ZOMG…College!

By Yijing Xin

I'm writing on the eve of April 1, the nerve-wracking date on which Ivy League decisions are released, and it finally hit me that the end of the long, winding, and drama-filled road of high school is almost here. While high school is a worthy experience in and of itself, for much of The Hawkeye's readership, it also represents a stepping stone to college, the mythical place where your parents can't tell you what to do. However, once a student becomes a senior, the pie-in-the-sky dream of college becomes a very stressful reality. Suddenly, you start reading college confidential forums and hyperventilate because a bunch of insecure, but overachieving Ivy-hopefuls are jumping up and down typing, "Chance me! Chance me!" A mountain of application paperwork piles up, you develop a permanent headache due to your inability to come up with a good college essay, and adults won't stop asking you about college. It's stressful, it's difficult, but it can also be very rewarding (warning: when you start to think it is fun, you need to go outside and get some sunlight). Nothing I can write here will make the stress disappear, but from the class of 2010, here are some helpful college application tips. Feel free to leave questions in the comments as well.

• It's not the end of the world. Whether you get in or you don't, the college you go to is important, but it doesn't determine your identity.
  
• Don't be afraid to apply to your reach schools; in the words of Nikhil Sethi, "Never underestimate yourself." Even if you don't think you're qualified, there's always a chance!
  
• When it comes to average GPA's and median test scores, remember that 50% of the class is above it and 50% is below it. It's okay if you don't have a 4.0.
  
• Write your college essays early. I had 5 good essays rejected by the powers that be (i.e. Mr. Powell and Mrs. McDonough). You do not want to be facing an impending deadline of doom if that happens to you.
  
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  Do extracurricular activities that you enjoy.
  There are so many opportunities at Prairie for you to get involved with the school community, but it's especially important to find extracurricular activites to which you are really willing to dedicate your time and effort. A box on a resume means little compared to a great short answer detailing one of your experiences.
  • For those interested in the top schools, I would also suggest trying to find leadership positions and considering independent research.
    
• Challenge yourself during high school, not even a stellar essay and a 2400 SAT can save a transcript that so clearly lacks rigor.
  
• Prioritize and organize. Abby Gaertig suggests, "Figure out all of the due dates and fill out the apps in order of when they're due, or the most important ones first."
  
• Keep track of standardized tests that you need to do and testing dates. You don't want to be taking an SAT, ACT, and three SAT II's within a few weeks of each other.
  
• Don't procrastinate. Dan Beggs advises, "Get things out quickly so you can catch priority deadlines."
  
• "Stop putting 'f***' in your statuses by junior year."-Ben Greene
  
• Ben also suggests, "If a college, like St. Olaf, asks for an optional photograph to accompany your common app- never include one displaying you, your friends, and several red cups."
  
• Realize you won't get in everywhere. 93 out of 100 students are rejected from Harvard. It happens.
  
• Apply to the schools that are right for you, not the ones that Newsweek tells you that you should attend.
  
• Remember, there's no prize for getting into the most schools, just the one you really want to go to.
  
• Usually, TPTB (The Powers that Be) are right when they tell you something about your college app, but sometimes you must trust your own instincts. If you really like a certain essay (and have a legitimate reason for loving it, not just because you don't want to write another), use it.
  
• Don't spend hours lamenting all the things you didn't do during high school, by senior year, it's too late for you to regret not taking 10 AP classes or not doing independent research. Move on, get your laptops powered up, and start typing.
  

Hopefully, this motley collection of tips will provide some help when you reach your senior year. Good luck!