My hypothesis is that it is a marketing ploy. The SAT and ACT are the 2 tests competing for market share. The makers of the SAT invented the PSAT and the National Merit competition to try to give their product an edge. Many of the states that score poorly on standardized tests (certain rural Midwest and Southern states) also happen to be the states where the ACT had a larger market share. To never have kids from these states win NMS status would doom the PSAT/SAT in those areas.
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Because otherwise most of the finalists would come from the Northeast and the West Coast, with a few from the upper class suburbs of other cities. By setting the bar lower for states with overall lower educational standards, it promotes geographical diversity. But I totally agree with you, it is a national exam, and it should simply be a national cutoff.
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It should be called State Merit Finalist.
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Have you reached out to Honors?
If you have been admitted to Honors, make sure to select orientation day 2 or 3 to have maximum flexibility in choosing your Honors courses.
If you havenāt been admitted yet: Sounds like there was no specific deadline (unless I missed it) but you need to act fast. There are 2 prompts. You can submit your essays through PM to me or adults whoāll let you know from this thread.
Apply to Honors | The Honors College | Washington State University
In addition to writing the essays, if you havenāt been admitted yet or reached out yet, can you do so, highlighting the courses youāve already taken at WSU and the grades you got (or sending them an unofficial transcript).
In your essays (and this is very important) highlight through actual actions youāve done your desire to learn and discuss what youāre learning with like-minded students, perhaps giving one example of an idea in a book you read that you find really exciting, projects completed as a team where you creatively solved a problem, a special class youād love to take and whyā¦
If you have time, ask a professor you were close to (perhaps one who already teaches honors classes - you can check from the class schedule/listing) to write you a recommendation for it?
For the record:
Curriculum | The Honors College | Washington State University
^sounds right up your alley -
Have you reached out to the Math professors at WSU who had you in class for one semester, and asked whether you could be a RA for them, or TA some classes for them (if you feel ready to TA)?
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Do you know what Math courses you could take in the Fall?
I would strongly recommend you also take Philosophy (starting with 201: Formal Logic/ see if thereās an Honors section?), Calculus-based Physics (be careful not to choose Algebra-based Physics; I think youāll enjoy Honors Physics for Engineers and Scientists, ie., Physics 205), Computer Science, and whatever level of French or German is appropriate for your knowledge (ie., level 1 if you took Spanish in HS, or College Level 204 or 306 if you took one of these 2 for your HS FL. Thereāll be a placement test and itās in your interest to place as high as you can so you can function in that language well.) That in addition to Honors 1st year seminar (which will help you bond with fellow Honors students) should keep you busy. -
I also checked study abroad with the specific goal of finding options that will enhance your PHD prospects either for language or for prestige, hopefully for both. I think 1 semester of full course access at a university abroad (taking Math courses + 1 course about the history/culture of the country where youāre living at a minimum) and another semester at another University abroad could be a good idea, once Fall Sophomore year and once Fall junior year - as long as the study abroad has full support from your Math mentors and includes challenging math study that will stretch you linguistically&culturally+ will enhance your resume+ will help you network.
A few examples I found:
You should find challenging STEM courses there:
Programs>International Programs - Global Learning
Depending on the type of program - if it offers access to actual math modules, you could have a blast:
https://mystudyabroad.wsu.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular&id=151
Same caveat regarding access to actual Math modules
https://mystudyabroad.wsu.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular&id=147
Smaller university and town, good ā1st study abroadā if you have a decent level of German
https://mystudyabroad.wsu.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular&id=9248
Same thing, in French:
Programs>International Programs - Global Learning}]
https://mystudyabroad.wsu.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular&id=118
You could look into special āterm abroad for mathematiciansā in Hungary
but WSU has this:
Thereās also:
(ISEP is a full immersion program - you have to take classes at the university and figure things out)
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Regurgitating some of whatās already been mentionedā¦ go to WSU and:
- Visit math profs during their office hours. Try to get to know them and build rapport.
- Keep your eyes and ears open for posted research opportunities and ask ā thereās nothing wrong with being proactive.
- If youāre interested, ask about directed study/hybrid opportunities in which you might be able to study interesting areas of math not in the course catalog.
- Have fun! Even the most tempered scholastic brain needs a break once in a while. At Wazzu, there will be a plethora of cool things in which to take part: parties, sporting events (you guys beat my Badgers last year, and it has burned ever sinceā¦), movies, outdoor activitiesā¦
Whether you decide to pursue grad/PhD work, or go straight into the workforce to do something you might not yet have even considered, WSU will equip you ā if you put in the work. It would be that way at any school ā they have the necessary resources, but you have to do the work, shake the hands, kiss the infants (so to speak)ā¦
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At this point Iām still planning on sending out some transfer applications, but Iāve just thought of something Iām amazed I didnāt earlier.
The whole thing that I thought made my earlier applications strong was the fact that Iād taken so many college classes. But in evaluating transfer applications, am I competing with first-year applicants, or applicants that have the same class standing? Iām entering WSU with junior standing, so Iām concerned my transfer applications would be evaluated against other juniors instead of other freshmen, who have had considerably more time to do, well, everything. Get to know professors. Get involved on campus. Plan their schedules around their majors instead of their high school graduation requirements.
How does that work? Has the number of college classes Iāve already taken shot my transfer applications in the foot?
Hate to hear that youāve yet to step on campus and are already to leave. Thatās not good. You want to go in open minded.
If I recall, you had financial concerns. At many schools that would be limiting. They donāt do aid to transfers.
I would reach out to a transfer counselor at your schools if interest. They can help you determine the right path / timing etc for you to apply.
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If the schools I apply to get into donāt have good enough financial aid, then I wonāt go, simple as that. I actually did get in off of the Case Western waitlist, and just couldnāt accept. And, to be clear, I do plan on looking into the financial aid before applying too.
I have set foot on campus, for orientation. Thatās how I know for sure Iād have junior standing. At this point the biggest barrier to my enjoying my time at WSU is probably psychological. But just knowing that isnāt really enough to make it disappear. My girlfriend got into one of the other colleges on my list, and as much as Iām happy for her, constantly hearing about what things couldāve been like if acceptances went differently is torturous. Didnāt really feel like it was constructive to mention it earlier, but itās definitely been something thatās affected my thoughts on the situation quite a bit over the past few months.
I feel like I need to at least try, either to join her where sheās going, or, if that fails, at least to go somewhere that Iām actively excited to be, instead of somewhere where Iām having to constantly try to convince myself that Iām fine with the situation.
I might not succeed. But I have to try. Besides that, I donāt feel ready to graduate in just 2 years. I actually sort of want to go somewhere where my credits wonāt all transfer. Obviously that might not be the wisest given tuition, but if costs were reasonable, thatād be my preference. Iāve already completed a significant chunk of the general education requirements, and I donāt feel like I really have the freedom to branch out and take classes just because I find them interesting. Most of my elective credits are already filled by things I took because I had to to fulfill my highschool graduation requirements. And I also worry that my grad school applications would be hampered by it in the same way that transfer applications would, at least in terms of the amount of non-class activities Iād be able to do and how much Iād be able to get to know professors.
If there isnāt a sort of general policy on how thatās handled, then I guess reaching out individually is the thing to do.
I honestly wonder if triple majoring would be a good idea, both to extend my time at WSU and give me more time to get to know professors and settle down on what I definitely want to pursue in grad school.
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As an entering frosh with junior standing by credits and many requirements fulfilled, you shouldnāt have to graduate early. You could take the full four years (finances permitting) while having plenty of extra schedule space to take lots of free electives in anything you want.
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At a number of other colleges I looked at I think I saw that there were a maximum number of credits that could be taken, but I canāt actually find that for WSU, so I suppose thatās possible. Feels a bit wasteful though. I guess wasting transfer credit would be too, itās just a more effective way of tricking my brain.
You may want to ask WSU directly. There does not seem to be any mention of a number of credits or semesters limitation on WSUās web site.
Some other colleges do have limitations, but these may exclude credit earned while in high school from counting against the limit. Some (usually private) colleges exclude or limit giving transfer credit for college courses taken while in high school.
Have you looked into the Honors College at WSU? That is a good place to get connected with professors early, have a chance to participate in research right away, and have access to scholarships and opportunities that are not available to other students. WSU may also offer special honors advisors who could help you decide on a plan to double or triple major, etc.
If you do decide to transfer, the Honors College opportunities may help you strengthen your application. And it also might be the experience that makes you decide not to transfer after all.
My kid (high school class of 2022) was also a NMF who started college with junior class standing at a less selective school ā and is thriving. Some high school classmates are at UC Berkeley, USC, Northwestern, Georgetown, UIUC, and Johns Hopkins, but my kid doesnāt envy them.
First, the lack of debt has become more and more appreciated; it provides a lot of freedom and options in planning the future. Second, there are still plenty of high achieving students at the less-selective university, but not so many that my kid feels it is too difficult to find ways to stand out from the crowd.
You may find that your girlfriend ends up wanting to transfer to join YOU.
And, at any rate, you obviously know you want to see what the future holds before making decisions based too much on your girlfriend. Long distance relationships freshman year are tough. My older child ended up transferring mid-year as a freshman to join his girlfriend at her university (where heād already been accepted as a high school applicant before choosing a different school). They ended up breaking up before the end of freshman year. It still was a good school choice for him and he is a graduate now, so I am glad he was 100% in on the school whether his girlfriend was there or not.
I also think he may have embraced his first school more fully and had a great experience there if he had given it his full attention and effort instead of planning trips to see his girlfriend, etc., that first term. I would caution you to not be so distracted by planning for the day when you are somewhere else that you fail to be fully in the moment and intentional about putting yourself out there and making the most of your first year. There is wisdom in the ābloom where you are plantedā saying.
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Is the honors college worth it as an effective transfer student?
I took foreign language classes in high school, but feel like I learned nothing, so Iād probably have to take the full 4 semesters for the honors requirement. Maybe 3. Combine that with the other 6 required classes, and thatās 10 essentially general education requirement classes Iād have to take.
There are 7 general education requirement classes Iād have to take not in honors. Iāve already got transfer credit for 2 of them, and Iād want to take physics regardless, so thatās effectively 4 classes Iād have to take I wouldnāt otherwise.
Is the honors program really worth 6 extra classes, especially when Iām already a junior?
That would effectively extend my time at WSU I suppose, but not by letting me explore math, physics, computer science, or philosophy in any more depth, so I donāt think itād extend my time in a way that informed my decisions about what Iām most interested in pursuing. Iād be essentially just buying time to get to know professors.
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Honors College would effectively extend your time, expose you to new ideas, strong students, and challenging courses in areas you havenāt necessarily explored, and itād be an opportunity to start a new foreign language (there should be many on offer, many more than at a HS for sure).
It would also strengthen your transfer application, since high-level universities would certainly expect you to have taken on that challenge and to show evidence of intellectual curiosity beyond your major.
Could you choose not to transfer all your credits and start with sophomore standing?
Triple majoring in CS, Philosophy, and Math (taking as many graduate courses as you are allowed - and jr/sr Honors students often do take these classes so it wouldnāt be odd) would certainly ensure you would need more time to graduate. Just make sure you leave 1 or 2 required advanced classes per subject for your Sr Year.
An alternative would be for you to apply to a UK (or even Canadian, esp. Waterloo and UBC), since their majors are more streamlined and youād be able o focus on Math/CS. In the UK thereās really no such thing as a transfer, or perhaps a +1 admission admitting you to the 2nd year of a 3 or 4 year specialized program. Itās costly though.
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You can start in the Honors College and drop it later if you donāt want to continue. You could save extra required classes until you decide that you are staying at WSU, if you do. Otherwise, you will just transfer never having taken them, but after getting the other Honors College benefits.
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You should start a college with the intention of finishing at that university. If opportunities like an honors college are available and will enhance your experience I suggest you take them.
Keep in mind that finances may preclude you from transferring. Also some colleges may not accept transfers with jumior standing.
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BTW, for grad school in math, French or Russian are recommended.
You can also extend your time in college by spending a full year abroad (it is typically the same cost as your university) at a university where you could take a full courseload of math courses. Several countries have excellent reputation for math, why not take advantage of that opportunity?
WSU is part of ISEP: you could spend a year in Australia, Brussels, England, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Scotland. Or a semester at one, a semester at the other. (York, Napier, or Strathclyde may be appealing, as would any of the French or German universities?!)
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As @ucbalumnus and others have pointed out, you should be able to go to your school for all four years if you want to. Itās possible someoneās said this and I missed it, but typically having ājunior (or whatever) standingā simply means that you get to register for classes at the same time as those in the junior class (so: at an earlier time slot than those in your grade, so fewer classes will be filled up). Itās not a āyou only get to be here for four semesters totalā or āyou donāt get to live in the residence halls with other first-yearsā kind of penalty.
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Also, Washington State participates in the National Student Exchange which includes schools like U. of Arizona, Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, U. of Georgia, U. of Minnesota, U. of Massachusetts, and several universities in Canada. This would allow you to take classes elsewhere at the same cost as at WSU.
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