Advice For This Year's Seniors...From Last Year's Seniors

When you're setting out on a journey, maps and guidebooks can only get you so far. Sometimes the best advice comes from someone who has just taken the same journey.

I recently asked six rising college freshmen who have just completed their college admissions journey about the advice they would give next year's seniors as they embark upon their own journeys. Between them, these students were accepted to an impressive list of schools, including, but not limited to, Swarthmore, Earlham, Rice, Northwestern, Dickson College, Yale, Washington University in St. Louis, Brown, Johns Hopkins, The College of New Jersey, Harvard, Rensselear Polytechnic Institute, the University of Michigan, the University of Virginia, and the University of Richmond. They've been where you're heading, and their words of wisdom are probably the best guide you'll find as you begin your own admissions journey. Thank you Laura, Ashwinee, Logan, Daniela, L.M., and Kevin for taking the time to share what you learned along the way. My fond wishes to all of you, but I know you will each have wonderful college experiences!

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I suppose the biggest piece of advice that I would offer anyone applying to colleges next year is this: Keep it in perspective. I know a number of people at my high school who were simply consumed by the process. It was all they talked about and, moreover, their banter was never very substantive. It was mostly either mutual baseless worrying or half hearted reassurances. I was lucky enough to have friends who shared my desire to keep college matters at a distance.

So do your essays, get your recommendations, be thoughtful about the process, you can even consult with your friends a little. But remember that although college will probably be a great time in your life, high school can be fun too. Don't forget to enjoy yourself and relax, or you're going to feel rather miserable during this process.

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It should go without saying that the college application process is the most stressful (or at least most strenuous) part of high school, but if you know what you’re doing and how to look at everything, it can be a lot easier. First, if you’re thinking of applying early decision, you must be completely, absolutely, 100%, no doubts in your mind, indisputably positive that it is the college you want to go to. This requires a lot of research and usually a visit, preferably an overnight. Most juniors and seniors haven’t looked into a single college that deeply, but it’s imperative that they do. If you apply early decision and get in, that’s it. If you have doubts later, too bad. It’s a binding decision.

As for the essays, I have plenty of experience. With ten colleges and a bunch of scholarships, I’ve probably written between twenty and thirty individual essays. You have to remember two things: be unique and be yourself. The whole point of the essay is for the admissions people to get a feel for your personality, something they can’t get from a transcript or list of extracurriculars. They have to hear YOUR VOICE, not the voice you think they want to hear. You also have to be unique. When you’re writing your essay, keep this image in mind: It’s late at night and a tired admissions person is opening their fiftieth folder of the day. They’ve spent countless hours sifting through files, test scores, resumes, and of course, essays. So, when they happen to pick up your folder, do you want them to see the same thing they’ve already read over and over? Of course not. Be creative and think outside the box. I’ll give an example. One of the colleges I was applying to required to write about what my favorite word is and why. I remembered that when I was at the info session for that college, they mentioned that they saw the usual suspects: love, kindness, unity, and so on hundreds of times, so I knew that was a path I wanted to avoid. So, after some heavy thought, I decided on my word: squeezed. Pretty random right? Well, I wrote about how my entire family is addicted to Scrabble and when I was young, I would always lose. However, one day I spelled the word squeezed. It landed on two triple word scores netting me a hefty number of points, allowing me to finally win a game. From that point, “squeezed” always had a special place in my memories. By doing that, I was able to not only be different, but also give the admissions people a taste of my personality, creativity, and the environment I come from. So again, be unique and be yourself and you’ll be a step ahead of the majority.

Teacher recommendations are a big part of any application. It’s a good idea to ask your teachers for recommendations early! If you don’t and wait until a few months into school, they’ll be pulling their hair out because of all the other students asking for letters. Try to get letters not necessarily from the teachers of classes you do well in, but teachers you share a deeper bond with, the kind of teacher that you go and visit after school’s over and that knows you on a deeper level that the other teachers at your school. If possible, try to get recommendations from teachers that teach in the same academic area you plan to pursue, be it English, science, or whatever.

Keeping stress to a minimum is tough, no doubt, but it can be done if you remember one thing: DON’T PROCRASTINATE!!! Don’t wait until a few weeks before to start writing your essays. Start the summer following junior year. I know how ridiculous that sounds, but if I had the opportunity to go back and start my essays earlier, I know I would have gone through the first half of my senior year with WAY less stress than I had. Also, get all your college visits in early. I did most of mine during my spring break junior year. Just get things done early, and you’ll avoid A LOT of stress.

The biggest decision you can make is your final college decision. For some, it’s easy. For other’s it’s a harsh process wracked with uncertainly and doubt. First, NEVER pick a college you’ve never visited. You can’t get a feel for a college from books and forums. Make sure you go and visit. An overnight with a current student is best. You need to weigh all the pros and cons of a college. The most prestigious college isn’t necessarily the best one for you. You need a college with not only academic and extracurricular programs you like, but people you feel comfortable around. If you feel the students at a certain college are too preppy or too sports-obsessed, that college may not be the one for you. It seems that most people over the course of their visits come across a college that just “clicks” with them and feels right. I found that with Rice University when I first visited it, and after some research, my final decision was a no-brainer. Just always remember to pick the college that’s right for YOU. Not the one with the best reputation or the one your parents want you to go to. You’re going to be there for four years. Make sure you pick the best place to spend that time.

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First of all, I would tell next year's seniors to make sure that they maintain a challenging workload at school, even though I know that by senior year we are beginning to burn out. However, colleges really like to see applicants continue to push themselves. Take as many AP classes as possible and do as well as you can in them. When it comes time for the AP exams, there will be less pressure to do well since you know your'e already in college. So don't let that discourage you!

When it comes to applying, try to apply to more "match" schools than reach or safety schools. I think that this was a mistake I made -- I had too many reach and safety choices and less match schools. Because when it comes to decision time and you don't get into those reaches or don't want to go to those safeties, you have very limited options among your matches. Also, try to take distance into account. When I was applying, I thought that distance didn't matter to me and that I would be able to adjust no matter where I was. But now I'm really lucky to be going to college so close by to my family because its a huge convenience. Try to picture yourself in the first few years of college and think about how close or far you need, not want, to be from home.

In terms of essays, I find that writing about something you're very familiar with or passionate about is easiest to do. Words will just spill naturally into your text document. Try not to use too many cliches and don't be too sarcastic or witty. A touch of humor, however, is a good thing (just don't go overboard, because you never know who will appreciate your jokes and who won't). Another thing I would mention is proofread, proofread, proofread!! Sometimes when you read your own writing over and over you glance right over errors. Have someone else edit your essay. Continue to look over it and never settle until you feel it is perfect. Finally, just speak from your heart. You are trying to show colleges who you are, so don't change that image to please them.

In terms of recommendation letters, if you can, definitely, definitely, definitely ask your junior year teachers that know you well to write your recommendations. That way they have already had you for an entire year, as opposed to senior teachers who are still new with you. Don't count on sophomore and freshman year teachers- colleges don't like that. Also, if you're planning on asking a junior year teacher, email them now or during the summer before school starts and ask them if they can write a rec. letter for you in the fall. That way, you have them booked. Popular teachers will fill up with recommendation letters fast, and might not have the time nor energy to write one for you. Although this is probably common sense, choose teachers who know and like you.

Stress is inevitable in this process. If there is a school you're interested in that offers early action, definitely choose that. That way you can get the assurance early on in the year that in are ACCEPTED TO COLLEGE! Don't worry, you will get into a college some where as long as you make smart moves in picking which schools to apply to. The funny thing about college applications is that you have already done the hard part. Hopefully you've taken all your standardized tests and done well, and you've built your resume and gained experiences that you use to write your essays. Its pretty much just organizing your life and putting it on paper. Just keep reminding yourself of this.

If you absolutely are 100% set on a school, then by all means apply Early Decision (that's what it's for, right?) You'll probably have a greater chance of being accepted. But take caution: only apply Early Decision if you are ABSOLUTELY sure you want to attend that school for the next four years of your life.

For the final choice, I would tell you to go where your heart lies, but that's not exactly true. You have to balance between the places you love and the places that will be the most beneficial to you and your family. Take into account the price, distance/location, and academic program. Don't be tripped up on reputations and big ivy league names. Most of all, don't be disappointed in your outcome. Your college experience depends on what you make of yourself in college, not what college you attend.

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Have safeties. LIKE your safeties. Be excited about your safeties!!! There aren't really matches; there are only schools you are going to get into for sure, and there are schools that you aren't going to get in for sure.

Be realistic, but realize that realistic is going to vary depending on your grades, scores, high school, economic situation, special talents, and yes, sometimes ethnic background. The best way to gague your chances is to look at where people from your high school with similar profiles were accepted.

If you can apply somewhere Early Decision, do it. It will make your life that much less stressful senior year. If not, try to apply somewhere Early Action or rolling admissions.

On the other hand, don't waste your early card on a school that you have no chance at.

UK universities have crazy early deadlines. If you're even *thinking* about Cambridge or Oxford, have your teacher recs lined by the end of junior year.

Don't be one of those obnoxious people who brag about their applications to Harvard and Berkeley and Columbia. Seriously. Especially if you have no chance. It will make people hate you. Also, if/when you get rejected, you will just look that much more ridiculous.

Be tactful about your acceptances.

Be yourself in your essays and interviews. You don't really want to go someplace that won't accept you exactly as you are, warts and all.

It really, really, really is 100% okay to go to a teeny school nobody has ever heard of. Think of it like being a fan of an awesome band that nobody knows. YOU know you have good taste, and it doesn't matter if anybody else recognizes it or not.

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I think that two of the most important parts of the admission process are researching colleges and creating a good list. Many people seem to create their list of colleges based solely on assumptions they have going into the admission process. Research helps you find all the institutions that meet your major, social scene, etc. requirements. It’s also necessary to look into how selective the colleges are. I truly believe that what hurts students the most in the admission process is a lack of realism. Make sure that your statistics at least fall within range of those of the schools you’re considering. It does no one any good to apply to schools that to which you have no chance of being accepted. Once you have found a wide range of colleges, you can make a good, balanced list. As is generally advised, your list should include safeties, matches, and reaches, but I also think that, if cost is an issue, you should be sure to have safeties, matches, and reaches with regard to merit aid. For example, a school may be a match for you to be accepted, but a reach for you to receive a merit scholarship. However, the most important thing about a college list is that you like all the schools. You should be able, for each school on the list, to say that you would want to go there. Granted, you might not be as excited about your safety as you are about one of your reaches, but you must still be willing to consider that possibility.

On Early Decision/Early Action: If money is in any way an issue, you should not do Early Decision. You cannot be sure that the college, even if it is known for being good with aid, will give you the aid you need. If you wait until Regular Decision, then you may have other more generous financial aid packages to show the school and can ask for a reevaluation. However, even if money is not a problem, I would still recommend not doing Early Decision. It sounds cliché, but things do change, whether it is your major/future plans or your perception of a college. I was in love with a particular college for many years, and, had I been able to, I probably would have applied ED. I ended up getting accepted to that college Regular Decision but ultimately chose to attend another college that suited my needs even better. In retrospect, I’m so glad that I had the experience of applying to multiple colleges.

Early Action, on the other hand, I think is a great idea. If one of the colleges on your list has EA, by all means apply EA. If it’s a yes, then hearing back early is great, and because the decisions come out before the first of the year, it allows you to gauge how you’re doing and perhaps modify your list of schools.

On keeping stress to a minimum: Be prepared and be organized. If you’re applying to a good number of schools, then yes, there are a lot of papers and deadlines to keep track of, so make a chart with dates and check off what you sent in and when. You have one chance to do this, so get on it and do it right. Carolyn has a really good idea about putting self-addressed and stamped postcards in with all the recommendations, applications, school reports, etc. Label the postcard with whatever it accompanied (“Mrs. G’s recommendation”) and then write a note on it asking the admission office to please drop it in the mail when they receive the documents. That way you’ll have confirmation that your materials got there.

As for the stress of decisions, I think it helps a lot if you don’t tell people everywhere you applied. If they ask, just mention a few of your safeties. You may have to put up with funny looks and your friends always wondering where you applied, but it’s worth it. Also, even if you have a top school, when people ask, say that you’re not sure or that you have multiple schools you like. Then you won’t have people hounding you about when you hear back from that school and also, your top choice might change.


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Advice: Get yourself an adult who knows what he or she is talking about. But don't get so lost in the information and advice that you forget what you actually want. If possible, take your SAT subject exam's in the spring of your junior year (rather than the SAT I).

Find a hook and exploit it, without using the word "passion" in every sentence.

Make friends with your school's college counselor. Visit them periodically, shower them with chocolates and flowers. My college experience mostly revolved around my independent college counselor, CAROLYN LAWRENCE, O MAGNICENT ONE (this is an endorsement) and the Fiske guide.

It was the bitterness of spring's first breath...half melted snow and black ice in patchwork across the concrete. Such were the conditions when I first walked
onto the Columbia campus my sophomore year. Even despite the weather, I knew. The clouds opened up. Rays of light focused on my face. And God spoke to me. This was where I belonged. Body and soul...Columbia, I'll be true.

Have I mentioned that I'm going to Brown? In many ways, Brown is Columbia's opposite, and I applied Early Decision pretty last minute. I really did have
my heart set on Columbia all the way until the tailend of the summer before senior year. And I mentionedto my college counselor that maybe possibly sorta idunno, I thought I should look into Brown. She encouraged me, then reminded me of its Reachiness (a term you shouldget very comfortable with, by the way). So I thought, I might as well, just so that I don't regret it later.

Time passes. Senior fall. Sent in my Columbia Part 1 application. Drew a couple hearts in the corresponding diary entry. Hmm Brown's kinda floating up to the top of my list. In fact, I think I could be pretty happy at Brown. I mean, isn't everyone happy at Brown? Okay. okay.

And that's how I ended applying Early Decision to Brown. Please know that the moral of this story is not "you never know where you'll end up." That is trite and intuitive and I just will not stoop to that cliché.

The intended messages are 1) you never know where you'll end up. And 2) you should never get body and soul attached to a college. For one thing, the college
admissions system is loathesomely stupid. And moreover, it's easy to get confused when you predict what will make you happy in college. The happy thing is that you're going to college, not that you're going to University of Something. The way I see it, I really fell in love with college, not Columbia. And what I found to love in Columbia, I realized could be found in a lot of other colleges. The core of Columbia
(which I was really excited about on the onset of my infatuation) could even be spun out of the Brown curriculum on my own.

College is what you make of it. Be happy because college, in itself, is an enriching
and enjoyable experience. So stay calm, stay shrewd, and take no prisoners.