Hey guys. New member here, signed up because I'm wanting to do a BA at UQ next year, and need some college advice. Also because it seems like a friendly forum
.
As I'm based in Hobart, I am incredibly excited by the idea of moving to a larger city and having to learn my way around from scratch. Getting into a college would make this experience all the more sweet.
Firstly, there's no way I want to go to an all-boys' college. I love women. In fact, I'd be up for going to an all-girls' college, but I don't think this option is available to me
.
I am therefore left with the following options:
Cromwell College
Union College
International House
St John's College
Emmanuel College
You'll be pleased to know that I've read all 9 pages of this thread, so I'm aware of what people think about each of these. I would like some first-hand experience and objective discussion to help me choose a college, and to sort out some questions I have about them. Many thanks in advance, lovely people.
My initial attraction, upon skimming the brochures for the co-eds, and looking at the pictures, was to Cromwell. The rooms look nice, clean and modern, and the rest of the college seems to be up-to-date, with good facilities.
On the flipside, it seems to have a very Christian focus. While being raised a Christian, I am not particularly religious, and consider myself predominantly atheistic. The website says that all religions are respected, but I still feel as though I may get annoyed, if the level of Christian focus is too intense. Past residents, how much do you think Christianity is part of the college's atmosphere? Do the Christian backgrounds of many students affect their ability to party, drink and have a good time? (I'm going for the whole American Pie experience
)
Additionally, according to this thread, it seems as though the college is very elitist and difficult to get into. My academic results are nothing to write home about (expecting a TER of about 85), and it seems as though this would let me down. I am pretty well-rounded in other areas (performing arts, running, good reading & writing, etc.), but it seems to me that my lack of academic performance would severely impair the likelihood of me getting in, even if I did apply super-early (as in, June/July).
Considering that, perhaps it would be a better idea for me to give Cromwell a miss and apply directly to one of the less competitive colleges. Although I have heard (in this thread) that Cromwell forwards details of failed applicants onto their next preferences, that would probably not happen until very close to the end of the year, reducing my chances of getting into my second or third choice via this route.
I'm really not sure about my second choice at this stage. While several of you seem very positive about International House, the rest seem to think that it is the worst of the worst. I'd like to hear some more evidence from both sides, because I don't want to be stuck in a bad college, but I would quite like mixing with international students.
My main disinclination to apply to St John's is that, as it has only recently become co-educational, there are apparently many more males in attendance than females. Does anyone have any evidence about this, maybe admission numbers from recent years? I don't mind having more men than women, as long as it is not too unbalanced, if I would stand a better chance of getting in.
I think it was Union that was apparently very similar to a prison (I'm not going back a second time to check
). This also wouldn't worry me too much if my chances of getting in were higher.
Could someone provide a bit of insight as to how the colleges rank in terms of competition? I'd like to know the ones that would provide me a higher chance of getting in, considering my relatively weak TER. Is it even worth considering Cromwell with a score of 85?
Thanks all, I look forward to your input!
All the best,
Franklint
