A Word Of Advice To Future Applicants

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Virginia
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<p>G'day Mates (I'm running out of catchy greetings),</p>

<p>Well as the Early Action cycle comes to an end, I thought I should share with future applicants what I've learned. </p>

<p>Way back in the December of my Junior year, the whole idea of applying to colleges started to sink in. Everyone told me to start my applications early. Being the ignorant teen I was, I thought "Eh, I'll just wait till next week to start". Next thing I knew it was October 31st (Halloween) and I was stuck on the computer trying to spit out essays as quickly as possible. I sent my main Common App essay in with a mistake to all my schools. It wasn't major - a missing word - but a simple mistake can show the Admissions Committee that you didn't put the effort into your application.</p>

<p>Now that I've received all my Early Action decisions, I thought all future applicants should hear this: START YOUR APPLICATIONS NOW!!!!!!!!!!! This isn't coming from your guidance counselor or your parents but from a student who just went through the process. You might not feel like putting in the effort early, but trust me, when you receive your Early Action results, you will regret wasting that one weekend you could have started your applications. </p>

<p>Fortunately for me, I realized immediately after I sent in my Early Action applications what a mistake I had made. I re-read my essays after they were already submitted and was absolutely devastated. I knew that they were not up to par and that I could have easily written better essays if I put in the time. And, I knew it was coming, but the decisions I received back in December just twisted the knife. </p>

<p>Onto the positive section - If you spend time on your essays and make them the best they can be, you will feel positive. After I submitted my Early Action applications I honestly knew I was doomed. However, it played as a wake up call for me. The week after my early apps were submitted, I started on my regular apps. And you know what, the quality of essays I produced when I wasn't rushed was shocking (compared to my other essays that is - well actually I still like them, but you get the point).</p>

<p>Seeing as UVA is now adopting the Early Action Plan, you should definitely start your applications early if you want to stand out. I always knew the essays were extremely important, but was just too lazy to start them. TRUST ME, you will not regret starting your applications early. I can not tell you how much I regret wasting time I could have spent on my applications for all my EA schools. </p>

<p>Moral of the story - START AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. You're going to want to keep pushing them back and back. But soon enough it will be October and you will have to rush. </p>

<p>And finally - as a side note - a couple of tips I picked up along the essay writing process.</p>

<p>• Be yourself. I’ve read so many essays that even I can tell are either greatly influenced by a parent or written by someone else. </p>

<p>• Don’t be afraid to include comedy or write “differently”. The Adcom is reading thousands of essays and I’m sure they love unique essays.</p>

<p>• Show Don’t Tell (or at least I think that is what it’s called). It is very important to give a visual picture when you write. </p>

<p>Example of Telling:
I ate a bacon egg and cheese sandwich with salt pepper ketchup and hot sauce. It tasted like nothing I had ever eaten before.</p>

<p>Example of Showing:
The distinct aroma envelops my senses. My teeth sink through the cheesy goo. The crackle of the crisp bacon mixes with the rush of the flowing yolk. The hot sauce, ketchup, salt, and pepper create a smorgasbord of flavors. There is no experience quite like this; the taste of the bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich (or “BEC”) is incomparable.</p>

<p>• If you haven’t read this before writing your essay, read it now:
Essays</a>, Admission Information, Undergraduate Admission, U.Va.</p>

<p>• Read, Re-Read, and Re-Read your essay. Editing is extremely important. Read the essay once, leave it, and come back to it a week later and read it again. Your mind won’t immediately pick up mistakes you might have in the essay. Thus, you should also have someone else read your essay – Your mom, guidance counselor, a parent on CC, your plumber – ANYONE. They will pick up mistakes that you may have missed and may have valuable feedback.</p>

<p>• Finally, don’t let someone else write your essay for you (I’m talking about literally and metaphorically). Obviously you’re not going to have someone else write your college essay for you, but you may unknowingly. You hear your friends talking about good ideas for essays or look online for ideas but these are not yours – they are not unique to you. The purpose of the college essay is to show the admissions committee you are more than a piece of paper. They are meant to allow the applicant to express his personality and who the Adcom why the school could use a kid like you.</p>

<p>If anyone has any other points they would like to add, please do. I wish everyone the best of luck.</p>

<p>[Sorry if there are any spelling or grammar mistakes in this, I tried re-reading it but may have missed some errors]</p>

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<p>I don’t think they need to start their college applications NOW…I feel like as long as you do most of them over the summer then you should be fine. Don’t start stressing about college until junior year is at least over. Pay attention to school for now and then come August, when the CommonApp comes live, start it. I know I heavily took advantage of this and finished my entire CommonApp the day it came live (August 1). I finished all of my essays by the end of August, with the exception of 1 UVA supplement essay, and it was such an excellent decision because I wasn’t stressing about college applications like my friends were during winter break.</p>

<p>If you’re going to start thinking about colleges now, I would say you really need to decide what exactly is going to be on your list. I say apply to no more than 8 schools. Only apply to the ones that you’re dedicated to. I only applied to 5 schools by following the advice one of my teachers gave me and that was to apply to 2 reach, 2 match, and 1 safety. I already got into my safety and I’m currently waiting for the others. :)</p>

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<p>I know Tangent, but thats the thing. I was always told to start “NOW” and I kept saying to myself “I’ll start next week” and before I knew it… :D</p>

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<p>Many schools don’t even make specific parts (essays) of their applications available until summer anyway…probably the biggest things to think about Junior year are visiting schools, narrowing down your list, figuring our your senior year schedule and whatever activities you may have.</p>

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<p>TangentQueen…The number of schools a student should apply to is debatable. I don’t believe there is a magic number that all kids should adhere to. There are some students who know without question they’re guaranteed acceptance into their state school. That school might be the one they absolutely adore; hence, they apply to one and only one. Conversely, their may be kids who MUST apply to multiple schools that are generous with merit/financial aid because it will be the biggest determinant of the school they ultimately select. Lastly, you have students who love qualities about numerous schools and could genuinely see themselves attending. These students, statistically, are just as competitive as other applicants BUT the schools in question are VERY selective. These kids typically have 10-18 schools that they apply to and that’s fine for them. It doesn’t mean they’ll be so stretched that they can’t compose a quality application. It simply means they recognize the odds of their list and want to have choices come April 1. </p>

<p>I know a lot of people hold strong opinions on this subject. Many say if there was a cap on the number of apps, then admission depts. wouldn’t be over-stretched and acceptance rates would go up. The only way I would ever support such a cap, though, is if schools required certain benchmark standards before one could be eligible apply. This will NEVER happen in our country, I believe; so for now, I feel we should allow students the freedom, without judgement, to do their own thing and apply to the number of schools they feel is best for their personal situation.</p>

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<p>100% agree jc40</p>

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<p>I would recommend that Juniors start planning college visits for the spring and explore various majors and do online research about colleges, but not start trying to write essays. </p>

<p>Yes, if a college offers non-binding early action, take advantage of it.</p>

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<p>I’ve always had mixed feelings about college visits. I feel like if you visit a college and love it, you’re just setting yourself up for disappointment. However, if you don’t visit, you won’t know what you like.</p>

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<p>you say you regret all your early applications, but didn’t you get into michigan and bc? and what about unc, didn’t you apply there, too? doesn’t seem like too much to regret to me!</p>

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<p>Corc, thus far these are my results:
Accepted: BC, UMich, Tulane
Defered: Georgetown
Denied: UNC</p>

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<p>UVAorBust makes some very good points and I will echo what he said. Start now or at least start over the summer.
Get a jump on the Common App essay and some schools release their supplements in June/July. Start them. Have your English teacher read and proof them. </p>

<p>I made a typo in my essay too and I agonized over it. But nothing I can do now, just gotta move on and hope for the best. </p>

<p>DO NOT PROCRASTINATE. I still have not started my Michigan essays and the deadline is in like 3 days. And apparently it is really hard to get into UM if you apply really late (well according to my counselor, who has been wrong before).</p>

<p>I agree with jc40 100%. I applied to 14 schools because I like a lot of schools, want options and financial calculators and people are telling us so many different things. The CB calculator told us we’d have to pay around $14k, the FinAid site said our EFC would be about $23k, but these people that came to our school and offered free consultations said our EFC would be about $35k. </p>

<p>So, I’m guessing I’m going to get packages that are all over the place. And my parents gave me a number they thought they could pay, and it is no where near $35k, so if that happens, I’ll be screwed, but I was smart to put a few merit money schools on my list. </p>

<p>Again, I want options.</p>

<p>And I am applying to a lot of selective schools, so I know I am not going to get into all of them, hell probably not even half of them, so applying to a lot schools seemed like a no-brainer for me.</p>

<p>Good luck…and don’t do what I did haha.</p>

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<p>UVAorBust, I’m sorry about UNC. I didn’t think it was that hard to get into?</p>

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<p>yeah, sorry about unc (but no, it is very, very hard to get into out of state, tangent) </p>

<p>also, don’t take your deferral as a rejection–i know someone who was deferred from gtown and got into unc, so they definitely defer a strong pool of applicants. </p>

<p>hopefully april 1 (or maybe sooner…) will bring you good results from uva!</p>

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<p>uva-- im sorry to hear about unc, but it’s weird I’ve had pretty opposite results with my early schools. I got into BC and UNC, but i was defered from Tulane. It’s interesting to see. But as far as Georgetown goes dont give up hope on that, my friend’s bro was defered, then waitlisted, and then he got in! He now attends. GOOD LUCK!</p>

<p>Regarding starting apps early its always a good decision to get ahead of the game, but January is a tad early…
I’d reccomend getting a jump on them over the summer.</p>

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<p>Wow brit, that is INSANE. Regarding UVA, I feel rather confident (not that I’ll be accepted, but that my application was the best it could be - apart from "recommended SAT II’s). I can’t wait till April 1st. I mean I’m already dying for a likely letter - I know, it is more than unlikely - but the thought is still there :D. </p>

<p>I hope everyone else’s college process is turning out well!</p>

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<p>Did you not take subject tests? Because I’m pretty sure that you need them…“strongly recommended” means their required in my book. And I didn’t know UVA sends likely letters?</p>

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<p>They have in the past. S1 received one last year. I am not going to get into likely letters right now. The admissions office at UVa have a lot of reading still to do so it is premature for anyone to give it any thought.</p>

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<p>They do send likely letters, and I did take the SAT II’s and did poorly. I recieved a 630 Math II and 620 English Literature. I also got a 33 ACT, but I feel like I’m going to be denied to due the SAT II’s. I know they’re “strongly recommended”, but in my book that means “if your OOS and do not have 700+ SAT II’s, you should not even bother applying unless you have a 2350 SAT”. The idea of a gap year is still fresh in my mind though.</p>

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<p>I can’t believe you would take a gap year instead of going to Tulane, BC, or UMich. UMich was my brother’s “safety” as well and he ended up there. He has great grades, time to party, and will get into a great grad school. A gap year would not have done that for him.</p>

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<p>Hazelorb, I’m probably going to go to University of Florida and try transfering. It is free for me to go there so it is an amazing deal. If I don’t get into UF I’m going to take a gap year. If I get into UF and none of my regular decision schools (UVA, Gtown, Cornell, Dartmouth, UPenn, Duke) I would go to UF easily. I love the warmth and that school would be a great deal for one year.</p>

<p>It’s not that I want to take a gap year, but I’ve got to look at all options. We just learned the concept of “Marginal Cost and Benefit Analysis” in macro class. At one point you have to chose whether the cost of attending the school is worth it for what you receive. For me, Michigan and Boston College do not cut it. These schools are both FANTASTIC to say the least, and I’m sure many kids would die to attend, but I just can’t see spending 55k a year to attend one of these schools. My parents agree - though they say they will pay for me to attend if I would like. Also I have pre-paid college at UF so if I am denied at all the schools that are at the top of my list, that school is a great fallback (in my opinion at least).</p>