Editor talks college admission process

In less than a year I will be moving into one of seven universities to begin my career as a college student. Before that, however, I have to submit my college applications for those seven universities, the first of which is due in a little over a month.

It’s hard to believe that my four years of high school are almost over. As a freshman, the college application process is exciting but still relatively distant. I remember 14-year-old Rachel padding her resume and taking the hardest classes she could all while dreaming of attending a big-name university. In sophomore year, I began officially researching colleges and determining which would be “safety” schools or “reach” schools. Over the beginning of the 2020 lockdown, I took multiple ACT practice tests in preparation for the college process.

After all that, it came down to junior year: the year that actually mattered. My grades and test scores had to be stronger than when I was an underclassman, and I was determined to make that happen. Amidst a pandemic, I took all honors and AP classes to ensure that I would have a GPA I was happy with.

Still, I had always felt behind on the entire process. While my friends took their standardized tests in the fall of their junior year, I didn’t take any until that spring. While my friends are discussing the similarities and differences, the likes and dislikes of the schools they’ve visited, I haven’t been on any official college visits yet.

For much of my junior year, I was insecure about my pace. I wanted to be proactive about my college applications, but I was too busy. It wasn’t until the summer before my senior year that I was finally content with the pace I was going; I still had plenty of time to study for and take standardized tests, apply for scholarships,

and brainstorm for my personal essays. That summer I had even finalized which schools I was going to apply to.

And now, the years of just passively talking about my college resume are finally over, it’s officially crunch time.

My plan is to major in mechanical engineering and minor in business. The seven schools I am applying to were chosen based on three main criteria: the engineering program, the business program, and if there is an ice rink near the campus. I know the third criterion seems silly, but it’s non-negotiable. Figure skating is my outlet for stress release and I truly believe I would not be successful or happy in college without being able to skate. While people often choose schools based on names or programs alone, I think that opportunities to pursue personal interests and hobbies are equally important.

Three of the schools I am applying to have combined engineering major and business minor programs. Getting into any one of these programs would be incredible and ultimately ideal. All three of the programs are small cohort programs with low acceptance rates, so I understand that my chances of getting into any one of these programs are low, but my philosophy has always been that my chances are even worse if I don’t apply at all. Pushing yourself is important; there is never a reason to limit your potential!

Once applications are completed and I begin getting admissions decisions from schools, I decided to only visit the schools I get accepted to. I am applying early to four of the schools, so I will have plenty of time to visit potential schools before I decide to commit to one and I won’t have to visit schools that I am not admitted to. While this isn’t the conventional order of events for many high schoolers who are applying to college, it works for me!

I’ve ultimately embraced taking the college application process at my own pace, rather than following everyone else’s timelines. There are no rights or wrongs when it comes to your future. I’ve learned that pursuing your interests and doing what you enjoy doing is absolutely the most important part of applying to college. Everyone has their own interests and goals, so doing what is best for what you want to do will always be the correct process.