Tufts Blogs

 

I’m sure you can all feel it in the air. It starts with back-to-school ads and, in no time, we will miss sipping pumpkin spice and munching apple cider donuts. 

For the world of college admissions, shifting to the autumnal season means getting back on the road to recruit and preparing for a winter of student applications. So whether you are ready or not to get back to class, this fall will be filled with an extra responsibility: preparing your college applications. 

I know your senior fall is going to be busy. To help you stay on track, I’ve taken some time and put together pieces of advice to help you navigate your college application season. The best thing you can do in this process is to help your future self, so let's get started now!

 

1. Finalize Your Foundations

It's not too late to find a school that fits your needs. You have probably spent some time this summer thinking about what colleges you want to apply to (we call it the “college list”), and if you haven’t finalized yours or you are still working on it, this is a great time to settle on a short list of universities that you would be excited to attend if admitted. As you put the finishing touches on your list, be sure to include a range of selectivities and keep track of the application deadlines, financial aid deadlines, and testing policies. 

This is also a good time to reach out to your teachers and counselors about writing letters of recommendations. The earlier you ask about these letters, the more time they have to brainstorm, write, and iterate on a letter that helps support your application!

 

2. Put Pen to Paper (or Fingers to Keyboard)

Essays are such an important part of your application. They are the clearest windows into your perspective, your values, your curiosities, and how you will contribute to the community on our campus. Here is some broad-stroke advice for your college essays:

Start Early: I’ve written my fair share of papers the night before they are due (I plead the fifth about writing essays minutes before). I will speak from personal experience that essays with proper editing and revision are stronger than those written last minute. Don’t treat these like a pop-quiz; you have months until the deadline so use that time to brainstorm, write, re-write, and polish.

Brainstorm: Brainstorm is such a fun word - it’s so visceral! A brain that is churning out ideas at such a quantity that neighbors can hear thunder from your dome. That’s what I want you to do for at least a day or two prior to writing your essays. Grab some paper, leave your phone on your desk, and go on a walk. Get your brain moving! Jot down any idea for an essay topic no matter how silly, far-reaching, or mundane. Don’t worry about how to turn the initial idea into a topic; that’s what values are for.

Values are a Guiding Light: The most difficult part about writing an essay is having this really cool idea or concept, and not knowing where to start. I find the easiest way to get the ball rolling is to have an end-point. 

Tufts has a mission statement that highlights some of the core values of our university. Inclusion, collaboration, and innovation are some of the values that our admissions team is looking for in student applications. 

Please, don’t ignore these values in your writing! Use the topics that you brainstormed as anecdotes that can communicate the values that you hold. In fact, some of the ideas you brainstormed that feel mundane might actually be more interesting vessels for your values than the activities you partake in at school.

 

3. Academic Consistency

Looming in the corner of your final year is the colloquial condition “senioritis,” ready to stop you in your tracks right as you are approaching the end. Sometimes, I will be asked how much we care about senior year performance, relative to your other years of high school. Here are the facts: 

Senior year is 1/4th of your high school academic history. We require mid-year grades and, eventually, final academic transcripts. We will use these as a part of our application review. Why? Senior year carries an element of recency that 9th grade doesn’t. 

As a former student, I can say that sometimes there is going to be a lot on your plate as a college student. Classes, clubs, relationships, work – sounds kind of like a busy senior year! That said, we also understand how much work can be on your shoulders this year and we take that into consideration during our review. 

Don’t let senioritis be an excuse. Instead, let it be the motivation you need to finish this year – you are closer to the end than ever before!

 

The final piece of advice I will leave you with is the most important, and it's to take care of yourself. College is a wonderful and difficult four years. But it's just that. Four years. During your senior year, please remember to get some rest, disconnect from your phone, and get outside. It is fall after all! It’s a great season (my personal favorite) - you deserve to enjoy it.