There is no rush to submit applications to colleges in mid-August. However, I understand that some who live in states where school is beginning as early as tomorrow would like to get this off their plates. You may also be eager to submit even if school doesn’t start for weeks!
When are you ready?
Do you have colleges that require the SRAR (Self Reported Academic Record)?
You’ll need a copy of your high school transcript showing every course you have taken in grades 9-11 with all grades and credits earned to complete this. For grade 12, the courses and credits are required, with “IP” added for “in progress” because there are no grades. You may add test scores if you choose to submit them. Make sure everything is completed correctly and submit SRAR before you apply to colleges.
Do you have colleges that require grades added to the Common Application? When on your Common Application, click the “Common App” tab to check. Underneath the list on the left (Profile, Family, Education, Testing, Activities, and Writing), you will see “Courses and Grades” with the number of schools that require your 9-11 grade courses, grades and credits. Complete as above. There is no need to add grade 12 courses because they are listed in the Education section and you have no grades.
SRAR and adding grades to your Common App are straightforward tasks with a few nuances:
If you took high school courses such as Algebra 1 or the first year of your high school level language in middle school, SRAR has a middle school section for adding these. The Common Application has an “Other Courses” tab below the grade levels. Add middle school courses here. If you took the first year of a language again in 9th grade, do not add to middle school.
Naviance: Does your school use Naviance and do you have access to it? If yes, match your Naviance account with your Common Application. See the video below:
Make sure your deadlines are correct in Naviance before requesting letters of recommendations and transcripts, especially if you are applying to colleges with EA, ED, and rolling deadlines.
Scoir: Check with your school counselor to see if you will be applying directly through Scoir or through the Common Application. Always follow your school counselor’s directions.
A colleague wrote to ask me about using the topic of anorexia in a common app essay. Was it appropriate? Would it work against the student in the admissions office? I explained how this topic, like most others, can be structured to tell a powerful, positive story under certain circumstances. Her student was able to develop a strong essay that showed her commitment to her recovery, both emotionally and physically.
One reason I love being part of a network as a professional Independent Education Consultant is the support of my colleagues. Every day, we help each other with questions like these:
“My student only has three years of a foreign language, but he’s applying to ___ for CompSci. Most other applicants will have four or five. In your experience, will it matter? And is it better for him to apply to CompSci in the School of Language Arts or the School of Engineering?"
"My student visited ___ and loved the campus. But she is shy and prefers to have a small group of friends and I know the intense Greek culture will not be a fit for her. Have you had similar students attend ___? Any girls? Would they be willing to talk to my student?"
"Have you spoken to the NJ ___ rep? What's going on with engineering admit rates? How much did they drop last year?"
"Why is ___ running out of dorm space? Are they overenrolled? What's going on?"
How do we get the answers? We develop professional relationships with each other as well as admissions officers, who share information with us in webinars, on campus visits, or simply through emails and calls. We cannot “get students into colleges” because we subscribe to a code of ethics. But our valuable network means we can help them better.
Some of my students who apply to very selective colleges worry about how to “stand out.” We know that this group of colleges has grown much larger, and has many more applicants, today.
Everyone agrees that “leadership” matters, but what does it mean? Leading a school club or team?
A student can be president of a club or team and make little difference. Tens of thousands of students hold offices in school governments and clubs. Only those who build membership and have a visible impact, inside and outside school, may get attention.
No, you do not have to start a business or nonprofit.
Start something that didn’t exist before.
The ideas are endless.
It could be as simple as organizing a group of friends to pick up litter or shovel snow, and doing it regularly. Then try doing it where the need is greater.
Start a tutoring company: make yours unique by focusing on one subject; connect with other tutors; create your own materials.
Start a podcast: focus on an interest: a country, language or culture; nature (birds, insects, flowers, butterflies); give smart movie reviews; offer self-help/just to talk (connect with students in other areas of the country, or maybe internationally).
Like a local business? Ask how you can help!
Build an online art gallery; sell the art and donate the proceeds to a popular cause.
Do research-it’s purely proactive even if it doesn’t change the world.
Start a blog to follow your project and use social media to spread news of your project outside your immediate area. Create a website that showcases your all efforts and interests.
The earlier you start, the better…it proves your commitment and shows you didn’t do the project just to start something. Starting late? Join an existing organization and do real work for it!
Leadership is marketing: demonstrate what you can do.
