Dear Class of 2021,
The college application process has many unexpected challenges that are hard to anticipate until you dive in head-first into the application process. Because of this, we decided to gather recent graduates from the Class of 2020 to provide advice they wish they knew before starting the college process, insight on how seniors should approach the application process during the pandemic, and what aspects of their application made them stand out. Read the following article, the first in a three-part series, to hear insight and encouragement from fourteen wonderful and brilliant college freshmen.
Question #1: What do you wish you knew before starting college applications?
Choosing Colleges
Suggested by London Anderson, Allison Chhay, Audrey Erickson, and Ania Szydlowski.
One very important aspect of the application is creating the college list that works best for you. It may be tempting to only apply to well-known institutions but try and resist this urge. It’s important to invest time in researching schools that are truly the best fit for you. While one school might have prestige, they might not have your major or have the right campus culture for you. Don’t feel pressured to add certain colleges to your list just because your peers are doing so. Not every student has the same statistics or participates in the same extracurriculars, so it's okay to not have similar schools on your college list as your peers.
“You should plan on applying to some schools with lower acceptance rates and others with higher acceptance rates. Really understanding and being realistic about your odds of being accepted and giving yourself options are the best things you can do for yourself.”
- London Anderson, Kenyon College
Staying Organized
Suggested by Hannah Chen, Allison Chhay, Yuri Coleman, Emmanuel Nidea, Jessica Schnoll, Naomi Wu, and Michaela Zollicoffer.
Organization is an extremely important aspect of the college application process. Though the entire application process may seem daunting, setting small goals and pacing yourself will make the process seem much more approachable and doable. In order to do this, you must start the process early to allocate enough time to complete all of the necessary tasks. Write down important due dates so that you can stay on top of your work and aim to spend little bits of time on your applications every day.
“I wish someone had told me about the importance of doing small parts at a time. I was very overwhelmed trying to complete everything perfectly and as early as I could. I eventually figured out how to pace myself, whether that was doing bits and pieces of each essay instead of trying to cram the whole thing in one sitting or setting smaller goals for myself with my research of schools."
- Jessica Schnoll, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Recommendations
Suggested by Hannah Chen and Emmanuel Nidea.
Recommendations play a large role in the application process as they provide admissions teams with insight about you as a student and person. In order to make sure your recommendations are spot on, decide early which teachers you want recommendations from. Reach out to them as early as you can to ensure that they will have enough time to complete them. Strong recommendations may talk about your character, growth, or leadership.
“It’s very important that you ask for a letter of recommendation from a teacher that you have a strong relationship with. When thinking about who to ask, consider teachers who have seen your growth as a student and can speak to your character."
- Emmanuel Nidea, Northwestern University
Essays
Suggested by Hannah Chen, Miclo Gonzalez, Hannah Hansraj, Emmanuel Nidea, Jessica Schnoll, Ania Szydlowski, and Naomi Wu.
Essays will be the most time-consuming part of the application process. As you start to write your personal statement and supplements, try not to read sample essays before you begin writing. While they can be a good source of inspiration if you’re stuck, reading these essays may compel you to change your voice because of the pressure to write the “perfect essay.” Though many people stall the writing process for fear of writing a bad essay, allow yourself to write a garbage first draft. No one will read it, so there will be no judgment.
For your personal statement, find a topic that allows the reader to take a look at who you are based on your identity and experiences. It should be unique to you and something only you could write. Be creative with the essays and aim to command the reader’s interest. Your essay doesn’t need to be life-defining, but it should show intention, reflection, and growth. When you finish your drafts of the personal statement, make sure to get it reviewed by multiple people, but don’t go overboard. By limiting the critics you get to a few trusted people, you are helping prevent outside influence from impacting your essay.
“Think outside of the box and be as creative in your essays as possible. Make sure to grab the admissions officer’s attention at the beginning of your essays because you want to stand out and you want them to be engaged with your essays as they will be reading thousands of other essays.”
- Ania Szydlowski, University of Illinois at Chicago
Take Advantage Of Available Resources
Suggested by Kayla Huang and Jenna Kim.
There are many free resources available to students about the college application process: on anything from understanding the Common Application to getting help on essays. One vitally underutilized resource are teachers and counselors. After years of helping students apply to college, counselors are familiar with all the ins and outs of the application process and teachers are there to answer any questions you have and review essays, so don’t hesitate to reach out to them!
“Talk to your counselor. Applying to college is CONFUSING. If you are the first in your family to go to college in the US (or just in general) like me, talking to your counselor is invaluable.”
- Kayla Huang, Harvard University
Holistic Application
Suggested by Miclo Gonzalez, Hannah Hansraj, and Jenna Kim.
While it may be easy to think that your test scores and essays are the things that will make or break your application, in reality, most colleges take a holistic approach to applications—meaning they look at all aspects of your application instead of using just one factor to determine your outcome. That means that your application does not have to be perfect to get into the schools you want! Instead of spending your time trying to show colleges what you think they want to see, be unapologetically yourself. That’s what colleges are more interested in.
“Before and during the college process, I was fixated on getting into my dream school and making my application air-tight. Even though I told myself that everything will work out in the end, I didn't believe it. I wish I had just focused on putting my best foot forward instead of obsessing over my end goal.”
- Jenna Kim, Northwestern University
Considering Financials
Suggested by Hannah Chen and Yuri Coleman.
Money is an important part to consider when choosing which colleges to apply to, as well as which applications to send. There are resources available that can cover costs of nearly every aspect of the application process if you qualify. For standardized tests, you can apply for a fee waiver to cover the cost of taking the test. For applications, you can apply for a Common App fee waiver or school-specific fee waivers. Additionally, there are scholarships that can cover the entire cost of colleges such as Questbridge or the Gates Scholarship. Despite these resources, it is still important to consider the costs of college when applying so that you do not end up owing too much in student loans or paying uncomfortable amounts of money for college.
“College applications are expensive, so think about which schools you feel like you could actually see yourself at. It is totally okay to attend a community college before transferring to a larger university.”
- Hannah Chen, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Managing Stress
Suggested by London Anderson, Hannah Hansraj, Kayla Huang, and Jessica Schnoll.
The college application process is probably one of the most stressful situations you will face. You need to ensure that you are finding healthy ways to manage your stress. Find spaces in your day where you don’t have to think about colleges and try not to overwhelm yourselves with applying to too many colleges if you believe it will be too challenging for your mental health. To read more about combating the pressure, read our blog post “Combating Pressure During The Application Process.”
“To this year's applicants: you've got this! It seems like a big deal right now, but don't blow things out of proportion. This process will blur to a distant memory in a few years, and you will thrive regardless of where you decide to attend school.”
- Michaela Zollicoffer, McGill University
The college application may seem daunting, but there are numerous people who are willing to help you throughout this process. If you ever have any questions or need support, email us at applicationoverloadblog@gmail.com, we are more than happy to help! To find more advice from recent graduates, visit the "Tips From c/o 2020" page on our blog. To current seniors: good luck! We know that this process is challenging, but we are rooting for you every step of the way.
Sincerely,
The Class of 2020
A special thank you to the following Class of 2020 volunteers for sharing your insight, encouragement, and honesty: London Anderson, Hannah Chen, Allison Chhay, Yuri Coleman, Audrey Erickson, Miclo Gonzalez, Kayla Huang, Jenna Kim, Emmanuel Nidea, Jessica Schnoll, Ania Szydlowski, and Michaela Zollicoffer.
Visit the "Meet The Contributors" section on our About Page to learn more about them!
Kommentare