Of the many persistent myths and misconceptions surrounding the college application process, there is perhaps none more pervasive than the myth of the "well-rounded" student. Conventional wisdom, as dispensed by most well-meaning guidance counselors and parents, holds that colleges seek to admit students who have their toes in a little bit of everything. Those who single-mindedly excel in only a few areas will be seen as too focused or unbalanced, the kindly adult advises: "it's better to be well-rounded". Thus the star thespian is advised to go out for track, the music prodigy feels compelled to run for student council, and the phenomenal athlete joins clubs with reckless abandon.

The stereotypical student who seems to have it all: good grades, a sport or two, some volunteer hours, and a long list of clubs, and doubtless earns accolades on the high school level as the ideal student is in fact not going to stand out at all, in a sea of similar college applicants. "Well-rounded with a lump or two" might be a more apt description of the truly ideal college applicant. The basic package does have to be there-academic excellence and some evidence of the ability to interact productively with other students are non-negotiable-but Ivy League and equivalent schools could fill their classes several times over with applicants bringing excellent grades and SAT scores and the standard list of cookie-cutter National Honor Society-type high school activities. The students whose true passions shine through on their applications are those who are likely to be admitted to their top choice schools. Conversely, the admissions committee will see right through and immediately discount a laundry list of clubs that demonstrate no authentic commitment or real initiative for the student. This effect is even more pronounced when the committee is presented with a long list of activities joined only in the junior and senior years.

To put it another way, universities want to build a well-rounded class-that is, a class full of students who avidly pursue a diverse range of interests rather than admit individually well-rounded students. The amateur pianist who ran cross-country and served on the student council might sound like a good applicant, but the musician who performed as a soloist with local orchestras, the athlete who won a state championship in her event, and the young leader who volunteered on half a dozen political campaigns will win out every time, even if their individual profiles are much more unbalanced. In fact, that's quite likely to be the case, as the time commitment required to pursue one or two activities to some degree of excellence probably precludes spending much time on the usual range of extracurriculars. Beware of overload, especially if it might hurt academic achievement: aside from a few recruited athletes, even the best extracurricular activities will never trump a poor academic record and/or low test scores.

None of this is meant to imply that students should quash genuine interests in favor of specializing or appearing more focused. Nothing could be further from the truth. Believe it or not, after reading thousands of applications, admissions officers become quite skilled in teasing apart activities truly pursued out of love from those done "just to look good". Especially early on in a high school student's educational career, it's great to explore a wide range of interests. As you mature, it's only natural that some activities will become better-loved than others, and you will naturally settle into those pursuits. Be aware of this process and seek to grow in responsibility and achievement in the things that you are passionate about. When the time comes to do the applications, try to convey your evolution through high school as a person with deepening interests, and knit together your activities where possible-your unique personality should be the common thread.

In a discussion with another admissions committee member at a top-ten college about his thoughts on extracurricular activities, he thought that it was best for students to follow their own path: "Let your best qualities shine through by doing the things that coincide most closely with what you enjoy. Ignore people who say colleges especially prefer that you express your good personal qualities through specific activities X and Y, for example 'sports and community service.' I promise, they speak nonsense". In the end, we agreed, a student with passionate interests, even if they are somewhat off the beaten path-in fact, especially if they are somewhat off the beaten path-is truly the hot commodity in college admissions.

Don't worry about rounding out your facets: they're what make you stand out. So polish and play up all your bulges and angles, because in the high-stakes game of competitive college admissions, outstanding is exactly what you want to be.

Article by, Joe Jewell and provided by PrepMe, a premium online ACT and SAT prep company.

Posted by Candice Arnold on July 30, 2008 at 3:54 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

I hope I am not the first person to inform you how important a visit to a college campus really is during your application process. If it is at all possible to visit, please do so. I cannot imagine why anyone would commit to live four years in a campus he or she had only seen through college infobooks and tiny internet photographs. You have to physically go to a campus and talk to current students to feel what it's like to live there. The only people I know who are unhappy with their college decisions had not visited the campus beforehand. Convinced? Ok, good. At least try to visit the colleges you are really serious about, and definitely do not apply early decision without having visited the school you are binding yourself to.

When should you visit? When you can, is my first answer. Whenever, during your high school career, you have the opportunity to visit a college you are even remotely thinking about applying to, do so. Many people wait until their senior years to visit schools they have already filled out applications for, or are in the process of applying to. This is not always a good idea - visiting colleges can help you by narrowing down your list of schools, or by pointing you in different directions. I recommend most of your visiting be done in your junior year, although sophomore year is definitely not too early to begin your search. When to go? If you can only go during summer, that's fine - most campuses still have tours and information sessions then - just remember that it's summer, and although the campuses will be at their prettiest, you will be inhabiting them in the fall and winter months. If the school you are visiting is in California, you probably won't have to take this into account - but if you are visiting colleges in New England, definitely try to picture them looking dreary on a rainy day - if you still like where you are, that's a good sign.

When I visited campuses during my junior and senior years, I usually flew out to the campus on a Thursday night with my father, stayed at a hotel that night, and went to the admissions department first thing in the morning on Friday. I always tried to visit on a weekday so I could sit in on classes - this I found was an easy and interesting way to find out a lot about the school. Usually, the admissions department has a list or course catalog showing you the classes you can visit on a particular day. If you show up early (the earliest classes usually start at 8:30, so I was at the admissions department by 8:00), you can pick one or two classes to go see. Pick classes you think look interesting to you, as this will help you evaluate it more easily - Am I interested in this teacher? Am I understanding what he or she is teaching? Note the location and time of the classes, and the professor's name. Try to show up early at the room, introduce yourself to the professor and ask if you can sit in on his or her class - they always are happy to let you sit in. If you show up early, you will usually be the first person there, so you can watch the other students come in. Do they seem friendly? Are they interested in the class? Are they welcoming to you? Most importantly - could you see yourself as one of them? Do you want to be? During the class, evaluate the educational atmosphere - do students seem to be getting the material? Is the professor trying to help them get it? Do the students participate and ask questions? One word of caution - I have seen several visiting high school students who, in visiting a class, feel somewhat uncomfortable and raise their hands and ask questions, hoping either to seem like they are smart enough to fit in or to impress the professor. This is generally not a good idea - if you have a real question, feel free to ask it - but you shouldn't feel uncomfortable. Remember, the other students in the class went through what you are going through right now, and the professor has had many students visiting his classes. After the class, go up to the professor and thank him or her - in my experience, professors here ask you if you have any questions about the school, and you have an interesting opportunity to find out about the school. By just visiting a class like this, you can find out what it's like to attend a real class at the college. It's a unique experience.

One other note here - if you are interested in a particular department or you know you want to take classes in a certain area, say molecular biology or American History, you should, a few weeks prior to your visit, write a letter or email to someone in the department (If you're unsure, pick the department chair, or undergraduate director, or someone with a similar official title) introducing yourself, enclosing a copy of your resume, and asking if he or she perhaps has time to talk to you when you will be on campus. Also ask if he or she will be teaching a class you could visit that day. Do not feel embarrassed at all in doing this - this is part of their job and they are always interested in meeting potential majors, especially if the department is not a huge one. This can only help you. Two-to-one odds say they will agree to meet you for a half-hour or more, giving you a big advantage - such professors usually write a letter to the admissions department saying that they talked to you and would be glad to have you at the school. The one school where I did not meet a professor like this was the one school I didn't get into. I would strongly recommend you do this, if there is a department that interests you. Professors are usually very nice.

So what else should you try to do when you visit a campus? Many admissions departments point to their "information sessions" and "campus tours." These are usually available several times daily, and you can ask at the admissions department when they will occur when you go in to find out about course listings. Also, the times and locations are usually posted on the admissions department web pages or available in those big guide books to college visiting. If you only have time to spend a few hours on the campus, the information session and campus tour are what you should spend your time on. If the college provides only on-campus interviews, it might be a good idea to schedule one in advance - interviews only help you, and this is a good way to go about it.

First, the information session - this provides you with an opportunity to ask human beings for information you can just as easily gather from the college's website or from any of several guidebooks. I have sat in silence as parents asked about male-female ratios, average class sizes, faculty-student ratios, and other statistics printed in many other places. Usually there are one or two admissions officers and ten to twenty students with one or two parents each, in a large room filled with lovely pictures of the school. You can ask any questions you want about the application process, and the admissions officers will happily tell you how hard it is to get into their school. You can also identify the girl who aced her SAT's when she asks, "How important are SAT scores?" And don't follow the example of the students who try to sell themselves at these information sessions, asking questions like "Will I be able to continue providing countless hours of community service here?" I always wonder if these students genuinely believe that the admissions officers will think to themselves, "Wow, what's the name of that redhead who's asking these great questions - I have to go put her in the accepted pile." Honestly, I haven't thought of a really good question to ask at these things. I can, however, provide answers to the questions I hear asked most often. These include:

"Grades and scores are important, but we're looking more at how you are challenging yourself and at the variety of your courses. We also want to see you are involved in extracurricular activities like athletics and community service, but dedicated involvement and/or leadership in one activity is more important than limited involvement in several. The essays allow us to find out who you really are."

"The deadline is January 1"

"Early decision is binding - if you apply early, and are accepted, you must come. Early action just lets you know earlier than regular decision, there is nothing binding."

"The tour leaves from here right after we're done."

"The bathroom is down the hall on your right"

As you see, most of this you could either intuit for yourself or find elsewhere. So why go to the information session? First, if there is a legitimate question that you have, this is the best place to ask it. Secondly, and actually more importantly, there is always a signup sheet upon which you need to put your name and address down. This not only ensures that you will be mailed an application, if you haven't requested or received one yet, but also is the record that you in fact did visit the school. This goes into your application as a sign that you are interested enough to visit - it's not the most important part of your application, but it can only help, and it's the one thing you need to be sure to do before you leave - make sure the Admissions department knew you had come. A lot of people do not do this - make sure you are one of the ones that do. Even if you haven't applied yet or sent your SAT scores, you should still put your name on this list, so if you do apply, they will have your name on file as having visited the campus.

The "Campus Tour" should also be a part of your visit. I use quotes because the tour is extremely selective as to what it shows potential students. My friends who are college tour guides tell me that they have a specific path to follow which steers clear of any ugly parts of campus. These ugly parts happen to include several of the dormitories inhabited by freshmen. The tour does point out important parts of campus - the admissions office, the student center, the athletic facilities, and, if you are lucky, a dormitory - if you are very lucky, a real dorm room. My dad and I used the campus tour to orient ourselves for our real tour - I made sure to go back and look at the student center, and I also, using a campus map, walked through the areas we had conveniently passed by, viewing the buildings where I would probably spend my time. You can ask students coming out of dormitories if they will let you in to the buildings, and they usually will. Check for cleanliness, sanitary bathrooms - see if it's a pleasant place to live. Also, talk to students you see - be sociable. See if they like the college and see what they don't like about it. Four years is an awfully long time to live someplace you're not happy with. By the time you leave campus you should have some idea about how you would like to live there.

Above all, you should enjoy your campus visits - I had a great time at each place I visited. I crossed several names off my list of places to apply, and I circled places I really liked. I ended up making my final decision based upon my college visits. They were, for me, perhaps the most important part of my application process. My visits were the only times I could actually see what it was like to go to college, and I was able to decide whether or not I liked what I saw. I wholeheartedly recommend making the college visit an important part of your decision-making.

Article by Phillip Hall and provided by PrepMe, a premium online ACT and SAT prep company.

Posted by Candice Arnold on July 30, 2008 at 3:47 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Summertime, and the living is easy . . . time to kick back, relax, and maybe plan a few weeks at the beach to work on your tan, right?

Sorry. If you're thinking about applying to college in the next year or so, summer isn't the time to slack off. In fact, those long sultry days between June and September are the perfect time to boost your application. For some students, that might mean taking a summer course in Shakespearean comedy, enrolling in a French immersion program, or picking up a few extra credits in advanced math. Still others might have the luxury of travel or doing volunteer work full-time.

But if you're like most students, you've got to earn some money to help finance your education. And that means you need a summer job.

Many students worry that working full-time at the local pizza shop or doing clerical work won't impress admissions reps and could even hurt their chance of being admitted to their top-choice school. Good news: a summer job, whether it is volunteer or paid, glamorous or practical, will add a great deal to your college application. Schools are looking for the big picture of who you are--they want clues about your character and insight to predict how successful you'll be in your college career. Any work experience helps illustrate that.

Do put some thought into what type of summer job you're most interested in, and why. But keep in mind that even if you end up with a job you consider less than glamorous, the experience is valuable. For starters, you'll be learning things--about yourself and about the work world--and that's what admissions committees most want to see.

Regardless of what your job is, your work experience tells schools some basic things about you. Schools will see that you use your time in productive ways, you're able to take direction, and you are reliable. Depending on your job and its responsibilities, they may also learn whether or not you are entrepreneurial, how well you work with the public, or how effectively you deal with stressful or unusual situations. And whether that experience is paid or unpaid is irrelevant. "We weigh work experience the same, whether it is a volunteer or paid position," says Maureen Dischino, Director of Admissions at Wentworth Institute of Technology. "What is important is understanding more about the students."

In order to help a school understand more about you as a student, you should give them an idea of why you worked at a particular job--for example, if you need to work to pay for school or help the family finances; if you selected a job because you're interested in a particular industry or to follow a particular passion. You will always win, both in the application process and in life, if you choose a job that has meaning for you. When you're doing something you truly enjoy or working at a job for a very specific personal reason, that passion will shine through on your application.

Don't take a job or volunteer opportunity just because you think it will impress an admissions committee. Believe it or not, they can tell. "At the end of the day, any good admissions process will uncover that a student is doing something that matters to him or her," says Ken Himmelman, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Bennington College in Vermont, "and that is more important than doing something because you think others might be impressed by it."

Of course, if you are applying to a specific and highly competitive program, work experience in that field can make a difference. For example, for accelerated medical programs, schools will be looking for work experience in the health care field. At highly competitive schools, admissions departments may look for work experience that's related to a particular area of study you've chosen--for example, you should have experience working with children if you're applying to an education program. In these instances, schools are looking for something to predict whether you will succeed in a specific program, and work experience is an important way to help them evaluate this.

If you feel that your summer job falls short on real-world value, there is a way to get some short-term experience that can help your application. Both job shadowing or short-term internships can help you gain understanding of a particular job or industry without requiring an extended full-time commitment. "Exposure to the working world is always good experience," says Dischino. "For schools with a hands-on learning approach, like here at Wentworth, practical experience helps us understand more about how a student will fit into our programs."

If you're interested in finding a job, short-term internship, or job shadowing opportunity but have no idea where to start, talk with your counselor, your parents, or an adult whose advice you trust. They can help you think about the skills you have and how to highlight them effectively, what skills you should work on, and what types of work opportunities might be right for you. Another approach would be to talk to the admissions staff at a local college or at one of your target schools. Admissions counselors talk to many high school students and can answer your questions about how important work experience is for the programs you're interested in.

Whatever job experiences you have, they can't help your application if the school's admissions reps don't know about them. If there isn't space on the application to include work experience, you have a few options. You can use your essay to describe something specific you learned at your job, or perhaps tell a story about something funny or significant that happened on the job. Getting a reference from your boss can be a good idea, as long as he or she can offer substantive information about you as a person and an employee. Some admissions counselors even recommend creating a resume to highlight work experiences, special activities, or unusual classes you've taken. Before you include anything extra with your application, though, check with the school. Some schools will not accept additional items in the application, and those that do are usually very specific about what they will look at.

One final tip: don't load up on jobs or extracurricular activities just to boost your application. If your academic performance suffers because you're too busy with other things, that can be worse than having no work experience at all. And most schools are not impressed by overextended students--in fact, some are even turned off by a too-full summer. Find a balance between academics, employment or volunteer activities, and your personal life. Most schools like to see that you did one or two things and did them well, that you learned a lot about one specific industry, that you grew as a person, or that you worked diligently at a job that needed to get done, no matter how unglamorous it might have been.

The bottom line? Summer job: Good. Life and work skills you learned on the job: Better. Using your work experiences to share with a school who you are and where your talents lie: Best.

Article by, Manya Chylinski and courtesy of www.careersandcolleges.com

Posted by Candice Arnold on July 23, 2008 at 11:20 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Applying to any of the Military Academies (The Naval Academy, West Point, The Air Force Academy) is unique in the sense that it not only has high standards for academics, but also makes sure the applicants are physically fit and have certain ethical and moral standards. As I attend The Naval Academy, I will discuss this particular academy.

The first thing that is looked at is the academic transcript. The Academy is one of the top engineering schools in the country and makes sure that only qualified applicants are accepted. Unlike other colleges, the Academy does not make exceptions for recruited athletes. They must be academically satisfactory, just like any other applicant.

Just as with any other college it is important to be a part of extra curricular activities. What is stressed, however, is that the applicant has taken on leadership roles where he has assumed responsibility. Often referred to as a leadership laboratory, one of the Academy's main purposes is to develop leaders, so any prior experience is strongly encouraged.

Also examined are any conduct problems the applicant may have had at high school. The academy might lean against someone who has been caught cheating several times because it goes against their deeply rooted ethical standards.

Next the academy looks at whether or not the applicant participated in any varsity sports. The majority of students that attend the academy played a high school varsity sport, and of those, many were captains.

Another requirement for admission is a physical test that must be passed, as well as a very detailed medical exam.

The next step is an interview with a local representative. One unique aspect of applying to the academy is obtaining a nomination from a congressman or state senator.

Make sure you keep in mind the various different components to applying the various military academies. If you are interested in the academies, make sure you start investigating the requirements as soon as possible -- by junior year if possible.

As for why someone would want to go through this rigorous application and acceptance procedure, I can only speak for myself. The Naval Academy offers me the opportunity to be challenged academically, physically, and mentally. I knew that I would learn more about myself and how to handle pressure and responsibility at the Naval Academy than at any other school. I also liked the thought of discipline because I knew enough about myself to know that I needed structure in my life in order to get things done. Not only was I looking at the time I would spend at the academy but I was also looking past graduation. I would not like to spend days in an office doing paperwork and was drawn to the many different and exciting jobs the military offered.To succeed, you must have both physical and mental strength. In addition, you must learn how to motivate others and become a true leader.

No other school offered me quite this combination of opportunities. I have also learned to manage my time. Whereas in any other school I could have coasted through, I decided to take on a challenge to push my limits and see how well I can manage myself against some of the brightest students in the country.

Article by, Pete Joukov This article is provided by PrepMe, a premium online ACT and SAT prep company.

Posted by Candice Arnold on July 10, 2008 at 2:46 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Best-selling authors Mimi Doe (parenting guru) and Michele Hernandez (college consultant extraordinaire) have come to the rescue with a collection of tips and strategies for anxious parents and their frazzled teens. Follow their advice, take a deep breath, and Don't Worry, You'll Get In!

1. Keep in mind that there is a college for everyone. Sure, the Ivy Leagues are extremely tough to get into, but the truth is, once you get past the top 20 most competitive colleges, many schools admit the majority of applicants.

2. Create a printed list of all the schools to which you are applying. Give it to your guidance counselor so that he/she is sure to send the official school report to every college on your list. Your application is incomplete without the school's documents even if you send in your part.

3. Studies have shown that applying early decision increases your odds for acceptance dramatically. So, get going. Spend time the summer before your senior year discerning your clear first choice college, then prepare your application. If you haven't already, check out our Application Boot Camp where you can work with us to finish your applications in 4 days.

4. Keep it to yourself. Don't enter into the frenzy of talk about colleges. This is your personal journey to finding the right college; getting crazy about everyone else's opinions will only bring you down.

5. Identify the teacher who is your strongest supporter, and then do everything you can to stand out in his or her class. This is who you'll go to first for that ever important recommendation.

6. Learn the fine art of saying "no" to activities that take you off course. Focus on a few things that you love and become really good at them rather than frantically trying to do everything.

7. Set up a specific schedule during the year to study for any upcoming standardized test: For instance, Wednesday evenings from 9-10:00p.m. We love the newly launched PrepMe.com which gives you expert one on one SAT tutoring and guidance from the comfort of your home.

8. Don't believe all you read. The best way to find out about a particular school is to visit in person, speak to students, observe a class and meet professors. Otherwise, you're just responding to slick marketing rather than actual traits of a college.

9. Let your academic passions guide your class choices. No college likes a cookie cutter applicant who follows the prescribed path and nothing else. The most interesting candidates follow their own interests and it shows.

10. Make time to relax! High school shouldn't be all SAT prep, hours of community service, and three different tutors in the name of "getting in". Get a life and you'll be much happier.

Article by, Mimi Doe and Michele Hernandez This article is provided by PrepMe, a premium online ACT and SAT prep company.

Posted by Candice Arnold on July 10, 2008 at 2:39 PM | Leave a Comment (0)