Since most of my likes on Facebook are from Arcadia High School seniors, I thought it might be helpful to write a reflections post on my college applications experience.
My Experience
I am someone who gets cold easily, so I only applied to the California schools including all of the UCs, USC, Claremont, and Stanford. I got into most of the UCs, but not UCLA or Berkeley. While I didn't get into Claremont and Stanford, I got into my dream school USC. Given the schools I applied to, I just had to do the UC and Common App and each private school had additional essays.
Criteria
While I can't say I'm an expert in college admissions, I can tell you the information I know based on my experience and research. Here are some of the main things that colleges seem to base their criteria on:
- GPA
- SAT and Subject Score
- Activities/Volunteering *Leadership looks best
- Essay
Steps to Take
1. Figure out which colleges you want to apply to. Don't bother applying to colleges that you know you wouldn't attend even if you got in. I made the mistake of wasting lots of money applying to all the UCs. You can have a general idea of if you fit the range of the colleges you are interested in by looking at their freshman profile. A safe way to break it down would be to have a few in each of these categories:
2. Determine what major you want to apply under. It is much easier going in with a set major than being undeclared and then having to apply to get into that major-- especially if it's competitive. Of course, it's sometimes hard to know what you want to do as a high school senior, so whatever you choose doesn't have to be concrete. There's an option to switch majors in college, but depending where you go and what major it is, it might be difficult.
3. Prepare everything you need to apply. This includes transcripts, SAT scores, and asking teachers for letter of recommendations. For the recommendations, find out from the colleges how many they recommend or require.
4. Determine what applications you need to fill out and supplements you need to submit. UC, Common App, etc.
5. Get started! The hardest thing is getting started, but start early. You'll be so much happier that you finished when a wind storm knocks out Arcadia's electricity the week applications are due. Ahem that windstorm when you were freshman and I was a senior.
6. Proofread, but don't go crazy. While proofreading is important, don't proofread too much or you'll go insane. It's really easy to hate your essay and want to start over multiple times... or have your parent make you in fear that it's not good enough. After you write your essays and are happy with what you have, don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. My Elite counselor told me that my essay was terrible, but it was the one I felt reflected me the best and I turned it in. Honestly, if you get in or not, it's most likely not the essay that will be the definite determinant. Most of us by the time we reach high school have not done anything extraordinarily significant and that's perfectly fine. We're only 17 or 18 by the time we graduate, so just present who you are and what you've done over the short lifespan of your lives.
7. Submit, make copies, and get confirmations. Make sure you have both a digital and printed copy of everything in case something goes wrong after you submit your applications. Make sure you also get a confirmation that your application was received from each of the colleges that you applied to.
8. Relax. Seriously. I know it's difficult waiting it out until April, but you've worked hard for the past 3 years. Senior year is the last time to relax before things get serious in college. Yes, people party in college, but the difference is that you have to actually start thinking about the real world and getting a job. Senior year is the time when you can actually think about nothing once you finish your applications, so make the most of it and have fun!
- Unattainable, but I'm going to apply because I'm interested and have slight hope that I might make it in: these are colleges where the GPA and SAT are pretty high over your current scores
- Reachable and probably the school I'm going to go to: the colleges that your scores fit into
- Safety schools: the schools where your scores are way above, so there's a safe bet that you'll get in for sure
2. Determine what major you want to apply under. It is much easier going in with a set major than being undeclared and then having to apply to get into that major-- especially if it's competitive. Of course, it's sometimes hard to know what you want to do as a high school senior, so whatever you choose doesn't have to be concrete. There's an option to switch majors in college, but depending where you go and what major it is, it might be difficult.
3. Prepare everything you need to apply. This includes transcripts, SAT scores, and asking teachers for letter of recommendations. For the recommendations, find out from the colleges how many they recommend or require.
4. Determine what applications you need to fill out and supplements you need to submit. UC, Common App, etc.
5. Get started! The hardest thing is getting started, but start early. You'll be so much happier that you finished when a wind storm knocks out Arcadia's electricity the week applications are due. Ahem that windstorm when you were freshman and I was a senior.
6. Proofread, but don't go crazy. While proofreading is important, don't proofread too much or you'll go insane. It's really easy to hate your essay and want to start over multiple times... or have your parent make you in fear that it's not good enough. After you write your essays and are happy with what you have, don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. My Elite counselor told me that my essay was terrible, but it was the one I felt reflected me the best and I turned it in. Honestly, if you get in or not, it's most likely not the essay that will be the definite determinant. Most of us by the time we reach high school have not done anything extraordinarily significant and that's perfectly fine. We're only 17 or 18 by the time we graduate, so just present who you are and what you've done over the short lifespan of your lives.
7. Submit, make copies, and get confirmations. Make sure you have both a digital and printed copy of everything in case something goes wrong after you submit your applications. Make sure you also get a confirmation that your application was received from each of the colleges that you applied to.
8. Relax. Seriously. I know it's difficult waiting it out until April, but you've worked hard for the past 3 years. Senior year is the last time to relax before things get serious in college. Yes, people party in college, but the difference is that you have to actually start thinking about the real world and getting a job. Senior year is the time when you can actually think about nothing once you finish your applications, so make the most of it and have fun!
General Tips
- Start early. As said earlier, you won't regret it
- Be honest. Colleges can see through fluff. You also want to present yourself in a way that represents you because it's not just about getting into the best school. It's about you finding the best fit. You not being accepted for being you might just mean that you didn't fit there, but you might end up being happier than you think at the school you do get into.
- Be passionate. Tell a story about what motivates you and what you enjoy. This might also help you figure out what major you're interested in.
- Show examples. It's one thing to say that you're a leader-- it's another to tell why you're a leader.
- Relax. I know it feels like a really big deal, but honestly, you'll be happy with wherever you go. If not, you could always transfer after two years... However, from my friends that didn't go to their top choice, they've actually found really great programs and opportunities that they wouldn't have otherwise gotten.
Final Words
Sorry this was really longwinded and if it has typos or grammatical errors. I've actually been kind of busy, so I was rushing to have this done and scheduled for my weekly blog post. Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions or contact me through the contact form. Also, here are some of my favorite photos from the senior sessions I've been taking.
Good luck seniors!
Good luck seniors!