Category: Holistic Review Process

Embracing Essay Writing AuthenTECHly  

This week we welcome Senior Admission Advisor, Julissa Ortiz, to the blog. Welcome, Julissa!

As the fall season approaches, I eagerly anticipate the cozy evenings ahead… bundling up with a blanket, watching my favorite movies, and preparing for the holidays. It’s my favorite time of year!  

But there’s something else I love about this season: as an admission counselor at Georgia Tech, I get to read the stories of so many incredible students through their college essays. This will be my third year reviewing applications, and I must say, it’s a privilege. Every year I’m amazed by the courage, creativity, and authenticity that so many students bring to their writing.  

I know this process can feel overwhelming. But remember, your essay is more than a task we require… it’s a unique opportunity to speak directly to us! As seniors everywhere begin to tackle their college essays, I’d like to offer some advice to help you shine through your writing.  

Find Your Voice 

Your voice is one of the most essential elements of your college essay. It’s what makes your writing feel genuine and memorable—it’s the way your personality, values, and experiences shine through your words. Write out loud

To find your voice, use language that feels natural to you. There’s no need to overcomplicate things with fancy words. Read your essay out loud and ask yourself, “Is this what I would actually say if I were speaking to an admission counselor in person? Does it sound like me?” Getting feedback from someone else can also help, but trust your instincts—you know yourself best! Don’t forget, we’re genuinely trying to get a glimpse of who you are, so don’t hold back or overthink. Be authentic and let your true self come through. 

Share Personal Stories  

Your personal stories are what make you uniquely you, and they have the power to transform your essay into something you’re proud to use to represent yourself. Georgia Tech is on the Common App, which offers seven different prompts to choose from. There’s no right or wrong choice—each prompt is designed to help you reflect on the moments that have shaped who you are today.

Think about the experiences that have left a mark on you: maybe it was overcoming an unforeseen challenge, discovering a passion that excites you, or having a conversation that shifted your perspective. Big or small, these moments reveal who you are beneath the surface. When you write with honesty and self-reflection, you invite the reader to see the world through your eyes. 

Don’t Overlook the Supplemental Essay 

Beyond the Common App essay, Georgia Tech asks for a supplemental essay to understand how you might fit within our campus community. Our motto is “Progress and Service,” and we’re looking for students who are not only excited about what they can gain here but also about what they can contribute.  

Think about how Tech aligns with your goals and passions. Reflect on how you see yourself engaging with our community, both in and out of the classroom. This is your chance to show us why Georgia Tech is the place for you—and why you’re a perfect fit for us. Be thoughtful, be specific, and most importantly, be yourself! Share how you see yourself living our values and contributing to our dynamic campus life. 

Be Your AuthenTECH Self! 

At the end of the day, what’s the key to writing a great college essay for Georgia Tech? Be your AuthenTECH self! Your story matters, and we can’t wait to hear it. So, grab your favorite fall treat, take a deep breath, and start brainstorming your thoughts. We can’t wait to meet you through your words and discover the unique perspective you’ll bring to our Yellow Jacket family. 

Julissa Ortiz has dedicated her career to supporting students. She joined Georgia Tech in 2022 as a Senior Admission Advisor within the First-Year Team, bringing her experience and enthusiasm for fostering college access. As a first-generation, small-town student herself, Julissa is deeply committed to expanding educational opportunities for all. She also serves as an advisor for the Women’s Recruitment Team, a dynamic student organization on campus focused on supporting prospective women, while creating an empowered community among members. 

Mindset and Approach- A Rising Senior’s Guide to College Admission

Last year I wrote this blog criticizing February, and man did the Feb fans have some words. Wow. Well, now I’m taking the other side of that coin to say that I’m a big fan of May.

First, the weather. Now, maybe you live somewhere I’m not thinking of or unfamiliar with and you have some terrible May situation, but in the South, the pollen is gone, the flowers are out, the bugs and humidity haven’t arrived, and most mornings and evenings are cool.

Also, it’s graduation month (though from this seemingly comprehensive list that is not official). Admittedly, between working at a college, speaking at graduations, and having a disproportionate number of friends and neighbors with graduating students, I have attended my fair share of these. I love the experience because graduations bring together family, present an opportunity for shared celebration of accomplishments, up our nation’s smile: frown ratio, and simultaneously facilitate both healthy reflection and warranted optimism about the future. Generally good times despite uncomfortable garb and predictably unmemorable speeches. Yep, I love a good tassel turn.

Graduation also means the seniors are done. Before you dismiss that one as “sentences that need never to have been written,” hang on. When those caps get picked up and the last selfie has been taken, the juniors take on a unique and important transient identity—RISING SENIORS.

If that’s you—this one’s for you.

Rising connotes you are not there yet. You are in transition. You have left the on-deck circle and are walking to the plate. Basically, this is your walk-up song summer (or playlist). And while your teachers may have already sent you things to do (summer assignments/reading list), when it comes to college admission, I want to focus on your mindset and approach.

RISING INTO COLLEGE ADMISSION

True Success

The longer I do this work and the more students and families I talk to, the more convinced I am that the real goal of college admission is not getting into a particular school. Instead, it is having choices and options. As a rising senior, you inevitably saw this play out with the graduating class. The students most satisfied with their college admission experience are those who felt like they had agency. Ultimately, they picked a college. Does that mean all doors were open? Of course not. But in the end, they got to select a college from several they were excited about. THAT is my hope for you—and not only for college but life well beyond. Freedom is having options. As you rise this summer, spend time thinking about what (not where) you want in a college– and why! Build a list of schools where you would be excited to go. Practice recognizing the difference between “a good school” and a good school for you.

Your walk-up song is playing. Phrases like “dream school,” “top choice,” limit your view of success/happiness and foster zero sum thinking. Keep your head up and your gaze is broad.

Mindset and approach are a choice.

Expect the Unexpected

College Admission is not Fair. Yikes. How’s that for orange juice right after brushing your teeth. Fair is a place they sell cotton candy, cobble together super rickety rides, and judge pigs. (h/t Tim Fields, Emory University). This ain’t that. In the year ahead, you are going to see admission decisions come out that will not make sense to you. Students in your high school will get into colleges you don’t think “they should have.” Worse still- you may see people get into a college you really wanted to go to or get selected for a scholarship you were hoping to receive, while you are dealing with the disappointment of being deferred or denied or waitlisted.

Rising Senior, I’m challenging you in those moments to actually show up for your friends, classmates, and teammates. Celebrating others is a life skill.  Don’t let someone else’s outcomes impact your outlook.

Mindset and approach are a choice.

THE admit rate is not YOUR admit rate.

The published admit rate for a school you are considering is 33%. So one of every three applicants is offered admission, and two of three are either denied, waitlisted (and never pulled into the class), or those who fall out of the process along the way (incomplete, cancel application, etc.) As a smart rising senior, you likely did not need me to translate a percentage into multiple sentences, but hey, it’s a blog. It’s what I do.

ANYHOO, it would be easy/reasonable/and normal math to stop there. You’re thinking- I’m cool with a 1/3 shot.  Sorry, friends. This isn’t the column or dozen groupings of a roulette wheel in Vegas. This is college admission. This is the willing suspension of regular math.

If you’re applying to a public university, question one is where are you from? Resident and non-resident admission review are completely different committee and consideration conversations. As an example, the University of Florida’s overall admit rate in 2023 was 23%. However, Sunshine State residents were admitted at nearly 60%, while Gator nation admitted Cloudy State residents at less than 20%.

Colleges will provide this data on their sites, but another good reference point is the Common Data Sets, primarily in Section C (Search: College Name and Common Data Site). Alternatively, you can check out this blog, which delves into both the CDS and CFD (Clark Family Dynamics).

Does every in-state resident, have the same chance of being admitted to their state’s flagship, even with the same grades, course rigor, or scores?  If your answer starts with an N, keep reading. Otherwise, go back to the beginning. (And by beginning I meant the entire blog, circa 2015. Now you do have some summer reading assignments.)

Ultimately, mission drives admission. Or in wonky admission speak decisions come down to Institutional Priorities– and that leads us far beyond your zip code or state’s initials. As you’ll quickly see in Section C of the CDS, when you apply matters for many schools, particularly for those with Early Decision plans. The “same student” could apply two months earlier and have radically different odds for admission. Major, gender, first-generation status, and other factors will also play in. They will effectively “weight” the roulette ball. Translation: the rural North Dakotan (repetitive?) valedictorian who aces BC Calculus and applies for a Philosophy degree is going to read differently than you. Pack your bags and buy some thermals as you feel compelled.

Knowledge is power. Expectations matter. Mindset and approach are a choice.

Control What You Can Control

Journalists and social media over indexes on the Ivy League and can lead you to believe getting into college is extremely challenging for a talented and motivated rising senior. The truth is that colleges with admit rates under 15% are outposts not signposts in the real landscape of admission world. So contrary to the click bait headlines and hack coverage that dominates college admission beat writing, you are the one in control. *Note in a spirit of May optimism this blog is presuming next year the Fubar FAFSA debacle is behind us.

Where you apply. There are nearly 4000 colleges and universities in the United States alone. Many of them are already courting you, soliciting you, marketing to you, but ultimately it is your choice to apply or not. In other words, you decide the five, seven, eleven (please don’t go much higher than that) colleges you are interested in attending. Where you apply is totally in your control. Think about it this way- YOU are eliminating 99+% of possible colleges. Talk about highly selective!

Who offers you admission. So… this would be the part that you DO NOT control. If you or your parents are trying to manipulate or game exactly where you are admitted or how much financial aid you receive, please go watch The College Admission Scandal.

Which college you select to attend. If you do your research, apply to a balanced list of schools (academically, financially, and selectivity), and remain open to several “top choices,” you are going to have great options. The ball will be back in your court in the spring of your senior year, and you will get to choose—see True Success above.

How you show up. A little over a year from now you won’t be focused on your approach to college admission, but to the college where you are planning to attend. This is about showing up on Day 1 with a mentality of being all in. In my opinion, is the most important part. You don’t have to look far to find examples of students who ended up miserable at their “dream school.” Conversely, there are countless students who didn’t get in to their “top choice” and wound up tour guides elsewhere, i.e. not only drinking the Kool-Aid but selling it.

Mindset and approach are a choice (as a rising senior, senior, college applicant, college student, and in life well beyond).

Love and Admission

Rising Senior means you are not a kid- not a child. It means you are getting seriously close to leaving home. It means you are going to be away from home way more than you are at home. Many students read those lines and smile. Many parents read those lines…and cry. Then students don’t understand the tears. Parents are conflicted about the smiles. Round and round we go.

Bottom line is college admission is not all about applications or test scores or college decision letters. It’s also about a new chapter in your family’s life. And at 17 or 18, the emotion, gravity, and uncertainty wrapped up in that page flip is impossible to fully grasp. I’m asking you to try.

Listen, I don’t have all the answers, but I know this: most of the crazy stuff parents do and say is really just love in disguise. It sounds like nagging. It sounds like they don’t trust you or are not listening. They know. Right now they’re a little freaked out about the term “rising senior.” To them your high school career has been a blink of the eye. So even when you’re tired, even when it’s the fourth time, even when you have somewhere to be or someone to meet, I’m asking you to be a rising senior, rather than a child. And that means patience, kindness, grace.

Mindset and approach are a choice. Hugging your mama is not. May may be the month we observe Mother’s Day, but every day is a good one to hug your mama!

The summer is here. Your walk-up music is playing. In fact, like you, it is RISING. So Rise!

The Committees and Decisions of College Admission… And College Football

This weekend Florida State beat Louisville in the ACC Championship and capped off an undefeated football season at 13-0.

Translation for non-sports fans: they beat everyone they played. They practiced and prepared for each game, and despite some hardships– including losing both their first- and second-string quarterbacks to injury, achieved at the highest level within the context of their schedule.

In other words, they demonstrated not just competency but excellence. And they did so in the face of real adversity and challenge.

Ultimately, however, they were left out of the four team college football playoff, which will include two teams (Texas and Alabama), who each lost a game this year. If you want varying opinions on how this should/could have gone, feel free to go down an internet rabbit hole  or delve into the vitriolic threads of social media. (FYI- apparently, there is also some barking going on in Athens, GA about lack of fairness and committee bias.) 2023 College Football Playoff bowl games: Michigan, Washington, Texas, Alabama fill four-team field - CBSSports.com

But if you want facts, here are a few.

  1. A committee of imperfect humans made this decision.

This group gathered in a room, presumably with veggie and fruit trays, plenty of gluten, and hopefully at least one recycling bin. They looked at team and conference strength of schedule, home/away wins, timing of games played, and a variety of other factors. At the end of the day, they made their decision given the quantitative information they had, as well as the goals they were trying to accomplish.

  1. Stats do not guarantee slots.

On that note, their goal in this holistic review was not to “admit” or provide slots to the undefeated, i.e. numerically perfect teams. Otherwise, FSU is in and would not have been nervous about it leading into Sunday’s reveal.

  1. Supply and Demand is an issue.

When this group assembled to watch games this weekend and debate quality and merit, they knew their primary challenge was “too many good teams for the number (4) of slots available.” They knew no matter what decision they made it would be contested, debated, ridiculed, and challenged.  I can’t tell you how many folks in that room were wearing quarter-zips or On Cloud shoes, but I can tell you what they were thinking, “Why couldn’t we have expanded to 12 teams this year vs. next?!”

  1. Geography matters.

Is Washington better than FSU? Perhaps. We really don’t know. Could U(sic)GA beat Alabama in a rematch? Maybe. But one “problem” the committee had was two SEC teams and one ACC champion with tons of talent and big cases to be made for their spot in the playoff.

Three teams from the South? Is that really a National Playoff?

Conversely, we can pull in one from the southeast, one from the southwest (or what some would simply call the Republic of Texas), one from the Midwest, and one from the Pacific Northwest. Now that does sound intriguing. That sounds “National.”

  1. Money matters.

And let’s be honest, these four teams have big fan bases and impact major TV markets. Michigan gets you Chicagoland and Midwest markets, plus any absolutely enormous global fanbase. Throw in a little (ok, a lot of coaching and sign-stealing controversy) and Meechagan means eyes, engagement, and bucks. Alabama is clearly a perennial powerhouse with a big national following, and they check the box for key markets in the South. Washington brings you Seattle and portions of the country the others don’t extend to as naturally. And Texas… Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and more. We are talking about big, big, big money. Yes, friends that is three “bigs.”

Admission Translation

Ok. Test time: Which of these principles apply to college admission decisions? What Is the Law of Supply and Demand? | The Motley Fool

  • People make decisions.
  • Numbers are only part of the equation.
  • Supply and Demand is the primary driver.
  • Geography Matters.
  • Money Matters.

Admission committees are congregating all over the country just like the NCAA playoff committee right now (with fewer flat screens and personal jets) to debate these same issues.

How many spots do we have available?

What is our mission?

Which students will help us shape a class?

Will this class help us grow our brand and build national interest?

Does the bottom-line work financially?

So, yea. The answer to the test is “all of the above.”

What does this mean for you?

  1. It means in the college admission experience many things will be outside of your control. You will not be able to influence or control who is making these decisions. You will not know all of the machinations and factors that they take into consideration. You won’t be able to control how strong the other applicants are that year, or from your state/region, or in your major.
  2. It means that despite having great numbers, maximizing what was available to you, and showing tons of preparation, fortitude, character, and potential, you may not get into some highly selective colleges.
  3. It means that it’s not you… it’s them. If you get deferred or denied or waitlisted this month or this year, it does not mean you are not talented or bound for amazing things in college and beyond.

Over the years, I’ve continually quoted my friend Pam Ambler who says, “The way college admission decisions are made is not how they feel.” Boom. Spot on. A defer or deny does not mean you are not smart or amazing. It just means you’ll go on to demonstrate all of that elsewhere. What can FSU do now? They can sit home and cry. Sure. But ultimately they will need to pick themselves up and go win their bowl game. Life lesson: Succeed where you get opportunity!

I could keep drawing parallels all day, but I’ve made a commitment to keep this blog under 1000 words, and I’m at limit.

Happy Holidays, friends.

College Admission: 3 Messages You Need to Hear

Recently, our family has been watching the TV Show “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.” Not sure what it says about us that this is the one program we can all agree on, but that’s not what this blog is about.  

In the show, former athletes, reality TV “stars,” actors, and other famous to moderately well-known contestants go through a battery of grueling physical and mental tests to see if they have the attributes necessary to be in an elite military unit.  

In most cases, the answer is NO. And the Directing Staff (DS), who are all former special force operators, are quick to tell them. When the DS questions participants, comments on performance, or instructs during  exercises, it can sound harsh because it is so direct. But their goal is to push recruits to help them achieve their maximum potential and to see things clearly and honestly.  

Well, that is where we find ourselves today. As a grizzled veteran, I am in a DS mood, people. So here are three messages students need to hear about college admission, to help you understand the reality. 

  1. Admission Math. It’s the same as regular math. Applying to 5 schools with a 20% admit rate does not give you a 100% chance of being admitted. That’s just not how math works. Do I think you are smart? Absolutely! After all, you are reading this blog. 😊 But at Georgia Tech (admit rate: 16%) we deny thousands of smart students every year. In fact, last year our denied SAT average was over 1400–the top 5% of global test takers.  Most those students had also taken calculus and are doing important things outside the classroom too.

So when someone tells you that your chances of being admitted to an Ivy League (it’s an athletic conference in the Northeast that nobody really cares about when it comes to realignment/NIL), are higher if you apply ED, they’re kind of right in that the admit rates for those schools are above those of Regular Decision. BUT your chances are still not very good. Most of those schools have ED admit rates in the teens. Since that’s where Georgia Tech is overall, I can tell you that you cannot have a high level of assurance of being admitted, regardless of your academic or extracurricular background.  (If you prefer less direct and more snarky, check this out.)

2. Adulting is hard at times. I was standing outside the door of one of Tech’s “DS” the other day and heard her tell a student, “Adulting is hard.” Honest. Direct. Not what he wanted to hear as a prospective transfer student who did not have a competitive GPA and was really too far down the road at his current institution to make transferring to Tech a viable option. The truth is we all need to make tough decisions based on reality rather than on hope.  

This is particularly true when it comes to paying for college. In our recently published book, we wrote an entire chapter about how to have honest and healthy conversations about this, because it is challenging but critical. While parents or supporting adults should be the ones to initiate discussions around how much they can pay or are willing to pay, often that does not happen, OR it happens too late, I.e., after admission decisions have come back.  

If you are a junior or a senior and you have not had these conversations with your family, NOW is the time! Are there conditions, limitations, and expectations you need to know about before you apply or as you wait for financial packages to come back? How does your family feel about loans, working during college, or other practical and likely “adulting” that will come into play? In the spirit of brevity and channeling my DS, I’m not going to delve deep into this right now, but instead leave it on you to do more work here. Check out these blogs or this podcast on facilitating necessary conversations about money and paying for college. 

3. Admission is not fair. People complain that college admission is not clear or transparent. I disagree. Admission decisions are incredibly easy to explain and understand. They come down to two fundamental driving principles: supply and demand and institutional mission.

Most colleges in the U.S. admit most students who apply. In fact, currently the average admit rate for four-year colleges is well over 60%. In the years ahead, due to the declining number of domestic students graduating from high school, as well as the international competition in higher education, it will be easier rather than harder to get in. Those are the facts.

At many colleges nationally, they make formulaic decisions where an equation determines admission—this could be test scores + GPA, or just grades. Even in those cases, admission is not fair. We all know that standardized tests have bias. We know that access to tutoring and preparation is not equitable. We know you can pay to improve your score. We know that grades get inflated more at certain schools than others. We know that it is easier at some schools versus others to get higher grades, even if you are learning less. All of that is fact. So even formulaic admission is not fair.

But what really pisses people off is that schools that say they use holistic admission… actually ARE. They say all along that they are not making decisions based solely on your grades or test scores. They say they do not put kids on an excel sheet and draw a line. BUT just like in Special Forces, people don’t like to hear that. They don’t like to hear that because you are from a certain state (or you are not); because of your major; because of the combination of both of those and other institutional priorities/mission, (in combination with supply and demand) you were not admitted.  

If you are applying to a number of schools with admit rates of 1 out of 3 or less, expect unpredictability. Don’t get mad about it. You chose that. More here. 

If you are applying to a number of schools with admit rates of 1 out of 4 or less, expect turbulence along the way, including deferral and waitlist decision. Don’t get frustrated. You chose that. 

If you are applying to a number of schools with admit rates of 1 out of 5 or less, go back and read #1. A balanced list does not mean you have 12 schools on your list that each have a different admit rate, but they’re all under 2o%.    

College admission, like the show Special Forces, has the potential to teach invaluable lessons. Both can help you clarify who you are, what you want, and how you deal with challenge and disappointment. This “process” IS an opportunity to grow, discover, and learn lessons that you can apply well beyond this experience. BUT none of that is possible if you are not honest with yourself or realistic about basic facts: admission math is the same as regular math; adulting is hard; and admission is not fair.

Dismissed! 

 

 

The College Application is NOT a Form. It’s YOUR STORY!

Over the years, I have tried to shine a light on what people often misunderstand in the college admission experience. This has ranged from explorations of waitlists to examinations of deadlines to explications of supply and demand and institutional missions. (I’m sure if I thought hard enough I could come up with other verbs starting with ex and how admission issues are connected.)

Recently, I have also come to appreciate the massive disconnect between how students approach and complete the application and how it is actually read in admission offices.

Students see the application as a form. And I get that because it starts the same way most forms begin- asking for biographic information like name, address, family details, date of birth, etc. It also looks a lot like other forms they have seen in high school— job or driver’s license applications, sport and club registrations, and so on.

Report your test scores, tell us which high school you attend, etc. It’s definitely form-y. Even after the standard details, college applications include sections with lots of lines and boxes that ask you to provide details about what you have done outside the classroom. These are extremely prescriptive in their character counts and instructions. Form-ish for sure. On the Common Application, which I’m guessing if you are a senior you are using for at least a few of the schools you are considering, you need to quantify exactly how many hours a week and weeks per year that you have worked, played sports, volunteered, etc.

So, yea, when you log into an online platform and begin entering and saving information, this all seems like a standard and basic form. But the truth is that at schools using holistic review where essays and supplemental responses are required, once you hit submit, the person on the other side is not “reviewing” your form. They are reading YOUR STORY.

Think about it. Colleges post jobs for “application readers.” There are videos about reading season. And you’ll inevitably receive email bounce backs from schools in the winter that basically say, “Yea. Not going to reply anytime soon— I’m READING.”

If you view the application as a story, it will change the entire way you approach applying to college. And it will greatly reduce some of the stress you feel along the way. Win-Win.

Telling a story is an opportunity. Completing a form is a task. When you login to your applications this fall, I’m hopeful you will think about conveying rather than completing. You are not “working” on your application, which is what most students say. Instead, you are simply telling your story. Poll 100 people and ask them to list the Top 10 things they do for fun. “Complete forms”—not on the list. Telling, reading, watching stories, however. Different…well…story. Similarly, when you finish, you are not “submitting.” Forms get submitted. Sending in your story, on the other hand, is exciting. It is something you can and should take pride in. And if you will let it, it may even be the F word– FUN.

Stories are read. Forms are processed. Holistic admission is human. People with their own kids, hopes, worries, DNA, Instagram, and food preferences read your application. If you think of your application as a story, it changes how you approach this. Think about it. Nobody buys and opens a book hoping it sucks. Nobody pays $17 to go to a movie and another $24 for popcorn, candy, and a coke in anticipation of a boring or lackluster experience. Instead, as people, we always start with the desire to see something good. So that is your job on the application. That is your job with your story. Tell them what is interesting about you. Give them a full sense of your character- what interests you, what excites you, what do you hope for, and how have you arrived at this point. The same way authors and directors create compelling characters in their movies, novels, or video games.

If you look at your application this way, it will help you know where to start on your Activities section. It will help you figure out what you WANT to write about in your essay. Not what you SHOULD or what they want to hear, but what you genuinely NEED them to know about you as a fully developed character, aka applicant.

Stories are fully reviewed before publishing. We just published a book on college admission, so I can tell you that typing the last word or page does not mean you are done. Instead, there are multiple phases of review. In the editing process, we had to go back over each chapter, each piece of data, and each table, figure, and image to confirm, check, and verify. We also had an outside editor read over the entire book to provide insight and feedback.

In my experience, students are apt to have a parent, counselor, coach, teacher, or another trusted adult or friend read their essays and perhaps their supplemental responses. In other words, they do ask for feedback on what they have written. BUT most students do not have anyone read the way admission readers do- from beginning to end. So, before you hit enter and send up your prayers for stable technology and a kind soul on the other side of the interwebs, have at least one other human read your entire application from beginning to end.

Ask them to write down what they think you have left out. Have you undersold something you’ve been investing in at home, school, or in your community? Give them the chance to relay how your story reads and if there is any opportunity they see to provide more context, information, or insight into who you are, what you have accomplished, and how you would likely contribute and enhance a college campus.

Peace

One of the reasons students struggle to ultimately send in their applications is because they know that letting go means signing up for weeks or even months of uncertainty. I’ve been there friends, so I get it. Not easy. However, my hope is that changing your perspective from completing and submitting a form to sharing your story will help. Ultimately, when you are sitting in class or driving home from school wondering what is happening in some distant office or committee room, you will not dread the review of your form, but instead be excited for someone to read your authentic and unique story. (Trust me- I try to think this way every time I post one of these blogs.)

Ultimately, you can’t control if a school you apply to gets 4000 more apps this year and their admit rate drops as a result. You cannot control if a college decides that they are going to reduce the number of students they admit and enroll from your state or in your major this year. But you can control how you tell your story; think like an admission reader; review and seek feedback on your entire application; and choose peace and confidence.

TELL YOUR STORY. AND ENJOY DOING IT!