so i'm taking the SAT on saturday

[Ava]

please send some of those DU good vibes my way.

wish me luck! ;)

i have a list of 13 universities i'm looking at right now that i need to narrow down. my mom says i need to apply to plenty, but i'm thinking 13 is too many considering application costs, lol.

schools i'm looking at:
Harvard
Boston University
Emerson
Northeastern
Syracuse
University of Alabama
Berkeley
UCLA
University of Michigan
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
USC
UT Austin
University of Washington

any application advice or suggestions? any other schools i should consider? :hi:

[Occam Bandage]

1. It's really not hard. Don't worry.

[Ava]

2. i've already taken it once

my scores were above average, especially my writing and verbal scores. they're good enough to get me into some of the schools on my list, but i'm taking it for a second time to try to raise my score(which on practice tests i've done so far) to help my chances with all of the schools.

i freaked myself out before the test last time, which didn't help me at all. this time i'm a little more chilled out about it. :hi:

thanks :pals:

[dawgmom]

3. What do you want to be when you grow up?

That will help me to answer the question.

(Oh, and the SATs are nothing to worry about.)

[Ava]

4. i want to major in film studies or journalism

preferably film studies

i make videos now, and have become more and more passionate about it over the past few years :hi:
http://www.peacetakescourage.com

[NNadir]

7. Just curious...

Are there many people in your generation who have an interest in the sciences?

I am very, very, very, very, very concerned for our country in this respect.

We used to be #3 in science graduates and are now #17.

China has more honors science students than we have students.

It scares the hell out me.

Do you know anyone who is thinking of a scientific career?

[Ava]

10. i know quite a few, but it just isn't my passion

i have friends who plan to pursue or are already pursuing science degrees in college.

:hi:

[NNadir]

15. Well, thank you for telling me that.

I know you are a very bright young woman, and I'm not trolling for you to become a scientist - although I cannot imagine a more thrilling career - but I am concerned about the future.

I know this isn't necessarily a great thing to do as a parent, but I try to push the sciences hard with my boys. Part of the reason is because of my concern for my country's future. My little guy will go there, I think, but not his big brother.

I recently learned at an American Chemical Society meeting that the US graduates less than 100 nuclear scientist Ph.D's per year, and that 50% of them were not born in the United States.

That's terrifying, really.

But we can say this for those who make it. They'll be very little competition for jobs.

I was at a meeting of SAPA - the Sino-American Pharmaceutical Association - and the speakers there were telling the crowd that they can all get jobs in China if they feel insecure here, and that China would welcome them, and that China needs and wants them.

That was chilling for me - a native born American - because I know how much we depend on the Chinese scientific intellectual infrastructure in this country. If they go home, we're going to be in even worse shape.

These are issues your generation will need to deal with. If your friends are interested in science, you will do your generation a favor by encouraging them to the maximum extent.

[dawgmom]

11. You have some good schools on your list

Film studies and UCLA -- good match.
Journalism -- I would maybe add Columbia to the list, and perhaps Northwestern.

Another idea to consider is to research journalists you admire, and filmmakers you admire, and find out what schools they attended.

[Ava]

12. i don't want to undergrad in nyc

perhaps graduate degree, but for my undergraduate degree i really would like to have a campus-type atmosphere.

thanks for the suggestions! i briefly looked at northwestern, but i'll have to give it another look! thanks :pals:

[The Inquisitive]

18. A campus is really overrated

It creates an atmosphere similar to a boarding school. Clicks form and most students in a panic since they are thrown into an unfamilar social situation relapse into high school social habits, that is of course unless you're somewhere really top notch where the students are generally smart enough to collectively break away from it. By not having a form campus you destroy the chances of there being any sort of 'community' and as a result get a lot of students that are generally free from social pressure from their peers because they don't have to rely on the college community for their social life.

I was at a top LAC in upstate New York and went absolutely fucking crazy at how small minded the community was and transfered to NYU (Columbia didn't take me). When NYC is your campus there are no standards or social norms. You don't have to deal with anyone of the sort you don't want to. It really creates an environment of self discovery. The end result is that you find yourself absolutely surrounded by thousands of highly driven and uniquely passionate people. Well... except for the Stern students, they're some of the most 2-dimensional people you'll meet. They all are the same person.

Edit: Just noticed you're interested in majoring in film. NYU=East Coast UCLA for film. If you're willing to live in LA, then there really is no reason not to consider new york.

[Ava]

19. i looked at NYU

i don't want to be in new york city for my undergraduate degree, and NYU is spread through the city, not really a campus. i know that a campus isn't for everyone, but i really would like to have a campus atmosphere. that is just me personally though.

thanks :hi:

[dgibby]

67. another good journalism school :

Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va.

[ScreamingMeemie]

17. WannaBe is doing film studies at Wayne State here in MI.

It gets over looked a lot even though it is a top school for it...and also journalism and theater. Something worth considering and downtown Detroit (where it is...and yes, it's safe) is a very diverse and culturally interesting area. Good luck with the SAT's. You'll do great. Did you take the ACTs yet? I know UofM will want them.

[Ava]

20. i'll give it a look

thanks :pals:


i did take the ACT too, but according to the college board Michigan accepts, and prefers the SAT over the ACT. :hi:

[ScreamingMeemie]

48. I would look into the UofM/SAT thing because I know of one classmate

of Nik's that had to go take the ACT because they consider the ACT over the SAT in most Midwest state colleges, and UofM wanted a 20 or higher on the ACT. Whatever happens, best of luck. :hug:

[Ava]

49. well for homeschool students some of the schools i'm applying to require the ACT subscore in science

i got a 25 in science think. my composite score on the act was 27, and overall i was disappointed with because i know i could do better. my math score sucked. my english score was the 98th percentile though. i've always done well in english, and i hope that will help when applying for a film studies or journalism degree.


http://www.admissions.umich.edu/prospective/prospectivefreshmen/requirements.php

[KamaAina]

30. Film studies = USC, NYU, or, believe it or not, Yale

I remember reading about a fellow named George Hickenlooper who was undecided between USC and Yale, literally up to the moment his dad asked him where to write the check. He replied, "Um... Yale."

Of course, I read this in my Yale Alumni Magazine, so I could be biased. :-)

New Haven is not a dump (any more) so stop saying that! It is a mere 75 mi. from NYC with frequent train service. Boston and Cambridge are also frequent destinations for road trips.

K-A
Y'85, cum laude (Gee Dubya Boosh '68 can't even spell that!)

[Ava]

33. yup, have looked at yale

i probably wouldn't get accepted, like i probably won't get into harvard. i had a guy from harvard tell me i should apply after a speech i gave, but i honestly wonder if he was just being nice. i wouldn't think that extracurricular activities would be that important. don't get me wrong, i've gotten straight a's through out school and have above average SAT scores(though not above average in harvard terms, lol) from the first time i took it, but it seems like it is almost impossible to get accepted into a school like harvard or yale. it'll be a long shot.. that's for sure!

[lightningandsnow]

5. Good luck!

You're so smart. You'll do fabulous.

Oh yes, and I think Canadian universities are nice, but that's just me. McGill sounds lovely, especially. That, and Dalhousie (my first choice of university).

Hey, if McCain wins, you can run away.

Best of luck to you! :hug:

[Ava]

8. i've looked at some of the canadian schools

the only thing is that as not only an american, but an american homeschooler, i don't know how much extra stuff i'd have to do to get accepted.

Vancouver Film School looks like it kicks ass.

thanks AspieGrrl :pals:

[DarkTirade]

6. If I see any exposed wood, I'll knock on it for ya.

:)

[Ava]

9. lol, thank you

:P

[unsavedtrash]

13. on a game day?

I say apply to all and at least see what offers come in. Narrow from there.

You will be great! Are you taking it up here?

[Ava]

14. yup, on game day

i would apply to all, if the application fees to all of the schools didn't add up to so much.

i'm taking it at a school about 20 mins or so from my house. i should be back home before the game starts ;)

thanks! :pals:

[XemaSab]

16. For reals:

Look at the question.

Look at the answers.

Use the process of elimination.

And good luck!

PS As far as schools go I would suggest a smaller, no-name school to start with. You can always transfer or go to grad school.

-Humboldt '03

[Ava]

21. i've been in a small, no name town for what seems like forever

i want to be in a more populated area :rofl: ;)

thanks! i'm feeling good about the test :hi:

[La Lioness Priyanka]

24. i have the opposite advice. go to the best school you can go and can afford

and live on campus

[Ava]

25. i definitely will live on campus where i go

great way to make friends, and in most places i'm looking at it ends up being more affordable too :hi:

thanks :pals:

[XemaSab]

39. "Best" is subjective

I went to my friend's calculus class at UC Berkeley for a day. There were seriously 500 students in the class. I knew right then and there that I didn't want to go to a UC.

My calculus class at Humboldt had 40 people. The biggest classes, such as Biology, Botany, Physics, O-Chem, and so forth, were probably around 150, and it wasn't hard for the teachers to know who I was. :shrug:

I would have felt lost at a bigger school, so for me a smaller school was "best." :)

[La Lioness Priyanka]

43. i meant academically rigorous w.high standards. which can be a large school or a small school.

[XemaSab]

47. Ah, gotcha

I'd agree with that.

I'm also in part mildly concerned about Ava having MOUNTAINS of debt upon graduation. That's no fun. :(

[BarenakedLady]

22. I went to Emerson

As a creative writing major in the late 80's only for a year though. They have a good communications program.

[Ava]

26. awesome, emerson has been recommended to me by several people

:hi:

[La Lioness Priyanka]

23. best of luck.

:toast:

[Ava]

28. thanks!

i'm feeling much better about it this time around, now that i know what to expect. i'm not as freaked out by it :rofl:

plus, last time my scores weren't bad, though i know i can do better. after doing a two month refresher course in highschool math(which is what brought my score down) i'm feeling much more confident going into the test this time. :pals:

[Writer]

27. Emerson!!!!!!

I got into Emerson when I applied (back in 1993). It's a terrific communications school ... unfortunately I couldn't afford it, so I headed to Texas.

The very best of luck to you as you do the SAT. :hug:

~Writer~

[Ava]

29. thanks!

:hug:

[LeftyMom]

31. Cal over UCLA.

Why? Because you'd love the bay area and hate LA. All sane people do.

Anyhow, they're the same price and Cal is more prestigious. Plus in LA you'd need a car and at Cal you wouldn't, because they have really great transit and the area's really pedestrian friendly anyhow.

[Ava]

34. how is the film program there?

that's why i'm applying to UCLA and USC.. and being in LA would be great since i could get an internship while studying film.

i guess really it will come down to which of the places will accept me, lol. ;)

[LeftyMom]

44. Looks like it's pretty strong.

And Pixar's like three BART stations away, so you could still intern in film locally. And it's like the anti-war capitol of the known universe, I'm sure one group or another would be happy to put you to work if you wanted to do more stuff in that vein.

[Ava]

45. yup, i'm definitely applying there when i apply to UCLA

i guess we'll see where i get accepted to :hi:

[EFerrari]

50. Cal is flexible, too. If what you want isn't available, there are ways

to put together the program you're looking for. It's not like you have to fit into a cookie cutter but/and, the academic rigor is still there.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

32. another thing is you have too many safe schools on your list

i know you want atleast one safe school but i see atleast 4-5 that are safe schools

[Ava]

36. i'll be shortening the list down

the only "safe school" really is alabama though. all the other ones are pretty competitive and have pretty high standards. :shrug:

i don't know how big of a deal my extra curricular stuff is going to be when it comes to be getting in... and while i'm an a-student, most people applying to the schools are a-students.

my mom says i'm not going to have a problem getting accepted into "any number of schools", but i think she is just being proud momma. she says i'm underestimating my application. i guess we'll see :hi:

[La Lioness Priyanka]

38. i think you are underestimating your application too

[Ava]

40. well thank you, i guess i'm just kind of freaked out by it all

i'd like to get out of alabama, so i want to make sure that i get accepted into some out of state schools i guess :shrug:


this is all so stressful! i'm excited, but scared to death.

[EFerrari]

35. Come to Berkeley, Ava! You'll love it! And, they have plenty

of financial aid to offer!

[Ava]

37. will they have me though?

that's the question :rofl: ;)

:pals:

[EFerrari]

41. They took me! I scored great in my field and horrible in not my field.

We made a deal: I wouldn't try to be an air traffic controller and they put me through school!

Come on over! Berkeley is like Paris only people are nice

lol

:hi:

[Ava]

42. math hurt me on the SAT

i've been doing a 2 month refresher course though, so hopefully i'll do better on it this time around on the test.


:hi:

[EFerrari]

46. I didn't do well on trig at all. How do you turn a plane left in space?

:shrug:

They didn't care. I wanted to go into English and since no one in the English Department could figure out where left was in space either, maybe it worked in my favor. :)

[InternalDialogue]

51. Good luck, Ava!

No doubt in my mind you'll end up with sterling scores.

:hi:

[Ava]

52. thanks InternalDialogue

:pals:

[mwooldri]

53. Good luck with your SATs and an important question:

How are you going to pay to go to university?

I don't know your finances, nor do I want to know, but here's some food for thought.

If you're considering Harvard, and they let you in and you can pay for it, then please do go there. Absolutely positively do. UNC is a good school, don't get me wrong, but IMO Harvard on your resume will speak volumes.

If you're going to rely on Federal loans and grants then you need to be picking a good State university or get a good scholarship for the private universities.

If you pick a State school out of state then you might want to consider a gap year. Many states will classify you for in-state tuition if you've been living in the state for 12 months before you start the semester. You could move to that state, get some kind of employment that could pay your rent and basic living expenses and tough it out for a year working a job that you ultimately don't want to end up doing for the rest of your life. Then apply and get in, and pay thousands less than you would (example with UNC - you would pay about $5,000 as a full-time student for a year at UNC in-state, $19,000 if you were out-of-state). Sure there's scholarships, do go for those too, but if you have to pay your way, is it worth $60,000 to not go to school for a year?

Another approach is not to go to a 4 year university right away, but go to community college and get a 2 year degree. That would get you "better paper" for a "better job" - take that gap year after completing community college, then apply to that 4 year university and get your undergraduate degree from them in 2 and a bit years. Community college is far cheaper and you can take your freshman and sophomore classes there, get some qualification so if you want to work and do 4 year you can do that too and get a better job than you would normally when just exiting High School.

Decisions, decisions, decisions. I speak because I knew that I would have to finance my own higher education. Yes, I started in the UK but my school choice was heavily influenced by the cost of living as well as the quality of the education. I ended up going to the University of Dundee, because they had a great Engineering school, they had a reputation as a former college of St Andrews Univeristy (they're the Scottish Oxford or Cambridge), and private house rent was cheap... mucho cheap. I ended up with $10,000 of student debt after my time there. Had I gone to a more local university, I simply wouldn't have been able to afford it, because London is a very high cost city.

But then... I know you have SATS and please please please concentrate on them. Then on Sunday afterwards start worrying about where to go.

Regards, Mark.

[Ava]

54. i'm hoping to get a scholarship

many top schools are now offering needs based scholarships too:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/20/MNABV5LHM.DTL&tsp=1

[leftyclimber]

55. Consider looking at the University of Oregon's J-school.

It's quite good, and they have a good documentary filmmaking section. Best known for producing Ann Currie, but they've had a few Pulitzer winners. They've had a few documentary students win Emmys, too, while still in school.

For a public U, they've got a pretty decent endowment, courtesy of Nike, so they may be willing to throw some money your way. They also have a very good Honors College who would likely accept you (I was in the HC for a while -- they like people with interesting stories like yours). The HC is designed to prepare you for grad school, although if you're looking for a "traditional" college experience where you pick your general requirements cafeteria-style, it may not be for you. In my case, it felt a little too much like advanced high school (a lot of people in my entering class WERE from my high school), and I needed to prove to myself that I could be responsible for my studies in large classes. If you're looking for more of a selective liberal arts experience, it might work for you.

It's an attractive, liberal campus in a liberal town, although their dorms are, for the most part, horrendous (tiny and dark rooms). They do have quiet hours in a lot of the dorms, though, and I had really good experiences with their roommate assignments. I lived in the dorms for 2 years, then off-campus for 2.5 (I was on the 5-year plan!).

Wherever you go, Ava, you'll rock it. Sorry to expand your school options while you're trying to narrow them down!

[Ava]

58. thanks, i'll check it out!

:pals:

[DFW]

56. Good luck to you!

My younger daughter took the SAT and didn't do too well. She had only had one year of
school in English at that point, and the test scores reflected it. She got in to a few
schools, including American University, the University of Vermont (Howard recommended
it to her as a good safety school), and, notably, George Washington University in DC,
where she ultimately went, eventually graduating cum laude in Political Science/Public
Policy (her English was a LOT better by the time she graduated! LOL). Notably, GW was one
of the few schools that granted her an interview. Harvard told her she would be contacted
about an interview, and then when they never did, she asked them, and they told her to
fuck off because it was too late. I don't know what got into them. My grandfather went
there, and was a NY State Supreme Court Justice, my dad went there, and was a prize-winning
journalist, and both my brother and sister went there, so they were getting a LOT alumni
money which got cut off when they shafted my daughter. But no harm done--she is now in
Law School in the States, got chosen by the UN to be part of their War Crimes Tribunal
in Sierra Leone in Africa this past summer, and is doing fine, near the top of her class.

If your SAT scores are good, then great, but even if not, get some personal time with
someone in admissions who gives a shit, and be convincing. That is worth a lot, too,
even if Harvard doesn't care. There are a LOT of other schools out there.

[Ava]

57. thanks, that makes me feel a lot better

i'm lucky i have a lot of extra curricular stuff to put on my application. hopefully that will help me out some. i think i'll be happy at any number of schools on my list. i should probably just quit freaking out about it, lol. ;)

thanks :pals:

[SidneyCarton]

59. Oh, come to UCR! Sure its hotter than hell on a thursday, and you can see the air you're breathing

Oops, and did I mention that Tehran has more of a nightlife...

But I speak ill of my Alma Mater, UCR is a nice school, not as prestigious as some but we have an excellent and approachable faculty.

What major are you going into?

[Ava]

60. i'd like to major in film studies

film studies or journalism, preferably film studies though :hi:

[SidneyCarton]

61. Hmmm...

Well, we have no Journalism degree, and UCLA's film studies department is infinitely better, as is USC's. You'll like the weather in California, its a lot like Alabama, just half as humid and it doesn't rain.

[PeaceNikki]

62. Wisconsin didn't make the short list?

hrmph

Oh, and good luck!!

[Ava]

63. it did actually, and then got replaced by university of michigan, lol

i looked at it. my list is already so long though!

and i will apply to NYU too(which i didn't include). even though i'm not sure about being in the city for my undergraduate, it is one of the best if not the best film program in the country. my top four schools are those film schools.. if i get accepted to any of them and get a scholarship them i'll attend one of them - NYU, USC, UCLA, and UT Austin.

we'll see i guess! :hi:

[AllieB]

64. Boston is the BEST place to be a student!

Although I must say you have some other great schools on your list. I went to BU and UMASS. DH went to Northeastern, and his sister went to Emerson. There are a lot of cultural and political groups, activities, and events. And lots of partying for sure. ;-)

Also, Boston and Cambridge are compact and we have great public transportation.

Good luck on the SATs!

[Ava]

65. yup, i think i'd really like it

thanks :hi:

[freestyle]

66. Good luck. SAT's are not hard. Good list. UNC is the best value.

I really like Northeastern's coop model. If your family won't have to pay for Harvard, it certainly can't hurt. That is a lot of schools, and visits should help you narrow it down. Actually, for grad school, visits took Harvard off my list and moved Georgetown to the top.

[XemaSab]

68. Here's a question:

What are you looking for as far as a social life and extracurricular life? What kinds of people do you want to go to school with?

For example, are you interested in joining a sorority or interested in a big football school? Do you want to be surrounded with quiet nerds, preppies or hippies? Do you want to go to school with people who represent a diversity of political viewpoints, or less of a diversity? Do you want rich kids, poor kids, or both? Do you want a community with a big alternative/underground media, or are you more interested in a conventional journalism path?

Do you want a school where you'll be part of a small, close-knit department, or do you want a lot of other people to interact with?

:shrug: