Showing posts with label common app. Show all posts
Showing posts with label common app. Show all posts

10 November 2011

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.

10 October 2010

October, the Hardest Month for Seniors



Right now seniors across the country are feeling the stress of college full force. It is a force to be reckoned with, and it's bad. The SAT is on Saturday the 1th, most schools have their homecoming games and dances in a few weeks, early decision college applications are due in 3 weeks, and a lot more! Oh and now that school has been in session for a full month, teachers are starting to pack on the work because the course intros are over. October is the worst month for seniors.

17 April 2010

The Secrets to Writing a College Essay

 Do You Want to Write a Killer Admission Essay?


Who doesn't?? Everyone needs to write a college essay as part of the application. This is in addition to the grades and test scores that all colleges request. The essay is very important because it sets students apart from others who would otherwise be equally qualified. The other big factor that sets people apart is activities outside of school, or extra curricular activities. For now I will focus on the essay because there are a few articles about extra curricular activities already on TeenCollegeEducation. You should read them.


What Are the Guidelines for an Application Essay?

Colleges all have different guidelines, but many of them use the Common Application form found on the Internet. It really makes their lives easier when reading so many applications. If you want to look at the specific Common App website then click on the link to check it out. It is not anything fancy. The common app gives students 6 choices on topics to write their essays about.

Option 1- Write about something significant in your life and its impact on you

Option 2- Write about a specific issue that you are concerned about

Option 3- Write about someone who is important to you and has influenced you

Option 4- (a lot like 3) Write about any character or person who has influenced you

Option 5- Write about your personal background and what you can offer a college

Option 6- Write about anything that you want

As you can see, the essay that students write for college is very broad, and especially with option 6 students can write about anything that they want. Colleges will read whatever you send them, but it is up to the students to make sure that what they send best represents them. Writing a few jokes is probably not a good idea for a college essay, because schools really want an ESSAY. They want to learn about you and make sure that you can write.

How Do You Write a College Essay?

You would write a college essay much like you would any other essay, especially considering your audience. Students are not writing to their friends via text message, so this essay MUST be formal and respectful. Make sure to use proper English, because the people reading these essays have been doing it for so long that proofreading errors really annoy them. Many people have lists of ways to write essays, but my 10 steps to write a college essay are:

1- Choose a topic.

2- Consider everything about this topic.

3- Ask Yourself: Will this essay allow me to best put myself on paper?

4- If your answer to 3 was "No", then repeat 1-3 until you get a "Yes."

5- Most people brainstorm, but I say just start writing. With computers you can just cut and paste or delete anything that you decide that you don't like later. The important thing is to get your ideas on paper. I wrote 7 different versions of my essay that I eventually combined into one.

6- Write.

7- Edit accordingly.

8- Reread your essay and again ask yourself: Does this essay represent me as best as possible?

9- Proofread for careless errors and reread.

10- Submit your masterpiece.

With these 10 steps you will be able to write a great essay and increase your chances of getting into the college that you want. The important thing is to remember to write what best represents you as a person. Students cannot do anything more than that.




Tips for your College Essay


Everyone has all sorts of tips to help them write essays. If you check Google you will find hundreds of websites dedicated to tips "guaranteed to get you into college." I am not saying that those tips are bad, but my tips are much simpler and easier to apply.

-Pick a topic that you are comfortable writing about and CAN write about. Make sure that you have a strong viewpoint on it and can use it to describe yourself.

-Ask yourself if you gave this paper to a friend to read if he or she would say it sounds like you. You want to sound like yourself in your essay, not some graduate professor with a PhD.

-Proofread!!!!

-Lastly ask yourself if this is the best that you can produce. Do not "settle" but keep working until you are completely satisfied with your work.

It is not impossible to write a college essay. Everyone is capable of doing it and everyone does do it, but what sets people apart is how much they care about it and how much effort they put into it. My biggest piece of advice that I will repeat again is: Be yourself on paper. Show your personality and why the college is stupid if it rejects you.

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