Accepted: Binghamton University Class of 2013!
If you couldn’t tell from my previous post, I applied to Binghamton University’s Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science, with a declared major of Computer Science. Binghamton University is #5 on a list of most selective public universities in the United States, so when I applied with an 80.80% average from Bronx Science, I wasn’t too hopeful. I had recently been deferred by Stony Brook University, which is considered a “safety school” for virtually everyone at Bronx Science; my counselors and friends were stunned. When I let them know I planned on applying to Binghamton, they told me to make sure I applied to a city college (which I did) to ensure I had somewhere to go in the event I was denied admission. At the time of my application, it seemed like nothing was in my favor. I wasn’t even able to submit my online Early Action application until 12:14am on November 16 — 14 minutes after the 12:00am deadline.
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Welcome Binghamton University
If you’re reading this, you must be an admissions counselor at Binghamton University! Welcome! Unfortunately, my blog was wiped clean due to an error beyond my control. However, here is a brief sample of content that was posted there:
- In-depth technology reviews: iPhone, Windows Vista, Sandisk Cruzer Titanium Flash Drive, and (mt) Media Temple Hosting
- Personal comments on: my war against the flu, an ear infection, and my thoughts on a customer service experience
- Paid content: a few posts were advertisements in which I reviewed their site and posted it on my blog in exchange for a fee
- Experiences at The Bronx High School of Science
- Possible career choice: Hospital Administrator
I sincerely thank you for reading this, and I hope you enjoyed reading my supplementary application materials as I did creating them!
Note: A text-only archive of the content of my previous blog can be found here.
The College Application Process
College. It’s the word on everyone’s mind, especially during senior year. For many parents, it’s a process that begins well before a child is even born. Money is saved in the hopes their child will attend an Ivy League or otherwise famous college.
For students, high school often ends up being a time where they try desperately to impress colleges, rather than a period to explore various interests as well as enjoying youth. Many overload themselves with Advanced Placement courses, volunteer for a plethora after-school opportunities, and essentially stress themselves to the point where they are unable to keep all their commitments or perform as well as they could be as an individual. Lack of sleep and irritability are common.
For college admissions officers, it can often be a repetitive process in which hundreds (if not thousands) of nearly-identical applications are submitted. Although each student is his own “set of numbers”, there is not much else to distinguish one from another, save for the essay. Unfortunately, many people choose to write about how great a person they are, how they help numerous charities, or how they once saved a baby girl from a burning building at two in the morning. In my personal experience with dealing with repetitive tasks, it is often best to streamline the process in order to finish it faster. I see no reason as to why a college admissions officer wouldn’t do the same- if an essay appears to be exactly same as the previous within the first several sentences, it is doubtful the rest of it will be read.
Am I just another number?
The above is merely a rough draft (written in approximately 10 minutes) of a college essay assignment for my senior English class. Any comments? Post below.
Back from the dead
My old blog was completely totalled. It was riddled with spam posts, malware, and just crap all over the place. This new blog will be updated more frequently, and is currently under construction. Nothing from the old blog will be ported over- a nice fresh beginning!
My primary focus will be on something a lot of blogs lack: content. Who cares about how shiny a blog is, if there is nothing interesting to read?
