Here is the list of new members:

You can see the complete list of the 488 current Common Application members here.

The new word limit is 650 words, and the instructions have additional commentary.  “…Write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response.  Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal.  Use the full range if you need it, but don't feel obligated to do so.  (The application won't accept a response shorter than 250 words.)”

In prior years, the Common Application suggested that essays be between 250 and 500 words, but in actuality, students could submit essays that were either shorter or longer.  The new specificity encourages students to use more depth and detail in writing their essays, enabling admissions committees to see a substantive writing sample from every applicant.

The essay prompts themselves are also quite different.  The intention is to have essay options that appeal to a wider range of students, and clearly encourage every student to tell his/her unique story. Take a look at the new essay prompts: 

• Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
• Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn?
• Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea.  What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?
• Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you?
• Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

Here are some statistics for this application cycle.

1) In the last 72 hours of 2012, from December 30 through January 1, the Common Application received 922,827 separate submissions of applications, supplements, and school forms, at a rate of 3.6 per second.

• 347,316 total applications
• 13.6 form submissions per second in the last ten minutes of January 1.
• 17.4 form submissions per second in the last minute of January 1.

2) The total volume of Common Applications applicants increased by 10% from last year.

3) The average number of applications submitted per applicant was 4.1.

4) 1,794,400 Secone submitted.dary School Reports were submitted.

5) 3,014,132 Teacher Evaluations were submitted

1) Be Patient.  After you’re sure that all of the pieces of your application have been submitted andreceived, it’s important to follow-up with the admissions office to make sure your application is complete. However, you shouldn’t do this right away. Colleges have received thousands of applications and documents over the past couple of weeks, and it will take a little while before everything is sorted and processed.

2) Follow-Up.  About two weeks after all of your materials have been submitted, check on your applications with each college. By then, they should have been able to process everything that was received. If anything is missing at that time, ask the admissions office for the best way to resubmit missing information. Remember – if your college counselor or teachers need to resubmit any school forms or recommendation letters, be sure to ask them nicely and politely!

3) Request an interview. At some colleges, alumni interviews are only offered to students after they’ve applied. Others still offer on-campus interviews after the application deadline. If you haven’t already had an interview, you can ask the college if it would still be possible to have one. This isn’t going to be an option everywhere, but if you do have the opportunity – great! If not, it won’t hurt your application.

4) Send your SAT Scores (if you haven’t already). In the rush to submit your applications by January 1, you may have forgotten to also send your SAT, SAT Subject Test, and/or ACT scores. Don’t worry, you can still send them. Ask each college if you need to send them via Rush Report, though, or if sending them standard is fine.

5) Did you make a mistake?  If you made a mistake on your application, try to remain calm. If it’s a minor omission, you don’t need to worry about it.  If it’s something you’re really worried about, you can always send your admissions counselor a quick email asking how to best resubmit your corrected essay.  If there’s been a significant mistake, you may want to include an explanation of the error.

6) Relax.  The hard part is over!  You’ve written all the essays, taken all the tests, submitted all the applications. Now all you have to do is stay focused on your schoolwork (colleges still need to see those mid-year and final reports), continue participating in extracurricular activities, and find some time to just have fun!

Until you hear back from colleges, there isn’t a whole lot to do for your applications. You can keep track of your applications, make sure they’re complete, and follow any further instructions from admissions offices. Beyond that, try to stay focused on your academics and activities in the present, and hope for the best come spring!

What does it mean that my application was deferred? If your application was deferred it means that the college didn’t deny your application, but that for any number of reasons, they were not prepared to give you a final decision in December. The college will re-review your application, and send you a final decision in the spring, along with the rest of the Regular Decision applicant pool.

So what should I do next? The first thing you should do is send a friendly and polite email to your area admissions counselor telling him or her that you’re still very interested in the school, and would like to know if there’s anything that would be helpful for you to send them. Sometimes, they might have a very specific request, so it’s important to ask. For example, they might just want to see how your fall semester grades turned out. They might also have specific advice about what you should and shouldn’t do to increase your chances of admission. If there’s nothing specific that they need from you, here are a couple of things you may want to consider to strengthen your application.

• Send a short, sincere, and specific letter or email of interest to your area admissions counselor.

• Ask the admissions office if you can sign up for an interview (if you haven’t already had one). Some colleges don’t allow deferred applicants to interview, so don’t be discouraged if this option is not available to you.

• Ask the admissions office if they think paying them a visit would be a good idea (if you haven’t already visited). Some schools care about demonstrated interest, and a visit could be something they care about.

If you feel the need to do anything beyond these suggestions, we recommend holding off, or asking the college if it would be okay. You want them to know that you’re still interested, but you don’t want to do toomuch. A few well-written lines can have more impact than an overload of information. Remember – there’s no guarantee you’ll be admitted, even if you follow the admissions office’s instructions to the letter, so you can be optimistic, but it’s best not to focus on it too much.

Then, you should look forward to the admissions decisions you’ll be getting in the spring from all of the colleges you applied to.  

We understand. Applying to college can be stressful and intimidating. You’re busy with a dozen extracurricular commitments, not to mention schoolwork. And your parents are all too eager to help you out.

The truth is that colleges want to hear from you – the student – and not your parents. They want to know that when you apply to their school it’s because you want to. Parents should be helpful and supportive, but when it comes to communicating with colleges, scheduling visits, and filling out applications, students need to take the lead.

If the thought of taking the lead in your college search is intimidating, remember that you have numerous resources at your disposal to find guidance and advice.

• Your college counselor is a crucial resource for you in the college application process.  S/he is there to provide information about colleges, help you interpret that information, and match your interests and personality with colleges that are a good fit for you – and, of course, making sure your school forms are sent out. But that is as far as the counselor goes. The actual process of applying, contacting schools about missing materials, and choosing the final group of colleges is up to you.

• Your local college representative is there to help you. Most colleges and universities divide travel and/or applications according to geographical region. Most likely, the same admissions counselor you met at your local college fair will also be reading your application. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your admissions counselor if you have questions that aren’t answered on the website. If the idea of reaching out makes you nervous, remember – admissions counselors are friendly and approachable, and are happy to hear from you. On the other hand, if you legitimately have nothing to ask, don’t reach out just because you think you should. 

• Your parents are absolutely allowed to help you, within reason. Parents are great for help with keeping organized, setting a schedule, and arranging the logistics of college trips. You can ask them if an idea for an essay “sounds like you” – but they shouldn’t be telling you what to write in your essays (and certainly not writing them). They can give you the information you need to fill out the Common Application, but you have to fill it out yourself. They can provide suggestions about colleges to look at, but you have to research the schools for yourself. Your parents want you to succeed, so ask them for help when you need it, but remember that you’re the one leading the way.

Applying to college is a major undertaking, and a big responsibility. You’re probably going to have some anxiety about the process, and that’s OK. It’s important to not let your anxiety get in the way of being pro-active and engaged in the college process. You’re the one going to college, after all, so now is the time to step up and take charge. Be sure to rely on your parents, college counselor, and local admissions representatives as resources, but be sure to take the lead in the process.  

Early Action has passed.  Now what?

At this point, you may have submitted an Early application or two.  If so – congratulations! But now that the Early deadlines have passed, it’s time to turn your attention to Regular Decision. We know many questions come up around this time, so here is some advice on the most common things we’re asked about this time of year.

1) I’ve already applied to my top choice school – now what? You’ve submitted your top choice application and can breathe a small sigh of relief.  You’ve worked hard on your application, but you can’t make any assumptions.  Don’t wait until December 15 to begin applying to other schools. Hopefully, you’ll be admitted, and won’t need to submit any other applications.  But if in mid-December your Early Decision or Early Action school sends a deny or defer decision, you don’t want to be scrambling for the next two weeks to throw together all your Regular Decision applications.  It might be hard to focus on schools other than your top choice right now, but in order for you to be in the strongest position later in the year, you want to at least pursue other options.

2) The colleges I’m applying to say they’re missing application materials. Will my application be reviewed?  If schools contact you about missing application materials, remain calm.  Check to see what they’re missing.  If it’s something you were supposed to submit personally, like your test scores, Common Application, or Supplement, double check that you submitted it.  If you submitted the materials in the last week, the admissions office is probably still processing them.  Wait a few days before checking again.  If it is well after you submitted the materials, you can call the admissions office to confirm receipt. If they still don’t have it, ask how they would like you to resubmit.  The guidelines for school documents are similar.  If you know they were submitted recently, give it a few days, as the documents are probably still being processed.  If they were submitted a while ago, pick up the phone and ask the admissions office to confirm receipt.  If any school forms need to be re-sent, you can ask your college counselor or teachers (nicely!) if they could resubmit their materials because the college didn’t seem to get them.

3) Can I take the SAT or ACT again?  What about SAT Subject Tests? Hopefully, you’re done with your testing.  However, if you still want to take the SAT or ACT again, or SAT Subject Tests, there’s still time, at least for Regular Decision. If you want or need to take any more tests for Regular Decision, call the schools you’re applying to and ask if they will accept scores from the test dates you’re planning on.

4) I made a mistake on my application!  What should I do?  If you made a mistake on your application, don’t fret. How big is the mistake?  Did you forget to list a club you were involved in for a month at the beginning of freshman year?  If it’s a minor omission like that, you don’t need to worry about it.  If it’s something you’re really worried about, you can always send your admissions counselor a quick e-mail that includes an explanation or correction of the error, and an apology for the mistake.  If you have an update to your application since submitting it, it’s the same basic approach – just write to your admissions counselor, provide the updated information, and request that it be added to your file. 

As you wait for decisions on your Early applications, be sure to check that they are complete, and promptly follow-up on missing materials.  The key is to remain focused on upcoming deadlines while keeping an eye on your submitted applications at the same time.

·  Why do you want to go to our school? Colleges want to know that you’re invested in their school, and that you have put some thought and effort into your decision to apply. You need to be able to articulate some specific reasons to go to each college you’re applying to, beyond things like their location, size, and student:professor ratio. 

You might think this means you need a completely new essay for each school, because really, aren’t they all unique? If you’ve done your due diligence on your college list, there are probably some important similarities among your schools. You’re probably looking for schools with a particular kind of learning environment or character, for instance. Or maybe there’s a certain type of social life you’re looking for. Whatever it is, structure your essay around your interests and how they tie into your ideal college experience. If you do that, your essay is still primarily about you, and you can easily customize each essay with specifics and details for each college.

 ·  What do you want to study and why? Colleges want to know what you think about, and how you plan to spend your time at their school. If you’re undecided, that’s OK! Talk about some things you’ve thought about studying, and perhaps address why these areas interest you, and why you can’t decide right now. It is important to show that you have academic interests and that you can point to some specifics about the programs at each school; if you have a specific major interest, show your knowledge about the field and the school’s department. The heart of the essay should be about your academic interest(s), and then you can customize it with the specific opportunities and options in those subjects at each college.

If you have school specific supplements to complete, be sure to review all of the questions before you sit down to write. Look for common themes in the questions for different schools. That way, you can plan ahead and write your essays to be widely applicable and easily customized. There’s no need to necessarily write a new essay from scratch for every question if you pay close attention to the prompts and do a bit of advance planning.

There’s a lot of talk about the Personal Statement for your college applications, but you don’t seem to hear as much about the Activities Statement.  After all, it’s only 1000 characters; how much of an impact can it really have?

The truth is that every piece of your application has the potential to make a difference, including the Activities Statement.  In order to make sure that yours stands out in a good way, take note of our suggestions.

Proofread!   It might sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how often students think the Activities Statement matters less because it’s shorter.  They will spend hours proofreading their Personal Statement, and then just a few minutes on the Activities Statement.  Typos, grammatical mistakes, and spelling errors that appear anywhere in your application will stand out.  In addition, if the writing in your Activities Statement is noticeably weaker than in the Personal Statement (because you spent much more time on the Personal Statement), colleges will notice, and possibly wonder if the same person wrote both pieces.

Be specific.  1000 characters isn’t a lot of space.  In order to have the most impact with limited room, your best option is to focus on a specific idea.  For instance, if you’re editor of the yearbook, don’t try to convey the entire experience, but choose one aspect to elaborate on.  If you focus on a narrow topic, it will be easier for you to make a coherent, interesting point about it.

Show, don’t tell.  You’ve heard it before, and it applies just as well to the Activities Statement as it does to other writing.  If you can demonstrate a point with an anecdote or an example, it will almost always be more engaging than just telling it.  Instead of just saying that being editor of the yearbook is a challenge, you need to say what specifically makes it challenging.

Have some fun with it.  This should be about something that you enjoy doing.  Think about the activity that makes you happiest, and then write about the aspect of that activity that you like the best.  If you’re happy thinking about your topic, your positive attitude will come through in your writing. 

Focus on something different than your Personal Statement.  If your Personal Statement is about the challenges and rewards of being on the lacrosse team, then you should write about something completely different in the Activities Statement.  If all of your writing is about the same activity or topic, your application might come across a bit one-dimensional.  

The Activities Statement is short, so it should be a bit easier to write than the Personal Statement.  However, just because it’s short, doesn’t mean it isn’t important.  You want every piece of writing in your application to be a strong and positive representation of your personality and skills.  With that in mind, put some focused time into writing your Activities Statement, consider our guidelines, and ask someone you trust to read it over before submitting it.     

Early deadlines are often in the first week or two of November, and decisions are usually released around mid-December. If your application is denied, you typically can’t reapply under the regular deadline. Some colleges will defer applications to the regular round if they can’t make a decision (or don’t want to) in the early round. In that case, your application will be reviewed again in Regular Decision and you’ll usually be sent a final decision by April 1.

Early Action
Early Action is on the more flexible end of the early deadline spectrum. You can apply Early Action to multiple colleges, and to any colleges with early deadlines that don’t impose their own restrictions. If you’re admitted, you have until May 1 to decide if you want to accept the offer, and you can apply to more colleges during the Regular Decision round.

Early Decision
If you apply Early Decision, you can apply to other colleges with Early Action or other non-restrictive early deadlines. However, Early Decision is a binding agreement, meaning if you’re admitted, you’re obligated to attend that school. If you’re admitted Early Decision you need to withdraw all of your other college applications. The only exception to this is if you absolutely can’t attend for financial reasons. 

Early Decision II
Early Decision II is similar to Early Decision in that it’s a binding agreement. If you’re admitted Early Decision II, you’re obligated to attend. However, Early Decision II deadlines are a bit later in the year, usually in January, with notification dates typically in mid-February. This is a good choice for students who perhaps weren’t admitted to their top choice early application school, or who discovered a school late, but still want to submit an “early” application. A relatively small number of schools have ED II, so be sure to check if schools of interest to you offer this option. 

Restrictive or Single Choice Early Action
This deadline is less common, but still important to be aware of. Restrictive or Single Choice Early Action deadlines are non-binding, and have most of the same characteristics as Early Action. You don’t have to attend if admitted, and you can apply to other schools Regular Decision. The main difference, however, is that under Single Choice Early Action you may not be allowed to submit early applications to certain other colleges. Under some Restrictive Early Action programs (Harvard, Yale), you can apply early to public universities; under others, you can apply to other Early Action schools, but not an Early Decision school (Georgetown).  And still under others (Michigan, UNC), you can do either EA or ED at other schools.  

Rolling Admission
Schools with Rolling Admission deadlines make admissions decisions on a continuing basis throughout the year, until space in the freshman class is filled. The class at Rolling Admission schools can fill up fairly quickly, especially at the more popular institutions. If you’re interested in a school with Rolling Admission, it’s important to submit your application as early as possible. That will give you the best shot of being admitted.

Applying early can be a great idea. It can help alleviate stress later on in the process. You could end up with an early acceptance in your pocket before Regular Decision rolls around. Having submitted a college application already, you’ll feel more confident about submitting applications later on. Just remember to pay attention to specific early deadlines, be sure you know what you’re committing (or not committing) to, and that you’re following each school’s guidelines.

If you have a class rank, colleges will look at it.  If your high school uses class rank and reports it on your transcript or in your secondary school report, the colleges you apply to will see it.  That being said, they consider class rank within the context of your school.  If you go to a very small high school, class rank is not going to mean as much.  Similarly, if you go to a very competitive school, they will take that into account when considering your rank.  They will also pay attention to other factors that could affect your rank.  For instance, if you transferred high schools after 10^th grade, that could affect your rank – so it is important to provide information about special circumstances to the colleges you’re applying to.

The most important thing to know about how colleges evaluate your academic record is that it is all about holistic review.  Colleges look at your entire academic picture within your particular context.  More important than any one particular aspect of your academic record, colleges care about how all of the academic pieces fit together.         

Test-Optional and Test-Flexible are college admissions testing policies that do not have the traditional SAT, SAT Subject Test, or ACT requirements.  These schools deemphasize the use of SAT and ACT scores in making admissions decisions, either by not requiring them at all, or by allowing students to submit other types of test scores, or even graded class assignments.  For a complete list of Test-Optional and Test-Flexible schools, visit Fairtest.org. 

Test-Optional.  Will not require SAT, SAT Subject Test, or ACT scores from their applicants. However, most Test-Optional colleges will give you the option to submit your scores if you want to. In some cases, a test-optional school will ask that if you choose to not submit your SAT or ACT scores that you submit a graded paper you wrote for school or some other project or credential, instead.

Test-Flexible.  Test-Flexible schools are a bit different because they want to see the results of somestandardized testing, but it does not have to be the SAT or ACT, per se.  Test-Flexible policies range from allowing students to submit 2 or 3 SAT Subject Test scores instead of the SAT or ACT, to allowing applicants to submit the results of just about any standardized tests (IB or AP scores, for example). Schools will sometimes allow students to submit scores in combination, such as the SAT Critical Reading Section, the AP Calculus exam, and an SAT Subject Test in French.

If you see that some schools on your list are Test-Optional or Test-Flexible, you can use that information to help present yourself in the most favorable light to that school. 

At a Test-Optional school, if your SAT or ACT scores are at the high end of their middle 50% range, or above their middle 50% range, it would probably be to your advantage to submit your test scores.  However, if your scores are on the lower end of their middle 50%, or below their middle 50% range, you may want to consider not submitting them.  No matter what, you’ll want to make sure that the scores you send represent you well, relative to the college’s overall applicant pool.  

At a Test-Flexible school, you want to submit the best scores you have – and you have some flexibility on what to send. Each college’s policy is unique, so it’s important to review each school’s test options, and compare them to your scores. Within the college’s parameters, choose the scores that represent you best. You can always ask your college counselor for help if you’re having trouble deciding.   

Test-Optional and Test-Flexible policies are numerous and complex – and the options are increasing.  So it’s important to always check with the school directly to confirm their testing policy before making any assumptions.  However, if you take the time to educate yourself and read each school’s instructions, you can present yourself (and your testing) in the best possible light.  

§  Check out the 2012-2013 Common Application prompts.  Chances are, you’ll be applying to at least one Common Application school, and the prompts are broad enough that schools that are not on the Common Application will probably ask you some of the same questions. Write them down and carry them around with you for a while. As ideas come to you, jot down some notes right then and there.

§  Admissions officers want to get to know you through your essay. They want to read an essay that is truly about you, or about something important to you. So spend some time thinking about what’s important to you. How you like to spend your free time…Why you want to go to college…What you cannot live without… Pondering ideas like these will help you identify some possible topics.

§  College essays don’t have to be about something important, either. You can start with some fun ideas like adjectives you would use to describe yourself, and a story that demonstrates each one. Think about how your friends and family would describe you. Make a list of some of your favorite things – books, subjects in school, quotes, movies, or TV shows. Brainstorming these ideas could give you a fun way to show colleges who you are. 

§  Free Write! Sometimes, the best ideas come out of no idea at all. Give yourself a generic prompt such as “I used to wish…” or, “I’m looking out a window…” and without thinking about it too much, write for 10 straight minutes in response. The result will not be a finished product, but you may be surprised to find some great raw material to use in your college essay.

§  Sometimes, great essays are inspired by specific experiences.  Think about some moments that have stood out to you since you’ve been in high school.  Remember, they don’t necessarily have to be impressive or important experiences, but they do have to show something unique and interesting about you.

Ideally, you should enjoy writing your college essay. If you enjoyed writing it, an admissions officer is more likely to enjoy reading it. Doing some pre-writing exercises and brainstorming activities will help you be more relaxed when you write your essay. You will feel less stressed and anxious, allowing your authentic and unique voice to shine through in your writing.    

Make an appointment with your college counselor. There’s a lot to discuss with your counselor in the fall of your senior year, but make sure to cover a few key topics. Discuss the state of your college list and any college visits you went on over the summer. Ask about the process for sending transcripts to colleges. If you want your counselor to review your essays or applications, ask if s/he is willing to do so. Your counselor will be sending a recommendation letter for you to colleges, as well. With that in mind, share any updates about new accomplishments, awards, or interesting experiences.

Ask for any outstanding recommendation letters. Most colleges need at least one, and sometimes two letters of recommendation from teachers in core subject areas (math, science, English, social science, or foreign language). Check in with any teachers you may have asked at the end of junior year. If you only have one teacher lined up, think of one or two more teachers who would be happy to write you a positive letter of recommendation. And remember – colleges prefer recommendation letters from junior and senior year teachers.

Review your standardized testing results and make a fall plan. Collect any SAT, ACT, or SAT Subject Test scores you have from sophomore or junior year. If you feel comfortable with your scores – great! However, if you feel you can improve your scores significantly, consider planning to take (or retake) tests in the fall. The fall is also the time to make sure you’ve taken all necessary Subject Tests, as some colleges require these additional tests for admission.

Start working on your college applications. Even if you’re applying Early Decision or Early Action, November 1 might seem really far away. However, it is in your best interest to start filling out the Common Application (and any other college applications) now. Starting early will give you time to collect information that you may not know off the top of your head. For instance…Where did your parents go to college or graduate school? What are all of the honors and awards you received in high school? What is your social security number? The earlier you start filling out the forms, the more time you’ll have to review, research, and feel confident about your application.

Set aside time to work on your essays. The writing process is different for every student, and you need to figure out what works best for you. The most important thing is that you start brainstorming, thinking, and writing now. Review the Common Application prompts and the essay prompts from other colleges. College essay prompts are usually pretty open-ended, so you have a lot of flexibility with topics. Some students enjoy free-writing to get ideas flowing. Others need more structured brainstorming activities. If you’re really stuck, ask your English teacher or college counselor for some essay writing tips.

Keep up your academic performance! Colleges are interested in all of your academic work, not just junior year. You have signed up for challenging courses this year, and now you have to maintain your strong grades and show how you perform in a rigorous curriculum. If your grades were a bit weaker in junior year, fall semester senior year is an opportunity to show improvement. Either way, you want to start senior year with your best foot forward and show colleges your best academic work so far. 

Finalize your fall course schedule. Colleges play close attention to your academic performance throughout high school, and junior year is no exception. Make sure that you are challenging yourself in multiple areas by taking advanced or honors classes and pursuing subjects beyond the minimum requirements at your school. If you want to make any changes to your schedule, or try to move into a more advanced class, make sure to get in touch with your counselor right away.

Make an appointment with your college counselor. Discuss your college goals and academic interests, and give him/her a copy of your activities resume. You can also ask if your counselor has any college questionnaires or surveys to fill out. These are not only helpful for your counselor to get to know you better, but also to help you reflect on your talents, strengths, and interests. The college process is very much about getting to know yourself better, and filling out a survey from your counselor is a great way to begin that self-reflection.

Create a standardized testing plan. Most colleges will require that you submit an SAT or ACT score, and possibly SAT Subject Test scores. In order to avoid scrambling next year, create your testing plan now. You will want to take one or two “official” SAT or ACT tests this year, and possibly some SAT Subject Tests.

PSAT. You will most likely be scheduled for a PSAT at your high school in the fall of your junior year. The junior year PSAT is how you can qualify for the National Merit Scholarship, and a way to gauge your performance on the SAT.

SAT. Many students take their first “official” SAT in January or March of junior year, which leaves the entire fall to study and prepare. However, if you felt great about your PSAT, there is no harm in trying the SAT in the fall of your junior year, as well.

ACT. Many students, especially on the East Coast, may not be as familiar with the ACT. The ACT has more sections than the SAT (English, Math, Science, Reading, and an optional Writing section), but is almost an hour shorter. Colleges will accept the SAT or the ACT, and in some cases will accept the ACT in lieu of the SAT and Subject Tests. Many students prefer one or the other, so take a diagnostic of each.    

Subject Tests. There are a range of SAT Subject Tests in Math, Science, Foreign Languages, History, and Literature, and advanced coursework is often the best preparation. For example, if you are taking AP US History this year, you should consider taking the SAT Subject Test in US History around the same time as the AP exam. Remember – you can take up to 3 Subject Tests in one sitting, so try and find 2 or 3 tests you can take at once. 

Attend a local college fair. Maybe your high school hosts its own college fair. If so – great! If your school doesn’t have its own college fair, there are often local organizations that host college fairs, or there might be a National College Fair coming to a city near you this fall. Once at a fair, branch out; take the opportunity to learn about new schools, and also to delve deeper into schools already on your radar.

If you are concerned about how this might affect you, here are a couple of things you should know.

1) Some counselors work with hundreds of students, and simply do not know their students well enough, or have the time to write hundreds of detailed and thoughtful letters. If your counselor has a caseload of 500 students and elects to not write a letter for you, admissions offices will not penalize you for that. They understand that your counselor has too many students to work with and too little time, and will leave it at that.

2) On the other hand, if you go to a small school, admissions offices will expect a written evaluation from the counselor for every student. In that situation, it might appear strange if your counselor declines to write a letter for you. If you go to a small school, but don’t know your college counselor very well, there is still time to make a good impression! 

3) You can ensure that your counselor will write you a detailed letter, but only if you take the time to build a relationship with him or her. If you are worried that your counselor may not know you very well, it’s not too late. Make an appointment with your counselor; ask if s/he would review your college list with you, or help you edit your essays. Even just spending some time in the counseling office, researching colleges or working on your applications, will provide an opportunity for your counselor to learn who you are, and see your commitment to the college process.   

Of course, you can’t control what your college counselor actually ends up writing about you, but you can do some things to better the chances for a positive evaluation.  

Until now, applicants to Ithaca have had two application options.  They could apply by November 1 as an Early Decision applicant to receive a binding admissions decision by December 15.  Alternately, they could apply by February 1 as a Regular Decision applicant to receive an admissions decision by April 1.  Starting this fall, Ithaca College will offer a third option: to apply by December 1 under a non-binding Early Action deadline to receive an admissions decision by February 1.

The new application option will allow students who are excited about Ithaca College (but perhaps not ready to commit to attending) to still apply early and show their enthusiasm for the college.  Note that because of the audition and interview process, applicants to the Music or Theatre programs cannot apply Early Action.

Applicants will also have the option of not submitting SAT or ACT scores.  Students with a strong academic record in school, but relatively weaker test scores, can feel less anxious about applying to Ithaca.  However, home-schooled students and students who attend schools with descriptive (as opposed to alphanumeric) report cards must submit an SAT or ACT score; all international students whose first language is not English must also submit a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score. 

Summer vacation is no reason to stop doing what you love during the school year.   You can attend an athletics, music, or arts summer camp, get involved with political campaigns, or apply to summer leadership programs.  You can also head over to your local library or youth center to see if they need any summer volunteers.  If you love to act, audition at your community theater this summer.  If journalism is your thing, approach your local newspaper about submitting a few articles. 

If you’re thinking about careers, consider gaining some work experience over the summer.  You can reach out to businesses and ask for an informational interview or a shadowing opportunity; you can also offer to volunteer your services as an unpaid intern.  If you’re interested in earning money, check your local listings for jobs at businesses in the area, or apply for counselor jobs at summer camps.     

For the more academically minded, there are plenty of summer programs to apply to, or head to a community college and sign up for a class (or two).  Summer is also a good time to do some serious reading, if that’s your thing.  You might think you need to work with a professor on an intensive research project for colleges to take notice (which is a perfectly viable option if you have the opportunity), but as long as you’re actively pursuing your interests, colleges will recognize that.

Finally, don’t think you need to pack productive experiences into every moment of your summer.  It’s important to take some time to recharge, take care of yourself, and relax so that when the school year comes around, you’ll be refreshed and ready to go!

Test takers who are worried about having an “off day,” will now have the option of retaking the test without needing to share the lower score.  However, applicants will have to submit scores for an entire administration of the exam, meaning they cannot send sections of GRE scores from different dates.

With the addition of score choice for the GRE, it could become a more popular test for business school applicants who would otherwise have taken the GMAT, which requires applicants to submit all scores. 

ETS’ new policy gives the applicant more control in the graduate school application process.  Just remember to check-in with the schools you are applying to before deciding to send just one, or all, of your GRE scores.  Some graduate schools may want to see your entire score history to provide context for your test scores, and others may not have a preference.  Either way, your best plan is to follow the recommendation of the Admissions Office.

Extracurricular involvements include any activity not immediately related to a class assignment or a course you’re taking in high school.  This includes school clubs, athletics and outdoor activities, community service, work experience, internships, research experience, religious activities, political involvement, theater, music, and a host of other things. 

Just about every college expects that you’ll be active extracurricularly. Colleges want to see that you will be an engaged and contributing member of a college community.  One way to show this is to be active outside of the classroom and pursue outside interests while in high school.  The value of extracurricular involvement is not only that it strengthens your college application, but also develops your self-awareness, maturity, and time management skills.  Besides, participating in activities of interest to you should be fun and engaging (if it isn’t, maybe you should try getting involved in something new!).

In choosing extracurricular activities, it’s OK to start broad.  You’ll want to explore several areas of interest early in high school so that you can narrow it down to a few meaningful activities later on. 

2) Prepare to be recruited.  When a college admits you, they want you to enroll, and they will do their best to make you feel wanted.  Expect invitations to visit campus and phone calls or letters from current students; some schools will even send you t-shirts, scarves, or posters.  Take advantage of opportunities to meet with students, spend the night in a dormitory, and don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions.

3) It’s OK to be disappointed by a deny letter, but try not to get hung up on it.  Most students end up having a great time at whatever college they attend, even if it wasn't their first choice.  Besides, you should be excited about all of the schools you applied to (otherwise, why did you apply?).

4) Remember, when you don’t gain admission to a school, the college did not reject you. Your application was denied.  It is a subtle, but significant, difference.  A college may not have a space for you in the fall, but you are still the same smart, motivated, and talented student you always were. No admissions decision defines you.

5) Focus on the schools to which you were admitted.  Those schools are excited about you!  Boost your ego and spend some time with people who think you’re awesome.  

Elmhurst College began to ask applicants about their sexual orientation last year.  Elmhurst is affiliated with the United Church of Christ, which endorsed gay marriage in 2005.  They even have some scholarships available for students who self-identify as gay in order to foster a more diverse campus community.

Asking students to report their sexual orientation on an admissions application or prior to enrollment serves a dual purpose.  It is important for practical reasons so that colleges know what types of resources and support services they will need to provide for the incoming students.  It also demonstrates that colleges recognize the value of a diverse student population, not just in terms of ethnicity and geography, but sexual orientation, as well.

For more details, you can read the full story at The Choice, a New York Times blog about college admissions.

Many colleges require at least one recommendation letter from either your school counselor or a teacher.  Some colleges even require a counselor letter, plus one – or two – teacher recommendations.

Your recommendations should ideally come from teachers who taught you in 11th or 12th grade in core academic subject areas (English, social studies, math, science, foreign language).  Among these, pick a teacher who has seen your best work and can speak to your academic abilities.

Once you’ve figured out who will be writing on your behalf, it’ll be time to invite each recommender online (this is possible if you’re using the Common App and some institutional applications) or to gather and complete paper forms.  Check with each recommender to see if they prefer to submit electronically or on paper.

Since your applications won’t be complete without all required recommendations, be sure to confirm that the required letters are received by each school.  And then, once all is complete, be sure to send a thank you note to each of your recommenders!