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Post by Loogs on Aug 19, 2010 23:41:11 GMT -5
So right now I'm under a considerable amount of stress. Why yes, I should be in college no problem now somewhere nice and cozy in New York, but I'm not. Because I hopped on the train to Crazyville and bombed my junior year. (Granted, I really was clinically depressed, but I'm still pretty ashamed of myself.) So I'm a repeater now and I'm almost giving up any hopes of getting in somewhere nice. ._. Well, I DO have some things going for me. My SAT score is a nice 2030 and my extracurriculars actually aren't as bad as I thought: -Founder and president of Japanese Culture Club freshman year (stfu I know I was a huge weeaboo) -I was involved in drama freshman and sophomore year -Academic team sophomore and most of my first junior year -President of GSA my second junior year (but we couldn't really do much besides Day of Silence :/) -Sorta kinda did Model UN. We didn't prepare a lot but I did go to a conference. Yeah yeah, I know, colleges like consistency better. But considering I moved to North Carolina after my freshman year and I had to switch schools after I bombed junior year, I haven't stuck around long enough to have much stability. I wish I had taken some AP classes my second junior year but the crap counselors wouldn't let me change my crap schedule. ._. So I think the only AP credit I have is for AP Euro History. (I made a 5 because I am awesome.) I never got my scores for my psychology and US history tests because College Board sucks hard and thus I have no idea what the fuck happened there. Now for my senior year, I find myself with two options: a) Go to this school right here and take a very basic schedule of two classes for the credits I need to graduate and be done by January, or: b) Go to a regular but pretty kickass high school ( I am assuming this is where I am zoned for when we move into our new place FOR THE FIFTH TIME SINCE WE'VE MOVED TO GREENSBORO but I am not sure because my mom lied and told me I'd be going back to the piece of crap high school I went to this year but we're actually not and she's a huge bitch who can't be bothered with, you know, actually telling me a very important piece of information) where I can maybe take one or two AP classes and have a regular schedule with potential to take another extracurricular thing, but graduate in June and risking having a relapse and bombing the whole thing again. I'm pretty sure Option B is better if I want an actual shot at not rotting at community college for two years, but the counselor at Option A told me a girl ended up getting a free ride somewhere and another guy got into Harvard I think. One thing is for sure though: Option B means DECENT ART CLASSES HUZZAH!Now I KNOW WHAT SOME OF YOU ARE SHOUTING AT ME. "But Loogs community college is cheaper yo! D:" I can't afford school if it was $2000 a year or $20,000. We're dipping into savings just to make ends meet because my dad can't get a damn job. And my mom's got her own college to take care of. I'm better off scoring a free ride somewhere nice and getting straight the fuck out of Greensboro because I know community college over here is just going to be high school all over again. What colleges am I looking for? Well, either some good liberal arts colleges up north with good arts programs, or an art school. Once upon a time, I had dreams of attending Pratt. ._. If you guys have any suggestions I might like, please go ahead and tell me. One more thing: Yes, as you may have gathered, my mother is still almost unbearable to be around. And this time, as the smart mature 18-year old girl I am and not the angsty rebellious 14 year old I was, I tried to like her. I really did. I tried to be a good kid and stop going out partying and generally doing bad kid things. Now she's working and doing college at the same time and can't be bothered with me. About anything. One day I asked for some tampons because I was on my monster-period and we were all out of pads and tampons, and she just shouted "I DON'T HAVE MONEY" and shut off her phone. She's always lying about something or another and every day, like a mantra, she reminds me of how much of an utterly useless failure child I am. Rather explicitly and descriptively. And she doesn't hesitate to use me as a bad example. That isn't fair to me. I'm trying, I really am. I got mostly B's this year (pretty good for a recovering crazyhead I guess) and only failed one class and got a D in Environmental Science but that's because the teacher is a complete idiot and I've been on his ass since December about changing that grade and he never did. (Long story. I was couch-surfing from August-October and very nearly dropped out, thus I wasn't enrolled in school for like one quarter.) I don't need that D, I really don't. Kind of unfair to slap an F onto me first quarter when I'm trying to better myself, and the other teachers had no problem with just giving me a passing grade for that quarter. I would also like to add that my ability to visit college campuses is very limited because we are poor and my mother is busy and uncooperative. She'd laugh in my face and say why bother, you won't amount to anything anyway. So in short, I'm trying to make something of myself with no one but myself to lean on. And I have a lot of work to do. help
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Post by Ninety on Aug 20, 2010 3:03:13 GMT -5
Man, if you're paying $2k at community college then you're going to a prestigious community college. My tuition for 14 hours was 806 bucks. My tuition at UT was like $4k.
I really recommend taking the hardest classes you can. I coasted into a university on Texas's 10% rule (if you're top ten percent of your class you're guaranteed acceptance into any public university by law; this law has since been amended since unis were getting packed) and it kicked my ass for two years because I slacked off my senior year of high school and took classes like "Office Aide."
Definitely apply for every scholarship/grant you're eligible for. Every. Single. One. I applied for dozens and dozens and dozens and I only got three, one of which was my grandfather's scholarship that was reserved for me. Don't let that dishearten you; my father's income bracket was just too high for a lot of scholarship committees to deem me worthy enough to get more money. Student loans are always an option too. There's a lot of ways to pay for college, some are just more attractive than others.
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Post by ch00beh on Aug 20, 2010 6:27:17 GMT -5
Do the legit high school route. It'll up your chances of actually getting in somewhere.
Don't play down those resume things. Just list them. They look impressive if you don't say "Didn't do anything." It's more impressive if you have awards, but you already have presidential status and whatnot. I had like 10 extra curriculars that I didn't actually do anything in.
The AP classes help, at the very least to get you out of classes in college.
And also financial aid really does help. Even if they're absolute assholes about not getting you your money, they will eventually.
I recommend getting the high school thing chosen first. That way you can have a professional adviser to talk to about college issues.
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SV
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Post by SV on Aug 22, 2010 15:59:32 GMT -5
Man, if you're paying $2k at community college then you're going to a prestigious community college. My tuition for 14 hours was 806 bucks. My tuition at UT was like $4k. I know that in Tennessee, they've jacked up tuition for all non-private schools twice in the past two years (first by making us pay for hours taken beyond 15 credit hours, and then by increasing the amount each credit hour costs.) I went to a community college last year and fifteen hours cost $1490 or something like that. The only extracurricular I did in high school was band, which I did for all four years. Er, well, I did community band for a year, too. My point is I didn't have anything current to make my applications look snazzy. Also, my GPA kind of blew because, while I'm not stupid, I am lazy as hell. I did, however, get a 29 on my ACT, which made me eligible for TTU's honors program. I had no problem getting accepted to college. My advice to you? Don't panic. You have a lot of things that you can put on your applications/resumes, you've got a great SAT score (I assume), and you have AP credit. I'm willing to bet that your GPA's in pretty good shape as well. Colleges will look at those things, and they will like them. And if they have a problem with your repeated year, you have a legitimate reason for it. So for your senior year, take tough classes that interest you and apply to what you think you want to major in. My senior year, I took Anatomy & Physiology, AP Biology (got a 4 on that bitch), Honors English IV, and some other stuff that isn't too important that I was probably required to take. Tough classes look way better than classes you can just coast through. But really, I'm sure you'll do fine. Just try and keep yourself focused and you'll make it through this year no problem. Also, TAKE CHOOBS AND NINETY'S ADVICE D: Private loans are anti-fun! But I don't really have a choice until next school year. Just don't slack off like your Aunt SV and everything should be peachy. Hang in there! You can do it! I have faith in youuuuu!
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Post by ch00beh on Aug 22, 2010 16:03:32 GMT -5
Also, once you get your high school thing sorted out, even if your advisor is an ass, they still know how the process works better than you do. So don't discount their advice, and if they are open enough, try to seek them out.
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Post by Loogs on Aug 22, 2010 18:01:11 GMT -5
I have finally decided on going to Grimsley High School. (Yes, that's the normal kickass high school.) Even if the counselors can't be of much help, I know two really kickass teachers who would totally help me out. If they see I'm doing a good job, they'd definitely write me letters of recommendation.
I'm planning on definitely taking AP English 12 and hopefully AP Art, if they have space I guess. From there I'm hesitant to try an AP math or science class, because I kind of blow at any mathematical science. Maybe AP Biology but I heard that class will kick your ass hard. I'm interested in maybe taking Photo I too, because I'd like to try photography on top of my normal art talents. I don't know what else to take after that D:
Believe me I am definitely planning on applying to every scholarship I can apply for as well as FAFSA. I literally need every last cent I can get for college because we can barely afford living costs, so we sure as hell can't afford college.
I only have three AP credits at most, SV, and I don't know if I even got the ones for US History and Psychology. :/ I'm afraid to look at my GPA, but at the very least I have Cs as final grades for most of my classes except for second junior year where it's mostly Bs, a D I am definitely pushing to get changed, and I failed a class but I took recovery so I don't know what that means exactly. So it's not abysmal, but it's not pretty either. That's why I have one more year to get it to look a little better.
I don't know how good 2030 out of 2400 is but I heard most people made scores in the 1600-1800 range. So I guess it's good. My question is, should I try and retake the SAT to make something better or should I take another test like an SAT subject test or the ACT instead?
I'm crossing my fingers and hope I don't blow my AP classes. I already couldn't do the summer reading assignment on account of my mom lying shamelessly twice about what school I'm going to when I move. Lame ._.
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Post by ch00beh on Aug 22, 2010 19:06:01 GMT -5
if you're not confident in math or science, don't take the AP. I only took about 4 AP classes and I was fine. AP british lit (did both AP english tests), AP government, AP comp sci (took the BC test), AP AB calc (the easier one) and I don't even know what else I took. that's probably it. I think photography counted as an honors class, but that doesn't help anything.
Your SAT is fine. If you don't want to retake it, don't, but it never hurts to retry since your lower scores don't count. If you want a measuring stick, I got 730 math, 680 writing, and 710 reading, I think, though I cheated on the math section by going back to a problem when i had extra reading time. But so long as you get above the average, it's no big deal, i don't think.
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Post by Ninety on Aug 22, 2010 19:11:00 GMT -5
AP tests are dope because they can give you college credit. ACT and SAT are basically the same; some colleges will prefer one over the other though so it's best to check beforehand. Subject tests are usually either required or ignored.
Take the SATs and ACTs as many times as you can. Colleges only see the highest score.
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Post by ch00beh on Aug 22, 2010 19:14:21 GMT -5
don't each test cost lots of money, though?
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Post by Loogs on Aug 22, 2010 19:20:15 GMT -5
don't each test cost lots of money, though? Not if you're a poor kid. I got a fee waiver for my SAT. That's right: you're paying for my ridiculously useless test with your tax dollars.[/b]
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Post by ch00beh on Aug 22, 2010 19:22:46 GMT -5
in that case take it 24 times because I only had to pay for it once.
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Post by Ninety on Aug 22, 2010 19:30:26 GMT -5
I think I made perfect scores on my writing and reading portions of the SAT and then just a bit under for the math. I think my ACT was a 31. Too bad test scores don't equate to real-world performance.
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Post by Loogs on Aug 22, 2010 19:40:39 GMT -5
in that case take it 24 times because I only had to pay for it once. Hell no not 24 times. I think this summarizes my feelings towards standardized tests quite nicely:
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Post by ch00beh on Aug 23, 2010 3:16:24 GMT -5
I don't think I even took the ACT. But I think the ACT helps for financial aid or something? Idk.
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SV
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Post by SV on Aug 23, 2010 19:15:14 GMT -5
My school offered free ACT waiver things for one test your senior year. That's what I took. I got a 29 my first try and decided I was happy with that. Your SAT score seems pretty nice. The ACT results come back with a little graph that tells you what percentile you tested in, which will give you a better idea of how you scored, too, if the SAT comes with one. And I can only imagine that they do.
Also, I took two AP classes and only took the test in one of them (dunno why...). AP and honors classes and tough subjects are going to look better to colleges than stuff like...service learning, which was a "class" at my high school that went around during fourth block and changed teachers' trash cans. I shit you not.
But anyway, my score in AP Biology meant that I (A.) only had to take one more science class for my general ed. requirements, and (B.) saved me $444-ish that I would have spent had I taken the course ($111/credit hr.). Verry nice! The point is, AP credit is tasty. Take it in any subject you're strong in.
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Post by ch00beh on Aug 24, 2010 2:32:00 GMT -5
And don't be like me in not using those AP credits! Actually, I don't know. I met my besties because I started in an easy CS and Calc class. But AP credit also helped me not miss the first day of government because I dropped it as soon as I couldn't find the class then used AP credit for it.
Oh freshman year.
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Post by The Evil Biscuit on Aug 24, 2010 8:37:14 GMT -5
Loans, bro, loans. Believe nothing you read about bitches drowning in debt - those are the liberal arts guys who didn't realize that 'starving artists' have to pay bills too. The interest on 90% of student loans is laughable, and the amount of time you get to pay it off is hella long - 15+ years on average. Take your state for all the money you can squeeze out.
Also, I think if you can prove you're like 1/64 American Indian they'll pay you to go to Harvard for ten years or some shit.
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SV
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Post by SV on Aug 25, 2010 13:12:15 GMT -5
I'm getting Stafford student loans through the government, and they have really reasonable terms and no penalty for making extra payments and decent interest rates and all kinds of other nice stuff. Oh, and I don't have to make payments until I've graduated. Is nice. Is very nice.
Unfortunately, I had to take out loans with Sallie Mae for this year. Don't do it. The interest rates are adjustable and don't have a cap and they're a bunch of scum-sucking bastards.
Scholarships > Grants > Work-study > Government loans > Sale of blood/plasma/organs/your body > Sallie Mae. I may have missed a step in there, but that's pretty much your priority list.
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Post by Ninety on Aug 25, 2010 13:41:38 GMT -5
Oh yeah. Selling bodily fluids is like a second job sometimes in college. If you're ever strapped for cash for the weekend, go sell some plasma. Dudes can get a lot for their lovejuice if they don't mind being a father. Same goes for ladies and their spores. They actually get more but it's a big ordeal to do that.
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Post by Loogs on Aug 26, 2010 18:09:42 GMT -5
Oh my god guys oh my god oh my god oh my god guess what
Today I found out what my GPA was and as of right now it's 3.4 unweighted
Holy shit are you telling me I might actually have a shot at this
Oh and actually it'll be even higher once we fix my Enviro grade. That is absolutely kickass.
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Post by ch00beh on Aug 27, 2010 6:08:36 GMT -5
Your unweighted GPA is higher than my hs weighted GPA. So yeah.
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Post by Loogs on Aug 27, 2010 23:41:43 GMT -5
So that was my SAT essay. (I got an 8 on it) Yeah, I clearly don't do well under pressure and time limits because I didn't get to finish my conclusion. Sorry my penmanship is the super crapola you guys. If there's anything you really can't make out let me know. What I want to know is what defines my literary voice and is there anything I can do to improve my writing. I'll offer more essay samples if needed.
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Post by Ninety on Aug 28, 2010 1:42:38 GMT -5
i'm kind of drunk tell me what the prompt was your handwriting looks better than mien
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Post by Loogs on Aug 28, 2010 7:54:03 GMT -5
"Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Common sense tells us that people tend to get along better with those who are like them, who think and act as they do. Many people, however, get along very well with people who are very different from them and may prefer to associate with those whose views and actions are different from their own. In fact, some people even complain that they are bored and irritated by those who are too much like them. Assignment: Do people tend to get along better with people who are very different from them or with those who are like them? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations." silly me, can't believe I forgot that. also inb4 ?[/b][/size]
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Post by ch00beh on Aug 28, 2010 22:20:27 GMT -5
that's a pretty standard essay, so yeah. one of the biggest things you have to realize about your college essays is that they are personal and not expository, explanatory, or whatever dry technical shit. A personal essay is not an intro, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. In fact, if it's longer than a page, you either won't be able to submit it or no one will read it.
The point is, you'll be writing about an experience from your life and using it to show why you are a perfect fit for such and such school. This is completely different than everything else you've ever written for high school. Gg educational system.
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Post by Loogs on Aug 28, 2010 22:48:01 GMT -5
that's a pretty standard essay, so yeah. one of the biggest things you have to realize about your college essays is that they are personal and not expository, explanatory, or whatever dry technical shit. A personal essay is not an intro, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. In fact, if it's longer than a page, you either won't be able to submit it or no one will read it. The point is, you'll be writing about an experience from your life and using it to show why you are a perfect fit for such and such school. This is completely different than everything else you've ever written for high school. Gg educational system. Yeah. I was always taught that essays like this had to have a nice rigid formulaic structure gafhfffaaaggarrrgh. If I want to get into Vassar I better show them what a totally kickass person I am, especially since my numbers are nothing to brag about. Luckily I have much more time than I did on that SAT so I can write something much more personal,. and believe me with what I've been though I have much to write about. Damn, I have this essay I wrote about being Latina that won second place in a contest but I really can't find it. That one was a little less formulaic. I'll ask the English teacher that proofread it or the person who emailed it into the contest and see if any of them still have it or WAIT I think I might have a hard copy somewhere. If I find it I'll post it here. [EDIT] - No I'm pretty sure I threw it out when I was getting rid of old school papers. Better ask the person who turned it into the contest I suppose.
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