The day that all high school seniors across the country have been waiting for is finally here. National College Decision Day. While some have been dreading the day and are still uncertain about the choice they have made, others have been counting down the hours for months. But how did we all get here? It wasn’t an easy ride.
For those who don’t know, May 1st is National College Decision Day, which means that after the long process of preparing, searching and being accepted from a college, it’s time to make an enrollment deposit.
To be honest, the college decision process took an emotional toll on me. After visiting so many schools, I finally narrowed it down to a couple. However, this was all before I was invited to a conference at Syracuse University. This trip blew me away, even after seeing myself at other universities, I never had the feeling that Syracuse gave me. They had the perfect dual major opportunity for me, the campus is amazing, the school is highly credible, and I had legacy ties. On paper, I was the perfect student, and everyone who I knew could picture me there. However when acceptances were coming out, I was waitlisted.
Coping with this was incredibly hard, I shed many tears over it. But I had to move on and think of a plan b because at the time, there wasn’t one. In the end, I decided to commit to Bentley University and I am very happy with my decision. After all, for the longest time it was my number one choice.
I would like to delve deeper about the college decision process and the steps I took to get to where I am now. The following list is what I feel are the key parts to becoming a competitive applicant for college, and deciding the right school.
- GRADES! I know this may be redundant to many, but honestly it needs to be reiterated. From the very first week of freshman year you need to be ready and eager to learn if you want to do well. Studying is a habit, which must be practiced. In a later blog post I can discuss maintaining grades but for now understand that it is necessary if you want to appeal to colleges.
- Think about what career you want. If you are certain you want to go into a certain field after graduation, apply that to your college search process. Every school is known for something, whether that be engineering, medicine, business, or arts, understanding the schools strong suits is crucial when deciding a school.
- Visit schools. There have been many schools I have researched and then when I was there in person, I didn’t like them as much. Not every school will give you a good feeling. But for the schools that you do like after visiting, it’s great because when you register for college visits, schools will make note that you are interested!
- Talk to adults. I know it may seem like everyone may be breathing down your neck asking what your plans are, but it’s because they have the best interest in their heart. Parents, teachers, and counselors are great sources for advice on schools. They have lived much longer than us high school kids, and have experienced infinite real world situations. They want to see you succeed, so open up.
- Don’t wait until last minute. This applies to everything. Make a good connection with one or two teachers and ask them junior year to write your letter of recommendation. Start studying and taking the SAT or ACT early junior year. Join clubs and extracurriculars all throughout high school. It’s never too early to start preparing, you’ll thank yourself in the long run.
I hope those tips were helpful for some readers out there. Lastly, always remember that the world isn’t waiting on you to feel comfortable. You’re waiting on yourself to step out of the comfort zone.
Liv's Life 