<p>;) I’ll answer obliquely by noting that SGS has had quite a few non-recruited athlete admits in the past few years…
Not far from the mark!</p>
<p>Hey guys!
I’ve been lurking around this thread for a while and decided that it was time to actually say something :)…and this thread is in desperate need of rejuvenation!
So I guess I’ll introduce myself…I’m from Sydney, and applying to Dartmouth, Amherst, Williams, Midd and Bowdoin. I’m really into the LACs…I applied early to Yale and didn’t get in but not devo because I sort of fell out of love with it…BUT WOW CONGRATS EPHEMERALETERNAL ON GETTING INTO YALE THAT IS AMAZING!!! you will have the best time there i’m sure!</p>
<p>I’m off to ulladulla for the week but i’m thinking that we should try and get this thread happening again 
All the best with the apps!</p>
<p>thnx Aussie333! Ulladulla’s a lovely little place (went there a couple of years ago), so hope you have a great holz there!</p>
<p>some info for anyone applying to Yale either deferred EA or applying RD - according to the Blue Marble thingy on the admit site, they’ve taken only 1 aussie so far, and typically they take 3-5, so there should be quite a few admits in april (sora - I hope santa listens to ur request!).</p>
<p>I might add: our friends across the pond in NZ have 3 admits thus far, so it can’t be long now b4 we get ahead of them…(though 2 of the NZ guys are twins; both recruited rowers, I believe)</p>
<p>@EphemeralEternal: Wow, congrats on Yale! What are you planning to do from now till September? I suppose all your friends will be off to aussie unis by march.</p>
<p>@Aussie333: Welcome! I love LAC’s too.
</p>
<p>Ok I have a dilemma. I registered for the Jan 23rd SAT but i have yet to buy SAT books.
Forgive me for being absolutely clueless about amazon, but since my parents have finally agreed to let me use their credit card and i’ve convinced them to allow me to buy the books online, they need to be put to ease about ordering and shipping details. Does it really take up to a month for it to arrive to the Asia/Pacific region if i opt for the standard shipping rates? Priority courier looks hell expensive but seeing as i’m taking the Jan 23rd SAT, it seems like the only choice i have…In that case, i’m doomed because there is no way my parents will pay for $30 per shipment.</p>
<p>Hi Ruby,
I’ll be tutoring ppl/working at a bookstore/writing short pieces for a local paper for the first part of the year, then traveling overseas with mates (who are on a gap year) b4 heading off to college. And yeah, it’s been pretty funny coz recently many of my friends have gotten scholarships at various aussie unis based on their ATAR, while i haven’t got anything of the sort…</p>
<p>Regarding your dilemma:
- I’m not sure what state you live in, but check out [Studying</a> in the USA](<a href=“http://canberra.usembassy.gov/education/]Studying”>http://canberra.usembassy.gov/education/) to find if there’s an Education USA centre nearby (there’s one in most capital cities). They may stock quite a few test-prep books, so if you can pick up some there then you won’t need to order online.
Some other more academic bookstores may also stock SAT related books (like the ones you might find textbooks in). - I’ve don’t order books off amazon, but for other stuff I’ve found it takes maybe 2 weeks to get here. Look at alternatives if you want to - other online retailers or sellers on ebay may sell such books.
- Most importantly, I would not really worry about test-prep books and the SAT itself. i only had the official college board blue book, which I did not end up working even half-way through, yet it was enough. Other ppl I know have bought other test prep books, but as far as I could see, they will only help by (a) providing vocab lists if your vocab doesn’t quite cut it for SAT level, and (b) by clarifying grammar which is pretty much missing in the australian curriculum. i’ve never learnt any technical grammar, so i just relied on getting a sense for what sounds right and what sounds ‘off’. </p>
<p>Best of luck!!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Cool info - thanks!</p>
<p>Last year, I know of at least 4 people who got accepted from Australia. At least 2 were from Sydney (I knew them personally) and I think 3 ended up going to Yale. </p>
<p>There may be more recruited rowers going this year from Oz - because a few people I know are also being recruited for rowing atm. </p>
<p>Oh and about that ATAR scholarship thing - that’s exactly my situation! Very generous offers from USyd and UNSW, which I don’t quite know what to do with…ah well.</p>
<p>Anyhoo, I’m just really glad this thread seems to be happening again :D</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>OMG that’s crazy! I was around there a few weeks ago! Near Jervis Bay right? Make sure you get to Hyams - MOST beautiful beach ever. Chinamans (next beach along) is also great for its extreme privacy and seclusion.</p>
<p>ETA: D’oh! Just realised (checked with Dad) that I actually satyed at Huskinsson, Ulladulla is abit further south from Jervis Bay. Have fun though! :)</p>
<p>
You don’t happen to go to PLC or Darlinghurst, do you?
And yeah, rowers…there’s a whole eights crew down in Melb (who won pretty much all the schooboys’ regattas, and came 2nd @ Henley over in the UK) being recruited by HYP; I suspect quite a few of them will get in, and some of them have apparently already gotten likely letters</p>
<p>
no scholarships for me (i didn’t apply anywhere in Oz coz I figured if I didn’t get in anywhere I’d just take an entire year off and think about it next year) but I’m in an even worse predicament - i’ve got an offer to read PPE@Oxford that I’ve got to respond to within 15 days…</p>
<p>^ oh good god, CONGRATULATIONS!!!</p>
<p>:D :D</p>
<p>I love Oxford, its simply stunning and I’m so chuffed for you!!!
And PPE!!! That’s what I want to study! I definitely can’t afford Oxford right now (something in the order of 30ish thousand pounds per year), but we’ll see about doing graduate law there. </p>
<p>I depends though - I’ve really fallen in love with the idea of getting a liberal arts education first, I mean, we’re straight out of high school, this is the best chance we’ll ever have to simply explore and discover, learning for learning’s sake. Whereas if we went to English or Aussie unis, we’re pretty much specialised and “boxed in” straight away - English unis even moreso than Australian ones. </p>
<p>Anyway - I love Yale alot, and for financial reasons plus what I said earlier about using this time to find intellectual freedom, I’d choose Yale. Tough decision though - good luck mate!</p>
<p>However, if you DO end up going to Oxford, my best friend just got accepted there to read Modern Languages (French and Italian) so you’ll see at least another first year aussie (though really she’s british haha). </p>
<p>LOL. And yes, PLC :P</p>
<p>ETA: Wait, you didn’t even put down preferences? (I’m assuming you did the HSC and not the IB? But don’t both of them go through UAC anyway?) Did you get an ATAR?</p>
<p>^ yeah, i wasn’t sure but my careers/admin person at school told me you just need a UAC account for that; you don’t need to actually put down anything in it…(my school’s got all the relevant documentation, which is what they faxed over anyway).</p>
<p>And this:
hits the nail right on the head! That’s kinda why I applied to PPE rather than something else over there (PPE is at least a lot more broad than most courses over in the UK), but I’m thinking I’d rather go over to the US coz that’d allow me to study a whole lot more in fields I’m interested in but would not be permissible in PPE.</p>
<p>btw - it’s great to hear of so many aussies getting into the top unis around the world! australia has a history of being a tad isolated and vocational (i.e. students going straight into undergrad law, med, engin, or commerce at uni), but in recent years I think more top students are looking further afield, which bodes well for the future</p>
<p>@EphemeralEternal: I live in Brisbane and unfortunately, there isn’t an education USA centre in Qld. It sucks but i guess there just aren’t enough people here that want to go to the US compared to other states. 
I’ve also looked at book stores everywhere and can’t find any so my last resort is buying them online which my parents aren’t really for. I’m also overseas right now and will go back to Aus around mid-jan so i’m contemplating whether or not to send the books to Aus or this overseas address. Thanks, though. </p>
<p>I’m probably completely off but is PPE politics, philosophy and economics? If so, that’s exactly what i want to study! Totally right about the liberal arts system; that’s percisely why i was so drawn to studying in the US when i first found out about their curriculum. Even their high schools are all geared towards them getting a solid liberal arts foundation. I would absolutely HATE having to specialise so early which would be the case if i study in aus so the well roundness education offered in the states is sooo appealing.</p>
<p>^ You’re absolutely right about PPE! It is a very alluring set of subjects…</p>
<p>Anyway, I don’t know really what you can do about shipping, but I can recommend some short term solutions - online guides and the like.</p>
<p>For example, SparkNotes has their stuff here: [SparkNotes</a> Test Prep: SAT Information Center](<a href=“SparkNotes: Today's Most Popular Study Guides”>SparkNotes: Today's Most Popular Study Guides) while CliffsNotes has some stuff here [SAT</a>, ACT, GRE, GMAT, and AP Test Prep - CliffsNotes](<a href=“http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-305337.html]SAT”>http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-305337.html)
I’m not sure of the quality of either site, but at least they have something that you won’t have to ship over here. I’m sure Google has plenty of other sites brimming with SAT resources, coz it’s a very big thing over in America.</p>
<p>Also, the CollegeBoard I believe has an online version of all their materials, that you pay like 20 or so dollars to access, and can just read through it online/print it out yourself.</p>
<p>(Other online resources may also help; if you feel you need to brush up on grammar, go [Guide</a> to Grammar and Writing](<a href=“http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/]Guide”>http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/) or if you want a vocab list go <a href=“SAT Vocabulary: SAT words with Definitions, Parts of Speech, Sentences, Meaning. Also Math Practices”>SAT Vocabulary: SAT words with Definitions, Parts of Speech, Sentences, Meaning. Also Math Practices)</p>
<p>And as I noted before, I’m not sure exactly how much you can get out of test-prep books anyway. Once you are familiar with the format, you’ll be fine.</p>
<p>Hope that helps!!</p>
<p>hey guys! i’m back from ulladulla.</p>
<p>@theskylitup: yeah ulladulla is pretty close to jervis bay, just a little further south. it’s lovely there and i agree that chinamans and hyams are amazing!</p>
<p>@ruby: i know you said you’ve tried bookstores everywhere for the SAT books, but have you tried looking in an extra big dymocks? because i found some mcgraw hill SAT books in dymocks a couple of months back…they might not have them in brissi but perhaps a dymocks from sydney could get them sent up?</p>
<p>lord, you are unreal ephemeraleternal! oxford and yale! have you applied anywhere else in the states or just going to stay with the yale offer??</p>
<p>Happy New Years everyone!!!</p>
<p>Hope you had a good one!! :D</p>
<p>@Ruby: Perhaps you can try Borders? I got mine there. By the way, I’m taking the January SATs too!</p>
<p>@Ephemeral Eternal: Congratulations for getting into Yale! Do you happen to go to Melbourne Grammar? I heard from some people I know that a guy from there got in. </p>
<p>I have a question about transcripts. How are they different from reports? I found out recently that Stanford requires transcripts from year 9-12 but I moved school in year 10… My old school is a small sized public school where hardly anyone applies to universities overseas. I doubt they still have records about my grades.</p>
<p>Happy New Years everyone! </p>
<p>Thanks for the store suggestions, and the SAT resources, Ephemeral Eternal. They’ll definitely come in handy. I’ve decided to change my SAT date to the next testing (haven’t done it yet) which is May 1st, much to the dismay of parents, but i’m really busy from now till Jan 23rd and i’ve had virtually no contact with the SAT whatsoever so i think i’ll take it when i’m better prepared. A couple of hours/week studying the SAT during year 12 can’t hurt that much right? </p>
<p>@natelle: i have the same problem, except with more complication. And because i moved to another country, i never even got my end of year report card for year 9 even though i specifically requested them to send it to me before i left.</p>
<p>my first post! </p>
<p>@natalle: I guess all you can do is explain your situation and send what you can. I don’t think Stanford would really care since we’re international. By the way, that guy from Melbourne Grammar is a friend of mine lol. </p>
<p>anyone here from james ruse? (not that i am, though)</p>
<p>i’m wondering if many james ruse kids apply for college in the states? never heard of them having a huge representation? seems to me that heaps of the applicants from sydney at least are from the privates…but that’s just my observation, correct me if i’m wrong.</p>
<p>on another note, congrats to everyone on finishing college apps! only three months or so till decisions…are most people here going to start uni and then see what happens or take a gap year?</p>
<p>oh god its been ages since I’ve been on here.
But I’ve finished my first semester at a US college, I’m still wavering on whether I should come home or not… its kinda hard to turn down med if you aren’t sure you’ll get into med school here
but CONGRATS to all who have gotten in and RELAX to those of you still waiting, I remember this time last year… some of the worst weeks of my life waiting to hear if I had gotten in but everything works out for the best.
BTW those of you still figuring out where to apply if you’re applying for Fall 11 cause Fall 10 has passed… WE NEED MORE AUSSIES ON THE WEST COAST there ARE other schools than the Ivies. Almost all the aussies I know here are at Ivies, but my school is just as good as any other ivy… well almost, and our film department is DEF better. Also if any of you don’t get into HPY or get in and can’t afford it, remember they are mainly grad schools, its their law schools, their med schools, their PhD programs that are the really well known ones (maybe with the exception of Wharton at UPenn) their undergrads while they maybe Haaaah-vahhhd Priceton and Yale are pressure cookers of stress (also MIT here is the exception… MIT works hella hard but parties hella harder
oh and if anyone has any questions or queries about first semester freshman life (albiet I am on the west coast) ask away… I’m on winter break and nothing better to do with my time (I didn’t go home <em>supersadface</em>)</p>
<p>Aussie333, you’re probably right, because Ruse kids tend to be middle class and asian, therefore not rich enough to not apply for financial aid, and I bet most of the high achievers there decide to do an MBBS. still, I asked because a friend at ruse told me that someone he knows at school is applying.</p>
<p>i’m going to start uni - i wouldn’t want to have wasted a year if i don’t get admitted to an american college.</p>