To start off I want to give a huge congratulations to Brenyya for achieving such a major accomplishment! Cannot wait to see what you do next!
Instagram: @Bre.nyya
Why I applied to 50 Colleges.
After going viral overnight on Twitter, I was bombarded with comments from people asking “Why apply too so many schools?” My immediate thought was “Why not?”. Going into my senior year I knew how important it’d be to challenge myself and ensure finish off my last year of high school strong. I didn’t allow the unforeseen circumstances daunt me from reaching my goals. In fact, on top of all of my other goals, I gave myself the challenge of being accepted into 50 colleges. On February 8th, I received my 50th acceptance. From those 50 acceptances I received 17 scholarship offers.
What was the process like?
On top of the comments aforementioned, I continuously saw people stating things like “I could never write 50 college essays.” or “Sheesh all those application fees.” What people fail to realize is that there are so many resources out there that make the college admissions process stress-free. In my case, I took advantage of the Common App and College Board’s Fee Waivers which resulted in me not paying a single cent in fees. The Common Application also allowed me to submit 20 applications without having to re-input information. Moreover, applying to 50 schools may be intimidating to some, but I did not let it overwhelm me. It’s also important to note that I started applying to schools fairly early. I received my first college acceptance the summer going into my senior year. Typically, seniors don’t start applying to colleges until the Fall. Overall, in efforts to stay calm, I only applied to schools whenever I had the energy to do so. Believe it or not, I did not have a strict schedule that I followed. I let things flow naturally and knew that whatever was meant to be for me would be for me.
Tips & Advice
One of the biggest things to keep in mind when applying to colleges is that the whole process is about selling yourself. What I mean by that is that is when completing the applications make sure to include all the extracurricular activities, awards, and community involvement you have been apart of. However, it’s important to be consistent. Make sure that whatever you are mentioning in your application is what you are truly passionate about. You wouldn’t want to make being in a soccer club for 2 months be such a significant part of your application if you truly don’t care for the sport. I also advise that you all take advantage of your resources. There are various ways that students can have access to a debt-free college admission process. Like I mentioned before, resources like the Common App, Common Black App, Coalition, and College Board make the whole process stress free and affordable.
As far as standardized testing, the current pandemic has encouraged the majority of colleges and universities to become test-optional. What this means is that you have the choice to not include your test scores in your application without it affecting your admissions decision. However, I do recommend that if you do intend on taking the SAT or ACT, that you do so early. Try and take your tests your junior year to see where you stand and so that you’re able to take it again your senior year to get a better score.
All in all, colleges aren’t just focused on test scores, GPA, and grades. It’s important that your application is an accurate reflection of what type of person you are. Colleges and universities want to know that as a prospective student that you will contribute nothing but greatness to their campus. It’s important that when applying to these colleges that you demonstrate that you not only have the academic excellence but the grit to succeed at their school.
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