Hey so, I as a graduating senior, just finished up the application season as today is May 2nd. I officially decided to attend UCSD for Mechanical Engineering. I’d like to offer tips of things that helped me, and things I wish I had done to improve my potential for being accepted.
These are all just subjective little things from my point of view, but here’s the list: [ul]
[]From the beginning: Take the most rigorous classes you can. AP or whatever, take as many as they let you. Be warned that AP tests scores don’t really mean anything to admissions officers, just for credit depending on the school, but if you aren’t taking the most difficult classes you can, you can still improve.
[]Prepare for the SAT/ACT, but beyond a certain point, it’s worthless as the high score looks the same and trying to improve further is wasted effort that could go elsewhere. I’d say around 2250 for the SAT and 34 for the ACT are the values that the scores seem to be the same.
[]Plan when you’re taking the tests. Ideally take your first one in the Fall of your Junior Year after actually studying in the summer. Next take it in the winter (Dec/Jan) and finally take the last ones in March. I’d say you should take one three times, and the other twice. The one you take 3 times should be the one you like better as a test, for me this was the ACT. Then take the SAT Subject Tests in May before AP season so you can maximize the time for studying by studying for two at once. If you can’t do this, try the first at the latest in March of your Junior year so you can take it next in April/May/June, and the last in Sep/Oct. This I feel is the absolute limit for your own sanity. I’d prefer you do the first option so there’s less to stress about senior year with college applications.
[]Around test-taking time you should be in the mindset that you need to make a decision on a major, so explore around to see what is available and see what you enjoy and would feel fulfilled doing.
[]Start developing a list of colleges you want to apply to based on that major or majors you’re considering. Name is a factor, but don’t be afraid of a school that ranks highly, but no one you know has heard of (sometimes including you). I’d do 1-2 Safeties, 3-4 Matches, and 6-8 Reaches, or more if you have the money, but applying to fewer allows you to put more time and effort into writing thoughtful essays.
[]If you’re done with your tests by the end of your junior year, start writing drafts of your essays. The Common App essay options don’t change, and schools like the UCs use the same prompts every year. DO NOT write essays that you can copy/paste for the college-specific questions on the Common App, you need to show a much deeper interest in the school.
[]Make a timeline. I used Google Calendar personally, and this even is something that anyone can use to improve all kinds of procrastination. Knowing when things are due and making reminders to work on it will fix your workflow in all kinds of ways.
[]During your high school years: fight to get state/national awards in accredited programs. Try to show dedication to what you want to do. You can love something a great deal, but if that passion is trapped in your head, a college won’t be able to see how excited you are about it and how they can help you achieve something in that field. These awards can be substituted for relevant work experience to your field. [b}Important;** if your school doesn’t have the program you want, get a teacher to help you, and make it yourself. Even if it isn’t super successful, you need to show the initiative to want to make an impact.
[<em>]Understand your competition. Reading CC is kind of unfair because usually those that are already very successful are reading this because they know what they need to learn and improve and have already done so, or are in the process of it. But it is a good way to learn to size yourself up against the percentage of college appliers that are actually going to give you your competition in application season. You don’t need to be the best by any means, you just need to show your passion and convey how strongly you feel and express how you would be invaluable to the college you are applying to. Yes, that they want you, you need to understand that colleges want their names on successful people, that’s the whole point of the “holistic” consideration process.
[]Understand there is no surefire formula to college application success. These tips are just from what I’ve found through my time so far on CC and I hope that I can help you understand what direction you need to move in, but ultimately, it’s all up to you.
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So that’s all I can really think of for now, but I hope that I can help somebody out in their pursuit of college acceptance, just understand that it isn’t the end of the world getting rejected. I know it firsthand, and yes it does feel that way the first few days or weeks, but I guarantee that you will love the place you end up at no matter what (if not because of the mere-exposure effect), college is an amazing time in your life, and you will find success beyond the classroom no matter what. There are numerous other measures of success like happiness, healthiness, self-actualization, etc.
Good night and good luck to all you nervous students, it will work out in the end.