Tips for Seniors: Getting Started

Around the college counseling office, the first weeks of school mean individual meetings with seniors.  For some, these meetings are a check up on progress.  For others, the meeting is a reminder that it's time to get to work.  The earlier you get started on applications and the more organized you are in your approach, the better.  Here's what seniors ought to be thinking about right now:

• Make sure your list of prospective schools is updated in Family Connection.  Now is the time to remove any schools you're certain you won't be applying to.  

• Take note of the application deadlines for your prospective schools.  Prioritize applications (especially the writing sections) for schools with October and November deadlines.  

• Note which schools will accept the Common App.  These are indicated by this logo: .  Be sure to note whether your Common App schools require a supplemental section.  You can find this info when you add a college to your Common App profile.  

• Start drafting essays now so that you have plenty of time to edit and seek feedback.  Email your essay drafts to your college counselor and perhaps to a trusted English teacher.  Below are a few helpful links that may or may not inspire you to start writing: 

Johns Hopkins University's "Essays that Worked"

The University of Georgia's Suggestions

The Huffington Post's Do's and Don'ts

Video Advice from Boston University

Summer College Visits: California

Over the summer, I made my first return to the state where I was born - California. Southern California was home for only a few months during the first year of my life, and I hadn't been back since my family tore me away from the sunshine and beaches to instead raise me in my beautiful and exotic hometown of... St. Louis (thanks a lot, Mom and Dad).  Though the main reason for my visit was a conference in Palm Springs, I was able to spend a day in Los Angeles and a morning in Claremont visiting campuses. Below are some quick thoughts on each school I visited, along with photos.  More photos can be found on our new (!!!) Instagram account: instagram.com/hiescollegecounseling.

University of California - Los Angeles

Beautiful campus in a nice area, just slightly removed from LA.  Feels like a big state school but clearly has a different personality than many of our students are probably used to on the big southeastern campuses.  Would be a great fit for a strong HI student interested in pushing his/her boundaries a bit at a high profile, diverse, large institution on the West Coast.

University of Southern California

USC is located in the city of Los Angeles, although it isn't a completely urban campus like NYU or George Washington; there's a clear distinction between being on campus and off campus.  And campus itself is stunning, if you're into palm trees and fountains and that type of thing.  Would be a great fit for an HI student seeking the SoCal experience at a medium-sized school near the heart of a major city.  Especially strong in film and the arts, as well as business.  

The Claremont Colleges: Harvey Mudd, Scripps, Pitzer, Claremont McKenna, and Pomona

 The Claremont Colleges are 5 unique colleges (and 2 grad schools, which I skipped) whose campuses are all adjoining, though each has its own personality, culture, and academic strength.  The opportunities provided by the shared space and resources among the 5 campuses are unmatched.  If you like the idea of a liberal arts college but want some space to grow and explore beyond your small campus, you won't find a better option than one of the Claremont Colleges.  Oh, and if you're into beautiful weather, mountains, and really cool little college towns, this is your place.  But research each college individually, they aren't all a good fit for everyone because of their specific academic strengths.  Harvey Mudd is primarily focused on engineering, and Scripps is a women's college, for example.