If you feel lost, or are a first-gen college student like I was, THIS POST IS FOR YOU!
I am thrilled to be entering my 3rd year as an Architecture (BArch) student at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. My 13/18 college acceptances came from nonstop research, indecision, and scraping the internet for any information that I could find (thank you college confidential). As of late June, the Supreme Court struck down the use of affirmative action in college admission, drastically changing the application landscape and, in turn, the racial diversity represented in these higher institutions. Although this is worrisome, you have control over how you stand out on your application.
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Tackle each essay as an aspect of yourself. All parts of your application, although limited, are meant to present pieces that can be assembled, resembling you holistically. Use this. Think about something that your test scores, your gpa, your clubs can’t demonstrate, and write a narrative that tells that story!
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Give your letter of recommendation writers some direction! This is just as important as your own essay. Give your writer a list of your extracurriculars, and traits of yours that you want them to focus on (i.e. group work, asking questions in office hours…). This will help you get a more personalized letter to submit to schools.
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Scrape the internet! Websites such as College Confidential, Niche, Khan Academy, and even youtube can help you immensely on tips for essays, planning out your college list, and moving forward in the process.
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MOST IMPORTANTLY… lead first with curiosity, then with straight A’s. I’ve seen friends struggle throughout high school because they felt they needed to do certain activities to check off all the boxes. Doing something just for the merit leads to a lack of motivation, stress, and a waste of your energy. There are SO MANY interests at your fingertips: you just haven’t found it yet. Or you have, and you are learning how it has shaped you individually. Your curiosities will lead to a qualified application, let yourself explore!
These factors are in your control. You got this!
Additional Resources:
https://www.khanacademy.org/college-careers-more/college-admissions