Well, I have yet to hear back from Vassar regarding my spot on the waitlist...I just keep hoping and praying!
To ease the burden of not yet knowing, my counselor and I have decided just to put Colorado's emblem and Vassar's on one shirt, just in case :-).
The end is near! Senior year is SOOO close to being over! What excitement! I also discovered recently that I get to speak at our graduation three times! I get to commence the hat-tossing as class president. That’s going to be awesome! I’m also exempt from all of my finals, and that’s a HUGE burden off my back. I just cannot get over any of it!
I'm also busy planning my summer. Of course, this isn’t a big change or anything, because I was doing that last semester too! It’s just nice knowing that all the planning NOW might actually take form. Woot woot!
Car shopping is also on my agenda. I plan on trading in my current car for something better. I can’t wait to see what I end up with.
It’s official: I’m extremely excited. I really wasn't before, but now that I realize how fast time has flown by this year, I've changed my mind. People told me how fast it was going to go by, but wow!
Well, unfortunately, I was rejected by many of my colleges. My rejections included “no” letters from Dartmouth, Cornell, Wesleyan and Lawrence. Needless to say, I was incredibly upset. It goes to show that the college acceptance/rejection game is a total toss up. It’s kind of funny in a way, because I now see the experience as a game of chance, a gambling game with the next four years of your life. Reality check: Colleges are strange entities!
However, there’s more. I was waitlisted at Vassar. When I got the letter, I was close to tears because Vassar was my top choice. I am lucky, though, because I was not flat out rejected like many others (no offense). I have turned in Vassar’s letter of intent to remain on the waitlist, and I added two more letters of recommendation. Hopefully everything will turn out well…*crossing fingers*.
Vassar told me that it was in my best interest to enroll at my second choice college as a safety precaution. Therefore, I am now enrolled at University of Colorado at Boulder. It’s so nerve-racking! I must say, though, I would not be at all distressed if I ended up going to UC Boulder, because it’s a great school with a good rep and solid programs. As of now, I’m completely indifferent on the issue. Though I am jealous that everyone around me already knows where they’re going (and that they can start buying college memorabilia)!
On another note, theatre is over. Now it’s all about starting to say goodbye to people. This is going to be very tough…
Well one college decision came in…
I have been waitlisted at Lawrence University, which is scary because it was one of my safety/good-match colleges. Oh God! Now I’m EXTREMEMLY nervous! I thought I applied to a lot of colleges, but now I feel I should have applied to more safeties just in case…
On a lighter note, Tommy Tune nominations are in! We received nine nominations:
1. Best Technical Execution
2. Best Costume Design
3. Best Actor
4. Best Supporting Actor
5. Best Supporting Actress
6. Best Featured Performer
7. Best Lighting
8. Best Musical Direction
We are ecstatic! Remember, these awards are basically like the high school version of the Tony awards.
More good news! I couldn’t do the UIL One Act Play because I was gone for spring break. However, a member of the tech crew had some trouble and was temporarily unavailable, leaving a vacant spot for me! Yay! This is great, because this show is definitely my favorite UIL play that we’ve ever done.
Okay, I must say I’m even more in love with Vassar than I had originally thought.
I had my Vassar interview last Tuesday, and oh em gee, it was fantastic! Imagine a 2 ½ hour interview talking about everything from politics to film (which also happen to be two of my favorite things)! So I’m super ecstatic about Vassar now. I’m trying not to jinx myself, so I’m avoiding everything with “I’m,” “going,” “to” and “Vassar” in the same sentence, just to be safe.
Other than that, I’m voting tomorrow! It’s incredibly exciting! Being of legal age is quite amazing, I must say. I dunno if I’m allowed to say who I’m voting for, but I think I can say it’s a democratic vote. Woot!
Lawrence University also called me and told me that my application is complete, which is one the best feelings of relief EVER. Just knowing you have everything together loosens your mind. *Whew*
So spring break is approaching and excitement fills my bones. If plans are still intact, it’s a toss up between Hawaii and New York City. A trip to New York would also allow for me to go “college shopping” while I’m up there. However, plans could falter. My older sis might be having surgery spring break week, which scares me a little. In my mind, I just hope for the best.
In addition to this exciting blog, my family just invested in a Hummer, an H3 to be exact. It is AMAZING. Just thought the world should know. (The hard thing will be paying for the gas…I hear gas prices will be close to $4 by summer). It’s a bit disheartening though, as my parents are contemplating not putting me on the insurance. Grrr.
Ack - as of now, all I have left to do is wait for rejection or acceptance! This is so unnerving!
So my interview with Dartmouth was superb! The guy interviewing me was incredibly nice and down to earth, and very easy to talk to. I’m actually going back tomorrow to help my friend with an interview that she has! Don’t worry - no competitiveness here.
I’m also very excited because my birthday is slowly approaching. By the next blog, I will officially be 18! It’s pretty incredible, but also sad considering most of my friends are already 18. Still, I think the occasion deserves a “yay”!
School has kind of slowed down a bit. I’m excited to be a second semester senior, but I’m nervous because everyone around me already has the dreaded senioritis! For some of my friends, it began junior year…yikes, right?
As of now, I’m not doing our UIL show because my family has planned a trip to Hawaii for spring break. The first contest is during spring break, which made me ineligible anyway. However, the plans might be changing due to family issues. Nothing incredibly serious, but it will still make an impact if procedures don’t go as planned. As for theater, this will be the only show I have not been a part of…sadness.
On a brighter note, I am officially a National Honor Thespian! My director did the calculations, and yep, I’m good to go! Yes!!!
Life is so crazy! Nobody told me senior year was so going to be hectic!
So I received my acceptance letter to University of Colorado at Boulder yesterday! Excitement fills me! Now, no other acceptance letter should come until April…which is kind of far away…
So far, Centenary and Colorado are my only acceptance letters, but it helps to know that I’m at least attending some college! That’s not to say that these two colleges aren’t appealing, I just have to see what else comes my way! No fretting, though!
I also completed my FAFSA the other day. This is a very big weight off my shoulders. However, the CSS Profile on College Board is yet to be completed. Financial aid is a hectic thing to take care of! I hear the Profile is exceedingly long, as well. This is a bit daunting, considering I haven’t quite looked over the whole thing yet.
Admission interviews are also next to do. I’m actually right in the middle of registering for a Dartmouth interview, so wish me luck!
Aside from college, we kicked butt with our musical Damn Yankees! I also moved up almost 30 people in my class rank, from just one semester! Now I’m 100 of 622, which is great, considering I started off quite low (like in the 3rd quarter). Just a reminder: DO WELL FRESHMAN YEAR! It makes me angry to know that I could be in the top 10% if it weren’t for freshman year!!
At today’s Superintendent Leadership Luncheon, we were asked what my district needed to improve on. I spoke out against discrimination and underrepresentation of students. It was slightly intimidating, especially because the superintendent himself attended. But it felt great saying it, believe me. I’m actually very proud of myself.
Sorry guys, I have been busy, busy, busy! I am right in the middle of “crunch week” for our musical, with classes and work piled on top! It’s insanity! Right now, I’m watching 3:10 to Yuma, writing this blog and helping my little sister, who has decided to run for class presidency. I guess she’s gonna follow my footsteps.
Geez, the whole college application process is stressful! However, as of the first of January, I am finished with it! With the exception of the mid-year reports, I have fully applied to these schools (in no particular order)
1. Vassar
2. Cornell
3. Dartmouth
4. University of Colorado-Boulder
5. Centenary College of Louisiana
6. Lawrence University
7. Wesleyan University
It feels amazing, believe me! So far, only Centenary has accepted me. They also offered me a nice scholarship! However, I’m not worried. I expect the letters (either rejections or acceptances) to arrive in April. The wait is horrible!
Busy, busy, busy. It never changes!
Well, I just came home from the Texas Thespian Convention in downtown Fort Worth. It was AMAZING. What a release from the normal routine of life back home in Katy!
But the days away seriously took a toll on me! I missed Thursday and Friday, so the make-up work was grueling, especially when you come back to discover there are three tests waiting for you…on the same day! Grrr.
Life is grand, however. I refuse to let stress control me! I feel guilty, but I haven’t been on top of my applications lately. This is partly because I’m still totally undecided about everything! As I’m sitting here typing away, I realize my time is SERIOUSLY running out! Such confusion and dismay!
Oh yes, I got my second ACT scores back. To my extreme dejection, I received the exact same score as I did on my last test! I find it funny, because my reading scores are fantastic, in addition to a solid essay, but the math and science scores decreased…but it still managed to average out to the score I previously received! To the decimal, I might add.
I have decided I have had enough standardized testing. I’m sending both my ACT scores and my SAT scores to my colleges. But which colleges?! I feel myself becoming pickier. I recently ruled out Cornell because if its location within New York, namely far from NYC, and it’s below freezing weather! It’s sad too, because Cornell, up until this point, was my dream college.
I think this is happening to every teenager that hasn’t a clue about where he/she wants to go. I know Vassar and Brown are my top schools, with a Brown admission being a complete shot in the dark, and Vassar’s in a somewhat lit room! I would be perfectly happy attending either. Make that EXTEMELY happy.
I also received a packet from Middlebury the other day. I’m still researching the school, but I like it so far. Who knows, right?
Hello all, and thanks for tuning in once again. A lot has happened since the last blog.
Well, during the summer I fell in love with Brown, but to my despair, I thought they didn’t have my planned major: film studies. Yeah, I know, disappointment to the MAX. However I checked again and…THEY REALLY DID HAVE THE MAJOR. It’s not called film studies; it’s actually a media studies program, which is pretty awesome nonetheless. So, without anything further, I have added it to the list! I started my application for it about a week ago, and I love applications like Brown that ACTUALLY give you the room you need to describe yourself. I’m excited.
Other than that, I got my SAT scores last week! I actually got a combined score of 1700, which I was a little disappointed with, but I got an 11 on my essay, which really rocks! In addition, I took my ACT last weekend, and all I have to say is…ugh. The essay was at the end of the test, so by the time I got to it I was pretty brain-dead. I’m confident however!
We have also officially started our annual musical! We’re doing Damn Yankees, and as it turns out, our high school will be the first to produce the show in all of greater Houston. That’s pretty exciting.
So you remember the whole running for a French club officer thing? Well, I am now the publicity officer! I’m especially excited about this because I’ve also decided that I probably want to study French in college, so why not enhance my skills?
By the way, my sister’s wedding was fun. I also recently discovered that my fear of sharp objects is called aichmophobia. It’s a creepy name, right?!
My college list has been cut. After all of my indecisiveness blog after blog, I decided I probably shouldn’t be re-arranging the list so often, as deadlines are approaching quickly. So, I reduced the size of the list to my favorite college choices.
1. Brown
2. Vassar
3. Cornell
4. Wesleyan
My counselor told me that I should also find a fall-back school in Texas, just in case things go horribly wrong. I looked at a complete list of Texas schools, to no avail. UTSA, although having no film program, is my only favorite so far…As it seems, most private colleges are religiously affiliated or have a lack of a film program, so I opted for a public university. I’m applying for their honors college.
Sorry guys, this blog is short. Nothing much has happened since the last one. School is, well, school. Increasingly harder as the year progresses. I received my updated GPA and class rank the other day though! It's funny because my GPA rose about .8 but my rank increased by only two people. It's craziness! I feel a bit stressed, not about the rank or GPA, but because it's the middle of application season! Everyone I know is working on their applications! Most of my friends have opted for the public schools in Texas, so I get a little jealous because they dont have to write any essays! Arrrgh!
But I'm taking a small break from the application frenzy. I'm in Lubbock, Texas right now for my older sister's wedding, and I'm a groomsman! Today I bought a nice little hoodie and a haircut, so I feel pretty happy. I also went "truck-shopping" today with my grandpa. I want a truck REALLY bad!
My school list has changed a bit:
1. Vassar
2. Cornell
3. Wesleyan
4. Whitman
5. Dartmouth
6. Swarthmore
And are we ready for this blog's clue for my secret dream college?
*This university is a Division I school for athletics
Hello, all, on another update! Everything’s going great!
So far the year is going by smoothly. I just hope everything doesn’t get too stressful! Junior year was HORRIBLY stressful, and I do NOT want a repeat.
I tend to bite off more than I can chew, academically and in my extra-curricular life. In addition to presidency of two clubs, I decided to run for a French Club officer position. I'm going for Historian, but was nominated for another lesser position that I would also be perfectly okay with. I don’t know why I didn’t run earlier in high school, because I like the French Club!
Woot Woot! I finally started my new job at Hollywood Video! It is so much more lax than my previous job, thank god. It’s a very “chillax” place to be, and the time seems to go by so quick! (“Chillax” = chill + relax :) ) I get to watch all the free movies I want! What more could a movie lover want!?
Since the last time I posted, I have finished my main college essay! There were a total of five different drafts, including a totally re-written version, and finalized with the help of my junior and senior English teachers. Let me tell you, having two different teachers rate the essay was a blessing! The initial draft I made was shown to my senior year teacher, who said it was good, but had not seen what else I was capable of writing.
…Unlike my junior year English teacher! When I showed it to her, she said, “Would you like me to be honest?”
“Uh oh...Of course.”
“You’ve written better.” She calmly stated. I retreated, but didn’t take it as an insult, but as very valuable advice. I went home that night and took a completely different route with the essay, but kept the main idea.
The next time I showed it to my senior teacher, she said, “Wow. I liked the other one, but this one is WAAAY better!” Yes!! I had to have a second opinion, so I once again took the draft to my 11th grade English teacher, who responded, “Ok, this one is amazing!” and asked me for a copy. *side note* I don’t believe a teacher has ever asked me to make a copy of my writing and give one to them. Let me say, IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE FEELING! I felt accomplished.
The topic you ask? I wrote about an experience I had driving home one day and accidentally killed a dove. I took a seemingly insignificant idea and dwelled upon it, and I am extremely pleased with how it turned out.
*Second side note* YouTube is amazing. Just thought I’d point that out. I'm currently in a YouTube mood.
Whew* One less thing to worry about.
Just in case anyone is wondering, my college list hasn’t changed much. I’m sometimes indecisive about my college list, but do you blame me?! It’s really important!
1. Vassar
2. Cornell
3. Dartmouth
4. University of Colorado-Boulder
5. Hampshire
6. [NEW!] Swarthmore/Whitman
I’m currently deciding if I will apply to Swarthmore or Whitman, or neither. I have to do to a bit more research on them, but I’m leaning toward Swarthmore at the moment.
In addition, I have also decided to secretly apply to one particular school. It’s a big leap for me, but I am in love with the school, and always have been. To keep the suspense, I have also decided to give the Princeton Review readers a clue each post as to the identity of this school! Haha!
Ready for this blog’s clue?
This school is located in the New England region of the United States.
Does it seem as though I’m running a radio station? Yep.
Well, school is going great! So far at least…
This year I took more AP classes than I ever have! I instantly felt the pain. Homework is crazy! But hey, its ok, I know I’m doing alright. Everything feels like its going by waaaay too fast! I feel college is literally around the corner. To add to it, I haven’t even started my applications. I keep saying to myself, “Come on! Get going!” As for now, I’m trying not to be too stressed.
I love how senior year is going though. It’s a lot more lax than anything. Plus, the classes are fun! And I have been hanging out a lot more than I ever have before. But hey, I wanna spend time with everyone! We have less than a year!
I just registered for the October SAT Reasoning Test. I’ve already taken the ACT, but the math section killed me… (Probably because I hadn’t been in a math class that year) which thoroughly depressed me. But not really. I knew I still had the SAT. In addition, most of my college choices require two SAT II’s. I’m not sure how to register for them, because I don’t know if I can take them during the same testing day. I know that my first SAT II will be Literature, but I have no idea what else to take! Grr.
As for my current college list:
1. Vassar
2. Cornell
3. Dartmouth
4. Amherst
5. University of Colorado-Boulder
6. Hampshire College
I realize that most of the schools are somewhat reach schools, but I’m confident! I think I have a pretty good resume, but you never know right? Especially with the Ivies. Everything’s worth a shot! In addition, the list enjoys fluctuating, so some may be there next time, or may be replaced. *shifty eyes*
I chose the schools above mostly through Princeton Review and TheU.com. I used PR’s rankings and lists to determine what kind of school it would be. I know it’s a bit wrong, but when I saw one bad ranking, I immediately crossed it off my list. I did this a lot earlier in the game, but recently I went back to double-check. Now, if the school has a majority of bad marks or something outstandingly horrible, I cross it off. The schools above don’t have bad reps at all!
TheU.com also really helped! I used the online videos to determine if I would fit in.
I guess I should describe what kind of college I would like…
For the two glaring Ivies on my list, let me explain. I know most might see the Ivies as conformist schools where conformist people enjoy a conformist lifestyle of education. However, hands down, I want the best education I can get. The Ivies are, obviously, well known for their flourishing curriculum. Plus, from what I have seen, the people at the Ivies are most similar to me. :)
I also want to go to a smaller school. With the exception of UCB, the schools on my list are sized from small to medium.
Democratic? Yes please! I know everyone has their own basic view, if even slightly different and in the same political party, but I would be more comfortable with a democratic society, basically. I’m thinking liberal arts colleges. Oh yeah!
I’m brain fried at the moment, so I’m off! I gotta go study! Yay! *sarcasm*
I’m so excited to be a part of Eye on Apply this year! Aaack!
Well, my name is Brandon W. I’m 17 years old, almost 18! I live in a town called Katy, about an hour from downtown Houston. The town began with just one high school, Katy HS, but as time went by, the town grew incredibly fast. Now, there are six high schools! And more in development! I go to one of the newer high schools, with a population of about 3,000, and it’s my home.
At my school, I’m involved in theatre, student body government and an assortment of other things. Along with school, I have a job. To describe each separately:
Theatre! If you’re a fellow theatre geek, you know how time consuming the dramatic arts are. Rather than pursuing the acting route, I’m a techie, true and true. I’ve done anything technical you can think of. I’ve done sound, lights, fly crew, publicity, stage manager, etc. My favorite, by far, are lights. Last year, my school’s third year open, the theatre company became award winning! Our production of Fiddler on the Roof received twelve nominations for Houston’s annual “Tommy Tune Awards”, including Best Musical, Best Actor, and Best Technical Ensemble (I was Assistant Stage Manager, so this was fantastic!). The nominations themselves were enough, but out of thirteen, we won Best Featured Performer and Best Lighting. You may say, “Oh, that’s it?”, but believe me, thirteen nominations for a THIRD YEAR SCHOOL is incredible beyond belief! As for officer positions, I was Secretary for my sophomore year, Vice President for the fall semester of junior year, and then President spring semester of junior year and re-elected for my senior year. (It’s a confusing and long story)
Student Government: Yep, well, I’m president! Three years running, in fact. I remember when the time came to run for sophomore presidency, I was like “Eh.. maybe it would look good for a resume.” I won, unopposed though, and when the time rolled around to run for junior presidency, I looked back on my achievements for the past year. Instead of just saying “This will look good for colleges”, I decide I really didn’t want to give up all I worked for. I ran again, this time with an opponent (my best friend) and won! And once more, I decided to run for presidency my senior year. This time, I had two years of experience riding on this election. My accomplishments and experience was all I could think of. What if I lost everything I had worked up for? After all, I had five opponents this time. But heck, I won! At my school, class officers are in charge of all the prom stuff. Picking out the place, raising the money, etc. I am proud to say that during my terms in office, we raised more money than any other class and reserved the Westin Galleria ballroom in downtown Houston! (Basically, the amazing mall in downtown Houston)
Well, I just got hired for my third consecutive job. I worked at Target for a year, and then quit to try the restaurant business at a French bistro called La Madeleine. At first, it was amazing, but then discovered that I very much dislike the restaurant industry. I was just hired at Hollywood Video, a movie rental place. The pay is lower, but I LOVE movies, so I’m totally ok with it!
I’m a fun-loving kind of guy. I love venturing in downtown Houston, driving around aimlessly, and just hanging around with friends.
I’m VERY political. I hide it most often, because I only know of one person who can share my democratic views, and I don’t like offending people. I feel very prepared for my college application experience. I VERY much want to go to college. NONE of my potential schools are in Texas. Out of state, please! I can’t whistle. I’m in love with music and film. My dreams are oddly vivid and colorful. I love my car. Most of the time, I listen to the beat instead of the lyrics. J’adore francais! I like to learn new things. I have only cried once at a movie. I envy only one person, and this person is one of my best friends. I’m a Pisces. I rarely get sick. I’m rarely ever angry. I can’t watch people eat cereal. It sickens me. IMDB is the best invention known to mankind. Michelle Monaghan is the prettiest actress. I have a fear of knives.