Professional College Admissions Coach
The typical essentials for college admission----
- SAT reasoning and subject tests or and ACT testing with the writing option is required for admission to selective schools, although these schools often state that they do not set minimum score requirements. You can always improve your scores and your test taking ability. You have the option of re-taking these tests during your junior and senior years. Check with your school for testing dates and deadlines. During the evaluation process, schools look at the highest combination of scores on these standardized exams. In some cases, students from abroad for whom English is a second language may also be asked for TOEFL test results in addition to either SAT or ACT scores.
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Admissions Essay and / or Personal
Statement.. Here you have the opportunity to
express your unique character, value and the contribution
that you bring to your target school. What unquestionable
asset distinguishes you from the rest of the
applicant
pool? Perhaps your pre-college years prove your academic
achievement through demonstrated discipline and
perseverance. In what way will you enhance student life?
Perhaps you can list books that you have read outside of
school. Admission Committees look for articulate students
with prior demonstrated academic ability who are likely to
successfully complete the rigorous curriculum that lies
ahead.. What is your potential for further intellectual
achievement? Discuss in a memorable way your particular
interests and talents. Keep in mind that typically no
single criterion determines acceptance; rather it is the
full picture of your overall high school performance and
activities that determine the offer of admission.
Importantly, never exaggerate, distort facts or fabricate
fantasies in your essay. It may come back to haunt you and
just may make the difference between an offer of admission
and a letter of rejection. For example, if you claim to
have interned at an art gallery over the summer, make
certain you can verify this with a letter of reference
from your supervisor. I have seen situations where
Admissions professionals require of applicants further
details regarding information contained within their
application. Accordingly, be prepared to follow through
with satisfactory proof of your extracurricular
activities. - Transcripts. This is the official record of your grades sent directly from your high school to the universities at which you apply. AP or IB courses are indicated, as is your GPA. Computer applications sort out the range of GPA weights to better analyze the student's actual ranking.
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Teacher Recommendations. Think of a
particular teacher or counselor with whom you feel most
comfortable. Have the confidence to approach that
individual and ask him or her for a memorable letter of
recommendation that will absolutely stand out in the minds
of the admissions committee and immediately distinguish
you from the pack. If the teacher does not feel in all
honesty that he can do that for you, move on to the next
teacher who can. After four years in high school, it is
hoped that you have built relationships with your
instructors such that there are at least three such
teachers to whom you can go for such letters. Keep in mind
these references can be neither mediocre nor unimpressive;
rather they must genuinely illuminate your strengths and
focus on your positive potential. To be sure, faculty
letters should strongly support the supposition that you
will clearly succeed in academic endeavors, mainly because
in the past you have shown that you can successfully do
so.
Teachers go beyond mere dispensers of plain information and you can relate to them as mentors, guides and facilitators for research and innovative research projects. They are also qualified to assists you with the initiation of recreational clubs, publications, and a wide variety of extracurricular activity. - The Interview. Relax and be yourself! Most interviews do not last as long as you might anticipate. You may even find that an interview is not required after all. Maintain eye contact and be direct but funny if that suits your personality. Do not chatter incessantly, but on the other hand do not be afraid to ask a few questions either. You will answer questions and explain a little about yourself and your interests. At the end, shake hands and thank the representative of the college for his time, continuing to conduct yourself professionally.
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Extracurricular Participation. Sometimes
these take place on the high school campus after hours but
often they do not. Among these various activities and
accomplishment
include- working a part / time job
- Volunteering for a charitable organization such as hospice, the Salvation Army or a veterans's organization. Any long term community commitment displays moral virtue and compassion for others.
- Sports - can you document the number of hours you play on an intramural or varsity team?
- Music- are you part of a band that has perhaps recorded an original composition?
- Art - do you paint or draw?
- Foreign Language - do you speak, read, or write a foreign language?
The essentials for Students:
All of these extracurricular activities show that you use your free time productively and positively. Section 6, a - f will assuredly give you an advantage over the student who has not made the most of his or her leisure time. Nevertheless, academic achievement still remains of paramount importance.
Other Optional Considerations:
- Have you traveled to exotic locations? Have you been fortunate enough to make the most of the foreign language you have studied by visiting the country where it is spoken? Even a short trip overseas will improve your proficiency and engender in you a familiarity with daily life in international culture.
- Did you attend summer school? A pre - college program such as Duke's TIP?
- Personal accomplishments which feature your natural abilities serve to build character, making a desirable and competitive admissions candidate.