<p>Bad news… I didn’t get an interview for the National Cancer Institute internship 
To be honest I completely knew I wasn’t getting in because I heard that they look at your GPA first -.- so yeah…</p>
<p>@Fantasy I’m sorry :/. At least you can’t say that you didn’t try :)</p>
<p>When are we supposed to start applying for scholarships and whatnot? I know absolutely nothing about the financial side of college…</p>
<p>@lldm21 It varies by scholarship…I personally have been nominated for some scholarships so I am currently applying to those. Now is also when you apply for scholarships for summer programs. You don’t start dealing will college specific merit scholarships and general financial aid until the fall.</p>
<p>Hey, folks! Long time no type!
So I’m having a summer dilemma:
- I just got accepted as a counselor at a sleepaway camp for special needs kids :). I’ve wanted a job like this for years. I’m really excited, especially because my friend is also accepted. I really love working with kids with special needs (this camp has kids with autism, Down’s syndrome, and other developmental disabilities, and I’ve had autistic kids in my bunks before) and it’s good experience for one of my interests and potential majors/careers- developmental psychology. A con- it’s considered a volunteer position, meaning that officially I’m not sure if I’d be paid. Either way it’s an amazing opportunity for me.
BUT - I also really want to do an internship in a lab, in genetics or neurology (or cancer biology, but everyone wants to do that…). The annoying part is, my favorite program doesn’t have applications due for another month, meaning that I wouldn’t know if I could get in until even longer after, and I wouldn’t be able to do both the summer camp and the internship unless I left the internship 3 days early. I feel like I could probably get the internship (my grandfather is buddy-buddy with the head of admissions at the medical school I really want to intern at :), besides for my science CV being pretty good) but it’s not a sure thing like the counselor job is.
I got my acceptance email for the camp last night. I sent an email with a question about a detail to kind of stall for time, but I really don’t have time to decide. There is a CHANCE that I could get an internship that I’d be able to do in whatever part of the summer I wasn’t in camp for. But it’s a pretty small chance.
What do you people suggest? These are both things I really, really, REALLY want to do. Another option is possibly to shadow a doctor in the local hospital or something, but it’s not really the same…
I posted this here because you guys willget that this is my last summer before college- my last summer where I can really do what I want, where what I do really matters.
Any insight?</p>
<p>I would say that to do what you want is more important. Clearly though, you want to do both things. Maybe this is just the post, but it seems like you are more passionate about the camp. </p>
<p>Just a question, but would it really be such a problem to leave the internship 3 days early? I can’t see it being that big of a deal in the long run, especially since you are leaving to works at a special need camp.</p>
<p>There are some scholarships that can only be applied for during junior year, so I’m just applying for those.</p>
<p>Speaking of applications: when do we start doing stuff for national merit (NMSQT)?
Oh- and the best use of a free Saturday, should anyone get one in the next five years, is to spend a few hours browsing the college section of Barnes and Noble. I went through the scholarship books, admissions strategies, ACT prep, and the “best colleges” books by PR and others. I just applied to 7 junior year only scholarships and my average ACT practice test scores jumped from a 31 composite to a 34 composite. Saturday well spent. ;)</p>
<p>And that was after I took the delayed SAT that same Saturday!</p>
<p>DukeHopeful: You don’t actually officially know if you’re an NMS/NMF/NMSF until September- it’s all senior year.
mreg: I’m not sure which one I’m more passionate about- I feel like whichever one I do I’ll regret not doing the other :(… it’s a problem. I don’t think I’d be able to leave the internship early because it’s part of an official program and I’d need to be present at the research presentations on the last day, and I’d be participating in a specific lab and doing a presentation - besides, the program is by acceptance only, and they’d probably give precedence to someone who could be there the whole time.
I’m not sure which one I’m more excited about- they both have the potential to be absolutely awesome and they’re both things I’ve always wanted to do.
HEEEEELP!!!</p>
<p>@katastrophic I visited SUNY Binghamton and Fordham</p>
<p>I’ve made 0 college visits. My first visit will probably be over the summer.</p>
<p>I visited Case Western Reserve (Cleveland) yesterday because I live fairly close to it. I mostly just drove around and saw the campus from the outside.
I dunno, really visiting just seems boring. They all seem the same to me…just dorms and classrooms of various sizes.</p>
<p>YES 81 on a Chem test. Highest grade in the class was an 85!!!</p>
<p>I feel like college visits wouldn’t mean anything to me until I actually got in. Like, what’s the point of getting yourself hyped up about a school if you’re not going to get in? This is why I don’t have a dream school anymore.</p>
<p>^
My thoughts exactly. Same with interviews/essays…I almost wish colleges would just look at your grades, test scores, ECs, and Common App essay and then tell you whether or not your admission is likely based on those. At that point, you could send in supplement essays and do interviews…and if you didn’t have a good chance, you’d know not to bother and to focus on schools you could get into. It’d be less work for everyone.</p>
<p>I haven’t visited any colleges. I’m not too excited anymore, either; I just want all of this to be done already.</p>
<p>I agree with the 3 above posts. I don’t have a dream school. I would be ecstatic to be accepted into any of my choice schools, even my safety tbh. I just want to know that I can go somewhere. I agree, I don’t think it’s worth the visit until I get in. I’ll only visit local schools just because it’s not much effort. Most of my schools are in the Northeast/New England area so I won’t be visiting until I get in. I know people always say “well you need to experience the campus vibe”. But honestly, collegeconfidential, college p.rowler, cappex, and the school’s website is all I need. If the school fits certain criteria (liberal, LGBT friendly, beautiful campus, etc…) then I will be happy no matter what.</p>
<p>I don’t even know where I want to go anymore, hahaha… I just know that I’ll probably be applying ED to Wesleyan University.</p>
<p>Actually tbh I’d rather stay in high school, but at this point it’s literally impossible unless I fail senior year English.</p>
<p>I’m applying to Wesleyan. If I get into the school, it would most likely be the school I go to. Depending on the FA obviously.</p>
<p>I plan on visiting a lot of schools. I visited American, GW and Georgetown and knew immediately that I did not like Georgetown. Which kind of sucks because I LOVE DC and I already know that I want to major in political science. On the other hand, I fell in love with GW, which is more like a safety/target for me. </p>
<p>For me, most of my friends are just not in the same boat in terms of college. Its kind of nice but at the same time i feel SO awkward whenever they ask me about my test scores etc.</p>