I understand that OP doesn’t like Temple for a variety of reasons, and it’s OK to say “I just don’t like that school” and move on. You don’t have to love where you are to make the best of it, but better to not hate it going in.
But I’ll just add some comments here in case someone stumbles across this thread later who is considering Temple Honors because it’s mentioned a lot in this thread.
The current average SAT for Temple Honors students is 1460 and the average ACT is 32. As a point of comparison, this is well into the middle 50% for Cornell. Cornell has “prestige” as an Ivy. But in your freshman honors Intellectual Heritage class at Temple, you’ll be surrounded with kids that have the same stats as if you were taking that class at Cornell. Your honors section profs will be among the best at any school; experts in their field. One of my D’s profs was interviewed on CNBC last week.
The moral of the story is your college is what you make of it and who you surround yourself with, prestige is relative, and it’s up to you to decide to how you want to challenge yourself. And prestige is relative based on your particular point of view.
@CalinAmry - I think it’s great you want to be challenged! One consideration for you though - you will be competing with your future classmates for internships, research opportunities, etc… Graduate schools and future employers will care about your performance in college, so it isn’t simply about “getting in”, it’s more about shining while you are there. Every college will have superstars the “could” have gotten into “better” schools, but chose Temple/UMass/UConn/SUNY for financial or proximity reasons.
Amherst College graduate here. I love the UMASS campus and community. I was a subscriber at UMASS Performing Arts Center. Prices are CHEAP for students, and occasionally you might even get free tickets if you are in a relevant class. UMASS gets high quality performers. In my time, this usually including a Broadway show tour, some avant garde plays, modern dance troupes like Pilobolus and Alvin Ailey, classical musicians, choirs, etc. I hope that still happens.
I was there last year for an academic conference and was very impressed by all the activity in the student center. I arrived and immediately saw ballroom dancers practicing cha-cha. And I had such a yummy meal from the Asian restaurant in the student area. I also really liked that they have a hotel and conference center on top of the student center. If I were a parent, I would be signing up for a room in that hotel for graduation weekend the second those dates became available.
Amherst is a great college town, which is different than a city but still fantastic. The businesses are built around the kinds of things 18-29 year olds like great and affordable places to eat, an independent movie theater, and a fantastic bookstore.
@CalinAmry@twogirls and other posters on this thread have been trying to get you look beyond the emotions, opinions, and biases of others (as well as your own), and look at data and details to help inform your decision about which college to attend.
While I understand that you consider Temple a safety, and it is probably off your list due to cost (a sensible reason), it can serve as a good illustration for you. Some data from Temple’s 2017 common data set/student profile:
Average HS GPA 2017 freshman students: 3.54
Average SAT 2017 freshman students: 1220 (25%ile is 1130, 75%ile is 1310)
55% of 2017 freshman students were in the top 25% of their HS graduating class.
There were 5171 incoming Temple freshman in 2017, roughly half with higher stats than you. ALL of the colleges on your list will have lots of smart students to help you have a challenging academic experience.
If you want to dig deeper and look at similar data for the colleges on your list, search for “student profile” and “common data set” on the college websites.
Amherst is great. I mean, with the right social group, you can have fun just about anywhere. You can also be lonely in a big city.
I can only speak as an Amherst College mom and the hubsy and I are always impressed at the activities available to D18. I think back and when we first started, D18 wanted a bigger city and larger school. The Five College Consortium took care of the first issue, an overnight visit took care of the other. You just never know, until YOU know, not what your friends or someone else knows. Best wishes to you. You have a great list of schools there.
What about colleges in the DC area? American University and George Washington University could be a nice fit. I also agree with many before, prestige is in the eye of the beholder and all of the schools mentioned hold well.
I am considering Temple a bit more seriously now, I just filled out a form for changing my major so I could be in science school instead of liberal arts school. Thanks for the compliments of the schools I applied to. I got into Penn State btw but it’s the 2+2 program and I’m not interested in that, so Penn is off my list.
Hi OP,
I just read through this thread, and I’m really glad you reached out for wisdom from the CC members! Congratulations on your acceptances. I just want to re-iterate the complete necessity to “get boots on the ground” at all the schools you are considering. An overnight stay and sitting in a couple of classes is essential for you to decide properly. I hear lots of rumors and hearsay being taken into account in your decision-making process, and as a future scientist, you need to learn how to make data-driven decisions. Please do yourself the favor of visiting each and every school that you are still considering!
PS I have a second cousin graduating this spring from Temple; she has had great internships, spent a semester in Rome and has completely blossomed there. Best wishes for a similar experience to you!
@CalinAmry “I would still consider going because big names come with benefits. I just feel that my hard work into my grades would be in vain if I go to school that averagely acceof peopls with lower stats.”
I think you have a lot of growing up to do and need a reality check on colleges and college admissions.
@CalinAmry I have been following this thread from the beginning, and I think you have received and listened to a lot of great advice.
I have seen your attitude shift in a very positive direction, and you now seem much more open minded in considering the great opportunities that your college acceptances could give you.
It takes maturity to admit you have made mistakes in judging a book by its cover, so to speak. I applaud your efforts as you continue to gather more data and visit your colleges. Stay positive, it is an exciting time for you!
That’s great! Liking the least expensive option on your list is a great place to be! Think of that money saved, not just abstractly as a number, but also in terms of what it could specifically buy you in terms of experiences you want. (For example, summer opportunities to travel or do unpaid internships instead of having to work… or having money left over for a grad program… or just the gift of finishing college debt-free!)
Now that you have several schools you can afford and feel good about, you can also look at the additional opportunities you might get through those schools. Are you interested in studying abroad? If so, look at the study abroad websites for your schools and see what the opportunities look like. Both SUNY Buffalo and UMass Amherst also participate in the NSE domestic exchange program, which would allow you to spend a semester on a different US campus (often for the cost of your home school’s tuition and fees) https://www.nse.org/exchange/find-campus/
NSE is fantastic - and you would be able to choose between Cal Poly SLO, UGeorgia, UAlabama, even an excellent private college such as Gustavus Adolphus or beachfront New college of Florida… Even go to Canada!
