Posts filed under ‘Organization’
Response to Kathleen: Common App and stickers?
Posted by Dee
Kathleen left a very sweet comment on our latest AdmitSpit post titled, “Just got a comment…” saying:
“… I recently visited a college, and they gave me a sample of the 2006-2007 common application. On this application was a sticker saying “application fee waived”. The problem is, the application is for the 2006-2007 season, and I won’t be applying until this fall. Should I remove the sticker from the common application papers? Also, does the common application require fees to send online?”
I think Kathleen that the whole point was indeed to give you a “sample” of the Common App so you could get the gist of the types of questions they give in essays and short answers, etc. I don’t think that they necessarily actually wanted you to use that 2006-2007 form to apply for the 2007-2008 year. So no, you shouldn’t remove the sticker from the common application papers because you shouldn’t actually use those papers at all (and if you’re thinking of reattaching the sticker to the correct version of the Common App papers, I say that’s just a bad idea!)
The Common App does require fees — but those are simply the fees that the (more…)
The DBQ: 11 Steps to Success
Posted by Michael
Here are 11 tips that I used to ace the document-based question (DBQ) essay part of the AP US History exam.
1. Use the reading period to its full extent.
And, if you’re not done planning, spend an extra five minutes or so doing so. Planning helps to write a better (maybe shorter) essay as opposed to a longer and badly written one. Readers only have such little time to read each essay, and after reading thousands each day, they’ll look for the most clearly and well thought out to grade higher, and will frown down upon super long, unorganized essays.
2. (n/2) + 1.
This is the golden rule in terms of how many documents to use (n = number of docs). It is not important to use all the documents, just use half of them given, plus (more…)
Judgment day
Posted by Luke
Judgment day has finally come and passed. To those of you who were admitted under Early Decision, I offer my sincerest congratulations and I hope that you excel and are truly happy with the decision you have made. To those of you who were rejected or deferred, I have a few words of advice:
1. Don’t worry about it
Lots of people are not admitted early. The schools tell you that there is a higher rate of admittance for early appliers, but the rate is still rather low and does not guarantee a spot at the university. Consider this one of life’s little lessons that not everything is certain, but just because you were not accepted does not mean that your life is over. If it is any consolation, I was deferred from the Huntsman Program at Wharton at the University of Pennsylvania, but I rebounded and am now attending a very prestigious university with great students and faculty and I couldn’t be happier if I were freezing in Philadelphia. The trick is to not get discouraged, which brings me to my next point…
2. Don’t lose your confidence
Just because one school doesn’t want you in December does not mean that you are not worthy to be there in the spring. You must look within yourself and see if the (more…)
Response to Britt on SAT retakes
Posted by Dee
AdmitSpit received the following comment from Britt today on the post titled, “Typical SAT scores for specific top schools.”
“I need help. Is it wise to repeat SAT in January? I got a good math score but my critical reading was below 600 but above 500. I want to go into a mathematical based field. Please help me before I register to do it over. I want to go Columbia.”
I think Britt’s comment dances around the essential question: under what circumstances should I retake the SAT?
My answer to this is, if you think you can score higher AND you want to score higher, retake!
It’s that simple, I believe. I scored a 2230 on my SAT the first time I took it, and for me, while I think I could’ve scored higher, I did not really want to score higher. Both parts are essential to deciding whether or not to retake.
What I mean by “I did not really want to score higher” is that the idea of sitting in the designated SAT administration classroom for four hours did not, for me, outweigh (more…)
When to know if you’re accepted early
Posted by Dee
It’s December, which means that results from early admissions will be back soon enough.
Again, there seems to be no comprehensive list anywhere on the Internet that compiles the dates when each of the top schools report their decisions for early admissions, so I created one! The name of each school, along with the date you should expect a response and any special notes are provided. This data was taken from each college’s admissions Web site.
Brown: Early Decision applications decisions mailed “mid-december” 2006.
CIT: Early Action application decisions mailed “mid-december.”
Columbia University: Early Decision application decisions mailed “mid-december.” You will either be accepted, in which case you must accept the offer of admission unless financial reasons release you from the ED agreement, deferred, or rejected (more…)
A “duh” tip #2
Posted by Dee
Following the October 21 blog post titled, “A ‘duh’ tip #1,” let me remind you of another “duh” tip.
Someone recently reached AdmitSpit by searching for “can we go over 1000 words for personal statements?”
No! If the application says you get 1000 words for your essays, you only get 1000 words. I presume by the way that the Web surfer here was referring to the UC application, but regardless of what school you are applying to, do not exceed the limits they set! If however the application says “about 1000 words,” well then, I guess they’re allowing you some space to add on a bit.
Just make sure you’re aware of what the application directions are!
The six colleges of UCSD
Posted by Teja
The University of California, San Diego may be known for its sunny beaches and super hot surfers but don’t be fooled into underestimating its academic rigor. As a large campus with over 20,000 undergraduates, there is no lack of academic and recreational activities.If you choose to go to a big university, such as UCSD, it is very important to be independent. Unlike in high school and smaller colleges, there is no “spoon-feeding.” You are completely responsible for yourself: signing up for classes, asking for help, getting advice, etc. Consequently, studies at UCSD are as hard or as easy as you make them. There are many opportunities to get involved in leadership, research, and social activities but they do not come to you, you must go look for them. With that said, I’ll tell you a little bit about UCSD…
The academic year is based on the quarter system, which allows you to take a vast number of classes in various subjects. There are four quarters to a year. Fall quarter from September to December, winter quarter from January to March, spring quarter from March to June, and summer quarter during the summer (optional). Each quarter lasts about 10 weeks, so if you really dislike a class it will pass by with the blink of an eye. On the negative side, this system demands a constant output of work; I have only been here for 2 months but have already gone through midterms, and the quarter is almost over.
UCSD is the only UC that is split up into 6 different sub-colleges. The beauty of this (more…)
Importance of a CV
Posted by Dee
What is a CV?
As you progress through your academic and professional life you’ll here this term more and more often.
A CV is an acronym for curriculum vitae, a “summary of a person’s educational qualifications, skills, publications, and professional activities, prepared when applying for an academic position.”
Nowadays, I think CVs are defined even more broadly than that, and you can basically think of it as a list of any activity, school, skill, honor, recognition, prize, etc. you’ve ever completed, received, etc.
It is very, I repeat, VERY important, even from a very young age, to keep track of all your accomplishments. Definitely keep records of awards you’ve received, your report cards, test scores, etc. dating back even to kindergarten. Not only does it track your history and personal development, but it is also extremely useful when (more…)
How “x” does academics: x = Yale
Posted by Nicole
Entering the academic world at Yale seems like a very daunting challenge at first; the workload definitely requires diligence. However, Yale’s many unique aspects of its academic approach make the task much more manageable and worthwhile.
Yale operates on a semester system. The first semester begins in late August/early September and ends in December (before winter break); the second begins in January and ends in early/mid-May. This allows for more depth in a fewer amount of courses than a quarter system with fewer major assignments.
Students need 36 credits to graduate, averaging 9 credits a year. Most classes are one credit each, with some exceptions (labs, for example, are generally half a credit, while beginning or intensive languages class can be 1.5-2). Many students graduate with over 36 credits under their belts.
There is no “core” curriculum at Yale; instead, students must take two classes in the following categories: humanities, social sciences, sciences, quantitative reasoning, and writing. There is also a foreign language requirement, for which, depending on one’s level of study and AP scores, students take one to three classes. These categories are very broadly defined; logic classes, for instance, count toward quantitative reasoning, while biology courses that require more in-depth research papers fulfill the writing requirement.
Students must declare a major by the beginning of junior year, or can work with (more…)
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