Applying to college

[Asek]

melbourne's a beautiful campus, tons of parks and nice gardens around, a few good cafes and bars, and really close to the city and nice places to go out. i live at home so i can't really comment on accomodation. i really like it but i mostly chose the university because i used to live nearby.

i'm actually a physical chemist, graduated with a bachelor of science with honours yesterday, and got a phd offer with a government scholarship today to start next year. watch out for the student portal though: i'm trying to reenrol in the new degree and it keeps freezing up.

hehe my bad, memory failed me. Ripper work on what you've achieved though, thats really something to be proud of, good luck moving further in your studies, getting offered a scholarship is awesome haha. Glad to hear melbournes a nice place as well, i was mainly choosing it for the academic reputation but I was hoping it had a nice campus as well, and it sounds like it does, so thats swell.


Thanks also for the input on accomadation jumpluff (congrats on your scholarship also, 15k scholarship must mean your a pretty top tier student haha). I'm a country boy (live in sorrento / portsea if you've ever heard of it, pretty popular tourist spot over summer), and its a fair whack away from any sort of university. My two choices for accomodation are either staying with my grandparents (who can only speak very very basic english) who are likely a 40~ ish public transport trip from campus (can't put exact time on it very rarely have I used trains and even rarer still trams), or sussing out student accommodation in the area. I don't have any friends going to university (all tradies / tafe), so I can't really try to do one of the shared rooms with people I know, so I'll be in with randoms if I take a shared room option (though who knows, they may be really cool people!), and I highly doubt I can afford a one person room. I'll also have to finance the apartment, and a lot of the leases have contracts that require you to stay for a longer period of time than what my uni season will likely be, which is undesirable as in break I need to labour back home to make some money and catch up with all my mates, not be stuck in the city running out of money!

Weighing it up to stay at my grandparents means I get 'free' (still have to pay for internet + help with some of the bills) stay, and can have reliable cooking, washing etc done whilst im out at the cost of having a much longer time spent on transport each day. On the other hand student accommodation is much closer, but costs much more, and leaves a lot more of the housework kind of stuff burden on me (I do know how to wash, cook, clean etc as i do it for my siblings whilst mums working, but its still a hassle I could always do without). I'll enquire on accommodation early as per your advice, and if I can find something that suits I'll be likely to snag it, but from what I've seen there's nothing thats really doing it for me, and to make matters worse I live too far away and am working full time + weekend work over summer, so I can't even check out these places.

Thanks for the help once again both of you; appreciate it a lot considering this will likely be a huge lifestyle change for me.

 

[shnen]

Got into Cambridge :)
Anyone else heard back recently?

 

[smashlloyd20]

Got into Wesleyan University Early Decision (in Connecticut) and am super excited :D

 

[dragonboy52]

Out of curiosity, is there anyone else anxiously waiting for the UIUC decisions to come out?

 

[michael]

hehe my bad, memory failed me. Ripper work on what you've achieved though, thats really something to be proud of, good luck moving further in your studies, getting offered a scholarship is awesome haha. Glad to hear melbournes a nice place as well, i was mainly choosing it for the academic reputation but I was hoping it had a nice campus as well, and it sounds like it does, so thats swell.


Thanks also for the input on accomadation jumpluff (congrats on your scholarship also, 15k scholarship must mean your a pretty top tier student haha). I'm a country boy (live in sorrento / portsea if you've ever heard of it, pretty popular tourist spot over summer), and its a fair whack away from any sort of university. My two choices for accomodation are either staying with my grandparents (who can only speak very very basic english) who are likely a 40~ ish public transport trip from campus (can't put exact time on it very rarely have I used trains and even rarer still trams), or sussing out student accommodation in the area. I don't have any friends going to university (all tradies / tafe), so I can't really try to do one of the shared rooms with people I know, so I'll be in with randoms if I take a shared room option (though who knows, they may be really cool people!), and I highly doubt I can afford a one person room. I'll also have to finance the apartment, and a lot of the leases have contracts that require you to stay for a longer period of time than what my uni season will likely be, which is undesirable as in break I need to labour back home to make some money and catch up with all my mates, not be stuck in the city running out of money!

Weighing it up to stay at my grandparents means I get 'free' (still have to pay for internet + help with some of the bills) stay, and can have reliable cooking, washing etc done whilst im out at the cost of having a much longer time spent on transport each day. On the other hand student accommodation is much closer, but costs much more, and leaves a lot more of the housework kind of stuff burden on me (I do know how to wash, cook, clean etc as i do it for my siblings whilst mums working, but its still a hassle I could always do without). I'll enquire on accommodation early as per your advice, and if I can find something that suits I'll be likely to snag it, but from what I've seen there's nothing thats really doing it for me, and to make matters worse I live too far away and am working full time + weekend work over summer, so I can't even check out these places.

Thanks for the help once again both of you; appreciate it a lot considering this will likely be a huge lifestyle change for me.

going to o-week next week?

 

[shiloh]

haven't really posted in this thread, but i just got into my top choice of cal poly san luis obispo and i'm curious if anyone else is planning on going there or is there :o

 

[DiscoDucky]

I will be sending my transfer applications to Yale, Columbia, and UChicago out on Tuesday. Wish me luck!

 

[Adamant Zoroark]

haven't really posted in this thread, but i just got into my top choice of cal poly san luis obispo and i'm curious if anyone else is planning on going there or is there :o

you picked the wrong cal poly

jk congrats

 

[Finchinator]

Guess I'll post my stuff here, too.

I applied to eight schools within a three hour radius of my northern New Jersey home because I wanted to stay fairly close, but not be right in my backyard either. My SAT is 1930 (1290 on the two big sections), I'm around the top quarter of my class, and I've got a fairly good application going all around, I suppose, but nothing too amazing. The eight schools are Monmouth (safety), Ramapo (safety), New Paltz (safety), Delaware (Lerner school - accounting/finance), Connecticut, Rutgers (New Brunswick - Business), Binghamton (school of management - probably accounting), and The College of New Jersey (reach - Accounting/finance).

So far, I haven't been rejected anywhere and I've heard from and been accepted to all of them, bar TCNJ and UConn - the latter of the two I'm sure I'll get into in the next week, too.

My split #1s are Binghamton and TCNJ and I'm already accepted into the former, so I like my odds of ending up there, to be honest. Binghamton's school of management is quite selective and I have family + a bit of history up in Binghamton, so I would love to go there (and it has the best statistics in terms of graduates' future success in comparison to my other schools, so I'm really quite happy there). If I get into TCNJ, I'll probably do more research and continue visiting the school periodically until I decide, but this is pretty much a win-win for me regardless at this point.

If something drastically changes, my #3 and 4 schools, respectively, are Delaware and Rutgers.

 

[toshimelonhead]

Guess I'll post my stuff here, too.

I applied to eight schools within a three hour radius of my northern New Jersey home because I wanted to stay fairly close, but not be right in my backyard either. My SAT is 1930 (1290 on the two big sections), I'm around the top quarter of my class, and I've got a fairly good application going all around, I suppose, but nothing too amazing. The eight schools are Monmouth (safety), Ramapo (safety), New Paltz (safety), Delaware (Lerner school - accounting/finance), Connecticut, Rutgers (New Brunswick - Business), Binghamton (school of management - probably accounting), and The College of New Jersey (reach - Accounting/finance).

So far, I haven't been rejected anywhere and I've heard from and been accepted to all of them, bar TCNJ and UConn - the latter of the two I'm sure I'll get into in the next week, too.

My split #1s are Binghamton and TCNJ and I'm already accepted into the former, so I like my odds of ending up there, to be honest. Binghamton's school of management is quite selective and I have family + a bit of history up in Binghamton, so I would love to go there (and it has the best statistics in terms of graduates' future success in comparison to my other schools, so I'm really quite happy there). If I get into TCNJ, I'll probably do more research and continue visiting the school periodically until I decide, but this is pretty much a win-win for me regardless at this point.

If something drastically changes, my #3 and 4 schools, respectively, are Delaware and Rutgers.

Go to Rutgers and become an accountant just like what you told people on PO before you finally told the truth. ;)

 

[Finchinator]

I just got into the college of New Jersey - now my decision is essentially between that Binghamton and the college of New Jersey!

 

[DiscoDucky]

Binghamton's lit af

 

[DiscoDucky]

I wanted to ask everyone here for advice. Is it worth transferring out of an engineering school and into a liberal arts school? I personally found my engineering experience too one-sided and never really had a clear focus on the arts, too. Furthermore, I've developed a deeper interest in the field of Physics to the point where I find Engineering somewhat boring and one-dimensional.

 

[Stratos]

well, considering that Physics isn't a liberal art

 

[obii]

I just got into the college of New Jersey - now my decision is essentially between that Binghamton and the college of New Jersey!

congrats man, its always nice to have multiple options to choose from

I wanted to ask everyone here for advice. Is it worth transferring out of an engineering school and into a liberal arts school? I personally found my engineering experience too one-sided and never really had a clear focus on the arts, too. Furthermore, I've developed a deeper interest in the field of Physics to the point where I find Engineering somewhat boring and one-dimensional.

i dont think its worth it as im in an engineering school majoring in physics and feel like im getting the full experience. i guess it depends on what youre majoring in and how flexible your school is with curriculums. i had a shit ton of ap credits from high school so im pretty much taking a bunch of electives in the humanities since im done with my science electives,.

Anyway, I'm almost done with my second semester of college (my first year) and just wanna tell you guys a little bit about my experience and some things I learned. College is fuckin hard bros. I honestly got through high school despite being a lazy piece of shit because I got lucky with easy teachers who didnt really check homework, got good test scores, and bullshitting every essay I ever had to write. It doesn't really cut it in college. You have to perform at a considerably higher level. I went from a straight A student in high school without trying to a B student in college which really made me feel like shit (im south asian so my family is kind of strict with school and stuff). I got pretty depressed for a couple months and then began to see an academic counselor who helped me with my procrastination and time management issues and I was able to end my first semester on a decent note. Anyway, I'm in my second semester now and things are a bit tougher but I feel like I have more control and feel less overwhelmed.

Point is, if you have issues with time management and procrastination (like most hs seniors cus senioritis), fix them NOW. The transition from hs to college, more specifically the change in workload and difficulty of course material is tough and what really gets a lot of people. For some time I was upset because I thought the reason I wasnt doing as well as Id hoped was because I wasnt smart enough but the real issue was my work ethic. Im glad I figured this out and am hoping to boost my GPA by the end of second semester.

Good luck to you guys in the fall

 

[jumpluff]

well, considering that Physics isn't a liberal art

No, but a liberal arts school could still have a sound mathematics program (and usually an accompanying physics program) for one less interested in engineering and technical applications and one more interested in the abstract study of math/physics. The small department size can actually be pretty nice in those classes. I don't study physics though so I'm not qualified to give more advice, but imo a bit reductive, liberal arts colleges teach all kinds of conceptual stuff

obii is dead on, but the thing I wanted to add is in the first year of uni there will be tons and tons of support networks probably, like classes for academic writing and time management (go take those), tutoring and peer-assisted learning, your academic advisors and student support, etc.

Its very easy to ignore those because 'w/e I know how to write an essay/use the library/in theory I know I'm supposed to study x hours a week/etc.' but they make it easier for a lot of first-year students who overestimate how well high school prepares you for the jump in standards. And they tend to be handy support when you inevitably have a crisis over some poorly-timed major assignment and will help you get your shit together so you can submit on time and, worst comes to worst, get an extension even

Also they're not terrible places to meet people really, especially peer-assisted learning and tutoring workshops. I have found that doing uni solo is really a disadvantage, even as a very independent worker, and wish I had shown interest in group study/my faculty earlier so I'd have people in my discipline to study with and didn't have to summarise my lectures to people on Skype.

 

[billymills]

I'm heavy on the physics/engineering side, but I know a few people who have double majored in some unconventional combinations. (Physics/religious studies and physics/english come to mind.) I think there's a lot of benefit to going to a larger school when studying physics, be it lab set ups, professors, research areas, etc. I'm not really familiar with how liberal arts schools teach (they aren't really taken seriously in Canada), but if you're looking for a diverse physics education, I'd suggest a large state school and look into some multidisciplinary options.

EDIT: That's not really what I'm saying at all Hektor.

 

[Hektor]

I'd actually modify billymills's advice to say "Look for the program you want to be in," because I looked long and hard during my college search process for places that are not only strong in all the (very divergent) disciplines in which I'm interested, but also open to combining them to make new and exciting strides forward. Public and private schools were about equally represented on the list of my final choices, so it's not really dependent on how large or small the school is. In my experience, it's all about the university's strengths and attitudes.

Edit: For context's sake, I'm attending a smaller private university in the U.S.

 

[toshimelonhead]

congrats man, its always nice to have multiple options to choose from

i dont think its worth it as im in an engineering school majoring in physics and feel like im getting the full experience. i guess it depends on what youre majoring in and how flexible your school is with curriculums. i had a shit ton of ap credits from high school so im pretty much taking a bunch of electives in the humanities since im done with my science electives,.

Anyway, I'm almost done with my second semester of college (my first year) and just wanna tell you guys a little bit about my experience and some things I learned. College is fuckin hard bros. I honestly got through high school despite being a lazy piece of shit because I got lucky with easy teachers who didnt really check homework, got good test scores, and bullshitting every essay I ever had to write. It doesn't really cut it in college. You have to perform at a considerably higher level. I went from a straight A student in high school without trying to a B student in college which really made me feel like shit (im south asian so my family is kind of strict with school and stuff). I got pretty depressed for a couple months and then began to see an academic counselor who helped me with my procrastination and time management issues and I was able to end my first semester on a decent note. Anyway, I'm in my second semester now and things are a bit tougher but I feel like I have more control and feel less overwhelmed.

Point is, if you have issues with time management and procrastination (like most hs seniors cus senioritis), fix them NOW. The transition from hs to college, more specifically the change in workload and difficulty of course material is tough and what really gets a lot of people. For some time I was upset because I thought the reason I wasnt doing as well as Id hoped was because I wasnt smart enough but the real issue was my work ethic. Im glad I figured this out and am hoping to boost my GPA by the end of second semester.

Good luck to you guys in the fall

The downside with coming in with so many AP credits is that you aren't eligible for as many manageable courses your freshman year. Not only are you dealing with material beyond what most freshman take, you are competing against students two and three years older on what can be a tough grading curve, especially in STEM subjects. "Strength of schedule" does not matter as much in college as it did in high school - job postings don't have a place where you can explain a low GPA because you took tough classes and actually learned something as a result. There are no trophy points for acing a schedule of OChem, Real Analysis, Advanced Econometrics, and Latin V your freshman year. I would be depressed with that schedule, too.

I don't see procrastination just as poor time management - more likely than not that comes with other issues there with depression, anxiety, loneliness, etc. It really doesn't matter how much you commit to studying if you're alone and depressed studying something you don't like - it's not gonna end well. I also think a lot of freshmen pick "practical" majors such as Engineering early on only to underestimate the competition for "practical" jobs. Networking and soft skills matter much more in getting jobs after college than where you went to college, what you majored in, or what classes you took. One caveat - before switching from engineering to liberal arts / physics, I would make sure that you are doing it because you like physics and liberal arts much more and not just because you are getting better grades in those classes. Engineering is hard. Physics is hard. Liberal arts if done right can be hard. There's no guarantee that switching majors or transferring will fix anything.

Usually picking majors / programs / schools is like choosing houses at Hogwarts - they pick you more than you pick them.

 

[DiscoDucky]

The downside with coming in with so many AP credits is that you aren't eligible for as many manageable courses your freshman year. Not only are you dealing with material beyond what most freshman take, you are competing against students two and three years older on what can be a tough grading curve, especially in STEM subjects. "Strength of schedule" does not matter as much in college as it did in high school - job postings don't have a place where you can explain a low GPA because you took tough classes and actually learned something as a result. There are no trophy points for acing a schedule of OChem, Real Analysis, Advanced Econometrics, and Latin V your freshman year. I would be depressed with that schedule, too.

I don't see procrastination just as poor time management - more likely than not that comes with other issues there with depression, anxiety, loneliness, etc. It really doesn't matter how much you commit to studying if you're alone and depressed studying something you don't like - it's not gonna end well. I also think a lot of freshmen pick "practical" majors such as Engineering early on only to underestimate the competition for "practical" jobs. Networking and soft skills matter much more in getting jobs after college than where you went to college, what you majored in, or what classes you took. One caveat - before switching from engineering to liberal arts / physics, I would make sure that you are doing it because you like physics and liberal arts much more and not just because you are getting better grades in those classes. Engineering is hard. Physics is hard. Liberal arts if done right can be hard. There's no guarantee that switching majors or transferring will fix anything.

Usually picking majors / programs / schools is like choosing houses at Hogwarts - they pick you more than you pick them.

My personal reason why I want to attend a Liberal Arts school is that I like to engage with professors and learn more. I personally found that throughout my three semesters on an engineering track, I've always been taught what something (i.e. equation, theorems, etc.) and how to use it, but never why said equation or theorem is like that. I have a friend who currently goes to Pomona. When she and I were back at home during Thanksgiving break, I was looking at her Physics assignments. It wasn't your standard MasteringPhysics online homework. The assignment asked her to derive an equation for a specific orientation using Gauss' Law or have her write a short response on various situations. I personally feel that teaching in that format helps a student better understand the material taught.

Furthermore, I guess that through my more political-oriented extracurriculars (Asian American advocacy and whatnot), I developed a deeper interest in Public Policy and writing. I've been writing essays everyday on topics related to race in many prominent issues every week (food deserts, education, "Model Minority", etc.) I like an environment that also focuses on intellectual discussion and advocacy.

 

[Ice-cold Claws]

Alright, who's in USC? (That's the SoCal one) Unless any crazy stuff curveballs my plans, I'm heading over to Viterbi - see you there!!

 

[DiscoDucky]

well, considering that Physics isn't a liberal art

I didn't notice this snarky Stratos quote until now. A bit brash, if I say so myself.

I'm just here to wish all of you the best of luck on Ivy Decision day.

 

[Finchinator]

So I'm going to Binghamton!

 

[boltsandbombers]

Hi I haven't posted here throughout my college application process but I just made my decision yesterday, and I'll be attending RIT this upcoming fall (Rochester Institute of Technology), and I was curious if anyone else here goes there or knows anyone who is currently studying there :o

My applications went really well, I got accepted into 6 out of the 8 schools I applied to, I ended up deciding between University of Hartford and RIT (I got a scholarship and got accepted into the honors program at U of H which made the decision harder).

 

[Morsel]

If anyone is concerned, I'm currently finishing my first year at university so I guess I can give some advice to those finishing highschool who are concerned about succeeding in University. Here are some MLG tips.

1. Stay on top of your shit:

It's very easy to think that because you have less in-class time compared to highschool, you have more free time. This isn't true; in fact, the quality of work and level of understanding needed is much higher than highschool. This means that you can't slack off because "omg all this free time," and you must be disciplined enough to do your work and not fall behind. Falling behind=academic suicide.

2. If you have a roommate/living in a dorm:

Communication is key. Don't be passive if your roommate/floormates are doing something that's bothering you. If you do, you'll likely be taken advantage of, and failing to confront issues initially just creates an awkward, passive environment where no real communication can be had. Likewise, don't be an asshole about it (or get fussy over small, non-issues), as you won't make any friends that way. Try to find a balance between assertion and tolerance.

3. Get a good sleep:

I learned this the hard way in first semester. I would constantly get 3-4 hours of sleep per night, and consequently had trouble paying attention in class and studying effectively. I also felt like shit. It's not worth staying up an extra 3 hours to watch that movie, stay longer at that party, or study that subject -- the loss of sleep will fuck you over in the long run. Try to get at least 6 hours of sleep per night

4. If you're writing admission essays...

Don't be pretentious, and more seriously, don't over exaggerate your achievements.The people who read these things aren't stupid -- they'll know that if you put "1st class service provider" for a Mc. Donald's job, it just means that you're an average employee at MC. Donald's. Finally, try and differentiate yourself from your competition; think "what types of things would another student write when applying," and try to make yourself stand out.

Hope this is helpful.