Plain and simple: I think AP class should be the standard for all high school students. The tracking system is plain bull. Those are materials other high school students at other countries are required to learn already. There's no magic to AP history, caluclus AB/BC, English, etc. That's in fact what I desired to learn. I did not wish to be restricted to some stupid materials that should be for junior high school students. They are not helping students with The tracking program when they are drawing behind students that should know those subjects.
In the end though, it won't make a difference where you go. You won't miss out that much if you don't get in. You will save your parents a bundle though. UIUC would probably teach you just as well and cost a ton less (I'm assuming you are from chicago as your profile states).
<< I hope you have applied to other schools also, including "safety schools". Not too good to put all your eggs in one basket. >>
OHOH, i got accepted from UIUC, hehe that is the safety school
<< Your sister's stats should give you some idea also. Another advantage you have is that you have a sibling there already. >>
The fact that my sister goes there, i hope that can give me a higher chance of acceptance
<< Plain and simple: I think AP class should be the standard for all high school students. The tracking system is plain bull. Those are materials other high school students at other countries are required to learn already. There's no magic to AP history, caluclus AB/BC, English, etc. That's in fact what I desired to learn. I did not wish to be restricted to some stupid materials that should be for junior high school students. They are not helping students with The tracking program when they are drawing behind students that should know those subjects. >>
In our school, we have a IB (international bacculaureate program) which is highly advanced, start with Algebra Trig freshmen, end with Statistic in senior year. French III freshmen year and end with French VI in senior year.......this is just an idea of how the program works....there is more to it.........
<< In the end though, it won't make a difference where you go. You won't miss out that much if you don't get in. You will save your parents a bundle though. UIUC would probably teach you just as well and cost a ton less (I'm assuming you are from chicago as your profile states). >>
tuition will be much less, but the reputation of the school matter the most
If i had the choice, i would choose U of C over UIUC in a heartbeat
<<
tuition will be much less, but the reputation of the school matter the most
If i had the choice, i would choose U of C over UIUC in a heartbeat >>
But you have to think to yourself why the reputation is so important to you or your parents. The difference in cost could be very near 100K. That is a lot of money and it is a burden either you or your parents will carry.
University of Chicago has one of the higher if not highest admission standards in the nation.
It is not ranked in the top 15 by US News for nothing
If your GPA is indeed weighted, to me, it is not really spectacular, but rather normal.
I had a 4.38 GPA when i graduated last year from HS, and i didn't even make top 10%
Also, your ACT score of 25 could also use a bit of boost.
However, if you wrote an excellent essay, have great letters of recommendation, and terrific extracurricular,
i would say you might have a a chance to being accepted.
Also, being an asian male also is not a good thing, way too competitive of a group
However, do not let my reply discourage your.
Every year you do see people with 1500+ SAT getting rejected, and people with less than spetacular GAP or SAT's getting acceptance to Top Schools
Hopefully your will be one of them
Good Luck!
It is not ranked in the top 15 by US News for nothing
If your GPA is indeed weighted, to me, it is not really spectacular, but rather normal.
I had a 4.38 GPA when i graduated last year from HS, and i didn't even make top 10%
Also, your ACT score of 25 could also use a bit of boost.
However, if you wrote an excellent essay, have great letters of recommendation, and terrific extracurricular,
i would say you might have a a chance to being accepted.
Also, being an asian male also is not a good thing, way too competitive of a group
However, do not let my reply discourage your.
Every year you do see people with 1500+ SAT getting rejected, and people with less than spetacular GAP or SAT's getting acceptance to Top Schools
Hopefully your will be one of them
Good Luck!
I confess I haven't read the thread in its entirety.
I'm at the university of chicago; graduating this year. I can't imagine that you wouldn't get in if your essays are good.
If you have any questions about the school, admissions, whatever, feel free to PM me.
Edit: the University of Chicago isn't your best bang for the buck, but it has really astounding educational opportunities. Its admissions standards aren't as high as your Stanfords, but its faculty is, I'd wager, the best in the nation (depending on your course of study).
I'm at the university of chicago; graduating this year. I can't imagine that you wouldn't get in if your essays are good.
If you have any questions about the school, admissions, whatever, feel free to PM me.
Edit: the University of Chicago isn't your best bang for the buck, but it has really astounding educational opportunities. Its admissions standards aren't as high as your Stanfords, but its faculty is, I'd wager, the best in the nation (depending on your course of study).
<< The difference in cost could be very near 100K >>
The difference of not that much...more like 10-20k
ordinarily, i don't think it's your sister going to the same school that would give you application more weight. usually i think it's your parents or grandparents going to the same school (those darn legacies...)
i personally didn't apply to u of chicago, but that was mainly due to me never hearing of the school before and not wanting to leave the state of california.
i currently go to ucla, but i was rejected by berkeley even with some impressive high school extracurriculars see here gpa was 4.2, sat was 1250 (which was probably what did me in... i did moderately well on my sat ii's) and of course, i didn't get into stanford.
let this be caution to all high school juniors thinking about their college apps next year: START EARLY. you can never be too early in thinking about where you apply. keep working on your application - ask EARLY for letters of recommendation, give them a stamped envelope to mail it in with, work on your essays over and over and have them edited by someone (preferably a teacher, not a friend)
i personally didn't apply to u of chicago, but that was mainly due to me never hearing of the school before and not wanting to leave the state of california.
i currently go to ucla, but i was rejected by berkeley even with some impressive high school extracurriculars see here gpa was 4.2, sat was 1250 (which was probably what did me in... i did moderately well on my sat ii's) and of course, i didn't get into stanford.
let this be caution to all high school juniors thinking about their college apps next year: START EARLY. you can never be too early in thinking about where you apply. keep working on your application - ask EARLY for letters of recommendation, give them a stamped envelope to mail it in with, work on your essays over and over and have them edited by someone (preferably a teacher, not a friend)
<<
<< The difference in cost could be very near 100K >>
The difference of not that much...more like 10-20k >>
Tuititon at UIUC is about 5K per year. Tuition at UChicago is 26K per year. That is a difference of 21K per year. You will be there 4-5 years which gives you a 80K-100K difference. Of course financial aid will reduce the difference since you will likely get more aid at UChicago, but it will still be large.
U. of Chicago is an EXCELLENT school academically.
You will get a top-notch education there. The social scene is EXTREMELY WEAK and the students are geeky nerds. You will work harder for your grade there than at comparable schools (i.e. very, very, very hard) . However, if you do well at UC, you will have your choice of grad schools.
Admissions for you is a crapshoot. Emphasize something unique about yourself when you apply. Not stupid H.S. clubs or grades (EVERY APPLICANT has those). Emphasize something UNIQUE like a local lacrosse or crew champ.....you get the point....if you don't have it, GET ON IT before you apply.
I was accepted to UC 10 years ago. I was Valedictorian BUT had things to separate me from the other llamas. I didn't go there because it's not WORTH the money (even though I got an 88% scholarship)!!! No private school is worth it unless it's free or FAIRLY comped to public schools!!
There are soooo many HIGH QUALITY public schools at a steep discounts--it's a NO-BRAINER! All my friends from STATE went to the BEST grad schools and they all had fair grades.
Save your money, go to STATE. For graduate school, you can go private since it's largely subsidized by the school--unlike undergrad. In this manner you'll finish ON TOP REGARDLESS and have money in your pocket to boot (say a down payment on a house with the savings?).
P.S. Unless your parents are millionaires, don't subject them in handing over their retirement savings for your little expensive romp. After all, you'll have to pay them later in life by having to take care of them. Family money--it all comes from the same pot (unless you're a "see you later" type guy). Most kids don't think these many steps ahead, but believe me it WILL, as it has with all my other friends!
P.S.S. Don't believe the marketing crap of "personlized attention" that the private school catalogs throw at you (or crap mags like US NEWS). That's marketing like any product. Famous professors???....PLEASE!!! Those guys are super nerds and CAN'T TEACH to save their their LIVES! I'd say ONLY 10% can teach (if you manage to get a good one since ALL students apply for the same classes and since most famous profs teach grad school instead--not boring ole' Chem 101). You will feel ripped-off & cheated!
In Germany, university classrooms spill out in the aisles continously. YET, GERMANY REPEATEDLY PRODUCES THE TOP SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS IN THE WORLD! Being a product of larger classrooms, I observed my STATE classmates KICK ASS over MOST private school grads, so class size is irrelevant except for yuppie weenies who will ultimately flame me.
P.S.S.S. In my grad school (IVY League), I observed AS much "STATE IVY" students accepted as "IVY". JUST DO WELL IN UNDERGRAD--AT ANY SCHOOL and you'll get whatever you want. But DO GET a graduate degree in your area of interest....it'll catapult your salary & career.
TO FINISH: To repeat what someone else said in this thread.....in the work world, it's YOU that will determine your success, NOT a fancy degree. If you work hard and have a good personality you will excel. The graduate degree (if you choose to get one) at any school, will get you to your objective sooner. In many companies, I've observed guys from no name schools excel over Ivys. They work harder and are WISER. Street smarts ends up being more important than an IVY degree.
In the end, it's your call and you have to feel happy. Your judgement will change over time and you'll ultimately agree with what I say. Trust a guy who's been there, done that at EVERY LEVEL and has seen a multitude of friends do the same.
When you're in college, take a semester in Europe. You'll GROW as a person more than any college education can give you!!! A Europe experince is ESSENTIAL to your growth. You will come back a more mature, enlightened man. Laugh if you will, but many friends will agree with me.
If you want more advice, just email me (my wife even did IVY admissions so I KNOW EXACTLY what I'm talking about).
You will get a top-notch education there. The social scene is EXTREMELY WEAK and the students are geeky nerds. You will work harder for your grade there than at comparable schools (i.e. very, very, very hard) . However, if you do well at UC, you will have your choice of grad schools.
Admissions for you is a crapshoot. Emphasize something unique about yourself when you apply. Not stupid H.S. clubs or grades (EVERY APPLICANT has those). Emphasize something UNIQUE like a local lacrosse or crew champ.....you get the point....if you don't have it, GET ON IT before you apply.
I was accepted to UC 10 years ago. I was Valedictorian BUT had things to separate me from the other llamas. I didn't go there because it's not WORTH the money (even though I got an 88% scholarship)!!! No private school is worth it unless it's free or FAIRLY comped to public schools!!
There are soooo many HIGH QUALITY public schools at a steep discounts--it's a NO-BRAINER! All my friends from STATE went to the BEST grad schools and they all had fair grades.
Save your money, go to STATE. For graduate school, you can go private since it's largely subsidized by the school--unlike undergrad. In this manner you'll finish ON TOP REGARDLESS and have money in your pocket to boot (say a down payment on a house with the savings?).
P.S. Unless your parents are millionaires, don't subject them in handing over their retirement savings for your little expensive romp. After all, you'll have to pay them later in life by having to take care of them. Family money--it all comes from the same pot (unless you're a "see you later" type guy). Most kids don't think these many steps ahead, but believe me it WILL, as it has with all my other friends!
P.S.S. Don't believe the marketing crap of "personlized attention" that the private school catalogs throw at you (or crap mags like US NEWS). That's marketing like any product. Famous professors???....PLEASE!!! Those guys are super nerds and CAN'T TEACH to save their their LIVES! I'd say ONLY 10% can teach (if you manage to get a good one since ALL students apply for the same classes and since most famous profs teach grad school instead--not boring ole' Chem 101). You will feel ripped-off & cheated!
In Germany, university classrooms spill out in the aisles continously. YET, GERMANY REPEATEDLY PRODUCES THE TOP SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS IN THE WORLD! Being a product of larger classrooms, I observed my STATE classmates KICK ASS over MOST private school grads, so class size is irrelevant except for yuppie weenies who will ultimately flame me.
P.S.S.S. In my grad school (IVY League), I observed AS much "STATE IVY" students accepted as "IVY". JUST DO WELL IN UNDERGRAD--AT ANY SCHOOL and you'll get whatever you want. But DO GET a graduate degree in your area of interest....it'll catapult your salary & career.
TO FINISH: To repeat what someone else said in this thread.....in the work world, it's YOU that will determine your success, NOT a fancy degree. If you work hard and have a good personality you will excel. The graduate degree (if you choose to get one) at any school, will get you to your objective sooner. In many companies, I've observed guys from no name schools excel over Ivys. They work harder and are WISER. Street smarts ends up being more important than an IVY degree.
In the end, it's your call and you have to feel happy. Your judgement will change over time and you'll ultimately agree with what I say. Trust a guy who's been there, done that at EVERY LEVEL and has seen a multitude of friends do the same.
When you're in college, take a semester in Europe. You'll GROW as a person more than any college education can give you!!! A Europe experince is ESSENTIAL to your growth. You will come back a more mature, enlightened man. Laugh if you will, but many friends will agree with me.
If you want more advice, just email me (my wife even did IVY admissions so I KNOW EXACTLY what I'm talking about).
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