College

[jedusor]

So, I missed chess tonight because there was this college fair thing in Shawnee Mission. It was a mob- seriously, I'd be surprised if there were less than 2000 people there- but I got a metric crapload of brochures and pamphlets from all kinds of colleges. I spent the whole evening sifting through them, and found several that look excellent:
Columbia
Hamilton
Oberlin
Stanford
Syracuse
St. Lawrence
Menlo
University of Oregon

Anyone know anything about any of these? No hurry, I'm not applying until next year, but I'd like to narrow down my choices.

Comments

[great-scotto.livejournal.com]

applying next year?
jeez your so young though. take some time off, wait till your 18, or doing anything without mom or dad around is going to be rediculously difficult maybe not 18, but close to it. take it easy kiddo. college is some nasty stuff if your not ready for it. And personally i don't think you are ready for it. No offense or anything, i love ya and all.

On another note, Stanford, Columbia and U of O are great. Standford has very very excellent music, arts, and math programs. plus its got that reputation of "you went to stanford? your hired!" kinda thing. I don't know much about the other two i mentioned, only that they are good colleges. n i only know about stanford because dad went there, and mom works there. eh.

Just take it easy though.

[ennienyc.livejournal.com]

As I mentioned in an earlier comment, I think you would love Barnard/Columbia IF you like New York. It's a diverse, eclectic place with a lot of energy, that defies stereotyping. Columbia College used to be all-male and is now co-ed and has a lot of required courses, while Barnard is the women's division with more personal attention (there's also an engineering undergrad school, and another for students over 25). The university has every resource and activity imaginable, and the city provides even more in the way of culture and internships/jobs. joecab went there, too, as well as tons of famous people.

You might want to lurk on LJ communities for these schools to get a feel.

[ratontheroad.livejournal.com]

I ask this question to everyone... why do you want to go to college?

[cometcrazie113.livejournal.com]

Am applying to Columbia, but don't actually know much about it :P

[(Anonymous)]

No. Sorry, Scott, I respect your opinion and I'll listen to you, but this isn't something you're going to be able to talk me out of. I've been taking it easy for fifteen years, and I'm done with that. I want to go out and do something for once, and waiting until I'm eighteen is not an option. Applying next year will have me starting at seventeen, which is later than I'd like, but I can't apply any earlier, thinking practically. Thanks for the advice, though :)

[jedusor.livejournal.com]

(Sorry, that was me.)

[jedusor.livejournal.com]

I'm fairly certain I don't want to go to an all-women's school, but Columbia is definitely an option. I'll check it out next time I'm in New York, probably next spring. My French teacher told me that I have West Coast down pat, and I should go to college on the East Coast to balance things out. I'm considering it.

You might want to lurk on LJ communities for these schools to get a feel.

Ooh, I hadn't even thought of that. Thanks!

[jedusor.livejournal.com]

Because I want to work as a research scientist, probably in neuroscience, and there really aren't many career options for neuroscientists with an AA degree.

[jedusor.livejournal.com]

O.o How many colleges are you applying to?

[rebbyribs.livejournal.com]

I started college right after I turned 17, and I don't think I would've gained anything by waiting until I was 18.

[ratontheroad.livejournal.com]

Makes sense. Now to play guidance councilor (sp?)... if you don't mind me asking, would you need a lot of student loans to get through four years of these universities?

[cometcrazie113.livejournal.com]

Nine, i think ...

Emory, UGA, Columbia, Harvard, Brandeis, Carnegie Mellon, Washington U, Brown, Dartmouth

-drowns in paperwork-

[mamagotcha.livejournal.com]

cindy marvel went to oberlin and loved it. one of oberlin's patrons was a famous KC lady whose home is now the miniature and toy museum.

[(Anonymous)]

I'm hoping my GPA, extracurricular involvement and writing ability will help me get scholarships. I'm going to file as an independent when I move out of my parents' house, so I may be able to get financial aid. I also might opt to stretch it out over a longer period of time than the traditional four years (my mom took seven years to work her way to a bachelor's degree).

But yes, finances will be an issue. Any suggestions?

[jedusor.livejournal.com]

My apologies, this computer doesn't let me know when I'm about to post anonymously. That last comment was me.

[ennienyc.livejournal.com]

Yeah :( (re all-women). In my era, girls applied to Barnard and boys applied to Columbia, so there was no choice. I was shocked when Columbia went co-ed in the '80s, and amazed that Barnard has not only survived but thrived.

That said, Barnard is all-women but not really. I majored in Statistics (a major which didn't exist at the time, so I petitioned for it), took almost all my classes at Columbia (except for a few requirements, classes on both sides of the street are open to everyone and the flow is almost even both ways; Barnard classes tend to be smaller and more personal), was active in Columbia activities (editor of the course guide), and lived in a Columbia dorm senior year. So my life was co-ed.

Nowadays, the housing is a little more segregated (upperclassmen can live at the other school if they sign up in groups together - several of the dorms are apartment-like suites with kitchens), but otherwise everyone goes to the same university as far as classes and activities. The class of 2009 breakdown is: Columbia College 1027 students, Engineering 318, Barnard 572 - so it's not that big a school.

So why would anyone want to go to Barnard? If I were doing it again today, I'd probably apply to Barnard instead of Columbia College - mainly because I'm not anxious to read all those required old texts in the Core courses (this means I probably should be reading them). Barnard is a little easier to get into, but not much (Barnard had an incoming average GPA of 94.5/3.89 and about the same selectivity as the engineering school). Also, reading LJ's and mentoring current students, I just sense more of a personal warm, close attitude and feeling of nurturing on the Barnard side (this may be a female stereotype). This even comes across to me on their web sites. Columbia just seems more... impersonal and bureaucratic.

In any case, it's a great university. It was not my first choice (Harvard was - so I went there for grad school and hated it), but it was absolutely the right place for me. You will get a "feel" as you read about (and visit) places, which ones speak to you, which courses sound exciting, which campuses you can imagine yourself at.

As you read LJ's, the current students who write there would probably be willing to talk to you. Good luck; it's an exciting process!

[ennienyc.livejournal.com]

I just realized my friend from high school ("C" in the 1969 diary) went to Oberlin. She loved it, though it's a bit "middle of nowhere." She went on to Columbia journalism grad school, and now works for NPR in DC.

[jedusor.livejournal.com]

*looks them up*

Dartmouth looks good. (Well, I mean, of course it's good- it's Dartmouth- but it looks like someplace I might want to go.) Brown doesn't even have a psych program, though. What are you majoring in?

[jedusor.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I should talk to her about it, then.

[jedusor.livejournal.com]

Any chance you could get me her e-mail address?

[cometcrazie113.livejournal.com]

Creative writing :D

[g4n0nd0rk.livejournal.com]

are you gonna stay in a dorm? i mean, even if you know which college your going to.

[jedusor.livejournal.com]

I doubt it. Dorm living is expensive. Some colleges require freshmen to live in the dorms, though... we'll see. I'm not terribly worried about that right now.

[persona.livejournal.com]

I loved Stanford, and it has great interdisciplinary programs. Good relationship to the med school for copious fMRI time, which is a prereq. for research neuroscience. I haven't been there since they opened their Bio-X program, but that may be another area to consider.

But living in the area is Very expensive. I think Stanford still guarantees 4 years undergrad housing, because many undergrads just can't support themselves off-campus. Palo Alto is NOT a college town.

[persona.livejournal.com]

And Menlo, is that in Atherton, CA? I went to Menlo High, and there was a college that we shared a library and athletic facilities with.

Dorms in the city

[ennienyc.livejournal.com]

Along those lines, almost all Columbia undergrads live in dorms (unless they commute from home) because NYC housing is insanely expensive. Many of the dorms are apartment-like suites with kitchens that don't require a meal plan. In fact, a few are in former or even current apartment buildings (with real tenants sharing the space). So it's like being on your own but a bit nicer and more convenient. Groceries aren't as ridiculously expensive as rents.

Re: Dorms in the city

[jedusor.livejournal.com]

(Sorry for responding to this so late.)

Actually, part of why I want to go to New York is that my aunt lives on Long Island and could provide a free or cheap place for me to live.