# Applying For College ...



## Jdinh04 (Oct 7, 2004)

It is getting to the point where I am overworrying about my future. I am a junior at a great high school, ranked 5th in our state. Anyhow, I was wondering those who have already been through this path, what year did you start applying for college? Junior or senior year? I know the sooner the better.

What about your GPA and ACT/SAT test scores? lets see em!


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## newguy (Mar 18, 2006)

err your guidance consular/school should have explained the process and gave you the college apps etc...talk to them.

Basically you take your SAT and SATII, depends on how good/bad you do, you pick about 7-8 colleges. 3 dream, 3 realistic, and 2 safety. And dont forget to followup with your teachers for recommandation letters. 

It's a stressful process, do it early. I remember leaving everything til the last minute and had to stay up all night writing 7 essays, 1 for each apps. Then almost crashed the car trying to mail them before the deadline.

Man seems like ages ago...ah the good times..

EDIT: to answer your other questions, GPA/SAT/SATII are the 3 most important factor, never took ACT so cant comment on that. I was in the number 1 ranked public hs in ny, so the whole school pretty much started studying for SAT/SATII during sophmore year except for me There were free review classes paid by the school that kaplan teachs every day after class. So yeah you should definitly start studying for SAT/SATII now in junior year. By mid senior year, you should already got your acceptance/rejection letters from all the colleges. Remember i didnt even goto class the 2nd semster of senior year, since you are already accepted to college, why bother with hs anymore?


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## Jdinh04 (Oct 7, 2004)

Yes, we have counselor meetings but I wanted to ask some of the members here on APC on the route that they took. Thank you for sharing your experience.


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## joephys (May 9, 2006)

Apply based on when the school your applying too says to apply. I would be a few months early, but too early and its more time for your app to get lost. If you don't mind going to school in the summer, apply for summer entry. I applied for fall, I knew I would get in, but when I called and asked to change my application for summer quater I got accepted a week later. I don't think its a coincidence. If you want your summer break though, take it. Breaks are good. I didn't go to college right out of highschool. I was in the military for 4 years and took some classes part time, so I was a transfer student and didn't need ACT/SAT scores. I transfered with a 3.89 GPA and an associates in science.

Don't worry about GPA so much. Grade inflation is so bad that they look more at what classes you took and how you did in more difficult classes. If you can take college level math classes in highschool that looks really good. They like to know that you can pass a college level math class. Just to let you know, if you take highschool math, you may end up taking it again in college unless you get a good score on a calc AP test.

ACT/SAT scores are more important that GPA too. Schools like well rounded students, so extra activities are good too.

Be honest with your essay. They get thousands of them a year and they hear all sorts of BS about how people are going to cure cancer, become president or save all the humpback whales. If you want to do something like that, thats fine, just say you want to work with the american cancer society or green peace or something like that.

At my school (Western Washington University) They get way more applicants than spots becuause its a medium size school (12,000 students compared to 40,000 students at UW). They get a lot of people who want to be biology majors and teachers. I have seen well qualified people apply stating theses are their intended majors and not get accepted, while people that, in my opinion, were not very qualifed get accepted because their stated intended major was something that wasn't very popular. I am not saying you should say your intended major is something that isn't popular just to get in, your school might not be that way when it chooses who it accepts. I guess I am trying to say, do a little research at your desired schools and see what they like. Ask students what they put in their apps to see what the admissions people like.


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## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

Just finished my first year of college. Let me just give you this piece of repeated advice. Work hard for the GPA and study hard for the SAT. Not sure how the SAT scoring goes now, but I got 1100 out of 1600 on my SAT, and 600's out of 800 on my two SAT II. Here's what I would do with SATs

Take the SAT three times:
First one, just feel it out, but take it seriously.
Second, now that you know how it goes, just take.
Third try to do your best on this one.

Start taking your SATs by the second half of your Junior year and space them out. If I remember mine it was November, March, May (no SATs during the summer)

In the middle of that find two - three subjects that the SAT IIs have that you are most comfortable with and take each of them at least two times. You can't take the SAT and the SAT II on the same day so keep that in mind.

I took Chinese and World History most of the subjects you would have learned straight out og highschool text books, but I would buy review books from Kaplan and Princton reiview(both good books)

Also apply a month ahead of time on www.collegeboard.com to reserve your spot, too many last minuters.

You'll also have to work hard your junior year, colleges usually look at your soph and jr years GPA.

Now on to senior this year should be a breeze once you pick out and apply for you colleges. My high school sent my transcripts and SAT scores for me so I didn't have to do it.

I applied for 5 colleges and got in to all five, some factors to choose a college are listed by what I think are the most important factors...

Major
Community
Location
Name

Might be more for you but the major is the most important, I would rather go to a small no name college to study my major than a well known school to study something that I am not interested in only for the name. In other words, don't go to Harvard for something like Art.

I am attending University of California Riverside, and if you do not know, the Universities of California are very well known here and are in the top 50 ranks. I got in UC Berkeley, UC LA, UC Irvine, Cal Poly, and PCC. I did not choose to go to UC Berkley since it was too far, and I did not go to UCLA because it did not have my major.

Hopefully this helps you.


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

Approach it this way..... getting into a college is YOUR JOB for right now. If it's important to you (and it evidently is), take it seriously. Make it your hobby. Make a list of what you want to get out of college (daily frat parties, nice job opportunities, good preparation for grad school, or whatever floats your boat). One you know what you want, the rest is a big game. Go get it. Learn what the admissions people are looking for. Ask, and they'll usually tell you. Colleges have VERY different personalities. Their admissions criteria are often vastly different. If you dig around a little you'll find out tons. If you are prepared, you'll be confident, and you should be. If you actually have what they're looking for, it puts you in the driver's seat.

Those painful essays and paperwork...... just bite the bullet, invest a couple of weekends, and plow through it. Now matter how much you want to put it off, just do it. It will put you ahead of the competition and you'll be much more relaxed through the whole process.

One free piece of advice - high school counselors are sometimes high school counselors because they couldn't get a better job. Ever see how much they make? Listen to their advice and then go verify the truth for yourself. I learned this the hard way. There is only one person responsible for getting you where you want to go - YOU! Nobody else cares enough. Take their information, say "thank you very much" and then go get what YOU want.

Be realistic. The idea is to make the most out of what you have. If you're valedictorian, then great - live up to it. If you are borderline college material then get into the best college you can, do well, go to grad school, get a great job, etc.

Remember too that spending a lot for an education doesn't equate to a high future earning potential. Look for the good deals. I went to a tiny little 2 year college in Idaho, got good grades, earned a scholarship to a big university, got accepted to a state medical school, and moved on to an ivy league school for internship.

Don't be like me when I applied for medical school. I somehow got an interview at the #5 school in the country. Stupid me didn't even know this until I was reading a Newsweek in their lobby a few minutes before I was about to be interviewed. I looked up and saw a row of pictures of their Nobel prize winners. I had no clue. Absolutely none. It was just another stop for me. It took them about 2 minutes to realize that I was in over my head. If I had spent about 10 minutes finding out a little about the school, my interview would have gone much better. I may have missed a great opportunity there.

Last, have fun. Once you're prepared you'll be able to enjoy the last year of high school. It really can be great if you're not scurrying around without a solid plan.

Good luck to you. I'm sure it will work out well if you are prepared. It's like deja vu all over again....


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## erijnal (Apr 5, 2006)

If you've been doing well in school, then you'll be fine. Honestly the people who take a calm, deliberate, and almost care-free aproach to college entrance will go through the same thing the person who constantly was wringing his hands and triple-guessing themselves.

Just take a couple smart steps and maintain good grades in junior year, start looking into what subjects really interest you, and look at colleges that are best for developing your specific interest near the end of junior year. Choosing a name-brand college is one of the biggest mistakes a person can make, if that college will only offer mediocre education in your field of interest. If you want, go ahead and apply to those big-name schools so your mom can brag about it to her friends, I guess.

As for senior year, make sure you're working on your college applications during the summer, and not during school. With finals coming up in late December/early January, college applications are the last thing you want to worry about. As for class-load in senior year, it's your call. For some reason I really felt like learning senior year, so I took on 6 AP courses during my senior year, and it went pretty smoothly for me, but I know some people that royally screwed themselves by doing something similar. Know when you're in over your head. Drop classes before your school's deadline. Also, keep in mind the more prestigious schools keep an eye on what you take during senior year, and will ask for quarterly/semester-ly grade reports to make sure you're not slacking off.

As for SATs, every day try doing a section or two out of a SAT practice book, doesn't matter if it's the CollegeBoard's or some other's like Kaplan. I was extremely good at taking standardized tests, so I can't say whether it was natural ability that got me a 2290 or doing those one or two sections a day during the summer, or both, but since it seems to have worked for me, I highly suggest it. It's a lot better to do something on your own than spend thousands of dollars to have someone else tell you to do the same exact things. A lot of people do poorly in the Critical Reading/Writing section, and if you turn out to be one of those people, READ in your free time!!! TURN OFF THAT TV!!! Spending some of your weekend at Barnes and Noble or something will help you like no other. The girl whose literary experience has included reading Hemingway, Dostoevsky, ****ens, and Dumas will do infinitely better than the girl whose brain has been entertained solely by People Magazine.

For SAT2s, take tests in subjects that you feel would help your admissions into the major of your interest. Taking the Literature test won't really do anything for your chances in becoming a mechanical engineer, if you get my drift.

Regardless of what people will say about GPA, try to at least keep it above a 3.5. And I will end on this note: how well you do on your essay is up to you. Spend time on it. Ask people to read it and ask for their thoughts/opinions. Regardless of suggestions, though, think hard before changing any part of the essay you like. Changing it might mean sucking out some of the personality you succeeded in infusing into the essay. Anyway, you're still a junior. Just keep those grades up and be thinking about your interests.

*edit* Oh, and don't lose sight of the fact that although college is an important part of life during this time, not having it go the way you wanted doesn't necessarily mean you'll fail at life.


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## Burks (May 25, 2006)

Take the ACT/SAT as much as possible. They only take your best score. I missed out (never knew about it) when I scored a 27 on the ACT. If I had retaken it and got a 28 or better my entrance to my program would have been automatic. Now I'm fighting to get in.

Also, try to become a well rounded person. Colleges don't like people who are strictly book smart and have no people skills. In my program you can have a 4.0 and be turned away because you have zero people skills.



erijnal said:


> *edit* Oh, and don't lose sight of the fact that although college is an important part of life during this time, not having it go the way you wanted doesn't necessarily mean you'll fail at life.


I keep telling myself that every day but it has yet to sink in...


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## newguy (Mar 18, 2006)

I kinda disagree with some of the replies. Although they like you to believe colleges look for a well rounded person, based on all factors. The ugly truth is it's still a numbers game. If you dont have the scores none of the other stuff matter. 

- SAT is most important
- Overall GPA is also very important. Yes if you went to a bad hs you will get a higher gpa than someone who went to a good hs and look better to the colleges. Yes it's not fair, but that's life.
- SATII is important to the good univerisities, all the ivy etc. 
- AP classes help some.

Only when you meet the number requirement from above, they will even begin to look at all your other stuff, like essay, recommandation letters etc.


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## TWood (Dec 9, 2004)

Take a gap year (or two) off from school and take any and all of the worst possible jobs you can find. Fast food service doesn't count, anybody can do that. Search for a septic tank pumping job, medical waste disposal, asbestos abatement....anything.

Then think about what you would really rather be doing.


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

Having been involved somewhat extensively in the admissions process at a competitive program I can say that, at least where I was, the grades and numbers qualify you to get past the first cut. They take a huge stack of applications and throw out 2/3 of them based on their particular number criteria. If something about an application from a person with lower scores "catches their eye" they might include it, but that's kind of a crap shoot. They go through that first pile very quickly.

Once your folder makes it to the small pile, it all comes down to personality, essays, life experience, and interviews. In a sense, I agree with newguy. If you don't qualify yourself with grades and scores, the rest of your application will likely never be seen, at least at competitive programs.


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## Burks (May 25, 2006)

newguy said:


> I kinda disagree with some of the replies. Although they like you to believe colleges look for a well rounded person, based on all factors. The ugly truth is it's still a numbers game. If you dont have the scores none of the other stuff matter.


I was just going by personal experience. The minimum GPA is a 2.7 to apply to my program (this isn't an easy one to get in, probably the hardest at the university). There are people who have 4.0's that didn't make it yet there are those with 2.9's that did. A 2.7 GPA isn't THAT hard to pull off especially with undergrad classes. Now other programs that you need a 3.5....yeah numbers play a large role in that as it narrows the field down a ton.


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## anthonysquire (Mar 15, 2006)

I have to agree with newguy about it being a numbers game. Unless you have your eye on a particular program most schools are just trying to get as many freshmen in as they can to make a buck. A guy I graduated HS with was kicked out of a community college b/c of his grades and told he could not return at a later date. He went on to one of the biggest public schools in AR and graduated w/ a 4.0, traveled to Dubai as part of an exchange program, you name it. Apparently they didn't even care that he had been banned from a community college because of poor performance, to me they just saw $$$$. 
I would like to encourage you to take the ACT/SAT as many times as you can. Sign up for the study classes if they are offered in your area, they will make a difference. If you score high enough on the ACT/SAT you could get a full ride to many colleges of your choice. I also encourage you to seek out an d apply for as many grants and scholarships as you can. If you can get out of school without taking out any student loans you will be in great shape. I only have loans for my graduate degree I got and it's bad enough, I can't imagine what my payments would be like if I had 4 more years worth of loans to pay back.


> SAT is most important


 depends on what part of the country the school is in. Schools in some parts of the country only require the ACT, mainly the south I think. Others require only the SAT, and some like both. I would say figure out which schools or programs your are interested in and go from there. Otherwise you may end up at a school that dosen't offer what you are really interested in and either have to settle for something else or transfer in which case you could lose any scholarships you have.


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## Jdinh04 (Oct 7, 2004)

Boy, this is a lot to read. Thanks for all the advice, I will finish reading through all of this and choose what is best for me.


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## Jimbo205 (Feb 2, 2006)

> Boy, this is a lot to read. Thanks for all the advice, I will finish reading through all of this and choose what is best for me.


 John, this can all be very intimidating.

Are you the first person in your family that may go to college? 
Or do you come from a family where EVERYONE in the family has gone to college.

You are right, it is a lot to read.

Don't get intimidated. What would you LIKE to do?

There are all types of colleges for all types of people. 
Do you know anyone from your High School that has already gone to college? What did they say?

And then it comes back to; What would you LIKE to do?


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## Jdinh04 (Oct 7, 2004)

Jimbo205 said:


> John, this can all be very intimidating.
> 
> Are you the first person in your family that may go to college?
> Or do you come from a family where EVERYONE in the family has gone to college.
> ...


Jim,

I have 4 brothers and 1 sister, 3 of the brothers are out of college and my sister is finishing up college. My other brother decided not to go to college for some reason. But yeah, one of my other brothers is going back to school to get his masters degree in mechanical engineering. He works at a GE plant in Cincinnati, Ohio.

I want to become a Web Developer/Programmer and Web Designer. I've had friends and relatives that went to college and I guess they really like it. I will probably enjoy college as well, since I like to explore and try new things every now and then.

Right now I am worried about getting a good GPA and ACT score and hopefully I will get into a good university. So far my GPA is a 3.3, hopefully I can get it up to maybe a 3.5 or higher and score well on the ACT test.


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## Jimbo205 (Feb 2, 2006)

Kiddo, you will do fine. 

Work hard, do the best you can. Life will work itself out. 

Keep life balanced. Enjoy life and enjoy what you study. 

You will do great. 

I must be wonderful to have 4 brothers and a sister. 
You can get better advice from them and family than anyone in the world. 
They know you; and they know your strengths and weaknesses. 

Let us all know how school is going. 

I am rooting for you.


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## Jdinh04 (Oct 7, 2004)

Jimbo205 said:


> Kiddo, you will do fine.
> 
> Work hard, do the best you can. Life will work itself out.
> 
> ...


Thanks man, someday I hope I will get known for something!


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