Applying for College-Looking at ALL of the Options

You've always had your dream college picked out, right? The school with the winning football team, the school with the nicest climate, the school your favorite high school teacher graduated from...the list goes on. But what happens when that school doesn't offer your major, or financial problems arise and that school's tuition just doesn't fit the budget? Looking at all the facts and sorting them out before all the application fees and endless hours spent writing essays will help make the process so much smoother. The most useful tool I found when starting my college search was a book my aunt lent me, the 2009 Barron's Profiles of American Colleges, 28th Edition. This book really was my saving grace. It answered most of the questions I had, from tuition prices to services the university had to offer, what kind of area the campus was located in to any religious affiliations. Once you get ALL the information possible about the colleges you intend to apply to, organize it. Make a chart so you can compare all the factors. Then, find common links between the schools. Do you have nine schools on your list that are public universities and only one that is private? That probably shows you that you will end up happier at a public university, so eliminate that one from the list. Do this with all the factors that are in your chart. How many schools do you have left now? It isn't a bad thing to apply to multiple colleges. Finding a college is like finding a job- the more applications you fill out; the more likely you are to get accepted to a college where someone really sees your potential. As long as application fees aren't a problem, why not apply to every school in the country with your major? If application fees are a problem, talk to your high school counselor, but get it done early. You don't want to wait until the day before your application is due to find out if you can get a fee waiver. Make a calendar with your due dates on it, and remember that you aren't the only student applying. When relying on other people for situations like this, you need to leave them time so your deadlines aren't missed. Your application doesn't need to be done at this point, either. Spend the summer before your senior year deciding which colleges you will apply to. It will take a tremendous amount of stress out of your senior year. When school resumes in the fall, talk to your counselor then- don't hesitate. Sign up for a meeting and show them you really are concerned about your college decision and you are taking it into your own hands- you are more likely to get help that way. The next step is to fit applications and essays into your workload. Give a day for each application you need to fill out so you don't drive yourself crazy re-writing the same information more than once a day. When it comes to essays, leave three days, and use the buddy system. Find a friend that is in the same boat you are. Give yourselves one day to initially write the essay, and make sure you don't plan that to be the night before your big math exam. The next day, trade. Proofread each other’s essays; there are mistakes you could never catch reading your own essay, and maybe your peer has a suggestion or two about the way you put your thoughts together. Leave the third day for proofreading yourself, and fixing anything your friend pointed out. After a day off from reading it, you might realize you could expand on a thought, or eliminate a part that isn't really helping your case. Don’t stress too much over essays- every kid has to write them, and every kid is in the same situation you are. The most important part about getting accepted to your top choice college is effort. You are only going to get out what you put in, and you can only rely on yourself to get the job done right.