While the college application process can be one of the most important periods in your life, it’s not something you’re expected to figure out alone.
Students’ support systems during the application process can look different for everyone, and we encourage you to be intentional about creating yours. Different individuals can be there for you by reviewing your work, helping you brainstorm or even just being someone in your corner. Although it might take a little effort, here are some ways you can create your circle of support.
Teachers
Teachers, especially English teachers, can be a huge help when it comes to editing and refining essay drafts you’ve written. If this is a current teacher, asking for help can look like approaching them before or after class or scheduling a time to review your drafts together. For a previous English teacher, you might need to catch them during a free period, before or after school, or reach out over email. Of course, asking in person can help make sure they see your request. Either way, following up with an email won’t hurt.
Now is the time to be a little more intrusive, but make sure you give yourself, and anyone assisting you, ample time in advance. A simple but effective question to ask any editor during this process is, “Is this application an authentic reflection of me?” As people who have gotten to know you as a student and community member, your teachers can help you determine whether your unique voice, characteristics and accomplishments come through in the same application that a university’s admission office will eventually read.
College Center/Counselors
If your school has a designated college center or college counselor, you should definitely reach out for guidance during the application process. Their assistance can range from helping you create your college list and finding your match and fit to submitting your completed applications.
Considering that many application deadlines fall during Thanksgiving, fall, or winter breaks, it’s best to communicate with your college counselor well in advance, so you’re prepared to submit from home when school is closed.
Maybe your school doesn’t have a specific college center, but you have a general school counselor. It’s not too late to schedule a meeting with them to achieve your academic and college goals. In many cases, they can also help jump-start your college list and application process.
USC requires one letter of recommendation from first-year applicants, which must come from a teacher in a core academic subject or counselor. The goal of the letter is to provide our office with a description of the type of student you are and, more importantly, the type of person you are within your campus community.
To help your recommender write a stronger and more descriptive letter, you might want to send them a “brag sheet” or résumé. Counselors and teachers can have hundreds of students in their caseloads, and we’re sure a helpful reminder of your involvement and accomplishments can be helpful.
Family/Friends
Reminder: You are not alone in this! Each year, thousands of students your age navigate this exact process. This is a time to communicate what you’re considering and how you’re feeling with friends and family.
Maybe you want to host a weekly check-in with friends to hold each other accountable for your applications, while also making time for a much-needed vent session in a park to touch some grass. Maybe you’re warning your parents about the amount of extra work and writing you’ll have to do this semester and giving them a heads-up about the assistance you’ll need during the college and financial aid application processes (which often require information from a parent, guardian, or family member).
Your friends and family might not have all the answers, but they can still be some of the most important people in your corner throughout the process.
USC Admission Counselor
Many admission offices, including USC’s, work on a territory management basis, meaning the admission counselor assigned to your school also works with the larger surrounding area and gets to know your community and its academic offerings.
Although USC does not track demonstrated interest, all students should know that, by searching for their school using the Find Your USC Admission Counselor tool, they can find the person who is there to answer their questions about the application process and who may eventually read their application.
Instead of scrolling through TikTok or spending hours searching the internet for an answer, go ahead and email your admission counselor. And when you do, be yourself!
It can be true that having too many cooks in the kitchen can spoil the broth, but you are the main course in this process! I hope this not only helps you create your support system but also helps you think about what you’ll specifically ask from each person.
Keep in mind that nobody knows you better than you, and this is your application at the end of the day. Your writing and overall application should reflect your work, your voice, and your goals, so you don’t necessarily have to make every edit that the people around you suggest. But it’s great to have the option to hear the advice and perspective of someone who knows you.
You’ve got this!
Written by: Allegra Gutierrez, Assistant Director – USC Office of Undergraduate Admission