I have been working with a group of 15 rising seniors and 2 rising juniors for a college essay writing class I designed and offer for UCLA Extension Summer Programs for 7th-12th Grade Students. Each student attends a different public or private school, including LACES, Pacific Palisades Charter, H-W, Windward, New Roads, Flintridge, Hoover High School, Wildwood, YULA, and more. Each student is unique. Each student has great assets, qualities, and personalities to offer colleges.
What stuns me is how few have met actively with their college counselors at schools. So I offered to answer basic questions they raised. Here are some of their questions. Maybe they will help you. Please feel free to ask questions. I can't guarantee I can answer them, but I can certainly find answers.
Question 1: How should my different essays connect?
Answer 1: What a great question. I believe they should connect in ways that show as much about your personality and key characteristics as possible. It is ideal if they complement each other. If one is about something specific you have accomplished on your own, it would be nice to have one that shows how you've accomplished something with others. If one is about how something external lyshaped you, then another should be about your iniatiative, an internal quest. If one is about a struggle, the other can be about recovery and joy. Additional essays should focus on core qualities you want to continue sharing but significantly overlapping essays are not highly recommended. Now, there are caveats. Someone who has had an extraordinary circumstance or experience can definitely have two pieces that explain the process and the outcomes or the inside and the outside. Email me and I'll tell you more.
Question 2. I need financial aid and don't know where to start?
Answser 2. http://www.fastweb.com/ is where I would start. I took a great class on financial aid and this website taught me more than anything I could imagine. It provides great information along with access to resources. I also have a great powerpoint my instructor gave us which I can email you.
Question 3. What is early decision? What is early action?
Answer 3: Early decision and early action are two ways to gain access to a college by mid-December. These applications are due the beginning of November and mean that you need to have great grades already, a strong academic and testing record, and school support.
Early Decision is legally binding. If you get in, you go. (Unless some extraordinary financial situation occurs. You can only apply to one Early Decision school. So this needs to be a match made in heaven.
Early Action is NOT binding. If you get in, you do not have to go. Some colleges have Restrictive Early Action which means you can only apply to that one school but acceptance is not binding.
Be aware that some Early Decision schools do not defer. They accept or reject.
To check whether a school you are interested in has Early Decision or Early Action, check this great website: http://www.nacac.com/college-search/search.cfm
Question 4: Is it too late to start an activity?
Answer 4: Of course, not. Just remember, however, a few things.
1. Colleges look for consistency and develoment. So if this activity is an extension of an interest such as an internship or job, great.
2. Don't do anything to sacrific your testing, academic, and application preparation process.
3. Dont' STOP anything senior year. You need to keep doing what you're doing.
4. Do what you need to show a pattern...If you're on a steady increase, then adding an activity makes perfect sense.
Question 5: What schools don't require test scores?
Answer 5: Ah, a great website exists to help you determine this: http://www.fairtest.org/univ/optional.htm
Question 6: What schools have great xxx programs?
Answer 6: I don't know off the top of my head. But there are many ways to find out.
1. Ask your friends. Ask teachers.
2. Do web searches. The College Board has a great site that helps you find schools based on majors. http://www.collegeboard.com/
Some other sites with great college finders are
Xap Student Center http://www.xap.com/
NACAC's Internet Road Map for the College Bound Student has great links and info on it as well.
http://www.nacacnet.org/MemberPortal/News/StepsNewsletter/An+Internet+Road+Map+for+the+College-Bound+Student.htm
That is all for now. I welcome more questions and desperately seek feedback and comments.
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9 comments:
I just have to say. Dr. Rebecca you have made the application process lucid. You have made me more focused and stronger in just three days. I wonder where I would be if I had you since last year. Thank you so so so so much for working with me and having all the answers.
Thank you so much. You are inspiring and wonderful and any college will be lucky to have you.
Dr. Joseph, I cannot thank you enough for all of the guidance and counsel you have given me. This is the first time I have ever felt like I have a chance at getting into a university. When i spoke to you i felt like you knew what i was trying to say even though i couldn't put it into words. This class has been very beneficial to me and I am so glad I got the chance to have you as a teacher. The skills you have taught me in these past 3 days have made me a better writter and have helped me get what is in my head onto the paper. I know that tomorrow I will actually walk out of your class with confidence in myself and my writing abilities.
Thank you again!
-Alex C.P. (madscialex)
P.S.
Sorry about the hundreds of questions! I really do appreciate you answering all of them though :]
Alex...you are amazing and so inspiring. You should write an autobiography, but let' s get you into college first.
Thank you so much for all that you do for our class. You have helped me jumpstart my admissions process and I really did need that little push because I had no idea where to begin. You have made the process easier to understand. All the information you have gathered up are very helpful. Thanks again for everything.
Dr. Joseph, I had a question. If I am going to apply early action to a college, do I have to accept them or reject them early as well? Or are those deadlines the same as regular applications? Thanks.
-Danuta
Hi Everyone! Well, I am biased, but as the Program Representative for UCLA Extension Summer Programs for 7th-12th Grade Students, I can confidentally say that our College Essays class is not to be missed. No matter what your writing style or level, Dr. Joseph can help you. Just read the comments other students have posted...they had such a successful class this year and all students benefitted from Dr. Joseph's expertise and guidance. If any students or parents have questions about this class, please feel free to contact me at amarkowi@uclaextension.edu or (310) 206-7229. We will have a Summer 2009 schedule by late February, and you can either request a brochure from us or log on to our website at www.uclaextension.edu/highschool. Thanks Dr. Joseph for your amazing work with these students - we are so lucky to have you!!!!!
To respond to DW...Early Action is not binding and you don't have to accept until May 1. Early Decision is binding and you can only apply to that one school and must go if you get in. Restrictive Early Action means you can only apply to one school.
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