[Off-Topic] Colleges in the US

[Daniel Schierbeck]

This has absolutely nothing to do with Ruby.
I live Denmark (Scandinavia), where i study at sort of a prep school
(gymnasium). I graduate this June, and I'm hoping to study in the US
afterwards. What I'm interested in knowing about is college. More
specifically, what kinds of things can you study there, how long are the
educations, do you have multiple courses (like, say, philosophy and
math) or just one, and how much does it cost? My grades are pretty good,
so I hope I might get a scholarship. What are the odds there?

Any response would be very helpful! Thank you in advance,
Daniel Schierbeck

 

[Lyle Johnson]

I live Denmark (Scandinavia), where i study at sort of a prep school
(gymnasium). I graduate this June, and I'm hoping to study in the US
afterwards. What I'm interested in knowing about is college. More
specifically, what kinds of things can you study there, how long are the
educations, do you have multiple courses (like, say, philosophy and
math) or just one, and how much does it cost? My grades are pretty good,
so I hope I might get a scholarship. What are the odds there?

You can study all sorts of things in U.S. colleges, but some schools
are generally recognized as "better" for some subjects than others.
I'm not familiar with the terminology used in universities outside of
the U.S., but one typically attends a university for four years to
obtain a Bachelor's degree in one or more major subjects: for example,
a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry, or a Bachelor of Arts
degree in English. Regardless of your choice of major subject,
however, you will take at least some courses from other disciplines;
there's usually a core curriculum of some kind that includes courses
in literature, history, philosophy and so forth.

It costs a bunch of money, especially for private universities. I
think the going rate that I often hear quoted is in the neighborhood
of $20,000 per year. If you attend a state school, and are somehow
able to establish in-state residency, however, that reduces the price
quite a bit. But it still costs a bunch of money.

Competition for academic scholarships is extremely high, and even
higher for athletic scholarships I suppose. Of course, if you don't
apply for those scholarships, you definitely won't win one, so it
doesn't hurt to try.

Good luck!

 

[James Britt]

Lyle Johnson wrote:
...

It costs a bunch of money, especially for private universities. I
think the going rate that I often hear quoted is in the neighborhood
of $20,000 per year. If you attend a state school, and are somehow
able to establish in-state residency, however, that reduces the price
quite a bit. But it still costs a bunch of money.

Competition for academic scholarships is extremely high, and even
higher for athletic scholarships I suppose. Of course, if you don't
apply for those scholarships, you definitely won't win one, so it
doesn't hurt to try.

I've heard that, in many places, scholarships go unused because of
insufficient applicants meeting some special criteria; i.e., skilled
ping-pong players willing to attend Gawdnoswhere U.

Does anyone know of a scholarship clearinghouse where one might look
these up?


James