About two weeks ago, a Yale representative dropped by Monte Vista High to give a presentation to high school seniors like myself. I was eager to see if she’d give us any tips on how to get a leg up over other applicants, so I decided to head down to the college and career center.
After sitting through the first 15 minutes of her talk, I was amazed by how she trivialized the college application process. When she was telling us what we needed to do to get into Yale, she simply said, “You just need to stay active in a lot of different activities and have good test scores.” From the way she put it, I started to feel bad that I had put myself through three years of undue stress.
The reality, though, is the college application is a convoluted process. As someone who is currently going through it, I can certainly testify that I have often scratched my head, wondering what exactly the admissions board is looking for when they review each applicant’s package.
For starters, almost all four-year universities require students to take either the ACT or the SAT. The main difference between the two exams is that the ACT has a science component while the SAT doesn’t, which works out perfectly for teens like myself who won’t exactly be the next Einstein.
High schoolers who take the SAT need to take the SAT II subject tests as well. While this may mean throwing another three hours of a Saturday down the drain, the subject tests are a lot fairer for students. In total, the College Board offers 20 different subject tests so that students can pick and choose which ones they want to take, usually two or three. If a student’s forte is math and science, he or she can take the Chemistry or Mathematics Level IIC test. If it’s the other way around, no problem. Just take the U.S. History or Literature test.
Standardized tests are just the beginning. Like the Yale representative told us, colleges are always looking for people who remain active in their schools. This doesn’t mean that a student needs to be president of the science club, secretary of the math club, treasurer of the National Honor Society and captain of the football team, all at the same time. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
Colleges usually look for students who find an activity they are truly passionate about, she said. Whether it is speech and debate or even squash, it’s important for students to devote a lot of time to an activity that interests them so it will be enjoyable and not laborious.
All seniors are also required to fill out two forms: the common application and the supplemental application. Here, they can list their test scores, extracurricular activities, leadership positions, and honors and achievements.
Last but not least, students need to write anywhere between two to eight essays, depending on the number of colleges they apply to. University of California campuses require three essays apiece. Most private schools ask for two. The topics for the essays range from describing the most significant event in one’s life to writing some obscure page of one’s future autobiography.
If I’ve learned anything about the college application process, it would be that it isn’t as simple as college representatives have portrayed it. It’s long, it’s complicated, and, at times, it’s frustrating. But don’t worry. It’s the final stretch.
