Showing posts with label college essay. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Common College Admissions Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

Applying to college can be a complicated process. But, the reality is, if you take your time and do things right you can get through it. Applications should not be completed overnight and the entire college search and application process should begin well before the fall of your senior year. The keys are planning and organization.

Even if you’re careful though, there are many different mistakes you might make that could ruin your chances of being admitted into your top choice college. We’ve come across a lot working with our students. Here are a few common application and admissions mistakes that we hope you won’t succumb to…

Forgetting Supplements: Every college has a general admissions application. In addition, some colleges will also ask for a Supplemental Application, or Supplement. On the Supplement, your college may ask additional questions about your family, intended major or even housing preference. They may also ask you to write an additional essay. Make sure that you do not forget to submit this! Missing a supplement means an incomplete file, and incomplete files have no chance for admission.

Missing Deadlines: Whatever you do, do not miss an application deadline. Colleges are not flexible with this. Most applications will become available in August before senior year. If you can, make sure to have everything submitted to your colleges at least two weeks prior to the deadline. This will ensure that the college receives everything in time. Missing deadlines shows that you are irresponsible, not an attractive quality for a prospective freshman student.

Not Managing Social Media Accounts Properly: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, you name it, social media is everywhere and no one is more adept at it than teenagers. Unfortunately, it is also teenagers who most often mismanage their accounts. Students should not assume that colleges won’t see your Facebook page, Twitter feed, or other accounts. Admissions staff may not have the time to actively seek out all of their applicants to check their Facebook pages. However, if there’s a red flag on your application or something questionable about you, they’ll check it out for sure. You should expect that if there’s anything public, it’s possible that admissions may see it and you should do everything you can to clean up your profile before you get into the admissions process.

One admissions rep at a recent event shared the story about how a student had been admitted to their college and he had posted on his Facebook about how he had gotten in and about all the drugs and alcohol he would engage in over the next four years. Someone at the school saw it and notified admissions. They rescinded his application. Colleges are trying to create safe and supportive residential communities, so anything that would be concerning to the community well-being is a huge issue.

In the end, you should be comfortable letting anyone (your mom, your grandmother, an admissions officer, potential employer) see your page. You don’t want the reason you were denied (or application rescinded) to your number one school to be because of a status you posted or a picture you were tagged in.

Not Applying to Reach or Safety Schools: Don’t limit yourself unnecessarily by only applying to schools where you are on target with their requirements. Apply to a variety of schools. This means safety schools, target schools, and reach schools. Safety schools are colleges where you have a very good chance of getting in because your academic profile is clearly stronger than most of the applicant pool. Safety schools make for a good “Plan B” and are likely to award Merit-Based Aid since you will be a sought after applicant. You also shouldn’t limit yourself by not applying to reach schools. Reach schools are schools where your academic record and profile may be weaker than what the college is typically looking for. But, there’s not always a guarantee you won’t get in. Some schools look at special qualities and certain characteristics when admitting students (like a legacy student). Or, if you are a highly recruited athlete, a first class Cello player, and it just so happens the college needs to fill the spot of lead Cellist, they could come to you. You just never know. Even if your GPA and test scores aren’t as high as they need to be, a spectacular and moving essay could blow the admissions officer away. Astound an admissions officer during an interview, too, and those test scores being low might not matter anymore. Keep your options open.

Using The Wrong College Name in the Application Essay: This one kills me. If you write an essay for a specific college (usually in the Supplemental Application where you are allowed to name a college by its name) and decide to copy and paste the essay to use for another college (which you shouldn’t in the first place), remember to change the college name! Unfortunately, many students will just copy and paste the essay and use it for another college and forget to change the name… so the essay with the line, “I can’t wait to join the rest of the freshman class at UMass Amherst in the fall” goes to UNH. Admissions officers hate this. It shows that you aren’t truly interested or invested in the college, not enough to write a separate essay for that college and not enough to proof read your application or re-read your essay before submitting.

Admissions applications aren’t always easy, but it doesn’t mean that they have to be difficult. The more you know about the process and the more research you do, the better off you’ll be. Using tools like our Admissions Assistance component or our Student Positioning component can make the process a breeze and really help to eliminate unnecessary stress. Take our advice here and you’ll be well on your way to admission as your top choice college. Until next time, best of success!

About Smart Track™ Toolkit: The toolkit is a web based service that assists families with everything from admissions and test prep, to student athletics and financial aid. Our intuitive software and on-demand workshops are key components to making sure students find their top choice colleges, and families can afford to send them there.

About the author: Laura Guarino is the Student Services Coordinator with the College Resource Center, LLC. Laura has a Bachelor’s degree in Human Development from Boston College and a Master’s degree and license in School Guidance Counseling. She also holds a certificate in College Admissions Counseling. Laura is at the forefront of the college admissions process for the families of The Smart Track™ Toolkit.

Connect with us

http://www.facebook.com/smarttracktoolkit

http://twitter.com/uchoosecollege

Monday, November 7, 2011

Preparing Applications

The Common Application vs. College Applications

Will you use the Common Application? This question often echoes in the minds of high school seniors as deadlines to submit their college applications approach. The Common Application is a not-for-profit organization that provides a single admission application form students can submit to any of the participating colleges (current 450+). Currently, many of the nation's most selective institutions accept the Common Application.

With the Common Application, a student applying to six different participating colleges can, in theory, fill out one single application and send it off to all six schools with one click of the mouse. The purpose of the Common App is to make it easier for students to work on their college applications. Yet, as the intensely competitive race to get into a good college heats up, some students worry schools will favor applicants who fill out the school's own application over those applying via the Common App.
Some colleges that accept the Common App have other requirements, such as Supplements, that need to be submitted in addition to the Common Application. Be sure to read the application requirements carefully.

View the Common Application Website here.

Think Ahead and Stay Organized

1. Start your success file. Start a file where you collect and/or note your work history and experiences, successes, interests, awards, leadership activities, community service, etc. The earlier you start, the easier it will be to come up with your achievements later on in the process. Freshman year isn't too early to start!

2. Prepare for your SAT/ACT. Start as early as possible to prepare for any tests that may be required. Advanced preparation can help improve your scores. Last minute cramming won't.

3. Talk to your guidance counselor to make sure you are taking the courses you need to meet your college admissions requirements. If appropriate, look into AP courses and/or placement tests to help boost your impression on admissions officers.

4. Fill out forms required by your high school. Many high schools have their own protocols when it comes to teacher recommendation requests, transcript requests, counselor recommendation requests, and so on. There will probably be high school specific forms you will need to fill out and a certain amount of time before your applications are due. Many schools are now going “paperless” when it comes to college applications, so make sure you know the correct protocol for requesting and submitting all of the related paperwork.

5. Use a planning calendar. Keep track of all the application requirements of your potential colleges and write down all of the deadlines on a planning calendar. Work backwards from each of these deadlines to figure out when you need to take care of each component of the application. For example, jot down on your calendar when you'll need to start your essay in order to have it edited, re-written and completed on time. Figure out when you'll have to call and schedule your admissions interview, leaving time for any travel arrangements and scheduling issues you may encounter.

6. Don’t forget to send your test scores. Standardized test scores are a crucial part of your application and entirely your responsibility. You will need to self report your scores on your application, but you will also need to send your official test scores through CollegeBoard (SAT & SAT II) or ACT.org (ACT). Make sure that you don’t forget this critical part!

7. Apply as early as possible. Getting your application on an admission officer's desk before most other students puts you at the head of the line for an admission offer and shows that you are a diligent and punctual person.

Quality is Key

1. Use a word processor, such as MS Word, to type your writing samples before cutting and pasting or uploading them into the online application. It is much easier to edit and review your work and to catch spelling and grammar mistakes.

2. Edit your work! It may sound elementary, but be sure to carefully review all portions of your application for spelling and grammar mistakes. Have a parent or teacher review your paperwork also. Sometimes the little things (spelling errors or omitted information) can make the difference between acceptance and rejection.

3. Get EXCELLENT letters of recommendation from outstanding people in your community. Letters of recommendation are a vital part of the college admission application and should be treated as such. Make sure to ask for recommendation letters far in advance. The last thing you want to do is rush the people who are doing you a favor. Be sure to share your interests and aspirations with them to help your letter be as effective as possible. We suggest you prepare a resume/profile to help jog their memory and help them be more specific. Your high school may also have additional forms you will need to fill out.

4. Essays are Essential. Start thinking about topics early, and see if you might be able to use the same essay topic for more than one application. Be personal, concise, watch your spelling and grammar, and seek multiple opinions for feedback.

Any additional tips to share? Leave your comments!

About the author: Laura Guarino is the Student Services Coordinator with College Planning Strategies, LLC. Laura has a degree in Human Development from Boston College and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in School Guidance Counseling. She is also enrolled in a certificate program in College Admissions Counseling. Laura is at the forefront of the college admissions process for the families of CPS and The Smart Track™ Toolkit.

Connect with us

http://www.facebook.com/smarttracktoolkit

http://twitter.com/uchoosecollege

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Writing A Powerful College Essay

Good-quality college admissions essays are critical to getting into the schools of your choice as well as winning merit-based scholarships and grants. The essay and the interview, unlike your GPA and test scores at this point, are things that you have some level of control over. In fact, the essay you submit to colleges and universities just might be the extra leverage you need to surpass other highly qualified candidates. A college essay showcases your unique personality, passions, and writing skills. It is important to view your essay as an opportunity rather than another assignment. This is your chance to compel a busy admissions officer to accept you.

What are admissions officers looking for when they evaluate your essay?
It is evident that each admission officer's critique of your essay will vary. However, it is safe to assume that each admission officer wants your essay to prove two things to them.

First, they are looking to see if you can write at a collegiate level, which essentially means that you must demonstrate control and proper usage of the English language, and that you can use it to construct a coherent written document. Admission officers are also interested in seeing that you understand sentence and paragraph structure so that you can pace a narrative. Your story should be concise, flow logically from one event to the next, and provide a convincing conclusion.
Second, admissions officers want to learn about you! They want to know about your character, your personality and your interests. Will you be successful in their school? Will you fit in? Will you be a valued, contributing member of their community? Why should they admit you? What is so special, so unique about you that will make you stand out from other applicants?

Don't overuse a thesaurus. It is important to not get “caught up” in using a thesaurus as they are not interested in your vocabulary skills. Instead, you can write your essay, as you normally would, without using flowery language that you don’t understand. Many admissions officers are aware that applicants use these resources to enhance their vocabulary, but you should steer away from these and focus more on your own natural ability.

Pick a topic that is unique to you. Your subject doesn't have to be earth-shattering, just something that shows your unique perspective. Your views on world politics are great, but if someone who really knows you knows that you're at your happiest when you're doing origami, then it's origami that you should be writing about.

Use humor when possible. The essay is an important part of your application, but it really is OK to lighten up a bit. Getting playful with your topic will make the essay more fun for you to write and much more fun for the admissions officer to read. You don't have to be fabulously witty or stick in a bunch of jokes (doing so could actually be detrimental to your essay), but just show that you can see the humor in life.

Use self-effacement (poke fun at yourself). A big shiny essay about how unrelentingly terrific you are may ring false with admissions officers. They often prefer applicants who admit that they are less than perfect and who can find humor in their imperfections.

Do not exceed the word limit (typically 500 words). Most schools put a word limit on essays and it is your best interest to stick to it. Writing an overly lengthy essay may feel like going the extra mile to you, but to the admissions officer who still has hundreds of essays to get through, it just seems inconsiderate. The longer your essay is, the more chance it won't be read completely.

Be (slightly) informal. The admissions officer wants to get to know the real you, not read a carefully crafted glossy press release or hear your imitation of how an important professional should sound. Keep your own style and voice.

Do not copy an essay. Don't even think about copying an essay from a collection or ripping one from the Internet. If you've seen it, so have the admissions officers—dozens of times. No school will admit a known plagiarist.

Take the revision process seriously. After you write your essay, you’ll want a few different sets of eyes to take a look. Ask your parents, your English teacher, and/or your guidance counselor. You’ll want someone to proofread your essay for spelling, punctuation, grammar and overall flow as well as for style. Again, admissions officers are looking to see if you can write at a collegiate level, so the revision process is essential. It probably wouldn’t be smart to start and finish your college essay the night before the deadline without revision.