College Applications: "Never too much" and Other Tips

Is it that special time during your high school career when you'll make decisions that will affect your future? Junior year may be considered the most difficult during the span of high school: adjusting to AP classes, taking SAT tests or preparing for it, and researching colleges, all of which piles up into a lot of work. However, it is during the senior year that students must make that decision of a lifetime and finally put together all their hard work, which will reflect on their college applications. Most students already know which colleges they wish to apply to while others have no clue. Many others have that dream school that they've wanted to go to for years that it has become a family dream (i.e. student and parents dreaming of going to Harvard or whatever other elite school there is out there). However, that doesn't mean you should apply to just one school because you shouldn't let confidence or dreams end up bringing you down. That doesn't mean let go of your dream; it just means "better safe than sorry". Plus it would be much nicer to apply t o a bunch of schools that you get accepted to that you receive the grace of merely choosing which one you want to go to. Applying to a lot of schools allows your mind to expand and open up to opportunities you may not have realized before when you had your mind set on that one school. Having a list of schools to apply to prepare you for the unexpected (i.e. money factor, living costs, interest change, greater opportunity at a different school). Additionally, there’s the excitement of celebrating the different colleges you got accepted to with your friends, who most likely want to compare what colleges each of you got into. However, remember that the schools you do apply to should put you on the career path you desire, that the location fits your needs, and that you can see yourself happy there. There's a difference between just applying to a whole bunch of schools and actually creating a list of schools that fit you intellectually and personally.
Some schools may even have better programs depending on what you plan on majoring in. When applying to schools, make sure they have the right program for you and that most importantly, that they have connections to places. The reason for this is most people who come out of college with a degree don’t know where to go or can’t land a job. However, colleges with connections usually bring job opportunities to students, especially those going into the medical field. Though keep in mind that popular schools aren't always the best choice. Foreign students usually attend many unknown private schools that are very prestigious since American students seem to concentrate on big, known college names like UCLA and USC. Therefore, make sure you conduct thorough research on the college itself and not on name recognition. Also make sure that the colleges you choose are in the right location. Many students who prefer warm weather but choose a school that has long winter days say to themselves, "Oh, I'll adjust," however, they end up finding themselves unhappy as location can also affect what you do outside of class and help shape what kind of student you are. Keep in mind that not all smart students stay indoors all day cooped up with their books. Intellect grows with everything you do, from projects to playing sports or music, affecting the way your mind processes information and views the world around them, opening them to possibilities unseen by someone who just studies or reads by themselves.
Remember that if you are not accepted to your first choice or "dream" school, it is not the end of the world. There are thousands of other people like you and they are very successful and happy people today. That is why it is important to make sure that your list of schools you applied to fit your needs because many students end up finding themselves happy at the school they did end up going to; despite the slight ego burst, which you can always grow back. Furthermore, what determines a good college is not what others think, but your own character and intellectual mind set.