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Applications to usa 2015 entry.

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Original post by NYU2012
Nope - because it reduces significant non-quantifiable data into numbers. It assumes that SATs and GPAs are equal across individuals. SATs are largely a reflection of socioeconomic status, not educational ability or history. GPAs in the US are not like they are in the UK - every school gets to administer its own testing and determine its own GPA scale, etc. GPAs between schools are almost entirely incomparable. The only thing you can glean from a GPA, if it's high, is that the student did well according to that particular school's standards.

To take something in isolation and treat it as a quantifiable number is to assume uniformity, which is false.


Ah I see I've been thinking under the UK model where we've got more standardised exams.

I like how they have to look at it all personally; it's quite reassuring :smile:
Reply 81
Original post by TheAnnabelle
Don't say that!!! You never know until you know! The thing with US uni's is that one never quite knows what they are looking for it seems to me.....

The interviews went okay I think!
I would say that perhaps the Princeton one was the worst...perhaps because i was least passionate about the school but idk.....also i found the interviewer a little awkward and they had a mini nose bleed and i did;t say anything lol ahhaha

The harvard one was probably the best, i got along really well with the woman/girl interviewing me. She was a recent graduate. The Yale and Stanford ones also went reasonably okay I'd say but its hard to tell!

How about you? How did yours go?

I'm guessing you go to a regular british school like me ?


i know this is late, but where were your interviews? And are they a required part of the application process, which I understand is very long a laborious.
When did you take your SAT and Subject tests?
Reply 82
Original post by jakepds
i know this is late, but where were your interviews? And are they a required part of the application process, which I understand is very long a laborious.
When did you take your SAT and Subject tests?

Interviews aren't really "required". They're offered to most candidates based on availability of alum near where you live, so you're not really penalised for not having one. Most often they're held in convenient meeting places - for instance, 2 of mine were in Starbucks. They're kind of casual and not really a MASSIVE factor in applying.
Reply 83
Original post by jakepds
i know this is late, but where were your interviews? And are they a required part of the application process, which I understand is very long a laborious.
When did you take your SAT and Subject tests?


I had my interviews pretty close to my house, sometimes half an hour away or an hour. They aren't required but it's good if you have them because it provides them with a different angle to your application. I took my SATs last year spread out.
Reply 84
Hi,
I really want to go to Stanford for biological sciences. Like really. I know it's bad to put all my hopes in one uni at this point in time but I can't help myself. By the looks of it - it's for me.
Im doing my AS levels now (started taking my SAT lessons yesterday) and have the whole of the summer to build up my application that I will submit next year. And I know that I need it as strong as I possibly can get it if I want to get into Stanford.
Does anyone know how to get seriously strong applications that stand out from the crowd?? Because I realise that there are something like 30,000 applicants and like 2000 spaces... So any help would be really appreciated.
Thank You!!!
Reply 85
Original post by elaras
Interviews aren't really "required". They're offered to most candidates based on availability of alum near where you live, so you're not really penalised for not having one. Most often they're held in convenient meeting places - for instance, 2 of mine were in Starbucks. They're kind of casual and not really a MASSIVE factor in applying.


I live near London, so hopefully theres some alum near me.

When did you take your SAT and SAT subject tests.
I was thinking of taking the SAT in March/April of year 12, and the Subject tests near the start of year 13, would this be good?
Original post by Freyap
Hi,
I really want to go to Stanford for biological sciences. Like really. I know it's bad to put all my hopes in one uni at this point in time but I can't help myself. By the looks of it - it's for me.
Im doing my AS levels now (started taking my SAT lessons yesterday) and have the whole of the summer to build up my application that I will submit next year. And I know that I need it as strong as I possibly can get it if I want to get into Stanford.
Does anyone know how to get seriously strong applications that stand out from the crowd?? Because I realise that there are something like 30,000 applicants and like 2000 spaces... So any help would be really appreciated.
Thank You!!!


People have said before; it's basically pot luck with these schools, and if you're lucky enough to have what they're looking for at any given time. As long as your extracurriculars give a good reflection of you, and demonstrate traits like leadership, dedication and are impressive, and your academics are rigorous and impressive, you'll be in with as much chance as anyone.

Putting a lot of thought and effort into making your essays interesting and reflect yourself, and ensuring you get the strongest possible academic results across the board are the best you can do really (Of course, keeping up any extracurriculars you're doing is also just as imporant)
Reply 87
Original post by jakepds
I live near London, so hopefully theres some alum near me.

When did you take your SAT and SAT subject tests.
I was thinking of taking the SAT in March/April of year 12, and the Subject tests near the start of year 13, would this be good?


I'd recommend doing them as early as you can tbh. I was left having to take subjects this jan, which meant I couldn't apply to Princeton and was just generally stressful.
hey guys i got notified by email that im accepted into harvard for the undergrad mcb course and my friend just got accepted into georgetown university as well. All the best to all of you for your application :smile:
Reply 89
Original post by victoria1235
hey guys i got notified by email that im accepted into harvard for the undergrad mcb course and my friend just got accepted into georgetown university as well. All the best to all of you for your application :smile:

CONGRATS!!! how do you know already!
^ Hahhaha I don't think they do... Kinda giving it away by saying it's for MCB seeing as you don't apply to a specific course. Awks :/
Original post by elaras
CONGRATS!!! how do you know already!


via email and i was interviewed back in january in my home country :smile:
Original post by Regenerated
^ Hahhaha I don't think they do... Kinda giving it away by saying it's for MCB seeing as you don't apply to a specific course. Awks :/


sorry i should have said it clearer. i applied to harvard college with the intention of having mcb as my concentration. hope that clears thing up for you.
Reply 93
Accepted at brown (and uchicago), waitlisted at yale and cornell, rejected by harvard!! I've accepted a place on the yale waitlist but unless that lie 0.1% chance occurs it looks like I'll be staying this side of the atlantic !
Reply 94
Original post by elaras
Accepted at brown (and uchicago), waitlisted at yale and cornell, rejected by harvard!! I've accepted a place on the yale waitlist but unless that lie 0.1% chance occurs it looks like I'll be staying this side of the atlantic !

Out of curiosity- why not UChicago?
Reply 95
Original post by elaras
Accepted at brown (and uchicago), waitlisted at yale and cornell, rejected by harvard!! I've accepted a place on the yale waitlist but unless that lie 0.1% chance occurs it looks like I'll be staying this side of the atlantic !


Why wouldn't you of to UChicago, Chicago is a great city and UChicago is a fantastic university. Of course, Brown is so good, IT'S AN IVY! If you get the opportunity to go to one of these universities, you don't turn it down.
Could you please tell me what your grades were like (GCSEs, A-Levels, SATs, Subject Tests, as well as any ECs that you did because I would love to go to one of the universities that you were accepted to.
OMG congratulations Elaras!!!!!! Getting into Brown as an international who needs aid is AMAZING... literally no one does so well done!!! Off to Yale personally, and I cannot wait.
Reply 97
Original post by Regenerated
OMG congratulations Elaras!!!!!! Getting into Brown as an international who needs aid is AMAZING... literally no one does so well done!!! Off to Yale personally, and I cannot wait.

I'm actually a US citizen though I've always lived here, so FA is slightly different! Well done on Yale!!!
Reply 98
Original post by feyy
Out of curiosity- why not UChicago?


Probs not UChicago, because I got into Cambridge so I'm not sure if it's worth it? Plus, at Cambridge I'd get VERY good at my languages, more so than at UChi. I'm swayed towards Uchi because of the cost and the city though :smile:

Original post by jakepds
Why wouldn't you of to UChicago, Chicago is a great city and UChicago is a fantastic university. Of course, Brown is so good, IT'S AN IVY! If you get the opportunity to go to one of these universities, you don't turn it down.
Could you please tell me what your grades were like (GCSEs, A-Levels, SATs, Subject Tests, as well as any ECs that you did because I would love to go to one of the universities that you were accepted to.

Here are my stats:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/18315598/#Comment_18315598

Hopefully if I turn them down though someone who wants it more than me can go :smile:
Rejected by HYP, waitlisted by Brown and accepted by Cornell :biggrin:

Hoping my Cornell aid is sufficient to attend :smile:

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