College Application Process

[superjames1992]

Re: College Application Process

I did apply to LSU as well and got in, but I just couldn't afford it as I'm already paying using all loans/grants for in state at FSU. It's a decision I regret, but at the same time don't

Sounds similar to my decision regarding WVU. I'm pretty certain I could have gotten in, but ther0e was no way I was paying twice the price to go out of state. I kind of regret it, but not really. It's not worth twice the price.

I would encourage everyone to go in-state, if they can. It is so much cheaper to go to an in-state public college. I mean, sure if I would have gotten into Yale or Harvard I would have went there, but that's a bit different.

College applications for me were pretty similar when I went to NC State. I applied in October, got in in December (APPLY EARLY!!!). We had to write an essay or two, I think, but they were pretty simple. I don't even remember getting any recommendations, but I may have.

Of course, I recently transferred to UNC-Greensboro to switch majors, but that was a transfer student application, which is a whole different animal (though fairly simple). Now I'm paying $7,000 per year on college since I'm living at home (a bit of a negative, but it's barely over a third of what I was paying at NC State).

[Weeks]

Re: College Application Process

Just sent in my first application

[Buckeye]

Re: College Application Process

UPDATE ON THE OP

I applied to two schools and got accepted (Both 4 Year colleges) I haven't decided what to do yet.

I talked to a couple people and I have decided to go visit a CC to see how I like the feel of it and etc. If I go the CC route I would like to go there for a year, two tops build up some extra money and transfer to a four year college.

The whole process confuses me and I hate it. I am still thinking about applying to a reach school this week. I have some scholarship money but not a lot. I have a 2.8 GPA 22 on my act(which I am re taking next month) I messed up my first year of hs and it killed me.

Any comments appreciated.

[Blue]

UPDATE ON THE OP

I applied to two schools and got accepted (Both 4 Year colleges) I haven't decided what to do yet.

I talked to a couple people and I have decided to go visit a CC to see how I like the feel of it and etc. If I go the CC route I would like to go there for a year, two tops build up some extra money and transfer to a four year college.

The whole process confuses me and I hate it. I am still thinking about applying to a reach school this week. I have some scholarship money but not a lot. I have a 2.8 GPA 22 on my act(which I am re taking next month) I messed up my first year of hs and it killed me.

Any comments appreciated.

The CC way is pretty common, down here it's how most get into Texas, always good to consider

Anyway to update my status, I got accepted to UCF a week ago and its pretty much set that Im going there.

[24]

Re: College Application Process

If your going to college I reccomend staying in your home state. It's usually cheaper then going far away and you really don't want to deal with student loans.

[Buckeye]

Re: College Application Process

Think I am going to go too Murray State

[roadman]

Re: College Application Process

Our son took the slow procrastinating approach.

He found out the school that mom, dad and sister attended is also very good for his area, Computer Science. I knew it was from back when I graduated from the school.

He applied around xmas time and was just accepted yesterday. That is the only school he applied to.

He looked at me and said, see, saved mom and you some money for not applying anywhere else.

Smarty.

[Buckeye]

Re: College Application Process

Where is everyone else in the C/O 2013 going?

[JazzMan]

Re: College Application Process

Where is everyone else in the C/O 2013 going?

2 years at Northeast Community College in Nebraska for Graphic Design, then I'll more than likely transfer to a 4-year school for another degree in a different field as a "backup plan."

However, my new instructor at Northeast for GD has lots and lots of connections, so I'll probably be able to get a job in the GD field right out of college.

I'm excited

[Blue]

Going to UCF on the American Politics track to a Political Science degree, while minoring in Coaching and Sports Management. Also going to be a manager for the men's basketball team. Can't wait for August!

[JClutch]

Re: College Application Process

Gonna be going through this process in the fall..

Very overwhelming. And I'm not sure how to go about finding/applying for scholarships

[Perfect Zero]

Re: College Application Process

Going out of High School, I knew that I was not able to afford any four year college. While others were going off to places like Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, etc... I was stuck at Tarrant County College. I really got depressed over that especially since I had the grades to make the big name schools (heck, I met the minimum for Harvard... that's standardized testing for you).

The thing is, going to Community College was the best thing in the world. The tuition is cheep, you can still live at home, and you can take down the costs of a four year school. That is especially true in Texas as the State requires all universities to accept credits from junior college.

The year I was supposed to get my Associates Degree I started to apply for universities. This was done around January and I was able to put in my college scores as well (to me, community college was easier than high school and my grades showed it). I got accepted to every school I applied for except for Texas Christian (go figure), but I took the cheep route instead and went to UT-Arlington. While that's not a fun way to go about it, I have no debt to my name.

Another thing to consider is every rinky dink scholarship you can find. I paid for my first semester of UTA through scholarships alone; they all add up. Also, make it a point to actually learn through your time and work. That's not much fun, but I kept my costs down by working thirty hours a week and studying so that I didn't waste any credits.

[wrigleyville33]

Re: College Application Process

Gonna be going through this process in the fall..

Very overwhelming. And I'm not sure how to go about finding/applying for scholarships

Well, just put a list of things that you will want in your college experience. I only applied to three schools: Penn State, VT, and Auburn. Penn State was a great pick academically, and if I kind of wanted to get as far as possible from home that was a good option. Virginia Tech was another top engineering program, and my dad was alum. Being a fan of Hokie football since my youth already had me leaning towards that direction. Auburn was the in state option, where just about all of my friends from high school were going. After two years of college, and my fraternity just got kicked off campus, I kind of wish I considered going to Auburn or Clemson. However, I wasn't able to choose knowing where I would be standing now. I strongly considered transferring to Auburn twice. I concluded I'd stick it out with VT for the sake of its academic reputation. I don't know why people end up applying to 10 or 12 schools, but then again, everyone is different. I made visits to all of the schools I applied to. In my opinion, I would only consider three to five schools, so you can make the best or most well informed decision since it's more narrowed down. I had an engineering mindset in mind, but I must tell you, you need to consider the social aspect as well. I had no idea how different people were in Pennsylvania, not to mention how surprisly different people were in Virginia. You just need to figure out what you really want to do and what you want in college.

Now for the scholarship thing. I really wish I just sucked it up and applied to these. I just hate having my parents pay for me to school. The classes don't seem to be anything too different from high school, yet the price is absurdly amped up. You can get scholarships from numerous sources: the military, companies, etc. I would ask your counselor about it. Next thing you should also consider is getting people other than your mom or dad to use as references. Consider friends parents who are higher up on the chain at companies, teachers, coaches, etc.

Hope that helps.

[Equinox831]

Re: College Application Process

Well I just finished up my Senior year and I'm in a different predicament than most in here. I run track and field and I had a very strong finish to my senior year so the school I thought I was going to run at (Roosevelt University, an NAIA school) all of a sudden became really obsolete in terms of athletics and academics. Now I have to restart my process in mid-summer which is weird but I'm up for it especially if I'm getting large scholarships. The schools I have it narrowed down to are DePaul, UIC, and Loyola (IL.). Loyola is probably my top pick because the campus is gorgeous, the athletic program is great, academically they're top-notch, and they're constantly improving upon the already beautiful campus. On top of all that it's right in downtown Chicago like the other 2 schools and I absolutely love that. The other 2 have their charms, but Loyola is the real deal. In terms of the application process, I now have to pay even more money and get more recommendations which is a load of crap honestly. I just want it all to be done with at this point so I can fully know where I'm enrolling this fall.

[JClutch]

Re: College Application Process

Well, just put a list of things that you will want in your college experience. I only applied to three schools: Penn State, VT, and Auburn. Penn State was a great pick academically, and if I kind of wanted to get as far as possible from home that was a good option. Virginia Tech was another top engineering program, and my dad was alum. Being a fan of Hokie football since my youth already had me leaning towards that direction. Auburn was the in state option, where just about all of my friends from high school were going. After two years of college, and my fraternity just got kicked off campus, I kind of wish I considered going to Auburn or Clemson. However, I wasn't able to choose knowing where I would be standing now. I strongly considered transferring to Auburn twice. I concluded I'd stick it out with VT for the sake of its academic reputation. I don't know why people end up applying to 10 or 12 schools, but then again, everyone is different. I made visits to all of the schools I applied to. In my opinion, I would only consider three to five schools, so you can make the best or most well informed decision since it's more narrowed down. I had an engineering mindset in mind, but I must tell you, you need to consider the social aspect as well. I had no idea how different people were in Pennsylvania, not to mention how surprisly different people were in Virginia. You just need to figure out what you really want to do and what you want in college.

Now for the scholarship thing. I really wish I just sucked it up and applied to these. I just hate having my parents pay for me to school. The classes don't seem to be anything too different from high school, yet the price is absurdly amped up. You can get scholarships from numerous sources: the military, companies, etc. I would ask your counselor about it. Next thing you should also consider is getting people other than your mom or dad to use as references. Consider friends parents who are higher up on the chain at companies, teachers, coaches, etc.

Hope that helps.

Really appreciate the advice. I'm pretty strong academically (my high school's ranked high in my state of New Jersey) and I have good test scores. Frankly, New Jersey doesn't have many colleges I would find myself getting pushed to reach my potential, especially with my intended major of computer science. I'm only considering one school in the area, and the rest are in PA, NY, MD, and as far south as Georgia (Georgia Tech).

I definitely hear you on the social aspect. While I'm not saying girls are a priority, it's odd to see schools like GT with a male to female split of 75/25. I'm considering more "traditional" public schools, but I've found some private universities with strong academics and strong sports programs for me to enjoy watching at games.

Hopefully my academics will help me with any scholarships or grants.

Thanks again for the reply!