Happy Mid-November Admissions Family,

I just wanted to take a minute and share with you how grateful I am to each and every one of you. It’s truly a privilege to get a peek into your lives and get to know you and what you think about and care about, and to watch you mature and grow over the time we work together. So, thank you for sharing your amazing selves with me during this important transitional time in our lives.

Just a few little updates and pieces of advice as we head into Mid-November:

  1. Post-Submitting: Don’t go back and reread your apps over and over — you’ll find typos and little mistakes. You’re human, and humans make mistakes. But, if you do happen to find something that’s driving you crazy or that really must be fixed, read from the college how to best update your application — usually, it’s on the portal or by email — you’ll need to read the specific directions from each school. Don’t panic — they know mistakes happen. They happen every year. It’s time to let those early baby apps fly! You’ve poured your heart and soul into bringing them about and nurturing them, now you have to let them go do their thing and make you proud. Make sure to read my post about what to do after you’ve submitted your early applications.
  2. Log into Your Portals: If you haven’t yet, make sure you’ve received portal information from all your colleges and you’ve signed in and kept your login info handy! Be sure to check your promotional, social, spam email folders. The portal emails often get stuck there. Provide any info colleges say they still need. Know that it can take up to a week for materials to be submitted. Check your portals regularly, but not obsessively :)
  3. Update Naviance/Cialfo/Maia/Your School Counselor: Make sure you have checked that you’ve applied on Naviance (and for the early admissions option if you haven’t done that). If your school doesn’t use Naviance or any of the methods I’ve listed, update using whatever method your school uses or email your school counselor with your list of the schools where you’ve applied. Make sure your school counselor has everything they need from you.
  4. Check-in with your Recommenders: Send them a brief email to let them know you’ve applied to your early schools and how excited you are and how much you appreciate their help on this journey. Be sure to send them a handwritten thank-you note at some point this fall. 
  5. Check for Interview Info: If your early schools offer interviews, be sure to be on the lookout for emails, texts, and voicemail messages. Check all your email folders, search the word interview, look in your junk text messages, set up your voicemail with an appropriate message, and make sure you have space.  
  6. Interview: Do the interview. Fill your invisible backpack with your stories. You can also read my post about interviews. I have a livestream about interviews posted on my YouTube channel. You can find the link here.
  7. Send Test Scores: If you haven’t yet submitted test scores (if you are submitting test scores) and the colleges require official scores, do so now — even for your regular decision schools. Don’t wait and give yourself that stress. 
  8. Engage with the Colleges: Keep engaging with the colleges. Reach out if you have questions. Go to info sessions and virtual tours if you haven’t already. Check out interesting things to you on their websites. Open every email, respond if you can, and click on special things they want to share with you!!! This is where they share important info with you.
  9. Take Time to Breathe and Find Time with Family and Friends: Even if you have moved right along to the next round of early apps or your regular decision apps, take time to breathe and recharge your batteries, go outside, do yoga, meditate, take walks, hang with your family and friends (virtually). Even if you’ve got a stack of RD essays to write over the break, take some time off to celebrate with your family if that’s something your family does. Take some time to think about what you’re grateful for. 

Take care. Be well. Reach out with questions. I look forward to continuing to meet with many of you, and hearing from the rest of you as you complete your apps and hear back from colleges! 

Happy Mid-November! 🦃🦃😊

AdmissionsMom