"What I wish I had known"

Applying to College Admission Stories
221

I wish i would have known, first of all to plan just a little about going to college.

I was a late bloomer, did not take college prep classes, did not apply to anything except for my local CC.

I would recommend that even if you are not sure about going to college that taking a few classes is a good idea. Going to the CC is O, especially if you are only going part time. Going part time and working is a good idea and works well for many people, at least during the CC days. I wish that i would have completed one of my course of studies that would have resulted in a certificate. I went in a few different directions and ended up with just one major when i could have had another degree most because of all of the classes i took.

Getting a degree that you can get a job with is not a bad choice at all. Getting a technical type of degree so you can get a decent job and then taking classes part time is not a bad idea either.

222

Bump!

Any more?

Sent from my SGH-T959V using CC

223

I wish I had understood how much showing interests really helps. The few schools I had correspondence with and actively asked questions of the admissions office and let them know I wanted to go there, are also the few schools I got into.

I wish I had understood how much financial aid varies at different schools (even though I applied only to schools that meet full need.) For instance, Grinnell gave me 44k per year in scholarships, Vassar gave me 59k. That’s a huge difference when both schools have the same information about me. Apply to lots of schools. Even if you think you’ll get into 3 or 4 of them, the financial aid can really vary.

I wish I had not worried about it. I applied to all these elite schools and was terrified that nobody would want me. Now I’m going to vassar, paying 1,000 dollars per year only, and doing 2 varsity sports and I wonder why I spent so much time worrying and had so much anxiety when march rolled around. Calm down. Don’t panic, and always carry a towel.

So long and thanks for all the fish!

224

I like the advice,

Keyword: EARLY!

Especially to those prospective valedictorians out there, don’t get senioritis.

225

My advice: if you are waitlisted, it isn’t the end of your dream, but a chance to go after it. Seriously, if you are waitlisted and really really pursue getting off, it can happen. Not for everyone, but it did for me! :slight_smile:

226

I wish I had not been so confident. I also wish I hadn’t been so naive.

The numbers (at the time of application):
2370 SAT, 800s in both SAT II Bio(M) and Lit, 780 SAT II Math2, five 5s and one 4 on AP tests, 4.4 GPA (2 Bs: one from an honors class first semester junior year, the second from an AP class first semester senior year)

The ECs:
Varsity Tennis (team captain senior year), Math Club (President), piano (most advanced certificate of merit, various competitions), summer internship at a Congressman’s office, dance, volunteer work for multiple organizations, school newspaper (junior year)

Work:
Math tutor, some-time dance teacher

Senior year:
4 more AP classes, one regular class.

My school:
Definitely a college-prep kind of school. Blue ribbon. California. Not many get into Ivies, but many, many, many, get into UC Berkeley, UCLA, or UC Davis. Maybe one or two Stanfords every other year.

With my academic record and variety of ECs, I was confident that I would get into a great school… maybe even an Ivy! This was mistake one. I focused so much on applying to the big-fish schools that I didn’t leave time to consider other schools that, though not as prestigious as the Ivies, were still highly-respected. In the end, I only got into my safety schools.

Mistake two: I was naive. I’m a Chinese kid from California. There are many bright, hard-working, award-winning, leadership-oriented, and straight-A Chinese kids from California. I forgot that they were my competition. Put me in a pool of Asians, I doubt I would come out near the top. Maybe I’d skim above-average.

Mistake three: I didn’t get straight-As. I think Ivies might like straight-As, especially from Asian-American students from CA. Maybe I should have picked easier classes in high school.

These were my “mistakes.” However, the past…is the past. All we can do is learn from it, right? Now, it’s summer, and the admissions process is over. What have I learned?

Insight 1: The East-West Coast barrier is pretty large.

Insight 2: Take the time to really research and consider a variety of colleges. Do apply to your top schools and your “far-reaches”, but also apply to the other ones: the interesting ones or the ones you can still see yourself at, should the admissions process run against your favor.

Insight 3: Try not to get too many people to read your essays, or you may find that too many suggestions can get you exactly nowhere. Also, the college admissions process is an individual thing; if your parents insist on being a part of it, let them, but also remind them that there’s a line between helping and interfering. Your mom or dad may not be the best people to look at your essays, either.

Insight 4: When choosing courses in high school, especially junior or senior year, try to find a balance between the classes that will challenge you and the classes in which you know you will do well. Keep in mind that, although it may reflect well on you to challenge yourself with hard classes, the event that you not do well may ultimately harm you rather than help you in the eyes of admissions officers.

Insight 5: Research and apply to scholarships early, and keep your eye on the deadline!

Insight 6: Have some fun your senior year. Take the time to be with your friends. You’ve only one more year with many of them, after all!

Insight 7: Things will work out in the end. :slight_smile:

227

I enjoyed your post, hopeflz. I’m sorry that you didn’t get into the schools you were hoping to get into, but I really liked your advice. I hope more people will take it to heart that grades and test scores aren’t everything, and even the impossible can happen.

228

Hey everyone!!!
It’s the first thing I post in this community. hope to have a perfect interaction!
wish you all the best

229

I wish I had taken more chances and tried harder. I limited my opportunities because I felt restricted due to my poor test taking abilities and financial situation. This stopped me from retaking the ACT and applying to a variety of colleges; instead I just thought “Why bother?” and settled for what I thought was my only option.

After a couple years in college, I’ve learned to take more initiative and consider different options, even if they seem a bit out of reach. I still have a realistic perspective, but I’ve also stopped assuming that I’m not capable or that I can’t make something work. Having this attitude helped when I applied as a transfer student this past spring. I think it’s important to explore as many opportunities as possible and take risks - the worst thing that can happen is rejection (which really isn’t as bad as many over-stressed seniors make it out to be :)).

230

I actually read these posts one by one…love you guys and wish you all best of luck!!!

231

You can’t add extracurriculars your senior year without being REALLY obvious. Sorry, should’ve thought of that earlier. What you can do is get involved in the ones you do have, try to get officer positions, etc.

I actually already knew this, but so many of my friends did not…Your safety school CAN be your best fit. I know this from experience. You don’t have to go to the school that you didn’t think you would get into but did. A school that is at or below your stats level will offer you things like honors college admission, scholarships, etc. Whereas the school you got into on a prayer may not. Carefully consider ALL your options before rushing to a decision.

And, lastly, make the best of what you get when acceptances roll in. Every school can have opportunities for you. I have a friend who is absolutely miserable that he’s going to UNC because his dream was to go to John Hopkins. And he’s not trying to meet people and already assumes he’ll hate it. He’s…being…stupid. Don’t sulk around if you didn’t get into that dream school. What’s done is done. When rejection letters say “We had lots of qualified applicants and couldn’t accept all we wanted,” that isn’t just to make you feel better, it’s true. You can’t win them all, you have to look towards the bright future ahead of you.

232

Bump.

^^ That is really good advice.

I definitely wish I had known that grades aren’t the only thing that gets you into colleges. Being “that smart kid” as a child, I never even considered how important ECs are… And also, to not wait until junior year to start thinking about colleges, then trying to suddenly get everything up to college standards…

233

hopeflz, great advice!!! similar thing happened to my Asian son. Relied on Naviance to chance his admits, but it was totally wrong. why? because he is Asian and like you said, put in the pool of competing with other Asians for that 5 -9% of total admits. He’s at Case Western and in orientation and is so far, extremely happy, as are we.

234

This is intended for me as a freshman/incoming freshman:

-Get straight As. No, really, do it. More people at your HS will have them than you realize, and you want to have the best rank possible.
-Make sure you understand what’s being assigned and when it’s due.
-Take AP classes as early as possible. Honors classes may be just as hard at your HS, but colleges don’t know that.
-Accept that you don’t really know what you want to study right now.
-Art classes are considered to be a joke, no exceptions (except MAYBE AP Art History or AP Studio Art).
-If you’re going to self-study APs, start early in the year and treat yourself as though you’re in the classes for them.
-Study harder for the PSAT. The SAT is basically inconsequential compared to that (IF you’re also taking the ACT, which you will).
-Pick one, two, or maybe three ECs and focus on them.
-Get to know one teacher a year really well. Treat the rest as grading machines.
-Take SAT IIs before senior year.
-Think more about your current classes than about ones you’d like to take in college.
-At the end of the day, no one cares how old you are when you have your first girlfriend, how popular you are, or whether you go to parties. That stuff all vanishes as soon as you graduate.
-It’s much harder to lose weight than it is to gain it.

235

^the last one. If i could re-do the entire high school experience, that would be the only thing i’d change.

236

-As much as I hate to say it, a 4.0 with class rigor is probably more important than perfect standardized test scores, great ECs, great recommendations, and great essays combined.

237

emberjed I disagree strongly with a couple of your points.

Treat all teachers except one as grading machines - many teachers have so much to offer their students. My daughter had wonderful relationships with several teachers, which enriched her HS experience and helped her to be a mature young lady (learning how to interact with adults is an important part of growing up.)

Nobody may care when you had your first date etc. once you graduate, but nobody will also care about your HS grades once you are in college. Social development in HS is important, this includes having friends, etc. You might be able to succeed in college without social skills but good luck succeeding in life once you get into the real world.

238

Best lesson I can offer is that the most important thing about college is FIT. Make sure you can picture yourself at that college, make sure the kids who attend will share your interests, make sure they have the types of programs you want, and make sure they have what is most important to you to make your life comfortable (whether this is a fancy gym or a good dining hall).

239

Kiddie I totally agree with you. Interacting is one of the most nessecary abilities a person can have and one needs to really perfect that and just live life.

240

Emberjed, wouldn’t art classes be seen as valuable? Not as big as core classes, but a sign that the student does more than just study, study, study? I’m taking a lot of music classes in my school, and I would like to think they’re not a waste of time.

Oh and for me it’s the opposite. I lose weight easily, and it takes months for me to gain five pounds. :confused: