A Walk to Acceptance

November 14, 2011

When will college visiting end? I will be visiting three more schools over Thanksgiving break: Northwestern, Claremont McKenna, and Scripps. Why did colleges invent college visiting anyway? And since when did it become a prerequisite? (It’s not, but why must all Chicagoans interested in Northwestern actually visit Northwestern. We LIVE there. We know what it’s like.)

I am not looking forward to visiting these colleges. With the internet, it’s surprising that they haven’t made live info sessions and tours. Also, I don’t really want to go to the college for the way the buildings look or the campus layout. What do tours really say about the spirit of the school? It’s all objective. I had a nerdy tour guide at ____ University and now I think that that university is full of anti-social nerds. I’m sure it’s not.

Now, I’m just incoherent…that’s how frustrated I am.

9:45pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/ZYbm1xBy3ADc

(Notes: 1)

October 30, 2011

Early apps done!

I can’t believe I did it, but my early apps are done!

For those of you applying early, I strongly recommend that you do not wait until the last minute (11 PM on Monday). There is a lot of stuff after pressing ‘submit’ that you need to do. Also, if you’re paranoid like me, you will want to check over it (multiple times).

Oddly, I miss the days of sending apps by paper. I think my apps to high school were much more streamlined because I didn’t have to worry about potential computer mistakes—technology is scary.

I’m just happy that I can take a little break before completing the rest of my apps. Maybe I’ll go out and make a snowman…

6:29pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/ZYbm1xBJJShl

(Notes: 9)

October 29, 2011

First one done!

My first application is in! Although, I have another one due for Nov 1.

The University of Illinois application was time-consuming. They basically make you report your transcript yourself. I don’t really understand the reasoning behind that…

In any case, it’s done. It’s weird to think that the colleges will be reading them now. (Yikes!) But I was prepared. I have resigned to trust that I will get in somewhere. Anywhere.

Really, though. Anywhere would be nice.

11:43pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/ZYbm1xBHOI-P

(Notes: 22)

Filed under: college college admissions education illinois application

October 28, 2011

School AND apps

Biggest understatement of the year: it’s been busy.

Juggling school-work and college apps have not been easy. It feels like I’ve been ignoring my college essays (which I have) but strangely, my college counselors says that they are okay. I’ve realized that it’s not about how much time you spend, but how much thought you put into them.

My college counselor is great. I was a little panicked when my last year’s counselor had to leave on maternity leave, but the new one is fantastic. His whole career has been actually IN the admissions office, so he knows exactly what they’re looking for.

Another thing he told me: there is no magic formula. I found this hard to believe the first few times he said it. Of course there’s a formula. You just want to make me feel better and stop pestering you with all of my drafts. But it finally sunk in. There is no magic formula. Just be myself, make the essays sound like me, and hope for the best. If a college doesn’t want to accept ME, I can live with that. However, if I hand something in that I know isn’t true to myself and get rejected, I’d regret it, immensely.

So, early apps are due soon (Yikes!). I still need to write my short answer about my extracurricular and edit my other essays, but it seems manageable.

Also, why does my school decide to make this week the busiest week EVER, right after we’ve had a “Health Week” last week? Do they not want us to get into college?

9:15am | URL: http://tmblr.co/ZYbm1xBD5hwA

(Notes: 9)

Filed under: college college admissions essays education

September 18, 2011

College Counseling

Before I meet with my college counselor, I have to fill out a questionnaire through Naviance. Schoolwork and a questionnaire? I also should start studying for SAT II Math Level 2. I bought Sparknotes because it’s the only one I haven’t used. I used all of the other brands. I recommend Barron - it’s the hardest.

9:08pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/ZYbm1x9h22fu

(Notes: 18)

Filed under: college education sparknotes sat math

September 5, 2011

UPenn Supplement II

Yes! The UPenn Supplement is finally available on Common App! Also, my computer has been fixed, albeit, without any files recovered. No matter, I will finally be motivated to start my application.

The question to the Huntsman program is: Discuss a current international issue that demonstrates how international affairs and business intersect.

And I know exactly what to write…

12:45am | URL: http://tmblr.co/ZYbm1x99TpJ8

(Notes: 13)

Filed under: college admission education common application supplement

September 3, 2011

regulardecisions asked: Yeah, I'm definitely thinking liberal arts. I'm not exactly sure what I want to major in / what field of study to go into so it made sense for me. I do have some of the smaller (and tiny) universities on my list (i.e. Weslyan, UChicago, John's Hopkins, Northwestern, etc.) but all of them focus on a liberal arts curriculum for undergraduates. Is there a particular reason you seem to be straying away from liberal arts schools?

Like I said, I prefer big schools. After attending small schools, I want a change of atmosphere. Still, I kept some liberal arts schools on my list, and like you, many are universities with liberal arts curricula.

8:56pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/ZYbm1x96F2si

August 27, 2011

College Visits

I used to hate college visiting. To my credit, I was not actively thinking about college before, but I loathed tours. Actually, I still don’t love tours.

I figured out that you can’t visit every school that you’re applying to. My college counselor told us that we should definitely visit the colleges that are close by (to our home and school), but that colleges don’t expect us to visit from far away. She used the example that a school in New York would not expect a Californian applicant to visit.

However, everyone freaks out during the college admissions process. I thought, Well, I live in Chicago, in the middle of the country. Do California and New England schools expect me to visit?!

No, they do not. They hope you do, but they won’t hold it against you. Anyway, colleges tour the country themselves to give information sessions.

However, I see the value in visiting a college. Instead of fixating on the facts, I’m more of a vibe-reader. I like to feel the atmosphere of the school, and I can’t do that if I’m 1,000 miles away.

So, my advice: visit all the schools that you can, but don’t visit the schools that you are sure about. What’s the point? Visit the schools you are on the fence about and compare them. I made the mistake of visiting the schools that I had decided to apply to, and I sincerely regret that. It wasn’t a total waste, though. Sometimes it reaffirmed my adoration. But in the end, I’m just applying to the schools that I visited.

12:10pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/ZYbm1x8pnyAU

Filed under: college admissions college visits application chicago california new england

August 26, 2011

Naviance

My school uses Naviance Family Connection. I don’t think that an individual can sign up his/herself. The whole school needs to be involved. Luckily, your school does use Naviance.

My profile is frequently updated by my counselor and everything is automated. The scary part about Naviance: the scatter-grams. Naviance already has information about your grades and standardized testing scores. So, if you search a college and look at the scatter-grams, you appear as a circle, measuring your likelihood of getting in to that college.

When I first went into the college admissions process, I was scared, but I was so sure that I was unique. I thought that the admissions officers would see what a great person I was, what an excellent student, what a talented musician, etc. I understand that the officers try to do everything they can to get a holistic view of the student, but there’s only so much the applications allow. There’s no way that my character or personality will come out in my list of extracurriculars, grades, or even my interview. Also, I found out soon enough that grades were the most important thing. The MOST important thing. College applications is quite a dehumanizing process. Checking the Naviance Scatter-grams is just the beginning.

1:38pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/ZYbm1x8nTla-

(Notes: 5)

Filed under: naviance college admissions education

August 26, 2011

Music Supplement

I finished recording part of my Arts Supplement last Saturday. I am not majoring in violin or music, so some schools may not listen to my CD, but I think I’d like to have it anyway. Since I’m not majoring, what I put on the CD is entirely my choice. At first, I had no idea what I should put on. Most auditions call for two contrasting movements of a concerto. Since I’m not a pro and it’s not my major, I decided to record two movements of unaccompanied Bach (D Minor, Sarabanda and Giga) and the first movement of Conus Violin Concerto.

Conus is not a popular piece, which is part of the reason why I chose it. Some people think it’s underrated, other critics say that it’s unknown for a reason. In any case, I thought it may be an attention-grabber for being different. Not to mention, it’s the most polished piece in my repetoire right now.

My school offers to record for free. However, I have to find and pay for my own pianist. My parents urged me to record the whole thing here, at home, but why pay $150/hour when I can get the service for free? In the end, they made me at least record Bach. The entire process (recording and editing) took 2 hours. I didn’t edit much; they made it sound like I was in a bigger space) and I split up the Giga at the repeat and they pasted the two pieces together. Otherwise, the notes are 100% me (which is what it should be).

Conus, I have decided to record at school. I have to play it for the music department for orchestra seating anyhow. Also, I am using if for our school’s concerto competition.

The only thing that concerns me is what happens next. Am I supposed to send the CD or attach a file to the Common App? I haven’t explored the Common App enough to figure it out. I need to get my computer back.

1:27pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/ZYbm1x8nSW5K

Filed under: music college admissions education

August 25, 2011

A Word About High School

Don’t do anything in high school for the sole purpose of it looking good on your college application. Trust me, you won’t have fun doing it, and it won’t pay off. Join clubs that you’re interested in.

When I went into high school, I planned on joining every club and taking every AP class. I quickly realized that this is impossible, and not to mention, unenjoyable. I dedicated my time to a few clubs, and I love the extra time that I have for my social life. I also used my free-time to do personal projects, like this blog.

This year, I could do AP Chemistry. It would look good on my college app, and I would have another AP test under my belt. But I asked myself, Do I really enjoy Chemistry? No, I absolutely do not. Chemistry was the most dry science class I had ever taken in my life. Instead, I signed up for psychology, neurology, and astronomy, classes that I’m truly intrigued by.

Sometimes I do think, Shouldn’t I do what looks best for my college application? Is an acceptance letter from my dream school really worth a year of boredom? Depending on my mood, my answer can vary from ‘yes’, ‘no’, to ‘in moderation.’ But now, I look back and I see all of the fun I’ve missed because I was narrow-mindedly thinking soley about college.

So, it’s your choice. But if you asked me to do it all over again, I would’ve thought about me.

12:10pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/ZYbm1x8kyB_y

(Notes: 2)

Filed under: high school college admissions education

August 25, 2011

College Fairs

My school hosted a college fair in May. Some big-name schools were there, but it was mostly my safety and likely schools who attended. Some colleges know that they’re going to receive tons of applications without any outreach. I think that college fairs are not about seeing those schools. It’s about seeing your safety, likely, and reach schools.

Safety schools are not to be rejected. You may dislike the prospect of attending, but it is your safety school - you need to feel safe about that acceptance letter. College fairs give a great opportunity to go meet the representative and fill out an interest card. Do this so that they know that you are interested. Even a safety school is not going to want a student who is not interested in their school.

I also spent the fair asking questions that probably would not come up in their information packets or websites. My main questions were: Do you have a music program available for those who aren’t majoring in music? Do you like receiving music supplements? How strong is your study abroad program? What does your core curriculum look like?

The first two questions were important to me. I don’t want to major, but I do want to continue taking violin lessons and playing in a student orchestra. Some schools do not listen to CDs even if you send them. I wanted to see if enough would to decide if I would record or not.

Remember, there are a lot of people trying to talk to colleges in a small amount of time. At the Columbia booth, a lot of people were cutting in line and taking up way too much time. Be considerate of others; it’s not a formal interview. Save bragging about your accomplishments for the real thing.

11:11am | URL: http://tmblr.co/ZYbm1x8ksKvi

Filed under: College Fair college admissions high school education

August 25, 2011

Received the Georgetown application

Georgetown is not on the Common App. I don’t know why; they’re essay question is similar to the Common App.

So, what you have to do is go to their website for Undergraduate Admissions and fill out Part I of their application. You fill it out online, pay $65, and you receive their application packet in the mail. They ask you to fill out the personal statement as soon as possible and send it.

The rest of the application is on paper. I’m not sure if I have to use paper or if Part II is online as well. The short answer is to write about an extracurricular or summer activity that is most important to you and elucidate. Then, there is a general essay question: write a personal statement. That sounds about the same as ‘topic of your choice’ on the Common App. Then, they require another essay depending on which school you are applying to: for the college, write about an academic interest; walsh, a global challenge of today; mcdonough, why the interest in business (I didn’t look at the other questions).

Georgetown seems like a tricky application to do. Not because of the questions, but because it’s separate. Do teachers have to write their recommendations again on their form? Does my Secondary School Report also have to be on their form? I hope that my new college counselor will be able to figure that out for me.

11:00am | URL: http://tmblr.co/ZYbm1x8krONd

Filed under: Common App education college admissions high school application

August 23, 2011

High School Classes

To get a sense of my preparation in high school, I listed the classes that I took and the clubs that I participated in. My school runs on a trimester (fall, winter, spring) and six classes is the max, five classes is the norm.

Freshman Year: English 100 (novels and plays), History 100 (World History), Pre-Calculus, Japanese 100, College-Level Chemistry, 3-D Art (fall), P.E. (spring)

Sophomore Year: English 200 (writing and poetry), History 200 (1800-colonial; winter), Pre-Calculus (fall), AP BC Calculus (spring), Japanese 200, College-Level Biology, Photography (wiinter, spring), Intro to Ethics (fall), Chamber Music (spring)

Junior year: English 300 (comedy, tragedy, Shakespeare), History 200 (U.S.), AP BC Calculus, Japanese 300, AP Physics, AP Music Theory (winter)

Senior year (tentive): Journalism (fall), Children Lit (winter), Epic Poem (spring), AP Economics (macro & micro), International Relations (winter), AP Statistics (fall), Japanese 400, Psychology (fall), Brain (winter), Gastronomy (spring), Astronomy (spring),

Extracurriculars: Orchestra and Chamber Music (freshman-senior), Newspaper (freshman-senior), Music Community Service (freshman-senior), Korean Club (freshman-senior), Language Community Service (freshman), Model UN (sophomore-senior), Historical Tours (junior-senior)

Summer: Biomedical Research Academy at UPenn (2009), Volunteered at hospital (2010), Tutored (2010-2011), Interned at nonprofit (2011)

1:10pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/ZYbm1x8g9W8H

(Notes: 1)

Filed under: community service high school college admissions education orchestra music

August 23, 2011

UPenn Supplement

I have not started on any of my college essays. My computer is out for another week.

What would motivate me more to do them is if UPenn would come out with its supplement. Why is the only college that I am applying early to not out with its supplement? At the very least, I could do that and feel good about starting school.

I also seem to be second-guessing myself when it comes to the personal essay. Do they want something light-hearted? Serious? Intellectual? Introspective? Funny? How do I write an essay that sounds like me, when I am a human - a complicated person with multiple facets?