I'm can’t make myself get started on my college applications.
Are you afraid your application won’t be impressive? For 95 percent of colleges, you needn’t be a star to get in. Really B- grades, 1000 SAT scores (21 ACT), and, if required, a decent essay (see below) will get you into many, many good colleges, even if you don’t have great extracurricular activities. Just keep reminding yourself how great it will feel to get our applications done and to get those fat acceptance envelopes. That’s not motivating enough? I’m sure that if you ask your parents (and even if you don’t), they’ll be glad to keep nagging you. Maybe you can even get them to agree that if you get your apps done by the deadline, they’ll get you a car…or something. But why not just sit your butt down and start. Chances are, once you start, you’ll keep going. If you get stuck, ask your parent or friend for a little help.
I can't think of a topic for my college essay.
Most essay questions boil down to “How will you contribute more to the campus community than other applicants with similar grades and SAT scores?” You ask, “How can plain ol’ me contribute to the campus community?” One of my clients wrote about his tendency to ask the teacher probing questions. His essay consisted of an introduction and then three paragraphs, each telling the story of an anxious question he asked the teacher, and how the teacher and class responded. Another client wrote about her love of tutoring other kids. A third wrote about being one of the kids in her school who doesn’t drink. What’s something about you that would contribute to the campus community? Many, if not most, college essay questions will allow you to write about that. Be sure to devote most of your essay to giving examples and anecdotes that prove you have that desirable characteristic.
Oh, remember to avoid the Deadly Three Topics. So many students write about these topics that they make many admission officers roll their eyes: 1. How important my parents have been to me. 2. How sports taught me the importance of sportsmanship and leadership. 3. How my trip to another country helped me appreciate diversity.
I worry that my parents can’t afford to pay for college.
Don’t let the college’s sticker price fool you. Most colleges jack up the sticker price so only the rich can afford it, and then offer discounts and low-interest loans to everyone else. Sure, you’ll probably have to take out a hefty loan, but nearly all students can find a good college that – with financial aid – is affordable. Just get your financial aid applications in on time. (Check on each college’s website to learn their deadlines.) If, even with financial aid, your family can’t afford your first-choice college, try to negotiate with the college. They sometimes “find” extra aid, even for average students. And don’t forget about community colleges. Not only are they a bargain, they often have better teachers than at universities because they’re hired and promoted mainly on how well they teach, not how much research they crank out.
I worry that college will be too hard.
If a college admits you, it believes that, if you put in the effort, you’ll succeed there. Also know that, in some ways, college is easier than high school. For example, if you hate foreign language, in high school, you’re stuck. It’s required. But at most colleges, you’re given enough choice that you can usually avoid a dreaded subject. Plus, if you’re falling behind in a course, professors have office hours to help you, and in common killer courses such as calculus, there usually are free or low-cost tutors. The main reason kids fail at college is not that it’s too hard. It’s that they didn’t put in the time. Do that and I’ll bet you’ll do fine.
No comments:
Post a Comment