8 Things Admissions Officers Wish You Knew About Applying to College

"Whether students are applying to a small, private college or a large, public university, there are some universal missteps that college applicants make year after year, much to the dismay of the institution’s gatekeepers who decide whether the student should be admitted."

So begins the article from The New York Times titled 8 Things Admissions Officers Wish You Knew About Applying to College. This article gives 8 great tips on what to do or not to do when applying for college. This article talks about things like meeting your deadlines, doing your research and what a parents role should be in the process. Take the time to read this short but information packed article by Tanya Abrams of The New York Times:

"Whether students are applying to a small, private college or a large, public university, there are some universal missteps that college applicants make year after year, much to the dismay of the institution’s gatekeepers who decide whether the student should be admitted.

To help readers of The Choice avoid these pitfalls, we’ve asked admission officers at a small sampling of colleges and universities to describe the one thing they wish students knew about the college admissions process. Their excerpted responses are arranged by theme.

Start Early

Choosing a college is a long but rewarding process. It takes time to find which college is the best fit for you. The sooner you complete your application (including transcripts, test scores, personal essay, and so on) the sooner you will receive a decision and your merit scholarship award. This provides you more time to investigate and weigh your options.
— Michael Joseph, vice president of enrollment management, Valparaiso University

I wish students knew to contact their universities of interest and research the steps of the application process before their senior year. Pre-planning can eliminate some of the trials and errors of applying to school. The sooner students conduct research on the application process and what it takes to be admitted, the better they understand which classes they need to take and how they should organize their past, current and future activities.

— Janie Alcala, associate director, office of admissions, Texas A&M University

College ‘Fit’ Goes Both Ways

I wish more students applying to college understood just how important “right-fit” is. Do we want to see people who were successful in high school and had a bunch of extracurricular activates? Yes, absolutely. But you can make an even better case for admission by showing us that you are going to be able to be highly successful and benefit most from the uniqueness of our institution.

Do your research. Don’t only make the case that you’re great, make the case that you’re a great match great for us.
— Micah A. E. Canal, chief admission officer, Antioch College

“Fit” is a real thing, and there are many ways to tell if the college you’re looking at could be the right one for you. Of course, a campus visit is a great way to get a good feeling for the personality of a place, but there are lots of ways to engage with and learn more about a school. Most schools have comprehensive Web sites and use social media to connect with prospective students.
— Shelly M. Placek, communications specialist, office of undergraduate admissions, Johns Hopkins University

Do Your Research

Since narrowing down the list of schools that you’re interested in has to come before the application process, we wish that more students knew how important it is to dig a little deeper during the college search. Do your research about each college, and have the courage to allow your perceptions to change; keeping an open mind during the search process can lead you to unexpected places.
— Ms. Placek, Johns Hopkins University

Students often choose a major a because they think it will lead them into a certain professional field. That is not always the case. Students should understand the field that they’re going into, and what path they have to follow in order to be successful. Becoming a doctor, for example, requires a total of 11 years of higher education before a student gets to practice medicine.

Students need to understand that not all colleges offer the same major or degrees, and that not all universities have law, dental, and medical schools. After earning a bachelor’s degree, some students will have to apply to graduate school, medical school or law school to continue their career path.
— Ms. Alcala, Texas A&M University

We’re Interested in Who You Really Are

In your essay, tell me something I can’t find anywhere else in the application.
— Dr. Zina Evans, vice president for enrollment management and associate provost, University of Florida

Be authentic. We want to know what your real interests and passions are, not what you think we want you to be interested in.
— Dr. Tom Bowling, vice president for student and educational services,Frostburg State University

Mind the Deadline

Deadlines: Know them. Follow them.
— Dr. Zina Evans, University of Florida

If you’ve taken dual-enrollment classes while in high school, you are still considered a first-year student and the first-year deadlines apply. At least here at VCU, there is more aid available for first year students, so it is to your benefit to be considered a first-year student.
— Amy C. Hutton, director of admissions, department of music, Virginia Commonwealth University

Keep in Touch

Put yourself on the mailing list. Contact a current student, alumnus, or admission representative. The more you know about the university and what it offers academically, socially, and financially, the better informed you will be. This also helps you set and manage realistic expectations concerning the university that you ultimately choose.
— Linda Sanders-Hawkins, director of admission, Howard University

Stay in touch with the admissions counselors. They can be a big help navigating a very challenging process. The personal touch can also help give the student an additional advocate when it comes time for decisions to be made.
— Wray Blair, associate vice president for enrollment management,Frostburg State University

Check the e-mail account you listed on your application daily. This is our primary communication tool. If your contact information changes, tell us!
— Ms. Hutton, Virginia Commonwealth University

Parents Need Not Apply

Students should be the ones to keep in contact with admissions counselors, not parents. When the time comes for a school to make the decision on who gets the “fat” envelope, it will help them have a better sense of who they are admitting and how well that person will fit in as a student.
— Mr. Blair, Frostburg State University

Choose Wisely

Students are more likely to succeed if they choose a college and major based on passion rather than potential earnings. You are more likely to be fulfilled and follow through with your intended field if money isn’t your primary motivation. If you aren’t sure what you want to do for the rest of your life, that’s okay. Choose a school that allows you to pursue your passion and gives you the flexibility to change your mind as you find direction.
— Tom Delahunt, vice president for admission and student financial planning, Drake University"

To see the article in full and explore the website for other interesting and informative articles, please click on the link below:

8 Things Admissions Officers Wish You Knew About Applying to College

The College Application Essay A Thoughtful Approach

The college essay. It can be a daunting part of applying for college and for scholarships. What to write about, how should I write it, is it really *that* important?

In the article "The Truth About College Admissions Essays" the author offers some information about what they are really looking for and what they are not.

"As college admissions becomes more competitive, and more students are applying to more schools, colleges are increasingly using a student's "soft factors," including letters of recommendation, interviews, resume, and essays to transform an applicant from a series of numbers into a living, breathing human being.

Colleges don't ask you to write essays because they want to make you miserable, they are asking because they want to hear from you! They want to get to know your background, interests, goals, triumphs, failures, likes, and aversions in your own voice. When reading an essay, an admissions officer will try to determine: Who are you? Will you make a valuable contribution to your our campus community? What type of character traits do you possess? Are you responsible? Shy? Creative? A Leader? A nonconformist? How have you shown your intellectual vitality?"

The author also talks about how some colleges and universities are changing their approach to getting information about their applicants in the types of prompts they are using. Here is what she has to say:

"Other colleges take a particularly creative approach to the application essay prompt with the hopes that students will reply in kind.

This year, the University of Virginia asks: What is your favorite word and why?; Brandeis University queries "A package arrives at your door. After seeing the contents you know it's going to be the best day of your life. What's inside and how do you spend your day?" and University of Michigan's Honors Program wants students to "Explain Unicorns."

"Not only is there a large number of essays, but each requires a considerable amount of time, effort, and thought. Many schools want to know why a student is applying to that particular college. The "Why this college" essay is often the most important -- the dealmaker. Colleges want to know what you hope to gain from your education and also what you will contribute."

So yes, the college application essay is very important, in fact, it can  make or break whether you are accepted to the college(s) of your choice.

She also gives you some very practical advice about the best ways to use your time to plan for all of the essays you will need to write. Take advantage of this information and you will save yourself a lot of time and grief while going through this process.

"Here are some additional tips for students writing their college essays:

• College admissions committees want to learn something about the applicant that they cannot learn from the rest of the application; avoid writing an essay that just reiterates the activities on your resume.
• Choose a single incident that defines who you are today and write a clear and creative essay about it -- a story only you can tell!
• Gimmicks (such as writing your essay in a foreign language) rarely work and often make even more work for an already over-burdened admissions officer; "sob stories," topics of public consciousness, things that happened to you in middle school, and intimate details about your dating life are not good topics.
• Don't be afraid to write about being unsuccessful. Failure is usually a growth experience."

To read the entire article and follower this author on Twitter, click on the link below

The Truth About College Admissions Essays

Choosing the Right High School Courses for College

Freshman, Sophomores and Juniors:  Confused about what clases to take to improve your profile when applying for colleges? Here is an article that has some great advice about choosing courses in high school to  give you the edge at admission time. These choices can be stressful and this article will help you to make those decisions.

"Picking courses can be stressful and confusing, but focus on your 5 core courses each year, select a balance of honors/AP and regular courses if you can handle them, and take electives that demonstrate your personal interests and passions. In the end, that will provide you with the strongest profile when it is time to apply for college."

To read the rest of the article, click on the link below:

Choosing the Right High School Courses for College