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Thursday, March 3, 2016
Tips for Writing an Effective College Essay
(from bigfuture by College Board)
When you apply to college, you’ll need to complete an essay as
part of your application. This is your opportunity to show
admission officers who you
are and to provide information about yourself that didn’t fit in other areas of your application.
The essay also reveals what you can do when you have time to think and work on a
writing project.
are and to provide information about yourself that didn’t fit in other areas of your application.
The essay also reveals what you can do when you have time to think and work on a
writing project.
The number one piece of advice from admission officers about
your essay is “Be yourself.”
The number two suggestion is “Start early.”
The number two suggestion is “Start early.”
Check out these other tips before you begin.
Choose a Topic That Will
Highlight You
Don’t focus on the great aspects of a
particular college, the amount
of dedication it takes to be a doctor or the number of
extracurricular activities you took part in
during high school.
during high school.
Do share your personal story and thoughts,
take a creative approach
and highlight areas that aren’t covered in other parts of the
application, like your high school
records.
records.
Keep Your Focus Narrow and Personal
Don’t try to cover too many topics. This will
make the essay sound
like a résumé that doesn’t provide any details about you.
Do focus on one aspect of yourself so the
readers can learn more
about who you are. Remember that the readers must be able to
find
your main idea and follow it from beginning to end. Ask a parent
or teacher to read just your
introduction and tell you what he or she thinks your essay is about.
introduction and tell you what he or she thinks your essay is about.
Show, Don’t Tell
Don’t simply state a fact to get an idea
across, such as “I like to
surround myself with people with a variety of backgrounds and
interests.”
Do include specific details, examples,
reasons and so on to develop
your ideas. For the example above, describe a situation when you
were surrounded by various types of people. What were you doing?
Whom did you talk
with? What did you take away from the experience?
with? What did you take away from the experience?
Use Your Own Voice
Don’t rely on phrases or ideas that people
have used many times
before. These could include statements like, “There is so much
suffering in the world that I feel I have to help people.” Avoid
overly formal or business-like
language, and don’t use unnecessary words.
language, and don’t use unnecessary words.
Do write in your own voice. For the above
example, you could write about a real experience
that you had and how it made you feel you had to take action. And note that admission officers
will be able to tell if your essay was edited by an adult.
that you had and how it made you feel you had to take action. And note that admission officers
will be able to tell if your essay was edited by an adult.
Ask a Teacher or Parent to Proofread
Don’t turn your essay in without proofreading
it, and don’t rely only
on your computer’s spell check to catch mistakes. A spell-check
program will miss typos like these:
·
"After I
graduate form high school, I
plan to get a summer job."
·
"From that day
on, Daniel was my best fried."
Do ask a teacher or parent to proofread
your essay to catch
mistakes. You should also ask the person who proofreads your
essay if the writing sounds like you.
Adapted from The College Application Essay by Sarah Myers McGinty.
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
5 1/2 Essay Writing Tips
Check it out: 5 1/2 Steps To Writing A College Admission Essay
https://www.cappex.com/media/writingACollegeAdmissionEssay.pdf
https://www.cappex.com/media/writingACollegeAdmissionEssay.pdf
Special Needs for College?
Many students would find a college that provides learning/academic support services to be an excellent option.
While different schools offer a wide range of programs and opportunities, follow the link below for a list of programs with details and information. Remember, it's always a good idea to ask questions so feel free to get in touch with the program(s) directly!
Check it out...
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Scholarships!
Seniors - it's not too late to apply for scholarships!
To Do
1. Create an account on at least one scholarship website:
www.fastweb.com
www.meritaid.com
www.unigo.com ... and/or many others
2. Be sure you have filled out the FAFSA and submit it to your colleges so that you are considered
for any financial aid. Sometimes colleges require the FAFSA even for merit awards/grants.
3. Check out local and/or specific scholarship options:
Viner Scholarship program http://www.vinerscholars.org/ (which is also a program for students
eligible for need-based aid)
Aspiring Fashion Professional Scholarship
www.fashionschools.org, a $1,000 scholarship that will be awarded to students that are
interested in pursuing a fashion degree at an accredited post-secondary school or college.
Interested students can visit this link and find the scholarship located at the bottom of the page
and click on it.
Aspiring Animation Professional Scholarship
www.animationcareerreview.com, a $1,000 scholarship to students that are interested in
pursuing an animation career path at an accredited post-secondary school or college.
Superpower Scholarship
https://www.unigo.com/scholarships/our-scholarships/superpower-scholarship, write a short
essay for a chance at a $2,500 scholarship
To Do
1. Create an account on at least one scholarship website:
www.fastweb.com
www.meritaid.com
www.unigo.com ... and/or many others
2. Be sure you have filled out the FAFSA and submit it to your colleges so that you are considered
for any financial aid. Sometimes colleges require the FAFSA even for merit awards/grants.
3. Check out local and/or specific scholarship options:
Viner Scholarship program http://www.vinerscholars.org/ (which is also a program for students
eligible for need-based aid)
Aspiring Fashion Professional Scholarship
www.fashionschools.org, a $1,000 scholarship that will be awarded to students that are
interested in pursuing a fashion degree at an accredited post-secondary school or college.
Interested students can visit this link and find the scholarship located at the bottom of the page
and click on it.
Aspiring Animation Professional Scholarship
www.animationcareerreview.com, a $1,000 scholarship to students that are interested in
pursuing an animation career path at an accredited post-secondary school or college.
Superpower Scholarship
https://www.unigo.com/scholarships/our-scholarships/superpower-scholarship, write a short
essay for a chance at a $2,500 scholarship
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