Junior and senior year are a wild time and dealing with everything can be daunting.
Balancing all of the deadlines, essays and schoolwork while trying to enjoy the end of your high school career can be overwhelming. Everything seems to be going a mile a minute and with the future being so uncertain, it’s easy to think that you’re not making the right decision.
So, here are some tips to help with the process and hopefully alleviate any of your fears about college admissions.
1. Don't try to be like everyone else. Just be the best version of yourself.
This sounds so cheesy but hear me out. The college admissions process teaches you that you’re not a special snowflake. Especially if you’re trying to get into those top tier schools, everyone is doing all the APs they can, joining all the extra curriculars they can and doing all of the community service opportunities they can find. Colleges know that you’re smart and driven, it’s obvious based on your record, but what they’re really concerned about is YOU. What are YOU going to do once you get here. What are YOUR passions? WHY did you join those clubs? Underneath all of those accomplishments, there is a person, don’t try to be what you think colleges want you to be, and just be yourself. Crazy concept, I know.
2. Understand why you're applying to the schools you have in mind.
Yes, there are those schools that you apply to because you need some safety schools but when it comes to your reaches and matches, don’t just look at names, really understand why you’re applying to those schools. For me, touring the schools helped out a lot and really made me feel comfortable and excited about the idea of going to my “match” schools. If you can’t tour the school because of financial or geographic restraints, really look into the programs and stats and how the school stacks up against others when it comes to the fields you’re interested in.
3. The "Why" Essay (i.e. the Why BU? Why Northeastern? Why UCLA? essays).
The Why essay is essentially one of the most painful college admissions essays to write because it leaves the ball entirely in your court. It is so open ended and so daunting, you feel as if there is no way for this essay not to be cheesy. If it was up to you, you would just write let me in pleaseeeeeeeeeee, but you know that’s not how life works, so you’re left with the task of tackling it. Basically, if anything you said in your essay can be googled or found in the school’s promotional guidebooks and other PR paraphernalia, you are on the wrong track. Pick something specific and make it personal. Make the essay true to you. Leave the stats at home and make it about you. The most random things can make for the most unique and best essays.
4. Don't burn bridges.
There are some people (teachers included) who you can’t wait to say goodbye to forever. But, you should always be cordial to everyone and leave with integrity. That’s all I’m going to say on that.
5. Say Thank you!
You know that you could not have survived the stressful last years of high school without your friends, teachers and family by your side. I know my parents definitely carried me through senior year and without my dad, I probably would have failed AP Micro. Definitely do not forget to thank everyone who helped you out, whether it was with a recommendation letter or simply a laugh on a bad day, never forget the people who helped you succeed. In the words of Maya Angelou, “nobody, but nobody, can make it out here alone,” and you certainly didn’t.
6. A bad SAT/ACT score is not the end of the world.
A score does not define you. Moreover, those tests are impossible and I personally think they have no bearing on how you will actually perform in college. If you get a bad score, don’t beat yourself up about it. As long as you tried your best, you have nothing to be ashamed of, and honestly the smartest of people could just be bad test takers. We all have different strengths. Also, colleges look at your score in relation to your major/interests. If you’re a STEM major and you did bad on the math portions, that might be a problem, but, if you’re like me, a mass communications major, that’s pretty understandable.We’re all wired differently. You’re not going to be perfect at everything and that’s okay.
7. Be honest.
Don’t lie on the application. It could come back to haunt you. Academic integrity is a big deal in college, so you don’t want dishonesty to kill your chances of getting into your dream school. In that same vein, when you get to college, don’t cheat or lie about your work. Plagiarism is a serious offense and can get you expelled, tarnishing your record permanently. Just be honest. Better to tell the truth and fail than to lie and eventually get caught.
8. Don't waste time joining every extracurricular activity known to man.
Colleges want to see you as a person, not an academic robot. Join clubs that interest you. Participate in community service projects you care about. Take APs that align with your passions, not just to get the credit. Make sure your academic experience in high school can relate to what you want to do in college. Admissions officers want to see passion, not just a record that’s the same as everyone else’s.
9. If you don't get in, don't panic.
If you don’t get into your dream school, don’t let it destroy you. Everything happens for a reason and as the saying goes, if it’s for you, it will happen. Sometimes, you have to be knocked down, to get up twice as strong as you were before. In the end, if you keep working and hustling, you will get to where you need to be.
10. Don't stress, you will find what's best for you.
The process is stressful but in the end, it will all work out. By the end of senior year, while you may not know what you want to do with your life, you will have an idea where you want to go. Whether it’s college, a gap year, an internship, or spending the next year backpacking all over the world, you will figure it out.
11. Listen to Advice.
Take advice, sometimes with a grain of salt, but definitely listen to the concerns of those around you. The reality is, you’re a teenager and as much as you hate to admit it, you don’t know that much about the world and that’s okay. It’s okay to be confused. Ask questions, take advice and try to come up with a rational plan.
12. Enjoy senior year.
Yes, it is stressful and teachers are constantly trying your life, but you owe it to yourself to enjoy the last few months of high school. You went through 12 grades of tomfoolery, allow yourself to revel in the bittersweet moments: your last homecoming, last picture day, last ap exam, all of it. College is pretty great but you deserve to enjoy the ending of high school a bit because God knows it stressed you the f*** out.
