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Jacob's College Search Thread

JR

JR

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Well guys, it is getting near the end of my junior year, and it is about time that I start getting serious about my college search. This will be kinda like a diary for me, and hopefully you guys can give me some good advice along the way.

I am naturally looking at Alabama and Auburn, but I also wanna try to get into Princeton or Yale or Vanderbilt, though it seems like all but Princeton would not provide enough financial aid, and it only admits 8%. Yikes.

I have something like a 3.7 unweighted GPA. Weighted, it is most likely right at 4.0, and I have a 30 on my ACT, though this is likely to improve, as it has been over a year since I have taken it, and I have been through rigorous prep courses. I am also active in SGA and Relay for Life, am one of the strongest Scholars Bowl Competitors in a 50 mile radius, and hold the highest PSAT scores in my county.

Given all of this, I feel I can be fairly ambitious with my college search, including some high end private schools.

I was wondering if I could here some of your opinions on your Alma Maters. I just do not know a whole lot about some of the colleges out there.
 
Jacob Robertson said:
Well guys, it is getting near the end of my junior year, and it is about time that I start getting serious about my college search. This will be kinda like a diary for me, and hopefully you guys can give me some good advice along the way.

I am naturally looking at Alabama and Auburn, but I also wanna try to get into Princeton or Yale or Vanderbilt, though it seems like all but Princeton would not provide enough financial aid, and it only admits 8%. Yikes.

I have something like a 3.7 unweighted GPA. Weighted, it is most likely right at 4.0, and I have a 30 on my ACT, though this is likely to improve, as it has been over a year since I have taken it, and I have been through rigorous prep courses. I am also active in SGA and Relay for Life, am one of the strongest Scholars Bowl Competitors in a 50 mile radius, and hold the highest PSAT scores in my county.

Given all of this, I feel I can be fairly ambitious with my college search, including some high end private schools.

I was wondering if I could here some of your opinions on your Alma Maters. I just do not know a whole lot about some of the colleges out there.
Click to expand...

What are you looking to study?
I would love to tell you all about my Alma Mater, but I dont think you want to go to school at a small school in the middle of nowhere Ohio... unless you were looking at pharmacy.
 
The best advice I can give you is research every school possible, and fill out every scholarship app you come across. I decided to settle on our local commuter school because it was cheap, and I regret not weighing my options. I look forward to your progress in the search, and if you decide on Arizona - perhaps I'll see you when I go to grad school.


Tap before talk.
 
RxGus said:
What are you looking to study?
I would love to tell you all about my Alma Mater, but I dont think you want to go to school at a small school in the middle of nowhere Ohio... unless you were looking at pharmacy.
Click to expand...

Not to derail - were you a Miami of Ohio guy?


Tap before talk.
 
RxGus said:
What are you looking to study?
I would love to tell you all about my Alma Mater, but I dont think you want to go to school at a small school in the middle of nowhere Ohio... unless you were looking at pharmacy.
Click to expand...

I will major in either English or Political Sciences. I plan to continue onto law school.
 
go to the school with the highest female to male ratio
 
War_Mongering said:
Not to derail - were you a Miami of Ohio guy?


Tap before talk.
Click to expand...

Ohio Northern University, Ada Ohio.
Student Body= 3600
Town + Staff + Students= 5000
 
Jacob Robertson said:
Lol, Mother would not approve.
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i bet father would :cool:

obviously location and potential future connections in your field are the most important things to factor when picking a school, but the women thing is important. Most people find the person they're going to marry (if you're into that sort of thing) when they're in college and most "marryable" (marriable?) women are off the market after graduation, a school with a lot of women in it is good for that. Trust me it's easier to be motivated to go to class when there are 20 coeds to look at and 3 other dudes than if you're in a class with 4 girls and 18 dudes.
 
Gonzaga has a really good law program, plus you'd be in the pacific nw, home of great (cheap) golf, all four seasons and no tornados! I am looking into their nurse anesthetist program once I graduate from nursing school and get my RN license.
 
cj3ap2 said:
i bet father would :cool:

obviously location and potential future connections in your field are the most important things to factor when picking a school, but the women thing is important. Most people find the person they're going to marry (if you're into that sort of thing) when they're in college and most "marryable" (marriable?) women are off the market after graduation, a school with a lot of women in it is good for that. Trust me it's easier to be motivated to go to class when there are 20 coeds to look at and 3 other dudes than if you're in a class with 4 girls and 18 dudes.
Click to expand...

Yeah unless your actually more concerned about getting an education than you are finding a wife.
 
Unless you're really trying to get into academia hardcore or want the "prestigious" names on your wall I'd not really go to an Ivy League. I applied to a two myself and was accepted to both but I never had any intention of going there because I'm not some super genius or some super rich kid. I'm a lower-middle class guy who would be an oddball in a place liek that which was apparent when I went to visit Yale. UPenn was better but still just made me feel out of place. I have nothing against shootign for the best; I always have since i'ma perfectionist especially with school but unless you have some specific, good reason you'd liek to go to one of those big name universities other than just the name, I honestly think it's a huge waste of money because you'll be in debt up to your eyes because they give NO MONEY. Trust me, I was pretty academically qualified and very financially in need and those two offerered me very little. So, instead I went to the University of Scranton (local college for me) where I got a full scholarship and was able to live at home. So, upon entering medical school, I began debt-free (not so much anymore ugh) and felt much more at home and comfortable with where I went. I had it in my head I'd go to an Ivy League school or Notre Dame or somewhere far away and "prestigious" but after seeing the options and weighing my choices financially, it just seemed to make the most sense. My belief is if you're smart and motivated, you will succeed wherever you are. Now that I've written a book, i'll condense into my main advice: go where you will have the least debt and will feel most comfortable. Four years is a long time to pay someone 40k+ to be anything less than happy.
 
Jacob - At this point (spring of your Junior year), I would just suggest doing your due diligence on the choices in front of you. Take visits to Alabama, Auburn, Vandy, or anywhere else you can get to and get free tours so that you can compare the campuses. Do your online research to find out what the costs are and if they have the courses of study you are looking for. Look into scholarship opportunities (which are going to be tougher and more competitive the more prestigious the school) and more importantly the scholarship/registration deadlines.

Couple of things to weigh into your decision:
1) How comfortable would you be being 1000+ miles from home? Particularly at the beginning, being away from your family is tough unless you have done it for months before.
2) What other factors are important to you other than just curriculum? Do you want a school that has good sports teams, climate, etc?
3) College Applications generally have a fee ($50-$200) associated with each one you submit.
4) What type of city do you want to go to school in? If you don't like metropolitan areas, Vandy might not be your cup of tea.

Now, with all that said, I will personally vouch for the all-around college experience of Alabama. With high school numbers very similar to yours, I was on a full academic scholarship (including housing) so I got my degree with no student loans. I know they have good English and Political Science programs as well as a good law school. I have friends from there that have gone on to law school and med school and have all done very well for themselves. I graduated from there in 2000, but my brother is graduating from there in May, so if there are any questions you think I can help with about school there...shoot me a PM and I will be glad to share anything I know.

Everyone has their own set of criteria for what they are looking for, so no one can really tell you where will fit that list for you.
 
Hole~Out~1983 said:
Yeah unless your actually more concerned about getting an education than you are finding a wife.
Click to expand...

well the thing is, chances are you're going to get a good education no matter where you go. The difference in colleges isn't the curriculum (obviously it depends on the field they special in. some places have better law programs/physics programs depending on what they're speciality is; But a school with a good law program isn't going to be miraculously better another school with a good law program. you're going to learn the same things at either place) it's the connections. You could probably get just as good of a law degree from from a division 2 school as you could vanderbilt, but the vanderbilt degree is going to open up a thousand more doors.

Now me, i'm more into the charlie sheen bachelor lifestyle (but i'm not going to hijack this thread going down that road, i'm just giving some perpective on the place my opinion comes from), so the marriage-family game isn't my thing, but the people i know who are older that are into that sort of thing say that while you shouldn't get hitched anytime in or shortly after school, if you haven't met the person you're going to do that with by the time you graduate, chances are the girl you end up with will be a nut job; they say there's a reason they're still on the market.
 
Your ACT score, while good, probably rules out Yale or Princeton. That's ok, though. Vanderbilt would be a nice choice if they will give you a scholarship. I'd suggest you find the best school that will give you a full scholarship so you won't be burdened by debt when you enter law school. Another thing - start preparing for the LSAT as soon as you get into undergrad. Take Kaplan courses early and often and whatever else you can to get familiar with the types of problems presented. I thought I would knock the LSAT out with little preparation (like I did the ACT), but it requires much different skills. I ended up making a pretty average score.

The most important thing I can tell you is don't follow the traditional law school prep program. I was a political science major with a minor in English. It's very general, but it actually limited my options. What kind of lawyer do you want to be? Patent or Intellectual Property Lawyer? Do a computer, mechanical or software engineering major. Tax attorney? Make accounting your major. The benefits to these kinds of majors are numerous. First, if you decide not to go to law school you can get a job in that field, whereas you are pretty limited with political science, career-wise. Another plus is those with math/science based majors tend to do better on the LSAT. And if you decide not to specialize in that area of the law, you're still open to do whatever. Law schools care way more about your LSAT score and grades than they do your major.
 
cwesleyc said:
Your ACT score, while good, probably rules out Yale or Princeton. That's ok, though. Vanderbilt would be a nice choice if they will give you a scholarship. I'd suggest you find the best school that will give you a full scholarship so you won't be burdened by debt when you enter law school. Another thing - start preparing for the LSAT as soon as you get into undergrad. Take Kaplan courses early and often and whatever else you can to get familiar with the types of problems presented. I thought I would knock the LSAT out with little preparation (like I did the ACT), but it requires much different skills. I ended up making a pretty average score.

The most important thing I can tell you is don't follow the traditional law school prep program. I was a political science major with a minor in English. It's very general, but it actually limited my options. What kind of lawyer do you want to be? Patent or Intellectual Property Lawyer? Do a computer, mechanical or software engineering major. Tax attorney? Make accounting your major. The benefits to these kinds of majors are numerous. First, if you decide not to go to law school you can get a job in that field, whereas you are pretty limited with political science, career-wise. Another plus is those with math/science based majors tend to do better on the LSAT. And if you decide not to specialize in that area of the law, you're still open to do whatever. Law schools care way more about your LSAT score and grades than they do your major.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I didn't figure my ACT was good enough as is, but remember, I took my last ACT as I began the second half of tenth grade. I feel like I can easily achieve a 33.

I am considering tax law primarily.
 
My advice is less school specific. I mean this with all sincerity: get the heck out of dodge! Go somewhere where you are forced to meet new people; where you are out of your comfort zone; where your parents can't come to your university without it being a pain; where you are not a dime-a-dozen; where you learn new things just from interacting with people who are "different."

Life is an adventure, and there is no better time to take the next step in that adventure than college. One of the best decisions I have made was to get the heck out of dodge when I left for school. I was in southern California, a place many people glamorize in their minds. I could have stayed there and went to one of the local schools like 90% of my HS friends. Instead I went to a school in the Midwest, a place I had no business being. Met some of the best folks i have ever known; learned more about myself than ever before; learned different cultures and have a ton af awesome stories, including bad ones.

As you get older, it will become a bit more difficult to be as adventurous and risky. Take risks while the risk is low... You can always transfer back to a local school if you hate it!

Best wishes man! Oh, and thought it doesn't sound like you are considering it, DO NOT do pre-law in college. You can focus on law once (if) you go to law school.
 
First...figure out what you want.

1. Major
2. Size of School
3. Curriculum
4. Amenities
5. Town Size
6. Sports

Next I would recommend going to Barnes and Nobles, Borders, ect. and sitting down for a few hours and looking through the college books. They have hundreds of books the size of telephone books, with schools sorted by state, major, size. Look through these, devour the information and compare with your likes and dislikes (see above). I would also recommend checking out U.S. News and World Reports college rankings. It's great informative site with lots of good info. The Princeton Review also has a lot of good college search info.

Next, narrow your choice down to 5-10 schools and go visit them. This will give you an idea of what the campus, town, student population, and curriculum is like. Open Houses are ok, but I'd recommend going another time other than an Open House. Within an hour on each campus you will decide if this is the place you want to spend the next 4 years of your life. Cheers and good luck!!!!
 
interlooper said:
My advice is less school specific. I mean this with all sincerity: get the heck out of dodge! Go somewhere where you are forced to meet new people; where you are out of your comfort zone; where your parents can't come to your university without it being a pain; where you are not a dime-a-dozen; where you learn new things just from interacting with people who are "different."

Life is an adventure, and there is no better time to take the next step in that adventure than college. One of the best decisions I have made was to get the heck out of dodge when I left for school. I was in southern California, a place many people glamorize in their minds. I could have stayed there and went to one of the local schools like 90% of my HS friends. Instead I went to a school in the Midwest, a place I had no business being. Met some of the best folks i have ever known; learned more about myself than ever before; learned different cultures and have a ton af awesome stories, including bad ones.

As you get older, it will become a bit more difficult to be as adventurous and risky. Take risks while the risk is low... You can always transfer back to a local school if you hate it!

Best wishes man! Oh, and thought it doesn't sound like you are considering it, DO NOT do pre-law in college. You can focus on law once (if) you go to law school.
Click to expand...

Yeah, no pre-law here. Sounds like a wasted major to me.
 
Looper is very wise. Get as far away from home as you can. You can always go back, but there is no better time to get out and see the world than when you are in college.
 
My son's best friend played played basketball at Yale. He came from a low-middle income family and the cost was very high. He was very smart but he struggled in many ways while he was there, especially financially. He ended up coming back to a GA University after 2-3 years. He has done exceptionally well in his career though. Having an Ivy League school on his resume (even though he didn't graduate from there) is impressive to prospective emloyers. I'm almost positive he would suggest staying at a university in your state for many reasons but I may be wrong. I'll have to ask.
 
I don't think I wanna move too far away, unless I have a lot of incentive to do so (Ivy League). I will probably end up staying here in the South East.
 
My advice is probably worth what you are paying for it however since I am an attorney I thought I might chime in.

First, if you think that you want to practice tax law, English and Political Science won't do you any good. You need to go to a school with a good accounting program and most likely shoot for a PPA. Most people in law school don't know what they want to practice so don't feel bad if your heart is set on English or Political Science.

I majored in Government (you can probably figure the school out from my handle), I wouldn't do it again because I couldn't have done anything with my degree unless I went to law school.

I would recommend a hard look at Vanderbilt. My wife went there and the cost is very comparable to good in state schools.

Good luck with your decision.
 
cwesleyc said:
Your ACT score, while good, probably rules out Yale or Princeton. That's ok, though. Vanderbilt would be a nice choice if they will give you a scholarship. I'd suggest you find the best school that will give you a full scholarship so you won't be burdened by debt when you enter law school. Another thing - start preparing for the LSAT as soon as you get into undergrad. Take Kaplan courses early and often and whatever else you can to get familiar with the types of problems presented. I thought I would knock the LSAT out with little preparation (like I did the ACT), but it requires much different skills. I ended up making a pretty average score.

The most important thing I can tell you is don't follow the traditional law school prep program. I was a political science major with a minor in English. It's very general, but it actually limited my options. What kind of lawyer do you want to be? Patent or Intellectual Property Lawyer? Do a computer, mechanical or software engineering major. Tax attorney? Make accounting your major. The benefits to these kinds of majors are numerous. First, if you decide not to go to law school you can get a job in that field, whereas you are pretty limited with political science, career-wise. Another plus is those with math/science based majors tend to do better on the LSAT. And if you decide not to specialize in that area of the law, you're still open to do whatever. Law schools care way more about your LSAT score and grades than they do your major.
Click to expand...

Very good advice. My nephew just passed the Bar a few months ago. He got his degree in Business because he knew he wanted to focus on international law and now works for an insurance co. and travels all over the world on the company's dime.

Something else you might want to consider in staying In State for your Bachelors. In state tuition is much less expensive than out of state costs. You might also consider taking required classes at a community college if the credits are transferable. It will save you quite a bit.
 
Lawnghorn said:
My advice is probably worth what you are paying for it however since I am an attorney I thought I might chime in.

First, if you think that you want to practice tax law, English and Political Science won't do you any good. You need to go to a school with a good accounting program and most likely shoot for a PPA. Most people in law school don't know what they want to practice so don't feel bad if your heart is set on English or Political Science.

I majored in Government (you can probably figure the school out from my handle), I wouldn't do it again because I couldn't have done anything with my degree unless I went to law school.

I would recommend a hard look at Vanderbilt. My wife went there and the cost is very comparable to good in state schools.

Good luck with your decision.
Click to expand...

Honestly, I am not 100% set on tax law. I keep wondering if I would enjoy my job or not. I am also considering criminal law and corporate law. I just haven't made up my mind.
 
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