Decoding the College Process

Early v. Regular Decision

If you have a definitive first choice, you should probably apply early decision.  At many schools, students who apply early have a better chance of being accepted for a couple reasons.

• • you are given multiple chances to get in (if you’re on the bubble you will be deferred and have another chance at regular decision)
  • colleges want to improve their acceptance yield and seek students who want to go there

However, if you are not sure where you want to go, you should not apply early decision and wait for regular decision.  This will give you the opportunity to apply to multiple schools and wait to make your decision until you are accepted.

Majors - Do I need to know what I am going to major in now?

At most schools, they will ask you to declare a major on your application.  However, this decision is generally non-binding and if you are unsure you can simply write “undecided”.  At some universities, they will ask you to apply to a certain school, for example Engineering or Liberal Arts.  Look at the list of potential majors and see in which school are your majors of interest.  Ask your college advisor or the schools directly for specific details for each school you are applying to.  Finally, it may be advantageous to apply to a specific major or school if you are strong in that subject since the faculty may play a role in admissions.

Subject Tests - What subject tests should I take and how many?

Most schools require you to take either the SAT I with writing and two SAT II: Subject Tests, or the ACT with writing.  You can take the SAT I and SAT II as many times as you like, but it is suggested that you take the SAT I no more than twice and only take SAT II tests that you think you will do well in.  Colleges generally only care about your top scores, but they  will see all of your scores. Most schools expect one of your SAT II tests to be the Math Ic or Math IIc.  Finally, it is worth noting that the foreign language requirement at many schools can be fulfilled with a certain score on the SATII.  Students can also take the ACT multiple times. 

Teacher Recommendations

• Choose teachers who know you well!
• Before asking for a recommendation, discuss your choices with your college advisor.  some teachers tend to write better recommendation letters than others and your advisor may suggest or dissuade you from a teacher.
• Choose carefully and pick two teachers from different subjects so you show ability to perform well in many different subjects.  if possible choose teachers from your junior year, since they have taught you recently and in the more advanced classes.
• Ask your teachers early, preferably before the end of junior year
• Talk to the teacher in depth about your application and what role you hope their recommendation will play in your application - your application should tell a compact story of who you are - let your teacher know what your essay topic is and how you hope to come across to the college of choice - also let them know what your top college picks are - they may have contacts there or be able to tailor their recommendation to your college of choice!
• A couple of weeks after you have first asked for a recommendation follow up with an email with a few bullet points indicating what personal characteristics you hope that their recommendation will convey - this will make their lives easier
• Follow up a month before the application is due to indicate again how much you appreciate their help, casually reminding them of the deadline
• Check in with colleges a week before applications are due to make sure that they have all of your materials, especially your teacher recommendations
• Send thank you’s!
• If you are deferred it might be a good opportunity to get another teacher to send an additional letter of recommendation

AP Classes - Do I need to take AP classes and if so how many?

Colleges want to see that you can take difficult classes and do well in them.  If you liked a class such as French or Chemistry and did well in it, then there is no reason not to take the AP class.  If your highschool does not offer AP classes, don’t worry.  Just take the advanced class they offer and consider taking the AP test on your own.  Don’t feel pressure to take entirely AP classes.  Discuss with your advisor which classes make sense for you to take.  Finally, colleges use the AP test to evaluate the difficulty of your class, so a low grade on the AP test may diminish a high grade in an AP class.

Work and Internship Experience

Colleges like to see that you are actively utilizing your summers or that you have activities outside of school.  It may be beneficial to find a job or internship in a subject of interest such as laboratory research or advertising.  However, a job as a camp counselor or waiter may be just as helpful as it shows other strong qualities such as leadership and interpersonal skills.  If you have a good relationship with your employer, ask for a recommendation to complement the two from your teacher.