College Applications

College Applications

Application Guidelines 
  1. Download a printable form of every college app in which you are interested. Draft it in pencil and then complete online. After you submit online, let me know and we will send a transcript to that college.
  2. Obtain your letters of recommendation. Those will be sent in with your transcript.
  3. Let me know if a secondary school report form is required. It will be part of the application when you download. Give that to me and we will complete and send with your transcript.
  4. Some colleges require a mid-year report. That will also be part of the application that you download (if that college requires it.) Give that to me, too, and we will complete and send after first semester grades are recorded.
Application Process
  1. Download applications for all schools in which you are interested. Complete them in pencil and proofread them. Then give them to a parent or teacher for another proofreading.
  2. Give the Secondary School Report to me AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. This can be completed while you are completing your part. HIGHLIGHT the postmark date, please.
  3. Let me know where you want your transcripts sent for each and every college you are applying to
  4.  Included in the application, submit the “midterm year report” to me (with the postmark date highlighted) along with your “Secondary School Report.” I will file this in your personal file and send it when I have the necessary data (usually mid to late July.)
  5.  Ask for your Letters of Recommendations from your source. If you want a letter written in two minutes, I have your transcript. If you want a well-developed and thoughtful letter, ask for the letter four weeks in advance.
  6. Compile a list of activities, both school and extra-curricular.
  7.  Let me know if the school to which you are applying REQUIRES the ALL forms be sent in one envelope. If so, I will hold all pieces until complete. You will need to request your letters of recommendation writers to send them to us for submission.
Apply Online 
  • Some colleges will waive the app fee if you apply online
  • I recommend that you proofread it first!!!
  • Use the “Common Application” if your chosen school participates in this program: www.commonapp.org

Application Requirements

Letter of Recommendation Letters
  • Make a list of those who know you.
  • Someone who has seen you struggle and overcome an obstacle. Or maybe you didn’t overcome it, but learned how to effectively deal/live with it.
  • A teacher who saw you struggling with a class but then eventually mastered the material
  • A club advisor who knows your leadership and/or organizational abilities and saw how you helped bring and keep the group together.
  • Priest/ ministers who worked with you and have seen you faithfully attend church.
  • Someone who has observed your abilities to articulate your thoughts and opinions.
Personal Statement 
  • It is what it says it is- a personal statement. College Admissions Counselors will read MANY personal statements- so snag their attention quickly!
  • You are basically introducing yourself to the college. They have read your application- now talk about “you” the person. It is appropriate to include information about yourself that is personal in nature, but don’t reveal something you’ll regret later. It should explain how a student knows themselves and how they won’t need their hand held for four years.
  • Who are you? What makes you tick? What makes you different from the next applicant?
  • What was a key experience in your life? What is important to you? What could you not live without in your life? Why?
  • Why have you wanted to go to Fabulous U? Talk about something that you know about the campus because of a first hand visit.
  •   Are there any gaps in your educational history or a poor semester  (grade-wise) because of, let’s say, a personal injury that had you in rehab for three months? Now is your chance to talk about it and relate it to your personal growth. How has your rehab furthered not just your physical growth but also your emotional growth? Help colleges to understand why you have the grades that you do. Why have you limited yourself to extra curricular like you did?
  • Format: it does have to be in a narrative story 
  • A well-written poem about a personal experience (or how badly you want in that specific college) can be a personal statement.
  • Remember that you are sending in an application, transcripts, so stay away from that information. Also, don’t try to write this without help. Use expert advice from those around you that can simple, grammatical (not content) errors that you cannot see.
Essays 
  • Simply, the college wants to know you better. All you have submitted so far is an application.
  • This is a chance to reveal your personality, insight, commitment and freshness
  • If the topic is broad, be focused and discuss one or two things. Sometimes a college will want to evaluate you through your creativity such as: “Do you believe there’s a generation gap? Describe the difference between your generation and others.” (Denison University)
  • Suggestions
    • Start early
    •  Be focused and discuss one or two things. (outline)
    • Work on your opening paragraph. You want to catch their attention, but not in a wacky, odd way.
    • Consider your audience
    • Take your time and think the topic through-ROUGH DRAFT!
    • Revise it yourself and then give to someone else to edit
    • PROOFREAD!!
  • Essay Topics
    • Describe your most significant personal experience. Why was it significant and how has it influenced you?
    • Identify and discuss a significant problem facing your generation.
    • What have you read that has had a special significance for you? Explain why.
    • If you could travel through time and interview a prominent figure in the arts, politics, religion, or science, for example, whom would you choose and why?
    • Please use the space provided to indicate what you consider your best qualities to be, and describe how your college education will be of assistance to you in sharing these qualities and your accomplishments with others.
  • Tips
    • Admission Counselors are not always looking for "well-rounded students," rather a "well-rounded freshman class." Don't worry if you are not "well-rounded." Take one of your passions, Tae Kwon Do, competetive dance, ice skating, horse showing for five years, and explain your interest
    • You want the admission counselor, after reading your personal statement, to say, "I like this kid. I want her/him in our next freshman class. What is going to take to get her/him here?"
    • Once completed, read it backwards to catch errors. 
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