<p>Actually, the common practice in Singapore is to submit your own parts (the main application form, essays and such) online via the common application website and get your teachers (JC CT + 2 Subject Tutors) to submit the rest via the post office. </p>
<p>Sure you can, especially for UChicago because admissions to UChicago is highly dependent on your essays. Well, of course your SATs must fall within range (in the middle of all admitted students), but that is usually not a problem for Singaporeans.</p>
<p>You can submit the different parts of your application in any order - the clerical staff in the admissions offices will sort that out. </p>
<p>However, I would advise your teachers to keep a copy of your recommendations and the SSR / Teacher Recommendation forms they have on file so they can send them without much hassle if the admissions office / post office happened to lose the envelope.</p>
<p>also, uchicago and cornell do not have an environmental chemistry major, though they probably have chemistry majors with one or two environmental chemistry courses. northwestern has an "Environmental Sciences" major, and uchicago has a "Geophysical Sciences" major, which may be more of what you want.</p>
<p>ok thanks all...regarding the lack of environmental chem major, i read in an article on their website that they started offering it way back on 04 but im not sure abt it now. hmm, i'll check cornell's webpage again for the list of courses. and oh, any opinion whether my pathetic (compare to u guys of course) grades will even have slim chances of going into cornell, uchicago or NWU?</p>
<p>yea, im from the class of 88 but im not the regular genius that gets As for everything and gets uncountable distinctions and a flawless cip/record...im pretty much happy being different from typical rjc/hci peeps (no offense to anyone) but just worried that even the US unis are that academically inclined when choosing its students...anyway a huge number of cip hours does not necessarily mean that someone is really passionate about the cause are they?</p>
<p>The top US universities want everything, essentially, because they can - since they only take very few students from Singapore annually (and all the top students from everywhere are clamoring for HYPM anyway). Your grades, your recommendations, your extra-curricular activities, etc... has to be up to their standards.</p>
<p>does anyone know if taking a new not so recognized subject such as china studies/india studies etc affect you negatively in terms of application to us unis? also, how do higher mother tongue grades affect you? thanks.</p>
<p>It should not affect you negatively, especially if you are genuinely interested in that and want to continue your studies in university. You need to submit O-level grades (or equivalent) so your HMT grades will be visible to the AOs, I think.</p>
<p>
[quote]
yea, im from the class of 88 but im not the regular genius that gets As for everything and gets uncountable distinctions and a flawless cip/record...im pretty much happy being different from typical rjc/hci peeps (no offense to anyone) but just worried that even the US unis are that academically inclined when choosing its students...anyway a huge number of cip hours does not necessarily mean that someone is really passionate about the cause are they?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Do you mean you're a slacker? Honestly... If you've dedicated a lot of your life to CIP, and that's why your grades aren't good, that's reasonable. But now you're saying you're lousy in both grades and ECs and that makes you different. IMO, that's mediocre. Not everyone's outstanding, but consider you're applying to the top U's.</p>
<p>ahhh...this is perhaps why i decided to stay away from the professed geniuses...so quick to pass remarks and slow in understanding the people around them...ok, so if im to ur standards 'mediocre', then perhaps u need to be made known to the fact that my friend got only 3 As and a comparable EC and yet got into chicago...so maybe the US unis aren't looking for book bound schoolies...maybe what they really looking for are people with passion and a true intention to change the world. not just entirely good at studying and getting str8 As...</p>
<p>You yourself said your academics and ECs aren't perfect. What's wrong with stating that you're imperfect/not the best? Call me judgmental, but don't call me a liar.</p>
<p>And thanks a lot for characterizing people with A's as book bound schoolies. I have a RJC friend in canoeing, who does CIP tutoring, AND gets on the dean's list everytime. I can name you so many examples. An IChO gold medallist who does air rifle, is in RJC student council. Don't be sour grapes and think that just coz you can't get straight A's, that those who do get straight A's are pure muggers with no life.</p>
<p>Personally, I have no problem with you not getting straight A's. My grades aren't perfect either, I have some Bs and Cs in my transcript (not A levels system). But what I have a problem with is your not thinking it's a flaw, and decrying those who can get straight As as 'book bound schoolies'. I admire those who can get straight As, so I don't know why you can't accept it.</p>
<p>I might note that you're applying for Financial Aid. UChicago is not need-blind. Naturally, with aid, it will be more competitive. So what if your friend got in? Good for him/her, we don't know what s/he wrote in her/his essays, what s/he got for SATs, what his/her teacher recs were like. Since you're so convinced that you're going to get in, WITH FINANCIAL AID, and that you have so much passion and true intention to change the world, then get in... I'm just warning you it's gonna be difficult.</p>
<p>Especially since you have a surprising lack of information about the availability of envt chem at your schools.</p>
<p>wow...what a heated reply...erm, like i said, dont just judge others..and no one's calling u a liar dudette...hey, i've genius friends too...one was the 4th in the world for bio-Olympiad and the top 10 in s'pore for the A levels. point is, he wasn't an elitist so to speak. he intentionally avoided rjc/hci as many (note, im just stating many not all or most) really are such book bound schoolies. and yea, i do know that many rafflesians are not snobbish (ive frens from there too) and they themselves suffer from elitism in their own sch (read earlier posts by some of them) so no, im not jealous nor denying the fact that they are truly smart and multi-talented with passion in helping others so please, withhold the strongly worded statements. (are u frm rjc?) im just concerned with the info and qualities being promoted here. many are overly concerned with academics and yea, the mounts of EC but isnt that what unis in s'pore are also looking for? if so, then what really motivates u to study in the states? im looking for a different atmosphere and study life. so sorry if i sound jealous or in some kind of denial from ur perspective as i really am not. im just worried (like many others here regarding admissions) but a different worry. and yes, i really do lack information on envt chem but was under the impression (from a different forum and from online articles) which states that at least uchicago and NWU has envt chem...mayb u wouldnt mind sharing ur knowledge on which unis actually do have this major? and also, which are the reputable ones to admit into.</p>
<p>haha. it is so tactful to offend the very people whom you need help from. very very tactful. i guess staying away from books really helped you socially - i shall teach my kids that in the future.</p>
<p>Anyway, what sort of schools do you prefer? Public/private, urban/suburban/rural, large/small, etc... That would have an impact on the schools you are looking at. College might not offer a direct Env Chem major, but often other majors like Env Science, Env Biogeochemistry (at Stanford) might be similar. You can also design your own major at a lot of schools. That would help you narrow down your list of schools to apply to (along with selectivity, cost, etc...)</p>