Everything I did to apply and get accepted to my dream college: Extracurriculars, SAT Prep, Recommendations, Essays & More…

By: Charlene Wu

24/7 Writing and Communications Superstar

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When you think about college applications, what comes to mind? Stress, pressure, anxiety? These are all very common emotions tied to college admissions. However, I’m here to help. In this post, I will share my high school journey that got me to where I am today, at my dream school and one of the top schools in the U.S., the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill!

My College Admissions Plan:

Around the spring semester of my sophomore year in high school, I started seriously planning my college process. This was when I started thinking about what elements of a school I would thrive in: small/ large, urban/ suburban area.

I wanted to give ample notice to people that I wanted a recommendation letter from, so that year I chose teachers I had close relationships with and provided them my list of possible colleges and interests. I made sure these were teachers I had classes or extracurriculars with for at least an entire year. Recommendation letters from adults that have known you over a long period of time allows them to write more about your character growth and interests. It is also good practice to keep contact with faculty and advisors in case they can pass on any information of opportunities to you.

Extracurricular Activities:

Talking to your teachers and counselors can also open doors to extracurricular activities. For my extracurriculars, I chose to stick with activities that I was passionate about and gain leadership experience through their board positions. The organization I had the strongest passion for was my high school newspaper. I joined the organization my sophomore year, and loved it so much that I became co-editor in chief my senior year.

Additionally during my sophomore year, I co-founded our school’s first Calligraphy Club. We hosted monthly events involving service, culture and collaboration with other of our school’s clubs. Calligraphy was a hobby my friends and I had picked up in middle school, but it became a platform for us to create a community and fun environment.

I also joined the student council my senior year, and helped fundraise money for a local nonprofit. This experience helped me learn more about advocacy and grassroots campaigns. I also used my positions in all my extracurriculars to help create a school community working for the same goal (for example, Calligraphy Club would help create posters for the nonprofit project, the Newspaper would help publicize, and Student Council would oversee the nonprofit administration.) Becoming involved with multiple activities allowed me to work in teams of different contexts and gain hands-on leadership experience that was unique to all of my interests.

In my junior year, I worked a part-time job at a restaurant and held a summer internship position with a local non-profit. These experiences not only provided me with independence and time management skills but experience with service work and people skills. I had the privilege of holding a part-time job for disposable income rather than needing it for living income. Part-time jobs, on top of being a full-time student, can consume a great amount of time. I was fortunate enough to find a paid internship position through my guidance counselor. I highly suggest using such resources to find any interest-related positions that also financially compensate.

College Essays:

From all of these experiences, I grew so much in character and had many stories to share. This is what fueled my ideas for my personal statement and college essays. I had always been passionate about writing; however, these essays held true in authenticity because they were my genuine experiences and thoughts, unique to me.

Many stress about college essays. However, I learned you write the best when you have genuine experiences to contemplate on. The anxiety caused by worrying over what you should write isn’t helpful. The best thing you can do is put your full focus and self into your experiences now, so inspiration on what to write comes naturally later. I made sure to start drafting my essays my junior year and finished them that summer in order to not stress during my senior year.

SAT/ACT Test Preparation:

As for the SAT, I started test prep in my junior year. I already had a strong math and reading background from taking higher-level courses throughout my middle and high school education. However, for supplemental studying, I took advantage of Khan Academy’s free online resources. Outside resources helped me understand the formatting of the standardized test, which isn’t necessarily taught in school. I practiced every week leading up to my SAT exam during the summer. I gained faster test-taking skills for the SAT by becoming comfortable with the structure and wording of the questions. I suggest studying for the SAT over the summer, then take it as soon as possible in your junior year. My school course load was lighter in the beginning of the year, which made it easier to balance both the SAT and coursework.

To conclude, the most important thing for a smooth college application process is to plan ahead and start as early as possible. I recommend starting as early as 8th grade.

If you are ready to start thinking about the college application process, set up a free strategy call with one of our 24/7 College Admissions specialists and learn everything you need to create a successful college application plan.