As a “Public Ivy,” Rutgers is strongly committed to high-quality education. From studying population genetics in deep-sea animals to finding ways to reduce crime in major cities to standing up for women’s human rights internationally, our students and faculty are discoverers, problem-solvers, humanitarians, and more. Consequently, we value applicants who demonstrate a similar commitment to taking on challenges and helping to improve society.

What a student accomplishes outside the classroom is just as important as what he or she does inside the classroom. In addition to competitive coursework, grades, and SAT scores, our strongest applicants pursue a variety of interests that go beyond their high school textbooks. Some are leaders of community organizations, while others are team players in their local athletic league or helping hands at the town’s homeless shelter. We believe that students who demonstrate both excellence in the classroom and a keen awareness and compassion for the world around them can benefit most from Rutgers’ reputation as a premier public research institution and a Public Ivy of national distinction.

Patricia Krahnke
Senior Admissions Officer
Marketing & Communications
Office of University Undergraduate Admissions
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Room 202
65 Davidson Road
Piscataway, NJ 08854-8097
732/445-7306
krahnke@ugadm.rutgers.edu
www.admissions.rutgers.edu

There are several great ways to get started on your college search. You may want to begin by looking at the search directory on collegeboard.com (the same company that administers the SAT). On their site, you may search for schools by location, major, size, selectivity and many other characteristics. Don't forget that most private schools do not charge an extra fee for out of state students, and sometimes offer additional scholarships to out-of-staters. Financial aid may be available to you as well to help with the overall cost of education.

Gail Roberson
Assistant Director of Admission and
Coordinator of Campus Visitation
Southwestern University (TX)
1-800-252-3166
www.southwestern.edu

Most colleges will request supplemental materials as a part of the application process. Submitting this type of information helps to give us a better understanding of who you are as a person outside of your academics. When students apply to the University at Buffalo I only encourage them to submit audition tapes if they are required for the major they're applying for. Listing this information on an activity resume or on the supplemental form that colleges may require is normally enough to show your involvements. Putting down on paper all of the significant things you've done over the past three years can be a big task so take the time over the summer to put together an activity resume. If you work on an activity resume as you would if you were working on it for a job your effort will be evident when it is being reviewed and can only benefit your overall application.

Here are some links to scholarship information from the University at
Buffalo website http://src.buffalo.edu/financialaid/scholarships.shtml

Jennifer E. Gayles
Admissions Advisor
University at Buffalo
Office of Admissions
15 Capen Hall
Buffalo, NY 14260
Office: 716-645-6424
Toll Free: 1-888-UB-ADMIT
Fax:716-645-6498
E-mail: jgayles@buffalo.edu
www.buffalo.edu

Thank you for your question. Supplemental materials are always a good idea when completing applications. They may include additional essays or writing samples, or even awards and honors you have achieved. However, an audition is usually a requirement of the application process to be accepted to a particular performing arts major. At Seton Hill University, students first apply to the university, and then do the audition for the music department. You will need to check specifically with the institution you are applying to concerning their requirements for the application as well as any additional audition. For example, we do not require an audition for music minors at Seton Hill, only music majors.

Private scholarships are an excellent way to assist with funding an education. It is best to start searching early for them because many have an application to complete in order to apply. The Internet has become a popular place to search for such scholarships, but be sure not to pay any fees to apply for them. You should also be checking in regularly with you guidance office. They should have updates of private scholarships available to you.
Thanks, and good luck!

Kimberly A. McCarty, MBA
Assistant Director of Admissions
and Campus Visit Coordinator
Seton Hill University
724-838-4201 or 1-800-826-6234
kmccarty@setonhill.edu

Since application requirements vary from college to college, the best way to find out if you should send supplemental materials is to visit the admissions website of each school to which you plan to apply or speak with an admissions counselor at those schools.

At Rutgers University, our arts conservatory – Mason Gross School of the Arts – offers a Bachelor of Music degree and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in the visual arts, theater arts, and dance. To be considered for Mason Gross School of the Arts, applicants must audition for the music, theater, and dance programs or submit a portfolio for the visual arts major. Our liberal arts colleges at Rutgers also offer a major and a minor in music, but since these are not performance-based programs, there is no audition or portfolio review component of the application.

To find out about scholarships, the best place to start may be your high school guidance or college counseling office. While there are many websites that have a wealth of information about national scholarships, your high school guidance or school counselor is a great resource for information about local scholarship opportunities. Most scholarship applications are due in the fall of your senior year just as you are preparing your college applications, so be sure to plan ahead.

You should also visit the admissions and financial aid websites for the colleges or universities that are of interest to you. The undergraduate admissions website for Rutgers, admissions.rutgers.edu, has links for both need-based financial aid and merit-based scholarships. Our scholarships include among several awards the Outstanding Scholars Award for New Jersey residents, the Rutgers National Scholarship for non-NJ residents, the National Merit Scholarship, and the James Dickson Carr Scholarship for underrepresented minorities. While some scholarships are offered only for the student’s first year of study, these merit-based ones at Rutgers are renewable for three years.

Patricia Krahnke
Senior Admissions Officer
Marketing & Communications
Office of University Undergraduate Admissions
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Room 202
65 Davidson Road
Piscataway, NJ 08854-8097
732/445-7306
krahnke@ugadm.rutgers.edu
www.admissions.rutgers.edu

I think sending in extra supplemental materials is a great idea especially when it is things like art portfolios and audition recordings. It makes your application stand out from the rest and shows talent beyond what can be shown on a piece of paper. Showing special talents can, in general, increase your chances to get a closer look and perhaps a better chance of acceptance.

Teran Tadal
Asst. Dean of Admissions
Union College
Schenectady, NY 12309
518-388-6112
tadalt@union.edu

It is a common misconception that one must major in "pre-medicine" to go to medical school. In actuality, while some colleges provide programs to ensure you take all the pre-requisites for entry into medical school, no body offers a "pre-medicine" major. To get into medical school you must have taken certain classes while in college - biology, chemistry, etc. However, you can major in anything you like as long as you take those pre-requisites. It is easier to major in something like biology or chemistry since such majors would include many of these courses as part of the major. If you become a music major, you will have to take bio, chem etc as electives. But, you can still do that.

Also, just because a university has a medical school, there is no guarantee that school will accept you upon graduation just because you attended there as an undergraduate. You can apply to any medical school no matter what university you attend as an undergraduate, including those universities that do not have a medical school affiliated with them.

James E. Casebeer
Assistant Director
Office of Enrollment Services
Northern Arizona University
928-523-6080
james.casebeer@nau.edu

Premed is often a misused term. You can major in whichever subject you might be interested in, but still be on a premed track. Medical schools will require you to have a certain number of specific courses (biology, chemistry, etc.), but do not limit their acceptance to biology/chemistry majors. If you have a passion for history, look into majoring in history, but make sure that you take the necessary courses for medical school as well.

Gail Roberson
Assistant Director of Admission and
Coordinator of Campus Visitation
Southwestern University (TX)
1-800-252-3166
www.southwestern.edu

I'm glad that you and your father have been having this discussion as it is actually a debate that occurs quite frequently on college campuses. Most highly selective institutions will be liberal arts school, which will not have a specific pre-med program. Instead, they will have a pre-med track, which is simply the string of courses you will take in order to meet the requirements for medical school. Usually this is as follows:

Freshman - Chemistry
Sophomore- Organic Chemistry, Biology
Junior- Physics, Upper level Biology
Senior - apply to medical school, research etc.

Clearly, if this is not a major, you will have to pick another subject to major in. Music, history, math, neuroscience- these are all acceptable majors. However, no matter what you decide to major in, medical schools are going to be focusing on the gpa that you have achieved within your prerequisite courses for medical school. Medical schools want to see that you can succeed within their programs. This isn't to say that they won't be looking for a diversity of opinion and thought as well. For Brandeis University, about half of the applicants to medical school were majoring within the sciences. The other half chose programs in a variety of different fields (the most popular premed major being music).

My answer to you is to go ahead and major in what you truly love. Your
passion for the subject will carry you through your undergraduate career. However, if medical school is where your ambitions lie, make sure your gpa within those premed courses are impressive as well.

Yos Bugallo
Brandeis University
Waltham, MA
yoselin@brandeis.edu

As you do your college search you'll find that most colleges no longer offer a pre-med major because most medical schools are looking for well rounded students from various academic backgrounds. A majority of students at the University at Buffalo interested in medical school will major in some area within the sciences but it is not required for students to do that in order to apply to medical school. There will be certain science courses that you will need to complete as an undergraduate to give you that foundation for medical school so at UB we encourage students to express to their academic advisors about their plans for medical school to ensure they are on the right track. Most schools will offer you the option of doing a major and a minor or doing a double major or double degree which will allow you to study the different areas that you're interested in.

Jennifer E. Gayles
Admissions Advisor
University at Buffalo
Office of Admissions
15 Capen Hall
Buffalo, NY 14260
Office: 716-645-6424
Toll Free: 1-888-UB-ADMIT
Fax:716-645-6498
E-mail: jgayles@buffalo.edu
www.buffalo.edu

Thank you for your question. I believe that if you are serious about medical school, and plan to pursue it, then it will benefit you to follow a science or pre-med major in order to prepare you. History and music are also wonderful majors, and you could certainly do more than one major or even minor depending on the institution you choose. It sounds like you have decided on a school, but if they do not have the major you want nor need, you may want to consider looking at some other schools that do.

Kimberly A. McCarty, MBA
Assistant Director of Admissions
and Campus Visit Coordinator
Seton Hill University
724-838-4201 or 1-800-826-6234
kmccarty@setonhill.edu

You are truly a Renaissance person whose broad interests will serve you well, regardless of the major you choose! Medical schools are surprisingly flexible in accepting students with a wide range of majors. The Association of Medical Colleges has set the following entrance requirements for their medical schools:

Biology: 8 credits
Chemistry: General Inorganic: 8 credits
Chemistry: Organic: 8 credits
English: 6 credits
Humanities: 6 credits
Physics: 8 credits

All four sciences should include a laboratory. In addition, some medical schools may require knowledge of a foreign language, a year of college mathematics, and additional work in the sciences. There is however, no prescribed premedical major. You should have an excellent record in the sciences as well as experience in a health care field which you can obtain through internships, summer or part-time jobs, or by conducting research on or off campus.

Medical schools also value well-developed communication skills, and a strong background in the humanities and social sciences. So you should select a major that will allow you to develop all of these skills, and allow you to integrate the required science courses into your program. History and music each offer valuable skills. You should choose a major that you will enjoy and one where you will have success. It is important in this stage of the college selection process that you find colleges that offer a broad range of majors. As long as you choose such a comprehensive college, you will be able to explore these different areas once you enroll. It is not necessary to know the precise major ahead of time…most colleges do not require you to declare an “official” major until the end of the sophomore year.

Rutgers University offers all the programs in which you are interested. In addition, the tremendous array of research centers and institutes located on campus will give you plenty of opportunities for doing research alongside our brilliant professors as early as your freshman year. On campus you’ll find a cancer research center, our center for the study of collaborative neuroscience (where the leading spinal-cord injury expert, Dr. Wise Young, engages freshmen in cutting edge research), and the Waksman Institute of Microbiology(where streptomycin, the cure for tuberculosis was discovered), which represent only a small fraction of the research centers on campus.

You can learn more about research at Rutgers at http://ur.rutgers.edu/medrel/highlights.shtml. To request a viewbook and arrange a tour, visit http://admissions.rutgers.edu.

Julie Barad
Assistant Director
University Undergraduate Admissions
Rutgers University
Piscataway, NJ
barad@ugadm.rutgers.edu
732/445-7307

For some time now it has not been unusual for students who majored in various disciplines to go to Medical school. If you enjoy history and music and especially if the schools that you are looking at do not have a pre-med program, feel free to major in your interests. As long as you challenge yourself and do very well in your major, the only other thing to worry about is doing well on the MCAT’s. Doing internships or volunteering in the medical profession during your college years (in the summers, for example) will also create invaluable experience for you and show your future Medical school your continued interest in the profession.

Teran Tadal
Asst. Dean of Admissions
Union College
Schenectady, NY 12309
518-388-6112
tadalt@union.edu

One of the best ways to search for scholarships is by using your high school guidance counselor. In his/her office you might be able to find information on local scholarships, scholarship seaches, or community offered assistance. You can also search a national listing at fastweb.com, collegeboard.com, and finaid.com.

Gail Roberson
Assistant Director of Admission and
Coordinator of Campus Visitation
Southwestern University (TX)
1-800-252-3166
www.southwestern.edu

You are smart to be thinking ahead about how to pay for college. To position yourself to be an attractive scholarship candidate, you need to be organized, knowledgeable, and present yourself well. Since many scholarships are based on academic excellence, you will need to work hard to get the best grades possible. Request a copy of your transcript so that you may have it on hand when searching for scholarships that match your credentials.

To organize, create a resume file of all of your activities since beginning high school, or even before if you have any long-term or impressive activities from middle school. Include clubs, organizations, volunteer activities, religious activities, part time jobs, hobbies, internships, awards, honors, etc. On each line, feature the activity, the dates you participated, the number of hours you put in, and any position you may have held. Follow this by a short list of duties or reflections about the activity or award. This resume file will serve as a resource for you to quickly reference when you are applying for scholarships. Having this file electronically will also help you when applying for scholarships (and college).

Here is a sample resume file:

Cheerleader. 9/2002-present 10 hours/week, 10 months/year. Captain: May 2005-present
-choreograph routines, organize practice schedule, coordinate fund raisers and events, attend major sporting events

Writer for Literary Magazine. 9/2001-6/2002. 3 hours/week. 9 months/year.
-published in each issue. magazine published monthly. see file for samples.

Kite-making. 9/1990-present. occasional hobby.
-picked up hobby in childhood. have made at least 12 unique kites. would like to teach a class in this at Girls, Inc this fall.

Promising Leaders in Science Award. 5/2005.
-awarded by school district for excellence in study of science. single winner out of 650 candidates.

To gain knowledge of available scholarships, start by going to your college mentors or guidance counselors. They may have a listing of local scholarships that other students like you have won in previous years. Also search online for scholarships that suit your profile. One web address to start with is http://education.yahoo.com/college/financial_aid/articles/scholarships_internet.html. Create a file of scholarships to which you'd like to apply, notice due dates, and get the materials ready AHEAD OF TIME.

To present yourself well, fill out applications carefully- printing neatly or typing-, include all required information, send in all pieces on time, and take any essays or interviews seriously. If you need to meet with a scholarship committee, dress nicely and make sure that you look "put together".

Another tip- include some colleges on your list that offer merit-based aid. Find out from the Office of Admission what the award criteria are. An additional scholarship application may be needed. I hope this was helpful!

Sincerely,
Caissa Alissandra McClinton
Assistant Director of Admission
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
375 Church Street
North Adams, MA 01247
(800) 292-6632
www.mcla.edu/admissions
cmcclint@mcla.edu

There are several resources on line that will lead you to information on college scholarships. Here is a link from the University at Buffalo's website that provides scholarship information.

http://src.buffalo.edu/financialaid/scholarships.shtml

Be sure to visit your school guidance office for information they may have on scholarships as well as asking the schools you're thinking of applying to about the scholarships they may offer.

Jennifer E. Gayles
Admissions Advisor
University at Buffalo
Office of Admissions
15 Capen Hall
Buffalo, NY 14260
Office: 716-645-6424
Toll Free: 1-888-UB-ADMIT
Fax:716-645-6498
E-mail: jgayles@buffalo.edu
www.buffalo.edu

There are many opportunities out there for scholarships. Scholarships range from institutional merit awards to private scholarships, including community service. Athletic scholarships, as well as leadership and departmental scholarships (depending on your major) also exist. As you prepare to apply to colleges, find out what they offer as far as scholarships, and be sure to look into all that your are interested in. Also be sure to find out what you will need to do to keep those scholarships. For example, having a particular major or maintaining a certain GPA may be a requirement. Also, you should be working with your guidance office and researching private and community based scholarships available to you. The Internet can be helpful, but be sure to stay clear of those requesting that you pay a fee to apply for a scholarship. Thank you, and good luck.

Kimberly A. McCarty, MBA
Assistant Director of Admissions
and Campus Visit Coordinator
Seton Hill University
724-838-4201 or 1-800-826-6234
kmccarty@setonhill.edu

The type and amount of financial aid you might receive depends on your qualifications and the institution to which you are applying. Some colleges offer merit-based aid, meaning that you receive scholarships depending on your GPA and SAT scores. Other colleges offer need-based aid, so the amount of scholarship you receive depends on your financial need. At my college, a full-tuition scholarship is given to anyone with a 90 average in high school and 1100 on the SATs (verbal and math sections combined). I highly recommend that you check the policies of the institutions to which you are attracted. Try to avoid, however, early decision applications, unless they will let you know the amount of your financial aid award BEFORE you have to sign. You will probably benefit by applying to several schools and seeing which offers you an amount that works for you.

Keith Outlaw
Associate Director of Admissions
St. Joseph's College, Brooklyn, NY
718-399-2651
koutlaw@sjcny.edu

Applying to scholarships is the best way to get them. You don’t have to look on a national level either, local scholarships count just as much as national ones. Check the internet or your guidance counselor for references to look for scholarships. Once you start looking at colleges, check their system for scholarships and grants as well. Many schools have independent scholarships to provide prospective students.

Some great scholarship websites:

www.fastweb.com, www.scholarshipexperts.com, www.college-scholarships.us

Those are a bit general, but can help you find scholarships for your interests.

Teran Tadal
Asst. Dean of Admissions
Union College
Schenectady, NY 12309
518-388-6112
tadalt@union.edu

There are several colleges in California and the surrounding states that can provide a quality psychology education. A lot depends on what type of school that you would like to attend. I can speak from experience in saying that I enjoyed my time as a psychology major at Cal Poly. The classes were small which allowed for positive interaction with both professors and other students. The curriculum was flexible to fit the needs of individual student preferences. The courses were interesting and taught by well respected and experienced faculty. And the most important part is that students find themselves prepared for either graduate school or the world of work once they are finished with their undergraduate education.

Terrance Harris
Admissions Officer
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
805-756-2767
tharris@calpoly.edu

The University at Buffalo offers a degree in Nursing. Attached is the link to the School of Nursing website.

http://nursing.buffalo.edu/
http://ataglance.buffalo.edu/academicprograms/nuraag.shtml

Jennifer E. Gayles
Admissions Advisor
University at Buffalo
Office of Admissions
15 Capen Hall
Buffalo, NY 14260
Office: 716-645-6424
Toll Free: 1-888-UB-ADMIT
Fax:716-645-6498
E-mail: jgayles@buffalo.edu
www.buffalo.edu

The University at Buffalo offers a degree in Architecture. Attached is the link to the School of Architecture and Planning as well as a link to the answers to your questions.

http://www.ap.buffalo.edu/
http://ataglance.buffalo.edu/academicprograms/arcaag.shtml

Jennifer E. Gayles
Admissions Advisor
University at Buffalo
Office of Admissions
15 Capen Hall
Buffalo, NY 14260
Office: 716-645-6424
Toll Free: 1-888-UB-ADMIT
Fax:716-645-6498
E-mail: jgayles@buffalo.edu
www.buffalo.edu

Architecture is a field that has many different operations. You will find architects designing structures, designing new city developments, designing parks and or landscape, as well as maintaining the landscape. As you can see, a common theme is the word design. While in undergraduate work at Cal Poly, students will spend a lot of time doing laboratory work. The five year “first professional degree” program is capped by a year long project and final exhibit.

Much like the range in work that architects do, there is a range in salaries. Our 2004 graduates reported salaries that range from $32,000 to $96,000.

Terrance Harris
Admissions Officer
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
805-756-2767
tharris@calpoly.edu