<p>Being a National Merit Semifinalist (or Scholar) carries a lot more weight than it ought to (and I say that as a semifinalist).</p>
<p>^ yes. i agree (and i too am a semifinalist)</p>
<p>i learned not to write essays in 30 mins. and that my interview skills probably saved my butt</p>
<p>Just be yourself on your applications and especially your essays.</p>
<p>Apply to places you actually might want to go.</p>
<p>Yep, don't be modest...but don't be too arrogant. ;D</p>
<p>Writing an essay last minute does NOT feel good when you're wondering months later what impact it had on the rest of your app.</p>
<p>Make sure you apply to reach schools AND safeties, I don't care how good you think you are, stuff happens.
Start early,
Be yourself,
Make sure you have the personality of the schools you're applying to in mind when you write your essays.</p>
<p>Find a school you love, maybe one that no one in your school has ever heard of, and apply. Don't just apply to the same ivies, top 20 universities and lacs that everyone else does! It is a good way to create more options for yourself and maybe find a school that is a perfect fit.</p>
<p>Don't just build a resume. Try out activities, and stick with something you love. Showing passion for something pays off, in your application, in recommendations etc. It doesn't matter what it is. </p>
<p>An early action acceptance can be your best friend. </p>
<p>Find a safety you'd be ok attending. You don't have to passionately love it, but you must be ok with going there, if necessary, in the end.</p>
<p>The day after you hear the last info about colleges, your senior year starts to go really fast. Try to slow down and enjoy it!</p>
<p>To make this thread more interesting, people should say where they were accepted/rejected/waitlisted.</p>
<p>Have someone proofread your essays. This cannot be stressed enough!!!!</p>
<p>Even though your parents may say encouraging things about "wherever you get in, that's great, we'll pay" at the beginning of the college search process, apply to financial safety schools and apply for every single friggin' scholarship, college and 3rd party, just in case the economy tanks, they lose their jobs, their savings go down the toilet, and you're stuck with state flagship, having applied to only top-tier, private, expensive-as-***** schools. </p>
<p>Obtain service hours. Preferably heart-wrenching service hours. </p>
<p>ECs are way more important than anybody told me they'd be. </p>
<p>Most schools look at freshman year grades. I wish I had known that. </p>
<p>When people ask you how the college process is going, especially as a senior in the spring, give vague answers so you don't get berated for half an hour about your preferences :)</p>
<ol>
<li><p>ABSOLUTELY DO EA OR ED
was the best decision I've ever made in life.<br>
getting an early acceptance from one of my match/low reach schools meant that I saved a ****load of money because I didn't have to apply to any safeties. and it allowed me to apply to a billion reaches</p></li>
<li><p>decisions are usually sooooo effffing random
I got accepted to columbia, upenn, cornell and flat out rejected dartmouth and brown</p></li>
</ol>
<p>a lot of people may speak negatively of applying to a billlion reaches, but it does increase your chances of getting into a least one.</p>
<p>Take the most rigorous courseload offered at your school or you will have no chance at any top 30 college, because colleges don't care about grades unless you have rigor.</p>
<p>Very helpful advice. I can't believe I'm going to be going through this whole crazy process starting in like...three months.</p>
<p>You'll be fine raelah... You'll get in places you'd never imagine you'd get into, and get rejected from places you thought were sure bets... Don't let it get to you, and pick whichever place makes you the happiest! (I say this as I am unable to choose from two schools I LOVE.)</p>
<p>Looking at Stanford this year (albeit a limited cross section) I think RD worked out better than EA. I saw tippy-top kids denied EA and solid but not stellar kids accepted RD. How many recruited students -- athletes, etc. -- fill the EA group?</p>
<p>Back to what we learned, yes urmom, rigor did make a difference. Looking at historical acceptance data, DS had a below average UW GPA, but above average W GPA. He was accepted to all his top schools.</p>
<p>Be yourself.</p>
<p>Have a goal when you come in as a freshman and do your best to achieve that goal (goal = certain college/colleges). </p>
<p>I should have worked harder because I know I could have. People aren't as smart as me (don't mean to be pretentious or anything) have gotten into better place because they worked harder in school/studied harder for SAT 2s.</p>
<p>A safety isn't a safety if you'd rather die than go there or if you can't afford it. (this happened to two of my friends so far... sorry guys, but really? really????)</p>