I’m now the head art editor for my school’s literary /art mag! I’m so excited to view everyone’s creations 8->
I also just finished my rough draft for the common app. So tired…
I finally decided on my college list. It’s super top heavy, but I don’t care. I got so frustrated looking at schools today trying to find one last match school, that I gave up and was like “fruck it, I’m going to apply to the schools on my list right now and be done with this process.” So that’s what I’m doing. Here’s my finalized list:
Safeties:
University of Maine
University of Colorado at Boulder
Matches:
Boston University
McGill University
Reaches:
Caltech
Cornell
Dartmouth
Harvard
MIT
Princeton
It’s also 10 schools, so numbers wise it makes me happy. 
I miss my junior year motivation! It doesn’t even feel like I’m the same girl anymore. I used to stay up until 2 AM every night studying for hours on end… and I had >99 UW with four AP classes. I can barely do work until 10:30 PM without wanting to pass out. I have all A’s so far this year, but not anywhere close to last year. Sigh. I keep telling myself that I need to hold it together until January, because my school will update rank after first semester grades are in, but it just feels so hard.
AP Lit is more manageable than I expected, and AP Stat is about how I anticipated it to be. I’m actually enjoying (and understanding) AP Econ much more than I thought I would, and AP Psych much less. My Psych teacher’s extremely new, and she has no conception of how to grade or curve, not to mention that the class itself is very shaky. I’m not necessarily worried about the AP exam because I am fine not getting credit, but it makes me anxious that she seems so scattered. For AP Econ, we’re starting out the year with AP Macro and progressing to AP MIcro in the spring. My teacher quizzes us pretty frequently, but I think I’m learning a lot.
My Yale app is essentially done. All I have to do is fille out Additional Info on the Common App and choose which two short answers I want to submit. Yale gives you three options. One was sort of an intellectual vitality essay about how the non-linearity of time in our study of literature and the humanities thematically connects the different things I love to learn about, which ties into the theme of the literary philosophy paper I was invited to present at MIT. I really like how it turned out so I’m definitely submitting it. (My college friend said that it’s “brilliant” and it makes her honored to call me her friend because I’m going to do such great things.) My other two were about learning how to interact with kids while interning at the Guggenheim even though I’m incredibly mediocre at art, and the final one was about why my most significant (and uncommon) EC is important to me (for the community prompt).
I’m leaning towards choosing the Guggenheim one and just explaining the uncommon EC in detail through the Additional Info; there was not nearly enough space to explain it on the Extracurriculars section! It’s what my gut’s telling me to do, but I’m still wavering. I’ve written so much about what I’ve done through this EC that it shouldn’t be very difficult to piece together previous things to explain what it is and why it’s significant. In less than three months, I’ll have heard back from Yale (and probably McGill before that)! McGill’s non-holistic admissions process means that I should have at least one acceptance by early winter. Honestly, I can’t wait for this to all be over.
hey guys! do any of you know how I could possibly send my ACT scores to colleges for free, beyond the 4 free reports they give you? it is a huge financial burden and was hoping someone knew. sending scores is so expensive!
I had my interview with UofR the other day! I think it went pretty well. I had a cold so I wasn’t very eloquent and I somehow completely forgot to mention my years of community service, but I think I still got most of my points across. Plus the interviewer mentioned that she’d be the first one to view my application, so she’ll still see the stuff I failed to mention at the interview. It was totally worth going despite being sick. I actually think being under the weather helped my case a bit. She was really appreciative of me being considerate enough not to shake her hand, and I think deciding to go reflected how much I really do want to attend there. Just little things.
Ngl, this month has been really really rough for me. Getting dumped, getting my debit card stolen, getting sick, stress related to college applications, stress related to school…yeah. I’m very much a mess right now and I’m struggling to keep up with senior year. Like, I still haven’t studied for the SAT even though it’s in a week and I desperately need to get my score up. But I was thinking earlier and noticed that I keep trying to downplay it as senioritis both to myself and others. In actuality, the reason I can’t seem to handle anything right now is because I happen to be more prone to depression than other people (thanks, genetics). I bring this up because I see a lot of other people talking about senioritis and I want to encourage you guys to make sure it’s not a deeper issue. And maybe (hopefully) it isn’t, but if lack of enthusiasm has extended to your personal life, then that’s not normal and you should talk to someone you trust to determine if you need to get help. Similarly, if you’re only lacking enthusiasm in school, I would still make sure to build a support system that’ll help prevent burnout from becoming something else. It’s too easy to confuse depression with senioritis, so make sure you’re paying attention to how you’re feeling this year.
@frazzledazzle I totally understand the frustration. I actually did the same thing and it was such a relief to not have to worry about adding “just one…more…match school.” I wish you the best of luck with your colleges!
My finalized college list:
Safety:
University of Cincinnati
Ohio State University - Newark (tbh I’d definitely end up transferring to main campus)
Syracuse University
University at Buffalo
Match:
Ohio State University - Main
University of Pittsburgh
Reach:
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Johns Hopkins University
University of Rochester
With all of the safeties I have based off of my current SAT score, I’m almost scared to see if my next set of scores will be better, but oh well. It’s no big deal since all of the schools I added are schools I’ll enjoy attending (except OSU-Newark which is basically just a financial safety).
@doctornc I called all the schools on my list and most said I could have a counselor send a copy of my test scores and a letter vouching for my financial situation.
I don’t really have colleges organized in a safety/match/reach kinda deal, but here’s where I’ll be applying:
Kent State University (main campus)
SUNY Fredonia
SUNY Geneseo
Elmira College (EA)
The College of Saint Rose (EA)
And… I’ve already sent my EA apps in! Just the publics left to go (aka the ones with app fees ugh)
submitted my second college application today (lol no essays on this one either)… to the college I’m technically currently attending. Eh, it counts. Plus I got a fee waiver for being in running start (the dual enrollment program so that’s good).
@Hamlon thank you so much! that is so helpful. Hopefully my schools are just as flexible.
Due to my county foolishly setting the Sept 9 ACT date today on Yom Kippur, my admission process is going to be dragged on. I’m trying not to stress out and panic but this is too much. First Irma cancels my ACT date, I have to wait until Sept 30th and now that date is canceled? Ugh. I don’t have to pay for the October ACT but I wanted to be done with the process before Nov 1. I guess I’ll have even more time to study and work on perfecting my essays more.
Just got my acceptance letter to the University of Idaho! (Surprising, because I thought they weren’t going to review applications till after December 1st but ok!)
I do not want to write these essays. It’s like, I just don’t have the time for all my schoolwork AND all these essays. I’ve started on a few, but it’s just too much. I have a bunch of other homework to do. It’s like I’m trying to do everything, but I just can’t. I have no clue how I am going to make time for everything this year.
@carmen00 I feel you! I have about 7 EA schools and there are JUST SO MANY ESSAYS! But my advice would be to take it one essay at a time, and one day at a time, and I’m sure you’ll be able to do it! Just think about your goals and why you’re doing this and hopefully that will motivate you
@carmen00 @dancinginastorm I did a bunch of application stuff before school started because I knew I wouldn’t have been able to survive if I had to do that all at the same time haha
Right now, I’m dealing with a procrastination wave called “Should I do my homework or should I knit?” Knitting has been winning so far rip
I STILL havent received a decision from Johns Hopkins regarding HOME!
It’s FAFSA Day (First day of FAFSA applications)! Get your money y’all! :))
Just got home from my MIT interview. We spoke for 2 hours and even at the end both of us still had so much to say
Just submitted the FAFSA and CSS profile! I’m glad those are now out of the way.
My common app essay on the other hand is not coming along so well… I hardly know what I want to say. Writing about myself is so difficult. My essay is about Mock Trial since I have been in the program for 3 years and I have really learned a lot. But I feel so bored when I read it? Maybe since I already know the contents. Once I hit 700 words I am going to send it to my aunt and Mock Trial coach/ex-admissions consultant for their opinions. I’m slowly starting to stress since Harvard wants my app by October 15. I’m losing a weekend to work on it since I will be at Johns Hopkins.
Final list of schools! I still haven’t accepted that I am applying to college?? This is surreal, exciting, and terrifying.
Harvard REA - can’t remember what interest I put on Common App
Johns Hopkins - Civil Engineering
Northeastern - Civil Engineering w/Sustainability
UC Berkeley - Society and Environment (or Undecided: College of Natural Resources)
UCLA - Undecided Environmental Science
George Washington - Civil Engineering
American - honestly I have not done any research on their majors. I should look into their 3-2 engineering program
Fordham - Environmental Studies
Santa Clara - Civil Engineering
Arizona State - Civil Engineering w/Sustainability
I wish I took AP Environmental Science more seriously last year lol. I goofed off a lot since the class was easy. At least Of course after I took the class I realized it’s what I want to study. My summer program at Cornell helped since it was focused on Civil and Environmental Engineering.
@dietcig I feel you abt apes!! It’s what I want to study too and I’m trying to incorporate that feeling in my essay but it’s hard.
Just had my MIT interview. I think it went pretty well (definitely not two hours though!)