@isla701 Go Tarheels!
I was originally going to apply to 11, but during my process I cut some because I couldn’t see myself in them or because it was too much work to apply. Expect that you’ll drop or add a few during the process.
I agree that 12 is a good max. It’s important to keep your essays interesting and unique, so I would recommend dropping colleges if you think their quality is going down. When you make your list, have a few schools that you would be willing to cut if things get overwhelming.
I must admit that I didn’t really know what I was doing when I made my list. Most of the schools I thought were matches I now think of as low reaches. In retrospect, I had one safety (NCSU), four low reaches (GT, UCLA, UCB, USC), and four reaches (Rice, JHU, Cornell, and Princeton). However, if I could have done it again, I would have added more matches and another safety, and cut some of my reaches.
Good luck and stay safe:)
@macroraptor Thank you so much for your answer!! You stay safe as well!
What if I don’t have many awards or extracurriculars? What can I do those interest colleges? I am currently a senior in high school. I have the academics I just don’t have the extracurriculars.
I attend a tech high school in 9th grade and did not do well, 2 Bs and C but I took mainly honors and one AP. I have been a 4.0 GPA student all my life and this was a shock. have I ruined my chances to apply and get into some of the schools you applied to even if i get a srong GPA rest of the years and pursue my passions like robotics and game development.
@JRZZZZ00384844
The best thing you can do is work on your essays. While some of your interests and activities may not count as extracurriculars, colleges will still be interested if you write about them in a compelling way.
Try to explore your interests further this summer. You don’t have to get an internship/job or a national award to have an experience worth writing about.
Good luck and stay safe!
@Lovetobuild
Fun fact: the UC system doesn’t even look at freshman grades! (They don’t even factor them into your GPA.)
While most schools still look at your 9th-grade grades, they are very forgiving towards them, especially if you show growth and improvement. Colleges will focus primarily on your senior and junior years.
You can think of it this way: by the time you go to college you will (most likely) be a legal adult. It doesn’t make sense for universities to make their decisions based on who you were when you were 14.
My advice: try your best to put your freshman year behind you and follow your passions!
@JRZZZZ00384844
I think I misread your comment and thought you were a rising (not current) senior.
College is a blank slate. Once you get in, other students don’t really care about what you did in high school. Take the opportunity to get involved in clubs and try new things! A lot of other students will be trying out hobbies/activities for the first time, so don’t feel self-conscious about being a beginner. Most importantly, have fun!
Where do internships go on the activities section of UC app? Is it ok if I don’t have anything on the volunteering section? What if I won many hackathons and there are only 5 spot for awards, do I put that I won many but CruzHacks was my most remarkable one in the description?
Congrats! and why did you turn down UCLA?
Congrats!!
How much time did you dedicate to studying for the ACT/SAT? Do you think they were really important in terms of your college application? Thanks!!
@Lucas1537 I must admit that I don’t remember the UC application that well, so I’m not sure where to put internships. Normally I would say that you should have a few things in the volunteering section, but given COVID, I don’t think it’s as big of a deal. However, if you have the opportunity to volunteer, I would recommend doing so.
Choose your most distinguished/remarkable win(s). I don’t think it’s worth putting more awards in the ‘extra’ section, especially since having more prestigious titles implies that you have won more. You will also only have five slots in CommonApp.
Good luck!
@LeilaLax07 It’s a pretty far for me (I’m from the East coast) and it’s out of my price range. That being said, it’s a really beautiful school and has a great location.
I took the SAT multiple times and self-studied probably around 4-8 hrs for each exam. I mainly focused on doing practice problems and making sure my timing was right.
What I noticed is that ACT and SAT scores are important to show your basic test-taking skills and to prove that you are “in the running.” However, a top score won’t make you stand out at a top school, even if it’s perfect. In my experience, as long as you have a good score (a little above the 50% mark at the school you’re applying to), getting a higher score won’t be that much of an advantage.