Before the seniors head off on their next adventures, they offer their wisdom to the next class. From the importance of test scores to finding the perfect school, the seniors are a wealth of information that can support the concerns and relieve the stress of juniors. Below are questions that juniors have asked and answers by the senior class.
Is the SAT score truly important when applying to schools?
“I don’t think SAT scores are important when it comes to applying to schools. When I started my application process, I was contemplating the same question, but I realized that they aren’t as important as they seem to be. As you may already be aware, many schools have become test-optional regarding SAT scores. The SAT score does not define who you are and often does not reflect the type of student you are, so why should they be given importance? Test scores do matter, but a single test score should not define your intelligence. Nowadays, schools give more importance to a student’s extracurricular activities, so I would focus on that aspect of the application.” – Acasha G.
“The SAT doesn’t necessarily define you as a good student or smart or not, but it does help you stand out when applying to schools so I do think it’s important when applying to schools. Plus, more and more schools are now making the SAT mandatory again.” – Madelon G.
What is the typical amount of schools a student applies to?
“The typical number of schools a student applies to varies, but usually, it’s 6-8 schools. As a student, you are advised to categorize your schools into three categories: targets, safeties, and reaches. Your targets are the schools you’re likely to get into, your safeties are the schools you know you’ll get into, and your reaches are the ones most difficult to get into. Having a short, well-balanced list is key when applying!” – Acasha G.
“I think most people apply to around 8-12 schools.” – Madelon G.
“I only applied to 11 schools, but I knew people who applied to 20. I think it is really about what you are comfortable with and the acceptance rates of the colleges that you applied to, but everyone is different.” – Joe A.
What factors, other than cost and desired major, made you interested in choosing a school?
“There are several things you must take into consideration when choosing a school, but I’ll narrow it down to the three most important factors: School size/individual class size: If you do not like big class sizes, you should not attend a school with 12,000+ students, vice versa. Campus/Location: Both campus life and distance from home are two important aspects to consider when choosing a school. Extracurricular activities: The clubs and sports (competitive or intramural) offered at your school of interest should be taken into consideration. You should be able to enjoy and explore your interests” – Acasha G.
“I was interested in location, I knew I didn’t necessarily want to go all the way on the West Coast but I wanted to be far enough where I could experience a different ‘culture’ and meet different people. I also didn’t want my mom surprising me every other weekend to ‘do laundry.’” – Madelon G.
“One of the most important things for me was location. I knew that I wanted to go somewhere very different that had things going on off campus, which definitely had an impact on which schools I applied to.” – Joe A.
How many “safety schools” should I apply to?
“I think you should apply to at least 3, maybe 4 safety schools. It’s so hard to gauge what schools someone will get into nowadays, it’s so random and competitive so it’s important to have a few true safeties on there.” – Madelon G.
While everyone’s high school experience is unique, all students can relate to similar struggles in the college application process. As the seniors graduate and move on, the juniors can learn from the seniors’ past and pass it down to the next class.
