From freshman to junior year, the road to college applications seems like a distant yet exciting future. But when senior year arrives, the college app process becomes daunting. All the doubt about whether you are good enough to apply to prestigious colleges starts. Furthermore, the process becomes more frightening when your family and peers are looking over your shoulder to see where you go, what you major in, and how many scholarships you receive.
As a first-generation student with little advice from my parents, I was clueless about how to start my essays, where to apply for scholarships, and so on. However, during my college process last year, I kept a few notes that may be helpful to my siblings and others who may need advice during the college process.
Here are 10 things I've learned from the college admission process that may be helpful to you when you apply to college this cycle.
1. Start Early.
As you enjoy your summer after junior year, one of the most stressful years, it's important to start researching colleges you want to apply to. Visit those colleges and message people on LinkedIn for more information about the college. When creating your college list, consider factors such as financial aid, crime rate, student-to-teacher ratio, location, clubs, mission statement, and future opportunities.
Most importantly, ensure the college you choose is the right fit for you instead of selecting based solely on prestige.
Over the summer, you should also brainstorm some ideas for your essay, decide which teacher to ask for a letter of recommendation, and possibly begin writing your common app essays, as prompts are released during the summer.
Once August 1 arrives, you should create a Common App account, enter your college list, and complete sections such as activity list and more. Then copy the supplemental essay (An essay that is more specific to that college) into Google Docs and start arranging the essay based on a similar theme, allowing you to reuse the essay.
2. Don't take a lot of classes during the first semester of senior year.
During the first semester of your senior year, make sure you don't overload your schedule with classes, internships, and clubs that you are doing to make your application strong. When you have a light schedule, you can spend much more time focusing on essays, as those essays will allow the admissions team to see why you are a good fit for that school instead of another student who may have similar activities as you.
3. Ask a teacher you have a connection with for a letter of recommendation.
A letter of recommendation is another significant part of your application that will show admissions officers your character. When deciding which teacher you want to ask for recommendations, you want to think of two teachers who truly know you and will write you a great letter.
You don't want to pick someone who will write negative things about you. It will be good to ask one teacher who knows you in a class setting and another from clubs or internships so that admission officers can have two different perspectives on you. But most importantly, you don't want to choose a teacher based on popularity because the more popular the teacher, the less time they will have to write you a great letter of recommendation.
4. Write down ideas when they are fresh in your mind.
It's often the most random places and times when ideas come to you. But make sure to write down your ideas or anything while they are fresh in your mind. You don't want to lose an idea that may have been a great way to improve your application. Keep a pen or phone next to you all the time so you can quickly jot down the idea.
5. Don't limit yourself to those essays.
When writing your Common App or supplemental essay, make sure to develop all of your brainstorming ideas into a full-length essay.
Even though this will be time-consuming, it can help you see connections between ideas. Furthermore, the ideas that you initially didn't think had potential can turn out to be gems.
6. Don't rush.
When writing essays, don't rush through them just to be finished. It's all right to start over if your essay doesn't feel right. You want to write something you can be proud of. Most importantly, don't feel alone and stuck when you have to restart many times.
Throughout the college process, everyone will be on a separate timeline. Some may have completed their essay and turned them in before the deadline, while others may be stuck trying to get the ideas down. But I want to tell you that it is okay to feel like you aren't getting anywhere with your essay after trying so many times. Take it slowly, and when you feel like you have hit a dead end, spend time doing other things to refresh your brain.
7. Don't try to write all of your essays at the same time.
When writing essays, you want to work on them over a period of time, so that each time you revise, you can make new changes. If you write an essay on the same day and turn it in, it will not be your best work, as you won't get to look at it again a few days later with a fresh perspective.
Don't procrastinate on your essay.
8. Write the essays in your own voice.
In the generation of AI, it is tempting to ask AI to write your essay, but don't fall into the trap of asking AI to write your essay. AI will produce an essay that lacks a personal touch. When writing your essay, you want to write it in your voice.
Don't use fancy language to make it seem like you have this mature level of writing. When you write it in your voice, you show admissions officers your personality.
9. Ask only a few people to check your essay.
When deciding who should check your essay, consider someone you know personally. My advice is to have 3 to 4 people review your essay because if there are too many individuals checking it, the essay will gradually lose its voice.
I believe a decent balance for checking would be to have one teacher, two family members or friends, and one random person who does not know you well. However, make sure you don't change anything based on their suggestions. You want to make changes that you believe will improve your voice.
In the end, the essay is yours, and the college will admit you.
10. Continuing to pay attention to class/clubs.
When going through the college application process, it's crucial to maintain your grades and stay involved in extracurricular activities. It's important not to neglect your academic performance and other commitments to focus on writing essays and completing applications. Admissions officers value consistent effort, so it's essential to demonstrate that you are continuing to excel in your studies and extracurricular activities.
These are some of the things I have learned from college applications. While the college process can be draining, it is still important to enjoy the experience because you will learn a lot of things through the application process that you may use when applying to grad school or pursuing other opportunities later in life.
