College Major Advice/Rant

Applying to College
1

<p>Ok i dont know where to start. This is probably going to be a long letter by the time im finished typing so stick with me. </p>

<p>So, i got my December SAT scores back today and I have no idea what to do now. Before the test, i memorized around 2000 vocabulary words which helped me tremendously i think... but my scores suggest otherwise. Scored 2050 total. Anyways, that is besides the point.</p>

<p>Let me give you a bit of history about my background. My father is pretty hard math guy(has a Ph.D) and wants me to major in engineering probably. His whole life has been probably centered around this. Just last week, i was accepted to U Mich engineering and my dad was happy. I dont know why he expected me not to get in, i had a 2090 sat or so and 4.0 Umich GPA. He has been very pessimistic regarding me and my accomplishments, calling me an idiot at times(being serious as well). He has cooled down recently though after i've been accepted to Umich.</p>

<p>However, the problem for me has been is that i dont really want to go there. I've already been rejected to stanford which has been my dream school for several years. I wasnt expecting to get in at all, but it was worth a shot. What is 75$ for the sake of happiness?</p>

<p>Now, i dont really know what to do. I really dont want to go to michigan because its really close to home. The pressure my parents put on me is pretty ridicolous and i need to get away from this state. Also, it doesnt really help that im sick of the people around here in michigan. Its a good school, but i dont think the atmosphere would really be a fit for me. I just cant see myself spending 4 years with the same friends from HS. </p>

<p>Anyways, another problem i have is my major. I am completely not sure of what i want to do. Thats why i wanted to go to stanford which was pretty strong in a lot of departments. Obviously my dad wants to me to major in engineering and is "like what social sciences? what a joke." and whenever i mention medicine he tells me "you're too squeamish stop joking..." clearly he has been quite narrow-minded and has joked about getting a liberal arts education. Which, if i were to get one, i would probably really enjoy my time in college since i love learning the classics. I havent had a lot of opportunites to read in HS, which probably resulted in my low 640 CR score, but i really enjoying reading books recently.</p>

<p>After getting rejected from stanford, i really wanted to raised my CR score to get into a great college. I recently had a strong urge to start researching languages, and the possibility of majoring in something like linguistics and taking chinese/other languages courses at a school like harvard really piqued my interest. I only wish there were more exotic languages offered at my high school, but its only a public school.</p>

<p>Anyways, i need some advice my sats are 2090.. taken way too many times, 760,710,680 subjects. Just wish they didnt count for so much. Anyways, i need some other schools to apply to. Currently i've got Washington University in St Louis, Rice, University of Chicago, and possibly Dartmouth. Funny how a 11 college list falls so quickly.</p>

2

<p>First of all, I am from MI & know how U of M is often considered God's gift to the world. While I respect it as a very good school, I had no interest in attending, nor did my husband --- and our kids feel the same way. It's huge, the campus is too spread out, "everyone" goes there, etc. So, while it is almost against the law to feel this way, my family can relate.</p>

<p>My advice is to look for some other options that would be viable for you. My daughter & I really liked Wash U when we visited; if you can get in & can afford it, it's a terrific option. Northwestern is another great option. If that is the size & type of school you are looking for, try doing a "similar school" check on college search sites (like Princeton Review). Miami of Ohio gets rave reviews, if you like a large school with a smaller school feel. A lot of kids at my daughter's school really like Loyola (Chicago). Check into some smaller schools, too, like Ohio Wesleyan, Denison, DePauw, College of Wooster, etc. There are just so many choices!</p>

<p>While I certainly respect your dad and his wishes, you have to do what is best for you. You don't have to make any decisions about future direction at this point! Just make sure you go to a school that allows you to explore different areas --- but not in such a way that it takes you 5 or 6 years to get through (like so many kids I know) --- that is a lot of extra money to spend, and it's not necessary if you talk to your school advisors & plan your courses.</p>

<p>Have you tried taking the ACT? How are your scores for that test? My daughter scored around your score for SAT, but her ACT was quite a bit higher. Different types of tests are better for different types of people. There are SAT/ACT conversion tables on the web.</p>

<p>Good luck to you!</p>

3

<p>im currently an engineering major, and if i can give you the BEST advice you'll find on CC: DO NOT major in engineering if you don't want to do it...trust me, its too much work, stress, and responsibility to be doing it for your parents...you'll struggle to get a 3.0, have very little time for yourself sometimes, and you'll wake up every morning wondering why the heck you're doing engineering...trust me, im pretty sure i like it and i want to do that type of stuff, but i still struggle, constantly, with the idea that engineering will be my degree when i graduate...you'll hardly see any classes outside of math/sciences/engineering and you'll graduate only being able to pretty much do engineering, and if you don't want that, don't do engineering...</p>

<p>like i said, PLEASE do not do engineering soley for your parents...if you think you'll like it, then go for it...i've wanted to work on planes/space stuff/ect since i was a kid, hence why im doing engineering, and that motivates me everyday...but if you cant see yourself doing it, you'll end up with a bad GPA, being depressed, and have no life, and your relationship with your parents will go to h#ll because A) they think your GPA stinks B) you're mad that your GPA stinks because they forced you into engineering</p>

<p>lastly, my advisor sent this email out a few days before finals...it pretty much sums it up:
"This is about time you kids need to start asking yourself who you're learning for, because you're not going to be pulling all-nighters only to still fail a test and getting less than a 3.0 for mommy and daddy anymore. This realization is why one out of every 3 engineering students drop out and study english. This is also why the other two are proud of what they accomplish, however meager it is. Make the decison now. You're no longer 4.0 students."</p>

4

<p>My dad is kind of like your dad, but I'm lucky in that the major he wants me to choose is also the major I like. Otherwise, my life would be kind of... I don't know.</p>

<p>Somewhere down the line, you need to choose the path you want to take for yourself. You can't just listen to your parents on everything, even though they have more experience and are right most of the time. This is YOUR life, not your dad's. Let your heart decide.</p>

5

<p>My dad is making me apply to certain big name schools, even though I don't want to. He wants me to be pre-med, and tells the whole family about it. So I'm feeling a lot of pressure, I can relate. I've known I was going to be a journalism major for about 4 years now, so I don't think it'll change any time soon. My advice? Do what you love, not what your parents want you to do. It might make them happy, but who matters more in this equation?</p>

<p>You.</p>

6

<p>I can relate. My father has been pushing me towards Harvard since I was in 7th grade. I know now that Harvard simply isn't a realistic choice, and I tell my father this... but he refuses to let HIS dream go. He's constantly in a battle with his work partner (who has a daughter my age), and now wants to get me a 'coach' who can get me into a prestigious school. I tell him that I want to get into a school based on merit, and that I don't care about prestige at all, but he doesn't care.</p>

<p>Whoops. Sorry. There was a lot of built-up anger there =).</p>

<p>Anyway, as difficult as it may seem, I think that you need to tell your father that you don't want to major in engineering. Would you rather fight with your father and experience a (hopefully) short, difficult period, or struggle through college doing something that you hate? I know that it sounds much easier in theory than in reality, but... Try to talk to your father (or maybe your mother or an guidance counselor, if that would help...)</p>

7

<p>Screw that. Go for what you feel is best; try to get into colleges that fit your need. (Also, linguistics is a great choice -- I <3333 it.) You might want to up that SATI score if you want to get accepted to those schools, though.</p>

<p>And "U of M = God's gift to the world"? I beg to differ. =)</p>