Blog posts on college admissions by Arjun Seth
Ratnika Prasad (Cornell '14) recipient of the Ratan Tata Scholarship comments on her CommonApp activity short answer
"This summer I worked with the Mathematical Sciences Foundation, leading a group working on methods to renovate the Jantar Mantar - a dilapidated 17th century Indian astronomical observatory. 24 hours of wracking my brains for solutions to questions like "How do you find the latitude with a stick?", 8 hours of programming with Mathematica to build weirdly shaped models of ancient astronomical instruments and 16 hours in the scorching sun, taking readings and inspecting the aforementioned instruments which lie covered with graffiti made my 48 hours a week schedule. From persuading tired teammates to work for just a little while longer to sitting up late to finish presentations, my internship sharpened a lot more than my Math concepts. It made me realize the power of diverse ideas and collaborative team work in solving seemingly intractable problems and taught me to be responsible for others beside me. I left my internship a little wiser and considerably more sun burnt."
Ratnika comments on her activity short answer:
Vineet Banka writes on why he considers University of Southern California to be a good-fit school for him
VB: While initially selecting colleges, I did look at rankings, and that's how I decided on applying to most of them. Even while looking at rankings, a lot of the factors were considered and put into ranks such as locations, faculty, weather, proximity to nearest city, etc.
Even now, after having been there for a year, I feel rankings do play an important role, but not so much as I used to think. Even low ranked colleges do have most of the facilities that big names have to offer, but the only difference is in that of the people who make the most out of college.
2. Did the geographic location (NE, Mid West, West , South) and setting (urban, rural, suburban, college town) of your college impact your overall assessment of your college experience? Did you think about this when applying? How did your perception change with time?
VB: For me personally, I would have preferred to stay in a place that was not too cold, and that was again a major factor while I was applying to colleges. Having a suburban/ urban setting was my first choice in terms of college location to be better connected to everything around.
3. Did you consider size (student population) as an important criteria while choosing schools? What do you think is a size that is ideal for you? Why?
VB: Class size was not such a big factor for me, but having been in both a proper classroom class and a lecture class, I would prefer having a smaller classroom for classes just so its better to understand concepts with fewer people around and fewer distractions.
4. What was the average class size of your intro classes? Were you satisfied with this? In what way did this change your perception of your academic experience? What would you do differently?
VB: As I said, I had both lecture style classes as well as normal smaller classes, in which I preferred to attend the smaller classes just so more attention is paid to the student and the class can move at its own pace. Even next semester I have taken classes that are smaller in size and are dynamic.
5. What is your current major interest? Did this change over time? Explain if it did? Do you think that the courses you took to fulfil general education requirements were good? What would you change about the choices you made?
VB: My current major is Business Administration with an emphasis in Entrepreneurship and I had always wanted it to be that. I have already spoken to my professors who will be taking these classes and they have all agreed to accept me into the program as and when the time comes for me to take the classes. Some of the classes I took to fulfill the general education requirements were good while some were of no use to me.
6. Was the ratio of international students/total population an important criteria in your selection of schools? Did you feel trapped in any sort of bubble or clique? Did your perceptions about diversity change while you were in college?
VB: My college boasts of one of the highest percentages of international students and I truly think that the diversity level in my college is high as I constantly meet people from different backgrounds and places.
Raghav Chandra explains why UC Berkeley worked for him
1. How important do you consider rankings while evaluating schools? How have your perceptions changed about this now?
RC: Initially, rankings play an important role while evaluating schools. Its one of the ways you can filter schools. However, the rankings can be biased and criteria may be different. It might not address the point you are interested in. Initially, ranking played an important role as the resources were limited. Now, I feel that rankings give a general idea about a school but not good enough for fine-tuning. There is a lot more to a school than what the rankings are based on.
2. Did the geographic location (NE, Mid West, West , South) and setting (urban, rural, suburban, college town) of your college impact your overall assessment of your college experience? Did you think about this when applying? How did your perception change with time?
RC: My school is based in an urban/college town setting, close to a big urban city as well. The geographic location is perfect for the field I am in, i.e. Software engineering and Silicon Valley. The weather is also good; sometimes windy, sometimes sunny. This plays an important role as well. While deciding the school, it did play an important role, but as time passes, it gains significance as ultimately you have to live in it for a long time, and the experience of the school (interacting with friends, commuting, etc) depends directly on this. These factors affect me more now because they have enhanced the experience, for eg, due to the pleasant weather, I tend to socialize more outdoors, and be involved in sports. Being in an urban environment, close to a big city allows me to enjoy more resources, for eg transportation.
3. Did you consider size (student population) as an important criteria while choosing schools? What do you think is a size that is ideal for you? Why?
RC: Being a big public university, size was a concern initially. There was always the question of being lost in the crowd. It is true that in smaller places, one tends to have stronger ties with friends. It is majorly because of the fact that you are in the same classes as the others, unlike in bigger universities, where due to the numerous sections and options, one might have different classmates every semester. Though, it exposes you to a larger diversity and a more vibrant culture. Though another disadvantage is that a larger place has a lot more competition, hence it is harder to get noticed by the crowd.
For me, I would like to be a part of a school which is big but has smaller divisions (based on the department, classes, etc) providing opportunity to get close to a smaller group, giving the best of both worlds.
4. What was the average class size of your intro classes? Were you satisfied with this? In what way did this change your perception of your academic experience? What would you do differently?
RC: I would say around 200. I had a class with 700 students as well (intro classes). I did not face a problem. People are comfortable in asking questions while the lecture goes on and after , though its not that personal with the professor as smaller classes. You have to make an effort to go to office hours to interact with the professor. For both the above points, the criticism of a large university is heavily based on lack of attention from the professors(intro courses). On the bright side, it teaches you to do your own work efficiently relying more on your resources, because at the end of the day, you will have to put in effort to understand the material.
5. What is your current major interest? Did this change over time? Explain if it did? Do you think that the courses you took to fulfil general education requirements were good? What would you change about the choices you made?
RC: My current major is Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Earlier, I was open to both electrical and/or software. Now, I have shifted more towards software, because of my interests and also because of Silicon Valley. As wished, I also manage to take a few Economics courses.
*The core courses are hard and competitive. I advice students to give their APs, even if they are in an Indian system, as it might help them skip a lot of courses which they might have done in high school. This will save a lot of time, effort and money. A lot of other interesting classes could be taken instead of these mandatory classes which could be waived via APs.
6. Was the ratio of international students/total population an important criteria in your selection of schools? Did you feel trapped in any sort of bubble or clique? Did your perceptions about diversity change while you were in college?
RC: Being a public university in california, their are only 10% international students. However, there are a lot of 2nd/3rd generation americans with international (especially asian) origin. This makes it culturally diverse, so it is easier to settle. Hence there is a rich blend of culture from all over the world, giving a homely feel while providing a totally different cultural environment.
7. Can you comment an the overall personality of the student body? What aspects of this did you like/dislike?
RC: The student body is very active at berkeley. Especially this year, due to the economic crisis, a lot of protests were there. Being a liberal place, people are expressive of their ideas. This makes for a very lively student body with a lot of thoughts and ideas floating around for people to absorb.
Tanay Warerkar chose Sarah Lawrence College as his first choice school. Learn why.
The geographic location most definitely benefited my college experience. Sarah Lawrence College is located just 30 minutes away from New York City. And living so close to the city has added to the cultural aspect of my college experience. I have been able to attend numerous concerts and plays, and visit an array of museums. I don't think I would have had the same exposure had I gone to school in a smaller city.
Read Tanay's comments given below:
1. How important do you consider rankings while evaluating schools? How have your perceptions changed about this now?
I go to a school that does not participate in the ranking system, but to be honest I did look at school rankings while applying. At the time I thought going to a school that did not participate in the ranking system was something "cool" in itself, but I wouldn't go to the extent of calling the system inconsequential. My perceptions have changed over the two years that I've been here. Having interacted with students from different universities one comes to realize that while rankings are important they certainly aren't a topic broached on a conversational basis. Each school is identified with the caliber of students it produces and that might not necessarily be reflective of the ranking of that institution, so really I think it has more to do with whether the school has produced students that are now on the public radar.
2. Did the geographic location (NE, Mid West, West , South) and setting (urban, rural, suburban, college town) of your college impact your overall assessment of your college experience? Did you think about this when applying? How did your perception change with time?
The geographic location most definitely benefited my college experience. Sarah Lawrence College is located just 30 minutes away from New York City. And living so close to the city has added to the cultural aspect of my college experience. I have been able to attend numerous concerts and plays, and visit an array of museums. I don't think I would have had the same exposure had I gone to school in a smaller city.
3. Did you consider size (student population) as an important criteria while choosing schools? What do you think is a size that is ideal for you? Why?
I did think of the size of the school while applying. I was keen on going to a school with a relatively small student population. Sarah Lawrence has a student population of just 1200 students, and the small student body has helped advance my academic experience. I am able to interact with each of my professors for an hour on a weekly basis, which would not have been possible at a larger university. I think a small school helps immensely at the undergraduate level, if you're confused about what you want to pursue professionally. It allows you to develop a genuine interest in a particular sphere due to the focused attention you receive.
4. What was the average class size of your intro classes? Were you satisfied with this? In what way did this change your perception of your academic experience? What would you do differently?
The average seminar class size at Sarah Lawrence is 15 students, and that for a lecture is 45. As first year students we are advised to stick to seminars, and being in a small class was once again a beneficial experience. The class size particularly helped my writing skills. The bi-weekly interaction with my peers not only allowed me to analyze my own writing, but the writing style of other students as well.
5. What is your current major interest? Did this change over time? Explain if it did? Do you think that the courses you took to fulfil general education requirements were good? What would you change about the choices you made?
My current major interest is Non-Fiction Writing, and it hasn't really changed over the past two years, but being at a liberal arts school has allowed me to study a variety of subjects. Over the past two years I have taken classes in French, Political Theory, Chinese Literature, European History, and Art History.
6. Was the ratio of international students/total population an important criteria in your selection of schools? Did you feel trapped in any sort of bubble or clique? Did your perceptions about diversity change while you were in college?
I was keen on going to a school that did not have a large international student population, and I'm glad I made the decision of choosing Sarah Lawrence. I often find that Indian students tend to stick together and get trapped in a bubble that limits their interaction to the people from other countries. I believe this greatly detracts from the overall college experience. I didn't want to travel all the way to America to solely interact with students from my country. Interacting with American students and students from different countries has been an enriching educational experience, and I would go to the extent of saying that it has changed the way I perceive life. However having a small international population or for that matter having a largely white student body does have its drawbacks. While I have personally never faced any problems, people from smaller ethnic groups seem to feel threatened at times, and this has resulted in racial tensions on a few occasions. Though this experience cannot be relegated to Sarah Lawrence College, such issues often have a magnified impact at a smaller school.
7. Can you comment an the overall personality of the student body? What aspects of this did you like/dislike?
A typical Sarah Lawrence student is very individualistic by nature, so there isn't a strong sense of community at Sarah Lawrence, but I think that is a positive for most of us as it does not detract from the overall college experience. Moreover the College tends to attract students who prefer their independence so it doesn't cause friction in the community. That is not to say that we are all superficial beings that only care about ourselves. There is a lot of activism within the community. One of the major issues last year was workers rights for staff employed by the college food services, and students did come together openly to voice their concerns, and to march in support of the workers. However in relative terms you might not find the same number of communal activities that maybe be found at a large number of schools.
Shruti Dusaj chose Georgetown and it was a perfect fit. Learn why.
Abeer Saha comments on what made University of Virginia his right-fit school
1. How important do you consider rankings while evaluating schools? How have your perceptions changed about this now?
AS: Initially, rankings were the MAIN benchmark I used to evaluate schools. But having been at UVA, for a year now, has made me realize how little that number means! I feel 'over-all rankings' are good estimates of any university as compared to others. They are also great indicators of the level of satisfaction you will obtain from your college experience. However, department rankings, at the undergraduate level, have less meaning, as far as I'm concerned. Things to really take into consideration are no. of students in your typical undergrad classroom, the percent selectivity of the university as far as new admissions are concerned, etc.
2. Did the geographic location (NE, Mid West, West , South) and setting (urban, rural, suburban, college town) of your college impact your overall assessment of your college experience? Did you think about this when applying? How did your perception change with time?
AS: When applying, I honestly didn't give much thought to geographic location or setting. But once you actually get there, these things start to matter. So its important to consider things like, whether you like rainy, or cold, or hot weather. And whether you will survive rural/collegetown areas where there isn't a tall building in sight and little night life or just one shopping mall?
3. Did you consider size (student population) as an important criteria while choosing schools? What do you think is a size that is ideal for you? Why?
AS: I did consider size as an important factor. I would feel lost in a huge university with 40,000 people. Whereas, smaller universities, of 15000 or less students, are places where anywhere you go there's an odd chance of finding a familiar face.
4. What was the average class size of your intro classes? Were you satisfied with this? In what way did this change your perception of your academic experience? What would you do differently?
AS: Some intro classes are huge, with more than 300 students. It's not ideal, especially if you're serious about your studies. But as you start specializing that class size is bound to drop significantly. Even though its still possible to get the professors's attention, if you're scared of speaking up in front of hundreds of people then you might want to consider a smaller college.
5. What is your current major interest? Did this change over time? Explain if it did? Do you think that the courses you took to fulfil general education requirements were good? What would you change about the choices you made?
AS: When picking classes I was quite determined to try out new and interesting courses while also satisfying my requirements. Even though this meant taking on a few extra credits, I highly recommend it!
6. Was the ratio of international students/total population an important criteria in your selection of schools? Did you feel trapped in any sort of bubble or clique? Did your perceptions about diversity change while you were in college?
AS: I did not pay much heed to the ratio of international students vs total population because I love meeting new people and learning about their cultures. A pleasant surprise for me was that everyone seemed interested in who I was and where I came from; they wanted to know about India and its diverse people and culture. Going to big universities in America means meeting people from all over the world, it has been a fascinating experience.
7. Can you comment on overall personality of the student body?
AS: The student body at UVA is vibrant and consists of some of the brightest individuals I have ever met.
Madhavika Bajoria shares thoughts on why Bryn Mawr is a perfect match for her
Here are Madhavika's responses to questions I asked over an email interview:
1. How important do you consider rankings while evaluating schools? How have your perceptions changed about this now?
MB: Tabulated rankings never played a big part in my selection process. I just used them as a starting point for my college research. After having spent a year in college, I believe that rankings are absolutely irrelevant and not at all an indication of where a student can find the right kind intellectual stimulation.
2. Did the geographic location (NE, Mid West, West , South) and setting (urban, rural, suburban, college town) of your college impact your overall assessment of your college experience? Did you think about this when applying? How did your perception change with time?
MB: Geographic Location played a VERY important part in my selection process. I wanted to be near a city on the coasts, I did not apply any schools in the mid west, south and so on. I have found that this was the right decision for me as I would not have it any other way.
3. Did you consider size (student population) as an important criteria while choosing schools? What do you think is a size that is ideal for you? Why?
MB: Absolutely. I wanted to be in a small, undergraduate institution. A small, intimate campus and tiny class sizes are ideal for me. That way, I feel there are more people invested in my learning and I like being part of a close knit campus community.
4. What was the average class size of your intro classes? Were you satisfied with this? In what way did this change your perception of your academic experience? What would you do differently?
MB: I would not do anything differently. My class sizes have been my favourite part of college. My largest class, Intro Econ, was 30 students!
5. What is your current major interest? Did this change over time? Explain if it did? Do you think that the courses you took to fulfil general education requirements were good? What would you change about the choices you made?
MB: I am currently considering a double major in Econ and International Studies and a minor in Spanish. I always knew I'd major in Econ but Spanish became a serious academic interest only after I took a language class for fun and ended up wanting to do it for the remaining undergrad years. SImilarly, International Studies is a unique program at my college which draws from aspects of Econ, Poli Sci, Philosophy and Language and Culture studies. This was a perfect program for me since it ties in all my interests and allows me to explore all of them. The Gen Ed requirements have been a little bit of an annoyance, I wish there were fewer but at the same time I wouldn't change any of the classes I chose to take.
6. Was the ratio of international students/total population an important criteria in your selection of schools? Did you feel trapped in any sort of bubble or clique? Did your perceptions about diversity change while you were in college?
MB: International students make up almost 15% of our student body and coming from a high school with absolutely no diversity, my perception of diversity has undergone a complete change, but for the better. I absolutely do not feel trapped in any sort of bubble or clique.
7. Can you comment an the overall personality of the student body? What aspects of this did you like/dislike?
MB: The student body at my school is very liberal, outspoken and opinionated. They are also extremely accepting. I really like the intellectual drive and curiosity that I see in most students. However being an all women's institution, there is also a tendency towards non-conformity for the sake of non-conformity which I don't really like because it's insincere. A lot of gender stereotypes are played up in order to allow male-bashing and militant feminism which can also get very annoying. But besides that, I generally admire a lot of students I go to school with!
Cambridge announces the Manmohan Singh Scholarship
To read more about this new scholarship see http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/news/dp/2009010903
and
http://www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/international/scholarships.html
Karmanya Agarwal (UIUC '14) shares his Activities short answer writing experience
All things considered, I found the activities essay a lot harder than the personal statement - because of the brevity. I had a tough time making sure the essay kept a decent flow going. Every version I wrote out seemed disjointed somehow (and remained so, despite all the time Arjun and Prab spent trying to fix them). In fact, my final essay submission (Posted at the end) still seems more like a collection of independent sentences than a cohesive paragraph.
Today, despite having written this less than a year ago, I'm surprised any college accepted me after reading this essay, not only is it full of every platitude in the book, it reads a little insincere. Plus I wasted a large number of words talking about some other kid.
| The President introduced the Computer club, "It's pronounced WarP, not Wrap". The two-year journey from winning to hosting our own Inter-School Competition was challenging. We had to convince our school board, arrange for sponsors, organize participation and manage logistics. This year, I have the privilege of being the President; we have changed, from members aiming for individual awards, to aiming for the Best Team Trophy with success, winning 7 consecutive trophies. To ensure the club thrives, we started seeking members from junior sections. They make enthusiastic passionate members. My most exciting discovery is Aditya in Grade 6, who learned C++ "just for fun". It blows me away that he is better than I am, despite a 5-year gap and exposure. I am exited to see what he will do with the club once he is leading it, as I hope he will. Bill Joy – watch out! |
Check out Abeer Saha's (UVA '13) short Activity answer analysis.
Here's what Abeer submitted as his short answer:
"Everyday I wake up early, go to school, play my guitar during the break, sing a song during lunch, practice with the band after school, go for my weekly music lesson, study for a while, entertain my best friend with my latest song, listen to music while I do chores, and finally fall asleep to the beats of the latest frenzy in the music world. I am the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the school band and have represented the school in many competitions. I have performed outside school, in malls and clubs. I also learnt the violin for two years. Everything I am and everything that I believe in is a part of my music. I express myself and often find myself in the lyrics and rhythms that I create. My music reflects my ideals and passions. My songs speak to me and they also speak of me."