h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hey Elentari

I'm subbing your entry on the Merchant Adventurers' Guild Hall - the new copy is @ A7952817. If you'd like to take a look and make sure everything seems all right, I'd be much obliged.

Cool entry!

That looks fine, thanks, evept that one thing occurs to me:

at the very end, when I mention the University, can you link it to www.york.ac.uk for me please? I was thinking about doing it myself beforehand, but decided not to becasue the website is a bit rubbish (trust me, it's my Uni) but it is the official site so it shoud probably go in.

I want to do any entry about the University fairly soon amnyway so I can always replace it later.

No sooner said than done, Elentari. Incidentally, do you know what the 'ac' stands for in the URLs of British universities? I've always wondered.

Is the entry all right to return to the italics, then?

Hi EMR. Was just rereading some old convos and saw that I'd newver answered your question. I've always assumed that it's something to do with 'academia' but I have no idea.

I assume you're going to go to 'college'? Any thoughts on where? You should try to come here, or do a degree with an overseas placement here, given how much of an anglophile you are!

My dream school is McGill University, in Montreal, though I'll be applying to a few different schools in the US and Canada (got another year before I have to worry about it, though). I'd love to do a semester abroad in the UK if I can, but applying to British universities isn't all that feasible from the States because of how different the secondary education system is - we don't have the same system of a standardised curriculum, so I'm not sure how universities there would judge admissions. (Actually, that's an interesting question - I should do some research on the subject.)

It's not unheard of for US students to come to the UK for all 3 years, but it is more common to do a term or a year.

What's so good about McGill then?

Well, first of all it's a very good school - easily on par with the best schools in the US - but its admissions are a bit less competitive, so it's not like applying to Yale - I actually have a chance to get in. Secondly, Montreal is an absolutely gorgeous city and, though I was only there once briefly a few years ago, seems like it would be an awesome place to live. Thirdly, I'm studying French in school, but am thinking about pursuing it more seriously, and where better to do so than in a bilingual city like Montreal? (The university is anglophone, but most of the city is francophone.) Fourthly, I'd like to live in Canada when I grow up (being a dual citizen), so if I go to a Canadian university that's my first step towards getting a Canadian job and establishing myself in the country.

Yeah, I think that's pretty much it.

Well, that sounds like you've given it some serious thought! Good luck! When do you have to apply?

I'm in grade 11 right now, and you do your applications in the autumn/winter of grade 12, the last year of high school. But it's important to start thinking about it now, because your grade 11 school grades and standardised test results are a big factor in where you will get in.

Hi EMR - I'm going through some old convos and from the look of things you might be applying about now, is that right?

Quite right - well, I've started seven applications but there's a long way to go in the process yet.

Hope it goes well for you. You have to do ridiculously detailed applications, with essays and everything, don't you?

Yup - and most require at least two essays, and a full resume of extracurricular activities, awards and honors, work experience... in fact, the only school to which I'm applying that doesn't need all of that is in Canada, McGill University. So there you go.

Ah, that's the one you really want to go to, isn't it?

Those standards as insane! How do you have time to do your senior year when you have to do applications like that?

McGill is up there, though right now my first choice is Swarthmore College, in Pennsylvania. It's a liberal-arts college, so it just teaches undergraduates and it focuses on a comprehensive, rigorous education.

I really don't have time. It's kind of ridiculous. I can't wait until May 1, the national date for deciding where you want to go, because then my worries will (temporarily) be over.