Samantha Costanzo
Part 1: OMG, My Social Life is Over
Congratulations, class of 2011! After three years of clawing our way up the high school hierarchy, we’re now at the top of it. We probably know all of the teachers, we know how to get to every classroom, and we pretty much rule the school. And to top it all off, we know we have to fill out college applications. Yay!
In case your college counselors or advisors haven’t drilled this into your brain already, I’ll remind you that most private (not state run) colleges require you to use Common Application when you’re applying. It’s easy to use: all you have to do is log in, click the “Search for Colleges” link on the toolbar on the left, and follow the handy-dandy directions to add the colleges you’re applying to. Easy? Yes. But that’s only a fraction of what we have to do.
There are two parts to the Common App: The Application, and the Supplements. The Application will be sent to all of the colleges on your list and asks for info on your academic and extracurricular history, your parents’ college careers, and your plans for college. These are all easy “click the box” type questions, so you don’t have to use a lot of brainpower there. The Application also has a Writing section which is – you guessed it – the dreaded Personal Statement. This goes out to all of the colleges on your list as well, but we’ll talk about that next week. The second part of the Common App is the Supplements. Each school you decide to apply to has its own supplement, which in turn has its own application fee of up to $70. Didn’t think applying to college would force you to break the piggy bank, did ya? These supplements ask you some easy questions, like which deadline you’re applying for (and early acceptance plan or the regular acceptance track), what you might major in, whether or not you’ll apply for financial aid or live on campus, and other basics. Most of these supplements also want you to write another essay that answers one of their specific questions.
This is where if you’re anything like me, you have your “OMG, my social life is so over” moment: we’re probably going to be filling out these applications for one too many weekends. But this is also where we get help.
I’m going through the same thing you are, and I’m figuring some stuff out along the way. So what better way to make this a little easier for all of us than to tell you about that stuff? I’ll help you get through how to write essays, get letters of recommendation, finish your supplements, and get everything in and paid for on time. With the right planning, this will all be done before you know it, and we can laugh about this later as if it were all just a bad dream. Right?
Seriously though, it really is all in the scheduling. You can use those few minutes of free time after finishing a test to brainstorm essay ideas or make a list of all of the clubs and activities you’ve been involved in during high school. These little things are amazing time savers that make a big difference when it’s time to sit down and fill out your apps.
So don’t stress! It’s going to get done, and you’ll have help. Next week: Essays. Warm up your fingers, because we’ve got a lot of typing ahead of us!
I’ve been there too, and it can be very overwhelming. But putting in the hard work from the beginning makes it a lot easier in the long run! Don’t make the mistake of waiting until the last minute to file applications and write your college essays – you might end up having to settle or even waiting to enroll in secondary schools.
I’m looking forward to seeing your segments on the college application process. Teens can always use a guide on the path to higher education. Fat Envelope is another website that offers some help to organize your college applications. Find simple, short videos at Fat Envelope to help explain some basics!
Good luck to all the high school seniors hoping to get into their dream college next year!