#co2018

You are in the last few hundred feet of the marathon. You've lost sleep, forgotten showers, and missed meals at times. Not every night was pretty notes and ordered flashcards. Some were the closing shift at work and a morning bedtime. Not all tests were 100s, even when you studied. But you've given all your strength, all of your fighting spirit, even when some days you gave much more than others. Some days you rejoiced with friends, other days you linked hands with them and hoped for relief. You've gotten your acceptances, your rejections, your waitlists. You've been questioned by family, friends, teachers, peers, and strangers as to why you chose the major, college, technical school, or career path you did. You've struggled over the choices and delighted in the decisions.

But you're in the last few hundred feet of that marathon, so finish strong. Don't stumble across that finish line, surge across it in a last burst of speed. Put pride into your studying. Block your social media for an hour at a time, even half an hour. Turn down social invitations from your friends and arrange study sessions instead. Get a good night's sleep. Eat a good breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Start studying now instead of cramming. Shower, bathe, trim your nails, brush your hair. Indulge in self-care, whether that means your favorite ice cream or music; buying a new lipstick, video game, or notebook; or taking 30 minutes to sit in silence and simply breathe. Replace self-loathing thoughts with reminders of your strengths and successes. Hype yourself up. Take your exams well-rested, prepared, and encouraged. Pass them, whether just barely for your weak subjects or with flying colors for your strong ones. Walk out of that room with your head high. Accept that diploma with pride. Receive those scores with pride.

1. Start your Common App AND supplemental essays now- senior year can be busier than you expect it to be, although I basically finished my common app essay over the summer I wish I had done some of my supplements as well

2. Colleges want to know what you can do for them- they know that they can do a lot for you, but what they’re really interested in is what you will contribute to the school, which will make you stand out in thousands of applications

2. Showcase your personal beliefs in your essay but if you can, relate them to what you want to pursue- of course there is no single “right way” to write your essays, but doing this really shows (rather than tells) a school why you are truly a good fit and what you can contribute to their community. It also makes a more cohesive story/ narrative. 

3. Group your supplements together- Take your college list, find the supplements for each school, and categorize them. Ex: “why x school essays, cultural essays, favorite extracurricular activity essays” this way you can most efficiently write one essay for multiple schools at once

4. Be smart about where you apply Early decision/ restrictive early action- think a lot about if this school is truly a good fit for you, if you can afford it, AND what are your chances of getting in. If you play your cards right you can end up at your top choice school early and enjoy the rest of senior year

5. Grades/ Numbers matter to a certain extent- of course they are important, but what I mean is that at really selective schools, every applicant has stellar numbers, and grades are no longer enough to differentiate between applicants. Instead, they are looking at your qualifications, experiences, and essays in order to gauge who would be a stronger applicant. I was very stressed about  staying in the top ten of my class but in retrospect I don’t think it made a HUGE difference in college applications.

6. CHECK YOUR SPAM EMAIL- I nearly missed an interview because the notification went to my spam email. It does happen, so check your spam regularly. 

tis the season for college acceptances, rejections, and ... deferrals?

if you’re like me, you might not understand what exactly the deferral from your dream school means, or what you can do to increase your chances of admission after you’ve been deferred. here’s the deal.

what does a deferral mean?

if you applied early decision or early action to a school and got deferred, your application has basically been converted to a regular decision app. while this can be discouraging, it also means that you are free to apply to other colleges, and have no obligation to attend that school if you do get accepted later on. this can be a blessing! take time to explore other options, and get excited about other schools!

what can i do?

if you got deferred and you’re still convinced that this school is your top choice, make sure that you follow up with the admissions committee and get them any additional information they ask for, such as additional test scores, senior year grades, etc. check on the school’s website to see if they will let you submit additional letters of recommendation in support of your application. get in touch with your interviewer and let them know that you were deferred. in some cases, you might even want to take the time to write a deferral letter. 

what is a deferral letter?

a deferral letter is a brief (no more than one page) letter to the admissions committee. in it, you’ll thank the admissions committee for reviewing your application, update them on any accomplishments or activities that weren’t reflected in your initial application, and (if and only if this is the case) reiterate that their college is your first choice and that if accepted, you will attend. send this letter in january or february as the committee starts to review regular decision applicants.

do not let your deferral define you.

i was deferred, and ultimately rejected from my ED school. i know it hurts. there is still a chance you will be accepted to the school, but remember that there are other schools out there! i ended up attending a school i got into during the regular decision round, and i love it!

do not let your deferral negatively impact the rest of your application process.