Month: June 2021

Building Your College Application In 5 Steps

Posted on by Emma Sonnenblick

It’s national ice cream month, but before you go chill with some frozen treats, we have an analogy for you. College admissions requires a strategy, and fortunately for you, we have it—just think of college applications like building an ice cream sundae.

First, you have to have your solid base—your cup. Just like how you can’t build a sundae without a cup, you can’t start your applications without knowing where you want to apply. This summer is the time for college tours for rising high school juniors and seniors. Curate a list of colleges that you want to tour based off of your priorities and qualifications. See our “Time to Tour” blog for tips on how to tour colleges, and make sure you take notes on features that stand out to incorporate in your “Why *Insert School Name” essays later!

Second, it’s time to start building your actual sundae (your application) with your base flavor. Vanilla? Chocolate? Cookies and cream? You choose! This is the essay portion of your applications, and it’s all about making your essay showcase what makes you special and different from other applicants. So what’s your flavor?

Third, you have your second scoop of ice cream—the supplemental essays. This scoop is your second favorite flavor, or the part of yourself that you want to show that is second most important to demonstrating the entire you! Be careful to choose topics that are complimentary to the rest of your essay, meaning that together, the written parts of your essay should weave a narrative about who you truly are.

Fourth, your toppings, the strategic resume portion! So far, your application has the main components, the common app and supplemental essays, but what about the parts of you that aren’t included in just those essays? Everyone is more than just two flavors, so this is your place to show your oreos, M&Ms, and marshmallows. 

Finally, the whipped cream and cherry on top are your letters of recommendation. The key to this step is to ask 2-3 sophomore or junior teachers if they would feel comfortable writing you a STRONG letter of recommendation. Make sure you give them a date that is earlier than you actually need them, and ask early so that they don’t need to rush yours or make it seem generic.

Time To Tour!

Posted on by Emma Sonnenblick

Touring colleges can be tricky, but the summer is the perfect time to hit the road and start touring. We asked a college student her advice for how to best tour colleges, and here are her top three tips!

1) Add college tours onto family vacations to make them more fun. For example, if you are visiting Boston, check out Tufts and Boston University at the beginning of vacation, and Harvard and Boston College at the end. This will spread out the tours, and make them seem like less of a chore.
2) Don’t tour more than 2 colleges in a day. They all start to blend together, and it can get stressful!
3) Ask questions that you can’t find the answers to online. For example, try “What is the typical student like here?” and “What do students like to do on weekends?” These kinds of questions will help you determine what school may be the best fit.

Juneteenth in the World of College!

Posted on by Emma Sonnenblick

Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. With the growing movement for Juneteenth to become a federal holiday, many colleges across the country are beginning to recognize its importance and celebrate it accordingly. For example, Johns Hopkins has promised to celebrate the holiday annually, and they are cancelling classes and other events on campus on June 18th (June 19th is a Saturday). The 18th will be a paid day for faculty and staff to allow all students and employees to observe the holiday.

In some places, states have made Juneteenth an official state holiday, like in Virginia. UVA has followed suit, and the university will be closed on June 18th as well. UVA’s Division for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is also sharing resources and encouraging students and faculty to take advantage of the holiday to educate themselves with articles, podcasts, videos, etc.

These are just two examples of how colleges in America are increasingly adapting to the times and recognizing the importance of Juneteenth. If you are interested in learning more about other colleges and their initiatives, their websites and student-run newspapers are a great place to start!