You’re already late. If you didn’t start your college application as you eased out of diapers and into Pre-K you’re behind. It’s important that between snack time filled with apple juice and Cheerios and sleeping during nap time you work on your activities list. Make sure that you already started making connections with your teachers and picking out who is going to write your recommendations. Slime and candy might have worked as currency on the playground but if you haven’t started applying for financial aid and scholarships, you’re too late.
To get into college you have to all but sell yourself to the devil. You go to school for 13 years in order to get into school to go for at least four more. Basically, your whole life is dedicated to learning until you get thrust into the real world and most lessons you learn don’t apply.
The college process includes test scores, essays, more essays, and even more essays. On top of that, no school has the same requirements. You thought filling out the Common App questions was easy. Guess what? Now you have to answer similar but slightly different supplementals on why you want to go to the school and why you would make a good addition to campus. Some schools have interviews, some schools require that you have two recommendations, and some require that you rewrite your transcript and self-report it.
Don’t even get me started on test scores. If you aren’t getting tutored and taking practice tests freshman year you’re too late. You not only have to learn the material that’s on the test but you have to learn how to take the test. Along with practicing math problems you have to practice answer choices.
For the personal narrative, you have to show the school who you are but you only have 650 words to do so. Basically you must explain your way of thinking, who you are as a person, and what makes you unique in fewer words than any essay you’ve ever written for English.
Activity lists must be diverse but also show a specific interest. Make sure along with speech and debate, pre-college programs, and volunteering that you’re also a student athlete because you definitely have time to fit all that in with schoolwork.
Make sure you’re also doing campus tours. It’s important to show the college that you are interested, so click on those email links, spend money to fly to those places, take those tours and see how the people that got accepted to your dream schools live their lives.
And don’t worry, you have to pay for every application you send in. Not only are you spending endless hours polishing your application to perfection, it’s going to cost you at least $50 to even send the application for review. Now multiply that by the number of schools you have to apply to because two or three is not enough. You have to make sure you get some safety, target, and reach schools to have a well-diversified college list. So basically, you get to pay for them to review your application and maybe admit you but there’s still the possibility of rejection.
The admissions process doesn’t entirely make sense. If people can get rejected from Havard but have a 1600 SAT and a 4.0 GPA WHAT ARE THESE COLLEGES’ STANDARDS?
The college process will make you think “is NOTgoing to college an option?” But rest assured, you’ll get through it. You’ll think back on this time and think “remember when I was so stressed about getting into college?” It will all work out.
Don’t worry. You’ll get in somewhere. And then you’ll be able to go to school another four years and spend at least $40k a year doing so.
