<p>i would like experts :) to tell me what are their good programs or what are they famous for, and their reputations ..in other words, not the official brag from themselves... but what everyone generally thinks of..</p>
<p>UC Davis, UC Irvine, Boston U, Stanford, Syracuse, Yale, Columbia, and Brown</p>
<p>ps i am interested in communications and performing arts</p>
<p>thanks if anyone bothered to help me~~</p>
<p>Certainly HYPS and Columbia and Brown are all good. I do know a little about Syracuse since I investigated it alot.</p>
<p>It has Maxwell School of Public affairs,which is very top rated. AS well known is its school of communications,which is top notch. They also have a very strong school of art and design. Their business schools is supposedly good too, although I get the feeling that isn't as well ranked as the other three schools. Other prorgrams are so- so. See my overview of Syracuse in the Syracuse forum.</p>
<p>Syracuse has great school spirit and great sports. In addition, they have a very high retention rate and graduation rate. I get the feeling that there is a lot of nuturing, such as tutoring and other help, provided to the students. Check out my overviewof the school</p>
<p>Stanford and Yale</p>
<p>Brown and Columbia</p>
<p>BU, Syracuse, UC Davis and UC Irvine</p>
<p>However, in the Communications world. BU is up there with the best of them.</p>
<p>brown and yale have great performing arts</p>
<p>Yale</p>
<p>Stanford</p>
<p>Brown, Columbia</p>
<p>BU</p>
<p>David, Irvine</p>
<p>From top to bottom, that's how the "prestige" goes. They are quite different, though, so check em out. For theter, i think the Yale students have to ccompete with the MFA students for parts in plays. It might be the case elsewhere. Oh yeah, some places (BU, Columbia) will give you great access to cultural cities, some okay access (Stanford).</p>
<p>I wouldn't differentiate between Yale and Stanford on a purely prestige basis, I would agree that Yale is better for the performing arts. </p>
<p>My list:
Stanford, Yale
Columbia
Brown
BU
David, Irvine</p>
<p>BTW Columbia's location would be excellent for you interests in terms of internship oppertunities etc.</p>
<p>but i talked to mi counselor and she is like.. the ivies are too hard for ya, and she recommends UCSB and Cal State San Francisco or something... man i am crushed! also i seemed to have little hope to my dream school UCLA ><!! very depressed..</p>
<p>If you don't mind sharing your GPA (unweighed), class rank, course difficulty (APs and Honors), SAT/ACT and SAT IIs along with your ECs, we can probably tell you if your counselor is right.</p>
<p>i didn't want to be one of those ppl who do that.. but i guess i will just do it. ==</p>
<p>4.07 weighted
top 20%
took 2-3 ap/honor classes
sat 2040
sat2 math 780</p>
<p>class acts and other (a few) performances..
not realli active in any club
... hope to impress with my personal statement
yeah and i might apply to usc, nyu, ucla, ucsb, bu
but most of those schools seem to be my reach schools</p>
<p>thanks for helping this newbie lo^^</p>
<p>Ok, your stats are ok, but I must agree that Yale and Stanford are extreme reaches. By the way, I do not understand why California students always use their weighed GPA. Most universities only look at unweighed GPA. So giving us your unweighed GPA and class rank would help. </p>
<p>If you retake your SAT in December and manage to raise it by 150 points or so, you would be in much better shape. The other schools on your list are matches (BU, Syracuse, UC-Davis, UC-Irvine) and reaches (Brown and Columbia), so you do need a couple of safeties. I would also definitely apply to Cal and UCLA are more reasonable reaches as Brown and Columbia a reaches for any applicant.</p>
<p>Whatever you do, still apply to Brown. Your chances aren't good, but if you like the school, what have you got to lose?</p>
<p>Maybe CA students give weighted because that is how UC's look at the GPA, but I agree the UW is most important. You are lucky in that you have an excellent shot a some UC's and they may be safties too. I would go to any UC over SFSU. The state uni's are more crowded and it's harder to get into your classes you want. SFSU is a commuter school too. But it is a fun city.</p>
<p>USC might make sense?</p>
<p>There is no way you can major in communications at Stanford, Yale, Columbia and Brown. They don't even have courses.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Most universities only look at unweighed GPA.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>No, most of the colleges I've looked at simply ask for GPA, then the college counselor checks a box as to whether it's weighted or unweighted. My school only weights GPA and doesn't even release the unweighted ones.</p>
<p>antigluttony, I would apply to UCLA and any UC you want. You have a chance. UC Davis a very good school.</p>
<p>unless you did not post it, you need to take another SAT II for the UC's, and the last test date they will accept is Dec.</p>
<p>Alexadre is correct -- if you don't apply, you have zero chance of acceptance. However, with only 2-3 ap/UC honors courses, you will be at a competitive disadvantage at LA and Berkelely, since many of the applicants to those schools take 3-4 ap/honors courses each year.</p>
<p>Davis is a great school, and UCI is up and coming. However, I don't know anything about their arts programs -- UCI has more of a reputation for science.</p>