By Cami Yee
Hi! My name is Cami, you may know me, you may not. But I am a graduating senior this year wanting to pass on a little bit of advice for my juniors here who are starting to worry about the college application process coming up, as well as for any sophomores looking to get ahead. I have learned a lot in the last year about the college application process and some dos and don’ts of the trade. Here are a few tips I suggest you use in your college application/during the process!
1. Familiarize yourself with the different types of college applications
As the older sibling in my family, I was the guinea pig in terms of applying for college and writing essays. My junior year, I had no idea what the difference between the Common App and the UC’s were, and I felt extremely stressed not knowing what everything was. Here is a little cheat sheet I wish I had as a senior!
Common Application — used primarily for private schools. One big essay (called a personal statement) and a lot of information about your family, extracurriculars, and more you will have to submit. This one application can be sent to an abundance of schools, but the schools may have extra work (mainly supplemental essays) you need to complete on top of the personal statement.
UC Application — used only for University of California campuses. Four mini interview-style essays and a lot of the same information submitted in the Common App. Fairly simple, as all of the applications for the different UC campuses are submitted and there are usually no extra essays (unless for selected majors at Berkeley).
CSU Application — used for California State Universities. No essay! Same info and you simply pick your campuses and pay the fee. The most straightforward and simple of the three!
2. Start early and get help planning!
No matter how early you think you need to start— you will need more time. I started my college essays journey in July, giving me five months to work on everything, but I still ended up finishing my essays at midnight a few nights before they were due— WOULD NOT SUGGEST. I would also suggest asking for help from your English teacher. They are all there to help and have helped an abundance of students get into college!
3. Researching
When I researched for colleges to apply to, I first started by looking at the school’s main goals and their focuses. It is important to not necessarily focus on the prestigious nature of the university because at the end, you are looking for the college that is the best fit for you— not the one that gives you the most bragging rights. Other items you should take into consideration are price, location, how well it pertains to your major, and how it will impact your future goals.
4. Organization
When doing college applications, I found it really difficult to keep track of deadlines. One of my friends created a free Notion template that essentially helps you track whether the school is a gamble, reachable, etc. Overall, it was really helpful to see all the stats organized on the same website as my to-do lists and documents.
5. Separate college email account
When I applied for college, I got so many emails. Whether it was notifications of acceptance or rejection, waitlist updates, or just advertisements for the university, my inbox was filled to the brim with an abundance of confusing, overwhelming emails. In order to make my life simpler, I made an email account specifically for the purpose of receiving all these college related emails. It helped me keep track of where everything was and was simple to sort through.
6. College acceptance/rejection tracker
As March and April roll around along with the end of the year, you’re going to want to keep track of all of your rejections and acceptances. Although it may feel heartbreaking and devastating at times, it is important to keep track of this information when it is needed for senior exit surveys and other items. I made a simple note on my phone, put a table in it, and tracked which schools I was accepted into and which I wasn’t.
7. Scholarships and Ms. Canales
I found an abundance of scholarships from Westmont’s very own college and career guidance counselor, Ms. Canales. I definitely recommend scheduling an appointment to visit her office. She is very knowledgeable of the college process and is, overall, an easy person to talk to. She’s extremely helpful with everything college related and no question is too small for her to answer. You can find her appointment bookings on the College and Careers page! Ms. Canales helped me a lot with scholarships. These are extremely important to apply to and you can easily earn money to alleviate your future expenses for college. Although most people check out during the second semester, this is the time where scholarships are in abundance and just waiting to be applied to. Just do it! I applied for a random scholarship and ended up receiving $1,000 to go toward my tuition. You can also recycle your actual college essays, so it really isn’t too much work.
8. Majors
For some reason, it did not come up in my mind while I was applying for colleges, but it is extremely important to pick your major strategically when applying to college. I was a Business Econ/Business Administration major and this was a really popular major my year. The major that you pick ultimately impacts your probability of getting into the school and can be the deciding factor if you get in or not. So if you are looking to simply get into a school to just be there and try to change your major later, I suggest choosing a less popular major— so not kinesiology, computer science, business, or more impacted majors. This was something that I did not realize until decisions started coming out because I wasn’t able to get into an abundance of the UC’s and other schools that I applied to because of the specific major that I chose.
9. Live your life
Although college applications are a really big event that occur senior year, it is extremely important to take time for yourself. Taking care of yourself will ultimately contribute to your success, as you will be less likely to burn out and lose steam in the final days of applications. Have fun with your friends sometimes and feel free to take breaks. It is hard to find a balance between work and fun, but experiencing your senior year and living your life to the fullest before you leave for college is an important, often overlooked, part of the process.
10. Decisions
March and April. Doomsday. Just joking. All jokes aside though, these are going to be some of the most difficult few weeks of your high school career because of the emotional whiplash all seniors are experiencing. Just know that your path is your path. Although it may look different than what you had imagined, that doesn’t make it any less significant or wrong in any way. Whatever decisions the college makes about your application, appreciate that you gave your all in your application and that the college’s decision is not a reflection of your personal character or your potential for success. I struggled with this immensely thinking that I wasn’t good enough because I wasn’t able to get into the colleges that I wanted or expected of myself, but, as I’ve gone through this journey, I’ve realized that the college I will be attending in the fall, although not the choice I expected, will ultimately guide me to where I am supposed to be in life. So, keep at it, believe in yourself, and give yourself grace. You are amazing and I can’t wait to see what you do!