College. Jagerbombs, parties, all that.

[ThurinEthir]

My sister is a senior in college right now, she applied for 17 schools or something. :|

 

Quite remarkable schools though. I don't remember all of them but she had a good deal of Ivies. Still waiting to see if she gets in to any...

 

As for me, I still have three years. Massachusetts has this standardized test called the MCAS, and you need to "pass" the English and Math in order to graduate. If you get at least Proficient on both, and Advanced in one, you get some sort of scholarship (or something) to UMass. I'm guessing around 33% of the class qualifies for that, though I don't know how many actually take advantage of it.

 

I really don't know what I want to do in the future though, and I don't know what college I want to go to. All I know is I'm most likely sticking around Boston, and there's plenty around here, obviously including Harvard and MIT. Generally 2-4 people make it into those two (combined) each year from my school, and though I can easily think of three people who have a better chance than I do, eh...A guy can dream. Tufts and some other smaller tech schools sound good too.

[Rebdragon]

I'm in my junior year of hs and I just took my (first) ACT a few weeks ago. > I got a 32. :( . <

 

[cabbage] like this gets real old, real fast.

[baron8000]

Go for the better university if you can.

 

 

 

When I was applying I got to apply to 6 uni's, pick two that accepted me, and then decide which to go to after results. I was accepted into 5/6 and chose to keep Oxford (which required the super high grades etc) and Exeter (not so much) as a safety net. While I was waiting for results I wondered if I should pick the easier option, but decided to go for Oxford if I got the grades (which I did). I am now...nearly 2 years into my Law degree and haven't looked back, the workload is massively higher than anywhere in England (and probably the US as well) except Cambridge (which we equal, if not better :P). The benefits are amazing, access to the best tutors and resources, just as many parties/uni student type things as anywhere else, I heartily recommend going for the best uni you can.

 

 

 

Also, a degree from a "better" university will grant you better prospects, even at undergrad level, fellow law students from other uni's in the UK are struggling for work experience/pupillage whilst oxbridge students tend to walk into the firm of their choice.

 

 

 

Also, be sure to check about any funding help they can give you, Oxford gives me a substantial amount as I cannot currently fund myself, the good universities will never want to see you drop out because of money.

[magekillr]

It also helps to go to places like Harvard if you plan to get into a top graduate school. Just going to upper level universities like that greatly increase your options and ability to get into excellent grad programs.

 

 

 

So long as it's a nice state school, then I see no reason why Harvard would make one more competitive. If your GPA is sound, and you provide strong interest in the Professor's work, you shouldn't have trouble getting offers. This is especially true if you got a 3.5 GPA at Harvard, but had a 3.9 somewhere else.

 

 

 

So long as it's not a Bible College or diploma mill/unaccredited program, GPA/interest/interviews are really all that matter. Undergraduate research is very important as well, some would say just as important as GPA.

 

 

 

If you don't plan on grad school, though, Ivy League is definitely not worth it.

 

 

 

Also, a degree from a "better" university will grant you better prospects, even at undergrad level, fellow law students from other uni's in the UK are struggling for work experience/pupillage whilst oxbridge students tend to walk into the firm of their choice.

 

 

 

Maybe in England, but not in the US. You go to undergrad in the US, and then 2 years of law school. The law school would determine how well you're hired, not the undergrad.

[Joes_So_Cool]

I'm going to go to school for carpentry/roofing/flooring. It's excellent money, if you can find jobs.

[magekillr]

Well, my brother gave me a tip that if you're ever going to be late for a class, even two minutes, just go home and think up an excuse. Professors hate being disturbed, even if you're in a lecture hall of five hundred students.

 

 

 

Lol wut? I'm late all of the time :lol:

 

 

 

I always miss the bus that I want (I live in an apartment off campus). They don't really notice. They don't notice if you leave to go to the bathroom, so why would they notice if you come in late? You're paying to be there. They'd rather you go in and out than like, "ask" for permission to use the bathroom.

[Rebdragon]

If you don't plan on grad school, though, Ivy League is definitely not worth it.

 

Why?

[magekillr]

If you don't plan on grad school, though, Ivy League is definitely not worth it.

 

Why?

 

 

 

If you want to shell out 40-50 grand a year for an undergraduate degree that's not going to be noticeable to a first time employer when compared with experience, GPA, and extracurriculars, then go for it. Even GPA is barely an indicator compared with experience for a first time job. I'd say GPA really only matters for internships. After your first job, your other employers aren't going to even look at where you got your degree from (and I would say that the first time people won't, either). They'll look at how you did on the job you just left, and call that employer. Hell, many people I know (including Darkrick on these boards) have told me how even during first job interviews they don't even ask your GPA. The only time I see it being mentioned is for internships and co-ops.

 

 

 

I'd say it'd only give you an edge if the employer was an alumni.

[Lenticular_J]

I reckon that's true. My brother in law and his friend both went to Tech. My brother in law had to miss a lot to work in oil fields, and he only had a 3.2 GPA. His friend had 4.0, but he got hired by some tiny construction company, while my brother in law got hired with awesome benefits by Exxon.

[Barihawk]

texas tech is barren

 

 

 

Hey now, some of us got quality educations there. Are there are far worse places to go if you don't want to be bored. Like SFA. Working on my MA here and I literally have to drive 30 miles to see a movie or go to Target.

 

 

 

Be careful with UT-A. Some majors are good but others like History are absolutely terrible. Like, not diverse at all. UT is essentially what money can do to a college. For all the requirements to get in, you might as well just go to Rice.

[Quoi_Tu]

If you don't plan on grad school, though, Ivy League is definitely not worth it.

 

Why?

 

 

 

If you want to shell out 40-50 grand a year for an undergraduate degree that's not going to be noticeable to a first time employer when compared with experience, GPA, and extracurriculars, then go for it. Even GPA is barely an indicator compared with experience for a first time job. I'd say GPA really only matters for internships. After your first job, your other employers aren't going to even look at where you got your degree from (and I would say that the first time people won't, either). They'll look at how you did on the job you just left, and call that employer. Hell, many people I know (including Darkrick on these boards) have told me how even during first job interviews they don't even ask your GPA. The only time I see it being mentioned is for internships and co-ops.

 

 

 

I'd say it'd only give you an edge if the employer was an alumni.

 

There ya go. Ivy League provides connections and opprotunities that would be harder to find in a upper level state school.

 

 

 

It also helps to go to places like Harvard if you plan to get into a top graduate school. Just going to upper level universities like that greatly increase your options and ability to get into excellent grad programs.

 

 

 

So long as it's a nice state school, then I see no reason why Harvard would make one more competitive. If your GPA is sound, and you provide strong interest in the Professor's work, you shouldn't have trouble getting offers. This is especially true if you got a 3.5 GPA at Harvard, but had a 3.9 somewhere else.

 

 

 

If you don't plan on grad school, though, Ivy League is definitely not worth it.

 

You're comparing schools and giving different GPAs, of course you'll get different results! If you're recognizing, Harvard is harder, then employers will recognize it as a better school.

 

 

 

However, I do agree that Ivy league schools are best for those going to graduate/professional programs or high level business positions. But if you have the money, it's not a bad option for undergrad.

[ForsakenMage]

Well, after high school I applied for UC Berkeley and UC Davis. And I got rejected by both. :lol:

 

 

 

So I went to the local community college instead for two years to start on my lower division and general education requirements for my major (Business Administration), and tried to apply for UC Berkeley again. They rejected me again. :thumbdown: 3.50 GPA + Work Experience + Extracurricular Activities + course work to be transferred completed and they still said no. :wall: Yet the guy who applied with me with 2.5GPA and work experience somehow got in. Oh geez. Must've been something in the personal statements. Who knows. They're not obligated to tell you why you're rejected apparently.

 

 

 

Community college cost me around $4000 in total for the two years I spent, but the costs were cut thanks to the Governor's Fee Waiver and the government grant I received to help pay for tuition and books. So I pretty much spent nothing. :| I went to UC Riverside, since that was the other UC campus that had my major. Spent two years down there and actually enjoyed it a lot, probably more than I would have if I had gone to Berkeley instead. During the first year, I got a small grant and some loans, but during my second year, I was unable to receive financial aid. I got a job as a resident advisor, which cut about $11,000 out of my year's expense as the job helped pay for my residence hall fees and food. The rest was out of my parents pocket. I finished a quarter early, so I spent about $3800 on tuition and about $800 on books. :wall: UC's tuition at the time was about $1900 a quarter. Not sure if they've increased the prices since I've graduated last year.

 

 

 

Some schools offer discounted living expenses if you're a resident advisor/program coordinator/any other residence life staff positions they may have. If you think you can handle the responsibility, I highly recommend the job. It's a great way to get to know a lot of people. :) Not to mention it looks nice on the resume. Plus you get to have some stories to tell in the end.

 

 

 

Some stories:

 

1. The city was under tornado warning and I was on duty that night. I was told to get any students I saw outside to get inside. It was storming pretty bad already with a lot of lightning and thunder. Try as I might though, there were still students running around outside in the parking lot screaming when the hail came down. The tornado never got close to the campus, but had it done so, I really would have no idea what to do other than try to get everyone into the windowless hallway and pray like I never had before. :| The tornado had touched down about 10 to 15 minutes away from us and had flipped over a train car and damaged a few buildings. Baby tornado it was, but tornadoes in Southern California? Weird.

 

 

 

2. I was studying for a sociology midterm into the wee morning hours. At around 2:30 or so I went to bed. At around 3:30 the fire alarm went off. The resident advisors all have a special alarm in their room that screeches when there's a fire in ANY of the area's buildings. I stumbled off of my bed, put on a jacket over my pajamas, stuffed my feet into my sneakers sockless, grabbed my fire extinguisher and emergency backpack and ran out of my room to check the security panel to see where the fire was. Soon as I found that out I went to the building (and it was freezing cold that night too argh) and found the resident advisor there staring at the closed door of the suite where the fire was. I asked her why was she was still standing there and was told it was really smokey. So I opened the door and just went :shock: when I saw how much smoke was coming out of one of the shower rooms. Finally two RAs went in and put out the fire. The fire was in a trash can. Apparently someone hookah, which is not allowed, and dumped the coals into the trashcan. You can figure out the rest. :wall:

 

 

 

3. So I was in the shower when the special fire alarm went off. :wall: I had to wrap my hair up in a towel, toss on some clothes and ran out of my room in less than two minutes looking like an idiot with my hair in a towel and shivering under my sweatshirt and sweatpants. >_< Someone burned popcorn in another building. Funny enough, almost every RA in the area at the time happened to be in the shower too so we all looked a bit odd when we came to see what happened haha.

 

 

 

4. Early evening, someone was hungry and tried to make some Ramen. Fire alarm goes off and we find this burnt chunk of a thing in the microwave. At first it looked like a coffee cake that went bad. Turned out the guy was trying to cook the Ramen but didn't add water. :wall:

[Kenshinjapan]

UH is full of commuters and fake gangsters. It's right next to the hood and people get shot. UT Austin should be your second choice

 

 

 

You actually want him to go to AUSTIN for SAFETY?

 

 

 

Get out. Just get out...

[ugafan_2009]

I'm going to the University of Georgia next year. It's a fairly good school(like #59 in the nation) and it's affordable. With the HOPE(pays for tuition for any state Georgia school), the only costs are room and board(about 8 grand.)

 

 

 

I'm extremely excited, I'll get a great education, plus I love the town of Athens, it's a top 10 party school, they have great athletic programs, and the food is amazing. :D

[Pinkbullet3]

Keep up the GPA and sports and you'll probably get in fine. Don't forget to try and get some teachers' letters of recommendation and write a good essay.

 

I reckon that'll be plenty for a state school. Did you take the SAT, too? Oh, wait, nevermind. Illinois pretty much just does ACT.

 

 

 

But if you're in the top 50% of your class, you should definitely be covered for a state school.

 

[cabbage] like this gets real old, real fast.

 

I really was expecting a 33/34. Nearly triple checked everything just to make sure I could do my best... But whatever you say.

 

 

 

Thanks for the info, Quoi and Lenticular. They'll come in handy. :thumbup:

[fastortoise]

I could probably stay in at least the top 8% my three remaining years of high school.

 

Wow, when do you have to apply to college in the US? I only started worrying about college choices three months before graduation.

[Cha0sx]

I'm really not looking forward to college and getting a job, etc. It's not that I don't do well in school and won't get into a nice college, it's just that I'm not looking forward to that kind of responsibility. I like going through school calmly and having fun playing video games and the like. I really don't see how I will enjoy college that much. I probably won't have time to 'party' and all that stuff seems to be for people who are willing to do mediocre or worse in college. I'd rather concentrate on my studies here because it's when it really matters and how you will perform in your job.

 

 

 

I'm currently in 10th grade.

[stan18]

My sister is a senior in college right now, she applied for 17 schools or something. :|

 

Quite remarkable schools though. I don't remember all of them but she had a good deal of Ivies. Still waiting to see if she gets in to any...

 

As for me, I still have three years. Massachusetts has this standardized test called the MCAS, and you need to "pass" the English and Math in order to graduate. If you get at least Proficient on both, and Advanced in one, you get some sort of scholarship (or something) to UMass. I'm guessing around 33% of the class qualifies for that, though I don't know how many actually take advantage of it.

 

I really don't know what I want to do in the future though, and I don't know what college I want to go to. All I know is I'm most likely sticking around Boston, and there's plenty around here, obviously including Harvard and MIT. Generally 2-4 people make it into those two (combined) each year from my school, and though I can easily think of three people who have a better chance than I do, eh...A guy can dream. Tufts and some other smaller tech schools sound good too.

 

 

 

Which hs you at? I'm at tufts and know a couple boston hs kids. And tufts is nice. go there for the sledding... which i will do if classes are canceled due to the impending doom of a snowstorm coming

 

 

 

Well, my brother gave me a tip that if you're ever going to be late for a class, even two minutes, just go home and think up an excuse. Professors hate being disturbed, even if you're in a lecture hall of five hundred students.

 

 

 

while i've heard that too, I've never heard any real instances of it. Teachers aren't as mean as HS teachers, though I guess it depends on where you go. I've never, ever been called out on by a teacher in all the many times ive been late

 

 

 

Undergraduate: ALWAYS go to a state school. I never understood why people think that Harvard undergraduate degrees are more worthy than say, the University of Florida. The only real difference that you'll see in education between a state school and somewhere like Harvard, is for graduate programs and research. This is because most of the best research teams go to these schools, these schools are given the best projects, and you have the most amount of tools at your disposal.

 

 

 

Go to a state school. It won't make a lick of difference except in cost.

 

 

 

If you're only going undergrad, then it probably won't matter, unless you go to a top school ("harvard" looks nice). If you plan on going grad, you really shouldn't go to a state school unless you know you can get top of the class and a 4.0 or really close

 

 

 

And SATs are out of 2400 now.

 

 

 

I'm currently a freshman at Tufts University

 

Not all schools consider the 'new' writing section. In fact, most of the schools that I applied to didn't. I agree with everything you said though :P And my sister is currently at Tufts 8-)

 

 

 

True. And I remember that you told me your sister goes to tufts when I got in a short while back :) what year is she?

[stan18]

I'm really not looking forward to college and getting a job, etc. It's not that I don't do well in school and won't get into a nice college, it's just that I'm not looking forward to that kind of responsibility. I like going through school calmly and having fun playing video games and the like. I really don't see how I will enjoy college that much. I probably won't have time to 'party' and all that stuff seems to be for people who are willing to do mediocre or worse in college. I'd rather concentrate on my studies here because it's when it really matters and how you will perform in your job.

 

 

 

I'm currently in 10th grade.

 

 

 

I find that HS and college aren't much different, as long as you've applied yourself in hs, you'll be way prepared for college. I still get the time to go or hang out - the thing with college is you no longer have filler classes you don't want or need to take. The most time i spend in class in a day is 5 hours.

 

 

 

And I don't have my mom nagging at me.

[tripsis]

I could probably stay in at least the top 8% my three remaining years of high school.

 

Wow, when do you have to apply to college in the US? I only started worrying about college choices three months before graduation.

 

In the US, most college applications are due in January of your senior year. However a few are due as early as November (UC/common applications, at least). Most people start looking at and considering colleges in their junior year of high school.

 

 

 

And SATs are out of 2400 now.

 

 

 

I'm currently a freshman at Tufts University

 

Not all schools consider the 'new' writing section. In fact, most of the schools that I applied to didn't. I agree with everything you said though :P And my sister is currently at Tufts 8-)

 

 

 

True. And I remember that you told me your sister goes to tufts when I got in a short while back :) what year is she?

 

She's currently a sophomore :)

[Nom]

Right. College. I'm supposed to be looking at that.

 

 

 

When I signed up for the ACT and SAT they asked which college I wanted the results sent to. I had no clue so I left them blank. I should really start . . . doing something.

 

 

 

The one thing I'm really worried about is a math class for next near. I absolutely suck at math and would love to take as little as possible, but my counselor tells me that colleges love to see that math. Yeah. I'm sure they would love to see me just barely passing it and my GPA suffering because of it.

[Quoi_Tu]

Undergraduate: ALWAYS go to a state school. I never understood why people think that Harvard undergraduate degrees are more worthy than say, the University of Florida. The only real difference that you'll see in education between a state school and somewhere like Harvard, is for graduate programs and research. This is because most of the best research teams go to these schools, these schools are given the best projects, and you have the most amount of tools at your disposal.

 

 

 

Go to a state school. It won't make a lick of difference except in cost.

 

 

 

If you're only going undergrad, then it probably won't matter, unless you go to a top school ("harvard" looks nice). If you plan on going grad, you really shouldn't go to a state school unless you know you can get top of the class and a 4.0 or really close

 

Unless you're going to a state grad school. Or you can always go the route of getting a Master's and doing really well, then moving up to a higher level PhD program that might not have accepted you before. And a 4.0 is hardly necessary unless you really are looking to get into top 10 programs.

[Lenticular_J]

I'm really not looking forward to college and getting a job, etc. It's not that I don't do well in school and won't get into a nice college, it's just that I'm not looking forward to that kind of responsibility. I like going through school calmly and having fun playing video games and the like. I really don't see how I will enjoy college that much. I probably won't have time to 'party' and all that stuff seems to be for people who are willing to do mediocre or worse in college. I'd rather concentrate on my studies here because it's when it really matters and how you will perform in your job.

 

 

 

I'm currently in 10th grade.

 

I think you'll find it's very easy to just hang around, especially if you live in the dorms. Even full-time as a student, you won't have much more than three or four classes a day. You just have to work a good schedule for studying. I have the gift of soaking up words. If I hear information, I'm usually able to remember it. So long as I don't miss too much in class, I won't have to study a ton. I know it'll be pretty different, though. I'm much more excited about college than I was for high school, though. I've dreaded high school ever since I can remember. And I still do. College sounds like the perfect mix of still being a kid and being an adult, though ... and I'll turn eighteen just in time! :P

 

 

 

EDIT: Whoa, I just did the math, and I'll only be 21 when I graduate. THAT SUCKS. But it's pretty cool, too.

[ugafan_2009]

I'm really not looking forward to college and getting a job, etc. It's not that I don't do well in school and won't get into a nice college, it's just that I'm not looking forward to that kind of responsibility. I like going through school calmly and having fun playing video games and the like. I really don't see how I will enjoy college that much. I probably won't have time to 'party' and all that stuff seems to be for people who are willing to do mediocre or worse in college. I'd rather concentrate on my studies here because it's when it really matters and how you will perform in your job.

 

 

 

I'm currently in 10th grade.

I felt the same way in 10th grade, and now that I graduate in like 75 days, I'm stoked for college. High school will get old and you'll be ready to move on trust me.

[Flyingjj]

 

I really was expecting a 33/34. Nearly triple checked everything just to make sure I could do my best... But whatever you say.

 

 

 

Thanks for the info, Quoi and Lenticular. They'll come in handy. :thumbup:

 

 

 

First off, a 32 isn't bad. In fact, it's quite great. Second, doing a bit of research, the University of Illinois at Chicago has a mean freshman ACT of just under 24, meaning that with a 32 you're pretty much guaranteed a spot with your record. I have no idea why you'd be worried. Third, you're taking the ACT a second time. Most people do better the second go around. Don't get too confident however, as that's not always true. I got a 34 my first time and a 32 my second time. Somehow, my science score dropped 6 points, as well as my English going down a couple too. My one point of Math gain wasn't going to save that. My problem was that I was taking my time too much the second go around. I took it easy, and it bit me. Watch yourself, and you can get your score up. Like you really need to though.

 

 

 

EDIT: Taking a second look, you probably meant University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Still, you're looking pretty good. The middle 50% of the incoming freshman class had ACTs of 26-31, meaning you're likely in the top 25% of normal admitted students.