Occidental College By: Herbert Castillo (12th Grade)  Oxygen? OxiClean®? Occidental! Occidental College, known as Oxy by students, is a small liberal arts college located only 6 miles away from our very own Zoo Magnet. Aside from similar locations, many parallels can be drawn between Occidental and the Zoo Magnet. Have you adapted to the small size of the Zoo Magnet and hate overcrowded classes at North Hollywood? Occidental's total of 1,846 undergraduate students make the average class size 21. A 10.5 to 1 student-faculty ratio ensures quality education that focuses on you, the undergraduate student. The small size also prevents the problem of trying to enroll in crowded classes and it is easier for students to get involved compared to large universities. There are close to 35 undergraduate programs ranging from Film and Media Studies to Cognitive Science. Students can also take classes at Caltech or Art Center and earn joint degrees at Columbia University, Keck Graduate Institute, and Caltech. Can I get in? According to U.S News and World Report, the 2008 fall acceptance rate was 39.4%. In 2007 three quarters of students had an SAT critical reading score of 590 or better and half of the students scored between 600 and 690 in the math section. If accepted, the 2009-2010 tuition and expenses total $38,922. If you want more information visit Oxy's website at: http://www.oxy.edu/x13.xml Boston University By: Herbert Castillo (12th Grade)  What is this BU? Boston University, referred to as BU, is a private university located in Boston, Massachusetts. BU is well-known for its College of Communications (COM) and School of Management (SMG), so if you're interested in any of these concentrations, BU is a school to consider. This is not to say that BU is not a great school in other areas; BU ranks 56th among national universities according to the U.S. News and World Report. It offers over 250 degree programs—some suiting a Zoo Magnet student perfectly. Majors that relate to the Zoo Magnet's biological/zoological emphasis include Biology, Environmental Science, and Pre-veterinary Medicine. You will be surprised to hear that even though there are almost 32,000 students (18,534 undergraduate), the average class size is only 26 students. The total cost for attending BU, including tuition, room and board, fees and other expenses is $53,000. You should also know, however, that 51% of the class of 2012 received some kind of BU financial aid, and that the average total grant monies received were $23,734. Great! But How Do I Measure? BU sounds like a very cool school, and if you meet the requirements, you have a pretty good chance of getting a spot. In 2006, according to USA Today, there was a 51.7% acceptance rate. Quick facts: 1) 91% of students ranked in the top 25 or above percent of their school. Translation: The top 18-20 students at the Zoo Magnet have a chance. 7 students outside the top 18-20 also have a chance.2) The middle 50% of admitted students had an 1850 SAT and a 27 ACT. Translation: You don't need to have a perfect SAT/ACT score. 25% of BU students (4,633 undergraduate) had a lower score than 1850 SAT/ 27 ACT.3) 74% of students had a GPA of 2.5 to 3.74. Translation: You could have had 11 C's, 7 B's, and 6 A's in your 4 years of high school and you would have a solid chance of getting into BU. Conclusion Boston University is a school that is not looking for the perfect 4.0 GPA, 2400 SAT student; it admits students of many types. It should be noted that although academics play a big role in the admission decisions, if you don't meet the averages described above you have a chance. Make sure to describe your extracurricular activities and other situations that also impact your life. To seal the deal make sure to have a strong personal statement that tells the reader more than just your school life but tells them how you will make a difference at BU. Good luck on your BU application! Want more information? Visit Bu's website at: http://www.bu.edu/ |
New York University By: Susanne Tilk (12th Grade)Location The main core of NYU is located around Washington Square Park, in the heart of Greenwich Village. But the dormitories and classroom buildings are spread around both downtown and uptown Manhattan. The Village is a historic neighborhood that has attracted generations of musicians, artists and writers during the 1950's. New York City is right outside of NYU and is an extension of the campus that holds some of the finest entertainment the world has to offer- Broadway shows, sports, film, art, shopping, concerts. Athletics  Originally referred to as "Violets", NYU official school colors are violet and white, with their official school mascot as the Bobcat, a play on the school's Bobst Library. NYU is best known for its women's basketball team, who owns a national championship to its name. Academics NYU's undergraduate program is ranked 32nd among "National Universities" by U.S. News and World Report. Many of the departments are ranked #1, including ones in finance, mathematics, theater and Italian, according to the Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index. The most popular majors in NYU are Psychology, General Finance, Liberal Studies and Theate Arts. Statistics of NYU Percent applicants admitted: 32% Average SAT scores: 1870- 2160 Average ACT scores: 28 - 31 University of California: Santa Barbara
By: Susanne Tilk (12th Grade)Location UCSB is located in Goleta, a town of just over 50,000 residents, nestled in between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains. Some students live off-campus in downtown Santa Barbara or in Goleta itself, but the majority of them reside in the neighboring town of Isla Vista. Isla Vista is a one-mile by one-mile neighborhood that contains houses, apartments, and Greek chapter houses. There are also several restaurants, bars, grocery stores, coffee shops, and copy stores. Athletics  Academics U.S. News & World Report placed UCSB 44th among all universities in the country, both public and private, and 12th among all public universities nationwide. Between its three distinct colleges - the College of Letters and Science, the College of Engineering and the College of Creative Studies - UCSB offers almost 100 different undergraduate majors. Aside from the obvious winner, undeclared, the most popular major is business, economics, followed by biology, psychology, political science and communication. Statistics of UCSB Percent applicants admitted: 49% Average SAT scores: 1610-1970 Average ACT scores: 23-29 Minimum GPA to apply: 3.0 |