When I first started looking at colleges (I could only go instate public, as that’s what my parents are willing to pay for), I was DETERMINED that I was either going to UM or Western (if I got a scholarship). No ifs ands or buts. But I ended up taking a tour of all the major Michigan publics (UM, MSU, Western, etc). and I ended up really disliking UM on my tour, and ended up really loving State, mostly due to the RCAH, and being able to afford it as well.
Don’t base your opinions of colleges based on a) prestige and b) your initial expectations. Colleges are widely varied in terms of their atmosphere/“fit”, programs, among other things. Go with your gut and your best options, financially and academically. You won’t regret it.
EDIT: Doesn’t hurt that State is a top 100 globally ranked university, too.
<ol>
<li>Prepare (write!!!) your applications for all the schools you want to apply to (safeties, matches, etc.) and apply to a few EA or one ED/SCEA. If you get into a great school early, don’t spend ~$600 on applications and score-sends for other schools, like I did (sent everything in before hearing a ‘yes’ from MIT <em>headdesk</em>)</li>
<li>Don’t trust chance threads. Obviously.</li>
<li>Don’t assume anything about your elite school admissions, and if you can help it, don’t even tell people you’re applying. An annoying girl at my school publicized the fact that she was applying to Oxford and all the Ivies, then got rejected by all of them…and everybody knew about it. Everybody.</li>
<li>On that note, your safeties should be SAFETIES, not matches.</li>
<li>Don’t blame AA for your rejection, it’s petty and wrong.</li>
<li>Have fun with it, seriously! I had a blast getting ready for college :D</li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li>Keep in mind that international acceptance rates are lower…so be even more realistic than you other wise would be.</li>
<li>Apply to several safety EAs and if there’s selective school you really like, apply ED. </li>
<li>Focus on programs and what you want to do rather than prestige - I realize now that a lot of the schools I applied to really would not have been great for me and some of the ones that would have been, I didn’t even submit an app.</li>
<li>Don’t let others talk you into applying to places…I got talked into applying to 3-4 more schools and I didn’t really care about any of them…I just applied for the sake of it and I have no doubt the admissions officers could see that.</li>
<li>$$$ is a big deal. Most of the people I know who got into top private need-aware schools did not apply for/get any aid. If you need aid, you’ll either have to go lower tier where you’ll really stand out and get merit scholarship (one of my friends did this) or go for top schools that are need-blind.</li>
<li>Don’t burn out - I got really lazy by December so the quality of a lot of my essays
suffered.</li>
<li>Don’t count on the waitlist - I have one friend who got into Columbia after being waitlisted at 5 places, but nobody else I know got in anywhere.</li>
<li>Be happy with where you end up going and don’t think of “what-ifs.” It’s time to start the next chapter of your life!</li>
</ol>
Huh, I see that some people suggest that you should apply to lots of colleges while other people suggest that you should only apply to a few colleges. This is confusing…
Alexiss, I kind of agree. I find it weird that people who are my parents’ age are still hanging around college threads. Don’t you guys have mortgages or Mad Men episodes to catch up on or something.
<ol>
<li>Research your safety schools, check to see if they have programs you are interested in. Make sure they have a good options in majors that you will enjoy. Sometimes safety schools have unique opportunities that are like diamonds in the rough. Also as someone else said, you only need ONE safety school, but it needs to be a SAFETY, as in the average GPA is 3.2 and you have a 3.6 average SAT is 1800 and you have 2100+. That guaranteed admission made the process of application nearly stress free for me.</li>
<li>Don’t apply to a lot of schools, unless your loaded and can actually afford to go to all of them, or have a decent chance of getting lots of money. Usually there are only a few schools that meet these requirements so that should limit your options. I good number could be 5 or 7; this way you have 1 safety, 3-4 match, 2-3 reach.</li>
<li>Take a chill pill, then hand them out to your parents and family. Try to explain to your parents that not getting into an Ivy or top tier school isn’t the end of the world. (I know its hard, but if they don’t get it just move on and ignore them)</li>
<li>Know what you want to do. I know it sounds simple but it still amazes me how many fellow seniors apply to prestigious schools with no idea what they want to do in life. Knowing what you want out of college will help you choose schools, wright better essays, and if you know what you want to do you can find a variety of programs that others may of overlooked that still cater to your needs. </li>
<li>Use College Confidential. I only got on here once (junior year) till after the entire admissions process was over, and I’d already chosen my school. This website has lots of helpful information, not only for highschoolers, and college admissions but helping you choose majors, finding career and internship opportunities, and more. Make sure you take advantage of it, and try to give back more than you get.</li>
<li>Most importantly remember this: As long as you are determined, work hard, and passionate you can succeed wherever you are. It may mean transferring, it could even mean going to community college (I know people who went to Harvard and Yale from a CC) but life keeps on going as long as you keep trying.</li>
</ol>
