Planning on Going to a Decent college?

[mercanucaribe]

National Merit.

 

[Deleted member 4644]

Originally posted by: Mrvile

Originally posted by: LordSegan
I had good numbers (1440 SAT, similar GPA) but ended up at UCLA (which isnt bad.. but its not an Ivy). The biggest difference between me and the kids who got into top 10 schools were maybe 50 pts on the SAT and more extracurriculars. I was weak in that regard. Also, my school had literally dozens of kids go to Ivys. They will factor that in and make the standards HIGHER for schools like that.

Two years ago, one kids from my school went to Harvard. Otherwise most of it was like UPenn, Michigan, etc. The Harvard kid was BIG news around the school. My school isn't too bright.

What were you ranked at your school? And don't worry, UCLA is a pretty good school My mom went there for her PhD after getting her masters at Stanford :Q :Q

I was probably ranked around 70th at my school. Maybe even lower. There were a LOT of bright kids. I was smarter than most at UCLA. Not top of my class, but I knew how to get what I wanted out of it. Now I'm headed to a tier 1 law school

 

[Mrvile]

Originally posted by: DigDug
I am an alum interviewer and its become quite evident what a farce the current admissions game is - and game is the perfect word to use for it.

It's all about creating a "hook" - drafting up a persona that fits with the niche you think your favorite school wants to have, but is underrepresented in.

The amount of "activities" these kids are doing is ridiculous, but I see why. My undergrad has gotten so competitive that I wonder if I would ever have gotten in despite having great grades. At many schools a 4.0 is a base pre-requesite - what kind of nonsense is this? A mix of grade inflation, gaming the secondary school system and gaming the entrance exams.

I feel so bad for the average kid who can't afford a princeton review, or the multi-thousand dollar "summer programs to go write a screen play" or some equally quirky thing.

I think people (admissions officers and students both) have lost sight of what college is about - its a place to grow up and become who you'll be. Why do you need a mile-long resume before you get there?

Thanks for the post and for putting things into perspective. It's really a shame...

Luckily for me, art schools focus mostly on what you can do, which you show in your portfolio. They want kids that are capable, and that's it. Extra activities and rediculously high grades and test scores aren't very big factors...they look at this just to make sure that you're willing to do the work and learn. My 4.4 GPA and my personally low 2050 SAT score are just products of self overachievement

I do feel kinda bad for all my friends that are looking towards top schools though...they're putting themselves and their parents through a lot of this extra stuff which isn't really the spirit of going to college.

 

[ShadoWing]

Like, I go to High Technology High School, a selective public school in NJ that supposedly has the highest SAT score in the state. However, there're only 250 kids TOTAL from grades 9-12, so class rank is kinda useless?

I dunno, our school is kinda competitive in that sense and i hate it.

 

[DigDug]

Where are you going to school?

RISD?

 

[ShadoWing]

High Technology High School in New Jersey, Monmouth Vocational School District

 

[BigJ]

Most underrated part of the admissions process:

ESSAYS

Essays are absolutely critical in the admissions process. Spend as much possible time on them as you can, and make them as good as you possibly can.

 

[Sundog]

OMFG!! :Q

You actually posted somewhere else instead of spamming the For Sale forum with something like 25 bumps per day in order to increase your post count.

 

[kami333]

Originally posted by: BigJ
Most underrated part of the admissions process:

ESSAYS

Essays are absolutely critical in the admissions process. Spend as much possible time on them as you can, and make them as good as you possibly can.

Definately. And especially since they are something that you have control over right NOW, not something that you've been doing for the last 3+years (gpa, extra curriculars, SAT, etc)

It dpends on the school though, larger schools won't have time to mull over the finer points on your essay.

 

[computeerrgghh]

Originally posted by: ShadoWing
Like, I go to High Technology High School, a selective public school in NJ that supposedly has the highest SAT score in the state. However, there're only 250 kids TOTAL from grades 9-12, so class rank is kinda useless?

I dunno, our school is kinda competitive in that sense and i hate it.

Your scores will get you into Rutgers. While you are probably thinking ugggh Rutgers, I'm gonna say what a lot of people say. Rutgers is NOT a bad school. It has one of the best pharmacy programs in the country. It is respectable in most other areas. I know lots of people who did well in their first two years of Rutgers and then transferred to Ivys like Harvard or got into really good graduate schools. Besides, Rutgers turned down the Ivy League.

 

[QurazyQuisp]

I think test scores and gpa... a friend of mine and I both applied to U of M, I had slightly better grades and a better act, I got in. He was the captain of our waterpolo team which was/is the best in the state of michigan... he didn't make it in. I'm not going to U of M though, I kind of regret it, but I plan on going there for a masters assuming.

 

[QurazyQuisp]

-ooops-

 

[n yusef]

Essays and extra-curriculars are very important, provided you have good enough grades. Good grades are nessecery, but once your cross a certain plain, they don't help you out.

An underated part of appications that is VERY important is your letters of reccomendation. If you get someone with connections to reccomend you to a school, your chances of getting in are SO much higher. I interned for a Justice in the MA Supreme Judicial Court, who is an alumni of Harvard UG and Harvard Law. The headmaster of my high school is very good friends with the Dean of HUG. I do not think that I would have been accepted by Harvard without their reccomendations.

 

[FeuerFrei]

Well for me I think the main clincher could have been my essay.
I was awarded a full tuition scholarship, and they only give out 1 of those each year.
I had good (not outstanding) standardized test scores and 4.0 GPA. I doubt I beat all other incoming freshmen academically.