US Universities Decisions for Fall 2004

[phantom]

absolutely Cornell.

Brown is hmmm,though an Ivy is not really a hot school.it is ranked 17th overall.

ranking apart.brown if i am not mistaken has 3 malaysians.(am i correct? if i am not,there are less than 10 m'sians there for sure)..whereas Cornell has around 35 students.u dont want to celebrate chinese newyear alone,do you?plus,having many malaysians make life fun overseas.

regardless how macho u may be,studying overseas can sometimes be boring and make you feel so so so lonely and most importantly make you miss your past.not just your hometown,m'sia or your family but gee,most importantly the "spoon-feeding" education system.


though the mat sallehs are really friendly,they dont make close friends or best friends you see.unlike m'sians.

having many malaysians means you have more shoulders to cry on.and many mouths to laugh with.

so,if i am you,i'll absolutely go to cornell.

what do i know.i never applied to Cornell or brown,but if i am in your shoes,cornell will be my ultimate choice.

[__earth]

though the mat sallehs are really friendly,they dont make close friends or best friends you see.unlike m'sians.

actually, that depends on you, not the americans. However, its still nice to fine some malaysians wherever you are.

[lonewolfhan]

Hmm.. juz to let u guys know that im doing Engineering... most probably Civil Engineering.. so... COrnell or Brown ?

heard that Brown is more to the liberal arts side... izzit true ? thanks for ur opinions and advices !

[chillout]

haha.. budak malaysia kat MIT pun sikit saje wor..

[chenchow]

Congrats for getting into Brown...Guess this will make your decision tougher...

I think it really depends on you. I don't have sufficient knowledge on Brown to share anything on it.

However, I would say that Cornell provides a whole lot of opportunities. It is the largest ivy league, meaning it provides the largest network of students, alumni among its ivy league peers. And I would say that if you are to choose Cornell, it is not about the Malaysian community, but the tons of opportunities available.

Many Malaysians in Cornell, particularly from ATU, have been having a great time doing wonderful things on campus. For instance, the coming international orientation, all 3 selected to be the main coordinators (they select 3 coordinators among 3200 international students from 126 countries) are Malaysians. There are Malaysians who are in the Robocup team (designing robots to play soccer), Hybrid Electric Vehicle team, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle etc etc... There are more than 15 of these... Many Malaysians are involved in the cutting edge research too... And you can do research from your first semester...

Cornell - as described by people here, it is a land of opportunities. I have gotten 2 free trips myself in the next few months. One to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xian and Hong Kong for China Synergy Program. I will get the chance to meet with top government officials, business executives, university students and visit tourist destinations there. The other one is the Business Today International Conference in NYC, where 189 undergrads and 100 business executives will spend 4-days in NYC.

The opportunities are limitless. I know the civil engineering students have worked closely with projects like the reconstruction of 60-storey Goldman Sachs building, many other real world construction process, you actually go out and build bridges and stuff and test it, and also the egg drop for first year intro to civil engineering course, where you build a structure for the egg and drop the egg for a few stories and it is judged based on whether your eggs break or not... I do not have detailed info on civil though, so that's what I know.

I would say that what Cornell offers are mainly tons of opportunities (where you really get involved), strong liberal studies program, diverse courses (4000 choices), diverse students populations (from 126 countries), and it is a cultural melting pot, where there are just so much activities to do, so much stuff to get involved...

and a side offering, the dining hall, has Malaysian (rendang, ayam masak merah), Asian(sushi, thai, indon, vietnamese, korean food, etc etc), Chinese (dim sum, red bean coup, pulut hitam, fried rice etc), International food...

On liberal studies, as Cornell has a large students populations, there are much more choices of courses avaiable, like I said 4000 choices of courses, even like Physical education, you have 170 choices...

And Cornell has the world number 1 architecture school, and any student can just take courses there. So, you can easily take a few courses in architecture school to learn more about it...

I think if you are going to make decision, the money in the bankdraft should not be part of your consideration. Don't come to Cornell, just because you have paid $190 to Cornell. Don't come to Cornell, just because there are more Malaysians here. Do a good research on it, and decide!

[Robyn]

a lady in MACEE, who went to Penn, once told me that Brown is indeed more liberal arts if compared to other ivy league. n some employers do not really like this because the graduates do not have a degree as solid as others. I heard that Cornell is one of the top engineering schools. so i assume that Cornell should be a better school for u. Btw, perhaps u can check this out with the people in MACEE. really helpful people there. good luck!

[ElansarGelmir]

The reason why i choose Brandeis over Wisconsin is because it is small... and second, it is rich... and third, it is in Boston...

so, all small factors help... i dun care whether Brandeis is good for this or that... just as long as i can live there for 4 years...

[chenchow]

Agree with ElansarGelmir, that the selection should be done based on what you prefer. What aspect do you like the most? Some universities are good at research, some are very diverse, some are small and compact, enabling individual attention, some are having tons of opportunities, etc etc...

So, you need to make your own criteria... Looking at ranking, sometimes that won't really matter to you...Having the ratio of 7 students to 1 faculty compared to 12 students to 1 faculty, doesn't make a whole lot of difference for me, because in high school, I am used to 20 students to 1 faculty... So, see for yourself, what kind of environment you want to have. For some shy students, the ratio of 3 students to 1 faculty may be a little bit too scary...

So, the judgment is on individual.

[Daniel]

The STPM Students this year increase tremendously. About 45 students to 1 teacher in my class which is considered quite lucky compared to the Biology class which have more than 55 students per class and Art class which have more than 60 students per class. So crowded.

[chenchow]

I think the number is still fine right? Is your school using lecture system? Because my high school does lecture system, so for Math lecture in STPM, I believe is nearly 200 students. Physics, Biology, Chemistry should be at least 100 students too. And this has been so for many years.

[naoj]

Just curious..is stanford good for social science courses like econs? cos i heard it's a more science based place. anyone went/is there? oh yeah and why do some people say it isn't an ivy league uni..whats the diff between an ivy league and a non ivy league??thanks..

[chenchow]

Personally, I don't know the ranking, but Stanford struck to me as an all-round university. Many of us dream to go there for undergrad or grad school.

There are a number of ReComers here from Stanford... Jiin Joo, Mean Yeit, Zi Shen, Hau Jia, Min Li, Yee Lyn, Charis etc etc....

Ivy league is the alliance/grouping of 8 ancient universities in North East. Stanford is in West Coast too... The 8 Ivy League universities are Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Cornell, Pennsylvania, Columbia, Brown and Dartmouth. All these 8 are ranked consistently around top 15 or so. MIT, Stanford, Caltech etc are definitely ranked within the top 10 too...

Basically people refer to Ivy League to good universities, because all of those universities within Ivy League are among the top universities, but definitely there are some non-Ivy League universities that are even better than some of the Ivy League universities.

In fact, Ivy League is formed for athletic programs, if you guys are curious...

[jiinjoo]

If you're free, you can consider a trip down south for this:

http://www.experiences-sg.org/

I don't know if they are doing something similar in KL or not, very low chances probably.

[Steppe]

Hi, all US seniors,

I have gone through the thread but I only see results of applicants, successful or unsuccessful to US Uni. Congratulations to for getting the place.

I am new to US application (please bear with my ignorance) and I need advice and pointers on how to apply to US U.

When does one apply?
Does one apply direct to the U direct?
Does one has to go through an 'agent' similar to that like UCAS, IDP etc?
Which U are recommended for biotech and biomed course?
What sort of test does one has to sit?
What is SAT tests (sound like Singapore SAT1 test)? What does it cover?
Is IELTS accepted here? Must it be TOEL?

If one is studying A levels now, does the student use forecast results to apply this year (end of year?) or have to wait for the A levels results next year August to apply?

[gal_flower]

Hi, all US seniors,

I have gone through the thread but I only see results of applicants, successful or unsuccessful to US Uni. Congratulations to for getting the place.

I am new to US application (please bear with my ignorance) and I need advice and pointers on how to apply to US U.

When does one apply?
Does one apply direct to the U direct?
Does one has to go through an 'agent' similar to that like UCAS, IDP etc?
Which U are recommended for biotech and biomed course?
What sort of test does one has to sit?
What is SAT tests (sound like Singapore SAT1 test)? What does it cover?
Is IELTS accepted here? Must it be TOEL?

If one is studying A levels now, does the student use forecast results to apply this year (end of year?) or have to wait for the A levels results next year August to apply?

i'll answer question by question k..

deadlines r usually in dec...usually dec 31 or jan 1...but unis applied under jpa has to be ready by sept so tad ossp will send the applications earlier...

application IS direct to each n every uni...the diff is who is sending n paying for ur application only...no agents whatsoever...don need one anyway...u can consult ossp or seniors concerning unis...

if u r doin biotech, there r but only 5 unis to choose from...good one is UC Davis...if u r plannin to slash bio, then JHU, Duke, Chicago, Yale, Wisconsin, Cornell etc can be considered...

tests? only SAT...SAT is the same everywhere in the world...yes, even in spore...SAT 1, i'm sure u noe by now, tests on english n math...SAT 2 (for higher-ranked unis) has 3 sections: writing, math n 1 science subject (physics, chem, bio)...

IELTS...i don think so...don worry..if u can do IELTS, u r sure to be able to do TOEFL....TOEFL is pretty simple..juz don fall asleep like i did! :lol: :lol:

A-level results...u haf to check wif each individual unis...but if i'm not mistaken...some unis take A-level results to transfer credit but some don...but for ur application, A-level results r not important...u can juz send ur forecast results if u want....US unis look at SAT 1 & 2 n TOEFL..

[Steppe]

gal_flower,

Thanks for the answers and information, greatly appreciated. However, I am not a JPA student.

[naoj]

hey y'all, would love any info on californian universities with a good social science faculty-econs to be exact.

so far i know stanford rocks...but that's cos it's well..stanford.

what about others, like berkeley, UCLA, pepperdine etc? where's good? what kind of scores and other admission criterion would they be looking for? i would prefer a fairly large uni. larger classes and unis with well...u know, a life outside books (which actually accounts for most american unis).

thanks a bunch...

[taufiq]

whichever univ you people go to, don't forget to visit us in Cleveland sometimes ok!

[phantom]

hey y'all, would love any info on californian universities with a good social science faculty-econs to be exact.

so far i know stanford rocks...but that's cos it's well..stanford.

what about others, like berkeley, UCLA, pepperdine etc? where's good? what kind of scores and other admission criterion would they be looking for? i would prefer a fairly large uni. larger classes and unis with well...u know, a life outside books (which actually accounts for most american unis).

thanks a bunch...


USC?it's uni of southern california.might wanna surf their website and find out.ranking is not that important.seriously at least for me,it's not.USC sounds fine.near hollywood.plenty of malaysians.well-known .

if u plan studying in other state than california,indiana-bloomington really rawks.the uni campus is darn darn darn darn gorgeous!!!
plus,it used to be ranked 1st when it came to the party school.

[masterof_none]

hey y'all, would love any info on californian universities with a good social science faculty-econs to be exact.

so far i know stanford rocks...but that's cos it's well..stanford.

what about others, like berkeley, UCLA, pepperdine etc? where's good? what kind of scores and other admission criterion would they be looking for? i would prefer a fairly large uni. larger classes and unis with well...u know, a life outside books (which actually accounts for most american unis).

thanks a bunch...


USC?it's uni of southern california.might wanna surf their website and find out.ranking is not that important.seriously at least for me,it's not.USC sounds fine.near hollywood.plenty of malaysians.well-known .

if u plan studying in other state than california,indiana-bloomington really rawks.the uni campus is darn darn darn darn gorgeous!!!
plus,it used to be ranked 1st when it came to the party school.

naoj, again.. It depends on what you're looking for. if you enjoy small campus, with a good football team, and enjoy watching emmy awards and LAPD in front of your school, USC is the place for you.
I'm not sure what's the ranking for Econs at USC.. but .. this is the least that I should say... in terms of economics, I think Bruin (UCLA) is good too.

Stanford?. by all means, go there if you have the chance. you'll enjoy Palo ALto. doesn't matter what course. It's the most peaceful campus, laidback yet vibrant, the best you can get. (Jiin Joo, want to add more? :))

[tuinkle]

A Bear's P.O.V:

"Good" Econs faculty?:
Berkeley boasts 4 Nobel Prize winners in Economics (past & present).

University size:
Student body (Undergrad:~23,000 Graduate:~10000 )
Physical size (+1000 acres)

Class size:
Introductory Econs classes are known to be large, but personal attention comes in the form of Graduate Student Instructors during Discussion Sections. I believe Upper Division Econs classes are much smaller.

Life outside of books and more:
Most definitely! You'll get to enjoy both nature (parks, meditation retreats), as well as party life (rows of frat houses), depending on your preference (as well as the in-betweens).
Also, San Francisco is right across the bay (and on a clear day you'll get to see a good view of the Golden Gate from campus! :))
On extended holidays (or not), Lake Tahoe, Santa Cruz, and Reno is also a relatively short distance away. If thrill and heart drops are for you, Six Flags (roller coaster rides etc) is also around the Bay Area. We also get to visit Stanford's campus every other year for our annual Football Big Game (we host Stanford for the other years).

Berkeley also has a diverse and active student body, and I can imagine it'll be quite a place if you're interested in that aspect of education. There are also a lot of activists and homeless people on Telegraph Avenue for students to think about certain issues in the real world and reflect upon as well.
We also have our own Singaporean Malaysian Students' Association (not sure about the ratio).

Alongside Economics, you can also find a wide variety of classes in other distinguised departments to compliment your area of study and interests. eg. in the form of Engineering Economics, Natural Resources, Math, Computer Science, Business Administration (Haas), Public Policy, Education, Art etc etc

However, keep in mind that although you 'declare' your major when you apply to the university, it does not constitute automatic admission to the major. You'll need to apply to the major (true for the College of Letters and Science in which the Economics faculty is part of) after taking a couple of intro classes. Admission is based upon one's Grade Point Average (etc).

Admission criterion to the University of California (Berkeley and UCLA included):
Will you be applying from Malaysia? Private College? Form 6?
Applying from the US? California Community College? Out of state Community College?

I'm not well versed with the applying from Malaysia part. But I believe A' Levels as well as SATs are required for Freshman Admission.

Most California Community Colleges have transfer agreements with most UCs (University of California). That means that you'll be able to complete (the majority of) the first 2 years of your UC education with the price tag of a Community College's. If you're interested, you'll also be able to obtain your Associates Degree at the same time. UC admissions are based upon one's GPA, personal statement, extracurricular activities etc.

* As opposed to most other universities, the UC system's application dateline is November 30th



UCLA
This I can say-- The campus is very pretty!!!!

I'm sure there's a laundry list of things to do around the area (including visiting Venice Beach, Pasadena, Huntington Library, Hollywood, Disneyland, Universal Studios, Sunset Blvd, Santa Monica and a graveyard where Marilyn Monroe was puportedly laid to rest - not sure on it's accuracy as my sister and I were never able to find it).

Size wise, UCLA has a bigger student body, but I'm not sure how it compares, physically.

I'm also not sure how good/competetive the Econs department is, but I did sit in my sister's roommate's Upper Division Econs class on the first day of the Quarter and I was very impressed by the professor. It was extremely interesting and he was very enthusiastic (but yes, it is one professor out of many).

By the way, different universities offer different major programs with different emphases, so you might want to check it out for those universities that you are interested in.

I believe the admissions criterion would be similar to Berkeley's.



Good Luck!

[lyzzy]

I'm entering univ this Fall 2004, and I'll be going to Yale. NOT under
JPA or some company... thanks to the generous financial aid from Yale =) and doing ... Geology (my parents are killing me)

Anyone here going to Wesleyan, which is near Yale?
________
Suzuki K125 (http://www.cyclechaos.com/wiki/Suzuki_K125)

[ElansarGelmir]

I'm entering univ this Fall 2004, and I'll be going to Yale. NOT under
JPA or some company... thanks to the generous financial aid from Yale =) and doing ... Geology (my parents are killing me)

Anyone here going to Wesleyan, which is near Yale?

Grr... I was rejected by Yale... nvm, i know my standard. i'm going to Brandeis Univ, which is also near Boston. For Wesleyan, i think Yap Sui Lin (u know her? the 16 A1 girl) will be doing her Economics there. Who's the other Malaysian who got into Yale? I heard that he's from Ipoh (but he applied in Singapore).

[masterof_none]

Congratulation to lyzzy for getting into Yale. ! Just curious.. what are you going to study in Yale.? Glad to know you;re gonna go there.

anyway, I came across a person who wrote that she (I think, it was she ), is going to the Wesleyan U in CT in the Introduce Ourselves thread :
http://recom.homelinux.org:8000/~recom/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=435#26923
but , it's buried somewhere inside.

Now I wish that we have Google search in Recom. We will have it soon.

[lyzzy]

Sui Lin is going to Wellesley (from Mona Lisa Smile) ... in Boston, near you I think!!
________
Mercedes-Benz OM352 engine history (http://www.mercedes-wiki.com/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_OM352_engine)

[gal_flower]

I'm entering univ this Fall 2004, and I'll be going to Yale. NOT under
JPA or some company... thanks to the generous financial aid from Yale =) and doing ... Geology (my parents are killing me)

Anyone here going to Wesleyan, which is near Yale?

Grr... I was rejected by Yale... nvm, i know my standard. i'm going to Brandeis Univ, which is also near Boston. For Wesleyan, i think Yap Sui Lin (u know her? the 16 A1 girl) will be doing her Economics there. Who's the other Malaysian who got into Yale? I heard that he's from Ipoh (but he applied in Singapore).

I met lyzzy during the yale luncheon...if u had gone tad day, elansar, u would haf met her. gorgeous smart babe from taylor's... the other boy's name is samuel chua...he's from ipoh...did his a-levels in HCJC..tads y i knew him...

[ElansarGelmir]

I'm entering univ this Fall 2004, and I'll be going to Yale. NOT under
JPA or some company... thanks to the generous financial aid from Yale =) and doing ... Geology (my parents are killing me)

Anyone here going to Wesleyan, which is near Yale?

Grr... I was rejected by Yale... nvm, i know my standard. i'm going to Brandeis Univ, which is also near Boston. For Wesleyan, i think Yap Sui Lin (u know her? the 16 A1 girl) will be doing her Economics there. Who's the other Malaysian who got into Yale? I heard that he's from Ipoh (but he applied in Singapore).

I met lyzzy during the yale luncheon...if u had gone tad day, elansar, u would haf met her. gorgeous smart babe from taylor's... the other boy's name is samuel chua...he's from ipoh...did his a-levels in HCJC..tads y i knew him...

u didn't remind me.... at first, thought got BTN... then BTN cancelled. That's why forgot about it (really absent minded). Nvm lar, if i go there arr, i think i will feel... err... kinda stupid? hehe... dunno...

oh yeah, the samuel chua... he's our ASEAN senior?