would fit in.
It's good that you already have a short list, but don't stress out yet. Keep your mind open, but don't go overboard. There was somebody in my high school who applied to 25 schools which is way too much. I feel that you should do things that you want to, and that interest you, not just to get into a "good" school, you can get a good education most places.
Adding to Paul's list, consider climate, can you deal with extreme heat or cold? Location, location, location. Can you deal with a city? A small town? The middle of nowhere? CMU is fairly compact, I don't need to deal with the city, but it's right outside my window if I need something. On the other hand, MIT is also in a city, but it's spread out so you have to deal with the city. How much integration do you want? Are there certain things you can't live without? ie malls, an Apple Store, a good Chinese supermarket, open fields etc. Remember you'll have to live in this place, so you want all things necessary for your upkeep at hand.
If possible, try to take AP tests, getting credit is very useful, being able to avoid intro classes, and being able to take more advanced classes is nice.
good luck to all
<strong>
and what the hell does art every do for progress...?
See what I mean. You people are so cute