#college application process

applying to college freaking sucks man, i’m not gonna lie to you. there’s simply so. much. stuff. to. do. and it can be quite overwhelming. 

i’m an only child, so, i didn’t have any older siblings to help me figure out how the hell i’m supposed to do this or to give me pointers. i ended up texting a group of my friends and neighbors that graduated the year before me for help on the process and scholarships (we’ll talk about scholarships later). 

now, let me tell you something: the key to not going absolutely insane (or not as insane) during the college application process is to be extremely organized. not everyone is organized but this is one instance where you HAVE to be organized. i could sit here and give you all of these elaborate organization ideas that will take you longer to set up than the actual college application process itself but i’m not going to do that because that will waste your time. i’m going to explain to you what works and what worked for me and how i got all my applications in before the early action deadline, november 1. let’s start, shall we?

one word: spread👏🏼sheets👏🏼.  spreadsheets will be your best friend. the way i organized mine (see above) was with notion but you can use any type of spreadsheet whether that be on google sheets, word, or even on paper. i just love notion (if you don’t already know lol. check out my notion posts hehe) so that’s why i did it on there. i organized it where there were three options for each column: yes, no, n/a, and working on it. yes if i finished it, no if i didn’t, n/a if that school didn’t have one or it wasn’t required, and working on it if i wasn’t done with it or was waiting for rec letters. i organized it by all of the elements that i needed to submit: common app questions, if my rec letters were submitted, if it required the common app essay, if there were university specific questions, if there was a writing supplement (and if i finished it), and if the full application was submitted. you can see all of that in the photo above.

this worked really well for me but if you need to make more specific columns or use checkboxes, then feel free! you should use whatever works for you and what’s easy. this spreadsheet kept me in check for a good two months and it was really helpful; it’s how i got all of my applications in by the early action deadline.

the key to submitting college applications isn’t completing them (well it is but), it’s how organized you are. if you are not organized, you’ll be really stressed and even if you are organized, the college application process is really stressful.

do remember that everyone is new at this. you have never done this before and neither have your friends! it’s ok to be worried and a little stressed. but, hopefully, by being organized with spreadsheets, you won’t be *as* stressed.

best of luck, seniors! if you need any help, don’t hesitate to comment, dm me, or drop something in my asks that are always open!!

Hello, all of my lovely college applicants! I have just finished my first term of senior year and all of my college apps went with it! I can proudly say that I am done applying to college (for now)! I think that my college application process was surprisingly stress-free and I was not too panicked when I hit submit. I thought I would share my best advice to get through this wonderful and scary and exciting time, or at least how I got through it. 

First of all, an important note is that I am applying to 99% of my schools as a BFA musical theatre major and so most of my applications required something additional (like a pre-screen video via acceptd, etc) so I will be throwing those important tips in there was well. 

get started EARLY. like so early that you think you’re a nerd. My junior year I was dating a senior and he was so late on the whole process that I vowed to never do that, so I started before I even finished my junior year. UC prompts are revealed over summer. Common App is a little bit after. Individual school apps are open at the same time. Create your accounts, start researching schools, and know what/where/criteria for where you want to apply. I started writing my UC essays over summer so that when the UC app opened in November I was already done with all of the hard stuff. If you are applying for art majors and need to film a prescreen, get on that asap. At least start listing some potential audition songs and choreographing some tentative dances. Most schools have requirements up early so you can start thinking about the requirements and your capabilities.

Take it little by little. Start early and set some goals that you will stick to. My school was so on me about my deadlines that I had to plan way ahead. Some things to plan/set deadlines for: final list of colleges, college tours, scholarship deadlines, the first draft of essays, first meeting w college counselor or writing coach, teacher recommendations. 

Talk about costs. applying to college is so much money. UC’s are $70, privates range from $10-$90. Shit adds up fast. Some schools will waive your application fee! Email a representative and find out if they’ll waive yours. ALSO if you are sending in prescreens through Acceptd, rip your wallet, save up. Acceptd has probably been just about as much as application fees. Also, think about the cost of touring, going to campus for auditions/interviews. This will be pricey if you are applying out of state. Get a summer job, babysit, write a letter to your grandma, beg your parents, steal your dad's credit card ask your dad for money.

Only apply places you WANT to go. this will cut down cost and make you happier. It is YOUR future, not your parents. It is YOUR potential student debt, NOT your parents. 

Talk to college representatives. Getting in touch with them has saved me so much time. Just by talking to them at college fairs I get a really good idea of the school (even if it is in the best light). They won’t lie to you if you ask them honest questions, and if you make a connection with them you could up your admissions chances. 

Don’t blow off standardized testing. If you are taking the ACT/SAT again, STUDY. If i could go back and do this again, I would have studied more for the ACT instead of focusing so much on apps. It’s a balance. 

Now is the time to utilize your resources. Teachers who loved you and said that if you ever needed anything to ask them? Ask them for a letter of rec. Ask them to read your essays. Ask them about a certain school. They have been with you the past four years and WANT you to go to college. if you are applying to art school, now is the time to ask your arts teachers for help. My dance teacher was a fantastic help, my theatre teacher found me monologues, my voice teacher played accompaniment for my videos. Favors are so important right now, just write them a nice note.

Take care of yourself. Senior year is so so so so demanding, so if you have to take mental health days, do it. Take the time to do things you love, focus on what you need to focus on, and enjoy your time. Go to football games. Drink coffee (the expensive one!). Reconnect with old friends. Who knows, maybe you’ll remember something essay worthy when you’re relaxing with your family. 

I hope this maybe helped someone. PM me if you have any questions/need any support. I will update when I experience the college audition process;). 

xoxo

I had the privilege of supporting a dear friend through her journey to enroll and pursue their dream of finishing college at Valencia College's Osceola campus in Florida. The experience was nothing short of inspiring.

I had the privilege of supporting a dear friend through her journey to enroll and pursue their dream of finishing college at Valencia College's Osceola campus in Florida. The experience was nothing short of inspiring.

How To Support Your Child Through The Stressful Process The college application process can be a daunting experience for both parents and their teens. With so many choices & different steps involved, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and unsure of where to start. However, with the right guidance and support, navigating this process can be much easier. As a parent, it’s important to be there for your…

If you have a student in the college application process, you may already be aware of some recent ‘big’ announcements by big name universities:

“More colleges extend test optional policies”

“UT joins the Common App!” “USC announces new early action option”

While these shifts sound like they might benefit applicants, the reality is a bit more complex. Read on for our insights about what motivates these policies and what this means for applicants –

What’s really behind making it ‘easier’ for students to apply?

As colleges announce shifts in their admission requirements, deadlines, and application processes, we want every student and parent to have an honest look at the why behind these changes.

Whether it’s accepting applications without test scores, offering an early action deadline where a college didn’t have one before, dropping supplemental essay requirements, or finally making it ‘easier’ for students to apply by joining the Common Application, each of these admissions office policy choices is rooted in a singular goal: increase application numbers.

Why do colleges want more applicants?

Simply put: prestige, the perception of exclusivity and excellence, and higher rankings. Because college rankings and our public perceptions about what makes a college highly desirable are tied to low acceptance rates, colleges are in a race to depress those numbers. The more applications a college receives, the lower that acceptance rate will plummet. The lower the acceptance rate, the higher the college moves on ranking lists that prioritize this factor, and the greater the college benefits from an air of prestige and exclusivity.

How do colleges increase application numbers?

Well, they could develop world-class programs and facilities, offer close mentoring and research opportunities between undergraduates and faculty, or invest in the quality of life, wellbeing, mental health and happiness of students. This is not to say that colleges are not doing these things: many are deeply committed to such initiatives, but these changes might take awhile, and growing public awareness of how amazing a particular college is at supporting and cultivating its students would take even longer.

So how does a college increase application numbers quickly? Tweak the application process or requirements. Enter the changes you’ve been hearing about in the news, and on those college tours. There are several proven strategies that will surely increase application numbers:

Adopt or maintain a test optional admission policy: We’ve seen this play out over the course of the Covid pandemic. More students apply when they believe test scores will not be a barrier to acceptance. However, as more students apply, the competition becomes even steeper…and colleges with test optional policies may still prefer students with great test scores.

Move to the Common Application: It stands to reason that more students will apply to a college that utilizes the application they are likely already completing for many other schools. This is a move we’ve seen from University of Texas and University of Washington this year. Stay tuned to hear how this impacts their acceptance rates this cycle.

Drop Supplemental Essay Requirements: Over the years many colleges have used this strategy to get a quick bump in application numbers. As students look to add colleges to their list, whether or not the application requires additional essays is a factor for many potential applicants.

Add a non-binding Early Action Deadline: Many students were thrilled to hear they can apply Early Action to USC for the first time this year. Many students. As has happened at other colleges that have made this shift, we anticipate that USC will see a bump in application numbers as students eagerly jump at the chance to apply Early Action.

While these policies can be a benefit to an applicant, we encourage students and parents to be savvy consumers and critical thinkers about the forces that are at play. And as always, one of the greatest insulations against these trends is building a college list that reflects the communities, resources, and opportunities that align with your own best fit. There are great colleges that your Aunt Sally has never heard of and wonderful institutions with acceptance rates above 50%.