what school is right for you?

[alum]

Originally Posted by munchkin

I think it's more regional than generational. I graduated from HS in the South, and I only applied to four, which was pretty standard for my HS. It wasn't until my freshman year, when I met kids from NYC, DC, Boston, and San Francisco that I knew that people who applied to 10+ colleges.

During the past rush recommendation season, I spoke to some of the hometown girls about their college search--the same thing was true in that most kids only applied to four or five schools. On the other hand, I do alumni interviewing for my alma mater, and all of the kid I've interviewed in this cycle applied to 15 or 16 schools.

It's a vicious cycle perpetuated by the college admissions offices to get a higher number of applicants in order to increase their selectivity rate. With the advent of the Common Application and even online applications instead of paper applications (it's the same application, just electronic), kids are applying to more and more schools. Perfect SATs/GPA/ECs do not guarantee admission. The stellar classmates of my D's that were Ivy-bound ended up applying to all 8 Ivies because it is such a roll of the dice as to which school would accept them.

I do believe that there are certain regions of the country where the application numbers are higher per hs student. Although we are below the Mason-Dixon line, the DC suburbs are definitely not considered the South, at least not by true Southerners. I'd be curious if the Atlanta/Dallas/Houston suburbs produce more students who apply to a larger number of schools.

Originally Posted by VAgirl18

uva as a safety school? wow.

Not a big deal. D was an instate applicant.

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by alum

The stellar classmates of my D's that were Ivy-bound ended up applying to all 7 Ivies because it is such a roll of the dice as to which school would accept them.
.

There are eight Ivy League schools.

Each school is so different from the other, I can't understand why a kid would apply to all 8...other than just wanting to go to an Ivy--which, if you're a non-athlete, doesn't really matter.

Even my friends from other Southern cities weren't caught up in the admissions madness the way that Northeastern Corridor kids are. It's tough because some of the good public high schools here will have 250 kids in a class applying to a school...and they won't all get in.

[aggieAXO]

Most of the people I knew in HS either aplied to A&M or UT and that was the end of it. A few applied to 2 schools (a Tx school then an out of state school usually Ivy league). It was not the norm to apply to more than 3, but then again most of us have already been brainwashed-either you are a longhorn or an aggie. Several of my friends were accepted to out of state schools but ended up staying in state. You can't beat the in-state tuition coupled with the great education.

[alum]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

There are eight Ivy League schools.

Each school is so different from the other, I can't understand why a kid would apply to all 8...other than just wanting to go to an Ivy--which, if you're a non-athlete, doesn't really matter.

Even my friends from other Southern cities weren't caught up in the admissions madness the way that Northeastern Corridor kids are. It's tough because some of the good public high schools here will have 250 kids in a class applying to a school...and they won't all get in.

Whoops, what a major typo! Fixing it now....

[AGDee]

Doesn't this all have something to do with what you want to major in? My major (Occupational Therapy) was only offered at 3 schools in my state. I applied to all 3 (to please my parents) although I knew I didn't want to go Wayne State because I'd have to live at home (and I was going away no matter what!). So, it was between Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan. I had been to Eastern and knew some people there, and they offered me a full tuition, 4 year, merit scholarship, so that was a no-brainer. The scholarship I was offered from Western wasn't as large. Thankfully, I did love the campus when I visited and it felt like "home" from the get go. People kept asking me why I wasn't going to Michigan and I would simply reply "They don't have my major". I don't think I'd have been happy there anyway, because the school is so spread out around the city. I liked that Eastern was a small self contained campus where you could walk from one end to the other in 15 minutes.

I never considered going out of state.

My friend, whose son is in college, is scaring me though. They aren't qualifying for any aid, in spite of the fact that she's a single mom and she has cosigned so many of his loans that SHE had to have HER mother co-sign for her new car loan. Now she's being rejected as a co-signer for her son's student's loans. This is sounding like a nightmare. My girlie should get scholarships, but I don't think my son will (because he's smarter than her but also lazier and doesn't care about grades as much). Scary stuff. I want to keep them in middle school....

[VAgirl18]

Originally Posted by alum

Not a big deal. D was an instate applicant.

if she's from nova, then she must be a genius. our counselors told us not to even bother applying unless we had over 4.0s. and at least 1300 on the SAT. gotta love being passed over in northern virginia for those less qualified students in other parts of the state.

[PhoenixAzul]

Part of the reason I applied to so many was because I wasn't sure of my HS education. I went through Pittsburgh Public Schools for all 12 years of my education. Don't get me wrong, I did well in school, took AP's, did honors program and just about every after-school program I could get my hands on and sports. But because I was coming from this pretty shady high school...I didn't want to place all my bets on a school where a high percentage were coming from private/nicer schools. Like I could never compete on paper with a girl with a diploma from Columbus School for Girls...my 3.9 compared to her 3.9? Riiiiight.

But I am happy where I ended up. Even though we get screwed by FAFSA (both parents alive, still married, working, I've had a job since I was 14), the financial aid I got from OC has been great. Money is a factor, but ultimately, its where you feel best that you should go...those two just happened to collide in one school for me.

[KSigkid]

Originally Posted by VAgirl18

if she's from nova, then she must be a genius. our counselors told us not to even bother applying unless we had over 4.0s. and at least 1300 on the SAT. gotta love being passed over in northern virginia for those less qualified students in other parts of the state.

Wow - I mean, I don't know much about the application process for UVA, but that seems a bit ridiculous (unless there is serious grade inflation). The only kids who had over 4.0s at my high school were those of us in the top 6-8 in the class. Plus, we could only get over a 4.0 by taking a certain number of AP classes.

[PeppyGPhiB]

I really encourage you to NOT choose a school based on what you think you will major in. Why? If for any reason that major doesn't work out, you need to still be happy with the school you chose.

I knew in high school that I wanted to be a doctor. I even did a special honors course at another school specifically for pre-pre-med kids my senior year, plus internships. When all the guidance counselors would go on about how all college kids change their major, I was the one that said, "Nope, not me."

Well, fast forward to my sophomore year of college where I was pre-med and miserable. It was no longer "me." I realized I no longer had any desire to be a doctor and go to school for so many more years, and furthermore, some of the classes (calculus and physics) did not come as naturally to me as it did for my classmates, which was a problem since everything was graded on a curve. I decided to go in a completely different direction and follow in my dad's footsteps as either an advertising or public relations major. And I LOVED my last two years of college. I was very lucky to be at a school that was equally excellent in both science and non-sciences. (Shameless plug: if you really want to know about a great pre-med program where you would also get a well-rounded education, Pepperdine's natural science division is superb at preparing its students for med school and has the acceptance rates to prove it.)

I'm also a big believer in liberal arts schools that give you a well-rounded education. People don't realize that there are plenty of science, business, accounting, etc. majors at liberal arts schools.

I'd also choose a school not in your own back yard. The best learning experience I got out of college was living on my own, away from everyone I knew, for the first time. You can go home at winter and summer break...don't go somewhere where you'll be tempted (or able) to go home on the weekends to see mom and dad. And while there are certainly some perks that come from being part of a large home-town university alumni network, it's been my experience that my far-from-home degree gets me more attention than the slew of UW/WSU/WWU/CWU grads employers in my state see.

Like others have said, make sure you visit the schools you're considering. That's what sealed the deal for me...I just felt really "at home" at what became my future university.

[GeekyPenguin]

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

I really encourage you to NOT choose a school based on what you think you will major in. Why? If for any reason that major doesn't work out, you need to still be happy with the school you chose.

I second my sister - this is the reason I transferred schools.

[VAgirl18]

Originally Posted by KSigkid

Wow - I mean, I don't know much about the application process for UVA, but that seems a bit ridiculous (unless there is serious grade inflation). The only kids who had over 4.0s at my high school were those of us in the top 6-8 in the class. Plus, we could only get over a 4.0 by taking a certain number of AP classes.

in northern virginia, the competition is fierce. its so heavily populated and are stereotyped to have the best schools in the state. nobody even thinks about getting into UVA unless they've taken AP classes and are at the top of their class. i'm not saying that other schools in the state aren't as strong, but if they went by qualified applicants rather than location, people with less than 4.0s would get in. then again, there are many out of state applicants too because of UVA's high ranking. the advice i was given was to apply out of state cause chances are i'd get a scholarship that would make it cheaper for me than staying in state.

but like i said before...i think college admissions is a joke.

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by VAgirl18

in northern virginia, the competition is fierce. its so heavily populated and are stereotyped to have the best schools in the state. nobody even thinks about getting into UVA unless they've taken AP classes and are at the top of their class. i'm not saying that other schools in the state aren't as strong, but if they went by qualified applicants rather than location, people with less than 4.0s would get in. then again, there are many out of state applicants too because of UVA's high ranking. the advice i was given was to apply out of state cause chances are i'd get a scholarship that would make it cheaper for me than staying in state.

but like i said before...i think college admissions is a joke.

A private school might give you enough money that would make it cheaper than going to a public out-of-state school. I don't know many public schools that give grant aid/scholarships to out-of-staters...they're just pressured so much not to.

[alum]

I don't have an issue with a fellow Virginia resident from southwest VA getting selected over a candidate from a VA DC suburb. I do believe that William and Mary and UVa take too many out-of-staters as a percentage of the overall student body. North Carolina public schools have a max of 18% OOS students. This is mandated by the state legislature. W&M and UVa each have about 1/3 of the student population as OOS.

Arlington and Fairfax County schools as well as the City of Falls Church, and to a lesser extent, the city of Alexandria do push AP and IB courses. Cynics say this push is solely to improve the school's ranking in the Newsweek Challenge Index. My D took 8 over her hs career. At least five of my friends' kids took 11. I think the average number of APs taken at my D's school stood at about 3 or 4. Honors classes are taught in the lower grades but 11th grade English is either regular track or AP English Language followed by AP English Literature in 12th. There are students in the AP/IB courses who really don't belong in AP or regular college prep but there is no in-between honors.

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by alum

I don't have an issue with a fellow Virginia resident from southwest VA getting selected over a candidate from a VA DC suburb. I do believe that William and Mary and UVa take too many out-of-staters as a percentage of the overall student body. North Carolina public schools have a max of 18% OOS students. This is mandated by the state legislature. W&M and UVa each have about 1/3 of the student population as OOS.

Arlington and Fairfax County schools as well as the City of Falls Church, and to a lesser extent, the city of Alexandria do push AP and IB courses. Cynics say this push is solely to improve the school's ranking in the Newsweek Challenge Index. My D took 8 over her hs career. At least five of my friends' kids took 11. I think the average APs taken at my D's school was about 3 or 4. Honors classes are taught in the lower grades but 11th grade English is either regular track or AP English Language followed by AP English Literature in 12th. There are students in the AP/IB courses who really don't belong in AP or regular college prep but there is no in-between honors.

The district of my high school has challenged every high schooler to enroll in at least one AP course over their four years. This has resulted in HUGE numbers of AP tests and a very high ranking of the district by Newsweek, but also sends the message that no average or behind kids are allowed. It frustrates many of the parents and teachers in the district.

[VAgirl18]

Originally Posted by alum

I don't have an issue with a fellow Virginia resident from southwest VA getting selected over a candidate from a VA DC suburb. I do believe that William and Mary and UVa take too many out-of-staters as a percentage of the overall student body. North Carolina public schools have a max of 18% OOS students. This is mandated by the state legislature. W&M and UVa each have about 1/3 of the student population as OOS.

Arlington and Fairfax County schools as well as the City of Falls Church, and to a lesser extent, the city of Alexandria do push AP and IB courses. Cynics say this push is solely to improve the school's ranking in the Newsweek Challenge Index. My D took 8 over her hs career. At least five of my friends' kids took 11. I think the average number of APs taken at my D's school stood at about 3 or 4. Honors classes are taught in the lower grades but 11th grade English is either regular track or AP English Language followed by AP English Literature in 12th. There are students in the AP/IB courses who really don't belong in AP or regular college prep but there is no in-between honors.

this came up a few years ago in the virginia general assembly, and i believe that its now required that 30% of students come from virginia. i believe UVA was the reason why this was mandated. i'm not sure about how accurate my memory is though.