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Showing posts from February, 2025

College of the Holy Cross (April 10, 2024)

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  College of the Holy Cross 4.10.24 Campus Visit Report Spencer Barr - Santa Barbara High College of the Holy Cross Website: https://www.holycross.edu/ Niche: https://www.niche.com/colleges/college-of-the-holy-cross/ Admissions Test-optional with 3100 undergraduates; increasingly selective with a much lower acceptance rate. QuestBridge partner; 46 students joining next year. Early Decision makes up ~60% of the enrolled class, including recruited athletes (~20% of total applicants). About 10–12% of applicants are legacy; demonstrated interest is tracked. Student interviews are recommended, and input from parents/guardians is welcomed in applications. Academics Structure: Semester-based system; students typically take 4 classes per semester, with options to overload in later years or take a 5th pass/fail class to meet requirements. Class Environment: Small class sizes (<20 on average, largest ~35–40); no teaching assistants—all classes are taught by professors. Core Curriculum:...

Worcester Polytechnic University (April 9, 2024)

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  Worcester Polytechnic University (WPI) 4.9.24 Campus Visit Report Spencer Barr - Santa Barbara High Worcester Polytechnic University Website:   https://www.wpi.edu/ Niche:   https://www.niche.com/colleges/worcester-polytechnic-institute/ Admissions Test-blind admissions policy. Early Decision (ED) and Early Action (EA) options. Free application. Requires two recommendation letters and a "Why WPI" essay (very important). Admits students to the school, not specific majors. Emphasis on non-academic qualities over grades. Minimum math requirement: Precalculus or higher. Average unweighted GPA: 3.9. Accepts AP/IB credits with scores of 4 or 5. Academics Strong focus on project-based learning that combines theory and practice. Required projects in 2nd-4th years: Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP): Junior year, often abroad at one of 50+ global project centers. Major Qualifying Project (MQP): Senior-year, collaborative, and career-focused. Academic specializations: Compute...