General App Advice

Preparing to apply to colleges

1. Get teachers or others to write you a letter of recommendation - this person should be able to speak and argue for your acceptance at this institution. 

2. Start drafting and try to finish your Common App by the end of summer

1. Doing so will free up time during the year to write supplementals 

3. Create a Google Sheet for your college search (template listed online)

1. The sheet should include your research about what you believe stands out to you (location, academic system, programs, study abroad opportunities, student populations, etc.) 

2. Start attending in-person and online information sessions 

1. These are important if your school tracks demonstrated interest

3. Make sure your college list has a few schools of each difficulty (safety, target, reach)

1. There is no need for you to have more than 3 safeties 

2. I would balance the ratio depending on how many schools you have on your list

4. Don’t limit yourself on the number of college you will apply to

1. You never know what would happen

2. If you can carry out the application process, you can apply to more schools

5. In the Google sheet, order your colleges in the order of your choices, where is your top choice?

6. Figure out which type of application you will apply to the school with (I suggest applying Early Decision to your top institution if offered, then EAing all the public and private schools that offer it, and apply regular to the hardest colleges)

1. Restrictive Early Action (REA) - the more competitive schools without an Early Decision has Restrictive Early Action

1. You can only apply early to this Private school

2. You are able to Early Action to state institution

3. You are not binded (you are not required to attend) to this school if you are accepted

4. I personally do not advise applying REA to any institutions since you’re putting yourself in the most competitive pool

5. REA does not raise your chance of acceptance

2. Early Decision (ED)

1. You can only apply Early decision to this Private School

2. You are not able to REA other schools

3. You are able to EA other institutions

4. You are binded to the school if accepted 

5. ED will raise your chance of acceptance

3. Early Action (EA)

1. You can apply Early Action to any schools unless you decided to REA

2. You are not binded to this school

3. You figure out your admission status early

4. Regular

1. Same thing as EA but you find out later

4. Create your common app account, and begin filling out information 

Applying to Colleges

1. If you need it, email different school’s admission offices, most of them will offer you a application fee waiver

1. Your fee will already be waived, if you are a Pell Grant Receiver - talk to your counselor about this 

2. Start writing your supplemental in the order of urgency

1. You probably should write the ones due sooner, earlier

2. As you continue to write supplementals, it becomes easier, and you can repeat some of them

3. Start building connections with College staff (Connections can be SUPER important)

1. For your admissions counselor

1. Ask good questions (QUESTIONS NOT ANSWERED ON THE SCHOOL WEBSITE), or school specific questions, make yourself stand out through these communications (so many people are doing this, you should find a way to stand out)

2. Never email your admissions officer about accidentally misreporting something on your application or missing information, either call the admissions office or use the application portals to report your mistakes

2. For other staff

1. Are you interested in joining an organization, research, or activity?

2. Reach out to the staff and faculty demonstrating your interest in joining their organization or their work

1. Make sure to seriously put details within these emails so you’re not just another high schooler

3. Set up a meeting with them to talk about your potential role as a student in the future, this could be useful for your why institution essays. 

3. Coaches or etc.

1. Reach out to the coaches of these institutions about your interest playing at the collegiate level either as a recruit or walk on

1. More details on this soon

4. If you are a musician or artist, gather up or record materials so that you could submit a music portfolio for the institutions that accept it. 

5. In the Common App

1. Mostly don’t use the additional writing section unless you only need to use a few sentences to write clarifications or additions to your application

2. The activity section is super useful! If you have two activities related to the same thing, and you have more than 11 activities to report, then you can combine the activities together in one spot. 

3. Anything can be an activity if you can sell it, so describe it TRUTHFULLY in a way

4. If you believe your activity is common, write something special you did within the club

1. Did you start a tradition? Were you not only a player but an inspiration on the sidelines? Did you take underclassmen to meals? Did you help others get to activities by offering them rides? Find something Unique!

6. Create a resume that goes more in depth into your activity or lists other activity just in case your school asks for one

7. Don’t be rushed to submit your application early. It’s not going to give you an advantage. 

8. ALWAYS SAY YES TO INTERVIEWS

9. Optional essays are not optional, please just write them.

After Applying to Colleges

1. Just chill

2. Don’t be worried if you don’t get an interview (you don’t need an interview to get into a school)

3. If you get an interview request, prepare an answer for a few questions. The biggest questions include:

1. Tell me about yourself?

2. What are you involved in?

3. Why ___? What do you want to do?

4. Biggest weakness?

5. Etc.

4. After a month or two of applying, send an “update letter” including your standing with your clubs and your additional accomplishments. 

1. More details on the format will be posted soon

2. These updates should be an addition to your application, not a repeat of your application

5. Continuously try to ask questions and demonstrate interest by attending different information sessions and asking unique questions

6. Finish your FAFSA and CSS application