AdmissionsMom

👋 Hey Juniors (and sophs and freshies too)! Make Your Course Selections Count! Learn more about the 4 x 5, finding your balance, and learning for the sake of learning.⁠
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⚖️ It's All About the Balance: Few things are as painstaking (but also exciting!) as selecting your courses during high school. There’s pressure to take the most honors, APs, or IB courses possible — like there’s some magical combination of classes that will unlock your acceptance to the best college in the world. However, as with most things, you need to approach your course load with balance. Yes, you should challenge yourself - but also be realistic about how much you can handle.⁠
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➗ There's No Formula! You've probs heard that there's no formula that guarantees admission to any college -- and that’s absolutely true. But there are ways to make sure you are prepared and educated about college’s expectations. One of the most useful things you can do if you're applying to highly rejective colleges is to pay close attention to their required and suggested course lists on their websites. To make yourself competitive more generally, make sure you take four years of classes in the five core subjects - what I call the 4x5!⁠
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📚 The 4x5: A good rule of thumb is to follow the 4x5 rule - four years each of these 5 subjects:⁠
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ENGLISH: try to take AP Lang or AP Lit by senior year ⁠
HISTORY: or other Social Science ⁠
MATH: try to take Calc by senior year⁠
SCIENCE: you need at least one year of Bio, Chem, and Physics each⁠
FOREIGN LANGUAGE: I know. You don’t want to. But colleges love to see it! ⁠
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🧠 But Also Stay Sane!: Protect your mental health when choosing a course load. Reducing stress is a valid goal. No college expects you to take ONLY APs, IBs, or Honors. Take the most rigorous course load you can handle, but don't overload. Between 7 – 10 AP classes total throughout high school is enough... And if you can’t find a way to square your concerns for your well-being with what Yale expects - then expand your school list to include colleges that want you for you!⁠
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See the carousel for more info and link-in-bio for blog post!⁠
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XOXO AdmissionsMom 💖😊

📍 Making the Most of Your College Visits and Campus Tours! Check out these Self-Guided Tours for in-person and virtual visits.⁠
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👩‍🎓 A Chance to Talk to Students: BE SURE to talk to current students about their experiences with the school, whether your visit is on campus or virtual. These conversations can help you figure out if you would fit in - and that’s a pretty big deal. Ask questions like, "...Are you happy to be here? Knowing what you know now, would you make the same choice? Would some-one like me be happy at this school?” (See the linked blog post for lots more suggested questions!)⁠
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🚶Get Lost: Whether you're visiting virtually or on-campus, don't skip the official tour and info sessions because they're a great way to gain practical information about the campus. However, it’s equally important to get a little lost on campus, just spend time wandering around to get a true feel for a college — especially when the tours and info sessions start to bleed together for various schools.⁠
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🏫 Nothing Beats a Live Campus Visit: IF you're able to visit a college, do it -- even if it’s just a self-guided tour around a college near you. Nothing beats a live campus visit to explore the campus and soak in the vibe. This is your chance to walk the quad, see what the dorms look like, visit the gym, the dining hall, the library, and whatever other spaces you imagine yourself in as a college student!⁠
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💭 On-Campus Self-Guided Tours: ⁠
- Do the "bench test." Sit on a bench in the middle of campus. Put your phone away, and listen. What kind of conversations are you overhearing?⁠
- Wander into an academic building. See if you encounter any professors.⁠
- Visit the gym, library, and dining halls.⁠
- Hang out outside a dorm. Do the students seem happy?⁠
- If you have mental health issues or learning issues, visit counseling and student support services with questions.⁠
- Find the wall or post with posters and flyers about club activities plastered all over it. Do you see something fun and interesting to you?⁠
- Try to imagine yourself here. Do you fit?⁠
See the carousel for more info and link-in-bio for blog post!⁠
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XOXO AdmissionsMom 💖😊

❤️ Happy Heart Day, Y'all. ⁠
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❤️‍🩹 "Take your pain and turn it into art or love or music or movement or empathy or energy or wisdom or poetry or motivation. Turn your pain into the reason you smile at strangers and hold doors for people, and make eye contact with people that look hard and mean. Take your pain and turn it into anything other than pain because you have the capacity for joy and power, and light -- and pain is only a distraction from the work of freeing your soul." ⁠
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~ Bailey Anne Robertson ⁣⁠MacDonnell⁠
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Slide 1. My husband loves inflatable yard blows up!⁠
Slide 2. Does anyone else keep cards from every year? ⁠
Slide 3. 💖 Thanks for sharing your beautiful words, art, and heart, ; I love to return to it year after year! ⁠
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[image descriptions:⁠
1. Inflatable T-Rex holding a sign that say's "you're sweet" standing in front of a trans-pride flag.⁠
2. Kitchen table with stuffed bears, vase filled with red roses and pink tulips, and multiple valentine's day cards.⁠
3. hand-drawn heart on pink background, with the text by Bailey]

🌴 Are you California dreaming? I went to a UC info session recently and learned some great info about the PIQs. Here is what they said...⁠⁠
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🚫 PIQs are NOT essays. They are answers to questions.⁠⁠
They want NO style. To them, it detracts from your message. ⁠⁠
Focus on Content; Make sense, not style ⁠⁠
They want you to TELL - not show⁠⁠
Use your voice to answer the 6 W's (who, what, when, why, where, and how) ⁠⁠
Who you are, what you've you've done, and why you've done it⁠⁠
They are looking for: Clarity, Depth, Context⁠⁠
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✔️ Here’s the list of what they do want:⁠⁠
EXAMPLES AND DETAILS: provide written examples that show a sense of who you are. Recent events are preferable as they're closer to who you are today.⁠⁠
USE LOTS OF "I" STATEMENTS: the UCs use PIQs to learn more about you. Using "I" and "my" statements will help you better express your personality and accomplishments.⁠⁠
BE ORGANIZED: Your answers should have a flow to them. It should be easy to track the point you're trying to convey. Make sure that your answers would make sense to someone that's never met you before.⁠⁠
STRAIGHT UP ANSWERS: Just pretend like you're sitting and having a chat with them and telling them like it is.⁠⁠
PERSONAL EXPERIENCES: They want to know about you, so share your life.⁠⁠
SELF-REFLECTION: Look within. Give them some commentary and analysis about why things are significant to you. Share the "so what?"⁠⁠
CONNECT THE DOTS: explain the significance of the stories and experiences you're sharing⁠⁠
ONE PARAGRAPH: Don't do fancy formatting or bullet points. It doesn't translate in the app.⁠⁠
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💖 Check out my blog post that's linked in bio to read more about the UC PIQs (and what they do and don't want)!!!⁠⁠⁠⁠
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xoxox AdmissionsMom

😂It’s an oldie but a goodie! Originally reposted from !

💻 Holding steady in the storm of essay review! ‘Tis the season!! 🤓

💪 ⛈ 💻💥😱😎

🌟No matter where you are in the college admissions journey, it’s not too late to start or even to start over! You can reevaluate your list, rework or rewrite your essay and fix mistakes that you’ve learned about along the way. It’s never too late to make changes.

💥So, even if you haven’t begun your college admissions and applications, you have plenty of time. So start getting organized, and ask lots of questions, and do some reading, so you can move along your college admissions path.

💖It’s never too late to start!!
✨It’s never too late to start over!!
🤓It’s ok to try — and fail — and try again — and fail again. There’s no shame in failure.





























Repost from r/getmotivated

🎃 College Admissions is getting real real now. Here’s your Mid-October Checklist and Reminders.⁠⁠
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👍 Let's make sure you're keeping up.⁠⁠
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📊 1. STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES: If you’re sending your test scores, be sure to check on the college’s websites and see if they can be self-reported or if they need to be officially submitted from College Board or ACT. If they need to be officially submitted, do that now for early applications.⁠⁠
💼 2. INTERVIEWS: Be sure to check the college websites and see if you need to apply by a certain date for interviews or if you need to sign up for an interview separately from just submitting your application. Check spam folders. Also, make sure you have your voicemail set up. ⁠⁠
💻 3. UPDATE YOUR SCHOOL COUNSELOR/NAVIANCE OR WHATEVER ADMISSIONS PLATFORM YOUR SCHOOL USES: Check in with your school counselor and update them on the status of your applications. Keep Naviance (or your school platform) updated when you’ve submitted if your school uses Naviance. Stop by and say hello!⁠⁠
📝 4. LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION: Check in with your letter writers and let them know if you’ll be applying early for any of your colleges. Give a gentle reminder about deadlines if you see that they might be behind. Be sure to write thank-you letters later in the fall.⁠⁠
🏫 5. ENGAGEMENT WITH COLLEGES: Colleges are making virtual sessions and tours more available now than ever before. Be sure to sign up and attend at least one for every school you’re applying to. Read the information they’re sending you in emails. If they have a Why College Essay, mention something you learned in the tour/info session and in an email. Other ways to engage and demonstrate interest:⁠⁠
EMAIL YOUR ADMISSIONS OFFICERS: Don't be afraid of introducing yourself and asking any questions you might have that isn’t easily found on the website or google. ⁠
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💖 Check out my blog post that's linked in bio to read more about filling out your activities list!!!

💵 Hey Seniors (and their parents who love them), If you've got Financial Aid questions, I've got lots of helpful information and resources.⁠⁠
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📃 Who Completes The FAFSA? If you are a dependent student and a U.S. citizen, you will need to give some information about your parents along with your own on the FAFSA. If your parents are married or live together, answer the questions about both of them. If your parents are divorced or separated and don’t live together, answer using the parent you lived with more during the past 12 months. If you lived the same amount of time with both parents, give answers about the parent who provided more financial support during the past 12 months or during the most recent 12 months you received support from a parent. If you’re an independent student and a U.S. citizen, you only need to report your own information and your spouse’s (if you’re married).⁠⁠
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📁 How Do I Create an FSA ID to Make My FAFSA Account? ⁠⁠
You’ll need a Social Security number, full name, and date of birth. You’ll also need to create a memorable username and password. You’ll be required to provide either your email address or your mobile phone number when you make your FSA ID. ⁠⁠
Important: A Social Security number, email address, and mobile phone number can only be associated with one FSA ID. If you share an email address with someone else, then only one of you will be able to use that email address to create an FSA ID.⁠⁠
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💻 Who Completes The CSS Profile? Dependent students, regardless of if they’re U.S. citizens, must complete the CSS Profile if their school requires it. If your parents are married—or live together even if they’re not married—answer the questions about both of them, whether they’re the same or opposite s*x. If your parents are divorced or separated and don’t live together, some colleges will require that both the custodial and non-custodial parent fill out the profile. Independent students must also fill out the CSS Profile.⁠⁠
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💖 Check out my blog post that's linked in bio to read more about financial aid!!!

I 💛 hiking. I really do, but sometimes it can be long and hard and exhausting — and, to be honest, sometimes I just want to quit. ⁠⁠
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That’s what l happened to me last weekend. We took a hike to see the aspens changing -- the views were incredible, but after about 6.5 miles I was just done. Like really really really done. I wanted to quit, but I couldn’t because I still had 3 miles to go before I got back to my car. ⁠⁠
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Still, I wanted to sit and quit and complain a lot (and I did), but I had to remind myself to stop bitching and whining and thinking about my poor sore toes and stop for a second and just look around me. With each step, I was surrounded by beauty. With each moment, I was safe and secure. I finally just started repeating to myself: Be here now. I know it’s super hippieish or new agey right? But it helped. ⁠⁠
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So here’s what I learned and how you might want to apply my hiking experience to college admissions. You’re on that mountain right now and you might still have a ways to go before you’re finished and you might want to give up — but you can’t. You’ve got to make it to the finish line so you can reach your goals. ⁠⁠
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Take it one step at a time. Be in the moment. Enjoy the view — it might be what's in your head as you imagine college or you think about your essays, but be there with it. ⁠⁠
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This is an opportunity for you to learn more about yourself than you ever have before. This is your chance to prove to yourself that you can make it through tough challenges. That you can do hard things. That you can learn more about who you are as you share your life philosophy and personality with colleges. ⁠⁠
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Then no matter where you end up at the end of the admissions trail, you will have accomplished so much before you even step foot on a campus. ⁠⁠
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Hiking long trails is hard. College admissions is hard. Just be here now. ⁠⁠
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🧟‍♂️ What do Zombies have to do with the Activities Section?! Read on to find out how to fill yours out!⁠⁠
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🔬 What Counts As An Activity? Keep in mind that basically anything that you do outside of classwork, homework, and test prep is considered an activity. That includes jobs, family and home responsibilities, elderly or child care, zombie hunter, personal projects, interests, and hobbies, and independent research, in addition to the more typical research, internships, and in and out of school community service, clubs, and sports.⁠⁠
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Here’s what MIT Admissions says: “Some students feel so much pressure to get into the “right” college that they want to make sure they do everything right—down to their extracurricular activities. Fortunately, the only right answer is to do what’s right for you—not what you think is right for us."⁠⁠
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⚽ Making the Best of Your Limited Space in the Activities Lists! So let’s get started! I love what says: For activities lists, the description should answer the following questions:⁠⁠
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What did you do? ⁠⁠
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How did you do it? ⁠⁠
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Why was it important?⁠⁠
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✏️ Here are the exact steps I use with my students in filling out their activities list.⁠⁠
STEP ONE: List all activities in these categories.⁠⁠
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Jobs/Work/Internships/Research ⁠⁠
School Clubs or Activities ⁠⁠
Outside School Clubs and Organizations ⁠⁠
Sports/Physical Fitness ⁠⁠
Family Responsibilities⁠⁠
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💖 Check out my blog post that's linked in bio to read more about filling out your activities list!!!⁠⁠⁠
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✨ 26 years ago today, when my beautiful Sara turned three, the only thing she wanted for her birthday was a rainbow. ⁠⁠
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🌟 Well, we tried -- with a prism, a stuffed rainbow, a rainbow light, her aunt even bought her a projection rainbow for her room. But she wanted a real rainbow -- like an in-the-sky real rainbow. 🌈 🌈🌈⁠⁠
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💖 As Sara's grown up, she's always approached the world in her own way and with her own life rules. Who could have predicted then how important rainbows would eventually be in her life, as she progressed through adulthood and embraced her transness and has enjoyed being part of the lgbtq+ community. ⁠⁠
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💃🏽 Now, Sara continues to live life on her own creative, brilliant, funny, kind, interesting terms, as she lives her life as a law student, musical improv performer, song writer, metal artist, potter, graphic designer, twitch D and D master, housing advocate, and "Wheel of Time" rapping game creator.⁠⁠
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🥳 Happy 29th birthday to my beautiful Sara! (it's crazy that I'm typing that by the way...)⁠⁠
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🌈 🌈 And, in case you're wondering, she did get a rainbow -- a double one in fact -- the morning after her 3rd birthday!⁠⁠
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(If you're into fantasy, D & D, or Wheel of Time, you should definitely check her out on her various channels and social media platforms: insta: , twitter: , , twitch: MaidensOfTheSpear)

These two make the world more complete every day with their wit, intelligence, kindness, and creativity.

Happy National Sons Day, Henry and Joseph!

☮ Making Your Peace with the Supplemental Essays. It's Easier -- and More Complicated than You Might Think.⁠⁠
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❓ What's The Point? The point is to paint a picture of you on their college campus. They want to see who you are and what you’ve done and how you are going to bring that to their specific campus. Each of these essays involves digging in and learning more about yourself and what’s important to you and then how that you who you are fits in with what they offer on their campus. Each of these essays requires research about what they offer and elements of you. Colleges ask these questions for a reason -- and it’s usually to make sure they learn more about you and the HUMAN you are (not a test-taking, grade-making, EC doing machine) and how you will bring that human (you) to THEIR specific campus.⁠⁠
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🏫 The "Why College" Essay: The most important thing to remember about a “Why College” essay is that it’s really a “Why You on our College Campus Essay.” So, in essence, this should be an essay that ONLY YOU could write about ONLY THIS SCHOOL. If any sentence could apply to any other school or applicant, scratch it. Here’s an idea from College Essay Guy: take a sheet of paper and divide it down the middle. On one side list all the awesome stuff about you. On the other side list all the amazing stuff about the college. Where do you see overlaps? That’s the substance of your essay. Be sure to do your research. Check out the school newspaper, the department for your major, activities, traditions, mission statement, and social media.⁠⁠
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💖 Check out my blog post that's linked in bio to read more about supplemental essays!!!

I lucked out when it comes to my beautiful, courageous, funny, creative, brilliant, wheel of time rappin’ daughter. Couldn’t be prouder of her and all that she is. Happy

Love you to the moon and back and more than the universe every day Sara Rose

13 Reasons Why It’s OK to Write About Trauma in your College Applications-- And How to Do So (Content warning: discussion of traumatic subjects: su***de, s*xual abuse, trauma, self-harm)⁠⁠
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💜 a joint post by AdmissionsMom and McNeilAdmissions (please check out the link in bio to find the blog post that has all the 13 reasons why it's ok to address trauma in your application)⁠⁠
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First and foremost, you do NOT have to write about anything that makes you uncomfortable or that you don’t want to share. This isn’t the Overcoming Obstacles Olympics. Don’t feel pressure to tell any story that you don’t want to share. It is your story and if you don’t want to write about it, don’t. Period. ⁠⁠
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But, don't rule out a story you DO want to tell because you're worried it will make you look like you're trying to make the admissions officers feel sorry for you. It's your story. If you want to share it, share it, and remember they can't know your circumstances unless you share.⁠⁠
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🔥 MORE PHOENIX, FEWER ASHES⁠⁠
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Here’s a framework you could apply to any essay topic about a traumatic experience or challenge. (We wish we could take credit for the awesome metaphor, but we heard about it from a mom on A2C, who'd heard it an info session.)⁠⁠
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1. Address your issue or circumstance BRIEFLY and be straightforward. Don’t dwell on it.⁠⁠
2. Next, focus on what you did to take care of yourself and how you handled the situation. Describe how you’ve moved forward and what you learned from the experience.⁠⁠
3. Write about how you will apply those lessons to your future college career and how you plan to help others with your self-knowledge as you continue to help yourself as you learn more and grow.⁠⁠
4. Show them that, while you can’t control what happened in the past, you’ve taken steps to gain control over your life and you’re prepared to be the college student you can be⁠⁠
5. Remember to keep the focus on the positives and what you learned from your experiences.⁠⁠
6. Make sure your essay is at least 80% phoenix, 20% ashes. Or another way to put this is, tell the gain, not the pain.

👋 Hey Seniors, You DO have an amazing essay inside you. Read on to find the steps to drag it out of yourself⁠⁠
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💥 Here's What I Know: Your idea about some kind of story you tell just isn’t that important. Often, the best essays I read come from the most mundane ideas. So many of you are focused on finding the magical idea that you’re letting the point of the essay escape you. There is no magic formula. There is no perfect idea. Because you have the focus of the essay right there. With you. It’s inside you because that’s what it is: inside you.⁠⁠
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🤓 So, then what's the point? Despite what you think and what you’ve been told, I’ve come to believe (strongly!) that the point of the personal essay is not to STAND OUT, but to STICK WITH. You want the reader to fight for you in committee, and they will want to fight for you in committee if you build a connection with them. Quotes right here from u/DeanJfromUVA on Twitter: “I see so many students worrying about finding a unique college application easy that will ‘set them apart” right now. Application essay topics don’t have to be unique! I don’t mind if students write about something super popular, whether it’s an activity, academic interest, book, song… I just want them to give a little insight into who they are.”⁠⁠
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🙌 How do you build that connection? You build a connection with your reader by building bridges instead of walls. Walls can be an extended metaphor that has gone too far, an essay that feels like it’s trying too hard, stilted formal language, thesaurus words, paragraphs that aren’t about inside you at all, but that are about another person, your ECs, or too much description. When I feel like someone is writing an essay that has been specifically written with the intent of impressing me, that builds a wall. Bridges let me in. Bridges are human connections. Bridges show vulnerability and problem-solving. Bridges aren’t afraid to show failure and learning from that failure.⁠⁠
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💖 Check out my blog post that's linked in bio to find the ten steps to Building Bridges in Your Personal Essay!!

🍯🍎🍯🍏Happy Rosh Hashanah — wishing you all a sweet New Year — we need it. In our large family, holidays have always been big events — time to see and check in with people we don’t always see often. This year…it was different. We had a small dinner last night, and while we had all the makings of our traditional Rosh Hashanah meals — apples and honey, round challahs, wine, and some shofar blowing, the tenor of our dinner table conversation wasn’t as joyous or carefree as we’d become accustomed to for most of our lives.

With the global pandemic, racial reckoning, natural and human disasters looming over us — not to mention the fact that we live in Texas, so we have to add in voter suppression, trans rights issues, gun carrying neighbors, and women’s rights issues, it was a heavy night. All is not right with the world, and as our rabbi said, we can’t look away and be part of the “psychic numbing” that keeps us from worrying about our fellow humans — even when we don’t see their problems or from just the overload we are all experiencing right now.

Our rabbi told a great story this morning. It’s about a group of people on a boat. They’re all oaring along to get to their destination. Then, one dude gets out a drill and starts drilling a hole in the boat. Everyone else starts yelling at him to stop that! He says, “What? I’m just drilling the hole under my seat. You don’t have to drill a hole under your seat if you don’t want one.”

Of course that one hole will fill the boat with water, dooming everyone to a sunken boat and potential drowning. This is where we are right now. We need to keep our boat safe. Let’s keep our oars moving and put away the drills. And to do that we need to pay attention to what’s needed in the fabric of our humanity.

What needs to be done around you? In your community? Where can you make a difference by picking up an oar?

For those of you applying to college, this brings double bonus points bc not only are you adding strength to our human-powered ship, you’re also bringing much needed compassion to college campuses — and doing stuff that you can talk about in your applications.

🐶 I’m lucky to be spending with my grand-puppy Zoey out in the country on the San Bernard River! My favorite part about spending time outdoors with Zoey is watching her run around and explore. Taking her time to sniff and smell whatever catches her attention and then to take off and run — sometimes it seems like just for the fun of it. And then, of course, it’s time to sit and chill and just look around. Makes me want to find my inner puppy — and focus more on spending my time exploring and finding things to do just for the fun of it — and then stopping just to be still when I need it!

🐶 How does this apply to college admissions, you ask, since most college admissions officers aren’t looking to accept dogs? (With the exception of, possibly, :)

🐶Believe it or not, there are lessons to be learned from our “best friends.” Admissions Officers are looking for students who lead authentic lives and who are open to exploration and learning. The strongest applicants will explore, learn new things, and take time to find fun and joy in their lives — even while pushing to take rigorous classes and make good grades.

🤓 Any fellow list makers out there? I like to organize and categorize and then make lists of what I've organized and categorized -- and that's what I've done here with my college lists. ⁠⁠
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💻 After a bunch of years of suggesting colleges for students; a ton of college info sessions, college virtual tours, and college fairs; over 85 in-person college visits over the last few years; a lot a lot of book reading, and learning from my fellow counselors and consultants at conferences and through counseling/consulting groups, I’ve decided to finally organize and share all my thoughts about college lists into well… organized lists (sort of -- you’ll see). Most colleges on these lists are colleges I’m familiar with in some way -- either I’ve personally visited, or I know someone who attended, or I’ve interacted with their admissions team, or a counselor or consultant I know and respect has suggested it. ⁠⁠
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🌟 Some of these lists were put together by others or in tandem with others. I’ve tried to give credit where it’s due. These lists are an ongoing project so I’m sharing them in google doc form so I can update them easily as I hear about other schools. And as the works-progress-that they are, I’d love to get your suggestions! Know a school you want to be added to one of the lists? That would be awesome. Send me a message or let me know in the comments!⁠⁠
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✅ Here are the categories of lists you'll find in my blog:⁠⁠
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🤔 Colleges You Might Not Think About⁠⁠
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😄 If You Like This College, You Should Check out These Colleges⁠⁠
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⛰ Geography and College⁠⁠
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🔬 Majors and Your College List⁠⁠
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💰 Merit Aid Colleges⁠⁠
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💚 Need-based Financial Aid Colleges⁠⁠
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🤩 Lists for International Students⁠⁠
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😎 Lists and Info for Undocumented Students⁠⁠
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🔗 All links to my folder lists are in my blog post linked in bio.

🤓 Hey Seniors! If you’re feeling lost about your list or confused about your colleges, here’s my Step-by-Step Easy-Schmeasy Lemon-Squeezy Guide to Building the Best List for You.⁠⁠
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⛰ MAKING A LIST CAN BE DAUNTING⁠⁠
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It’s a tough task under the best of circumstances, and during a global pandemic, making visiting colleges difficult and even impossible, it can feel overwhelming. Last summer, I looked up and saw the huge mountain nearby filling up the night sky, and in that moment, it occurred to me that trying to craft a college list might feel a little like climbing that mountain in the dark. You can’t see where you’re going, you could get lost, and you might even stumble. And, I’m here to tell you that’s ok -- I’ve had more than my shares of tumbles -- on mountains and in life. But we can make it easier if you know the steps to follow -- and you take the time to dig in and get to know yourself and what’s important to you.⁠⁠
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🧠 USE A BEGINNER'S MIND⁠⁠
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You might already know a lot about colleges and what your list should look like, but I’d like for you to approach this time as a time to learn more about college admissions, colleges -- and yourself. This might be the first time you’ve thought about what’s important to you, what you care about, what you worry about, what you want, so approach you -- yourself -- with an open mind as you explore this crazy, exciting, fascinating world of college admissions and your college list.⁠⁠
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🙃 FORGET THE "DREAM SCHOOL"⁠⁠
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When you’re drooling over that perfect school with a perfect campus and perfect classes, you’re dreaming about who you want to be and where you can become who you want to be -- and there isn’t only one Dream School where you can do that. Figure out what is about that certain school that might make you consider it your dream school, and let’s use that to create your list. ⁠⁠
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💰 CONSIDER FINANCIAL NEEDS ⁠⁠
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Sit down with your parents and do the net price calculators for various colleges. You can find that by googling “college name” and “net price calculator"⁠⁠
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Be sure to check out my blog post (Linked InBio)where I go into much more detail about all thirteen steps!