You just think you know what needs to be done

By FAN ZHOU
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
Fan Zhou is in the process of applying to and choosing a college. He applied to 10 schools, nine of which are ranked in the nation's top 50. Although he's a bit atypical, that's a perfect reason for him to provide tips for teenagers who haven't embarked on the application process. Here's his take:
I have just finished applying to 10 colleges, and during the five-month ordeal, I've learned some things that people -- you know, parents, guidance counselors, those so-called "friends" who've already moved on to college -- neglect to tell you.
So, for all of you out there who have yet to begin the college application process, here is some advice to help smooth out the impending bumps in the road.
And there will be bumps. Believe me.
10Forget the rankings. Just because Harvard, Yale and others are preceded by their reputations doesn't mean you will be happy going there. Just because USA Today, Time magazine or U.S. News & amp; World Report proclaims a school No. 1 doesn't mean it's right for you. Find a school that complements your strengths. Where you get an education matters less than what you do with the knowledge you acquire.
9Tests? Take some. You can never take too many tests, and colleges usually will look at only your best scores. So feel free to take the ACT and the SAT. SAT II's are a great way to hone your Advanced Placement test skills because they usually are offered the week before AP tests begin, and many of the subjects coincide.
8 Just getting in is expensive. It doesn't matter how many colleges use the common application, you still have to pay to apply to each college. In my experience, these application fees ranged from $40 to $80. This does not include the postage, envelopes, fees for sending test scores, and additional costs for financial aid forms. Be prepared for the expense.
7Organize or perish. Each application will be about five pages long, not including teachers' recommendations, school reports, mid-year reports, common application supplements, special program forms and financial aid documents. You must be prepared to keep track of lots of paper, postage, envelopes, Web sites, passwords, due dates and addresses. Try creating a spreadsheet to track part of the application. Plus, do as much as possible online. It's easier and faster.
6Be ready to write. For some schools, you'll probably have to write two essays, plus supplemental writing samples and short-answer prompts. Essays usually are 500 to 750 words and most have no common ground. Be ready to revise, revise and, when you think you have the perfect essay, revise again. Get an opinion on your essay from people you trust. Colleges expect to read your essays without having to think about that misplaced modifier or dangling preposition. Be a perfectionist.
5The interview is very important. If the school you are applying to offers an alumni or phone interview, try to schedule one as you begin to apply. Frequently, the chat will include current events. You need to be ready for the conversation to switch from being about your application to the most recent court case to appear before the U.S. Supreme Court. Remember, your interviewer can be your greatest advocate or worst enemy when it comes time for the board to decide whether you get in.
4Scholarships? Fuhgeddaboutit. When you're a senior, your priorities must change. So if you're a junior or younger, put applying for the big national scholarships at the top of your to-do list. As a senior, trying to win privately funded scholarships must be second among your priorities. This is because the average financial aid packages to any university often will be several times the size of even the most extravagant scholarships. Furthermore, the competition for these national scholarships is even more intense than the Ivy League applicant pool, sometimes with more than 30,000 applicants and fewer than 20 "winners." By focusing on your college essays and applications rather than scholarship essays, at least for the first semester of your senior year, you can reduce your amount of stress and increase your chance of getting accepted.
3 Don't pad your resume. Admissions counselors are not stupid. They will realize that if you are president and founder of 10 clubs, you could not possibly have the time to commit to each of them at the level you should. Don't stress if, when compiling your application, you don't fill in all the blanks on the awards page. A short list of significant awards will carry more weight than a long list of insignificant ones. Save yourself the hassle of typing up everything you've ever done, and just mention the highlights.
2 Judge me! That is what you are effectively saying to the evaluators every time you submit an application. So you need to be able to sit back and feel confident knowing that you painted a picture of yourself using nothing but words. Whatever they decide is just their opinion, which carries as much weight as you let it. And hey, you have back-up schools ... right?
1 Enjoy yourself. I know this might sound contradictory after I just told you to prepare and all that, but enjoy your junior and senior years. If you are reading this and you are a sophomore or freshman, you need to stop freaking out about college because there are so many other things that are just as important and much more fun than filling out applications and reading test prep books.
There is nothing that I wouldn't give for just a day when I didn't have the real-world demon creeping down my neck and the only thing I was worried about was coloring between the lines.
College is a life-altering process, but don't forget to stop, hang out with friends, watch a movie, be stupid, and have a little fun, because life is way, way, way too important to take seriously.
Fan Zhou is a senior at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Lexington, Ky.