<p>I'm not too sure about the Indian Education system bashing idea actually. I can speak for the ISC/ICSE System at least, and I think it does in fact do a pretty decent job at balancing the practical side of things with the theoretical. I mean I think that on average, if you're a top student at the ISC level, then you should be able to handle anything that college can throw at you. That's just my two cents. I agree with the timing of the board exams though. I think I get my MIT Decision about when my Physics exam starts. Bit of a weird situation that, regardless of the decision. :)</p>
<p>TheOneCurlyFry, IIT prep classes? <em>sympathy</em> I don't go myself (though I am writing the IIT exam), but I have heard horror stories from my classmates (and my school's pretty maddening. IIT prep classes + my school = spontaneous combustion.).</p>
<p>Shrivats, it depends. The ISC might be more balanced, I guess, but I don't think the CBSE does a very good job of actually imparting useful information -- it's difficult because it involves crazy amounts of memorisation, not because its questions necessitate any sort of understanding. (For example, I know students who can state Rayleigh's law of scattering beautifully on an exam paper, and yet cannot tell you why the sky is blue. Even using said law.)</p>
<p>MIT decisions are around Pi Day (March 14), right? Yeah, mid-Boards. Yikes.</p>
<p>Thanks for the sympathy :<. I need it. IIT prep classes + my school = the same thing, and they never teach us CBSE, so I have to do the whole thing on my own. I have to. I need to start from tomorrow. Plus IIT. Plus AIEEE,</p>
<p>ARRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!</p>
<p>The Indian system in general involves lots of memorisation and lectures. Maybe the ISC system isn't that way, but most colleges are, again. So <em>shrug</em>.</p>
<p>MIT! My parents wanted me to apply! I wanted an LAC, though. I ended up applying to some ivies.</p>
<p><i>Is this how you italicize text?</i></p>
<p>this way</p>
<p>[ i] text [ /i]
remove the space after the bracket.</p>
<p>Oh yeah. Isn't this called BBcode... or UBcode?. I prefer HTML, anyway.</p>
<p>Is everybody on this thread male?</p>
<p>why do u ask? ;)</p>
<p>It's called VBcode lol</p>
<p>I'm a girl. If a geeky one. </p>
<p>And it could be called BBCode -- it doesn't have a standard name, I think it depends on the message board software. phpBB, for example, uses exactly the same thing and does call it BBCode. :D</p>
<p>So what do all of you plan to study?</p>
<p>For me I'll probably double major, engineering with int'l relations or business...</p>
<p>I'm a geeky girl too (1337!), but I NEVER go on forums, can't be bothered, so excuse me :). I do remember BB and UBcodes, though. </p>
<p>I'm going to double major in creative writing / English and computer science. If I go to Yale, make the computer science "computer science and psychology". </p>
<p>I hate these smileys. :). Can't they let them stay as text? : ) : ) :).</p>
<p>Hurray for geeky girls! (And yes, I'm a...tad Internet-obsessed. Just a bit, you know?)</p>
<p>I'm planning a double major in mathematics and computer science (they fit beautifully together and all). (And I want a physics minor!) I have no head for the humanities (although I flatter myself that my English isn't bad), so I won't touch those subjects with a ten-foot pole. :D</p>
<p>[Just submitted all my apps save one. As soon as I finish Chicago, I'm done with this.]</p>
<p>Yes, hurrrray for geeky girls! Yale has a SINGLE major in Mathematics and Computer Science. I love the humanities. The Indian school system has stamped out all the love for science I once had. Maybe once I get to the US, I'll get it back. All the memorisation and lectures.. :<.</p>
<p>I love the humanities. I was going to type "like", but my hands auto typed out "love" :o. I looove English, especially!</p>
<p>I have two more to go today, Hamilton and Harvard. I haven't written the Colgate essay yet, though, so that comes later.</p>
<p>Which Chicago essay are you doing?
I was planning on applying there, if nothing else for the sheer joy that they seemed to take in what they studied, and the "fun comes here to die" attitude, but they don't have any engineering programs so I decided not to...</p>
<p>I'm doing the seriously nerdy 'yourself on the Cartesian plane' one. So much fun. </p>
<p>Yeah, the no-engineering is a bit of a turn-off. Their comp. sci is good anyway, though, and their math is awesome, so I'm interested. (MIT is my top choice, but I really have a snowball's chance in Hell.)</p>
<p>(The humanities make me cry. <em>shifty</em> I'm rubbish at social studies, rubbish at foreign languages...there is a pattern here.)</p>
<p>:D MIT's mine as well, 5 Indians a year get in?</p>
<p>Something like, I think. (Possibly a few more. I might have a slight advantage due to being technically-British and a girl, but not very much.)</p>
<p>Pity, really -- I'm desperately in love with the place. It's sort of sad.</p>
<p>Anyone use OCW?</p>
<p>so.......I see that ppl(XIIth appearing) r highly criticizing the CBSE system......
I can understand all ur mentality, but DONT generalize things here.....
CBSE is infact a well recognised system all over the world..
Although at ur stage I was also sharing the same views, but after I passed out, I realized its real importance....it is memorization crap, but if u are an enthusiastic learner, u will see that CBSE highly emphasis on basics......
And as of IIT couching....I would advise every aspirant NOT to take any coaching in their 11th n 12th.......at ANY cost........</p>
<p>And evry newbie should also post their location........:).....</p>
<p>TheOneCurlyFry:u always hav an option of choosing smilies ''on'' or ''off''...</p>
<p>You know, the post count seems to be increasing exponentially over the past few days, 'tis strange...</p>