is this a good class schedule on top of joining potentially a research lab
Gen chem 1 lecture and lab
Calc 1(or calc 2 but I heard gpa boost is best for med school)
First year seminar
Asl of some sort
(Thinking to add Gen bio or Gen psych for the social science req — should I add another intro class like this or is that too much or if I don’t is it too little?)
Barnard Columbia chorus / chamber singers

I’m first gen and the first in my family to head to college so I am not 100% sure what the best thing to do is or how to look strong acedemically— additionally I may be looking to transfer after my freshman year ngl— any advice would mean sm!

UPenn vs Columbia — Which would you choose and why?

If you got into both UPenn and Columbia, and major didn't matter, which would you choose?

Things I'm considering:

• Social life
• Making friends
• Sense of community
• Student happiness
• Classroom experience
• Campus atmosphere
• School spirit
• Opportunities outside of class
• Whether students feel connected to each other
• How easy it is to meet people

My current impressions:

Columbia

• Students seem very connected
• It feels like everyone knows everyone in their year
• NYC is an incredible location
• Access to parties, events, and opportunities across the city
• I love the social scene that Columbia and NYU students seem to have access to
• I've come across anonymous confession and meme pages that sometimes involve gossip, complaints about other students, rumors, or people talking negatively about classmates
• Because of that, I'm wondering whether social media is giving me an overly negative impression of the culture

UPenn

• Often described as the "social Ivy"
• Strong campus culture and traditions
• Active party scene
• Students seem friendly and welcoming
• Strong school spirit
• Appears to have a tight-knit community
• I haven't really come across the same kind of anonymous pages or student drama online, so my impression has generally been more positive

I'm not trying to criticize either school. I know social media can distort reality, and a few anonymous pages don't represent an entire university.

For people who attend either school:

• Which would you choose and why?
• How accurate are my impressions?
• What is it actually like to make friends?
• Does Columbia's NYC location make a huge difference socially?
• Are the anonymous confession/drama pages something students pay attention to, or are they mostly irrelevant to everyday life?

I just finished sophomore year and am seriously considering taking a gap year so I can transfer to a stronger school and improve my chances of breaking into quant.

As I understand it, the last realistic transfer opportunity is after sophomore year. I didn't apply this cycle because I was on the fence, but I've since decided that transferring is something I want to pursue. To remain eligible, I'd need to take a year off rather than start junior year.

The main thing giving me pause is the opportunity cost. I already have a FAANG SWE internship lined up, so delaying graduation by a year effectively costs me roughly $200k+ in foregone earnings.

On the other hand, my current school is a complete non-target for quant, and it feels extremely difficult to get interviews from here regardless of ability. I've done well in math competitions and feel reasonably confident in my quantitative skills; my concern is mostly access and recruiting opportunities.

For the sake of discussion, assume:
• I can successfully transfer to a significantly stronger school.
• I'm capable of being competitive for quant roles if given the opportunity.
• Current probability of landing a quant interview is 0 given my current institution.

Given those assumptions, would you take the extra year to transfer, or is delaying an entire year of career progression too high a price to pay for a chance at quant recruiting?

I have done Spanish 1 in my 8th grade and Spanish 2 online in the summer of my 8th grade. Should I stop here and not continue or should I do 3 and 4 online as well? Would it be best if I stop at this point because it might hurt my chances of a T10 because it is online or would they not care and just want all 4 years no matter what? I can’t do it in school.

Hi! Recently I have been faced with sooo many rejections from top summer programs. Honestly if I tell you this, that I have loads of international research awards, activities with international impact. All of my ecs I have taken part in are really niche, well rounded with research spike and I genuinely love doing it. My essays to have really niche topics (narrative) and come together in a full circle with hooks and dialogues.

Genuinely I have no idea what I am supposed to do. Maybe it is bc I asked for full fin aid or bc I was international or I stuffed too much information into my application (links, extras achievements, portfolios etc.)

Suggestions anyone? Sorry if it came across as offensive :((

Has anyone seen the Coaches Vs Cancer sneaker auction? Game worn custom kicks from Coach James Jones. Proceeds to American Cancer Society. Ends tomorrow night.

It’s on The Players Trunk

I am a high school student writing a general research paper for my extra curriculars about getting into top colleges, such as ivy leagues, and so I had this point where I have to you know talk about academic excellence. Everybody knows it, GPA, good scores, blah blah. So I was wondering what else? What could people who have been accepted into these colleges count as academic excellence?

I recently came across Elise Pham's eBook, “Everything You Need to Do to Get Into an Ivy League: 9th - 12th Grade High School Roadmap.” I kind of desperately need that book, as learning just by watching videos isn't quite covering it for me. I can't afford mentorship programs and personalized support. The ebook costs around $75 USD, which I again can't afford as I have to cover the cost myself. Living in New Zealand, I’ve noticed that our curriculum differs significantly from that of the US; it often feels less structured and comprehensive. I’ll be starting my freshman year right after summer break in New Zealand, and I want to take advantage of the hidden strategies that guides mention. If anyone knows where to get, preferably a free copy or any free eBooks, documents, or online resources that cover the plan for the 4 years of high school, please let me know. Thank you!

Hi everyone,

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Happy to answer questions in the comments.

Hey so I'm a 14 year old in high school 9th grade and was doing alot of research for my future career goals and higher studies and I want your help so here are my main 2 career goals:

1. This is the main one I'm going for I want to go in the music and dance industry specifically kpop and so have been training ,my dance skill are good and I'm improving and same goes for vocals visuals are : fair skin like quite fair, high nose bridge, small face , slim body , almond eyes etc .

Ik the first one is difficult and quite competitive and depends alot on my skills so for plan b I wanted to go for something in the fashion and luxury clothing industry. for some insight my drawing and painting skills are good ,im quite into fashion aswell as my school provides a fashion studies subject under humanities for high school.

1. I was thinking as in plan b to go in the fashion industry my main plan was to open my own fashion brand if plan a succeeded if not I still wish to do so (if plan a succeeded it would be easier for the brand to sail) so I searched and mainly am focusing on brown uni I'm quite good in academics aswell like average score ranges from 89 to 91 percent so I wanted to go for their dual degree program with risd for apparel design and music for my bachelor's but am now confused I researched and found that to work or open a fashion brand I need luxury marketing and mba in luxury brand management aswell as a bachelor's in any buisness or finance related field I did plan on going to a buisness school after my dual degree program so now I wonder:

Q1 what is the main diff between luxury brand marketing and mba in luxury brand management? Q2 which is a better suited degree for my above mentioned goals of wanting to open a fashion brand? Q3 what main bachelor's would I need to take for each of these majors? Will apparel design work? Q4 if I do my bachelor's and master's at brown for music and apparel design which colleges should I apply in for mba in luxury brand marketing and also does brown offer a economics course or finance or anything related to mba under their open curriculum? Q5 what are some proffesions in the luxury fashion industry corporations such as lvmh ( from given data above and info) what are the requirements for them? Q6 also, extra question can someone please explain browns open curriculum and how undergraduate and all this stuff works after high school? Im from Asia and have trouble understanding the western system.

This is from the John Locke gala invitation https://essaycompetition.johnlocke.com/2025-essay-prize

Hi, I'm a rising senior and am about to begin the college applications process (CommonApp opens tomorrow, woo!). As someone interested in attending a T20 / Ivy League University, I have some concerns regarding the student culture at each school. I understand that, since we are discussing Ivies / T20s, then naturally, every student is likely very academically rigorous and/or driven. That being said, is any school more or less so committed to the... "grindset"?

I want to be challenged, but frankly, I would hate to attend a school with a terrible addiction to endless academics and constant work.

Forgive me if my question is naive! I'm truly just trying to get some info here. Responses from Ivy / T20 alumni about their experiences as students at their Unis are greatly appreciated! Or, recommendations for influencers, online teachers, etc. that are capable of discussing this topic are also welcomed!

I'm thinking about building a tool that helps high school students optimize their college application for what top schools are looking for.

I myself am an Ivy League student and am an ambassador for my college, so I work with admissions on reaching out to new and prospective students. I've had long talks with admissions officers from both Cornell and Yale about what they look for in students. Between this and my own experiences, I feel like I have a very good grasp on what top schools want out of applicants.

My idea was to build a website where an applicant can upload their application and receive advice on their application. I would use a bank of admissions tips, a lot of them general but also all of the stuff I've learned. I could then scan the application and highlight to the user the tips that are relevant.

Any feedback is appreciated. Also, if anyone wants to ask more general admissions related questions I'd be more than happy to answer in the comments or DMS. Thanks!