Places of Higher Learning

[habia]

yo jake here is some advice:

first some context: I have never applied to UCs. I have applied to private universities 3 times. During 12th grade applied to 6, during 1st year of university applied to 5 for transfer, during second year of university applied for internal transfer at my school (same exact application for regular transfer, which I had done the year before). Now the plan is to apply to 5 or 6 this coming spring.

What happened is that in 12th grade I was denied everywhere and waitlisted at one place (I fortunately got accepted from wait list). Then in freshman year I applied for transfer and was accepted everywhere but one school (cooper union). Then I applied for internal transfer at my school so that I could switch majors and was denied. Now in spring 2009 I will apply again for internal transfer, but also apply again to other universities this time knowing exactly what I want to study (up until first week of sophomore year I was completely undecided).

advice:

Work like hell on making the best essay possible. Revise it over and over and over. Make sure every single word you use is the best word for communicating what you need to communicate to the admissions committee. Even when you think you are done, wait a few days then come back to it. Don't feel done until you are re reading it one day (for the thousandth time) and realize this is better than any essay you wrote in high school, or the rest of your life for that matter.

Start early, so that you have plenty of time. Application are due around late November as I recall, start working on the short answers and essays next weekend (0).

Get dope recommendations. I think you once said you hate your boss at work, but hopefully you are on decent terms since he/she would be a great person to write a recommendation. The admissions committee will be curious about why you left/finished high school early and how you have been occypying your time since then. Also though it is good if the person writing the recommendation is a good writer him/herself.

The first time I applied I didn't think my essay was very good at all, but the college counselor at my high school told me it was fine so I just went ahead and submitted it. I really believe this is the main reason I was denied at so many schools. My grades and SAT scores were legit, but my essay was honestly just bad. Recomendations were OK. Just high school teachers who liked me.

Second time around applying I got in pretty much everywhere. The essay I submitted that year was dope. Very well organized, very well thought out, accurately reflected a part of my personality and outlook. I also got a really good recomendation from a university professor I had met and hung out with while doing a homestay in Tokyo during high school- someone who knew me out of the classroom, and is a very eloquent writer.

Third time around I spent about 4 hours on the essay (practically nothing since I write very slowly) and rushed the whole application last minute. Didn't get any particularly special reocmmendations, just typical stuff from professors I liked.

conclusion:

Don't sweat your grades or SAT scores. They only demonstrate one side (academic) part of your personality.

The essay is the most flexible part of the application. use it to demonstrate something which isn't covered in grades, scores, community service.

Think hard of people who know you and can write well. Even if they ask for only 1 or 2 recommendations send 1 extra anyway- they probably will read it, and even if they don't it will not hurt.

but, my experience is with private schools (plus mcgill). I know UC is a bit more by the numbers than a lot of private schools out there, but regardless, I believe in you, Jake, you can do it.

[christianjustin]

go to occ, you can transfer to UCLA, USC, and even a few Ivy's mad easy from there. UCI is a total last resort school.

may i ask whats occ? orange coast college?

have u heard of pasadena city college? i think i may be going there.

[hurleyboarder11]

operationjake,

Weighted gpa is calculated from the amount of honor/ap classes you have. UC's weight 8 semesters worth of AP/Honors credit. If your gpa (3.82) is straight off of your report card or something then it's most likeley not weighted.

You can use that to calculate your weighted GPA. Obviously if you have no honors or AP classes then your weighted/unweighted gpa is the same.

http://www.californiacolleges.edu/admissions/california-state-university-csu/gpa_calculator.asp

[shekki]

UGA

Dior21cm

Warehouse 660 -haven't really worn these lately.

[operationjake]

muthafuckaaaaa. do i really need recommendation letters? i sorta had a "fuck off" attitude during my senior year that, despite getting great grades and whatever, pissed off a lotttt of faculty.

oh, and by the way, my current boss is just a woodshop supervisor and wouldn't really (trust me) have much say in anything college app wise.

but thank you both sooooo fucking much for the help. i guess i'm just gonna prep for SATs and start writing a fucking great essay during every breathing moment i have off work... haha. that is, starting tomorrow.

[Lab]

Just ATO and I'm staying the fuck away from there

very small at our school

fiji is the worst here

ucla '11

currently wearing my SEXSC02s and my nudie slim kims when im lazy.

also had class with another guy who had sexsc02s at ucla over the summer

yall are gonna lose today, just sayin.

[Warren G.]

That's cool man, I'm a freshman at LSU. Super jealous about those SExI you have.

Are you evacuating for the hurricane?

Yeah dude, I left town around Sat afternoon. I'm in Houston right now. Yeah I really like my SExI

That's cool, enjoy LSU man You'll probably see me there next year hopefully..pending on Gustav..

[tyang]

i'm getting my applications together for UCs coming up. looking at applying to every UC except for merced, santa barbara, and schools likewise.

interested in UCSD, UCI, and UCLA but don't know how my application will go over. i've got a 3.82 GPA, 1900 ish SAT (working on getting it better, but i never do prep for these things) and a good amount of community hours. how hard was it for you guys to get in?

on topic: i hope to go to a UC and hookup with some fashionable dudes/dudettes.

your GPA is good enough for all the UC's. But your SAT score needs to be brought up to at least 2050, and 700+ on your SAT II's. This info is based on student profiles of those accepted to all the UC's + USC + personal experience (got all the UC's though i choose USC anyways)

[cure]

out of the UCs, im pretty sure its UCB and UCLA that look into your application more than just your numbers. I wouldn't stress so much, i've met people who got so-so scores on the SATs and what not. From people i know, scores range from 1800-2000+ at UCLA. I'm not saying to take your SATs early but just apply and hope for the best, it works for some people.

about the essay, the whole point is just to try and break the monotony the readers are used to after reading essay after essay.

[operationjake]

one of my friends got into berkeley and UCLA with a 4.0 GPA and an 1800 on his SAT, and another of my friend got rejected from berkeley and UCLA (got into UCSD) with a 3.45 GPA and a 1960 on his SAT so... i'm sorta not tooo tooo worried, but yeah...

thanks for the comments guys. i'm just gonna actually do some prep for the SATs (ugh) and take them in november then finish up my application. i'm also gonna try and get 3 recommendation letters from my school's dean, headmistress (haha... i hope) and some other high faculty member. and, definitely, i'm gonna go ape shit on the essay and explain why i'm different than other 17 year olds.

[hurleyboarder11]

If I remember correctly, UC's don't offer any room in their apps for letters of rec. Make sure you double check before you go and suck up to teachers you hate.

www.collegeconfidential.com there's a forum there and some interesting info. check it out.

[tyang]

If I remember correctly, UC's don't offer any room in their apps for letters of rec. Make sure you double check before you go and suck up to teachers you hate.

www.collegeconfidential.com there's a forum there and some interesting info. check it out.

they for sure don't. i remember everything because i was applying last year. And also don't take your friends' stats for granted. Every year it gets harder and harder :S. But yea, write an essay that shows them you're self-aware. Don't worry, you'll get to the school you're meant to be in.

[c.r.e.a.m.]

UNH (i doubt anyone on sufu goes here too)

the jeans i wear on a regular basis are SExI04, APC NS & APC Petit Standards

if anyone on sufu goes to UNH holla at me

[knucks]

Didn't read the thread so I don't know if anyone goes here:

University of Michigan

Currently wear LVC 501xx 47s

[DEPHT]

umich as well

Gap goughs

APC rescues

Samurai s510xx

As for admissions....as long as one part of your app is above average you'll be fine for most schools. I got into Michigan with a 3.10 weighted and a 34 ACT...no hookups or connections. Granted, I was instate but shows that as long as you make one part of your app stand out you'll be fine.

[Lab]

very small at our school

fiji is the worst here

yall are gonna lose today, just sayin.

...........

fuck

[sidneylo]

This thread is getting me depressed. No more school for me and I gotta find a job now. Fuckkkkkk. I semi-wish I still had classes just to kill time.

[Osmosis Jones]

I wouldn't be going to CC if I had money.... All this UC talk... I am a nursing major so I had applied to UCLA School of Nursing, USF School of Nursing, and NYU School of Nursing. The year before, I had also been interested in culinary arts so I had tried Greystone, CIA, and le Cordon Bleu schools. Also, most state schools including SJSU, Chico, SFSU(except everybody I know here ended up transferring to SJSU), Long Beach State, and SD State.

I got into UCLA, USF, and got waitlisted for NYU. Got into all the culinary schools as well. Unfortunately, my mom got cancer and money has been tight. I have enough money saved up right now for 2 years anywhere and my mom is in remission so it's all good. However, 2 years at CC with my best buds isn't bad at all.

On another note, saw a guy at De Anza CC with SExFH and said hi. Couple guys interested in Nudies and Imperials there as well. And you're probably going to catch me at USF a lot wearing my Imperials.

[Lab]

sadalksjdgkalgjklsaghkdlghLKG

QUIT TALKING ABOUT UCLA

I AM A FUQQING SENIOR GOTDAMMIT

LAST FUCKING CHANCE FOR A GOOD SEASON

BUT NO

PREPARE FOR NEVERENDING FUTILITY

GRABBING DEFEAT FROM THE JAWS OF VICTORY

4 STRAIGHT YEARS MAN

YOU DONT KNOW HOW IT IS

Q;FAJGDKGLJLKJKLLKSGKA

[geekbonchic]

WELCOME TO MY WORLD. WE ARE ALWAYS THlS CLOSE TO NOT SUCKING. THEN WE START SUCKING. OOPS. OH WELL.

[Lab]

Hey What The Fuck

I Am Actually Sitting On Soapbox Right Now

Fuckin All Of My Life This Team Has Gotten Me Nowhere And About A Guidi Boot Truckload Of Cash In The Neg Direction

Wtf Is With My Life

[airflight23]

Make sure you appear as a competitive student to the admissions office. Here's a good tip: DO NOT LEAVE ANY BLANK SPACES

Awards are fairly important

Club leadership positions are important as well

Essays can make or break your case if you are on the maybe pile

Also, if you are Asian, good luck! They have been cutting down in Asian Admits for the past few years its not much usually 1% or .5% but if you consider the amount of the Asians that apply, that number becomes 100-200 kids.

[raginberriodoom]

may i ask whats occ? orange coast college?

have u heard of pasadena city college? i think i may be going there.

PCC is one of the best schools to go to if you plan on transferring. Hell, about 10 of my friends are going there with plans to transfer to USC/UCs etc. etc. etc.

[cure]

sadalksjdgkalgjklsaghkdlghLKG

QUIT TALKING ABOUT UCLA

I AM A FUQQING SENIOR GOTDAMMIT

LAST FUCKING CHANCE FOR A GOOD SEASON

BUT NO

PREPARE FOR NEVERENDING FUTILITY

GRABBING DEFEAT FROM THE JAWS OF VICTORY

4 STRAIGHT YEARS MAN

YOU DONT KNOW HOW IT IS

Q;FAJGDKGLJLKJKLLKSGKA

hey hey now at least we've won one so far. as long as we don't have a horrid game against notre dame like last season i'll be fine.

going to the ucla vs notredame game last season made me want to stop going to the games haha

[Thisisnew]

I registered just to post in this thread (been a lurker forever)

I go to University of Binghamton (SUNY). If anyone else goes their, shoot me a pm or something

i currently wear apc rescues and ns, and a few prewash

probably going to get fh380s in the next month or two

[avatar]

university of chicago '08

university of michigan law school '11

[Clockwork_killa]

This thread is getting me depressed. No more school for me and I gotta find a job now. Fuckkkkkk. I semi-wish I still had classes just to kill time.

Tell me about it, just graduated and it sucks having to work an rework my portfolio just to even get an inteview with a decent agency. Uni was so carefree in comparison to real life.

[watt]

wvu '11

3001.

[corter]

UNH (i doubt anyone on sufu goes here too)

the jeans i wear on a regular basis are SExI04, APC NS & APC Petit Standards

if anyone on sufu goes to UNH holla at me

new hampshire or new haven? i'm in boston, NESADSU, '09...then hopefully grad school somewhere, i'm thinking massart

oh...samurai 0500s and 500s, and a couple pairs of gap khakis

[niubi]

I'm at the U of Alberta. GIMME A SHIZZOUT if you see some asian wearing 19cms in black or blue