With the beginning of the school year, many seniors are starting to prepare for college applications. While not applying yet, underclassmen are at an important threshold, where they are not applying to colleges yet but instead are building the portfolio that will be used for their applications. With endless possibilities for building a resume, underclassmen can find it overwhelming to decide what strategies to deploy.
Fortunately, underclassmen are surrounded by people who have gone through the same process. This makes tips from upperclassmen invaluable in helping students prepare for the college application process in ways that only hindsight can.
The first and most common tip for freshmen is to explore your interests through extracurriculars. Although it seems obvious, involving yourself on and off campus is one of the best ways to make a well-rounded applicant stand out. A more specific approach recommended by seniors is to explore interests and commit to activities. “Activities like sports have given me a community at TL,” senior Isabelle Rossetti said. “Being on cross country, soccer, and track has introduced me to many people and helped me learn important skills such as leadership.“
Another important aspect of participating in activities is what comes after. Senior Abby Lauster’s greatest piece of advice is simply keeping track of activities and achievements. “Colleges ask a lot about [activities and achievements]. So keep track of every award or honor you get, every activity that you participate in, the amount of time you participate in the activity.“ Colleges typically ask for around 10-20 activities to be listed in an application, so making use of this tip could eliminate one step of the process before senior year, since recalling information from freshman year can be difficult after a long period.
Additionally, seniors advise that underclassmen take school seriously. Staying on top of classwork and keeping grades up is essential to building a resume for college. By showing that school work is manageable, you are proving to colleges that you are dependable, smart, and committed as a student.
At the end of the day, seniors provide helpful reminders that high school is an experience meant to be enjoyed. Lauster explained that you should not worry about every test and grade: “You don´t need to spend your entire high school years worrying about stuff.“ Abby continued to emphasize that high school goes by quickly, and it is important to enjoy it. “Meet new people, get involved, and enjoy high school,“ she said.
Applying to colleges can be isolating and insurmountable when figuring it out alone. Luckily, Terra Linda High has a friendly and tight-knit community of students that are happy to offer suggestions and help to younger students starting out their college journey.
