Summer will soon end, but the fun of my senior year of high school and the college admissions process is just beginning. My first day back at high school is September 5th. The rest of my summer consists of a few basic things. I have a visit to Lafayette College planned on Thursday the 30th, with a friend giving the tour. (Thanks Billy!) Additionally, I’ve got homework left from my AP English and AP Biology classes. I’ll be spending a majority of my time on them, starting tomorrow.
My biggest concern in life right now is still college. The Tech school v. general school conflict still teems in my head. After my visit to RPI, I’ve somewhat changed my stance on the issue. To spite the student body at a school, I think that one gets out of an education what they put in to it. Moreover, perhaps one can find intellectuals in a tech school. The jury is still deliberating on this point, someone try to change my mind.
Not to mention, my college list is in serious need of expansion (RPI, UCONN, Tufts [unvisited], Lafayette [soon to be visited]). I’ve purchased the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2008 Edition, and plan to study that. I can’t fathom why this is so hard for me, while seeming much easier for everyone around me. Perhaps I’m taking it too seriously, with the idea that if I don’t do this correctly, I’ll somehow fail at life. Although that seems very colloquial, it’s all that captures the notion.
Well, I can really understand your point concerning tech school versus a more liberal arts education. Don’t worry- it’s not strange at all that this decision isn’t coming particularly easy to you. Everyone has different strengths, and you just seem to be currently entangled in regards to the strength that you’re more interested in refining. I’m thinking at this point that it may boil down to deciding as to which of your educational interests takes priority, your ‘technie’ side, if I may, or its humanities counterpart. Also, are you certain at this point as to what subject area you’re interested in majoring in? I would suggest choosing a clear major and making your decision realtive to that. So if, for example, you become a computer science major (just throwing it out there) I would advise you to go to a tech school and then simply take some gen ed classes to have a more liberal arts background. Yet of course if you decided to head toward something away from mathematics or sciences, I would say to attend a general school. So I guess it may all depend on your major. I hope this helps, I know this is much more sticky of a predicament to oversimplify with the whole major idea, but just giving some perspective here.
The tragic other side to that example is that if I were to major in Computer Science, I could just as easily do that at a Liberal Arts school. Well, maybe not just as easily, but it’s very possible.
Well, my list isn’t that impressive either, most I haven’t even visited. UConn & Columbia (been to) RPI, Colgate, Cornell, Harvard, & Princeton (not been to)
I don’t see the tech v. regular as the main problem. It’s really: “Will the college accept me?” and: “Is the education & degree prestigious enough to count in life?”
Alright, alright, so it was a bad example! …However, I am going to mildly disagree with Michael in that although a good degree is by all means important, the concentration of that degree is also of immeasureable significance. Attending a tech school v. a general college will have an impact on (1) the actual college experience itself and (2) the focus of expertise thereafter. I believe it fair to say that regardless of the school our friend Ricky here attends, his degree will have a notable level of prestige. It is now a matter of an educational concentration that will work to shape a respective career path later on.
According to the College Board there are 2174 four-year colleges in the United States. Assuming such a thing as the perfect school for you exists (hint: it doesn’t), odds are 2174 to 1 that you will not go there. (Maybe. I’m bad at probability.)
The good news: It is so futile there is no need to stress about it.
The better news: Wherever you go cannot possibly be worse than where you are now.
Also, don’t forget aboot Canadian & British colleges. Socialized health care! Whee!
I’m always afraid of getting injured & not being able to pay cuz I’m still in college.
I’m going to agree with Christine in her mild disagreement with Michael. However, Michael’s concerns are valid, in my opinion, after the concentration issue.
Kim, that’s the most uplifting thing I think I’ve ever read in my entire life. And by uplifting, I mean quasi-uplifting, somewhat depressing, and very eye-opening.
Michael, you really think you’re going to leave the country for school? It’s possible, but I think highly impractical.
And as far as health care goes, as a full time student you will either still be under your parents’ plan or be required to enroll in the college’s plan–they don’t want you to be uninsured on their watch. Of course I’m not sure how extensive that coverage is.
I don’t have any numbers right now, but I’m pretty sure that college health care is affordable. I’ve seen booklets where the school puts a partner plan of some sort in it, with a company who will give the “best” deal. It’s like a preferred lender list, but not controversial.
Not to mention, searching “college health care plan” on Google returns a plethora of workable results.
College health care shouldn’t be a problem. Messiah billed me last month for school insurance and the total was $336.00, which I covered under miscellaneous expenses when applying for a student loan. You should be fine there.