<p>Most applications are now up. Some of my friends bragged and said they finished 75% of their essays already (editing is another story). Some aren't going to start until end of September. </p>
<p>I've done one short answer (no editing yet) and filled out name/address/ECs/test scores on applications.</p>
<p>Question: Where should the average person be right about now, a few days before senior year starts? (Assume that I'm not doing EA/ED) I'm worried that I'm behind.</p>
<p>dude youre defintely not behind. If you are starting now youll be in amazing shape.</p>
<p>You should be lining up your teacher evaluations.</p>
<p>if you're not doing EA/ED then you've got enough time to do the process right. I don't know your friends, but for a lot of kids the college search process is "pick a lot of distinguished schools, find a match or two, and then add a safety". Everyone seems to be choosing from the same 100 or schools even though there are 3000+ 4-year colleges in this country. This is not a sound approach and leads to disappointment for many in the spring. </p>
<p>Here's what I suggest:</p>
<p>) Learn whats out there. Get 2 or 3 books about college admissions since each author has a different point of view. Start with a book by Loren Pope such as "Colleges that Change Lives", and a second book for a different perspective. A fantastic online article about broadening the search by US News is at <a href="http://tinyurl.com/djtnm%5B/url%5D">http://tinyurl.com/djtnm</a></p>
<p>2) Set expectations. This means having your parents fill out one of the financial aid estimators to see what they are expected to contribute, and see if they can/will do that. This means evaluating your stats critically and choosing colleges that are realistic and not just dreaming of the same set of Ivy's and top LACs everyone else lists.</p>
<p>3) Investigate. Visit nearby of various types; a large U, a smaller U, a LAC, an urban school, a rural school. Talk to people, take the tour. Find out what environment you prefer.</p>
<p>4) Set criteria. With the info you've gathered in step (1-3) put together a list of what you're looking for. What type school? What type of students does it attract? What activities do you want/dont-want at the school? A big-time sports program, for example? A large studies-abroad program? The chance to take music classes? The better informed you are about what you're looking for, the easier it is to recognize it when you see it.</p>
<p>5) Select. Get one of the books that lists hundreds of colleges. Read thru and find colleges that provide what you want. Pay particular attention to a safety and matches. Then blow one or two picks on a reach. Most students do just the opposite; they fill out a list of reaches, then try to pick a safety and a match or two. Just look at some threads on this forum to see what I mean.</p>
<p>6) Check it out. Visit the schools if you can when its back in session, preferably overnite. Ask the school to put you in touch with current students home for the summer in your area. Read the school paper online, look for live-journal entries by current students, etc. Try to build a picture in your mind of whether you'd really be happy there.</p>
<p>Don't worry about where other people are. If you have your list whittled down already, you're fine.</p>
<p>And it really depends on what type of app. you're filling out. Your friend is probably going EA/ED, and that's why (s)he is being such an early bird.</p>
<p>Don't worry. Some people never start their college search. At least you're aware.</p>
<p>get your common app essay done and fill out all the forms. (I've been through the application process, so that's my advice)</p>
<p>I had to take a day off of school to finish my essays, because I started too late.</p>
<p>Good luck! Rock on and get accepted everywhere</p>
<p>Develop a list of 10-20 possible schools based on strength in your major, campus culture, affordability and location. </p>
<p>Create and continually update a calendar of deadlines for the next 9 months. (This can save you a lot of last minute trouble)</p>
<p>Finalize your ACT/SAT/SAT II schedule. Double check requirements for all the possible colleges on your list.</p>
<p>Plan a couple of fall visits, especially over your 3-day weekends (best to visit a campus on a weekday and attend a class in your prospective major.) </p>
<p>Look at applications for your "definite" schools. Do some essay drafts.</p>
<p>Think about teacher recommendations, and ask early! If you're unsure about someone's opinion, try the face-saving approach, "Do you think you could write me a strong recommendation for College X?"</p>
<p>
[quote]
midwesterner writes: If you're unsure about someone's opinion, try the face-saving approach, "Do you think you could write me a strong recommendation for College X?"
[/quote]
I'd go stronger than that. It is critical that when you ask ANY teacher for a rec you also ask that teacher if they will be able to write a strong rec. This IS appropriate, phrased politely of course. For example, "Am I a student you would write a strong letter of reccomendation for, or do you suggest I ask someone else?" Don't argue or question why if the answer is ask someone else, simply to thank the teacher for their honest answer.</p>
<p>And while it can be uncomfortable for a student to ask a direct question like this to a teacher, it HAS to be done. The book "The Gatekeepers" follows a year in the Wesleyan admission office, and gives an example of a bad rec. Now you got to figure this girl did not deliberately seek out someone to 'dis her in a rec, she must have thought the teacher would endorse her. But look what happened:
[quote]
There were times, I must admit,that I thought Tiffany might have taken a stronger interest in mastering the material in our course. When I saw that Tiffany was a National Merit Semi-Finalist I was a bit surprised. While clearly bright and competent, I had seen in Tiffany neither an exceptional skill for testing nor a particular affinity for the subject.
[/quote]
This could have been avoided if the teacher had been asked if they would write a strong rec. The student did not get in, BTW.</p>