College advice I’d give to my brother (and all of you).

So some of you may or may not know that I have a little brother who will be a HS Junior next year (this poor kid, going through the process with me as a sister).

This kid here. Though he's now 16 and like 6 feet tall

As he is preparing to embark on his college admissions journey (oh GEEZ) here’s the biggest pieces of advice I have to give him as he finishes out sophomore year.
1. Start thinking about what makes you special
Within the next year you’re going to write an essay that, basically, tells colleges what makes you different from every other applicant. And these essays are going to be much harder than they appear. And there are going to be things that make you special, but you have to find them. Write things down. Remember things. Any description of you that you’ve ever gotten is going to be helpful. Any story that is so “you” will be an asset when you sit down to write.
You, brother of mine, are an incredibly special kid. You stopped playing lacrosse (the football of Long Island) to start playing Hockey (our school’s 2009 championship shirts famously read, “Yes we have a hockey team”), get leads in theatre (and understand that the moral of Two Noble Kinsmen is “Dibs”), and have your freaking pilots license at 16 (before you can have your drivers license). Somehow, you’re going to have to fit all of these random passions into 500 words or less. So… start preparing now.

2. Bring back up batteries to the SAT
My family has a bit of a history with messing up the SATs. One sister spelled her name wrong; I broke out into hives, and my baby brother’s calculator died on the PSAT.
Make sure you’re prepared for any situation. Have excessive numbers of extra pens and pencils. Make sure you have a photo ID on you as you leave the car. Be prepared!


3. Take your road test as early as you can
Driving is da bomb dot com. Seriously. And when you’re a new driver you have a scary “win or die” situation called a probation period. So pass as quickly as you can, because the sooner you pass the sooner you’re off probation.
(I understand that NY has a late driving age and most of you youngins have your licenses by sophomore year, still, good life advice).

4. Prep for the PSAT
This might be the most underappreciated tip that I’ve ever given, to anyone.
Yes the PSAT is supposed to be a diagnostic, but the longer you build those test skills, the better you’ll get. So prep for the PSAT, because the earlier the better. Also, national merit doesn’t suck.

5. Be really good in class and form relationships with your teachers, because you’ll need them to write you recs
Teacher recs are really scary things. While you do get to choose whom you ask, you have absolutely no say over what they’ll write. So if you find that you connect with a teacher early on, keep that connection going. The more stories and positive things they have to say about you, the better.
You, little brother, are a bit of a class clown. Some teachers love that. Some hate it. Find the teachers who appreciate you and make them love you. Good recs are hard to find.


6. Start thinking about the summer early.
Junior summer is really really important. So make sure you have the best chance possible of doing something worthwhile. You should start thinking about the summer in January. If you’re applying to programs have them ready to go weeks before the deadline, just in case.
Brother of mine, I’m not going to try to influence how you spend this super important summer (Cherubs) but I am saying that there are programs that are really great for your development (Cherubs) as a student (Cherubs) and an actor (Cherubs). Like that Northwestern program Cherubs I did a few years ago. But you know, anything that you do will be awesome.

7. It’s okay to fall in love with a school, and it’s okay not to either.
When you’re school searching you might find a holy grail perfect match “I need to go here” school. And your head is going to tell you not to get too attached. But if it’s a realistic choice, there’s no reason not to use it as a motivator. But if nothing really strikes your fancy, don’t sweat it. Having lots of choices is great.
Brother. You were there when I cried after the tour of the school I currently attend. You are, unfortunately, in a house with 3 older sisters who applied early decision to their dream schools. So there might be pressure to just fall in love with the perfect match. And I hope you find it and it works out, because it’s an unbelievably great feeling. But know that we’re weird and that is not normal. So don’t sweat it.

8. It’s not okay to assume you’ll get in anywhere
On the note of the previous one, even if it’s a match school never think of anything as a “sure thing.” Keep working and looking, even if you know you’re applying ED.
Baby bro, keep on keeping on. Nothing is guaranteed and you need to keep working.
9. Remember that grades aren’t everything, but they really do matter a whole lot.
Junior year is incredibly stressful. There is so much pressure to be the best a everything and to have upward trends and to basically be an academic superstar. And academics are really important junior year. But so is your mental health. There are so few things that are worth a real breakdown, and school is not one of them.
Brother of mine, don’t rely on weighted grades. Really really work. But also know when something is too hard, and don’t be too proud to ask for help.
10. Junior year is hard, senior fall is harder
Junior year can make you want to scream. There’s so much pressure to be perfect. Senior fall is just as bad, because you have to keep those grades up and fill out a billion applications.
Little brother… you’re going to have most of your apps nearly done in August (before I leave for school). Look forward to admissions boot camp.