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Old 03-27-2011, 07:05 PM
 
3 posts, read 20,068 times
Reputation: 10

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Hey everybody! I've been kinda lurking for a while, but figured I might ask some questions.

I'm in 11th grade in Colorado and looking at colleges - Hawai'i seemed interesting to me.

I've heard a lot about the dilapidated dorms, but have a lot of them been upgraded? Do you only have one roommate for the most part?

What kind of restaurants and activities are nearby (excluding surfing)?

If I'm very white-skinned, would I get any grief for my skin? I'm usually pretty quite and non-belligerent, but just to make sure

Not sure if anybody would know this, but being academically gifted (having a 35 ACT composite) and wanting to use WUE, can the two scholarships combine (if I get an academic scholarship) or can I only choose one?

Would you suggest visiting Hawai'i first if I haven't before? My family doesn't have a lot of money to spend, so I'd be looking for some easy way to get a tour if I needed to.

Was it hard for you to adjust being away from the mainland and so far away from your friends and family? And was it difficult to make new friends once you got to Hawai'i?

Also, I think the language is pretty interesting...would I be able to pick it up just from everyday life or have to learn it a little to use it, such as pidgin(sp?)?


Thanks for any and all help!
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Old 03-27-2011, 08:06 PM
 
Location: Molokai, HI
229 posts, read 924,922 times
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Hi, Watson02, there are some people associated with UH who will likely be along shortly. I wonder if you can give us a little more info. What are you thinking of studying? Where are you in Colorado--a rural area or urban? (I came to HI from Ft. Collins, and my son looked at Manoa before deciding on CSU) How you adjust will depend somewhat on your experience so far.

you already know about WICHE/WUE. That's good. It's not a scholarship program as much as it is a discount program for Western states kids. In-state tuition rates plus half-again, as I remember. I can't speak to need-based grants, but it shouldn't get in the way of merit scholarships.

Regarding language, Standard English will be all you need for college. Being a non-local white kid trying to speak pidgin may make you stand out in ways you don't want to stand out, if you know what I mean. You'll pick up a few words over time, as you need 'em.

Tell us a little more about your plans.

Last edited by lauleahere&there; 03-27-2011 at 08:11 PM.. Reason: added information
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Old 03-27-2011, 08:25 PM
 
3 posts, read 20,068 times
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I'm pretty set on Pre-Med, double major in biology and chemistry, but not completely sure about that yet. But pre-med for sure. I'm southeast of Denver in the suburbs, so not too urban.

I've swam ever since I can remember, so I like the water and would love to take up surfing, snorkeling, etc.

It seems like one of my only problems would be the sun... I don't tan easily! But I guess that could be rectified... SPF HEAVEN!
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Old 03-27-2011, 11:16 PM
 
Location: Molokai, HI
229 posts, read 924,922 times
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OK, you're not from the eastern plains. Honolulu would be something of a culture shock after a place like Sterling or Limon.

If your folks don't have a lot of cash to spare, I'd suggest that even with WUE, you may find U-H a little pricey when you factor in a couple of extra thousand dollars for trips home at Christmas and summer. It's a long way for a freshman and you can't just hitch a ride. Not saying you shouldn't do it, but you should take it into consideration. Will you want to see your family more than once or twice a year?

As for visiting, you really should try to get to campus if you're serious about attending, but you can find a ton of images online in the meantime.

I can't speak to dorm life there, sorry. Keep checking back on this thread, I'm sure somebody with direct experience can give you the info you're looking for.

You said you're a top student. Did you apply for the Boettcher Scholarship? Full tuition to a Colorado university--you can't beat that. Best of luck with your search. It'll be an intense couple of years, for certain.
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Old 03-28-2011, 12:17 AM
 
Location: Southwest France
1,413 posts, read 3,218,662 times
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Frear Hall is the newest dorm, it was built 2 yrs ago. There are singles, doubles & quads. These are the only dorms with a/c. The others are being renovated, one at a time, so its hard to say what you'd end up in. Frear is a bit more expensive, so some kids don't even sign up on the wait list.

One thing about being pre-med.....priority for med school goes to HI residents.
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Old 03-28-2011, 03:53 AM
 
117 posts, read 543,730 times
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the freshman dorms have been "repaired," per se
the sophomore dorms are brand new. the roomate situation depends if your willing to spend $$$ to be alone or have one roomate, surf the UH website
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Old 03-28-2011, 11:36 AM
 
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I'd probably only see my family twice a year at Christmas and summer at most colleges I went to unless they were very close by.

If I wanted the pre-med undergrad program would I still have a pretty good chance of getting in even though I'm not a HI native? I'm not totally planning on going to med. school in Hawaii, but I'm not saying it's not a possibility.

So as a freshman I couldn't get the new dorm? I guess I'm okay with getting a repaired one, I just heard lots of horror stories about bugs and the buildings falling apart when they had the old ones.

What would be the cheapest way to get out there? Hawaiian Airlines?
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Old 03-28-2011, 11:41 AM
 
674 posts, read 1,452,585 times
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If you got a 35 composite (out of 36) you should have just about any university knocking your door down to go. I WOULD NOT bother with UH Manoa.

Seriously, with that ACT score, and with a decent GPA (3.5 or better), you should be looking at some of the more elite schools, and going to the best school that offers you the best financial aid package. Private schools usually do better with FinAid packages than publics.

Especially if you're wanting pre-med. Don't underestimate the power of your college brand. It's not everything but it helps immensely, even if you don't go to medical school.
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Old 03-28-2011, 01:29 PM
 
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If you're interested in going to Med School, UH has a pretty good one and a lot of students who graduate from UH do feed into it.
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Old 03-28-2011, 01:40 PM
 
Location: Molokai, HI
229 posts, read 924,922 times
Reputation: 209
Quote:
Originally Posted by watson02 View Post

What would be the cheapest way to get out there? Hawaiian Airlines?
Not necessarily. Hawaiian doesn't fly out of Denver, so you'd have to get to Vegas or somewhere in California to connect. Some airlines fly nonstop from Denver to Honolulu. Do your homework on the airfare aggregators like Travelocity.

Bugs? well, it doesn't matter much how new the building is, in a climate like Hawaii. You will see bugs. You get used to it.

It can't hurt to apply, even if you ultimately decide to go somewhere else. But do your own research; work with your folks and your guidance counselor or someone you trust. Deciding on the basis of the advice of random people on an internet forum, well, you're too smart for that, right?
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