The College Search: A Student's Perspective

I apologize for not posting in a few weeks! As a Senior, May and June are two of the busiest months in the academic calendar due to classes drawing near to a close and the start of end of the year activities. In any event, last post I mentioned that I was going to talk about this year's Prom held at The Waterview, but as events have had it these past few weeks, it seems more appropriate instead to talk about another important topic, the all important college process. 

 When a teenager enters high school, one of the first things they are told, if not directly, is that there are only four years left of public schooling left for them. In that time, generally students try to find a passion or a skill that they wish to peruse as a viable career. By the time they hit their Junior year of high school (and sometimes sooner), a student begins the all important college search. If you think back to the days when you were in high school, chances are your applications and searches were done primarily through paper and snail-mail, but thankfully with the invention of computers and the internet, the college process is much more open and accessible (and for that matter, much faster.) For example, if a student wants to search for schools that offer a program such as biochemical engineering, they can simply "Google" it and find a list of colleges and universities with detailed information, images, testimonials, and links to find more information. 

 Around Spring Break of Junior year, most students plan visits to their choices around the country where they tour campuses looking for a suitable match for their wants and needs in a school. When a student finds a school that they are interested in applying in, that's when things can become tedious. Nowadays, there are several ways to apply to school: either via an online application through the college's website, through The Common Application, which is a uniform application that can be used to apply to multiple schools without the need for repeatedly filling out the same information on different applications, or via the trusty pen and paper. Whichever method you choose, be prepared for the monotony that is filling out the same basic information (name, date of birth, etc.) ad nauseum. Also be prepared for the reality that is application fees. On average, most colleges charge between $50-$200 to submit an application, and multiply that amount by the number of schools a student wishes to apply to, one could be spending a significant amount of money. While this shouldn't hinder one's decision to apply to a school, it can be expensive. 

 After the application has been submitted, then comes submitting your supporting documents. While I can't speak for other high schools, Masuk does have a rather efficient way of sending documents. A student starts out by scheduling an appointment with their guidance counselor (and it is advisable to block out an entire free period as it does take some time.) At the appointment, the student will let their guidance counselor know the names of the schools of which they have applied to, and then they decide based upon the schools criteria what needs to be sent. On average, most schools will ask for the basics: official transcript, resume, recommendation letters, overall secondary school report, school overview, and more often than that, a report card from the current semester/quarter. Then, the student fills out a document with the name of the school, the address, date of application, and then the guidance counselor adds notes on what documents were sent and on what date. The documents are then packaged into an envelope with a label to the school's office of admission and sent on their way! The only step that remains is to send SAT/ACT/AP scores to a school, and from then on, the process turns into a waiting game. 

 At Masuk (as Graduation Day is only a mere few weeks away), most Seniors have finished the process and now happily awaiting their move-in days to their college or universities. I recently had the opportunity to talk to a few of my friends about their experiences and asked them a simple question: looking back, what advice could they offer to students who haven't yet started to look for colleges? Here are some of their advice: 

-When looking at schools, be realistic! There are such things as "reach schools", schools that have higher requirements than the student currently has, but that doesn't necessarily mean if you're pulling a solid B- average that you'll get into Yale. Think positive and try for a school that you are truly interested in attending, but keep in mind that the admission process to these top schools are competitive, and as such, you may not got accepted.

 -Mentally prepare yourself. Nothing is worse than rejection. It sucks (trust me, I know from experience. I applied to 23 schools and was only accepted to 2), however, rejection is something that you'll have to deal with. Getting rejected to a school is disappointing but it isn't the end of the world. Somewhere out there, there is a school for you!

 -A little persistence goes a long way. If you do receive a rejection letter but are still heavily interested in the school, there is little harm in contacting the office of admissions and speaking to an admissions counselor. Tell them of your interest, your achievements in high school, and be persistent about it. While there is no guarantee that they will change their mind, it won't hurt to try.

 -Ask for recommendation letters before Senior year, not after. Don't wait till Fall of Senior year to ask for letters of rec. There are teachers that will flat out tell you "no" if you ask, simply because they have dozens of letters to write onto of general coursework. Also, when asking for letters, ask a variety of teachers who really know you well. More often than not, those teachers will give a more complete picture of your abilities and strengths. 

 -Find a coping method to deal with the anxiety of waiting. The stress does build as you wait for your acceptance decision, and it can really do a number on you. Find some outlet to let off some steam and be positive! You never know what the decision will be, and who knows, it could be in your favor! 

 -A good resume goes a long way. Pretty self explanatory. As many schools are going "test-optional", the focus on the whole package of a student is increasing. If you resume isn't exactly impressive, look to get involved. There are dozens of clubs, outside organizations, and other opportunities for you to add to your resume!

 -Grades DO matter, including in Senior year. Don't think that because you may the best football player or the best actress in the school that a college will take you with sub-par grades. Higher education is about EDUCATION, and grades are the key to getting into a good school. Work hard right up until the end and don't think that because you've received an acceptance letter that a school will let you in if you start to slip-slide down the slippery slope of failure. 

 -Apply early and apply often. You know how with school work, you procrastinate until 5 minutes before class until you actually do the assignment? That doesn't prove to be productive when applying to colleges. If you intend to apply to a A level school, do not wait until the last moment to hit the "apply" button. You may find that all the slots have been filled, even if your credentials were adequate enough to get you into your school of choice. 

 -Find discounts and fee waivers. After you take your PSAT's, the long chain of emails from colleges will start to work itself into your email inbox. Some of these emails will include offers for "Select Candidate" or "Express Applicant" applications that will either void or give you a discount on application fees. It may be tempting to trash those pesky emails, but some of them might be useful at a later date.

 -Do some research and use all the resources open to you. Masuk has a great Career Center in Public Services where you are able to look for scholarships, look for help in applying to college, and much more. Naviance, which is a college aid tool offered by Masuk, is an invaluable tool for your college search, as is obviously College Board. These resources are open to you and you should consider using them to their fullest. 

and lastly:

-Don't panic! There is a school for everyone! Just enjoy your Senior year and take everything in stride. Don't feel defeated if things don't turn out the way you wish they had! Remember: it's not all about the school you attend, but also how you use the education you receive. 

Hopefully you've found this advice helpful! Check back later this week for my next post about a regular days schedule at Masuk High School.

Until then, cheers!

(P.S. If anyone is curious as to how my college process ended up: after being denied from my top choice school…the only school i had applied to at the time…I had a mad dash to apply to other schools, but I am very happy to say that I will be attending the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, hopefully majoring in Political Science. Go Thunderbirds!)