Tips on Getting Into Your Dream School

How do you get into college? Where do you even begin? Many students have asked themselves those questions throughout the course of the year and as the deadlines approach, it is never too early to have all the information you need regarding the college application process.

Arguably, the questions Mendoza gets asked the most are about waiving those pesky fees that for some people can make all the difference. Students are glad to find out that if they qualify for free or reduced lunch here at school, they qualify for ACT and SAT fee waivers. In some cases, these waivers can even be used to waive school application fees. If you are a junior or senior in testing mode it is definitely worth going down to room 18 to see if you qualify. Remember that standardized tests help measure college readiness and can be a big part of applying to college.

Despite all these crazy testing schedules, many students consider the college essay the most difficult part of applying. What do you need to know about these essays? They are personal statements. Many of these essays won’t be more than a couple hundred words long so you will need to condense as much information as possible into what really comes down to a couple of sentences.

What could easily be considered Mr. Mendoza’s most important piece of advice on the subject is to not leave the essay until the last minute. You must write your essay expecting to rewrite it at least twice. Of course, that doesn’t apply to everyone, but keep in mind that some schools won’t even require an essay. Mendoza also suggests avoiding cliches as much as possible. In his own words, “a cliche is something that’s been said before and done before a thousand times and to have a thousand and one of it won’t help anybody.” This just goes to show how important it is to be original and to stand out in your essay.

If you’ve ever wondered if you’re making mistake in your application process there are some things you can make sure you’re doing right. According to Mr. Mendoza, some of the biggest mistakes he sees students make are leaving essays for the last minute, not checking them with teachers or revising them, not completing applications, and procrastination.

Nearly everyone understands that procrastination can really be irresistible sometimes but your college application process is definitely not the place to waste time. Getting everything done with time to spare only allows you to have more time left to review and revise everything. Proper time management can also save you a lot of stress.

One way to have everything in the same, more manageable place is by employing sites like Common Application (Common App) or Coalition. Many students and teachers benefit from such organized application portals but don’t think that means you need them. Not all students need these applications will be needed to get into college but these applications are, “one application for multiple schools.” Apps like this allow you to have all your application material for several schools in one place. If you’re interested in applying to college, look here first to see if the schools you want are in either application.

So you’ve applied: now what? Mr. Mendoza says that the best ways to stay up to date on the status of your application(s) are through your email (he recommends creating one just for college-related things), by keeping a calendar of upcoming dates and deadlines. After and perhaps even before you apply, set up a conversation with the admissions director for your area and ask them a “thoughtful” question (or questions that cannot easily be looked up). This will help you build a friendly, professional relationship with someone in charge of admissions.

As far as frequently asked questions go, many students look for Mr. Mendoza’s help before even starting to apply to college. That being said, this advice may not be particularly useful to you so for the best, personally tailored advice, make an appointment to see Mendoza during the day by emailing him with your name and grade level, what you want to talk about, and what times work best for you.

How to contact Mr. Mendoza, CAP Advisor:

Email: [email protected]