Summer college trip

[California8429]

What schools should I visit this summer? I'll have two trips. My cousin is getting married outside of Boston so I'll be able to do New England colleges in late June, early July.

Then in mid-July my dad is going to Williamsburg for the NGA meeting so I'll be able to attend that and then see Virginia and D.C. schools.

There are other schools I want to see and won't and some I will definitely go to like Harvard, Georgetown, and UVA (in green).

What do you think are the most worthwhile visiting for a half day or a day?

New England/ Northeast
Yale
Harvard
Princeton
Tufts
Brown
MIT*
Dartmouth- Not too excited about this and since it is way up in New Hampshire/Vermont, I'm not sure it is worth it
Boston College
Columbia
NYC

Mid-atlantic
Georgetown
UVA
William & Mary
George Washington
U Richmond
American
Johns Hopkins
Washington & Lee

*I may not apply to MIT due to the science SAT subject test requirement. I don't know yet if that is only for math and science majors or all students applying.

Keep in mind I want to go into International Relations or Political Science, or that realm of learning.

[ilikeverin]

Where's Maryland?  Where's Maryland?  Hmm?  Hmm?

[California8429]

Where's Maryland?  Where's Maryland?  Hmm?  Hmm?

I'd go there if I were heavily interested in criminology

[Хahar 🤔]

Yeah; if you're in the area, not checking out Maryland doesn't make sense.

[© tweed]

BC never gives anyone any money don't go there.  and the cops are bitches

[ilikeverin]

Where's Maryland?  Where's Maryland?  Hmm?  Hmm?

I'd go there if I were heavily interested in criminology

You're not, of course; you're going to be a linguist, and Maryland is easily one of the top three linguistics departments in the country.  But even if you wish to dabble in international relations or political science, I think a public research university inside the Beltway would be a good choice to make... Xahar can assuredly tell you more. (and he still owes me a complete report of his visit there!)

[Donerail]

Does Mid-Atlantic include UNC/Duke? Cause it's worth going down to NC for them...

[California8429]

Does Mid-Atlantic include UNC/Duke? Cause it's worth going down to NC for them...

No, I probably can't visit there. But I am looking into Duke and UNC Chapel Hill and will probably apply at at least one.

[Psychic Octopus]

We will be in the same area at the same time, probably. I'll be visiting (in order) the following schools, and I have a strong interest in studying Economics, with perhaps a minor in East Asian Studies. Any recommendations? I may also just be a history major, considering I'm going to go to law school anyway.

Georgetown
George Washington
Johns Hopkins
Swarthmore
Haverford
Penn
Princeton
NYU
Fordham
Columbia
Vassar
Williams
Hamilton
Colgate
Cornell

Any suggestions for me?

[ilikeverin]

Any suggestions for me?

Xahar and I have a suggestion for you!

I also have a suggestion for you: don't drown in debt.  I do not see a single school on your list where that won't be the case.

[Donerail]

Does Mid-Atlantic include UNC/Duke? Cause it's worth going down to NC for them...

No, I probably can't visit there. But I am looking into Duke and UNC Chapel Hill and will probably apply at at least one.

IR/PoliSci? Do UNC-CH. Duke's East (non-sciencey) campus doesn't have A/C unless you bring your own (and NC summers are NC summers).

[Psychic Octopus]

Any suggestions for me?

Xahar and I have a suggestion for you!

I also have a suggestion for you: don't drown in debt.  I do not see a single school on your list where that won't be the case.

I'll check out Maryland while I'm there. It's near DC, right?

Fortunately, neither I nor my parents are going to be paying for it. So it doesn't apply to me, really. Plus my parents would prefer that I attend a private school (elitist as that sounds).

[ilikeverin]

Any suggestions for me?

Xahar and I have a suggestion for you!

I also have a suggestion for you: don't drown in debt.  I do not see a single school on your list where that won't be the case.

I'll check out Maryland while I'm there. It's near DC, right?

Yep, inside the Beltway!

[California8429]

We will be in the same area at the same time, probably. I'll be visiting (in order) the following schools, and I have a strong interest in studying Economics, with perhaps a minor in East Asian Studies. Any recommendations? I may also just be a history major, considering I'm going to go to law school anyway.

Georgetown
George Washington
Johns Hopkins
Swarthmore
Haverford
Penn
Princeton
NYU
Fordham
Columbia
Vassar
Williams
Hamilton
Colgate
Cornell

Any suggestions for me?

Do Hamilton and Cornell both or neither because it is a 4-6 hour drive from NYC depending on traffic. I'm looking at Hamilton now, but I'm not going to go visit Cornell since my sister has gone there and I've been there, gone to class, eaten there, and lived in student housing One of her house-mate's? mom and the woman who oversees her house and their brother house (they started a new christian oriented housing this year, one boy and one girl) both separately suggested I look into Hamilton on the same day, weird.

[Хahar 🤔]

Oh, yes, verin, I do owe you that.

[Kevin]

What schools should I visit this summer? I'll have two trips. My cousin is getting married outside of Boston so I'll be able to do New England colleges in late June, early July.

Then in mid-July my dad is going to Williamsburg for the NGA meeting so I'll be able to attend that and then see Virginia and D.C. schools.

There are other schools I want to see and won't and some I will definitely go to like Harvard, Georgetown, and UVA (in green).

What do you think are the most worthwhile visiting for a half day or a day?

New England/ Northeast
Yale
Harvard
Princeton
Tufts
Brown
MIT*
Dartmouth- Not too excited about this and since it is way up in New Hampshire/Vermont, I'm not sure it is worth it
Boston College
Columbia
NYC

Mid-atlantic
Georgetown
UVA
William & Mary
George Washington
U Richmond
American
Johns Hopkins
Washington & Lee

*I may not apply to MIT due to the science SAT subject test requirement. I don't know yet if that is only for math and science majors or all students applying.

Keep in mind I want to go into International Relations or Political Science, or that realm of learning.

FYI next to the DC schools MIT has one of the best IR programs in the country-keep that in mind.

Also besides UVA & W&M have you considered any other state schools? George Mason has an excellent Poli sci/Econ program, it's very up & coming, if still a bit of a commuter school.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Yes, Mason is exceptional.  Go there, and join the Speech Team - one of the best in the country.

[California8429]

What schools should I visit this summer? I'll have two trips. My cousin is getting married outside of Boston so I'll be able to do New England colleges in late June, early July.

Then in mid-July my dad is going to Williamsburg for the NGA meeting so I'll be able to attend that and then see Virginia and D.C. schools.

There are other schools I want to see and won't and some I will definitely go to like Harvard, Georgetown, and UVA (in green).

What do you think are the most worthwhile visiting for a half day or a day?

New England/ Northeast
Yale
Harvard
Princeton
Tufts
Brown
MIT*
Dartmouth- Not too excited about this and since it is way up in New Hampshire/Vermont, I'm not sure it is worth it
Boston College
Columbia
NYC

Mid-atlantic
Georgetown
UVA
William & Mary
George Washington
U Richmond
American
Johns Hopkins
Washington & Lee

*I may not apply to MIT due to the science SAT subject test requirement. I don't know yet if that is only for math and science majors or all students applying.

Keep in mind I want to go into International Relations or Political Science, or that realm of learning.

FYI next to the DC schools MIT has one of the best IR programs in the country-keep that in mind.

Also besides UVA & W&M have you considered any other state schools? George Mason has an excellent Poli sci/Econ program, it's very up & coming, if still a bit of a commuter school.

The problem with MIT is that it requires a SAT subject test in chem, bio, or physics, which I would do poorly at as well as math. I got a 660 on Math I but I've been out of geometry for a long time and forgot how to do too much. So I'll take Math II in the fall which will hopefully be a much higher score. So this is my one hurdle for MIT. I figure if I take chem or physics and do poorly they'll still see I'm not going into math or science at all. However, I don't want to have to disclose that bad science score to other schools if they require the release of all SAT subject tests. So if no school I'm looking at requires me to hand over every SAT subject test score then I'll probably do that and apply.

[Psychic Octopus]

snip

Do Hamilton and Cornell both or neither because it is a 4-6 hour drive from NYC depending on traffic. I'm looking at Hamilton now, but I'm not going to go visit Cornell since my sister has gone there and I've been there, gone to class, eaten there, and lived in student housing One of her house-mate's? mom and the woman who oversees her house and their brother house (they started a new christian oriented housing this year, one boy and one girl) both separately suggested I look into Hamilton on the same day, weird.

I think I'll visit, mainly because I've been interested in Cornell for a long time. I've only recently been reading up on Colgate and Hamilton, but both seem to be exceptionally good liberal arts colleges with a focus on what I want to study. I like several things about both. Colgate seems to be very good at finance and economics, and has DI sports (pretty remarkable, for such a small college). I've actually spoken to a few people who chose Colgate over Cornell, mainly because it has more of an undergraduate focus. As for Hamilton, I really like the "open curriculum" (though really, I'd probably be fine with a core one, too), as well as the fact that they have a 3-3 plan with Columbia Law School (meaning that I could go to Hamilton, and if I do well enough, go directly to Columbia Law School after three years).

I really can't decide... I expect (or rather, I'd love to have this dilemma) to be in a lot of trouble when I have acceptances in places that are drastically different.

What subject tests did you take besides Math Level II? If you haven't, take US History. I got an 800 and I didn't study.

[California8429]

snip

Do Hamilton and Cornell both or neither because it is a 4-6 hour drive from NYC depending on traffic. I'm looking at Hamilton now, but I'm not going to go visit Cornell since my sister has gone there and I've been there, gone to class, eaten there, and lived in student housing One of her house-mate's? mom and the woman who oversees her house and their brother house (they started a new christian oriented housing this year, one boy and one girl) both separately suggested I look into Hamilton on the same day, weird.

I think I'll visit, mainly because I've been interested in Cornell for a long time. I've only recently been reading up on Colgate and Hamilton, but both seem to be exceptionally good liberal arts colleges with a focus on what I want to study. I like several things about both. Colgate seems to be very good at finance and economics, and has DI sports (pretty remarkable, for such a small college). I've actually spoken to a few people who chose Colgate over Cornell, mainly because it has more of an undergraduate focus. As for Hamilton, I really like the "open curriculum" (though really, I'd probably be fine with a core one, too), as well as the fact that they have a 3-3 plan with Columbia Law School (meaning that I could go to Hamilton, and if I do well enough, go directly to Columbia Law School after three years).

I really can't decide... I expect (or rather, I'd love to have this dilemma) to be in a lot of trouble when I have acceptances in places that are drastically different.

What subject tests did you take besides Math Level II? If you haven't, take US History. I got an 800 and I didn't study.

I also got a 790 on US History and 720 on World History. None of the three tests I've taken I've studied for :/ . So now I've begun studying for the actual SAT on saturday, yes late I know, but considering I only studied math for the ACT, eh. But I do feel the SAT is harder, a lot of people I know from my school feel the opposite.

One of the guys who sorta goes to my church (when he's in Colorado) was at Columbia this past year for some 1 year law program he really wanted to get in (idk what it is, you might). He already is a lawyer and was JAG for the military in Iraq.

And Cornell is a better graduate than undergraduate school. Especially concerning engineering and the alarming amount of suicides. Still, it is a beautiful campus and huge, which I enjoy. It's not spread out across a city like some large campuses are, but pretty much in one location. They also have special relations with NYC if you want to work there. Bloomberg was the convocation speaker, they are building the tech center on Roosevelt Island to expand the NYC campus. And a lot of undergraduates work in NYC after graduation.

[Psychic Octopus]

snip

Do Hamilton and Cornell both or neither because it is a 4-6 hour drive from NYC depending on traffic. I'm looking at Hamilton now, but I'm not going to go visit Cornell since my sister has gone there and I've been there, gone to class, eaten there, and lived in student housing One of her house-mate's? mom and the woman who oversees her house and their brother house (they started a new christian oriented housing this year, one boy and one girl) both separately suggested I look into Hamilton on the same day, weird.

I think I'll visit, mainly because I've been interested in Cornell for a long time. I've only recently been reading up on Colgate and Hamilton, but both seem to be exceptionally good liberal arts colleges with a focus on what I want to study. I like several things about both. Colgate seems to be very good at finance and economics, and has DI sports (pretty remarkable, for such a small college). I've actually spoken to a few people who chose Colgate over Cornell, mainly because it has more of an undergraduate focus. As for Hamilton, I really like the "open curriculum" (though really, I'd probably be fine with a core one, too), as well as the fact that they have a 3-3 plan with Columbia Law School (meaning that I could go to Hamilton, and if I do well enough, go directly to Columbia Law School after three years).

I really can't decide... I expect (or rather, I'd love to have this dilemma) to be in a lot of trouble when I have acceptances in places that are drastically different.

What subject tests did you take besides Math Level II? If you haven't, take US History. I got an 800 and I didn't study.

I also got a 790 on US History and 720 on World History. None of the three tests I've taken I've studied for :/ . So now I've begun studying for the actual SAT on saturday, yes late I know, but considering I only studied math for the ACT, eh. But I do feel the SAT is harder, a lot of people I know from my school feel the opposite.

One of the guys who sorta goes to my church (when he's in Colorado) was at Columbia this past year for some 1 year law program he really wanted to get in (idk what it is, you might). He already is a lawyer and was JAG for the military in Iraq.

And Cornell is a better graduate than undergraduate school. Especially concerning engineering and the alarming amount of suicides. Still, it is a beautiful campus and huge, which I enjoy. It's not spread out across a city like some large campuses are, but pretty much in one location. They also have special relations with NYC if you want to work there. Bloomberg was the convocation speaker, they are building the tech center on Roosevelt Island to expand the NYC campus. And a lot of undergraduates work in NYC after graduation.

Yeah, I've heard about the suicides before, too. I thought it was overblown, but I could be wrong. I didn't know that Cornell was considered a better graduate school, though. I mean, yeah, it has exceptional programs in some pretty random topics, but I heard that its law and business schools lagged a bit behind the other Ivies (though still being among the top in the country).

How hard did you find the World History subject test? Just curious. I'm taking it, and I haven't studied for it. Though I think that I am better at World History than U.S. History.

[Kevin]

What schools should I visit this summer? I'll have two trips. My cousin is getting married outside of Boston so I'll be able to do New England colleges in late June, early July.

Then in mid-July my dad is going to Williamsburg for the NGA meeting so I'll be able to attend that and then see Virginia and D.C. schools.

There are other schools I want to see and won't and some I will definitely go to like Harvard, Georgetown, and UVA (in green).

What do you think are the most worthwhile visiting for a half day or a day?

New England/ Northeast
Yale
Harvard
Princeton
Tufts
Brown
MIT*
Dartmouth- Not too excited about this and since it is way up in New Hampshire/Vermont, I'm not sure it is worth it
Boston College
Columbia
NYC

Mid-atlantic
Georgetown
UVA
William & Mary
George Washington
U Richmond
American
Johns Hopkins
Washington & Lee

*I may not apply to MIT due to the science SAT subject test requirement. I don't know yet if that is only for math and science majors or all students applying.

Keep in mind I want to go into International Relations or Political Science, or that realm of learning.

FYI next to the DC schools MIT has one of the best IR programs in the country-keep that in mind.

Also besides UVA & W&M have you considered any other state schools? George Mason has an excellent Poli sci/Econ program, it's very up & coming, if still a bit of a commuter school.

The problem with MIT is that it requires a SAT subject test in chem, bio, or physics, which I would do poorly at as well as math. I got a 660 on Math I but I've been out of geometry for a long time and forgot how to do too much. So I'll take Math II in the fall which will hopefully be a much higher score. So this is my one hurdle for MIT. I figure if I take chem or physics and do poorly they'll still see I'm not going into math or science at all. However, I don't want to have to disclose that bad science score to other schools if they require the release of all SAT subject tests. So if no school I'm looking at requires me to hand over every SAT subject test score then I'll probably do that and apply.

Again you mentioned you were trying to determine whether the SAT II test scores were mandatory or only for math/science subjects-have you found an answer yet? If yes I'd still apply anyways since you never know what you will end up with. Most college's out there(including many of the very selective one's) don't require you to send in Subject test scores at least in my own experience. Additionally, when I went through the whole college admissions process you could select which schools saw your SAT II subject test scores and which wouldn't.

So with all that said my bottom line is that it's worth a shot and there is no harming in any of this.

[Psychic Octopus]

Me too! All of you- come to Columbia!

When I first started researching colleges (when I was like 13, lol), one of my top schools was Columbia (the other being Yale). That's changed somewhat, mainly because I can't really see myself being accepted at either (Columbia's the second hardest college to get into in the country, but I'm sure you know that). I didn't cure cancer, you see. Maybe for graduate school, though. I *think* I could get into one of the other Ivies or a peer institution (say, Chicago, Cornell, JHU, or Penn CAS) though given how much of a crapshoot it is, I have know idea which.

I'm still unsure I want to attend a major university, though. An elite LAC would seem to suit my interests a bit more, considering all of the increased attention you get from your professors. That's why I'm interest in schools like Swarthmore, Williams, Colgate, Hamilton, Pomona, Reed, et cetera.

[ilikeverin]

If you want increased attention, go to a state school, preferably one with a good Honors program or undergraduate research program.  You'll stand out much more than you would at a LAC or *shudder* one of the Ivies.

[California8429]

I was not prepared for the pictures because I never had a text book for WH and I took it some 8 months ish after I had finished the class and didn't really study so a lot of things, especially relating to asia, slipped from my mind. I really wish I had known about the test prior to when I was done with my sophomore year, then I could have taken it only a few weeks after the AP test and would have been prepared.

Yes, there is a very high stress level for the engineering program, that is not overblown.

I will take Math II and probably chem or physics if I do very well on this June SAT, which is not looking like it will. I think I'm going to focus on getting a 35 and a 11 or 12 on the essay for the ACT and only send in my ACT score even if way less kids send them in to all these colleges, I'm not going to make the 25th percentile for SAT, but I'm already around the 75th for the ACT.