The Old College Try: Get It Done

The daunting prospect of applying to college/boarding school exists, there is no doubt about it. A lot of the anxiety comes from the questioning thoughts of “Is any school going to accept me?” Add in the whole process of writing essays – possibly lots of them – and we have inertia!  

Here’s the deal, applying to school is not easy. For the first time you are preparing materials for some person, typically unknown, to evaluate you. Freakishly scary, right? The truth is, it doesn’t have to be scary at all. But the idea that everyone will want you on their campus is also a bit off target. That’s why it’s so important to put together a really good list of schools. This shouldn’t just be any old list of schools, but schools across a range of “reach,” “core,” and “fundamental” choices. If there are a couple things not to do, it’s to have a lot schools on your list that are all reach or apply to schools you would never attend. Both plans are just plain silly and a waste of money.

But this is not the real purpose of this post. The purpose is to get you moving on your applications. Just for a moment remember this: the train has left the station! In other words, the application process has started and if you have not started, you need to catch up.

Here are some words of advice:

1. It’s going to be a busy year, so plan on being busy. School is your full-time job. Doing well is a matter of fact. Applying to school is your part-time job. Often students complain they did not have the time to prepare this or that aspect of the application. Well, guess what – your competitors are finding the time to do everything and remember that some of them may actually also have real part-time jobs – working!
2. Since applying to school is a part-time job, then you need to allocate the time to do all the things necessary for the application process: research and put together a great list of 10 first choice schools, prepare for testing (SAT I, SAT II, if required, recommended or optional), TOEFL/IELTS, complete applications, write essays, and ask teachers for recommendations. Phew! That is a lot of things. Time management is everything.
3. As mentioned doing well in school is the number one thing you need to do, far more important than scoring 2400 on the SAT (which by the way very few students actually do). Focus on your school work, ask for assistance from your teachers when you are lost or confused, build your academic portfolio. Now, sadly if you are a senior, it is not possible to significantly raise your GPA, since time is now your enemy. You have six semesters of grades already calculated into your GPA. One more semester of grades is not going increase your GPA significantly. But what you can do is show improvement; all schools love to see the upward trend in academic performance.
4. Get organized! Make sure you know what every college wants from you in terms of test scores, essays and supplements, teacher recommendations and deadlines for applications. This is your responsibility. Make a chart of what every school wants and then plan to get those things done. Create a schedule of personal deadlines and meet them so you are not feeling the pressure.
5. Tell your parents what you are doing. This helps keep them off your back thus alleviating the pressure you may be feeling from them. If they are in the dark about your progress, then they are going to be all over you asking questions.
6. Make sure you have appropriately asked your teachers and school officials to write your letter of recommendation. This is vital because you do not want to wait until the last moment to ask for these very critical pieces to your application. Asking at the last minute definitely does not help them, nor do you look good asking.
7. Plan for your application deadlines. If you are applying early to a school, then you need to have all the pieces together before the actual deadline. Make sure all of your teachers and school officials know so they are also on track to have materials completed on time. Again, management is key!
8. Make sure your parents are ready to pay for the applications.
9. Make sure that you are scheduling your interviews. Know which schools require/recommend/or have optional interviews. Many times you need to contact the school to ask for an interview. Be aware that a number of schools are requiring or requesting that students from China use either IntialView or Vericant for the interview process. If that is the case, then you will need to schedule an appointment with them.
10. Demonstrated Interest (DI) – what is it? DI is the process of showing a school that you are truly and honestly interested in their school. Attending presentations, completing inquiry cards or asking for information to be sent, sending email to admission representatives about pertinent questions you have (not questions you can find the answer to on the website). DI is not about stalking the admission representatives. It is about appropriate contact when necessary. It is also asking to talk to current students attending that school, speaking to alumni about their experience and even, if possible, visiting the school.