<p>Very interesting. Yale’s number of SCEA applicants is actually 4 lower than last year’s opposed to the predicted huge leap in applications as a result of HP hopefuls’ migrating toward the only two Early options left over for them(Y and S). OTOH, Stanford has seen a very scary increase. I feel sorry for the Stanford REA applicants. Almost.
[Early</a> apps constant over last year | Yale Daily News](<a href=“http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2010/nov/16/early-apps-constant-over-last-year/]Early”>http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2010/nov/16/early-apps-constant-over-last-year/)
Whoopie! :D</p>
<p>I can’t really say about the CBSE Course thing on the Common App since I don’t do the CBSE, but if in doubt why not fill in all the columns with the courses you’re doing since you’ll be doing them all year? Also if your school has a definite semester/trimester system it becomes that much easier. That’s what makes the most sense to me.
Pixie-Oooh good for you! <em>fingers crossed</em> If only it’s similar trends for RD applicants. Siigh.</p>
<p>Ssur, you enter CBSE Physics and so on for the other subjects.</p>
<p>Almost everyone applying abroad for engineering is in IITJEE coaching. It’s like breathing here. It is generally taken as a very silly thing to put on your application. Or are you in FIITJEE Pinnacle or something?</p>
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<p>Seriously?? Will someone explain why??</p>
<p>Because everyone does it. You can put it if you want to but I really cannot fathom what help it shall provide to your application.
Idk, it’s your call of course. It can complement you if you have other significant science/math related padding. But since coaching is from a private institute, it has no credibility. OTOH, US admissions have made me think twice about things I wouldn’t even have considered as EC’s. Who would have thought they’re interested in, umm…Class Prefect say? I don’t even do anything.</p>
<p>^^^That would be very convenient in my case.
I never attended entrance coaching and my intended major was Environmental Engineering.</p>
<p>It’s all about marketing, folks. Unlike the UK where you have to downplay it more, the US is all about advertising.
Pixie has a point, I’m pretty a sure a very large number of people applying for Engineering from India already do some form of IIT-JEE coaching or the other. It’s such a norm back there. So if they all mention it I suppose it won’t really jump out at the AdComs. Then again if you’re trying to convey your spike in Math and Science I suppose you could add it. But the private institute thing Pix brings up is a point is well, how credible will it be?</p>
<p>I would say there is a notable difference in choosing IIT-JEE coaching instead of AIEEE/other coaching at a private institute. The college (not FIITJEE) where I went for 11th and 12th is pretty brutal - I signed up for JEE, and my timings were 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM. If I even as much looked at a girl, I ran the risk of being beaten. </p>
<p>Most students here go to good CBSE/ISC schools. I went to a run-down State Board college which had 3000 students on the 6th floor of a commercial building. I’d say there is a difference, since IIT coaching at those CBSE/ISC schools is pretty soft - and of course, you have extra-curricular activities and the like. I’m not saying its easy for you, since I’ve read both NCERT and ISC books as part of my prep (and your marking schemes are tough), but point is, the very fact that I took IIT coaching at a private institute adds a whole new dimension to my context and environment.</p>
<p>All the same, simply mentioning this on the EC list will not make that extra dimension stand.</p>
<p>I still think there’s a question of credibility though. I know how intense IIT coaching is and everything, but for some AdCom sitting miles away it sounds a bit like an American High schooler writing in his application that he did an intensive SAT prep course/any other test prep course along with his HS curriculum. If your institute has a website with clear references and is well known it might help, but still…feel free to correct me, though.</p>
<p>^^^Actually, AIEEE students take IIT coaching only here in Delhi. You don’t really have seperate AIEEE coaching here unless it’s some crap coaching place.
But the situation might be different in Hyderabad, idk. In delhi you have every third science student in coaching(although most do not do well) so it is not considered a big thing at all.
But I think I get what you’re talking about. Are you talking about something similar to the Narayana Coaching program -the really intensive one- they even have a special name for it? It sounds exactly like it. And Narayana’s Head Office is Hyderabad innit? Hmm.
We don’t have IIT coaching at CBSE/ISC schools. OTOH They discourage us from coaching since they know most students aren’t upto it anyway.
Incorrect. All Indian schools with the exception of a very few(the likes of DPS-RKP, Modern School) are known for their meagre involvement in EC’s. I’m the only one in my school with this many EC’s.</p>
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I see where you’re heading, but my research tells me that all this is not going to help you very much in the admissions process. They shall not be looking for excuses everywhere. They want to see how well you have coped in the resources provided. Did I have anybody egging me on to do EC’s for college admissions? No. You have to search for opportunities on your own. That is the only way an applicant who is disadvantaged gets into the Ivies and the like. TBH, do not be under the misconception that “good” CBSE schools are “good” in any way. My sources at the so called “Best school of the country” DPS RKP tell me their teachers suck as much as any other schools. That said, they do have a ‘few’ good teachers too but the large majority is generally mediocre. Every student from a ‘good’ school goes for CBSE tution here. In my tution, I sit with students from the so called best schools in delhi to the most unknown of schools in the same room. We learn from the same teacher. Why? Because we all regard our teachers to be not competent enough.
So, calling your school crappy is not a new phenomenon, atleast in delhi.</p>
<p>That said, if it is important to you, then you should add it in your application, but without something to back your interest(which I understand is difficult to obtain in our edu system as we don’t have the project system here) , I think it’ll be good to give you a heads up; don’t expect it to pop up as an eye catcher in your application. But in your case, I would be sure to mention it.</p>
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See, that is something that gets me wrinkling my forehead. If the Adcoms are interested in your interest in photography even if you don’t have any achievements in it, if they claim to care more about the passion and exhibited potential, then one might as well go ahead and mention it. It showcases the applicant’s interest in Engineering. However,…oh chuck it.
That is why I am in two minds. But leaning toward my above opinion anyway.</p>
<p>But i think living away from your parents for full two years is indeed an intense experience, and infact the kind of study we do here (at my coaching inst.) it many times coincides with us undergrad level(the source here is MIT open courseware ) and so i feel it would be ok to mention it as it would tell them about the rigour of my course. And in my context it is a unique experience not just something i studied or some grades i earned.</p>
<p>n0mad, your situation would be viewed slightly differently I think? Since you’re following a different course throughout the year as normal course. In fact I think your counsellor has to mention this anyway right? In order to explain the “only appear for the final exams thing”?</p>
<p>i dont have a counsellor at my college, so yeah my principal will do it. Also my MIT interviewer is indian so maybe i’ll be able to explain it to him and he will understand.</p>
<p>The interviewer will understand it, but it will not make a difference to your application otherwise.</p>
<p>How nice, all you MIT applicants are getting your interview calls so soon.</p>
<p>It is not a call really. We have to contact the interviewer.</p>
<p>yeah the interviewer will surely convey it to the adcoms, also are all intervievers surely MIT alumni?</p>
<p>You mean the contact info is listed on the website? You don’t even get emails from the college giving you the details? That’s… funny.</p>
<p>I just got my Wellesley interviewer’s contact info today!</p>