Throughout high school, college is on the back of every student's mind. Grades, scores, classes, extracurriculars, and just about everything else can be thought of as steps towards raking in as many acceptance letters as possible.
These past few months, I've had to bite the bullet and begin the actual application process. It's almost surreal putting down your accomplishments on a real application, confirming where it will be sent, and knowing your next four years will be determined in a matter of months. Everything is set in stone, so all there is left to do is wait until you hear back from the colleges you may have been dreaming about for years. Although my education has prepared me well for this important process, I've uncovered many misconceptions when going through it myself. To all upcoming juniors: chill, it's actually not that bad.
1. There is no such thing as a good SAT/ACT score.
You probably know someone who got 700+ in each/some sections of the SAT with ease, or a 30+ score on the ACT without studying. You probably also know a kid who got an 11 on the ACT and everyone rumors they're going to drop out of high school. But the majority of the people you know got scores around the national average of 1000 for the SAT or 21 for the ACT, and that is okay. Seriously! Even that super smart and put-together girl in your history honors probably got an average score! The average scorers just aren't talking about their scores, because the only scores people talk about are the ones that get kids into Harvard, so anything below that limit seems lacking. Luckily, college applications give you plenty of room to showcase how extraordinary you are, sans scores. I definitely wish I knew that when I was stressing over every point on every practice test I took six months ago.
2. The common app is easy!
All you hear about the infamous common app is how annoying and long it is. Maybe I missed something, but the information portion of the common app took less than an hour to fill out, and the one essay is less than 650 words and all about your life. I can talk about myself for days; 650 words is nothing. Best advice I've received for essay writing: think about the most important things in your life, and find a way to link them into the essay prompt. Baking, volleyball, and Feminist Club may seem like random things to group together in one essay, but it's the best and easiest way to show colleges who you are and describe how winning that MVP award last season is a way bigger deal than it sounds as one tick on your resume.
3. Having a relationship with your top choice schools is important.
If you know where you want to apply in the future and what you may want to study, cold email a professor in or the head of that department right now. Find a pre-college program at the school if it works for you. Ask them questions about the school, your interests, or their careers, and start a relationship. This is the easiest and most under-used way to get an in with your favorite colleges, and trust me, they'll be impressed. Keep being persistent––email a few people until you find someone who will respond––keep up a rapport, and tell them when you're going to apply. In my case, I ended up a first-name basis with multiple adults who had a say in whether I got accepted or not. Always good to have a man on the inside rooting for you, and the college admissions board loves to see a familiar face.
4. Everyone has a different path.
Some people apply to 15 colleges, some people apply to one, some people go to community college, some take a gap year. If you only have four schools that excite you and are in your grade acceptance range, apply to those four! You do not have to go to the most impressive school possible. Just make sure at least a few of the schools you apply to have average accepted GPA/standardized test scores around or below your own, so there is no stress about whether or not you will be going to college.
5. You will be happy anywhere you go.
One of my genius elder friends gave me the most calming words of wisdom when she was choosing her own school: the most important thing in life is meaningful connections with the people around you, and that can be found at any school. So even if you don't get in to your top choice, or even your top five choices, make the most of whatever options you have left. The application and admission process is only as stressful as you let it be!
