ACP Alumni: Conquering the Common Application

With the month of November fast approaching, I, along with thousands of other high school seniors, start preparing for college early decisions. Senior year offers an experience like no other. Students are filled with the anticipation of graduation, along with new ways of last minute bonding, such has senior games and senior prank day, which is traditional for many schools. Despite all this fun and adventure, seniors are burdened with the task of applying to colleges. Luckily, my older brother, who applied to multiple colleges and chose to go to the University of California at San Diego, is here to show me the ropes.

Carl Whitesel (pictured left wearing a blue hat), part of ACP’s graduating class of 2017, is currently attending the University of California at San Diego with a major in Marine Biology. Carl reminisced on when he had to apply to college, saying how it took him months to finish all his paper work for both multiple colleges and dozens of scholarships. He explained how though it was a tedious task, it was well worth every minute, for he was accepted into his dream school and finds himself studying what he loves every day.

Around ACP, a well-known fact is that Mrs. Dalton is available to students for questions on applying to college, scholarships, standardized tests, and much more. Carl expressed how he utilized all the tools ACP made available to him on his journey of applying to college. Along with Mrs. Dalton, Carl asked teachers important questions about resumes, letters of recommendations, and much more.

A very important part of any college application is the essay, and when asked how he came up with an idea for his essays, Carl answered that he racked his brain about his life experiences, and thought of clever and creative ways to fully answer the prompt while still staying true to himself. He continued by saying he wished he had more people look over his essays. He explained that he wanted to make sure his essays fully expressed him as a unique individual.

Carl concluded the interview by exclaiming that seniors should not be too disappointed when a school rejects them, for colleges quickly glance over applications to see if they believe the person would be a good match. He continued by saying, one piece of paper doesn’t do justice to a real live person, for everyone is unique and has multiple layers that make that person unique. One rejection shouldn’t change how you see yourself; if anything, it should help you grow and fix your application to make it perfect for the next school.

Good luck with your applications, Knights! One of the most important things to remember is that your teachers are here to support you.

Featured image of the iconic Scripps Pier from: http://bigideas.ucsd.edu/