Get A Jump Start On Your College Essays

Rising seniors, write your college essays this summer!

Focusing on your applications and particularly on writing your essays without the simultaneous pressure of schoolwork is a great way to get your college process underway. Then, when fall comes, you’ll be able to focus on school visits, finalizing your list of schools and completing applications while also concentrating on school work.

A few helpful points to consider include:

• Open a Common App account, if you don’t already have one and read the essay prompts.
• Take a look at the websites for schools you’re considering that may have their own supplemental essays.
• Use your essay as a tool to reveal a side of yourself that isn’t evident in your transcript or test scores. You want to give admissions reps a reason to remember who you are and an incentive to advocate for your candidacy.
• Don’t get hung up on the topic you choose. More important is how you relate that topic  to your life circumstances.  A topic that’s ordinary and everyday can still help tell your own particular unique story if you do it in a thoughtful way.
• Your essay should convey your own voice. It’s okay to seek out help from a proof reader, but make sure your essay is in your own words. Admissions officers want to hear what you have to say, not your parent or teacher or mentor.

Get Ready

A few thoughts if you’re scheduled to take tomorrow’s ACT.

To minimize your stress tomorrow morning, it’s a great idea to get organized ahead of time. The last thing you need on test morning is a desperate scramble. These are some of the things you can do tonight to get your big day off to a great start:

First, check with your parents to make sure they know when and where you’re scheduled to take the test, and arrange how you’ll get to the test center. Next, gather and pack all the things you’ll need to take with you. Some of the things on this check list are “must-have” items, while others are optional.

REQUIRED: Don’t forget any of the following items or it will be a long ride home!

• Admission/Standby ticket
• Acceptable form of photo ID
• Sharpened #2 pencils
• Calculator

SUGGESTED: These are things you may want to bring along.

• Water
• Snack
• Sweater
• Back-up calculator
• Extra batteries for your calculator
• Watch (to keep track of time)

Set your alarm, get a good night’s sleep and have a healthy, satisfying breakfast.

Good luck!

 

Congratulations College Bound Initiative

The CollegeBound Initiative (CBI) Celebration on May 30th honored Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation, and Melissa Brenner, Senior Vice President of Digital Media at the NBA, with special recognition to Paula Dofat, Director of College Counseling at the affiliate school Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women. In addition, all the CBI counselors were recognized for the life changing contributions they make in their work to help students navigate their way from high school to college.

It was also a joy to meet and talk to many of the graduating seniors, who are making their dreams of college a reality. Congratulations to all the graduates in the Class of 2017.

Rescinded Acceptances At Harvard

We recently published a post regarding how social media can help (or hurt) your college admissions outcome. Your privacy is not guaranteed and what you put on the internet is there for good. Admissions officers do look at  applicants’ social media pages to learn more about them and it is your responsibility to protect yourself and communicate a positive image on social media.

Recently ten prospective members of the Harvard class of 2021 had their admissions rescinded due to the content of a “private” Facebook chat.

Without a doubt, social media plays a role in college admissions. Make sure you convey the image you want to project.

Get Ready

A few thoughts if you’re scheduled to take tomorrow’s SAT or SAT IIs.

To minimize your stress tomorrow morning, it’s a great idea to get organized ahead of time. The last thing you need on test morning is a desperate scramble. These are some of the things you can do tonight to get your big day off to a great start:

First, check with your parents to make sure they know when and where you’re scheduled to take the test, and arrange how you’ll get to the test center. Next, gather and pack all the things you’ll need to take with you. Some of the things on this check list are “must-have” items, while others are optional.

REQUIRED: Don’t forget any of the following items or it will be a long ride home!

• An approved calculator
• Sharpened #2 pencils
• An acceptable form of photo ID
• Your admission or standby ticket

SUGGESTED: These are things you may want to bring along.

• Water
• Snack
• Sweater
• Back-up calculator
• Extra batteries for your calculator
• Watch (to keep track of time)

Set your alarm, get a good night’s sleep and have a healthy, satisfying breakfast.

Good luck!

 

What Are Your Plans For The Summer?

When we all think of summer, we think about summer fun: hanging out at the beach, swimming with friends and family BBQs. Whether you’re planning to work, intern, volunteer or take a class this summer, there’s also time for a bit of self discovery to see where your interests for the future lie.

 

Consider the following when making your plans:

• Look to build new skills or deepen ones you already have
• Be productive and get things done that have been on your “to do” or “try this” list
• Read
• Challenge yourself to learn something new
• Explore— discover what you do and don’t like
• There are so many interesting things to do close to home, you don’t have to travel far to do something new

 

Noteworthy Graduation Speeches

With the 2017 college graduation season underway, commencement speakers are sharing their wisdom and advice with this year’s graduates.  A collection of inspirational speeches was recently published in The New York Times. Read what these speakers had to say.