Welcome to Part 3 of A Guide Through the College Application Process. Here, we will be covering what to do after you have finished submitting your applications. This includes what to do during interviews, how to thank your recommenders, and making a decision. These tasks will all be completed between January and May, from when you finish submitting applications to the when you have to commit to a college.
Interviews
Not every college offers interviews and those that do rarely make the interview a required portion of the application process. However, if an interview is offered, you should take the opportunity It will show the college that you are genuinely interested and is an opportunity for you to learn more about the college from alumni. Additionally, interviews are a way to show colleges a bit of your personality, which can be hard to come across in the written application.
Common Interview Practices:
Dress nicely for the interview (no tennis shoes or sweatpants) but no need to wear fully formal attire either.
Prior to the interview, do research about the college so that you can reference specific programs or extracurriculars that interest you in that college.
Arrive 10-15 minutes early—you don’t want to keep your interviewer waiting.
Interviews can last anywhere between 30-60 minutes, so be sure to have at least an hour blocked off on your schedule the day you have your interview.
Smile and maintain eye contact all throughout the interview.
Make sure the interview flows more like a conversation rather than a back and forth of answering questions.
Ask the interviewer questions about the college. It is a great way to learn more about the university. Some example questions are "Why did you choose to attend this college?", "What defining characteristic makes this college so distinctive and special?", and "What type of student excels academically and socially here?"
Be sure to send a thank-you email to your interviewer afterward—this sets a positive lasting impression.
Questions Asked:
There are a lot of different questions an interviewer can ask. Below are some of the questions that could be asked in the interview, but this is just a sample of the many questions that could be asked:
Why are you interested in this college?
What programs or academic areas are you considering here?
What type of student are you?
What things do you do outside of school that is meaningful to you?
What are you looking for in a college?
How would your teachers (or friends) describe you?
What has been your biggest challenge so far?
What are your biggest strengths?
Where do you see yourself in the future and what do you think you’ll be doing?
What is the one thing that most people don’t know about you?
Thanking Recommenders
Recommendations are a large part of your college application, so it is important to thank your recommenders for taking their valuable time to write one for you. This seems like a no-brainer, but often, many students forget to thank their recommenders! There are numerous ways to show appreciation to them:
Verbal/Written Appreciation: The next time you see your recommender, thank them! If you won’t be seeing them for a while, write them a thoughtful email or card. Words go a long way and are powerful in expressing your gratitude to them.
Gifts: No recommender expects gifts from students (hopefully). However, if you are the type of person who expresses appreciation through gift-giving, spend time thinking about what they may like. If you’re stuck, you can check out these articles: 31 Teachers Share The Best Gift They've Ever Received or 33 Actually Useful Gifts All Practical People Will Appreciate.
Keep Them Updated: Your recommenders are invested in your application process, so be sure to let them know where you got in and where you decide to go!
Appealing Financial Aid
If your financial aid is lower than you expected or if your family has experienced a special circumstance that affects your ability to pay for college, APPEAL. The worst that can happen is a “no” from the financial aid office. This is the process to appeal for more financial aid:
Contact the financial aid office to figure out how to appeal. College appeal processes differ between schools. They may ask you to write a letter depending on the school.
If they require you to write a letter, identify what circumstance(s) have affected your family’s ability to pay for college. These can include lowered income, job loss, the divorce of parents, the end of child support, etc. Make sure to be specific about the financial impact to emphasize your need for more financial aid.
Schools will likely require you to fill out forms to provide them with information about your special circumstances and financial background. They may need documents such as medical bills and account statements, so be prepared to gather those and send them to the financial aid office when you appeal.
Making a Decision
If you were accepted to a college through ED or ED II, congratulations! Your decision is made. But for everyone else, making your decision may be one of the hardest choices you make. Here are a couple of things you can do to help you make that decision:
Talk to Current Students: This is the best way to get an idea of the school from a student’s perspective. You want to talk to as many people as possible from each school you are considering, and if possible, talk to people whose experiences would match yours (race, gender, religion, major, etc.). Use this opportunity to get to know not only the positives of the school but also some potential drawbacks.
Visit Campus/Attend Admitted Student Days: Because of the pandemic, many campus visits and Admitted Student Days were canceled. While we have no way of knowing what the world will look like in April 2021, if these are options available for you and if it is safe to, take advantage of them! They are a great way to experience the campus, interact with other incoming students, and learn more about the college.
Make (Another) Spreadsheet: There are a lot of things to consider, including (but not limited) to the following: campus, class requirements, competitive environment, cost of attendance, diversity of the school, grad school prospects, gut feeling, the happiness of the student body, healthcare (mental and physical), internship/research opportunities, job prospects, location, professors, fit (social life, clubs, etc), quality of life (food, dorms, etc), quality of your major, school size, school spirit, student body, study abroad programs, and weather. It may help to approach this from a quantitative perspective. On a spreadsheet, next to each category, decide how much weight each category holds for you on a scale of 1-10—with ten being the most weight and one being the least. Then, using a scale of 1-10, score how each college fits each criteria. Once you finish giving each college their scores for each criterion, multiply the weight of the category by the score. Then, add all those values together for each category. Hypothetically, the college with the highest total score would be the one best suited for you. Here’s an example spreadsheet you can adapt to your criteria/college list.
If you've made it this far in the college application process, congratulations! Remember that regardless of where your college application journey takes you, you are valuable and have something to contribute no matter where you are. Don’t forget to take the time to take care of your mental health and clear your head of college application thoughts! If you have questions or concerns, feel free to email us: applicationoverloadblog@gmail.com.
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