All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
It is once again college application season. For the next several months high school seniors will be diligently working to fill out applications, tour schools, and write essays as they prepare to enter the next stage of their lives after high school. The process is long and often difficult, filled with hours of writing and planning as students strive to submit the best applications possible.
Here are some tips and tricks that might be helpful throughout the process.
1. First consider what would be a good "fit." When selecting a college, applying to the most prestigious or well-recognized institution can be tempting. Some may apply to Ivy League schools due to their name recognition across the country, without actually researching what the school offers and how its programs will ultimately benefit the student. Consideration should be given to how a student will feel and whether they will likely succeed at the school.
This is where "fit" comes in. The concept of "fit" differs from person to person, but it really boils down to one crucial question: Where is a student going to have the most success after high school? Some may not want the academic stress of the Ivy League schools, while others may yearn for difficult courses and academics.
For some, the location of a school (a city, or a small town) may hold significance. Each college has its strengths and weaknesses, and students will need to find the one that will provide the best experience for them, or, to put it shortly, the best "fit."
2. Once the student finds a "fit," the College Board recommends applying to five to eight schools that "fit" with a mix of "safety, match and reach schools."
A "safety" school is generally any school with an acceptance rate over 80%. A "match" school is an institution in which you have a fairly good chance of getting into. This percentage varies from person to person, as each applicant has a different application, although the University of South Florida suggests a 30-60% acceptance rate as a match. Finally, "reach" schools are schools that are difficult for any applicant to get into, and have acceptance rates below 20%. All applicants to these schools need to have done tremendously well in their studies throughout high school.
3. What do schools look for in applicants? Schools, especially "reach" schools like Harvard, are looking for high-achieving students who have excelled in their coursework and have also been active in extracurricular activities and in their communities. SAT scores, grade point average, and recommendations are often also of great importance in the review process.
Many schools adhere to "holistic admissions." Various colleges use this term, and Forbes has helped define it: "[An application] review is thus holistic in the sense that admissions committees don't just look for perfect scores and grades." Princeton University's admissions committee uses the holistic approach, with the application page mentioning how no "particular factor is assigned a fixed weight; rather, the (admissions) process involves a highly individualized assessment of the applicant's talents, achievements and his or her potential to contribute to learning at Princeton."
4. Most colleges utilize an application system called the Common Application, a system that lets you apply to several universities with one simplified format. As part of the Common Application, students must submit a Common Application Personal Essay (a piece focusing on the student's life and their reasoning for going to college) which will be included in almost every application submitted to their chosen institutions.
One incredibly important tip is to write from the heart. Universities can tell when something is written by ChatGPT or isn't truly sincere.
Most schools also require a "supplementary essay." These are tailored to each institution, asking a student to answer questions about why they want to attend that specific university. Do some research on the school, making sure to mention specifics that drew the student to that college in particular.
In general, applying to college is like climbing a mountain, with plenty of false summits and difficulties along the way. However, once a student has finally gotten through the process, they will find that ultimately, the trials and tribulations they had to face were worth it when they receive that first acceptance letter.
For more information on college admissions, take a look at these sites:
https://www.khanacademy.org/college-careers-more/college-admissions
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