With commitment day creeping up, the stressful college admissions season is coming to an end. Congratulations, seniors! You’ve made it to the end of the tunnel, but the class of 2027 is about to enter it. Everyone knows college admissions season is full of anxiety, pressure, and a desperate desire for reassurance, so here are some tips and tricks to make it easier for future applicants.
Apply EARLY. Urgently clicking ‘submit’ at 11:59 pm the day of the deadline is not the way to go. This is your future, not your procrastinated math homework. Admissions officers aren’t giving you a grade; they’re evaluating you as a person. You want your application to be full in all areas: academics, extracurriculars, awards, and personal statements. The best way to fully supplement your application is to get it done early, giving yourself ample time to proofread and reduce the chances of errors or missing information. That being said, if you plan to apply early, you should start your personal essay and supplements as early as possible, when the Common Application opens on August 1st.
Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses. Admissions officers are looking for well-rounded applicants. They are evaluating you as a person, not an SAT score. Those things matter, but only if the other parts of your application are equally strong. If you feel your SAT score will weaken your application, consult the SAT range for the specific colleges you’re applying to. If your score is below the 50th percentile or middle range, you may want to consider applying test-optional. A common misconception is that applying test-optional weakens your application, but that is completely incorrect. Colleges do not look at test-optional applicants and assume they have low SAT scores. There are a variety of reasons students do not submit test scores, including a lack of resources to prepare or register for testing.
Apply to schools with a range of prestige. When making your college list, organize your schools by competition level. For example, a school with a 10% acceptance rate would be a reach, while 50% might be a target, and 75% may be a safety. Safety schools are defined as schools to which you have a very high chance of being accepted. Many people overlook this category, thinking, ‘I’ll only go there if I don’t get in anywhere else, so it doesn’t really matter.’ This is possibly one of the biggest mistakes students make when applying to colleges. Your safety schools should act as a safety net, meaning they should be schools you’d be happy to attend. Of course, it is healthy to take chances and shoot for your dream schools, but it’s important to know you have guaranteed options that fit your criteria. Treat your safeties like your targets and reaches, evaluating the cost, student body size, campus, activities, and academics before applying. Don’t apply to schools you have no interest in just because you think you’ll get in.
Decide on your priorities early, and find schools that fulfill them. There are many decisions to make regarding college.
City, suburban, or rural campus?
Small, medium, or large student body size?
Warm or cold weather?
Coastal or landlocked?
Large sports culture or minimal?
Large Greek life culture or minimal?
While all of these decisions are crucial to consider, the most important piece of advice you’ll be given will be to trust the process. Everything will work out in the end. You’ll find your place and your people as you build your future. Good luck to the class of 2027!
