Early application deadlines loom
October 26th, 2022November 1 and 15, the most common Early Action and Early Decision deadlines, are quickly approaching! Many students are on the cusp of hitting submit, and today we want to emphasize that one last mindful review is truly a must.
Make sure your application tells your story fully and well, giving colleges a compelling picture of who you are. Proofreading is a vital part of the college application process, too, as small typos can detract from the overall quality and convey carelessness. Have someone you trust read each application over before you hit “submit.”
Another tip: aim to submit applications before published deadlines when possible, as computer servers can become overloaded on deadline day.
Once you’ve reviewed and put the final touches on your work, and you feel that your application reflects the highest quality you can muster, there’s no reason to feel uneasy. To quote Nike’s age-old ad campaign, “Just do it.”
For more helpful tips, read this article below from Niche, written by Jason Patel and originally published on November 30, 2018. The advice remains timely.
Good luck!
The Often Overlooked But Completely Essential Last Step to Your College Applications
Before clicking “submit” on your college essays and applications, there’s one essential final step: proofreading.
After spending hours or even days working on college applications, it can be tempting to skip this part. Don’t! You want your applications and essays to represent your absolute best work and make a positive impression on admissions officers.
In this article, we’ll share five methods along with helpful tips for proofreading your college essays and applications. Follow this advice and you’ll be sure to put your best foot forward.
Demonstrated interest/authentic engagement matters
October 11th, 2022College applications include many important components: rigor of curriculum, GPA, recommendations and essays are all at the top of the list, but one consideration that can sometimes slip through the cracks is “demonstrated interest.” Demonstrated interest, also referred to as “engagement,” is the degree to which you show you are truly interested in enrolling in a school.
Engagement is the term I prefer as it encourages students to consider this as a two-way street. Colleges want students who are sincere about their interest, not just checking the boxes. Engaging in conversation with admission counselors, alumni or the simple act of following a university’s social media page is helpful for students, too, as they are looking for their right fit. There are many ways to engage genuinely with prospective schools and this article from Bucknell’s admissions blog lists some great ideas.
Many students have heard me say, “It’s only a green (or yellow) light if you demonstrate interest and engage. Take heed!
Article referenced below from Bucknell University published on June 14, 2021, written by Matt Hughes
What is Demonstrated Interest in College Admissions and How Do I Show It?
Every college has requirements in order to apply. You’ll need to submit your grades from high school and probably letters of recommendation, too. You may have to send standardized test scores and write at least one essay.
But there are more things you can do to improve your chance of getting into your top-choice school that aren’t captured on your formal college application. A lot of them fall into a category called “demonstrated interest,” a tool used by many — but not all — schools to try to predict how likely it is that a student they admit will enroll at their college.
The ins and outs of applying for need-based financial aid
September 28th, 2022October 1st marks the beginning of a new financial aid cycle as the 2023-2024 FAFSA and CSS Profile go live. The volume of documents to complete during the college application process can be exhausting and now that financial aid forms are added, it might seem like a daunting task. We hope to simplify a few things to make this task more manageable.
FAFSA determines your eligibility for federal aid programs like the Pell Grant and federal student loans. All families applying for need-based financial aid must complete the FAFSA.
The CSS Profile is also required by a small subset of colleges as part of their financial aid process, to determine eligibility for grants and scholarships. The list of schools that require the CSS Profile can be found on the Collegeboard website.
Does the early bird get the worm? Some would argue that submitting these documents early, particularly for public universities, can maximize your potential to be considered for all available aid.
In the article referenced below from Grown and Flown, my IECA colleague Jeff Levy has identified 21 points every family should consider when completing financial aid applications. His advice is highly relevant for families considering applying for need-based aid.
Article linked below from Grown and Flown, published on August 29, 2022 written by Jeff Levy
FAFSA and CSS Profile: Tips, Resources, and Mistakes to Avoid
October 1, 2022, is the first-day families can access, complete, and submit the 2023-2024 FAFSA and CSS Profile. Anyone logging in sooner will find themselves completing forms for the wrong school year. But September is the month to consider the pros and cons of applying for need-based aid.
If you decide to go ahead, here is a useful tip sheet from Big J Educational Consulting. It includes the 21 most important things your family needs to know to manage the financial aid application process successfully.
Setting boundaries during the college application process
September 13th, 2022“If I were to go back and change something about my application process I would be less forthcoming with friends about where I was applying. I think it may help future college applicants to keep that in mind as well.” – 2022 advisee
How can you maintain boundaries with friends and family so the college process doesn’t drive you crazy? It’s natural for those close to you to wonder which colleges you’re considering, but sometimes information-sharing among classmates can reach a level of toxicity. Students measure their own achievements against others’, trying to figure out who’s most likely to receive good news.
I knew a school counselor years ago, long since retired, who would hear students’ high-flying college aspirations and ask gruffly, “How do you feel about being told NO?” He didn’t spare students’ feelings. For those applying to the nation’s most heavily sought-after colleges – now with single-digit admission rates – it may seem as though nobody gets the nod at all.
Barring distinction at a national or international level in some sphere, accomplishing things most adults won’t in their own lives, being a recruited athlete or falling into another category receiving favorable consideration, we must assume that in applying to schools at the “lottery” level the final answer could very well be no. That school counselor was right, even more so today than in his heyday.
Maintaining boundaries with friends where your college list is concerned could be helpful in the long run. That way, if you choose to apply to colleges that are truly long shots, you have control of when, how and with whom you share news of final decisions.
Crucial takeaway: if you build your college application list thoughtfully and rationally, focusing on best fit rather than simply renown, you will have choices you can take pride in. The student quoted above, outstanding in every respect, received both exciting and disappointing admission decisions as did exceptional students throughout the world. She has a brilliant four years ahead.
Here’s an article on the topic that dates back to 2011, yet the advice given is timeless. Article linked below from The New York Times, written by Susannah L. Griffee, published December 5, 2011.
Protecting Friendships During the College Admissions Process
Susannah Griffee, a sophomore at New York University pursuing a double major in journalism and politics, is an intern this fall on The Choice blog and The New York Times Learning Network.
As high school seniors across the country wrestle with college applications, they should also gird themselves for this scenario: When a close friend gets rejected from a college that they are accepted to (or the other way around).
Rachel Simmons, a speaker on high school bullying and the author of “Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls,” says this scenario can cause high schools to become a fertile environment for aggression and paranoia during senior year.
“The terms of applications to college inherently pit kids against each other,” she said in an interview.
