Colleges suck

Take my advice with a grain of salt, as I'm a bit of a lost soul myself :rolleyes2 . I've attended three different schools in three different semesters, and am currently taking a semester off to work and hopefully figure out what I should really be doing (which won't necessarily include school, time will tell.) If you're curious, I attended Wesleyan University in CT and played football in Fall '04 (too many hippies and nuts for me), attended Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston Spring '05 for Construction Management (yes I know big change but cool program), and University of Georgia Fall '05. Started off with a 3.2 at Wesleyan, and Dean's List at WIT and UGA. So, with that said picking a school is something I've had some experience (and failures) with.

Anyways, I wouldn't personally consider any school to be "too big." Especially considering the types of courses you'll be taking, you'll probably see the same faces on a regular basis making it easier to meet people. Partying, as others have said, is what you make of it. When I was at UGA I partied far less than I did at home, and I was working as a bouncer in downtown Athens and around that whole scene constantly, but never really got into it. Only you can know what type of person you are...but judging from what you've said it seems that UMass is jumping out at you because it is close to home and the girlfriend is here, and it makes the decision that much easier...it all seems familiar to you, etc. I personally think basing your decision on those factors is a mistake. Hopefully you've given the cost of attending these different schools serious consideration, as UMass will obviously be a bargain in comparison to the others. I almost ended up transferring to Boulder from Wesleyan, and actually had flown out to visit and everything until getting my financial aid package with a big zero...in other words, pretty damn expensive (Wesleyan gave me a lot of $$). I'm rambling so I'll wrap it up, but I say if UPS seems to be your number one choice then go for it. I don't know how many (if any) you've visited, but it's something you really need to do (especially while everyone is still on campus). And lastly if you screw up making your choice I'm proof that transferring isn't too difficult to do.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by skatecow45

So here are my thoughts.

Boulder is too big. Just too much partying. Boulder is Boulder, as everyone says.

UPS is far away. Its my number one-ish choice but I have a girlfriend not wanting me to go to Washington.

UMASS- Almost too big, but I got into their honors college. Really sweet. And the BIOTAP program is for only 40 kids. Again, pretty sweet.

UVM- I'de go there. Nothing JUMPS right out and says "im the best"

I donno...

---

I went to UCLA - I can tell you that even the big schools feel small.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sphinx

Engineering grad school acceptances (PhD programs):

• UCLA Mechanical

• UC San Diego Mechanical

• CU Boulder Aero

:D



Rejected:

• Caltech

• UC Berkeley

• UC Santa Barbara

:fuckyou:

---

I'm so glad I am not you. :D

....and congratulations.

Here are my few cents.

I grew up in the east, got my ugrad degree at Lehigh in PA, then moved out to WA for grad school. I took a 2 years off during my ugrad and lived in Stowe, took some classes at UVM. UVM was a great school, Burlington is a great, happening town. I often wish I had done my whole ugrad at UVM. And I don't know what Bakers Dozen is talking about, VT is a great place to live and the skiing at Stowe is fantastic. Lots of cool stashes and backcountry to explore. Of the schools that you got into, I would suggest UVM, hands down. But thats just my personal preference.

I moved to Bellingham, WA to go to grad school at WWU (Western Washington) and had the time of my life there. Then I moved to Tacoma when I got a job. Dude. You don't want to live in Tacoma. Yeah, Crystal is an hour and half up the road and it's a sick place to ski. But dude. You don't want to live in Tacoma. Did I say that already? Plus, I live about 5 blocks from UPS and I can't imagine going to a school that small (no offense to iggy). Take the advice from others and go to a big school where you don't get to know everyone there the first week. Go somewhere where the hot chicks are copious and you blend in with the crowd, you'll have a lot more fun IMO.

Academics-wise, if you care about the name of the school that is gonna end up on your work resume after you graduate (and it DOES definitely carry some weight), and you are serious about premed or bio, UMass Amherst is gonna be hard to beat. It might be worth grinding thru your undergrad somewhere like UMass then find a graduate program somewhere fun like I did and have a ball.

No comment on Boulder, but I would imagine it would be pretty fun...sweet town, good skiing, hot chicks, and parties up the wazoo. What more can you ask for in a college experience? Oh yeah, I guess the academics are important too.

I'd say go with whats cheapest, since all those schools are pretty similar.

Out of all the towns, I'd pick Burlington. I couldnt stand Boulder when I lived there.

I'm not sure about UPS.

Is UMASS in state for you?

Accepted to:

The Evergreen State College. Olympia, WA

Pacific University. Forest Grove, WA

both schools are small (5500 and 1200 respectively) and I'm kinda leaning toward the smaller one (Pacific). Evergreen is an ultra-progressive liberal arts school FULL of hippies, Pacific is just... tiny.

I'm going to be studying film whereever I go.

Any input anyone has would be well received.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BigDaddy

Head west young man... The snow, mountains, women and beer is better and don't miss out on a million opportunities to hook up by hanging with your girlfriend! You'll never get that chance again.

Edit: I say this as a New Englander that has been there.

---

I agree with this 100%
From Nh,
did my undergrad in Ithaca Ny,
Worked at the USOC in Colorado Springs
Now in Bozeman for grad school.

If you have any desire at all to be in the rockies, head to Boulder.
I believe the city planner for Ithaca Ny, Burlington and Boulder was the same guy, city wise, they're all pretty similiar (although Boulder is the most up-scale)
The weather is awesome, passes are fairly cheap, chicks are hot, the Rockies are great. Plus, you'll get to experience things that you would never have known, that your parents have never seen. (probably)
No matter what, highschool friends drift away. You WILL have the best times of your life in college.

Whereever you go, remember that college is about connections. Get in good with the faculty and they will open doors that you didn't know existed. Don't just go to class, do your work and go home... get involved, make yourself known.

Evergreen has lots of drugs. Campus is nice...but kind of in the middle of no where.

Isnt pacific in Forest Grove, OR? Having been there...I would go to Evergreen. I know a girl who majored in the color yellow there...completely serious.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by iggyskier

Evergreen has lots of drugs. Campus is nice...but kind of in the middle of no where.

Isnt pacific in Forest Grove, OR? Having been there...I would go to Evergreen. I know a girl who majored in the color yellow there...completely serious.

---

How does one major in a color? :confused:

Imagine being an employer and seeing her resume.

Biomedical engineering is a great path to follow if you think you may want to do pre-med. It allows you to take a pretty general class load (most of my classes are 2000 level classes in other departments like materials science and biology- the biomed dept actually only has 7 or 8 classes assigned to it, meaning i get to take shitloads of easy classes) and have a meaningful degree in 4 or 5 years, whereas a pre-med biology degree leaves you high and dry if you decide not to go directly into med school.


Drop your GF like its hot. Easy-E had it right when he said "college girls are easy."

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sphinx

How does one major in a color? :confused:

Imagine being an employer and seeing her resume.

---

no fucking idea. but she did it.

like I said, though, there are a lot of drugs at evergreen.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by iggyskier

no fucking idea. but she did it.

like I said, though, there are a lot of drugs at evergreen.

---

I'm not surprised at either fact. Evergreen doesn't grade you, you have conferences with your professor at the end of the quarter and they determine... whether you passed I guess. Like I said, super-progressive liberal arts school.

The drugs... well according to the Princeton Review its top 10 in the nation in the "reefer madness" category.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by skatecow45

Today was the big day for the acceptances/ rejections. Damn, I thought I would have done better. But, fuck those we rejected me. I went 4/7

Got into:

U Puget Sound (Tacoma, Washington)
UVM (Burlington, Vermont)
CU Boulder (Boulder, Colorado)
UMASS, Commonwealth College, BIOTAP Program (Amherst, Mass)

The rejections:

McGill University (Montreal, Quebec, Canada)
Colorado College (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
Tufts University (Medford, Mass)

Well, that sums it up. I don't know what my final decision is yet. Any thoughts?

---

Just wait until you start applying for medical school.

want to see my list, this is terrifying


Accepted -

Nowhere yet


Likely Accepted -

University of Pittsburgh - Interviewed 3/24 and waiting for decision


Possibly Accepted -

Vanderbilt - Interviewed and Waitlisted
University of Rochester - Interviewed and Waitlisted


Denied -
University of Colorado - Interviewed and rejected outright (one of my interviewers was a dick, so I knew this was coming.)

20other miscelanious schools: rejected without interview.


so 7000$+ later (for AMCAS application fees/secondary application fees/airline tickets/hotels/rental cars/and a suit) the only thing I have is my dick in my hand and the hope that Pitt will let me in outright or i'll get in off a waitlist. All this with a 33R on the stupid fucking MCAT.

To put this is perspective, that's the equivalent of a set of dp lotus 120's, dynastar legend pro's, K2 pontoon's, kingswood fat's, head M103's, Stormrider DP's, AK swallow tail's, and the 7 FKS 185's to mount them all. Or I could have just purchased every single Iggy model unmounted, or gone heliskiing for a week.

JESUSFUCKINGMOTHERFUCKING
GODDAMNCHRISTTTTTTTT!!!!

but seriously, undergrad is a blast and you have some great choices. Good Luck man.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by belgian

Accepted to:

The Evergreen State College. Olympia, WA

Pacific University. Forest Grove, WA

both schools are small (5500 and 1200 respectively) and I'm kinda leaning toward the smaller one (Pacific). Evergreen is an ultra-progressive liberal arts school FULL of hippies, Pacific is just... tiny.

I'm going to be studying film whereever I go.

Any input anyone has would be well received.

---

For what it's worth, I'd pick the Evergreen State College. Contrary to popular belief, they actually offer a good education to those who seek it. And it's in an interesting location. You could do worse than to explore the Olypmic Mountains, the Pennisula rivers, and the south Puget Sound, too. Crystal Mountain and Mt. Rainier are a little far, but still entirely doable from Evergreen. If you don't have a car, other students certainly will. Provide your share of the gas money, and you'll be on your way.

I took linear algebra and abstract algebra there. Initially, I signed up for the classes because I was working near there and wanted access to a pool for swimming laps. Taking some classes was cheaper for me than a gym membership. In the end, I was delighted with the quality of the classes I took. I give Evergreen a definite thumbs up.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sphinx

TUCB and Caltech were pretty much guaranteed to reject me. But I'm quite excited about UCSD, their controls group is strong, and I think I'd enjoy it there.

---

Caltech rejected me, too. And I worked there for two years.

Lemme know If you decide on UCSD and come for an interview. I did grad school at UCSD and recently moved back to San Diego.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BenWA

I can't imagine going to a school that small (no offense to iggy).

---

no offense taken. I wanted a smaller school, thus I choose UPS.

Smaller schools aren't for everybody. Some people would find them just too small. I'm happy with the size.

I have a very close group of friends and when I go out I know a lot of people at parties. If you don't like the kids...then it will kind of suck because you generally run into the same few hundred kids at parties.

honestly - ive very happy with the size. I think I wouldn't be as happy at a school of 30,000.

but to each his own, no?

Got into (so far):
-yale
-brown
-dartmouth

rejected:
-swarthmore

waitlisted:
-harvard.

yale's always been my first choice, though I hear from 12 other places in the next week I'm pretty much set and incredibly stoked (they deferred me from early) to be going where I want to go. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by seldon

Got into (so far):
-yale
-brown
-dartmouth

rejected:
-swarthmore

waitlisted:
-harvard.

yale's always been my first choice, though I hear from 12 other places in the next week I'm pretty much set and incredibly stoked (they deferred me from early) to be going where I want to go. :)

---

Congrats man, that's one hell of a list. I don't imagine that the remaining 12 letters will be dissapointing given the caliber of the schools you've already been accepted to.

Accepted -
University of Denver
University of Vermont
St. Mike's

Then again that was all back in December, I was lucky enough to not have to apply anywhere regular decision.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by seldon

Got into (so far):
-yale
-brown
-dartmouth

rejected:
-swarthmore

waitlisted:
-harvard.

yale's always been my first choice, though I hear from 12 other places in the next week I'm pretty much set and incredibly stoked (they deferred me from early) to be going where I want to go. :)

---

Damn, you must be one of those minority eagle scout straight a students.

Going back a few pages....
If your girl doesn't want the best for you (going to the school of your choice), then drop her.

More to now....
The SUNY schools are great for a bunch of different stuff.... skiing isn't one of them. I got close to 60 days a year going to a SUNY school at the 'Cuse, but thats 'cause I was racing.

If you haven't visited most of those campus' yet, its time for a roadtrip.

Good luck.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Viva

Caltech rejected me, too. And I worked there for two years.

Lemme know If you decide on UCSD and come for an interview. I did grad school at UCSD and recently moved back to San Diego.

---

The controls group invited me to visit on their tab - so of course I did. And rather liked it.

What field were you in?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by grskier

Going back a few pages....
If your girl doesn't want the best for you (going to the school of your choice), then drop her.

---

Others in this thread have commented as to this as well, and I could not agree more. Without waxing philosophical, everyone I know (without exception) that has made long term academic decisions based on relationship factors has come to deeply regret it. Especially if you are looking at the medical school route (see above rant about med school admissions) you have a very long road ahead of you and decisions you make now will establish the direction of that path without you even knowing it. As also mentioned above, the likelyhood of you sticking with the major you start in is probably very low. For reference, I started in petroleum engineering and finished with a bs in vertebrate zoology (4.5 yrs w/ english lit minor). Choosing a school that is strong in a multitude of fields can be very important, especially if you change degrees. This may not be too relevant if you choose a different major in the same department, but if you make a radical shift one school may not be able to provide a degree that is as well respected in certain fields if it is highly specialized. If you're serious about medical school, instutions that have programs to promote and encourage undergraduate research will also serve you very well. Medical school admissions have become so uber-competitive that a strong background in laboratory research has almost become a requirement.

Anyway, good luck with the decision, and have a kick ass time. College rules.

DO go to a college in a COLLEGE TOWN! Commuter schools suck, trying to live at home and commute to school sucks worse and is not worth the money you save in rent.

DO NOT let a HS girlfriend have any influence on your decision. All really good advice from everyone here on that point.

DO take college seriously! It's all fun for us to post on the TGR forum and weigh the pros and cons of the nearby mountains, but if you don't graduate and get a real job eventually you will be screwed, and not in a good way. The mountains will always be there and they'll be much easier to get to if you're pulling in serious bank. If it takes sacrificing your college years worth of ski seasons, DO IT!

DON'T do anything stupid like knock someone up or get married while in college. You'll have enough to worry about.

My experience, FWIW, I left my GF of +2 years to go to a real university in a real college town, based entirley on blind faith that my parents were right. We stuck it out until about spring break when she called it quits. I was devistated, then got over it and chose not to go anywhere near my home town the next summer. I got heavily into surfing instead and never regretted it. I got married and learned to snowboard a few years after graduating and have since travelled just about everywhere I've ever dreamed of...then I had kids.

Bottom line, there's a time and a place for everything in your life. If you screw it up you'll miss out on something great and really be sorry. Do what's best for you and you'll never regret it.

who else wishes they had a forum of already-been-through-its when they made their college decision?

y'all are friggin lucky. :cool:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by good4nothing

Just wait until you start applying for medical school.

want to see my list, this is terrifying


Accepted -

Nowhere yet


Likely Accepted -

University of Pittsburgh - Interviewed 3/24 and waiting for decision


Possibly Accepted -

Vanderbilt - Interviewed and Waitlisted
University of Rochester - Interviewed and Waitlisted


Denied -
University of Colorado - Interviewed and rejected outright (one of my interviewers was a dick, so I knew this was coming.)

20other miscelanious schools: rejected without interview.


so 7000$+ later (for AMCAS application fees/secondary application fees/airline tickets/hotels/rental cars/and a suit) the only thing I have is my dick in my hand and the hope that Pitt will let me in outright or i'll get in off a waitlist. All this with a 33R on the stupid fucking MCAT.

To put this is perspective, that's the equivalent of a set of dp lotus 120's, dynastar legend pro's, K2 pontoon's, kingswood fat's, head M103's, Stormrider DP's, AK swallow tail's, and the 7 FKS 185's to mount them all. Or I could have just purchased every single Iggy model unmounted, or gone heliskiing for a week.

JESUSFUCKINGMOTHERFUCKING
GODDAMNCHRISTTTTTTTT!!!!

but seriously, undergrad is a blast and you have some great choices. Good Luck man.

---

can hope and pittsburgh really be used in the same sentence?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by seldon

Got into (so far):
-yale
-brown
-dartmouth

rejected:
-swarthmore

waitlisted:
-harvard.

---

you smart or somefing? ;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by stupendous man

who else wishes they had a forum of already-been-through-its when they made their college decision?

y'all are friggin lucky. :cool:

---

I woulda gone to Colorado College instead of Haverford College. So, um, yeah.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by seldon

Got into (so far):
-yale
-brown
-dartmouth

rejected:
-swarthmore

waitlisted:
-harvard.

yale's always been my first choice, though I hear from 12 other places in the next week I'm pretty much set and incredibly stoked (they deferred me from early) to be going where I want to go. :)

---

why on earth did you apply to almost 20 schools when you have the credentials to get into those schools???

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mr_gyptian

can hope and pittsburgh really be used in the same sentence?

---

Pitt's got a solid med school and the biomed research there is also strong. Anywho, when you're in grad or med school, is doesn't matter if the city sucks. Does Pittsburgh suck?

To all those med and pre-medies:
THINK HARD ABOUT WHAT YOU REALLY WANT TO DO.
And realize it doesn't really jibe with a lot of time for skiing.

When I applied to med school my only criteria was that it had to be somewhere within a 2 hour drive to skiing, and I through in a couple of eh... for backup. So of course the only places I got accepted were St. Louis University, Vanderbilt, and Northwestern and wait listed/rejected elsewhere (Colorado, Utah-really hard unless you live there, UW,Vermont etc).
I was an "above average" (3.83, 35 MCAT) white male candidate with a good research background, but put what I enjoyed(skiing, biking, hiking, etc) ahead of preparing for the "intangibles" of med school admissions.

Then I thought about it, my #1 priority? nothing to do with school quality etc and everything to do with how much skiing I'd be able to do. I decided not to go and got my PhD instead (Molec. and Cell. Biol). I got into a lab where the PI liked to ski and averaged ~70 days season each year and graduated with no debt. 10 years later it was definitely the right choice for me. (Ok, that and I really don't like the sight of blood, or sick/dieing people for that matter, my father is pyhsician)

Guess my overstated point is to make sure you end up doing something you love to do and are committed to. If its medicine, don't make your choice based on skiing. And if it's skiing, well... go git sum!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by seldon

Got into (so far):
-yale
-brown
-dartmouth

rejected:
-swarthmore

waitlisted:
-harvard.

---

Nice, Seldon. I'd go with Yale, personally. I like both the university and the town of New Haven. Do you have a field of study yet?

For anyone looking for the small college ski town experience don't forget the "harvard on the Hill". Fort Lewis in Durango is a sweet little school. Has the rep of a party school, but the academics and profs are top notch. Like anywhere, if you apply yourself you can get a great education and do some great skiing/boarding in the process.

This is kinda my bag (advising the youngsters) so I'm gonna weight in.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by skatecow45

Got into:
U Puget Sound (Tacoma, Washington)

---

Nice place. Small, so if that becomes a priority along with a desire to move xcountry (a good idea while you're young and can do it) a fine choice this would be.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by skatecow45

UVM (Burlington, Vermont)

---

A lot of people around here can speak with more authority about this spot, but I will say its a very good school, has fine bio/science resources, is in a pristine college town, will have you stoned for four years, and among some of the better young skiiers in the country. It is, however, just a stone's throw from your home state, and might thus not be much of an adventure for you. Still, a good place with good science and a killer snow-sports community.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by skatecow45

CU Boulder (Boulder, Colorado)

---

Take UVM, quadruple it in size, funding, D1 sports prowess, and add the CO rockies. Definitely the likeliest place to lose one's focus (mmm, drugs everywhere), but also a HUGE budget for biomed research so a lot of opportunity for you there. Often considered the coolest college town in America.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by skatecow45

UMASS, Commonwealth College, BIOTAP Program (Amherst, Mass)

---

While likely the least glamorous of the bunch, academically the honors program (that's what the Comm. College is right?) could be the best of this list. Having said that, Amherst is nice town, but nowhere near as fun as Burlington, Boulder, or Seattle. It would also leave you not too far from home (good or bad? Your call). The sciences there are on the up and up- the new dean (Dr. George Langford) is a pimp [first black scince prof. to get a chair at Dartmouth, generally cool guy], and in an honors program you'd liley have some cool opportunities. Finally, you'll be close to 91, and thus an easy drive from pretty much all of Southern and Central VT and not much more than a couple hours from N. VT to boot.

Whatever you choose, those are all fine schools in good places with skiing not too far away (Boulder and Seattle have decidedy better skiing of course). You won't go wrong at any of these schools. Time of your life, kid, time of your life.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Viva

I like . . . the town of New Haven.

---

:eek: :eek: :eek:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by seldon

Got into (so far):
-yale
-brown
-dartmouth

rejected:
-swarthmore

waitlisted:
-harvard.

yale's always been my first choice, though I hear from 12 other places in the next week I'm pretty much set and incredibly stoked (they deferred me from early) to be going where I want to go. :)

---

Nobody skis at Dartmouth ;)

If you choose to go there though, you risk turning out like Mildbill. Careful. BeerPong.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by biggins

Nobody skis at Dartmouth ;)

---

My old BC partner was a Dartmouth grad.... total gaping asswanker.:nonono2:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cyber Cop

I am a total gaping asswanker.

---

el fixed.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by biggins

This is kinda my bag (molesting the youngsters) so I'm gonna weight in.

---

:the_finge fucking freak.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by iggyskier

Like everyone said - don't base school on a girl. You will break up. I know NO ONE who has stayed with their HS girlfriend, my self included. it is very very hard.

---

I did. Then I married her. My parents did also. Though I agree that (goping to school with the girl) can be a consideration but can't be the only or main reason to go to a particular school.