/sci/ - Science & Math

Dunno about the others, but MIT pays me to go to school for free. You certainly don't need to be rich.

Even if you get into one, you're not as smart as you think you are, going to such high-end schools will not say anything special about you, and you're just going to make yourself look like a conceited asshole in the process.

Sincerely,
/sci/ - Science & Math

>>2007278
Well, MIT does have fabulous financial Aid. And Berkeley is a public school. But the prices of the others are crazy.

>>2007284
>going to such high-end schools will not say anything special about you
That's true, but you are given FAR HIGHER scope for saying things about yourself. My undergrad lab had one open grant for less than 100k. My current lab has many many many millions of dollars going through it.

One will let you do more research than the other.

>>2007284
>Implying I didn't knew that already

That being said, now I am looking for help.

>>2007288
You're not going to get in for undergrad. It's not going to happen, nobody cares about a high school student.

Go to a decent college, as a freshman start doing novel research. Find the guy that does what you want to do, and do it with him. Get your name on papers. I had three papers, one of which was in PNAS (which is damn impressive for an undergrad) when I applied - colleges will be all over your dick.

Also nobody gives a shit where you did your undergrad. All about the postdoc.

If you are going for undergrad:
Good grades, high AP/IB scores, high SAT or ACT scores, accomplishments (like awards and stuff), and a good personal statement. If you aren't rich, it's going to be harder because that usually means you didn't get to go to as good of a high school, but it's still possible.

Also, undergrad isn't as important as people make it out to be. As long as you graduate from a reasonably good school, get good grades, and do lots of research and stuff, you can go somewhere great for grad school.

Ugh, I don't have extracurriculars. I could care less about music, sports or arts.
Except maybe that one time I got 2nd place in the State for developing a simple program which is the software equivalent of a Cash Register, plus a couple of functions.
I sincerily love programming, but that's about my only passion.

Can I still apply?

Any help for internationals?
Not Asian.

>>2007302

That's something. Make it sound better on your applications, though.

>>2007285
>fabulous

Well, isn't that to be expected from an engineering school?

>>2007277

Getting into Berkeley is easy.

For the Ivy League, Stanford, or MIT, though, you'll need an incredible academic record, science-related extracurriculars, and a flawless personal statement.

>>2007324
>science-related extracurriculars

Elaborate please, and give examples.

I said please.

My girlfriend and a few friends from HS go to UCB (Bioengineering).

She was valedictorian with a 4.2GPA (all APs), but she didn't have to do a huge amount of volunteer work.

>And Berkeley is a public school.

It's about $14,000 a year, and she lives off campus.

>>2007340
>$14,000

It's still much more reasonable than the 50k-60k fees asked by the Ivies.

I've heard alot about Berserkerley infamious reputation of being filled with Anarchist ultra-liberal socialist kids that don't know a shit about what they are talking about. Is it true?

>>2007350
I suppose. My cousin went to U-Chicago(ivy), and that ran her family about 25k a year. At least she's making 150k starting as a lawyer now.

>>2007360
Sounds like a normal college to me.

>>2007360
Not so much. There are, how ever a TON of 20-30 year old stoners who lay on the sidewalks begging people for money and pot. Every college has the ultra liberal/conservative/anything that makes them look bad. The hippies who sat in the trees for a year weren't even Berkeley students, just standard hippies.

>>2007324

Math club, chess club, taking all AP science and math classes and getting 5s on them, programming/computer club.

Really, though, it depends on what your school offers.... Many students will even do research in high school if their own schools don't offer many science opportunities.

>>2007360

Yes, Berkeley is perhaps the most liberal school in the nation. There were riots last spring over a small hike in tuition--one of the many reasons why I didn't accept their offer.

>>2007362

>University of Chicago
>Ivy
>mfw

It's one of the best schools in the world, but the Ivy League is a conference in the northeast.

>>2007375
>There were riots last spring over a small hike in tuition--one of the many reasons why I didn't accept their offer.

Small is relative, considering many kids from UCB aren't insanely rich like those at Stanford/Berkeley. Riot is also an exaggeration, a few hundred kids picketed. Didn't even block traffic or hurt anyone (to my knowledge.)

>>2007381
I stand corrected, I'll keep it in mind :)

Does anyone care that I got 5s on 7 AP tests? My GPA was mediocre and I'm not in any groups. I just read and fap.

>>2007411

Depends: what's mediocre?

You probably couldn't get into any elite schools, though.

How can I make a good admission essay? Moreso, how can I do it without using purple prose?
Should I send it by mail or online?

>>2007411
With 5s on 5 AP tests and perfect ACT and SAT scores it's possible to get into MIT with a 3.8 GPA.

>>2007419
Like 3.66 (less than 50% of my HS class). It's just dumb that they seem to care more about GPA (mostly busywork) than AP (which is supposed to prove your understanding). But I guess "work" ethic is important .

and 31 ACT

about $10k a year including room and board at a state school. I applied so late I didn't get much aid. Feels bad man.

Where can I learn about AP or IB courses? Where can I do them?

>>2007440
That's probably good enough if you could get a perfect ACT or SAT score.

>>2007441
help?

>>2007441
>>2007474
Just look up the study materials on your own and take the tests. My high school didn't offer AP chem or physics, but I did the tests anyway.

>>2007441
>>2007474
college board website. Are you in another country or something?

Take as many as you can. If I had known that they weren't hard I would have taken like every single one. Oh and I'm poor so the State paid $680 my senior year for my tests lol. Got 32 credits transferred to my college.

>>2007487
Yes, I am an international, but I am interesed in taking these tests. So, basically, they are

>>2007487
This. Take as many as you can, they're so much cheaper than college classes. Not really much point doing the English ones as they probably will make you take a writing class anyway, but especially if it's a course sort of unrelated to your major that you'd have to take, like chemistry for a CE major, they'll often let you skip it because of the AP test. Most of them are fairly easy, although you do have to know the material. A week of dedicated studying should be enough to get a 5 on any given AP test.

>>2007499
Supplementary tests for show-offs?

yale, princeton and HAVAHD are the only ivy league schools that matter. mit is impressive too and berkeley is well regarded (if you can tolerate the smell).

just remember that the ivy league is an athletic conference and unless you're on a full ride, the other ivies aren't worth it because no one in the real world gives a fuck about brown.

also duke and usc are packed with rich retards don't go

>>2007530
MIT>Ivy League for math/science/engineering shit.

My school doesn't give AP courses, how can I enroll?

>>2007533
to elaborate
MIT>Stanford>Berkeley>Cornell>Penn=Yale>Everything Else

>>2007536
Ask your principal about how you could take AP tests anyway. I'm not sure if there's a way to do it without going through your school.

Aren't IB courses basically the same as AP courses?

>>2007530
>because no one in real world gives a fuck about Brown

Oh God, I lol'd

>>2007585
Why is Brown so hated? It's not a bad college at all.

>>2007615
"Completed concentrations of undergraduates by area are Social Sciences (42%), Humanities (26%), Life Sciences (17%), and the Physical Sciences (14%)"
That explain it?

>>2007615
>Not Brown
>Brown
>Brown
>Brown
>Brown

>>2007644

Oh God I lol'd.

If you don't have extracurriculars and impressive accomplishments out the ass you're not getting into an Ivy, Stanford, MIT, etc. as an undergrad. Those schools don't just want smart students, they want INTERESTING students. "Interesting" meaning that they want kids who can play at least one instrument, do big community service projects every year, have some sort of intercultural background, and have a few awards for all of the above, in addition to having near perfect grades and test scores. If you're just a really smart nerd you'll have to pick and choose from the schools that don't get flooded with applications from every high school student in the country who placed in the top 10% in their class.

I don't know anything about Ivy Leagues but I wouldn't go to Brown because it has a shitty name. Who wants to say he went to Brown? It reminds me of poop.

>>2007659

Basically this. Also, affirmative action.

I applied to Dartmouth and Harvard with almost perfect SATs and great high school stats and extracurriculars (Class president, shit like that), didn't get into either, though I did get into NYU Stern which is 'race'-blind (aka being white doesn't hurt you).

But yeah, I ended up taking a free ride to state school where I am very happy.

It's all about how well you do where you go.

A good GPA at any respected college is good. (Assuming you plan on grad school)

>>2007627
That's still better than most colleges where the completed concentrations go:

Humanities (by far) > Social Sciences > Life Sciences > CompSci >>>> Physical Sciences > Math

Not including majors offered by non-A&S schools like business, nursing, etc.

Remember that the only schools where you're going to more students doing physical science than other majors are at tech universities since that's what those schools concentrate on. Liberal arts schools tend to focus more on humanities than anything else, while liberal arts research universities focus on life science more than anything else.

>>2007659
What about if I come from a humble (aka poor) descent and I'm hispanic?

>>2007689
Poor is good, especially if you went to an inner city high school that ranked near the bottom of your state's/national high school rankings and was torn about by drugs and gang violence.

Hispanic is alright. It's not black, but it's not white or Asian either. You'll get bonus points if you speak Spanish, and a ton more if you're an immigrant or at least the child of immigrant parents (and the shittier the country you immigrated from the better).

Just make sure to talk about how much your life up to now has sucked because of how poor you are and how much "adversity" you've had to overcome (the keyword there though is "overcome". Don't mention anything bad if it hasn't since become better). If you can throw in something about how you're really involved in your community and can point out some tangible things you did to make your shitty ghetto neighborhood a better place to live, you can consider yourself accepted.

>>2007717
And If I still live in Mexico?
But you're right about the shitty ghetto and the drugs/gang violence.

>>2007717
shit I wish I were a poor black kid in a ghetto

no wait, nah

There are only Rich Bastards in these schools

How can I get into a Computer Science graduate program at places like MIT, and Carnegie Mellon?

I am a mathematics major. I have done research.
I have published. I can obtain good recommendation letters. I worked for a top software company for an internship. What are my chances?

>>2008268
I think you got a good shot

BUMPING THIS THREAD

why do people think that doing undergrad at a place like MIT matters as much as doing your graduate work there?
I know someone who did undergrad at SUNY Geneseo then grad school at MIT and he's doing much better than this guy who did undergrad at MIT then grad somewhere else

>>2008350
>SUNY Geneseo
laughingelfman.jpg
That school isn't nearly as good as the kids who go there think.

bump

Wait...so which would be better for me to do (under-grad in some kind of Engineering)...

Go to Ohio State University for $15,000~ (in state) (most likely a full-ride)

Go to Tulane University (private) $45,000~ (probably paying for $20,000 of it)

>>2008446
>some kind of engineering
Kids these days...

>>2008446

GO TO STATE SCHOOL AND APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS. YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT KIND OF DEBT THIS IS YET IF YOU'RE HAVING TROUBLE DECIDING.

TULANE IS A FUCKING SHITHOLE THAT WILL PUT YOU INTO DEBT HELL. DON'T GO

>>2008446

Neither of those schools are well-known for engineering.

>>2008485

but he can get one for FREE

>>2008477
lol, already sent my application because they waived the fee, but thanks for the advice!
>>2008485
Tulane is pretty good for engineering, and replace OSU with any public ohio university. Maybe Toledo?

>Slack off first few years of High School.
>Almost perfect grades, no ECs or volunteer work
>Realize I have no chance at an Ivy or MIT

I'm going to an Australian university for undergrad. Best one for physics? And I can't go to an inland one, being away from the sea is just too depressing.

>>2008459
If I had to choose now, It would be Bio-Medical Engineering, but that will most likely change.

Fuck, I had no idea Ameribros had it so bad.

I'm at Loughborough and my friend is here too doing Mech Eng. His brother is at Bath doing the same course, and none of us pay anything up front for our courses and at the end of it we'll have about £15k to pay off. I mean, we all got decent grades and had good references, but it wasn't impossible to get in. Even a friend of mine at Oxford doing Maths didn't have anything like the amount of costs and bullshit it involves to get into an American university.

AP classes are like A Levels, right?

>>2008536
Yeah, APs are the equivalent. I've heard A-levels are quite a bit harder, though.

>>2008536
Yeah the American education system is all kinds of fucked up

>>2008536

Have you ever wondered why America has a greater quantity of better schools?

>>2008556

Depends. I took 4 A Levels and I did a 5th in my own time. They were hard, but it was more down to exam technique and initiative as opposed to hard studying.

GCSEs were piss though. I went to a terrible high school and still managed an A/B average. That's the main problem with the British education system - they expect you to go from easy stuff (think basic maths, standard science, simple historical interpretations if you study history) and come back after 6 weeks of holiday and write at a level that is practically an undergrad level.

>>2008562
Because it's the largest OECD nation in the world? Out of the top 10 universities according to QS, 4 are British and 6 are American. That looks like a win for Britain, when population is taken into consideration.

>>2008562

Because you have a larger population spread out over a massive area. Your universities get a large amount of funding from private industry.

It has nothing whatsoever to do with the academic requirements placed on students. It has everything to do with finance.

>>2008572
Not to mention a B in GCSE is the same as an A- in the US. Secondary education is worthless there.

I have no idea why people say that it costs loads of money for school. There are so many scholarships out there, you just need to look. I got $1000 per semester for four years by writing a 500 word essay about my perspective on evolution in the classroom. No GPA required, no real work.

In grad school, you typically get paid to go, and tuition is waived.

>>2008577

Lets not get into this, I'm >>2008572 and >>2008536 and I will admit that American universities are on average better and do provide a better standard of education in certain subjects. This is simply a money issue, and Americans have more money. Good for them, I say. Nothing like a bit of competition.

I was simply commenting on the huge amount of money paid by American students into their universities. I know for a fact I couldn't afford anything up front, because my family aren't rich enough. This is why I'm at university, so I can do better.

>>2008503
I know Canberra is inland and all, but seriously - ANU.

>>2008590
>Americans have more money
Oh dear you know nothing about this country.

>>2008536
>>2008554

Ty the time I finish my undergrad, I'll be about ~$70,000 in debt. But, guess what: it's worth it. I'm attending one of the top universities, and getting a marketable degree (not some arts bullshit) which I know will guarantee me a well-paying job.

Yeah, in America you may have to pay more--but the quality of education is generally better, and as long as you aren't a dumbass and stay away from Art history and Gender studies, it'll probably be worth the extra cost.

Like they say
In order to go to Ivy league you need to be really rich or really poor
Also being black helps

>>2008600
I get depressed away from the sea. Unless there's a lake or something nearby.

>>2008608

No such thing as guarantees.

Best of luck with the degree though.

>>2008554
No, the only people who have a ton of debt after college are pretentious assholes that don't want to go to a good government funded university

>>2008608
Putting yourself in that much debt for undergrad is completely fucking pointless if you plan on going on to grad school.
Anyone with half a brain would recommend saving your debt for later by going to a cheaper, but still good, school for your Bachelor's so you have more freedom for the rest.

>>2008619

Not always true. Some firms, especially those involved in finance, have "target" schools--schools which they specifically recruit undergrads from. Anyone who didn't attend one of these "target" schools has a very, very, very low chance of being hired.

>>2008635

Only two institutions I know of practice this. Merrill Lynch and BaE.

Not to say that it doesn't happen, but those are the only ones I know of that do it. Everywhere else does it on experience, interview and references.

>>2008614
Go to Melbourne University then.

>>2008635
That may be true, but I can count the amount of majors that will make a difference in your salary if you go to an Ivy league university with my fingers

>>2008655

And economics is one of them.

>>2008639

Those are two--but not the only two.

>>2008661
You never actually mentioned what your major was

1. Where you got your degree from.
2. What standard you completed your degree to.
3. Who you met and remained in contact with.
4. Who you know in a certain industry.
5. How you can sell your degree.
90001. What your degree is in.

I know a guy who got a degree in Geology and ended up working for the government as a high end analyst because he met a guy at University who's dad was high up in the Fed. Earns a fortune.

>>2008661

I went to LSE and after 4 years I became tired and irritated with anything remotely to do with Economics and got a job in the Museum looking after books and statues.

History is my passion and Economics is my trade. I despise it though. Thankfully, i can always get something fairly decent if I fancy starting a large family.