With summer slowly approaching, it’s important for incoming seniors to consider how to take advantage of the free time for success in the fall.
To be as successful as possible, beginning senior year with a headstart on college applications can be a huge upper hand, while also lowering the amount of stress seniors face.
“Applying for college was stressful but manageable, if you have a plan and people helping you the process becomes a lot easier,” said Jacob Holman (12) who will be attending UC Berkeley in the fall.
Creating a Common Application account, along with starting the essay writing process early, can not only alleviate stress for incoming seniors, but allow for a further polished application that stands out from others.
“Definitely fill out the Common Application, get some final volunteer hours in, still enjoy your summer. I still enjoyed my summer and I was able to complete my applications before school started,” said Elise Malamatenios (12) who will be attending University of San Diego in the fall.
For many, the idea of starting college applications during the summer seems intimidating and is viewed as a chore. This stigma has often stopped many from getting an early start on applications that can often be a huge advantage to many students. Making a plan and getting organized can help many reach success.
“Really make an effort to get those applications in during the summer when you have time, applying to colleges isn’t as long and scary as you think. Most of the work is already done,” said Malamatenios.
Many colleges and universities heavily weigh college applications through essays and personal statements. Spending time on personal statements is a make or break for many acceptances or rejections.
Personal statements should represent who you are. Taking multiple days, weeks, and months writing essays can ensure the best possible outcome, and getting multiple opinions on essays can help students put forward their best work. Rushing the writing process can often create products that don’t truly represent students, a common mistake for many seniors.
“For the writing process, you want to demonstrate how what you’ve done in the past can specifically apply to your goals and the college you’re applying to. Be as specific as possible and start early, you want to be done as soon as possible, way in advance,” said Holman.
When drawing inspiration for personal statements, it’s important to ensure the essay represents yourself, and tells the story of who you are while answering the prompt.
“Pick a story that is really meaningful to you. Nothing about an injury, most colleges swipe right past that. It has to be something very intimate and special to you and specific! Be yourself and write about something you love!” said Jena Reilich (12) who will be attending San Diego State University this fall.
“Describe how each lesson you’ve learned will help you fit in at the specific college. Tell a story, you want your progression to be linear and show why you would be a good match for that school,” said Holman.
Along with writing college essays, the summer before senior year can be a great time to expand your extracurricular activities. Whether it’s volunteering, participating in different programs and clubs, or furthering your education through summer classes, compartmentalizing time for extracurricular activities can heavily enhance your chances of acceptance.
“The best way to get into extracurriculars is to ask around the school and off campus to see who is in a certain programs and who can help.I definitely recommend doing NHS, CCA coursework, and Saddleback Career Path classes to further yourself,” said Reilich.
While spending time preparing for college applications over the summer is extremely important, enjoying the time off one last summer before graduation is just as important.
“Do everything that makes you happy, hang out with your friends as much as possible. Don’t only think about college, you have four more years to do that,” said Malamatenios.
