I survived! Lessons Learned from the College Admissions Process

I survived. In fact you might actually call me victorious, because I secured a trophy. A glorious blue trophy - Duke University.

My trophy!

Kayle asked if I had any advice for her as to how to get to Duke and I decided this blog is my best medium to do so. And perhaps some other Kayle out there reads it, too. 

If you want to go to Duke, apply to Duke. Then apply to every other Duke-like school out there and then some. This is not to insult you but a testament to the extraordinarily large volume of applicants each of the top schools receive each year. Even the kids with the perfect scores and the non-profit and the billion dollar daddy aren't guaranteed a spot. And that's ridiculous.  I was rejected from two other schools, I don't want to use names so lets just call them Minceton and Male. But I wasn't really upset. Why? 

1) I had Duke. XD

2) They had close to 30,000 applicant. For roughly 1,000 spots. Many of of which where already claimed by the early action candidates.

3) Some people that I would clearly label as much smarter than me and more worthy of a spot, didn't get one. They were accepted at some other top colleges, but then not at others. Why? I don't know. With that many applicants, you can only do your best and then hope for some reason, some admissions officer thinks you have the right stuff and puts you in the admit pile.

4) I had done my best and then some. 

And to be honest I don't know why Duke accepted me and other schools didn't. I sent all of them basically the same application. I was the same person during the interviews. I just don't know. And probably won't ever know. 

Also, Kayle, realize that what might be a good score or good job for your high school. might not be a good score for your university. Make sure you are within the 25th/75th percentiles for ACT or SAT scores. But then remember all the colleges claim that "there is no cutoff score." 

Start early. The application process is more like the application expedition or trek or long voyage that lasts many months. Write your essay. Then write it again. Have your AP English teacher read. Then have your other AP English teacher read it. And then your neighbor read it. It can't be a good essay. It needs to be one of the best essays you have ever written. And then you need to do it again. For the other prompts. 

Have a good backup or 'safety' school. Your backup school needs to be a school you would actually be happy going to. And try not to degrade the backup school as you pursue other schools. 

Try not to fall in love with a school before you are accepted. That's kinda a complex topic but refer one of my previous posts for more info. 

My favorite chemistry teacher advised me to apply with a declared major. You can always change it. I'm not sure how true this is, but it worked for me (somewhat). 

DO NOT do something just because you think it will help you get in to a school. That is a waste of your time. Take hard classes and volunteer because YOU want to, not because you think the school wants you to. Because, if you were rejected you would have wasted your time. 

Do something extraordinary with your summer. Go to a science summer camp, write a book, go on a mission trip, I don't know. Get a job! That's extraordinary as well! Just do something impressive. OR do something lame but be able to make it sound impressive. 

Apply for financial aid! I don't know your family's finances but regardless apply anyway. You might find out that your dream school is less expensive than your state school. 

Next year will be hell. Some of the time. As decision day looms closer you might break out in hives, feel nauseous, go into a deep depression. And this will happen for every decision day if your schools have different days. Some days you will be, "Omg. I am soooooo getting into that school." And the next you will say, "OMG. I am a terrible failure. I am going to live under a bridge." Well, that's what I did. And I did that often.  It's going to be a terribly fantastic ride, so be prepared. 

I really don't have much more to say. I know I wished I had someone to tell me exactly how to get into college. But the specifics aren't available to the public. At least I never found them. 

One last bit. Stay off of college advice sites. You can only read so many statistics and so many expert advice columns before you spontaneously combust. So chillax. Just submit your application when you are done (and have proofread it 30 million times, jk) and then breathe. Maybe you will avoid some of the wrinkles that I have earned over the last year. 

Hopes this helps.

Nerdy Green

P.S. There will be a select few that you may be acquainted with who seem to have been accepted to every top school that ever existed. They will make you feel bad about yourself. Try not to hate them too much. You will want to, but don't. Because that's bad. 

P.S.S. The Common App is meant to be the same basic form for every school you apply to. Meaning don't mention your first choice college in the body of your Common App essay. Also, if you apply early action or early decision your application will remain the same for two months or more for when you apply regular decision. You might have earned other awards or leadership positions that you won't be able to add on you application. So be careful. 

SSTP or YSP: A Honest Review

JNTAful asked:

I came across it because I was looking for information about the UF - SSTP summer program and the FSU - Young Scholars summer program. I have been accepted to both, and now need to decide on one or the other. Plz help, which camp did you think was more enjoyable, and/or more beneficial academically???

Hmmm. That's a loaded question. SSTP and YSP are two very different experiences to say the least. And I'm not sure where to start. . .

Ok.
Here I go.
If you are a sophomore, I would tell you to go to both. But I doubt that you are. . . So next bit.

College Life: 
SSTP was my first college experience. It was incredible to be on a college campus, doing college things, and being all college-y. YSP was very similar in terms of it's collegeness. I think UF was more hospitable and more alive than FSU during the summer tho. But it's a close call.

Lab:
My lab experience at SSTP was much better than my lab at YSP. (But a lot of factors go into this: some people hated their labs at SSTP, some loved theirs at YSP - it just depends). But you do spend a lot more time in the lab at SSTP (five days a week versus two). And if you are the type who wants a state science fair project out of your summer, then I would think SSTP offers more of a chance at a winner.

Classes:
YSP, lacking in labs, definitely had the better classes. Us dorks would be working on the problems together i the common room and working til the wee hours of the morning on projects in the hallway. The classes at YSP were taught (generally) by real FSU professors with previous YSP experience. The SSTP class was extremely interesting as well, but there was only one. And the subject was very specific (Animal Behavior). Whereas the three classes at YSP were more broad and more applicable (Intro to Computer Programming, Biochemistry, and Calculus). BUT! The SSTP class can count as a weighted course (if you are a Floridian) and can potentially boost your GPA, if you are the type to be concerned about such matters.

People: 
The people at SSTP were extremely fun and smart. They, as a whole, were more likely to do crazy things than the people of YSP. But the people at YSP, were even smarter, if that's possible. The atmosphere was more intelligent, as a whole. Perhaps the feel was less to do with IQ points or SAT scores, but rather the ambition to achieve. Most of the people who went to SSTP, loved UF so much that they ended up going to UF for college. Most of the YSP people, are not going to FSU. But were recently admitted to Harvard, Stanford, Dartmouth, Princeton, MIT, Cornell, and Duke (me!) - as well as many other top schools. I think a lot of the people who went to SSTP could have got into, or maybe did, some of these schools but I have forgotten their Facebook posts, so I cannot be too sure.

Cost:
UF SSTP cost around $3,000. But there are some scholarships available depending on where you live or who you know (Heart of Volusia). YSP is completely free for all participants. So, yeah. That's that.

Counselors & Stuff: 
Both sets of counselors were really cool and full of info. At SSTP they are two years into college (at least), whereas at YSP they are only one year into college. But SSTP is more structured than YSP. At SSTP, you had a deadline for your paper, adults present during the field trips, etc. YSP not so much. We saw the YSP coordinators (adults) like 3 times. We were not babied as much as we were at SSTP. But not saying either is better than the other . . .

Final Overview:
The order in which I attending these programs is very significant. I felt YSP further enriched what I learned at SSTP. Can I tell you which one to go to? No. I can't. Both are fantastic programs worthy of your participation and both of which will provide you with a fantastic, unforgettable summer.

The Legend of PB&J

For the UF Honors Application I had 1 of three options to choose from.

1. Describe your most embarrassing moment in the form of a poem. 
2. Tell the story of how Peanut Butter met Jelly. 
3. Which historical figure would you want to go out with on a Friday night?

I first tried # 1. But my mom said it was a terrible poem and that is wasn't embarrassing at all. 
So just this evening I wrote this one. And I really enjoy it. So here you go . . .Prompt Numbah TWOOOOO!

In ancient mythology, in the darkest recess of memory, lies the tale of the most famous forgotten enemies. Long ago, there stood a mighty and ancient mountain, known by all as Pan. It was prophesied that Pan would soon be conquered, and her victor would be gloriously rewarded by the mountain herself. Two rival tribes, on opposite sides of Pan, each sent their mightiest warrior to secure the fabled fortune. With blessings and armor, the two men set out on their journeys simultaneously. After many hardships and long days, the two men met on the summit – each outraged and surprised at the other’s arrival. Forsaking their weariness, they at once lunged at one another. In a fearsome battle that lasted many days, the men fought without rest. Rock nor tree nor mountain could withstand the men’s anger, for they were the warriors of old. Finally, they halted their combat for they realized they were once again on low ground. In their endless brawl, the men had destroyed the mountain. Pan, the grand and colossal, was gone. But Pan was no ordinary mountain. While she could not fight back to stop the men’s destruction as it was happening, finding herself in ruins she summoned a mystic force and opened the ground beneath the men’s feet – swallowing them whole. Pan entombed her warriors together for all eternity.

The local townspeople long told of the legend of Pan and her captives. The men, whose names in the olden tongue were Penut Butah and Jel Le, served as a warning against wanton destruction for generations. For reasons unknown, the lesson vanished over the millennia but contemporaries still harbor remnants of the story in their subconscious. To this day, people still imprison Penut Butah and Jel Le in pan.

Do ya get it? Get it? GET IT? Wasn't that wonderful? Well, I think so and that's all that matters (jk). Of course, I thought the word limit was 300 instead of 150. So I wrote this glorious beast and then had to massacre it. Oh well. That's life. 

Allons-y

Tor-y

It's been a while. A long while, actually. I think it is mostly because I have been thoroughly swamped and partly because I don't know what to say. This blog was started as part of a YSP assignment . . . But as a YSP alum, I'm not sure how to continue.

I guess I should inform you on my college plans. Originally, I never wanted to share with the internet world the schools I was applying to because it is very likely that I will be rejected from most of those schools on my list. Now, don't tell me I ought to be optimistic. I am not selling myself short, I am merely being honest to myself that of the schools I applied to . . . So did 30,000+ other highly qualified students. And the institutions that I may love and hope dearly to attend next fall are also the loves and hopes of those other 30,000+ students.

Without much further ado . .  .
My list: (in alphabetical order, to be fair) 

• Duke
• Princeton
• University of Chicago
• University of Florida
• Vanderbilt
• Yale

I applied early action (non-binding) to Yale and was deferred. After a fit of rage which consisted of me throwing the Yale view book as hard as I could against the wall and a string of profanities against the esteemed institution, I realized that I didn't actually hate the school. Yes, I was extremely disappointed and saddened that my first choice (at the time) did not want me. And to be deferred does not offer much hope as  Yale deferred 2,500 kids. But I fell so deeply and overwhelming in love with Yale, that I neglect to research other really great schools. For example, I missed the Georgia Tech honors college deadline because of my tunnel vision. So to find the other four schools on my list (I had already applied to UF), I searched for a school with all the things that I could possibly want in a school. *enter Pton, UChicago, Duke, & Vandy* But I didn't get hung up with exploring every little detail like I did with Yale. Because those are very selective schools and I don't want to suffer a nerdy heartbreak again. I know enough about each of the four to know that I would be extremely happy to call it home for the next four years.

So I won't find out til April-ish. And that's ok. I know I'll end up at the right school. I've done everything I possibly could. I would not change one moment of my high school career. Plus I have enough to worry about.

One important thing no one tells you, is how expensive APPLYING TO COLLEGE is. It cost me $375 just to send my documents to those schools listed above. If rejected, not only do you lose the future you might have had at that school, but $75! And that doesn't include the $50 it cost to take the SAT or ACT. Nor does it include the $10 it cost to send the "official" SAT/ACT score report to the college of your choice. So if my calculations are correct (and they should be), I've spent almost $700 on college apps. But if we (as in me) are being honest here, do you want to know the most annoying part of the process? The fact that I have to pay my high school $1 for every copy of my transcript they send out. I'm out $8 already.

Well to conclude this triumphant return to my blog I will include a list of seven things I could have done with $700:

1. One iPad with Retina display 64GB or two iPad mini 16GB. 
2. One 7 day Carnival Bahama Cruise for me or a shorter 3 day cruise for me and my mum. 
3. One Harry Potter Wizard's Collection DVD set for me and one for a friend. 
4. 200 gallons of gas for my gangsta-mobile (which would last about four months)
5. Basic Necessities Basket from Heifer International 
6. All the Doctor Who Series on DVD and Seasons 1-4 of Merlin, plus another TV show on DVD. 
7. Down payment on this Prada handbag. 

Well, laters. 

Nerdy Green

YSP Summary

Wow.

That was a long and difficult six weeks. I was sleep deprived. I was confused. I was hungry.
The beds were terrible. The rooms smelled weird. The food was inconsistently edible. The homework was hard. The tests were stressful. And I missed my friends.

But.

I learned more than I could ever have imagined. Beyond the nerd topics that we covered in class, I learned more about myself and more about my future. I learned that first impressions may be important, but you cannot let them keep you from ruling out new friendships. I learned that people change. I learn that you should not say, "I'm gonna cut you," early on in a new place; people might actually think you are serious. I learned that I like sushi. I learned that Gorilla Glue stains your fingers. I learned to love Batman. I learned that not all white creeper vans are filled with creepers. I learned that I was wrong to rule out biology as a future career path. I learned with differential equations you can model nearly anything. I learned that never to judge a cookie by its appearance. I learned that food was sub-par because of the band kids, and that the food servers were incredibly nice. I learned to never run around a dorm building complex at night. I learned that I am still terrible at video games. I learned that food tastes better with real plates and real silverware. I learned that I can pull all-nighters. I learned that even the smartest kids in the state have different types of intelligence, and different areas of stupidity. I learned that even nerds do crazy things. I learned to knit. And I learned about life.

Because the whole 'summer at college' thing wasn't new to me (SSTP 2011), I don't think I was as amazed as some of the other YSPers. But, I had an amazing summer and I most definitely learned . . . a lot.

Nerdy Green out.

A Masters in Prankology

So, you thought this was nerd camp? You thought I would be learning about differential equations and computer science and biochemistry? Well, that's all a lie. It's a cover up. Remember the move Agent Cody Banks? Cody goes to 'summer camp' but it's really a CIA training base. That is exactly like YSP! Except they are not training us to be spies. And I am actually learning about differential equations and computer science and biochemistry. But while I am here, I am learning about and training in the noble and ancient art of Prankology. 

prankology - the study of the art of pranking

I studied prankology while at summer camp. 

"Our best feature is our $12.95 appetizers 

local legend Andy Sandberg is a live lobster

$7,777"

What projects have I had in prankology? Let's start from the beginning. One day my accomplice, who shall remain unnamed, and I, decided that we were extremely bored. And as the proverb goes, "Boredom begets shenanigans." So in our modest box of craft items we discovered The Duct Tape. We duct taped counselor Joey's door and left him a ransom note (see picture to right). We soon ran out of duct tape, so it was a pretty lame prank. But as introductory prankology students, it was ok. 

"I am looking for a hot & spicy love nest
student living with marijuana was charged
while 17-year-old satisfying the excitement
mix $15,000 visa call 574-2200
Tennessee July 12, 2012"

Next, we found ourselves with a abundance of newspapers  and a good roll of tape. We created a wall of newspaper that we covered counselor Chelsea's door with. It was kinda cute and Chelsea still has it pushed aside like a curtain on her door. Her ransom note looks like the picture to the left. 


Then, on a wonderful a glorious night I found myself saying goodbye to Chelsea and Kara as they had to go to Chipotle. I just happened to walk back to my room and I found that Kara's door was left open. As any master prankster knows, you have to be ready at a moment's notice. So, thanks to the daily training we get at YSP, I immediately knew what I must do. I seized the nearest nerd and demanded that they hand over their toilet paper. Properly armed I went to Kara's room and wrecked havoc with the paper product. Of course they suspected me at this point, but I had mentioned how I really needed to go to Walmart for several days because we were out of toilet paper and have been using tissues.


So, I hit three out of four counselors when the scheme ended. I was working on homework out in the hallway with a few others when out of the blue a menacing looking Joey, Chelsea, and Kara appeared. They knew that I knew who had done the pranks and were desperate to seize the culprit. So we started the negotiations. They offered food. I asked what kind. They said cookies, butt sandwiches and candy. I wanted  Yogurt Mountain. They said no. I said $3.00 limit. They said ok. I asked if I would get YoMo regardless of my answer. They said yes. I told them it was me. DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW GREAT THAT WAS?! I PRANKED THEM AND THEY PAID ME WITH MOUNTAINS OF YOGURT!

Even though the ruse was up, I still had a pranks ready to go. I pranked head counselor Drew with this lovely contraption to the left. And I helped plot this wonderful scheme to the right. Fortunately, I was watching Batman at the time of its execution.

 Most recently, I repranked Joey and Drew. With the help of several different unnamed accomplices I successfully blocked the male counselors in their room with cups of water. However, some of those cups had occupants . . . FISH!  

In these few short weeks, I have earned most of the credits I need for my masters. Hopefully I will be able to complete my degree in these last few weeks!

Nerdy Green
Master Prankster

Superweek

Wow! So much happened this week, I don't even know where to begin.Actually, I do. Let's start with PSSSHU! PSSSHU! SPIDERMAN! I went to see the Amazing Spider-Man last Sunday! It was a lovely and fun movie that made me feel like I could save NYC. It was very good and if you disagree, well, good for you.

My roof design

On Tuesday, I actually got to do some science!!!!!! Gustavo, the graduated graduate student, helped Sarah and I test our wonderful boxes/houses. The balsa wood did not show the proper results because it absorbed too much of the pressure sensitive paint. So when then had to bend a sheet of aluminium to fit our roofs.

Wind tunnel

We then resprayed them, and stuck them in the wind tunnel. BUT! Something was wrong with the camera in the wind tunnel so we did not get the results we wanted. . . :( BUT! Gustavo said he would try again on Friday and hopefully it worked!


Now let's discuss the classes. They are actually quite challenging. And by challenging I mean, I have to study a lot, think a lot, and be bumfuzzled a lot. Math is extremely difficult. And by difficult I mean impossible. Dr. Oberlin is a great teacher and a very punny person, but the subject of differential equations is just a bit over my head right now. But because of this experience when I do have to face the demon of D.E.s, I will have a much higher chance of winning that battle. The best part of the class is that Dr.Oberlin automatically gives everyone A's because he does not approve of the 'competitive nature' that the evaluations cause.

Comp sci. Hmmm. Still a challenge, but at least better than math. To be honest, I did below the average on the test we had the other day. And to be even more honest, I am actually proud. C++ is a completely new language to me and, as I demonstrated with Spanish, my linguistic abilities are lacking. So I was proud of the tricky questions that I answered correctly, and I learned from the ones I missed. I probably won't get an 'A' on my evaluation, but I gave it my best and just like D.E.s, when the time comes to face computer science again I will have a foundation of understanding that few others will have.

With this here photo I prove myself human.
#yesthesearemychromosomes

Biochem. Well, I really enjoy the labs, except for the flies. I hate the flies. I have learned so much about genes , chromosomes, DNA, flies, and genetics (and I have proved that I am human). However, (there seems to be a lot of buts to this post)(heehee, butts!) I haven't done that wonderful on the quizzes. It takes a while to understand what a teacher expects out of you. At first I wasn't sure what to study, how much to study, etc. But now I know. And with every quiz we have taken, I have improved. So while the grades are slightly depressing, again I am proud of what I have accomplish so far. I told Dr. Epstein how much I enjoyed his class and apologized for my less than great performance quiz-wise and that I would get the elusive 100 on his test ( a lofty goal, I know).


Whew. Glad to express my feelings to the world. It is a different experience to learn with students that are all as intelligent or more so than you. I have noticed the different sorts of intelligence. While so-and-so might have the vocabulary and reasoning skills of an aged professor, he/she might lack basic navigation skills. Everyone is truly gifted in their own way, instead of making me feel inferior like I once thought YSP would, I feel . . . empowered?  . . . just good.

Last and most important to this week was . . . BATMAN! Most of the nerds went to the midnight premiere of The Dark Knight Rises, even though had class bright and early the next morning. All I can say is definitely worth my lack of sleep. For the first half of the movie I was thinking to myself, "This isn't that great." and "This might just be the most depressing movie ever." Yet there was a point and I'm not sure when this happened, that I was so enthralled by the movie that I forgot to think. I When my brain was finally allowed to speak again, it was at a loss for words. If you don't like the Dark Knight Rises, you're wrong. And The Batman will find you.

<3 Nerdy Green
P.S. "A hero can be anyone." -The Batman