Applying for College

• Develop a File for Each College– Organize college brochures,

applications, financial aid packets, and transcripts. Keep everything under control and labeled.

The College Application

• Label Accordingly– Grades/Transcripts– Awards– Articles by/or about you– Summer programs– Jobs– Art or Writing Portfolio– Resume

The College Application

• Label Accordingly– Financial Aid Info– Brochures and Forms– Completed Applications

The College Application

• Stay on top of deadlines– Applications are due starting

November 30 and usually run through December

– Keep track of every deadline on a spreadsheet.

– Include important dates for: standardized tests, financial aid, college application, and scholarships

The College Application

• Why are you interested in our college– Be specific when answering this, and show

that you've done your research. You want to highlight your intellectual interests. What specifically about the college distinguishes it from other schools you're considering?

The College Interview

• What can I tell you about our college– Your interviewer will provide an opportunity

for you to ask questions. Make sure you have some, and make sure your questions are thoughtful and specific to the particular college. Avoid closed ended questions.

The College Essay

• Who in your life has most influenced you– Who's your hero? What historical or fictional

character would you most like to be like? Spend a few minutes considering how you would answer. Identify a few real, historical, and fictional characters you admire, and be prepared to articulate WHY you admire them.

The College Essay

• What will you contribute to our campus community– You'll want to be specific when

answering this question. Think about what it is that makes you uniquely you.

The College Essay

• Tell me about a challenge that you overcame– This question is designed to see what kind of

problem solver you are. How do you handle situations when confronted with a challenge? College is full of challenges, so the college wants to make sure they enroll students who can handle them.

The College Essay

• What do you do for fun in your free time– College life obviously isn't all work, so

admissions wants students who will do interesting and productive things even when they aren't studying. Do you write? Read? Play chess? This question will show that you are well-rounded with a variety of interests.

The College Essay

• Choose a significant experience you had, achievement you have attained, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced, and discuss its impact on you

The College Essay

• Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you

The College Essay

• Describe someone who has had a significant influence on you, and explain what the influence has been.

The College Essay

• Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (art, music, film, etc.) that has had an important influence on you, and explain that influence.

The College Essay

• Our campus is enriched by a wide range of our students’ academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences. Describe a personal experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity of a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you

The College Essay

• Write on any topic of your choice

The College Essay

• Include– Introduction–Body– Conclusion–Be a little self-centered–Be specific–Be aware of the rest of your

application

The College Essay

• Additional Questions–Who most helped you get to where

you are today?– Tell me about your community

service.– If you had a thousand dollars to give

away, what would you do with it?–What subject in high school did you

find the most challenging?

The College Interview