Applying To Colleges

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

Just wondering, did anyone else take the Explore and Plan tests? The Pre-Pre-Pre and Pre-Pre ACT?

I take the PSAT in October

No but I've taken the PSAT. I only got a 182.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

How would the quality of education I receive differ between a more prestigious school that I could get into and a more bland state college? Is the extra cost of attending a more prestigious school worth the education in all honesty?

I'll probably just try to transfer to UChicago anyways but this would be good to know.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

How would the quality of education I receive differ between a more prestigious school that I could get into and a more bland state college? Is the extra cost of attending a more prestigious school worth the education in all honesty?

It depends on the quality of the state college.  In Virginia, only a couple of schools are probably worth not going to UVA or William and Mary, or even JMU.  In other states, like Alabama or Idaho, it probably is.  Especially if you intend to go on to grad school, and can go to a good in-state school.

It really all depends on where you live

I'm not talking about in-state, I'd rather drown myself than go to U of I.

I'm talking about a decent Midwestern state school, maybe one of the UCs or a worse ranked Canadian college. I should probably give you a list if I want good advice but I still honestly have no idea which state schools I could get into yet would still like to attend.

UW-Madison
UM-Ann Arbor
UBC
University of Minnesota (maybe)
UDub (maybe)
UC-Boulder (maybe)

I wanted to go to UCLA but I realize how futile that is so I'm not even going to bother applying.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

Does anyone want to give my anymore university recommendations? I'm still searing all over the place, I already know the schools that I ideally want to go to as shown by my college lists. I'm just looking for one or two safeties that I could get into easily with my grades/SAT, a school where I could easily transfer into a "prestigious" school easily from and a school that is in a good location. (hint: think where a stereotypical hipster/latte liberal/creative class person would want to live)

My stats are:
GPA: 3.4 (weighted)
SAT: 2060 (Math: 640, Reading: 740, Writing: 680), I expect to boost this score by at least 50.
Extracurricular: canvassed for Idaho Democrats in 2010, interning with the Idaho Democrats now, possibly participating in OFA Fall Fellows, possibly doing some sort of stint in municipal government.
Other information: I have a upward trend with my GPA from 2.4 to 3.8 to 4.0 from year to year.
Major: Economics

My college list should be on the last page.

Yeah, my stats blow. Why? I'm lazy, I live in an area with a bad environment for intellectual stimulation and I went through an angsty period in my Freshman year and part of my Sophomore year in high school.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

Does anyone want to give my anymore university recommendations? I'm still searing all over the place, I already know the schools that I ideally want to go to as shown by my college lists. I'm just looking for one or two safeties that I could get into easily with my grades/SAT, a school where I could easily transfer into a "prestigious" school easily from and a school that is in a good location. (hint: think where a stereotypical hipster/latte liberal/creative class person would want to live)

My stats are:
GPA: 3.4 (weighted)
SAT: 2060 (Math: 640, Reading: 740, Writing: 680), I expect to boost this score by at least 50.
Extracurricular: canvassed for Idaho Democrats in 2010, interning with the Idaho Democrats now, possibly participating in OFA Fall Fellows, possibly doing some sort of stint in municipal government.
Other information: I have a upward trend with my GPA from 2.4 to 3.8 to 4.0 from year to year.
Major: Economics

My college list should be on the last page.

Yeah, my stats blow. Why? I'm lazy, I live in an area with a bad environment for intellectual stimulation and I went through an angsty period in my Freshman year and part of my Sophomore year in high school.

You can easily get into CU with that as long as you get your GPA up to 4.0 once you apply since your freshman year hurt (just so you know we call it CU not UC Boulder )

I know, I just refuse to use that backwards acronym, it's stupid.

Really though, a 4.0 GPA to get into CU-Boulder? I thought it was far easier than that to get in, even if you were out of state.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

Does anyone want to give my anymore university recommendations? I'm still searing all over the place, I already know the schools that I ideally want to go to as shown by my college lists. I'm just looking for one or two safeties that I could get into easily with my grades/SAT, a school where I could easily transfer into a "prestigious" school easily from and a school that is in a good location. (hint: think where a stereotypical hipster/latte liberal/creative class person would want to live)

My stats are:
GPA: 3.4 (weighted)
SAT: 2060 (Math: 640, Reading: 740, Writing: 680), I expect to boost this score by at least 50.
Extracurricular: canvassed for Idaho Democrats in 2010, interning with the Idaho Democrats now, possibly participating in OFA Fall Fellows, possibly doing some sort of stint in municipal government.
Other information: I have a upward trend with my GPA from 2.4 to 3.8 to 4.0 from year to year.
Major: Economics

My college list should be on the last page.

Yeah, my stats blow. Why? I'm lazy, I live in an area with a bad environment for intellectual stimulation and I went through an angsty period in my Freshman year and part of my Sophomore year in high school.

You can easily get into CU with that as long as you get your GPA up to 4.0 once you apply since your freshman year hurt (just so you know we call it CU not UC Boulder )

I know, I just refuse to use that backwards acronym, it's stupid.

Really though, a 4.0 GPA to get into CU-Boulder? I thought it was far easier than that to get in, even if you were out of state.

If freshman year you got a weighted 2.4 GPA and CU being an out of state school, then yes you should get a 4.0 to make up for it, unless you are planning on going into sports at CU. It's possible to go under and still get in, I mean the school isn't that grand at all except a decent engineering program, but if you want to guarantee 99% you'll get in you need to get up to that 4.0. Your SAT scores are great for CU though so that will help

Oh okay, I was confused by your post and thought you meant that I needed to get my cumulative up to a 5.0. A 4.0 this semester should be easy for me to get this semester, too bad I failed one out of the four math tests in my College Algebra (Pre-Calc) course. I've honestly been thinking about not going to CU though, hence why I was asking about other colleges?

There's always the possibility that my SAT scores will be in the 2300+ once I retake it. Hopefully.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

I can't go to UW because of my lack of an performing arts credit which I didn't factor into my schedule this semester. According to their website, Speech & Debate "generally is not accepted". I'd expect that from a LAC but really from a public state univerisity? What is this nonsense, I get punished for not caring about something that's useless?

I already applied to University of Idaho as a massive safety but because of free apps I'll be applying to:
Tulane (sup Bacon King)
Case Western (sup TJ)
Carleton

I'm not going to spend money applying to schools I don't necessarily want to go just in case.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

To early apply or not early apply...

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

To early apply or not early apply...

If it's Early Action, hell yes.  I'm doing three schools EA.

Only do early decision if you are absolutely in love with the school and know that that is where you want to spend four years. You have the disadvantage of not being able to compare financial aid packages if you do early decision.

I meant EA, whoops. As far as I know there aren't many advantages to EA if your school doesn't do rolling admissions.

[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.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

Who wants to give me their opinion on my college app essay (well it's not one but it's a template for all them)!

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

My finalized list of colleges:
University of Idaho
University of Portland
Reed College (Early Decision)
George Washington
Case Western
Tulane
American
UBC
McGill (maybe)
University of Minnesota

a strange list

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

My finalized list of colleges:
University of Idaho
University of Portland
Reed College (Early Decision)
George Washington
Case Western
Tulane
American
UBC
McGill (maybe)
University of Minnesota

a strange list

how rich are your parents / how much will they be contributing?

~60k household income / 5k a year. Yeah, I'm effed.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

My finalized list of colleges:
University of Idaho
University of Portland
Reed College (Early Decision)
George Washington
Case Western
Tulane
American
UBC
McGill (maybe)
University of Minnesota

a strange list

Haha, Reed.

Too stereotypical for you?

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

I'm finally done with all of my apps and I applied to NYU at the last second.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

I'm finally done with all of my apps and I applied to NYU at the last second.

What was the complete list of schools?

I posted it in here a few pages ago and am too lazy to copy + paste it here again.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

Has anyone hear ever read College Confidential? I rediscovered it, and god is it debilitating.

Living in a rural area where college is treated completely differently makes it even more soul crushing. I had no idea that the application process was treated like it was until I found that site.

Then again, the site's "community" helped me get 5's on all of my AP tests so I'm not going to complain too much.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

I got in to UVA!

Double plus good, man.

Never moving means that relocating myself 300+ miles away (at least) from my hometown is going to be shocking. This fact didn't hit me until now. As much as I hate Idaho, readjusting myself to a completely new environment is going to be pretty overwhelming.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

I got into the University of Minnesota.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

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

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

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

After talking to people in my graduating class, I can confirm that Reed is the altiest of all the alt schools.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

One more month. Most of my senior friends are on edge. When I talk to them about college, they don't want to think about it. Any similar thoughts, seniors?

I can't take high school seriously after being accepted to Reed and I'm considering cyrogenics to skip the next few months. Senioritis never truly begins until you get your first major acceptance letter. There's a huge trough in your performance after that and then it slowly improves, plateaus and then dips again (I'm guessing).

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

I kind of wish that I had applied to Reed. Oh, well.

Willamette's offering me $14,000 a year in scholarships (contingent upon a 2.5 GPA), so that's appealing.

I think you'd be pretty suited for it (outside of the whole counter-culture aspect, maybe) and that you'd be accepted.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

I got into Case Western. Under normal circumstances I'd be happy about that acceptance because it shows my competence but at this point I don't need acceptance letters to boost my ego. This just means more work for me in the form of calling the school or writing them a letter indicating I won't be attending.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

I have now been waitlisted by the University of Chicago for the second time in four years, the bastards.

Color me shocked; UChicago definitely has more hipsters per capita than any school in America.

Isn't the UChicago stereotype that it's full of hard-working nerds?

I think he forgot that schools like Bard and Sarah Lawrence exist.