(Part 3) Top products from r/ApplyingToCollege

You do realize that there is guesswork but the extremes of the confidence interval are strictly positive right? In other words, no one is certain but what we are certain about is that optimum homework amount is positive. Maybe it's 4 hours, maybe it's 50 hours. But it's definitely not 0.

I don't like homework either when I was young. I dreaded it, and I skipped so many assignments, and I regularly skipped school. I hated school. In my senior year I had such severe senioritis that after I got accepted my grades basically crashed to D-ish levels. (By the way this isn't a good thing. It makes you lazy and trying to jumpstart again in your undergrad freshman year will feel like a huge, huge chore)

Now that I'm older I clearly see the benefits of homework. My advice to you is not to agree with me that homework is useful. My advice is to pursue your dreams, but when doing so be keenly aware of the pragmatical considerations. Theoretical physics demands a high level of understanding of theoretical mathematics: Lie groups, manifolds and differential algebraic topology, grad-level analysis, and so on. So get your arse and start studying math; you don't have to like your math homework, but you'd better be reading Spivak if you're truly serious about becoming a theoretical physicist. It's not easy. Life isn't easy. You want to be a theoretical physicist? Guess what, top PhD graduate programs often have acceptance rates lower than Harvard, Yale, Stanford etc. You want to stand out? Well everyone wants to stand out. But for every 100 wannabe 15-year-old theoretical physicists out there, only 1 has actually started on that route, started studying first year theoretical mathematics (analysis, vector space), started reading research papers, started really knowing what it takes. Do you want to be that 1? If you don't want to do homework, fine; but you need to be doing work that allows you to reach your dreams.

http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/its_more_than_a_job

Read that.

Now read it again, and focus on the significance of the essays.

Being well-read gives you a common connection or foundation with others who are similarly well-read.
Being well-read helps you develop stronger language context skills, and a more broad vocabulary which will be useful to you when you have to describe deeply meaningful topics about yourself and your dreams in 400 words or less.

Search A2C for how many interviewers or application essays asked the applicant to discuss their favorite book, or something they recently read. It's a common theme.

Ask Google how many books Bill Gates and James Mattis read in an average month.

You say you're interested in STEM. Ok, here are two books IMMENSLY popular with the nerd-crowd:

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Dune

Please, don't say or think "But, I've already seen those movies..."
No movie has ever been as detailed in conveying a story as the book.

And if robots & robotics are seriously among your interests, Asimov is pretty much required reading.

I, Robot

Biology is nothing without chemistry so you need to know the basics of chemistry as well. My favourite book is the Color Atlas of Biochemistry by Jan Koolman, K. Rohm.

Another very useful book is Biochemistry (Lippincott Illustrated Reviews Series) by R. Harvey.

Many past participants recommend the Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry, however, this book may be too detailed for olympiads.

GENETICS TEXTBOOKS|

Genetics: Analysis and Principles (WCB Cell & Molecular Biology) by Brooker presents an experimental approach to understanding genetics and what I like most is that there are plenty of problems with explanations and answers. Another good textbook for genetics is Genetics: From Genes to Genomes, 5th edition by Hartwell. Genetics: From Genes to Genomes is a cutting-edge, introductory genetics text authored by an unparalleled author team, including Nobel Prize winner, Leland Hartwell.

GENERAL BIOLOGY TEXTBOOKS|

It is not a secret that the Bible of Biology is Campbell Biology (11th Edition). It is a good book and it covers all fundamental biology topics, nevertheless, some topics are discussed only concisely so some good books in addition to Campbell’s could come in handy.

HUMAN ANATOMY |TEXTBOOKS

For human body anatomy and physiology great books are Human Physiology: An Integrated Approach (7th Edition) by Dee Unglaub Silverthorn or  Vander’s Human Physiology. 

MOLECULAR AND CELL BIOLOGY|TEXTBOOKS

My top choice for molecular biology is Molecular Biology of the Cell by Bruce Alberts, et al. This is book is a big one, a hard one, an interesting one, a useful one. From my point of view, current and upcoming IBOs are focusing on molecular and cell biology because these fields are developing so rapidly and thus these branches of biology are perfect source for olympiad problems. So try to read it and understand it. If you want something cheaper than Alberts but equally useful, try Molecular Biology of the Cell, Fifth Edition: The Problems Book

PLANT BIOLOGY|TEXTBOOKS

Many past biology olympiad questions contain quite a lot of problems about plant anatomy and physiology. Thus, I suggest to read Stern’s Introductory Plant Biology.  Another amazing book for plant biology is Biology of Plants by Peter H. Raven, Ray F. Evert, Susan E. Eichhorn.

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TEXTBOOKS FOR AND PROBLEM SOLVING|TECHNIQUES

Science competitions test a student’s level of knowledge, power of scientific reasoning, and analytical thinking outside of the regular school curriculum. A systematic approach and smart study regimen are both required to get good results in science competitions. This is where my book How To Prepare for the Biology Olympiad And Science Competitions by Martyna Petrulyte comes into the picture.

I go to an Ivy that isn't HYP or Cornell. That's about as much as I'm willing to reveal.

There's so many ways you could approach the essays. Don't be trite. Stand out, but don't force it. I think too many students try too hard to be special, and the writing just comes off as cringey as a result. There's a book called 50 Successful Harvard Application Essays that I found pretty helpful.

If you were my kid, I'd encourage you to live on campus in the dorms for the first couple of years at least if you can afford it. Studies have shown that those who thrive in college tend to be those who live in traditional dorms for the first year or two and who build a strong, diverse social network. This, along with making a personal connection with one or more professors, appears to correlate strongly with having a positive collegiate outcome.

Hey!!

http://www.amazon.com/Real-ACT-3rd-Prep-Guide/dp/0768934400/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420515022&sr=8-1&keywords=act


http://www.amazon.com/Barrons-ACT-36-2nd-Perfect/dp/0764147056/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1420515022&sr=8-3&keywords=act

These two were my favorite. If she wants help + tips feel free to PM me.

Go and buy the book of 20 on Amazon and take several (only an hour apiece) to determine your best 2. Then take those official tests. You can sit for the December 1 test date. The big ones are the Stem tests, particularly Math 2 and the sciences- physics, bio, chem. You could also do US History, Literature if that is your strength.

https://www.amazon.com/Official-Study-Guide-Subject-Tests/dp/0874479754/

Yep. Although look into also getting a separate book for FRQs. I used this book for FRQ practice to great effect (took it in May 2018, got a 5). Although YMMV, since I had years of prior experience.

All the interviews for software developer/engineer start with evaluation of your knowledge/ability in CS. It's pretty much a test. Recruiters/interviewees will give you a prompt to write a code, or give you an example of codes and ask you to either debug/enhance it.

Not something you need to worry about now as a college freshmen. But it is something to look into before graduation. Here is a popular guideline book that many people found helpful.

Cracking the Coding Interview

I'd buy both real practice tests (which are offered in both official guides: http://www.amazon.com/Real-ACT-3rd-Prep-Guide/dp/0768934400/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425879363&sr=8-1&keywords=act+prep+book, http://www.amazon.com/Official-SAT-Study-Guide-Second/dp/0874478529/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425879392&sr=8-1&keywords=collegeboard+blue+book), sit down, and take the tests as if they're the real thing. That way, you'll know what you can expect on the SAT and the ACT with your current practice.

It sounds like the ACT is a better option for you, though you should check the standardized test requirements for the colleges you're applying to.

Good luck to you, too.

Going to the doctor isn't just about medicine - you may deserve some accommodations that could help you during testing. I had a 504 during hs that wasn't overly complicated just had me sit in certain area in classroom so I wasn't distracted. (And I think one other condition I ended up never using.) But it was in place in case it needed to be amended as I went through school.

This is the Fisol https://www.amazon.com/Natures-Way-Fisol-Fish-Softgels/dp/B0033ZLV2A/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1485605115&sr=8-1&keywords=fisol&th=1 and my doc had me taking two.

Book on females with ADHD your parents could read b/c I think a lot of people think because you're not bouncing around, impulsively hitting people or really messy (boy stuff lol) then you're fine. My sister is 9 and is so obviously ADHD but it's so different than me https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Girls-AD-Kathleen-Nadeau/dp/0966036654/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1485605161&sr=8-4&keywords=girls+with+add

Please check out my book on Bishop for Kindle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R92Q926 or on paperback https://www.amazon.com/dp/1096435969 hoping to enhance awareness on the the case

Here you go.

Up Your Score: SAT: The Underground Guide, 2016-2017 Edition (Up Your Score: The Underground Guide to the SAT) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0761186158/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_gIIkzb785G1DT

Source

I used this book to practice: https://www.amazon.com/AP-French-Preparing-Language-Examination/dp/0673218473

Don't feel jealous, Actually feel bad for her. She will land up at the bottom on her cohort, will be forced to major in gender studies or some such dumb major and work as a barrista at Star bucks. This is a massive mismatch because that GPA means nothing if she went to a urban or ghetto school. She is going to struggle if she is foolish enough to go there to help UCB look good on it's diversity numbers. She's going to be roadkill so that UCB administrators can feel good about themselves

Read about the UC system in this book

https://www.amazon.com/Mismatch-Affirmative-Students-%C2%92s-Universities/dp/0465029965