Applying To Colleges

[tmthforu94]

I'll let that one slide...

It's good to have another High School Senior on here to converse with about college. Personally, I'm leaning towards Kansas right now, though Indiana, Xavier, and Baylor are still in the mix. I entertained the idea of Notre Dame, but the financial burden would just kill me there.

My SAT tutor went to Kansas. Play baseball there Good school

...good school? Are you kidding me? It's the greatest school. Dorothy was absolutely right - There's NO place like Kansas.

[tmthforu94]

Anyone in BPA? District is Saturday here.

[tmthforu94]

Congrats, Ben!

I'm at Kansas now - absolutely love it here. I think this is where I'm going to go.

[tmthforu94]

Well my avatar is going to be changed to Oregon next year...

That's my round about way of saying I got into Reed!

Congratulations!

[tmthforu94]

I think I've settled on Indiana.

[tmthforu94]

Just our of interest: How much time and effort goes into these university applications in the U.S.? It seems incredibly difficult and annoying, from what I've been reading in this thread.

Depnds - My IU application took less than an hour. Many applications themselves take roughly that long. Just factor in the essays - you'll get 1-4 typically in an application, and how long it takes per essay.

[tmthforu94]

Yeah, this thread is gross. It's also reminding me that where you went to school doesn't mean all that much. I mean, does anybody really think Benconstine is smarter than Xahar? I know I've poked fun at Xahar before but he's obviously about ten times smarter than Ben.

We've gone 32 pages without fighting and personal attacks. Please don't ruin this thread now by making insults.

<cue kitty joke>

College admissions in the US are often times completely arbitrary. Things like legacy, whether your mother and father went to college, skin color, ethnicity, orientation all matter. Schools like to talk about how diverse their student body is. And SATs at a lot of schools tended to trump GPA back when I was applying. I don't know if that's changed though.

We have a perfect example of this at our county rivals school, became kinda a big deal.
Student A: Average GPA, Decent Test Scores, High Amount of Extracurricular Activities - White Male
Student B: Average GPA, Decent Test Scores, but slightly worse than Student A, Low Amount of Extracurricular Activities - African-American Female

Can you guess which one was accepted and which one wasn't? (Hint: Student B was accepted)

It all worked out in the end, as they both ended up getting in, though there was some controversy. The irony is the black female didn't get any big scholarships, so she's not going to IU now while the white male is.

[tmthforu94]

So, I just noticed that there will be a lot of avatar changes. EMD to Oregon, Xahar to Maryland, Simfan to Illinois or New York, Lief to New York, Verin to Maryland or New York,  Klecly to West Virginia, and potentially Ben to DC, Massachusetts, or New York.  Wow.

Well, I'm staying in-state. Came close to donning an Oklahoma avater (Kansas too, for a while) but I'll be sticking with IU.

[tmthforu94]

Ask what the acceptance rates are for grad school.

[tmthforu94]

I have a question that hopefully someone can give me some insight on.

My sister and one of her best friends applied to a couple of universities in-state and got into both of them, but they're not sure which one to pick. One university is a more expensive top-tier public university with a degree program that's fairly broad, while the other is a less expensive second-tier public university with a degree program that is very focused on exactly what they want to do. Also, the second-tier school allows them to get a BA and a BS in their field with only one extra quarter if everything goes according to plan. Both universities are not really in parts of the state that they want to live long term.

I'm not sure what to advise them in this situation. Both really like the latter program, but the former is a better school. Which would be the best for their long term career prospects?

Option 2 - it's cheaper and is better for what they want to do.

[tmthforu94]

My financial aid was lost at IU - long, complicated story...

Anyways, I'm stuck going to Indiana State for a year or two, where I'm renting a house with a couple friends. Then ill transfer back to IU.

Woe is me...

[tmthforu94]

Man, you guys make me feel dumb.  My list consists of UGA, Georgia State, and the lesser Georgia public schools I'd rather not think about.

I have a sister-in-law who went to Georgia. I can guarantee you that if you go to UGA, it will be four of the greatest years of your life. Plus, it's tuition free with the state scholarship, isn't it called HOPE?

[tmthforu94]

I'm going to a school of around 9000 now, which is pretty small. I hate it, and would much rather be going to a huge state school. There are more opportunities, more things to do, and more friends to make.

And this is coming from a kid who graduated in a class of 63.

[tmthforu94]

Well, I figured I should say it here...

Tonight, or, well, last night, I pledged with a fraternity. It was pretty cool.

[tmthforu94]

Cut UC-Boulder (it will go on as a good school without you)

No, don't cut UC-Boulder.  It's an excellent school and you can actually get money from them.

^^^ This. You need to keep your options open, and while you may want to go East, it will offer you a cheap, solid education. Granted, it's no Harvard, but it's no community college either.

[tmthforu94]

Ben, how prestigious is your high school/area? You've been posting congratulations none stop for early action/decisions to great schools haha. My area usually has none-1 going to a selective school and we're part of the largest school district in the state...

He did it last year, too! I think I even got a couple.

[tmthforu94]

HUMP

Currently setting the ball in motion to transfer - just not enjoying it at my current place. Will likely be moving out to Kansas next summer, so I'm pretty excited...avater change!!!

[tmthforu94]

MEGA-BUMP

It's a shame to see this thread not functioning like it used to. The Class of 2013 clearly isn't as strong as the Class of 2012 was...

It's official. I'm transferring to KU next fall, though still unsure on my major (Current possibilities are Journalism, English, SS Education, and Political Science). FAFSA info has come through and I'm satisfied with what I'll be getting. Really looking forward to Lawrence next fall - expect to see me less on here.

Also, A-Bob - Once I realized I didn't see myself staying at ISU for all four years, I let them know and withdrew myself from pledgeship. I really enjoyed the experience, though - great folks.

[tmthforu94]

Well shoot, I'm at an unfair advantage against you all if we're talking about basketball, as I go to the best school in the nation for that! Rock chalk!

[tmthforu94]

Got into GW, but its still really expensive even with the money I was offered so probably a no to there.

Nice! Still think Denver sounds really good for you, but those Ivy Schools are tempting, I'm sure.

[tmthforu94]

Duke is missing out on a great opportunity - their loss.

Well, if all else fails, you still have any school in Colorado to choose from, which, compared to others, isn't bad at all.

[tmthforu94]

Congrats to A-Bob on deciding to go to Georgetown!

A shame we never got to see each other, considering that by Western terms, we live kinda close to each other. Guess we still have CPAC!

[tmthforu94]

You guys probably aren't going to know, but would any of you, by any chance, know of any progressive-leaning parochial colleges that affiliate with the UMC, ELCA, or UCC?

If possible, I'd prefer such colleges if they're located in the South (fat chance, right?), but it's not a requirement.

I'll do research for you tomorrow and get an answer. I also have a couple different things to hook you up with as you prepare your college search. This is a big thing - we're here to help!