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Is a work experience very necessary to get into Ivy leagues or other really good universities? Apart from grades and SATs, are they very particular about extracurricular activities? Is a student who gets good grades, gets a good SAT score, but isn't too involved in sports or extracurricular activities or a work experience still considered a potential candidate?
Work experience is not necessary to get into good schools. If you do have a job, you can make it a very positive part of your application, showing that you are responsible, learning new skills, able to work with people, etc, but you don't HAVE to have a job in order to demonstrate these things. Having a part-time job in high school can be good, but it should never interfere with your grades. And if you need to choose between having a job and being involved in extracurricular activities, choose the activities - you will have a job for most of your life!
Schools look most closely at your grades and test scores, so yes, they are extremely important. After that, schools will look at your extracurricular activities along with the rest of your application. Even if you get good grades and test scores, it will be very difficult to show that you are a well-rounded person if you aren't involved in anything else. But before you think you have to go out and join every sports team your school offers, remember that there are hundreds of activities to get involved in BESIDES sports. Check out clubs of every kind, and if you don't find one you like, start your own. Look into school activities like newspaper, yearbook, debate, or music - just to name a few. Volunteer in your community by serving at a food kitchen once a month or helping tutor kids at your local Y. I can't even begin to list all the opportunities...
You don't have to go crazy joining every activity in sight. Carefully look at your options and choose a few things that really interest you and sound like fun as well. Activities aren't meant to burden you - they are meant to be fun and give you new experiences all at the same time - something you look forward to! Even if you haven't been involved much in the past, it's never too late to start something new. Good luck!
I am currently a sophomore in high school. I would like to either study civil engineering or meteorology. What are some of the best schools to attend in the tri-state area of Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia for each mayjor? Also what are a few good jobs you could get with each mayjor? Thanks
What do you write in college application essays? Can you write an essay about your experiences in extra-curricular activities? Or do you list your extra-curricular activities? Also, is there a limit to how many recommendations you can get from your teachers? If not, is it better to get a lot of recommendations from your teachers? Even if the recommendations are not well-developed, it's better to have lots, right? Thanks.
Great questions! You can really do a lot with a well-written, interesting essay. If your grades are good but not fantastic, you could push yourself over the edge to acceptance with a great essay. And even if your grades and scores are great, presenting yourself in a poor essay could really hurt your chances for acceptance.
The best essays discuss something meaningful in your life and show a passion for the subject you’re writing about. If the essay deals with some problems you’ve overcome, it should be insightful, show that you’ve reflected on what you went through, and it should share what you’ve learned from those problems. For instance, if you had a personal challenge that affected your grades for a time, briefly share that challenge along with how you have worked to become a better student since then. Overall, a good essay is well-organized, interesting, and helps the reader get a good picture of who you are.
Make sure you answer the essay question on the application, if they ask a specific one. If you feel that your activities experiences were very important in your life and had a great impact on you, then yes, write about that. The college wants to know you a little better – what has been important in your life, what has changed you, people who have had an impact on you, how you have become a better person, etc. Don’t list your activities in an essay; schools can read about them elsewhere in your application.
As far as recommendations, just submit the number the school asks for. Make sure they are quality recommendations; more is NOT necessarily better! Just like in an essay, schools want to find out something about you from a recommendation that is more than just facts or “I think this student should go to your school.” You DO want your recommendations to be well-developed, clear, and concise.
A few final tips: get a parent or teacher to read through your essay to find ways you could improve it, and make sure you don’t have any spelling or grammatical errors. Good luck!
What is a double major? Are there certain requirements for what you can double major in?
A double major just means having two majors. Sound simple? Unfortunately, it's not. You can pick just about anything you want, from chemistry and physics to biology and English. Keep in mind, however, that a double major in biology and English may take longer than a double major in chemistry and physics because the course requirements are so different. Besides picking your majors, you also need to figure out if you will get one degree (a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science, for instance), two separate degrees, or a combination degree (such as a B.A.S. - a B.A. & a B.S.).
If you do choose to double major, make your college counselor your best friend! First, meet with your counselor to find out about your school's policies for double majors and to create a plan for your college career. Then, meet regularly with your counselor from your freshman year on to make sure you are taking all the right classes and staying on the right track. Also, communicate frequently with your major departments (if they are different). Make sure you are prepared for the amount of work and dedication it takes to double major. Good luck!
Can one defer a year with an Early Decision acceptance?
Usually the acceptance is for a specific semester and you cannot defer it. However, you could ask the college if they will. If you have interesting or unique plans for your year off, they may consider it.
What is the difference between priority and regular decision? Also, what are majors and minors? If I want a bachelor's degree does that subject have to be my major or can it be my minor? Do colleges generally offer the same minors as majors? Should my minor be a more specific subject within my major or at least related in some way?
Priority decision is just another name for early action or early decision. In other words, you apply to the school by an early deadline, and you hear back from them earlier than you would if you applied “regular” decision.
When you go to college, you will have at least one major—that is, an area that you specialize in (and what your degree is ultimately in). So if you want to be a preschool teacher, you might major in early childhood education. If you want to be a fashion designer, you might major in study fashion design. Whatever your major, that is the area in which most of the classes you take will be. So if you’re a government major, you may have to take at least 10 government classes (or 30 credits) to graduate.
A minor is a lot like a major, except you take fewer courses in that area—usually 4 or 5. All colleges have majors. But depending on where you go and what you major in, you may not be required to have a minor.
Usually, schools offer the same majors and minors. Your minor isn’t within your major—it’s an area separate from it. That said, students often major in something related to or helpful for their major. So if you want to be a political consultant, you might major in political science but minor in business management. Alternatively, you might minor in something totally unrelated to your major. That’s OK — the most important thing is that you choose areas you’re interested in.
Good luck!
A general question about SATs that I have not seen answered is whether or not colleges will take the "best" scores from each section. I've heard that some colleges will and some will not. Moreover, I wonder if the difference between a score of 2200 and 2300 really counts in the long run. I am debating whether or not I should go through the long, grueling process once again just to increase my score 100 points or so, at the cost of 4 hours and $40.
First, congratulations on your SAT score. You should be very proud of yourself!
With regard to your first question, the answer varies from school to school. Most schools will take the higher of the two cumulative scores or take the highest score from each section, although some will average your scores from each section. Unfortunately, most schools don’t disclose on their web sites which method they use, so it would be a good idea to call the admissions offices of the schools to which you’re thinking about applying to find out how they handle multiple SAT scores.
If you’re willing to study hard to retake the SAT and you think you can raise your score by at least 50 points, then it is probably worth your while. If you’re not planning to devote a lot of time to studying, though, it might not be worthwhile, as your score might stay about the same or end up going down.
It’s also important to keep in mind that SAT scores are just one part of your college application. Admissions committees also evaluate grades, rigor of curriculum, essays, recommendations, and extracurriculars. So if you already have a great GPA, extracurriculars, and recommendations and you’re confident you can get into the school of your choice with a 2200, then it might not be worth retaking the SAT. That said, don’t make this decision unless you are very confident in your qualifications. There’s a risk that the admission committee will be forced to choose between you and an otherwise identical candidate who has a higher SAT score. Plus, if you’re applying to really competitive colleges, it would probably be a good precaution to retake the SAT, just to be on the safe side, as every little aspect of your application could affect the admissions committee’s decision. But again, it’s only worth retaking the SAT if you’re willing to study hard and think you can improve by at least 50 points.
Finally, be sure to apply to a broad range of schools to keep your options open. After all, many qualified candidates are denied admission to their top-choice schools each year simply because there aren’t enough available spots. Luckily, you can get a great education at dozens of different schools, so long as you take advantage of the opportunities with which you are presented. Good luck!
Do future employers look at the college you attended and base hiring you on where you went? For example, how would attending a prestigious school compare with attending my state university in terms of getting a job?
For your first job, employers will look at where you went to school. After that first job, they’re not going to care as much, so long as you’ve got strong work experience and great references and you have good interpersonal skills.
While employers will sometimes choose applicants who attended a prestigious college over those who attended less prestigious ones, this is only the case if the student at the prestigious school actually did well at that school. For example, if the student at the state school graduated at the top of his or her class and the student from a “higher ranked” school graduated with a C average, the state school student is more likely to get the job.
There’s another caveat. Attending a state school can really help you if you want to get a job in that state. Many employers will be alumni of that school, and this can count for quite a bit when you’re interviewing and trying to get a job. After all, employers like applicants with whom they have something in common, so attending the same college is as good a place as any to start. Good luck!
My son is awaiting the April 2007 decisions on colleges he has applied to. In addition, he has wanted to go on to medical school for years now. So far he has heard early from two schools: University of Connecticut where he has received a very nice scholarship, and Brandeis but with no scholarship. Assuming we may see a mix of acceptances, with and without scholarship, from other private and public schools of different rankings, is it worth the higher cost for the higher ranked schools vs accepting (happily on our part) the scholarship at the other schools? It has been my contention that one is better off doing well in whatever school you attend, including on the MCAT, and that the pressure may be less in some of the "less competitive" schools (the big fish, small pond theory), especially when we are talking about all respectable schools. Do you agree, or am I letting the dollars sway my thinking? Thanks very much for your thoughts!
First, congratulations on your son’s acceptances. You should be very proud.
Personal finances and your ability and willingness to pay more for a school are subjective and something I can’t fairly comment on. That said, while it probably isn’t worth going to the higher ranked school just to get your son into medical school (since that decision won’t be based necessarily on tougher competition), you should consider factors other than rankings when helping your son choose a school: among these: the school’s strength in your son’s intended major, the strength of the school’s premed program (if they have one, and if not, the quality of their science offerings), financial aid/scholarships (I know your son has gotten a scholarship from UConn, but he may get similar offers from other schools as well), student life (such as clubs, activities, athletics, etc.), the student mix (such as male/female ratio, religious and political leanings and socioeconomics of the student body), location, and size. Your son may also want to consider the breadth and quality of other majors offered at the school just in case he decides not to go to medical school or if he decides to major in something considered “nontraditional” for premed students.
So what you need to figure out is what, if anything, you’re willing and able to pay for your son’s education and finding a school within these financial means where your son is going to be happy. After all, if he’s happy, he’s more likely to do well in school. Good luck!
I was wondering if you could please explain the difference between a weighted and unweighted GPA. What do high schools do to your GPA to weight it? Which is more important to the colleges--your unweighted GPA or your weighted GPA? Thanks.
An unweighted GPA means that a school gives you 4 points for any class in which you make an A (3 for a B, 2 for a C, 1 for a D) regardless of whether it’s an honors, AP class, etc.
A weighted GPA means that your school gives extra points for certain classes (usually advanced, honors/AP/IB classes).
With regard to your last question, colleges will recalculate your GPA so as to level the field between students whose schools calculate GPA’s differently. So you don’t need to worry about which one they pay more attention to. Just worry about earning the best grades possible. Good luck!