BY LOGAN BLEDSOE
As many of my fellow seniors are turning in their college applications, I can’t help but compare my own applications to theirs. What schools are they applying too? How do my grades stack up against theirs? Does my applications stand out from the rest? What are my chances of getting into the schools I want to get accepted to?
With college apps, comes a lot of unwanted and unnecessary stress. Many kids internalize that schools only care about grades, GPA, and SAT/ACT scores. This is simply not the case.
Although, grades play a massive part in your application, it is important to remember that a college application is designed to give the schools a summary of what you have done with your adolescent life.
This can be a scary thing, giving a school every little detail about your interests and values, as well as letting them dig thoroughly into your academic achievements, can be uncomfortable, and sometimes an embarrassing experience.
This means that every word, sentence, phrase, and paragraph is indicative of who you are as a person. Misspell a word? That could denote laziness and unprofessionalism. Skip a question? What are you hiding? Or are you not taking this application seriously? These small, grammatic details play a major role in universities determining who you are just through a computer screen.
I encourage those who have yet to apply to college, or are a year or so away from applying, to begin thinking, what sets you apart from the rest of the people applying? It better be unique. Colleges want diversity more than ever, so it is important to find out, what qualities do you have that none of your peers have?
All in all, college applications are scary. It’s ok to be scared. In the end, it’s just an online form. Calmly fill it out, and be honest. If you take your time and stay on task, you will do fine.
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