Applying To Colleges

[Psychic Octopus]

Did anyone else take the PSAT today? If so, how do you think you did? I think I got a few wrong on the math section (I skipped one due to time constraints), but I think I nailed the verbal and writing sections. I'm hoping I qualify for the National Merit Scholarship, but I had no time to study and my surgery over the summer prevented me from doing anything for two months, so...

Yeah. I thought I nailed the reading and there were 3 I was sorta unsure what the question was actually asking for math. Writing I didn't feel too good about, but that's always been my lowest score for practicing.

For math, the time constraints sucked. Math is not my best subject anyway, but I generally try to view each problem for a sufficient time beforehand. I just hope I did well, since a lot of the questions were ridiculously easy. "2000 is 50% of what number?" et ceterea. I skipped over one, and I probably got two of the fill-ins wrong (though that doesn't deduct points). I felt comfortable, though. For writing, there was probably one that tripped me up. The whole "Is the error A, B, C, or D?" thing confused me on a few. But for the reading, I don't think I could have possibly gotten more than one wrong. There were just so many easy questions... though once again, I didn't have any time to look over them.

[Хahar 🤔]

I took mine on a Saturday morning last year. I was up fairly late the night before reading about Irish elections, so my strategy was to get through each section as fast as I could and then sleep until the next section. I finished one point below the cutoff. Oh, well.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Got my SAT scores back; raised my score 120 points, now looking at a 2120, well within the range for my choices

[Хahar 🤔]

Ben, here's some data on the average student admitted from my high school to each of the colleges you listed.

School	GPA	SAT	SAT superscore
Harvard	3.99	2313	2320
Yale	3.99	2332	2340
Virginia	No	data
Northwestern	3.95	2268	2286
Duke	3.99	2302	2316
Columbia	3.96	2275	2293
William and Mary	3.90	2153	2180
Pennsylvania	3.98	2282	2289
Georgetown	3.86	2270	2320
James Madison	No	data
American	3.63	1983	1987
George Mason	No	data
Michigan	3.82	2149	2179

I don't want to be a downer, but that SAT score really isn't going to do you many favors. My friends who are seriously considering Harvard and Yale all have 4.0 unweighted and 2350 at least.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Yeah, but I'm a national champion in Extemporaneous Speaking, which colleges love.  Thankfully schools don't do things based on test scores alone; and you're school ain't exactly an average place, Xahar

[tmthforu94]

I got my scores back and I improved, though I don't feel like sharing since I just feel stupid compared to you guys. I reached my goal though, so I guess that's good.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

I reached my goal though, so I guess that's good.

That's what matters, of course.

[Psychic Octopus]

Can anyone tell me much about UPenn? I've kind of ignored the school until now, but started doing the research, and it seems very interesting. For some reason, I thought it was smack dab in the middle of Philly, but as it turns out, it is in a gentrified area in the western part of the city. How good is the school compared to the other Ivies? What is its main focus (besides Wharton)?

[ilikeverin]

Can anyone tell me much about UPenn? I've kind of ignored the school until now, but started doing the research, and it seems very interesting. For some reason, I thought it was smack dab in the middle of Philly, but as it turns out, it is in a gentrified area in the western part of the city. How good is the school compared to the other Ivies? What is its main focus (besides Wharton)?

I'm not sure where you were looking; UPenn is smack dab in the middle of an awful part of town, though there's something like a 5 block "exclusion zone" surrounding it.  UPenn has the world's best sociolinguistics program, I can tell you that

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Can anyone tell me much about UPenn? I've kind of ignored the school until now, but started doing the research, and it seems very interesting. For some reason, I thought it was smack dab in the middle of Philly, but as it turns out, it is in a gentrified area in the western part of the city. How good is the school compared to the other Ivies? What is its main focus (besides Wharton)?

It's an excellent school all around.  Wharton is the most famous, but really every program is exceptional.  I'm looking into it; if I weren't so hung up on Harvard, I would've applied ED to Penn.

[Psychic Octopus]

Can anyone tell me much about UPenn? I've kind of ignored the school until now, but started doing the research, and it seems very interesting. For some reason, I thought it was smack dab in the middle of Philly, but as it turns out, it is in a gentrified area in the western part of the city. How good is the school compared to the other Ivies? What is its main focus (besides Wharton)?

It's an excellent school all around.  Wharton is the most famous, but really every program is exceptional.  I'm looking into it; if I weren't so hung up on Harvard, I would've applied ED to Penn.

Yeah, I really like what I have read so far. Have you ever been to the campus? Do you know anything about the Huntsman program?

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Have you ever been to the campus? Do you know anything about the Huntsman program?

I loved the campus, but no, I know nothing about the Huntsman program.

[Psychic Octopus]

Have you ever been to the campus? Do you know anything about the Huntsman program?

I loved the campus, but no, I know nothing about the Huntsman program.

From what I've read, the Huntsman program is a joint degree that combines undergraduate study at Wharton, a degree in International Studies, and a specialization in a foreign language. It seems really awesome, but I don't think I'd be eligible. For one, I will only have had three years of German (my high school does not offer it as an AP Class, and I didn't get into the class as a Freshman) and need to have about a 700+ on its SAT II to get in. Plus, I have no business extracurriculars, so yeah...

I still like what I've seen though. I think I'll apply to UPenn CAS, and I'll definitely add it to my itinerary next year.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Penn is exceptional.  A friend of mine is applying ED, and she just loves it.  I'm in the same boat; absolutely love Penn.

P.S. what can anyone tell me about Georgetown?

[California8429]

Penn is exceptional.  A friend of mine is applying ED, and she just loves it.  I'm in the same boat; absolutely love Penn.

P.S. what can anyone tell me about Georgetown?

Obviously it's great to go to because its in DC, and in my opinion, better than the rest of the DC centered schools like GW. Georgetown used to be at the top of my list, but now its moving down the ladder. They have their own separate app, though with your scores and extracurricular I would put money down that you'd get in. Even some kids from my school have gone there and Colorado public education is equally as impressive as North Dakota.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Obviously it's great to go to because its in DC, and in my opinion, better than the rest of the DC centered schools like GW. Georgetown used to be at the top of my list, but now its moving down the ladder. They have their own separate app, though with your scores and extracurricular I would put money down that you'd get in. Even some kids from my school have gone there and Colorado public education is equally as impressive as North Dakota.

North Dakota?  But anyway, it's actually the opposite for me.  Georgetown has been climbing steadily, jumping up to #3, behind Harvard/Yale, but ahead of even UVA.

[Free Palestine]

So tomorrow I'm going to be forced to apply to CSUN...

[Хahar 🤔]

Since everyone else is mentioning it, I'm applying early action to Fordham and DePaul and early decision to George Washington. I have no idea how my chances are for any of them.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Since everyone else is mentioning it, I'm applying early action to Fordham and DePaul and early decision to George Washington. I have no idea how my chances are for any of them.

Odd list.  Aren't Fordham and DePaul rather Catholic?  But if you go to GW that'd be awesome, especially if I ended up at Georgetown.

[California8429]

Since everyone else is mentioning it, I'm applying early action to Fordham and DePaul and early decision to George Washington. I have no idea how my chances are for any of them.

Weird list?

My mom went to Fordham...accounting.

What a fun thing to study blah

[Kaine for Senate '18]

What a fun thing to study blah

Good thing for career placement, though.  Especially if you study in NYC already.  NYU is particularly good at getting Accounting majors jobs.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

I'm probably not going to be applying EA or ED to any schools outside of University of Idaho (my safety's safety), just so that I can get my SAT II results and get good letters of recommendation in the works.

It doesn't matter anyways because I'll probably end up going to a school that I don't really want to go to.

[Insula Dei]

Since everyone else is mentioning it, I'm applying early action to Fordham and DePaul and early decision to George Washington. I have no idea how my chances are for any of them.

DePaul seems like a nice school, from what I hear. (Though obviously I know next to nothing about US universities.)

[patrick1]

Fordham is a great school and I count many friends who are quite successful that went there.  However, I would say as a non drinker it may be a tough adjustment.  In particular being so far away from home and with bleak weather come winter time.   There are a very high percentage of kids from the tri state and many people who went to the surrounding Catholic schools like I did.  Binge drinking is prevalent and many of the ones who don't drink are of the super religious Catholic variety.  It has been 11 years since I was an undergrad though so this could have changed.

[Boris]

Since everyone else is mentioning it, I'm applying early action to Fordham and DePaul and early decision to George Washington. I have no idea how my chances are for any of them.

DePaul seems like a nice school, from what I hear. (Though obviously I know next to nothing about US universities.)

Yeah, DePaul is an awesome school in a great location (only an extremely brief "L" ride to Wrigleyville) with great parties and a lively cast of characters. Not to mention probably having the hottest girls per capita in Illinois. I've never really understood what was really "Catholic" about it. Just a bunch of kids with rich parents who know how to live life maybe a little too properly.