What I Would Have Told my 11th Grade Self

Applying to College
1

<p>Hey everyone.
So I'm a senior now, my deposit is in, I'm all set to graduate and start my new life, etc.
Today I was talking to some junior friends who are "looking forward" to the whole admissions process. It seems like a long time ago! And there are so many things I wish I had known.
I thought it would be nice to share some stories and hard-earned wisdom, from us seniors to the class of '09 and beyond.</p>

<p>I'll start:
** VISIT SCHOOLS **
There were lots of schools on my list that had the "right" things; good reputations, good programs, pretty pictures on the website. I took a spring break trip junior year- six days of touring through Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. I can't stress enough that every school has its own feel and you can sense it as soon as you get out of the car. The pictures don't even begin to describe a campus.
I was lucky enough to find my perfect school. I had toured some small liberal arts colleges for several days, liked some, disliked some...and then I walked onto campus (GROUNDS!) at University of Virginia and that was it. It was home. If that happens to you, don't try too hard to ignore your love for a school. But don't get obsessed either.</p>

<p>** Learn to write well.**
This is the single most important thing I can say. If you can write creatively, engagingly, you will stand out. </p>

<p>I didn't have an incredible set of extracurriculars. I had a couple minor school and church leadership positions, I had done some summer research at the local university, I was in the top of my class but not first. No national awards, no sports championships, I didn't start a charity, good but not perfect test scores. But I could write, and I did- I wrote about hatching chickens; about being a dancer; and about my summer marine biology research. I used every possible response box as an opportunity for expression. I was in love with UVA so I encouraged that in my application and I think that was reflected.
* What happened? *
I was accepted at seven of the eight schools I applied to (the exception being Princteon), including U of Richmond, Rochester, Duke, UNC, and UVA. I was offered full rides+ at Richmond and UVA. Obviously, I will be going to UVA (I have been offered a Jefferson Scholarship).
What I'm trying to say is, enjoy the opportunity to express yourself. Pare down your writing to the very barest bones and build it up again with detail, detail, detail; make a window into your life. I'm a pretty ordinary person who got extremely lucky, but writing was my most valuable tool.</p>

<p>Now someone else go...</p>

2

<p>I would've told myself to get off my backside and make an effort. I wish that I had spent more time on my essays. Looking back, they were unimaginative and bland, and I know that I could have presented a much better image of myself had I put in more effort.</p>

<p>That same effort would've helped me not get a C in Euro, too.</p>

<p>I also would've told myself to look at more colleges out-of-state, especially by D.C., with its good Int'l Relations internships so close at hand. Stupid Early Fall 08 Zamzam and his insistence on pre-med!</p>

3

<p>Dear 11th grade salamander,</p>

<p>Visit schools! You could have figured out that Marist is the antithesis of a school that's good for you before you threw $50 at them to read your application. Also, I know you don't get along well with your dad, but you're closer to your mom and your sister than you realize right now. And Mom's right- you go off to California or Miami for school and you'll come home twice a year, and that's not something that would be good for you. Look into more schools up here in the Northeast. Don't write off Barnard just because it's an all-women's college- it's more like Columbia than you think.</p>

<p>And this deserves its own paragraph: for the love of God, sweetheart, stop obsessing over Columbia. Yes, I know it's your dream school, but if you stop and think about it, you'll realize you're a borderline applicant at best. Don't get your heart set on it. Apply for sure, take that chance (and try applying ED! I know that makes you nervous, but Columbia has much, much better aid than you think!), but don't get your hopes up too high. Remember to fall in love with your other schools, too.</p>

<p>Take AP Chemistry. You love Honors Chem. You will decide you want to major in chemistry by this time next year. You will hate your physics class and spend all of senior year kicking yourself if you don't listen to me here. Everyone who says that your math ability will make physics a breeze is a dirty, filthy liar. Take AP Chemistry, and look, you can fit in AP Spanish and Culinary now! Other than that, you'll do a pretty damn good job pulling off your senior year. Just try to chill when all the college application stuff is going on. Go track down your best friend for a hug or five when you need it.</p>

<p>Speaking of that best friend, I don't care how lonely and confused you feel: You're not attracted to him, or to any guy. This is a simple fact. Absorb it. Remember it. Take him to prom, have an amazing time, but don't you dare kiss him.</p>

<p>Enjoy your senior year, love! Tell the Quiz Bowl kids I said hello- oh, and don't panic if the season gets off to a slow start, it'll get better (though I don't want to ruin the surprise for you).</p>

<p>Much love,
Less-than-2-months-from-graduation salamander</p>

4

<ol>
<li><p>Don't use free applications for schools you won't go to.</p></li>
<li><p>Apply to more reaches instead.</p></li>
<li><p>Study for your PSATs. Having SAT scores that go over national merit cutoffs won't get you national merit scholarships from schools. Both tests actually count for something.</p></li>
<li><p>Don't make 4 typos.</p></li>
<li><p>Don't waste time on chances threads.</p></li>
<li><p>Visit schools.</p></li>
</ol>

5

<p>I would've told myself to study for the PSAT/SAT/ACT...
and I would've told myself to apply less reach schools...
and I would've done research.</p>

6

<p>"Don't work too hard, you've already screwed up too much. Good SATs and Jr. grades won't cut it at this point"</p>

7

<p>^ hmm yes indeed.</p>

8

<p>Sup 11th grade enderkin.</p>

<p>First off, good job with those decent grades. You did well.</p>

<p>You still aren't getting into Harvard. Or Yale. Or Columbia. Not even a waitlist, kid. </p>

<p>Sorry.</p>

<p>Write your essays now, damn it!
And study Spanish, you dumbass! What the hell, it's the easiest class ever! Why are you getting Bs in it?
Oh, and get an easier senior course load. What the hell were you thinking, doing 4 APs? I'm not a young man anymore...
Don't ask that pretty girl to prom on the internet under peer pressure from your two friends. The lie is worse than rejection.</p>

<p>Oh well. Blargh.</p>

9

<p>Great idea for a thread. I would recommend that everyone finishes the majority of their applications before senior year even begins and allow adequate time to write good essays. Also carefully consider which schools you are applying to and take financial aid into account before applying if that is important to you. Make sure you apply to a good number of reach schools, match schools, and safety schools.</p>

10

<p>Dear young'in me,</p>

<p>Don't completely fall in love with a scholarship program you have no realistic chance at. At all. Even though you think you have the stats, 2% acceptances suck.</p>

<p>But keep everything else up!</p>

11

<p>Dear me:</p>

<p>You should have taken that ACT one more time! Oh yeah, and what were you thinking with that B in calculus first semester? Oh and don't try and argue or defend yourself with your Lit teacher, she'll just end up ruining your 2nd semester.</p>

<p>P.S. Note to self - the school does NOT accept flower deliveries from UPS on Valentines Day =(</p>

12

<p>Dear me:</p>

<p>Study for the SAT's. Study, in general. Also, don't get so nervous for ED, focus on high school and the fun. Most importantly, everything works out as it should; seriously, do NOT get too stressed.</p>

13

<p>Dear younger yet somehow wiser arachno:</p>

<p>don't screw up next year, idiot... :/</p>

14

<p>Kay, see here missy:</p>

<p>1.HAVE MORE CONFIDENCE IN YOURSELF. So you may not be the "smartest" but you've got a brain, so use it. You'll be fine. Things work themselves out.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Don't apply to Brown---you know you never really wanted to go there. Don't waste the $70.00 just because Daddy wants you to go.</p></li>
<li><p>For the love of god, APUSH ISN'T going to be the downpoint of your life---suck it up, don't procrastinate and you'll do just as amazing first semester as you will do second.</p></li>
<li><p>Same goes for that C in Math. It ain't the end of the world, sweetheart. </p></li>
<li><p>GET MORE SLEEP.</p></li>
<li><p>STUDY MORE FOR YOUR SAT's.</p></li>
<li><p>Visit Vassar again. Oh, and Bryn Mawr. Why, you might ask? I'm not telling.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>8.As him to your junior prom---he's not going to admit that he wanted you to ask until your senior prom, and he'll have a girlfriend he doesn't like by then. So just do it, to make him happy, okay? You'll have fun, trust me.</p>

15

<p>Take the SAT in october of your senior year. probably because you are slightly dissatisifed with your mediocre/good score but youre really really lazy and so you dont think you'll go through four hours of hell again. you will have time to study during the summer, no matter what excuse you can come up with (or most). and you'll score better :)! and come college app time you can say you tried your best (at least sat wise)</p>

16

<p>Get started asap. Don't put anything off.
And it doesn't matter what all your friends are doing, where they're applying, when they give their SAT and when they start their admissions process. You're going to college for yourself so think about yourself and what you need to do and what your personal goals are.</p>

17

<p>Dear randombetch:</p>

<p>Don't change a thing or else you might not get into Princeton. Except maybe you shouldn't switch out of AP Spanish. Other than that, don't change a thing.</p>

18

<p>go do that calc set. you'll need to be able to do this next year in calc II, so learn it now.
and don't forget about those online chem assignments!</p>

<p>oh, i forgot, i'm still a junior, and these are things i'm supposed to be doing now.....</p>

19

<p>dear dooshbag,
go do your homework.</p>

20

<p>I'm loving this thread. What my 11th grade son would say to his 10th grade self: Do NOT sign up for 5 AP classes. You can't handle them. Forget about AP Comp Sci. AP Bio will be the bane of your existence.</p>