A million questions about college!!!!?

Question

-do colleges care more about the SAT/ACT than grades?

-or more about the SAT than the ACT?

- do the care how many time you take the SAT?

- if you get a very good score on one or both of those tests, do other things matter as much?

- if you went to a very very good college (not necessarily ivy league) does it improve your chances to get into medical school?

- which schools have the best medical and science programs?

- i read somewhere that if you minor in science (when your trying to get into medical school) you will get better grades and less stress and still continue to medical school and major in something else?

- how much do you need to study, is there really any time for all the college parties you hear about when you actually care about the grades you get?

- how much does it all cost, for books, classes, housing etc.?

- what kinds of student loans can you get? and how?

- do you get a spring break? and will you have to be studying anyway?

- are there study groups you can join?

- what are sororities like?

- do you have to join a sorority to have friends?

- do people in sororities study or are they all dumb like the ones in movies (sorry...movie reference, i had to!)

- how hard is it really to get into ivy league schools?

- are state universities any worse or better than private schools?

- how many people in a class?

god i have so many questions!!

- how do you apply?

- are there certain times you have to apply

- do you have to apply and get accepted to schools before you can visit them?

- should you visit schools in your junior year so you have that all done before your senior year?

- when should you visit the schools?

- should you apply to like 10298458908 different schools everywhere even if you know you'll never get in?

- how can you "travel abroad" for a year in college?

- is it better to go to school in state or across the county or does it matter? or can you go to another country? will it be insanely expensive?

- is it harder to go to a school where you know absolutely no one or to one where you know a lot of people?

- what do the teachers expect of you?

- what kinds of jobs are available to college students?

and there are LOTS more questions i would like to know, this person asked the perfect question http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080813132538AAIxqnE but now i want to know the answers!!!

please help me!! i'm a junior in high school

Answer 1

- do colleges care more about the SAT/ACT than grades?

No -- both are important

-or more about the SAT than the ACT?

Traditionally, the SAT has been more important at the top schools.

- do the care how many time you take the SAT?

No idea -- but taking it two or three times will be OK

- if you get a very good score on one or both of those tests, do other things matter as much?

They still matter -- both are important to the top schools.

- if you went to a very very good college (not necessarily ivy league) does it improve your chances to get into medical school?

Yes -- absolutely.  It is harder to get into top graduate programs of any type if you go to a third or fourth tier school.  Lots of people think it doesn't matter -- but I know for sure that it does.

- which schools have the best medical and science programs?

See the rankings at US News.  The link is below.

- i read somewhere that if you minor in science (when your trying to get into medical school) you will get better grades and less stress and still continue to medical school and major in something else?

There is no easy path.  You have to do the work.

- how much do you need to study, is there really any time for all the college parties you hear about when you actually care about the grades you get?

If you study a little every day, it will leave you lots of time for other things.  If you put off your studying, you can kiss medical school goodbye.

- how much does it all cost, for books, classes, housing etc.?

You can get this information at the web site below or at the web site for each school.

- what kinds of student loans can you get? and how?

Talk to your HS counselor

- do you get a spring break? and will you have to be studying anyway?

Yes -- and Probably

- are there study groups you can join?

Probably

- what are sororities like?

Don't know

- do you have to join a sorority to have friends?

No

- do people in sororities study or are they all dumb like the ones in movies (sorry...movie reference, i had to!)

It depends on the school and the sorority

- how hard is it really to get into ivy league schools?

Very hard.  You need 3.8+ unweighted GPA, lots of AP classes, 2200+ SAT and a killer admissions essay.  Even then, the odds are against you.

- are state universities any worse or better than private schools?

There are good state universities (Berkeley, Virginia, UNC, Michigan, etc) and bad ones (Slippery Rock, any of the Cal State Universities, etc.  See the US News rankings for more information.

- how many people in a class?

It depends on the school.  Princeton Review has this kind of information.  See the second link'

- how do you apply?

- are there certain times you have to apply

Schools have this information at their web sites.

- do you have to apply and get accepted to schools before you can visit them?

You can visit at any time.

- should you visit schools in your junior year so you have that all done before your senior year?

Not a bad idea.

- when should you visit the schools?

A lot of people do it during the summer before their senior year.

- should you apply to like 10298458908 different schools everywhere even if you know you'll never get in?

No -- pick a couple of reach schools, a few schools that you believe you should be able to get into and one safety school.  Be realistic.  Princeton Review has a tool where you can enter information about yourself and it suggests appropriate schools for you.  See the second link.

- how can you "travel abroad" for a year in college?

You apply -- usually for your Junior year.  Your college will have more information.

- is it better to go to school in state or across the county or does it matter? or can you go to another country? will it be insanely expensive?

It doesn't matter -- but the quality of the school does matter.  Harvard is a great school, wheter you grew up in Boston or San Francisco.  St John's University in NYC is a bad school whether you grew up in Queens or Austin Texas.

- is it harder to go to a school where you know absolutely no one or to one where you know a lot of people?

You will meet new people either way.  It might be easier to meet lots of new people if you know no one.  Remember, they are looking for friends, too.

- what do the teachers expect of you?

They expect you to do the work & try your best.

- what kinds of jobs are available to college students?

Low paying jobs.

Answer 2

-It depends what school you are looking at, but most colleges use both SAT/ACT scores and high school record.

-Some say in the Northeast SAT is weighted heavier, and ACT in the Midwest. Usually, they are both weighted equally.

- Don't take it more than 3x

- Competitive schools look holistically, so a good score does not guarantee an admit

- Yes, names are important

- Cornell, MIT, Caltech, Yale, and Johns Hopkins are great science/med schools

-Can't give a definite answer, but it is possible

- not sure yet, leaving for college in 2 weeks

-Cost depends on your school and scholarship/financial aid

-Federal perkins loans, stafford loans, etc.

- Most schools have loans

Answer 3

for one, you can apply to 10298458908 colleges, but at $100 or more required for applying, you may want to just apply to schools you are interested in and that you can afford.  

Answer 4

In no particular order:

Differing colleges place differing emphasis on grades and test scores. Generally both are important--you're probably a strong applicant for any school where you score above the 75th percentile for the school in both GPA and test scores, a reach if you're at 25 or below and a reasonable applicant if you fall in between. (Say the 75th percentile score at UC Berkeley is 2200 on the SAT and a 4.00 GPA and the 25th percentile scores are 1800 and a 3.50 GPA. If you're above 2200 and 4.0 you'll probably get in, if you're below 1800 and a 3.5 you probably won't and if you're in between it's a bit of a toss up. NOTE that I'm making these numbers up.) Some colleges take the SAT, some the ACT, some both. Some also require SAT II subject tests.

Note that a schools requirements and average applicant information should be listed on the admissions website for a school. And if it isn't e-mail and ask.

High test scores help you get into good schools. You can generally take tests multiple times and schools will count your highest score.

Generally college prestige matters when applying to grad school; I'd assume this applies to med school.

As far as what classes you should take--talk to a guidance counselor once you get into college during your freshman year. You might also glance at the admissions pages of med schools.

The amount you need to study depends on what you are studying, and what kind of grades you're trying to get. A person shooting to get a 4.0 in premed classes will need to work a lot harder than a person who wants to get a 3.0 in psychology classes. Personally I felt that college was easier than high school--you get to concentrate on material you're really interested in and good at--but that comes with the caveat that I majored in political science, not pre med.

Even if you go for a tough major you should be able to get in a few parties and have some fun.

The cost of college can vary considerably depending on where you go--you can take out loans and get scholarships. Google FAFSA.

You do get a spring break. It should be longer than the break you get in HS (generally you have less in class time than in HS.)

Didn't join a Frat, went to two schools that didn't have them. You can definitely make a lot of friends without going Greek.

it is extremely hard to get into the Ivies--Harvard has about ten overqualified applicants for each space in it's Freshman class, and other top schools aren't much better. Unless you're pulling straight As or nearly straight As, and have a near perfect SAT score--or have done something genuinely extraordinary--you probably don't have a realistic chance.

The quality of all school varies. The best state universities--Berkeley, Michigan, UVA--are among the best schools in the country. Then again some private schools ain't exactly Harvard. Note however that you can get a good education anywhere if you apply yourself.

Class size depends on the class. At the state school I attended it ranged from 600+ to less than 20. In general the whole class size thing is overrated.

Look up a school's website and admissions page to see how and when to apply. Most schools have deadlines in the winter or early spring.

Visit whenever you can visit.

The advice for applying is--send a few applications to schools you're pretty sure you can get into, a few to schools where you're competitive and one or two to schools that you think are a reach. It costs money and time to apply so sending out a million applications to schools is  overkill.

Where you want to go geographically and also in relation to where all the people you know go is a matter of personal preference.

That's about all I have time for. Good luck!