WRITTEN BY SARAH WALKER CARON
College application season is a stressful time. When the fall rolls around, students need to craft their college essay, prepare their applications, and so much more. And then comes the waiting.
When my son was applying to colleges, I knew I didn’t know it all so I asked lots of questions of people who’d had kids in the application process recently. But hindsight is still the greatest teacher. As my daughter approaches college applications, there’s so much I wish I knew the first time around.
Visit More Colleges Than They Are Interested In
Visiting colleges helps teens narrow their interests. That was true for my son who was able to knock an entire city off his list of colleges he was applying to. But in hindsight, we centered our visits around cities (his preference) without visiting any schools in the suburbs of cities that could have been a good fit. I’m not sure it would have changed anything for him, but maybe visiting one would have been a good idea. So I’ve done it differently the second time around. Though my daughter also would love to be in a small city, we’ve toured both city schools and suburban schools in her hunt for the right ones to apply to.
Colleges Want to Know How Students Fit Through Short Answer Questions
Short answer questions — sometimes called supplemental questions — are additional questions that colleges ask applicants to answer. When my son answered them, he wrote accurate, well-worded answers. But now I know something more about them: colleges want to see themselves in the answers too. In other words, students should review college materials to glean values and priorities and weave them into their answers. It will help align the student and the college better on the applications.
When Filling Out the Application Order Matters
My son had a lot of accomplishments and experiences that were application-worthy, but there was only room for a few. We spent a lot of time seeing which would fit and which were the best to include. We successfully narrowed down his list, but treated it holistically. After narrowing it down, we should have ordered those accomplishments in order of importance. That way if the admissions team only sees one or two, they see the best ones of the bunch.
Triple Check Those Financial Aid Applications Before Submission
The year my son applied to colleges, the CSS Profile couldn’t be updated once submitted. So a small typo on his vitals led to a lot of emails and phone calls to correct it. It was a nightmare. This past year, the new FAFSA was also hard to correct (that functionality was turned off for a while) and there’s no telling what this year will look like. While these forms change year to year, your best bet is to ensure the information is right the first time. So triple-check everything before hitting submit.
Each Child Will Handle It Differently
My son wanted my help on every aspect of his applications and admissions. He forwarded me every email and wanted my help at each step. But my daughter is different. She reads me important emails but doesn’t forward them. And I am not yet sure what the application process will look like for her (though she will still need guidance on some forms). However it goes, it’s okay. Giving teens room to handle the process however works for them (within reason) is part of the growing up that happens with the end of high school and start of their adult lives.
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