Admissions Thoughts - September Edition

It is September, which means a number of things in the world of College Admissions. The start of the applications rolling in for next fall, the sound of luggage rolling down the office hallway as counselors get ready for fall travel, the campus getting a little quieter as visitors to our office slow down as all high schools are back in session for the fall semester. Here are a few quick notes for the high school seniors/UGA applicants for next year:
 

• Please review the Top Ten Urban Legends about UGA Admissions, so you do not have to worry about the myths about summer vs fall admission, what major you should put down, etc.
• Take your time completing the application, so you do not have to send us an email asking us to fix your name, your SSN, your address, etc. Review the application, especially the 8-10 key fields we list out for you at the end of the application, before hitting submit.
• Read a book for pleasure! The Help is great, Watership Down was recommended by an office worker, Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers is wonderful, etc. Borders has some great deals now, so go get a few books.
• Review the database of the UGA Admissions Counselors fall travel schedule (updated each week), and send your counselor a quick email with suggestions on what to do/where to eat/etc. in your hometown (see my earlier post called UGA on the Road).
• Remember that if you are applying for Early Action, the deadline for taking an SAT/ACT is the EA deadline of 10/15, and that you need to have requested the scores be sent by 10/15. Also remember that if you submit an ACT, we need an ACT Writing score!
• You are responsible for your application! We have a number of parents who are calling us now saying "My son/daughter and I are completing the application...". While your parents want to review the application with you, and maybe look at it before you hit submit, they should not be completing any part of the application. In addition, you need to make sure your SAT/ACT scores are sent, your counselor has submitted the School Evaluation (after you apply!) and transcript, and that you are checking the myStatus page.
• See the movie Inception if you get a chance. Thought provoking, a little confusing, but very good!
• Go by your favorite high school teacher's classroom and tell them how much they have meant to you. It is senior year, and I don't want this to slip by without you telling them.
• If you had a conduct issue or a bad grade in high school, tell us about it, and how you have moved forward from it. As your parents would say, if you make a mistake, don't compound it by trying to cover it up.
• Senior year is important, so make sure you keep up your grades. We had over twenty students last year who we had to rescind an offer of admission due to low senior grades, so do not let it happen to you!
• Go out and perform a random act of kindness for a freshman in your high school! Remember what it felt like to be a freshman, then make their day a little better. My son just started his freshman year (go OCHS!), and while he is doing great, I know it will make a difference in a freshman's day!
• When you are entering your self-reported grades, make sure you have a copy of your transcript in front of you. We want an accurate representation of your high school grades, and this is the best way (in addition to reading the instructions).
• If you make a minor mistake on a non-crucial part of the application (punctuation error in your activities list, or forgot one senior class), do not worry.
• After you submit the application, be patient. Our office still needs time to import your application, match up documents, download test scores, etc. Patience is not easy, but it is key.
• Enjoy your senior year!