<p>Alright, I’ll be honest. I’ve put off college, because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I wasn’t even sure if college was for me. I grew up in a small rural town and had a humble upbringing. I carried about a C/C+ GPA which was enough to keep me out of trouble and allow me to play sports. After having several years to reflect about potential life paths, college has once again been pushed to the forefront.</p>
<p>My biggest issue with the education I received as a youth was that everything was “taught to the test.” There was almost no interaction with the instructors and in most situations asking questions was nothing more than a nuisance, because they had instructional guidelines they had to meet within a certain time frame. If at all possible, I REALLY do not want to experience this in college. I would like to be somewhere that encourages cooperation and group learning. A school that encourages intellectual debate and questioning of the subject matter. The issue is that it has to be somewhere that would accept someone with a sketchy gpa. I know I could have done WAY better in school. In fact, most of the time I’d sleep through the classes and just take the tests. That was if I even bothered to show up. I just didn’t feel like I was learning anything. Everything was just fact(s) that had no tangible tie to the real world.</p>
<p>Anyway, I know at some point potential majors are going to be asked. At this point I think that something like Cognitive Science would be my best bet. It’s very interdisciplinary and encompasses several areas that have always fascinated me. There are several different directions I could take with that major. I know Michigan State also has a masters program for what they call “Serious Gaming.” Which appears to be a platform where education and entertainment merge. That sounds like potentially a rewarding and fun job to hold. I’m not sure what kind of market exists for that kind of thing…</p>
<p>So basically… I’m looking for a liberal arts school in a rural/suburban area, with blurred demographics/cliques, with more intellectual/right brained students, and a school that is more of an open forum instead of just useless data that you have to memorize. Also, I do not know if psychometric data is relevant here, but I’m an INTP on the MBTI. Just fyi.</p>
<p>I’ve heard that the University of Rochester has a pretty good CogSci program. I really would like to work with behavior in general. Possibly doing some sort of research. I’d love to work for a note worthy gaming company making the physics/behavior of the characters more realistic, or as noted above working with educational gaming.</p>
<p>I can’t imagine that you would get into Rochester with that GPA, unless you have superb standardized test scores and unusual accomplishments. There are a number of schools that would probably suit you intellectually, but your GPA would be a big problem for admissions.</p>
<p>Have you taken the SAT/ACT? How did you do? </p>
<p>What have you been doing with yourself since HS?</p>
<p>I hate to say it, but the best route for you might be a year at CC earning all As. The reason I hate to say it is that I fear that you might find the level and type of instruction at many CCs all too similar to HS… But CCs do vary.</p>
<p>I’m currently enlisted in the USCG. I don’t really see myself having too much difficulty with the tests. I’ve always tested well. I had the second best ASVAB score in my company. The person above me only beat me by two points and I really didn’t study very much for the test.</p>
<p>I was also told that after I turn 25 I’ll be considered a minority and it might look better on my application in that regard.</p>
<p>You won’t know until you take the tests. You should get a prep book, and look into the various free online prep services.</p>
<p>I have no idea about the issue of age. I do know that some top women’s colleges (Smith and Wellesley) have programs and scholarships specifically for women whose education has been interrupted. But I’ve been assuming you are a guy. I’d look into what is available along those lines elsewhere.</p>
<p>Yeah, I’m a guy. There were several reasons why I deferred. It’s all pretty much irrelevant at this point, really. I’m not any sort of elitist and it isn’t that I feel like I have to go to the BEST school. That’s not the cast at all. I just know how tight the job markets can be and would like to have as much momentum heading down the line as possible.</p>
<p>I chose cogsci as a potential major, because of its implications. It’s the culmination of so many things and seems as if it’s coming from somewhat of a theoretical vantage point. We’ll see.</p>
<p>Do you know of any institutions that offer more of an intellectual education that aren’t so competitive? I realize that having a sub 3.0 gpa isn’t very appealing.</p>
<p>lol, thanks… A more accurate description for what I’m asking with “open forum” would probably be that I’m predominantly a Kinesthetic learner and my second highest is visual. So, the whole lecture, copy copy, and come back and test thing doesn’t really work for me. I end up having to teach myself the material anyway.</p>
<p>Well, it appears that I am the only one who finds your dilemma intriguing. Either that or the thread title is misleading.</p>
<p>For more out-of-the-classroom learning, think about schools that have a coop program: Northeastern and Kalamazoo College are two notable examples.</p>
<p>I hadn’t considered that hitting 25 could turn you into a URM for purposes of college admission. Whether or not that’s true at all colleges, I would think that as you get older, your HS GPA becomes increasingly irrelevant and your life experiences (and test scores) become more so. A semester at community college, extension or night classes might be necessary to establish a track record if you have not been an action hero in the Coast Guard.</p>
<p>A small, rural LAC may be a bad choice because it would limit your opportunities to meet older students. Hampshire (Ken Burns’ alma mater) is part of a larger consortium; it was the first school that came to mind when I read your post. If Reed has a policy of welcoming older students, that’s surely a good sign too. That would be one of my top choices if I could have my pick of anywhere to return to school at my age.</p>
<p>I’m an INTP, too. This personality type is well suited to careers in a field such as architecture or software design. We like to view a problem from many different sides and take our time about it. So it’s natural that you are not quite on schedule in your education. Just reconcile yourself to the fact that you’ll be an oddball in many circles. If you respect most people’s need for closure, they’ll likely welcome what you have to offer too.</p>
<p>I’d like to thank all those who have recently posted. I really appreciate all the solid input on my current dilemma. From my understanding… The two most solid candidates for schools to fit my needs, according to this thread, are Hampshire College and Reed College. If anyone has anything to add, please feel free…</p>
<p>tk21769, I completely agree with your interpretation of the INTP personality. That is precisely why I was drawn to something as open ended as Cognitive Science. I would prefer my worklife/education to be an extension of my inner workings and something as global as the study of intelligence…seems to fit the bill.</p>
I’d look into what is available along those lines elsewhere.</p>