"Include any additional information that you would like to provide."
Here are a few suggestions for some ideas to include. Try to integrate them into an essay format instead of just listing items.
I also had a lot of trouble with this section: "what else do you want colleges to know about me." Basically, I tried to include all major activities that I did not mention in my application (which is hard, because you try to mention everything), and then related them to personal character traits. For example, I mentioned all the leadership positions I held that I didn't say on my application and wrote about how I developed great leadership skills from these activities.
Another idea is to talk about some extraordinary feat you've accomplished. For example, I'm in a rock band and we were featured in a commercial that aired on primetime TV, so I included that in this part for some applications. Colleges like to see that you are a diversified individual who will play a role in their community and contribute not only grades, but also personality.
If you've had any major setbacks in life, reasons for performing poorly at one point in time, or maybe a turnaround in your work ethic, you should also include that here.
The best advice for this section is this (I had to ask some of my friends what they did here):
All over your application, you can only list your best honors, your most noteworthy activities, your work experience, etc. However, there are very few places to relay the significance of these activities to you. During the past four years of high school, you have been growing as an individual as a result of everything in which you participated. Here is an opportunity to show how your activities and accomplishments have helped you develop your character. In this section, you can talk about the significance of your activities, distinctions, accomplishments, or even upsets, to you.
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Showing posts with label common. Show all posts
Showing posts with label common. Show all posts
Saturday, November 22, 2008
The Common App Guide - Standardized Tests
Once logged into the Common App website, head on over to the "Standardized Tests" section on the left hand toolbar.
This section is pretty self explanatory; simply self-report your scores.
Remember, you also need to send an official score report to all the schools to which you're applying. If you haven't already, sign up for a (free) account at http://www.collegeboard.com Here you can also manage a list of colleges to which you'd like to apply and quickly view information, such as deadlines, and statistics. You can also register online for upcoming SAT dates and send your score reports to colleges for a fee (I think this is the only way you can send scores though. Collegeboard has a monopoly of sorts).
Please note: Different schools, or specific programs within a school, require a different amount of SAT II subject tests. You can find out via the school's website how many and which SAT II's you need to take. Make sure you take all the required SAT II subject tests!
Also, some colleges have different deadlines for sending the official score report for the SAT I test. For example, Lehigh University's deadline is January 15th, but The College of New Jersey's is February 15th. If you're not satisfied with your SAT I score, then you can prepare and take the December 6th or January 24th SAT, given you know you can do better. See a list of SAT dates here: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/calenfees.html
This section is pretty self explanatory; simply self-report your scores.
Remember, you also need to send an official score report to all the schools to which you're applying. If you haven't already, sign up for a (free) account at http://www.collegeboard.com Here you can also manage a list of colleges to which you'd like to apply and quickly view information, such as deadlines, and statistics. You can also register online for upcoming SAT dates and send your score reports to colleges for a fee (I think this is the only way you can send scores though. Collegeboard has a monopoly of sorts).
Please note: Different schools, or specific programs within a school, require a different amount of SAT II subject tests. You can find out via the school's website how many and which SAT II's you need to take. Make sure you take all the required SAT II subject tests!
Also, some colleges have different deadlines for sending the official score report for the SAT I test. For example, Lehigh University's deadline is January 15th, but The College of New Jersey's is February 15th. If you're not satisfied with your SAT I score, then you can prepare and take the December 6th or January 24th SAT, given you know you can do better. See a list of SAT dates here: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/calenfees.html
Friday, November 21, 2008
The Common App Guide: Academics
In the academics section, you report what courses you're taking this year in high school. Don't forget to mention if a class is AP, Honors, IB, or advanced in any other way!
Selecting your accomplishments for the "honors" section is difficult. What counts as an honor, anyways? Well, I classify "honors" as a distinction, either academically or in the community, but preferably on some level greater than your school. For example, if you performed well on your PSAT's and are a National Merit scholar of any sort, I'd include that. If you were selected to go to a prestigious camp or conference, like the "Hugh O'Brien Youth Leadership Seminar," then include that.
You can choose up to 5 honors here. If you have a list of honors and can't decide on just 5, then come back to this section after filling out other parts of your application. Because the application limits how many activities, clubs, honors, etc. you can post, you should not repeat any information. See if you need to use your honors in other places of the application first. For example, (at my school at least) National Honor Society was an academic distinction as well as an organization devoted to community service. I chose to use that my activities section instead, because the title was more than an "honor" and represented me better as a volunteer program.
If you cannot seem to find 5 honors, then think about honors on the community level. Were you distinguished for any accomplishment or activitiy? Next, look for honors within your school, but use these as a last resort. For example, you could include if you were "Student of the Month," received an honor for some sporting accomplishment, or were on the Honor Roll.
Finally, list the honors their order of magnitude. It is much easier for the admissions officer to see how great of a student you are by looking from the top of the list downward. Remember, you don't know exactly how much time they spend scrutinizing every section of your application, so you want your best feats to stand out to them.
Selecting your accomplishments for the "honors" section is difficult. What counts as an honor, anyways? Well, I classify "honors" as a distinction, either academically or in the community, but preferably on some level greater than your school. For example, if you performed well on your PSAT's and are a National Merit scholar of any sort, I'd include that. If you were selected to go to a prestigious camp or conference, like the "Hugh O'Brien Youth Leadership Seminar," then include that.
You can choose up to 5 honors here. If you have a list of honors and can't decide on just 5, then come back to this section after filling out other parts of your application. Because the application limits how many activities, clubs, honors, etc. you can post, you should not repeat any information. See if you need to use your honors in other places of the application first. For example, (at my school at least) National Honor Society was an academic distinction as well as an organization devoted to community service. I chose to use that my activities section instead, because the title was more than an "honor" and represented me better as a volunteer program.
If you cannot seem to find 5 honors, then think about honors on the community level. Were you distinguished for any accomplishment or activitiy? Next, look for honors within your school, but use these as a last resort. For example, you could include if you were "Student of the Month," received an honor for some sporting accomplishment, or were on the Honor Roll.
Finally, list the honors their order of magnitude. It is much easier for the admissions officer to see how great of a student you are by looking from the top of the list downward. Remember, you don't know exactly how much time they spend scrutinizing every section of your application, so you want your best feats to stand out to them.
The Common App Guide: Future Plans, Personal Data, Address, and Family
Log in to your common app profile. Before doing anything, I highly suggest that you click on "Common Application" and take the time to read over the instructions page.
The next section of the common app is "Future Plans." Simply choose your academic interests and possible career or professional plans. These have no bearing on your admittance. Unless your academic interest is Performing Arts - Dancing, and you're applying to all Engineering schools, then this section is just for colleges' statistics in my opinion. Make sure your career plan is slightly relevant to your academic interests, and be completely honest here.
Tip: Be sure to press "Save and Next" when going to the next page! Retyping information and refilling forms is tedious and frustrating.
This form is also pretty self-explanatory. For an in-depth explanation of each field, view the instructions for the page by clicking on "instructions."
Click "Save and Next" and fill out the address page.
Click "Save and Next" and fill out the family page.
There is not much optimizing to be done in these first few pages, just logistics. The only advice I have is that you should be completely honest and give as much information as possible.
The next section of the common app is "Future Plans." Simply choose your academic interests and possible career or professional plans. These have no bearing on your admittance. Unless your academic interest is Performing Arts - Dancing, and you're applying to all Engineering schools, then this section is just for colleges' statistics in my opinion. Make sure your career plan is slightly relevant to your academic interests, and be completely honest here.
Tip: Be sure to press "Save and Next" when going to the next page! Retyping information and refilling forms is tedious and frustrating.
This form is also pretty self-explanatory. For an in-depth explanation of each field, view the instructions for the page by clicking on "instructions."
Click "Save and Next" and fill out the address page.
Click "Save and Next" and fill out the family page.
There is not much optimizing to be done in these first few pages, just logistics. The only advice I have is that you should be completely honest and give as much information as possible.
The Common App Guide - Adding Colleges
Once you log in, you'll see a toolbar on the left hand side. It's a good idea to read the instructions link at the top of every page you visit to see the function and requirement of that page.
Click "My Colleges." This will give information about all the colleges to which you're applying.
You should add all the colleges you wish to apply to to this list. Click on "Search for Colleges." Use the form to find the schools to which you want to apply, searching for them one at a time. If you can't seem to search for a school, then chances are it doesn't accept the common app.
Once you've found the school, you can add the college to your list of colleges. Now when you visit My Colleges, you'll statistics, including the requirements for application. Add all the colleges to which you'll apply, and move on to the next blog.
Back to The College Guide - Admissions Advice
Click "My Colleges." This will give information about all the colleges to which you're applying.
You should add all the colleges you wish to apply to to this list. Click on "Search for Colleges." Use the form to find the schools to which you want to apply, searching for them one at a time. If you can't seem to search for a school, then chances are it doesn't accept the common app.
Once you've found the school, you can add the college to your list of colleges. Now when you visit My Colleges, you'll statistics, including the requirements for application. Add all the colleges to which you'll apply, and move on to the next blog.
Back to The College Guide - Admissions Advice
The Common App Guide - Getting Started
The Common App is either your best friend or worst enemy. It offers great convenience because you send just one form to many schools. However, if you complete it suboptimally, then, well, you've just sent this application to many schools. That said, I will walk you through all the parts of the common app in this next series of blogs. If you haven't started your application yet, then start now!
I will be reviewing the online common application.
What is the common app?
The common app is an admissions application that is common for many schools. Most schools require a supplement in addition to the application, which you can view and submit at the common app website. The common app has the meat of your application though.
Registering:
Head on over to http://www.commonapp.org In the middle of the screen, you should see a form to log in. Underneath, click the link entitled "Never Registered?" Now fill out the form truthfully. It's just your name, address, telephone number, etc. Comply with the legal information by checking the box, and then voila, you have a common app account.
I will be reviewing the online common application.
What is the common app?
The common app is an admissions application that is common for many schools. Most schools require a supplement in addition to the application, which you can view and submit at the common app website. The common app has the meat of your application though.
Registering:
Head on over to http://www.commonapp.org In the middle of the screen, you should see a form to log in. Underneath, click the link entitled "Never Registered?" Now fill out the form truthfully. It's just your name, address, telephone number, etc. Comply with the legal information by checking the box, and then voila, you have a common app account.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Essays - Choosing a Topic
Quite possibly the most important part in writing a college essay is picking the topic. When applying, you will compose a plethora of essays on only on a handful of topics. I used a modified version of my Common Application essay for most of my other application and scholarships essays, because I spent the most time editing my common app essay.
When picking what you will write about, make sure your essay is relevant to the prompt. While this guideline seems like common sense, we have an innate and detrimental tendency to stray off topic. Therefore, it's a good idea to pre-write and outline your essay, just as you would for any other writing assignment.
The best advice I have is this: make sure your topic is unique and personal, not cliche or trite. This is naturally the hardest part about selecting a topic. Let's see an example. The archetypal essay topic (which I'm sure you've all encountered) is: "Evaluate a significant experience . . . " To brainstorm, write down critical experiences in your life, such as milestones, turns of events, or just strange happenings. You don't have to attach any personal significance to them yet. Next, try to write down more specific, if less significant, experiences. This could include the first time you played an instrument, a personal victory, etc. Next, include anyone who has influenced on your life, and try to associate an event with them, such as an important conversation. Now that you have an array of topics, select a few that do not seem commonplace, but rather unique. For example, eliminate the family vacation, the band camp trip, etc.
In your revised collection of topics, associate a value or characteristic, such as maturity, independence, clarity, etc. that you gained from the experience. This is a pivotal part in choosing your topic. Every applicant will undoubtedly have some sort of interesting experience; what sets your essay apart from others is what you've personally gained from the experience. In short, do not merely sum up how this event influenced other events that happened in your life, but rather clarify how it has helped you grow as an individual.
However, you may feel that none of these events have impacted you in some profound, barely effable way. You need to really analyze the event and construe a personal significance, even if it not apparent at first. In another blog, we will go into writing and editing your essays.
Back to The College Guide - Admissions Advice
When picking what you will write about, make sure your essay is relevant to the prompt. While this guideline seems like common sense, we have an innate and detrimental tendency to stray off topic. Therefore, it's a good idea to pre-write and outline your essay, just as you would for any other writing assignment.
The best advice I have is this: make sure your topic is unique and personal, not cliche or trite. This is naturally the hardest part about selecting a topic. Let's see an example. The archetypal essay topic (which I'm sure you've all encountered) is: "Evaluate a significant experience . . . " To brainstorm, write down critical experiences in your life, such as milestones, turns of events, or just strange happenings. You don't have to attach any personal significance to them yet. Next, try to write down more specific, if less significant, experiences. This could include the first time you played an instrument, a personal victory, etc. Next, include anyone who has influenced on your life, and try to associate an event with them, such as an important conversation. Now that you have an array of topics, select a few that do not seem commonplace, but rather unique. For example, eliminate the family vacation, the band camp trip, etc.
In your revised collection of topics, associate a value or characteristic, such as maturity, independence, clarity, etc. that you gained from the experience. This is a pivotal part in choosing your topic. Every applicant will undoubtedly have some sort of interesting experience; what sets your essay apart from others is what you've personally gained from the experience. In short, do not merely sum up how this event influenced other events that happened in your life, but rather clarify how it has helped you grow as an individual.
However, you may feel that none of these events have impacted you in some profound, barely effable way. You need to really analyze the event and construe a personal significance, even if it not apparent at first. In another blog, we will go into writing and editing your essays.
Back to The College Guide - Admissions Advice
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