Have you been accepted to college yet?

[leonid]

Originally Posted by Sprite-

but $55k to you is like $5 to us rite?
/exchange rates

I know you're joking but
55k USD

[MrRubix]

I got canned at my first choice, but accepted everywhere else. Such is life.

[One Winged Angel]

I was accepted to both waterloo and queen's, both of which have two of the best undergraduate business and MBA programs in the country, but apparently I had to go in to write some sort of entry exam after acceptance which I forgot to do, so I had to settle for mcmaster

oops

and yeah, I have some pretty retarded stories about some of the most intelligent people I know not being accepted to post-secondary institutions that aren't even top ten in the country for the program they applied for

[fido123]

Originally Posted by MrRubix

80% failure rate? I think that speaks more to either 1. The crappiness of the examination structure, or 2. The school admits people not fully equipped to handle the work.

Either way, I doubt it's as high as 80%.

The teachers and classes are amazing, and it's high for three reasons from what I can see.

1) A lot of people think "Oh, computers sounds like it'll make me a lot of money" then end up hating it
2) Prior to entering the course, to pass you really do already to have a very sturdy background in computers. Since this can not be testing with marks, and it's not like the course is overflowing, they let people who don't have a chance, they do warn you before hand. On the first day they were like "If you don't think you can do this, drop out". You aren't considered a drop out until the 3rd week.
3) It's just very rigorous. The first hardware class we had, we had to learn how a PSU learns inside and out. Input Capacitors, output capacitors, railing system, AT, ATX, BTX motherboard form factors, and that's just the tip of the iceberg for the first class. First semester is also apparently "easy"

Originally Posted by One Winged Angel

I was accepted to both waterloo and queen's, both of which have two of the best undergraduate business and MBA programs in the country, but apparently I had to go in to write some sort of entry exam after acceptance which I forgot to do, so I had to settle for mcmaster

God please avoid business if you can. It's so saturated you're going to be unemployable when you graduate unless you get lucky or have hookups. Also have you tried for Shoelick if you are trying for business? It's on York's campus. Regardless of what people say York is fun times.

[25thhour]

My sister got accepted a few weeks ago. They also raised her 20 000 dollar scholarship to a 40 000 dollar one.
Its to UNBC
University of Northern British Columbia.

[Down With OPP]

You know, you didn't have to release that info, some pedo on the internet might track you down

[25thhour]

Meh, Its not me its my sister. And theres like thousands of people at UNBC

[Nyokou]

Originally Posted by foilman8805

Already? Lol, I'm almost 22.

But I've thought about a few places so far. The easiest thing to do would be to continue at the university I'm already at, Cal Poly - SLO. I have a feeling that's what I'll end up doing. I've been looking at maybe the University of Michigan, which has an incredible aerospace program or Virginia Tech. Both are great schools.

The hardest part isn't deciding where to go...it's what the **** to study.

Yeah, I'm totally aware of the fact that you're almost 22... I was just surprised that you'd decide to go to grad school so soon after undergrad. ><' I don't think I could do that, but then again, if I end up going to Randolph I'll be in a dual-degree program so I'll get a Bachelor's and a Master's in 5 years instead of 6..

[foilman8805]

So you'll get a Masters no matter what? Or you have the option to.

What major did you get accepted to Randolph for?

[Nyokou]

Pre-Nursing

I have the option to get a Master's... At the end of my third year at Randolph I can apply to Johns Hopkins and Vanderbilt. If I go to JH, I'll get a normal BS in Nursing but if I go to Vanderbilt I'll get a MS in Nursing instead. I think I'd rather go for the Master's at Vanderbilt... saves me 2 years of grad school.

[foilman8805]

There's absolutely no reason not to get a Masters in 5 years. Do it.

[revolutionomega]

Oh nvm, Ilse, you ARE older than me. Weird.
Gotta finish up a research paper on the economics of the Yankees and how it contributes to Macro (GDP, etc.), finish up some crappy low-grade website (because I'm terrible at html so whatever), and then finals woo.

[Relambrien]

Originally Posted by leonid

I got rejected by four colleges and accepted by another four.

Went to one of them and now I'm paying $55,000 a year without getting a single dime as scholarship.

I feel your pain.

Once I graduate and start making $75k a year (average amount for new graduates), I should be able to pay these loans off without -too- much difficulty. I mean, I'll only have to support myself, and I've been living very comfortably with a family of 5 all my life.

(Also if any of you get accepted into Carnegie Mellon, congrats)

[MrRubix]

$75k is way high -- the average graduate gets maybe $45k or so.

[Arch0wl]

I hate this response:

"This thread has turned into a Critical Thinking thread"

There's a difference between a critical thinking thread and thread that happens to be intelligently discussed; specifically, the former concerns topics that invite critical thought, such as ideas.

To stay on topic, though, I'll probably go to law school even though I detest the idea of being a lawyer forever. I doubt it will make me happy; I'm naturally inclined to artistic and intellectual fields that give not-so-great pay. However, my parents were both artists at one point and one of them hasn't stopped--as a result they've never had any financial security. The thought of being like my parents in that respect terrifies me.

(It's a stupid dilemma that I've been trying to decide for two years now: do I want to do what would make me happy, or do I want to do what I think I "should" do? Either way, I'll have regrets.)

[MrRubix]

The correct answer is to find something intellectually stimulating that pays you money, yet allows you the time to do fun things like art. Don't sell your soul, though.

For some reason people find it hard to stick with the intuitive answer: "Find something in the middle." You'll always have regret for things you didn't do (Damn, I should have taken a harder job because I need more money/Damn, I'm always working and never have any fun) -- easiest way is to delve into a moderation of both. Figure out what you want to spend your free time doing and what kind of lifestyle you want, then figure out how much it'll cost to do all that in terms of money and time. Then simply aim for that salary bracket. It's a relatively simple calculation and it'll save you a huge headache later... you'll be surprised at yourself, most likely (at least, I was).

[Arch0wl]

Finding something in the middle is difficult since my choices are dichotomous to say the least. Out of curiosity, do you have any salary brackets available for comparison?

[MrRubix]

What do you mean "brackets for comparison"? Depends on your field (entry + growth opportunities) and skill level (what you're able to land).

Here is the financial data for graduates of my school (2009 grads):

http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerserv...2009Report.pdf

Average base salary upon entry is about 60k, although with growth opportunities and bonuses, they tend to shoot up a bit higher. Most of our grads go into business sectors.

It's also useful to use calculators such as the ones found below:

http://www.bestplaces.net/COL/default.aspx
http://swz.salary.com/CostofLivingWi...coll_start.asp

Many people don't take into account cost of living -- disposable income is resultant of more than just how much your job pays you.

But seriously, make a list of everything that you need in life to be happy. It sounds silly, but just do it. My list wound up only being like 10 items long in terms of absolute essentials. After that I had to struggle to think of things I absolutely needed to be happy. It'll help guide you to an ideal place to work and an ideal income bracket. From there you can figure out what kind of job you'd find fun. Of course, if you find something more fun that pays better and still allows you to hit everything on your list, then do that instead. The idea is to get a minimum threshold for things. You don't want to sacrifice anything too far in either direction. It's easier to plot out that degree of moderation between starving artist and lifeless investment banker when you actually calculate what that point may be.

[Draigun]

Originally Posted by MrRubix

$75k is way high -- the average graduate gets maybe $45k or so.

Actually, it depends on the degree. I'm about a year away from finishing a computer science degree and average starting is about $60k.

[lightdarkness]

I was accepted to college over 4 years ago