Pitt FAQs

<p>AO - D didn’t get accepted to Honors housing (even though they told us 95% of the applicants do :() She is going to the wait list. Any idea how many people will be on the wait list? Also, is Sutherland East a lot of party people (the athletes) or is it a good alternative to list if you didn’t get into Sutherland West? D really hates the idea of the traditional style with 1 bathroom for a whole wing, etc. and she doesn’t want to be in a party dorm.</p>

<p>Also, since there is such demand, is she going to have a tough time getting any of her “wish list” courses in July? Should she have a back-up of list of 10 more? 20 more? 50 more?</p>

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<p>Unfortunately no. I took Calc 3 my first semester with a graduate student (who is gone by now I’m sure) although she was amazing. And I sort of zoned out on recommendations after that. Sorry!</p>

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<p>No idea. :c I didn’t realize they would even have a wait list based on prior years. That’s astounding. Hopefully she gets in!</p>

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<p>To my knowledge, you cannot live in Sutherland East unless you play sports for the school as a freshman, i.e. it is specifically assigned to Pitt Freshman Athletes (thus called the athletic dorm). What does she plan on majoring in? She could see if there are any other LLCs she could apply to for living. Otherwise, I would recommend the new dorm (Nordy) as a back up. If I recall correctly it is also suite style. Towers A and B are definitely party dorms, and Tower C is all singles. She could consider Lothrop which at least gives you a sink in your room.</p>

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<p>She should have 10, maybe 15, courses that she’s interested in when she goes to PittStart. She will only sign up for 4-5. Some of them I’m sure will be big classes (i.e. Bio, Chem, Calc, etc. can hold up to 300-400 students). Also, the classes only let a certain number of students PER PittStart register, otherwise the students going in August wouldn’t be able to take classes! That means she should have some spots open to her in July. Unless she is trying to get into a small, upperclassman class (of say 20-30 students) I believe she will be ok. At worst, she will have to take an early morning class instead of an afternoon section.</p>

<p>Oh, okay. Another question: do you know anyone who took Organic Chem as a freshman?</p>

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<p>No. I’m sure someone may have been able to, if they got a 5 on their AP Chem exam. However, OChem is one of the hardest classes to get into (fills up insanely fast) and even sophomores have a hard time being placed in a lab. So I think freshman don’t take it because there’s simply no space by the time they sign up for class.</p>

<p>Okay, thanks AO!</p>

<p>I have a question about test scores. I took the SAT twice and the ACT once. When I took the ACT I did not take the optional writing section. I was wondering if my ACT scores would still be looked at because I did much better of the ACT than the SAT. Thanks</p>

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<p>Is the writing section of the ACT required for Pitt? If it is, what they will probably do is superscore across your SAT and ACT to give you the best overall score. Send in the results from all three exams.</p>

<p>Hi, I’m wondering what Pitt’s stance on dropping a high school course is. The class I’m dropping isn’t really anything important: it’s an elective course. Art related. It’s not like I’m dropping an AP course. Would dropping this course reflect badly enough that they would take back the offer of admission? Would they take away my scholarship?</p>

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<p>Probably not but how does this affect your HS transcript and GPA? You should contact OAFA and talk to them. Explain your situation & confirm it is OK to drop the course for whatever reason. It’s better to tell them upfront rather than hide it and have them find out later.</p>

<p>I received an email today from Pitt saying that I was placed on a selected status list. Part of this list is that the essay is waved from the application. I was wondering if I could still send the essay I have prepared for my application, or will they not review the essay. Also, can I still apply online on June 15, or will they send me an application in the mail that I have to fill out? Thanks</p>

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<p>If you’re looking for scholarship money, DEFINITELY still send in an essay & supplemental info (because the scholarship review committee is not the same as the admissions committee). You should still be able to apply online on June 15.</p>

<p>Can someone in Comp Sci chime in about the outlet ports in lecture halls? Should I be getting an ultrabook for battery life or get a more powerful laptop for gaming? I don’t want to have a desktop in the dorm and a laptop for class. Was thinking about getting one of these.</p>

<p>Lenovo y410p: [IdeaPad</a> Y410p High-Performance 14" Multimedia Laptop from Lenovo | Lenovo (US)](<a href=“Lenovo Official US Site | Laptops, PCs, Tablets & Data Center | Lenovo US”>Lenovo Official US Site | Laptops, PCs, Tablets & Data Center | Lenovo US)</p>

<p>I doubt I would be getting 5 hours of battery life in a real situation though. But would something around 3-4 hours of life be good enough?</p>

<p>Hey AO, I have a transfer question to ask you. In attending Duquesne University this coming up fall. Do you think it’d be better to transfer as an upcoming sophomore or upcoming junior to Pitt? Im going to be in Duquesne’s liberal arts program also. If I maintain a 3.6+ GPA in my core courses do you think I’ll have a good shot getting in as a transfer in the spring term? I want the best chances possible for getting in. What all does OAFA look at when you apply as a transfer?</p>

<p>Sent from my HTC One X+ using Tapatalk 2</p>

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<p>Not in CS, but the longest class I ever had as an engineer was a 3 hour laboratory class. I don’t think anything lasts more than 3 hours. Also I think if you are in a class that is a computer lab environment, you will either have a desk with a computer or a decent access to an outlet to plug in your laptop.</p>

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<p>If you want to go to Pitt go to Pitt. Transfer as a sophomore instead of waiting an extra year.</p>

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<p>Certainly, although as a freshman you don’t have “core” classes since you will not declare your major yet. You’ll essentially just be taking a bunch of electives. But doing well is always the key. The other thing is that I believe you will have to wait to transfer until Fall 2014 (as an entering sophomore). They need to see your grades which means waiting 1-2 semesters to have some sort of transcript to show them.</p>

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<p>Good grades in HS and college, good test scores. Also an essay and 1-2 LoRs are highly encouraged. See more at: [Transfer</a> Student Admissions](<a href=“http://www.asundergrad.pitt.edu/audience/transfers/admissions.html#external]Transfer”>http://www.asundergrad.pitt.edu/audience/transfers/admissions.html#external)</p>

<p>Thanks so much AO. And i meant spring term of 2014 since there are less applicants then. Do you think Pitt admits people during the spring the same as the fall?</p>

<p>Sent from my HTC One X+ using Tapatalk 2</p>

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<p>No, I honestly think they take more people in the fall. I’ve only heard of a few people transferring in during the spring.</p>

<p>What was the major component that got you into Pittsburgh? I always wanted to attend the nation’s top 100 university in order to pursue my dream of becoming a wildlife veterinarian. </p>

<p>Thank you in advance.</p>

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<p>I’m not sure I understand your question. I think you are asking what qualities I had that got me an acceptance (feel free to correct me) and the answer is the same for lots of people:</p>

<p>Perform well academically in HS while challenging yourself
Do well on your exam (SAT/ACT)
Have a somewhat varied extracurricular life with some leadership experience</p>

<p>But this is also true of almost anywhere you go. Things that particular help for Pitt:</p>

<p>Minority Status (really, Pitt is not all that diverse)
Major applying to
State you live in (OOS = slightly easier to get in and get money, especially the farther away you are)</p>