Unfortunately life isn't fair and neither are college admissions. Despite the veneer of a level playing field based on grades, extracurriculars, test scores, and accomplishments, many of the finest schools base their decisions on financial considerations instead. They often chose financial development admits over top students with top test scores because the schools want to grow their endowments.
Tell me what you think. Leave a comment.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
My College Admissions Story
I had always gotten good grades, tested well, and been on the honors/ap track in high school, however, I did not research college as well as I should have. I applied to only two schools, and both of them could be categorized as safety schools. Both schools accepted me and I chose the one that had the best reputation as a party school. This is not the way you should approach college admissions.
As a result, I tend to be bored in class and I wont make as much money when I graduate as I would have had I gone to a better school. Also, there are some doors that are open only to graduates of top tier schools that I wont be walking through anytime soon.
You should apply to some schools that are reach schools(higher average SAT and GPA than you), some where your scores would be the average, and some safety schools where you are just about certain to get in. Your goal should be to go to the best school you can get into with respect to what you have to pay to attend.
Also, if you already know what you want to study in college then learn about what programs each school offers. Choose a school that fits your educational needs. For example, lets pretend you want to study electrical engineering. Harvard and MIT are both very good schools, but MIT is much better for those who want to study engineering than Harvard is so assuming you were accepted at both (riiiiiight) you should attend MIT.
I wish all of you the best of luck, but please please please take it seriously. It will set you on a path that will determine the rest of your life.
As a result, I tend to be bored in class and I wont make as much money when I graduate as I would have had I gone to a better school. Also, there are some doors that are open only to graduates of top tier schools that I wont be walking through anytime soon.
You should apply to some schools that are reach schools(higher average SAT and GPA than you), some where your scores would be the average, and some safety schools where you are just about certain to get in. Your goal should be to go to the best school you can get into with respect to what you have to pay to attend.
Also, if you already know what you want to study in college then learn about what programs each school offers. Choose a school that fits your educational needs. For example, lets pretend you want to study electrical engineering. Harvard and MIT are both very good schools, but MIT is much better for those who want to study engineering than Harvard is so assuming you were accepted at both (riiiiiight) you should attend MIT.
I wish all of you the best of luck, but please please please take it seriously. It will set you on a path that will determine the rest of your life.
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