Quick Stats:
Ranked 1/450
SATs (700CR, 770M, 800WR)
Varsity XC/Track Captain
Hey guys! First let me just say I recently received a Presidential Scholarship (full ride) to Rutgers and committed last night. I really wanted the full ride to help my parents out with their 4 kids’ education funds (im the third) and to alleviate any medical school debt I possibly might incur.
I entered the college admissions world in spring of freshman year, initiated by joining CC, reading various college admissions novels, and going on other websites. At first, I was one
of those kids who believed getting into an Ivy would be the greatest accomplishment ever and that it would guarantee to me to prestige, respect, riches, and an absolute sense of fulfillment. More research throughout sophomore and junior years proved me wrong and immersed me into reality; no college can 100% guarantee you a job, and if anything, going into extreme amounts of debt in the Ivies can screw your life financially much more than attending a community or in-state college. The Ivies do provide a competitive, world-class academic environment and an unforgettable experience, but what’s 4 years compared to the rest of your life, I learned. A good amount of Ivy admissions is luck anyway since there are countless students who are definitely Ivy quality. To be rejected from one those does not necessarily mean you failed to live to your potential.
So my emphasis on the admissions process was what many adults in my life seemed to agree with-finding ways to reduce loans in college as much as possible. “College debt is good debt” is true to an extent. What I didn’t realize until about halfway through my junior year was that my state school Rutgers offered a full ride to students who achieved a 2250 SAT. I was dismayed when I learned I got a 2220 SAT in June of junior year, so I asked an admissions counselor at Rutgers if 2250 was an absolute benchmark for the full ride, to which she hinted “Yes.” I studied and took many practice tests and pretty much followed the advice on CC dealing with SATs. The rest follows…
Of course, I was debating whether to apply to the Ivies, as some my peers and teachers cheered me, the valedictorian of my school, to see whether I was Ivy-material. I really was looking into Dartmouth for its reputable undergrad program, but in the end when I saw “$98,000” from my Rutgers Scholarship notification, I decided that the cons of applying to an Ivy outweighed the pros, especially in this economy. Time needed to finish the commonapp and the money to actually apply to Dartmouth could be used to, I don’t know, buy Christmas gifts or buy 75 Snapples. It seemed to take a lot out of my pride to admit to myself that I would never know if I was Ivy-material, but I ultimately dismissed the Ivy League aura as an unnecessary label. College is both a fun experience and an investment of time and money, and I knew I could take advantage of both at such a large school like Rutgers. I feel blessed that everything worked out in the end and I need to thank all those that helped me get there.
For juniors and below: Continue to succeed academically, take the hardest classes (even you freshmen), and focus on a specific extracurricular that you truly enjoy. Don’t pad your resume with meaningless activities, otherwise if your parents are forcing you into an activity, convince that padding is actually detrimental to both your application and your life quality (seriously). Sometimes, if you don’t like your ec, stick with it for a couple months; I used to hate running after junior year and didn’t find passion in running until after the summer practices. Work on the essays in the summer and not when your senior year starts, because you’ll find yourself procrastinating and rushing to initiate the essay process like I see many of my friends doing so in the past week. Realistically research colleges and match your SATs to corresponding ones, emphasizing scholarships. Learn that having the Ivy League name will not be the defining standard in your life and that other things like family, true passion for a subject or hobby, your career, and the work you put into college definitely have more of an impact. It’s better to graduate on top at your state school than below average at Harvard. Have a strategy with early admissions. Mine was if I get a full ride at Rutgers early on, I won’t apply to any other college. If I don’t get a full ride, I’ll apply to Dartmouth and maybe 1 other college and haggle if I have to in the end.
Seniors:
Fill the FAFSA ASAP. Period.
Other tips:
Don’t be afraid to negotiate and ask/call a guidance counselor or admissions counselor.
Especially, haggle your way to a better financial deal. If a college accepts you, they really want you to attend (1. to boost their yield rate. 2. to increase it’s reputation) They won’t reject you for at least trying.
Kill your essays (read books and CC for advice).
Proofread and double check everything.
Try predicting what your homework is and do it to save yourself some time.
Thank you again CC for all the knowledge you provided me. I’m pretty sure 75% of the advice I just spewed out were from posts I’ve read on this website. I’m truly thankful for the experiences I’ve had so far and hope that I will be able to help others as much as you have helped me.
Deuces.
