Juniors (now RISING SENIORS!) and parents,
It’s time….with graduations and end-of-year programs, the next crop of new seniors (and therefore, new college applicants) will emerge. Take advantage of the summertime to do the following:
Plan for SAT and/or ACT -- while many colleges and universities have adopted a test-optional admissions process, they’ll still accept standardized scores if they’re submitted along with the application. It might be late to register for the June SAT and ACT, but there’s an ACT in mid-July, and the next SAT will be in August. Seniors will generally have until the November and possibly even December scores to submit for admission consideration; some schools will even accept scores further into the year, but utilize late Fall as the benchmark across the board.
Nail down a prospective essay topic. The good news is that there is a lot of overlap in prospective essay questions. The not so good news is that some schools will require additional personal statements, and those are all different. For now, if you’re applying to a Texas public school, here’s the list of topics. A&M and UT require Essay Topic A, while the others don’t specify; in that case, default to Topic A. That topic is surprisingly close to Topics 2, 5, and 7 from the Common Application essay requirement. In other words, it’s likely that students will only need to write ONE main essay; the individual personal statements will be what differentiates between the schools.
Open up Apply Texas and Common Application profiles. All Texas public schools are required by law to accept Apply Texas, so it’s a one-stop-shop if you’re applying to multiple schools across the state. Use time over the summer to create your biographical profile. As well, many schools, both public and private, accept the Common Application. As well, some other schools have their own proprietary application and are not on Apply Texas or Common App. Some examples of proprietary applications are those from Arkansas, Oklahoma State, and Baylor. Keep August 1 in-mind; that’s when most schools will begin accepting applications.
Plan to make some college visits over the summer. Many colleges operate on a “demonstrated interest” principle, and they’ll consider if/when you made an official visit to their campus or invited programs. It’s pretty simple to schedule an official visit; simply type in a school’s name in a Google search followed by the word “visit,” and most links that immediately appear will direct you to the school’s official process. They’ll also let you know if there are various limits or pandemic-related protocols and such.
Again, your time is now. We used to have a saying in the admission office when I worked at SMU: “The college admission process is an activity that you didn’t know you signed up for.” That saying has never been more true. Utilize the next few months to get ahead. Many of you will take vacations, go to camps, work part-time, etc., but you’ll be surprised what you might still accomplish with a time-managed approach. For that matter, I will be available for consultations and various services throughout the summer and fall. My summer is starting to fill up, so find me soon if you’re interested in any of my services. My rates change over on June 1; at that point, Juniors will now be considered Seniors, and rates will apply accordingly. Contact me if you’re interested in setting something up or to learn how my experience and expertise can help you navigate the process. For parents, know that your student might struggle with motivation and might not respond well to “mom and dad” making suggestions. As the subject-matter expert, THEY LISTEN TO ME! Let me help you help them!
I look forward to working with you, and find me for help. I’ll have various updates in the reasonably near future with more references, college placements, and other necessary information. Have a great summer, and go eat some graduation party cake!