My College Admissions Experience and What I Wish I Was Told
PUBLISHED MON, DEC 02 2019
Getting An Admissions Counselor and What to Look For
Applying to college can be an overwhelming, nerve-wracking, and exciting experience all bundled into one. Achieving valedictorian in my senior year of high school prompted me to seek for college in order to decide which university best suited my academic goals and career aspirations. take into account a student’s personality, academic goals, financial mobility, hobbies, and topic interests in order to advise a student on which higher education institutions would best fit their unique situation. And that’s exactly what I needed: A consultant who understood who I am and what my goals are in order to align me best with a university experience that would propel me into success.
Applying To Colleges and Admissions Letters
After meeting with a college admissions consultant, I was set on public institutions of higher learning, where a large cohort of students combined with some of the best STEM research in the United States would provide me the resources and networking opportunities I needed to achieve all of my lofty ambitions. At the advice of my college admissions counselor, I applied to 10 schools: 3 reach, 4 target, and 3 safety. In the end, I narrowed my decision to two schools: The University of Virginia, and the University of California, Los Angeles
Deciding Where to Go
Choosing between two amazing universities was probably the hardest decision of my life, but with the help of my expert admission counsellor I was able to make the right decision for me. I ultimately committed to The University of California, Los Angeles. Admissions consulting services do more than just advise you on how to present yourself to college admissions counselors. While a large portion of their advising is on perfecting your application, I would say that the most important job they have is to advise you final decision. My advisor implored that I choose UCLA for my undergraduate bioengineering degree, and as I am about to finish my degree, I could not be happier with my choice. UCLA has provided me with the social network I need to propel my ambitions into successes, the rigorous curriculum to challenge and develop my academic mind, and the state-of-the-art research program where I was able to explore a role as a scientist and engineer.
What I Wish I Was Told
Throughout my college application experience, I consistently regretted not getting an academic advisor earlier. Some of my peers at UCLA explained to me that they had an academic advisor since their Junior Year of high school, and they helped with everything from SAT preparation to extracurricular activity search. There is a plethora of invaluable information that college admissions consulting services provide and getting started earlier is much more advantageous than playing a catching-up game in Senior Year. I wish I had been told this earlier in my high school experience, and now I hope this information motivates you to begin looking into academic advising and college admissions consultants. If you know students in their Junior or Senior year, please feel free to share this blog post or urge them to make an appointment with us for a consultation on college admissions!
