You’re almost there!
Apply to colleges early. Take advantage of the colleges’ early decision and early action plans. Applying early not only will give you an extra advantage of demonstrating interest, you will be able to hear back from the colleges earlier as well. With the admission decisions of those schools, you are able to have a great Chinese New Year or change your tactics accordingly.
Be strategic when selecting schools. When selecting schools, you should neither be too optimistic nor too pessimistic. While choices that aim too high cause disappointment, choices that aim too low cause you to miss the best opportunity. The smartest choice would be apply to some reach schools, some match schools, and some safety schools if you don’t want to apply to too many schools. That way, you secure your college dream while trying your best to reach the prestigious schools.
Communicate with your teachers. During application season, you should always speak to your teachers. No matter if you are asking for comments about the school, asking for recommendation letters, or asking advices on sending emails, your teacher is your best advisor. Your teacher is always there to help you. If you have any issue, contact with your college counselor and teachers in the first place, so that the problem can be addressed immediately.
College is not your destination. After all the application and offers, you may find yourself excited (or sad) about ending your high school life, since you have reached your goal that you have been working toward for years. It’s important to notice, however, college is not the happy ending of the story. Rather, college is only the start of your journey of exploration. Congratulations, seniors, you have made it!