College, College, College. I want some!

With a little more than two weeks until my Early Decision deadline, I can truthfully say that I never stop thinking about college and about how much my life will radically change in less than a year…

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It's funny what things have been hard that I never thought about when I was preparing for college. For one thing, I don't eat frequently enough because I feel like I don't have time. I really like eating, and I know it's important, but with a full schedule and challenging classes, it's hard for me to take time to just sit and eat. A lot of the time I try to multitask by working and eating, but as I am learning in Psychology 101, multitasking rarely produces the wanted effects of getting multiple things done quickly, and instead slows all of the various tasks down and decreases efficiency.

It may seem silly to say but typically admissions officers read the applications front to back: essay first, then the secondary school report including the transcript and counselor letter, then the letters of recommendation, and finally any supplemental information a studend may have sent.

One thing that this means is that the essay really is important and can potentially create the first impression a student makes on an admissions officer and therefore significantly impacts the student's chances for getting in. It also means that the first impression made comes directly from you.

If a college application does not include an essay then the order would proceed with the secondary school report and recommendation letters - emphasis on GPA and test scores.

If you're a sophomore, it's not too early to start planning for college. Colleges will be looking at the trends of your grades during high school and, while they may be willing to downplay freshman year grades, they will look at your sophomore year. Second, get a profile up and running so that colleges that are working with Zinch can keep you up to date with programs for high school students - programs during the summer or weekends. Just be sure to keep it updated over the years. Finally, if you live near any colleges, consider going to visit sometime. Check out schools before the pressure begins because if you find that you like a college it can become a great motivator!

The season to apply is finally here!!

For the past month I've been helping fellow seniors at my school with their essays and I've noticed a few common mistakes and/or things they could improve upon. Here they are:

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If you have plans to apply early to a college, you probably have a fast approaching deadline. If you are applying online, you must click SEND by midnight on the deadline. If you are mailing it in the old fashioned way, check with the college website to see whether it must be received or postmarked on the deadline.

Most likely, it will need to be postmarked by the date, but check to be sure.

Good luck!

At this point in the year, if you are not already planning to apply to college under the early decision or early action option, or do not have a clear first choice, DO NOT APPLY EARLY. Resist the pressure (if you feel any) that early is the only way to go.

Many students, parents and counselors love to speculate and strategize about early decision and early action. At some colleges, the acceptance rate is significantly higher for the early pool than the regular pool leading many students to play their odds and apply early in hopes of increasing their chances of getting in. Other students apply early because they know, without much doubt, that their first choice school is far above their second choice on their preference list. Some people apply early because they just want to be done by the holidays and don’t want to have to think about it anymore.

Each of these reasons has merits, but do not apply somewhere early just because you think it will statistically increase your chances of getting in (especially if the school is early decision!). Many reasons exist why acceptance rates are higher for early applicants and not all of those reasons have any effect on your chances of getting in…

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Unless your school has a particular policy about this, I think it's great when juniors attend the college visits. If a college or university that interests you makes a visit to your high school, why not check it out? If you do just be sure to get permission from your teacher if you have to miss class.

Find out from your guidance office how they like to run things, but most likely you won't have to wait until senior year to attend these visits. Go now, check out some schools you might like, so that in the spring and summer, you can plan ahead. No one wants to be rushed and panicked during their senior fall. Learn about schools now before the stress of applying creeps up on you!

Starting college is a big deal. Since I moved from Oregon to Tennessee, and began my journey at Vanderbilt, it's taken up almost all of my brainpower, time, strength, and energy. I think I'm at the right place, because I have always liked challenges, but that doesn't mean it hasn't been hard. I have chosen to do a few things extracurricularly, like playing in softball intramurals, taking bassoon lessons, and my first priority, going to church each week and observing holy days. A choice that I never thought about having to make before I moved, is whether or not I should spend all my time focusing on school because it's so challenging, or continue to do some of the other things that I enjoy. Although they take time, I think I've made the right decision by doing some extra things. It's very tiring to focus continually on schoolwork, and by doing some physical activity I'm able to return to studying with a clearer and more energetic mind. And going to church, among many other benefits, helps me retain a sense of perspective. Living on campus means being continually contained in the school atmosphere, and it would be easy to forget everything except the test you have later this week or the bad grade you just got on an assignment. Church helps me remember that my undergraduate career is only four years of my life, and although very important, doesn't have to be the only thing I focus on.

Getting additional teacher recommendations is usually not necessary. By the time your application is complete, you'll have a letter of recommendation from your guidance counselor, and one or two teacher recs. This is almost always sufficient.

What I always tell people is that if there is something about you that no one else is going to say, and that thing that no one else is going to say is vitally important to your likelihood of getting into college, then yes, you should get an additional letter of recommendation.

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