Advice from a senior - attitude, fit, programs, supplements.

Applying to College
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Having just been accepted to college, I would like to offer some of my own observations and realisations during this arduous (to say the least) admissions process. Hopefully, this post will be of value to some future applicants. By no means am I an expert on admissions, so do feel free to correct or add to any of the points I make!

Your attitude is key. College is an important part of your life, but it is just that - a part. Make sure you do your research well, edit edit edit your essays, communicate with your teachers for good recommendations, and just present your best self possible. Your effort will be well worth it, I promise! Conversely, don’t over-stress it like many do. You will be anxious while you wait for a decision. You will fear not getting into any college. You will stress over a bad grade that when put in context, has little significance whatsoever. You will be envious when your classmates receive their decisions before you. You will get into arguments with your parents. But, put college into perspective. Spend time away from thinking about college. Enjoy your last year or two of high school. Spend time with your friends. Eat healthy. Live in the moment.

FIT is important. The word is often tossed around in college admissions, but I feel that not many truly appreciate the value of a good fit. Be honest with yourself. What do you want from college? Prestige is something to consider, but all the prestige in this world will not make you happy or thrive at a college you don’t fit in. Establish some expectations you have for college, both academically and socially. If you’re not making friends, or enjoying college life, you will not succeed academically. Remember, colleges look for applicants that fit them, too. If you are a compatible match, you will have a much higher chance of getting in.

Look out for and be open to unique programs. I found out about Gallatin School at NYU quite late on, but now I believe it is the ideal fit for me on all fronts, and even my family and friends agree. Look up for special programs because they are often designed for more peculiar students, or students with particular needs or goals. Interested in the social sciences? What about the dual-degree program Sciences Po offers with many US universities? Interested in arts alongside an academic discipline? What about the Brown-RISD program, or the New School-Parsons program?

Put great thought into your supplements. I recall one Cornell admissions officer saying that they consider their “Why Cornell” statement to be of greater importance than the CA essay. Really communicate why you want to go to this school. Who is a professor you would like to study with? What are courses you would like to take? What is the academic philosophy? Is it pre-professional or interdisciplinary? Why does either suit you? What have you done in the past (activities, experiences) that makes you suitable for this college? Write a genuine and thoughtful response that communicates that you are a) Intelligent, b) You have done your research well, c) You really want to attend, d) You fit well.

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Wonderful post!

I completely agree with most of what you said.

However, I just feel a little disagreement about the importance of FIT, especially for international students.

As an international, it is next to impossible for me to visit each school I applied to and get a feel of the campus community. So, college visit is ruled out.

So, the next option is searching on the web. The problem here lies int he fact that no college wants to show a bad student body. At every school I searched for, I found different viewpoints in different forums. I conversed with several alumni and current students and what I could conclude is that student community is student driven. A college doesn’t have a set ‘community’. If you’re a interdisciplinary student, you can take lots of electives and do minors. If you’re a focused student, go into research. As for the friend circle, one makes his/her own friends. If I’m an introvert, no matter what school I go to, I cannot ‘fit’ in.

Every year, lots of people from my school go to a college they have never visited. They all are doing fine :slight_smile:

So, at the end, I fee that, upto a large extent, it is the student who must fit in the college, not the college fit in for the student. This is valid for more aspects of life than just college. A student must learn to adjust in his/her surroundings. True, extreme cases and exceptions may arise, but I’m talking from a general viewpoint.

(Please note that this is just my opinion and I am certain many people will disagree) :slight_smile:

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Very sound advice. You have a mature outlook! And you are correct about Cornell: their supplement is extremely important. My D will be enrolling there in the fall and among many outstanding applicants, her essays were the tipping point for her IMO.

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@determined2300 As an international student, I suppose I am lucky I had the chance to visit. You make a fair point. During my visits, I found that in reality, how I perceived the college atmosphere or community while I was on campus did not conform with my initial impressions from online research. For example, I loved everything about Wesleyan based on what I learnt about their student body and academic offerings, yet I was not so impressed after my visit.

Yes, I do agree that community is student driven. Yet, one might find that certain colleges attract certain types of students with particular interests and inclinations. A student who is artistically inclined, enjoys indie music, pursues interdisciplinary learning, and wants to study the humanities might thrive at a school like Sarah Lawrence College, whose curriculum emphasises interdisciplinary learning and whose students often hold open mic concerts and art exhibitions. It can be said that the student fits the mould of a “typical Sarah Lawrence student,” who is often described as liberal, artsy, hipster.

This same student would most likely not find a comfortable place at a large state school where social life revolves around football, drinking, and frat life.

With certain smaller colleges, it is often easier to stereotype and brand their student population with a “type.” With other, larger colleges, you might find people from all walks of life and many different interests.

There is a reason why there are 4000+ plus (correct me if this statistic is incorrect) colleges in the US. If it is the student who needs to fit in to the college, then what distinguishes these 4000+ institutions?

@annwank Thank you! Another point I’d like to add is that you can really learn a lot about yourself during the admissions process. The essays I wrote really required me to do some soul-searching as they were deeply personal, and this of course, helped me elevate their quality as the voice was genuine and sincere.

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It seems like sounds advice, but come back and update after four years of college – you may find you aren’t happy with the choice you made, or that you wished you had focused on other aspects more than you did in your search.