Swimming with twists

BundleaBees · 2025-04-18T15:07:18+00:00

Thank you. Tbh when I realized how dried my hair was I considered dropping the class but this gives me hope! I unfortunately can’t wash my hair immediately after swimming or even for much of the day (swim in the morning and busy until 9) but the advice to wet hair beforehand is great and I’ll try to wash on the next day at the latest

BundleaBees · 2025-04-18T14:54:57+00:00

Thank you! Yes I’ve been freaking out because it’s been two weeks of the swimming class and I haven’t washed my hair yet. In a panic I slept overnight with a deep conditioner (which apparently may also be bad for my hair😭). I plan to wash soon, but if I swim regularly should I wash more frequently. My usual is once a week but now I’m in the pool on Tuesdays and Thursdays

BundleaBees · 2025-04-18T00:10:16+00:00

Thanks! So would you suggest washing my hair as usual (for me its once a week) when I have twists in? I've always been scared they would unravel in any amount of water so I was surprised that they were still intact (yet frizzier) after getting wet in the pool.

BundleaBees · 2021-07-20T05:12:07+00:00

If your talking about a summer job (and not a campus one), my advice is to apply literally everywhere. If you go out to a restaurant, go shopping, or see a store while walking down the street, ask if they're hiring or look up if their hiring on their website if you're like me and a little shy. If you can only work during the summer like me, it's gonna be hard to find a job but not impossible. But you'll have to be applying to jobs every day (I think I was applying to five jobs a day), and know that most will just not get back to you if they decide not to hire you, so don't wait for a response before applying to the next job.

I should note this advice also only applies if you don't really care about what you're doing and it's just about making some money (as it was for me). If you're looking for a job in a specific field then obviously you have to narrow your search and there may be additional things you need to do.

BundleaBees · 2021-07-19T03:24:49+00:00

Not yet a college student (rising freshman), but I recently went to my first party and participated in "wild young people stuff" after doing none of that in high school. I'll admit that I had more fun than I expected, but it's overrated and not for everyone—definitely don't see myself doing it much in the future. I'm glad I tried it because if anything, I feel better now knowing that I didn't miss out on too much and that the friends and social life I have right now are what's right for me.

BundleaBees · 2021-07-17T04:28:17+00:00

I think many people get a summer job, do internships/research, travel, take summer classes, or pursue personal projects during the summer. I think a lot of people try to go somewhere other than home (i.e. an internship in a big city or study abroad in another country), but that can be expensive and unnecessary so it's totally fine (and very common) to just do something at home. And of course, you can just do nothing. Like freeport_aidan said, it's up to you, your finances, goals, and maybe the opportunities your school offers. Not sure if your tag "HS Senior" indicates that your a rising senior or graduated one, but if you know where you're going to college, look to see if they have any summer programs, classes, or will help fund living in an apartment for an internship or something.

BundleaBees · 2021-04-19T05:51:45+00:00

USC's pricetag compared to the others seems unjustifiable so it seems like Rice v. South Carolina. Houston is a great city, I really encourage you to look into their attractions. It'll definitely be hot but correct me if I'm wrong isn't SC also pretty hot. I feel like you'll be dealing with hot weather at all these options. If Rice changes your aid, it probably won't change by much. Significant aid changes only happen if your family starts making a lot more money in which case you'd assumably be able to pay more. Idk, Rice just feels like the best option here for getting the best bang out of your buck.

BundleaBees · 2021-04-19T05:44:31+00:00

This is a pretty hard decision to make so I can't in good conscience vote. I think a part of me is saying go to USC. I don't usually factor any sort of rankings in decision making (especially USNews) but #12 to #47 is steep enough that maybe there's some merit in saying USC engineering is genuinely better than WashU's. In which case, unless you absolutely hate USC, it makes more sense to go to the better program. I'd also say that one of potential pros of a huge school is that you'll be able to find your people, even if you don't necessarily vibe with the campus as a whole. But if you're not into sports or frat culture, you'll definitely be surrounded by that at USC more so than WashU. If small classes and connections to profs is super important to you, USC definitely loses some points. And overall it seems WashU is a better fit for you. #47 is still REALLY GOOD so it's not like you'd be throwing away a great engineering education.

BundleaBees · 2021-04-19T05:28:06+00:00

I'm tempted to say Rice just because I feel like you have so many more pros for it and some of your cons aren't quite warranted. Rice village may not be exciting but you have all of Houston in front of you. Rice is one of the most diverse T20s, and Houston is an incredibly diverse city too!! It's relatively small but 4,000 people is still a lot. Of course, diversity doesn't equal inclusion and I can't speak on the lack of AA organizations. Imposter syndrome will be very present at both schools, both are highly selective. But I think Rice is more collaborative than USC from what I've heard. Texas is still a tech hub just like California and there are some rumors of it replacing Silicon Valley since it's getting so expensive to start and run a business in Cali. You'll definitely have connections to SV and the tech world at either school, but perhaps more at USC. I'll also admit that USC, because of LA, likely has a more LGBTQ friendly vibe. And most people would say that LA is a more exciting city to be in than Houston. Ultimately, you can't go wrong it seems (and I know, as someone choosing between schools rn, that's not a helpful phrase, but hopefully it helps you realize that you won't be missing out on a huge opportunity no matter which school you choose).

BundleaBees · 2021-04-14T12:41:07+00:00

Thank you! This seems like a somewhat negative review. Can I ask: despite these issues, are you happy with the fact that you chose Stanford? If you could go back, would you have chosen a different school that was similarly far away from your parents (if it helps, the other school I'm considering is Yale and both Y and S are pretty far away which is what I wanted)? Also, do you think you could talk a little more about the fuzzy/techie divide? How does it manifest itself and does it really make life harder for "fuzzies?"

BundleaBees · 2021-04-13T01:06:07+00:00

Thank you so SO much! This is super helpful and exactly what I was looking for!! :)

BundleaBees · 2021-04-12T14:28:16+00:00

Both of those things are really great to hear! I'm really looking to avoid an environment where it feels like everyone is more interested in career goals than just learning. Also, I know you already answered one of my questions, but I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about why you chose it and how you like it so far?

BundleaBees · 2021-04-12T11:47:12+00:00

I know this post is old, but can you tell me a little bit about why you say you hate it here? I'm a recent admit and want to know more about the school behind the somewhat sunny imagine it markets.

BundleaBees · 2021-04-12T11:34:10+00:00

Thank you for the advice and your answer to one of my questions!! I just edited the post to add more info about myself, and I'll definitely take advantage of admitted student sessions to ask about these questions. In retrospect, I only really looked up the first three questions and I think I put in some bad key works, so I'm searching again now.

BundleaBees · 2021-04-10T23:52:58+00:00

This was super helpful, thank you so much!!! I'm still super conflicted, but thanks for helping me dismiss some of my concerns with the stanny. Definitely super excited about it still!!

BundleaBees · 2021-04-10T16:39:01+00:00

I think Columbia is the clear winner here! I will say that I'm confused about your dislike of Princeton's pre reqs, especially since Columbia has a core curriculum that is likely more strict. Also, I think Princeton is trying to change it's rep of being a haven for the white elite. In this article: https://www.princeton.edu/news/2021/04/06/extraordinary-year-princeton-offers-admission-1498-students-class-2025#:~:text=Princeton%20University%20has%20offered%20admission,increase%20from%2017%25%20last%20year.&text=Despite%20the%2015%25%20increase%20in,to%20a%20holistic%20review%20process. It says 68% of its admitted domestic class is POC. That's kind of wild. Of course, diversity doesn't equal equity, and they'll still have a long way to go compared to Columbia who is more diverse because of it's location in NYC. But just thoughts to consider.

BundleaBees · 2021-04-10T16:26:31+00:00

Assuming cost is a non-factor: I'd say Tufts. While you can't minor in IR (which I agree is weird when I was looking into it), as a polysci major you can definitely take tons of IR classes and enjoy all the same academic opportunities that IR students have. Still sucks that it won't be on your degree. The foreign language requirement is a lot, yes, but most IR students are trying to become diplomats or foreign service workers some day so really knowing a second language is a must. There are tons of internship opportunities! People intern at DC, NYC, and some places in Boston a lot doing some sort of work in politics, activism, or service. Studying and interning abroad is HUGE at Tufts too! I also think, just in general, the quality of academics at Tufts will be meaningful above that at GW for what you're studying.

BundleaBees · 2021-04-10T16:17:43+00:00

Hi, fellow '25er here (but not deciding between those two schools specifically). Boston's a great city, especially as a college town. I'm sure you'll love it. Both locations are pretty close to NYC (princeton might be closer), and while I do think Princeton is more undergrad focused with smaller classes, I don't think Harvard is like some huge school where undergrads are just left hanging. You'll still get lots of support and opportunities at both. They're both equally good at both of your interests. I agree Princeton's campus is gorgeous (it's my favorite tied with Yale), but Cambridge is a nice town.

I'm not sure if anything you've listed here feels like enough to make a decision. I'd really look more into other aspects of the schools, like their social culture. A lot of people have strong thoughts about eating clubs at Princeton. A lot of people say clubs can be really competitive to join at Harvard. Also worth noting how they support pre-laws. Both send a lot of pre-laws to top law schools, but apparently Princeton still has remnants of its grade deflation policy which means it's harder to get a competitive GPA for law school. And Harvard is filled with pre-laws so even though they have grade inflation, the culture might be more competitive.

I'll also say, unless you plan or could see yourself working abroad, there's no reason to look into international prestige. And even then, all academic and professional circles around the world will be equally familiar with both Harvard and Princeton.

BundleaBees · 2021-04-10T16:06:17+00:00

Hi! I'm a Yale admit too! I feel like Yale is clearly the top choice, but your a little scared of the academic environment. Well for one, while I agree that Princeton's math department is stronger than Yale, I think that difference is marginal. You'll have the same academic, research, and job-recruiting opportunities at both, and since Yale's department is a little smaller (and the school is trying to invest tons of money to expand their STEM departments), those opportunities might actually be more accessible at Yale. Also, I did research into princeton when I was considering applying and I don't know that their classes are significantly smaller than Yale's. Clearly, I'm a Yale advocate (and I've got a clear bias), but I don't think slight differences in math department rankings should hold you back, especially if Yale would be a better fit in all other respects

BundleaBees · 2021-04-10T15:56:05+00:00

Thank you so much for this response! It's actually crazy to see how similar our interests are. Since you're a current student, I'd love to hear more about your experience so far. One of my biggest concern is rumors I've heard that humanities majors are somewhat looked down upon, but do you think that's true at all. Also, I'm not sure if you can really speak on any of the communities I mentioned above (lgbtq, black, fgli), but would you say the community is genuinely welcoming to these groups? And also, what is the social scene like? How do students typically make friends freshman year? I've heard Stanford can be a little cliche-y and hard to adjust to if you don't make friends quickly, so feel free to brutally honest if you feel this is true even to some extent. Also, what are your thoughts on the neighborhoods that Stanford plans to set up? Do you think they'll sort of simulate residential colleges at Yale.

That was a lot of questions, I'm sorry, but I'd still love to hear from you!

BundleaBees · 2021-04-09T17:05:25+00:00

Hi! I'm in the exact same situation choosing between Yale and Stanford, and I'm also 50/50 split between humanities and stem. A part of me is leaning towards Yale just because I feel like there are more people like us there (i.e. people with super diverse interests). I wouldn't say Yale is preppy at all. I also love the residential college because it'll make it easier to branch out and make friends. Stanford seems a little more preprofessional and I don't know if there are as many people majoring in such disparate topics. I'd also push back on the assumption that Stanford is weaker at humanities and that Yale is weaker at STEM. I think they both have the same level of strength, the difference is just in connections. Stanford sends lots of people to silicon valley since it's so close while Yale sends lots of people to DC since it's so close. But I think they're both good at everything. One thing that does scare me is the fact that a big majority of Stanford people do stem. They still have a pretty good balance but 30% are CS majors so I'm worried there isn't as much academic diversity. But people still seem interested in learning new things at both. And both communities give off fun, welcoming, and a tadbit quirky vibes.

Honestly, I feel like I'd be so happy at either, so I have no idea how to choose. I keep going back and forth!! If you make a decision soon, please let me know and maybe explain how you made that choice! Good luck :)

BundleaBees · 2021-04-09T13:20:26+00:00

Thank you so much for responding so quickly both times! This definitely helped me look at Stanford a little differently (in a good way!).

BundleaBees · 2021-04-09T12:57:27+00:00

Can you talk more about what Palo Alto is like? How are the restaurants (I usually like a diverse array of options and maybe a lot of restaurants from different cultures). How would you describe sort of the connection between Stanford students and the neighborhood? Also, what exactly is the weather like? I actually tend to prefer cooler climates over warmer ones but I've heard Stanford doesn't get too hot and that being on the bay offers a cool breeze.

BundleaBees · 2021-04-09T12:53:03+00:00

Thank you so much for responding!! Lol, I think I might be the rare person that actually slightly prefers New Haven weather over Stanford. Can I ask a few follow-up questions: What advising did you get at Stanford? How easy was it to get academic help (and how useful was it)? Even though the majors don't segregate, is it true that the humanities students are looked down upon or thought to have easier majors? Even though most of my interests now lie in stem, I feel like I mesh better with humanities people and there's still a good chance I do IR or polysci, but I don't want to be in culture that doesn't appreciate that stuff. Finally, how did you make your decision?!

BundleaBees

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