3 replies to this topic

[Coconut Man]

Hey guys, I need help with choosing an educational program (More that I need some perspective so I can help make a decision).

So, I have applied to the Early College at Guilford and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, and gotten into both. They're both excellent schools and I can't find a clear winner (Newsweek's 2013 study of the best 2000 schools in America gave ECG 21st place and NCSSM 23rd place, so close that they're basically equal). My family all says ECG and my friends all say NCSSM. I'm really torn and would like input to help me make a decision. I'm slightly leaning towards ECG but not by any significant amount.


This is going to be a relatively long post, so I'll condense the material for each school in a spoiler bracket.

 

Early College at Guilford:

 

Spoiler

The Early College at Guilford is a high school that lets juniors and seniors (I will be a junior next year) enroll in Guilford College. Guilford college is a decent liberal arts college with a respectable science and math program. I would be taking college courses (which would fulfill high school graduation requirements and give me undergraduate college credits absolutely free) with other college students and I would drive there from home every day, since it's roughly 10-20 minutes away from where I live. Some advantages to this include getting a lot of college credits early, which would mean I could get my Physics and Chemistry doctorates and English minor years earlier and start teaching at colleges at a much younger age. It would also save me money (although my parents have assured me that money will not be an issue and no matter what I choose the student loans I have will be minimal). Early College at Guilford would also let me keep my friends (and current romantic partner) here, although that's more of an added plus and I will not let that influence my decision, since NCSSM is a boarding school 80 minutes from my home. Here's the website and the Wikipedia article. I'm slightly in favor of this place but not by much.

TL;DR? ECG is college without the residential aspect. 

North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics

 

Spoiler

The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics is a highly rated and prestigious boarding school located in Durham. It focuses heavily on the four STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). I would live away from home, obviously, and essentially would be living in a monitored version of a college dorm. NCSSM focuses heavily on science, which is what I'm interested in pursuing a career in. NCSSM operates on the trimester system as opposed to the semester system, so I could get more credits. From what I've heard, class selection is a real pain and it's difficult to enroll in the classes required for graduation, let alone classes you're just plain interested in. I'm not certain though. I find their class selection process to be rather asinine: you're given a time slot on a certain day to select classes, first come first serve. Time slot distribution is random. If you're not one of the first few time slots, it's almost impossible to get required classes in since everything is filled up. However, this could be a real opportunity for amazing social experiences and real life lessons (social distraction is not much of an issue for me). I have not been social much this year and have been a little depressed as a result, since nobody I know is near my intellectual level and those that are are really arrogant. It might be harder to make friends at ECG compared to NCSSM since there's a definite age gap between me and actual college students and it's harder to make time to hang out. Having friends and a social life is definitely a factor here. NCSSM is also completely free. Here's the website and the Wikipedia article.

 

TL;DR? NCSSM is a scientifically oriented boarding school.

Any and all input is appreciated, especially from those already familiar with any/all of the programs.

[AliceInTheHoleWithRabbits]

I think you should go for NCSSM. That was my decision about the college I want, which is in another state. 

 

Getting into a new place, without your parents and people you already know, kind of forces you to create a sense of responsibility and independence. Also, since your focus is science, maybe it'd be a good choice.

[No-Danico]

I'm not certain though. I find their class selection process to be rather asinine: you're given a time slot on a certain day to select classes, first come first serve. Time slot distribution is random. If you're not one of the first few time slots, it's almost impossible to get required classes in since everything is filled up.

 

This is pretty normal, actually. My very first term in college, I ended up signing up for classes three days before the term started, so I ended up having to take a freshman math class that I could easily exempt just to have a full load. Next term, I got with my adviser as soon as I could and picked choice time slots for the classes I wanted. If you can't control any of it at first, you might be able to do so earlier afterwards.

 

Also, try to take basic classes first, ie standard English, math. I started out in architecture, only to find that I couldn't stand it. Of the 40 credit hours I accumulated, maybe twenty would transfer to a new major. You might decide you want to do something completely different later on. The only classes I ever went to were creative writing and English and skipped math on a daily basis.

 

Also, also, don't skip class just because you can. Even if the teacher says, "Just show up on Friday for tests," commit to classes as much as you can. And keep your mind off of girls. Cuz one day you skip math and Mr. Dekkard walks through the lobby and sees you on the sofa next to a friendly red head and then he's all, "Mr. Stone, why weren't you in my class. Enough people didn't show and I called it off. Tiffany will get ten extra points on the next test because she showed up." And Tiff could have hurried out of class to warn me, because she left us in the cafeteria and knew I was gonna skip.

 

What was my point? Stay focused, work on core classes before your specialties, and don't let girls drag you down.

[The Robstar]

Two factors ultimately contributed towards my final decision.

 

Being as far away from home as possible as well as being close enough to visit from time to time (if that makes sense)

 

And how much I enjoyed the city. I really didn't factor in the institute, I only cared whether there was enough to do in the city and how well the people treated me. If your surroundings are good then you should gel in pretty well. 

 

But it really doesn't matter because I have attended various Universities/institutes of technologies throughout the years. You probably will outgrown your school at some point and move on