College Advice From Seniors to Juniors

Two members of the college counseling staff offer invaluable assistance to rising juniors.

January 27, 2010 • Caitlin M. '10  
Filed under News

     With SAT and ACT tests set in place and the overwhelming number of emails from prospective colleges, juniors find the last semester of the school year to bring more stress than relief.

    As the spring semester begins, juniors begin to realize that college applications are no longer a far off dream. In just a few months the onslaught of application deadlines, scholarship essays, and college visits will begin.

     But where do you start this stressful and often confusing process? Are college visits helpful? And are college applications really as scary as they seem?

     Who better to ask than a group of seniors who have made it through the college application process, learned from their mistakes, and came out (surprisingly) alive.

     First, there’s the issue of when to start working on apps. 

     “I’d say start working on it over the summer (July/August) because the more you get done over the summer the better because it’s hard to find time during the school year,” Emma S. ’10 said.

     However, Emily M.’10 recommends first researching the colleges you want to apply to and finding their essay topics so you can at least have an idea of what you want to write about over the summer.

     If you are not sure what colleges you want to apply to, the summer poses a great opportunity to visit college campuses.

     “The atmosphere of the campus was really important in my decision. I visited some schools and knew that I didn’t want to go there and then I didn’t have to waste my time applying,” said Emma.

     Going on college visits during the school year is also important “so you can get a feel for the student body,” explained Sarah B. ‘10.

     You can also get a head start on college applications by filling in the information such as your name, address, high school, and test scores. Some schools do not even require essays or supplement questions.

     The applications themselves seem to be overwhelming, but “the actual applications aren’t that stressful, only the essays,” explained Emily.

     Test scores are very important in the college process. But it is important to start taking the SAT and ACT during your junior year so that you have enough time to get the scores that you want.

     However, it is important to remember that “colleges look at the WHOLE applicant. Yes, test scores and GPAs are important, but that doesn’t make you stand out on paper. Your extracurriculars, service work, and essays are what will differentiate you for the other pool of score-qualified applicants,” said Emily.

      As she nears the end of her college application process, Ellen W. ’10 said, “It feels good to know that you have a future beyond Ursuline–that it won’t be automatic hand-dryers and chocolate chip cookies forever. All of your hard work starts to pay off in the end and that is a really great feeling.”

Tags:

 Email This Post        Print This Post