College search

[Satan]

I'm starting the college search. I feel like there aren't any colleges that I actually want to go to. My biggest thing is that the college/university needs to be (as much as possible) intellectual, not pseudo-intellectual. SAT scores probably won't be much of a barrier.

I'm currently looking at:

St. John's College

Univertsity of Chicago

Georgetown (location=politics)

Colleges/universities I'm thinking of applying to but not seriously considering/expecting to get into:

Oxford

Colombia

Harvard

Yale

Any thought, comments, criticisms, irrelevant fats, witty remarks or ideas are welcome. I wouldn't terribly mind suggestions, either.

[amy]

Good luck! =D As time passes, things will fall into place I am sure.

Don't go to St. John's. Maybe try Reed, if you like hippies?

But if you want intellectual UChicago is the place to go.

[Cleese]

Narrow your search a little more.

Do you want small classes or big, auditorium-sized lectures?

College in the middle of nowhere or does it have things to do?

How hard will moving be? (Distance, etc.)

Whats your focus going to be?

How accredited are they for that?

Or if you change your mind, how diverse are the choices?

How 'socially active' is the school? (sports events, spring fling stuff like that)

The list can go on, so can the actual number of Colleges. With such a high number, there's bound to be one thats a perfect fit for you. Check out those big ass books with almost (if not all) the universities in them. They should list most of the pertinent information that will help you figure it out.

Ill use me as an example:

I wanted a low student-teacher ratio in a city what was socio/economic/political school that was away from home, but not far enough away that holiday travel would be a bitch. I also went in undeclared as a major, so I had plenty of time to take a wide variety of classes (University of Vermont is a liberal arts school, I was kinda forced to anyway) and was able to declare a major and have a pretty in-depth department in which to get my BS in History.

Just think real hard about it, its not easy (or cheap) to transfer schools.

[Satan]

Good luck! =D As time passes, things will fall into place I am sure.

Don't go to St. John's. Maybe try Reed, if you like hippies?

But if you want intellectual UChicago is the place to go.

what's wrong with St. John's? Besides the few obvious problems like a way too rigid curriculum and a history of thought that ignores everything pre greek and Oriental, what's so bad about it?

And I want to look at Reed but I'm pretty sure its West Coast, which might make it a bit more difficult, though not impossible. It seems pretty good, but also pretty hippie.

Narrow your search a little more.

Do you want small classes or big, auditorium-sized lectures?

College in the middle of nowhere or does it have things to do?

How hard will moving be? (Distance, etc.)

Whats your focus going to be?

How accredited are they for that?

Or if you change your mind, how diverse are the choices?

How 'socially active' is the school? (sports events, spring fling stuff like that)

The list can go on, so can the actual number of Colleges. With such a high number, there's bound to be one thats a perfect fit for you. Check out those big ass books with almost (if not all) the universities in them. They should list most of the pertinent information that will help you figure it out.

Ill use me as an example:

I wanted a low student-teacher ratio in a city what was socio/economic/political school that was away from home, but not far enough away that holiday travel would be a bitch. I also went in undeclared as a major, so I had plenty of time to take a wide variety of classes (University of Vermont is a liberal arts school, I was kinda forced to anyway) and was able to declare a major and have a pretty in-depth department in which to get my BS in History.

Just think real hard about it, its not easy (or cheap) to transfer schools.

My problem is that I'm looking at for the best school, not the best location. I can make the best of most locations, I can't make a good location have a good school. As long as it has wireless and i can get my bike there (and I'll bike all the way to the West Coast if that's the only way to get it there) i'll survive. I've looked in all the big books, but I need more than numbers for this. I want a school that encourages and embraces thought and actual education (with maybe a few real teachers), not one that pays lip service to them *coughHarvardcough*.

[amy]

St. John's is as you said eurocentric and idealizes the classics to an absurd extent (they even study biology from Latin texts)

I think it's a breeding ground for neo-nazis

Not to mention there's absolutely no preparation for a career.

[margot]

reed is really incredibly intellectual. you'll learn tons. you're expected to read 500 pages in a weekend and that sort of thing

[Anime Gee]

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (A.K.A. CalPoly Pomona)! Their motto is "Learn By Doing".

http://www.csupomona.edu/

You can also do the original California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo (A.K.A. CalPoly & SLO) as well. (^_^ )

http://www.calpoly.edu/

[Ceraziefish]

I thought about going to Reed for awhile but I spent a night there and it wasn't really for me.

But it could be good for some people.

Right now I'm going to the Evergreen State College... But really I wouldn't highly recommend it. I'm thinking of transferring out next year, or studying abroad.

[margot]

what's wrong with this Evergreen~?

[mst3kjunkie]

I'm going to take a minute to shamelessly promote my college.

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

#1 for engineering by US News and World Report 8 years running

Of course, if you're looking for a degree other than Science/Engineering/Economics, disregard what I just said.

http://www.rose-hulman.edu

[Satan]

reed is really incredibly intellectual. you'll learn tons. you're expected to read 500 pages in a weekend and that sort of thing

do you know waht sort of writing it is that you're supposed to read 500 pages of? That sounds either very good or very bad, I'm just not sure which.

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (A.K.A. CalPoly Pomona)! Their motto is "Learn By Doing".

http://www.csupomona.edu/

You can also do the original California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo (A.K.A. CalPoly & SLO) as well. (^_^ )

http://www.calpoly.edu/

those actually look very interesting. If i start seriously thinking West Coast, I might take a look at them.

I'm going to take a minute to shamelessly promote my college.

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

#1 for engineering by US News and World Report 8 years running

Of course, if you're looking for a degree other than Science/Engineering/Economics, disregard what I just said.

http://www.rose-hulman.edu

there's nothing wrong with shameless plugs.

[margot]

did you make a decision?

[Satan]

I completely forgot that I made this thread

did you make a decision?

Kind of.

I'm applying to:

UB

Wisconsin

UVM

Reed

Stanford (maybe)

UChicago

Georgetwon

Cornell

I might apply late to St. John's if I feel like it.

[margot]

woah that must be a lot of $$$$$

[CTL is kool]

There is a reason there are no Ivy League schools west of the Mississippi. In fact, are there any below the Mason-Dixon line? Georgetown maybe?

In any event. I don't think an "intellectual school" is a very good criteria. While all of the schools you have listed are fine schools - what about a specific program. Liberal Arts? Sciences?

The other thing to consider is that there are certain schools which confer a pedigree that regardless of the amount of hard work you may do in life without that pedigree certain doors won't open for you.

Then the other question is once you finish undergrad will you go onto graduate school - law, medicine, a masters or PhD type program.

Its good you are thinking about this stuff but you could go to a lesser well known school that promotes thought just as well as any of the big name schools you have listed.

Oh, and here is one final tip - cost. Financial debt from school can and is crushing. You need to think long and hard about that. If you want to do something that doens't pay well - ie teacher or social worked (and nor should those shit jobs pay well) then don't hang your self with academic debt.

[Ceraziefish]

ie teacher or social worked (and nor should those shit jobs pay well)

I agreed with you more or less until this part. Why shouldn't teachers be paid well? They fill a necessary role in society.

[CTL is kool]

I agreed with you more or less until this part. Why shouldn't teachers be paid well? They fill a necessary role in society.

My asshole plays a necessary role in my biological functions. I don't pay it well. My brain which creates wealth is tremendously compensated.

Fuck the teachers. They are retards.

[Satan]

There is a reason there are no Ivy League schools west of the Mississippi. In fact, are there any below the Mason-Dixon line? Georgetown maybe?

If you mean this literally, of course there aren't any West of the Mississippi. Why would an east coast conference force include a team that far away?

In any event. I don't think an "intellectual school" is a very good criteria. While all of the schools you have listed are fine schools - what about a specific program. Liberal Arts? Sciences?

The other thing to consider is that there are certain schools which confer a pedigree that regardless of the amount of hard work you may do in life without that pedigree certain doors won't open for you.

Then the other question is once you finish undergrad will you go onto graduate school - law, medicine, a masters or PhD type program.

Its good you are thinking about this stuff but you could go to a lesser well known school that promotes thought just as well as any of the big name schools you have listed.

Oh, and here is one final tip - cost. Financial debt from school can and is crushing. You need to think long and hard about that. If you want to do something that doens't pay well - ie teacher or social worked (and nor should those shit jobs pay well) then don't hang your self with academic debt.

thanks for the advice.

I have considered the name of the school, but firstly, I think Georgetown might open a few doors (perhaps not as many as some other schools, but a few) and secondly, it is quite possible to succeed without going to a prestigious college. In some aspects it may be damn hard, maybe impossible, but in general success is not decided by what college you go to.

I am considering the costs which is one reason why UB is on there.

[FaultyClockwork]

Apply to some Canadian schools! University of Toronto, Brock, McGill University, Dalhousie, etc.

[Satan]

^Why?

We know you want to leave the country and all, but what's the advantage of going to Canada, especially since by now I'd be applying late.

I also think you might have an easier time of if you can get citizenship (because of your mom you can, right?)

[amy]

My asshole plays a necessary role in my biological functions. I don't pay it well. My brain which creates wealth is tremendously compensated.

If your asshole stops working you will care more than if your brain does!

[CTL is kool]

If your asshole stops working you will care more than if your brain does!

If I get one chance to shit on your chest I will be ok with that resolution.

[Elitist Indie Hipster]

If I get one chance to shit on your chest I will be ok with that resolution.

...............thats just fucked

[winterlong]

The threads in Life Discussion are all ending with really weird topics lately.