Seniors (class of 2025) applying to college should ideally be working on the following:

Research and a criteria list

Know more about the school than just a name. What is it known for? What makes them different from other schools? What is the admitted student profile? What clubs and activities would you join there?

Do they guarantee housing, and how long? How diverse is it? How many study abroad? What percentage do internships? What is the average debt?

Do people graduate in four years? What’s the average starting salary after graduation? Are sports a big deal?

Can undergraduates do research with a professor? Are the course descriptions interesting to you? What percentage of classes are online versus in-person?

There are endless ways to learn about a school.

Once you’ve started answering these questions, decide what’s most important to you. There is no “the” college experience.

An engineering degree from UC Berkeley is quite a different experience than an engineering degree from Harvey Mudd College.

Social life is different at Pepperdine University compared to the University of Redlands. CSU Long Beach has a totally different vibe than Sonoma State.

You get the idea. You wouldn’t wear clothes that don’t fit, why should a college be any different?

Can’t afford to travel? Tour UCSB and Westmont College for contrast. Who cares if you’re not applying. Think of it as window shopping.

Pick out specific elements from the tours you like and look for those in other schools. Class size, Greek Life, student clubs, dorm experiences, etc. Build your criteria list.

Tours also help you understand the opportunities you don’t even know to ask about. Choose student-led tours over self-guided whenever possible.

Want more window shopping? Browse through free episodes of The College Tour and educate yourself about this big decision right from your couch.

You’re aiming for a place where you think: “I would choose these people as friends.”

By Sept. 20, try to finalize your list so you have time to write any supplemental essays by Early Action deadlines (usually Nov. 1 or Nov. 15, if offered.)

Essays/PIQs

You should be on the second draft at least; done is better.

College application essays are not your typical school essays where you read and analyze or research and write a report. They also are not a grocery list of your accomplishments.

Take the time to write strong essays (or Personal Insight Questions for the UCs) that show who you are — the class clown, the organizer, the diplomat, or whatever your traits and values are.

It should be so personal only you could have written it, and the reader learns things about you that aren’t obvious from your transcript and activities list. See my previous article for more on essays.

Strong writing requires a good editor. Just because your best friend’s sister got into college with her essays doesn’t make her a good editor.

Find someone who isn’t trying to turn this into a brag sheet or write it for you.

(Tip: Could you write a personal essay about a stranger who gave you five adjectives to describe themselves? Neither can AI. Don’t do it.)

An editor is not a ghostwriter, and any work submitted as your own better be your own. My suggestion is to write in a Google doc that tracks the version history. Then, copy and paste the final version into your applications.

That way, if there is ever a question about plagiarism, you can easily share your original document, and someone can see how the document evolved.

Brag Sheet – Student and Parent Homework

The typical public high school counselor in California serves 428 students. As wonderful as they are, they can’t possibly know everyone well. To help counselors write letters, you provide them with a cheat sheet, also known as a “brag sheet.” Colleges are well aware of this and support it.

This is a link to SBUSD’s version, but there are other variations, too.

Falling behind? Don’t panic.

Pull out your calendar and working backwards from the due date, make a schedule so senior year will be less stressful.