Comparisons between different unis

Student Lounge International Students
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<p>Hi all, my first post here. Im currently in j2, from rjc and im interested in studying in the US. Just wanna know some stuff abt the several unis that I have in mind.
1)Prestige among Singaporean employers(ranking order)
2)Early decision - which uni is the easier to get into, in ranking order
3)Cost of living and uni related fees eg tuition fees
4)Relative quality of teaching (im looking at an econs/finance/math related degree.</p>

<p>Would really appreciate your feedback!! Thank you!</p>

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<p>Oops sorry forgot to include the unis. They are
1)brown
2)Dartmouth
3)Columbia
4)UChig
Thanks!!</p>

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<p>1) i don’t think there i really a different level of prestige to be honest. i think if you tell any local employer you’re from any one of those schools they more than likely will be pretty impressed. of course school is just one thing, your gpa has to look good too.</p>

<p>2) can’t really help you there. but some have said for most of these top unis its like a lottery. they all get such highly qualified applicant it most likely boils down to what kind of student they want. and that’s something nobody can quantify.</p>

<p>3)Tuition for all the unis plus miscellaneous fees will set you back roughly 46-48k i think(guesstimating here). living costs differs from area to area. most university websites have a page where they give you a cost of attendance. add perhaps a few or 10+ thousands depending on how comfortably you want to live and you have a rough figure.</p>

<p>4) can’t help you.</p>

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<p>Alright! Thanks for your reply! :smiley: I’m interested in Dartmouth the most due to it being a “lib arts” university. Hoping to apply Early Decision for it too! Just wondering, do you have any other nuggets/relevant information related to Dartmouth e.g. friends/seniors who are studying/have studied there before? Would really appreciate it! :DD</p>

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<p>@JSFStan</p>

<p>Hi, fellow junior! Don’t sweat it. All are top schools, so find the school that is the best fit for you.</p>

<p>I know Brown and Dartmouth grads who are high-flying reporters, a UChicago grad who studied econs who is a high-flying stat board scholar, but I also know Columbia grads who have not held any perm full-time jobs for a few years upon their return to Singapore, but they chose not to. </p>

<p>If you can’t perform well in a well-regarded school, why go? Pick the school which is the most nurturing. Don’t tie yourself down to a particular job field 4 years before you even graduate, because you might decide to switch your career goals while you’re still in college. (provided you’re not on a scholarship lah!)</p>

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<p>@trufflepuff</p>

<p>Haha yup! Aint gonna sweat it out!! Ermm, just wanna clarify, what do you mean by “most nurturing” as I don’t really have a concrete idea of the experience of a US education, other than the fact that it is more lively and holistic than here, but also rigorous.</p>

<p>Moreover, with regards to scholarships, assuming that I would like to pursue an econs/math/finance degree, would it be better to be under a government (PSC, Stat Board etc.) scholarship or just not have any scholarship and go straight to the private sector after I graduate? Cos some of my seniors have said that scholars, esp govt ones, are held in high regard and rise up the ranks quickly in the relevant ministries and stat boards, before switching to the private sector, which gives them a further leg up. </p>

<p>Just wanna hear your two cents worth!! Thanks!!</p>

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<p>dartmouth is very competitive. i mean, the saying “it would be an A anywhere else” originated from there. i once read a fantastic paper written by a dartmouth student. i thought it deserved an A. it got a C+. jeeeez.</p>

<p>if you’re planning to go to dartmouth hope you have really, really damned good reading/writing skills.</p>

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<p>Ermm… could you elaborate on the good reading/writing skills part? Thanks!!!</p>

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<p>here’s a good example (or maybe bad – this is the internet after all and people don’t exactly write in scholarly prose by habit):</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>is incorrect grammar frequently used in Singlish</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>would be the “right” way to say it. its the (admittedly) minor, but eye-catching habits like these that will cost you.</p>

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<p>Right, thanks anyway. Just wanna clarify some doubts regarding applications.

  1. Say I ED/RD based on JC results (before the release of the A level results), and get admitted, will my admission still hold if my As werent that well done e.g. AAAC and C for GP?
  2. I’ve read some forums and attended some talks by visiting admissions officers but I’m still unsure about this - Why do people ED? (Other than the fact that it is the school they want and that they get to know the result early) Is ED better than RD for a student that hasn’t won any distinguishing accolades/prizes e.g. International or National competitions or Olympiads but is above average in school grades?</p>
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<p>For 2) : ED always has higher acceptance rates, sometimes even twice as high or more.</p>

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<p>JFSstan did you go for the talk given by admin officers on 14 apr at RI ?
LOL im being random, but i was there and they did clear my doubts on RD/ED.</p>

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<p>@PAPbiz: Wanted to attend it, but didn’t make it in time. Would appreciate it if you could enlighten me on the RD/ED thing? Thanks btw. </p>

<p>@Eloriel: Oh…so for someone like me (who hasn’t had any great achievements), would you recomend ED or RD?</p>

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<p>ED gives you an statistical advantage, although realistically the edge you gain is dubious since ED candidates tend to be self-selecting i.e. more outstanding students. A school that’s ‘out of your league’ would remain a reach even if you were to ED, it’s no panacea to put it this way, but EDing to a match will give you a much better chance I’d say. If you’re set on a dream school, by all means, ED because a little boost is better than nothing, but don’t ever feel that you need to ‘settle’ for a less selective school to take more advantage of ED.</p>

<p>Definitely ED to your top choice school if you have the time (it’s during A level period isn’t it?), then continue preparing your apps for RD.</p>

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<p>Hey JSFTan, I’m a freshman UChicago, was in RJ class of 2010. PM me if you want more information.</p>

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<p>Hey aaron, youre a PSC scholar? Wow! Im your senior by the way, class of 2009!</p>

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<p>@JSFStan</p>

<p>"@trufflepuff</p>

<p>Haha yup! Aint gonna sweat it out!! Ermm, just wanna clarify, what do you mean by “most nurturing” as I don’t really have a concrete idea of the experience of a US education, other than the fact that it is more lively and holistic than here, but also rigorous."</p>

<p>Depends on your goals, but good indications of ‘nurturing’ qualities of a school are its career center outreach (does it hold regular events like resume workshops and does it offer internships IN the US?, is it updated on the job market that students have to tackle upon graduation, does it offer workshops for students who want to go to grad school?)</p>

<p>Nurturing can also mean: are the professors more interested in their own research and less interested in teaching students and mentoring them one to one, or vice versa? If you want to go to grad school, this is extremely important because you need letters of recommendation. While the onus is on students to seek out potential professors as their mentors, it is a good sign if profs are interested in teaching students and don’t see boosting their own CVs as the most important thing. </p>

<p>“Moreover, with regards to scholarships, assuming that I would like to pursue an econs/math/finance degree, would it be better to be under a government (PSC, Stat Board etc.) scholarship or just not have any scholarship and go straight to the private sector after I graduate? Cos some of my seniors have said that scholars, esp govt ones, are held in high regard and rise up the ranks quickly in the relevant ministries and stat boards, before switching to the private sector, which gives them a further leg up.”</p>

<p>I’m unfamiliar with the financial world. But whether or not you have a scholarship, you could try working in any govt ministry or stat board as a temp staff member (even a temp. admin assistant job after A levels will do). Then you’ll see how civil servants work and think-- there is a lot of BSing, covering-up, silly excuse-making, compromising, red tape, deferring to authority, arrogance, etc etc. A 6-year bond is no joke and is not a decision 18-year-olds should be making, at least in my ideal world…you should get to know the civil service work culture before signing on any dotted line.</p>

<p>I hope my reply wasn’t too late!</p>