Discovering the Ivy Canopied Underbrush
Pull up your stockings juniors, because you’re going to be taking the SATs this year. But besides taking this crucial examination, you have to do some research as well. This means that it is time to start thinking about the schools you want to apply to for the fall. If your mind is set on red brick buildings, gabled roofs, and top-ranked names, you must be thinking about the Ivy League schools (or UCLA, the only red brick UC). Now as a Californian, you are familiar with certain Ivies such as Harvard, Princeton, or Yale…. Continue Reading
The National Merit Scholarship Program
The results for the 2021 PSAT/NMSQT recently were released. For the approximately 3.5 million students across the United States that took the test this past October, one question will likely come to mind: “What next?” For the 1.6 million high school sophomores (and a few precocious seventh graders, eighth graders, and freshmen) who took the PSAT, the answer is to take the test again. Before junior year, the PSAT has little significance—it merely serves as practice. However, for the 1.5 million high school juniors that endured the grueling three-hour exam, the results of the PSAT/NMSQT… Continue Reading
Classes 101: Which ones should I pick?
Picking classes seems like a simple task: just choose something you’d like to study and try to find what your friends are joining, right? I’ll admit, I did the same but there are other factors to consider! Choosing the right professor: Research what other people have rated this professor in the past. How is their teaching style? What scores did students consistently earn in the class? Find out what previous students specifically liked. Find a website in which statistics about the teacher are listed. While you might like to take a chance with a new… Continue Reading
Recover Your Bad GPA (for rising Juniors in High School)
So you’re a rising junior and you’ve made the mistake of not taking some classes seriously. Maybe there were other circumstances that led to your bad grade. But now you’re ready to be serious and you’re looking to try your best to raise your GPA in time for college admissions. If this is the case, then you still have time to improve. Colleges are interested in your overall GPA and will look at the trends in your GPA. As such, if you can improve your GPA during your Junior year, you’ll be able to send… Continue Reading
The Journey- How I got to Cal (Part 5)
Cal’s mascot, Oski the Bear, at Cal Day Hello! I hope you’ve all caught up on Glee just as I have and are ready for Part 5. Let’s flash-forward to March when admissions decisions for freshman applicants are given out. (Visit http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/ for general information on dates, deadlines, and more detail on applying to the UC system). I was feeling confident as decision day approached. I had spent thorough time on writing my essays and filling out my application. I had made sure all necessary documents like transcripts and test scores were in order, and… Continue Reading