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I have literally been in college for nearly fifty years and have degrees that span a multitude of disciplines. I have also taught chemistry, mathematics, engineering, counseling, public relations, and politics. Here are my 21 tips as you go forward.

Attend class even when other students don’t. Surprisingly, many lecture halls are half empty when there isn’t a test. Go anyway. Most college professors know if you attend.
Buy your books and start reading before the semester starts. When classes begin, you live in a blizzard of activities, opportunities, and assignments. Again, surprisingly, most students do not complete their assigned readings. Some get by without reading but getting As that way is tough.
Work ahead. Finish your paper or project first, then go out and celebrate your friend’s birthday, sports team win, or friend-group’s successes. Not only are you more likely to be relaxed, but you might even improve on your work later when you come up with a new idea.
Most colleges offer free tutoring. Tutors often read over your papers
or assignments and almost always give you valuable assistance that you would never have considered. Return to #3. To get help you must complete your assignments ahead of time.
Have a backup plan or two. Murphy’s Law says: (1) anything that can go wrong will, (2) nothing is as easy as it looks, (3) everything takes longer than you think it will.
Save your digital documents – often. The worst thing is when you lose an entire assignment, your computer turns off, or malware attacks your files. Google Drive and the iCloud are fine for some things, but there are pitfalls.
Develop solid notetaking and reminder systems that work for you. You will need these for the rest of your life. Small things tend to slip through the cracks. Checklists are extremely helpful.
There is never enough time. Bring enough clothes so you do not need to wash them as often. When you do wash them, take them out when they are done or else someone else will and you may never find them again.
Register for classes the minute registration opens up for you. Trust me on this one. Otherwise, you get a bad professor at a horrible time that conflicts with your commitments. You might not even get into critical prerequisites which may extend your time in college a semester or a year.
Petition to get into a class. Begging is fine. The professor can say no, but at least you tried. Good professors will save your sanity.
If you have any academic problem, particularly with an illness, family matter, or emergency, let your professors know immediately. Most will not help you later if you wait a month thinking you can handle it on your own or if you miss an assignment.
Make a calendar and keep track of what you need to accomplish.
Teamwork is a mantra in college. You will work on teams. A few members are likely to be unmotivated slackers or talented, but extreme procrastinators. Determine this ahead of time and set intermediate goals. Remember, your grade is on the line. It’s not fair but go back to #5. In the end, finish the project anyway. The unmotivated slacker will also get an A, which may thoroughly frustrate you, but you will earn an A too.
Book prices vary widely. The university bookstore prices are often high but the location is convenient. I have friends who swear by certain online stores where they always buy textbooks, get coupons, and then buy more books. One advantage of buying books in digital format is that you can often use ‘Control F’ to find on-demand information you need. Sometimes you can also take digital notes, which is impossible with a physical copy. I prefer physical books, but you choose. Also, renting books is okay unless you forget to send the book back.
Get involved as soon as you can. Meet students who have similar interests. Join clubs, learn about the school’s traditions, try activities you always wanted to learn, ask professors about volunteering on research projects, and get involved with intramural sports.
Don’t bring a car. A car sounds wonderful, offering you freedom, until your vehicle is broken into, the gas runs out, the car breaks down before a test, or you get a half dozen parking tickets. You never realized how much trouble a car could be on campus, particularly when there is limited and expensive parking.
Communicate with your professors and TAs. Most of them have office hours. Well, they probably all have office hours, but sometimes professors or teaching assistants are absent. Either drop by during scheduled times or make an appointment. Especially if you have a question or a problem, speak to them. A professor rarely helps a student after they turn in grades but may have excellent advice during the term if you are struggling. Surprisingly, the answer key is occasionally wrong. Sometimes professors are intimidating, standoffish, or mean-spirited. Fortunately, there are only a few bad ones, and even these professors teach important lessons.
Don’t get so excited about credit cards. Credit card companies will continually hound you to sign up with tempting offers. College students are prime targets because they do not yet really understand the challenge of paying monthly bills when there is little time and numerous items to purchase. You will probably have to learn the hard way, but credit cards are not the savior they purport to be. Furthermore, you will likely spend more than you imagined, and the interest payments will dig a deep hole in your pocketbook.
Drinking and drugs are around you 24/7. It does not matter what school you attend. Rarely is a campus void of alcohol or drugs. However, some colleges have more – much more. Some students will even sell illegal drugs in the dorm. You need to use your own judgment. Be careful. Students consume more than they realize, make judgment errors, get seriously injured, die of overdoses, and spread STDs. This section was not written to scare you but to make you aware of the life-changing realities.
During Christmas break of your first year, apply for internships, training opportunities, co-ops, or jobs for the summer. Create a resume. Getting real-world experience cannot be understated if you want to jump on the job market. Career fairs are extremely helpful so you can explore jobs you might want. Every college has a career center. Get to know the people who work there. It may mean the difference in getting a coveted interview.
Go boldly into this world and try new things. Thomas Edison once said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

Building Your College List – The Brief Basics

GPA & Test Scores: Are your GPA and test scores in the middle 50^th percentile?

Admissions Requirements: Does the college require 2, 3, or 4 years of a language, a year of art, AP Physics C, or Calculus?

Major/Curriculum: Does the college offer your major? Do they offer courses you find interesting?

Acceptance Rates: What are your chances of admission?

Rankings: While college counselors dismiss rankings, most parents do not.

Cost, Scholarships, Financial Aid: Complete the FAFSA and CSS Profile (if necessary). Note: Private colleges often give scholarships, making the actual price less than public universities.

Reach-Target-Safety: Your college list should include dream schools, but also those where you have a higher probability of admission.

Early Decision/Early Action: (1) Not all schools have ED or EA. (2) You can only apply to one ED (it’s binding). (3) ED acceptance rates are significantly higher. (4) ED/EA admit/deny/waitlist much sooner.

Holistic Review: Some colleges consider the whole student and their accomplishments (resume, portfolio, video intro) while others only consider transcripts and test scores.

Admissions Interviews: Some interview signups are on the college website. Other colleges contact students after they apply. Preparation helps.

School Activities: Does the college offer clubs, sports, music, art, theatre, films, newspapers, journals, traditions, outdoor activities, free tutoring, health support, etc.?

Sororities & Fraternities: Do you want the study group, social scene, and friendship circles of a house?

School Spirit & Dorm Life: Do you crave big-time sports, school spirit, and dorm activities that offer energy and connectedness?

Research: Does the college offer wet lab, clinical, computer, writing projects, and fieldwork to prepare you for graduate school?

Internship Opportunities: Does your program of interest offer internships, training, and job preparation skills?

Career Center: Are there career counselors? Do companies interview on campus?

Study Abroad: Almost all colleges offer study abroad with professors from other colleges but few host programs specifically for their students. Ask.

Chart Due Dates & Requirements: I highly recommend starting this ASAP.

Personal Statements & Short Answer Questions

When you apply on the Common Application or Coalition Application you have more than one essay. First, there is a personal statement which is extremely important. However, there are many other essays, short answers, and questions colleges ask to determine if you are a fit in their social culture and academic environment.

The all-important personal statement reflects your passion, persistence, and vision. This essay is an avenue for you to reveal something about you that is not clearly communicated in the rest of the application. Who are you? What is important in your life? What experiences have made you look at life through a new lens?

This may be a moment walking along the road, trail, or beach in which you realized something about life, family, friends, or purpose. It may be an instance when your life flashed in front of you, and you suddenly discovered that you will no longer squander your life. It might be a sight that astounded, amazed, or enlightened you and life’s possibilities awakened. It could have been a family death, travel experience, miscommunication that spurred your thinking about life in a new way.

Supplemental questions ask questions tailored to a specific institution. What experiences will add to the unified college experiences? Why do you want to attend that school? What activities are most important to you and why? Why did you choose your major? What educational opportunities did you take advantage of? What roadblocks stood in your way and how did you overcome them?

Each of these are chances for you to tell them more about you. Every essay allows you to describe a bit more about yourself. While supplemental questions may seem overwhelming, they are truly opportunities to share your uniqueness. Do you really want to be accepted only based on grades and scores when most of the other applicants have the same qualifications? These essays are a chance to make you shine. Through our trusted relationship, I am honored to help.

Research Projects

Regional Representatives

Many colleges have representatives that serve the school by providing information to counselors and students within their assigned region. Some colleges have up to a dozen people living across the country employed to promote the school to a broader and more diverse set of applicants. Often, these staff members work from their homes, give presentations at local schools, attend meet and greets, and manage their booths at college fairs. They are frequently on the road but still go the extra mile to answer e-mails.

Some of them unite to pool resources and support each other’s work. For example, the Regional Admissions Counselors of California (RACC) includes representatives from about 130 colleges, providing resources and support to California high schools, community colleges, independent counselors, community-based organizations, and students. Their e-mails are on the RACC website. Often, you can also find the contact information for regional admissions officers on each college’s website.

These regional representatives want to answer any of your questions about their school. Please don’t contact them to make a case for your admission or send them your resume unless they ask. They are very busy, especially during application season. Representatives of the top twenty schools are inundated with pleas for help or questions about their applications. These types of contacts are inappropriate. On the other hand, there are some reasons why you might communicate with your regional representative, and they can be very helpful.

Often, they are the individuals who read your application first. They frequently know your school. You can meet with them at a local college fair as well. Stop by their booth. They are often excited to speak with you about their university.

What Colleges Consider When Reviewing a Transcript

What Does Your Course Record Reveal About You?

Colleges evaluate students based on their academic record, specifically their transcript. A student’s transcript is a tell-all of educational accomplishments. While an overall GPA gives a ‘round’ number to a student’s big picture performance, the real depth of a student’s willingness to challenge themselves and ability to succeed academically lies in the details. Admissions officers consider progression, grade trends, level of coursework, language proficiency, and rigor of science and mathematics classes to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the student’s academic abilities and perseverance.

Some schools offer only a few Honors, AP, and IB classes. Thus, admissions officers consider curriculum constraints, religion requirements, and specialized programs. Some schools restrict the number of AP or IB classes for freshmen and sophomores. Some schools have specialized programs like the IB Diploma, Health Sciences Pathway, or an Engineering Certificate Program, which often come with specific requirements.

Colleges know what classes are offered. High school counselors submit a profile to the college which explains courses and activities offered as well as demographic and other statistical data. Many students take college classes which offer higher level coursework. For example, students who have taken AP Calculus AB and BC in high school might take Multivariable Calculus or Differential Equations in college. If Physics C is not offered at the high school, a local college might offer a calculus-based physics class.

While students may have As in art, athletics, health, and religion, core courses such as Math, Science, English, Social Science, and Foreign Language are deemed the most essential. In fact, several colleges recalculate the GPA of students based solely on their performance in core courses.

In total, colleges do not reject you because they do not like you. They reject you because they do not know enough about you to accept you. Specifically, you may be disciplined, determined, and diligent but if you do not have a rigorous courseload that demonstrates your depth of knowledge in the classes they require, they may select someone who appears better prepared based on their coursework.

In some majors, prerequisite classes put students on track to succeed. For instance, engineering majors are at a distinct disadvantage if they did not take AP Physics in high school when the majority of their class has taken one or two years. Thus, some top colleges require AP Physics 1, 2, or C as a prerequisite, and some even demand AP Physics C if it is available. Similarly, some prestigious colleges will not accept a student as a business major if they did not take high school calculus.

Students often ask, “Is it better to get an A in a non-weighted class or a B in a weighted class.” While there are other variables like teacher fairness, overall course schedule, balance with extracurricular activities, and amount of reading, in general, it is better to take the weighted class. First, the weighted class is more rigorous and a better preparation for college. Second, with the non-weighted class, there is no chance for a 5-point A.

Finally, if your grades trend upward, colleges will notice your improvement, particularly if you take classes that are increasingly challenging. However, if your grades go down and you have a reason like a family death, personal illness, or emergency (fire, hurricane, tornado, or other), explain what happened in the additional information section of the application. Colleges want to know, and your explanation may make the difference in your admission. Your counselor can also provide context to your situation or possibly a teacher recommendation can present your positive qualities such as effective communication, emotional intelligence, initiative, resilience, and perseverance.