Senior year is full of making the most out of everything that happens. From the last homecoming dance to senior night sporting events, it’s all fun and games, as long as you have already applied to college. If you haven’t, and are still stressing about where to apply or even how to do it, then no worries, you’re not alone.
“I literally have no idea what to do when it comes to applying to colleges. Where to apply to, how to do it, what kinds of things the colleges look for,” Danielle Moon said, a Senior here at Dublin High.
Applying for college is as easy as you make it. A great place to start is Collegeboard.org.
This website helps you get a jump start into the applying process. You first need to make an account, unless you’ve already done so when applying for the SAT. From then on, it’s a step by step process.
All you need are your transcripts, SAT/ACT scores, recommendations (if needed), and a personal essay that the specific college you’re applying to requires. After that, all you do is fill in the blanks on the application.
In order to make your application stand out, make sure to include all of the accomplishments that you’ve achieved so far in your personal statement. It may not be the most modest thing to do, but brag about who you are why you are unique. Include all the great qualities that you possess.
If the problem you have is not knowing where to apply, then just make a list of schools you want to go to. Get ten of the top schools that you have an idea about and put the most desired school at the top of the list and work your way down. Or you can pick the school that best fits your major if you already know what field of studies you’re aiming towards.Then narrow it down and apply to those schools.
All of this takes time and research. Look up the schools and see whether or not they’re the best fit for you. The best way to know which college you’re going to succeed in is to go visit the campus. Get a feel of what the next four years of your life could be. Find a school, fall in love with it, then apply.
“San Diego State is my dream school; it’s where I can see myself happy for the next four years,” Moon said.
Even though you may have a dream school, that doesn’t mean you should only apply for the one school and no others. Always have multiple options when it comes to applying in case something happens and you aren’t able to go to your first choice, then you have a back-up plan. There’s nothing wrong with over applying; the worse that can happen is having to decide between two schools that have accepted you.
At the end of the day, it’s your decision on where you choose to go, whether it’s out of state or close to home. Be confident with the places you apply to and never doubt yourself when applying.
