Tag Archives: admissions

admissions, editorial, parenting

It’s Time for a Wake-Up Call for Parents (and Students) about College

 

college

The college system is rigged. It’s time for parents (and students) to wake up and smell the coffee. Colleges are businesses and it’s their business to lure your student in, inflate their application numbers, and decrease the percentage of acceptances. It’s a simple tactic used in every business: make it more difficult to obtain and everybody wants it. These elite colleges have sold this view of success to most parents and students—”Get into one of our colleges and you’re guaranteed a great job after graduation, a wonderful life, and success.” It’s a bunch of bunk!

Applying to these colleges carries a steep price, and it’s not just when you get the tuition bill. The cold hard facts are that a small percentage of the best students get offered admission to these colleges. When your above average student who isn’t at the top of the applicant pool puts all his hopes and dreams into an offer of admission and the odds aren’t stacked in his favor, you and your family are in for some devastating weeks and months of disappointment.

In a statistical article discussing demonstrated interest in higher education from Social Assurity, Barnard College’s enrollment statistics were revealed:

Congratulations to the 1,088 students accepted to Barnard College’s Class of 2022. You are part of the most selective class in Barnard’s history. Barnard chose you from 7,897 applicants for an effective acceptance rate of 13.7%.

Barnard’s acceptance rate has dropped precipitously over the past four years. Twenty-four percent of applicants were admitted to the class of 2018, 20 percent to the class of 2019, 16 percent to the class of 2020, 15.4 percent to the class of 2021, and now 13.7 percent to the class of 2022.

Why do we allow our students to be used in this way? Why is it so important that they attend an elite university? Because for so many years, parents and students have believed the lie that says, “where you go to college determines who you will be.” And nothing, absolutely nothing, could be further from the truth. Where you go is NOT who you will be.

What your student does with the education he receives will determine his success or failure. It won’t be determined by the name at the top of their diploma or the name on the sweatshirt they wear for the next four years. The reality is there are thousands of excellent colleges who provide a superior education. These colleges change lives. These colleges provide students with degrees that work. These colleges provide large amounts of financial aid to all their students. These colleges give students opportunities to serve as they learn. They don’t have elite names on their buildings. But your student will receive a quality education at an affordable price.

Why would you want anything less for your student? Why would a parent make a decision to go into debt, encourage their student to go into debt, and destroy their retirement to send their student to one of these elite colleges? But it happens every single day as the colleges rejoice and applaud their efforts to milk parents out of a small fortune to educate (or often not educate) their student.

I hear these stories every day. “My student was valedictorian and he didn’t get into any of the Ivies.” “My student had a strong GPA, high test scores, strong leadership and community involvement and she didn’t get into one of the colleges she applied to. What did she do wrong?” It’s not the quality of the student, it’s the quality and the substance of the college list. They applied to the WRONG colleges!

Your college list can make or break the admission results. Apply to the wrong schools and your student will either not get accepted or get accepted and not offered any financial aid. It’s a guaranteed result. If you want this to happen to your student, populate their list with elite colleges. Apply ED to one of them and sit back and wait for the disappointment. It will most surely happen. If you want a different result, take a different course of action.

Lynn O’Shaughnessy, a college and financial aid expert, agrees and lays it all out for parents in her recent article: Getting Rejected From Elite Universities. Do yourself (and your student) a favor and read it. Do this before fall of senior year. Follow her advice (and mine) and expand your college list. Do the research. Choose the colleges that offer the best aid, the best education, and might not be on anyone’s radar. Employers don’t care where you went to college. They care that you got an education that prepares you for the work force.

admissions, college guidance, college planning

The College Selection Dilemma: Big or Small?

 

college selection

As a parent, you have the responsibility of guiding a young and impressionable mind through some of the biggest life challenges. When important decisions are concerned, you simply can’t leave it all to your kids. They simply don’t have the experience and the know-how to select the most rational choice.

College selection will obviously have a profound impact on nearly every aspect of your child’s life in the future.

One of the big questions that needs to be answered in terms of college selection is should you go big and popular or smaller and more exclusive? Both of these possibilities come with their pros and cons.

The Pros and Cons of Big vs. Small Colleges

Comparing big and small colleges side by side is the first key consideration.

Let’s begin with big colleges like UCLA, for example. The advantages of going to a big university are numerous. They include a massive campus that features all necessary learning premises, large classes that provide excellent socialization opportunities, excellent extracurricular programs and renowned faculty.

On the downside, the huge classes could also be seen as a disadvantage because students don’t get a chance to interact with instructors regularly. In addition, the administrative processes could potentially be expected to take up more time and more introverted students could easily get lost in the crowd and lose chances to stand out.

As far as small universities are concerned, there’s an intimate feel ad a chance to know most people that someone is studying with. Students get more one on one time with professors, there are usually personalized majors and better advising opportunities (in terms of career or personal development).

Small colleges, however, often lack the diversity in terms of majors that big universities offer. The number of facilities is also limited, especially for doing quality research. The variety in housing choices will be limited and some students could potentially experience social isolation.

Is it about Size or about Quality?

When making the distinction between big and small colleges, you should also consider the status of the educational facility. Elite universities differ in size and studies suggest that pursuing such academic education makes sense in the long run.

You have to find out whether the colleges your child is interested in are accredited and certified.

The ranking of the university for a particular major of interest is also important. There are dozens of rankings out there you can review to find out more. The US News and World Report university ranking is highly esteemed because key criteria are examined side by side. Some of these criteria include tuition and fees, enrollment, SAT scores, average GPA of enrolling students, the starting salaries of graduates and the starting salaries by major.

Know What Your Child Wants

The preferences of your child should also be taken in consideration.

Some young individuals tend to thrive in the bustling diversity of large universities. Others will simply feel lost and overwhelmed by the crowd and by the abundance of choices.

Emotionality does play a role and so does the predisposition of a young person towards a certain subject or another. People who pursue certain majors will get better results by going to a smaller college. Those interested in popular, well-established majors, may want to pursue a big university (especially if the major requires lab work, the availability of equipment and tons of research).

Just sit down and have a conversation to make sure that your priorities are aligned. If you can come to an agreement, you will get to work as a team in the pursuit of great academic opportunities.

Somewhere in the Middle?

A large university and a small boutique college aren’t the only two options out there.

A medium-sized college could be considered the best of both worlds. It brings the diversity and the academic options available in a large university to the comfortable peacefulness of a medium-sized campus and manageable class sizes.

Medium-sized colleges in the US are defined as those that have anywhere between 5,000 and 15,000 students. As you can see, there’s some variety here, as well. Understanding the strengths of the respective university will be the key to getting the best of both worlds without missing out on anything.

Do the research on the basis of the academic programs that your child is interested in. some medium-sized colleges could have an excellent education for a specific program while other courses may be seen as subpar. If you have a pretty good idea about what you’re looking for, you can make adequate inquiries about curricula and faculty qualifications.

There’s no universal answer to the big versus small college dilemma. The truth of the matter is that you know your child and your financial situation best. Take some time to explore the possibilities and keep an open mind. A rational approach will pay off in the end.

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Today’s guest post is contributed by Laura Buckler. Having an amazing approach on life, Laura Buckler is one of the greatest writers at Essays.scholaradvisor team. Her motivation and passion for her work makes her a valuable contributor. Follow Laura on twitter to gain extra-confidence!

admissions

Do You Know Your Child’s Personality Type? It Matters for College Acceptance

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College is often the next step for high school students. In fact, 2016 research from the National Center for Education Statistics found that 70 percent of high school students enrolled in college the same year they graduated. However, competition is heating up. Research from the National Association for College Admission Counseling found that 39 percent of institutions reported using a waitlist in Fall 2016. It also found that the average selectivity rate was 66 percent for Fall 2015. As college admissions professionals are getting more selective, they’re using new strategies that look beyond grades and test scores. For example, Columbia University uses a ‘holistic’ admissions process that also looks at aspects like candidate fit, character, and personality.

The experts at KudosWall wondered if the use of personality testing and character skills assessments in the admissions process favored certain personality types. So, they conducted a survey to find out: Making the Grade: A Look at How Personality Affects College Admissions.

Key Findings

Nearly nine out of 10 admissions professionals say personality and character skills assessments are important to a candidate’s admittance. Aside from academic achievements, admissions professionals value college resumes and admission essays the most. Introverts are better equipped to highlight their traits and strengths on paper through materials like college resumes, admission essays, and online portfolios. Extroverts let their unique traits shine through other aspects of the application process, like earning recommendations that highlight their teamwork skills.

Every person falls somewhere on the introvert-extrovert spectrum, possessing traits from both personality types. High school students who are preparing for college should understand what personality traits they possess so they know how to stand out in the college admissions process. Our report found that 86 percent of admissions professionals say an applicant’s personality and character skills assessments play a big role in the admissions process. To make the most of their personality traits, students need to think like admissions professionals and understand how to leverage their personality.

Looking Beyond GPAs and SATs

High school students who focus on academic achievements — like earning high grades and scoring well on standardized tests — are preparing for college. However, admissions professionals look at more than just these aspects. Our survey found that admissions professionals put the most value on college resumes, admission essays, online portfolios, and recommendations.

What’s more, a whopping 66 percent of college admissions professionals say they use personality testing and/or character skills assessments during the admissions process. For those without formal testing and assessments, they still evaluate for character and personality through other practices, like conducting interviews, reviewing admission essays and recommendations, and looking at college resumes.

personality type

How do admissions officers assess personality?

When admissions professionals need to know more about a student’s personality, they look at two aspects: what students say about themselves and what others say about them. Students should build an online presence that is consistent and easy to access. Use a personal website to share a portfolio of accomplishments and display recommendations from teachers or employers. Also, don’t forget the value of putting a face to the name. Students can record short vlogs to explain how they completed a project or what they learned at an event. This way, admissions professionals can see and hear from applicants even before they contact them.

Where introverts prevail

Those with introversion qualities tend to have advantages in several aspects of the admissions process. In fact, when it comes to written materials and aspects that don’t involve one-on-one interaction, they shine. In college resumes, online portfolios, admission essays, and online presence, most admissions professionals favor one introvert trait: creativity. What’s more, creative applicants might even outshine those with better grades: 72 percent of admissions professionals say they accepted applicants who submitted a creative admission essay over those who have better academic qualifications but failed to convey passion. Additionally, introverted students tend to have better focus for longer periods of time. Their focus and natural attention to detail pays off: 71 percent of admissions professionals say they reject candidates who do not follow all the directions in the application process.

Introverted students can create and share a presentation that highlights what they know about a university’s values, culture, history, and mission. Then, they can describe how their personal values fit the culture. This shows their enthusiasm through a creative project.

personality type

 

Where extroverts prevail

Extroverted students also have advantages in the college admissions process, especially their ability to take action. When admissions professionals reach out directly, 94 percent of them prefer applicants who take the initiative to follow up.

Also, team-players, which align with extrovert types, stand out amongst the competition. Nearly half of admissions professionals say they highly value applicants who submit recommendation letters that describe the applicant as a team-player. What’s more, 87 percent prefer applicants who demonstrate success in group environments. Another aspect admissions professionals look for is potential, and seven out of 10 say applicants who exhibit leadership skills have the highest potential.

Extroverts are often the go-getter. The social butterfly. The project leader. This comes out naturally in person, but it’s hard to showcase on paper. Instead, students should develop a personal branding strategy that showcases their leadership qualities through various forms of content. For example, they can post videos of their accomplishments, like leading a debate team or playing a team sport.

personality type

How can you use this information to help your student?

The good news is that students who are naturally introverted or extroverted have plenty of opportunities to stand out during the college admissions process. First, determine where your personality traits lie. There are several personality assessment tools and tests to take, such as 16 Personalities. From there, identify an action plan for showcasing your traits as strengths to college admissions professionals. This includes personal branding. It’s never too early to start building an online presence to share accomplishments and connect with communities online. Use your online presence, which includes social media, online portfolios, personal websites, and more, to present the most authentic version of yourself. By the time admissions professionals reach out to you, they will know you’re the perfect fit.

KudosWall is an online achievement portfolio and resume builder designed for kids, teens, and their parents to keep track of achievements.

parenting, Uncategorized

Dealing with Senioritis (The College Dream Killer)

 

senioritis

Senioritis. Yes. It’s a word (and a disease). It hits most seniors the last semester of high school. It usually strikes after all their college applications are completed and submitted, and grabs total hold after they have received offers of admission. Senioritis says, “The year is almost over. I’ve been accepted to college. It’s time to take it easy and P-A-R-T-Y!” It is no respecter of persons and hits almost every senior at some point after they return from winter break.

What should you look for?

When senioritis begins, you might not notice the symptoms. It could be an unusually low grade on a test. Or you might notice she is studying less and less, with a complete lack of motivation. More severe symptoms include skipping class, a major drop in grades, and often accompanied by an “I don’t care” attitude. More so than your typical teenage defiance and resistance.

Why is it “deadly”?

Senioritis can “kill” your student’s dream of college. The colleges that offer admission are closely watching your student to see if she continues to excel until the end of her senior year. A drop in grades or even disciplinary action can be a red flag, signaling to colleges that your student isn’t ready to be on their own and handle the rigors of a college education. If she can’t commit and stay the course with all the adult supervision around her, how will she stay the course in college without anything except self-motivation?

Colleges have been known to withdraw offers of admission if a student exhibits any of these signs during the final months of high school. Hence, senioritis can KILL you student’s dream of college.

What is the cure?

A reality check. If you see signs of senioritis setting in, it’s time for a cold, hard conversation. Lay it all out on the table. Explain that colleges are watching. She won’t get a second chance. Once the offer is pulled, it’s pulled, for someone else who is committed. It’s a harsh reality check for most students, but one that needs to be made clear. The final months of senior year are just as important as the previous ones. Your student needs to keep her eye on the prize and realize once she walks across that stage with her diploma in hand, she can take a deep sigh of relief and spend the entire summer relaxing. Not until then, and only then, can she rest on her laurels.

Uncategorized

Using Statistics to Find Your College Fit

 

statistics

You might be surprised to know that in addition to all the factors students use to choose a college, there is one they might overlook: statistics. While location, major, campus appeal, and others are certainly important statistics will help you and your student make a more informed college choice.

Why statistics? Statistics will help you determine some of the key factors involved in choosing a college. With statistics you increase the odds of your student being accepted, receiving more financial aid, and graduating on time. You can also determine the class sizes, the freshman retention rate and the odds of finding a job after graduation.

Two good sources for college statistics are College Navigator and College Data. These two resources will help you make an informed college choice. Numbers aren’t everything, but consider these eight important stats when you and your student are looking at schools:

  1. Rankings (simply as a baseline for comparison)
  2. Financial aid percentages
  3. Acceptance rates
  4. Student-to-professor ratios
  5. Freshman retention rates
  6. Graduation rates
  7. Student indebtedness
  8. Percentage of student who are employed after graduation

For an in-depth review of each statistic and what they mean, read my original article at TeenLife Magazine: 8 College Stats That Will Help You Find the Right School.

admissions, college guidance, college planning

College Applications Approaching. Be Prepared.

 

college applications

Throughout their entire school career, your students can often be working towards that one thing – college! So, when it comes the time to start thinking about applying, it can come with a lot of mixed emotions. Not only are they going to be happy that the time has finally come, but they’re also going to be nervous, excited, scared and confused. So, as a parent to a would-be college student, you’re going to want to work out how to support them through the process. It’s likely that your student will have had some support from their school so they may understand their process better than you. So, how can you work it out?

It might take you a bit of research and time, but you’re going to be able to get through it, just like your student will. There are so many different aspects of college applications, so it helps to have a rough idea before the process comes up. Chances are, your entire family is ready for this moment. Your college-age student has definitely been working for this for a while, so it’s likely that they know exactly what to expect. But just in case, these few pointers should help you out.

Know Their Major

First of all, your student should know what major they want to study. Sometimes, they could have been working towards one set major, like pre-med or pre-law, for the past few years. So, they’re going to have this one down already. But, for some students, it’s not that easy. They could have a lot of different options, or not even know which one to choose from between two they’ve been working towards. So, you’re going to want to help them choose their college major before applications start.

Nail The Extracurriculars

You’ve also got their extracurriculars to think about. A lot of colleges like to see well-rounded applications. So, you’re going to want to make sure that your student has their finger in a few pies when it comes to the activities they partake in both in and out of school. If you’ve got a few years to go, then this could be fine, but if you only have months, you might want to prompt them to start volunteering or join a club as soon as they can.

Get Good References

With college applications, your student is going to need a letter of recommendation. So, it’s a good idea to line up the ideal reference candidate as soon as you can. This will need to be teacher or counselor, ideally one that knows your students well and has done for a long time. The more recent the relationship, the better. For the letter of recommendation to be great, you’re going to want to make sure that your student talks to the candidate about their suitability to the course holistically.

Practice The Admissions Essay

One of the most daunting parts of the college application process for most students is the admissions essay. Not only can it make or break their entire application, but they can also often want to make it as interesting, inspiring, and original as possible. So, it’s a great idea to get them to practice now. They can then take pieces from each try to put together the perfect essay. It will also help to get a guide to read over it for them.

Apply For Scholarships Early

If you or your student are hoping for a scholarship, you’re going to want to make sure you look into this as early as possible. Not only do you need to search for the different scholarships available for each school and major, but you’re also going to want to get the applications in early too. But, before your students starts the application process, here are a couple tips to note on writing the essay.

Get Interview Practice In

Alongside the admissions essay on the list of most daunting parts of the process is often the interview. Sometimes, a student can really wonder what they’re going to be asked, if they know all the right answers, and if they’re going to make the right impression. But, the best they can do is just be themselves. They know why the want to study at that school and take that major and why they have the academic background they have. And if they’re still unsure, get some interview practice in for them, just in case.

Invest Where Necessary

You’ve already invested in your college-bound teen, that’s for sure, but your investment in both time and money may not be over yet. At this time, you may need to focus on a few last thing. Whether they need some extra help with their extracurricular, tutoring, or even a college admissions coach to ensure they are on the right track, now’s the time to invest.

Have Backups

Although your student may have their heart set on a particular school, you’re going to want to make sure that they have backups. For some reason, they may not have done enough to get into a certain school, so they need to be sure they have alternates. So, right now, make sure that you stress the importance of contingency plans, just in case.

Think Ahead

As the process starts to come to an end, you’re then going to want to start thinking ahead. Even though applications are close to being in, there is still a lot of work to do when it comes to preparing your student for college life. So, they’re going to want to consider things like money and moving, as well as adjusting to their new environment and meeting new people.

Stay Calm

Above all else, make sure that both you and your student stay calm. Right now, stress isn’t needed. It can put you all in a bad place. Instead, stress the importance of relaxing and still having fun. Life can’t be all work and no play – it won’t be good for any of you. Your student still needs to relax – they have worked hard for this, so they deserve some respite too.

 

admissions, parenting

College Rejection Meltdown

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college rejection

We’ve all been there. We don’t want our children to be rejected. When someone rejects them, it cuts us to the core. How could anyone reject my sweet little girl? How dare that college turn their admission request down!

But some parents take it too far. They call. They write. They beg and plead. They offer bribes and more. In the hopes of changing the college’s mind about their admission decision.

It’s understandable. You feel your child’s pain. You don’t want them to be hurt. You want to fix it. You’ll do anything to remove the feeling of disappointment. Unfortunately, you only make matters worse. You are helping more than hurting.

Rejection and disappointment are a part of life. Your child must learn this before moving on into adulthood. Sometimes we lose. Sometimes we don’t get what we want. Being a parent isn’t synonymous with being a fixer. We should be helping our children face disappointment, deal with consequences, and learn to adjust life’s path if it takes you in a different direction.

The next few months in a college bound teenager’s life are going to be filled with excitement, drama, and often disappointment. Many will get into their first choice college. Some won’t. Some will have to readjust their plans and consider a 2nd or even 3rd choice college. Some will be rejected and won’t be able to take the college path at all. But it’s not which college your child attends that defines them. What defines them is how they respond to each of them–as an adult or as a spoiled child.

More important, how will you respond? Will you rant and complain to the college? Will you blame the college (or your child) for any rejections? Will you make your child feel insignificant or unsuccessful because they didn’t live up to your expectations?

Here’s a satire piece that’s funny, but a tad scary. You see, I’ve watched these parents in action. They plow and bulldoze their way through every difficult situation, not giving their child the opportunity to face it and overcome. Take the time to read this. Chew on it for awhile. Pass it along to other parents.

Let’s not be that type of parent–you know the one. The one who gripes, complains, threatens and harasses anyone that keeps you and your child from getting your way. Teach your child to self-advocate and face life’s disappointments with dignity. Don’t be like this parent:

Satire–A College Rejection Meltdown in 5 Emails

It starts out like this:

Dear Mrs. Williams:

While I certainly understand how disappointing it can be to receive undesirable news, I did want to follow up on your most recent email to reassure you that there was not “some kind of mix-up” in Elite University’s decision to decline your daughter’s admission. We truly regret that this decision has resulted in the unfortunate return of your gastrointestinal condition, in addition to your severe and persistent rheumatoid arthritis in your big toe.

While Ingrid is undoubtedly a very bright and talented young woman, please understand that we simply have more qualified candidates than we can admit. All admissions decisions are final, and we cannot accept requests for reconsideration.

Sincerely,
Celeste McDaniels
Dean of Admission, Elite University ‘83

Read more . . .

admissions, essays

Step-by-step Guide for a Killer Essay

This post originally appeared on WorthPointe, a Dallas based financial group, and was written by a former Brown University football player, graduate and commencement speaker. His advice should be helpful when writing the college essay and scholarship essays.

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scholarship essay

All selective schools and and nearly all scholarships have more qualified candidates than they have admissions slots and available funds. Whatever school you apply to and scholarship you apply for, there will be a list of basic “qualifier” stats. Even if you are far exceeding the minimum qualifications, expect that other candidates are as well. To beat the odds, you need to stand out. For example, all 4.0 GPAs look the same on paper, so there really is no value in dwelling on raw stats like that. What you need is a story that makes you come to life and be memorable!

Here is my step-by-step guide to crafting and telling your story. It can be used to draft your story for a formal application essay, or for an interview.

Brainstorm.

Write your name in the center of a piece of paper. Now, list out some words that you or others might use to categorize you and put each word in its own bubble extending from the center. Try to cover as many aspects of your life as possible. Here are some examples: nerd; jock; musician; rich, poor or middle-class; trendy, race, sex and/or gender; city-boy; country-girl; religious; non-religious; single-parent home; suburban kid; inner city kid; writer; artsy; nationality or place of origin; etc. Be sure to think about these categories from the perspective of many different types of people.  For example, your parents might categorize you differently than your friends or people from different parts of the country or world.

Understand Why.

Now think about the things that would make different people categorize you in those ways. Under each category bubble, list the reasons you fit the category. For example, for “jock” you might list “softball team defensive MVP.” Remember most people won’t know all the different categories to which you can fit.

Find Your Peculiarity.

Look at all your categories and why you fit into them. Do any categories seem to not fit neatly with others? Would anyone be surprised you fit into one category if you were already in another? Focus on the categories you fit that seem most at odds with each other. For example, maybe you are a middle-class suburban kid who is an offensive lineman on the football team and sings in glee club. In this scenario, being white, middle-class and suburban isn’t that interesting. However, an offensive lineman who sings, or a singer who decided to go out for the football team? That’s pretty interesting. Any category you fit is potentially interesting or potentially uninteresting depending on the other categories you fit, so list as many as possible to start out!

Develop Your Peculiarity. 

Optimally, your story should challenge expectations about you. So, think about how people would expect you to act based on each of your categories. Pay special attention to the categories that stood out before and jot down some quick examples. Can you think of any ways you only partially fulfill expectations in that category? Can you think of ways you have behaved totally different than someone would expect? Can you think of reasons why people would not expect you to fit into a certain category? For example, imagine your family grew up enjoying cricket and soccer before immigrating from India to a middle-class suburban area. If your family was shocked that you played football, that’s interesting!      

Find Examples of Your Peculiarity.

Think of specific times or turning points in time when you have behaved in a way that was contrary to what someone would expect from someone in said category. Jot down those examples.

Rough Draft.

Don’t wait; immediately start drafting a narrative. In your backstory, describe all the reasons someone would expect you to be a certain way (in a certain category) and ways in which you are that way. Explain how you fit a second category that wouldn’t be expected from someone in the first category, or how you don’t fit a second category that would be expected from someone in the first category. Write out some examples in a narrative format.

The Lesson.

Now ask yourself what you learned from this. How did it impact you?  How did it make you who you are? Did it influence your goals for the future? What was the culminating event and what accomplishment came with it? Did it bring you to a totally different path than expected, or did your journey come “full-circle” in a way that led you back to something? Add the answers to these questions to your draft.

What You Want.

Jot down what you want at the end of the draft. You want to attend a certain school, pursue a certain degree or profession, work with a certain group of people, etc.

Tie it Together.

By now, your story should be apparent; it has an interesting twist and leads you to a certain lesson. Explain how that lesson has led you to your goal. 

The Elevator Pitch.

Once you’ve written out and edited your story, see if you can condense it to a short paragraph. Think of movie or book summaries you’ve read. This is very important, as you may need to tell your story several times throughout the process. You can even incorporate this summary into the beginning or end of your essay. Summaries like this help your story stick in the mind of the reader.

Nobody will remember your “qualifier” stats, but they will remember your story! Your essay readers and interviewers are going to be humans. Humans love stories — especially stories with surprises!

admissions

Tips to Prevent Having an Offer of Admission Withdrawn

admission withdrawn

Towards the end of high school, it’s normal for students to look forward to college life with excitement. Preparation for admission by students and their parents commences around this period. Withdrawing a college admission offer is uncommon, but it occurs. It can crush a student’s spirit and lead to starting the admission process all over again.

Here are some ways to ensure that you can avoid having an offer of admission withdrawn.

Maintain good grades

One of the top reasons why an offer of admission may be revoked is a significant drop in a student’s grade during the second semester of the final year. Students can be tempted to relax a bit when they are about to finish high school or find it difficult to handle stress and this negatively affects their grades. Strive to maintain consistency in your grades and put in extra effort. In case the unexpected happens like having to deal with a serious illness, the admission committee will consider such student if a letter is forwarded to them in time. Before a college decides to revoke a student’s admission, a warning letter will be issued and an explanation is always required. 

Be of good conduct

Most students are influenced by their peers to engage in activities that are wrong. Colleges are not interested in admitting students with a tainted record; therefore students should try as much as possible to have high standards. Illegal activities like drugs or alcohol related offenses, theft, violence and cheating during examinations must be avoided at all costs. All these acts can lead to expulsion in high school and once the college you are applying to gets to know, you may forfeit your admission. During student’s weekend, behave properly as you are being watched.

Add correct information to your admission essay

In a bid to impress the admission committee, it’s common for students to fill up their admission letters with false information. It’s true that the committee members are interested in you, but the part they are concerned with is the real you. Another thing is that you should not engage in plagiarism. Certain software has been developed that instantly detects plagiarism in essays and admission letters and most colleges make use of it. Considering the fact that admission into universities has become highly competitive, it’s easier to control the process with this tool. If it was later discovered that fake letter of references was submitted, the university will not take it lightly with such students.

Most of the time, colleges don’t withdraw their offer of admission without tangible reasons. In this case, parents have a great role to play in guiding and encouraging so that they finally get into college.

Once students are finally admitted into their various colleges, writing essays becomes a necessity. Only high quality essays can guarantee good grades. Due to one reason or the other, crafting an outstanding essay may be a daunting task. You can easily Buy College Essays at onlinecollegeessay.com and get nothing short of the best.

admissions, college prep, websites

3 Artificial Intelligence Tools to Help with College Prep

 

college prep

Today’s guest post is from GoSchoolWise, a new website offering free tools to help with college prep.

Is this school a good fit for my child? Do we have a balanced college list? How much will college cost us?

If these are the questions you are asking yourself, there is good news. A smart computer called IBM Watson (the computer that beat humans in Jeopardy) is helping answer these questions for thousands of parents this year at GoSchoolWise.com.

GoSchoolWise.com has 3 tools that use sophisticated algorithms to help answer the questions you were wondering. The good news is all these tools are free for high school students and their parents.

College – Personality Fit Tool: The tool has analyzed over 600 US colleges and identified personality traits of students at those schools. 

Example: Some of the personality traits of Georgia Tech students are: Unselfish, Go with the flow, Thoughtful, etc. Some traits for students at Columbia University are: Independent, Change-Agent, Direct etc.

The tool can analyze your child’s essay or Tweets to develop her/his personality traits and identifies their personality fit with each school on your schools list. In addition to campus visits this tool can give you a unique perspective how well your child will fit in at a particular school.

Let us know if you agree with the personality traits of your child by sending a message here.

  1. Admissions Insights: The tool analyzes the schools you are considering applying to and gives you valuable information on the potential acceptance rate based on your child’s gender, and the admissions round you are considering (EA, ED, RD, etc.).

    The tool also recommends other schools your daughter or son should consider as well as checks if you are in compliance with the Early application policy such as Restrictive Early Action or Single-Choice Early Action for different schools.

    In addition to a bunch of other admissions insights, the tool beautifully lays out the schools on a US map (with school pictures) for you to visualize how far your young one is considering going.
  2. Financial Insights: The tool takes your family income and uses historical data as well as factors in the financial aid families with similar income received, predicts the total annual cost of attendance for your child. This can be valuable information to help you understand how much college can cost your family.

You really thought this post will end without giving you any bonus tools and features.

Well guess what we have…

3 Bonus tools/features: SchoolWise also has additional tools/features to help families. Some of the other noteworthy features are:

  1. College Admissions News: College Admissions news and updates from around the web are curated with the help of IBM Watson. The news feed keeps families updated on the latest admissions advice and developments.
  2. Academic Index: Looking to apply to Ivy League school? You should check out the Academic Index (AI) Calculator. AI is a score between 60 – 240 used by Ivy League schools to score the academic achievement of an applicant. The score is highly correlated to acceptance rates. Even though Academic Index is not a secret anymore, but the Ivy League universities and other highly selective colleges are hush-hush about its use.
  3. Schools Pages: Each 4-year college has a beautiful schools page, with pretty images, videos, and interactive tools. One example is the gender diversity tool, which shows the class mosaic. Also, check out the notable alumni and the key recruiting companies section for each school. Some school page examples are: Harvard University, MIT, College of William and Mary.