Where should I go to college?

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I'm sorry to hear you had such a lousy time last September. I hope you're feeling better now. Anyways, suffice it to say that I certainly shouldn't be considered any better than you, especially if it's on the basis of some test score. Where are you going to school, by the way?

You don't understand, it's just not test scores or GPA, it's courseload: 9 AP's in an effing year..the most I had was 4 and it caused me to melt down. ><
I'm still in High school...will be attending comm. college this fall. :\

Last edited by curiouslittleboy on 02 Apr 2008, 9:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Scheduling is different everywhere: one class I took over the summer, one class I'm taking qualifies me for 2 tests, and one test (European History) I'm taking without the course. Also, block scheduling can be helpful. I've never had more than 4 AP's at a time, and since my teachers are fairly lax about grading, I haven't always had to do as much work as would be expected in an AP class. Don't be so hard on yourself, you've done a good deal better than most people are able to.

Anyways, good luck in your future, I'm sure you'll be successful.

It also helps to be in Skull and Bones since birth for Harvard, that is how Reese Witherspoon got in.

Miami U is good b/c you have the high chance of muchas amigas Cubanas there.

Ah, pero yo no entiendo español. Solo puedo hablar en inglés.

Skull and Bones is Yale, not Harvard.



I used to be a little like that. The thing is, there will always be someone academically superior to you. If you're the best in your school, their are four thousand other schools that probably have better students. There's always someone better, so the best you can do is to try your hardest and distinguish yourself in your own way.



You know, I felt the same way. I applied to two schools (Rutgers in Camden and Rutgers in New Brunswick, technically different branches of the same university system) and got into both, though they aren't terribly selective, especially for in-state residents. However, when I was filling out application, I had to write a short essay on "what diversity means to me."

I mean...what? Racial or cultural diversity? Is that what I mean? And how is that relevant, I mean I'm a science student, not a sociology or anthropology student. I actually used my screwed-up extended family as an example of a "microcosm" of the sort of eccentric diversity that one might encounter in a university.

I'm actually pretty good at writing papers, don't get me wrong, I thought the question was kind of ridiculous but essays usually work in my favor.

@Phagocyte: Thanks. ^^;

@Orwell: I've actually been in Penn's Summer Physics program (hard as crap, but still a load of fun. XD). And I can tell ya: The traffic is something you can get used to...seriously, I J-walked like the best of them after a few weeks. And I come from the bondocks where's there's no sidewalks, etc. XD
I'm going to be honest, however that...if quality housing/food and garunteed housing (all four years) is a concern of yours, DO NOT attend there...as the food kinda sucks. XD and the housing isn't that good. I was in the Quad last summer, and was told that that's what students fight for and it was still all run down with cracks in the walls, and cramped as heck, complete with an AC unit that had a mind of it's own. O.o (granted, it was relatively close to my classes but yeah..)
And while I LOVED our program director (even had hair like Einstein. XD), the proffessors, while full of prestigious goodness, where kinda...blan. :\
Like in one lecture, where we were being taught about current advancements in String theory, I swear about 4/5 of the participants were falling asleep. XD myself included and I freakin' love string theory. XD
Though, granted that wasn't all of them, but..still. XD
*ponders what else he can say*...ah, yes...I've been told that they're pretty understanding about disabilities in general there. Like my Calc teacher (Dyslexic) who would often need a few extra minutes on tests would often get them (before she even found out about her disability).
*racks his brain, thinking of anything else he can say* Oh, yes...It is true that Penn's in a bad part of town (ain't gonna lie about that. :\)
HOWEVER, it's more like it's own city, complete with Restraunts, bookstore (huge), computer part store, Gym, etc: With all of the bad stuff outside of it. It's not even that bad, so long as you don't go out alone AND at night. ^.^
And they have some kind of police seminar thingie explaining safety and the like (at least for the summer stuff).
So yeah...and to answer your question, Yes, I did vote Penn.
Though, enrollment there or not, rests with you, try to pick the one that suits your needs, qualifications and ambitions best, and good luck succeeding there.
(And if you do go to the college in FL, don't party too much. )

RIT's just about been keeping pace with Miami; no one wants to speak up for RIT though?

I would like to speak against RIT. I know a few people who went there. They liked it, and it opened lots of doors for them. But I got the impression they didn't get the same experience that others got in college. There's nothing wrong with a college for geeks like me/us, but why not be a geek in a more diverse environment? It's a once in a lifetime experience, I recommend Penn or Miami where you are likely to encounter a more diverse sample of people.

BTW, the 6-8 months of punishing heat in Miami is just a brutal as the 3 bad months of winters at Penn. It depends on what type of weather you prefer.

Thanks for the insight, Dwight. (Cool name, BTW). I did get the sense that RIT was a bit of a geek school, and I had also been told there were a lot of Aspies there, so I figured I might fit in a little better there. However, when I was at Miami for a scholarship weekend, I met several friendly people who I could definitely fit in with pretty well.

As far as weather, I can tolerate a very wide range of temperatures and still be comfortable. However, once I leave this comfort zone, cold is extremely uncomfortable as soon as it drops below that range, whereas hot gets less uncomfortable, and does so more gradually. Too hot is not as bad as too cold.

And you mentioned diversity; I will give Miami that it is an extremely diverse mix of people. From what I can tell, Penn is considerably less diverse than Miami and what diversity it has is rather artificial (ie I met people while I was there who probably would not have been accepted if they were white).

I'm probably going to take one last visit to Penn to see if they can convince me otherwise, but I will most likely be headed to Miami in the fall. At Penn, my mass AP tests mean almost nothing, and at RIT my family is left paying more than at Miami.

University of Miami

Good luck wherever you go.

...At the same time, Penn is rather close to my university, Rutgers (the Camden campus). We could get together and throw crazy virology-themed keg parties. You bring the beer, I'll bring the molecular biology textbooks.

Sounds good. It'd be even better if I had gotten into Princeton, then I could cross-register to take classes at Rutgers.

4.48 GPA?? Does that mean you got all A+'s? It also looks like your school offers way more AP tests than mine. Calculus, Physics, Bio, Chem, US History and English are the only ones we had. My school was pretty crappy though...all they cared about was sports (they even cut academic programs in favor of saving sports).
It sounds like you tried really hard though, unlike yours truly. In AP Physics and AP Calculus senior year, I got C's for most of the year (though I got 5's on the Calculus test), and I never did extracirriculars because I thought they were a waste of my time. And even with all that you still get rejected from MIT? Sheesh...I also know a kid who got a perfect 36 on the ACT, and he, too, was rejected by them.

Anyway, I voted for Penn, since people will want you just for having an Ivy League degree.

No, not all A+'s. My school doesn't change GPA calculations as long as it's within the "A" range, and I've managed to pull all A's at least. The .48 extra is from taking honors/AP classes. My school had better not care too much about sports- our football team went 0-10 this year!
Actually, oddly enough, I haven't tried very hard, but my teachers have been rather lenient in their grading. MIT, like Harvard and Yale, is at a level where standardized tests don't matter too much because there are plenty of people with high SAT scores applying. Even so, I probably would not have gone to MIT- they don't have much in the way for microbiology.

As far as my college decision, right now I'm thinking Miami. Penn would be nice for the name, and also for the Vagelos program they've invited me into (they only take 30 students a year for that) but I don't think they have enough microbiology, whereas at Miami my degree would actually be specifically in microbio and immunology. Plus, at Penn I would be forced to switch over to their chemistry department to get the Vagelos program stipend, which I don't really want to do. Add to that the fact that Miami give me more AP credit and allows me more flexibility in scheduling, and it looks like I'm headed for sunny Florida.