Colleges suck

[seldon]

Viva,
I'm looking at economics, international relations/polysci, or physics. I'm not really sure yet (obviously).

In other news, I heard back from princeton and stanford today and got in .

And to those who asked why I applied to so many, is that specifically at my school the problem of grade-inflation (I have a 3.75 and am barely in the top 20% grade-wise) and general over-achieverness makes it really hard to be able to know, and I didn't want to get screwed over like a couple of kids did last year. Options are always nice.

Now I have to decide yale/princeton/stanford. i dont think im going to screw up.

dirtybryan, eagle scout - check. straight as- not really. minority - nope.

[skatecow45]

To everyone:

Your advice has been so great! Its making me think about so many new things. I'll keep ya'll posted about my decision...
time of my life!

[CantDog]

To everyone:

Your advice has been so great! Its making me think about so many new things. I'll keep ya'll posted about my decision...
time of my life!

1234567890

[good4nothing]

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

you're telling me.............

This makes my fat skis sad

But seriously, they have an excellent medical school and that's the only thing that really matters at this point.

[Stu Gotz]

Nothing to see here. Bad advice for a skiing forum.

[Hmmm1024]

Accepted:

-UMass Amherst BIOTAP program

-Rutgers Honors

-SUNY Binghamton

Rejected:

-Columbia (it was always a stretch, but I figured I might as well try)

Pending:

-Utoronto

I'm really tempted to go for UMass, especially with the BIOTAP offer. I was wondering if anyone had any advice to offer about UMass. Thanks!

[MOHSHSIHd]

Holy fuck, a JONG that used the search function!?!?!?!


The only useful info I can provide is that Rutgers is damn close to NYC on the train. Like 20 to 25 minutes and you are in Penn Station.

Personally, of all the places you got into I would go there. Binghamton is fucking ghetto as fuck, and I know nothing about Amherst.

[butterscotch]

Okay, I'll chime in on Amherst. It's a rad town. I really like Amherst -- it's what a college town should be -- not too big, good bars, good coffee shops, used CD stores... I made at least one trip per year to visit friends there.

It's funny to hear about the BIOTAP program again. I had a good friend graduate from that program several years ago. It's definitely a good program, the opportunity to graduate with honors from UMASS definitely sets you apart. If you're in-state, it's a great deal.

Advice:
- Avoid living in Southwest -- although as I recall all the biotap people live together, at least as freshman.

[DharmaBum]

Got into:

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

You got into those four schools and you titled the thread "Colleges suck"? I suggest you spend a year at a community college in southeast Texas where you'll learn to appreciate the gift you've been given of being able to choose at all, much less being able to choose between those four institutions.

[Sirshredalot]

I grew up in MA and had quite a few buddies go to UMass. It's a big school and it's easy to skip class and smoke herb all day if you're prone to that sort of thing. That's not a good thing. If you want to do that you should just go ski bum it for a year instead of wasting your money.

The honors programs have a good reputation with grad programs and enable you to put in some quality time with your advisors. It'll also hook you up with some other kids who are there to study a fair bit. I think the opportunities for undergrads to participate in research are pretty good since it doesn't have particularly large grad programs for a school it's size. It isn't Princeton, but if you stick your head in the books you should set yourself up well to get into a good grad program in your field. A number of my friends have. If you major in something liberal artsy with a weak GPA you'll probably have a little more trouble finding employment, but you could say that about practically anywhere.

Amherst is a great college town with good concerts, pretty girls, all that sort of thing. It's not a big city sort of environment and the social scene is pretty much centered around the colleges. Western MA is beautiful country and has great biking if you are in to that sort of thing. Amherst isn't terribly far from decent skiing if you have a car.

[JJUDGE]

As far as engineering is concerned, Boulder has a great program, I am at the University of Denver and have had many friends transfer because of this harsh reality, other than that, go where the snow is the best

[usarugger]

From a guy who is just about to graduate college, if you dig skiing you have to go somewhere close to the mountains. I just spent the past 4 years in Boston. You think you are a lot closer to the mountains than you are, and as much as it seems like a young, atheltic town it's really not. Everyone says they ski and they really ski 3 days a year. I struggled to get ski partners and I've worked at a ski shop for 3 of the 4 years. So my advice is go to CU, UVM, DU, Puget Sound or where ever in the real mountains you Mags get in.

[Jonathan S.]

Binghamton is fucking ghetto as fuck, and I know nothing about Amherst.

I grew up in Binghamton, and went to public school there, K through 12.
(My high school was just around the corner from the site of today's massacre.)

Downtown has unfortunately become somewhat ghetto since I grew up in Binghamton (on the West Side, about two miles from downtown). That might improve with the university's efforts to become more integrated with the city (since otherwise the campus is its own island), although then again, what might eventually be good for downtown might not be all that good in the immediate future for university students.

I went to college in Amherst, and now live here -- an absolutely lovely place, and great for all sorts of outdoors activities: if the mountains were just a bit bigger, snowier, and closer, it would be absolutely perfect.

Binghamton University overall though is a much better school than UMass-Amherst, although that could differ depending on the specific programs you’re considering.

I just spent the past 4 years in Boston. You think you are a lot closer to the mountains than you are, and as much as it seems like a young, atheltic town it's really not. Everyone says they ski and they really ski 3 days a year.

Having spent sixteen-and-a-half years in Boston (mainly Cambridge, first for grad school and then for work), I completely agree with that characterization.

[marc07]

If you like skiing, go to the mountains. I'm at Washington State over in the beautiful farmland known as pullman, WA. While I love the school, the mountains are a little farther away than I would like (3 hours for good skiing). That being said, I was also accepted to CU and Montana State. I decided not to go to those because I would not be in school right now if I did. But for anyone out there looking for a school that you can ski at, MSU is the place to go. I have a few friends there and they ski at least twice a week because the mountains are so close. Makes me wish I was there now.

[Art Shirk]

Accepted:

The Ted Danson School of Folical Feculence
Mortician's Institute of Fluffing
UC Santa Cruz

Rejected:

Montana Butte Tech Bible College and Tire Repair Center
Central Guam Canine Receptical Technician Tech
Rosicrutian Museum Engineering A&M
Western Tennessee Clown College (School of Criminal Justice)



If I had gotten into Clown College, or if I go to UCSC, I hear that I get half-off of any seat at all Monster Truck events.

[jfost]

so where'd ya go?!?

[adam]

Am I in the minority for only applying to two schools?

[nick > jesus]

4 for 4

University of Puget Sound (top choice, not sure if i can afford it)
Westminster College- salt lake (second choice, big scholarships, good skiing)
University of Denver (pretty much ruled out)
University of San Francisco (no longer in the running)

[BroGnar]

B
UVM does have a really good medical facility. The grad program is one of the top 10 in the country suprisingly. There are also many hot girls here despite that it's Vermont. The only downfall is that they hibernate between November and March. Yet, when the end of March beginning of April rolls around (like right now) all of a sudden you start seeing tons of half dressed hotties you never knew existed and it makes the end of the semester that much more interesting.

^^^Agreed, the day in April when the skirts come back out is one of the most glorious days of the year. However, if you can find a girl that is as into snow, skis and mountains as you are (they do exist I've met a few) you still get to have a lot of fun between November and March.

Edit: How many current and former UVM students are there here?

[allenataylor]

Go to UVM. Enough said.

If that's not enough evidence just check out a few of my old TR's (or samthaman's). UVM is the best choice I ever made.
If you are doubting send me a PM.

[bfree]

Well I'm in the mix too and deciding between:
U of Washington (close, good skiing, cheapest)
UCLA (expensive, otherwise quite a nice option)
Cal Poly SLO (more affordable cali option)
Colorado mines (best skiing, cost not much more than UW)

Any opinions on CO mines/golden in particular?

[nick > jesus]

mines is the only school in golden

[hofferfish]

Accepted:
University of British Columbia - Engineering (Im 90% sure Im going)
Reed College - Physics (no way in hell can I afford it)
UCSC
UCSB - College of Creative Studies in Physics

Declined:
MIT
Cornell
Berkeley
UCLA
Olin

Are there any Maggots going to UBC? I want a school with a good engineering department or good fiziks thats within a few hours from skiing so I think UBC is $$$.

[nick > jesus]

mines is about 1 hour from lots of skiing and has great engineering.

[vivelafrance!]

bfree, you're in a pickle I was in a couple years ago. good in state for cheap VS better out of state for too much $$$. Go with the in state. That's what I did, and boy am I glad I don't have to pay off any loans when I graduate.