Month: November 2015

By Quynh Luu

Applying to colleges is a stressful process for many seniors, especially for those unsure of what they need to do.  After all, there are other concerns of filling out forms, such as maintaining grades and keeping up with club activities.  Here are some helpful tips that should make the whole procedure easier:

1. If you’re not currently a senior, think about starting applications during the summer. Although many students start on their applications during the fall, it would be a better to start earlier considering that first semester final exams usually occur during that season and winter.  Studying to pass those exams with flying colors is tough enough, so don’t try to pile on more work at that time.
2. Many colleges and universities offer the chance to apply for early admission or early action. This means that students can submit their applications in advance to perhaps increase their chances of being admitted.  If you have your mind set on attending a certain institution, look into whether that place provides this opportunity for a chance to receive some major benefits.
3. Remember that certain college majors may ask an applicant to submit other specific items along with the general transcripts and test scores. At UCLA (University of Los Angeles, California), an art major applicant would need to submit a portfolio of eight to ten pages along with their completed UC application.  At Yale University, an aspiring drama student has to provide three professional letters of recommendation.  Fulfilling all the requirements is crucial to being accepted into the major of your choice.
4. Submit your standardized test scores. No matter how poorly you performed on the SAT and ACT, colleges and universities expect to receive them.  However, keep in mind that your chances of admission are also determined by other factors beyond those results such as volunteer hours and essays.
5. Don’t be afraid to talk to your counselor and teachers. If you’re willing to open up to them, they can provide guidance and help you through problems concerning academic studies.  Remember, they all have had the same challenging experience of applying to colleges.
6. Keep everything organized. You will have to find many documents to submit to colleges.  Losing one of them could greatly affect your chances of being accepted.
7. If you are a student from a disadvantaged background, look into college application fee waivers. You will be able to submit an application to your dream college for a relatively low price if you qualify.
8. Don’t wait too long to submit your application. Problems such as overloaded servers might occur if you turn it in on the day of the deadline.  The college application is a life-changing item, so it’s important that the one you send to admissions officers will be great enough for an acceptance letter.

By Yen Linh Duong

It’s senior year, and the time to apply to your dream school is finally here.  You’ve spent the last three years building up your profile and now it’s time to make your application shine.  You hop right into business only to find yourself asking, “What do they want from me?”  Don’t worry, the PHHS Legend is here to help.  Here are some of the definitions that can help make your life a little bit easier.

CBO (Community Based Organization)
– a non-profit organization that provides free advising for students

Common App ID (CAID)
– an 8 digit number ID that colleges use to identify students and the materials they submit for admission consideration

Counselor Recommendation
– a form filled out by your counselor that provide your basic profile of academic, extracurricular and personal characteristics

Early Action (EA)
– an application process where a student may apply and receive a decision earlier than the Regular Decision notification date.  The student then has until May 1 of senior year to make a decision on the offer.

Early Decision (ED)
– an application process where a student decides on enrollment upon a certain college.  Once that college admits the student, all of the student’s other applications to other colleges will be canceled.

FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)
– a law that provides protection for the privacy of student educational records

Final Report
– a form submitted by a counselor that provides the student’s academic work until the end of senior year

Gap year
– a period of time between high school and college when a student pauses his or her education for other means

Member Questions
– unique set of questions that a student must answer upon admission to that specific college.  This may include additional writing prompts.

Mid Year Report
– a form submitted by counselors that provides academic achievement of a student through the middle of senior year

Restrictive Early Action (REA)
– similar to Early Action, a student might submit application and receive a decision early, but the colleges are allowed to place restrictions to your other early application process

Rolling
– a decision plan that allows the student to submit an application anytime during senior year

Writing Supplement
– additional writing prompts required by colleges

By Tiffany Lee

Application season is blooming, and many students feel tremendous stress when submitting applications due to endless college rankings, parental pressure and peer judgment.  With all this external weight on their shoulders, students often forget whose opinion actually matters: their own.

The American Dream has officially shifted from the pursuit of happiness to the pursuit of a school with a “good” name.  Eager students await the highly anticipated college rankings lists every year, and narrow down their choices from the top 100, or the top 50, or even the top 10.  But what do these rankings prove?  That Ivy League schools are the only ones worth applying to?  Of course not.  These lists are primarily based on undergraduate academic reputation, which consists of two subfactors: peer assessment surveys and high school counselors’ ratings, both of which could easily include biased opinions.  The rankings only exist to insure the aristocracy of the Ivy League.

Parental and peer pressure attack students even more.  Constant questioning occurs at school, when friends bemoan college applications together, and after school, when parents confirm that their children are going to go to Stanford.  But worst of all is the dreaded family reunion.  Unrecognizable relatives ask which college students are heading to and try to hide looks of disappointment when they receive an answer they deem as inferior.  Parents can’t stop talking about that one cousin double-majoring in Harvard, or the other cousin who just graduated a valedictorian from UC Berkeley.  The endless comparisons to others both inside and outside of school are unhealthy and simply wrong.

What makes a college the right choice?  Students should think about what the school offers that other schools don’t, the school’s strongest majors, the cost, location, student life and many other factors that contribute to an amalgam of the perfect college.  It’s impossible to find a school that’s perfect for everyone.

Pick a school that’s good for your major.  Some schools are better for engineers, and others are better for lawyers.

Pick a school that’s as close or as far away from home as you want.  Just remember this simple saying: Stanford for staying at home, Princeton for prying away your parents’ invasive fingers.

Pick a school whose culture fits you.  Distinctions between public or private, small or big and rural or urban schools can play a large part in making the next four years a comfortable experience.

Don’t whole-heartedly dismiss a school because of cost.  Many schools are willing to offer great amounts of financial aid and scholarships if they want you, so don’t shy away from applying to the more expensive schools.

Pick a school that has the right dorms.  Some schools force freshmen to stay in dorms, and some don’t have a four-year dorm guarantee.  Some schools don’t allow microwaves and water boilers, which could endanger those who intend to live on instant noodles.  Some schools don’t allow you to choose your roommate, posing a problem to those who want to live with their best friends for four years.

Pick a school that has the right weather.  Especially for comfortable Californians, a switch in climate could be disastrous.  Going from summer all year long to rain and sleet could dampen your spirits.

Pick a school that suits you as a whole, and don’t be afraid to be picky when doing so.  My brother’s strongest argument against the University of the Pacific was that it had too much brick.

In the end, you’ll spend four years of your life there.  Don’t be miserable.  Weigh the possibilities yourself instead of letting others put weight upon you.