Applying to Colleges

So recently I decided to quit procrastinating and start my applications for colleges. As of this point, I have about 90% of them done…. Amazing what a little motivation can do to you. Luckily for me, all but one of the colleges I am applying to accept them Common Application, so most of what I have to do is just essays specific to each college.

 

My List

Here is the list of colleges I am applying to, in no particular order:

1. Stanford University (Restrictive Early Action)
2. Harvard University
3. Princeton University
4. Brown University
5. Northwestern University
6. University of Chicago
7. University of Notre Dame
8. University of Wisconsin-Madison
9. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

 

Currently I have finished my essays for all of these colleges except for the University of Chicago. Once I have finished Chicago’s essays (which are very unique and hard to write for), my plan is to have my mom read over them. After she has done that, I am going to go over them again to make sure they are saying what I want them to. I think it will be very hard to add stuff, since I reached the word limit for almost every essay I wrote. Once this process is complete, I plan to have 3-4 more adults read my essays/application to make sure everything makes sense and is spelt right. I will finally go over one more time after that to make sure everything is how I want it, and really tells my story in MY voice.

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Stanford University (Restrictive Early Action)

I decided to apply to Stanford University Early Action for a few reasons:

1. It has been my dream since 5th grade to attend Stanford. It started off as a love for their basketball team, but as I got older I learned of their academic excellence as well. Being accepted to Stanford was the motivation that turned me into an excellent student and leader.
2. I attended one of Stanford Summer Camps a few years ago. I had to apply, and was then accepted into their Java and Robotics class. I was the only representative of the Midwest of about 40 students staying in our house on campus.
3. Due to its extremely low acceptance rate, I know I will have a better chance of getting accepted with Early Action. However, since it is Restrictive Early Action, I am only allowed to apply Early Action to Stanford. Early Action isn’t binding though, so I will still have a chance to see Financial Aid and other things from other schools.

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Harvard University

I toured Harvard in August, along with the other East Coast schools on my list. I thought it was a real unique set up, being in such a vibrant town as Cambridge is. I also spent the day before in Boston, which I think is an awesome city with some pretty good internship opportunities very close by. Another thing I thought was very cool about Harvard was when touring campus, our guide was able to point out the dorms of people such as Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates. To be part of such an elite group like that would be awesome! Plus not to mention that you can eat as much as you want, whenever you want in the dining halls at Harvard… Here is my post after I toured Harvard if you missed it: My visit to Harvard University

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Princeton University

Next stop on my East Coast college tour was Princeton. Princeton’s campus was very different than Harvard’s. It is more rural, and not really close to any major cities. However, this gives Princeton a lot more space on campus. Princeton’s campus was a much longer walk, but it was nice because you didn’t have to cross busy roads and was much more peaceful! Something that was very attractive to me about Princeton was the amount of financial aid that they gives most students, with almost all their students graduating debt free. If you read my post My Financial Goals, you would know that one of my long term goals is to graduate from college debt free. This goal seems possible at Princeton.

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Brown University

My final stop on my East Coast trip was Brown University, which I though was very unique. They have an open curriculum policy, where it seems you can take basically any class you want and pursue your passions. This is very important for me because I have a wide range of interests. I would be able to match my science interests with engineering and business. Brown is located in Providence, RI. Providence seemed like a nice city when I stayed there, and isn’t too far away from Boston. Brown’s campus was much like Harvard’s, where it was almost “fenced” off from the city, but you still had to cross streets to get to other parts of campus. However, i think Providence seems like a nice college town.

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Northwestern University

I took my Midwest college tours in June, about a week after I got out of school. Northwestern is a school that really interests me. Northwestern is very close to Chicago, only a short bus/train ride away. I think they offer a very good number of majors, mixed with a combination of minors and certificates. When I saw the campus I was very impressed with all their new buildings, and how big of a campus they had as well. I am intrigued by their sports as well, something that is important to me. Between their sports, academics, and numerous events that are always taking place at Northwestern, it looks like I would be pretty busy/happy my four years there!

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University of Chicago

Another college during my Midwest tour, University of Chicago is different than most of the schools I am applying to. It is located on the outskirts of Chicago, which I think is FANTASTIC for internship opportunities. U of Chicago seems smaller than all the others I am applying to, but it makes sense since it is the only Division 3 school I am applying to. This is important because I feel I would have a very good chance of being able to play on either their football or basketball team. I also really like how united the students are here. There is a lot of competitions between dorms, and many activities/games that it seems it would be fun to participate in.

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University of Notre Dame

The last school I toured in June, Notre Dame was not a school I thought I would be applying to. It was a last minute decision to tour there when we were touring the other Midwest schools, but I am glad we did. Notre Dame has a very strong alumni group that seems to be a vital part of the schools plan for its students to be successful. I really like how their sports stadiums are right on campus too. I think it would be a fun atmosphere to be a part of. I am glad the Notre Dame is pretty secluded from the town it is in however, because I wasn’t very impressed by South Bend… The religious aspect of Notre Dame is very intriguing too, because I think it would be a nice way to improve my faith.

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University of Wisconsin-Madison

Madison was the first college I toured. I was very impressed by the town and the campus. Campus was very big, and very spread out. However, it was so beautiful that it didn’t really matter. Madison also has a very strong sports atmosphere, which I like a whole bunch. Not to mention that campus is right on Lake Mendota. The buildings seemed to be new, with nice dorms and plenty of restaurants. Madison is one of the two public universities I am applying to, and I would be getting in-state tuition, significantly reducing its cost for me.

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University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

The other public university I am applying to, the U of M is a very intriguing college. I would be getting in-state tuition from the U as well, and would be close to home. The U also has a College of Science and Engineering that I am very fond of. It seems to be one of the very few sub colleges that include both science and engineering together. The U is a HUGE campus, spanning literally from Minneapolis to St. Paul.

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So there you have it! My next college post will probably be once I see who I have been accepted to, so it probably won’t be for awhile. Let me know if you guys have any special information on these colleges that you think I should know more about! Also if you are an ALUMNI of any of these schools, please comment below so we can contact each other, I would really like to know more about your alma mater!