<p>unlike most of you guys, i am still very skeptical about my college choice. How did you guys go about choosing? There are so many great colleges i am having a hard time figuring out which one is best for me. And even when i figure that it there is still the question of getting in. I see a lot of people on this board know so much about the admissions process, where can i go to further my knowledge of college admissions? Also what are URMs and do AP test scores have major affects? Thx for any help</p>
<p>alright, i’ll take your questions one at a time :)</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I chose Princeton because it’s perfect. No, really. I had a list of everything I wanted in a college - medium size, suburban setting, safe area, beautiful campus, selective, challenging academics, no frats, east coast, not too far north or south… it fit perfectly. But it wasn’t even that… it was the campus visit that really got me. When I walked onto campus, I could absolutely see myself there. I have never gotten that feeling as strong at any other campus, and everywhere I go I compare to Princeton. And the people there are really cool too ;)</p></li>
<li><p>The best place to go to further your knowledge of admissions is actually right here. Every once in a while just browse through the forums and read some posts… you’ll learn a lot. If you want something more tangible, however, there are several books about admissions you can get. I would highly recommend A is for Admission by Michele Hernandez. I’ve also heard The Gatekeepers is good, but i’ve never read it. If you want books about the colleges themselves, some good ones are The Insider’s Guide to the Colleges and the Fiske Guide to Colleges.</p></li>
<li><p>A URM is an under-represented minority. This includes blacks, hispanics, and native americans (no, NOT asians). If you are a URM, rejoice, because affirmative action is on your side.</p></li>
<li><p>I think there is a line on the app to list AP scores, but I doubt they are as important as SAT’s or SAT II’s.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>asians should count grr…</p>
<p>Ok for me, the Alaskan, I couldn’t afford to visit any colleges besides uaa, which is like almost the worst one in the country. But I decided to go ED on Princeton first because of its financial aid. I wanted top-notch school, and I needed money. Princeton was known for generous financial aid, so I decided to apply there. Now after that, I found out a lot more Princeton, and I just love the social atmosphere there. If you read enough on this forum you’ll be able to picture what it’s like to be in Princeton. (I also adore the idea of eating clubs)</p>
<p>And I agree with #2 there. This forum is so totally awesome. I can’t believe I didn’t find out about this earlier. I’m relatively new, but there’s soooo much information here… way more than you’ll find in any book.</p>
<p>I think AP scores don’t matter too much… certainly matters less than your class rank/grade/GPA/SAT’s. But it’s part of the academic package that determines how nerdy you are. Besides, you’ll be able to get out of some “general requirements” or whatever.</p>
<p>It’s weird. True, there are a lot of colleges…I ended up applying for 7, but maybe only liked half of them. And now that I’m all set to go to Princeton, I can’t imagine being at any other school. I think, when you find your perfect school, you will just know. Gosh that sounds so cheesy. But, visit if you can, do research, talk to people from the school and that should give you a good idea. I think the people make all the difference. The CC people that I have got to known this year really proved to me how wonderful the student body is, and I can’t wait to meet more amazing people like them :)</p>