<p>Yeah, I felt that way when Harvey Mudd hit the Newsweek "New Ivies" list last August... :) (We visited Mudd the day before that issue was released.) I think DS should put in his app, "I knew about you guys BEFORE you got hot!"</p>
<p>I don't know anything about this...
New Ivies? Harvey Mudd?? Olin???</p>
<p>shoo~ - i'll make a university myself</p>
<p>since the topic of the hour seems to be colleges .. </p>
<p>I visited harvey mudd back in june or july .. I can't decide what I think.. I really liked all the people and I loved the atmosphere of trust (I liked that people just left things around campus and didn't worry they'd get stolen); plus, as my tour guide emphasized like 14 times, the leather couches are really comfortable. I'm not a fan of the architecture though, and, more substantively, I'm not sure how I feel about the tiny-ness (I realized with the seven C's all together its not that small, but still.. the college itself) and I'm not sure about the lack of any specific engineering majors; the courses he described seemed all led genE and civil/mechanical. I want to be a computer engineer probably, so if I went to Mudd, I guess I'd do CS or maybe CS/Math. Just my thoughts on that..</p>
<p>I also visited Caltech which I wasn't a big fan of.. not sure why really; it just didn't feel right to me. Also the house system doesn't appeal to me that much cause it seems so binding and my tour guide was less than enthusiastic about the school ("yea I'm probably gonna hed to grad school after this" "you thinkin' bout staying here?" "aw nah, I'm gettin' the hell out of here"). Anybody have a poor positive experience there? I saw Stanford, its a beautiful campus, seems very friendly though not quite as much as Mudd, and while I didn't get to see any facilities or talk to anybody about classes really, I'd imagine that being right where they are, their reputation, and their history, they have to have a great ECE program. Also, of the colleges I really like, it is by far the most "real" college, not just a tech school (which my mom thinks is a good thing, and I could .. depends .. I like philosophy, theology, and linguistics .. but I also like being in a somewhat nerdy culture); plus, I just love the feeling of both excitement and relaxation you (I(?)) get when you're in the valley and CA in general (I'm from VA if you forget).</p>
<p>Now that I've talked more than anyone cares about, I have a random question: Assuming I make finalist for National Merit (which I should), how much should I worry about the schools I put down?.. cause Mudd will give me money if I put it and go there, but I don't want other admission departments for schools I really like (Stanford, MIT, Cornell, GA Tech) to think they are lower on my list .. cause I'm not sure yet (and probably still won't be when I'm filling that out).</p>
<p>now back to psuedo on topic-ness. I haven't seen MIT yet (though I feel like I love it already from website, internet, books, pictures); I am planning to go visit it on Spring Break, but in the happy event I get into RSI, should I exchange plane tickets and go somewhere else instead (like go to NYC to see Spamalot and visit some friends in NJ)? Or will (future, not conditional tense.. optimism) I be too busy at RSI to get a standard (or better) campus tour, admissions visit experience while there?</p>
<p>heh i had to send my application in with express-mail, 2 snow days really hurt when i need to see my counselor... lack of initiative, ouch</p>
<p>donaldGuy, are you sure you're not me in disguise? That's the same impression I got...</p>
<p>Thiere was an article in Newsweek in mid-August on 25 "hot" schools, including Mudd, Olin, Pomona and RPI. I have the copy somewhere around here, though you can probably do a search here and find the link.</p>
<p>We visited Mudd, Caltech, Stanford, MIT and Olin while on family vacations last summer, so DS1 hasn't seen classes yet. He sat in on a couple of math classes at UChicago and decided this was a good way to get data points for evaluating the schools (among all his other criteria).</p>
<p>Some kids like the small, specialized programs. DS1 has loved his experience in one. Other friends of his can't wait to go to a bigger college and be able to branch out, meet more people, etc. DS1 also like the humanities, so that will also figure into his decision-making process.</p>
<p>It's an exciting time!</p>
<p>speaking of college enviornment, will i be able to meet people from other colleges in stanford? people in boston area can pop along colleges and cities, and "get out" but it seems stanford is pretty isolated</p>
<p>i'm assuming RSI discussions will continue in a month</p>
<p>are many scholarships given out by those small colleges? i think i'll be national merit next year, and i may end up only applying to places i can get a full ride to</p>
<p>scholarships, you ask? yes indeed. Everyone admitted to Olin gets a full-tuition scholarship. </p>
<p>what i dislike is the fact that people confine themselves to believing that the only worthwhile colleges our there are the ivies and MIT/Caltech. There's so much more for so much less many at many other schools. I didn't apply to any ivies, and I probably won't end up at Caltech or MIT (unless Caltech surprises me with an Axline scholarship soon, then I might consider it).</p>
<p>siusplau: The secret to Olin's success is its self-selectivity. Soon, it will reach a ceiling in the number of kids applying, because only so many people would prefer a school of its size and type. No worries for your son. If he is the right fit for Olin, they will see it.</p>
<p>DonaldGuy: I don't think colleges are really going to care much where they are on your list as far as national merit goes. that's not something they're really going to look into. or at least they shouldn't, cuz that has nothing to do with your ability to be a positive asset to their school.
and you'll definitely have plenty of time to learn everything about MIT while at RSI (like the wonderfully extensive and exciting tunnel system). plus, the Rickoids get their own personal talk from Matt McGann from admission.</p>
<p>donaldguy,</p>
<p>Olin has a computer engineering degree -- they have 6-7 different engineering degrees, and one can design a custom major w/engineering through the consortium of schools Olin works with (Brandeis, Babson & Wellesley if I recall -- I'm doing this off the top of my head). Plus, the dorms and food are terrific! Olin took a lot of the ideas Mudd developed and have applied them specifically to engineering education. They are clealy very excited about the program they offer, and by the caliber of kids they are attracting, are getting a lot of attention.</p>
<p>Case Western is known for their engineering program and is giving out big merit money to kids with excellent stats. Their top merit award is around $27K, which makes the cost comparable to many state schools.</p>
<p>UMD also has nationally ranked CS/Math/Physics/Engineering programs -- they are rising rapidly in the ranks.</p>
<p>There are lots of good alternatives to Ivies out there. If you are looking for scholarship deals for NMFs, you will not get them at an Ivy.</p>
<p>SpudmanKA: Actually, I agree with you about Olin's self-selectivity. Not very many students are willing to look past its size. Most of the kids who apply to Caltech and MIT at our school think that Mudd is too small, let alone Olin. But this is the RSI thread, so right now we'll just worry about one step at a time...waiting <em>patiently</em> for decisions!</p>
<p>Yea... I was looking at Olin's site.. and it does look really cool.. <em>sigh</em> but my mom is all like "NO! I want you to have a REAL college experience.. you can't have a real college experience with 300 students.".. and she does have a point, but it looks like a great school and community</p>
<p>Also .. arbitrary.. but I've always had a special identification with phoenixes .. (on most forums, etc. until recently I have always used the s/n phoenix9) .. both because they are cool mythologically and cause it was my middle school mascot (I went to a magnet school). </p>
<p>If I can swing it, I'll try to go visit it while I'm in the Boston area to spring break (if I still go.. like I said, I might not if I get into RSI (which I'll know by then)).</p>
<p>Anyway .. so .. has it been another month in the last 5 minutes.. please?</p>
<p>don't let your mom tell you whether or not you need a "real" college experience. she isn't you. college is about your feel and fit. besides, Olin is more real than most college experiences, because it ensures that everyone there is very actively involved in all aspects of the school. a virtually 100 percent student involvement in multiple school activities is almost unheard of. my mom was skeptical about the size, too, when we last visited, but she wasn't about to tell me "no, you can't go there." it is too much of a new and unique opportunity to just pass up because of the size. I admit, it was an issue for me going into candidate weekend, but i realized that this is a strength of the school. you'll see what i mean. keep looking into it. the only reason i think parents have the right to veto a college is cost, but at olin, that's not much of an issue. i will say this again and again: it's not about what your parents think, nor is it about what your friends say. it is about YOU and your personal feel. overbearing parents who read these threads, please take notes. </p>
<p>that was my rant. questions, anyone? </p>
<p>and i really hope you all aren't waiting impatiently and twiddling your thumbs until the RSI decisions come out. go outside, hang out with friends, do your schoolwork. just get it off your mind so it doesn't eat away at you, especially in the event that you don't get accepted, because it would be much more devastating. </p>
<p>ok, now i'm really done.</p>
<p>and not only a talk from matt mcgann...but cheesecake from the cheesecake factory as well....yummm.</p>
<p>Yea.. and I got the e-mail offer for the Olin "Prospectus" literature or whatever just a few minutes ago (good timing on their part) which I quickly replied to .. so I'll be getting that in the mail whenever (it looks as fun as the Mudd literature, which got me excited about it in the first place).... now if only they had a cross-reg deal with MIT in addition to the 3 they have .. then it would be perfect. My mom says I can look at it if I really want to, so its a definite possibility </p>
<p>Anyway... I so hope I'm gonna get into RSI .. but I still fear I shan't.</p>
<p>it would be so weird if none of us got in</p>
<p>so empty...</p>
<p>there would be endless "it's not the end of the world" rants
and no congratulatory notes</p>
<p>but for the people who get it, it calls for a facebook group</p>
<p>and I'm curious about the RSI 2006 facebook group. there are two, first of all.</p>
<p>"Type: Common interest - dating & relationships"</p>
<p>"Don't forget the three u's of RSI admissions:</p>
<ol>
<li>uniqueness</li>
<li>username</li>
<li>eugenics"</li>
</ol>
<p>so rsi is a dating hotline for social darwinists with creative username</p>
<p>cool ...?</p>
<p>I wish an RSI criteria was looking who wanted to go the most.. cause google would easily find here and be like .. oo these kids really are excited about it .. we should let them .. </p>
<p>if only, if only</p>
<p>I agree .. if none of us get in (those of us who haven't already gone that is ) it'll be like .. <em>chirp, chirp</em> <em>funeral march</em> </p>
<p>anyway ... to hw! (thus if I don't get in, all hope of MIT admission shan't be lost) (.. should shan't be spelled sha'n't .. okay! back to work ?)</p>
<p>whoot! less than a month to go :)</p>
<p>is it just me, or did February totally fly by? well, i guess that's a good thing :D now only 3+ more weeks....haha</p>
<p>i think some of you want this a little too much lol</p>