​Being in California, the UC schools loom large for a lot of my students. Many of their parents have attended UC schools, and the system’s stellar reputation combined with its low sticker price make these schools top choices for many of my students and their families. Admissions decisions for the UC schools are being released throughout the month of March (you can see the full list here), bringing good news – and some disappointment – to high school students around the world. But for some students, the decision exists somewhere between a yes and a no, in the form of the wait list.
 
One of the challenging things about the UC application is that there’s only one form that covers all the schools. So whether you’re applying to one school or multiples, you only get to submit one application, one set of essays, and one list of your activities and achievements. When all the schools see the same materials, there’s not an opportunity to discuss specifically what you love about any particular school. Unless you get invited to join the wait list.
 
Many colleges will accept and even encourage wait-listed students to submit new information. It might be your most recent quarter grades to show that your upward trend is continuing. Or it might be an award or honor you’ve received in the last few months. But the UCs are unique in that they have a required essay for students who wish to be put on the wait list. UC Davis’s prompt reads, “Please briefly tell us why you feel UC Davis is the right place for you to continue your education.” Students might bemoan the fact that they have to write yet another essay for their college applications, but I see this as a wonderful opportunity to tell a college why you’re interested in going there, and why you’re still excited about it months after you first submitted your application.
 
The key to this kind of essay is getting personal. I always encourage my students to think about how other students might answer this prompt. They will likely talk about how strong the [insert your major] program is. They might say something about how nice the campus is. They might talk about how much they like the town of Davis, or the facilities, or the sports teams. But these responses are missing a crucial element: why is that important to you? And moreover, why is that unique to UC Davis? Maybe you like the campus because you grew up in a city, and you love the idea of looking out your dorm room window and seeing open fields for miles. Maybe you like the town of Davis because when you visited, you found this quirky coffee shop where a bunch of students were studying together, and you could immediately picture yourself there, having intellectual debates over cold brew coffee. Whatever your reason, you have to make it specific to the school and specific to yourself. So if you have the chance to write one of these essays, seize it, and give the most compelling reasons for why you’re a great fit.

I’m giving a presentation on college admissions to a group of 8th graders this weekend, and I’ve been thinking about what I want them to walk away knowing at the end of it. This kind of event can seem like a sign of the ever-expanding reach of college admissions (if 8th graders are stressing out about getting into college now, where will it end?!), but the thing I like most about presenting to younger kids and families is how many things I get to tell them not to worry about. Here are three things you don’t have to do or think about or feel anxious about:
 

1. The SAT (or ACT for that matter). Some schools and tutoring centers offer middle schoolers the chance to sit for the SAT in 7th or 8th grade, and many families wonder if this is worthwhile. First of all, the SAT is not an intelligence test, so why would you take a test before you’ve ever learned the material? Middle school students haven’t been taught the level of math that is tested on these exams, namely advanced algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. And reading and writing abilities are cumulative and develop significantly in high school, improving your abilities naturally over time. But getting a low score, even if there are good reasons for it, can be really demoralizing, especially for students who are academically strong and typically do well on standardized tests. There’s plenty of time in 10th and 11th grade for students to figure out which test they should take, to prepare for that test, and to sit for that test a couple of times. Waiting until you’re academically ready will only improve your scores, and make the process much more efficient.
2. Finding your passion in life. Many students feel like they need one primary activity on their resume to demonstrate depth of commitment, and they worry that if they haven’t found that by the time they get to high school, they won’t have enough years to show their deep investment in something. But the wonderful thing about high school is how many different sports, clubs, and activities there are that you never had access to before. Freshman year of high school is a great opportunity to dabble in a wide range of extracurriculars, exploring all your interests. Once you’ve had a chance to try some new things, you can think about where to devote more time and energy next year. There is no number of hours you have to hit for an activity to be considered meaningful. Having something specific and compelling to say about why you joined and why you stayed involved is much more important to colleges.
3. What you’re going to do when you grow up. I talk about this a lot when beginning the college research process with my students. You don’t need to know what you want to do when you grow up, or even what you want to major in, to start the college search process. Filtering by major is only one way to organize colleges. So if you don’t need to know your future profession when you start looking at colleges in your junior year, you definitely don’t need to know it when you’re in middle school. And focusing so intensely on one career or one field might cause you to miss a wonderful opportunity. Instead, think about where and when you feel intellectually engaged. Is it a particular subject, an especially compelling teacher, maybe just one really good book you read? When you find something you enjoy academically, find ways to do more of it. If you do that throughout high school and college, that will translate into a major and a career.

 

​People sometimes ask me why I choose to work for Collegewise, instead of just being a completely independent counselor. My answer really depends on the day. Sometimes it’s because of a wickedly smart email chain, teasing apart the nuances of the Math I and Math II SAT subject tests. Sometimes it’s because they provide a good excuse to go to Mexico in January. And today, it’s because of the brand new Collegewise Guide to College Visits, from my colleague, Casey Near.
 
Casey and I have toured a lot of colleges together, so I’ve gotten to see firsthand the depth of analysis and consideration she applies to every college tour, information session, and casual stroll around a campus. She’s been actively thinking about the purpose and value of college tours for most of her adult life. So having her consolidate her thoughts and suggestions in one place is immeasurably valuable to me, to all of my students, to the families I’ve met at seminars, and to the counselors in my area who advise thousands of high school students every year.    
 
One of the things I appreciate the most about this guide is the emphasis on first determining whether or not to visit a college at all. There is an almost infinite amount of information on college websites, YouTube, Google Maps, Yelp, and more that can give you a very detailed idea of what life is like at a particular college. For some schools, that can be more than enough information for you to know that a school has the experiences and opportunities you’re looking for.
 
If you decide that a college tour would be worthwhile, come prepared. I talk a lot about approaching this process thoughtfully, considering colleges from an academic, financial, social, and professional standpoint as you decide where to apply, how to articulate your fit, and where to eventually spend the next four years. The same principle applies to college visits. Take the time to think about what you haven’t been able to get a sense of from all your research, what you need to know about a specific major, club, or program that would make the difference between applying or not applying to this school. Think about what you want to do when you’re on campus, like sitting in on a class or having lunch with a current student, and make the necessary arrangements.  
 
Above all, college tours should be fun. As our president, Kevin, says, touring colleges is like getting to shop for your own birthday present. You get to decide where, and how big or small, and what kind of people you want to be spend your time with, and how convenient it is to get Thai food at 2:00am. Everyone tells you how fun college is. Think of the tour as a sneak preview.