Since CC has been such a great help to me, I'd like to share some tips for any future applicants. These things got me into some fantastic schools with a low GPA and SAT score.
- Start your extracurriculars early and supplement them with things that applicants normally don't have. For example, like architecture? Mention in an essay how you regularly send in Letters to the Editor at Architectural Digest. Show your passion! This is incredibly important, more so than a perfect SAT score and GPA.
- DO NOT TRY TO DO TOO MANY THINGS! It's better to be known for one specific trait ("Russian lit aficionado") than to try to be superficially well-rounded. Again, show your true passion.
- Give yourself a maximum of three edits for your essays. I'd also recommend that you don't start them until a month before they're due. If you do 20 re-writes and start in July you will lose your raw voice with too many cuts and edits. What you write down 2 hours before midnight on January 1st will be much more "you" than something you wrote when you were freaking out about writing the perfect essay during the summer. Do make sure that you think of topics before you write. Brainstorm, diagram, and discuss ideas until November and only start writing in December.
- Don't set out to write essays to impress adcoms. Set out to show the real you. Impress them with your grades and extracurriculars. Your essays are simply a tool to showcase your personality and interests. They definitely do not have to be perfect in the traditional sense.
- Make sure your ECs have MEANING. You need to make it evident that you truly enjoy your ECs and show why you joined them. Random groupings do not make much sense. Make sure your ECs connect to each other in some shape or form.
- Interview whenever possible!!
- Study. the. vocab. words. on. the. SAT. DO IT DO IT DO IT.
- Don't take SAT prep courses. They are the worst way in life to lose $700. Personal experience here and I still slap myself in the face to this day. It didn't help me AT ALL.
- Visit schools when deciding in April. I was completely infatuated with one school, visited, and absolutely hated it afterwards. You never know until you get there! This also applies when you decide on what schools to apply to. If you're a big jock who's set on a party school, visit a small, brainy LAC.
- Look up Cal Newport's blog Study Hacks to get great study tips and tricks.
- Whenever you write "Why (blank)?" essays, don't cram in ten things you like about a school. Pick 2 things that really, really attract you and show how you relate to these aspects and how your experiences shaped your likings. Quality over quantity.
- Attach a sheet on your Common App detailing the different responsibilities and experiences you had with each of your major ECs. DO NOT PUT IN HOW MANY HOURS YOU DEDICATED TO AN EC! It will become obvious very fast that you were merely counting away your time. Describe your roles and what you accomplished and adcoms will be impressed.
- Before you start the application process, get to know your college counselor well. He/she will be a valuable resource in the year(s) to come and you never know when you'll need a favor or vouching from them!
The bottom line is that you need to make yourself unique, personable, and approachable. Be jovial and don't try to come across as a nerd with no life. Adcoms are people too and will appreciate personality and humility, so never be afraid to laugh about a fault of yours. The entire process is a huge crapshoot. You may get into schools you never thought possible but get rejected by your safety. Good luck! And thanks, CC, for all your help
