Seniors!
High school seniors across the country are in the thick of their college application process: visiting colleges, writing personal statements, filling out their Common Apps, researching scholarships and grants, requesting teacher recommendations, and of course, juggling all these things in addition to being a full-time student, participating in clubs and sports, and trying to find time for food, sleep, and socializing.
It’s a lot. And Confluence College Admissions Consulting is here to help. Now is a great time to sign up for one of our packages and build a relationship with your own independent college counselor. It can be a huge relief having another person to help you double-check and make sure you’re getting everything done on time and not overlooking some important detail.
Right now a number of my clients are taking advantage of the long holiday weekend to visit colleges. These visits can make a huge difference for you as you narrow down your list of schools to the ones you actually end up applying to, and it may help you decide whether or not you wish to apply Early Decision or Early Action. There is something about setting foot on an actual campus that can be so much more meaningful than doing a virtual tour or a Zoom call with an admissions representative.
If you’re going to physically visit schools, here are Jim’s top 5 suggestions for preparing for these visits:
1. Find out who your regional admissions counselor is. Most colleges and universities have a member of their admissions team designated for your region of the country. This is the person who’ll be your strongest advocate when it comes time for the admissions committee to review your application. It’s great if you can get to know this person a little bit—by email, Zoom, or in person.
2. Participate in an on-campus tour, information session, or open house. This will give you a good sense of what the college believes its own strengths and selling points are.
3. Schedule a personal interview. Especially since the COVID-19 pandemic started, many colleges have moved away from doing in-person admissions interviews. But some schools still do them, either in person or via Zoom. If this is an option, do it! It’s a great way to learn more about the school, and it will almost certainly make your application stand out (in a good way).
4. Leave time for exploration. Take a self-guided tour of the campus. This is a good way to visit the studio art spaces if that is an interest of yours, and it’s also nice to sample the food at the school cafeteria or check out the library. You’ll learn more about the school from this informal walking tour beyond what you were able to experience as part of an official tour.
5. Visit multiple schools. Ideally, visit different kinds of schools. Visit both large and small schools. Both highly selective schools and less selective schools. Private liberal arts colleges and state universities. Through your multiple school visits, you’ll develop a sense of what kind of school feels most like the kind of place you want to spend the next four years.
If you’re looking for support with any aspect of your college process, please contact us today for a free consultation!
