How to Write College Application

My aunt has requested that I offer my amass of wisdom to my cousin, who will be applying for college in the fall.  So, i thought, instead of writing my notes in a word document or on paper, why not make it a tumblr post?  Alright, so a little disclaimer before I start: this is just my personal experience with the whole college system, and everyone’s experience and thus approach should be different.  I hope I can help, and maybe clarify a few things, and I will be focusing on mainly on the application portion. It goes without saying that having the right SAT/ACT/AP scores and the appropriate class selection/GPA is very important.  

Also, if you don’t know anything about me, a little info.  I graduated this past May from a ~600 person senior class at a public school, and I will be entering Columbia University this fall, studying Operations Research/Industrial Engineering. Also, I may come across a little high-strung and preachy, but I (hope) it’s mainly provoked by the thought of having to associate with this (grueling) process again.  If you would like to read my essay/ask further questions, message me on here. Let’s begin.

Firstly, I’m going to highlight each portion of the Common App.

• The main essay.  ”Personal Essay.”  A chance to “help us become acquainted with you as a person and student, apart from courses, grades, test scores, and other objective data” and also “demonstrate your ability to organize your thoughts and express yourself.”  You have 6 choices:

1. Experience, Acheivement, Risk, Ethical Dilemma
2. Issue
3. Person
4. Character
5. Diversity
6. Topic of your choice

When approaching this essay, you should make a list of the things in your life that you think are worth noting and have changed you.  It is particularly good if they show good qualities (perseverance, integrity, creativity, etc) that reinforce your appeal to the school or fill in holes in your application.  Each essay should make you a more complete individual.  They should make the Admissions officer say, WHOA, I want to meet this person and talk to them about their life.  The essay should be upbeat, humorous and witty if that is your strong point, and (if you are applying to a upper level, highly academic school or if you have shown that you are an academic, serious student) light-hearted and conversational. Especially if you believe you may be stereotyped as the “typical nerd or the average asian”, or whatever stereotype you may have, use this essay to prove that you are different.  Show them voice, of course, but originality.  If you don’t think you are original, go to your local bookstore and find “Essays that worked: 50 essays from successful applications to the nation’s top colleges” and similar books of that type.  Read the entire book, and realize what is good about each essay that in the book.  (Try not to bow your head in despair, as some of the essays are really that good.)  Now after you have figured out what you need to do in your essay, write a few sentences for each topic that you think you might want to use.  Don’t go through the prompt choices and try to think of what they college may want to hear.  I wrote a “topic of your choice essay” because I felt that I could highlight my creativity and multiple aspects of myself better.  Start writing the essay that feels good to you, and doing topic of your choice is not a death sentence. 

Things that are good:

• Carrying a metaphor throughout your paper and relating it to your life.
• Varying sentence structure.
• Corny-ness (to an extent)
• Making it around 600 words (long enough to cover your topic, short enough to be memorable)
• References (if you can use them well and you know your stuff)
• Humor (of course)

MOST importantly, make your essay have a purpose, do not just write a beautiful essay for the sake of impressing them.  They will not be impressed. 

• Extracurricular Activity/Work Experience

This is hard, as it is only a few (150) words long.  Write about something that will complete your application.  I wrote this essay last.  If you wrote your personal essay or your college supplement essay about a science/math activity, write about volunteering, or maybe your job as a waitress in a nursing home.  Diversify your application.  ”Round” it.  Also, if you are applying to a more straightforward “sciences/engineering” program, and your personal essay/other essays were more creative, make this essay more focused so that they can see that you are serious. Add detail maybe to something that you listed before in your application.  

• Supplement Essays

More likely than not, the college will ask you one or more of these essays:

• Why are you applying to this college
• What do you see yourself doing at this college
• Why are you interested in your major of choice
• What can you bring to this college.

When you are writing a college-centered essay, focus on the school.  Do your research, at least, that is how I approached it.  I read all the brochures, probed the Wikipedia pages, chatted with student from the school, if given the opportunity.  Try to put in your essay unique things that other applicants may not know about.  Research is sooooooooo important in this.  Relate yourself to the school to prove that you are the right candidate. 

For major-related prompts, don’t worry about being cliche’d.  If that is the answer that they are looking for, give it.  Try to relate it to your life to make it more original, and also with every generalized thesis (“it is not about the how, but the why”), give detailed support.  For example, “I like to figure out the way things work, hence look at my science fair work.”

• “Fun Facts”

These are the quirky questions like “list all the movies you saw in the past year; in 50 words, describe your favorite piece of artwork, what is your favorite word.” Be creative, but don;t be outrageous.  Also, be truthful, to a point.  That is, if it will be embarrassing, don’t say it.  College put these in their application to test how you will react, and also to show how cool their school is.  Try to make yourself seem as unique as possible, and as “you” as possible.

Side-note:

• Go to all the college visits at your school or in the area where you live.  Try to visit the school, but if costs prevent you from doing so, don’t worry about it too much.  
• Email the school, with good questions. Trust me, it (most of the time) helps. 
• Don’t be afraid to sound unlike your typical academic self, you are not “faking” it, just putting your best self out there.
• Get friends, teachers, etc to read your essays AGAIN and AGAIN.  They are your best critics, and you yourself are getting more and more desperate and biased (no offense) during the process.
• Tailor your essay to the school. There are ways to submit different personal essays to different school.  
• START early. like now.

The Unspoken Rules of College

After 18 years of living in your parents’ house, moving into your college dorm room can be a terrifying transition. Suddenly your room isn’t just yours anymore and you no longer know who used the shower before you (or what they did in there). And sometimes you don’t even have to be in college to live in a dorm. When I went to OLAB and YWI we stayed in dorms, (OLAB being the worst since it is an all boys dorm; gross) and it’s important to get adjusted quickly.

By adhering to these, you can hopefully avoid unnecessary arguments, hold onto your belongings and skip over some of the uglier moments of freshman year.

Rule #1: Don’t keep your door shut all the time. You shouldn’t be in your dorm room all that much, we only went there to sleep and change, but when you are up there, no one will want to introduce him or herself to the person who’s always locked in her room, and sooner or later you could find the building to be pretty lonely, no matter how many neighbors you have. Leave the door propped open so that people passing by can say hello and you can actually meet who you’re living with. 

Rule #2: Don’t be the roommate who barges into the room without knocking. I’ve been known to not follow this rule a couple times, but you don’t know what you could be walking in on! Regardless, your roommate deserves a courtesy knock (and so do you), and she won’t take kindly to you constantly bursting in on her privacy.

Rule #3: If the shampoo isn’t in yourshower caddy, do nottouch it. The same rule applies to conditioner, body wash, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, and especiallyrazors and loofahs. Go to the local CVS or even the campus store, and buy your own toiletries. And if you’re really in a bind, just ask—there’s sure to be some girl with a heart of gold who will let you borrow her conditioner—but nicely, and don’t make a habit of it.

Words for the Weekend-- College Application Timeline

eptember (or before)

____ Create a timeline of personal deadlines

____ Finalize College List

____ Registration for October SAT, ACT, and/or SAT IIs

____ Write 1^st draft of personal statement

____ Outline each school’s college application requirements

____ Confirm recommenders

____ Finalize Resume

October

____ Final draft of personal statement

____ 1^st draft of supplemental essays and short answer questions

____ Registration for November SAT, ACT, and/or SAT IIs

November

____ Mail test scores if not already done

____ Confirm letters of recommendations are complete

____ Finalize edits of all statements, supplements, and short-answer responses

____ Confirm that transcripts have been mailed

December

____ Submit applications for ALL schools (you want to submit your applications well before their respective deadlines just to have plenty of time to resolve issues that may come up)

____ Gather all financial information necessary for completing the FAFSA and CSS Profile (i.e. tax returns, school codes, etc.) 

January

____Submit FAFSA and CSS Profile before Feb 1^st

March – April

____  Attend any Accepted Students’ Weekends. They’re helpful in making a final decision!

April

____ Celebrate college acceptances

____ Thoroughly review financial aid packages

May

___ College decision and deposit must be postmarked by May 1st

Summer

___ Review all college paperwork and keep track of documents that need to be submitted

Enjoy your long weekend! But also, try to check an item or two off this list ;)

TEN COLLEGE TIPS

1. DO NOT LOSE YOUR SYLLABI. Those packets your profs give you on the first day of class are now the most valuable things you own. I’m not kidding. They have every reading, every assignment, and every class requirement, and in most cases they’re the only place those things are listed. Keep them very safe.
2. DO NOT TRUST THE ADMINISTRATION. It is entirely likely that your financial aid, AP credits, scholarship, or other records will be lost or misfiled. Keep close track of what you have - credits, major requirements, GenEd classes, money - and make sure your records match your school’s. Maintain good records of things like this and be prepared to go down to various offices with dumb acronyms to sort out problems. Do not just assume that everything is fine, or you’ll get a nasty surprise the semester you expect to graduate.
3. FIND OUT HOW TO GET AROUND. Get to know your campus and the area around it. Learn the public transit system, make a friend with a car, etc. Find cafes, bookstores, head shops, whatever fits your interests. Explore the library. Claim the space you’ll be living in. This will help you make friends because many people won’t know that there’s a diner down the way that serves amazing pancakes and you can lead a party there and everyone will love you. Seriously.
4. PACK LIGHT. You don’t need all your shit. Seriously. Don’t bring anybooks. They are a bitch to transport and you won’t read them. Bring less clothing than you think you need. Unless you’re a major fashionista, youwill get lazy about your appearance because your campus will feel like an extension of your bedroom. You will prefer 30 extra minutes of sleep over the time it takes to accessorize. EXCEPTION: bring some quirky/cool/weird stuff for theme/costume parties.
5. MAKE YOUR DORM ROOM A HEALTHY PLACE. Invest in a good mattress pad, soft sheets, etc. and make your bed a comfy cozy nest. Do not treat your bed like a a sofa, a table, or a dresser. Space is at a premium in dorms but you will be glad to have a bed that functions well as a bed. Keep your desk neat and use it for homework (not your bed.) Getting sick will suck balls. Buy some microwaveable soups and a spoon asap and whatever medicines you use and hoard them until you get the flu the day you have a night class and everything is terrible.
6. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HELP OFFERED. You can probably get by on your own, but why try? You have tons of resources at college but they will not seek you out. You likely have a writing center or a tutoring center. Go there. Even if you are a great student or an amazing writer, go there. Go to club rush, job fairs, etc. I can’t tell you how many college kids I know (myself included) totally missed out on things that would have greatly improved their life because they didn’t pay enough attention to know those things existed.
7. PROFESSORS ARE YOUR FRIENDS. Get close to your professors. They are not scary. Email them and be polite but friendly. When you get an assignment, read it over right then, so if you have questions you can email your prof early (they love this.) Participate in class discussions. I’m serious - no matter how shy or nervous you are, not speaking up in class will hurt you so badly that it’s never worth it. If this is really hard for you, go to their office hours and talk about the readings with your profs beforehand. If you need to miss class, get an extension, etc. professors are generally happy to accommodate you if you email them ahead of time and they already know you.
8. DO NOT GET A PET YOUR FIRST YEAR. In general, dorm pets aren’t worth it. It’s hard to care for small exotic animals anyway, and in a dorm setting it’s extra hard. Don’t even consider something larger like a cat or a dog. It’s not fair to the animal and it’s a huge headache for you. Your roommates will think it will be a great bonding experience to get a rabbit or parakeet together. They will be wrong. If you have a car, an apartment, and lots of free time, it might work to get a pet, but do your research ahead of time, know what you’re getting into, and be prepared to deal with a lot of mess and responsibility. I know lots of people with dorm pets who love them, but I’ve seen it go wrong too many times to think it’s a good idea in general. There are exceptions, but think very hard about it before getting a pet in college.
9. RELATIONSHIPS ARE COMPLICATED. Keep in touch with friends from high school but let yourself let go when you need to. There will be epic levels of drama your freshman year. That’s basically a law of the universe. Embrace it. You’ll have late night talks under the stars with love interests who take themselves really seriously. You’ll take yourself really seriously. You’ll deal with sobbing drunks (or be one.) You will have lots of intense but short-lived friendships. Just go with the flow. Let relationships develop organically, but put effort into things that are important to you. Make dumb decisions in the name of fun and try not to regret them.
10. IF YOUR SCHOOL HAS HUMANS VS ZOMBIES, PLAY IT AT LEAST ONCE YOUR FRESHMAN YEAR. Seriously.

First Week of College

Many of you will begin or had began your college journey and experience. I have some tips for college freshmen on how to survive the first week of college. 

1) Don't Over Pack for the First Day of Class

Most college professors will give lots of handouts on the first day of class. So don't over pack for the first day of class. Bring a light bag with few folders and pencils and that will do it. You should introduce yourself to others around you. I met one of my best friends like that. It will take some courage for some people though. 

2) Buy Optional Textbooks After the First Week

Most professors like a list of required and optional textbooks for you. What I recommend is that you buy the required textbooks before and optional textbooks after the first week of school. You don't want to waste another few hundred dollars on textbooks/materials you don't need. If you think the optional materials will enhance your studies, then go buy them.

3) Familiarize Yourself With the Campus

I had to struggle to find my classes during my first week of school. It was definitely no fun. You definitely don't want to be the last guy that walk in the class while every students and professors is starring at you. You don't want to give your professor or your classmates a bad first impression. Try to download a college map from your school's website and circle any important buildings (where your classes are located). 

4) Get Involved in Campus Events

There will be tons of campus events on the first few weeks of school so join these events. I guarantee you that you will meet more friends this way than anything. It is always great to meet new people because you never know who will help you in the future. Join a few clubs here and there.

Get Involved In College

GET INVOLVED!

There are so many opportunities in college to join a group, try something new, and push yourself out of your comfort zone. Take Advantage of This!

Get Involved by:

• Joining a sports team
• Joining a club sport
• Joining an academic club
• Joining a service group
• Joining a choir or band
• Participating in Intramural sports

The benefits of getting involved are endless. Here are just a few:

• Meeting new people
• Meeting people with similar interests
• Finding study buddies
• Finding workout buddies
• Preventing boredom
• Making closer friendships than just those in class time
• Boosting the resume
• Keeping in shape
• Learning something new
• FUN!

My College Advice

Dear Class of 2015, 

As you begin your college experiences, I thought I'd leave you with the things that I think will enhance your "best four years" of your life. 

1. Take nap in the middle of the day or during your free time. This is particularly important when you need to finish your homework or paper that night. I know most of you will not value this right now, but, trust me, I have been through the pain of not sleeping enough (we all have, haven't we?)

2. Adjust your schedule to your greatest benefits and advantage. If you are a party person, try to find the earlier classes so that you have time to finish some homework before you go to the parties. 

3. During your four years or five years of college, do something irresponsible and out of your mind. I guarantee you that this will be one of times of your life to do so. 

4. Don't date someone your roommate(s) had relationships with. It is going to be extremely awkward as that is what I had experienced. 

5. Work out every issues or complaints with your friends face-to-face, not over the phone or email as it is going to lead to even more serious arguments or no where. 

6. Do something of great value to you in college. Whether it be expanding your horizon of knowledge, expand your experience and passion for a certain hobby, or start a business (like what I did)