Many colleges ask students to write a supplemental essay with the prompt, “Why are you applying to Amazing University?” Chances are you will have to write one or more of these during the application rush. Easy, right? Not so fast! This essay can be one of the more challenging essays to do correctly. It requires careful reflection and should not be put off until the last minute.
By now you have likely heard of a “safety school” and have some understanding of what that means. (Read more here) In that sense, we are talking about changes of being admitted to a particular school. But there is a newer phrase in the world of college counseling that you may want to understand better, and it is, “financial safety.” In this blog we will go over what it is, and why it makes sense to have one on your list.
I catch myself saying it often to the students I work with, “Early is better!” And, for the most part, it’s true. Admission rates are generally higher for students who apply Early Decision or Early Action, and there are many reasons for this. One of the main reasons is because colleges like students who can show genuine interest in their school by either making a commitment or submitting their materials earlier.
However, early isn’t always better. In this blog, we will go over a few key times when applying Regular is probably the better way to go.
The college application process is complicated, and it’s understandable that families would want to seek as much information as they possibly can. But, we have learned over many years of doing this work that too much advice can actually work against you. Here are a few examples when it makes sense to cut down the outside advice and maybe even trust your own gut.
As part of our Advice From Inside series, where I ask our amazing staff of college counselors and former college admission counselors to share their knowledge with student and parents, this time I asked…
“What can rising seniors do over the summer to make their fall less stressful?”
You may be thinking that a college counselor would tell students to buckle down over the summer months… take extra summer classes, study non-stop for admission tests, work days and nights at an internship, or spend the entire summer doing community service. But, that’s not what you’re likely to hear from us here at Campus Bound!
We are hearing from colleges that their admissions decisions have been sent, or are coming out soon. In previous blogs, we’ve discussed how to deal with bad or uncertain news (here) but this is also the time of year of good news and students will have to decide among the college acceptances where they will ultimately attend.
Seniors have, at this point, sent in applications to many, if not all, of their colleges. They may have applied Early Decision, Early Action, Rolling or Regular Decision and are awaiting the news to come back. However, if there is new good news to share with their colleges, there is a smart way to do so. It could perhaps tip the scales in their favor.
If you are a senior, your first round of applications may be in and it might be tempting to want to take a big sigh of relief and put the rest of the college stuff on the back burner. But, wait a minute! Doing so can cause trouble down the road. Sorry for being the barer of bad news (we prefer to call it “you’ll thank us later” news) but it makes sense to keep forging ahead on your applications.
November 1 is right around the corner. And, the rest of the college deadlines will come fast and furiously after that. But before you hit that SUBMIT button, here are a few things to keep in mind: