Applying for colleges is often the most stressful part of senior year. But if you play your cards right, college apps become a piece of cake. Just like in my previous article, Uncommon High School Advice, Part I: How to Fail the SAT, I have listed the bad advice about college apps and given you the advice that people normally have to pay to get.
You don’t have to know what you want to do.
This is true but misleading. A 50-year career plan isn’t necessary, but you should think a lot about your future for two reasons. First, it will help you choose colleges that fit you. Second, having some direction will make colleges more likely to invest in you. When you apply to colleges, you’re asking them to make a four-year investment in you. You don’t tell someone, “You should invest in me because I have no idea what I’m doing with my life.” You tell them, “You should invest in me because I am going to ______.” Your answer can be broad, but it should take into account your passions, skills, and goals. If you have no idea, you should consider taking a gap year.
Junior year is the time to prepare for college.
You should prepare a lot for college during junior year, but the other years are just as important. Freshman and sophomore year are great times to develop your interests and skills, attend college visits, prepare for standardized tests, and get good grades. Those same things are all important during senior year, not to mention the hundreds of hours you'll spend on your application.
Be well-rounded.
Being good at everything means you’re not really good at anything. Throughout high school, it’s important to develop a skill that you can use as a selling point to colleges. It doesn’t matter if it’s water polo, building robots, or the playing the bassoon. Anything that you’re great at will be a good selling point, though you’ll want to relate it to your intended major. For example, an environmental engineering major shouldn’t sell themselves as an artist and write an essay about the beautiful blue bowl they made in Mrs. Faye’s pottery class. But they could sell themselves as a graphic designer and write an essay about their latest project to design an energy-efficient apartment complex. Colleges don’t want Jacks of all trades, they want experts.
Just apply, you never know.
Students with good grades and test scores don’t get into Harvard. Students with the best grades, the best test scores, and something else amazing going for them get into Harvard. If you’re below the 25th percentile of accepted students for grades and test scores, don’t apply unless you are highly skilled at something, have a liaison, or have rich and famous parents.
Get involved in as many extracurriculars as you can handle.
I joined a wide range of extracurriculars but couldn’t devote myself to most them. The extracurriculars that matter most are the ones that help you develop your skill or relate to your desired major. I wanted to be a health major, so I wrote my personal statement essay about the health club I started. I also did seven plays in high school, and that was a great thing to put on my application. However, I should have explained that it helped me develop my stage presence so that I could advocate for healthy living in front of large audiences.
You also definitely want to get involved in some leadership roles, but not too many. I had four leadership roles during my senior year, but I should have stuck with two and done twice as well at them.
Bonus tips
After the first semester of junior year, pick a favorite class. Do your best work in that class and get to know the teacher. You should ask them to write a recommendation for you at the end of the year. And during the summer after your junior year, use your time well. Research colleges extensively, and consider writing your personal statement essay on the Common App before senior year begins.
The final tip I want to leave you with is to do something epic! Who wants to be mediocre? A couple of my classmates designed a wind turbine and made an app. I sure wish I did something like that! Accomplishing epic feats makes your life more interesting, which makes colleges want to accept you because you will do something epic on their campus.
