by Ilana Pinsky,
graduate student, University of Kentucky
It’s
hard to believe that six years ago I was getting ready for my college search and
application. I remember it was one of the most stressful times of my life
because it was such an expensive and tedious process. I had to take both the
SAT and ACT multiple times, create a list of schools that I might be able to
get into with my GPA and test scores, and plan trips to visit these schools. All
this might seem exciting to high school students, but it can also be
nerve-racking. Following is a list of things I wish I knew when I was preparing
for college.
1. You might not need
to take an SAT or ACT prep course
While
preparation classes may help students perform better on the test, they might
not always make enough of a difference to be worth it financially. These
courses can be expensive and time consuming. With a heavy course load and multiple
extracurricular activities, the last thing I wanted to do was to attend more
classes. In order to make an informed decision about whether to take such a
course, research the ones available to you. Look up prices and success rates. I
personally recommend buying a test preparation book because it can save time
and money, however not everyone has the discipline to study on their own. Ask
your school guidance counselor and then use your own judgment on how to prepare
for these tests. Without preparation, you will have no idea what is on the test
and what are the best test-taking strategies. Scores do matter! Along with
grades and extracurricular activities, SAT and ACT scores make a great deal of
difference in which colleges and universities will accept you. Always remember,
if you are not satisfied with your test scores, you can re-take the tests. I
highly recommend it!
2. Begin taking the SAT and/or ACT during
your junior year or during the summer
You will thank yourself if you knock
these tests out during your junior year because once senior year approaches,
you will want to solely focus on your school work and applying, which is stressful
enough already. Also consider taking the SAT or ACT during the summer before
your senior year. The summer is the best for it because you will have more time
to focus on studying and improving your score. Beginning to take the tests
early also gives you more time to retake them. Taking the tests several times
could bring your scores up enough for you to get into a better school than you
could otherwise.
3. Be realistic when you apply to schools
Beware of what each college application
costs and only apply to ones for which you have a realistic chance to get in. Know
the admissions criteria for each school Do you have the GPA and test scores
they are needed? And what about extracurricular activities? I will tell you I
did not apply to my dream school because I knew I was not competitive enough to
get in there. If you are not sure what schools to apply to, visit
collegeboard.org. You can look up any school and find their admissions
requirements, academic programs that are offered, clubs and organizations, etc.
It is a wonderful resource for applying to college.
4. Visit schools before you apply or
after you are accepted
Have you visited any of the schools you
are considering? Without visiting their campus and interacting with students,
admissions personnel and faculty, you might not know which ones to apply to. However,
another option is to visit the school after you are accepted and see if it will
be a good fit. I visited my undergrad before I applied and after I was accepted
to make sure if I really wanted to go there. It is important to see if you will
fall in love with the campus or not. Do not apply to a school that you did not
like! If you apply to that school, and it is the only school that you got into,
you may be stuck going there. However, if that does happen to you and you
seriously do not want to give the school a chance, do not fear because some
colleges will take late applications. Again, it is still important you do your
research and visit the campus.
5. The more colleges you apply to, the
more you might be able to reuse parts of essays
Many college essay questions are similar,
so you might not need to rewrite a completely new essay for each school. Many will
involve answering questions such as, “tell us about an obstacle you had to
overcome”, “discuss an accomplishment in your life”, or even a choose your own
topic essay. Choose the essays that allow you to shine. Reuse parts of earlier
essays where you can, but be sure to tailor your application to each school
6.
Do not be afraid to talk with your school’s guidance counselor
You do not need to be nervous to see your
school’s guidance counselor. They are there to help you. I remember I was
nervous about seeing my guidance counselor because I was not very confident in myself
when applying to college. She helped me decide on which schools were realistic
for me, which could be best for me, and helped me with the application and
admissions process. Some guidance counselors have anonymous lists of previous
seniors who applied to schools of their GPA was, tests scores, and whether they
were accepted, rejected, or waitlisted After talking with my guidance counselor,
I felt much better about my chances of getting into college.
7. Get involved and be a leader!
Not being involved in any school sports,
clubs, or outside extracurricular activities could hurt you in the application
process. Most colleges and universities look beyond academics when selecting
students. Leadership and involvement makes you look more well-rounded and is a
necessity on college applications.
8. Challenge yourself
Are you afraid you are not a strong
enough student to take AP and honors courses? I was in the same boat. Taking these
courses does not have to be scary. They not only look goo d on your college applications, but
they also prepare you better for the challenges of college. College admissions
look for AP and honors courses on your transcript, and they want to see you succeeding
at challenges. An added bonus to taking AP courses is that it might count
toward college credit and waive you from taking certain courses in college. This
could potentially lead to an early graduation depending on how many AP courses
you took.
9. List the pros and cons for each
college or university you are considering
You might know which colleges you want to
apply to, but have any no idea how to choose one once you have been accepted Listing
pros and cons for each school you apply to will make your decision easier in
the end. Do you know what you want to major in, and does the school have your
major? If it doesn’t, why apply there? Does the school have clubs or organizations
that interest you? Think about everything you want from a school.
10. Do not slack off
I made this mistake and it really hurt me
when I applied to college and it hurt me in the college application process.
Take your freshmen and sophomore year seriously! If you wait until you are a
junior to think about grades, you will have a harder time pulling your GPA up. When
senior year rolls around, it is easy to develop senioritis and lose your
motivation. Do not let it get to you because colleges want a final transcript
from you and if your grades fall off at the end, your admissions could be
revoked.
READERS, what
do you think?
1. If you plan
to attend college or a university, how are you preparing?
2. Do you know
what you want to study?
3. What do you
expect from college, and what do you want to do when you finish?
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