Reflections on the College Search
I’ve decided to compile some advice and resources for the class of 2014 and beyond.
General Words of Advice
- Make sure to research every college you apply to. You want to show some knowledge of the school and their philosophy on your application. You also want to know what you’re getting in to!
- Apply to a diverse group. If you apply to all Ivies, April might be tough for you to get through. Have a reasonable amount of reaches, fits, and safeties.
- When picking safeties, pick a school you actually want to go to, so if you end up going there it’ll still be awesome.
- Essays are important (or super important when applying to places like UChicago) so spend some quality time on them. Make them a reflection of who you are. (You are not your essay, your essay is you. Show, don’t tell.) Be creative if you like to be creative. Be serious if you like to be serious. Be honest.
- Visiting is always a good idea. It helps you figure out what you are looking for, and what the college is looking for as well.
- Remember you are not entitled to any acceptance.
Sweet Resources
Here’s a list of links I found helpful in my college search:
www.collegeboard.com – Great for quick stats.
www.unigo.com – Great for in-depth student reviews.
www.princetonreview.com – Really cool “Counselor-o-Matic” that helps you look for ideal schools, also some cool reviews.
talk.collegeconfidential.com – Very addictive forum… zomg.
Here are my two favorite scholarship websites:
www.fastweb.com
www.zinch.com
In: college · Tagged with: college
How to Deal With College Rejection
As a “blogger,” I feel I am allowed – by the internet gods that be – to be recklessly self-indulgent. I recently compiled a list of tips for those soon-to-be-seniors and those soon-to-be-college-rejects (who are, incidentally, almost always one in the same.)
When I realized I was essentially rejected at all the schools I actually wanted to go to (save for the waitlist at my #1 school, lucky me), I finished that day of school in complete silence. I did not speak at all. I temporarily put away the pain in order to get through work. When I came home that night, I curled up on my bed and cried and cried and cried… It was horrible. I want to maybe, just maybe, help out some future kiddies who might go through the same thing I went through. I’ll save another blog for how to avoid this whole situation altogether, but for now, some coping strategies:
1. Do NOT frequent forums. Do NOT check the college websites. I was a regular reader of a certain popular college forum (I will not disclose the URL due to its addictive nature) and it killed me. I checked the forums and college websites before school, during break, during lunch, after school, and all night. This was basically my March. Me and many other addicted students sat around speculating based on college-released statistics, testimonials from “current freshmen,” etc. It looks so stupid now. I wasted so much time. I felt life was like Waiting for Godot and nothing else mattered but that future goal. I didn’t live in the present enough. Live in the present, damn it! Just wait for the college to email you when they’re ready. And after I got rejected/waitlisted, I kept frequenting the forums because I was addicted, so it just made it a million times worse.
2. Watch Accepted with Justin Long. Trust me, this made me feel a lot better. It’s so funny, Mr. Long is a total babe, and it made me feel a lot better about my life.
3. Complain wisely. Let your parents and your best friend(s) know how you feel, but in general don’t talk too much about it with anyone else. It’ll just keep reminding you and reminding you and the pain will get deeper.
4. Do fun stuff. This should be self-explanatory.
5. Accept. The sooner you accept it, the better. Look at the college(s) you did get in to, the college you’re going to, and get excited about that. Most colleges are awesome and fun and cool with awesome people and sweet classes, so it shouldn’t be too difficult.
In: college · Tagged with: college
