I used this site very frequently in high school. I trawled through all of the forums regularly, I knew all sorts of things about schools that I would never apply to. I was an international student who had done 1 year of high school in the US and three years of high school in Canada. If you want to see my stats, you can find them here: http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/17112412#Comment_17112412 I guess I wanted to give back to this community by sharing my experiences, and I want to comment on three particular things: 1. the usefulness of this site, 2. are âtop schools worth itâ, 3. the broader perspective.
- A number of people say that oh, this site is terrible, and that the equivalents for other professions (wallstreetoasis, SDN etc.) are also rubbish because they're OTT. I don't think that's true. I think that if you have a dream of a particular school, it's not a bad thing to scope out the admitted/rejections etc. threads and see what it is that people do that makes them stand out. It's good to know what other top high school students are doing, to consider taking AP exams early, blah blah. The test prep forums are great as well and people shared many valuable resources with me.
On the other hand, I would take the âadviceâ aside from many of the âfactsâ presented on here. You should consider what other people have to say alongside the actual data available. By data, I mean the admissions threads, peoplesâ personal experiences with a school etc. There are a number of people who have an ironclad view that X school has Y acceptance rate, so those are your actual chances and smugly view admissions as a big secret - this is clearly not true. Chances depend on what high school you go to, your stats, your recs, and your extracurriculars/awards. You can absolutely optimize your chances by scoring the most you possibly can on tests, maintaining good marks and relationships with your teachers, and doing top extracurriculars. if you have the first three (like most applicants), you need to make the most of the ECs. The way you do this (and Cal Newportâs How to be a High School Superstar details it well) is to take your interests and to pursue them seriously, and push yourself while doing so. Ex: I liked science. I had no connections, but I emailed around and got my first research internship, which helped me get other internships, win awards, and generally learn a lot. I tried to push myself during my work, i.e. being more independent, taking on more responsibility and I aimed high in terms of the awards available to me. You can try to do the same. Even if you donât end up in that career path, it shows and teaches initiative and drive, which will always be helpful. Then, when you apply, you should really read the websites of the schools that youâre interested in, talk to people who are familiar with the school (the school forums help a lot here), and see what that school values, and try to present yourself in each application as reflective of that philosophy. I learned this later, but I did it unintentionally when I applied to Columbia (my last application) - I wrote about an intellectual conflict that arose from my personal experiences, and how it related tangentially to this book I read. Given that thatâs what the core curriculum at CU is about, it worked well, and they even named me a scholar. Frankly, I think I did fit in pretty well there personality-wise, so I guess they knew what they were doing.
Side note: If you enjoy learning through class (I donât), I think itâs worth going to a prestigious or difficult HS, but sometimes its easier to shine and learn through your ECs at a less established HS, but you have to then distinguish yourself with clear achievements like national/international awards, APs etc. Those more established high schools can help you because you know more going into college, but I donât think it was impossible to catch up. Mine was a charter school for âgifted studentsâ with no track record of sending kids to Ivies, but I and another kid went to Ivies from my year.
Side note 2: If you donât get into a top school (define those how youâd like) with this strategy, if you apply broadly as you should, you should still have some great offers at other schools.
- This is something people always debate here. I'll say this - I was very lonely at my 2nd high school because I was very ambitious and I don't want to say intellectual, but I liked learning interesting things, debating stuff etc. The 1 week a year I felt content was at science fair competitions. At my school, I felt that nearly everyone I met had something insightful to say or could challenge me. Most people were driven and ambitious. It was really nice, and as people are different socially, I think it makes it easier to find people you click with. These people also push you to be better and do better. My friends teach me about things I don't know or should improve, and I hope I can do the same. Overall, I guess I feel empowered to think that I can do great things beyond following a linear career path. I value all of that.
Classwise, I felt my humanities classes were great. I had great times in office hours with my professors, often talking for hours about a topic. They inspire me with their eloquence, overall sharpness, and kindness. As a bio/premed major, I found my science classes to be boring and often badly taught by people with great CVs and not much else. Fulfilling requirements is a pain because thereâs a curve and you canât slip up and need to have at least one eye on academics at all times. If you like learning through classes, I think youâll enjoy being pushed in this way (re: science classes). I donât, and this isnât something Iâll look back upon fondly. Even in classes that I got As in, I donât remember anything. Maybe there is a marginal benefit to applying top graduate schools from top undergrads but I canât say that itâll change my life. OTOH, if you want to go into finance or say, consulting, a top school can be more directly useful. Of course, you have to factor in money etc. but I do think that there are benefits but you need to consider the bigger picture. I was offered substantial scholarships by Canadian universities and while I probably wouldâve gotten a better GPA there, I think it was worth it.
- I'm not that old and I don't know much, and I'm sure that I'll change my views on many things in the future as time passes, but one thing that I think is for certain is the importance of health. As you proceed along this journey, please consider how you're feeling. If you feel down, go to mental health services. Get counseling. Try medication if its recommended. Rethink your commitments. If you are an anxiety prone etc. person, think carefully before choosing where to go. Suss out the resources available. Make sure that the place is a good fit for you. I was super lucky that I have the best, most amazing, and most supportive advising dean, but Columbia is really not known for its supportive bureaucracy and people have had trouble here.
I think we all have potential but we can only fulfill it if we are in our best places, mentally, physically, and emotionally, and as you get older, that responsibility of ensuring that you are in your best place will fall to you. When I was 15, I thought that this all was rubbish and that I could push through everything. Instead, I was heavily depressed for a long time and I felt that I lost my creativity and drive and became burnt out as the workload continued to increase. This definitely hit my grades, and I can write all the explanatory essays I want, but facts are facts. Cultivate healthy habits, continue to stimulate yourself intellectually by reading, take time off and ask for help. The goal matters, for sure, but the journey is very important. I think that if you always try to be your best self and grow as a person, you wonât go wrong, no matter which college you attend.