Last-minute Advice on Applications!

You are almost there! One last push and you will have successfully survived one of the most stressful yet exciting times of high school. To help you out, my friends and I have put together a list of some last-minute tips that helped us through the final stages of the college application process, and hopefully, they will help you too!

1. Proofread!!!

I know you’ve heard this a zillion times, but if you’ve heard it that often, it is because it’s THAT important. Regardless of whether it is a full essay or a 300 character answer to a short prompt, re-reading everything you submit before you submit it might save you from embarrassing spelling mistakes, lapses in grammar, or accidentally giving them the wrong email address. Though none of these mistakes are fatal, you certainly will want to avoid them as much as possible. Ask a friend, sibling, parent, teacher, or anyone else to read them too. More often than not, they will catch something you completely missed, and give you a fresh perspective on your work!

2. Do your research.

So, you know you want to apply to Carleton (duh), but do you know why? I am sure you’ve read about our incredibly passionate faculty and learned about the many ways Carleton can help you fund your college education, but with every college on your list, it is important that you do more than your superficial research. What about Carleton speaks to you?

Is it maybe our baking-loving community? Our somewhat rare trimester system? Our top-notch ultimate frisbee teams? Perhaps the fact that there’s always french fries in the dining hall? Ask yourself the important questions, and make sure that you can see yourself attending every college you apply to. [If you already know Carleton is the right place for you, though, apply Early Decision!]

3. Make sure you are applying to the right school.

I know, seems pretty obvious, right? Well, not so much. Beyond making sure you are not using another school’s name in that essay you are recycling (don’t worry, your secret is safe with me), you might want to double-check that you are in fact applying to Carleton College and not Carleton University. We wouldn’t want you to wind up in Ottawa, Canada, would we?

4. Most importantly, relax!

You’ve come this far! You have poured your heart into those essays. You have (physically or virtually) toured every college campus. You have prepared your entire high school life for this moment, and now you finally get to step back and enjoy it!

From this point on, all you can do is wait. Go take a nap, get some ice cream, binge-watch that show that has been sitting on your watch list for months now. You’ve earned it. I am so proud of you for what you have accomplished and you should be too. I am sure you will continue to do and be great things wherever you go, and if it happens to be Carleton, I can’t wait to see you here!

Fátima strives to learn everything about everything, but is especially interested in Sociology/Anthropology, Psychology, and Disney! As a freshman, she can’t wait to introduce her peers to her native Guatemalan culture, put in practice her newly acquired ASL skills, and play in the snow for the first time. In her free time, Fátima can be found watching cartoons, poorly playing the ukulele, or desperately missing her dog, Cosmo. Meet the other bloggers!