[Jahn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JahJahBinks It is interesting to see that for many occasions when a foreign president/prime minister/prince/queen/high rank official visit US, he/she will make a speech at Harvard or Yale (I think Harvard has more visits overall), so if you are into politics then Harvard provides you with those which you simply cannot experience without living in the White House.

Oh the other hand, Ali-G also spoke at Harvard.

Personally I loved Oberlin, and I may not have gotten as many free political lectures - but the nonstop free concerts were awesome!

Oh, plus I met my wife there, so the place couldn't have been all that bad.

 

[timo_nyc]

^^^heh, must be something in the water at Oberlin -- two of my best clients are from there, happily married too!

 

[MrSlacker]

I am a junior in high school and this college talk just drives me nuts! College process seems to be so stressfull that it gives me a head ache when i just think about it.

 

[plus_c]

Dude, are you serious? I wasn't even thinking about colleges junior year - all of that stress got compressed into first semester senior year. Couldn't have hurt that much - after all, I still managed to get into Penn.

 

[Jahn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by timo_nyc ^^^heh, must be something in the water at Oberlin -- two of my best clients are from there, happily married too!

they say 2 out of 3 oberlin grads marry other obie grads. i didn't believe it until 2/3rds of our classmates did it too.

i guess we all just see things in that same kooky way

 

[granodemostasa]

(with a tone of distain) Easterners!
(actually some westerners do it too), but seriously, plotting your HS career around getting into a particular school is absurd. HS is suppose to be experienced, it's suppose be fun..... on that note:
4.3 GPA, 3 semesters during H.S. taking courses at a local college, Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, APU Honor Band, Concert Band, Woodwind Quintet, Acdemic Decathlon-many medals, Academic Olympiad-more medals, Drama/musicals, 7AP courses (did great, thankyou), 3 Honors courses, President of Cal Scholarship federation, MESA-calc team, Student Ocean conference, part of 3 Church groups and a participant in the service, much random volunteer work, and countless awards... and i did all these things for the full 4 years...
.... all that to get into Berkeley. I have no clue what it would take to get into an eastern school. good luck!

Edit: my bad, the only reason i got away with that was because the U of C knew my school only had 7AP courses availible. that, and i think i got some points for going to (at least in api scores), the worst school in the county (although LA city is worse).
I guess this doesn't help, assuming that you go to a decent HS then you might have to plan it out...there are more options i guess.

 

[JahJahBinks]

I had great time in college, easily my best time in my schooling experience.

 

[MrSlacker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by plus_c Dude, are you serious? I wasn't even thinking about colleges junior year - all of that stress got compressed into first semester senior year. Couldn't have hurt that much - after all, I still managed to get into Penn.

No I am not really thinking of colleges yet. However, I am taking SAT soon. I scored about 1400 on diagnostics which SUCKS. But when i was taking it, I was sleeping during english part LOL. I was too tired. English is my 2nd language and i know it only for about 4.5 years so english SAT part is PITA. Guess I'll just try to do my best and work on networking during my summer internship.

 

[Oistrakh]

I have a pretty good chance of getting into MIT if I keep up my grades. I know someone at MIT who had a B- in high school and still got in as an undergrad!

 

[JahJahBinks]

One of my worst experience in college was actually studying for the GRE. Everything else was easy.

 

[plus_c]

Quote:

Originally Posted by granodemostasa (with a tone of distain) Easterners! (actually some westerners do it too), but seriously, plotting your HS career around getting into a particular school is absurd. HS is suppose to be experienced, it's suppose be fun..... on that note: 4.3 GPA, 3 semesters during H.S. taking courses at a local college, Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, APU Honor Band, Concert Band, Woodwind Quintet, Acdemic Decathlon-many medals, Academic Olympiad-more medals, Drama/musicals, 7AP courses (did great, thankyou), 3 Honors courses, President of Cal Scholarship federation, MESA-calc team, Student Ocean conference, part of 3 Church groups and a participant in the service, much random volunteer work, and countless awards... and i did all these things for the full 4 years... .... all that to get into Berkeley. I have no clue what it would take to get into an eastern school. good luck! Edit: my bad, the only reason i got away with that was because the U of C knew my school only had 7AP courses availible. that, and i think i got some points for going to (at least in api scores), the worst school in the county (although LA city is worse). I guess this doesn't help, assuming that you go to a decent HS then you might have to plan it out...there are more options i guess.

I'm still trying to pick my jaw up off the floor. I didn't do half that crap - only band (with tons of honor band clinics and such) and Mu Alpha Theta (math club) for me (although I was president at the state level), and that was all I needed. Of course, being from Mississippi does help with the whole affirmative action thing...

 

[Oistrakh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by granodemostasa (with a tone of distain) Easterners! (actually some westerners do it too), but seriously, plotting your HS career around getting into a particular school is absurd. HS is suppose to be experienced, it's suppose be fun..... on that note: 4.3 GPA, 3 semesters during H.S. taking courses at a local college, Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, APU Honor Band, Concert Band, Woodwind Quintet, Acdemic Decathlon-many medals, Academic Olympiad-more medals, Drama/musicals, 7AP courses (did great, thankyou), 3 Honors courses, President of Cal Scholarship federation, MESA-calc team, Student Ocean conference, part of 3 Church groups and a participant in the service, much random volunteer work, and countless awards... and i did all these things for the full 4 years... .... all that to get into Berkeley. I have no clue what it would take to get into an eastern school. good luck! .

Let me guess, you were a perfect student with 99% in all your classes was valedictorian of your school, got full scholarships to every school you applied to, etc.... That really bugs me...

 

[JahJahBinks]

Remember that Berkeley is a public school, admission fee is low especially if you are a CA resident. That's why competition is so fierce. The year I applied for NYU, they accepted 1 out of 10. Thank goodness I did not go there for engineering. I didn't know what I was thinking when I applied though.

 

[plus_c]

Heh, some people are just driven like that. I admire them for it - I know I sure as hell wasted my time in HS. It all turned out okay though, so I don't feel too bad about it.

The key is just to be secure in that you're doing the best that you can, and having a fulfilling experience from it.

 

[majid]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JahJahBinks It is interesting to see that for many occasions when a foreign president/prime minister/prince/queen/high rank official visit US, he/she will make a speech at Harvard or Yale (I think Harvard has more visits overall), so if you are into politics then Harvard provides you with those which you simply cannot experience without living in the White House.

By the time the next elections come, the US will have had Yale graduates as President for 20 years uninterrupted (and a Harvard grad for only the last 8)...

If you want a more thoughtful and considered look at the process, read The Atlantic Monthly's surveys. This one should answer your question:
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200410/easterbrook