What should I be doing now? 11th grade

What should I be doing now? 11th grade

The best way to prepare for college is to be a good high school student, and there may be no more important semester of high school--as far as college planning is concerned--than this semester. When admissions counselors look at you transcript next fall, this semester is the most recent and full picture they have. While they'll look at all your grades and activities, the junior year is more important. It lets them see how you perform in more rigorous classes and more leadership roles than you're likely to have in the 9th and 10th grade. 

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Your parents' fears and wishes

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Your parents' fears and wishes

Welcome to the new year and a semester!

If you're a senior, you've likely already sent off most or all of your applications. That means you probably have at least a little bit of anxiety about how things are going to turn out.

As a way to put that stress and anxiety into some greater context, please talk to your family about their fears and hopes about your academic future.

Cal Newport

Cal Newport

Cal Newport is a Computer Science professor and productivity writer. You may have seen his recent piece in the New York Times about social media. While his intended audience has shifted toward professionals, specifically "knowledge workers," earlier in his career he wrote a lot about and for students. 

Two of Newport's earlier books are especially good for ambitious high school students.

Changing your mind, again

Changing your mind, again

When I posted my piece in November about double majors, Allison--currently a student an Occidental College--commented about an important aspect I overlooked: at some universities, especially large ones, switching majors can be very difficult. High school students who really do plan on double majoring should make solid plans ahead of time to facilitate it. I agreed with her point...and then recruited her to tell me more about her own mind-changing switch to a double major.

In Case You Missed It, November

Thank you for visiting Apply with Sanity, which is now two months old. November included a major holiday and some other important stuff, so here's a run-down of what you may have missed in the past month.

I covered President Obama's official statement proclaiming November "National College Application Month."

I recommended the one book that every college-bound high school student should have--and it's free!

I discussed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, which may be useful for understanding yourself a little better.

I recommended against planning a double major, or at least telling people you're planning a double major.

I gave some good news about the cost of college.

I poked fun at the Japanese robot who did poorly on college admissions tests.

I talked about bias in college admissions, and why you shouldn't worry about it.

I'll continue to update the blog twice a week, and there are plenty of other sections on this site to peruse. Leave a comment if there are any subjects you'd like to to cover.

Coming soon, I'll update the "What Should I Be Doing Now?" section for the spring semester. Happy Holidays!

Changing your mind

Changing your mind

Today we hear from Gisele, possibly the most upbeat, optimistic, and enthusiastic student I ever taught. She's now at Dartmouth. I asked Gisele to tell me about when she changed majors and why she took a gap year to pursue a music project, and her responses surprised me. Plus, she's still considering making some tweaks even after coming to terms with what she wants. 

Happy Thanksgiving (unless you're a robot)!

Apply with Sanity is taking the week off for Thanksgiving. The next blog post will be Monday, November 28. 

Until then, I leave you with this good news: a Japanese project to design a robot specifically for college admissions tests has been abandoned. It didn't score high enough to get in. Robots might be able to win Jeapordy, but not get into college. Let that sink in when you get your acceptance letters.

In Case You Missed It, October

Thank you for visiting Apply with Sanity. It's been up for a month now! In case you weren't here from day one, here's a run-down of what's been covered in the blog so far:

I explained what this site is all about, and why.

I wrote about expanding the way you think about your college search.

I explained why you don't deserve a scholarship.

I talked about joy and pleasure.

I advised you to prepare for your admissions freak-out now.

I gave some tips on preparing for an interview.

I explained why you should not take an SAT prep course.

I explained why it's okay write about yourself freely in your admissions essays.

A financial planner explained how and why to talk to your family about money.

Two college students explained how they made some tough decisions about college.

I explained why your college will not stop asking you for donations--this one includes a link to a funny video.

 

And that's just the blog! There are also sections on the Five Fundamentals of Applying with Sanity, a how-to section, and an answer to the question "What should I be doing right now?"

Please share this with someone you think will enjoy or benefit from Apply to Sanity.

Halloween Special

Halloween Special

Whatever college you end up attending...won't ever stop asking you for money.

I mean, never. It won't always be a straight-up ask for money, it will often come couched in "alumni news" or "college updates," but there's always an "opportunity" to donate. And it never ends.

Why do they do this? Why does an institution that charges you thousands of dollars, sums so big you'll likely take out loans to pay for it, then ask you for more money once you've graduated (or even before you've graduated)?

This one is for adults

I just read Brad Sachs's blog post "Calling Into Question" from Challenge Success. 

It's about the importance of asking the rights sorts of questions of our children--at any age--to foster independence and reflective thinking. If you're a parent, educator, or other adult, it's very much worth the five minutes it it will take you to read.

Of course you're welcome to read it even if you're a student. Plus, you might want to pass it on to a parent, educator, or other adult who could use some reminding about how to foster independence and reflective thinking.