By: Raina Maldonado
Introduction
Applying to college is a stressful thing: you have to worry about what you want to major in, where you want to go, and which colleges you fit into, not to mention if you can even pay for it!
When I was a junior, I knew almost nothing about how much consideration goes into college applications, and learning the ins and outs and dos and don'ts has been quite the journey, so here's my handy guide full of information I’ve gained over the past year!
College Application Preparation (For Juniors and Underclassmen)
If you're confused about the whole college application process, don't fret, there are numerous resources out there for you! There are programs like CollegePoint and Matriculate which will pair you with a college advisor who can help edit your essays and compose your college list. They can offer much more in depth information about financial aid, scholarships, and choosing the right colleges to apply to. Another unexpectedly useful source of college information is Reddit, especially the college specific subreddits, because you can find some pretty in depth pros and cons for colleges that you're interested in. Don't underestimate the usefulness of college Discord servers either! You'll be able to find more resources there for various programs.
There are some things that will set you apart from other students, like extracurriculars, activities, and awards. Before starting your college application journey, you should consider joining some clubs you are passionate about and applying for programs you find interesting. Many colleges offer summer programs for juniors where you have the opportunity to learn from actual university professors. You should also consider scholarships (The Gates Scholarship and the Coke Scholars one are very generous ones you should definitely look into!) and whether or not you should take the SAT and/or ACT. Remember, most colleges have gone test-optional because of COVID for the next couple of years, so don't stress out about it too much unless you want to go to a highly competitive university. After taking the PSAT, you can link your College Board account to Khan Academy, which will give you a personalized SAT practice plan for free!
Another thing to consider is the PSAT/NMSQT test; when I took the PSAT as a junior, I didn't think much of it, but now that it's a year later, I kind of regret not studying harder. The PSAT/NMSQT puts the highest scoring students into consideration for the National Merit Scholarship Program, which is both a scholarship and a distinction that will set you apart from your peers. It would also be wise to set up a College Board account and enable Student Search Services, which will give colleges access to your PSAT/SAT/AP score information and interests. As colleges reach out to you, you’ll become more aware of opportunities that you might want to pursue.
Application Deadlines
First thing you need to know about applying to college are the application deadlines. There’s the Early Action (EA), Early Decision (ED), and Regular Decision (RD). RD deadlines are late December to early January, and it is the application cycle most college applicants go with. EA is similar to RD, but the deadline is in October-November, and decisions come out in January. Some colleges only have restrictive EA, where you can apply to that college only during the EA application cycle. ED deadlines are around the same time as EA, but they are binding, meaning that if you are accepted into the college you choose to ED to, you have to attend that school, so you have to be absolutely sure that that is the college that you want to go to! EA and ED application cycles typically see higher acceptance rates, so it might be in your favor to apply through one of these cycles! Remember, there is no wrong choice when it comes to when or how you want to apply.
You can apply to college EA and RD through the Common App, Coalition Application, and directly through the college; however, you can only apply ED directly to the college of your choosing. Some colleges, like MIT, require that you apply directly to them, and others like Rutgers are not available to apply to through the Common App. QuestBridge is another application route that some students can take, but it comes with its own set of pros and cons!
National College Match
The QuestBridge National College Match (NCM) is an application similar to the Common App and Coalition Application, but it is more useful for high achieving, low income students as it offers full ride scholarships to the colleges you apply to. Typically, if you live in a family of 4 or more and your income falls below $65,000 a year, then you qualify to apply! Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, as it is merely a guideline. Students that also face extenuating circumstances, like medical issues or abuse, are also encouraged to apply, since the QuestBridge application has sections for you to explain the difficulties you have faced as a student and how you wish to rise above your circumstances.
QuestBridge is partnered with only 45 colleges, which include top tier universities like Princeton, Yale, and MIT, so I advise that if you are considering applying through the NCM, that you check their college partner list before deciding to apply.
The National College Match itself is a very complex process. First, you must apply to be considered a finalist, which in itself is an extremely competitive process (the deadline is usually sometime in late September). If you are accepted and become an NCM Finalist, then you have two options: you can rank colleges, or you can apply through QuestBridge RD. If you choose to rank, then you have to make a list of up to 12 colleges that you wish to apply to. You have to keep in mind that it is binding, meaning that the highest college on your list that you are accepted into is the one you have to attend. This makes the NCM extremely risky, but the reward of a full ride scholarship far outweighs the costs. You can also choose to apply to colleges through the QuestBridge RD process, which is non-binding, but you forfeit your eligibility for the scholarship. Applying through QB RD makes you stand out to colleges, and it also puts you at top priority for financial aid, so while you might not get the scholarship, you could be looking at a near full ride financial aid package. Again, it's entirely up to you how you want to apply, and if you really need the financial aid, filling out the FAFSA and submitting it before December ends will guarantee that you'll get as much aid as you need!
For Juniors- QuestBridge also has a College Prep Scholars (CPS) program, which prepares you for the college application process. The application is very similar to the NCM one, so if you are accepted into CPS, then you have a high likelihood of becoming a finalist in the NCM! The information from your CPS application will roll over to your NCM application regardless of whether or not you are accepted into CPS, so you can update your information and essay answers as needed.
The Dreaded College Essay
Many colleges will require supplemental essays and short answers. It is very important to remember that all questions aim to give the colleges a better understanding of who you are as a person. You should be light hearted with your answers (when appropriate) and give the college a glimpse of your personality. Try to avoid sounding robotic and only talking about your accomplishments, instead throw in a few answers that show the more laid back side of you. Colleges do NOT want to admit stiff robots that have no idea how to have fun or do anything outside of school. Remember, they want to put together the most diverse and well rounded class. Show them what you will add to that class that others can't.
The Common App essay is one of the best ways for colleges to gain insight into who you are as a person, so you should put your heart and soul into it. I once went to a Harvard information session (which is free for anyone to attend via zoom!) and the admissions counselors there explained that by the time they finish reading your essay, they want to feel as though they've gotten to know exactly who you are and what you will add to your class. A Princeton admissions counselor at another information session said that counselors ask themselves whether or not the applicant will make a good roommate when they read their essays. Now the essay is, in most cases, not what makes or breaks your application, but it should be something entirely unique to you that will make you truly stand out. Writing about how you scored the winning point for your elementary school soccer team will not set you apart. Explaining how you have gotten straight As in every single AP course you've ever taken will not make you stand out. Give the admissions counselors a story, an idea, a problem that showcases your voice. You can talk about problems you've faced or times that you have failed, but make sure that the conclusion wraps it all up nicely and explains how it defines who you are and how you have grown as a person as a result.
The essay should come straight from your heart, so it might be worth it to take a step back to think it through. Personally, I wrote multiple essays before I could settle on one that felt right, but that was only because the first few absolutely sucked. I had to get through the awful ideas before I could come to the one really good one. Don't be afraid to scrap something if it's not speaking to you, and don't be afraid to just sit down and start typing stuff, you might just be able to use parts of scrapped essays to piece together the one essay that truly speaks to you.
Final Words of Advice
Applying to college is tricky, but you should always remember that there is no right or wrong way to go about it. Even if you don't get into the school of your dreams, it does not mean the end of the world. Colleges will only reject you if they don't think you will fit in or be able to handle the coursework, so you'd likely be better off not attending the colleges you are rejected from anyway. Being rejected from a college does not equate to failure, it just means that you've found the one college that you weren't meant to go to.
Good luck, and happy College Application Season!
Resources
https://www.collegepoint.info/
https://www.matriculate.org/
https://www.questbridge.org/high-school-students/national-college-match
(Deadline- October 31) https://www.coca-colascholarsfoundation.org/apply/
https://www.thegatesscholarship.org/scholarship
https://apply.jhu.edu/application-process/essays-that-worked/
