I just got told tonight that college deadlines are not like real deadlines. It's not like paying bills where you just make sure it's there before the deadline. You are supposed to send your applications in as soon as colleges allow and they start accepting people RIGHT AWAY. FUUUUUUUUUCK! I thought they wait until the deadline and then start going through all the applications. Other people have already sent in their applications.
This is so hard. This is way too hard. I am going to be a waitress. You don't have to go to college for that. I have a good ass - so that will get me good tips.
3 comments:
That type of process is called "rolling admissions." Speaking very generally, public university systems, like CUNY, tend to use rolling admissions, while private institutions use the deadline process you describe.
Rolling admissions for the most competitive state universities can close fairly early. You will have to check and find out whether you are still okay with CUNY.
This is indeed hard, but you can do it. You've already decided not to make yourself crazy by applying all over the place. If there is one application for all the CUNY schools, that makes things easier.
Get the rolling admissions done. Later, you'll have time for any applications with traditional deadlines.
Write out a schedule for yourself with all the various dates and deadlines. Do some research then set deadlines yourself for the rolling admissions applications. Set deadlines by which you want to finish certain components, meet with people to help you, arrange various logistics, find out certain information, and make whatever decisions.
Make sure to leave plenty of time to get teacher recommendations. Teachers don't like it if you give them the forms at the last minute.
You can send in extra recommendations. Perhaps ask one of the firefighters, a captain or someone, to write a letter.
Ask an English teacher you trust to work with you on your essays. Even if you aren't stuck on how to begin and can write the essays on your own, it is a good idea to have someone look over them, fix any grammar errors and tighten them up.
When I first read your critique of Oprah, I was struck by your wise commentary and keen, pithy observations and immediately thought that, if you would clean up the presentation, it would be a great college essay (or opinion piece in an op-ed section!). The topic is still relevant, and such an essay could be tweaked to be a response to any number of typical essay questions.
I also made note at the time of your posting it of this post of yours about your family then and now, which introduces the people and situations before and after and without telling and explaining in a traditional expository way but rather by showing and letting the story do the introducing. With just a bit of editing, it would make a *really good* "tell us about yourself" essay.
These three posts share some of those qualities too and all regard the same theme of food, so you could put what's in them to use too.
The first of those three includes a bunch of material about the various ways in which you are treated by the fire families. Actually, this post could stand almost on its own, a flowing essay about how people think they should treat you, how your life is now, and what is comfortable to you and how that relates to how life was, that poetically transitions from an overview to end in what happened that day and with a look to the near future. Or, some thoughts from it could be used along with some parts of this post and this one if you need an essay about 9/11 remembrances.
Your post about concepts the non-poor don't quite grasp is also a good social commentary.
Your recent list of benefits of being at Josh's home highlights what you lack that most don't appreciate having. The flowers are valued, which is a common theme, explained in the list referenced above and showing up in many posts. You could write an essay examining the significance of flowers to you. Or you could do expand on the full list, perhaps pairing it with the followup list about what Josh's home lacked.
Calling the admissions departments about the waiver is a good idea. Ask as if you *expect* there to be a waiver and are just calling to find out how to do it, not whether there is one. "Hi, I'm applying to your school, what form do I submit to receive a waiver of the application fee?" You'll probably need to provide a letter from a person in a position of authority, so add that to your list of items to gather.
CUNY seems to invite potential students to contact the financial aid departments for help filling out forms, if you bring all the pertinent information and just need help figuring out how to best present it on the forms.
You might need to attach a letter explaining the impending changes in your situation.
Also, some CUNY schools appear to have financial aid workshops or financial aid open houses for prospective students.
An additional set of thoughts: Someone who helps foster children apply to college might be able to help you. Your intended situation is probably more like that of a foster child, who applies to college while still a dependant of the state but whose situation will automatically be changing legally and financially at eighteen, rather than like that of a child with parents who has to support himself through college; the latter status is hard to establish legally, and the child can still be considered a dependant with the parents' support available by the financial aid people. You really need someone to arrange everything legally for you, so that you will be not only independant and head of the household with your sisters in practice, but also so that you sever the dependant situation with your aunt and will be your sisters' guardian legally, for financial aid reasons, for reasons of other public services, and for a myriad of other issues.
I applied to only one school "on time" and the others were even after the deadline. I applied to Amherst late, and I got an acceptance letter. I'm not a 4.0 girl, either.
Chin up, you're not applying to Harvard or Columbia. Those kids do everything perfect and still get denied.
Wow, whoever anonymous is, that's great advice.
Schools are looking for diversity and for unique stories. I got into every school I applied to (two of them were after the deadline), as a white person who didn't have a 4.0 and 'only' got 1280 on the SATs.
I'd been raised in the inner city. My essay was the same for every school: "describe your bedroom and what it reveals about you". I'd hand-painted the walls of a walk-in closet and had a tiny window that overlooked the city. I used that to describe my life. I think they liked that I didn't have an ordinary/normal life pattern. And, honey, you've got that covered! Any school would be proud to have you join them.
As for practical advice? Anonymous has you covered.
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