<p>Here is my final list I'm giving the GC...I tried to add your suggestions as much as possible without writing a book (I'm leaving that to Carolyn) :)</p>
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<li><p>Apply early if possible. Early Action processes allow you to find out your admissions decision early without being required to attend the school, while Early Decision is a binding commitment to attend the school and means that you must accept the offer of financial aid the school gives you. EA is very practical and eases some of the stress of senior year, while ED is a good option for those students who are sure of what school they want to attend and whose parents are not depending on financial aid offers to pay for the school. You find out before everyone else and have a better idea of where you stand on your college lists. Admissions rates also tend to be much higher for some schools during Early Decision/Action, although some of this is due to schools encouraging legacies and sports recruits to apply early.</p></li>
<li><p>Dont apply only to highly selective schools. Harvard, Yale, Princeton, etc. reject 9 out of 10 applicants every year. It is illogical to assume you will be the lucky one. Hope for the best, and research schools at all levels. Using admissions info from schools and your guidance counselor , find schools that statistically you are sure to get into but that you would also ACTUALLY attend. Then, come April, even if the Ivy dreams dont work out, there are still other schools that interest you that are available. As a rule of thumb, I would shoot for:</p></li>
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<p>1-4 Reaches: Dream schools you would love to go to but the admissions rate is so low its a borderline crapshoot.</p>
<p>2+ Matches: Schools you have about a 50/50 chance at, that are a good match/balance for you academically</p>
<p>2 Safeties: Schools you KNOW you will get into. This could be a state school or another private school with less rigorous requirements. Take advantage of schools with rolling admissions so you know before Christmas break if youre in Make sure you have a school that is both an admissions and a financial safety; you dont want to get in and not be able to pay for it. </p>
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<li><p>Know your financial situation. Every college has a different financial policy, and its important to know what your family can feasibly pay so you can look for good options. For example, the Ivy League and schools like Georgetown and Duke only offer need-based financial aid. However, other good schools such as Wash. U. St. Louis and U. of Chicago offer merit scholarships to excellent students. Parents need to be up front with their kids about the financial aspects of college and how much they can/are willing to pay. It is also important to realize that colleges ideas of financial need are based off of the financial aid forms you send in, and may not accurately represent you familys ability to pay for school. Find out what your EFC (Expected Family Contribution) is and look for scholarships in you community to help fund your schooling.</p></li>
<li><p>Look at fit just as much as academics. When I started my search, I took a list of the approx. 100 schools in the US that offered my potential major. I then crossed off many for reasons such as location, school size, environment, etc. For example, Yale has excellent programs in my field of interest, but I hate New Haven, so I didnt apply. I probably could do well academically there, but I wouldnt necessarily be happy.</p></li>
<li><p>Organize and dont procrastinate. It sounds cliché, but its awful when its Christmas break and everyone else is sipping wassail and singing carols while youre typing away the applications on the computer. Write your essays as early as possible; make a deadline before a deadline. And, when it comes to financial info, organize, organize, organize. Make copies of everything you send to each school and save it in a file for that school, kept separate from other turmoil and messiness in the house.</p></li>
<li><p>Show interest. Part of college admissions is showing the college how much you want them. Some schools are actually know for something called Tufts Syndrome, which means they may waitlist or reject exceptional applicants because the admissions officer doesnt feel they would actually attend the school. No school wants to feel like the back-up, so be sure to show interest. Some ways to do this include talking to/emailing your regional representative, contacting a professor at the school in your area of interest, visiting the school, or attending an info session in your area.</p></li>
<li><p>Find something unique about yourself. Good grades and SATs come a dime a dozen, and after 5000 applications, and Adcom will be sick of hearing certain clichéd stories as admissions essays (feel free to provide examples). When you do your application, and especially in writing your essays, try to target your interest or share something unique about you. </p></li>
<li><p>Recommendations: Think early on (junior year) about what teachers you will ask for recs. Find teachers that both write well and who know you well. A well-written but impersonal recommendation wont tell the Adcom anything new about you. Dont ask just teachers whose classes you got the best grades in; find those who know you, your strengths, and your personality well. Then, ask a MONTH in advance; dont wait until two days before a recommendation is due to throw it on your teacher; remember you are asking for a favor, not taking something that is guaranteed.</p></li>
<li><p>For freshman and sophomores especially: Plan ahead. Take the most difficult courses possible (as long as you can succeed in them), and remember that junior year is the last year that counts towards your cumulative GPA and rank; colleges will not see senior year until February. Schedule when you will take SATs, SAT IIs, and ACTs. Leave time for retakes and try to finish before senior year; you dont want to be memorizing vocab words come thanksgiving break of 12th grade when everyone else is stuffing themselves on turkey. Plan when you will visit schools (spring break, summer, etc) and explore what types of schools interest you.</p></li>
<li><p>Visits: Plan ahead, and decide what your visit policy will be. Some students do not visit schools until they are admitted, preferring not to make a favorite until they know the school is a true possibility. Others will not apply without having visited a school. And when you do visit, try to be objective; the top two reasons prospective students dont like schools is because of weather on a visit or the attitude of a tour guide. These things change daily and are not necessarily reflective of the entire school.</p></li>
<li><p>Create your own method. Everyones college application process is different, and different things work for different people. There is no right way to apply to college; you need to find a way that will work for you.</p></li>
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