Words of Wisdom for American College App Process

[Matthew Sinclair]

Hey All

Firstly, what I'm saying is just my own opinion and isn't necessarily correct; yet, I'm sure that some of the things I will say will clarify the process for you.

Secondly, make sure you apply to lots of safety schools (ones you will definitiely get into) and also lots of schools that offer scholarships to YOU (that you qualify for. Especially be careful if you are international as that may make you non-eligible. sucks, I know). Finances are a big issue for college, so be sure that you can pay for it somehow.

Thirdly, SAT scores are very important. For the Ivy Leauges, I would recommend at least a 2200+. Of course you could get in with lower as there are no prerequisites, yet if you're not applying as a recruited athlete, then you need strong SATs imo. Athletes are lucky and can get in with lower academic qualifications (but still good). I think I had a chance with a 2050, as people have gotten in with such, yet I was somewhat optimistic..I think it's what brought down my application which according to my Harvard interviewer was very strong. He was confident I would get into at least a couple of Ivies...but no haha. Also, the "lower" Ivies often have "need aware" applications so they will look at finances when making a decision

Also, Ivy League isn't everything. There are TONS of great US universities that are equal to the Ivies. Just because a college is ranked well, doesn't mean it's right for you. Think hard about what you want and where you will get that.

What else: I would categorise it like this: dream, reach, safety. I think that's pretty common. Dream = where you would LOVE to go, reach = possible/would really like, and safety = definitely accepted (well almost definite) and where you would be very happy. MAKE SURE YOU APPLY TO SOME SAFETIES!!! And don't forget the scholarships!! ! ! ! !

Also, financial aid: I used the College Boards CSS Profile. It is horrible to fill out and takes time (and money). At least it's accepted at lots of colleges.

Also, I used the Common Application. I didn't apply to schools (except for one) that didn't use the Common App as it would have been too much effort. I applied to 10 schools and that was hard enough.

It's probably harder as an international, just saying.

Also, for the best schools, try and have a "hook". Something that makes you special.

Also, use google and the internet, and books, and libraries etc for resources. So much is out there. So many hints and tips. Get a book to help with the Application Essays...just saying

And this message was from a while ago. As it turns out, I can't afford NYU so I'm going to university in Australia (scholarship) for undergraduate, and then I'll hopefully go to post-grad in America. Harvard IS STILL the dream, despite being rejected for undergraduate. In retrospect, it wouldn't have been right to go there for undergrad anyway as that would mean I would have probably majored in economics (which I don't like much) because business (my favourite) isn't offered as a major. For post grad, I can go to their business school. But I will apply to many others such as Wharton, NYU etc etc.

"I actually applied early to Yale, and was deferred, so neither accepted nor rejected, they just wanted to decide later. I think this was because they knew that I'm a southern hemisphere IB candidate, meaning they can know my EXACT IB results if they wait until January. I think that's why anyway lol. I ended up with a 43 and I got 7 awards at the school ceremony, so that should boost my app

Ohh and I just found out the other day that I got accepted into the NYU Stern School of Business!! So happy at least I have that But Harvard is the dream

You really should take the SATs ASAP!! because then you can retake them a few times if necessary (although look on the college board website to see which colleges will see ALL of your scores, or just your best). Try and get them out of the way. Make sure you study and do a couple of practice tests though. I recommend the official SAT Study Guide from the College Board and also for the subject tests, Barron's served me very well ! I used them mainly for biology and it was INCREDIBLE and I think that's the main reason I got a 770 in bio ecology. I just studied for two weeks in every spare moment lol. I also did French (easy as) and literature (really hard!! - don't recommend unless you don't have much choice or are actually good at english literature). I took 3 subject tests. You'll need to take at least 2 (dependent on college). Which subjects are you going to do? Note, for MIT you need certain tests etc. And remember SOME/most colleges ask for you to report ALL scores, so don't take something that you're gonna not do well in! (unless you can't avoid it). You really need to find/make the time to study. For the SAT Critical Reading section, I studied palm cards of vocab. On xtreme papers website theirs a thing you can download (hence FREE) with stuff for the SAT and also 1000 common vocab words and I can assure you they come up as I did the SAT 1 three times so I saw quite a lot of those words lol. Math you need to revise some pretty basic stuff that you've probs forgotten like angles and fractions...it's simple stuff that doesn't really get used in IB haha. The writing section's essay needs a bit of practice and you should try and research it to understand what to do. It's not too hard, but the best I ever got was 9/12

For the transcript etc, you have to first create an account on the Common Application website. That's where you fill in the main application details etc. You then nominate your school career counselor (or similar person) and your 2 teachers and provide their details and I think they get sent forms/accounts etc. For my transcript, I had changed schools in year 10, so it's similar to you. I gave all of my report cards since year 8 to the career/college conselor lady and she ended up reformatting them to make them more condense (not necessary). They should get told what to do, if not, ask me again with a specific question and I can ask my lady what she did.

For extracurriculars, your school should offer some things!! It's a good idea to show passion/long-term committment in a certain area and also a bit of breadth. If your school doesn't offer much, start a group/club. Or do volunteer work at a local St. Vinnies or something. Or join a sporting team at a local uni (I think you can technically do that!). Look for opportunities EVERYWHERE

Also, mocks/predicted grades are important, as they will probs initially be on your application...and then updated with the real results come January (southern hemi). Btw, you need to organise with your IB coordinator to mail/fax a sheet with a cover letter and your official scores to each college in January. Maybe you could supply the envelopes already done up to be nice

For your recommendations, choose 2 teachers that you like and that like you back!! Also ones that know you well. For my career lady and teachers, I wrote up a list of things about me with examples etc. They liked that because it saves them time and also it means that they can write a lot and use good examples/info (assuming they agree with it of course. It's they who must write it!!).

Make sure you organise/ask for an interview if it's offered. Harvard makes you contact them for it, most others will contact you. Don't refuse the interview is my suggestion. It's a great opportunity to talk more about your candidature. Also, for mine I created a CV/resume to give to the interviewer (sometimes before hand) so they already had heaps of info to talk/write about they liked that

What else....study hard and it'll be worth it! It's not much longer...so just get it over and done with

OMG how could I forget! Start writing your Personal Essay for the Common Application (see website) and also the supplementary essays for whichever college you're applying to. WRITE THEM/PLAN THEM NOW!! You REALLY REALLY REALLY need to get them checked/drafted by friends/family/teachers many times. I had so many mistakes they picked up and improvements that they suggested.

Get things done now, nice and early, so you're not rushed like I was! Well I wasn't really rushed, but I was in a way haha. I had to go on holiday the day after christmas and wouldn't return home until after the deadline....so I had to spend 10 miserable hours on christmas day finishing my applications.

Also, only apply EA/ED to a college if you genuinely believe that you are ready and it will not rush you and if you think it'll give you a better chance at admission. On the one hand it shows you're keen, on the other hand you have less time for the apps and you won't know your IB scores.

Even if you don't apply EA/ED, send in your application as soon as it's done! That therefore shows that you're keen and you have plenty of time to do other stuff. You may therefore get a "likely letter" (effectively the college is telling you they will accept you come march 31). Although don't expect one as they are rare. It's nice to dream though

GOOD LUCK! "

[Matthew Sinclair]

Sometime soon, hopefully tomorrow/when I have time, I'll organize it and make it better in regard to structure and I'll make headings and links etc

[Guest Red XII]

What else: I would categorise it like this: dream, reach, safety. I think that's pretty common. Dream = where you would LOVE to go, reach = possible/would really like, and safety = definitely accepted (well almost definite) and where you would be very happy. MAKE SURE YOU APPLY TO SOME SAFETIES!!! And don't forget the scholarships!! ! ! ! !

Between your safety schools and your reach schools you should have schools where you have a moderate chance of getting in. If you don't get into your reaches, you may still get into these middle-ish (relative to your app) schools. These are where you're likely to end up (since you're likely to get in, but not as likely as a safety, and you're probably going to be rejected from your reaches). Basically, the difference is that reaches are where you're expecting rejection (if you're thinking about it rationally), but these middle schools are where you can reasonable expect to be accepted. Your safety should be somewhere you'd be willing to go, because you may only end up admitted to your safeties. Don't add them without thinking. If they're offering you automatic money, they probably qualify as a safety.

In addition to one or more safeties, you need one or more schools that you'll be able to afford. That usually means they're giving you a lot of money and that you have enough saved (or can spare enough of your family's income, assuming it's almost certainly secure) to cover what they're not giving you.

Also, I used the Common Application. I didn't apply to schools (except for one) that didn't use the Common App as it would have been too much effort. I applied to 10 schools and that was hard enough.

If you're applying to the sorts of schools on the Common App, this is definitely the way to go. My safety (well, really it was the safety to my safety) was the only school I applied to with a separate application, but - as with most safety applications - there wasn't much to it anyway.

Also, for the best schools, try and have a "hook". Something that makes you special.

While in the traditional sense a "hook" means something that automatically increases your chances of admission significantly (recruited athlete, legacy, first-generation college student, and stuff like that), the idea of playing up a certain aspect of your application as a major selling point is definitely one I agree with if you have something strong. If you've done something significant in your extracurriculars, that's usually an excellent Common App essay topic.

[Censored Dreams]

@Matthew Sinclair, which University are you going to in the end? Did you get a scholarship? What were your SAT/IB scores?

Sorry for the questions, I'm just curious

Edited May 28, 2011 by Censored Dreams

[timtamboy63]

I believe he's going to NYU,

43 IB,

2050 SAT1,

730 SAT2

[Censored Dreams]

Ah I see it now. Haha, thanks. And congrats Matthew!

[Forester]

I believe he's going to NYU,

43 IB,

2050 SAT1,

730 SAT2

"As it turns out, I can't afford NYU so I'm going to university in Australia (scholarship) for undergraduate"

[holly]

SATs - I would say the best time to first take the SAT would be middle of 11th grade (Year 12 in the British system). That's what is usually done in America. Taking it for the first time in your last year of high school would be too late, and it is very unusual to take it before Year 12. I STRONGLY recommend NOT taking it "as much as you want" until you get a higher score. Studies have shown that usually students will do worse on their 3rd or 4th time. Plus, you look desperate to colleges/universities if you take it so many times. I would suggest taking it 3 times max. That includes ACT. Yes, DO study as much as you can for the SAT. Princeton Review, Barrons, and CollegeBoard all have study guides for the SAT. I recommend buying one because they tell you tips & tricks that are VERY helpful on the SAT. STUDY YOUR VOCAB WORDS! They are annoying as heck. It is true that some schools look at all your scores, but many schools look at your best score - whether it is your best overall SAT score, or they add up all the best scores you got for each section (math, critical reading, writing) and that counts as your SAT score. For the writing/essay section, they're all "your opinion" kind of essays. You can have 2 supporting examples for your essay and still get a 12. It's common. For this, I would suggest reviewing several books you have read in the past (the theme and a summary of the story, maybe the 'moral' of the story if there is one) - you can use these books as examples in your essay.

ACT - If the ACT is offered, this is a good option. It is somewhat similar to the SAT, except it has a science section. I haven't taken it yet, but from what I've heard, it has much more problems than the SAT in each section so it's common to not complete every problem. Some people say it's easier than the SAT, some say it's harder. It's really your choice. Some US universities accept ACT scores as a replacement of SAT II scores! The writing/essay section for the ACT is optional, but I would recommend doing it because most schools want that score as well.

Extracurriculars - Agreed. Schools LOVE it when you have lots of activities going on. They DO NOT like students who only know how to study and they look like they don't have a life. Join the debate club, participate in a sport, try learning a new instrument. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT! Grades aren't everything! IB scores aren't everything! Show that you have a passion for something other than academics and school.

Teacher Recommendations - Yes, choose a teacher that truly knows you well. You can choose a teacher from Year 12 (11th grade) or 13 (12th grade). Do not choose teachers from Year 10 (freshman year). These teachers need to write you strong letters of recommendation, so make sure they know you well enough.

Interviews - Look CONFIDENT. Try to bond with your interviewer if you can. Don't be boring. Let them know that you are an enthusiastic, passionate person who really wants to go to this school. Make sure you stand out from all the other students that are going to be interviewed.

EA/ED - I would say that if you really loved a school and you were 120% SURE that you wanted to attend a specific university, then apply ED (Early Decision). You have nothing to lose! However, you MUST be sure that you want to go to this school, because once you're accepted, you are legally bound to this school and you MUST attend. With EA (Early Action), I think that yes, you should have fairly good grades and be above average (for the school's expectations). If you EA a school where your grades would look mediocre, you're not going to stand out to the other EA applicants. Regular application would be recommended.

[Peanut Butter Jelly]

dont you need like 2300+ for these schools?

[ShootingStars]

dont you need like 2300+ for these schools?

Not really. There's never one number as a cut-off. From what I've heard 2100+ is recommended, 2200+ is seen as a safer bet. Remember there's a lot more to the application besides the SAT score.

[yellotheemcee]

dont you need like 2300+ for these schools?

like the other guy said theres no cut off... 2100+ will make you pretty solid though... i think harvards average sat is 2180ish but dont quote me on that... but i've heard of non athletic people getting in to hpys with sats as low as 1980 so dont sweat it if you're not such a gungho test taker.

dont you need like 2300+ for these schools?

like the other guy said theres no cut off... 2100+ will make you pretty solid though... i think harvards average sat is 2180ish but dont quote me on that... but i've heard of non athletic people getting in to hpys with sats as low as 1980 so dont sweat it if you're not such a gungho test taker.

[Carsellular]

SATs - I would say the best time to first take the SAT would be middle of 11th grade (Year 12 in the British system). That's what is usually done in America. Taking it for the first time in your last year of high school would be too late, and it is very unusual to take it before Year 12. I STRONGLY recommend NOT taking it "as much as you want" until you get a higher score. Studies have shown that usually students will do worse on their 3rd or 4th time. Plus, you look desperate to colleges/universities if you take it so many times. I would suggest taking it 3 times max. That includes ACT. Yes, DO study as much as you can for the SAT. Princeton Review, Barrons, and CollegeBoard all have study guides for the SAT. I recommend buying one because they tell you tips & tricks that are VERY helpful on the SAT. STUDY YOUR VOCAB WORDS! They are annoying as heck. It is true that some schools look at all your scores, but many schools look at your best score - whether it is your best overall SAT score, or they add up all the best scores you got for each section (math, critical reading, writing) and that counts as your SAT score. For the writing/essay section, they're all "your opinion" kind of essays. You can have 2 supporting examples for your essay and still get a 12. It's common. For this, I would suggest reviewing several books you have read in the past (the theme and a summary of the story, maybe the 'moral' of the story if there is one) - you can use these books as examples in your essay.

So do all the scores you get in your SATs get sent to colleges? I thought it was only the ones you chose...

[Peanut Butter Jelly]

I depends if the school uses score choice or not. But I say take it as many times as you feel you can improve.