When I walk the hallways now at RMHS, I am constantly reminded that I will soon be leaving. But, I also realized that a fourth of the student body is currently in the frame of mind that I was in last year. When this realization hit me I wanted to offer my advice to the rising in regards to applying to college, senior year, and surviving both. As I did last year for incoming freshmen, I have spelled out tips below from my personal experience- advice I wish I was given.
My first suggestion is to make a list of colleges that you might be interested in before the start of summer. The best time for this research is over April break and Memorial Day weekend when most students have extra time on their hands. I know many students are up late doing homework, sports, and other activities, but try and fit in fifteen minutes here and there to research colleges. This will go a long way to limit stress later on. It sounds cliché but it's true, and perhaps less overwhelming than sitting down to look at college websites for three hours.
Another suggestion is to purchase Princeton Review’s publication, “381 Best Colleges 2017 Edition.” This book can be purchased on Amazon for $13.95. Although I admit this title sounds pretentious, it is really helpful to learn about colleges or universities because it gives student quotes about their experiences and provides life and academic ratings too. I was able to highlight phrases I liked about a variety of colleges I was interested in, and then looked back to my highlights and sticky notes to make narrowing down my list a lot easier. College websites are helpful as well, but I found a printed source gave another perspective, along with Naviance, advice from family members, and guidance counselors.
I think you should create your list in chronological order (this list should contain six to twelve schools, leaving room to remove or add before you create your final list) before the last day of school. Then, you should plan visits to every school over the summer. I know this may seem annoying and it will take up a lot of your summer (both for the most part are true), but it the end it is vital to do so for two reasons. The first is that you should really visit colleges you are considering to better understand what it would be like to actually go to school there. Secondly, schools record your visits which conveys interest. Also, visiting new states or areas is always fun and college visits can often be combined with other trips.
My last tangible piece of advice is to finish your Common App essay this summer, and have rough drafts of all other supplemental essays you may have to write for your selected schools. I say rough draft for several reasons. Busting out up to twenty essays -remain calm- over the summer is insane for anyone, but also you may end up removing a school off your list, so having a perfect essay isn’t necessary yet. But, I still maintain that it’s important to have a rough draft or outline of your essay; nothing is worse than finalizing an essay the night of submitting an application and second guessing every word. Having a variety of people reading over your essays is extremely important; don’t shy away from asking teachers, parents, or relatives to read and make comments. Grammar and punctuation is important, but other comments may have more substance; welcome all input. Now you’re probably seeing your summer slip by, but remember, organize your time into chunks and set deadlines - I purchased a daily planner to aid me with this task - and you will still have late nights with friends and afternoons walking along the beach. Everything in moderation, ladies and gentlemen.
I could go on and on about how important it is to do your best on SATs and apply to as many schools early action as you can, or volunteer at a unique fundraiser over the summer... but ultimately I think the best advice I can offer you is to focus on yourself. This sounds selfish, but hear me out. Everyone in your class is going through the same thing right now, and the college application process will become one of your most popular conversations. While it is good to vent about vague college stresses like writing all those essays or what does FAFSA even stand for, but you cannot let what other people are doing affect you. Do not be deterred because someone is applying to the same school as you, and don’t compare yourself to other students; just focus on you. Sure, it is easier to say these things then to put them into action, but I can guarantee the sooner you detach yourself from all of the gossip around you, the happier you will be. It will make this long, and let’s be honest, stressful process become bearable. Saying “I wish you luck” seems like an understatement, but all the same: good luck!*
*And just remember you will be in my position sooner than you think.