Application Tips

1

Give yourself time. Starting your application early is something that future you will be grateful for! Getting things started before senior year begins allows for extra time to check your work before hitting submit.

2

List your activities in order of importance to you and describe what you did, not just what the club or activity does. You’ll have at least 150 characters for each activity, so feel free to use the full space to tell us more about what you do within this club or activity.

3

We’ll ask more about the people who have supported you in this process—parents, guardians, counselors, alumni, coaches. Providing us with contact information (especially for parents) helps us keep them in the loop about deadlines, application checklists, and other details that may be helpful for them to know.

4

Before you apply, talk to your parents about financial aid. Will you be applying for need-based aid? If so, what aid applications and additional information does the school require? Remember that schools differ in how they award financial aid, so spend some learning more about the process. In the application you’ll be asked if you’re applying for financial aid. It’s a simple “yes” or “no”, but answering this question correctly is important.

5

Your application is our window into your world. It’s an opportunity to introduce yourself to someone who really wants to get to know you, but may not get to meet you. Be thoughtful, intentional and honest.

6

The application is your story, and it should be crafted by you. That said, it’s ok to ask a friend or family member to look over your materials before you hit submit. They might notice something you’ve overlooked. Take their guidance but don’t let them rewrite your work.

7

Know yourself before anything else. There is a lot of noise in the college search process—and it’s not just coming from the colleges! Your decision should be guided by the things that matter most to you (academic environment, social scene, campus size, location etc.).

8

Trust your intuition, but do a good fact check as well. Use your resources (college search tools, websites, friends and family) and do your best to see the whole institution, not just what shows up on TikTok.

9

Understand your options when it comes to the application. Not all items are going to be required, and the decision to share them is up to you. Does this school require that you submit a standardized test score? If it’s optional and you’re unsure of what to do, talk with your regional counselor, or check the school’s median score range to see where you fall.

10

Be honest. Be yourself. We’re not expecting you to be perfect (no one is). We want to know you—the whole person. This means sharing accomplishments proudly, but it might also mean giving some background on areas of the application that might not be as strong, or may benefit from some additional information. Don’t be afraid to provide context.

11

Lean in, lean out, lean everywhere and as often as you need to! From your college counselor to your admissions counselors, we’re here to help.

12

Don’t pass over application rounds too quickly. Regular Decision may feel like the standard, but if this school is a top choice, Early Decision comes with some major benefits!

13

The exploration doesn’t end once you’ve hit submit. Keep learning about each of your schools. Stay in touch with admissions if there are updates that may add value to your application. Remain curious about the future and open to possibility.

14

Choose recommenders who’ve seen you rise to challenges. Sometimes, it’s not the teacher who gave you your best grade that will give you the strongest recommendation.

15

Extra recommendations (beyond what’s required) are great when the recommender has new insights or a different lens on your strengths than the others. If it’s more of the same, it won’t enhance your application.

16

Ask teachers for recommendations in person, or through a thoughtful and polite email Make sure you do this by early fall in order to give them plenty of time to produce that letter supporting you. Also, your teachers may know you very well, but they also may be writing a lot of recommendations. It may be helpful to provide them with an activity list or resume of things you’ve been involved in, as well as a brief summary of what you appreciated about their class in particular.

17

Say thank you! Thank the people who have helped you through recommendations, guidance, support, and encouragement.

18

When you visit campus—whether virtually or in person—write a pro/con list. No detail is too small! Do this with each school & compare lists.

19

Go off the beaten path. The tour will cover a lot of ground in a relatively short period of time. Give yourself the room to explore campus on your own either before or after the tour. Find a spot to sit down and observe the area around you.

20

The tour guide is one person with a pretty big job of representing the entire student population. If their interests or experiences don’t align with yours don’t assume that the college is not a good fit. After your tour, ask the admissions staff if they could help connect you to a student who has shared interests. Don’t make a decision based on one person’s experience.

21

When writing the essay, focus on a blade of grass, not the entire field. Tell one good story, not a mini-series.

22

Interview must: Research the school! Expect to be asked what stands out about this place specifically.

23

Make sure the essay is well-crafted, and that it represents your authentic voice. You don’t have to deliver a gasp-inducing, life-changing, earth-shattering moment. Tell us a story that no one but you could tell.

24

Coach advice for recruits: Don't let parents do all the talking! Join the conversation & be assertive.

25

Understand the coach’s recruitment goals and timeline and communicate your own timeline with coaches. If they are looking to lock in a recruit class by the first round of Early Decision, you’ll want to know that now.

26

Check your email! The email address you put on your application is the one we’ll use to let you know if something’s missing and when your decision is released.

27

Whoops—did you forget to include something in your application? Have additions after you hit submit? Send updates directly to your regional counselor and we’ll gladly update your file.

28

Manage the application process, don’t let it manage you. Choose a standing weekly time to talk as a family about the search and application process. That time is sacred “college talk” time so you can enjoy the many other facets of your life as a family the rest of the week.

29

Set up and monitor your college application portals. Once you apply most schools will send you login credentials for their applicant portal. This is where you’ll be able to track documents submitted or items still needed by admissions or financial aid. It’s also where a college will communicate updates about your application. Log in as soon as you receive those credentials and bookmark that site.

30

Keep track of deadlines. Use a spreadsheet or other similar tool to organize all of your deadlines for admissions and financial aid. Set soft deadlines a week in advance so that you are ahead of the game.