<p>This is my second attempt at creating a Romanian thread - this time everyone should speak English so the thread won't get deleted. I am curious to see where other Romanians on CC are going next autumn. On the other hand, should any high-school juniors have any questions, go ahead!
I'll introduce myself first:
My name's Bogdan, I live in Ploiesti and, after doing a gap year, I have been invited to join Amherst College in Massachussetts starting next fall. My interests include politics, economy, foreign languages and debate.
I am waiting for fellow Romanians to join this thread!</p>
<p>Hello Bogdan! Congratulations for your acceptance to Amherst! I am a 12th grader in Cluj. I applied to more than twenty schools, unfortunately very few accepted me :( My dream college was Hampshire College in Massachusettes which is part of the five college thing but I didn't get in. However, I'll be joining [url=<a href="http://www.upei.ca%5DTHIS%5B/url">www.upei.ca]THIS[/url</a>] university in Canada and I'm extremely content with it.</p>
<p>Hi, mrtambourineman (btw: where's the tambourine thingy from?)
I am glad that you are happy with UPEI - it looks like a nice place, and as you have probably noticed on these boards, what you do in university can be a lot more important than where you got into, not to say that UPEI does not look interesting, although it is certainly not well-known.
My dream college used to be Bates College in Maine - but they deferred and rejected me. In the end, I became quite happy with the decision since the Bates campus was reputed to be very lacking in safety - a student was stabbed there 2 years ago.
As a sidenote I just returned from a prolonged Easter weekend climb in Cheile Turzii - I also saw Cluj. Which school in Cluj do you attend? What do you plan to major in?</p>
<p>Mr. Tambourine Man is a song by Bob Dylan which is a really a great poet.</p>
<p>I plan to double major in Mathematics and Computer Science and minor in Physics or Biology. It's not going to be easy but I know I can do it. After graduating, I plan on attending a master program in the United Kingdom (if Romania joins the EU, we are eligible for some sort of european financial aid, right?). </p>
<p>UPEI is a very decent place. There are more than 200 international students. There is an undergraduate summer research program and there are plenty of scholarships and awards. But right now I'm thinking about a trip to NUNAVUT. LOL :).</p>
<p>(if Romania joins the EU, we are eligible for some sort of european financial aid, right?).
Well, WHEN we join the EU (no longer an if), from what I know, Romanian students will be treated on equal footing with, let's say, British students at British Universities. I am not sure about Financial Aid, but aside top-up fees (3000 Pounds at Oxbridge, about 500 at other less prestigious places) which may apply at some universities, we would have to pay no other taxes for tuition. About room&board, that would be another issue.</p>
<p>Hi! I've posted on the first thread about Romanians! an after I saw it was deleted I didn't bother looking for one till now...but I'm happy I did!
My name is Diana...I'm from Cugir(AB)...I'm a junior and I'm taking my sat next week(the 4th of June)...and I'm really nervous abuot it cause all I did to prepare was to buy some books....study and talk to some friends who already took the exam.I didn't talk to a tutor:( (at all!!!) and now I'm felling in the blur about the exam...and I'm really having problems with my vocab:(
well anyway...that's all about me just now....hope I've reawaken this thread:D</p>
<p>Hi Diana - well, in fairness speaking, you do not need a tutor to do well on the SAT. I got a good score working by myself so it is definitely doable. Since you're taking the SAT next week, I suppose there's nothing much you could do about it - perhaps taking a practice test each day until test would help. What you could do, though, would be to use this test as prep for the October one - if you don't have the money to register for that one, google "Romanian Education Foundation" - they offer scholarships to pay for SATs and TOEFL, but you have to apply like three months in advance.
And don't worry about the "in the blur" situation - I had it too, and it felt so much more reassuring after actually taking the first test.</p>
<p>well it's not like I don't have the money to register for the test...I didn't go to see a tutor because people in my town who took the tests went to one(I won't even say where from...don't wanna make any kind of advertising:P) who charged like 200 euros per meeting!!!! hello there...I won't sell my flat for those meetings! I wanted though to go to one at Bucharest...but time just flew away and being a procrastinator I finally didn't get the chance....
I really want to have good scores this time...because I want to take 3 subject tests: math II c, Physics and also French...and I'll need a good deal of preparation for them too(I suppose:))
anyway I have some lists of words...that I'm trying to study(though I'm not capable of mechanically memorizing them)...but I've made some progress...vocab is definetely my weakness...I'm doing pretty well on passage-based questions and grammar also(I don't really know about the essays because no one graded them:( ) The English teachers at my school said they aren't able tho grade them because they don't know the exactly requirements(and recommended me to go see the tutor I was talking about above)...
But I'm pretty confident about my essays anyway..I'll see after I'll get the results if I am right or not...
But will you please keep your fingers crossed for me:) I really need as much luck as I can get( btw I think these tests are also a matter of luck...don't know if I'm right though).Well...talk to you soon!And also thanks bogororo for keeping the Romanian spirit alive:)</p>
<p>OMG, 200 Euros?! I don't think most American tutors charge that much! That's effing hilarious, I don't know who has so little self-trust (not to mention so much money) to pay this guy/gal.
I could try to grade your practice essays, and so could your teachers - it is really not that hard, since the essay is graded holistically - just send it by e-mail or PM! Maybe it would help you to hear my story with the SAT II writing:
Prompt: A great thing was accomplished when_________
I read an article in the Economist a day before the test, about Turkey being invited to start negotiations with the EU. I just developed a very simple case for Turkey's EU membership and wrote it there and borrowed some of the style of the British press, or at least like to think that I did so. I got a 10/12 score for the essay. Do not forget that the essay is (or was?) only 25% of the whole Writing score, so the multiple choice questions are also very important. Since many of them are concerned with style rather than grammar - ever heard about split infinitives? (I did not before starting to study for the Writing test), the best way to prepare is reading.
As about vocabulary, I found flash-cards extremely useful. You don't actually have to memorize them, you just need to build a "logical" connection, to tie the word with something familiar, like an image - the more absurd, the better.For ebullient, for instance, my connection was a stadium full of bulls watching a corrida, extremely happy when the bull eats the torreador's ear. Anyway, you don't need to memorize word-lists, they are bulky and very hard to deal with. Nor do you need to memorize the dictionary, as I tried in the first place, it's absolutely useless.
You don't need a tutor to ace the SAT, you just need determination. And just another thing - please, do not go into the test room thinking that your whole existence hangs on this sole test (or any test, for the matter of fact)!</p>
<p>I'm perfectly aware that I can retake the test so I'm not that stressed about it.About the essays...I might send you some...I just have to tipe them cause I wrote them on paper...I don't know if I'll get the chance by tomorrow but definetly hope so:)
I'd also like to ask you some things(they might be quite stupid but it's just that I want to be sure there aren't going to be any problems):
1.what kind of pencils did you take with you(I'm not accustomed writing with them on tests..therefore I find quite hilarious their demand of no 2 pencils)...are HB 2 pencils ok?
2. I haven't written the name of my high-school on my Registration Bulletin(I made the registration from an internet caffe and I didn't thought it was the case the to write the school's name)....and I'm using my passport as an ID....do you think there should be any problem about that?....I'm having some problem logging in on college board's site from my computer at home and that's why I'm not writing it now(I know it sounds strange and complicated...sorry about that)...but the bottom line is: do you think there will be any problems because of this?
I don't know what more to say for now....but I'll definetly keep in touch with you...:D....thanks again!</p>
<ol>
<li>I have always used 2B, but you could try using HB, I know people who did and it was no problem. Nevertheless I found 2B much easier to work it, as you can erase it really clean really fast.</li>
<li>Hmmm, about the name of your high-school, doesn't sound like a problem, since no one actually looked at it. Anyway, if the proctor asks you about it, you could explain, I suppose. I have also used my passport as an ID (I loose my identity card quite often), and there was no problem whatsoever.</li>
</ol>
<p>hey you two..
cool this thead came to life again..
I dont think anyone remembers me from earlier posts - so let me briefly introduce myself:
I'm 20 years old and live in Aachen, Germany. Son of Romanian immigrants (don't think i'm not fluent in Romanian ;P). Graduated from a German highschool last year and will end my 9 months of community service (replacement of military service) tomorrow! In the fall I'm going with Northwestern for an economics degree.
Lakshmi: Bogororo is perfectly right: don't fret too much about the SAT's! Indeed they are important .. (to be continued; mama is calling)</p>
<p>Hi! nice to meet you!....well ok...promiss I won't be stressed any more..:)....and please....do continue your story...after your mom has finished with you!</p>
<p>.. but US universities are looking for strong, demanding and challenging characters. Test scores are only one part of creating a comprehensive picture of the candidate. Try to impress them with your thoughts and understanding of yourself. Its hard to give accurate advice but probably the best I can give you is: Build a positive but sincere application. Work just as long on it until you are satisfied with it and think that you best represented yourself. ... (unbelievable mama is calling again.. I feel like a slave in my own house)</p>
<p>first of all : lol ...
second of all : I'm already thinking about stuff to gather for my application...a friend of mine told me this is a nice opportunity to discover yourself... and I do agree with him... I have several ideas for my essays and I'm recording each one of them... I have A LOT of things to say about myself...so...hope I'll get lucky:D... anyway... it takes a whole lot besides luck..so...I'm going back to my vocab:)</p>
<p>I'll be in Ro (Bucuresti) next friday..
bogororo: Ploiesti is not too far from Bucuresti.. Maybe we can meet this weekend or so.. if your time permits it of course :)</p>