Choosing colleges to apply to

Page 1

ofl

."g,ay:w

# fj*

Your Shortlist: Which Colleges?

Recommended: 6 schools altogether. Absolute maximum: 8 altogether, 3 lvy League.

It isn't just a matter of applying to the top 6 colleges in America.

If

you're sure you want to go to the US, give yourself a safety net! We suggest that you include:
a o
o

2 "reach" schools some chance of getting in - realistic chance of getting in 2 realistic schools - very good chance of getting in 2 "safety" schools

Things to look out for:

There are lots of ways you can research universities at RJC. Feel free to use our survey questions on your seniors. It would be great also if you could share the answers you get!

Requirements. Want to pass a swim test? Be a non-engineer at Columbia. MIT? Only pass/fail grades in your first year but you'llneed that!

Academic style. Cornell and Brown, Ivy League, but very different. Cornell: both liberal arts and preprofessional. Brown: freewheeling in terms of classes, majors
and grades.

Lifestyle. At John Hopkins you'll meet "chao muggers" you never imagined. At Cornell you might feel far away from civilization, but you also get hotel-quality food. Know yourself. College lifestyle can matter. RuraVurban setting. In New York City you'll wake up to a grubby, sprawling CBD; at Middlebury you'll get bracingair, wafting cow and gorgeous farmland. Strong departments aren't as crucial as in the UK, because you will spend lots of time outside your major. Still, why not go for the best?
http://www.rjc.edu,sg/usapps/colleges
@ WC

04/02/2004 08:42:51 - Ng E-Ching

Page index to Edward B. Fiske, The Fiske Guide to Colleges 2OO3,19th ed. (Sourcebooks, 2OO4
Please remember: This is one of many guidelines. Employers or scholarship boards here may also accept other schools.

From 1999-2000 estimated costs (tuition and fees only)

ffp( fpf
fif

More than $5,000 $4,000-$5,000

$3,000-$4,000
Less than $3,000

,$.$.$,8

,t,$s
s,$

More than $23,000 $20,000-$23,000

$17,000-$20,000
Less than $17,000

(
Five-Star Academics
Amherst College (MA, Bowdoin College (ME, Brown University (RI,

.6.6.6.6.6
................21

Four-Star Academics
Bard College NY, Barnard College Qr{Y, $8$, Bates College (ME,

.6.6.6,6

$$$8) 88s.$) $$$$).

..............67
................74

$$S$) Universityof Chicago (IL, $$$$) Pomona College (CA, $$8$) Columbia College NY, $$$$) Cornell University OIY, S8$) Dartmouth College (l{H, $8$$) Duke University 0{C, $$$$) Harvard University (MA, $S$$) Haverford College (PA, $$88) $$$$)

Bryn Mawr College (PA, $$$$, women).................78 UC-Berkeley (CA, ...............85 California Institute of Technol ogy (CA, .t.t) ......... 1 05 Carleton College (MN, ..............121

W0..........

........136
...............148 .............172 ..............186

.$SEE)........ ...............46 women) ......48 $$$). ......................51 Boston University (MA, $8$) ....,.......,...64 Bucknell University (pA, $$$).. ............ g1 UC-Davis (CA, (Fil ...........88 UC-Los Angeles (CA, W).... .................93 UC-Riverside (CA, (f) ........... ..............95 UC-San Diego (CA, pil ......98 UC-Santa Cruz (CA, (f) ............ ......... 103
U of British Columbia (Canada, p) ......................112 McGill University (C anada, 0 ............................. 1 1 4 Queen's University (Canada, (pil ....................... 1 I 6 University of Toronto (Canada, (il ..................... 119 Carnegie Mellon University (pA, $ $ $) ................, 123 Case Western Reserve University (OH, $$) .........126 Claremont McKenna College (CA, $$$).........,..... I42 Harvey Mudd College (CA, $8$$) ......144 Clark University (MA, $$$) ................ 153 Colby College (ME, $$$$) .................. 160 colgate university Ny, s$$$) ............162 Colorado College (CO, S$S) ...............165 U of Colorado at Boulder (CO, f(pf) .............,....167
Connecticut College (CT,

...........192
...............222

..........289 ............293

U of Illinois at Urbana;Champaign (IL, Wil...........320 The Johns Hopkins University (MD, $$$$) ..........337 l/4rr (MA, ................388 University of Michigan (MI, .....398 U of North Carolina at Chapel Hlll Q,{C, il..........447 Northwestern University (IL, ....454 Oberlin College (OH, ................460 University of Pennsylv ania (PA, $ $ $ 8) ................. 486

P99il

$$$8) $$$$)

.........499 $$$$) SS,$,$) ....................514 Rice University (fX,,$) ............. .........526 Princeton University NJ, Reed College (OR,
St. John's College

$8$$)
pp

University of Connecticut (CT, f Davidson College NC, $$$)..

il

.........175 .................. 1 78
............. 196

SS$$) Swarthmore College (PA, $$$$) University of Virginia (VA, (W)..

StanfordUniversity (CA,

MD A NM, $$$$)...................545
..........585
.........611

.......661

Wellesley College (MA, $$$$, women).................680 Wesleyan University (CT, .........686 College of William and Mary (t/A, PPPP).............703 Williams College (MA, .............706

$$$S)

$88) $S$$) Earlham College (IN, $$$) Emory College (GA, $$S$) University of Florida (FL, il

Deep Springs College (CA, $, men) ...................... 20I Denison University (OH, ............206 Dickinson College (PA, ............215 ..................226

.................231
..............242

S$$$)

University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI, il ............7 I0 Yale University (CT,,$,$,$,S)........ .........724

Franklin and Marshall College (PA, $$$$)...........247 Georgetown University (W/A, ...257 Georgia Institute of Technology (GA, p0 ............260 Grinnell College (IA, ....................271

$$$$)

$$)

This index to The Fiske Guide to Colleges 2003was created by Ng E-Ching for Raffles Junior College (March 22,2OOg)

Hamilton College (1,{Y, $$$$) ..............279 Hampshire College (MA, $$8$) ..........284 College of the Holy Cross (MA, $$$)....................306 Illinois Institute of Technol ogy (IL, $ $) ................ 3 1 8 Indiana University (IN, (ff) ...............325 University of Iowa (A, il ...................330 University of Kansas (Kans as, il ..........................3 43 Kenyon College (OH, $S$$) ...............348

Three-Star Academics

ddd

University of Southern Califomia (CA, $S$)........578 (..........and many more. This was the surprising one.)

$8$).. Lawrence University ('t4/1, $8$) Lehigh University (PA, $$$S)

Lafayette College (PA,

..............353 ...........359 .............361

Mary Washington College (t/A, (il ......................382 Middlebury College W, $$$$) ..........401 U of Minnesota-Twin Cities (tu{N, (Pil................409 Mount Holyoke College (MA, $$$$) .................... 416 New College of Florid a (FL, il ............................. 424 New York University NY, $$$$) ........440 University of Notre Dame (IN, $$$) ...457 (CA, $88) Occidental College .............462 Rensselaer Polyechnic Institute NY, $ $ $ S) ......... 5 17 University of Rochest er (NY, S $ $) ........................ 53 6 Rutgers-The State U ofNew Jersey (NJ, PPPil ..........543 St. Mary's College of Maryland (MD, (PPil........553 St. Olaf College (MN, .$,$) ............ .......555

$8$$) Skidmore College Ny, S$$S) Smith College (MA, $$$, women)
Sarah Lawrence College

NY,

...565 .............568

.......570

University of the South (Sewanee) (IN, $$) .........573 SUNY-AIbany (NY, ..........590 SllNY-Binghamton University (NY, ( P il ............ 592

fi(f)..........

STINY-Buffalo Q,{Y, SIINY-Stony Brook NY,

(W).......... (f0..

..........595 ..........601 ..,..............627

..................630 $S$$) ...............637 $$$$) Union College NY, $$58) ...................644 VanderbiltUniversity (fN, $$$$) .......651 Vassar College NY, $$8$) ..................654 Washington and Lee University (VA, $$) .............673 Washington U in St. Louis (MO, $$$$) ................675

University of Texas at Austin (IX, Trinity College (CT, Tufts University (MA,

(il

University of Washingt on (VTA, W) ...................... 67 8 Whitman College 0l/A, ...............696 Worcester Polytechnic Institute (MA, $ $ $ $) .........1 20

$$$)

RIC Success Rates 2001-2003

Page 1 of4

Raffles Junior College 2004 Record of Successful Applicants to US Universities

(RJC JC2 2003, to enter college in 2004)

63 out ol 122 have been admitted so far,

br

of Southern California

RIC Success Rates 2001-2003

Page 2 of 4

Figures are reported by each respective university, not by

The admit figures include originally waitlisted students and students who for any reason do not accept their Most universities' initial reports include students who will enroll this year who were previously admitted and def but above we have excluded these students on the basis of the best information available to us. For instance, TB of last year's applicants were accepted to Cornell, while 12 more students held deferred offen The number of appticants omits cancelled and incomplete applications.

Where possible, the Total Admits for Singapore reflects only students from the JC system. * indicates where the Total Admit figure includes the international schools.

Raffles Junior College

2003 Record of Successful Applicants to US Universities (RJC JC2 2002,to enter college in 2003)

3rown Universitv Jrvn Mawr Colleoe larneqie Mellon Universitv lolqate Universitv lolumbia Universitv lonnecticut Colleqe ornell Universitv )artmouth Colleqe )avidson Colleoe 1C )uke Universitv 11 ieoroetown Universitv 12 larvard IJniversitv 1 vliddleburv Colleoe 1t )rinceton University 1l imith Colleqe 1( Itanford Universitv 17 iwarthmore Colleqe 1 [he Johns Hopkins Universitv 1S lufts Universitv
2C

Total Admit Aoolied % Admit 4t 270/, 1?

1
1

Reqular Decision Admit Waitlist Applied

11
1

Admit
c c

4e
1

Zt
c

2i
71

10001 9601
00/, 7o/( 0o/(

2z
1

2i
11

6t
c

(
7E
e

7!

151
2a
1

5001
320/,

1t
c

151

2i
1

ool 4301
360/,
30/,

2(

6C

2!

c
1

57

14

fz
11

6t
1i

1201

1000/,

1t
(
2C
4

131

701

11t
1

1!

jYt
3250/
500/,

1t
1

2(

J of British Columbia

11 13

1!

58o/(
87o/c

11
1

1!
1!
1

21 J of Toronto (Canada)

1l
1

2t JIUC

500/,

2i Jniversitv of Michiqan 2t Jniversitv of Pennsvlvania 2! ffelleslev Colleqe 2( ffilliams Colleqe 2t /ale Universitv

61

7e

8jo/c
1301
200/, 501 501

61
14

1(

7e

( (
c

1!
1

142
C

125

I
1 1

1e

c
1

62

5i

Figures are reported by each respective university, not by Cancelled and incomplete applications have been omitted.

RIC Success Rates 2001-2003

Page 3

of4

Raffles Junior College 2002 Record of Successful Applicants to US Universities (RJC JC2 2001, to enter college in 2002

of Michiqan

Figures are reported by each respective university, not by "N.4." indicates that figures were not provided by the university. Cancelled and incomplete applications have been omitted.

Raffles Junior College

2001 Record of Successful Applicants to US Universities (RJC JC2 2000, to enter college in 2001)

niversitv of British Columbia

RIC Success Rates 2001-2003

Page 4 of 4-

'..

15fufts U 1e \mherst Colleqe 11 )berlin Colleqe

1t Jniversity of Delaware

3301

1 1 1

100Vt

N.A

N.A

N.A

N.A

N,A.

Figures are reported by each respective university, not by "N.A." indicates that figures were not provided by the university.

,'

Where to Go: A Rough Guide

By Miss Ng E-Ching (version: Feb 23, 2003)

These (ists are not exhaustive. For more information, borrow a cotlege guide from the library (or request one from Miss Ng).
Schoots which PSC schotars were

attending tast year are marked

e.

NB: PSC is witl,ing to send you to others

if you can make your case.

The lvy League a Brown Universit/sc (great academic flexibility)

o a

Very competitive: public

With atmost-lvy-class programmes:

Columbia UniversityPsc (you'll love or hate New York) Cornell UniversityPsc lflooded with Singaporeans) Dartmouth CollegePsc lgood teaching of undergrads) Harvard Universitynsc 1elit"; University of PennsylvaniaPsc (more practical)

o o o
o . o o o o o . o o o o . o

o o o o

Berkeleytt" lutrirrersity of California, Berkeley campus) Michiguntt" luniuersity of Michigan, a.k.a. Ann Arbor) UNC Chapel Hill-Honors Program (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill campus)

UVA-Echols Scholars Progrbm (University of Virginia)

PrincetonUniversitytt" (elite, conservative, undergrad-friendly)

Yale

Universit/tc 1elit., relatively undergrad-friendly)

Canada
Cold weather and big classes-but great HK Chinese food. lf you can't decide between the UK and the US, then the dry Canadian sense of humour and calm good sense might be just right for you. It's much cheaper too.

As good as the lvies or better

lcalifornia Institute of Technology) University of Chicagonsc
CaltechPsc

Duke UniversityPsc Georgetown UniversityPsc (esp. politics or international studies) The Johns Hopkins

o
Universit/t'1"uri",
entry for

McGill, Toronto, University of British Columbia, Queen's

MITPSC (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

StanfordUniversit}/sc

non-science) Colleges not to ignore o Wesleyan University-check out no-bond Freeman o Rice University-less lcnown but cheaper

Scholarship.

Very competitive: private (very subjectively judged)

Amherst College
Carnegie Mellon UniversityPsc

NorthwesternUniversityPsc Smith College (women's college)

Swarthmore College

Where to Go: Engineering

By Miss Ng E-Ching (version: Feb 23, 2003)

Source: Ihe Fiske Guide to Colleges 2N3.some of these schoots are dedicated technical institutes, but the majority have a liberal arts curriculum, and att witt require non-science courses for graduation. NB: not atl are welt-known in Singapore. Check out www.a-star.edu,se.
Schoots which PSC schotars were

attending last year are marked Ps. NB:

PSC

is witling to send you to others

if

you can make your case,

Engwineering : Technical Institutes

Engineering: Small Golleges and Universities

. o . o .

CaltechPtc

lcalifo*ia Institute of Technology)

of Technology)

Georgia Institute of Technolog/tc

MITPSC (Massachusetts Institute

o o
a

Brown Universit/sc Bucknell University Dartmouth UniversityPsc

Lafayette University

Engineering: Private
Carnegie Mellon UniversityPsc
Case Western Reserve

o
a a a o

Lehigh University
Rice University

University

Smith College (CT) Trinity College Union College

Columbia UniversityPsc

Cornell UniversityPsc
Duke UniversityPsc The Johns Hopkins UniversityPsc Northwestern Universityt'"

Engineering: Public

University of Notre Dame

PennPsc

(University of Pennsylvania)
(University of Southern California)

Princeton Universit5/sc
USCPSC

Stanford Universit/sc

Tufts UniversityPsc Vanderbilt University

Washington University in St. Louis

. . o . o o o
a o

Berkeleynsc lunirrersity of California, Berkeley campus) UCLAPSC lu.riversity of California, Los Angeles campus)
UIUCPSC

lunirrersity of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign campus) Michigatrnsc lutriversity of Michigan , a.k.a. Ann Arbor)
STINY-Buffalo (State University of New York, Buffalo campus)
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

University of Washington
Purdue Texas

Universit/sc A&M University

Where to Go: More About the Sciences

By Miss Ng E-Ching (version: Feb 23, 2003) !4449lj!gl4d!:!g.

These lists were brainstormed by a few BME students and mysetf: they are not exhaustive. Check out A-star at

The top universities (Harvard, Co(umbia, Duke) usually have very good departments in these areas, even if they're not listed here. There may be a few exceptions. Always try to check out your chosen department with students from that college.

Life Sciences

Chemical Engineering

o o

Brown UniversityPsc UBC (University of British Columbia, in Canada)

o
.

. r
o . o o . o o o o

Berkele/sc (Jniversity ofCalifomia, Berkeley campus) University of ChicagoPsc (but no bio-related engineering)
Duke UniversityPsc The Johns Hopkins UniversityPsc MichiganPsc lu.tiversity of Michigan, a.k.a. Ann NorthwesternUniversityPsc
PennPSC

. .
o . o

Berkeleynsc luniversity of California, Berkeley campus) CaltechPsc lcalifornia Institute of Technology) UruCPsc (Jniversity oflllinois, Urbana-Champaign campus)

MITEC (Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology)

MichiganPsc lunirrersity of Michigan, a.k.a. Ann Arbor) Minnesota (University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus)

Arbor)

UT-Austin (University of Texas, Austin campus)

(University of Pennsylvania)

Safety Schools

Computer Science and Electrical

Engineering

You shoutd appty to two schools at which you have a high chance of admission. Some possibi(ities inctude:

Berkeleytsc luttiversity of California, Berkeley campus) UCSD (University of California, San Diego campus)
Carnegie Mellon University

o o o

Boston University

UCSD (University of California, San Diego campus) Cornell UniversityPsc lull the Ivy League schools have high standards, but Cornell takes many more Singaporeans than most)

CornellUniversityPsc
MichiganPrc (Jniversity ofMichigan, a-k.a. Ann
MITPSC (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

.
. c c o o

Arbor)

.
. o o o o

Purdue UniversityPsc

Cjniversity oflttinois, Urbana-Champaigr campus) MichiganPsc luniversity of Michigan, a.k.a. Ann Arbor) Minnesota (University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus)
UIUCPSC

USC (University of Southern California)

Purdue UniversityPsc

StanfordUniversit/sc UT-Austin (University of Texas, Austin campus)

USC (University of Southern California)

UT-Austin (University of Texas, Austin campus)

Where to Go: Other Schools to Consider

These lists are not exhaustiye. For more information, check The Fiske Guide

By Miss Ng E-Ching (version: Feb 23, 2003)

to
Colteges 20f,2 at l,tiss Ng's or Mr Booth's

desk.

Often the top universities (Harvard, Cotumbia, Duke) have good departments in these areas, even if they're not tisted here. Check if your chosen department is an exception with lhe Fiste Guide to Colleges 20f,2 at Miss Ng's or rvir Booth's desk.

Business
You have three options: (1) a business undergraduate programmerare; (2) an Econs BA-relativety theoreticat; (3) go back for an MBA

Canada
Cotd weather and big classes-but great HK Chinese food. lf you can't decide between the UK and the US, then the dry Canadian sense of humour and calm good sense might be just right for you. It's much cheaper too.

after your BA (non-business majors are welcome at top schoots). Here we'l[ dea[ onty with (1):

o o o . o . o

Babson College (ranked top in entrepreneurship)

Carnegie Mellon UniversityPsc

o McGill
Queen's

o Toronto o University of British Columbia

GeorgetownUniversit/sc
MITPSC (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Safety Schools
You should appty to two schools at which you have a high chance of admission. Some possibitities inctude:

New York UniversityPsc (University of Pennsylvania, the Wharton School) USC (University of Southern California)
PennPSC

Pubtic schools:

o o
o o o o

Berkele/sc lunirrersity of California, Berkeley campus) UVA (University of Virginia)

o o o
o
a

Boston University

UCSD (University of California, San Diego campus) Cornell UniversityPs" lull the Ivy League have high standards, but Cornell takes many more Singaporeans than most)
UIUCPSC (University of

Political Science
Political Theory (philosophy): Clairmont, Chicagcr Comparative Politics: Yale, others depend on specialisation International Relations: Princeton, Columbia

a
o

lllinois, Urbana-Champaign campus) MichiganPsc luniversity of Michigan, a.k.a. Ann Arbor) Minnesota (University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus)
Purdue UniversityPsc

a
a

USC (University of Southem California)

PublicAdministratiorlPolicy: Syracuse'sMaxwell School, University of Southern California, Sloan School at MIT

UT-Austin (University of Texas, Austin campus)