Congratulations juniors and sophomores- your college application process is soon to begin. I remember trying to decide where to apply this time last year, and even though I thought I already knew where I wanted to apply, it changed a lot by the time I sent out applications. Keep an open mind. I almost didn’t apply to Brown because a family friend had a horrible grad school experience there, but with a little research I learned that undergrad and grad schools are very different at colleges. I am now on the wait-list at Brown. I also applied to Harvard, Yale, UNC-Chapel Hill, UVirginia, SUNY-ESF (environmental science college in NY), and UWashington-Seattle. The results:
Accepted: UW (Honors Program), UNC, UVirginia (likely letter, College Science Scholar), SUNY-ESF (Honors+$$)
Wait-listed: Brown
Rejected: Harvard and Yale
Boston U and UPenn were also almost on my list because they offered the right majors, but I decided not to apply after I read more about the schools. Also, in hindsight, I wouldn’t have applied to Chapel Hill just because they sent me the application in the mail (there was more to it than that, but they weren’t even on my radar until that point). Do your research, and don’t apply to more than 8 schools. It will save you money, and it will save everyone (you, adcoms, recommendation writers, etc.) time.
A word about safeties: love them. Getting in early to a safety you adore will take the pressure off decisions later. Remember, “reach” schools don’t have all the good professors and amazing students.
Next, don’t retake the SAT if you score 2200 or greater (and even if it’s 2000+ seriously reconsider before retaking). The CollegeBoard makes way too much money off the college admissions process, and my 2210 did not keep me out of any schools. UVA and UNC wait-listed and rejected people with higher scores than me. So did H, Y, and Brown. Once your grades and scores reach a certain level, adcoms look at other stuff.
Also, this has been reiterated many times on CC, but don’t do ECs just for colleges. I didn’t put community service on my apps. Try lots of new things, but only stick with the ones you enjoy. Make it your goal to graduate high school with no regrets. Knowing you did your best with what you had makes rejection much easier to take. In fact, the rejections from Harvard and Yale hardly fazed me because I know I wouldn’t have done anything different in high school.
Begin writing your essays the summer before senior year and put your heart and soul into them. Make a list of events that influenced you, things that tie your scattered application together, and unique things you offer to a college. Even include the ones that might seem negative- they could end up being your strongest point. I sent an essay about overcoming an eating disorder to every college I applied to. Turning a perceived weakness into a strength can be risky, but if you pull it off it may turn into the most genuine you write. Also, spend the time to edit and rewrite. Get other people to read your essays and don’t take criticism to heart-use it. I completely retyped my main essay four times before submitting it.
Remember to RELAX if you have interviews. Nerves ruined my Harvard interview. Know why you think you’re a good fit for school X and write down any questions you have, but don’t spend too much time preparing. My Brown interview was AMAZING and the only thing I did to prepare was practice clarinet. Also, all interviewers are different and you have no way of guessing what they will ask. It was almost comical how different mine were.
Another thing- don’t read results or “chance me” threads on this forum. It’s unhealthy to compare yourself to other people. Avoid posting “chance me” threads, because without seeing all the components of your application in context with the rest of the applications, any comments people make are pure speculation. Don’t let anyone deter you from applying to reach schools if you truly want to go there. If you want to know if your GPA/SAT/ACT scores are good enough, consult the CollegeBoard’s percentile statistics.
Finally, remember that college acceptances don’t determine your worth as a person. Feel honored by the schools which accept you, and don’t look back at the ones which don’t. Hold in there if you get wait-listed at your dream school (I’m still hoping for Brown) but get excited for whichever school you choose in the meantime. Last, if you haven’t already read the posts by An0maly and christiansoldier, I recommend you read them. They have good advice.
good luck!