Blogger | Student Bloggers

If you are a high school or college student, this is the blog to find fun and informative stuff written by students FOR students!

College Acceptance Letter Advice

SHARE:

18 College Acceptance Letter Advice

About: Ariana

Hi! My name is Ariana and I am so psyched to be a part of the MyMajors team for another year! I love the usual things - reading, writing, books, movies - travel, people, community service (Compassionate Action)! High School was a blast, and my senior year held the kind of Gold I never imagined (the self-fullfilling kind, the family kind, the National kind - you name it). I'm going to Tisch, School of the Arts at NYU this fall; my major is BFA Acting and my studio is Experimental Theater - but my interests run the gamut, so I'm sure I'll be exploring other fields of study as well! Sharing 17 with you was great - let's see what 18 has to offer - the City is calling ;)

New York University/Tisch School of the Arts | Newark, NJ | Theater Arts | More Posts

Posted in Ariana, Student Bloggers | Leave a comment

Reader Question:
How do I prepare myself to get into Art School?

SHARE:
Hi Ariana!
This is Jacarrea, I reached out to you on twitter (@ArianaTaveras). Anyway my dream college is Tisch school of Arts [MyMajors Page | School Page], so I started off by searching what does it take to get into Tisch. (so I can prepare early, since I need to start adding stuff on my resume, and getting more experience to prepare for the auditions,) I happened to stubble on your my majors blog and started reading it. I loved your stories by the way.The first thing I want to ask is what did you do to prepare for Tisch? ex: whats your resume like? What shows or professional productions have you been in? What classes did you take, what was your GPA like, etc.

Ariana April pic 1 300x225 Reader Question:<br>How do I prepare myself to get into Art School?Hey, Jacarrea icon smile Reader Question:<br>How do I prepare myself to get into Art School?

I’m glad that you’re looking at Tisch and getting prepared early – Art schools are so tough to get into! But not impossible icon smile Reader Question:<br>How do I prepare myself to get into Art School? It’s awesome that you’re following your passion.

Welp, I think I’ve been preparing to get into Tisch since middle school, probably. I started really writing in my journal, and making up stories and songs and poems to get my creative juices flowing. I would read for pleasure very often as well. Creativity gets better with practice!

I auditioned to take classes at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in the 6th grade (where are you from?!) And stayed there until nearly my second year of high school, changing between Modern Dance classes, Musical Theater and Voice classes, to straight acting and improv or monologue classes as I got bored of one or the other. Taking a lot of different classes helped me get familiar with a lot of things we’re doing in depth now at Tisch.

I did a four week intensive one summer too, where I got to collaborate with other young artists and make an original piece to perform at the Victoria Theater, called Cirque du la Vie.

Soon after I spent a summer in Montclaire with The Crossover Project where we also collaborated in creating a work that was original and ‘crossed over’ all of the arts – we used music, dance, and acting in a format that wasn’t musical theater – it was experimental! These two summers helped me become very passionate about creating original work that really means something, and I was able to talk about this at my Tisch interview. I think this might be why I’m in the Experimental Theater Wing at Tisch. But I guess there really is no way of telling exactly.

I started a theater program in my high school because we didn’t have one and I felt like I needed it to be happy. So that ended up being where I got most of my performance experiences from, doing about two shows a year.

I also did a lot of community service in high school, and I became really interested in special causes and being connected to people, which helped me feel more at ease socially. I think this helps me a lot in interviews, and it has helped me too whenever I’ve had to give a speech or talk in front of a large group of people. I lost jitter bugs.

I could say the same for playing soccer and practicing karate. They both helped me build a physical confidence in myself. I wasn’t that great at volleyball, but that taught me to be comfortable failing in front of a crowd. And believe me, that’s a good thing icon smile Reader Question:<br>How do I prepare myself to get into Art School?

And academics. Those are super important. NYU likes not just talent, but hard workers. So I studied hard and even took APs to get my scores up as high as I could without compromising my community service time and theater prep.

More specifically, the year before, when I knew that this was definitely the place I wanted to go, I did a couple of things:

- I took piano lessons.

- I signed up for a voice class once a week, and closer to auditions I started working on specific songs.

- I started taking stock of all of my past performances and extra-circulars so that I could write a resume that didn’t have everything in it, but the things that I was most proud of.

- I went to an Audition Intensive Workshop at the American Academy of the Dramatic Arts for two weeks in August to get a more professional perspective on how to do real-world auditions. I took song interpretation, searched for and practiced monologues, and got to know some cool people – one of who now attends Tisch too!

- I started going to the gym with my mom to get fit and comfortable with myself so that I could dance a little more lightly, more freely.

- I got a subscription to The Hollywood Reporter and started reading Backstage Magazine cover to cover so that I could be up to date and totally familiar with what was going on in the business.

- I read some interesting soul searching and self help books.

- I read some interesting books in general, like Ana Karenina.

- I took a local film editing class.

- I got more involved in my community service ventures than ever.

- I took a trip to London with my English class.

Basically, I did the things that interested me, the things that I knew I would like to pursue in college. The truth is, though I knew I wanted to Tisch, I didn’t quite know what major I wanted to go for, and that’s tough because for Tisch you MUST know what you’re sending your application in for. [SHAMELESS PLUG FROM THE EDITOR: Take this quiz to FIND your major]

I considered going in for film and dramatic writing as well as musical theater before I knew in the end that the Experimental Theater Wing would be the most helpful to me. The funny part is that you don’t choose your studio, but the school puts you where you best fit. And I fit in ETW.

I auditioned for The Musical Theater program in the end because if you don’t get into that, they still consider you for any of the other studios. So I wanted them to see that I wasn’t just an actor – I could sing and I could move well, and in the interview I spoke about what I really cared about, and I think that’s what really clued them into where I belonged.

I’m here if you have any more questions – I hope that this was helpful! icon smile Reader Question:<br>How do I prepare myself to get into Art School? Sorry if it was too much xD

Best,

Ariana

Related articles from Ariana:
- MY NYU TISCH AUDITION
- Her MyMajors Quiz
- Performing Majors Stereotype
- ALL Articles from Ariana

18 Reader Question:<br>How do I prepare myself to get into Art School?

About: Ariana

Hi! My name is Ariana and I am so psyched to be a part of the MyMajors team for another year! I love the usual things - reading, writing, books, movies - travel, people, community service (Compassionate Action)! High School was a blast, and my senior year held the kind of Gold I never imagined (the self-fullfilling kind, the family kind, the National kind - you name it). I'm going to Tisch, School of the Arts at NYU this fall; my major is BFA Acting and my studio is Experimental Theater - but my interests run the gamut, so I'm sure I'll be exploring other fields of study as well! Sharing 17 with you was great - let's see what 18 has to offer - the City is calling ;)

New York University/Tisch School of the Arts | Newark, NJ | Theater Arts | More Posts

Posted in Ariana, Student Bloggers | Leave a comment

3 Steps For Removing Stress For Students

SHARE:

Hey! You did it! You’re getting ready to graduate and you’ve been accepted to the school (or schools) of your dreams! Congratulations!! I’m so proud! *sniff*

But seriously. It’s finally spring …

Unless you live in Texas like me and it’s bitter winter one day, then blistering summer the next, then raining with a 49.6% chance of snow while the sun is out. Then spring isn’t really a thing. But whether you’re a High school senior, a senior in college, or somewhere in between, I’d bet my bottom dollar you’re super glad the year is almost over. With finals coming up, moving boxes being collected, and mom’s tissue pile growing, you’re probably a little stressed as well… So what does that mean? It means….

HOW TO DESRESSIFY YOUR CRAZY BUSY SPRING-TIME SELF
WITHOUT PAYING A LOT OF MONEY TO GO TO THERAPY!!

A blog post with a super-duper long title of course! *smirk*

De-stressing really isn’t as terribly hard as it sounds. Actually it’s quite easy. As easy as 1, 2, 3!

1) Stop, breathe, and go look at clouds. Yes, clouds. Right now. Stop reading and go outside.

… Did you do it?!

… Good!

2) Make a list of things you have to get done. Then an equally long list of things you would like to do and also, of major things you have accomplished this semester. This will not only get you organized and focused, but also give you a good list of rewards and pats on the back for when you finish your to-do’s! If you keep up this habit, your list of accomplishments and wishes will grow bigger and better and your whopping task list won’t seem so whopping.

3) Take a little time to write letters to people who have helped you get through this semester, whether that’s a professor or a parent, a best friend or a co-worker. Now would also be a good time to bang out those thank you’s for recommendation letters and early graduation presents! This will help keep you positive as you battle end-of-the-semester nerves and exams.

Good luck! And don’t forget to follow me on twitter! @Rachellington

~Rachel

4 3 Steps For Removing Stress For Students

About: Rachel

Hey my name is Rachel and I’m a chocoholic… oops! Wrong blog! :) I am about to be a freshman at Howard Payne University majoring in Psychology so that I can become a student counselor some fine day. Basically, I’m a good old fashioned (but not fashionable) Southern (but not too Southern), Baptist (except I can dance), country-fried (not literally. it‘s just a Southern expression… ok maybe I am a bit more Southern than I thought) kid (even though I am 18). Hope you enjoy my blog and have a lovely day!!

Howard Payne University | Brownwood, TX | Pyschology | More Posts

Posted in Rachel, Student Bloggers | Leave a comment

Ashley’s Finals Survival Guide for Procrastinators

SHARE:

Life is difficult when you’re a hardcore procrastinator stuck in the midst of finals week. I know the feeling all too well, as I have all my final papers and tests due next week, and I still haven’t started (I decided to write this post instead)! To think that I’m no longer a simple-minded freshman after May 3rd is quite daunting. However, I will have the whole summer to reflect on my experience … Let’s get down to the meat of this post.

Ashley’s Finals Survival Guide for Procrastinators

1. Be organized. Procrastination isn’t so bad if you’re organized and know what you’re doing. Know exactly what is due, when it is due and identify what you need to focus on. Whether it is keeping a countdown list of due dates or recording your assignments in an agenda, write down your responsibilities so you can visually map out what needs to be done. A physical list or map will help you prioritize your tasks (so you know what you can procrastinate on).

2. Be efficient. Procrastinate efficiently. If you’re going to waste time doing things other than studying, spend it sleeping or eating healthily. If you spend your time gaming or partying, you won’t have the energy you need to pull off all-nighters to write those essays and cram for tests. Put the time you have to good use if not studying.

3. Know when to stop. Know your limits. There’s no way you can write that thoughtful 5-page paper in an hour. Honestly estimate the amount of time you need for an assignment and buckle down and study when the time comes. The procrastination needs to end eventually.

4. Take breaks. I find that I am more likely to procrastinate when I come across a daunting task. Break down the task. Maybe reward yourself 5 minutes of playing Bejeweled Blitz after studying one PowerPoint lecture, or maybe give yourself 15 minutes of Facebook after a page of essay writing. Taking things in smaller chunks can motivate you more and prevent procrastination.

5. Reflect. Why do you procrastinate? Are you just intimidated? Is it boring? Then think of reasons why you personally need to do the task. Even the shallow, “I really need to just pass this class,” is enough to motivate oneself into doing the work to achieve the goal. Getting started is the most difficult part for the procrastinator. Take time to reflect on why you need to do this and you will want to get started.

6. Get it right on the first try. Rereading notes? Proofreading essays? Psssh. Procrastinators don’t have time for that! Do your best to get it right the first time! Go slowly when you study and absorb as much material as possible. Constantly ask yourself whether or not your writing supports your thesis statement and avoid careless typos as you write.

7. Buddy up! Fellow procrastinators should unite. Find a buddy and check up on each other about every half hour to make sure that progress is being made. If you don’t have the self-control, maybe your friend can help! Also, it’s a chance for the friendly competition: “Who can get the studying done first?”

8. To Sleep or Not to Sleep. If you’re staying up all night, avoid the risk of taking the “power nap.” I know plenty of teens won’t wake up unless someone physically beat them on the head with a pillow. Alarms these days aren’t nearly loud enough to awaken the sleepy teenager. As a general rule, I like to acquire at least get 3 hours of sleep. If it’s less than that, do a dance and drink some soda… or you could just ask a reliable person to beat you on the head with a pillow after your “power nap.”

9. Do the work. When push comes to shove, you still have to do the actual work. There’s no getting out of it. Procrastination just makes it much more time efficient when you actually do the work.

10. Remember: Procrastination is an art. Take it seriously. Use it to your advantage.

8 Ashleys Finals Survival Guide for Procrastinators

About: Ashley

I see you've taken up an interest with studying the dork species? Well, here you'll find the best dork to study. Her name is Ashley. She's fresh meat at Syracuse University. Here, you can see the college experiences of the dork. Maybe a better understanding of such a species can help fight world hunger, battle cancer, or even better: be cool.

Syracuse University | Yorba Linda, CA | Advertising | More Posts

Posted in Ashley | Leave a comment

Creative Outlook Contest Update!

SHARE:
image1 540x540 Creative Outlook Contest Update!

Leopard

*As of April 24th, 2013
The Creative Outlook Cover Contest has taken off and all our students are seriously GOOD!

I am far from being a talented artist (err yet an artist period), but I’m amazed at the amount of talent of these students.

Quick look at submissions so far through 24 days:

Keep up the good work students and art teachers! Last year we had over 900 submissions, can we beat it!?!?!?!?

Please share the contest with friends and family and if you already submitted don’t forget to share to get more votes!  Which one is your FAVORITE???  Vote for it and comment below!

Follow us @creativeartmag on twitter or visit www.creative-outlook.com to see all submissions.

Pile6 150x150 Creative Outlook Contest Update!

Phabrics

stipll 150x150 Creative Outlook Contest Update!

Feather

starrydrip 150x150 Creative Outlook Contest Update!

Starry Drip

owl 150x150 Creative Outlook Contest Update!

The Seven Nights of Creation

DSCN8718 150x150 Creative Outlook Contest Update!

Libraries

Tree of Knowledge 150x150 Creative Outlook Contest Update!

Tree Of Knowledge

17 Creative Outlook Contest Update!

About: Aaron

I have been working in the education industry since 2008 and currently help students, counselors, colleges and parents with their college planning and try make things as easy as possible! Graduated from the University of Missouri and now live in the Kansas City area.

University of Missouri | Kansas City, MO | Marketing | More Posts

Posted in Saydah | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Ten Study Tips AND College Decision Drama

SHARE:

Hey everybody!

Final exams are coming up in the next month or two and this morning I was feeling a bit creative so I decided to make a neat video of my top ten study tips! You might ask, why the song “San Francisco?” Well… that’s where I’m headed on the 17th! Remember when I said that I’m 99.997% sure that I will confirm my enrollment at the University of Minnesota? This was on March 27th. On March 28th, University of California: Berkeley released their admissions decisions. And I was accepted as one of four Minnesotan admits to the College of Natural Resources (AHH!).

I wanted to wait until I heard back from every college before confirming my enrollment, but I decided that even if I was accepted, the U would still be my number one choice. After screaming over my acceptance, suddenly my whole universe changed… it was completely overwhelming and I was feeling just about every emotion possible throughout that entire week. This just goes to show that even if you think you’re nearly 100% sure about your college decision, that 0.003% chance IS possible!

That week I went into super-pros-and-cons-list-mode. I used the website http://www.proconlists.com to rank the pros and cons emotionally and rationally. The decision would come out JUST about balanced every single time. I would adjust one of the rankings by one point, and suddenly the U would outshine Berkeley. I would switch another ranking and then Berkeley would outshine the U. So I was, and still am completely and utterly torn in half about the decision.

Berkeley is an AMAZING opportunity. It’s ranked as the number one public university in the nation, the twenty-second best university in the WORLD, and number two in the nation for environmental science, just 0.2 points less than Stanford, and 0.2 points greater than Harvard. My friends say I’d be crazy to turn this opportunity down. The idea of living over 2,000 miles away in four months is just insane to me. I’ve lived in Minnesota my whole life and have always been surrounded by my family and friends here. I have such an emotional connection to Minnesota and the U… Moving away from my family, friends, pets, and comfort zone is definitely not ideal. BUT I know that I would make amazing friends at Berkeley, even though it might be ridiculously difficult at first to move out west and start a new life. That’s what I originally wanted to do though; to have the experience of moving somewhere completely new and away from what I’m used to. Now that I’m faced with the decision, I have no idea what to do!

The largest barrier is the money. It’s expensive. Let’s put it this way… I could be over 220,000 dollars in debt after going to Berkeley for four years to get one degree (an impressive degree!) and have a life-changing experience. Or I could stay at the U for four years, get TWO degrees, pay less than half the cost of Berkeley, and graduate with no debt. Surprisingly, when I tell people this, most of them still tell me to go to Berkeley. I only get one college experience in life and Berkeley would definitely offer many things that the U couldn’t.

One piece of advice for everybody making a college decision right now: choose the college that YOU want. The college YOU will be happy at. After hearing from so many people, this was a common piece of advice. Don’t make other people a factor in your decision. Don’t stay in your hometown unless you actually want to. If you want to go out-of-state, then go! You’ll be able to visit and can always move back in four years. If you end up not liking it, you can move back even sooner!

I told my parents that I can’t make the right decision without visiting. I know that Berkeley is a great school, and it sounds like I would love it there, but I really have no idea. For all I know, it might not be a good fit at all. So we planned a little emergency trip to fly into San Francisco (hence the song in my video!) and visit Berkeley for a few days. I’m REALLY hoping that I either love it or hate it so that my decision is easy. I wish ALL seniors the best of luck, and I know how tough it can be. Lay out all the pros and cons, and you might see that one of the choices stand out among the rest. If not, visit if you can. If you can’t picture yourself there then maybe it’s not right for you, no matter how good of a school it might be. Just choose the place that you will be happy at!

Until next time,

Anna icon smile Ten Study Tips AND College Decision Drama

28 Ten Study Tips AND College Decision Drama

About: Annamarie

I'm a down-to-earth, “Minnesota Nice” kind of girl with an artistic mind and a passion for saving the world, one recycled item at a time. One thing you must know is that I LOVE animals... emphasis on the LOVE. Especially alpacas. And otters. Actually, come to think of it, there's really no animal that I don't think is adorable. If I could live in a television show, it would be How I Met Your Mother, hands down. I enjoy sweatpants, thunderstorms, loud music, and big, open spaces with mountains, lakes, flowers, and trees; pretty much like the lovely state of Montana! I'm an avid moviegoer, experiential chef, and I collect fortunes from fortune cookies. That's me in a very small nutshell!

PSEO @ University of Minnesota | Saint Paul, MN | EnvSci,Cinema&Media,Business | More Posts

Posted in Annamarie, Student Bloggers | Leave a comment

Exploration of My Artistic Universe

SHARE:

Hello all! Well, to say I have been busy is the understatement of the blessed year. After closing a very exhausting and extremely fulfilling run of Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia, I have been filling my days with the exploration of my artistic universe. That sounds extremely elitist, I apologize for that, it was meant to sound exciting like I was going on an adventure. I am currently working on about 3,457 things at once, so I actually feel like my body is slowly decomposing from stress. Just kidding, I am not stressed at all. And I mean that. I really am not. I am just having a ball.

Updates: England will NOT, I repeat NOT be happening my junior year. It will be happening my senior year now. Am I heartbroken? Well, I was. Do I feel slightly relieved that I will have more time to collect myself? Undoubtedly, yes.

Right now my life is centered around my work, in all aspects. I am in a duo with my friend and we are releasing our first EP which is both exciting and time-consuming, I am currently adapting a piece of classic literature (won’t tell you which one, spoilers!) into a web-series with my best friend, am currently undergoing pre-production of a show I will be directing this summer, as well as preparing for my Les Miserables audition, as well as other productions, and midterms and classes and papers and la la la I am insane.

I am so happy but I am so busy.

Moving on the MyMajors business!

I have something of a special circumstance in that I only applied to two schools, and was accepted to both. However, I decided against the latter because they didn’t have a strong theatre program. They had a strong musical department, but they rarely did plays or any classical work, which is where my heart is.

Gimme some Shakespeare and I will show you a good time.

So for me, the answer was obvious. I knew the faculty, I knew the campus, it was close to home. I was all set.

For you, however, it may be different. Trust your instincts, but do RESEARCH. Know each school backwards and forwards so you can make a truly educated decision. Be objective about this. Being overly emotional may not help you here. If you are head over heels in love with a school, but it isn’t the wisest choice for your possible career path, you should rethink it. Look at your options.

Now for the FUN question, yay! What chore did I hate as a kid…

DRUM ROLL PLEASE

All chores.

I.
Hated.
Chores.

Unless those chores provided me with a chance to be alone and pretend to be someone else for a while. Those chores I loved.

16 Exploration of My Artistic Universe

About: Grace

I have found in my brief and relatively simple existence that I adapt, evolve and rearrange myself on a daily basis. I have crossed into the perilous unknown of (very) young adulthood, and thus I am somewhat entitled to be in constant state disarray and discovery. Saddle up, kids. This'll be one heck of a bumpy ride...

California State University, Northridge | Santa Clarita, CA | CTVA (Cinema and Television Arts) with an emphasis in screenwriting | More Posts

Posted in Grace, Student Bloggers | Leave a comment

College Acceptance Letters

SHARE:

8 College Acceptance Letters

About: Ashley

I see you've taken up an interest with studying the dork species? Well, here you'll find the best dork to study. Her name is Ashley. She's fresh meat at Syracuse University. Here, you can see the college experiences of the dork. Maybe a better understanding of such a species can help fight world hunger, battle cancer, or even better: be cool.

Syracuse University | Yorba Linda, CA | Advertising | More Posts

Posted in Ashley, Student Bloggers | Leave a comment

UMN-Bound

SHARE:

UMN Gear 300x300 UMN BoundSo far, I’ve been accepted to the University of Minnesota, University of Saint Thomas, Montana State University, and University of the Pacific. Each college offered me some sort of renewable scholarship, with the University of Saint Thomas and University of the Pacific offering the most. I’m still waiting on a few more colleges, but I think I’ve pretty much made my choice. And here come’s the big decision we’ve all been waiting for… I’m 99.997% sure that I will be confirming my enrollment at the University of Minnesota within the next week. AHHHH, exciting! But let’s be honest, we all saw this coming. For the past year, everybody has told me that I’ll end up going to the U, and I always said they were “probably right.” I certainly don’t regret keeping my options open and applying to some out-of-state colleges; it’s always good to have various choices and opportunities, and you never know what kind of scholarship they might offer you. If you get rejected, then hey, at least you don’t regret not going there because you know that you weren’t accepted in the first place. The universe is probably telling you something, and it was that you’re better off not going there. So look at it as a positive thing! icon smile UMN Bound

You might ask, “Why the U?” Oh boy… I could talk for hours on end about this school! For now I’ll just have to highlight some very significant reasons. First of all, it’s the best financial option for me. Although the U gave me the smallest scholarship, each of the 7 other colleges I applied to would end up being double, triple, or yes, even quadruple the tuition. By staying at the U, I’ll be saving tens of thousands of dollars, which can be put toward other opportunities. Plus, I will keep ALL of my credits, and will be completely done with my general requirements. I won’t have to deal with trying to transfer some of my credits, and trying to count them as general requirements at another college instead of just electives. While it would be very nice to go out-of-state and experience a completely different atmosphere, I’m totally fine with staying in my home state for another few years, especially knowing the price difference!

The U has pretty much EVERYTHING. Knowing a lot about the opportunities before entering my official freshman year really gives me an advantage because I’ll know in the fall which kind of student groups I’ll get involved with, and what kind of academic programs they have. As described in previous blogs, I’m primarily interested in environmental science and journalism, which are both offered. If I was to suddenly change my mind, the U would have me covered; they offer 180 undergraduate major programs, with 142 minors. The U is a very respected school in general, and has just every opportunity I could want, from student-produced media, to the many film and sustainability student groups, to the undergraduate research programs and internships. I also plan to take advantage of their learning/working/volunteering abroad programs, and by saving money, I’ll have the opportunity to go more than once!

There’s an undeniable Gopher pride atmosphere at the U; it’s a BIG TEN university, after all. I’ll have the opportunity to go to many sporting events such as basketball, football, baseball, swimming, hockey, etcetera, and each one will have a huge crowd. It’s definitely a lot of fun to be a part of something like that. I attended the Gopher basketball game against Indiana last month, and the energy from the student section was AMAZING! They ended up beating the number 1 team in the country for the first time since 1989! I’m telling you, it was because of the Gopher pride in The Barn (Williams Arena) that night. Attending a smaller university might not have this type of atmosphere, especially if sports aren’t as prominent or well-known. I wouldn’t like that at all; I want to attend a college that’s united in their student spirit!

Being a university with 3 campuses (East, West, and Saint Paul) and having the population of a small city, there are always plenty of people to meet. I already know many people there (which is another plus!), but it’s a rare occasion to bump into one of them unless we plan to meet up. The size might be looked at as a downside, but the way I see it, there will always be new people to meet and connect with. It’s also pretty much impossible to be a “cliquey” school. There’s just about every type of person you would want to meet. The campus may seem huge, but it’s very easy to get around on foot, bike, car, and public transportation. That being said, there are plenty of places to study, hang out, get food, see a movie, etcetera. There’s also the option to go shopping at the Mall of America or Rosedale Mall (even closer!). The U is conveniently located miles away from doing just about anything you would want to, whether it’s see the Minnesota Twins play, go to a concert at the Target Center, Xcel, or Fine Line Music Cafe, or check out some tasty restaurants.

The only thing I have to complain about the U is that it’s cold during the winters (although that’s not a very good complaint; I’ve lived in Minnesota my whole life!) and the fact that it’s not somewhere new and different (which again, I can’t really complain about). Yeah, walking to classes can be freezing in the winter, but I’d much rather wear a sweatshirt and long pants than shorts and a T-shirt, and hot drinks and a fireplace are definitely a plus! It may not be Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Bozeman, Montana; or Berkeley, California; but it’s still a fantastic university that I know I’d be happy at, and that’s what really matters. I have no idea if I’d be happy at the out-of-state colleges I applied to, because I never got the chance to visit. As much as I’d want to try out somewhere new, the U will always be home to me, and I’d like to stay close to home for at least a few more years.

Before entering my junior year as a PSEO student, I wasn’t even going to apply to the University of Minnesota. After taking courses there and actually experiencing what the campus life is like, I couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed it. When I visited other Minnesota colleges, I knew right away whether or not I could see myself there; it’s crazy how much an in-person college visit can do for you. This just goes to show; consider ALL of your options! If you’re still undecided, or waiting until May 1st to make your official decision, I definitely recommend doing another college visit and if possible, an overnight stay. If you’re not a senior yet and you’re starting to make a list of potential colleges, don’t judge a university JUST based off of its ranking or location. I used to think of the U as just another “okay” Minnesota college; until I actually learned about and experienced it. Best of luck to any seniors still making their decisions, and to anybody else who is thinking about the college application process!

-Anna icon smile UMN Bound

28 UMN Bound

About: Annamarie

I'm a down-to-earth, “Minnesota Nice” kind of girl with an artistic mind and a passion for saving the world, one recycled item at a time. One thing you must know is that I LOVE animals... emphasis on the LOVE. Especially alpacas. And otters. Actually, come to think of it, there's really no animal that I don't think is adorable. If I could live in a television show, it would be How I Met Your Mother, hands down. I enjoy sweatpants, thunderstorms, loud music, and big, open spaces with mountains, lakes, flowers, and trees; pretty much like the lovely state of Montana! I'm an avid moviegoer, experiential chef, and I collect fortunes from fortune cookies. That's me in a very small nutshell!

PSEO @ University of Minnesota | Saint Paul, MN | EnvSci,Cinema&Media,Business | More Posts

Posted in Annamarie, Other, Student Bloggers | Leave a comment

My Acceptance Letters

SHARE:

Hello, MyMajors viewers!

I hope everyone has gotten a heap load of acceptance letters, because that’s what I’ll be talking about. So far (I’m still waiting), I’ve gotten nine acceptances (and two waitlists)… they are as follows:
• San Jose State University
• San Francisco State University
• CSU Long Beach
• Arizona State University
• Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• UC Riverside
• University of Oregon
• DePaul University

Most of these were my safeties, so I wasn’t thoroughly excited about the acceptances. As of right now, I’m considering Cal Poly SLO and DePaul University. I really wanted to go out of state and DePaul’s perfect for what I want to do (Chicago is a great location to dig up internships)! In a way, it has become my dream school. Plus, I’m not too worried about the price because of my scholarship icon smile My Acceptance Letters In the end, undergraduate school isn’t hugely important for me because law school admissions are strongly based on grades and LSAT scores.

As for the waitlists, they’re both from good schools (one of which I REALLY did not want to attend, but my folks made me so you can imagine how my essay sounded…hehe) but I’m not going to be on my knees begging to get in.

I was waitlisted by UC Davis, and I have to say I was surprised. Many people who seemed overly-qualified were rejected, whereas others that hit below the average were admitted. I noticed this for a lot of schools, not just those within the UC system. For any of those distraught or confused with their admission decision, don’t fret. Colleges have a strange way of picking students, and you really can’t tell where you will get in. One of my safeties rejected me (UC Santa Cruz), so that just goes to show that these decisions do not reflect your abilities as a student. You might not fit the student profile this college has in mind, and that’s completely okay! You’ll go to the university that was meant for YOU. If you really aren’t content with your options, there is always the transfer route via community college. Know that your life isn’t “over,” and you’ll be in the place you want to be as long as you work hard. I understand that it feels as if 4 years were wasted in the effort to get accepted by Dream University. But if you remember your worth and smile at the colleges that DID accept you, it’ll all turn out fine. Even though most of my safeties accepted me, I’m still happy about Cal Poly, DePaul, and UIUC, too! They are great schools (check out the alumni!) so I know I’ll succeed (and even if I suck at life, I know my family and family friends literally have my back). Seriously, take a look at the list of alumni from the schools that accepted you. I’m sure there are several famous, successful people! And what does that tell you? It’s not the university that makes you, but you that makes the university. Make the school you matriculate at MORE prestigious because of what you do later in life. Inspire future high school students to check out your alma mater because YOU went there! You don’t need a pricey and pretentious university to make you a successful person. Sure, it can help open doors for you, but it won’t run the rest of the race! Remember that, and you’ll do well no matter where you attend.

To those that were accepted by their dream/matches, congratulations! I wish you the best of luck in your academic endeavors.

And enjoy the rest of your senior year, lovelies! High school is nearly OVER!

All the best,
Nikki

32 My Acceptance Letters

About: Nikki

Greetings MyMajors viewers--the name's Nikki, and if there’s one thing you should know about me it’s I’m crazy OCD about words (ask my mom, I’ve got a dictionary on my nightstand) because I love literature and writing. Here's the spiel: I'm stuck in my "adolessons" for the time being. In vain, I try not to be a pessimist but revert to being an optimist (especially when it comes to college). Hopefully, these entries will catch a glimpse of the person I was, am, and will be--plus you’ll feel a little less alone in the college application process :) So sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!

Lynbrook HS | Cupertino, CA | English | More Posts

Posted in Nikki | Leave a comment