Most of the time when a High School student sits down to write a college essay they have no idea where to start. You may look online for a template to use, ask friends what they have done or ask a parent or mentor for help. That's the worst thing you can do.
The best thing you can do is to start with yourself. Colleges and Universities want to know who you are. They want to know your writing style but more importantly they want to know YOU. They want to know what makes YOU tick. So if you can write about anything then make sure you write about something that describes you best. Do not try to write what you "think" they want you to write because they want you to write about yourself. They have your test scores, letters of recommendations, and transcripts this is your one opportunity to add some color to your application, to make your application a true representation of who and what you are. The best way to write this essay is from your heart.
It might sound cheesy, but you should really speak from your heart. The material you know best is there. Even though I would read 40-60 essays a day I would still remember some of them. The ones that would stand out were those that were genuine. Your college essay can be the difference between the wait list and admission or between the wait list and a deny letter. You want to make a connection with the Admission Counselor reading your application. If you connect with them they will fight for you. An over polished essay rewritten or written by a parent, counselor, or friend is easy to pick out. Do it yourself. Write from your heart, connect with the counselor and you will have a great shot of getting into the school of your choice.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
The importance of making a college visit.
For those of you who think it doesn't matter whether or not you visit a school that you are planning on applying to, you are wrong. Now obviously if you can't afford to visit a school then I wouldn't worry about it. There are ways you can try to get a feel from a school from afar. Virtual tours and web cams are great alternatives. For those of you who can afford to visit the schools you are applying to DO IT. In fact visiting a college or university can even be considered an investment. I'll explain that later though.
Here are the Top 3 reasons why you should visit the schools you are applying to:
1. Finding the right fit
Many colleges and universities are trying to balance out the demographics on their campuses. They are looking for an equal amount of males and females on campus and many of them are looking to increase the number of minority students. So in order to get what they want schools will alter their publications both paper and on the web to make you feel like there are a lot of people at that school that look like you. Studies show that one of the top 5 reasons students choose a school is because they feel like they "fit" there. Go check it out for yourself . If you can try and visit while school is in session.
2. Location
Schools will tell you online and in their publications what is around the school and how far they are from locale attractions. The best way to find out how safe the surrounding area is, how far it is from downtown, and how safe the area is is to see it for yourself. Again, this is a great way to figure out if the school is a good fit for you. It may not be a good fit for you if the locale area makes you uncomfortable.
3. Show me the money!
Visiting a school can end up meaning money in your pocket. A campus visit can actually be an investment or affect whether or not you are accepted. Many schools use outside firms to help them figure out what is the best way for them to award institutional money. One of the things these firms look at is whether or not you visited the campus. In most cases they view a campus visit as the student showing strong interest. In their minds it makes more sense to offer those students more money because it is more likely they will accept it. The same can be true when it comes to the wait list or denies. A school might be more likely to put you on the wait list then deny you if you visited the campus because again, it shows a strong interest in the institution.
At the end of the day, if you can visit the school do so. Make sure you check in at the desk and that they put on your file that you visited!
Here are the Top 3 reasons why you should visit the schools you are applying to:
1. Finding the right fit
Many colleges and universities are trying to balance out the demographics on their campuses. They are looking for an equal amount of males and females on campus and many of them are looking to increase the number of minority students. So in order to get what they want schools will alter their publications both paper and on the web to make you feel like there are a lot of people at that school that look like you. Studies show that one of the top 5 reasons students choose a school is because they feel like they "fit" there. Go check it out for yourself . If you can try and visit while school is in session.
2. Location
Schools will tell you online and in their publications what is around the school and how far they are from locale attractions. The best way to find out how safe the surrounding area is, how far it is from downtown, and how safe the area is is to see it for yourself. Again, this is a great way to figure out if the school is a good fit for you. It may not be a good fit for you if the locale area makes you uncomfortable.
3. Show me the money!
Visiting a school can end up meaning money in your pocket. A campus visit can actually be an investment or affect whether or not you are accepted. Many schools use outside firms to help them figure out what is the best way for them to award institutional money. One of the things these firms look at is whether or not you visited the campus. In most cases they view a campus visit as the student showing strong interest. In their minds it makes more sense to offer those students more money because it is more likely they will accept it. The same can be true when it comes to the wait list or denies. A school might be more likely to put you on the wait list then deny you if you visited the campus because again, it shows a strong interest in the institution.
At the end of the day, if you can visit the school do so. Make sure you check in at the desk and that they put on your file that you visited!
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