May 1st 2021 marked the end of an unimaginably difficult college application season for the millions of individuals applying to U.S colleges. As a high schooler who hopes to apply to college next year, I, like my peers, have been taking notes and trying to decipher the pattern among students who beat the soul-crushing odds and made it to their dream schools. However, put quite blatantly: there is no pattern. Everyone who gets admitted to college, weather it be an Ivy League school or a community college, is successful in their own unique and unmatched way. So, here are five ways to capitalize on your own uniqueness to build your own success story to present on future college applications.
1. An untraditional journey is NOT a rejection sentence
Contrary to popular belief, you do not need a 4.0 unweighted GPA and a 1600 SAT to get into a top college. You do not even need a GPA or an SAT at all. And shockingly, you do not need to graduate high school in four years. This fact is quite comforting to me, as my high school transcript consists of five years across three high schools, multiple hospitalizations, and even a B. (Side note: I DO NOT recommend taking your English final while you are suffering an episode of severe liver and kidney failure. Ever.) My point is, everybody’s high school journey looks radically different, and that is perfectly okay. In fact, it is more than okay. If you are able to write about how your untraditional high school experience shaped you into the wonderful person you are on your college applications, you are telling a much more compelling story than someone who has perfect grades and a picture-perfect high school experience. I also want to make the point that your story does not have to look like mine in order to be considered untraditional. Everyone’s high school journey has untraditional aspects, and if you can write about yours in a positive light, you demonstrate perseverance and confidence, and most importantly, you stand out.
2. Network, network, network
And network and network and network some more. This is a useful skill not only for college applications, but for life in general. The more people you know, the more you are learning by example. For colleges in particular, it can be extremely helpful to have contacts at the schools you are interested in. This enables you to learn more about the college itself, but also about the types of people who attend the college, which makes it easier to ascertain weather you can see yourself at a school or not, and if it is worth adding to your college list. Additionally, the more specifics you know about a college, the stronger your applications will be. Talk to people who are studying the field that interests you at a college you like, and learn about the programs that the college provides for this field. You can then utilize this knowledge to write a really strong “why our college?” essay, an essay question that is very commonplace on college applications for all kinds of colleges. The more specific this essay is to the college, the better. In terms of how to meet these college students, here is what helped me:
-It is never too early to start a LinkdIn!
-Attend virtual panels with students that colleges provide. These are usually free.
-Your high school’s college counselor may be able to connect you with alumi that attend the college you are interested in. It never hurts to ask if they can do this.
-Cold emailing works more often than you would expect if it is done professionally, respectfully, and non-invasively. You can often find the contact information for college professors or students online.
3. Use your summers wisely
Summer is your time to gain experience. There are many ways to do this that can be useful for college applications, but it is extremely important that you have summer activities to talk about, so make sure you do not spend your entire summer scrolling through tiktok or on Netflix. (Even though it is also important to take some time to rest, especially during the summer.) Here are some options for how you can spend your summer:
-Do a Pre-college program at a college that you are interested in. Here are some examples: https://gradlime.com/pre-college-summer-programs/
-Conduct research
-Get a summer internship. Here are some examples! https://cty.jhu.edu/resources/academic-opportunities/internships/
-Get a summer job (as a camp counselor, babysitter, waiting tables, retail, etc.)
-Work on a passion project (this can be the website you’ve always wanted to build, the organization you always wanted to start, etc.)
-Volunteer at a local organization
4. Apply to as many scholarships as you can
Literally, as many as you can. I applied to over 40 in the past three days, and did not spend over an hour doing so. Many scholarships do not require essays, and if they do, it is easy to re-use or modify essays you have already written. Scholarships not only help pay for college, but they also help significantly on college apps, especially if they are connected to your passions and intended fields of study. You can find scholarships on sites like bold.org, cappex.com, niche.com, collegevine.com, and many more. Here is an extensive list of scholarships: https://www.discover.com/student-loans/college-planning/scholarships/directory/general
5. There are resources out there for you, and they’re free!
Here are some of my favorites:
Collegepoint: this is an organization that offers free college counseling for low and moderate-income students. https://www.collegepoint.info/sign-up/
Cappex: Cappex is a site that enables you to research college statistics (average scores, acceptance rates, etc.) and also discover scholarships.
Bold: This site has lots of no-essay scholarships as well as some pretty cool essay scholarships. (There’s a chance some of your favorite celebrities are scholarship donors on this site.) https://bold.org
College Board: I’m writing this one knowing some of the people reading this will roll their eyes, but the College Board is a pretty fundamental site for future college students. This site is bursting with free resources that can be used not only for AP exams and SAT tests, but it is also a great way to discover colleges that might be a good fit using the “Bright Future College Search” feature. https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-search
(Pro tip: the college board DOES have a social media presence, and their Instagram page does contain some useful information. Plus, if you would like your daily dose of serotonin, look at the comments section.)
CTY: Center for Talented Youth has one of the most extensive resource pages available for students looking for academic opportunities to put on college applications. https://cty.jhu.edu/resources/
Social media: This one is quite controversial, however, if used correctly, social media like Facebook, Tiktok, or Instagram can be a great way to learn about additional organizations that offer resources, receive free advice from students at colleges that interest you, and learn more about colleges themselves.
