What was your SAT and Subject Tests prep
strategy?
I had no strategy as such for my SAT. I just picked up the College Board book,
did a few mocks and took the test. I was just shy of a 2000. I made a complete
mess out of CR. I took my SAT subject tests later, for which I studied hard and
ended up doing well. I didn’t take a second attempt at the SAT, but chose to
take the ACT instead. Very few Indian applicants know about the ACT. I studied
for it and bettered my SAT score by just a little. I would definitely recommend
the ACT to those who are stronger in Math than in English.
What did you find most challenging about the college app process?
Fitting the various essays within the required word limits was a great task. It’s pretty annoying to keep deleting descriptive yet, ‘not so important’ parts of essays that seemed right just the way they were. So, keeping the essays within the word/character limits while trying to keep as much of it in tact, was indeed very challenging.
How did your college list change over time?
I had decided that I wanted to do my undergraduate program in a Liberal Arts College. By the beginning of November, I knew where I had to apply. The only major change that took place on my list was a day before my Early Decision deadline. I had changed my choice of Early Decision at the very last moment, which was risky.
What advice would you give future applicants?
- Keep school grades strong.
- Be prepared. Don’t procrastinate. A few late decisions could turn into bad decisions.
- Be sure to finish CommonApp formalities and have recommendations on time.
- AND DON’T JUDGE COLLEGES BY THEIR RANK.
What you looking forward to the most about
college?
Definitely looking forward to the classes and the clubs I will be joining !
What major/s are you considering?
Economics & Mathematics
What excites you about the courses you'll sign up for?
I’m very excited about the various discussions in class. In a subject like Economics, knowing others’ views is as important as expressing your own for better understanding. I’m definitely looking forward to doing a little bit of coding/programming in college, too!
What are your plans for summer?
As soon as the ISC examinations were over, I had decided to spend my time as
constructively as I could. Through March and April I had interned with a firm
that coaches future applicants in courses such as the SAT, ACT and AP. I am
currently interning with a College Counselling firm and I hope to do this
through Summer.
I also plan to learn a little Chinese(Mandarin) before I leave for college this fall.