I am trying this one again.


How do Bahamian kids manipulate the college application maze?

Is it hit or miss?

Do they pick a college or hope for the best?

Who helps with SATs and essays and such?


Would parent's pay for a college admissions advisor?

i needed decent SAT and ACT scores to go to college in the u.s, having been educated overseas (here). my first year of transition was pretty rough, though ... did brilliantly in literature, arts and humanities. positively sucked at mathematics, and had to hire a tutor.

Only test carried any weight fer me was the GRE. . .BEFORE OR AFTER. . .teen made no difference!

Only test carried any weight fer me was the GRE. . .BEFORE OR AFTER. . .teen made no difference!


is that the test for master's programs?

is that the test for master's programs?


Yep, but the SAT's are required for the good universities

Yep, but the SAT's are required for the good universities



It can also make a difference at the average uni's.

A Bahamian kid with only one BGCSE but with an above average SAT score can still get into a decent college.

Babychase, would you and your family have paid for a college consultant to walk you through the process, help you with everything and perhaps get you into an ivy?

SAT scores were required for all of the US universities that I was interested in. Even COB accepts students with a score of 1000 or higher on the SAT (without BGCSEs).

It can also make a difference at the average uni's.

A Bahamian kid with only one BGCSE but with an above average SAT score can still get into a decent college.

Babychase, would you and your family have paid for a college consultant to walk you through the process, help you with everything and perhaps get you into an ivy?


Um, I doubt it...but I was able to get into the next tier just below the Ivy League schools (the Tufts, Lehigh, Bucknell, Penn State etc) so I didnt do so bad...considering that I didnt even study for the SAT's.

SAT scores were required for all of the US universities that I was interested in. Even COB accepts students with a score of 1000 or higher on the SAT (without BGCSEs).


Didnt they change the scoring. When I sat them it was a maximum of 1600 but I think that it is 2400 or something like that now.

SAT scores were required for all of the US universities that I was interested in. Even COB accepts students with a score of 1000 or higher on the SAT (without BGCSEs).


Lovely would you have used a college consultant?



I read that over 1/2 of the incoming classes at Harvard, Stanford and Princton used a consultant. Even U of Texas and U of Virginia and the other tough in-state school have seen the bump in their use.

Just curious.


(Babychase, "The New SAT" is scored out of 2400)

No, I don't think I would use one. I was satisfied to attend the college fair, do my own research, and apply to the schools I was interested in.

I forgot for a moment that they added the essay portion. When my father called me with my brother's score, I nearly lost my mind, thinking that he scored super high, forgetting that it is now out of 2400. I couldn't understand why my dad was so upset, and I was so thrilled. LOL

b/c I went to school in the state of florida and I knew where I was going (I only applied one place) so my story is a hell of a lot different...we had resources readly available...but had I had a consulant I woulda really got a free ride and more money! (even though I got one anyway) (http://portal.dadeschools.net/Parents/cap.htm)

in high school we had a cap advisor (june jacobs) (http://turnertechcap.com/)and she was so helpful--she had an an office in the main office (redundance i know) and there were SAT prep books, application, college catalogs from anywhere you wanted to go...etc etc all to help us plan our future...all provided for free! I remember there was a board on her office doors where we all would sign when we got our acceptance letter---mind this was march or late april and I een send my application in yet (but I just knew they was gah accept me (I went on a college tour and went to meet the registrar in his office and introduced myself (I was so bold) the next week I got word back and ive been bleeding orange and green ever since!...they even had a CAP Grant (http://66.34.91.230/students/application.pdf)that all of us could apply for and get--if we had need funded throught the knight foundation---een no reason why all bahamian high schools shouldnt have his vital service (http://66.34.91.230/index.php)or at least one seminar/workshop per semester on college preparedness and what you need to be doing for 11th and 12th graders...or like a weekend college camp---when im in nassau on my downtime I dnt mind providing my services for free--I believe in an education and the opportunities that eminate from it.

that aside,
what I find with bahamian students (just from observation) they go where they get the most money(probable have to do with quotas) or stay close to home(miami)- which is understandable.

...from my observation I feel that bahamians dont think school recogntion, national rankings, research dollars, they think degree(mr forbes may be able to shed some light on this) and that's all when its not so...so many people I hear coming from these no name schools- its rather astonishing for me...st john's alum heading one of the biggest banks (GTFOH) and a nova mba having pull (trash can heizenger money een old or prestigious believe what you want) i wryly smile as Im not one to knock education and I would be remiss w/o stating that I do have an inherent bias (SAY IT WITH ME: if you ddnt go to famu you ddnt go to college!!!!) :)

im exhausted. lol

Nova's med school is getting good reviews and slowly gaining serious recognition though. The school is getting its own hospital in the next 5 years. (Some of the BEST residents I've worked with were NSU grads!)

The undergrad programs are doing well too.

MBA, dunno.

I went to Nebraska, Texas and Georgia so I can't talk rank.

I DO feel more Bahamians should explore college other than those in Georgia and Florida.

We need some Die-were-city! LOL

well, i got more diversity than i planned for, heading to north carolina :gi: ... the ku klux klan and the communists duked it out in greensboro my sophomore year, and SIX people were killed. until then, i had kinda thought that the klan was underground if at all still beating.

but, back to the regularly-scheduled programming, currently in progress. yes, we had great guidance counsellors who helped us, although i was prolly too young at the time to really appreciate what they had to offer.

well, i got more diversity than i planned for, heading to north carolina :gi: ... the ku klux klan and the communists duked it out in greensboro my sophomore year, and SIX people were killed. until then, i had kinda thought that the klan was underground if at all still beating.
but, back to the regularly-scheduled programming, currently in progress. yes, we had great guidance counsellors who helped us, although i was prolly too young at the time to really appreciate what they had to offer.


LOL say KKK....well I never had to witness any of that in PA where 99.9% of the students were white.