<p>Let me tell you that being exposed to the straight curve method of grading was a sobering experience. We were told (it was a large State U) that students were statistically guaranteed to fail (at least in the required large Freshman and Sophomore Seminars where there were thousands of students) and they had the numbers to prove it, however a lot of people fit into that C part of the Bell curve. It was easy just to pass in the beginning, not so easy to get A’s and B’s after the lower 10% started to drop off like flies quarter after quarter. The pre-Med crowd went from 450 Freshman year to about 100 at the beginning of Sophomore year (OChem time!). I remember that in General Chemistry first quarter, 68 average was a B, second quarter 78 was a C, and third quarter 81 was a C. Somebody did get A’s, though, but it wasn’t me.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Hyperjulie–thirty years ago, that was my experience. I remember talking to my advisor at my first college, who indicated that my English professors had told him they wished I’d speak more in class (mind you, I was the only one speaking already.) I said it was like someone saying, what’s one and one, and I seemed to be the only one who knew, or at least was willing to answer. I didn’t go to college to have two-person dialogues with the profs. At this meeting, I was seeking permission for an overload, because I was so dang bored.</p>
<p>Pierre asked for schools to be named. I’ll leave the above one anonymous, but the really rigorous place I transfered to was Mich. I was lucky to wangle my way into the Honors English program, which was an intense, eight course sequence (two a semester) ending with a long thesis. The other students (about thirty, same ones throughout the sequence) had been at Mich, in Honors, from the start, and I came in believing they were way more educated than me–I had to play a lot of catch up, plus take a lot of requirements that were different from the ones I’d taken at my first school. It was a heady experience, but very worthwhile. (I ended up being one of only five who got Highest Honors, so the hard work paid off.)</p>
<p>Julie–I wish you great success at your new school; I hope you find the academic experience you seek.</p>
<br>
<br>
<p>One myth to dispel is that, at the most competitive schools, students tend to be nerdy and unattractive. If anything, the opposite tends to be true. More selective and expensive schools tend to attract more offspring of wealthy, successful people. So they have good genes to start. That, plus good orthodonture, adds up to many attractive people.</p>
<p>However, women at the Ivies and other top schools tend to be relatively casual about hair, make-up, and clothes. You are not likely to see too many teenage boob jobs jiggling around Widener Library (if that’s your standard of beauty). Easy? Too busy studying, too much self-esteem. Imagine a young Brooke Shields without makeup at Princeton. Or Jodie Foster, in cut-offs and flip flops at Yale, tormenting the dreams of John Hinckley Jr. </p>
<p>A dirty little secret of Ivy League history is that the adcoms at some of these schools used to factor height and other physical attributes into the selection criteria. The idea was that attractive, physically imposing men (back in the day when they were all men) were more likely to become successful, rich, and generous. Think Donald Rumsfeld (Princeton). In the case of an already-rich legacy, an occasional big-eared Howdy Doody with lots of Cs was o.k. Think George Bush (Yale).</p>
<p>I went to one of the service academies and it kicked my butt. We averaged 20 hours of class per semester and had mandatory intramurals and military formations (not too many parties ;)). I came out of HS as the SAL and had never had to really study. Even though we had small classes and extra help was available, I didn’t take anyone up on that because in HS I had always been able to figure it out myself. The first semester was a learning experience. I eventually made it through.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I got an A in Autonomy.</p>
<p>None of the things you mentioned were a problem, even though I was certainly one of the very top students in my admitted class. I was still challenged, I loved my driven and involved classmates and my nurturing professors, and I actually graduated in the middle of my college class, not at the top. (College performance is not about how good you were in high school; it’s about how much you are willing to work.)</p>
<p>The only things that did disappoint me was that the library was too small and shared with three other colleges and universities, so the holdings were not so great, and that after 2 and a half years the campus started feeling claustrophobic (it was only 25 acres, which sounds large but it only took about 10 minutes to walk from the far end to the other far end, and that’s if you were walking particularly slowly).</p>
<p>But by then it was okay, because I studied abroad, and then I only had a year left, which flew. My new graduate school is not so much bigger physically (well, the main campus isn’t) but it’s certainly a whole lot larger in numbers (I went from a small LAC to a large prestigious northeastern university) more beautiful, much better endowed, and the library is an absolute dream.</p>
<p>This was many years ago for me. The school was a good fit academically but I regret to say that at the time I did not put the time and effort into studying that I should have. It was entirely my fault. I did graduate in 4 years, but my grades could have and should have been much better.</p>
<p>I fell in love with the school on my first visit, and stayed that way throughout. Perhaps it was a case of me being at the right place at the right time, but it was great. I loved the campus, my fellow students, my professors, the social life…everything. </p>
<p>My wish for everyone here is that all of their S’s & D’s enjoy their own college days as much as I did (although I hope they work a little harder).</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>???</p>
<p>UGA is ~625 acres.</p>
<p>I had one student tell me that he was not well prepared for college math, but he did not blame teachers as much as he blamed what was taught – a state-approved curriculum. He said he did not have a firm foundation, and that led to his struggles. Other students have said that two of their AP teachers prepared them so well that they thought college was easy the first semester. One posted a 4.0 GPA.</p>
<p>Two years ago, we held a college forum at our school. Some of the grads returned to talk of their experiences. One teacher asked if they had any advice for us. She said, “Make it hard” for these kids. That grad got booed. She explained that if it were harder in high school, they would be better prepared for the rigors of college work. The rigor of high school, she added, can teach some students better time management or study skills.</p>
<p>Rigor has two effects: some students push themselves, some give up and some just try to tread water.</p>
<p>I think I ended up at the correct school for me. Really, that is one of those forks in the road where you generally don’t go back, so you base it on what happened once you chose the fork. It was tough. I thought a good chunk of the student body was far smarter than me (and they probably were.) One of my profs called me a “slacker” which might have been true. Another prof is still a friend after 30 years. It was what it was, but those four years contributed to the person that I am today, no doubt about that.</p>