Written by Sofia Bohorquez
The college application is believed to be complicated and tedious; however, it is possible to succeed in your goal of admittance. We have many examples of this in our own class of 2021! In an attempt to help ease underclassmen through the process, some of these seniors have volunteers to provide insight and advice about the admissions process
1. Get it done early! -Ari Barbella
This advice is very common; the instruction not to procrastinate is continuously constant. According to Ari, “it is especially important to begin your essays early.” He explains that getting all of your parts in early is very important because so many people and steps are involved in the process. He shares, “Getting quality essay edits is easier when you have them done early, getting administration’s help is easier when it’s early.”
2. Financial aid applications, do them! -Ari Barbella
He begins, “The two main profiles each applicant needs to file if they’re applying for need-based financial aid are FAFSA and the CSS profile.” The FAFSA is the “Free Application for Federal Student Aid,” and is free to fill out and send to ten schools and is a way to gain federal grants. The CSS profile is the “College Scholarship Service” profile. This is shared through the College Board with schools so that they may determine your financial need. Ari said, “These are tedious and not fun to do, but they are necessary to save money. Sit down with a parent/guardian and fill them out early!”
3. Peer-edits, advisor-edits, just edits! -Maya Baker
Most applications require some sort of personal statement and supplement. When you’re applying to a bunch of schools, these tend to pile up. Aside from trying to get them all done early, Maya Baker says “Getting help and edits is super important!” She continues, “When you’re writing so much, all about yourself and your experiences, everything starts to blend, it becomes incredibly difficult to see anything to make your essay better.” She claims this is why getting help from another set of eyes is so important. Maya mentions friends, who you can trust to be honest and kind, as well as any “mentors, and this included teachers or advisors from any college prep program.”
4. Holistic means Holistic -Maya Baker
Most application offices describe their admissions process as holistic. This means they review your application in its entirety and value every part of your application. Maya says, “Every admissions officer, at every open-house, stress their honesty when they say holistic.” She explains that this means that standardized tests, grades, essays, and everything else are all considered equally. Finally, she says, “It is a complete myth that you need a 1600 on the SAT or a 36 on the ACT to get into a great school – whatever that means.”
Good luck everyone, I hope this will help you navigate the admissions process! There is also a flyer below sharing some programs that may provide even more guidance than we can!
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