Hello everyone!
I am currently in the midst of my post-secondary applications, so here are some of the tips that I have used that have helped make the last few weeks bearable. Hope this helps any current or future grade 12 students.
Start Early
Start early in all areas possible. Here are a few examples of what I mean:
- Create a resume as soon as possible (even if you’re in grade 10) and keep updating it every other month. This is super helpful when filling out activity lists because the last thing you want to happen is to forget some extracurricular that you did while submitting an application. (Trust me, this always happens)
- Begin to research universities early. You could consider location, offered programs, social life, class size, faculty to student ratio, and more.
- If possible, start touring universities starting in grade 11. Of course, actually stepping on foot is so much better than looking at photos online.
- Forge excellent relationships with all teachers, starting literally as early as possible. This sounds trivial, but you never know which teacher will end up writing your reference letter.
- On this topic, when asking for letters of recommendation, reach out to teachers as early as possible. As soon as school starts, they will be swamped with requests from a ton of different students. You want to do your best to be on the top of that list.
Don’t be afraid to reach out for help
All of my essays have been shown to probably at least 5 different people, with different perspectives. For instance, my guidance counselors, parents, siblings or teachers could all be options. Everyone always has a different perspective, and since you have no idea what kind of person your Admissions Officer will be, it is always a good idea to get as much input as possible for structure, style, tone, diction, etc.
Remember, it’s about balance
Just because you’re starting one of the most stressful periods of your life, doesn’t mean balance cannot be achieved. No matter what, still make some time every few days to do something you love. For me, that means practicing volleyball. It may seem like a waste of time when the deadline seems close, but believe me, it actually helps boost productivity so much that it completely makes up for “lost time.”
That’s all! I hope you enjoyed! I’m gonna go back to editing some more essays now…
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