Applying To College A college education is important in the modern world. It is increasingly sought after by many high school students and is becoming more widespread. While a college education is important, a person must first apply to a college and be accepted in order to receive a college education. Therefore, it is vital for a prospective college student to understand how to apply. The college application process can often seem confusing and overwhelming to many people. For this reason, this essay will attempt to explain the college application procedure and to show the different steps involved in applying to college. One of the first steps in applying is knowing what to do before it is too late. Do not go into college applications unprepared. One website advises, “Knowledge is power. However, knowledge doesn't end with the learning reflected in your academic record and test scores. Assessing your interests, personality, career aspirations and desired learning environment... understanding what schools look for in their applicants beyond transcripts and test scores...” (The Admissions Consultant 2006). This website says that the students should become themselves with the requirements needed to help them make their college decisions. Freshman and sophomore year are times for pursuing one’s interests and possible career paths. During these early years, the student should become involved in school clubs and extracurricular activities that they are interested in. Students should also take the required ‘A through G’ courses. One website says to, “Let the admissions committee know that you like a challenge by taking the most rigorous courses your school has to offer. Take math and science, English, foreign language, and history all four years” (The Princeton Review). In addition, instead of cooling of for the summer, a student can better their application with activities such as traveling, taking summer school courses to get ahead, or working. Junior year in high school is the most important year for students who want to attend college. In this year admission officers look at students' grades, classes, and extra activities to help determine whether or not they are suitable for their college program. Because this year is so important in order to get into a competitive college, a student must fulfill the necessary requirements that certain colleges may hold. "There are numerous decisions that you make during your junior year that can have an impact -- positive or negative -- for years to come” (Quintessential Careers). Most importantly, students should take rigorous and challenging courses offered at their school and should become active in organizations to increase their leadership positions. Students should also register for the PSAT and begin planning dates for the SAT, AP Placement Exams ACT, and SAT Subject Tests. Junior year is also a time in which students should start to consider possible career paths, as well as potential colleges to attend. It is probably a smart idea to become familiarized with universities by researching them and to learn more about scholarships or grants. In addition, after narrowing the choice of colleges to about ten to fifteen, including further categorizing the list to long-shot, possible, and good bet colleges, it might be helpful to visit them and meet with academic advisors. Above all, it is crucial to maintain good grades and stay focused on studies. Senior year is where all the planning and hard work that takes place to applying for colleges. Students should have already visited or have plans to visit the schools of their choice, and scheduled tours are a great way to do this. One website says its best to, "Narrow your list of colleges to between 5 and 10 and review it with your counselor. Get an application and financial aid info from each. Visit as many as possible” (College Board 2007). Senior year is the time for applying and perfecting the student's applications. Seniors are encouraged to apply broadly, but take time and effort in every application process to make them stand out from the crowd. The early months of the senior year (September-October) should be the months that students visit schools and make their decisions on where they are applying. November, because it is the month of the deadline for University of California applications, should be spent mostly on applying.. It is very important to know all about financial aid, such as the FAFSA and CSS profile that all students should fill out, and the deadlines of each college the student is applying to, so they can be most prepared. This can be accomplished with a separate calendar entirely devoted to the application process. However, senior year is not just a year of applying. Students also must keep up their grades during senior year, because colleges do consider senior year as an academic year. This is the not the time to develop “senioritis.” After applications are submitted, the student can only wait and hope for the envelopes of good news to arrive. When the envelopes arrive a student can be denied, deferred, or accepted. Being denied can come as a hard blow, but one should take into account, that after all, “They are only rejecting a bunch of pieces of paper, not you” (Steinbeck 2002, 228). The application process is not a perfect system with students chosen by computers, and thus the decisions might not always be consistent. When faced with rejection, the student should not be discouraged because if he or she researched correctly, then the student will gain admission to on of his safe-bet colleges and possible colleges – their back-ups that still offer sound educations. If accepted to multiple schools, to help decide, the student can make a pros and cons list or choose by liking. It could be helpful to revisit the campus to get another feel. Then hopefully the student has reached a happy conclusion to one of the most challenging processes that he or she will encounter in life, and can look forward to the future.
Reference List College Board. 2007. Action plan: High school seniors. College Board. http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/action/seniors.html. The Princeton Review.
Applying to college: How to stand out from the crowd. The Princeton
Review. http://www.princetonreview.com/college/apply/articles/look/standout.asp. Quintessential Careers. High-school junior-year timetable/planning calendar. Quintcareers. com. http://www.quintcareers.com/high-school_junior_year_timetable.html.
Steinbeck, Jacques. 2002. The gatekeepers: Inside the admissions process of a premier college. New York: Penguin Books. The Admissions Consultant. 2006. The choices you make in selecting and applying to colleges will affect your future; Don’t take advice from just anyone. |