As many of you are anxiously awaiting admission decisions from your colleges, I hope you can share with me a sense of eager anticipation for the decisions that are ahead.  I know it is also nerve-wracking as you wait to hear back from your top schools, too, but I have confidence in the hard work you have put into your college applications.

With your applications in, your work is far from done in the admission process.  I want to urge you to take an active role in keeping tabs on your application status and getting to know your admission counselors at every opportunity.  If you haven’t already, familiarize yourself with your admission counselor at each of your schools.  It is usually pretty simple to find information about your application status on their admission portal and about your assigned admission counselor on the admission website.  This is the person you should be looking to impress, make yourself known to, and contact directly with questions about your application or admission decision.  They are the first (and maybe only!) person reviewing your application.

If you have a question for one of your colleges or if they have a question for you, be sure to seize that opportunity to show your outstanding manners, enthusiasm, and interest in their school to your admission counselor.  As I know you know, who you are and how they envision you being a good addition to their college plays a very important part in your admission decision.

Here’s an article from US News speaking to that very point: Admission officers want to know who you are.  So take every opportunity to show them.  http://www.usnewsuniversitydirectory.com/articles/colleges-more-interested-in-students-personal-char_12896.aspx#.UQYaMKXR3zJ