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July 13, 2009 | 7:05 pm

Summer school got canceled? Check out the 50 Fantastic Summer Activities for High School Students from the folks at CollegeWise: http://www.wiselikeus.com/collegewise/2009/05/national-young-leaders-conference.html

All-purpose guideline on how to write good college essays - An Admissions Dean Offers Advice on Writing a College Essay: http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/23/tip-sheet-essay/

Not that you need more nerve-wracking news about budget cuts, but it's better to be prepared for what's coming! UC president outlines revised budget-cutting proposal: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/07/uc-president-outlines-budget-cutting-proposal.html

Don't freak out - The Declining Value Of Your College Degree: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121623686919059307.html. Take what you read with a grain of salt. From my own experience and those around me (family and friends), I can tell you that people who do what they love tend to get ahead and make more money; those who work in jobs or careers they have no passion about tend to get "stuck."

Like I always say, it's never too early to think about how to pay for college - Weighing Price and Value When Picking a College: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203739404574288301760990542.html. The only bone I have to pick with this article is how it reinforces the misconception that public colleges are more affordable. Keep in mind that almost all students attending private colleges receive some form of financial aid or scholarships. Many private colleges have programs in place to waive fees and tuition for low income students. Never exclude private colleges from your "college list" because of sticker price; you may be surprised by the deal you get.

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Comments {6}

Twitter

from: Anonymous
date: July 14, 2009 2:50 pm (UTC)
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I shared your note about the 50 Activities for High School students on Twitter, and of course gave you credit. You should tweet the subjects of your posts with links to the full-article! --Graeme

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Ms. Sun

Re: Twitter

from: [info]askmssun
date: July 15, 2009 6:02 pm (UTC)
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Thanks! Unfortunately I had deleted that tweet ... I'm still trying to figure out what I'm doing :|

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l.

(no subject)

from: [info]halftones
date: July 16, 2009 3:33 am (UTC)
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Two questions:
1. Is it "bad" to pursue an unpopular degree in undergrad such as biotechnology at Davis or pharmacological chemistry at UCSD? In other words, when I apply to grad school or pharmacy school, would they prefer a major in simply biochemistry or chemistry?
2. Do the UCs accept you based on your major? For example, if I applied to Berkeley as a physics major, would I be compared to all other hopeful physics majors, or is everyone lumped together as a group, regardless of major?

Thank you!

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Ms. Sun

(no subject)

from: [info]askmssun
date: July 17, 2009 5:27 am (UTC)
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  1. Grad schools don't care about the name of your major; they care about how prepared you are for graduate studies. You can major in music for all they care, as long as you completed the required coursework, earned good grades, and/or demonstrated your ability to achieve in your field.

  2. Freshman admission is not major specific except engineering. So if you apply to College of Letters and Science, all majors are equally competitive. But if you apply to engineering, then each major has a different admit rate. Admit rate does vary between colleges; for example, College of Natural Resources at Berkeley has the highest acceptance rate than all other colleges.

    Transfer admit rate is major specific; Berkeley, UCLA, and couple other UCs do publish the stats online.


Edited at 2009-07-17 05:29 am (UTC)

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Intercampus transfer

from: Anonymous
date: July 18, 2009 12:36 am (UTC)
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Hi Ms. Sun,
I have a question about intercampus transfer. I got accepted at UCI for the fall quarter with a major in biology. Now, i want to transfer after that quarter to UCSD; fill out the winter undergraduate application that is currently available. is that possible, or winter undergrad applications are only specific majors/ students etc.? after this summer i will be having a total of 12 transferable semester units (took classes at a community college), thats beside the units that i will be taking at UCI during the fall quarter.

Thank you so much

btw, i like your fan page on facebook :) you are so helpful

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Ms. Sun

Re: Intercampus transfer

from: [info]askmssun
date: July 19, 2009 3:35 am (UTC)
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UCSD only accepts Winter quarter applications from junior transfer students who have completed the TAG/IGETC requirements. I don't think UCSD takes sophomore transfers, so you will have to apply as a junior transfer (complete your general education and major prerequisite requirements to be competitive).

Please let me know if there is anything I can do to make my facebook page better!

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