Some practical advice for this spring.
I’m not rushing you, Juniors, but I am inviting you to the college conversation. It’s time.
College campuses go quiet mid-May. That means you have about eight weeks to visit a school while it’s in full gear. Schedule your tours now. Go to the school’s admissions page and look for “Visit” or “Schedule a tour.” Book your spot and voila! And if you have time for more than one visit, toggle among webpages and line up appointments that match your travel plans.
Think you have plenty of time to book tours? You don’t. Most juniors have vacation the same week in April. Think it’s fine to drive around a campus without a tour? It’s not the same. Walking through buildings with a guide is much more informative. Think the summer is a better time? Nope. You’ll get a more accurate impression when classes are in session and foot traffic abounds. Want to wait till fall? Don’t, if you can help it. Fall of senior year is always busy, and you’ll find it difficult to take off days from school. Plus, if you wait till fall, you’ll feel a bit behind. You won’t be, but you’ll feel that way, and I’m all about the feels.
What else should you be doing?
Follow schools on social media.
Bookmark school webpages to poke around when you have downtime.
Read about majors, minors, special programs, and professors doing cool things.
Keep a spreadsheet with details. (You won’t remember them.)
Talk to your counselors, teachers, coaches, and other trusted adults about schools and their college experiences.
Talk to current college students who can give you the real deal.
Enjoy March Madness but don’t be seduced by the ESPN Guide to Colleges. (No, that’s not a real thing, but I think you know what I mean.)
Consider your summer plans — work, volunteering, special training, a passion project?
Check out this College Admissions Timeline.
And finish your junior year strong. That’s paramount.
Accepting college application help
Students turn to their teachers, athletes count on their coaches, musicians look to their maestros. Obviously writers rely on their editors. Why shouldn’t you ask for college application help? I’ve heard reasons, believe me. “If I can’t get in on my own, then I shouldn’t be accepted.” “My teacher looked at my essay.” “Isn’t it cheating?”
Uh, no, accepting college application help is not cheating, and it’s great that your English teacher looked at your essay. (Ask them if they have time to look at the next draft too.) And please don’t think that you shouldn’t be accepted to a school if you wanted help on the application. Yikes. You’re allowed to ask for help. In fact, you’re allowed to ask for help on every application you write for the rest of your life. Every writer needs a proofreader.
If you had already completed college applications over and over again, year in and year out, you could expect to be a pro, but this coming fall you’ll most likely be writing college essays for the first (and last) time. If you’ve mastered the college application process without ever having done it, well, that’s really saying something. Heck, I’ve never mastered anything the first time through.
Join the college conversation
So join the college conversation, Juniors. It’s time to start talking. I swear, you don’t need to have answers. Questions are fine. Actually, they’re more than fine: they’re great.
I’ll get you started.
Do I want to be able to get home within 6 hours? 4 hours? 2 hours? 20 minutes?
If I’m looking far, where’s the nearest airport and flight route home?
What size and layout of a campus suit me? Would I like the campus to be contained or integrated into its city or town?
Am I up for taking a bus across campus, or would I like a smaller, more intimate design?
What do I want its surrounding city or town to look like? Does it even matter to me?
Can I imagine myself in a big lecture hall, or do I picture myself in a seminar?
Am I interested in research opportunities with chances to publish or present findings?
Am I excited to see a school’s labs, art studios, amphitheaters, classrooms, weight rooms, dorms, cafeterias, etc.? What parts of a campus do I think will be important to me?
…the list goes on and on.
On my College Admissions Timeline, I tell applicants to “Enjoy the Ride,” and I really mean it. The college search should be exciting. Writing college applications should help you learn about yourself. If you start now, you’ll turn the unknown into usable information, and that move will turn the stress dial way down. There is no good reason that the college application process should be frantic or stress-inducing. Even honest conversations about financing an education should reduce worry. Start talking now, Juniors, and you’ll be in excellent shape by summer.
Maureen C. Scudder is an independent college counselor specializing in essay advising. From strategy to submission, she guides clients through the college application process. Visit maureencscudder.com to learn more.
Click HERE to read my article "Taking the worry out of college admissions " published in CT's Life Publications.
Click HERE to learn more about my college counseling services.
Click HERE for more college essay tips.
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