Putting together your application
Please see below a basic outline of the items needed to complete most college applications. Read on for detailed information regarding several of these items. There may be variation on what different applications require, so be sure to read instructions carefully.
| You: |
Your school: |
| basic biographic form(s) |
transcript |
| application fee |
high school profile |
| test scores |
counselor recommendation |
interests & activities list
|
teacher recommendations |
| essay(s) |
|
| relevant supplemental info/materials |
|
|
You: interests & activities list, essays
Interests & activities list
It is important to understand as you compile your list of interests and activities that admission officers are seeing thousands of lists that look alike: most students applying to selective colleges are involved in similar types of activities, simply because that’s what high schools offer. That’s the bad news. The good news is that colleges want to see your particular list so that they can discern your relationship to these things: why do you do X (school newspaper, service, athletics, theatre, music, or art, etc.) and what do you love about it? Like the essay (see below), the list can and should be a window into who you are and what makes you tick.
So how do you make the list function in this way, particularly when some schools, including all that accept the Common Application, provide a structured format for you to use? You should certainly adhere to such guidelines when they are provided, but it is also generally acceptable to send an additional list that is more personalized. For this list you would, first of all, organize your entries by type of activity and in order of importance to you. Second of all, include some narrative or anecdotal information. If you could say a sentence or two about what it’s been like to work at your local soup kitchen—the good, the bad and the ugly—what would you say? What quality in playing high school softball induces you to return year after year, even if you’re lousy at it? Why do you spend your precious free moments at home knitting or playing with a younger sibling rather than participating in more “organized” activities? The story behind what you do is generally far more interesting than the thing itself, so don’t be afraid to show a little of that to the admission reader.
Essays
Volumes have been written about what makes a good college essay, so if you’re interested in a thorough treatment of the topic take a look at your local bookstore and pick a guide that seems insightful, appealing and sensible (and make sure the writer has had some admission experience). ACAP counselors do not offer essay review or editing, but are happy to provide general tips and pointers on how to approach them, and some insight as to how various choices such as topic and voice are likely to come across.
The most important thing about a college essay is that it sound and feel like you. Once the colleges establish that you are academically in their ballpark, they want to get a sense of you as a person—ideally, the person your friends and family know. By definition, there are as many ways to achieve this as there are applicants, so the challenge is for you to find your way—the topic, approach, and voice that most accurately convey who you are. In general, an informal and down-to-earth tone works better in capturing a sense of you than a formal and self-conscious one; humor can work well, although it needs to flow naturally from you and from your topic. Serious is fine too, as long as it’s not in the vein of taking yourself too seriously.
The good news in all of this is that your particular essay is sitting right there inside of you. The trick is settling on a topic that feels right to you and then allowing your own "unadulterated voice" (to quote the Dean of Admission at Pomona College) tell the story, whatever it is.
Your school: transcript, recommendations
Transcript and college counselor recommendation
You will need to request that your transcript be sent from your high school to the colleges on your list. Along with your transcript, your high school will send a school profile. A college counselor recommendation will also be included for colleges that require one.
Teacher recommendations
Most schools ask for two teacher recommendations, both of which should be from teachers who have taught you in core academic subjects in your junior or senior year. Which teachers? Ideally, two from different core subject areas, and ones who know you well, like you, and are likely to write well. When faced with a choice between balance (representing different subject areas) and quality, we lean towards quality—the strongest letters are the ones that will represent you the best.
How to proceed? Ask your chosen teachers if they would be willing to write for you and, if so, present them with stamped, addressed envelopes for all the colleges to which you are applying, along with a clear list of the deadlines. Approach them early in the fall of your senior year, not only to give them sufficient time to write the letter, but also because many teachers set limits on how many students they are able to accommodate.
Families often ask us about extra or additional letters of recommendation, either from a third teacher or from a non-instructor adult. For guidance on this, please see Extra Recommendations.
Test scores
At your request, your test scores (SAT, Subject Tests, ACT) will be reported directly to your schools by the College Board and/or ACT. Some students indicate their wishes in this respect right when they're taking the exams, but many handle it separately, once they know exactly what their scores are and where they're applying. Also, many guidance departments will include scores on transcripts, although direct reporting from the testing services ensures that your scores will be downloaded electronically into the different colleges' databases. Whatever method you choose, just be certain that all scores are reported to the desired places by the appropriate deadlines. For additional information, see Testing.
