August Newsletter

Featured This Month

AI and the Supplemental Essays

Watch the Video →

Rising 9th Graders

Freshmen

A few things to keep in mind as the year gets underway:

• Pursue at least one club of interest. I know this gets the eye roll, but finding peers you've never met with common interests can open doors socially and academically.
• Don't be afraid to consult your teachers for advice and feedback along the way, and stop by your school counselor's office on occasion to build that relationship early.
• Academically, remember that As and Bs in regular classes are generally viewed slightly better than Cs in honors, AP, or dual enrollment. Colleges want to see you take the most challenging classes available to you while still doing well in them. It's a delicate balance, so reach out if you want to talk it through as first semester gets underway.
• When aiming for selective college admission, plan on taking four years of the five core subjects (English, math, science, social science, and a language other than English) by graduation. 
• Start a simple running list of activities and achievements now. It's easy to forget the details of what you did and when once a year or two has passed, and a running log saves you a scramble later.

Rising 10th Graders

Sophomores

• Take a practice ACT and SAT with your school this year if it's offered. Once school settles in, request a meeting with your counselor to see what your options are.
• Consider some career exploration. Your school counselor can point you to free tools through their office, but I'm here to help if options are limited, and of course to help you process whatever results come back.
• Sit in on a college presentation this fall. College reps come to your high school campus, and it's a great, low-pressure way to start seeing what's out there beyond the schools we've all heard of. Branch out in your research.
• Attend a local college fair if one comes through the area this fall. It's a good complement to on-campus rep visits and a chance to compare several schools side by side.
• Keep building your activities list with depth in mind rather than breadth. One or two things you actually care about will serve you better long term than a long list of one-off commitments.

Rising 11th Graders

Juniors

The UCs are not able to confirm they'll remain test free for your application year. The original timeline looked too rushed to require SAT or ACT scores from your class, but it's since accelerated, putting a testing requirement back within the realm of possibility. I'm headed to the UC counselors conference in September and will report back anything new I learn, but I'll be honest, I'm not optimistic I'll leave with real clarity on the testing policy for the Class of 2028.

So, to cover your bases:

• Take the PSAT seriously this October (offered at your school), and share your results with me when they arrive around November or December.
• If you want to get ahead of the testing conversation, get on my calendar before school starts if at all possible. Nothing to panic about, I just want you to feel like you have a personalized plan mapped out.
• Let's talk about booking a few college tours this year, and be sure to sit in on college presentations at school this fall.
• Some selective summer programs open applications as early as winter of 11th grade, so let's get a jump on what you're thinking for next summer.
• Continue tracking your activities and achievements as they happen. You'll draw directly from this list when it's time to build your résumé and activities section next year.

Class of 2027

Seniors

Woohoo, you made it! I'm excited for you to have a fun year ahead, and hopefully you'll walk onto campus later this month feeling really great about your college app progress so far. Most of you are right on track, some of you are even ahead of the game. Let's keep that momentum going.

Here's where we're aiming in terms of rough timelines:

• Aug 1: Completed UC PIQs and Common App personal statement.
• Aug 2 onward: Begin research and writing for your supplemental essay questions. This month's featured video above is a great place to start.
• If applicable, continue SAT/ACT test prep and testing. You should have already booked your fall or winter exam dates. 
• Create your UC app portal login on Aug 1 at admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/apply-now.html.
• Create your CSU app portal login on Aug 1 at calstate.cas.myliaison.com.
• Chip away at the forms in the Common App, UC app, and CSU app, with a goal of wrapping up the UC and CSU apps before Thanksgiving, and your early Common App schools two weeks before their deadlines. Oct 15 is the earliest deadline, with most early apps due Nov 1. Plan to wrap up all your college apps before the winter break (mid-December).
• Visit your teachers and school counselor in person. Confirm they've received your letter of rec brag sheets, answer any questions they have, make sure they know your first app deadline, and hand them a written thank you card.
• If your colleges track demonstrated interest, make every effort to sit in on their presentation if they visit your school or the Santa Barbara area. Otherwise, be certain you've minimally gotten on their mailing list and attended a virtual tour (where offered).
• Monitor your email closely, including spam, for alerts from colleges and your high school.
  

Let's Connect

Whether you want feedback on an essay draft, a testing plan, or just to get grounded before the year kicks off, I have time set aside for you.