It takes more than a computer, pen and paper to apply to college.
Nov 10 '06
The Bottom Line Be prepared well before you apply; start your essays early; let the schools know you are interested and most of all good luck.
I’ve written about various aspects of getting into college. This essay will address the basics. The first steps to take and the first aspects of what you want to come across about you.
1. Your grade point average may be the most important aspect of getting into college. But I have said that it is a toss of the dice. I tell this story often. It is one I read in a magazine when my daughters were looking at colleges. A college admission counselor from Wellesley College in Massachusetts (highly ranked) said that there are no absolutes. She went on to say that if she were looking at two similar application but one was slightly stronger then the other and she got a call from the music department. The music department told her that they needed an oboe player. The weaker of the two applicants played the oboe and was admitted.
Another example: One of my daughter’s grade point average was very high. She and another girl applied to the same Ivy League college. The other girl got in; my daughter was put on a waiting list. The other girl whose GPA was not as high as my daughter’s was very active in community service and advocacy. This was a quality this particular school wanted to see.
And finally my younger daughter’s grade point average was not as high as others. Yet because of her overall picture she got into some better colleges than others. The point of these stories is yes, your GPA is very important but if it is lower than your best friends don’t worry that you won’t get in anywhere. Follow my advice below.
2. Depending on what kind of college you want to go to (two year versus four year) the courses you choose are very important. If you want to get into a highly ranked four-year college you will have to take advanced placement courses. A highly ranked college will not even look at you if you don’t have those on your transcript. I’m always asked “Is it better to get an A in a non-advanced placement course or a B in an advanced placement course?” Colleges like to see that you can challenge yourself but they don’t want to see that you have set yourself up for failure. Certainly a B in advanced Physics is not a failure. In my experience I suggest going with the AP course and getting a B.
Here is another story. My younger daughter was a B+ student. She wasn’t an A student. She got into Emory College, which at the time was ranked 16th in the country. She was a B+ student at Emory yet she got into a good medical school while others at Emory with better grades didn’t get into medical school. Keep reading.
3. I highly recommend that you do as well as you can on the standardized tests you will be taking to get into college. I know some might say that they do not do well on tests like that. I do understand which is why you will have to work harder to do better. I highly recommend, though expensive, a private tutor or a program such as Kaplan or the Princeton Review course. You may pull your score up by 50 points; you may pull it up by 10 points. You will pull it up however and a 1200 is better than an 1190. I think they were worth every penny we spent on them!
If you have special needs and have been diagnosed as such talk with your guidance counselor. You should get special dispensation when you take these tests.
4. Don’t over do the extra curricula activities. Colleges will wonder how you had time to study. Pick what you really like not what you think the college may like. If you are going to be an English major and join the Math club the college may just wonder why. If you join an athletic sport and hate every minute of it when the time comes to talk about this in person or on your essay the lack of zeal will come out.
My daughters were very involved with their religious organization. One of my daughters went to Israel and could talk about that as a life changing event. They both were active in the drama club. Though neither were aspiring actresses they both enjoyed the time on and behind the stage. You want to enjoy what you do.
5. I’ve written an essay about letters of recommendation but I want to emphasize that choosing people who know you is crucial. You will need a letter from a teacher from your junior or senior year so make sure you get to know a teacher during those years or you’ll be stuck explaining to them who you were, where you sat and what your grade was in his/her class.
It was far better for my girls to get a recommendation from the person who led the religious group than the Mayor of our Town whom they may have met in passing.
6. The essay is truly crucial. There are books on the market that will help you write a great essay. If you have the money you can pay someone to help you write it though it clearly has to be your own words. Colleges read too many essays to not be able to pick up on one that isn’t from your authentic self. This isn’t the time for modesty. However you should know that college essays rarely have you writing a boring page about yourself.
What both my daughters did was write three essays based on questions they may be asked on the application form. They obviously all had something in comment – themselves- but they were all written slightly different. From there they had a much easier time writing the essay(s) the college wanted.
You will find that if you have a draft of a few you will be able to use bits and pieces for all the essays. This is an example of one very creative essay one daughter got. “Pretend you are writing your autobiography. What would page 392 say?” It will be very likely you’ll get a question somewhere about a life changing event. It is never too early to start planning these essays. Write them over and over again until you have what you want. Be creative but not so creative the essay seems silly. However you want to stand out among the hundreds the school gets.
7. Finally show you are interested in the college. A friend of mine is a guidance counselor. She let me in on a secret. At the time (and perhaps still) Emory liked being inundated with the student’s name. We went to see the school; she stayed over; she requested the video and when they came to her high school she went and made sure they knew who she was. Always write a letter or e-mail the school thanking whoever it was you spoke with.
I do want to talk about how many schools to apply to and my rationale behind my suggestions. That will be my next essay.
Please feel free to leave your comments, questions or own idea. jo
How to apply for a scholarship or grant ~ What to know about care packages ~ An Interview with a Professor: How to Ask and Get References ~ What you should know about medical school: Part I ~ You're a Medical Student. Important information on the match and ranking process: Part II ~ Care Packages: Wrap a Gift to Go ~ My Guide to Choosing a College ~ The Myth of the Party School ~ They're Off to College ~ My Guide to Acing a College Interview ~ What Should I Do if My Student is Unhappy? ~ What Should I Bring to School? ~ Emory University ~ Bentley College ~ University of Massachusetts Medical School ~ University of Pennsylvania
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