It’s about time we had a webinar on one of the most requested topics for high school students: how to handle college applications and scholarships!
Our November 14th webinar explored those same topics with two Harvard freshmen, Janny and Matt. Janny is studying cellular and molecular biology while Matt is studying computer science and government. Read on to see transcript-like summaries of their answers from our Q&A session.
Tips for writing a strong personal statement? What was your timeline like?
Both Janny and Matt agree that the personal statement is the most important part of your application. Matt recommends an extended period of time for brainstorming personal anecdotes and building a narrative that in the end, showcases what was learned. You are writing a showing, not a telling. Do not simply list off all the desirable soft skills you learned that admissions committees value by doing a Google search, instead prove that you have them through recounting real-life experiences. These experiences don't have to be flashy or obviously impressive. They just have to strongly demonstrate your personal growth.
Now, you could find lots of statement examples online, but they can add bias to your approach and can take away from you demonstrating your person in your personal statement. Janny mentions that you aren’t trying to copy what others have done before you and what worked for them. You should present yourself and your individuality. Matt opted for primary resources. He asked all his high school English teachers, from freshman to senior year, to edit his personal essay! They were able to provide sound advice to make his statement more concise and grammatically correct.
What are the different application methods and which one did you use?
Common app - multiple question-response, interview (eg. UBC or U.S. schools)
OUAC - very few Canadian universities and programs require Grades plus applications (supplementary applications that require more than your grades, like a personal essay or reference letters). This portal for Ontarian universities and colleges is very user-friendly, applicants have very little work to do themselves other than uploading personal contact information as well as selecting and paying for program applications. Janny recommends that you don’t apply to too many, don’t waste time applying to programs you can’t really see yourselves in.
The Coalition - Janny and Matt didn’t have much experience on the subject but, feel free to research it and see if it’s the right fit for you!
UC apps - Janny and Matt didn’t have much experience on the subject but, feel free to research it and see if it’s the right fit for you!
How do you deal with the stress/competitive climate of the application period? (On top of senior year!)
The application period was one of the most stressful times in Matt’s life! It is important to maintain a balance, to get ahead of the workload from both school and apps, and to know what to prioritize at the right time. Janny reminds you not to be scared to lean on your support system and friends. Many of your friends are likely going through the same stress as you and being open about struggles allows for everyone to share the weighty burden together.
How did you know which college you wanted to go to? Why Harvard?
Janny chose Harvard for the strengths it showed in her area of study interest. Harvard has lots of science labs and expertise in cellular biology. In fact, the program was such a good fit for her personal goals and interests that she ditched her initial plan of studying in Ontario at the last minute!
Matt also stumbled across Harvard quite by surprise. He had always worked for and dreamed of becoming an MIT student, but as he explored more of his passion for liberal arts, writing, governments, and the humanities, he realized Harvard would be a better fit.
A good economics quote to internalize in this case is IGNORE SUNK COSTS. In the case of further education, it is better to drop old perceptions or “dreams'' in favour of the reality of what is best for you. Choose a career or a starting point that sits right with you, that you have a sneaking suspicion will make you happy and fulfilled! Whether that means applying for an Economics program instead of a Health Sciences program, or breaking up with your inattentive long-time partner- if the route feels forced and joyless, it can lead to disappointment and untimely failure down the line. Try and muster up the courage to go for what you want (if you happen to know what that is, of course). Something both Janny and Matt found to be an incentive was Harvard’s flexibility with intended majors; there is room for course specialization, many electives to choose from, and an ability to switch out of programs upon arrival if it turns out it sucks and isn’t the right fit.
How early should you prepare for letters of recommendation? Any tips to keep in mind?
Short answer: AS. EARLY. AS. POSSIBLE.
Longer answer: You want to give your referees plenty of time to write a quality letter. Matt gave his referees a whole summer’s break worth of notice! But perhaps a more crucial detail to smooth out is figuring out which are the right people to ask. It can be teachers you’re close to, supervisors at your lab internship or community service program, your work manager, or in some cases, even your peers. Don’t be shy of guiding them in the direction you want to go. Remind them of shared personal anecdotes and examples of how you believe you grew as a person, the lessons you learned in proximity to them.
Know that outstanding performances or grades don’t always equal a great letter- both Matt and Janny’s best letters came from the teachers teaching courses they actually weren’t excelling in! In the end, it was Matt’s teacher’s personal knowledge of Matt and his learning growth, along with Janny’s teacher’s knowledge of her maturity and strong leadership skills that allowed them to write something sincere and impactful, beyond numerical marks.
If you aren’t yet at the actual stage of asking for and obtaining letters, HEY, you still have work to do, networking to do, authoritative figures to bond with. The early high school years are a great time to do this, to interact with your teachers and show them what kind of person you are. Covid was a wake-up call in this sense for many seniors applying to postgraduate studies during the pandemic. With only one or two years of conventional, in-person high school experience, many students found they didn’t have the time to form strong yet professional personal relations with their teacher, making finding good referees a hard task.
You've been warned, try not to let this stress of time constraints and lack of referee choice get to you!
How many scholarships did you apply to? What was your timeline like?
Janny, thinking she’d stay in Canada, only went for Canadian scholarships. She started early, preparing over the summer. Just like with reference letters, start as early as possible. If you’re a high school senior reading this blog in December, look into them now! They’re notoriously undervalued and misconstrued as only achievable for genius kids or applicants with really deplorable personal situations. The trick is to apply to lots, and lots, and lots, and lots of different scholarships. How many did Matt apply to? 100+. This guy applied to 100+ scholarships. I know and he knows and you know that sounds like a ridiculously daunting amount, and you’re certainly not obliged to copy him, but do draw from his experience the reality of the scholarship situation. Very many people are in need of financial aid and there is a large number of scholarship outlets to choose from and to cast your ballot into! It could be a sports store selling specialty hammocks or a youth-oriented NPO; it could be yours to win!
Slightly reassuring is that many scholarships are due only after common apps in the U.S. and even continue into the first year of undergrad. This way, you don’t have to juggle applications and finances at the same time. Many Canadian scholarships are due in November (sorry seniors, keep that in mind juniors).
Ultimately, these scholarship applications are fantastic practice for university interviews and even job applications. Gaining confidence and experience being interviewed and writing formal and impactful essays about your strengths and your life can do you nothing but good in the future.
Conclusion
Those were Janny and Matt's two grains of salt. And enlightening grains they were! Hopefully, you've gained a bit more confidence and acquired some new information on the daunting process of undergraduate applications. For any additional inquires, feel free to contact Matt at: matt_tengtrakool@college.harvard.edu or on Instagram @matt.tengtrakool.
Written by: Emma M
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