If you had asked me a year ago where I wanted to go to college, I would have had no idea what to say. As a second-semester junior, I was knee-deep in AP classes, papers, and SAT prep. Although college was always in the back of my mind, I didn’t know anything specific. It’s hard to believe that only one short year later, I’m on the brink of ending my high school career. For those of you who are not among the 60 or so seniors who are almost done with their college processes, here is some advice from the other side:

1.

Start early, but not too early. I first attempted to write my Personal Statement the summer before my senior year. (For those of you who don’t know, the Personal Statement is an essay designed to tell admissions committees more about you. It can be about any topic but must convey to the reader a sense of who you are. No pressure or anything.) While visiting colleges with my family, I began to brainstorm about possible essay topics and attempted to draft a few; however, after a week of agony, I realized that I simply didn’t know enough about myself to write a Personal Statement. Rather than forcing myself to write about a person that I didn’t truly know, I spent some time thinking about the things that are important to me, the things that I have enjoyed (and not enjoyed) in high school, the classes I have found the most rewarding or challenging, and the type of experience that I hope to have in college. So my advice is this: Begin working on your college applications early enough so that you don’t have to do ten of them the week before they are due, but wait long enough to make sure that you truly know yourself before beginning.

2.

Narrow down your apply list. Mr. Schweikher and Mr. McHorney must have told me this twenty times over the course of the past year, and I wish I had taken their words to heart. Let’s just say, the first week of my winter break this year was pretty miserable because I was applying to so many schools. I think part of my problem in narrowing down my list was, again, that I didn’t know myself well enough to figure out what I truly wanted in a school until I was already well into the process.

3.

Only apply to schools that you love. First of all, it is so much easier to write about schools that you actually want to go to. Secondly, if you only apply to schools that you are excited about, you won’t be disappointed no matter where you end up.

4.

Don’t be afraid to ask for advice. Have your teachers and friends read and edit your essays, BUT (this one’s important) remember not to lose your voice among the suggestions.

Since last spring, I’ve visited tons of schools, written way more college essays than anyone should ever have to, and applied to so many schools that I am embarrassed to admit the number. At the same time, however, I have learned a lot about myself. As cheesy as it may sound, the college-search process is at the same time a search for yourself: an opportunity to find out about who you truly are.