Do Strict Admissions Leave Room For Creative Students?

While applying for college can be exciting, it also involves preparing for interviews and writing essays which can sometimes make the process very taxing. However, the procedures are not just stressful for the applicant, universities also go through a tough time considering the fact that they receive thousands of applications each round yet they only have a third of the chances available. Nonetheless, if you are preparing to make such an application, it's important to understand what the institutions look for so that you are better prepared for whatever comes your way.

1. Academic Performance

Colleges employ different processes in screening and admitting students. In general, there are some factors that they all highly regard --an applicant's academic performance is one of those things. Your class rank and GPA are indicators of your academic standing, meaning just like a good class rank, a higher GPA provides you with better chances.

2. Admission Essay

Universities also evaluate the information you give in an admission essay to assess your interests and find out whatever is unique about you. Some colleges place higher importance on the essay than others; therefore, to be on the safe side, it's important that you get it done right from the word go.

3. Recommendation Letter

 A good number of learning institutions ask for a recommendation letter from your principal, teacher and counselor so that they get a professional outlook about where you stand with regard to education matters. To help you obtain such letters, it's important that you get a teacher with whom you have good relations.

Strict Admissions Standards: Flickr Michael Pecirno

4. Extracurricular Activities

You may have interest in different extracurricular activities during your time in high school, but the number of those activities doesn't matter if there's none you have been truly committed to. Colleges prefer to know how much time you have allocated to each and what you have achieved by taking part in those activities.

These are only a few of the things that universities look into prior to admitting students and due to the limited spaces available, the minimum requirements keep getting higher. Currently, only the most qualified learners can be assured of places in their preferred university.

 Still, even when you are confident in your application, it's good to keep in touch with the institution to find out how things are going. For instance, you can inquire about any additional issues they may want to look at in detail, and also visit the school so you are viewed as a serious applicant.

Chances for Creative Students in Universities

Admission processes are overwhelming and with the current tight admission criteria, creative students have limited chances of making it into leading universities. With these limitations, it may seem as if such learners do not have sufficient opportunities to advance their creativity, but they do.

There has always been great emphasis on education; this is only applied to subjects that learners need to grasp to do well in their exams. If you are a creative person however, you shouldn't be discouraged because by expressing yourself, your mind gets more involved, and you become more efficient. With such a creative mind, you don't have to focus on questions with straightforward answers; you can read between the lines and show exactly what you feel about a particular subject.

There are colleges in which artistic individuals can enroll to advance their skill set to be able to venture into the creative industry. Hence, even though you may miss out on the top level institutions, art universities and colleges can provide you with an equally good opportunity to establish yourself in the industry or even set up your own business in the future.

Ryan Ayers is a writer who creates informative articles in relation to education and technology. In this article, he talks about the admissions system and how right brained students may have complications getting into accredited universities. He aims to encourage further education through University of Florida Online

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Expanding Your Horizons and Experiences for College

There are many ways you can prepare for college. However, the best piece of advice anyone can give you is to expand your horizons while you're still in high school. You give your college applications a boost by participating extracurricular activities, including world travel, volunteering and internships. Recruiters love applicants who have firsthand knowledge, life experiences and a resume filled with responsible activities.

Travel

International travel can make a world of difference on your college application. World travel helps you gain knowledge of other cultures and languages. This knowledge cannot be taught in a classroom and can only be learned through getting that stamp on your passport. World travel shows you're willing to step out of your comfort zone, that you're curious and that you have the initiative to experience new things.

If you want to take your overseas experience to the next level, volunteer abroad. Turning your world travel into a volunteering experience will further expand your appreciation of new cultures and will have college recruiters putting your application at the top of the pile.

Volunteering

A recent addition to high school curriculums is the requirement that students complete a certain amount of volunteer hours. Not all high schools require it, but it's becoming common for students to dedicate some volunteer hours. Volunteering in the community or overseas can help you gain knowledge and experience that shows college recruiters you are a go-getter. There are many different

types of volunteer opportunities you can sign up for while still in high school, including summer camps, local sports programs, animal shelters and overseas training programs.

Internships

Having work experience through an internship will give you a boost in the competitive race to college acceptance. By working as an intern, you'll be able to put your classroom knowledge to work while gaining work experience in your desired field of study. High school internships are available in a variety of job fields, including communications, education, electronics, engineering and nursing. Many times, your high school will be able to help you find internship opportunities. They may even have internship programs already established with local businesses. Not only does the internship look good on your college application, you'll also be able to decide before entering college if it's the right career path for you. Plus, you already have your foot in the door and have great work references for when you do graduate college.

College recruiters look for well-rounded students with more than just classroom knowledge. Getting a little bit of each of these extracurricular activities may help you get the edge you need. Sit down and talk with your guidance counselor to discuss the different ways you can participate in these activities and find out which ones are best suited for you. Get involved wherever you can. Life experiences are just as important as a solid education. Achieving both before entering college is something that will stick with you for the rest of your life. In addition to the impressive achievements you'll list on your college applications, you'll have the benefit of doing good work.

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How Helpful are College Rankings?

Every year, reports are released that rank colleges according to a multitude of factors and qualities.  US News & World Report, which publishes one of the most important and widely read of these rankings, charges almost 35 dollars for their yearly college ranking report, and prospective college students (and parents of prospective college students, of course) snap them up in huge volumes.  After all, the choice of which college to attend is one of—if not the—biggest decisions high school students have had to face in their lives up to that point.  It certainly, then, would help to have a scientific study and assessment of all the colleges out there, wouldn’t it? Most would say yes.

More and more people, however, are starting to voice a dissenting opinion.  What are their arguments?  Why would someone think that these reports are either unhelpful or possibly even detrimental?  Here are a few of the reasons that those who think this way are giving.

1. It’s a Publishing Racket

Many who find college rankings to be less useful that publicized believe that newspapers and magazines like the US News & World Report have simply engineered a need in order to sell their publication.  By hiding a lack of real-world utility behind a veneer of “scientific” processes and seemingly rigorous, methodological research, these critics believe, publications have found a way to make their product seem and feel necessary to the college search process—when in reality it provides very little actual benefit.  On this opinion, publishers of college rankings reports are simply preying upon the stress and anxiety of parents and students in order to sell copies of their publications.

2. It Isn’t Trustworthy

One of the more surprising facts about the college rankings process, for most people, is that many colleges—knowing how seriously parents and students take these reports—have been shown to falsify the data given to publishers in order to make their college’s rank rise.  Most recently, Claremont McKenna—an elite, upper echelon school in California—admitted to supply falsified data for the reports for just this very reason.  What is most disconcerting about this fact is that this scandal reaches the highest ranks, that even the very best schools are engaging in this deceit. If even these schools can’t be trusted, the argument goes, how can the rankings be relied upon as an accurate source of information for students and parents to base their decisions on?

3. The Subjectivity Problem

Another issue raised is simple, but represents a real problem: these publications do their best to present their rankings as “objective” and “scientific,” but in reality there is much that is subjective in the comparison between schools—especially schools in similar quality strata.  Is Princeton really better than Yale?  Can data decide this?  Proponents of this argument make the case that these types of decisions can’t be shown objectively; in reality, these schools—as close as they are in quality—are better for some types of people and not others.

Lastly—and this is more of a philosophical difference than an argument—those who find college rankings less useful than purported often say that the whole idea of ranking colleges in the first place has the harmful effect of creating the illusion that college choice should be decided by which college is best overall, instead of which college is best for you.  Their logic works as follows: Columbia College may be ranked as one of the best art schools in the nation, but if you’re from Arkansas and there’s a solid art school that fits you better and is closer to home, it means it’s probably a better choice for you—college rankings be…well, you know.

Otter Boone writes for concorde.edu; be sure to visit them to learn about their medical assistant school degree programs.

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Preparing for the Big Day

Seize the Day: How to Give Your Best on College Test Day

Summer, and the dreaded college applications, tests and exam season might not seem too close yet, but they’re coming. For sure. By now, you’ll probably be starting to think about your revision program. However, in all that frenzy of work, have you thoughts about how you will cope with the big day itself? Sitting that college test, interview or exam?

Failure to prepare for the actual day when you will be sitting the college test can cause real stress. The trauma of a bad interview or application experience can stay with us our whole lives leading some to eventually need help for depression or addiction. Especially if we have spent weeks and months working really hard to prepare for it. Tripping up at the final hurdle would be terrible after that. Yet it can be avoided. Here are a few tips to help keep you cool on the big day.

Cometh the Dawn

After getting a good night’s sleep (you have done that, right?) the most important thing to sort is a good, healthy breakfast that’s packed with protein and complex carbohydrates. Sounds obvious. Yet nerves or the desire to cram that final five minutes of preparation in before you leave the house must not get in the way of this vital meal. Choose something that will give you long-lasting energy, such as eggs, fruit or oatmeal cereal. Try to avoid caffeine and sugar. Dress in as comfortable clothes as is appropriate and check the weather forecast so you won’t be too hot or too cold.

Then, do your last few preparations. Hopefully, you’ll have already worked out when the interview, test or exam starts, where it is being held and how long it will take you to get there. If you haven’t done that yet, DO IT NOW! Avoid a panicked, last-minute rush to the college at all costs. It will really put you off. Have you got everything that you need ready? Spare pens, interview notes etc (lucky charms and candy optional…).

Once more unto the Breach

After getting to college, there’s still time to make some final preparations. Turn off your cell phone, or even better, see if you can leave it somewhere safe. Chances are you won’t be allowed to have it with you during a test in any case and it avoids the embarrassment of it ringing mid-process.

Go to the bathroom and try to keep calm. Try not to speak to anyone else outside the test hall about the amount of preparation you, or they, have done. Instead, take six deep breaths and tell yourself you are going to succeed. Be confident. After all, you’ve already done the hard work. Now it’s time to show ‘em what you know and why you deserve to go to their college.

Knowledge is Power

You’re in the room; test paper in front of you; pen in hand. Time for some more deep breaths before you dive in. Concentrate on your own paper - don’t be put off by other candidates scribbling furiously around you. Read each question carefully then read it again. Know how many marks each question carries and whether it divides into sections. Work out your timings so that you leave room for all the questions you need to tackle in the time allowed. The same applies to an oral interview. Consider what you're being asked carefully before replying.

When you do start your response, make sure you answer the question posed and don’t just regurgitate your knowledge regardless. There won’t be any marks or credit for deviating from the instructions, however impressive your alternative answer might have been. Don’t worry if you get stuck on something and don’t waste time fretting. Take some more deep breaths and move on to the next question. You can always try to come back to the troublesome one later.

Finally, if you are running out of time in a written test and still have questions to answer, make notes on the paper giving details of how you would have answered the question if you had had time to do so. Include argument ideas or equations if relevant, or make a list of bullets giving your key points. It’s much better than leaving the question blank and you might get a few extra marks that could make the crucial difference to your application.

Aftermath

After the interview or test, don’t indulge in post-mortems with other candidates. They will only stress you out with speculation. Try to wait patiently for the results and then, hopefully, you can start celebrating. Don’t dwell on it after it’s over – what’s done is done. Have something nice lined up to do straight away afterwards – and no, we don’t mean going on a drinking binge. How about a trip to the movies or a family meal out instead?

Best of luck!

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Janine Hardy is a freelance writer from England who specializes in life coaching and self improvement writing for a number of local publications. She works with many good causes including helping and advising students at local colleges and writing on behalf of an alcohol addiction center.

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Admissions Officer Tells Secrets

As an Admissions Counselor, what are your day-to-day responsibilities?
Meeting 1-on-1 with prospective students and their families through our admissions interview process, follow-up with students, parents, coaches, campus constituents, etc. through email, mail, phone correspondence, first-year application review (400+ applicants in my territory), closing calls to admitted students who receive a financial aid package, admissions recruitment travel (college fairs, high school visits, classroom/community presentations, etc.), campus recruitment event planning/coordination/implementation/assessment, other duties as assigned :)

What do you consider the most significant parts of an application, the parts which applicants should prepare the most carefully?
Rigor of course-load (i.e. Advanced, Honors, AP, dual-credit courses & core course involvement), an active co- and extra-curricular schedule, and showing the ability to adapt well socially to the college community

What common pitfalls should applicants be careful to avoid?
Using another college or university's name in the application essay (i.e. "..and that is why I think I'd be a good fit at the University of Illinois" when they are applying to Augustana),

Are there any myths about the application process which you would like to dispel?
"Admissions offices ignore senior year grades" (on the contrary, we typically look at trends in a students academic record to recommend admission, scholarship, etc.)

What advice would you give to an applicant with below-average test scores but significant work experience?
Utilize our test-optional policy which allows you to submit a graded paper and conduct an official admissions interview. This can help students show through a different indicator their ability to be an effective problem solver, critical thinker, etc.

What do you look for in a letter of recommendation?
The mention of our colleges name because that typically means the student spoke with the teacher/coach/director about us individually -- also reading about the students ability to overcome an adverse situation or be a leader among his or her peers

How much faith do you have in the ability of the SAT or ACT to predict success in college?
It can be a great or extremely bad indicator. That is why we have our test-optional policy. Math & Science scores stick out if a student is looking for a career in the health field; low reading scores can also raise a red flag.

Suppose an applicant has little or no experience relevant to your program, but has significant experience in other fields.  What can that applicant do to distinguish himself or herself as a good candidate for your program?

Candidates who we feel are "on the bubble" or just can't get a good "read" on can typically strengthen their case by visiting campus and meeting with a counselor one-on-one. This typically is one of the most influential factors for a student during the application process.

Thank you to Mike Pettis for participating in the Admissions Spotlight Series.  Mr. Pettis is an Admissions Counselor at Augustana College in Davenport, IA.  In this interview he give us a behind-the-scenes look at the undergraduate admissions process.
 
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This interview was conducted by Joseph Fernandez, a New York Tutor with Parliament Tutors.  Joseph specializes in SAT Tutoring.

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Answering the Question "Why Do You Want to go to our College?"

If you have just started applying for college, you may have noticed that many college applications ask similar types of questions in their application essays. A question that many colleges ask is "why do you want to go to our college?"

This may seem like a complicated question to answer. Why are they asking you this? Why do they care? What kind of answers are they looking for? If you say the wrong things, will they reject your application? If all of these stressful concerns are running through your head, it will be very difficult to start writing. As with almost all personal essays, the easiest way to write a solid paper is to be informed about the topic before you start writing and to be honest as you write.

With this in mind, the first step you should take is to thoroughly research the college. Find out every single detail that will matter to you. Which majors does the college offer? How big are the class sizes? Does the school have the kind of extracurricular or social setting that you are looking for? What kind of housing do they offer? How much money will it cost to attend the college each semester? What kind of financial aid options are offered? How far away is the campus from your current home? Is the campus located in a city that you like?

Once you have a good understanding of what it will be like to attend this particular college, think about all of its aspects that suit you best. Maybe you really like their attitude toward learning. Maybe their art program is one of the best in the country. Perhaps the city in which the college is located is perfectly fitting for your tastes and lifestyle. Maybe the tuition is incredibly low and will save you tons of money. Make a list of everything you like about the college.

Now, add more information to the list. Next to each item that you like, write down why you like it. Your list should be honest and personal. You should also write down why you want to attend college at all. Next, take another look at the website or brochure for the college. Take a note of all of the adjectives that are used to attract students to the college. If these adjectives describe what you are looking for in the college, write them down.

Begin your essay. Explain who you are, where you are in life and what you hope to accomplish by attending college. Explain what kind of degree or major you plan to pursue and why. If you have not yet chosen an area of study, explain the aspects of the college that you think will lead you toward finding yourself and what you want to do with your life. Be concise, but also honest, personable and, if appropriate, passionate.

Using your list, describe everything about the college that you like and explain why it is a perfect fit for you specifically. If applicable, try to use some of the adjectives that you found in the college brochure or on its website.

If you are still having a really hard time with this and cannot find good reasons for attending this college, perhaps you should rethink even applying in the first place. There are so many wonderful colleges in the United States. Try to find schools that are actually a good fit for you. Imagine getting an acceptance letter in the mail from each college to which you apply. If you cannot picture yourself getting excited about attending this school, then it probably is not the right school for you.

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The Value of AP Classes

Almost everyone hates AP classes. Parents hate them, students hate them, schools hate them, even colleges are wary of them. In high school, these AP classes add a significant amount of work to the regular student schedule. Active students who play sports and are involved in their community are often forced to sacrifice leisure time or hours otherwise spend sleeping in order to finish their AP work.

Then the AP test comes in May, and the last 2 or 3 weeks in April are an endless cramming session. For students who take multiple AP tests, it seems like the work will never end. I know because I went through it just like every other high school student. It does, however, pay off.

As a college student right now, I am very happy that I took AP classes. First off, I started my freshman year with 17 AP credits; a standard college semester is only 16. I have friends with over 20 AP credit. This can mean many things depending on how you look at it. If I decide to graduate a semester early using my AP credits to fulfill electives, then I can save a lot of money, somewhere around $20,000. My particular school requires 4 years of study to graduate, but many others will let students graduate early.

What AP credits mean for me is that I can pursue minors and/or take other classes that interest me besides those in my major. I could also take a slightly easier workload every semester and still graduate on time. With this approach, I could dedicate more time to running this website along with others, and possibly find other jobs. There will be more time to socialize as well, but that is not everything. Knowing that I will be able to graduate in 4 years takes off a lot of stress.

My particular credits also mean that I can spend time studying abroad without fear of falling behind. Some classes in foreign universities might not be recognized at my university, but with credits already stacked up, I won’t need to worry.

Finally, there is the value of taking a college “level” class in high school. Although college classes are nothing like high school classes, there is no question that AP better prepares students for the vigor of college. 100 pages of reading per class seems like nothing after doing it for years in high school. Additionally, much of the knowledge learned in AP classes can be directly applied to college. I draw upon knowledge from AP History, Gov, and English classes every day because it makes a substantial part of my academic core. Science and Math classes act the same way for engineers and physicists.

Hopefully, you will think differently about AP classes in the future. Yes, they are a lot of hard work but the work will come sooner or later. Is it not better to get accustomed to it early on? In hindsight, even though I hated the work at the time, I am very glad that I took so many AP’s in high school. My words of wisdom to all students are this: It gets better.

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Retaking the SAT: Should You Take the SAT Again?

“1,597,329 million college-bound seniors in the class of 2010 took the SAT.”

Resource:  2010 College-Bound Seniors Profile Report issued by the College Board.

Despite the impressive number of participants, the standardized college testing experience is very personal. Results are commonly used in higher education admissions decision-making processes, as well as determining eligibility and awarding of scholarships.  Each student who takes the SAT is directly impacted by the scores achieved on the test. That said, the statistics of who takes the test and the variance in scores are significant and a good place to start when considering your decision to retake the SAT.

If you’ve taken the SAT and didn’t get a perfect score or the score you wanted, you may be thinking about taking the test again.

This graphic uses data from the 2010 College-Bound Seniors Profile Report issued by the College Board and illustrates the score distribution of the college-bound seniors in the class of 2010 who took the SAT. If you didn’t get a perfect score on your SAT, you clearly are not alone. 

Data from the Effects of Repeating the SAT®, Percentage of Students with Senior-Year Score Gain or Loss (2010 Cohort) by College Board indicates that in all parts of the test, the lower your score, the better your chances are of improving your scores by taking the test again. This may seem obvious, but is worth remembering when making the decision to take the SAT again.

If you are still considering taking the SAT again, answer these questions before you sign up:

Have you gained more experience and/or have more applicable coursework “under your belt” since the last time you took the SAT?

If you have since taken additional coursework or gained experience that has increased your knowledge in areas covered in the SAT, you should consider taking the SAT again.

Are you in a “better place” mentally and/or physically than you were the last time you took the SAT?

If your circumstances, either physically or mentally, were not ideal for your best performance the last time, you should consider taking the SAT again.

Are you, or will you be, better prepared to take the SAT than the last time you took it?

If you are willing to study, take practice tests, and/or take advantage of tutoring resources in order to set the stage for the best possible testing outcome, you should definitely consider taking the SAT again.

What is your ultimate goal for taking the SAT? Does this goal require a higher score?

Once you determine your goal for taking the SAT, if you find that your previous score does not meet the standards needed to achieve that goal, you should consider taking the SAT again.

Answering “yes” to one or more of these questions is justification and motivation for taking the SAT test again. 

One more thing…

If you make the decision to take the SAT again, set the stage for success by consciously making a personal commitment to prepare yourself so you can perform to the best of your abilities. Like an athlete, you must “train” for this challenge.  Take advantage of preparatory resources and practice, practice, practice!  If you make this commitment and follow through, you increase the odds that your score will improve and will find that the decision to take the SAT again was a good choice.

Good luck and have a great testing experience!

Anne N. is a SAT Tutor for Parliament Tutors in Des Moines, IA.

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3 Admissions Mistakes You Can Avoid

The Unigo Expert Network is a group of top education experts from across the US answering questions submitted by students and parents about college admissions and succeeding after high school.

“In your experience, what are three of the most significant and avoidable mistakes students make throughout the admissions process?”—Elizabeth R., Omaha, NE.

A: Fit, follow-up and folly

FIT: Students must do the self-analysis necessary to determine what kind of school will be the best match for them.  Too often, they are swayed by the opinions of others – parents, friends, rankings, etc.  FOLLOW UP: Many students assume that their documents have arrived at admissions offices. If they have not received confirmation that their file is complete, they should contact the school to verify. FOLLY: Too many students believe that “senioritis” is a privilege/right.  It is not.  Schools will be reviewing final senior grades and reserve the right to revoke admission if there are significant declines in performance.

Alison Almasian— Director of Admissions - St. Lawrence University

A: Proofread, proofread, and proofread again

Much like the rules for hair care in the movie Legally Blonde, there are three simple and finite rules that will keep you from making the most egregious application mistakes:  Proofread, proofread and proofread again!  You do not want your essay to stand out because of an outrageous spelling error or a naïve double entendre. Before any item is matched with an envelope, email address or upload site, double and triple check that you are sending the right item to the right college. Nothing makes you look more disorganized and silly than sending an essay about why you love Carol Stack’s College to Faber College. Deadlines do matter! 

Carol Stack—Principal - Hardwick Day Inc.

A: 3 significant and avoidable mistakes

1) Shopping by "brand name." Some students (and their parents) are way too focused on the prestige of the college name, rather than whether the college is a suitable intellectual and social match. 2) Under-utilizing the opportunity offered by the "personal statement." Admissions officers would rather hear about a typical day in an applicant's life or how a quirky relative affected the student, than about the applicant's plans to stop global warming. 3) Resume-building instead of enjoying a healthy balance of activities. If the fulfilling activities also look impressive, that’s great, but simply piling up activities with college in mind cheats many students out of enjoying high school.

Jane Gabin– College Counselor - New York City

Don’t miss answers by the Director of Admissions at St. Lawrence University, and more – at www.unigo.com/expertnetwork.  To send your question to our experts, visit www.unigo.com/expertquestions

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