At 12/12/08 12:48 AM, ikool wrote:
Hey guys? When does one apply for a university? I'm still going through my semesters right now, but I should be able to apply for a university now right? When did you all sign up for collage/uni?
I can only speak from personal experience, but I applied 'Early Decision' to my university in the fall of my Senior Year of highschool. Depending upon which schools you are looking at, they may or may not have the option to apply early. The good thing about applying early is that you have the opportunity to be accepted in a school, usually the first one on your list, before you even begin your second semester of senior year. This reduces the amount of stress you have to deal with as you prepare to close out your highschool career, which is huge.
There are two options which a college/uni may have in terms of Early Admission:
Early Action: in which you apply to the school earlier than most people (early November), and if you are accepted you can still choose to apply elsewhere, but at least you have that acceptance to fall back on.
Early Decision: you apply to the school earlier than most people (early November), and if you are accepted you must rescind all other applications to other schools - you sign a binding agreement to go to that school if accepted.
Later in your Senior Year, usually around late January or early February, you submit your application in the Regular Admission process if you haven't been accepted Early Decision.
However, I began looking at schools as early as Sophomore Year of highschool - but I was an athlete who wanted to continue my career in college, so I literally mailed out 30-40 resumes to coaches with my stats, my grades and my standardized test scores (SAT, ACT, SAT IIs).
If you aren't an athlete, I recommend that you begin narrowing your choices down by first looking through guide books. First narrow the schools down by geographical location (how far do you want to be from home? Do you want to go out of your country? etc.). Then look at schools that provide the major/area of study you are looking for. Then look at the grade/test score qualifications of the schools in your area of interest that seem interesting to you - basically ask yourself 'Do I have a shot at getting in here?'. After you've selected a shortened list of viable options, begin to narrow them down by asking: Can I afford to go here? Do they have the campus I want? Do they have the extracurricular activities I'm looking for? Etc.
After you've narrowed your list down to single digits, its time to go visiting. Take the tour. Ask questions. Fill out your name onto every slip of paper they might give you - admissions offices keep track of those questionnaires, sign-in sheets, etc., to determine your interest in the school. You don't have to visit all of the schools you will apply to - just the top ones on your list. But it is important to avoid the hassle of transferring if it turns out you didn't inspect a school closely enough before enrolling and you ended up hating it by taking the proper steps now and asking anything that might be on your mind.
Also personal question... Are there really dorm parties n stuff in collage/uni?
Yes there are, but rarely does one find the stereotypical Hollywood College Party. Sure, you might find yourself in the midst of an underwear party or Toga party - but movies would have you believe that college life is like that 24-7. Yeah - you do have some crazy fun at college, but it is usually outweighed by the amount of work you have to do during the 6 other nights in the week.
Of course, I struggled academically in college, so some other guys may have a different opinion as to how much partying they were able to do.
