Seniors, it is that time of year, the college application process can no longer be put aside. Believe me, in just three months you will be able to rest much easier knowing the decision is in the hands of the college admission advisors. But for now the ball is in your court. How are you going to strategize your game plan?
I can’t help but be reminded of myself playing high school sports. I prided myself in being a three-sport athlete. In both volleyball and track I was an all-star for my school and my teammates could count on me to come through when the pressure was on. However, I decided to take up soccer my last two years and did not demonstrate the same skill level to say the least.
In my other sports I was confidant and demonstrated the skills to be successful. But in this new sport I was self-conscious, avoiding the ball during high-pressure moments. So how will you choose to approach your college applications, with excitement to demonstrate your abilities or fear of being viewed as unprepared and inadequate?
By now you should have limited your college application list to your top choices. According to College Board, “Five to eight colleges is the recommended number. They should all be colleges you’d be happy to attend. It’s good to apply to some colleges that are a bit of a stretch for you and some that you feel likely will admit you. But most should feel like good, realistic matches.”
It is important to be realistic in your estimation of yourself when applying, but also know that those reach schools may see something in you that catches their attention.
Now that our school has adopted Naviance into the academic advising curriculum, I urge you to take advantage of this helpful resource. Do your research of the colleges and pay attention to the College Confidential page linked to each college. This is helpful because it gives you an inside look into the institution from the perspective of college students and even college professionals (in the section Ask the Dean).
Even if you are not an organized person, you must be organized when it comes to college applications. Experts recommend that students “Establish your own deadlines for sending in the materials that are at least one week ahead of the actual deadlines. Then work backwards to establish dates by which you need completed essays and letters of recommendation to be generated.”
Start planning out your college essays/prompts now by getting some ideas out on paper. Most applications have somewhat similar prompts and you will be able to use the same theme with a bit of tweaking. Colleges want to know what makes you unique, what experience has shaped you, and how you will contribute to their institution. Please take advantage of my office hours, the sooner the better while there is still time to spare.
For a more in depth look at how to write a head-turning, college essay, watch for my next College Corner post at the beginning of October.
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For more opinions, read the Sept. 9 article, Campus insider: Defining leadership.
