Looking for resume writing and tutoring services that actually make a difference? We help professionals and students stand out with personalized support and strong communication skills. There’s an art and science to resume writing. HR departments receive hundreds of applications per job, and many are reviewed in under 30 seconds.
Most high school juniors and seniors filling out applications and writing essays find this to be a daunting, challenging period of time. Read on to learn how to tackle the college application process.
Starting the Application Process
Begin working on college application(s) and essay(s) at the beginning of the summer before your senior year. Create a chart to track your chosen school(s)’s information including name, application type, admissions requirements, essay topic(s), due dates, and fees. Common Application (commonapp.org) or the specific school websites detail essay topic(s) and word count information for the personal statement and supplemental essay(s).
Common Application expected topics:
Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
Discuss a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
Common Application and Proprietary Application
The Common and proprietary applications’ personal statementsmust be up to 650 words. Supplemental essays are typically shorter. An impactful personal statement should detail all specific details of your story. College Admissions staff are interested in learning how you made an impact, what are you passionate about, and what makes you special or unique, not a checklist of activities readily available in your application. Don’t run either far under or over the word count. Think about a college essay this way: on a first date one tells the whole story, but doesn’t overshare all of the details. A personal statement doesn’t have to lay bare ALL of your trauma in a specific situation.
Congratulations, you’ve now picked out colleges you like, tracked the application data, reviewed personal statement and supplemental essay information, and chosen an essay topic(s).
Tune in next month to learn how to write an essay(s) that is bound to grab the attention of college admissions staff at your chosen college(s).
College Applications and Essays
By Jennifer Joseph
Looking for resume writing and tutoring services that actually make a difference? We help professionals and students stand out with personalized support and strong communication skills. There’s an art and science to resume writing. HR departments receive hundreds of applications per job, and many are reviewed in under 30 seconds.
College Applications and Essays
Most high school juniors and seniors filling out applications and writing essays find this to be a daunting, challenging period of time. Read on to learn how to tackle the college application process.
Starting the Application Process
Begin working on college application(s) and essay(s) at the beginning of the summer before your senior year. Create a chart to track your chosen school(s)’s information including name, application type, admissions requirements, essay topic(s), due dates, and fees. Common Application (commonapp.org) or the specific school websites detail essay topic(s) and word count information for the personal statement and supplemental essay(s).
Common Application expected topics:
Common Application and Proprietary Application
The Common and proprietary applications’ personal statementsmust be up to 650 words. Supplemental essays are typically shorter. An impactful personal statement should detail all specific details of your story. College Admissions staff are interested in learning how you made an impact, what are you passionate about, and what makes you special or unique, not a checklist of activities readily available in your application. Don’t run either far under or over the word count. Think about a college essay this way: on a first date one tells the whole story, but doesn’t overshare all of the details. A personal statement doesn’t have to lay bare ALL of your trauma in a specific situation.
Congratulations, you’ve now picked out colleges you like, tracked the application data, reviewed personal statement and supplemental essay information, and chosen an essay topic(s).
Tune in next month to learn how to write an essay(s) that is bound to grab the attention of college admissions staff at your chosen college(s).
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