College Application Process
The process of applying to college can be a daunting task that can cause one to feel waves of conflicting emotions. As the applicant, you might feel excited at the thought of graduating from high school, entering a new world and gaining a new level of independence. The next moment, you might feel anxious about how to choose the best college, how to navigate paying for your education and fear over whether or not you will be accepted. Needless to say, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and put off taking the necessary steps to ensure all tasks and deadlines are properly met. In an ever increasing competitive world for gaining admission to college, here are some tips on what you can do to effectively manage the college application process:
1- Start early! Begin the process your freshman year by honing in and developing your activities, community involvement and areas of interest. Your interests and activities will be essential to creating a well-rounded “package” that captures the attention of the admission officers. In addition to good grades and test scores, it is your passion and commitment to activities outside of the standard classroom that will enable you to distinguish yourself from the pack. If your school doesn’t have a sports team or club you like, create your own, find a hobby and do it outside of school or get involved in your community. Determine what you like to do and go do it! Be aware that colleges have quotas they must adhere to and will only accept certain number of kids per school, per region, so it may not always be the perfect school record that will gain you admission. Start researching colleges in your sophomore year to get an idea of what schools are out there and what kind of students they accept. Making an effort to do your research will ensure that you have a clear understanding of what your preferred colleges will be expecting, and what types of colleges appeal to you.
2- Begin a detailed record that tracks your accomplishments, interests, memorable moments and highlights in both your personal and academic life. For example, how you felt when you experienced completing a project that at first, seemed like too great of a challenge. Perhaps it could be trying out for a team, auditioning for a play or maybe the band. One of the pivotal moments in my high school experience was competing for a spot on the Varsity dance team at 15 years old and as a new student to the school. Although I successfully made the team, unfortunately, I remember very little of the actual experience and what I went through to get where I did. It is moments like these will define you as individual and provide you with a great resource for those college essays. Having a record of what you have experience over the years will give you an extra edge over the competition when it comes to answering those essay questions, and doing well during interviews with the school admissions officers.
3- Create a list of about 15 schools including reaches and safeties. This list will provide you with a clear reference point in which to direct your energy and work towards. Begin to narrow down your selections as you enter senior year.
4- Be organized. Create a list of deadlines and requirements for each school on your target list. Go on the school websites and review the content. Don’t forget to include deadlines pertaining to financial aid so you know what to do if you are accepted, or if you are applying for student loans. An organized list of deadlines will ensure that you avoid adding pressure to yourself by waiting until the deadlines are upon you.
5- Contact the schools on your list, and set up phone or in person meetings with the admissions counselor for the colleges at the top of your list. By engaging in a personal exchange with the admissions department you will give yourself a chance to make a personal impression that may not be accomplished via paper.
6- Start obtaining letters of recommendation. Reach out to your teachers, community and business leaders who you admire and can vouch for you. Inquire about your letters of recommendation as early as your Junior year, as you can’t control whether the person you ask says yes or no, or completes the letter in a timely fashion. You don’t want to fail at meeting an application deadline because you were waiting on a letter from someone.
7- If you find a school you love by all means apply early. There are two kinds of early application processes, early decision and early action. Early decision is binding, and with this process if you are accepted, you agree to go to that school even if you later on get accepted to another school. Early action is non-binding and allows you to apply to more than one school. Regardless of which one you choose, applying early will show the college how committed you are to joining their institution.
8- Finally, before you send anything off, do not forget to have another person look over each of your applications to make sure everything has been completed as instructed, and to review your essays for any overlooked errors. Additionally, do not forget to photocopy everything so that you have copies of your application in case anything is lost.
Just like adults have resumes for a job, think of your high school experience as your resume for applying to college. During the application process, you are selling yourself while also showcasing strengths and skills, and what is unique about you and your life. As much as you are searching for a school that is good for you, remember, they are searching for students that are good for them- you must ask yourself, “What would this college want in a student?” Remember, the admissions officers do not know you like your friends, family and teachers do, and you will be compared to students all over the country, therefore you must be proactive on figuring out what can you do to separate yourself from the masses. Quite bluntly, there are plenty of students out there with good test scores and grades, so what is going make you better or more appealing applicant than your peer? If you can show something that is interesting about yourself, a hobby or project you are passionate about, the ability to commit and follow through with your activities, then you will set yourself apart and be on the path towards gaining admission to the college of your choosing.