<p>Here are just a couple of tips to get you through the college process - which I thought were helpful - and I got into Columbia so maybe I have some authority, lol. And keep in mind that really no one knows your chances except the adcoms so just apply - its too late to change your grades and ec's anyway. You probably have heard most of these tips from other ppl - but trust me they're worth hearing again and I know you're all too lazy to search the archives.</p>
<p>1) research the college. all the ppl that i know that got into college had a very clear and concise reason for why they wanted to go to that college. sure that space in the application that asks why you want to go there is rather small but trust me it means a lot. and be specific. that's the most important thing - find a specific reason why YOU - the unique person that you are - want to go there. Don't write about NYC.</p>
<p>2) start your essays over the summer. or at least start thinking about an essay topic over the summer before senior year starts. Trust me... senior year is chaotic. A lot of my friends got stuck finishing their essays the night before the deadline - not a good idea. I wrote a very rough draft of a college essay during the summer - thinking what the heck i have some time- and i ended up using that. and trust me it saved me a lot of stress. if you have your essay done you are basically done with 75% of the app! and the work for those apps suddenly piles up on you like you won't believe. remember you're still going to have finals and term papers and all that stuff your senior year. </p>
<p>3) Don't get caught up in the SAT craze. Yes your scores are a good jumping off point but don't limit where you apply simply based on these numbers. trust me - 2nd semester of senior year you will realize how little the sat score really meant.</p>
<p>4) Don't listen to the "no extra recommendations" advice. Okay, don't send like 10.. but you can definitely send a third rec if it represents a different side of you. Most often your teachers just see one side of you. Ask a person you know through an extracurricular activity to write a rec for you (and especially if they're an alum of the college you wanna apply to). And send in something extra. Whether it's a drawing or a photo or a science abstract - why not? the worst they can do is throw it out. and send in a photo with your app - it just adds a nice touch.</p>
<p>5) If you apply ED make sure you love the school. A lot of seniors that applied ED went through a semi-depressive state second semester becuz suddenly everyone else was faced with exciting choices, merit aid, and more prestigious colleges, etc. Just be sure you have a solid reason for why you wanna go there - otherwise you might be miserable later on.</p>
<p>6) Remember that you are competing with your graduating class more than anyone else. Colleges usually take around the same number of ppl from the same high school. For example, Harvard always takes around 10-13 ppl from my school every year. So, don't be cut throat - but evaluate your chances by thinking of how you rank in your class - how well liked you are by your teachers, counselors, etc. and how you will compare with the other ppl applying to that college. I knew that my shot of getting into Columbia was rather good becuz in my HS almost no one applies there. </p>
<p>7) Take your counselor's advice with a grain of salt. Well it depends on how good your counselor is... All I can say is mine wasn't very helpful. But don't depend on them to do the research or work for you. actually don't depend on anyone to do that except yourself. And give them the app materials as early as possible. Getting your counselor to actually send in everything on time is like 50% of the work.</p>
<p>8) don't go crazy with your EC's. If you love doing them then hooray - you are a happy person. but don't overburden yourself with them. leave some time to relax. there's only like one line in the app to describe them anyway. </p>
<p>9) Realize that college admissions is rather random and crazy and there are a lot of ppl out there that are a lot like you. You may feel like you deserve to get into a certain school - but so do other ppl. Remember to prioritize. There are other things more important in life than college. I know a lot of ppl who did not know what to do with themselves after they got into college - becuz it had been their goal for such a long time. don't become one of those obsessed ppl.</p>
<p>That's all i got for now... other ppl feel free to add.</p>