<p>Stargirl...well done...your comments ought to encompass a whole new thread so people can respond to your insightful thoughts.</p>
<p>On another note, really really do a good job with your application. I know this has been repeated, but try to stand out. Write a DIFFERENT essay. Be unique and write it well. I had no idea where to start. I read through some of the 50 Best Harvard Essays book or whatever it's called and got a few ideas as to what "unique" (yet acceptable) is. (My essay is completely different from the ones in the book, so it's definitely not stealing any ideas, it was just a good springboard.)</p>
<p>Tell the colleges (maybe not directly) what your motivations are. WHY do you want to do something? WHY do you do your activities? What are your aspirations (many colleges will take you because you show potential)? All this, of course, can be shown indirectly, which shows more 'skill' of course =)</p>
<p>...and for EDers who are deferred, don't lose hope, but expect the worst. That way, a good letter will be even better than expected. I still can't believe I beat the odds of getting in after deferral. Send in another letter, another recommendation, or whatever else, but more importantly.. offer something new to the admissions officers. get personal.</p>
<p>And definitely visit before AND after (if you get in... and especially after if you get in). I had been stressing and debating between a few schools until I visited the schools again. That determined it.</p>
<p>Last piece of advice... (especially for the columbia application), show passion and doing stuff, being intellectual even outside of the classroom. </p>
<p>My two cents. Good luck. I can't believe that this whole college thing is over. Wow. And I can't believe my senior year in high school is almost over.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Start essays early and get them corrected often. I don't mean starting them in August (although I do know some people who did), but make it a goal to be finished at least a week before your application is due. Also find parents, teachers, or friends who can edit them for you. A friend of mine didn't show us her essays until after she had applied. There were a bunch of things that could easily have been fixed, but didn't have a chance of change, because she had wanted to "go it alone" on the essays.</p></li>
<li><p>This may just be a saying by the math teachers of my school, but it is still true. Assumptions make an "Angle Side Side" (triangle) out of you and me. This is very true in college decisions. It is never certain that you will get into any college. Don't go around talking about how you would only accept going to an Ivy or Stanford, because you look like a fool if you don't get in.</p></li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li><p>Be realistic about out-of-state chances at public ivys like Virginia, Michigan or UNC.</p></li>
<li><p>Apply to rolling and EA schools that interest you.</p></li>
<li><p>Take the ACT even if dwelling in SAT-land.</p></li>
</ol>
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<p>STICKY request!</p>
<p>TourGuide446's post gives some relevant advice on this topic:</p>
<p>Thanks, WS17. I've been getting a lot of good feedback on that post. I think it would help a lot of students make decisions this time of the year. Is there any way to get it posted on multiple threads? </p>
<p>I attended a total of 9 colleges in three countries, and have taught at 4 others, so my conclusions are not based on just a couple of isolated anecdotes. I made a ton of mistakes, and hope I can help the students here avoid some of them.</p>
<p>Wow, this is a GREAT thread! This is such excellent advice. I'll be keeping all this advice in mind for next year (yay 2007)!</p>
<p>Always fill in 4 schools on your free SAT score reports every time you register for any SAT test, even if you expect to take the SAT-I a few more times or expect to take some SAT II tests later.</p>
<p>Every time you put in for a free SAT score report, you get your name and contact information into the school's database and you are likely to get some mailings from them. The mailings will help you learn more about the school and maybe some important information about deadlines, scholarship opportunities, etc. If you filled out the College Board survey, you may also be contacted by organizations of interest at each school such as marching band, lacrosse club, etc.</p>
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<p>bumping to top…</p>
<p>Look into the details of how EA works at each school before you decide to apply EA.</p>
<p>At some schools, if you are not accepted EA but are not completely below the standards, you are simply deferred into the RD pool and evaluated all over again against the RD applicants and other deferred applicants.</p>
<p>But at some other schools, you are evaluated largely on a final basis during EA. Your senior year grades might not be taken into account at many of these schools (depending on the EA cut off and date of first quarter or trimester HS grades). If your first quarter SR year grades were better than your overall GPA, it will not help you at these schools, and you could well find yourself with a cold rejection letter before Christmas, but may have had a better chance for admission by applying RD.</p>
<p>Admittedly, many schools are not open about how their process of making EA decisions works.</p>