College Application Commandments: Love Thy Safety School!

In my  Top Three Tips for applying to college, I mentioned that you must love your safety school. I’ve talked about it in other posts, but today is all about your safety school (and why it rocks!).

In good SAT form (GOOD LUCK MARCH SAT TAKERS), I’m going to start with a personal story.


A few nights ago, I went out to dinner with a friend of mine who is currently a senior in high school.
We talked about the typical end of high school topics (prom, drama, friends, the desperate clawing need to get out of the high school bubble), and of course, College.

We discussed the schools she had applied to, and the benefits of each of them. I told her “I could legitimately see you being really happy at any of those schools”

To which she replied,

“Well yeah, that’s why I applied to them”


Imagine how much my heart swelled. Just. Imagine. It.
Now this is a list of some pretty prestigious, incredible schools. It had mainly liberal arts, a public school, and an Ivy.
But we talked for a while about her true-safety safety school, and she was extremely enthusiastic about it, and could list a lot of reasons that she likes the school.

Once again, this is a girl after my own heart.

But I digress.

Why does this applicant make my heart swell?
1. She picked schools that she felt she was a good fit for, personality wise.

2. She applied to incredibly challenging schools due to academic fit, but prestige was not her deciding factor (though the Ivy was accompanied by some pretty fantastic gesticulations).

3.  She was genuinely excited about her safety schools.

What qualifies as a safety school?
A safety school is a school that you are overqualified for. Your board scores are well above the middle 50%, your GPA is above what they require, and you can without a doubt afford the school. For highly competitive applicants you will want to make sure you have at least 1 safety with at least a 45-50+ percent acceptance rate. It is a school that, without a doubt, you should get into.


If I’m certain to get in, that means I don’t have to do anything… Right?

Wouldn’t that be lovely? Just because on paper you’re over qualified doesn’t mean that you’re guaranteed to get in. Colleges don’t like to be a student’s safety school, and they can usually tell when they are. To increase the yield of admitted applicants who enroll, many schools reject or waitlist the incredibly overqualified applicants. (For example, someone who ends up attending UPenn might be waitlisted by Lehigh). It’s colloquially known as “Tufts syndrome” (because Tufts was a bit famous for doing this back in the day, though they will claim that they no longer need to do this now).
To avoid this fate you must express interest. Schools track interest in applicants as a way to try to increase yield. Expressing interest is easy. The most common way is to tour the school. There’s a reason there are sign ins. Other ways to express interest are to interview (alumni or formal), go to an information session (either at the school or locally), or simply to email your regional dean (ask a question that lets them talk about their school in a positive light, mention a program you’re interested in).
This also is why you must be specific and careful on your “Why ______” essays. Show a passion for the school, and make sure you’re genuine in your interest. Don’t fake it, find things you really love about the school.


If it’s my last choice, why should I spend time looking for a school that I love?

Just because the school is your “last resort” (though this is untrue for many people, I know someone who’s safety was genuinely her second choice out of about 10 schools) doesn’t mean that you should hate it. Though you hope that you aren’t going to end up attending, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a real chance that you will attend. You’re spending 30-70 dollars on the application, and a few hours on the supplements, shouldn’t you actually like the school?

Your safety school may be, on paper, your last resort. But that doesn’t mean that it deserves no respect. You may very well end up there, and nobody likes the kid at orientation who is moping around in his Harvard sweatshirt saying things like “I’m going to get a 4.0 this semester and transfer to the type of school I deserve”
Don’t be that kid. Love your safety; it will make your life way easier.

Some SAT Dos and Don'ts

Some SAT Dos and Don'ts

Juniors, this post is for you.


The March SAT approaches quickly, and for many juniors this is the first real SAT you’re taking.
While I’ve spoken about tests before:
SAT and ACT are NOT the same
Goal Score MYTH

You don't have to submit all of your scores
Test Ritual


Let’s talk a bit more about what you should do to prepare:
DO: Relax the night before.

Don’t go out to a movie with friends, don’t go to a party, don’t stay on Tumblr all night, don’t stay up past 11PM. Go to bed early (maybe cut off any sugar and caffeine so you night owls can actually fall asleep) after a quiet night at home. It will help keep your energy up the next day.
DON’T: Skip school the day before to “study.”

Maybe this was just my high school, but a lot of people would skip that Friday to stay home and “study” for the SAT. Don’t do that. Being in school will help keep you in an academic mode, and also will keep you from worrying about what you missed.

DO: Practice every day that week.

Take at least 2 (or more) fully timed practice tests the week of your SAT. The timing (and stamina) can have a huge impact on your score, so make sure you’re used to it. If you always run out of time on the math section, you’re only going to improve your speed by practicing. When you’re not doing a full test, do practice questions or skill reviews on the sections you’re poor on. Also go over your vocab every day.

DON’T: Cheat on your practices/scores

If you get a few questions wrong that when you see the answer you think, “Oh man I knew that one, lets count it right.” That is the kiss of death for goal scores. If you do that you’re going to overshoot on your goal score, and be disappointed if you don’t reach it. This also will limit your capacity to learn because you won’t teach yourself the right answers to the questions.

DO: Eat breakfast before the test.

Even if you’re not a big breakfast eater, the SAT is a LONG test. You’re going to get hungry, no matter how nervous you are. Make sure to eat something to keep you running at full capacity. If you like caffeinated drinks, have some.

DON’T: Take any food risks

Have you ever heard that urban legend about the student who vomited on their SAT/ACT/AP and they had to wrap up the test and send it in, even covered in sick? Don’t take that chance. Don’t be that kid. Starting 24 hours before the test eat things that sit easy on your stomach. Nerves are going to be running high, don’t take a risk with something that could make you sick.


DO: Keep calm

I broke out into hives the first time I took the SAT. DON’T BE ME. The proctor almost made me cancel my score and go home because she was so worried for me. Take deep breaths, be confident, and know that if this one doesn’t work out you can sit for it again. This is not the end of the world.

DON’T: Go in unprepared

Have extra pencils. Have extra pens. Have gum erasers. Have a watch or a timer (in case the clock is wrong/you can’t see the clock). Have your cell phone turned off. Have water. Have a snack. Have a photo ID. Have your calculator. Have EXTRA BATTERIES (my brother’s calculator died during his PSAT). Make sure everything is covered and there’s no possibility of you forgetting something (so you should pack it up the night before).
And one nice little fun fact:
You can spell your name wrong on the SAT without being penalized. Don’t do it on purpose. But just in case you’re terrible at the bubbles for filling in your info, don’t worry.

Fair Warning: Summer Activities < Yearly Extracurriculars

It’s now the time of year when students start to think “Oh, I need to figure out what I’m doing this summer!”

That lovely two and a half month break that our culture’s agricultural roots have blessed us with.

But take the word “break” lightly, because there’s nothing quite as bad as doing nothing over your summer.

Students stress out about what exactly they should do. They hear the rumors “oh you have to take classes” “potential science majors need to have at least two summers of research” “if you don’t go on a service trip, they throw your application out” or, most frighteningly, “your summers are the most important extracurricular factor”

Give me a break!

Just as there is no perfect formula for your extracurriculars or your essays, there is no formula for summer.

The only formula I can give you?

You + Something that matters to you = Great Summer

If you want to take classes and get a practice at college? Go ahead and do that. (But know that these options are very expensive and wont help you get into that particular school).

If you want to work and save up money? Totally fine.

If you want to go on a service trip? Do it! It’s great to give back, and will be a lot of fun. BUT: Don’t write your essay on it (it’s almost as cliché as the “big game” essay), and know that it doesn’t make you terribly unique.

If you want to do a specialized program for your big interest (sports, art, theatre, journalism, etc.)? Go for it! You’ll be adding to your skill level. But make sure that you have something on your resume that isn’t that activity.

Literally anything that is of value to you (except, of course, sitting around and working on your tan) is valuable.

Even if its not a program or a listable activity (for example, hitting the gym every day to try to get healthy, and losing 30 pounds, getting you out of the “obese” category) as long as you’re doing something, it is valuable life experience.

BUT, and this is a big but, know that your summers are less important than the school year.

Wait, What?

Colleges want to see that you have interests and you’re active in them. But they also want to see that you’re actively involved full year round. They want to know that you’re capable of handling school-work and outside interests.

So if you have incredible summer activities (doing independent research, attending competitive institutes, etc) but no school-year activities you’re still going to look lazy. You’re going to look like a one-trick pony who doesn’t know how to manage their time. And worst of all, it will devalue your awesome summer work because all the admissions are going to be able to do is scratch their heads and say, “But what about the other 10 months?”

Do something valuable to you during the summer. Shoot for the stars, go to competitive programs, travel, learn to cook, babysit the cutest two year old you’ve ever met.
But do something valuable during the year too.

You’re going to be fine. Really.

I know this is a few weeks early, and the very earliest schools start releasing around the 15^th, and D-Day (AKA: doom day, decision day, depression day, or Ivy release day) isn’t until the end of the month. But I want to tell you all, right now; you’re going to be fine.

Really. You’re all going to be absolutely fine.
It feels like the world is falling around you, while at the same time, time is crawling way too slowly. You want to know, but at the same time, you really don’t want to know.

Take a deep breath and trust me. You’re going to be fine.

A year from now you’ll be in second semester of freshman year. You’ll finally start to feel comfortable around your friends (and yes, it will probably take that long). You’ll be planning living situations for next year. You’ll start taking leadership on in your organizations. You’ll be past the intro levels of classes, and maybe even done with your general education requirements. The world’s educational oysters are in front of you, and you’re going to snatch up those pearls.

And guess what? You’re going to be over any rejections that you got. You’re going to be happy, or on the way to happiness.

High school is going to be a distant memory. College will be your life.

You’re going to be fine.

Rejection is not the end of the world. If you’re intelligent and work hard, you can make the best of any school where you go. Going to your safety school might feel like the world screwed you, but you’re going to find intelligent people wherever you go. Find your own opportunities. Do research, get published. Form close relationships with your professors, if they see your dive and your intelligence, they’ll want to help you.

So take a deep breath and know, whatever happens, you’re going to be fine.

Unpopular Opinion: You don’t have to go to the “best” school you get into

When applying to college there is so much pressure to go to the “best” school you can possibly go to. “Best” can have plenty of different definitions, but it usually comes down to: 1. The US News Ranking (regular readers of CollegeApp Chick are now rolling their eyes and thinking, “we know! You don’t like rankings!”) Or 2. Parent’s perception/knowledge of the school.

The book “The Gatekeepers” by Jacques Steinberg describes something called the sticker test. Basically, when you put the sticker for the school on the back of your car, will strangers be impressed.

Now think about that objectively. Do you really care if the thirty five-year-old mother of two who is driving behind you on the interstate is impressed by the sticker on your car?
Because if you do you really need to sort out your priorities.

Moving on, I’m going to list a handful of reasons that you might choose a “worse” school.

1.     Fit (Once again, the regular readers of my blog are rolling their eyes)

The absolute, number one reason you should pick a school should be fit. You are, probably for the first and last time in your life, choosing where you will be and who will surround you. Do yourself a favor and pick a place where you’re going to be happy. If the best school you got into is a huge party school, and you know you’ll be happier at a slightly less prestigious, but much calmer school, you should pick the school where you’ll feel comfortable. A school isn’t worth it if you’re going to be absolutely miserable for four (or more) years. 

2.    Price

There are so very few things in your life that are worth going into hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt over. If you’re really smart, you can get into a lot of great schools with practically a full ride. Many people I know who wanted liberal arts schools applied to schools that were “safety” caliber as their top choices, because they knew that they would get enough aid to go there.
If your state school isn’t the best in the country, but has an honors program and is throwing money at you to go, it might be worth passing up “better” schools to avoid student loans.

3.    Rigor/Future Plans

Sometimes people get into their reach schools. And then they struggle terribly because the rigor of the school is just too much for them, and they end up transferring (and having a hard time of that too, because their college GPA is so low). Take a long, hard look at the rigor before you get in over your head. A good academic match is going to challenge you without being overly difficult. If you’re planning on applying to graduate school, you’re going to need to have stellar grades. And the “best” college may not be conducive to that.

4.    Location

If you’re from the South East, and you get into Stanford… You’re going to have a lot of (very expensive) traveling ahead of you. If you’re prone to homesickness, have a medical issue, have financial issues that make traveling difficult, or just don’t want to be that far from your family, you’re probably going to have to pass on Stanford for a school that’s a bit closer to home.

5.    Individual Programs

If you’re very set on a specific major, take a look at the programs the school offers. Make sure that the course offerings are going to be similar to what you want to take. For example, psychology majors need to see if a program is neuro (or Bio) based, or social science based. Additionally, make sure that they have the concentration you like (social, organizational, developmental, evolutionary, etc). Many schools offer both neuro and social science type psychology, but you don’t want to be too bogged down in one if you really like the other. History majors, if you have a certain concentration you like, make sure that there are plenty of classes in it.
This also is a big factor for business majors. Are you automatically admitted to the business school, are there limits for how many majors they take? Is the business school a reputable one? That is a huge factor that might lead you to choose one school over another (my head is currently thinking about a UMich vs. UNC Chapel Hill type situation, but you can each fill in your own blanks).

There are tons of other reasons that you might choose one school over another, but the “best” or biggest named school shouldn’t be your be all end all.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.

Brief Post Today because it's spring break and I have a BFF to visit at Barnard. 

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.

Today I’m going to talk about a not so little thing, distance.

Many applicants have a certain radius or location they desire to be in. Maybe you’re going to stay in state, maybe only the north-east, maybe only California or the Midwest.

Maybe you have to be 5 hours driving, or 3 hours door to door.

Know your travel distance before you start looking at schools.

Also know, financially, how you can travel. If you can travel by plane, there’s not a whole lot of difference of a 5 hour driving or flying radius, but it can expand your options. If you can only take trains, that changes things as well. If you need to look at schools where you’ll always be able to get a ride from someone (or take a school-provided bus) that makes a huge difference where you can look.

Talk to your parents about the finances of traveling. Know what your situation is before you start obsessing over schools that are just not possible.

Additionally, know yourself. Know if you want to go far away, or be close enough that you can pop home when you need it.

If you’re very close to your family, maybe going 10 hours away when you can only afford to fly at the beginning and end of each semester isn’t the best choice.

If you have health considerations, know how you’re going to deal with them. Can you get good care in the surrounding area of the school? Or do you need to go home every other week to get that care?

If you’re an athlete or a performer, do you want your parents to be able to see you in your games/performances? Do you want them there every week, or do you want it to be a special once a year type of thing?

Think long and hard about your travel radius before you start branching out too far. Because sometimes, schools in the Midwest just aren’t going to work for a New England native, or a Californian just can’t afford to travel back and forth to Florida.

Short, Sweet, and Very Important.

Love Your List: List Your Love

Touring and selecting schools is an arduous process.  It takes nearly a year, it has dozens of variables, and often the decisions come down to intangible gut feelings. But those intangibles are difficult to write down, explain, or justify.

Which is why, when you’re looking for schools, you must write down at least three things you love about any school you’re planning on applying to.

When I say love, I mean love.

Every single school has things that are great about it. It might be nice dorms, top-notch academics, low tuition, ease of entrance, rolling admissions… the list goes on and on.

I don’t care if its your safety, your “ugh I don’t want to apply there but I have to,” match, or your “its so perfect I’m going to die” reach.

If you can’t find three things to love about each school you’re applying to, you shouldn’t waste your time and money filling out an application.

Why should you list your love?

1.     It will give you things to write about on your “Why ___?” Supplements

2.     LOVE YOUR SAFETY SCHOOLS LOVE YOUR SAFETY SCHOOLS LOVE YOUR SAFETY SCHOOLS. No explanation there. Just a hard cold truth.

3.     It will encourage you to put in effort on your applications.

4.     It will make things easier if you don’t get into your dream school, and give you things to be excited about.

5.     It will help you remember why you’re applying there when it’s 3AM and you have three chapters of Microecon to read and 6 more supplements to write.

So, for example, here was the Love list for my safety school:

1.     Small School, personalized attention, small- discussion based classes

2.     Close-ish to home, drivable, I could have a car freshman year

3.     Good arts department, draw in a lot of theatre majors, lots of theatre on campus. NOT HIPSTER.

Here was the Love list for the school I almost outright refused to apply to.

1.     Small class size, especially in the psychology department

2.     Excellent male to female ratio

3.     Close to home, lots of family nearby

4.     So few drama students that they give out scholarships for theatre (!)

(I may have thought that I was going to double major theatre and psychology at that point… Summer after my junior year proved otherwise, but that’s a story for another day).

Those were two schools that I didn’t love overall, but I found things to love about them.

So remember, in order to love you list, you must list your love.