Contrary to popular belief, constant stress is not a required part of the college admissions process. In fact, it’s quite possible to get into college without it. It may take a little extra effort, but most people will agree it’s worth it – especially when it means you will likely have more time to enjoy your senior year. (more…)
Today we have a guest post by Jennifer Cohen, President and Chief Word-Nerd at Word-Nerd.com, a great resource for SAT and PSAT vocabulary prep.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably one of those students – the ones with great GPAs and killer SAT scores. You’ve got your eyes on the prize, so here are a few ideas to help you get into the top US colleges:
Photo by Julie Manhan
There’s a common misconception that you have no control over college recommendation letters. You ask people to write them for you, and then you tiptoe away and hope for the best, right? No, wrong! You have more control over the process than you think.The first step is to understand that there are three different kinds of recommendation letters, and that they should each accomplish something different for you. Let’s take a closer look.
Photo by Pink Sherbet
This is a crazy time of year. Thousands of colleges around the country are reading thousands of applications for students who are putting their hopes and dreams into an envelope (well … nowadays an e-mail account) and hoping for the best.
The unfortunate downside of reviewing so many applications is often times students are either not ready, or not a good fit for some of the colleges they are applying to. This should not deter a you from applying to the school(s) you are interested in attending … in fact, it should encourage you to do your research, and prioritize your schools based on “fit” over “rank”.
Photo by satguru
Every year, more and more students choose to apply online – a trend I’m happy to see as we become more environmentally responsible. However, in some students’ minds, online applications seem to trigger a response that says, “It’s just another online form. How hard can it be?” The truth is, it’s not “just another online form”. It’s your chance to make a great first impression – or not. (more…)
As summer is coming to an end, high school seniors will begin to think about applying to college. Having worked in college admissions for over 10 years, I’ve seen my share of stupid mistakes from students in completing their college applications. While many professionals will give you advice on how to construct the perfect application, few will share the unfortunate errors with you. Today’s blog will cover the top 5 mistakes that I’ve seen. (more…)
I’d like to let you in on a little secret: I am usually assigned topics to cover for this blog and I, naturally, follow my grand-master’s guidelines to the “T”. However, this month, no such luck. I was told to write on anything– ANYTHING that I choose. I’m picturing my high school seniors who come to me saying that they’re choosing to write their college essay using the Common Application’s prompt, “Topic of your choice”. So I guess I will take the advice I often give them and “be specific”. I would like to talk about how important it is for students to become their own advocates in the college application and admission process.
Photo by theparadigmshifter
With another school year down and a new one just lurking around the corner, it is important for high school seniors to begin their college application process now. No, we’re not doing this to fuel the fire of competitive college admissions. And we’re certainly not doing this to pile on more stress and anxiety to the already-hectic life of a teen. What we’re doing is actually trying to alleviate some of that by planning — creating a timetable of sorts to make your life more orderly. Let’s face it, the junior year was tough because that’s what the junior year is supposed to be. Your senior year is equally as difficult in the classroom. Do you really want to add to that by doing nothing the summer before? So let’s figure out what you can do now that will save you time and worry during your last hoorah in high school.
While college applications have been submitted and most schools have stopped accepting new applicants (though some still continue to accept applications indefinitely), you are wondering what can be done to alleviate your anxiety, right?
During this time of economic volatility, we are all beginning to realize that life as we know it will forever be different. But that doesn’t change the ever-present questions on the mind of most high school seniors: What are my college options? What colleges should I apply to? Do I want my parents to foot the bill for an expensive education?
So what exactly should you do to gain access to the best college opportunities during this uncertain time?
I’m surprised I even remember applying to college. I figured after a year, I would’ve repressed the mornings eaten by hours of tests, afternoons spent stressing over what to wear to an interview, and late nights editing my personal essay. But the truth is, I did learn a few things from the college admissions process itself, and hopefully what I’ve learned will keep you from a few of your own unnecessary freak-outs.
photo by BrittneyBush
This is a very controversial topic. Even within my own mind, I have a conflict on this subject. On the one hand, it is so obvious that there is very little determining value on the scores one receives on his/her SAT or ACT. On the other hand, there must be some objective factor weighted in the admission process and it seems that the standardized tests are that element. So, as much as I would love to see all colleges and universities abolish the tests in their admission decisions, I am here, as one highly opinionated, education-focused person, saying that these tests – contrary to what this New York Times article says - will, in some form, live on in infamy.
Welcome to your senior year. It’s an exciting time full of change and celebration. Many people have probably told you how unimportant your senior year is. For example, they maybe told you that your grades don’t matter one iota, although usually you should do better in the first semester than the second. Or maybe they told you that colleges will not look at your grades from senior year because they already have accepted you based on your 9th-11th years. Well, my young, goal-oriented high schooler, THESE ARE LIES. Your senior year counts. Not only does your senior year count towards your high school graduation, it counts towards the trend that you have worked so hard to set over the past three years and that you promised you would continue to achieve when you applied to college. (more…)
College applications. Two words guaranteed to strike fear and anxiety into the heart of every high school senior. All the information, dates and pressure are enough to drive you crazy. As someone who’s been there and done that, every student should follow this list of college application tips to help you stay sane:
If you’ve decided to resume school after time off, than there’s no reason to be afraid of the admission process. If you’re a transfer student, a mom, a worker bee, a veteran…it doesn’t matter, the school application process is not as demanding as you would think and can be done with ease.
When I began applying for graduate schools, I had the admission process down to a science. Well, maybe, not a science because I was never good at science…so more of down to an easy process. I had already gotten my undergrad U to send out my transcripts before, so I was familiar with the process (a simple online request form). And my personal essay only took me an hour or so as I had decided I write more of a creative piece (part poem/part dream/goal essay). And then, there was the recommendations. I had a former employer who agreed to help me out. A friend of the family and a mentor from my school days.
Trying to get admitted to school can cause your nerves to fry. The process can be a bit tortuous. There are recommendation letters to collect, personal essays to write not to mention assembling a resume and getting transcripts. The process can be tense but it doesn’t have to be. For those in need of some “admission therapy” there are some tips and tricks that will make the process much less painful.
