Katie Ramirez Katie Ramirez

College Applications 101

The six key things you need to complete your college applications

As August comes to an end, most seniors have started their final year of high school and are beginning to put together their college plans. There are many steps that go into the planning process. As you narrow down your list of schools and put together your application list, you will need to know the most common materials you will need to help the process go smoothly.

While the list below is not comprehensive of all the materials you will need, as it varies greatly based on competitiveness and potential majors, the list below covers the six most common items you will need to complete your college applications.

  1. Online Applications

    There are a variety of online platforms to apply to college. The Common Application is the main platform used for many schools. However, the University of California has its own website, and the California State University system has its own platform as well. When applying to college, it is important to know which accounts you will need to submit your applications.

  2. Your High School Transcript

    You will need an unofficial copy of your transcript to fill out components of the application for some colleges. While not all colleges will need it, the information on your transcript is valuable and helpful for you to see what the colleges will review when considering your candidacy. You will also need to request a copy of your official transcript be sent to many colleges that use The Common Application.

  3. Extracurricular Activities & Awards

    You have worked hard academically, but you have also worked hard or completed some really great things outside of the classroom. There is so much life in high school, and extracurricular activities are a way to highlight some experiences you have gained and developed throughout the last four years.

  4. Personal Statement

    There are a variety of essays you may need to write for your college applications. The Common Application has a personal statement where you can choose one of seven prompts to write about your life experiences. In addition to the personal statement, many colleges have 1-3 short answer questions they ask to help understand you and your fit to their campus. The UC system asks students to submit four short personal insight statements for their application. 

  5. Letters of Recommendation

    Building positive relationships with your teachers and peers is always valuable. Asking a mentor or teacher who you have positively contributed to their classroom or connected with is another place in your application where admission readers can better understand you as a student and how you will interact academically and socially on their campus.

  6. Standardized Test Scores

    We are still in the gray area of test scores. Some colleges are test blind, some are test-optional, and many are bringing back the requirement for test scores. We have recently seen the SAT and ACT move to a digital test. It is important to know what your potential schools’ testing policies are. Do they take unofficial test scores or do they prefer official scores? If they are a test-optional school, you will need to evaluate your test scores and determine if they will strengthen your application.

If you are unsure which materials you will need for the schools you are applying to, you can always research them online by going to the college or universities website and looking at the requirements for admission materials. There you will find a comprehensive list of what and how the school would like to receive your information. If you are unable to find the information online you can also use resources like your school or reach out to me for additional help. Remember to pay attention to details and follow instructions on the right materials to present your best candidacy when applying.

I hope everyone has an excellent start to their college application season. With the right preparation, this can be an exciting and empowering experience. 

Happy Applying!


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Katie Ramirez Katie Ramirez

After the Craziest Year in Admissions, What Do You Do Next?

Several articles have been written recently about the craziest year in college admissions. Here is a link to the article, This is Peak College Admissions Insanity published in the NYT and my favorite college admissions journalist, Jeffrey Salingo, wrote this article Inside the Craziest College-Admissions Season Ever in March as college admission decisions started to arrive in students' inboxes and college portals. 

In the last few weeks, I have heard from many families who are processing their admission decisions or families who are now in fear of their child's admission future, and I thought I would offer some advice and perspective amid the complex business industry of college admissions.

  1. Keep your child at the forefront of all your decisions.

Too often, we strive and invest in programs to meet the stated or unstated requirements of colleges and universities without guaranteed outcomes. However, suppose we instead invested in our children, their interests, academic growth, and innate talents. By choosing to change the focus of our priorities, we will develop children who are prepared to enter young adulthood and their continued educational development in college. We must shift our narrow focus from "What do colleges want?" to thinking about what will best develop and prepare our child for their future. Prioritizing your child's interests over college requirements is a mental shift but will always play in your child's favor.

  1. Remain open-minded.

One mistake I often see with families is unintentionally having a "dream" school based on group norms. Whether it's a typical feeder school for your high school or whatever school has been deemed prestigious within the social circles of your community. However, without having been to college or visited many colleges it is not possible to have a dream school. Many of the ideal colleges students and families have are developed through familiarity rather than genuinely connecting with a specific college campus. 

  1. Make a plan and stick to your plan.

Many of the fears, stress, and uncertainty in college admissions comes from looking outside of our homes and into what we see other students achieving. As mentioned earlier, we must look out for the best interests of our children and make a plan that best fits their development. 

  • Make a plan to develop their academic growth. A solid academic plan will always serve your child's best interest. The more a student prepares academically in high school, the more options they will have during the admissions season. More importantly, a robust academic history will prepare them for the rigor required at the university level.

  • Look at what your child likes to do and make a plan to continue to increase their engagement and impact in their areas of interest. The goal should be for our children to be challenged in areas in which they are engaged so that they can continue on an upward trajectory of aligning their talents, passions, and skills. 

Students who focus on their path and unique capabilities carry themselves with confidence and are often the students others begin to look at as examples of achievement. The more we confidently develop a child, the less time we will have to worry about what others are doing and if we should be doing the same thing. (Hint: You shouldn't be doing what they're doing; someone else already has that covered).

I realize this is an uncertain time when we are looking for guarantees regarding college admissions. However, with college admissions, it is best to prepare yourself academically while remaining open-minded about the opportunities that will be available in the future.

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Katie Ramirez Katie Ramirez

Welcome

Welcome to a new way to view college admissions

Hello! Welcome to my blog. If you’ve made it here then you are most likely in the process of trying to help your child through the college admissions process. If that’s you and you are feeling confused, overwhelmed, and unsure where to start, welcome! You are not alone. Take a deep breath and find a community where we celebrate the achievements of our children while finding a school that will help prepare them for their future career.

The world of college admissions has become flooded with misinformation, nuanced, and complex. What existed in college admissions when you likely applied to college has vastly changed due to an unlimited access to information via the Internet. Additionally, policies are continually shifting and most people do not have the bandwidth to continually track the changes occurring in admissions on campuses across the country.

What has not changed is the spirit of students reaching for higher education. There are still wonderful opportunities that abound for this generation of students. Today students have the ability to access multiple extracurricular activities, test their academic capabilities in their coursework, and develop skills that will make them highly desirable in the future marketplace.

I firmly believe that all students have the potential to reach their future goals. I love working with students to craft their applications. There is so much joy in seeing a student identify their strengths and learn how to communicate their capabilities on an application. 

If you have made it this far, thank you. I want this to be a place of refuge in the midst of the seemingly endless demands in the quest for higher education. I want to take away the fear mongering and remind you that at the heart of every application is a child. I believe in developing a whole student rather than molding them into an expectation. For when we develop the talents, skills, and abilities of our students, then they will arrive exactly where they need to be.

Thank you for being here.

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