Starting College Apps

It’s officially college application season, and it’s just as overwhelming as people say it is. 

I’ve been deep in the process lately: writing my Common App personal statement, organizing my activities and honors, and trying to figure out which schools are actually right for me. It’s a lot. Like, a lot a lot. But it’s also kind of exciting to think about what’s next. 

The Common App personal statement is probably the most intimidating part so far. Everyone talks about how it has to be personal but also stand out but also not try too hard, which is… confusing. I’ve rewritten the first sentence at least fifteen times. But I’m trying to remind myself that it doesn’t have to be perfect on the first try. It just has to be honest. It’s basically a snapshot of who you are beyond your grades and test scores, and that’s hard to sum up in 650 words. 

Then there’s the activities and honors list. It sounds simple, but it takes real effort to condense years of work into short descriptions that actually show impact. There’s only ten activity slots, so I’ve had to make tough choices about what to include and what to leave out. Same goes for honors. It really makes you think about what matters to you and how you’ve spent your time in high school. 

I’ve also been working on my college list: figuring out my safeties, targets, and reaches. This part actually surprised me. At first, I was focused on “big name” schools, but the more research I do, the more I realize there are a lot of schools where I could be happy. I’m trying to build a balanced list based on fit, not just rankings. Some schools feel like great academic matches. Others have programs that align perfectly with what I want to study. And a few are definitely reaches, but hey, you never know. 

There’s still a lot to do—letters of rec, supplemental essays, maybe a few campus visits—but getting started was honestly the hardest part. Now that I’ve got a solid base, it feels more manageable. Stressful, yes. But also kind of motivating. 

To anyone else going through this right now, hang in there. We’ve got this. 

- AnthroManTalks