College Admissions Tips

This is a college admissions tip; an acceptance trick I discovered after attending school at Drexel University in Philadelphia in the early 1970's.  You might think this is old news, but I do know a young friend of mine who took advantage of this collegiate applications tip in the late 70's, and there's no reason it shouldn't work today.  And if you're truly in a hurry here's the tip: College acceptance tips.  But you truly need some background to take advantage of these college admission tips, so please read on!

Also, please see my College expenses tips.

Application to Drexel University (DU)

When I applied to  DU, I applied to the college as a Physics major.  At the time I didn't really know what I wanted to do.  I really had enjoyed playing with electronics a lot more than working with physics.  I believe my father's love of physics is what drove me to apply to the College of Physics at the university.  To find a college was not a problem Penn State, and several others were within a couple hours of my home.

In looking back our family lived in Princeton, New Jersey when I was young.  I just know my father revered Albert Einstein, and who doesn't even today; a brilliant human being.  I believe my father wanted to have a son like Albert!  Sorry didn't quite happen.  So I believe my father's interests are what made me apply as a Physics major to DU.  I also applied to Penn State and was admitted off campus, I wanted on campus, and it was my own fault for applying too late.  Always apply very early to any state or large institution.

It's really a very lucky thing for me, that my college application was for a Physics degree.  I guess my real interest was Electrical Engineering.  Guess what my father did for a living; he was an Electrical Engineer, imagine that.  Why would I like electronics?  Hmm, that's a tough one.

Factors for admission to school

I had done very well in high school physics, I enjoyed the material.  My SAT's were in the 700's for physics.  Are there any tests for electronics in High School?  My other SAT's were far more average.  Had I applied to Drexel as an Electrical Engineer at that time, I would not have been accepted.  It was too competitive a career path.  There were many, many applicants to DU's electrical engineering college.  Electrical Engineering is a good paying career with many diverse avenues of advancement.  Physics on the other hand is not a big career path.  Nothing wrong with it, just far less available for employment.  I believe there were only 30 applicants to the Physics program.  DU's physics program was obviously very small.  Of course many physics majors would be more interested in Penn State.

The College Admission Interview

I believe this interview was very important to my acceptance at DU.  I was verbally clumsy in this interview, but I did ask some acceptable questions.  If I were you I would prepare and go to this interview!  In discussing this later with classmates in Electrical Engineering, many did not go to this interview, but, the successful EE applicants had excellent high school credentials, far better than mine.  My only advantage was excellence in Physics and I strongly believe attendance at this admissions interview was very well received by the Drexel admission office.  It was a sign of respect of the college and its administration.  Go for, and prepare for, this interview if you can.  I don't know if they still do this today or not.  Embarrassingly my mother attended this interview with me.  It may have helped, but it didn't show a lot of independence on my part.

Continued on College Acceptance Tips