By HGIEC Blog | February 16, 2012 at 11:00 PM EST | No Comments
Sometimes it is hard to plan ahead especially if it is something as complex and anxiety provoking as thinking about College/University. You have lots to do now - all that school work, the committees you belong to, upcoming concerts and performances - you're busy! But, the race is about to start and the earlier you prepare the better shape you will be in.
Applying to college is, in some ways, like preparing for a marathon. If you have never run a marathon or even if you have, it takes time, planning and preparation. Certainly, if you are not in shape you don't go out and run 26 miles on your first day. Good preparation means taking short training sessions to build up to the longer distances.
So, in the case of preparing for the race to university, now is the time to start training, well actually research. It is easy to put off the work necessary until later, but really if you dedicate some time each week to research schools, attend college fairs or presentations and do some SAT prep - vocabulary building, SAT question of the day; things will start to fall into place.
Why is it important to attend school presentations - because making a decision based on solid information is far better than rumor and innuendo. You owe it to your self to go listen to college representatives who come to your school or town. Making a decision about where you go should be based personal reasons since after all, you are the person going to that school.
While trying to find the PERFECT school is a bit unrealistic, there should be loads of schools that offer many of the qualities you seek. But it takes time to consider all the factors which are important to and for you.
So do your self a huge favor - start training now.
By HGIEC Blog | February 01, 2012 at 11:41 PM EST | No Comments
At this time of the year, students whether boarding school or college applicants are in the dreaded WAIT BOX. They are waiting for the results of the many applications they submitted during the last part of the year. Decisions are coming but what should you do?
There are a couple of things to do. First of all, if you were Deferred in the Early Admission process, now is the time to send a letter to the admission office reconfirming your commitment to that school. Even though you were deferred, it does not mean you were Rejected. You are still very much in the running for a place at that school. While the competition maybe a bit steeper, you still have an opportunity. So, send them a letter. Let them know that you still consider their school your First Choice. Update them with any new information which has come over the months since you applied. Have you won any awards? Completed any projects? Started a new Community Service project? Written of book? Or finished something you stated you were going to do in the application? This is the time to let admission committees know what you have been up to since the time of your application. This letter of confirmation should be short and to the point and no longer than one page. It does not need to go back and talk about all the things you mentioned in your application, but it should be a convincing statement about your intentions. By the way, do not send out a First Choice letter to all of your schools.
As for your other applications this is also the time to make sure your application is complete. Your school will be sending up dated Mid-Year Reports, i.e. a new transcript with grades from Semester One. Hopefully, your grades are better or at least the same. Spend a few moments checking Your Status or Application Status for each of your schools to make sure SAT scores have been submitted or any other documents that are required have been sent. If you have been getting emails from schools that your file is not complete, now is the time to get that all sorted out.
There is no doubt that the Wait Box is a tiresome affair. Waiting to find out if you are in is wrought with anxiety. So what else can you do? This is a good time to review all of the schools you applied to and prioritize your list. Which school is your first choice, second and so forth.
Over the last several months you have changed. The process of applying to school, going through Senior Year changes you. You mature, things come into focus and some of your priorities have changed. Make note of those changes and take a look at your school list. Does it still make sense? What else has changed?
It is important to go through this process even if for just a few minutes. Once decisions start coming in you will need to reconsider what is important to you and why. One of the hardest decisions you will make will be to choose the one school you will attend. If you have gone back to re-prioritize your list it will make the decision process a bit easier. Many times students say to my "I have no idea why I applied to that school" or sometimes they are recommitted to living in the city/country etc... Review the reasons why you chose those schools in the first place and get a new perspective. Maybe things have not changed, that is fine. It is still good to go back.
April 1st or any admission deadline is fast approaching. Remember that no matter what happens if you applied appropriately to schools you will have a number of schools to choose from.
Finally, keep working hard in school. Final Results need to be sent to the one school you will attend. It is VERY important that your grades have not slipped - Senior Slip is not an option.
Good Luck, work hard and keep things in perspective!
By HGIEC Blog | October 06, 2011 at 07:58 PM EDT | No Comments
The Chinese New Year Holiday is about over and things are starting to move to their inevitable end - Application submission time.
About this time students are fretting over THE ESSAY. As a good buddy and fellow international counselor stated recently on his website askJohnaboutcollege.com "Get Real". Colleges want the real you in the essays you submit. They don't want a manufactured, impostor. I recently read a wonderful essay from one of my students, and while the grammar was not Excellent, the essay was simple, honest and down to earth. As I mentioned to him, he captured in less than 500 words what families spend $5000 for over a summer to create.
So my advice - Keep it Simple, Keep it Honest and by all means keep it in the word limit!
Now, last thing everyone is worried about is the final school list. Yesterday there was an interesting article on The Street about 8 Common Mistakes. The main topic - applying to too many schools thinking that the chances of acceptance are improved. In fact, the opposite is true. As many of you know, I keep the limit to 10 or less. Why? You can only attend one school. Furthermore, at some point you will need to make 1 choice. Make the decision at the front end rather than at the tail end. Besides, if you are applying to more than 10 most likely you are cutting corners somewhere - in school, on essays, in your activities.
Sure, I know why students apply to more than 10, for the most part they are trying to get in to highly selective schools and they worry that if they only choose one, they wont get in. But these same students have also bought into the perception that if they don't go to The Name School, their life and future career are over. It is a shame that this is the perception because nothing could be further from the truth. Beside by applying to only top shelf schools you obviously have not researched the schools. For the most part they are very different. How can you answer the "Why Our School?" essay if you have not done the research and answered that question honestly and personally?
Do the research. Keep the list number down. Do your self a favor - "to thine own self be true"
By HGIEC Blog | September 18, 2011 at 09:27 AM EDT | No Comments
For those of you interested in Liberal Arts, here is a great article to help you understand what it means during your education and for your future career>Liberal Arts Education?
By HGIEC Blog | September 11, 2011 at 06:57 PM EDT | No Comments
If you are wondering what else goes in to the application aside from the myriad of essays you will write, the test scores, resume and ticked boxes, there are several things. Letters of recommendation come from two teachers. Two teachers who know you well and can speak about your performance in their class, recently! I have had students ask if their teacher from two or three years ago could write the letter. Ah.... no! Too long ago and I am sure they have fond memories of the student but not pertinent since the student has moved onward and upward in more challenging classes. So, teachers should have taught you in the last two years- this current year or last year. They should know you well and be able to write about how you meet challenges as well as how you do in their class.
Do not assume that a teacher will write for you. Ask them early, like now, and ask them politely. While they have some obligation to write, they may already be writing tons of letters for other students who ask beforehand. Appreciate that they are busy too.
Typically, you want one English/History and one Math/Science. Always check to see what the schools you are applying to in order to make sure you are meeting their application requirements. If a school says they do not read letters of recommendation or do not accept them, Follow the Directions! If they want a different configuration or a different set of teachers, make sure you comply. As always, follow the directions. They are important!
Make sure you give each teacher the forms schools require - either in paper form or electronically. Give the teachers plenty of time to write. If you ask them the week before your EA application or any other for that matter, is due... well you deserve a poorly written recommendation. Please realize teachers have other work to do, respect that but also give them time to write a solid letter. Oh, please say thank you! Also, once you are in to school(s) let them know. They have a vested interest in where you were accepted, remember - they helped!
By HGIEC Blog | September 11, 2011 at 04:26 AM EDT | No Comments
A recent article on Shine from Yahoo reminded me that most folks who are professional know what they are talking about, yet, there are a odd group of few non-professionals who seem to be listened to when giving advice. Their advice is usually incorrect or downright wrong. The article from Shine is 10 Tips from College Admission Professionals gives solid advice about some common things to think about.
Where I live the Bad Advice seem to hold sway over common sense. This is unfortunate since professionals like me end up spending tons of time undoing their errors. It is lovely when colleges and universities combine efforts to bring out information as found on this article.
This also reminds me. When you are curious about information that you have heard from a "source" think of what that sources motivation is behind the information they are giving. Check with the school or ask a representative visiting your school or city. They are interested in giving the best professional information, even if it does not apply to their school. Go to the source - check the school's website. Avoid listening to innuendo.
By HGIEC Blog | August 18, 2011 at 08:20 PM EDT | No Comments
Lots of students have started their essays but more often than not students have no idea what to write. Keep it honest, be real - literally and keep the story focused. Make sure what you have to talk about is so big and large that you can only skim the surface or too small you are using filler to meet a reasonable word count.
On that subject, just because it says 500 words does not mean it has to be 500 words. If you can tell your story in 300. Excellent. But it better be good!
Another thing - remember that you know your story - what happened, what acronyms mean, places and so forth. Your reader may not have a clue. Make sure you fully describe who, what and where. Take the reader to your event in words. Make sure your story makes sense and is clear.
Finally, the essays should be in your words. Remember that every person who "touches" your essay, the further it gets away from your voice. And that is the voice colleges want to hear. They don't want to read something your mother wrote or for that matter some overpriced agent. The best story is and always will be, yours.
GET ORGANIZED - NOW
School is about to start. So get it together. I realize this is the last chance to hang out with your friends... at the beach or wherever. But if you are in your last year of high school, you have tons to do this year. So get organized.
Get organized with your college stuff. Keep schools and information about them in a place the is obvious and easily accessible. Keep files and documents related to each school together. Keep a list of all the essays each school needs, see if there are overlapping questions between schools. Finally, keep information about a school's research you have done so when it comes to the "Why X School" you have scan through it remind yourself.
Get organized with school stuff. Get your desk clean, get a big calendar so you can see when dates and deadlines are. Make sure you are prepared for tests, papers, exams, and application deadlines.
This year is going to Fly by. The better organized you are, the less stressed you will be.
Oh, go shopping. Got to look good at school, right!
By HGIEC Blog | August 06, 2011 at 08:36 PM EDT | No Comments
One of the key parts of pulling together The Essay or personal statement is finding a point in your life where everything comes together. Most students look back on their lives and see just a regular path. The seemingly huge pressure to find some monumental, significantly life altering event and then write about it like James Joyce, seems a bit absurd for a seventeen or eighteen year old.
That event could be something as simple as reading a good book on the beach, attending a class at summer school, being a counselor in summer camp, traveling or spending time with friends or family. What matters most is your perspective and being able to shed light on who you, the student are in a moment in time.
The hardest part of the The Essay is trying to boil it down to 500 words. That is why it is important to not choose a topic too broad nor too narrow. Be able to support your event with clear examples. Make sure too that you use clear language. If you don't really know what a word means, do not use it. Earnest Hemingway used to simple language to write some of the most memorable literature.
As with most things, Keep It Simple. Kismet brought this from the New York Times today, an article about summer and writing essays.
By HGIEC Blog | April 05, 2011 at 09:22 PM EDT | No Comments
Summer is almost over and hopefully you have had a great time.
This means of course that school is about to start. So put the key in the ignition and lets getting ready.
Now is the time to set realistic goals for the coming school year, settle you college list and if you have not started them yet, get working on those application essays.
As for goals: plan, prepare and pep up. The year ahead is going to fly by fast. Plan ahead and get organized. Know what you need to do and put deadlines on a calendar. Prepare for what lies ahead by researching schools, making sure you know deadlines and when you need to get things done. Pump yourself up to attack the school year.
If you have not thought those darned tests which are coming - the SAT or SAT II, TOEFL or if you are planning on attending boarding school, the SSAT, NOW is the time to get re-familiar with the content. Spend some time reviewing test questions. You can do this by going to College Board. While you are there, ask for the Question of the Day to be sent to your email.
Finally, get on with your application. The Common Application opened August 1. Login and start collecting the data and information you need. Build your resume, take a look at the essays and write some outlines. Also, look at any supplements for the schools on your list. Some of them will have additional essays particular to their school.
Getting some of this done or at least started now will take some of the anxiety out of the application process. Speaking of which, have fun with th process. It really is not that bad if you are organized. The essays are a challenge, but who shies away from a good challenge. After all, you know you better than anyone else. But, please remember - truth and honesty are the key. You cannot be some one you are not.
That should be enough for now. So, quit reading and get to it!
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