Senior Testimonial and Advice for the College Application Process, Part 4

I asked a number of Class of 2015 seniors to write about their experiences with the college process. This next one is by William Hatheway of NYC. Enjoy!

The college process is a very exciting and important part of high school.  It is necessary to spend the time on it because it does decide the next, very pivotal, four years of your life.  It is a time-consuming process, but it is well worth it in the end.

For students just starting the process, it is never too early to start the process.  I would also say to just research colleges based on what you’re interested in studying.  Colleges that you’ve never heard of might make it to your final list as they did on mine.  You’ll be surprised how many schools are out there that have what you’re interested in, so just research all of the schools and add them to your list.  Do not dismiss a school because it may not be ranked high, or not hard to get into.   It is not so much about the name of the school, but rather about finding the right fit for you.

The most difficult part of the process is filling out all of the applications. They are very time-consuming and often require much thought and care.  Essays and supplements deserve their due diligence because they can really make or break your application. This is the chance to set yourself apart from the rest of the applicants by showing your true voice and interests.  Be personal with the supplements and appeal to what the specific school has to offer because this shows much more of a genuine interest in each school.

Visiting schools is very important because it shows a strong interest to the school, and you can really get a feel for the school to see if you truly like it. There is no point in applying to schools that you wouldn’t want to go to, so get out there and experience the schools for yourself.  I visited schools throughout the spring and summer. I wrote draft essays over the summer, which I highly recommend doing because it frees up a lot of time when school starts.  I finalized my list in September and started to work on all of the applications on the Common App. I worked during my free periods, which was very useful because I did not end up having to do much at home.  Take advantage of all of the free time you have, and use it constructively.  It will be worth it in the end.

The College Essay…Updated Prompts, But Still As Important As Ever

   For current juniors, the next year will be a whirlwind of activity during the college application process. There are numerous elements of a student’s application profile that will be scrutinized by admissions counselors across the country. The transcript, testing scores, résumé, and many others will all be submitted and reviewed. While the transcript and testing scores are important quantitative measures for students, the college essay is often the most important qualitative measure that colleges will look at while reviewing a student. Admissions counselors put a ton of emphasis on this part of the application because it gives them an inside look into who the student really is as an individual. Of course, it will help them see how the applicant is as a writer, but more importantly it hopefully will allow them to connect to the student on many levels. If the admissions counselors are impressed with the essay, it can often be the turning point for students being accepted into the institution.

   The college essay is not something students should wait to complete at the last minute. Contemplating, researching, drafting, and reviewing should all start before the senior year of high school. In a short amount of words, students should try to demonstrate their writing skills and explain something about their own life and personality that cannot be seen anywhere else in their application.

   As of last year, there were six essay prompts, one of which was topic of your choice. This will no longer be the case. As the Common Application has announced “the new prompts and the written guidance around them are the culmination of two years of discussion about the role writing plays in a holistic selection process.”  These new prompts should be reviewed in the coming months and students should choose the essay topic that will most effectively allow their voice and personality to shine.

   Besides the change in topics, there are two other important edits to the essay portion of the Common Application. 1) There will no longer be a topic of your choice, leaving five guided prompts and 2) students MUST write essays that are between 250-650 words. This will be strictly enforced and electronic uploads will not accept essays that do not meet the word specification.

   Please be on the lookout for information on the INTENSIVE COLLEGE APPLICATION PROGRAM that will run throughout the summer. There will be different sessions to best accommodate anyone interested in the program. Each program will last only two weeks (about 2 hours per day) and students will leave with a completed and polished Common Application essay and short answer, a résumé, a completed version of the Common Application, a refined college list, interview skills, college visits and a better understanding of the entire admissions process. Once the dates are finalized, information on this program will be mailed out. Space is very limited with only 40-50 spots available, so start thinking about if you would like to be part of this program now. This intensive program is a great way for students to have most of the application aspects completed before senior year even starts!   

Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA

November...What Now for Seniors?

As many seniors have applied to schools for early action, early decision, or rolling admissions, a big question is what should they be doing now…besides waiting and waiting. For seniors who have applied to all of their schools, a few of their schools, or none of their schools, take a look at the following list of what you can be doing now for the college admissions process:

·         Revise your college list: Take a look at your college list and make sure you have 2-3 safeties, targets, and reaches in each category. Hopefully you have done your research on these colleges and visited some of them. It is imperative that you are happy with all of the colleges you apply to, not just the reach schools!

·         Be on top of your testing game: Hopefully you have taken your SATs or ACTs by this time. Make sure you know which test dates you will send to the colleges, or if you will not send test scores at all (test-optional schools). You have the ability to pick which test dates you send to colleges, and most of them will super score for you. If your November testing scores come in after application deadlines, call each school’s admissions office and ask about their policy for this. Schools will have different procedures, so make sure you contact each one.

·         Continue to demonstrate your interest: Whether you visited the college, sat in on an information session, or had an interview with an admissions counselor, remind the colleges of your interest in attending. Take a few minutes and write a brief e-mail to your admissions representative letting them know you have applied and if there is anything else you should be doing while awaiting a decision. Most colleges will not have you do anything additional, but the admissions representative will certainly know that you are very interested in the school, and that could go a long way.

·         Have all of your supplemental materials prepared: Although most colleges use the Common Application, they will all have a variety of additional information that needed to be completed. Some are simple, others are more intense, and they vary greatly. A few colleges need two teacher recommendations, and others specify which subjects they want to see for recommendations. Take initiative and have all of the supplements organized and completed.

·         Students who have applied ED…be prepared: Hopefully you will be accepted to your ED school, but there is a chance you will be deferred or denied. Have your other applications prepared and ready to go. Most will have time between when they hear from their ED school and the regular deadlines, so no need to submit your other applications just yet (save tons of money!). But be ready to go, so if you hear bad news from the ED school, you can just hit submit on the applications and move on!

·         Beware of deadlines: You should memorize (or at least keep track) the deadlines for everything associated with the college application process. This includes application deadlines, financial aid deadlines, and eventually deposit deadlines (most likely May 1^st). It would be a shame to put in all of this effort, but miss an important deadline, possibly being left out.

·         Show gratitude to your counselors, teachers…and parents: We commend you for all of the effort you put into this process, and we understand how much time it took. But the majority of you had support from school advisors and family members. Take a moment to thank your counselor and teachers for assisting in the applications and recommendations. Also, realize that as much stress you felt during this process, it was probably doubled for your parents. Share the joy of being accepted and selecting a college with your family and let them know how much you appreciate their time and support…especially when it comes time to write the college checks!

·         Try to relax…but not too relaxed: Once everything is submitted and being reviewed, try to relax and don’t focus too much on what the decision may be. At this point, there is little more you can do, so there is no sense in worrying about it. However, this does not mean you should stop working hard in your classes. Even after you are accepted, if your grades drop drastically, colleges have the right to revoke your acceptance. You have worked very hard for 3 ½ years during high school, so try your best to finish strong!

Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA