What I Wish I Knew: College Application Advice from Current Students

When High School Seniors Apply For College For The First Time, The Process Can Often Feel Like Uncharted Territory...

If this is the case for you, you’re probably wishing you had a road map to help you through the college admissions process. The only templates seniors seem to have are recommendations from college admission officers and application checklists.

However, seeking advice from current college students is another little-known trick that could help you bring your college applications to the next level!

By connecting with current college students and learning how they handled their college applications, you can feel more prepared to tackle this new chapter of your academic career. After all, they know your perspective and concerns better than most admissions officers, because they’ve been exactly where you are.

Current college students can give you specific advice on important parts of the college application process like time management, the benefit of counselors, and the little things you can do to make your college application stand out among others. So, if you’re a high school student ready to start applying for colleges, you should make sure to consider the advice from college students who recently went through the college application process.

In the end, current college students could be one of your most vital resources.

To help you benefit from college students’ advice, we’ve done the research and discovered what these students wish they knew before college and how you can use this knowledge in your own college applications!

What You’ll Find In This Article:

• 7 Pieces of College Application Advice from Current Students
• Apply What You Know

7 Pieces Of College Application Advice From Current Students

For the most part, college students are granted acceptance into universities thanks to their stellar applications. Of course, while they accomplished their goal of being accepted, nearly every college student wishes they spent more time perfecting their applications.

While you may be granted admission to college, getting into your program of choice and receiving financial aid still rests completely on the contents of your application. After all, the first impression you present to college admissions officers will come from your application.

So, since your application will need to pull double duty, you should make sure to give it all the attention it needs. To help you out, here are a few specific things current college students wished they focused on in their applications that could’ve given them more opportunities in the long run.

GIVE YOURSELF TIME

One of the biggest regrets college students have about their college application experience is not blocking out enough time in their schedule to work on their applications.

College applications aren’t the kind of applications that you can just go through once. These applications have many components that often require waiting periods, including letters of recommendation, transcripts, school reports, and standardized test scores.

Alongside waiting for these important components, it’s important that you start filling out your applications early so you can continually revisit them throughout the semester and make edits until you have a finished product. Schedule time to work on your applications so you won’t have to rush through this process. Senior year can be a difficult season to “take your time,” especially among all the excitement of graduating, but it is possible if you have the right plan in place.

Fortunately, if deadlines are approaching quickly and you’re still behind on your college applications, don’t stress out! Current college students found themselves in the same position as you are right now, and they still found a way to finish their applications before the deadlines.

TALK TO COUNSELORS IN PERSON

In addition to setting aside enough time to edit their applications, a big regret college students have is that they didn’t schedule enough meetings with their counselor. Most high schools require their students to complete a certain amount of meetings with an assigned counselor, but current college students encourage you to take these seriously and schedule ones outside of this requirement.

Your counselors are there for a reason, so use them to your advantage. Bring in your applications, essays, and any questions you may have about financial aid or the college admissions process as a whole. They can help you customize your college application checklist and tailor it to your specific needs.

Of course, if you don’t have access to a counselor, many online resources exist to help you get in touch with a professional counselor. One of these resources is WeAdmit. Our professional counselors can give you an outside perspective on your application or essays, and help answer any questions you may have.

Don’t settle for just emails, either; make sure you have a counselor that can discuss your questions with you over the phone or in-person. Having a live one-on-one conversation with someone can spark new questions and answers that will get you closer to having a truly remarkable college application.

VISIT COLLEGES YOUR JUNIOR YEAR

It is never too early to start visiting colleges. In fact, the earlier the better. Physically going to campuses is the best possible way for you to see what a college environment is like, and many current college students wish they had taken earlier advantage of this opportunity.

This is why the best time to visit colleges is during your junior year.. You’re close enough to graduation have college firmly in your sights, yet you’ll still have enough time to not feel rushed through the process. If you visit colleges during your senior year, you could feel pressed for time and overwhelmed, making it difficult for you to decide where to apply.

College students who only visited schools during their senior year found that, if they had visited colleges just a year earlier, their college application process wouldn’t have felt nearly so stressful. So don’t rush yourself, and make sure you visit your prospective colleges as early as you can during your junior year.

TAKE SUPPLEMENTAL ESSAYS SERIOUSLY

College admissions officers read supplemental essays very closely. It’s virtually the only part of the college application where you can fully use your voice and show colleges what you’re passionate about. Test scores and class records can tell admissions officers a lot about your work ethic, but it’s your essays that show them your character.

College application platforms like the Common App and the Coalition App have general essays that are used for every application you submit. However, supplemental essays are different because their prompts are college-specific, and help you explain why you chose that particular college. These essays connect your goals to the college’s mission, helping you explain why you think you would be a great fit at their school.

Unfortunately, many current college students spent too much time focusing on their general application essays and neglected their supplemental essays.

If you want to improve your supplemental essays, let a trusted teacher, counselor, or mentor read them and make edits. A trained eye can highlight parts that you never noticed and offer suggestions that could greatly improve your essays.

Above all, take your supplemental essays seriously. Write them early so that, throughout the semester, you can revisit them often, make edits, and let someone else take a look at them as well.

DO YOUR RESEARCH

Every student has a unique personality, and so does every college. When you’re choosing a college, it’s important to know what the right kind of environment will be for you to reach your fullest potential.

Some current college students admit that they chose a prestigious school over their dream college, even though their dream college probably would’ve been a better atmosphere for them and their goals. This is why, nce you find the right campus culture for you, it’s important that you stay true to yourself and know that prestigious doesn’t always mean better.

You may think that a certain college is perfect for you solely based on their reputation, but many current college students insist that this status simply isn’t a good enough reason to be a student. A college may be prestigious, but things like their core values, mission and vision, financial aid, and programs may not be suited for you.

Worst of all, yYou’d be surprised how many current college students had to transfer to a different college after their first year simply because it wasn’t what they thought it was going to be. They didn’t do their research beforehand and learned the hard way that their college wasn’t a good fit for them.

Avoid a similar mistake by researching colleges thoroughly beforehand, and you’ll be saving yourself time in the future. Ask yourself: would this college really be a good fit for you and your unique personality, goals, and interests?

PLAY TO YOUR STRENGTHS

As you’re completing your college applications, you may feel the pressure to mold your profile to what you think the college wants. However, don’t throw away your strengths to look like the college’s ideal student. Most colleges want a diverse student body, so the more honest you can be about your strengths and weaknesses, the greater your chances are of being accepted!

Instead of trying to mold yourself to the college’s mission and vision, focus on owning yourself and your experiences. If you’re really skilled in computer science, own it. If you’re an amazing volleyball player, own it. Your strengths can even include simple things like leadership or being a great supporter and listener.

In your applications, highlight your real strengths, no matter what they may be. You don’t have to fabricate or exaggerate information in order to grab their attention. If you’re honest and every component of your application is consistent, you’ll already have their attention. They will see a hard-working, honest individual who knows themselves well, and that’s an excellent addition to any college class.

GO WITH YOUR GUT

Most current college students agree that the hardest part of the college application process was actually choosing where to go to college. When they started receiving their decision letters, making a final choice felt nearly impossible.

Some of these students regret wasting time constantly overthinking this decision. They had a gut feeling about where they should go, and they wished they had simply trusted this intuition instead of weighing their options for too long. While weighing your options is a good thing, if it goes on for too long you could end up confusing yourself rather than making the right decision.

So, once you’ve gone over your pros and cons lists, avoid overthinking this decision. There’s a lot of power in your intuition, so trust it!

More than prestige, a college must be the right environment so you can grow to your fullest potential.

Apply What You Know

Taking college application advice from current college students will provide you with a whole new supply of wisdom and knowledge. College students know exactly what you’re going through because they’ve been there; they can give you specific, targeted advice that will help you craft an excellent application.

Don’t be afraid to reach out to someone in college and ask them what they wish they had done differently. If you don’t know anyone in college, use any of the vast array of resources online that can connect you to current college students.

From time management techniques to choosing where you’ll go, college students can help you feel like you thought of everything, and ultimately, help you deliver an application that stands out.

Of course, if you ever feel like you’re missing something important from your college application, WeAdmit can help! We’d love to be your second pair of eyes and give you an outside perspective of your process, uncovering anything you may have overlooked. Our professional counselors and network of current college students are standing by, ready to help you craft an application that can’t be ignored.!

Take The Advice From Students Who Went Before You, And Your Application Can Reach A Whole New Level!