Contributed by Douglas Lee, Case Western Reserve (Class of 2016)
By far, the most challenging part of the college application is the college essay. You might ask yourself, “How can I possibly fully convey my individuality and personal value in 650 words or less?!” but read these tips for some help on how to take on this daunting task. 1. Finding a Topic – This is the big first step in this process. Start by brainstorming some ideas and try to find an instance in your recent life, whether an important event in your life or a smaller one, that displays your thought process and how you can handle challenging situations. The way each individual’s mind works is different, and in this essay, you want to show why your mind is distinctive and an asset to the college community. 2. First Draft – If necessary, you may want to write multiple first drafts about different topics. When you write these drafts, just let your ideas flow onto the page and it is fine if it comes out to three pages long. You can edit out the parts you don’t want and fix up the grammar and diction in later drafts. 3. Be Yourself and Be Specific – Don’t just write about what you think others will want to hear. Be specific about how the story you are telling relates to your personal qualities and how the angle you’re taking is reflected. The story is only as good as how you spin it in your favor. 4. Illustrate your Story and Be Vivid – I’m sure you’ve heard this countless times from your fifth grade teacher, but “show, not tell” is the name of the game here. You can claim that you are smart, courageous, determined and all that, but your readers will never be convinced unless you show them how you displayed those desirable characteristics in concrete examples. In your essay, write about how the particular instance you have chosen has impacted you and why it is compelling. Give details that show your story is likable and that you are personable. 5. Show that you are Goal-Oriented – Let your reader know that you strive for success and that you want to contribute something of value to your environment. But at the same time, you do not need to list your accomplishments or include any humble-brags. There is a separate section of the application to do just that! 6. Get a Second Opinion and Rewrite – Your essay is one of the few aspects of your application that show what your personality is actually like. You know exactly what you mean when you write down those words, but perhaps those words may not convey your message fully to a second reader. Sure the words make sense in your head, but a stranger who is reading your essay does not have the same background knowledge that you do. Having a teacher or a friend look over your essay may help you deliver your message clearer, provide other aspects of your personality to display, and give your essay a better direction to follow. For more guidance with the College Personal Statements or Essays, contact our experts for more advice.
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Rising High school Seniors...You're running out of time. Avoid the time crunch in the fall.
Here's what you should start to do: 1. Check deadlines: Get a calendar and start keeping track of deadlines for applications and financial aid. You'll to decide whether to apply early decision, early action or regular decision, if given those choices. When you apply early, the school might require that you submit your financial aid application far in advance, so check deadlines. 2. Get started on the essay: Writing the college essay is nerve-wracking. If you start now, you're more likely to be able to devote the time to do a great job. If you are applying to a school that uses the Common Application, you can obtain a list of the new essay questions that was released in February. While you can often use the same essay for multiple schools, be prepared to answer a college's supplemental questions. 3. Don't forget the supplemental materials: If you are an artist, musician, or actor, applying to colleges can be even more time consuming. You typically will have to send a résumé noting your artistic background and accomplishments, as well as a portfolio that can be captured on a CD or DVD. Start and finish your portfolio now. 4. Research: If you haven't begun researching schools, get started now. Start requesting admission materials from school websites. In addition, spend time on the college's admission website. You can find academic profiles of the freshmen class, notable facts about the school, information on financial aid and scholarships. There are many schools that will offer virtual tours and opportunities for online chats, so why not check it out? Also, start looking online at a school's relevant academic departments. 5. Get Help: Whether you know it or not, most collegebound students are getting help from private educational consultants. Why? Getting into college has become more and more fierce, with thousands of students applying each year. Ask an Educational Consultant for help. Lee Academia's expert consultants are affordable and are certified in College counseling with over 10 years of experience and a successful track record of getting their students into their top choice matching colleges. So get guidance and help early. Contributed by Douglas Lee, Case Western Reserve (Class of 2016)
College visits are an essential part of the important college decision process. By visiting a college campus for an afternoon, you can attain much more information about that school than by spending endless hours researching it online on sites like College Prowler. You can never fully grasp the unique environment each college provides behind a computer screen! In addition, online student submitted reviews are often biased, unreliable, or outdated. The dynamic of a college campus is constantly changing, and these changes may not be reflected online. Sure, a top ranked school may have all the qualities you are looking for: a strong program in the academic field you are interested in, numerous research opportunities, smart and ambitious students, and even a critically acclaimed dining hall! What’s not to like? However, without visiting this school, you miss out on many facets of student life; the qualities that determine whether or not you will enjoy your next four years at the school. College fit is an underrated aspect of the college decision process. When visiting a college, we recommend that you take a quick drive around the nearby city or town, interact with actual students, talk to faculty, sit in on a class, and tour main buildings such as the dining hall, recreational facilities, and library. Current students, professors, and admissions officers may provide much more valuable and insightful information that you may not be able to find elsewhere. By visiting a college, you may learn to appreciate a school that you had not even considered to be a top choice, or, you may learn that a previous top choice was just not the right fit for you. While sites like College Prowler, Unigo, USNews, and even Reddit may provide plenty of useful information, we only recommend that you use these sights as a starting point, and not the only sources you have to base your college decision on. Additional Tips:
For more college visit consultations, contact Lee Academia. Here are some things incoming college freshmen should know about college.
You Have Control Over Your Courses You do not have to confine yourself to the standard program. As you select your courses, be sure that each one is on the right level for you. Once you have picked your program, you should attend each of the classes and decide whether the professor is someone from whom you can really learn. By using the drop/add process, you may be able to get a much better teacher. Every class counts, so devote yourself to them. You Are Expected to Do a Lot of the Work on Your Own You need to be your own boss. Figure out when things need to be done and do them, week by week. No one will contact you when you have missed the test or have not handed in the paper. You will also need to get yourself to study — even when there is no graded work that week. You Don’t Have to Pick a Major in Your First Year Many colleges now encourage students to declare a major at orientation. This actually forces students to get started on some directed course of study, and it helps colleges manage course offerings. In some cases it may be a good idea to declare your major right away, especially if yours is a four-year program like pre-med, or music, however, it is better to wait until you’ve taken a few courses — especially upper-division or advanced courses in a given field — before you commit to a major. And keep in mind that even if you do declare a major at the outset, it is very easy to change your major if you find you don’t like the courses or you aren’t doing well in them. It is much better to get out of something you don’t like than to go through 10 or 12 required courses. International students can prepare for the TOEFL in 3 ways.
Students should make an effort to speak English every day and prepare for the TOEFL well in advance of your test date. 1. Don't try to cram. It's not easy memorizing a language in one night. The TOEFL test involves all aspects of the language - speaking, reading, writing and listening - definitely too much to cover in a few hours. 2. Turn study into something more pleasant. Crouching over a stack of books is no fun. Learn by speaking English every day. Write a story in English or a daily journal. Meet new English-speaking friends and speak to them in English. When it comes to reading, the Internet is your best friend. Browse websites you usually do not spend time on and read about things you normally would not pay attention to. Time magazines or New York Times are excellent starting points. To practice listening, watch movies and TV shows without subtitles, or download and listen to podcasts. Ask your English teacher to correct your essay – he or she will most likely be more than happy to help. 3. Get familiar with the exam: Uncertainty about the format of the test could make you anxious on test day. There are lots of online practice tests that will give you a taste of what to expect on the test day, at no cost. The Internet-based test (iBT) begins with a reading section that lasts about 60-80 minutes, and then jumps straight into a listening section that lasts 60-90 minutes. After that, you get a 10-minute breather and have a chance to go to the bathroom or grab a snack. Next comes the speaking section, which takes 20 minutes, followed by 50 minutes set aside for writing. At that point you'll probably feel rather exhausted, but try to keep it together. It will be worth it. 4. Get some rest: Finally, make sure to stay in and get some rest the night before. It's a long exam and the more stressed you are, the more it will drain you. So, for the International students, come prepared, stay calm during the exam and get to go home feeling content about your effort. If you do that, you could be one big step further on your path toward studying in the U.S. Lee Academia's expert consultant, Stephenie, is certified in TESOL/TEFL. She has worked with many International students on English skills and on their TOEFL test prep. For assistance, contact her at Stephenie@Leeacademia.com. *TOEFL is a registered trademark of Educational Testing Service (ETS). Congratulations on almost finishing your high school career.
Make sure you finalize your admission. Start making a list of tasks you need to complete before you arrive on campus this fall. Have you:
Read all mail and e-mail correspondence from your college, which will provide instructions on how to complete these tasks. Keep track of what is done and what is left to do. Make copies of any forms you submit. Submit Your final transcript to your college, the N.C.A.A. and waiting-list schools. Keep in mind that there may be limited waiting-list activity during the summer. Once a waiting list has closed, the college will notify you that its class is full. Submit your A.P. scores If you expect college credit for Advanced Placement exams, send your official scores to your college directly from the College Board. If your college offers a summer orientation program, be sure to attend. This will be an opportunity for you to meet your academic adviser, register for fall classes, and meet new college friends. Your college roommate will be a new and interesting person, someone to learn from and learn about, whether the two of you are just alike or completely different. Connect with him/her. You don’t have to be best friends with your roommate, but you will have to co-exist. Say hello and decide how best to manage your small space. Thank the people who helped you on your way. Hug your family and friends The summer after your senior year can be a happy, but tense, time at home. While you may be excited, your family may be equally sad and sentimental about your leaving home. Try your hand at managing all aspects of your life. Wake up on your own, to an alarm. Do your own laundry. Learn how to cook your favorite meal. Schedule your own health care appointments. Figure out when and how to exercise. Set a budget and live within it. Find some quiet time to set academic, extracurricular and personal goals for next year. Are you ready to discover something new about yourself? College is a fresh start, a new slate. Set your goals. College is going to be great, but it isn’t always perfect. This summer, endings and beginnings meet in memorable ways. There is so much ahead of you! So for all the art students, art school admissions is a competitive business, one that requires not just an academic application but an art portfolio as well.
It's important to get an outside assessment of a student's work, so be sure to check out National Portfolio Day, a free public event that invites would-be art school applicants to meet with college representatives and have their portfolios evaluated. This event is specifically for visual artists and designers. To get your art portfolio together, contact us at Lee Academia and our art school specialist will prepare you for National Portfolio Day. What are the English language proficiency requirements to study in the United States?
Being able to communicate in English is a basic requirement for successful study in the United States. If English is not your native language, U.S. colleges and universities will ask you to take an English language proficiency test before admission. Almost all institutions require either the TOEFL or IELTS. Check the websites of the institutions where you plan to apply for detailed information. Lee Academia advisers can help. You may be granted conditional acceptance with the understanding that you will attend English language classes at the institution before beginning your degree program. Check with the institution. So with the May 4th, 2013 Tests coming up, are you ready?
If you haven't registered for your SAT or Subject Tests, you still have 2 more days to register for the June 1st Tests. Get cramming and work with a tutor. Contact Lee Academia if you need some last minute guidance. Good Luck~ Lee Academia is offering discounts and many services for high school students this year. To take part in these promotional offers, go bid and support Stuyvesant High School's Parent Association for their Spring Gala 2013 event!
Some of these special services include: - Writing a College Essay (book + consultation with Stephenie Lee) - College Essay Brainstorming session (1-hour) - College Essay Editing (1-hour + 1-revision) - Study Skills for College Prep (1-hour) : Learn HOW to study and succeed - College Interview Training (1-hour) - 30-minute College Consultation Session BID NOW. Offer ends in 11 days! So go check out these promotions now, before May 10, 2013! |
Stephenie Lee
Stephenie, having been a tutor/instructor/mentor since 1996, discovered her passion and founded Lee Academia Educational Consulting, LLC. after she left the dental and medical field. She loves teaching/mentoring and counseling her students. Her passion lies in educating others and helping them pursue their educational path. Today, certified in College Counseling and with more than 10 years of experience, Stephenie and her team continues to blog about current updated educational news and events. Archives
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