Four short years ago, I was a high school senior anxiously awaiting my college acceptance letters. I recall being nervous as February rolled around and most of my friends knew exactly where they’d be heading in August. Throughout my senior year, I went through the basic college search, I checked out a few schools, applied to the ones I liked and lastly, I waited. Little did I know that I would choose a college that was right for me and would begin working in their admissions office as a student ambassador. This job not only funded countless trips to the mall and Chipotle, but taught me tons of admissions information I wish I had known when I was applying to college.

First off, the counselors don’t examine your application with a fine-tooth comb. While it is important to build your resume and write a kick-ass essay, don’t stress yourself out over every minor detail. Can’t remember the exact date of a volunteer program you did sophomore year? That’s fine, just put the month or year! The school I work for is a private liberal-arts college in New York, with around 2,000 undergraduate students. Our office receives thousands of applications per year. Large schools receive ten times that amount. Keep this in mind when you're applying. We don't need your whole life story in your application. Admissions counselors are looking to get a gist of who you are and what you're interested in, so keep it concise!

Next, don't be afraid to let your guidance counselor and teachers advocate for you. Those letters of recommendation count way more than you’d think! Every college obviously has its own specific set of standards they expect to see in order to be considered for enrollment, but that letter could make or break your decision! If your GPA isn’t perfect, or you’re applying for a specific reason, (maybe you really want to join their soccer team, for example!) that letter of recommendation from someone you respect, can make or break your acceptance.

Another great piece of advice is to get involved! Colleges might not look twice if you’re a B/C student, coasting your way through high school. If the school doesn’t see anything outstanding about your academic performance, they might look to your resume for more reasons why they should accept you. I can’t begin to express how many C students with no extra-curricular activities get denied, yet our school goes out of its’ way to recruit C- student, Joe-Schmo from East Nowhere, Vermont because he’s “the hottest up and coming lacrosse player out there”. So join a club, organization or sport, it looks great on a resume and you might even have some fun!

I know the college search might not always be fun, but it has to become a priority. It's your future. Not your parents, but you should be the one looking up schools and scheduling visits. I’m not proud of admitting this, but I was the kid whose mom woke them up at 7 a.m. and dragged them to an open house event at a college I didn’t care about. I am part of the population who believes waking up on a Saturday morning before 12 p.m. is literally a crime. However, it's your future. I cannot stress this concept enough. When admissions offices receive phone calls from parents asking questions such as “did you get my son’s essay?”, or “my daughter wants to know when her application will be reviewed”, it shows a lack of independence on the part of the applicant. While this may not be true, having your parent do all the work for your college search or application doesn’t portray a sense of personal responsibility that colleges would like to see.

So, 18-year-old-me, I know you’re “like, really busy with cheerleading practice and stuff”, but it’s time to get in gear! Research some colleges, reach out to them, attend admissions events and get excited to start a new chapter of your life. It may seem intimidating now, but it will all be worth it when you get the big envelope in the mail!