College Application - Sehe Han

Course-Notes Senior Editor Sehe Han give her input regarding college applications:
The season of college application has passed, and here I am now, just reflecting. To start my reflection, here is the list of the colleges that I have applied to. I will make this reading somewhat informal for you guys simply for convenience.
University of Georgia [accepted] - Accepted! I reside in Georgia, and this was my safety school. Definitely apply to your state schools. I’ve seen many of my older friends go to their state schools mostly due to financial reasons, and party from that reason, UGA has raised its standards. It now requires about 2200+ SAT for its Honors Program.
Georgia Institute of Technology [accepted] - This was my other safety school, but Georgia Tech also has superior rankings in the field of biomedical engineering, industrial engineering, and aerospace engineering. In addition, its super rigorous classes are welcoming to students, but it seems like that joy of hard challenge seems to fade away after awhile. For more info on GT’s student life, you can visit www.onlyattech.net
Emory University [waiting] - Ever since my junior year, I have been in part of Emory Youth Symphony Orchestra as a violist. I got to know the music professor of Emory University, and in some aspect, he helped me to understand more about Emory admission and such. With that said, search for any program available to high school students in the universities around you.
Cornell [waiting] - Couple of my friends attend here and so I decided to give it a shot. I found its Hotel School and ILR interesting. I had my interview with one of its ambassadors during winter break, and I brought a list of events, clubs, and classes that I wanted to know about. One of the items on the list, “Guiding Eyes for the Blind” triggered a conversation about dogs, and I actually ended up at my interviewer’s house to meet her dogs. Please remember that college interviewers are also humans and you don’t always have to be perfect. The bad things about interview are the anxiety and the pressure, but when you look at the holistic picture, those are just little things.
New York University [waiting] - This is the school that I know most about since my brother graduated from here last May. NYU probably had the most interesting writing prompt including.. “A movie is coming out in 2050 about you. Tell us the title and the plot.” “Write a poem or haiku of yourself.”
University of Rochester [waiting] - Two main reasons for applying: Eastman school of music and neurology research center. Based on my research, Rochester also has excellent financial aid, almost 95%. This seemed like a place where I could be in touch with music attending concerts in Eastman while continuing the neurological research that I am interested in.
Sooo.. what did I lose at the end of this long season of college application? I did lose a great amount of money on application fees and sending SAT scores [definitely take advantage of college board’s free sending of scores!] However, in lieu of $$$, I gained experience, which may seem insignificant, but I was taught how to work under pressure. I, along countless other seniors, worked under the pressure of writing college essays with a meager word limit of 500 to paint an entire picture of myself, the pressure of not standing out in a pool of thousands of applicants, which ultimately led to the fear of rejection. However, as Justin Hancock once said, “please understand that at the end, colleges don’t make who you are going to become. You do.”
Note from the Deputy Editor-in-Chief: In the college application process, many students underestimate the value of state colleges. For example, most schools give significant financial aid packages to in-state students. The state college that I was accepted to offered me full ride: over $20,000 per year. Academics at state schools have also improved considerably in recent years. Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey (AKA Rutgers University) is now ranked among the top twenty public universities in the United States. So don’t rule out state colleges! Feel free to comment on the advice and tips provided by Sehe. Sincerely, Vicki Shen Course-Notes Deputy Editor-in-Chief