<p>stockholmsyndrome -- do you go to strake jesuit in houston</p>
<p>I was accepted EA to SFS.</p>
<p>I have to disagree about the math/science comment. My hardest decision in choosing between the SFS and another school is my commitment to math and science. I am giving up engineering to pursue a dream I am thoroughly passionate about. Though the social sciences are untested ground for me when compared with my mathletics or sciences, I feel I'm doing it for a worthwhile cause in my life. I really don't care what letter I get from Princeton tomorrow...</p>
<p>Valedictorian - 1st in about 750
4.6667 / 5.0 (Weighted) GPA
3.96 something / 4.0 (Unweighted)</p>
<p>710 - Verbal
680 - Writing
800 - Math
800 - Math IIc
760 - US History
740 - Physics</p>
<p>ACT scores
Math - 36, 35
Science - 35, 32
Reading - 32, 28
English - 34, 32
Writing - 34, 31
Composite - 33, 32</p>
<p>APs
BC Calculus - 5
Statistics - 5
United States History - 5</p>
<p>2006:
Computer Science AB
English Literature
French Language
Chemistry
European History
Physics C (Mechanics and E&M)</p>
<p>ECs
2 Years junior varsity golf team
4 Years math team including Oralist
3 years scholastic bowl
founder of Students for a Free Tibet at my school
founder of Young Democrats Club at my school
French Honors Society
150+ volunteer hours
Work Experience: 6 years as a caddy</p>
<p>
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I was under the impression that the statistical difference between College admission rate and SFS was like a percentage point or two. But what you fail to point out is that SFS is fantastically more self-selective than the College.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>True - the College is where you go if you're still figuring out what you want to do with your life. SFS is a professional school, not a liberal arts program where you can dabble in a bit of everything.</p>
<p>
[quote]
My alumni interviewer was in SFS for his first two years and then he transferred to the College to graduate a year early and save some money. And he indicated the same thing. He told me there was a distinct cultural and work-ethic difference between most College majors and SFS, based on his experience as a student in both. SFS is unimpeachably the pinnacle of Georgetown, even if not its foundation, and to suggest otherwise borders on the absurd.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I disagree that SFS is the "pinnacle" of the university - the College, Law Center, and Med School would all have something to say about that - but you're right in that it is Georgetown's signature undergraduate program. And I agree that your interviewer is certainly on to something. Being in SFS versus, say, being a Government major in the College would still show numerous academic similarities but we would see a distinct difference in focus between the liberal arts Gov't major and the professional SFS course of study.</p>
<p>My point is that the culture of SFS lends its students an imprimatur they haven't necessarily earned. Yes, the workload is high and yes, the competition is intense, but no more so than for their peers in one of the College's pre-professional programs or at the Business School, where grades alone more or less determine at which brokerage houses you do your summer internship and thus get to work upon graduating. (It's not ALL about grades at MSB, mind you, but they are the overriding factor.)</p>
<p>
[quote]
Finally, to suggest that SFS students have no grasp of science does a disservice to the school. I, for one, have taken over four years of math and over four years of laboratory science in high school (1 year of chem & physics each, 2 of bio, 1 of environmental science), scored a five on the AP Biology exam, etc. Just because my passion is IR does not mean that I, or other SFS admitees/students, are not equally competent academically in math and science as we are in the social sciences and humanities.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I apologize if I offended you with my remarks. Most students at Georgetown took 4 years of math and science, including APs, in high school and did well. My point is that (A) what's covered in high school is introductory-level knowledge that (B) will be 4 years cold by the time you graduate college unless you take some refresher science courses in the meantime. And your workload will be such that you'll barely have the time. One SFS friend of mine went PRE-MED and did ROTC while in SFS and blasted himself with year-round study of math and science. He's now doing an MD/PhD at UCSF. But he is... oh, how can I put this diplomatically... completely bass-ackwards nuts. You won't see very many people do that to themselves and successfully pull it off.</p>
<p>I guess my memories of SFSers as freshmen are unfairly coloring my perception of the school - the frosh do most of the self-important whining. Several of my best friends are SFS grads and I know dozens more besides and few, after freshman year, did much complaining beyond the usual "help, I'm drowning in crap!" laments all of us uttered at one point or another.</p>
<p>For the record, I myself never had any SFS ambitions - I lived overseas for several years before college and just wanted to settle into a traditional college environment for a while thereafter - and eventually took my A.B. in Theology. I realize that my posts may sound like attacks on SFS - they're not. It's more an expression of amusement than anything else. SFS has a fantasic reputation they've worked very hard to build and earned many times over. Just don't let it blind you to all the other good stuff happening at Georgetown.</p>
<p>
[quote]
For the record, I myself never had any SFS ambitions - I lived overseas for several years before college and just wanted to settle into a traditional college environment for a while thereafter - and eventually took my A.B. in Theology. I realize that my posts may sound like attacks on SFS - they're not. It's more an expression of amusement than anything else. SFS has a fantasic reputation they've worked very hard to build and earned many times over. Just don't let it blind you to all the other good stuff happening at Georgetown.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Point well taken. But I feel like from my sister's experience at GTown and some of her friends that there are people in all the schools who become sort of self-obsessed in their own program and don't venture too much outside of it. Incidentally, I just got an e-mail from my former-teacher who is a graduate of the College and wrote my recommendations (he's now at LSE getting an advanced degree) and he told me to be careful that I don't turn into an SFS snob, b/c there is a lot else that goes on at GTown. I totally agree.</p>
<p>To say SFSers are insulated from science is just as bad as making a generalization that everyone in MSB is a party boy planning on exploiting small countries and that everyone in the College has no idea what they want to do with their life.</p>
<p>Three SFS majors DO require math. Obviously not to the extent of a Math major, but there is a Calc requirement for IPEC, IECO, and STIA majors. STIA majors also have to take lab science (obviously). There is also a fair amount of economics, which, above the Macro/Micro principles level, does involve at least thinking in a semi mathematical manner. Also, to compare someone who is Premed taking Organic Chemistry to someone majoring in IPOL or some other major in the SFS is ridiculous- different people think in different ways and having walked both sides of the line, I would contend with any science person who doesn't think that conducting research in the social sciences or political theory is less technical or challenging than their science.</p>
<p>I have also met a fair number of people (in both the SFS and the College) who have not taken Calculus, nor will they ever...so there are DEFINITELY people in the College who are equally insulated from science and math (if not more so, because some don't even take economics)...</p>
<p>Decision: Accepted EA</p>
<p>School/Major: SFS, don't remember what I put down for a major</p>
<p>Stats:
SAT: 2350: 760/790/800
SAT IIs: 700 French, 780 Math IIC, 790 World History
GPA: Not sure...a mix of As and Bs in IB classes
Rank: School doesn't rank...definitely top decile, probably top 5%
Essays: First one was on the year I spent in Romania last year, integrating my thoughts on Eastern European economic liberalization, and the second one was on the plight of Roma (gypsies) in Eastern Europe, but specifically in Romania. I wrote it like a research paper with a works cited and all.
Teacher Recs: Very good...but aren't they all?
Counselor Rec: He liked me...we didn't have a relationship beyond normal schedule planning, but he seemed to really like me.
Hook (if any): I lived in Romania last year, I'm an IB diploma candidate, I'm fluent in Romanian.
State or Country: a wealthy suburb of Philadelphia
School Type: elite public school
Ethnicity: white
Gender: male
Religion: atheist
major strength/weakness: Not many ECs (Model UN last year and Romanian lessons were the only relevant things)
special skills/abilities: fluent Romanian
why you think you were accepted/rejected/defered: Excellent SAT scores, good essays, the Romania thing</p>
<p>for those of you who are current or past students.. how would you compare an education in sfs to a political science major at yale?? i guess what im asking is.. just how prestigious is an sfs degree in to comparison to one from yale</p>
<p>accepted! regular decision</p>
<p>white/female/public school
sat: 2210 (800cr, 720w, 690m)
satii: 800 literature, 780 us, 720 math lvl 2, 690 latin
gpa: 4.045 weighted, it's higher this year w/ more ap's
classes: i'll have taken 11 ap tests when i graduate. i'm taking 6 ap classes this year
rank: my school doesn't rank, i would think top 10%
aps: 5 english lang, 5 us history, 4 latin catullus/ovid, 4's us & comparative gov't
recs: pretty good, an excellent one from my counselor
essays: i liked them a lot when i was done with them. my sfs essay was on women's rights in developing countries and misconceptions about feminism.<br>
interview: really good
ec's: national speech & debate competitor, 2nd place at state as a sophomore, 3rd as a junior and 2nd again as a senior, national qualifer, finalist/placed at national tournaments, 6th place at yale's speech tournament, theatre for 4 yrs, nat'l honor society officer, latin honor society president, president of a local volunteering club, girls' state, nat'l merit commended, ap scholar w/ distinction</p>
<p>gtown was especially impressed by my public speaking career. they sent me a follow-up letter to my admit congratulating me and telling me about their debate program. </p>
<p>if you're a junior looking to go to gtown, i recommend trying to go to your state's girls' or boys' state program. i know a lot of people who went to those programs in my state and are now going to georgetown. bill clinton went to boys' state and went on to georgetown. i'm not saying it's magic, but it may be lucky! ( :</p>