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Note to High School Seniors

by System Administrator 18. December 2009 08:56

Although I've only spent 3 months at college, it's hard to remember never not being here. In a year, you will probably feel the same way.

Last year, I was one of those people who went into an application-frenzy during senior year. And I remember how amazing it felt to be accepted to college. So my advice to high school seniors: there is no perfect fit; there is no perfect college; and your self-worth is absolutely not equivalent to SAT scores or your GPA! Don't try to sum up your existence in a 500-word essay - you are more than that. It's easy to be trapped in that state of mind because you've been working so hard for four years and you have ideas of how your college experience should be and that your dreams are only possible at certain colleges.  Just know that wherever you go, college is make what you make of it. That's been true for me, and it's true for my friends at their colleges, and it will be true for you. So, take a deep breathe and relax!

For those who have been admitted to Rutgers, CONGRATULATIONS!!! Be excited for next year!

For those who are scrambling to meet other colleges' infamous Jan. 1 deadline, good luck. Once you hit submit, it's done.

And after you're been accepted, you're going to be blessed with a case of the inevitable senioritis.

Enjoy senior year. It was one of the best parts of high school for me :)

(I'm finishing up finals. Just one more to go! Expect a longer post from me after Saturday)


Location: SinglePost

Tags:

Academics | Campus Life - New Brunswick

Comments

RNA United States
12/18/2009 9:59:53 PM #

Hey Phyllis
Wat's up? Quick question ... I've gotten a letter that says I qualify for the General Honors Program at SEBS. But if I apply for this program, can I still apply for Project Super? Is it possible to do both programs if I get accepted?
Thanks
btw good luck on your last final!

phy United States
12/18/2009 10:37:11 PM #

Hey RNA Smile

I have three friend who are part of SEBS/SEBS Recruitment, and I assume Honors, so yes you can still apply for Project SUPER. You can be a SEBS student and a Douglass student (being a Douglass student qualifies you for the Douglass programs: Project SUPER/Bunting Cobb/scholarships/etc). It's on the same campus anyhow Smile Good luck for the honors program. I hear you have to interview? I'm sure you'll do great Laughing

Rebecca United States
12/20/2009 9:01:49 PM #

So, I got accepted to Rutgers, but I want to know more about living on campus. I've read the blogs and such, but I was wondering if you knew of any sort of overnight program that Rutgers had that I could participate in?

phylee United States
12/20/2009 9:23:09 PM #

Hey Rebecca! CONGRATULATIONS Laughing Laughing Next year's going to be great!

Douglass, which is part of Rutgers and is on the same campus as Cook, has overnight visits for prospective students! There's also a spring weekend for admitted students in March which I attended last year and I LOVED meeting the college students and seeing what their lives were like.

But if you want to visit sooner than wait til March,
http://douglass.rutgers.edu/index.php?page_name=visit_douglass

Click on overnight visits! You can ask for me as your host, if you want. I'll show you around campus/dorms/classes Smile

Nate United States
1/8/2010 7:15:18 PM #

Hey Phyllis! I have a question about my schedule for senior year. I am a high school junior and I have to request my classes for next (senior) year. Assuming I recieve decent grades (I've always been a straight A student with the occasional B)in these classes am I in good shape for Rutgers?

Pre-Calculus Honors
UMDNJ Medical Terminology/Emergency Care
Anatomy and Physiology HPA
AP Biology
AP Psychology
AP English 4



In addition, I have a question about science coureses. I have taken Physical Science freshman year, Biology sophomore year, and Chemistry junior year. After taking Chemistry most students go into Physics senior year. However, I'm looking to go into nursing in college. So, instead of Physics I'm taking AP Biology and Anatomy and Physiology HPA.  The thing is, my Chemistry teacher told me that many 4-year schools (such as Rutgers) like to see Physics on your transcript. When I spoke to my counselor she told me it was perfectly fine not to take Physics, but that I should check in with the individual schools I am interested in for their policies. Is not taking Physics detrimiental to my chances of attending Rutgers?

Thanks in advance

phylee United States
1/9/2010 12:17:45 AM #

Hey there, Nate! Smile

That's a pretty rigorous senior year schedule. AP English and AP Biology are incredibly reading-intensive, thus time-consuming. I took them in separate years, and it was still challenging.

Because you took Physical Science your freshman year, it should be fine to replace your Physics course with classes more relevant to your future major. However, to make sure, please email our Admissions counselor, Lee Dmochowski: dmochowski@ugadm.rutgers.edu

The nursing program at Rutgers is pretty competitive. Make sure your SAT match the expectations Smile If you need to take the SAT again, go for it Laughing I took mine twice.

Also, in your freshman year of the nursing program, you take a class in Anatomy which is EXTREMELY time-consuming and generally challenging. Therefore, Anatomy and Physiology HPA  will prepare you much more than say, a physics course. In the sophomore year, you take a class called Biochemistry. So taking Biology will also help you immensely.

Good luck! Email/comment if you have more questions! Smile

lee United States
1/9/2010 6:42:16 AM #

Hi Nate!

As usual, Phyllis gives good advice   It's fine for an applicant to the School of Nursing to take AP Bio, instead of Physics.  The Physics is key for applicants to the School of Engineering.

Here the curriculum for Nursing students in New Brunswick:

nursing.rutgers.edu/.../new_brunswick_campus

Enjoy.  We look forward to your application.  And do reply message or e-mil with any further questions.

Renato United States
1/12/2010 4:17:26 PM #

Hi, I really like the blog. Quick question, I've seen many of my friends get acceptances to RU but I haven't yet. Should I be worried?

Lee United States
1/13/2010 9:57:15 AM #

Hi Renato,

The notification deadline for students who applied by December 1 is February 28, so there's plenty of time left to hear about your application.

Alexandra United States
1/18/2010 1:15:39 PM #

Hi Smile
I thought I would be really excited about setting up my senior year high school schedule but now I'm left confused. I want to major in German Education and at first I was planning on this:

English IV AP
German IV AP
Philosophy CP
Environmental Science CP
Phys-Ed
Internship for 2 periods at a nearby school
- My counselor told me that I don't have to worry about taking Physics, that Environmental will do just as well but I'm hearing contrary news as well. Seeing as I really dislike math and barely manage to scrape an 80 in that particular subject, she told me that not taking math would be better for me. I'm really confused because everyone is saying something different. Is not taking these subjects actually detrimental to my transcript? Will it keep me out of Rutgers, etc. My grades in everything other than math and science are well above the 85 - 90 range.

lee United States
1/19/2010 9:13:29 AM #

Hi Alexandra,

You're right to be concerned about both course selection and grades, since academics is the primary basis on which Rutgers makes admissions decisions. However, without having all the information required on an application before me, I can't speak to your basic concern about admissibility.

I can tell you that at our schools of arts and sciences in Newark, New Brunswick and Camden, 4 years of math is not required for admission.  See our entrance requirements, by campus and school:

http://admissions.rutgers.edu/ApplyNow/MoreForFirstYearApplicants/EntranceRequirements.aspx

The course schedule you indicate here would be okay, assuming you have the other sciences and the pre-req's for the courses you are taking, as well as three previous years of math-- specifically Algebra I, II and Geometry.  

If in the Fall of 2010 you will be taking SAT's or ACT's (either is fine for Rutgers, though make sure with the ACT you take the writing portion), you certainly might benefit from more math.  Math never hurts!  Just keep up the grades. Still, it is not required you take 4 years of Math for arts and sciences, if you have the entrance required courses.

Feel free to ask follow-up questions.

Alexandra United States
1/20/2010 7:09:45 AM #

Thank you Smile
Well, my freshman year I had English I Honors, World History Honors, Phys-ed, Algebra I, Physical Science, German I and Ms Word and lunch all CP.
Sophmore year I took Geometry CP, Biology CP, German II CP, Art Workshop CP, Phys-ed, English II honors, Am History I Honors and lunch.
This year I'm taking Chemistry CP, Algebra II CP, German III CP, Psychology AP, English III Honors, Am. History II Honors, Phys-ed and lunch.
And I'm thinking of tacking History of Art AP onto the schedule already posted for next year.
I do have extracurriculars like Poetry Contests and Clubs, etc. Do you think I have a chance? My PSAT score in Sat came out to be around 1590-1600.

lee United States
1/20/2010 12:09:42 PM #

Hi Alexandra,

The course selection you indicate meets Rutgers entrance requirements.  Your cumulative weighted grade point average, class rank, and SAT would also be taken into consideration.

Your chances, thus, depends on those factors-- combined, with your leadership experience mattering most when we look at extra-curricular activities.  The length, depth and type of involvements are what we would consider in such a review.

Again, our primary consideration is academic. See our admissions profile here:
http://admissions.rutgers.edu/Academics/AdmissionsProfile.aspx

SAT ranges and class ranks for admitted students to different campuses are there.  

Thanks for your interest in Rutgers!

Kim United States
2/9/2010 4:01:33 PM #

Hey Phyllis!
I've been admitted to SAS program!
But I just had a question.
Before I applied to Rutgers I wasn't really sure about majors so I decided to just do undecided and choose later.
But lately I've really interested in the Pharmacy 6-year program at Rutgers. Also taking Pharmacy Technician courses really got me interested in majoring it!
Is it hard for me to change majors to Pharmacy?

Thank you so much Smile

phylee United States
2/25/2010 10:05:22 AM #

Kim,

I know several people who transferred into the Pharmacy program. Just take the prerequisites, keep your GPA up, and work really hard Smile Definitely talk to an adviser so you know how to keep on track.

Sorry for the late response.

Morgan United States
3/29/2010 1:14:05 PM #

Hi! I'm looking into Douglass and I signed up for a classroom visit (still waiting to hear back), but what do you like most about Douglass? I feel like this could be a deciding factor for me in choosing Rutgers.

Also, I want to be either a chemistry major or possibly psychology...would double majoring in those two be wayyyy too hard??? I know science majors are a lot of work.

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