Exploring the college application process

College has been a primary focus of our attention this past month at Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway (HAFTR) High School. A number of HAFTR seniors have applied for early decision last month to their first-choice colleges, and several have already been notified of their acceptance in December. Some of our outstanding students have been accepted to prestigious institutions such as Columbia University, MIT, Barnard College, NYU and Parsons. As 2017 approaches, college applications and admissions have also filled the minds of HAFTR juniors, like myself.

Junior year is a critical one; 11th grade students begin to prepare for and take the SAT and ACT exams, pack in  many Advanced Placement courses, aim to improve our grade-point averages and expand our pool of extracurricular activities in preparation for crafting exceptional college applications. To steer us in the proper direction, HAFTR held its annual Junior College Workshop, hosted by our incredible Director of College Guidance, Joan Parmet. Students and their parents gathered in the high school’s auditorium to receive information and useful suggestions from college guidance representatives, a Macaulay Honors College at the City University of New York representative, and HAFTR senior, Rachel Sacks, about the college application process, on Dec. 13.

General Studies Principal Naomi Lippman delivered an introductory speech, Parmet spoke about college selection, essay writing, standardized testing, interviews, and more. She also provided several pieces of advice worth sharing: 

1) Make sure your college selections are appropriate and realistic for yourself. Often times, students focus on applying to the most prestigious and selective schools without properly evaluating their capabilities and limits. 

2) Visit each and every one of the schools to which you will potentially apply. This is critical in order to ensure that you are a good fit for that institution. Some questions worth considering include: Can I envision myself adapting to this particular campus’s lifestyle? Do I mesh well with the student body? Will I have access to courses and programs that suit my personal interests? In order to correctly answer these questions, it is important to spend a decent amount of time on campus. While you are there, interview students, speak to professors, and possibly observe some classes in action. 

3) College essays should be unique. They should reflect your personal interests and help the admissions officers get to know you a bit. Essays that are both personal and intriguing are the most successful.

Sacks, who was accepted by  Columbia University, spoke about her personal experience navigating the application process. She explained how it is both rigorous and demanding, but the ultimate result is very much worth all the stress and anxiety. It was extremely helpful to hear about this from a student’s perspective. 

Marianne Booufall-Tynan, director of Enrollment Management of Macaulay Honors College, offered insights about what colleges look for and which aspects of the application are weighed heavily. Hearing this information from someone who is personally involved in the admissions process was helpful and rewarding.

Rabbi Lewis Wienerkur, director of Israel Guidance, addressed us about the various Jewish schools and rabbinical seminary options to be explored. Prior to freshman year of college, students have the opportunity to attending a Judaic learning institution in Israel for a year. It is a great opportunity to both explore the Jewish state and expand one’s biblical knowledge and connection to Judaism.

Good luck to all of those currently engaged in the college application process, and the warmest congratulations to the seniors who have already been admitted to the schools of their choice.