Many people discuss the preparation to apply to colleges and other tips, but very few discuss what to do once you apply and choose your school. Before I get into the period between choosing and starting school, known as the aftermath, I would like to emphasize that when making your decision, keep an open mind. Sometimes the school that is best for you is not the one you intended, so make sure to deeply evaluate your decision. I applied to quite a lot of schools, and I am now going to a school I did not originally have on my radar but when I considered it, it was the best one for me. Now, if you have not already, I suggest you research your school’s activities, structure, and any other information you can find so you can be well informed. Many assume after you get in you just sit and wait until classes start, but there are some pre-arrival deadlines and details to keep up with, and a little extra knowledge of your school never hurt. I will honestly admit I was not very knowledgeable on my school’s functions even after I enrolled, so it is never too late to learn. Also, I found various platforms such as Facebook a good way to get to know some of the people early on before you head to campus. In this electronic day and age, most colleges will have a Facebook page that you can join, which usually has most of the students introducing themselves and some pre-arrival information. The introductions are helpful to see if you relate to anyone and you can create some bonds early on. It definitely decreases any anxiousness about making friends. College is a blend of academics and social activities, so make sure to stay well rounded throughout. During my aftermath process, I was briefly concerned about how I would stand up against my peers. Most people may feel like they have an inadequate amount of knowledge compared to their peers, especially at big name schools. I attended a small school for the arts, and while the education I received was spectacular, I still wondered how prepared I was. This is when socializing with your future classmates also comes in handy. Even though you may think you have nothing in common with these people and “got lucky” in the admissions process, talking with others make you realize you have more in common than you think. Now, if you feel like you would like to still brush up on things and educate yourself further, feel free, but there is no need to feel like you are not “smart enough.” I personally communicate with a math teacher at my high school and borrowed some of his textbooks to work out of and brush up on my math skills. Yes, you will run into someone who has an amazing list of achievements, but you will often find that they are ordinary people just like you. Another thing to keep in mind is that no matter what school you go to, it is no walk in the park when you start out. Everyone at some point will feel the rush of the college workload, but it is how you cope with it that matters most. Remain calm and never doubt yourself; keeping those two things in mind will take you far. Of course, everyone’s aftermath experience will vary, but I wanted to focus on some things that stood out greatly in mine. If you take nothing else from this, remember that everyone is on the same journey as you. Even if it appears different, remember that everyone has more in common than we think. Take a moment to breathe, relax, meditate, or partake in whatever activity calms you, it is the best thing you can do not only before you arrive, but through your college experience.

***Disclaimer: See article titled “TYPES OF COLLEGE ADMISSION PROCESSES” and “GETTING OUT OF ED CONTRACTS” prior to reading this one*** When I matched with Questbridge last year (see “What is Questbridge Article for clarification) I was ecstatic. However, soon after the match, I was notified by friends, peers and the organization itself to withdraw all of my other college applications. I did not understand the reasons for this, but I withdrew my applications to Yale, Northwestern and Emory anyways. Now, looking back, I realize that I did not see withdrawing applications after being enrolled ED into a school, but I do now. After a student has applied and been accepted to an institution via an ED contract, they are both legally and morally obligated to withdraw all other applications in order to avoid scrutiny and negatively affect another person’s application. Since a student is bound to attending that institution, leaving other applications open will only serve the purpose of taking admission/spots away from other students. Colleges have a set number of applicants they will accept for admission, when they run out of room they start putting students on their waitlist. Getting off the waitlist isn’t guaranteed and in some instances, if more students accept enrollment than anticipated, colleges will not take students off of the waitlist. This is one of the only examples in the college process where one student’s actions could potentially affect another. If you want to keep other applications open just for “bragging rights” in being able to see where else you might get accepted to, apply Early Action. No decent person wants to be the cause of another student being rejected or waitlisted from their dream institution.

***SIMILAR TO THE “MANAGING MONEY FOR COLLEGE” ARTICLE**** 1. Don't wait in starting that account/investment. By saving a little money aside from a paycheck, a student could potentially accumulate enough funds to cover textbooks, dorm supplies or flight costs. I would suggest beginning a savings account (if you do not already have one) by the start of senior year. 2. Try to start accounts at small, local banks/credit unions for lower interest rates. 3. Try to set up an automatic withdrawal from your paycheck for your savings account. It’s a great way to ensure that your account is growing and you won’t feel the loss of funds as much. You’ll also be more adept at planning/paying for things around this automatic payment. 4. If you are interested in investing, owning stock under AMD, EFT or mutual funds under an IRA are a good start. 5. Continue to apply for scholarships even after application season (even if awarded with a full-ride) to cover miscellaneous costs (travel, clothes, etc.). Ways to pay for College: 1. The Rule of Thirds is a method to look at college expenses more efficiently. It divides college expenses into thirds, one third of the cost of college should be paid through savings, another third should be paid for through current income (month to month, paychecks, etc.), and the last third should be paid for through loans. 2. 529 college plans is a popular way to save for college.The money in these accounts are tax-deferred. When the money is used to pay for a student’s tuition for either undergraduate or grad, parents are not required to pay taxes on those funds. 3. A prepaid tuition plan is a for parents of in-state public university students. This plan allows parents to pay for tuition in advance at a set price. 4. Other accounts to look include include ROTH IRA or UTMA accounts. Ways to Save Money While in College/during application season: 1. Email schools in advance to see if they’ll accept PDF/counselor-verified versions of test scores to avoid the extra costs of sending official score reports. 2. Don’t send AP Scores to colleges unless you are enrolled there. 3. Email materials (if allowed) instead of mailing (may be more expensive) or faxing (may be more expensive/documents could get mixed up with another party’s) 4. Don’t buy new textbooks, borrow from friends, upperclassmen or use websites or library PDFs. 5. Use campus amenities or anything free that they offer students. 6. Buy food and supplies in bulk. 7. Wait for back-to-school savings/tax-free weekends in the US to do most of your shopping. 8. Use Coupons. 9. Sign up for store cards (like at Kroger) for discounts, different from applying for store credit cards. 10. Try to bring as many clothes to college as you can, or buy more on campus, in order to avoid having to spend so much on laundry. 11. With Credit Cards, to not spend more than a third of your credit line at a time. 12. Try to gain access to possessing your own credit card in college, building credit score at an early age can give students a leg-up in terms of securing job offers/loans. 13. When utilizing a credit card, buy items you would buy regularly with cash and then pay it off immediately/by the end of the month. 14. Have at least three credit accounts open by your mid-twenties (with each bill being regularly paid off), one (youngest) of which is used for regular, daily purchases, the other (older) for bigger purchases (appliances) and the oldest account for huge purchases (housing, car payments, etc.). Or have separate credit cards to separate business expenses from personal expenses.