The College Search Process: Part 3

The part of the college process with which I feel the most comfortable is the completion of the application. I have been working with college essays, applications, personal statements and recommendations for almost two decades. I felt like this part of the process should be a breeze for us. And for the most part, I was right. What I didn’t realize was that this part of the process was going to be the fulcrum. It has been during the application process that my daughter has made the college search her own and used it to refine and develop her college needs.

She leisurely began writing her essays the summer before her senior year. One essay was nearly complete prior to the beginning of the school year and a few others were on the way. Fortunately, many of the tips I give other students, I did not need to tell my daughter. She is a strong writer who values the writing process; she has a distinctive and authentic writing voice. Her work was focused and well structured. The mechanics and grammar did not need my attention.

We did need to brainstorm about topics. She leaned toward some of the traditional dead end topics: camp, grandparents, even dead pets. However, as we discussed the application questions, especially the Common Application, we were able to identify holes: parts of her that were not fully explored in the rest of the application. These holes became the focuses of her essays.

She started writing and sharing. She would write a draft or two and eventually read it to her mother and me. We would ask questions and she would revise. She was wonderfully open and relaxed in this process. I advise students to write without thinking about word limits and then, once their essays are nearing completion, to deal with editing. My daughter is a stubborn editor; she often refused to cut much of her work. She became very attached to her writing.

Our daughter knew that some short answer questions were not as open ended as they seemed. On the “why our college” questions, she knew she needed to demonstrate not only her interest but also her knowledge about the school. This forced her to do some more research on the schools (and to really consider WHY she wanted to go there).

As the process continued, she prepared several short pieces on co-curricular activities and professional goals. She added application deadlines to our home calendar so we all knew the timeline.

Her organizational and people skills have been significant assets during the application process. She spoke with her counselor and two teachers about recommendations. She was able to build relationships with admissions counselors at some of the colleges. The application process really forced her to look more deeply into each institution and examine them more critically.

It was fascinating that, at the beginning of the process, our daughter was going along with her overeager parents. Now she is undisputedly in control. She decided on which topics she would write. She began to remove and add schools to the list. She decided we still have one more college to visit – and we are.

As she has researched and written about each school, and made the last few visits, she further refined her needs, priorities, and even the fields she wants to study. Soon, she will press the submit button and the applications will leave her hands. However, the process will not stop there. She is more knowledgeable about schools and that has made decision-making even more complex.