Comments on: Help with college choices? http://01243.com/blog/help-with-college-choices/ 01243.com Mon, 23 Aug 2010 16:08:14 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: PoutrĂ© http://01243.com/blog/help-with-college-choices/comment-page-1/#comment-574 PoutrĂ© Sat, 13 Feb 2010 21:37:31 +0000 http://01243.com/blog/help-with-college-choices/#comment-574 Not every good school is necessarily a super-selective school, but you should still work hard your senior year to get your GPA up and take the SAT at least one more time. Statistically, everyone improves the second time, so take it at least twice, maybe three times, but no more than three (statistically, no one improves after the third try). Also, if you're less skilled at writing and more skilled in science, try the ACT. It's not as big in the Northeast, but some people swear it's better than the SAT. If you don't have stellar grades but still want a decent education, you might want to check out Eastern Nazarene in Quincy, too. It's not super-selective but it's one of the least-expensive private schools in the area (although it's still private so it still might cost more than a public school). It's not a party school by any means (so don't go there for that or you'll be in for a rude awakening) but I knew people there who also went to Harvard Medical and Yale Law after they graduated. I even knew a kid living near me in Maryland who turned down acceptance at Harvard College to go there. It's in a nice place, too, near Wollaston Beach, a few miles south of downtown Boston, but it's kind of hidden away. Yeah, I think college is more about teaching and less about selectivity anyway. Isn't that what education is for? What value is there in only accepting all the best students and then just taking credit for having a lot of successful graduates? It's a much bigger accomplishment to teach a student and help make them successful. But that's just my two cents. Good luck! Not every good school is necessarily a super-selective school, but you should still work hard your senior year to get your GPA up and take the SAT at least one more time. Statistically, everyone improves the second time, so take it at least twice, maybe three times, but no more than three (statistically, no one improves after the third try). Also, if you’re less skilled at writing and more skilled in science, try the ACT. It’s not as big in the Northeast, but some people swear it’s better than the SAT.

If you don’t have stellar grades but still want a decent education, you might want to check out Eastern Nazarene in Quincy, too. It’s not super-selective but it’s one of the least-expensive private schools in the area (although it’s still private so it still might cost more than a public school). It’s not a party school by any means (so don’t go there for that or you’ll be in for a rude awakening) but I knew people there who also went to Harvard Medical and Yale Law after they graduated. I even knew a kid living near me in Maryland who turned down acceptance at Harvard College to go there. It’s in a nice place, too, near Wollaston Beach, a few miles south of downtown Boston, but it’s kind of hidden away.

Yeah, I think college is more about teaching and less about selectivity anyway. Isn’t that what education is for? What value is there in only accepting all the best students and then just taking credit for having a lot of successful graduates? It’s a much bigger accomplishment to teach a student and help make them successful. But that’s just my two cents. Good luck!

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