Advice from the “Ivy Whisperer”- Life After the Early Admissions Deadline

Casey Tsamis
Nov 6 · 4 min read

Just last week, the deadline passed for most early admission applications to colleges and universities in the United States. The students that hit “submit” on November 1 preferred one specific school, and by applying early, were trying to make that preference known to admissions officers and the powers-that-be, hoping to better their chances at receiving an acceptance letter.

Admissions departments normally offer acceptance letters to approximately 15% of the Early Action application pool, while more competitive universities usually only select about 3–5% of their regular-decisions application pool. Early decision, a type of early admissions process, normally requires a binding agreement, meaning that students can only select one school to apply to, and may not be able to compare scholarship offers to other schools.

Christopher Rim is the founder and CEO of the leading International College Admissions Advisory firms, Command Education. He has been recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30, PEOPLE Magazine’s “Heroes Among Us,” and President Obama’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Command Education is famous for having partnered with Novel Education Group, which has provided Kendall and Kylie Jenner with their GEDs, as well as Dr. Dre’s children.

Chris is adamant about why students can’t “chill” after hitting send on their early admissions application. In a recent interview, we were able to speak with Christopher about what students should be doing after submitting November applications, and tips for students still working on their personal statements for January deadlines.

Christopher Rim, Courtesy of Command Education
  1. What is some advice you normally give to students who are applying Early Action or Early Decision?

“The first is to keep in mind that there are no guarantees! Even the most thoughtful, perfectly-crafted application has to overcome mighty odds to be accepted by elite universities. Don’t become complacent and don’t lose momentum. Continue working on the rest of your applications and make sure you have a balanced college list.

I also don’t want to see any of my students ruin their holidays. It’s not wise to leave most of your applications for Thanksgiving or Christmas break. Stay on top of your work so you can enjoy the holidays with your family and use the time off to relax and recharge.”

2. What should be the first step a student takes after hitting “send” on their Early Action application?

“Check to see if any schools on your list offer rolling admission. Schools that accept applications of this type are essentially granting admission to qualified applicants on a first-come-first-serve basis. If so, you don’t have to wait until December to send out more applications.”

3. For any students who might still be working on their personal statement, or students who might want to amend their personal statement after applying Early Action, what are some of your thoughts?

“A great way to start off an essay is anecdotally — if you’re writing an essay on a challenge you faced or a moment that represented a lesson you’ve learned, then jump right into the action in the beginning. Focus on sensory details and the who, what, where and when of the story so that you immediately grab the reader’s attention and paint a vivid mental image for them. The details you choose to focus on are a great way of getting your voice and personality across in a more creative way.”

4. What are things to avoid in a personal statement?

“Stay away from bragging! Don’t talk about that award you won, or that competition you crushed, or how you’re the only person who scored perfectly on that brutal AP calculus exam. The personal statement is meant to be just that — personal. Admissions officers have everything they need to know about your accomplishments in your transcript, activities list and the rest of your application. The essay is meant for you to add a voice and character to the admissions file with your name on it.

Another issue is when students simply have too much that they want to say so they end up trying to tell their whole life story in 650 words, which is impossible! And of course, the mantra “proofread, proofread and proofread again!” should always be top-of-mind for all applicants. It’s not a good look to send off essays with silly typos.”

5. What was the topic of your favorite personal statement essay you’ve recently read?

“One essay that stood out to me over was one that a student wrote about her Chinese American heritage. The student’s cultural identity was very significant to her, but she knew that she had to put a spin on it so that it would stand out. Her essay ended up being about how she ate spaghetti with chopsticks, which represented the blending of her two cultures. She was able to easily showcase her humor and creativity, and connect with the reader.”

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