Random Thoughts for September 2013

It is the end of September, which means a number of things in the world of College Admissions. Applications are rolling in for next fall, the sound of luggage rolling down the office hallway as counselors pack up for their next week of fall travel, the campus gets a little crazy as home football games start to pick up. Here are a few quick notes for the high school seniors/UGA applicants for next year:

 

• Review the Top Ten Urban Legends about UGA Admissions, so you do not have to worry about the myths concerning what major you should put down, if EA is easier for admissions chances, etc.
• Please be patient with our office this year, as we are using a whole new student system (it will change Admissions, Registration, Student Financial Aid, Bursar’s Office, etc.) It is a big project, but we hope it will cause as few ripples as possible in your admissions process.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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. You can find the counselor for your area at https://www.admissions.uga.edu/meetthestaff.
• 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!
• The materials deadlines are one week after the application deadlines, so EA materials need to be sent by October 22.
• 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.
• Read a book for pleasure! I know that it is senior year, and life is crazy, but try to read something (I am about to purchase the new Malcolm Gladwell book David and Goliath).
• 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. The worst thing you can ever do is try to hide something, as we then are not sure what other issues there might be in the application.
• Senior year is important, so make sure you keep up your grades. Every year, we have had to rescind offers 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, and then make their day a little better. My daughter just started her freshman year (go OCHS!), and while she is doing great, I know it would make a difference in her day, so go find a freshman!
• 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, wrong date for a test score, or forgot one senior class), do not worry. We are not that overzealous, and we do not review files with a red pen.
• 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!