By Brent Cheung

Whether you are a freshman or senior, every student has to apply to college at some point. As a senior who has just finished submitting all of his college applications, I recognize the stress and anxiety that comes with the application process. With Junior College Night just finishing, I want to provide a student perspective to the process. These are the things that you should know going into the college application process.  

Getting the Right fit (College Lists). As much as it is said by the college counseling team, students really need to look beyond the rankings when deciding on schools. Factors such as dorms, location, student life, and unique majors are often overlooked in place of the Ivy Leagues. Quite frankly, Ivy League schools are not for everyone. Other schools such as Cornell are remarkable institutions but are in locations that are in the middle of nowhere. Due to their big city locations, institutions such as NYU, Boston College University?, Fordham, and Californian schools are popular among SAS students. Another thing to note is that there are fantastic institutions outside of the United States. Europe, Australia, and even Asia have many prominent universities that should not be overlooked. These alternatives provide better education opportunities for a fraction of the price of many American universities. The sooner you can come up with a college list, the more flexibility you have with your time and energy. To come up with this list, you should do research and visit a variety of universities (location, acceptance rate, etc.) during your breaks to understand the defining factors of the school.

Finish your standardized testing. Ideally, you should have all standardized testing done by the end of junior year or by September of your senior year. Depending on your college preferences, standardized testing requirements can range from test optional to three SAT subject tests. Standardized testing is not enjoyable and it does not measure how intelligent you are. Some people are able to get a perfect score on their first try, while others sit multiple tests and hope that luck is in their favor. Regardless, the first half of senior year has too many important things to focus on. Your energy should not be wasted on sitting for another standardized test.

What is the role of your family in this? For many students, your family can be both your biggest supporter and opponent in the college application process and thus it is up to you to determine their role in your application process. However, certain things should immediately be out of the question. You should apply to schools that appeal to you and not your parents. Many students who follow their parents’ advice during the application process may end up with regrets because they end up going to a school that is the best fit for their parents–not for the student. During those four years, you will be by yourself and thus you should attend a school that you can make home. Secondly, communication is an essential part of a healthy and successful college process. At the very least, they should know where you are applying to and when your applications and results come out.

What is the role of your classmates in this? Everyone is going through the same process and, as such, everyone should understand the stress and the emotions involved in the process. There should be a mutual level of respect throughout the application process. If you get into the university of your dreams, do not boast and belittle others about their possible shortcomings. If you do not get into your first choice, you should congratulate those who did get in and determine what your next plan is. Your class has been together for a long period of time and has been through the many challenges of growing up; do not ruin it over college.

Demonstrated Interest and Emails. Alongside technology, colleges have also improved their methods in determining how invested a student is in their college. Demonstrated interest is a criterion used by many colleges and is supposed to show how serious the applicant is about enrollment in the college. Different facets of demonstrated interest range from interaction with college representatives during school visits, early applications, campus visits, and even alumni interviews. Whenever you have the opportunity to show some form of further interest, you should. In terms of college email lists that you might receive on College Board or other websites, I personally recommend that you assign a separate email for these emails. You will receive hundreds of emails from institutions across the world and will clutter your inbox within a day.

Recommendation Letters. Asking for recommendation letters can be a daunting task for many students, but in reality, it isn’t. Theoretically, students should have good relationships with their teachers and be confident in their teacher’s ability to portray them in the best light possible. Asking teachers for recommendation letters should be simple and direct. Most teachers are thrilled to write recommendation letters for their students and some dedicate whole breaks to write unique letters for students. The main difficulty with recommendation letters is who you should ask for a recommendation letter. Your intended major and interests should be considered in your decision. If you are a S.T.E.M. major, colleges tend to prefer letters from teachers who are teaching you advanced levels mathematics or advanced lab sciences. If you are an aspiring art major, you should ask your creative arts teacher for a recommendation (along with your portfolio). DON’T UNDERSTAND THE REFERENCE TO THE PORTFOLIO IN THE CONTEXT OF THE RECOMMENDATION

Despite this, if your performance in the class might be lacking, it would be better to ask for a recommendation letter from a teacher you are confident will portray you in the best light. Some colleges also like to see diversity among their applicants, so it might not be a bad idea to get 1 STEM and 1 liberal arts teacher to each write a rec letter for you (some schools even require it). In the end, the teachers you ask should demonstrate your faith in their letter.

 

The college process is overwhelming but everyone gets through it… eventually. Hopefully with these tips, I made your process slightly easier.