Factors in the Admission Decision
Your high school grades are the #1 factor in the college admission decision.
Other factors count, but the body of work you develop in high school is what matters most—as it should.
Colleges do not choose students by the numbers only—they don’t simply take the students with the highest grades and test scores. Colleges use many other factors to add depth to the numbers, and to compare applicants with each other to build a class that fits the college’s mission. Students who meet or exceed the threshold for admission are, at selective colleges, evaluated based on all of the attributes they bring to campus, including special talents, academic interests, and personal characteristics. Here's a breakdown of what colleges take into account:
Other factors count, but the body of work you develop in high school is what matters most—as it should.
Colleges do not choose students by the numbers only—they don’t simply take the students with the highest grades and test scores. Colleges use many other factors to add depth to the numbers, and to compare applicants with each other to build a class that fits the college’s mission. Students who meet or exceed the threshold for admission are, at selective colleges, evaluated based on all of the attributes they bring to campus, including special talents, academic interests, and personal characteristics. Here's a breakdown of what colleges take into account:
Additional Factors
While colleges, on average, pay attention to the same types of factors, some colleges pay more attention to some factors than others.
College Size
|
|
Grades and GPAs
|
About two-thirds of high schools weight their GPAs for students who take college preparatory courses. To account for different grading scales among high schools, more than half of colleges recalculate applicants’ GPAs to standardize them. |
Class Rank
|
Nearly one-third of high schools do not report class rank information to colleges. Accordingly, colleges have de-emphasized class rank as a factor in the admission decision over the past decade |
Essays
|
Do colleges take extra steps to catch cheating or plagiarism on essays? Many colleges that require essays will scrutinize essays that they believe have been forged, borrowed, or heavily edited or influenced by someone other than the applicant. In fact, some colleges have instituted their own verification processes, while others have contracted with businesses that double check essays for plagiarism. Given that many colleges view the essay as an indicator of a student’s interest in attending, it does not pay to have someone else write your essay. |
Other Factors that Colleges May Consider
|
In order to shape their classes, colleges may consider other factors for admission, including a student’s geographic location (especially for public universities), whether a student is the first in their family to go to college (for access purposes), a student’s race or ethnicity (for diversity purposes), a student’s relation to alumni (for the purposes of development and community-sustenance), and gender (for purposes of reflecting the population). |
Resource: www.nacacnet.org
The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide to the New 2013 Common App
Here it is, Seniors, the Insider’s Guide to Cracking the New Common App 2013 (CAv4), complete with explanations (not funny ones) and tips (also not funny). This online beast is a teenage rite of passage, so congrats to you for being a Senior, and woohoo, let’s tackle that Common App.
1. Log into www.commonapp.org (.ORG, not .com. Those .com guys finally took down their bizarre site that was driving kids crazy for years, but now the .com site is just a blank page in cyberspace that you can’t get to. Go ahead, try, and then go to .org and get started.)
2. Create an account and write down your username and password somewhere safe. (Please write it down, or text it to your aunt; I’m already crying from the frustration you losing this info causes.)
3. Click on College Search. If you don’t know your schools you can use the Search tool; if you do know your list of schools, you can just enter the names. Select the college from the Result List and then click Add. Click Result List, then click Criteria to add another school. (Not slick.)
4. Once you have added all of the colleges you like (personal plea: please apply to just 8!), clickDashboard and you will see your colleges in all their glory listed right there.
5. Click My Colleges. The first college in the list will be open. You will see 4 things under each school: Questions, Assign Recommenders, Submission, and Writing Supplement. (Why Submission isn’t listed last is beyond me, because it’s certainly the last thing you want to do.)
6. Don’t start the Questions yet, but you can glance at them. Instead, click Writing Supplement and work on creating your “Master List of Writing Prompts” (that’s my survival term, coined for you) by copying/pasting each prompt for this college, AND its word or character limit, onto a word doc so you know exactly what essays you need to write, how long or short they must be, and which ones overlap and can be reused. Do not compose your essays in the Common App. You will compose and edit your essays on a word doc, because you are wise. Do this for all of your schools.
7. I know you’ll want to poke around in the Common App for a while, so go ahead, but don’t spend hours right now filling in all the questions (#procrastination) because what you really need to do first is start every rough draft of every little essay you need to do—there might be 15! Filling in Common App data is easy and starting rough drafts is difficult, so do the drafts first—before homework and sports start to hit. Trust me, kid.
8. After you have created your “Master List of Prompts” and determined which essays can be recycled, and after you have started all rough drafts, THEN you can fill out the Questions section for each college or you can fill out the Common App section (tab 3 at the top). I would probably fill out the Common App, so let’s click that.
9. Common App: This section is pretty straightforward. Items with a red asterisk are required. Enter the data and you can click Continue or just click on the next section; it auto saves (nice). The little green checks appear in places where that section is technically done—but this is NOT exactly true from your standpoint! The checks mean that the section is either complete (by you) or that the data isn’t required in order for you to submit the Common App. I suggest you fill in the Activities section, which isn’t required and gives you a misleading little green check; it would certainly be HORRIBLE for you to leave the Activities section blank. Really, horrible. Your peers are not going to leave this section blank, so neither should you. (Don’t show up to someone’s house empty-handed, and don’t show up on a college application as a kid who did nothing for 4 years. We can talk about special situations later.)
10. Submitting: When the Common App section has 6 green checkmarks, and when a college in the My Colleges section has 3 checkmarks (for Questions, Assign Recs, and Writing Supp) THEN you are ready to click “Submission – Common App” for that college. You will submit your applications one at a time, when each college is ready. You will need to complete the 6 sections of the Common App before you can submit the first college application, but (it is my understanding) that you can go back and edit your Common App for future schools after you submit it to a college.
For today, on August 1st, 2013, the Writing Supplements and specific college Questions sections aren’t up just yet, but I’m sure they will be soon. Hats off to the computer software engineers behind this colossal effort. I’m sure those guys didn’t sleep a wink last night, and if any of you kids wants to talk about a growing job field where the US really needs talent, let’s talk you majoring in Computer Science! For now, happy Common App’ing, and don’t be late to your next period class.
For more detailed Common App tips and tricks check out our second post: New Common App Breakdown: Top Tips for V4 or create a free account on CollegeMapper for more personalized help. Yay, college!
Resource: By Susanna Cerasuolo, www.collegemapper.com, Aug 2013.
1. Log into www.commonapp.org (.ORG, not .com. Those .com guys finally took down their bizarre site that was driving kids crazy for years, but now the .com site is just a blank page in cyberspace that you can’t get to. Go ahead, try, and then go to .org and get started.)
2. Create an account and write down your username and password somewhere safe. (Please write it down, or text it to your aunt; I’m already crying from the frustration you losing this info causes.)
3. Click on College Search. If you don’t know your schools you can use the Search tool; if you do know your list of schools, you can just enter the names. Select the college from the Result List and then click Add. Click Result List, then click Criteria to add another school. (Not slick.)
4. Once you have added all of the colleges you like (personal plea: please apply to just 8!), clickDashboard and you will see your colleges in all their glory listed right there.
5. Click My Colleges. The first college in the list will be open. You will see 4 things under each school: Questions, Assign Recommenders, Submission, and Writing Supplement. (Why Submission isn’t listed last is beyond me, because it’s certainly the last thing you want to do.)
6. Don’t start the Questions yet, but you can glance at them. Instead, click Writing Supplement and work on creating your “Master List of Writing Prompts” (that’s my survival term, coined for you) by copying/pasting each prompt for this college, AND its word or character limit, onto a word doc so you know exactly what essays you need to write, how long or short they must be, and which ones overlap and can be reused. Do not compose your essays in the Common App. You will compose and edit your essays on a word doc, because you are wise. Do this for all of your schools.
7. I know you’ll want to poke around in the Common App for a while, so go ahead, but don’t spend hours right now filling in all the questions (#procrastination) because what you really need to do first is start every rough draft of every little essay you need to do—there might be 15! Filling in Common App data is easy and starting rough drafts is difficult, so do the drafts first—before homework and sports start to hit. Trust me, kid.
8. After you have created your “Master List of Prompts” and determined which essays can be recycled, and after you have started all rough drafts, THEN you can fill out the Questions section for each college or you can fill out the Common App section (tab 3 at the top). I would probably fill out the Common App, so let’s click that.
9. Common App: This section is pretty straightforward. Items with a red asterisk are required. Enter the data and you can click Continue or just click on the next section; it auto saves (nice). The little green checks appear in places where that section is technically done—but this is NOT exactly true from your standpoint! The checks mean that the section is either complete (by you) or that the data isn’t required in order for you to submit the Common App. I suggest you fill in the Activities section, which isn’t required and gives you a misleading little green check; it would certainly be HORRIBLE for you to leave the Activities section blank. Really, horrible. Your peers are not going to leave this section blank, so neither should you. (Don’t show up to someone’s house empty-handed, and don’t show up on a college application as a kid who did nothing for 4 years. We can talk about special situations later.)
10. Submitting: When the Common App section has 6 green checkmarks, and when a college in the My Colleges section has 3 checkmarks (for Questions, Assign Recs, and Writing Supp) THEN you are ready to click “Submission – Common App” for that college. You will submit your applications one at a time, when each college is ready. You will need to complete the 6 sections of the Common App before you can submit the first college application, but (it is my understanding) that you can go back and edit your Common App for future schools after you submit it to a college.
For today, on August 1st, 2013, the Writing Supplements and specific college Questions sections aren’t up just yet, but I’m sure they will be soon. Hats off to the computer software engineers behind this colossal effort. I’m sure those guys didn’t sleep a wink last night, and if any of you kids wants to talk about a growing job field where the US really needs talent, let’s talk you majoring in Computer Science! For now, happy Common App’ing, and don’t be late to your next period class.
For more detailed Common App tips and tricks check out our second post: New Common App Breakdown: Top Tips for V4 or create a free account on CollegeMapper for more personalized help. Yay, college!
Resource: By Susanna Cerasuolo, www.collegemapper.com, Aug 2013.
The Top 6 Questions Students (and Everyone Else) Are Asking About the New Common Application
If you are a high school senior, parent of one, high school counselor, teacher or someone who is writing an application recommendation, I'm sure you know there is a brand-spanking-new Common Application. The "Common App" is accepted by more than 500 mostly private and a few public colleges and universities and used by more than 1 million students each year. You can find which schools make use of it by going towww.commonapp.org, and clicking on the top right tab, "MEMBER COLLEGES."
Since the new Common App (CA4) came out on August 1, I can't tell you how many questions I have received about it from my own students and also from The Huffington Post readers. In order to understand what people were asking, I went through the application process myself. Quite frankly, it took some time to figure out, but then I'm not a computer wonk.
Hoping that I can save you time and varying amounts of aggravation, here are some of the most frequently asked questions I received about the online application, some answers and a bit of information and advice.
1. How much does it cost to register with the Common Application?
There are no fees for registering with the Common App; however, there are application fees for submitting a Common App plus Supplement to individual colleges.
The fees range from $25 and $90 and can be paid for by credit card or eCheck on the Common App website. Some students may be eligible for a Common Application Fee Waiver. For information about that, go to the Application Fees section of CA4.
When you register for the Common Application, you will be asked to provide your email address and come up with a password. Students who apply to colleges through the Common App and whose high school uses the Naviance system (a school-based college planning platform that facilitates students' submission of their college applications, including transcripts, recommendations and other form) need to know that it is extremely important that they use the same email address for both. To register with one email address for the Common App and then another address with Naviance will produce problems. Don't do it! Or if you have already done this, change one address to match the other.
2. Okay, I get that the Common App personal statement allows for a minimum of 250 and a maximum of 650 words. How many words do I have for the additional information essay? It doesn't say.
The Additional Information question, "Please provide an answer below if you wish to provide details of circumstances or qualification not reflected in the application," will accept up to 650 words. There is no minimum word requirement.
3. When I go to the Common App supplements, some essays have a specified number of words or characters, but others don't. Does that mean I can put as many words into those spaces?
It is highly unlikely that there is no word or character limit for an essay question, even though the question may not indicate that there is one. The Common Application people suggest that you take one the following two options if there is no limit posted:
a) Fill in the essay space with words until you receive a message that the limit has been reached,
or
b) Call individual college admissions offices to ask for the word/character limits.
By the way, it's very important that you pay attention to the word or character count. If you go over the specification, you will be cut off, often right in the middle of a word.
4. What are the character or word limits for the honors and activities grids?
Honors: You may identify up to five Honors in the Education section of the Common Application, which should focus on academic distinctions. Although not stated there, you have 100 characters with spaces to fill in the Honor title space. Example: "Recipient, AP Scholar with Distinction, for receiving four 5's and one 4 on AP tests." (The preceding description has 85 characters.)
Activities: There are 10 spaces for different activities. You will have 50 characters with spaces to identify what the position is. Example: "Captain/member, School Varsity Academic League" (This entry has 47 characters with spaces.)
You have 150 characters with spaces to describe the "Details, honors and accomplishments" involved with an activity. "Lead members in practicing and competing against other private and public schools. We were county and then state champions 2 years in a row." (The preceding description has 139 characters.)
5. I have been trying to enter my teachers and counselor names into the recommendation area, but I just can't seem to get there. What do I do?
Of all the areas of the Common App that seem to confuse students, getting to the recommendation section is number one. Since it is already October, most students have asked their school counselor and a couple of teachers to complete the School Report and Teacher Evaluation forms. How to get those people's names into the Common App system can seem pretty complicated, especially if your school uses the Naviance system.
Here is a step-by-step process that explains what you need to do.
After you sign up for the Common App:
A. Complete all the pieces of the "EDUCATION" section under "COMMON APPLICATION" (a tab located at the top of the website, in between the "MY COLLEGES" and COLLEGE SEARCH tabs). You will know that the section is complete when a green checkmark appears on the Common Application list on the left hand side of your computer screen. If there is no checkmark, that is an indication you have failed to complete something in the "Education" section. Return to it and add/correct anything you find until the green checkmark appears.
B. Go to the "COLLEGE SEARCH" tab at the top of the website, click on it and when the page comes up, fill in the informational spaces in order to add a college.
C. Once you have added a college, go to the "MY COLLEGES" tab at the top of the website and click on it. The college/s you have signed up for will appear on the screen.
Assign Recommenders
D. Click on one of those colleges and the following list will appear: Questions, Assign Recommenders, Writing Supplement.
• To add the name of your school counselor or a teacher, click "ASSIGN RECOMMENDERS." The first item at the top of the new page is FERPA Release Authorization. You must agree or not agree to this authorization before you can add recommenders' names.
• FERPA: After reading the instructions, I strongly suggest that you agree to the FERPA statements and then type in your name on the signature space.
• After you sign the FERPA agreement, you will be able to add your counselor and teacher names to the Recommender list.
• If your school uses the eDocs Naviance system, then contact your high school counselor and he/she will provide you with instructions for your school regarding these documents.
• Once you add a recommender to the Recommender list, the FERPA selection locks and students cannot change their minds about it.
adMISSION POSSIBLE TIP: FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act says that you can have access to letters of recommendation written by the counselor, teachers and other recommenders.) The FERPA statement in the Common App asks you to decide whether you want to waive this right.
Common wisdom among admissions professionals is that students should waive their right to see the counselor School Report, Teacher Evaluation Forms and other recommendation letters. The reason why is that while it is totally understandable that students would like to read these documents,
1) Colleges will put more trust in a recommendation if a student waives his/her right to see it;
2) Some teachers might not feel comfortable writing a letter of recommendation if a student has not waived his/her right, meaning that the recommendation is not confidential;
3) Teachers are likely to be more open, honest and candid in their evaluations if the FERPA right has been waived and
4) Admissions officers might be suspicious of students who don't waive their rights.
6. The Common App seems to have a bunch of different symbols like green checkmarks, yellow dots, black dashes, red dashes, and a red asterisk. What in the world do they mean?
According to the Common Application Help Center, here is what each of the above symbols mean:
Green checkmark
1) A green checkmark signifies that you have completed a section of the Common App, e.g,. BUT
2) A green checkmark can also signify that work has been submitted to a college. AND
3) The very same green checkmark also indicates that a Common App question or section isn't necessary to complete! Among the optional pieces is the Additional Information subsection
In general, I urge students to answer every question on an application. After all, the application is the only thing that colleges have to sort out whether you are a good candidate for their school; therefore, it's in your best interest to answer all questions to give them as much ammunition as you can. If you leave out something important (or even not important), they will never know.
Yellow dot (circle)
Yellow dots indicate that parts of the Application and/or the Writing Supplements have not been submitted. Yellow dots turn green when something has been submitted.
Red asterisk
Questions that are required are noted by a red asterisk.
Black dash
A black dash means that some element of the application is not applicable to you and you do not have to fill it out.
Red dash
A red dash means that something is not required (see above for my recommendation regarding optional questions)
Finally, some unsolicited, important advice: For students who will be applying Early Action, Early Decision or Rolling Admissions, because of the glitches that are coming up as students complete the Common App, I urge you to submit the application a week or two early. When problems develop, even with the help of the Common App Help Center people, it might take a while to resolve. You don't want to miss an application deadline because you can't get your application turned in.
These are a few of the questions that keep coming to me over and over. I have many more. If you find this blog useful and would like me to continue with Common App Q and A's, please let me know.
Resource: By Marjorie Hansen Shaevitz, www.huffingtonpost.com, Oct 2013.
Since the new Common App (CA4) came out on August 1, I can't tell you how many questions I have received about it from my own students and also from The Huffington Post readers. In order to understand what people were asking, I went through the application process myself. Quite frankly, it took some time to figure out, but then I'm not a computer wonk.
Hoping that I can save you time and varying amounts of aggravation, here are some of the most frequently asked questions I received about the online application, some answers and a bit of information and advice.
1. How much does it cost to register with the Common Application?
There are no fees for registering with the Common App; however, there are application fees for submitting a Common App plus Supplement to individual colleges.
The fees range from $25 and $90 and can be paid for by credit card or eCheck on the Common App website. Some students may be eligible for a Common Application Fee Waiver. For information about that, go to the Application Fees section of CA4.
When you register for the Common Application, you will be asked to provide your email address and come up with a password. Students who apply to colleges through the Common App and whose high school uses the Naviance system (a school-based college planning platform that facilitates students' submission of their college applications, including transcripts, recommendations and other form) need to know that it is extremely important that they use the same email address for both. To register with one email address for the Common App and then another address with Naviance will produce problems. Don't do it! Or if you have already done this, change one address to match the other.
2. Okay, I get that the Common App personal statement allows for a minimum of 250 and a maximum of 650 words. How many words do I have for the additional information essay? It doesn't say.
The Additional Information question, "Please provide an answer below if you wish to provide details of circumstances or qualification not reflected in the application," will accept up to 650 words. There is no minimum word requirement.
3. When I go to the Common App supplements, some essays have a specified number of words or characters, but others don't. Does that mean I can put as many words into those spaces?
It is highly unlikely that there is no word or character limit for an essay question, even though the question may not indicate that there is one. The Common Application people suggest that you take one the following two options if there is no limit posted:
a) Fill in the essay space with words until you receive a message that the limit has been reached,
or
b) Call individual college admissions offices to ask for the word/character limits.
By the way, it's very important that you pay attention to the word or character count. If you go over the specification, you will be cut off, often right in the middle of a word.
4. What are the character or word limits for the honors and activities grids?
Honors: You may identify up to five Honors in the Education section of the Common Application, which should focus on academic distinctions. Although not stated there, you have 100 characters with spaces to fill in the Honor title space. Example: "Recipient, AP Scholar with Distinction, for receiving four 5's and one 4 on AP tests." (The preceding description has 85 characters.)
Activities: There are 10 spaces for different activities. You will have 50 characters with spaces to identify what the position is. Example: "Captain/member, School Varsity Academic League" (This entry has 47 characters with spaces.)
You have 150 characters with spaces to describe the "Details, honors and accomplishments" involved with an activity. "Lead members in practicing and competing against other private and public schools. We were county and then state champions 2 years in a row." (The preceding description has 139 characters.)
5. I have been trying to enter my teachers and counselor names into the recommendation area, but I just can't seem to get there. What do I do?
Of all the areas of the Common App that seem to confuse students, getting to the recommendation section is number one. Since it is already October, most students have asked their school counselor and a couple of teachers to complete the School Report and Teacher Evaluation forms. How to get those people's names into the Common App system can seem pretty complicated, especially if your school uses the Naviance system.
Here is a step-by-step process that explains what you need to do.
After you sign up for the Common App:
A. Complete all the pieces of the "EDUCATION" section under "COMMON APPLICATION" (a tab located at the top of the website, in between the "MY COLLEGES" and COLLEGE SEARCH tabs). You will know that the section is complete when a green checkmark appears on the Common Application list on the left hand side of your computer screen. If there is no checkmark, that is an indication you have failed to complete something in the "Education" section. Return to it and add/correct anything you find until the green checkmark appears.
B. Go to the "COLLEGE SEARCH" tab at the top of the website, click on it and when the page comes up, fill in the informational spaces in order to add a college.
C. Once you have added a college, go to the "MY COLLEGES" tab at the top of the website and click on it. The college/s you have signed up for will appear on the screen.
Assign Recommenders
D. Click on one of those colleges and the following list will appear: Questions, Assign Recommenders, Writing Supplement.
• To add the name of your school counselor or a teacher, click "ASSIGN RECOMMENDERS." The first item at the top of the new page is FERPA Release Authorization. You must agree or not agree to this authorization before you can add recommenders' names.
• FERPA: After reading the instructions, I strongly suggest that you agree to the FERPA statements and then type in your name on the signature space.
• After you sign the FERPA agreement, you will be able to add your counselor and teacher names to the Recommender list.
• If your school uses the eDocs Naviance system, then contact your high school counselor and he/she will provide you with instructions for your school regarding these documents.
• Once you add a recommender to the Recommender list, the FERPA selection locks and students cannot change their minds about it.
adMISSION POSSIBLE TIP: FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act says that you can have access to letters of recommendation written by the counselor, teachers and other recommenders.) The FERPA statement in the Common App asks you to decide whether you want to waive this right.
Common wisdom among admissions professionals is that students should waive their right to see the counselor School Report, Teacher Evaluation Forms and other recommendation letters. The reason why is that while it is totally understandable that students would like to read these documents,
1) Colleges will put more trust in a recommendation if a student waives his/her right to see it;
2) Some teachers might not feel comfortable writing a letter of recommendation if a student has not waived his/her right, meaning that the recommendation is not confidential;
3) Teachers are likely to be more open, honest and candid in their evaluations if the FERPA right has been waived and
4) Admissions officers might be suspicious of students who don't waive their rights.
6. The Common App seems to have a bunch of different symbols like green checkmarks, yellow dots, black dashes, red dashes, and a red asterisk. What in the world do they mean?
According to the Common Application Help Center, here is what each of the above symbols mean:
Green checkmark
1) A green checkmark signifies that you have completed a section of the Common App, e.g,. BUT
2) A green checkmark can also signify that work has been submitted to a college. AND
3) The very same green checkmark also indicates that a Common App question or section isn't necessary to complete! Among the optional pieces is the Additional Information subsection
In general, I urge students to answer every question on an application. After all, the application is the only thing that colleges have to sort out whether you are a good candidate for their school; therefore, it's in your best interest to answer all questions to give them as much ammunition as you can. If you leave out something important (or even not important), they will never know.
Yellow dot (circle)
Yellow dots indicate that parts of the Application and/or the Writing Supplements have not been submitted. Yellow dots turn green when something has been submitted.
Red asterisk
Questions that are required are noted by a red asterisk.
Black dash
A black dash means that some element of the application is not applicable to you and you do not have to fill it out.
Red dash
A red dash means that something is not required (see above for my recommendation regarding optional questions)
Finally, some unsolicited, important advice: For students who will be applying Early Action, Early Decision or Rolling Admissions, because of the glitches that are coming up as students complete the Common App, I urge you to submit the application a week or two early. When problems develop, even with the help of the Common App Help Center people, it might take a while to resolve. You don't want to miss an application deadline because you can't get your application turned in.
These are a few of the questions that keep coming to me over and over. I have many more. If you find this blog useful and would like me to continue with Common App Q and A's, please let me know.
Resource: By Marjorie Hansen Shaevitz, www.huffingtonpost.com, Oct 2013.
5 tips for first-generation college students
So this is it. You graduated, got your diploma and now you’re going to college.
One could only hope that your parents are thrilled, that their little baby is growing up and achieving things that they, themselves, never had the chance to do. But whether you’re sticking around the house to save some money and help the family, or you’re living on campus to get the full college-life experience, these five tips should help you succeed through your college career.
1. Get involved
What makes college life so unique is that everyone at the university level comes from different backgrounds, has different goals in life and is interested in vastly different things. You, of course, will be no exception to this rule. However, you will find that the biggest difference between you and the rest of the student body is the expectation of whether or not you will succeed.
The Institute of Education Sciences says that only 44% of first-generation college students’ parents expect them to finish college. Compare that to the 88% of students — with parents who hold at least a bachelor’s degree — which are expected to finish college.
This is not to say that students with higher-educated parents aren’t your friends, but rather, it is important for you to find people with the same background as yourself. By getting involved with students like you, it will become much easier for you to persevere, and to rise above that 44%.
2. Self-advocate
You will need a lot in college. You’ll need food, books, a quiet place, and (most importantly) money. Most college students, especially first-generation college students, have trouble self-advocating. What you need to know is this: The worst a person can say is “no.”
Financial Aid advisors are always willing to meet with you — and they will help you get what you need. During your meeting, make sure you are being honest and open. If you need money, ask. It might just save you from working a third-shift job that robs you of both sleep and study time.
3. Be an ambassador
You know college is the right choice. You wouldn’t be attending college if you didn’t believe it was the right choice. Unfortunately, your family might still disagree with that notion.
For most first-generation college students, college is not the expectation — that might be working to help support the family or staying home to take care of brothers and sisters. But as a first-generation college student, it is your job to be an ambassador and to show that college was the right choice, not only for you, but for other people in your family.
4. Don’t be afraid of hearing the limb creak
A University of Michigan professor once told me that the best students in his class were those who didn’t need the credits for their major. Why? Because nowadays, students are taught to fear failure.
Go out on a limb. Don’t be afraid of hearing that limb creak. College is a time to open your mind, do the unexpected — something you won’t be able to do if you are too afraid. So, raise your hand in class, speak up even if you think you are wrong — and if your Erlenmeyer flask breaks over your Bunsen Burner, clean up the mess and try again. You’ll get it right the next time.
5. Have a 5-year plan
College is fun. You’ve probably heard that it’s the best four years of your life (and the people who tell you that aren’t wrong), but don’t forget why you’re there.
By making specific goals, you are increasing your chances of graduating college with more than a B.S. in Beer Pong. Instead, you will be making sure that those best four years of your life are actually worth something in the real world.
I know, I said it: The real world. But the real world is coming, and if you’re not ready for it, you can believe that someone else will be.
Resource: Chad Patton from www.usatodayeducate.com. Published by September 12th 2013.
One could only hope that your parents are thrilled, that their little baby is growing up and achieving things that they, themselves, never had the chance to do. But whether you’re sticking around the house to save some money and help the family, or you’re living on campus to get the full college-life experience, these five tips should help you succeed through your college career.
1. Get involved
What makes college life so unique is that everyone at the university level comes from different backgrounds, has different goals in life and is interested in vastly different things. You, of course, will be no exception to this rule. However, you will find that the biggest difference between you and the rest of the student body is the expectation of whether or not you will succeed.
The Institute of Education Sciences says that only 44% of first-generation college students’ parents expect them to finish college. Compare that to the 88% of students — with parents who hold at least a bachelor’s degree — which are expected to finish college.
This is not to say that students with higher-educated parents aren’t your friends, but rather, it is important for you to find people with the same background as yourself. By getting involved with students like you, it will become much easier for you to persevere, and to rise above that 44%.
2. Self-advocate
You will need a lot in college. You’ll need food, books, a quiet place, and (most importantly) money. Most college students, especially first-generation college students, have trouble self-advocating. What you need to know is this: The worst a person can say is “no.”
Financial Aid advisors are always willing to meet with you — and they will help you get what you need. During your meeting, make sure you are being honest and open. If you need money, ask. It might just save you from working a third-shift job that robs you of both sleep and study time.
3. Be an ambassador
You know college is the right choice. You wouldn’t be attending college if you didn’t believe it was the right choice. Unfortunately, your family might still disagree with that notion.
For most first-generation college students, college is not the expectation — that might be working to help support the family or staying home to take care of brothers and sisters. But as a first-generation college student, it is your job to be an ambassador and to show that college was the right choice, not only for you, but for other people in your family.
4. Don’t be afraid of hearing the limb creak
A University of Michigan professor once told me that the best students in his class were those who didn’t need the credits for their major. Why? Because nowadays, students are taught to fear failure.
Go out on a limb. Don’t be afraid of hearing that limb creak. College is a time to open your mind, do the unexpected — something you won’t be able to do if you are too afraid. So, raise your hand in class, speak up even if you think you are wrong — and if your Erlenmeyer flask breaks over your Bunsen Burner, clean up the mess and try again. You’ll get it right the next time.
5. Have a 5-year plan
College is fun. You’ve probably heard that it’s the best four years of your life (and the people who tell you that aren’t wrong), but don’t forget why you’re there.
By making specific goals, you are increasing your chances of graduating college with more than a B.S. in Beer Pong. Instead, you will be making sure that those best four years of your life are actually worth something in the real world.
I know, I said it: The real world. But the real world is coming, and if you’re not ready for it, you can believe that someone else will be.
Resource: Chad Patton from www.usatodayeducate.com. Published by September 12th 2013.
College Essay Writing Workshop by Zinch
6 Pieces of Info Your College Application Needs to Have
Ready…
Get set…
GO TO COLLEGE!
Or, you know, just start planning out the long and winding path before you end up strolling on the college campus of your dreams. But if you’re busy stressing out about finishing a project for your Government class, volunteering ten hours a week, and preparing for graduation eight months away, use our handy-dandy to-do list to make your college dreams happen.
Order your high school transcript.
Don’t be shy! It is crucial that you send this to all of the college admissions offices when you apply. So even if you’re a bit embarrassed with a few less-than-satisfactory grades, don’t try to hide it. (We know that physics class was tough.)
A+ Tip: Your school’s registrar, who is usually in charge of transcripts, often take more than a couple days to process and send out your transcript. Keep this in mind, get in the college application game early, and order your transcripts to be sent out ahead of time.
Send out your SAT/ACT scores.
College admissions officers can’t review your application without grades and test scores. Show them that you aced that Writing section like a boss!
A+ Tip: Unlike your transcript, sending out standardized test scores costs money—typically, you are charged for each school you apply. If you have more than one dream school, do the math and you might have to pay quite a bit. Find out if you qualify for a fee waiver so you won’t have to stress about paying College Board and the ACT Corporate a lot of money.
Get your AP/IB scores delivered.
You worked really hard for a whole school year on your AP U.S. History and IB Chemistry—just to pass those grueling tests for college credit. Now’s the chance to show colleges your strong work ethic and smarts…so that once you’re admitted, you’ve already got a few general ed requirements covered!
A+ Tip: Just like with SAT and ACT score-sending, getting your AP and IB scores sent out to colleges can get expensive. Before burning your wallet, check to see if you qualify for a fee waiver.
Memorize your social security number.Those numbers may seem to be jumbled together, with no rhyme or reason, but they are crucial in helping you fill out yourFAFSA or other financial aid forms. Ask your parents for your SSN card, and commit that string of numbers to memory.
A+ Tip: Another great reason to remember your SSN? By the time you’re in college, you’re going to constantly need to recall it when you receive grants or take out loans. It’s best to start early.
Pull out your family’s financial records.
Speaking of loans, if you’re planning apply for financial aid through your school (or the FAFSA), ask your parents for their financial records, such as their income tax forms. The sheer amount of paperwork that you’ll have to sift through may be a bit overwhelming, but when the time comes to apply for financial aid you won’t be able to complete the forms without it.
A+ Tip: If you find that you’re a bit confused by the financial aid process, never fear, Zinch is here! Be sure to check out the “Money” section of this very blog, where you’ll find financial aid tips galore.
Plan your personal essays ahead.
Already know which colleges you’re aspiring to attend next year? Once you’ve got all of your high school paperwork down pat, take a look at the prompts for each of the schools you’re applying to and start brainstorming that perfect personal statement.
A+ Tip: The moral of this post? Plan ahead! Do your homework (not just that Government project) ahead of the deadline. So start working on those essays (if you haven’t yet) and start scouting potential “fresh pairs of eyes” (i.e., parents, friends, teachers, counselors) to review them before admissions officers do.
Resource: Jacquelyn Kim, www.morathanatestscore.com, October 3 2013.
Get set…
GO TO COLLEGE!
Or, you know, just start planning out the long and winding path before you end up strolling on the college campus of your dreams. But if you’re busy stressing out about finishing a project for your Government class, volunteering ten hours a week, and preparing for graduation eight months away, use our handy-dandy to-do list to make your college dreams happen.
Order your high school transcript.
Don’t be shy! It is crucial that you send this to all of the college admissions offices when you apply. So even if you’re a bit embarrassed with a few less-than-satisfactory grades, don’t try to hide it. (We know that physics class was tough.)
A+ Tip: Your school’s registrar, who is usually in charge of transcripts, often take more than a couple days to process and send out your transcript. Keep this in mind, get in the college application game early, and order your transcripts to be sent out ahead of time.
Send out your SAT/ACT scores.
College admissions officers can’t review your application without grades and test scores. Show them that you aced that Writing section like a boss!
A+ Tip: Unlike your transcript, sending out standardized test scores costs money—typically, you are charged for each school you apply. If you have more than one dream school, do the math and you might have to pay quite a bit. Find out if you qualify for a fee waiver so you won’t have to stress about paying College Board and the ACT Corporate a lot of money.
Get your AP/IB scores delivered.
You worked really hard for a whole school year on your AP U.S. History and IB Chemistry—just to pass those grueling tests for college credit. Now’s the chance to show colleges your strong work ethic and smarts…so that once you’re admitted, you’ve already got a few general ed requirements covered!
A+ Tip: Just like with SAT and ACT score-sending, getting your AP and IB scores sent out to colleges can get expensive. Before burning your wallet, check to see if you qualify for a fee waiver.
Memorize your social security number.Those numbers may seem to be jumbled together, with no rhyme or reason, but they are crucial in helping you fill out yourFAFSA or other financial aid forms. Ask your parents for your SSN card, and commit that string of numbers to memory.
A+ Tip: Another great reason to remember your SSN? By the time you’re in college, you’re going to constantly need to recall it when you receive grants or take out loans. It’s best to start early.
Pull out your family’s financial records.
Speaking of loans, if you’re planning apply for financial aid through your school (or the FAFSA), ask your parents for their financial records, such as their income tax forms. The sheer amount of paperwork that you’ll have to sift through may be a bit overwhelming, but when the time comes to apply for financial aid you won’t be able to complete the forms without it.
A+ Tip: If you find that you’re a bit confused by the financial aid process, never fear, Zinch is here! Be sure to check out the “Money” section of this very blog, where you’ll find financial aid tips galore.
Plan your personal essays ahead.
Already know which colleges you’re aspiring to attend next year? Once you’ve got all of your high school paperwork down pat, take a look at the prompts for each of the schools you’re applying to and start brainstorming that perfect personal statement.
A+ Tip: The moral of this post? Plan ahead! Do your homework (not just that Government project) ahead of the deadline. So start working on those essays (if you haven’t yet) and start scouting potential “fresh pairs of eyes” (i.e., parents, friends, teachers, counselors) to review them before admissions officers do.
Resource: Jacquelyn Kim, www.morathanatestscore.com, October 3 2013.