What's new

How's the college admissions process goin for the HS seniors out there? (1 Viewer)

Jason Wilcox

Supporting Actor
Joined
Feb 21, 2002
Messages
652
Most of my friends have heard from at least one school by now. The early decision responses are just coming in and it isn't goin so well for many of them (Upenn wasn't too nice to our HS).

as for me...i'm in drexel, rutgers, and penn st. the only one i'm waiting for is delaware and that won't be for a while.

how's it goin for everyone else?
 

Jason Wilcox

Supporting Actor
Joined
Feb 21, 2002
Messages
652
so....am i the only HS senior applyin to college here?

well...better make the best of this thread....i'm thinkin i'll end up at Penn St or Delaware for Electrical Engineering. I'm really split between the two though. Can anyone share some personal opinions on them?
 

Marque D

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Jul 13, 2000
Messages
222
I'm a senior in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. I took care of all the schools I would be applying for in state (UT Austin, SMU, Baylor & UT Arlington) back in late Oct and Early Nov. I'm screwing up by not finishing up my out of state choices (Syracuse, Rochester Institute of Technology and maybe Nebraska)
Only SMU and RIT offered early action/decision but I didn't use them anyway. So I'm not expecting to start hearing yea or nay until hopefully Feb. My first choice is UT @ Austin with Southern Methodist and Syracuse a toss up for second. I'm trying to not get my hopes up for UT since so many people apply and don't get in since they aren't in the top 10% (you are automatically admitted to any state schools in Texas if you graduate with in the top 10%) I'm very anxious to get a response so that I can choose to graduate early or not. I inadvertently had all credits needed to graduate at the end of my junior year (took Eng 4 as a junior). I decided to stick it out since I wanted to take Statistics, Phy II and CAD Drafting II plus I didn't apply anywhere before hand. But if my top 3 choices say no, then I’m going to just call it a day and go to school at UT @ Arlington, which is 10 minutes from my house. :frowning:
I plan on majoring in Mechanical Engineering. Architecture is in the back of my mind but I sometimes get bored with it during class.
 

KeithH

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2000
Messages
9,413
Jason, I did my undergraduate work at Penn State and I strongly advise you to take a visit to the campus, if you haven't already. Penn State is a great place to go to school. First of all, the academics are very strong. As I'm sure you know, Penn State has an outstanding engineering program. While Penn State is a very large campus, I never felt like a "number" there. It's a personable environment, and there is always a lot to do there outside of coursework. There is every sort of extra-curricular organization there you could imagine. Then there is the social scene, which is great too. Mix in Big Ten (plus the ever-so-important one :D) sports, including JoePa, and you have a very unique campus to attend. I was immediately sold on Penn State when I visited the campus with my parents during my senior year of high school.
Perhaps a Delware graduate will be able to give you some insight into the environment there. I've lived just a few miles from the UD campus for about 20 months now, but I am not qualified to give an insiders opinion. All I can say is that I enjoy living in Delaware. Of course, the University of Delaware is a good school.
 

Jason Wilcox

Supporting Actor
Joined
Feb 21, 2002
Messages
652
Thanks Keith!
I've visited Delaware but unfortunately that was when i was undecided on my major and I never got to see the engineering facilities (i know the chem engineering is great...*dupont*...not sure on electrical). So, I'll have to stop by there again some time. The downside that i've heard about Delaware is that it seems like way to many kids fail out the first year as a result of the normal college distractions.
Yet to see Penn St, but i will before spring break. It's very good to know that I won't be a number there as that was one of the things that was on my mind. I've never been too big a fan of football...but i think i'll grow accustomed to it if i end up there.
Marque...I've heard nothing but good things about RIT's engineering and I was considering applying there. Now that i think of it...i don't really remember why i didnt apply there :D
 

NickSo

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Messages
4,260
Real Name
Nick So
Im applying, but im from canada, the schools i applied for you guys wont know about ;)
I applied to Simon Fraser and UBC and Kwantlen College (just a backup ;) )
I didnt make early admission for UBC (my average of 4 provincial courses is 88.5%), but i did make kwantlen conditionally... No word from SFU yet...
 

KeithH

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2000
Messages
9,413
Jason, I know many Penn Staters who were not big football fans until coming to campus. I've also met many people who did not go to Penn State who instantly became fans of the school after spending a weekend there and going to a game. Many of these people have easily dropped $100 at the campus bookstore buying various Penn State paraphenalia. You just get caught up in it. :)
I believe the freshman drop-out rate at Penn State is pretty low. I seem to recall reading in college guides that 90+% of freshmen return for their sophomore year. Also, the four-year graduation rate is 80%. Still, in any big school, you are going to have people who drop out because college is not for them, they lack the maturity to stay focused on classes given all the distractions, the competition is stiff, etc. Penn State is no different in that respect.
 

Justin Lane

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2000
Messages
2,149
Jason,
Have you considered Drexel for Electrical Engineering? I am currently attending Drexel going for my BS in EE (a little over a year to go), and have so far been happy with the experience. I am in their co-op program which takes you five years to complete your degree, but the work experience has been invaluable. Coming out of college you will actually have some real world engineering experience on your resume.
The money I will earn on my three co-op cycles, will end up being more then I would make on my first year out of school, so I consider it a wash taking an extra year to get into the work force for real. The pay (at least for me) has been excellent, and has allowed me to buy all the HT goodies I want and support a lifestyle better then the average college student. Everything is not rosey though, people get screwed on co-ops, layed off, or just can't find a job, hence the term around campus "The Drexel Shaft". Checkout www.drexelshaft.com for some message boards on the university (note most of the posters are probably of the disgruntled nature).
Ultimately, it all depends on what you are looking for from your college expereince. At Penn St. or Delaware you will probably have a better sense of community. At Drexel, if you get on opposite co-op cycles as your friends, you might not see them again regularly until senior year. For career preparation I would have to say Drexel is hard to beat, but for the overall college experience you would probably be better off looking elsewhere. Feel free to post any questions you have here or shoot me an e-mail.
J
 

Matt Stryker

Screenwriter
Joined
Oct 12, 2000
Messages
1,308
Location
Land of the rolling tide
Real Name
Matt
I thought Georgia Tech had a monopoly on "The Shaft". Guess it has spread elsewhere.

I'll echo Justin's comments; make sure your school (wherever it is) has a co-op program...this is probably more important for engineering than any other major. My father is an EE, and manages a whole dept of EEs for the city. He has told me and all the students he has talked to that relevant co-op experience is among the most important things they look for in a potential employee. Even more so than school and GPA in most cases.

Good luck to all of you, and theres nothing that beats the feeling of opening the mailbox and seeing that fat envelope from the school you've always wanted to go to.
 

Mathew Shelby

Second Unit
Joined
Dec 5, 2002
Messages
344
As someone who is getting ready to graduate from college, if there are a couple tips I could give everyone:
1. Don't settle down with ANY girl you meet your freshman year. It will make for a very uninteresting four years of college (I have been with my old lady for three years now)
2. Don't cram for finals....you will end up doing worse than if you hadn't studied at all.
3. Become friends with your teachers. I know this sounds crazy, but half my teachers were TAs (not actually professors) so they are the same age as me. Inviting them to a party or two might coincidentally lead you to getting a copy of the final exam one month early...
4. Don't take classes before noon. You won't go...trust me on this one.
 

Jason Wilcox

Supporting Actor
Joined
Feb 21, 2002
Messages
652
wow...thanks guys!

I'll visit Drexel soon enough.

But, I've got the feeling that it will come down to Delaware or Penn St as I am looking for the sense of community and I'm not so sure I'd like to live in the city. Might be a bit too fast paced for me as I'm a very mellow and calm person. I also enjoy the outdoors...hiking and such.
 

Sean P

Agent
Joined
Oct 5, 1998
Messages
33
Another vote for Penn State, another agreement that you will become a football fan (couldn't have named 4 mascots before college or really cared about teams, now I know who the Fighting Banana Slugs are and hate Nebraska and Notre Dame witha white hot fiery passion) and will third #4.Also be very wary of any class that ties your grade to attendance at all. Sounds dumb, but I know several people who failed classes with cruel attendance policies.
 

Yee-Ming

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2002
Messages
4,502
Location
"on a little street in Singapore"
Real Name
Yee Ming Lim
4. Don't take classes before noon. You won't go...trust me on this one.
I wasn't as extreme, I just never attended 9am lectures. ever. OK, I did in my first year when I lived at home, second year onwards when I stayed in the hall, 9am lectures were a no-go zone...

interesting comment about not "settling" for a girl you meet in freshman year. I know of several "couples" from university, whether they got together in first year or a bit later, who split after graduation. and other cases where they got married, only to separate/divorce later. perhaps some truth to this. then again, there are other examples (although less) of couples who are still together today.
 

KeithH

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2000
Messages
9,413
Mathew said:

Don't take classes before noon. You won't go...trust me on this one.
I can understand that point of view, but I took many classes before noon. I loved being done with classes early in the day and having time to hang out, run errands, study, etc. 8 a.m. classes were rough at times, but I didn't mind 9:05 a.m. classes.
 

Matt Stryker

Screenwriter
Joined
Oct 12, 2000
Messages
1,308
Location
Land of the rolling tide
Real Name
Matt
Don't take classes before noon. You won't go...trust me on this one.
Its nice to have your classes after noon, but as a freshman that may not be possible. Most of the colleges I've seen stick their lower-level classes at the beginning of the day.

If you can't get stuff after noon, I would strongly try to get all your classes in one clump (eg a noon, a 1PM, a 2PM). That way you have the rest of the day free, and you'll go to class a lot more. Its when you have those long breaks to go back to your dorm/apt that you skip IMHO.
 

PeteyG

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
May 23, 2000
Messages
99
Jason - I am a proud alumni of the University of Delaware and I can tell you that I had some of the best times of my life in my 4 years at that school!! The campus is beautiful, the social life is a blast, the people are great and the education is very good - especially the engineering departments.

I don't recall any of my friends or acquaintances failing out in their freshman year, and in no way was it a "problem". I'm sure people do fail out, but those are the ones who party all the time, don't go to class, and don't pick up a book. That can work for a while, but eventually it comes back to haunt you.

The one thing that Delaware doesn't have is the big time college sports. They have good teams, but on a much smaller scale. In no way will it be like hearing the "Roar of the Nittany Lion" at a football game at Penn St. Our hoops team did go to the NCAA tournament a few times which was wild!

It's a great school, so is Penn St. Either way you go, you will great a great experience and great education. Remember one thing, college (like everything else) is what you make of it. Have a blast and good luck with your decision.

Go Blue Hens!!!

Pete
 

Marque D

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Jul 13, 2000
Messages
222
Bump

Jason any updates?

Thus far I'm 4 out of 5 (Baylor, SMU, Syracuse and RIT), I’m hoping to hear from UT Austin sometime this week. If every thing works out ($ wise) I want to go to Syracuse.
 

NickSo

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Messages
4,260
Real Name
Nick So
For any vancouverites in this thread, i made it into SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY for BUSINESS and a scholarship for $3,500 over two semesters :)
Still awaiting for word from UBC to see if ill accept SFU
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top