Debunking College App Myths
As we slowly head towards the end of 2013, we have more than just innumerable strikes and road blockades to look forward to. It's that time of the year when applicants are meticulously going over their applications to colleges abroad. Paranoia is the defining characteristic of an international applicant. Fuelled by myths and misconceptions, young individuals spend months bemused about the ins and outs of college applications. For those of you worried sick about your supposed inadequacy in the face of brilliant peers and/or the Chinese, we offer you mythbusters.
“SATs are the end-all be-all of college applications. You can't get into a good university unless you get above 2250!”
There is no doubt that standardised tests are an important tool in helping colleges decide which applicants will do well if they are accepted. However, test scores are just one piece of the puzzle and do not define you as a student or person. A high test score will not save you, nor will a low score kill you.
“SATs are important, but only up to a certain point. After that, all scores are pretty much the same,” says Junaid, a student at Duke University. The importance of the SATs also depends on what sort of university you are applying to. No SAT score can impress the Ivy League and crème-de-la crème colleges; they have a few hundred perfect scorers applying every year. On the other hand, a near-perfect SAT score will almost certainly get you into Purdue University or University of Texas at Austin, and many other well-reputed state schools.
So before you splurge on a deluxe treatment of the posh-est SAT coaching centre, bear in mind that what you may learn there is very useful for those trying to get to an 1800 from a 1400, but practically useless for anyone attempting to turn their 2000 to a 2200. “The books are pretty self-explanatory. I wish I knew that before. I would have never spent hours of my life listening to the drivel of tutors,” says Anika, a freshman in Florida.
“You can't dream of getting into a good college without tons of hours in community service.”
Hundreds of applicants stand in the sun, wearing the oft-cursed-at yellow, racking up their community service hours in the hopes of seducing admissions officers with these numbers.
The confusions about extracurricular activities have trolled applicants for years. Many pad up their resumes with lists of school clubs they are a part of, while the rest go around asking for recommendation letters from anyone even remotely famous. As the slow sound of palm hitting face comes around to their ears, a lot of these students are greeted with the ominous thin envelope of rejection, or worse, that of waitlist -- possibly the worst friendzone in history. What a lot of them understand only too late is that colleges want to admit people into their academic community, people that contribute. “It's not about the hours but your passion, and your essays should reflect that,” says Wasif, a college applications veteran who is known to wax lyrical about passion. So as long as your extracurricular activity bodes well with the culture at that particular college, your passion in such pursuits -- be it math, debate, art or even cooking for your friends -- will be a great asset during applications.
“I'm never getting in without a sob story about how I never had the chance to fly like the butterfly I truly am…you know...on the inside.”
Colleges want to take individuals who are able to be a vibrant part of the community. While the death of a pet might sell tickets at the movies, colleges are looking for students who write interesting essays, not sob stories that want sympathy. If you have an event in your life that is weighty and serious, by all means write about it. But don't feel like you have to invent a tragedy just to get into the school of your dreams. Spinning a sob story may well work for 'that kid' in a movie, but it hardly does work for inner-city kids.
Here's the thing: the difference between a moving essay and a sob story mostly depends on the way in which you write it. Just realise that a college essay is about you, not your grandfather's tragic health problems or war stories. So while you may be writing his importance in your life, make sure that most of the essay is about the impact he has had on you, which should definitely include more than just your goal to be a doctor, anthropologist or IT expert.
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