Chapter 1: The Admissions Timeline from Freshman to Senior Year
Written by Kaashvi, Dartmouth College
Hey there, and welcome to The College Countdown! I’m Kaashvi (though my friends and family call me Kai), your friendly neighborhood college admissions enthusiast, and I'll be your guide throughout this series. Having recently tackled the whirlwind of applications and decisions myself, I get the mix of nerves and excitement that comes with the territory. So, whether you're a wide-eyed freshman just starting to think about your future or a seasoned senior feeling the weight of impending deadlines, you're in good company.
Throughout this series, we'll explore everything from creating your college list and crafting the perfect essay to navigating financial aid and making that final decision. If you're seeking practical advice, some personal anecdotes or maybe just a friendly voice to guide you through this process, The College Countdown has got you covered. So, grab your favorite beverage, settle into your comfiest chair and let’s kick things off with Episode 1: The Admissions Timeline from Freshman to Senior Year.
Now, let’s dive into some actionable advice tailored to each year of high school.
Freshman Year:
Freshman year is what I like to call a GPA booster year. It’s your chance to take on challenging classes and set the stage for academic success a few years down the line. Consider enrolling in Honors or Advanced Placement (AP) courses if they’re offered by your school because they demonstrate your willingness to challenge yourself. However, don't overload yourself with too many advanced courses; find the right balance that allows you to succeed while still enjoying your high school experience. And remember, if things don’t go exactly as planned, don’t sweat it. Adjusting to high school can be a bit daunting, and it's okay to stumble along the way.
Spend time developing your interests. In my freshman year, I took an ‘Introduction to Political Science’ class. Next year, I took a ‘Civic Education’ class and before I knew it, I was running as a candidate for my city’s Youth Council. Whether it's joining clubs, trying out for sports teams, or volunteering at a community organization, freshman year is the perfect time to step out of your comfort zone and try new things. Take advantage of the wide range of extracurricular activities offered at your school and don't be afraid to follow your curiosity. Who knows? That drill for the track team or day trip for the photography club could spark a lifelong passion.
Continue reading, writing and listening a lot. It can be any genre of books, well-written pieces of commentary (I personally recommend The New Yorker and The Atlantic), poetry or podcasts. I cannot stress enough how much this will prepare you to write engaging narratives in your essays. Fun fact, some schools like Columbia even have supplemental prompts that ask about the media you like to consume. In the even longer run, this will come handy for the reading section on the SAT.
This time is also perfect to start dipping your toes in the college pool—mull over some potential majors and research colleges you might want to attend. However, while it’s great to have a rough idea of where you’d like to go and what you’d like to study, these two things will probably change a lot as you go through high school and learn more about yourself.
For student athletes looking to get recruited, start documenting your splits, times or performance statistics and recording videos of your athletic meets and practice sessions.
Sophomore Year:
Sophomore year is an extension of freshman year: keep taking difficult classes and performing well in them. As for extracurricular activities, choose the ones that intrigue and challenge you, not because you think they’ll look impressive on a college application. Go out of your way to find projects that stimulate your creativity and leadership, that connect you with people who bring out your best and that please you so much that you lose track of all time. Also, if you have to complete a certain number of volunteer hours as a graduation requirement, this is the year to knock them all out.
This is the time to start studying for the PSAT/NMSQT (conducted between October 1 and October 31 for sophomores and juniors) and maybe even start practicing for the SAT/ACT.
For student athletes, the second half of the year is when you should start filling out recruiting questionnaires for different tier colleges and start reaching out to coaches.
Start your resume by making a list of all activities you’ve been involved in since freshman year by creating some categories like education, extracurriculars, projects, community service, work experience, interests and awards.
Junior Year:
Junior year is where it all starts to feel real. Course rigor counts for more than your GPA and test scores, so it is important to continue taking the hardest course load you can. Also, check out the course requirements of the colleges that interest you. Some colleges like to see four years of a foreign language and knowing about these specifics beforehand can make things easier.
Keep up your grades because this is the most important year for you as far as your transcripts go. That said, a B in some class won’t kill your chances of going to college. If you’re struggling in class, meet up with your teacher after class, ask your friend to tutor you or watch YouTube videos. Being complacent will only make it worse, so instead of waiting, be proactive and start trying to catch up.
It is a good idea to start your testing in the fall so you can hopefully be done with the process before the beginning of senior year. Junior year is also an opportunity to retake the PSAT/NMSQT if you want another chance at the scholarship.
Building relationships and rapport with your teachers (and school counselor) is a big part of this year as well. This can be done by visiting them at office hours, speaking up in class and showing genuine interest in the subject. At the end of the day, you want the people writing your letters of recommendation to like who you are as a person because that dictates how strongly they will advocate for your admission.
Some scholarships like the Coolidge Scholarship are open only to juniors. It is worth investing your time applying for these scholarships because getting one of them can significantly reduce the financial burden on your family. If you’re a low-income applicant, programs like Questbridge and the Posse Foundation offer full-ride scholarships that open applications towards the end of junior year.
Fly-in programs typically open their applications during the end of your junior year and these are a great (and free) way to get a headstart on solidifying a college list and finding your college fit.
The spring of junior year is a good time to start brainstorming essay ideas and maybe even writing the first draft of your personal essay. Chances are, you won’t stick with this essay for your final submissions but it gets you started on the path towards writing an essay that reflects your authentic voice. The big tip here is to avoid reading other people’s college essays because there is no set formula that is guaranteed to work.
Senior Year:
Make a separate email address to use for college applications and communications and link your Common App or Coalition Account to it. Edit your resume and bring it up to date as well. Finishing testing before schools reopen also reduces a great amount of stress and allows you to focus completely on maintaining grades and finishing applications. Creating a spreadsheet not only keeps track of your applications but also saves time by finding overlaps among supplemental essay topics.
Ideally, you should also approach your teachers for letters of recommendations over the summer before senior year. Being one of the first few in their inbox is a sure-fire way to get a personal and detailed recommendation. This is also the time to approach your counselor and request your transcripts.
By the time fall rolls around, you should begin narrowing your college list so you’re applying to a balanced number of safeties, matches and reaches. When I was applying, I panicked nearing the deadline and ended up applying to four more colleges than I had previously planned. On the flip side, some of my friends decided to not apply to a few colleges on their lists. So, it’s okay to not strictly follow your list, but it is always good to have one.
Try to apply to as many schools as you can under the early action plan. This will give you an earlier deadline to push you to complete your applications in time. A lot of schools offer merit-based scholarships only in the early action round as well.
After submitting your early action applications, you should be prepared to submit your financial aid documents. A lot of schools offer fee waivers for sending in applications and a quick email can save you about $80. Around this time, you should also be on the lookout for any interview requests from your early schools.
If you get deferred in the early round, all is not lost. Be sure to write a letter of continued interest (LOCI) to reaffirm your interest in attending that college. By the time winter break ends, you’ll be finished with submitting your applications.
And there you have it—an overview of the college admissions journey. You have quite a few things to tick off your to-do list before applying, but remember, you’re not alone in this. Take it one step at a time and don’t forget to enjoy the process along the way. So, take a deep breath and trust in yourself. And when you're ready for the next chapter, join us in the next episode as I take you through my process of building a perfect college list. Until then, keep dreaming big!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hey there, college-bound crew! I’m Kaashvi, an undergraduate student at Dartmouth College from India. I’m the brains (and heart) behind the College Countdown series here at The Ivy Institute and I am stoked to be your guide through this process.
So, a little bit about me: I was a STEM kid through and through in high school and all my classes were the highest level ones offered at my school and graduated at the top of my class for three consecutive years. Outside of class, I was involved in activities that let me nurture my love for inventiveness, responsibility and storytelling. From designing a vehicle to aid oil spill cleanup to working as an elected representative for the youth advisory council to volunteering at the local deaf school—I devoted a lot of my time to projects that were true to my values.
When I’m not typing away at my keyboard, dishing out college advice to people in my inbox and on this blog, you can catch me exploring new hiking trails, whipping up some questionable (but oddly delicious) desserts at my bakery or getting lost in a gripping mystery novel.
As an international student, the application process wasn’t just about finding a spot at a prestigious university but also about finding a place that felt like a second home. Now that I’ve made it out alive to the other end (with a boatload of stories to tell), I'm here to spill all the tea on how you can do the same. With some guidance and a whole lot of oversharing, together we’ll crush this admissions game like absolute pros.
Catch you on the flip side,
Kaashvi
