Most students have tons of questions when preparing for college admissions, the most common one being – when should I start preparing for college admissions, and what all should I know? The zeal to excel in every little thing comes with a lot of pressure. This peer pressure leads to much stress and may make you start early or sometimes mismanage the whole process. Consequently, you may end up feeling frustrated and thereby loose out on the more important things involved.
While it is okay to be anxious about the admission process, you should understand that following incorrect steps can lead to a complete failure. Thus, it's always recommended to keep your cool and follow the necessary steps to the best of your abilities.
Following these pointers carefully will remove all the uncertainty from the admission process and help you create a proper schedule for your college admission.
Let’s get started.
The real admission process begins in junior year (11th grade). Here you might have a few questions and confusion over specific topics. But by following the below-mentioned steps, you can clear your checklist of all required documents and processes.
If you are entering into Junior Year, you should take it as a stepping stone for your future as a Rising Junior. Get ready for all the work and tasks to do, as indicated below.
If you're planning to engage in a summer job in the field of your choice – it's great. A summer job could involve working in an ice-cream parlour or a café or an industry delivering some items. It should not matter what it is as it will bring you out of your comfort zone, help you develop leadership qualities, and learn a new skill. Check our post on summery planning here.
Now that you're well-versed in your junior year, the following steps will help you smoothly move into the senior year:
You should ask the teachers who taught you in core academic subjects for recommendation letters. It is always advisable to ask teachers from different streams for a letter of recommendation. You should also check your future college website about their requirements.Different colleges have different needs when it comes to recommendation letters.
You should now plan for your college on the following things:
There are a lot of things for this to be considered. Few questions are:
After getting these answers, you can further revise your college list.
You can consider not moving south or north, depending on your preferences. You may want to move near the sea or mountains or maybe some place warm or cold. You may have a choice for certain urban or rural places.
While considering such factors is right, you shouldn't focus too much on them if you have medical issues that could affect your stay at such places. If not, you should open your mind and be ready to break out of your comfort zone by moving to a place where you can learn and get excellent financial aid. You could lose on good education and sometimes a good scholarship if you keep yourself locked in the shackles of location and weather.
Similar to weather and location, you may have preferences about a particular school's culture and size. But again, focusing too much on such things will only make the selection process harder for you. Instead, try concentrating on the real deciding parameters like the subjects which are being taught at a college and the teachers there. You should get in touch with the college teachers if you have a specific query about a particular course or subject.
Among every college's essential admission criterion is to pick students above a minimum score range. Does your current score qualify for your prospective college's standards? This will further refine your college search.
This is about you, what you want from your future, and, more importantly, who you are and what you want to be. Don't always focus on college admissions and process; give yourself a break every once a while. Don't discuss these topics over family dinners or during weekends. This will help you keep a fresh mind and at peace with all things.
You should create a separate email address for all your communication with the college if you get a lot of emails in your current email account. The last thing you'd want would be missed communication from your college in between in your emails. Always check your junk, trash, and spam folders for relevant emails that may have been sent there by error. Also, check on social and promotions headings in your mailbox.
Remember that school counselors are there to help you. Each year they see students going through the same admission process, and hence, they are your best-experienced source to answer all queries about various colleges and admission processes.
By this stage, you would have moved a step up from junior year to senior year. All the things which you have done in your junior year (summer) will still apply. Additionally, you will need to keep the following things in mind:
You should now update your resume and finalize your college list. Also, for the backup plan – you should have a college which you should be sure to get admission into. It may or may not be your dream college, but this college will be your safety net – where you will surely get admission, get financial aid, and see yourself as a successful person.
If you haven't got in touch with a few colleges yet, you should get started by doing the following:
If you have closely followed the things mentioned above, then most of your work is done. But to be sure, here is a checklist:
Narrow down on your college list further and have a safety net college as a backup.Apart from this, mention the deadline dates for application submission. You shouldn't wait for the last minute to apply to colleges. In case you have any last-minute queries or doubts, they can be answered if you are applying well in time.
You should have all your recommendation letters completed. Do send a reminder mail and meet personally with your teacher/recommender. Give them a copy of your resume for reference. Always send them a "Thank you note."
Check regularly with your high school or college counselors. There may be some information with them which you can benefit from.
You should complete all your tests – SAT, ACT, and Subject Tests well within time.
Every college has a different process of signing up. Go through the college website carefully and check the method of signing up. Some colleges complete signup automatically, while some require you to sign up manually. Check your email – all folders including Social, Promotions, Junk, Trash, and Spam – for interview date and time.
For the interview, keep yourself fresh and be presentable. Believe in yourself, and you will get through it.
A letter of continued interest (LOCI) needs to be written, in case you have deferredEarly Decision (ED).
By this stage, almost everything should have been completed. Now, you'd only need to keep track of the following things:
All applications would be filled by now. Some colleges may have extended their application submission dates, so make sure you're aware of them. But don't delay an application just because its deadline has been extended. Also, don't forget to fill the forms for your backup colleges.
It is essential to keep your grades up as some colleges have a strict grade criterion.
Take care of your mental and physical health by doing meditation, yoga, walking, running, or other sports. Keep yourself fit, healthy, and optimistic about the future. Waiting for results is a hard time. There may be a couple of rejections; also, a few colleges have quite a different criterion for selecting students. Be grateful to all the people who helped you in the admission process, be it family, friends, teachers, or any online information provider. Do not get attached to any specific college. Be sure of yourself, and you will get selected in a good one
Enjoy your last days in school with your friends. Keep connected with your family and friends.
We hope this list has helped you understand the steps and processes to be followed for the college admission process, which you should follow in your junior and senior years. Now, take a deep breath, and think about all that you've done for your studies and what else you still need to do. Making a list of to-do tasks will help you achieve your target of admission in your desired college. Wishing you luck for your future!!
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