With the end of the school year quickly approaching, rising seniors are beginning to think about college applications and college. Though the college application process can seem daunting, having a plan can help to ease the worries for future applicants.
Thinking about what to study in college is a great first step. Colleges have many different majors and minors, and having academic focus already in mind can really help narrowing down college options. Websites like Niche, Common App, and Acceptd can all help with finding a college that fits a specific area of study. School Links is also a helpful resource that has a college search tool with scattergrams that compare a student’s GPA or SAT score with other students.
It is important to note colleges rising seniors really want to attend or are truly interested in. It is good to have some safe schools, colleges that a student is confident they will get into, and some reach schools, schools like University of Virginia or Ivy League colleges, which are notorious for being hard to get into. Keep in mind that most colleges charge fees for submitting applications, so it is a good idea to have a budget for strategized college applications.
“Only apply to colleges you would actually consider going to,” current senior Natalie Beiter said, reflecting on her recent application process. “A lot of students just want to apply to as many schools as possible but, one it’s expensive and, two if you do get accepted you are putting another student on the waitlist.”
Ending junior year with a good academic standing, multiple extracurricular activities, and service hours can all make a difference when applying to colleges. Students send their transcripts to colleges to help the schools in making a decision on applications and junior year is the last full year of grades schools will see.
Finding teachers that are willing to write college recommendations can also be helpful for students nearing their senior year, and looking at essay prompts as well as writing college essays during junior year can give a head start to students.
“It is also very important to have a [college essay] topic that can fit multiple different writing supplements since different colleges ask for different things,” senior Lydia Rouse said. “Don’t be surprised if you end up with a Google Doc of multiple different college supplements.”
Current juniors should visit college websites to look at the application requirements and processes according to the majors they intend to study. If able, students should schedule in person tours of campus or walk through the campus in order to get a feel for the student life at campus. Students looking to pursue fine arts need to make sure that they know if the college requires an audition or portfolio. Also, any athletes who are interested in playing college sports should work with their coaches and visit the NCAA website if considering DI or DII schools.
Pay attention to important dates like when the application process starts for the school and when the application is due. Common App opens on August 1st, so students can begin their applications and work on their Common App essays over the summer. Also, rising seniors should spend some time over the summer to research different scholarships if they are interested in that form of financial aid.
“One thing I wish I knew my junior year about college applications is how important it is to be unique,” Rouse said. “Not every college needs a sob story for an essay or the best test scores, but something that makes you stand out in a crowd.”
