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.

[California8429]

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

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

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[California8429]

Updated list

Late June
Princeton
Yale
Brown
Harvard
Tufts + MIT

Early/Mid July
Columbia
Georgetown
George Washington + American
UVA
Richmond
William & Mary

[California8429]

My parents are making me cut my list in half of schools I'm even looking at, let alone visiting, so sorry, Maryland can't make it. My family is literally in an uproar for me considering Richmond and even sending a free SAT report to Michigan State.

[California8429]

What's your GPA? Test scores? It's important not to waste your time looking at a lot of schools you won't get into.

4.0 UW, 1/412. I have no idea what it is weighted, somewhere between 4.5 and 4.7, though I am taking the most rigorous courses for my school and am doing online and independent studies to take AP classes that were stacked on top of each other for the same block.

I only have my ACT scores so far
Composite 34
Math 35
English 33
Reading 36
Science 31

Composite 31
Math 34
English 29
Reading 34
Science 28
Essay 10

The 31 was the first ACT I took. I need to still take it one more time due to certain school's admissions policies of refusing to look at scores that do not include the essay. I took the SAT last Saturday, but won't know my scores for 1 or 2 weeks.

[California8429]

My parents are making me cut my list in half of schools I'm even looking at, let alone visiting, so sorry, Maryland can't make it. My family is literally in an uproar for me considering Richmond and even sending a free SAT report to Michigan State.

It's certainly sensible for them to want you to cut down on the number of schools you visit, but it's idiotic for them to not want you to consider a lot of schools.  You can reject Maryland and Michigan State, I promise I won't harm you!  But, if they think you're "too good" for either of them... they and I need have a little chat. 

EDIT: Seriously though.  If you need me to pitch the fact that state schools that aren't on the "approved list" (i.e., Michigan, Virginia...) aren't fail to your various relatives, just let me know.  I'm happy to throw around various impressive-sounding test numbers if they need credentials

I without a doubt am going to apply to Michigan Ann Arbor and UVA no matter what they say because they both have great programs. My dad views every single public university as offering the exact same education and is an elitist, yet couldn't actually get into a college his Senior year...

[California8429]

Update of what I'm doing so far

Last week of June
Princeton- Meeting with music administrator, tour, info session, possibly one professor if he's in that day
Yale- tour, info session, sitting in on International Ethics class, meeting with at least two professors
Brown- Tour, Info session (apparently every professor is "not able to meet" that day, literally so far 3/3 have said those words, not even I'm gone or teaching a class or doing something)
Harvard- Info session, Tour, sitting in on War Crimes, Genocide, and Justice class, Meeting with at least one professor
Tufts- Tour, info session, 2 professors and administrative person for IR

Early-Mid July
Columbia
Georgetown
George Washington
UVA
Richmond
William & Mary