Time To Apply!
Starting Your Applications
To start, you will need to go to the Common App website and set up an account as a first-year student. You will be asked to fill in personal information before you are given access to your account. Once you have access, you will be able to add the colleges you want to apply to and see what they require (additional information, essays, or recommendation letters).
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You should start your applications in August and finalize your list soon after. The earlier the better because the deadlines will come fast. Each school will state its deadline on your Common App dashboard, and more noticeable alerts will show up when there are 30 days until the deadline.
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Furthermore, there will be an "application fee" for each school. This can range anywhere from $0 to $100. More prestigious schools will have higher fees; however, some state schools can also be expensive.
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Florida schools in the state system are $30.
Too Many Decisions
Early Decision*: This option means that if you are accepted into the institution, you must attend. This option is legally binding and should only be chosen when you and your parents are 100% certain that you can attend. This option can only be chosen for one school. Applications will also need to be submitted earlier (November 1st is a common date).
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Early Action*: This option means that you will need to submit your application earlier (November 1st is a common date), though it is not legally binding. Colleges tend to offer priority to merit scholarships if the student submits their application before the early action deadline.
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*Recent trends have shown that colleges have higher acceptance rates in the early decision/action cycles.
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Regular Decision: This option is the general application cycle. Deadlines will typically fall closer to the new year, though some are earlier.
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College Essays
The Common App Personal Statement
The Common App personal statement is your chance to show admissions officers not only who you are, but what you are capable of as a writer. There are seven essay prompts for you to choose from including a "free choice" option.
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Choose an experience, person, or object that has had a monumental impact on your life and tell a story. You may have thought that reading Shakespeare and Poe in English was useless at the time, but now is your chance to use intense imagery and profound metaphors to emotionally move the admissions officers. Make your essay the song that gets stuck in their heads.
Show, Don't Tell
As stated above, the personal statement should be in narrative form. This means, in simple terms, don't tell the reader that you like to read. Instead, show them how reading makes you feel by immersing them in your thoughts, feelings, and reactions to a book.
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Sample: "As I was fanning through the pages of my favorite book, I was surrounded by the lingering smell of wood. It was like the branches of the tree were pulling me in...or maybe I was pulling them out."
What Not To Do
Two ideas to avoid: reiterating extracurricular activities* and cliche themes. For the first, there is an exception. If you are able to twist your extracurricular story to be about something you learned and can apply to your real life, then it can be creative. Otherwise, your extra-curriculars should be explained in the "activities" section or your application.
As for the cliche topics, these include a story line such as "I worked hard in ___ sport, I won, I learned that hard work pays of." Instead, write about a time where you didn't get the results you wanted or expected and explain what you learned.
Ethan Sawyer is The College Essay Guy, and he has created an in-depth guide on how to craft the perfect essay.
Recommendation Letters
These letters will primarily be written by your teachers and your counselor, but some colleges also allow applicants to submit recommendations from coaches, clergy, peers, etc. Educators and counselors will both submit their letters through Common App. As the student, you will need to add their name and email to your account.
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Your recommender should be able to attest to your character and work ethic in, and sometimes out, of class.
Who Should You Ask?
You may be tempted to choose your favorite teacher, however, you should, instead, choose the teacher that knows your character best. Your relationship with this teacher should also be positive.
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Apart from having a positive student-teacher relationship, you can strategically choose a teacher whose subject aligns with your intended major or your interests. For example, if you are looking to go into pre-law, a social studies teacher, debate/speech teacher, or English teacher recommendation would bolster your application. Though, if you have a stronger relationship with a teacher of a different subject, then they too should be chosen.
How To Ask... And Thank
*Not all schools require or want teacher recommendations. Florida public universities are one of these (UCF, FSU, UF, UNF, etc).
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First, remember that the person you ask does not have an obligation to say yes to your request.
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Second, you should ask well before the deadline (at least 8 weeks, or two months). If you like the teacher, then many other students probably do as well, meaning that they are going to have many personalized letters to write before the same or similar deadline.
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Third, ask them in person. This method is more personal and shows them that you truly care about what they think of you. If they say yes, send them a follow-up email as a reminder along with your academic resume (more below).
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Fourth, thank your teacher when you ask, and again after they complete the letter. It is also courteous to let them know whether you were accepted into the institution they sent the recommendation.
Counselor Recommendations
Counselor recommendations are required by all institutions and are used to legitimize your academic record and your character. Your counselor may want to interview you in addition to seeing your academic resume to understand you as a person instead of merely numbers in a spreadsheet. Since counselors can have hundreds of students to manage, they may need to spend more time with you so they can write a well-developed recommendation letter.
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Remember, like teachers, your counselor will have a lot of letters to write and may not complete yours immediately. A kind reminder a few weeks before the deadline is a good way to ensure all required documents are received.
Academic Resume
Your academic resume is like the highlight reel of your high school career. All your information will needs to fit on one page and should be easy to navigate. This template is a great way to get started. Don't feel obligated to fill in all the components, but most should be used.
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In addition to your teachers and counselors needing this document to complete your recommendation letters, schools and scholarships may ask for it as well.
