Stop - Don't Touch That Pink Pen!
Oct 15 '01
The Bottom Line Use your head, and don't be afraid to call the school and ask questions.
As I have mentioned in a few other reviews, I worked in my university's admissions department for two years. During that time I handled, read, and filed hundreds of applications, spoke with just as many students on the phone, and prepared said students applications for acceptance. I was a "student counselor" - the member of the student staff who basically had the same job as my boss, except I was supposed to be the liason, the college student that high school students could identify with and trust. My entire job description revolved around making sure people got their forms in at the right time, and filled them out correctly. During that time I learned so many things about the admissions process that I know my high school teachers didn't have a clue about. I know this because some of the things they taught were the exact opposite of the reality of college admissions. I was hoping that one of them might wise up and invite me to come give an eye-opening lecture to their class, but I guess I'm left just dispensing this information here.
First - let me start off by giving you some invaluable advice. Many schools attempt to drum up applications in two easy ways: brochures and phone calls. Brochures come by the stack and are easy to throw away - phone calls are not so easy. Don't you hate those calls? Well guess what - odds are you were the person who gave them your phone number. "What??!!" you say. "I never gave Podunk University my phone number." I bet you did. You see, whenever you fill out anything for a university (and I mean anything) like a card for a raffle at some barn party you went to in 8th grade (I know, back in 8th grade, winning a Podunk University t-shirt seemed cool) they put that information into their computer and kept it. They guesstimated what year you'd graduate, and then when your senior year rolled around, your number started popping up on call lists. So really you're to blame for all those calls (isn't life great!) The easy way to battle these calls is simple. When a school you're not remotely interested in calls just say "I'm not interested, please drop me from your list." The caller will then put in a code that will keep the computer from bringing your name up again. And do this with every school that calls that you don't want to talk to because odds are they will call back if they get a hold of you once. If you feel the "drop me" method is too harsh, just tell them you've decided on a school. Name the school (even if you don't know where the heck you're going.) By saying "I've decided on Blah Blah College," the caller knows that you're a lost cause and will either drop you, or ask you if you wish to be dropped.
Now for applications - boy I hate 'em. Our school had a very simple application, and the majority of people did well with them, but then there were what we called "the idiots" (we weren't very original.) I don't care how cute you think it will be - only write in blue or black ink. Do you know how hard it is to read an application in pink ink? Do you also know how dumb this makes you look? I know some of these tips will sound obvious, but I wouldn't mention them if they didn't occur repeatedly.
Don't call and ask "when am I going to find out I'm accepted?" Trust me - schools want to accept you so you can drop all your money into their university, so they're moving as fast as they can. Calling will in no way speed up the situation, and will only annoy the person you call. However, an exception is if you call and say, "I was just wondering if there were any more forms I needed to complete my application?" You see, we love this question. Half of my job was calling and contacting applied students to tell them they still had forms missing. The application forms all arrive in a complete packet, and yet students would just fill out the application, return it, and when I'd call they'd act as if they had no idea other forms were needed. If you call admissions and ask if everything is in, your application may get special attention (i.e. - being stuck in with the next group of applications to go to the review board.)
Also on the form itself - don't skip questions you don't want to answer (people think we won't notice if they don't mark yes or no for "Have you ever been arrested") and fill out or type the application yourself. I would occasionally see male students' applications with neat feminine handwriting, and then an incredibly sloppy, angular signature. (Guys - don't let your mom fill out your application.)
When you fill out your application, fill out the forms at the same time, that way you know everything is done. If you have your applications in the summer, but don't have time to fill them out then, just take out all the transcript requests and reference forms first. These are the easiest because you simply fill them out at the top and give them to your school, and your reference. But if you do this, make sure you plan on sending in the applications later. It would be very ill manners to make someone fill out and mail a reference form and then you never apply to that school.
Also, I'm sure that all through high school your teachers told you "Extra cirricular activities are very important to colleges" or "You didn't do well on the SAT? Well if your grades are good, it doesn't matter." None of these teachers know what they're talking about. Yes, after school activities are important - to Harvard, or Yale, or any public school you know is very selective. The rest of the schools don't care. How do I know? Because students would try to apply with 2.0 GPA's, 850 on their SATs, and then three pages of activities. What would we do? Deny them. Why? Because contrary to what your teachers "say" - colleges know that you come to school for a degree. They don't care if you were treasurer of the German club - they want to know if you will be able to pass classes and graduate. Also, teachers like to say that while the SAT or ACT is important, schools will overlook your scores if your grades are good enough. Wrong again. Schools want decent grades and scores, not an extreme difference between the two. High scores and low grades tell them "I'm smart but I don't try - so why should you expect me to try in college?" And while one girl called to complain about being denied based on her test scores, saying "I'm not a good test taker" one admissions counselor said to me "If you aren't a good test taker, you shouldn't go to college. Does she think there aren't any tests here?" As harsh as that may sound, grades usually reflect effort, and tests reflect ability. The tests also may show that you just had really easy teachers, and that's why you got good grades. Either way, extra cirriculars may be used as a kind of tie-breaker between two students who are similar but can't both be admitted - but focus on your grades, not your social life.
Finally, here's an insider's tip that teachers never mentioned (and I doubt they know.) One of the worst parts of applying for college is paying the application fees. Twenty-five bucks here, and forty there can really add up, especially if you aren't sure which college you want. Well guess what. Some colleges will waive the fee if you just ask them. Some of these same colleges will also waive it if you apply before a certain date, but even after this date it may be possible to have this done. This is usually a phenomenon within small colleges that aren't bombarded with applications, but it's a worth a shot. When those colleges come calling, just ask "If I apply, can I have the application fee waived?" If they say no, fine, or maybe they will say yes. Either way, it's 3 seconds of your time that could say you quite a bit of money.
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Epinions.com ID:
cloverk
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Location: So many places - midwest at heart.
Reviews written: 28
Trusted by: 5 members
About Me:
Never eat more than you can lift.
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