MY COLLEGE ENTRANCE TESTS JOURNEY
Friday, May 17, 2019
Hi! I’ve been meaning to share my
experience about this crazy and super stressful college application period!
Since a new batch of youngbloods will go through the same journey this year, I
thought I would provide some tips and also tell what I did to prepare myself
for the examinations.
INCOMING: A HUGE DISCLAIMER.
This is not me flexing on the internet about how I got into these schools. I really just wanted to share some insight in the process. :)
INCOMING: A HUGE DISCLAIMER.
This is not me flexing on the internet about how I got into these schools. I really just wanted to share some insight in the process. :)
II. What Schools Did I Apply
to?
This is quite a confusing story.
Last year, I was sure that I was going to apply to the big 4 universities. Aside
from those schools, I spent weeks searching universities to find what
environment and course that would suite me best.
Originally,
I planned to apply to 6 schools: Ateneo
de Manila University (ADMU), De
Lasalle University (DLSU), Pamantasan
ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM), Polytechnic
University of the Philippines (PUP), University
of the Philipines (UP), and University
of Santo Tomas (UST).
Due to financial reasons I was only able to
complete my application to ADMU, UP, PUP and PLM. Take note when taking
entrance exams, more often than not, if the school is a private institution
there is a fee that you’ll need to pay in order to take the test. For private
universities such as ADMU, DLSU and UST I think the payment is 500-700 pesos.
Since I was a very broke high school student I only applied to one private
university which is Ateneo.
So, yay, I completed my application these 4
schools BUT I only took 2 of the exams. I took the Ateneo College Entrance Test
(ACET) and University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT). Let me tell you why.
I.I Taking the ACET
Most universities make use of
online portals for their application forms. For example, in DLSU you just need
to upload and type in your information to get an exam permit. While in UP,
UST,PUP and PLM you just need to type in your information, print out the form
and submit it to the testing center. ACET is not the same. You have the print
out the blank application forms and write the information yourself. Therefore,
it requires more patience to accomplish. Since I applied for a financial Aid I
had to fill out twice the # of papers a normal taker would fill out. So, that’s
fun.
Aug 31, 2018 I submitted my application to
the provincial testing site. This is actually the deadline of applications and
I am not proud of that (HAHA). Fast forward to September 22 I took the ACET. By
this point I already knew I was going to apply to 4 schools. Fast forward to
January 9, 2019 I got my results. I found out I got into my first course (yay!)
and I qualified for the financial aid (double yay!) After knowing that I got
into ADMU, I decided not to take the PUPCET any longer.
I.II Taking the UPCAT
Online application started on
July 15, 2018. As soon as it was announced I immediately did all the typing and
printing needed. But, some struggles were met during this time because quite a
number of students from my school applied to UP and you need to submit a copy
of grades from grade 9 to grade 11. In my school the process of getting these
numbers, verifying them and having them signed by the principal is SO LONG. So,
I also was able to submit my application last minute (LOL HELP). Around
September I was supposed to take the UPCAT but due to weather discrepancies the
tests were moved in October. By April 1st, I got my results.
At this point of time because I had Ateneo and UP. I decided to withdraw my application from PLM.
II. What Schools YOU NEED to
Apply to.
One can get easily overwhelmed
by the number of universities in the Philippines. While it’s good to apply TO
ALL OF THEM and have options, I think it’s best to filter the schools that best
fit your needs and the course you’ll take.
Apply
to schools that:
1.
Fit your career choice - For example, I wanted to purse medicine
and specifically I wanted courses synonymous to Physical Therapy. Therefore, I
only applied to universities that are inclined with the course. You can’t be
vying into Agricultural courses and apply to a prestigious university without
that specific course, right?
2.
You can afford – Let’s face it. You can’t pursue a college
education in a university you can barely afford. When applying to schools, look
at their tuition fees. If you think your family won’t be able to sustain the
price, then I advise you to look for other schools.
3.
Offer scholarships – This is a vital thing. When you think
you’re qualified and capable for getting a scholarship. Go for it! This is
another way of getting into schools whose tuition fees are through the roof. I
personally chose to only apply to Ateneo because the scholarship application
was a guarantee compared to other schools where you have to enroll first before
qualifying to apply for one. Like I said, I’m a poor nerd.
4.
You can live in – You will spend a good amount of time in
your chosen university. Think if you’re parents will allow you to be in a dorm
( if you live in the province) or if YOU can live away from your family for a
good 4-5 years. This may seem like such a trivial thing to consider, but trust
me, think about it.
III. Preparing for the Exam
Okay. Here’s a real talk: no matter how hard you
study for these entrance tests, you will never be 100% ready. I say that with
confidence. The range of topics you have to study is ginormous that I don’t
recommend reviewing topics you don’t even understand in the first place. I
think it’s best to go back to your basics and start from there.
I don’t think I am even qualified
enough to be giving this “advice” because around the CET/ preparation season my
physical and mental health weren’t the best. But trying MY BESTEST (that is not
a word but you get my point) did I do!
In summary, I joined 2 intense
group reviews:
1.
UP
Communication Research Society CEER which was a 4 Saturday intense review
session that had mock exams, discussions, seminars and even a tour of UP
Diliman. The fee is 600 pesos for the 4 whole Saturdays with the inclusion of printed
reviewers.
2.
UP Mi-
abeyabe CEER- this was a 2 day review conducted in Pampanga High School (PHS) by
the students of the UPLB org. It includes mock tests, discussions and a career
talk. The fee is I think 200 pesos if you don’t attend PHS but if you do it’s
for free. The printed reviewers are paid separately.
Aside from those two, I never enrolled myself
in a review center because I had no money to do so and because I knew I had all
the resources in the world to study for myself and with my peers. I thought
that paying 5,000 was not worth it. However, if you think you’re not confident
enough to study on your own and you believe you need an extra boost in
memorizing formulas, then go ahead and enroll in these review centers ultimately
if you have all the means to do so. We all have different methods / phase of
studying. You do you bro.
Instead what I did was
download lots of practice exams, watch lots of crash course and khan academy
videos, and refresh my mind of basic science concepts and math formulas. Later,
you will see helpful resources I used in reviewing.
As much as I would love to
share a routine pattern or a schedule of my readings and reviews, I can’t. Well,
I tried having a regular and fixed schedule where I will read everything about
this subject today and that tomorrow but because I had to juggle school and my
constant self-deprecating tendencies I just studied and read my notes whenever and
wherever I can.
IV. TIPS
11 APPLY
FOR SCHOLARSHIPS – I can not stress this enough. There are tons of
organizations, government sectors, and private organizations who are willing to
help you fund your education. You just must be patient with all the requirements
and be aware of all the deadlines. You won’t lose anything if you try. The worst
case scenario is you not being a recipient ( no big deal ) and the best case? You,
receiving money for studying HARD.
22. DON’T
RUSH YOUR APPLICATIONS – If you found out that the university your eyeing
already started its application period, get your ass off your bed and start
working. Remember that you’re not the only one applying which means all the legal
papers and documents you need won’t be easy to get. It will most likely look
like hunger games in the faculty of your high school when the crunch time
comes. So, before that happens, do your WORK.
33. YOUR FRIENDS
ARE YOUR SAVIORS – Study groups can go into 2 directions. Either, productive
where all of you learn from one another, or counterproductive where everyone is
on his/her phone while eating junk food. I hope you have friends who’ll fall on
the former because studying with peers is such a great way of sharing knowledge
and at the same time having a better grasp of hard to understand topics.
44. THE
INTERNET IS HEAVEN – Basically, everything you’ll ever need in order to learn is
within your fingertips. There are countless of google drive accounts having multiple
folders of mock exams, lectures and notes that you could use. I’ll drop some of
the ones I used last year here
REVIEWERS
AND READINGS (@jaja_pogss on twitter) - https://twitter.com/jaja_pogss/status/1038110780128866304
GEOMETRY
FORMULA SHEET (@UPCATQuestion on
twitter) - https://twitter.com/UPCATQuestion/status/1025652497573019648
REVIEWERS AND
READINGS ( @dapithapon on twitter) - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1EpUKzKq13gj1ne4OVXrIicFWkPpBRi2G
UPCAT AND
USTET TIPS (@carmeljoy_ on twitter) - https://twitter.com/carmeljoy_/status/1008300386464120833
CRASH COURSE
- https://www.youtube.com/user/crashcourse
KHAN ACADEMY
- https://www.youtube.com/user/khanacademy
Also, I found this cool website
called Edukasyon.ph . It’s a
site where you can find all the information you need about different colleges,
universities, courses, and even scholarships! I’m actually sad that I didn’t
discover it sooner. It’s a huge help for students who are clueless what course
to take and where to pursue it.
55. TALK
TO YOUR TEACHERS – They are there to help you whether you have a problem with your
application or you have a hard time figuring out what course to pursue. Don’t
be shy and/or ashamed to approach a professional. The next 4-5 years of your life
will be invested in the school/course you’ll put in that paper. Make sure it’s
worth it.
66. DON’T
STRESS, FINESSE – This last one is a scam. Whatever strategy you have, you will
stress BUT the thing you must do is keep that simmering taunting voice in check.
Whenever you feel like you’re the stupidest student to ever exist, don’t worry,
every single one of your classmates probably feels the same way. There is no
shortcut in the college application process. So, if you’re feeling like you’ll
never get into a school and you’re in the verge of giving up, keep going! I
swear it will be worth it in the end.
I am more than satisfied and thankful that I am attending a great school this coming august. I hope this will help you in your application process. If you have any comments or questions please
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