Choosing a college is one of life’s big decisions, and the process of getting in is an exciting — but often stressful — rite of passage. To find out what that passage is really like, U.S. News visited T.R. Robinson High School in Tampa, Florida, in late April to ask a group of seniors what went into their calculus for deciding on a college.
RHS is a neighborhood school whose International Baccalaureate diploma program attracts about one-third of the student body. Nearly a third are connected to the military, with family members stationed at nearby MacDill Air Force Base.
The school population is diverse: 47 percent of students are white; Hispanics comprise more than 21 percent; and African-American students account for 15 percent. Nearly half qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Eighty-five percent of students go on to college. Here’s how eight seniors found the right fit — and what it took for them to make the cut.
The top graduate of Robinson High School’s IB program is headed to Johns Hopkins University to study political science, international studies or cognitive sciences — a major that got her attention on a visit to the Baltimore school. Eventually Chen would like to go to law school.
She liked Hopkins’ collaborative approach to learning and lack of a required core curriculum. She loved the city campus, too. In the end, her decision came down to Hopkins and Georgetown University, but she also got into the University of Florida and the University of South Florida.
She was wait-listed by Brown University, Cornell University and Duke University; and was rejected by Columbia University, Harvard University, Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania.
“I think my test scores helped” open the door at Hopkins, she says. Had she made more of her three-year leadership role as editor-in-chief of the school paper, she thinks she might have scored another outright acceptance.
Still, she was pleased to commit to Hopkins the day after her visit. Chen’s parents plan to cover the costs the first year, and she’s considering loans along with their help in future years.
GPA: 3.91 unweighted
SAT/ACT scores: 750 math, 800 critical reading, 800 writing
Extracurriculars: Besides the paper, Model UN and violinist in the orchestra — as well as the Tampa Metropolitan Youth Orchestra . She’s also a pianist.
Essay: Learning from failure. Chen described messing up playing piano during one of three Tampa Bay Symphony concerts and her rebound for the last performance.
Oops: When she asked teachers for recommendations in the fall, some declined because they’d committed to other students.
Helpful step: Chen created an Excel spreadsheet of key deadlines, passwords, IDs and checklists for each school.
Visits: “Pictures and virtual tours are great, but I really got a sense of what it was like to be a student through walking around and visiting the dorms, dining halls and classrooms.”
Resources: U.S. News and Forbes college guidance, books on writing admissions essays and College Confidential.
Advice: “Start early.” Chen didn’t have a final list until October and was writing essays into December. Also, slow down occasionally during the crunch times and enjoy your life’s “little moments.”
This story is excerpted from the U.S. News “Best Colleges 2017” guidebook, which features in-depth articles, rankings and data.
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How I Got to College: Claire Chen originally appeared on usnews.com
