(Part 2) Best products from r/ApplyingToCollege

http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/its_more_than_a_job

Read that.

Now read it again, and focus on the significance of the essays.

Being well-read gives you a common connection or foundation with others who are similarly well-read.
Being well-read helps you develop stronger language context skills, and a more broad vocabulary which will be useful to you when you have to describe deeply meaningful topics about yourself and your dreams in 400 words or less.

Search A2C for how many interviewers or application essays asked the applicant to discuss their favorite book, or something they recently read. It's a common theme.

Ask Google how many books Bill Gates and James Mattis read in an average month.

You say you're interested in STEM. Ok, here are two books IMMENSLY popular with the nerd-crowd:

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Dune

Please, don't say or think "But, I've already seen those movies..."
No movie has ever been as detailed in conveying a story as the book.

And if robots & robotics are seriously among your interests, Asimov is pretty much required reading.

I, Robot

This book is so great! I even feel like a celebrity because my review is featured on the back cover. :) I can't believe she's giving this amazing resource away to all of you for free. If you want a physical copy or Kindle version, here's a link since Mom is too shy to promote it herself.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SKLM2FZ

(That's not affiliate and I don't have anything to gain from this other than helping a friend). Also guys, if you read the free pdf and like it, go to that link and give her a positive review.

Sounds like you have a great opportunity, one that deserves a good deal of consideration. Congratulations!

Your father has it right. If you're planning to attend medical school, the prestige of your undergraduate institution is not critical provided you get the preparation you need to go to a good medical school. And it sounds like you will.

>At a fundamental level will the courses at a typical T120 private college (say Temple) cover the same material and at the same depth as say NYU (29) school?

For the most part, they'll cover the same material for the same courses. A lower ranked university may emphasize teaching more from their faculty than a top ranked university, meaning that the quality of the education you receive as a student is likely to be better (heretical as it is to say on this sub). Whatever time they're spending chasing research grants, recruiting postdocs, and cranking out sausages (research articles) is time away from considering how best to teach. I know when I taught at the university (at a top-20 research institution by most rankings), I was told that I just needed to check the teaching box, do a good enough job to get by, avoid complaints, maybe win a department teaching award or two, but don't go overboard, that for a junior faculty member it's far better to spend that energy building your research program.

Your peer group may be more diverse, academically, socioeconomically, spiritually, at your "lesser" school than at an Ivy League university, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Some, such as Deresiewicz, have argued that this is a generally positive thing, that the Ivy League calibre schools are turning out "leaders" preternaturally good at conforming to expectations, avoiding risk, and validating the norms that have led to a manifestly unequal and unfair society.

Biology is nothing without chemistry so you need to know the basics of chemistry as well. My favourite book is the Color Atlas of Biochemistry by Jan Koolman, K. Rohm.

Another very useful book is Biochemistry (Lippincott Illustrated Reviews Series) by R. Harvey.

Many past participants recommend the Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry, however, this book may be too detailed for olympiads.

GENETICS TEXTBOOKS|

Genetics: Analysis and Principles (WCB Cell & Molecular Biology) by Brooker presents an experimental approach to understanding genetics and what I like most is that there are plenty of problems with explanations and answers. Another good textbook for genetics is Genetics: From Genes to Genomes, 5th edition by Hartwell. Genetics: From Genes to Genomes is a cutting-edge, introductory genetics text authored by an unparalleled author team, including Nobel Prize winner, Leland Hartwell.

GENERAL BIOLOGY TEXTBOOKS|

It is not a secret that the Bible of Biology is Campbell Biology (11th Edition). It is a good book and it covers all fundamental biology topics, nevertheless, some topics are discussed only concisely so some good books in addition to Campbell’s could come in handy.

HUMAN ANATOMY |TEXTBOOKS

For human body anatomy and physiology great books are Human Physiology: An Integrated Approach (7th Edition) by Dee Unglaub Silverthorn or  Vander’s Human Physiology. 

MOLECULAR AND CELL BIOLOGY|TEXTBOOKS

My top choice for molecular biology is Molecular Biology of the Cell by Bruce Alberts, et al. This is book is a big one, a hard one, an interesting one, a useful one. From my point of view, current and upcoming IBOs are focusing on molecular and cell biology because these fields are developing so rapidly and thus these branches of biology are perfect source for olympiad problems. So try to read it and understand it. If you want something cheaper than Alberts but equally useful, try Molecular Biology of the Cell, Fifth Edition: The Problems Book

PLANT BIOLOGY|TEXTBOOKS

Many past biology olympiad questions contain quite a lot of problems about plant anatomy and physiology. Thus, I suggest to read Stern’s Introductory Plant Biology.  Another amazing book for plant biology is Biology of Plants by Peter H. Raven, Ray F. Evert, Susan E. Eichhorn.

​

TEXTBOOKS FOR AND PROBLEM SOLVING|TECHNIQUES

Science competitions test a student’s level of knowledge, power of scientific reasoning, and analytical thinking outside of the regular school curriculum. A systematic approach and smart study regimen are both required to get good results in science competitions. This is where my book How To Prepare for the Biology Olympiad And Science Competitions by Martyna Petrulyte comes into the picture.

I've used this backpack for the entirety of my senior year, and it's undoubtedly my favorite. It has a pretty affordable price tag, and hasn't gotten damaged apart from the usual wear and tear. It has a roomy and secure laptop compartment, lots of pockets, two mesh pockets, and even has an external USB port to charge your phone. I'm planning on keeping it for college because it's customizable, stylish, and very comfortable, and I think it will fit all my college day-to-day stuff pretty well.

That's not just colleges, though. That's the world. It's obviously not fair to quieter students, but there are strategies you (I'm assuming you're more introverted yourself?) can use to still be a competitive applicant and many ways you can showcase your skill without being the stereotype of a leader that most people think of when they think of a good applicant. I'd recommend a book like this. It's not so much going to give you many of those strategies I mentioned, but it is a good way to start to look at the problem. If I recall correctly, there's a whole chapter on the extroverted ideal at Harvard Business School.

I go to an Ivy that isn't HYP or Cornell. That's about as much as I'm willing to reveal.

There's so many ways you could approach the essays. Don't be trite. Stand out, but don't force it. I think too many students try too hard to be special, and the writing just comes off as cringey as a result. There's a book called 50 Successful Harvard Application Essays that I found pretty helpful.

A graphing calculator definitely helps a lot for the SAT Math Level 2 test, I would highly recommend getting one.

The TI-84 is not worth it though. Most of the people who recommend it do not know about Casio or HP and simply suggest it because they're only familiar with TI calculators. That's why TI is only popular in the US.

The Casio fx-9860GII is half the price of the TI-84, and has all the programs/functions required for SAT and SAT Math II preloaded (unlike the TI-84) along with a faster processor, better display and more space for programs (even though you won't need to program anything).

For less than the cost of a TI-84, you can even buy the fx-CG50 with a color display and 3D graphing capabilities, which just shows how overpriced the TI-84 is.

Even a used TI-84 is overpriced, because the fx-9860GII usually sells for the same price NEW.

If you want even more value, there is the fx-9750GII which is basically a fx-9860GII without a backlight (if you flash the 9860 firmware on the 9750).
It's still ~$20-$45 cheaper than buying a USED TI-84.

The Casio calculators are approved for use in SAT 1, SAT 2, AP, ACT, IB and A-Level exams internationally, so you will not have any problems regarding approval, at least in high school standardized tests.

Now, there are touchscreen calculators and/or a CAS (Casio ClassPad, HP Prime, TI-89, etc.) which are still cheaper than a TI Nspire (or even a new TI 84) but they are not allowed in the ACT, and may or may not come in handy while in college (depending on major, course and professors) so I would just go for the fx-9860GII or the fx-CG50 to be safe.

Here's a list of things you might not think of that I've used all the time:

• electric kettle (being able to make tea/coffee/cup'o'noodles in your room is a godsend) (also technically forbidden at my college but no one has ever found out)
  
  
• if you like ramen, this little guy for the microwave
  
  
• a simple sewing kit (being the friend who can sew a button back on is convenient and very easy even if you don't know how to sew yet)
  
  
• an extra set of sheets for your dorm bed (in case you have unexpected company ;) )
  
  
• an extra towel or two (in case you have a visitor)
  
  
• Extra phone/laptop charger if possible, or portable chargers
  
  
• slippers/comfy shoes to wear around the dorm because dorm floors are gross
  
  
• a good raincoat, a waterproof backpack, waterproof boots (this one might be biased because I go to school in the hellish rainy northeast but for real do not cheap out on waterproof shit, you do not want your notes/laptop getting ruined by walking to class in the rain (i have this backpack and it is heaven))
  
  
• a clipboard and loose-leaf paper or a legal pad (i find it helpful to do homework on loose-leaf/legal pad and then take notes in a spiral bound notebook)
  
  
• GOOGLE CALENDAR (okay not a thing to buy but still my life revolves around it)
  
  
• multicolored pens to make taking notes more interesting because lectures are booooring (case in point, I'm typing this during physics lecture)
  
  
• dry shampoo
  
  
• some kind of pest-proof food storage thing (because dorms are gross)
  
  
• this one is pretty optional i guess, but i have a male friend who had a tiny box of emergency tampons and that was very thoughtful and nice