Posts Tagged ‘college acceptance’

5 Tips for Creating A Glowing Admissions Letter and Statement

Saturday, November 5th, 2011

The odds are you are concerned about getting into one of the colleges or universities of your choice.  There are many areas to focus your attention upon, ranging from SAT preparation to grades to applications.  Let’s take a look at a few of the factors you need to consider when writing your admissions letter and statement.  As you will see, some of the considerations are less obvious than others, but all of the factors we will cover can have a major impact on your final product.

Tip One – Begin Your Work Well In Advance

Just as you should begin your work on college and university applications early, the same is true for working on your admissions letter and statement.  Rushing rarely yields good results.  Plus, it almost always ensures a sense of panic.  Avoid all of this by starting your work in advance; you will be very glad you did!

Tip Two – Create an Outline

By beginning to work on your admissions letter and statement early, you will have time to do things like create an outline.  In this part of the process, you will be forced to think about what you want to convey in very clear terms.  Take your time to create your outline, and don’t be afraid to revise your outline at a later date after you’ve had time to think about it.

Tip Three – Don’t Be a Mind-Reader

When it comes to your admission letter and statement, don’t try to read the mind of a stranger.  Instead create a letter and statement that is a reflection of you.  If you want to be believable and sincere in your admissions letter and statement, then you shouldn’t try to figure out what others want to hear.  After all, admissions officials see thousands of statements and letters over their careers, and they can sniff out a phony better than you might think. They’re older than you, but not necessarily brain dead!

Tip Four – Have Several Trusted People Read Over Your Work

You may be pretty confident that you have a great letter and statement, and you may be correct in your assessment.  But you should have several different people, preferably of different ages and backgrounds, read your materials.  By getting a wide range of viewpoints, you will gain perspectives and insights that may help you with your final draft.

Tip Five – Rewrite, Rework and Rethink

The time that you spend rewriting, reworking and rethinking your admissions letter and statement is likely to be time very well spent.  Having time to gather input and feedback from other people is a valuable part of the process, as is sitting on your letter and statement aside for a few months, so that you can look at it with fresh eyes later.  Of course, all of the tips that we’ve listed here can be done in a rush, but you will likely not achieve optimal results if you handle them in this fashion.

4 Ways To Reduce Stress When Applying to College

Tuesday, November 1st, 2011

There are many important steps to applying for college.  Getting into the college or university of your choice can be a complex process.  This is especially true when you are applying to numerous schools.  As a result, you may at times feel overwhelmed and stressed by the process as a whole.  This is why it is extremely important to keep your focus.

When you get stressed out, you stop thinking clearly.  The end result could be that you begin making mistakes.  Whether its studying for your SAT, trying to ace as many classes as possible, or filling out your college applications, you need to keep your stress levels at a minimum.  Let’s take a look at a few of the ways that you can keep your stress levels low and increase your chances of getting into the college of your choice in the process.

#1 Realize that the World Will Not End

One basic step that you can take to keep your stress levels low is to realize that it is not the end of the world if you don’t get into your “top pick.”  Lots of pressure can be put on your shoulders, as older people just assume that you can “take it.”  Yet, if you feel totally stressed out it may impact your performance.  Now this isn’t an excuse to fail or not try, but you should keep in mind that life will go on even if you get into your fifth choice instead of your first college of choice.  No matter how others may act the world will not end, and you will not be destined to a future of poverty and failure.

#2 Walk Away and Take a Break

If all you do is study and deal with SAT preparation, you may actually be increasing your odds of failure both in the short term and in the long term.  Some students may ace the SAT, but they end up so exhausted and overwhelmed that they avoid studying all freshmen year.  This route isn’t a good plan for long term success!

#3 Short Breaks, Meditation and Stress Reduction

Stress can actually kill you.  Prolonged exposure to stress hormones, such as cortisol, can result in a decrease in the strength of your immune system.  If your immune system is weakened, your odds of getting sick, of course, go up.  If you’re sick, you won’t be studying for your classes or the SAT.  Part of staying healthy is keeping your immune system strong.

Meditation is a relaxation technique that serves to reduce stress hormone levels.  Recent medical studies have actually shown that meditation has a variety of medical benefits including the reduction of stress.  So if you are feeling upset and anxious, meditation stands as a great way to deal with this stress.

#4 Find a College Admissions Counselor

Believe it or not, utilizing a College Admissions Counselor can take a real load off your mind. Why run around worried about what you’re forgetting, or what opportunities you are missing? Start smart with a college admissions counselor who can sit down with you and your family to figure out your wants and needs and outline a plan for you to follow. Why go it alone, when you can have a partner?

Remember that any edge you can give yourself is one you should take.  However, at the same time, you should never allow yourself to become so stressed out and worried about what colleges you get into that you become miserable.

An Overview of the Importance of SAT Preparation

Tuesday, October 18th, 2011

Every year millions of people take the SAT exam for admissions to colleges and universities nationwide. This exam has become a key mechanism in determining who goes to what colleges and universities. Regardless of whether or not you like the idea of a standardized test determining what educational opportunities you will have after high school, the fact of the matter is that if you want to go to college the SAT is impossible to ignore. Further, if you want to get into the school of your choice or a top tier university or college, you will also need a good score on the SAT.

By now you probably realize that if you want to pass almost any test you need to study, and there are tools to help you with this, starting with test preparation courses. In this regard, the SAT is simply no different. There is no magic involved in getting a great score on the SAT. While many people have cheated on the SAT or even paid someone else to take this all-important test for them, this is not the route that you want to take. Cheating is, of course, unethical but it is also extremely dangerous, as there is a very serious and substantial risk of being caught. Your best option by far is to prepare for this pivotal test far before the test date.

SAT preparation has two major parts. The first part is to begin your preparation work as early as possible. The longer you wait to prepare, the more stress and pressure you will feel. This issue will likely impact the effectiveness of your study time and perhaps even your study habits.

Secondly, you must, of course, study. Knowing how to study is a major part of the equation. Finding the right study tools and using them can make the difference between a decent score and a fantastic score! Proper SAT preparation means finding the best SAT preparation tools. You should look for tools that have been specifically designed to greatly increase your test scores and help you maximize your final test score. Studying hard and working hard is obviously an important part of the process, but so is working smart. That means employing the best tools that you can possibly find. A variety of tools are available including flashcards, games, test preparation books, SAT courses, and practice exams.

The SAT exam plays a tremendous role, perhaps the greatest role, in determining what institutions will ultimately accept you for enrollment. Investing the time to find the tools that will help you the most is a savvy and worthwhile investment in your future.

From The Vault: How Many Colleges Should I Apply To?

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

We know you’re still deep in the college search process, but since it pays to look ahead, we’re bringing you a previously published post that we think you’ll find very helpful! The topic? Deciding how many colleges should apply to. So what’s the answer? Read on to find out.

While you may know of a college-bound student in your class who plans on filling out 22 college applications, we’ve got a better answer – both for your peace of mind and your parent’s wallet.

The classic college campus: is this the in-the-middle school for you?

How many colleges should you apply to? Photo Credit: anne.oeldorfhirsch / Anne Oeldorf-Hirsch

If you’ve taken a look at the price of submitting college applications, well, some are definitely more wallet-friendly than others – but it all adds up (you can check out our Apply to College Without Paying a Fee article for ways to get out of that one!). So, just how many college apps should you fill out? Easy – well, sort of.

My College Guide recommends that you fill out between 6 –10 college applications. Don’t just apply anywhere, we’ve got a handy system to the college application madness. Don’t worry – it’s not as complicated as it sounds! Basically, you should apply to the three basic types of colleges: reach schools, in-the-middle schools, and safety schools.

We know that handing over college application fee after college application fee is less than fun, so we want you to know that we are here to help! Check out the three types of colleges that we believe just about every student should apply to – and why! Of course, these schools will vary with the stats of each student, so your BFF’s safety school may match your in-the-middle school. Do your research to see where you fit in and to avoid making college application mistakes!

Apply To A Couple of Reach Schools

So you don’t fit the exact college requirements for admission criteria due to your GPA, your test scores, or some combination of the two. It doesn’t mean that something else about your application won’t make college admissions take a second look! Maybe you’ve got that certain something they are looking for. Don’t sell yourself short – but don’t apply to every hard-to-get-into college, either. Fill out one or two applications and do be aware of the college admission rates. Be hopeful, but realistic – college admissions has their own reasons why a student is in or out.

Apply To A Few In-The-Middle Schools

Are you in or are you out? With these schools, it can be hard to tell if you will be accepted into college or not. Sure, you have the grades to get in to college and the rest of your college application matches up to their admission guidelines (you’ve even got a couple awesome letters of recommendation) but they can’t accept everyone! Apply to two or three in-the-middle schools that you would be happy to attend (hopefully you’ve visited at least one of them!) and see what happens.

Don’t Forget To Apply To Safety Schools

These colleges will jump for joy to have you! Not only do your standardized test scores, GPA, and your extracurricular activities set you apart from the average students that college admissions normally accepts — which means that you will most likely be “in” (although it goes without saying that even then your chance at acceptance isn’t set in stone). Of course, this is still a college that you are interested in and can see yourself enjoying and loving for four years (even if it isn’t your first choice). Being ahead of the pack has its perks so, safety school or not, your high school accomplishments could net you a nice little scholarship prize.

For more tips and tricks for making the most of the college application process all year long, don’t forget to subscribe to our blog!

How To Get Your Facebook Profile Ready For College Application Season.

Thursday, July 28th, 2011
Do you know what your Facebook profile says about you?

Do you know what your Facebook profile says about you?

If you’re like most high schoolers, Facebook is a part of your everyday life. But when it comes time to apply for college, what you posted on Facebook two years ago could come back to bite you.

So what’s an ambitious wanna-be college freshman to do? The smart thing, of course, is to never post potentially embarrassing information in the first place. But even if you have, there are still ways you can protect your online self from the eyes of  curious college admissions officers.

Lock down your Facebook privacy settings before sending off those college applications.

Facebook privacy policies change almost as often as Lady Gaga changes her hair. Which means you need to keep a sharp eye on them.  Settings you should take a good hard look at include:

  • How (and with whom) you share information
  • Who can see  your photos
  • Who can check you into Places
  • How you show up in search results
  • How much information your friends can share about you

Comb through all those photos of you before college admissions officers do.

Snap happy people are everywhere. Which means, of course, that you’re probably tagged in a lot more photos than you realize. Sure, you’re notified when someone tags you, but things that seemed harmless six months ago might seem a little less awesome now that you know college official-types might be looking at them.

So do yourself a favor. Go to your Facebook profile page and take a good look at all the photos and videos of you. And if you see something that’s even vaguely scandalous? Un-tag yourself. It’s the smart thing to do.

Make incriminating status updates disappear.

Hopefully, there’s nothing out there that would be of concern. But, it’s better to be safe than sorry, so scroll through your shared content and status updates for potential red flags. And if you find one? Make it go away.

It’s easy. Just place your mouse on the right side of the status update box you want to delete.  A little “X” will appear.  Hover over it and a button saying “remove post” will pop up. Click it and poof! All evidence of your poor judgment will disappear.

Doing these three things will go a long way toward making your Facebook profile college application-friendly. Want more information about making social media work for your college application? Check out this post.

And don’t forget, we’ll be bringing you great information about college applications and getting into college all year long. Subscribe to our blog so you don’t miss a thing!

Photo courtesy of C. M. Keiner.

Worried About College Admissions? Just Be Glad It’s Not Like This.

Monday, July 25th, 2011

As summer slips away, the specter of college applications and getting admitted to college is looming large in many a high school senior’s mind. After all, you’re putting your whole life out there for strangers to dissect. It’s enough to make anyone feel a little nervous!

But you know what they say…it’s better to laugh than cry.

At least that’s what the team behind this video from The Princeton Tiger—the nation’s second oldest college humor magazine—think. And we hope you’ll agree.

A few of our favorite quotes from this spoof of the college admissions process?

“I wasn’t sure about this kid until I read his 27th recommendation. His uncle’s middle school art teacher’s glowing recommendation of his community service really inspired me.”

“Let’s all read this one’s personal statement and laugh at it.”

“Listen, can you hear them cry? I like it when they cry.”

But don’t worry. The actual college admissions process is nothing like this! To see what it’s really like, watch this video from Butler University.

Want to be extra sure your application will stand out from the crowd? Subscribe to our blog and get tons of useful advice about applying to college and surviving the college admissions process!

“Top 10″ List – Your College Search Just Got Easier!

Thursday, July 21st, 2011
Questions about getting into college

Got questions about getting into college? We have the answers.

Summer is fast winding to a close, and when it does, the college search process will heat up for millions of students across the country. Worried about how to start? Trying to simplify your search? Are you even ready?

To help you get prepared, we’ve created My College Guide’s “top 10″ list based on our most popular college search posts!

Why are they popular? Easy, they provide helpful information on finding the college that’s right for you, figuring out the college admissions process and identifying ways to pay for college.

Let’s get started.

1. Got a pet that you just can’t stand to leave behind? In You Can Take Them With You: Pet Friendly Colleges and Universities, you’ll see which colleges and universities are pet friendly.

2. Need help paying for college? Who doesn’t? Colleges for Low Income Students: Free Tuition, No Loans, and Full Rides provides a list of colleges that offer full rides or free tuition.

3. Looking for a college scholarship? Think the scholarship options are limited? There’s more out there than you think! Be creative, think outside the box and check out our Super List of College Scholarship Websites.

4. Wish you could get advice about getting college scholarships? Read tips about finding scholarships from the pros in Fastweb, Scholarships.com, Super College: Scholarship Tips From Pros in the Know.

5. Trying to get through the financial aid process? Worrying about all the forms to fill out for college funding? Learn about the financial aid process from the people behind the scenes at the University of Michigan in our post, College Tuition and Financial Aid Explained at the University of Michigan.

6. Searching for affordable colleges? Need to find a college that’s affordable with or without financial aid? We’ve got you covered. See our list of  8 of America’s Most Affordable Public Universities.

7. Want to get an edge on the competition for admission to your dream college? Check out 3 Ways to Get into Your First Choice College (Besides Getting Good Grades) and discover things you can do before you ever fill out a college application to help you get the attention of college admissions officers.

8. Nervous about those upcoming college interviews? Read 5 Tips to Help You Prepare for Your College Interview and learn what you need to know to succeed.

9. Want to make sure admissions officers remember your name? Learn how to stand out from the pack with How to Increase Your Odds After Sending in Your Application.

10. Worried about the economy? Want to get a job right out of college? Then you should read The Most Employable Majors: 5 Concentrations That Will Land You a Job Straight Out of College.

We’re always sharing more information on getting into college, paying for college and college help,  so subscribe to our blog today and stay ahead of the curve!

If you’re looking for answers to specific college and career readiness questions, Ask The Guru.

Photo courtesy of Ninja M.

Trippin’ with Griffin at Westminster College

Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011

How is your college of choice planning on getting you excited about becoming a student? If you are going to be a student at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah, the answer lies in the Facebook College Class of 2015 and Griffin. Who is Griffin? Only the feathered mascot that is now seen in the hands of soon-to-be students far and wide! My College Guide got in touch with Dana Simmons, E-Marketing Director & Outreach Director, to hear all about it!

Trippin' with Griffin

Trippin' with Griffin

What is “Trippin’ with Griffin?”
Trippin’ with Griffin is an exciting way to connect the Class of 2015 to each other and to Westminster’s campus community before students arrive on campus with the help of our mascot, the Griffin. The primary social medium for this is Facebook but advertised through email, twitter, and direct mail marketing.

Why start this program? What do you hope new students get from this?
We want our students to get to know each other before they arrive on campus – and by doing so, they will start to build their friendships early and are more likely to be successful and happy. Almost half of our student population is from outside the state and it is important to Westminster College to help these students acclimate into college life. Trippin’ with Griffin is just one of the steps in that.

What’s the range for “Trippin’ with Griffin?” How far has Griffin traveled?
Griff has traveled all over the United States with sightings everywhere from the east coast in Maine and Pennsylvania to the west coast in Washington, Oregon and California. He’s also downloadable for our international students from countries, such as India, Malaysia, Hong Kong and China. We hope to have a few sightings there soon.

Are there any fan favorites at this point?
We love all the photos that have been submitted. I think each one shows the unique personality of our students – and gives us a fun preview of our Class of 2015!

Tripping with Griffin

Trippin' with Griffin

What else would you like My College Guide to know?
Our focus has been to broaden our social media strategy for our students to increase interactivity through online venues, such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube and Tumblr. We feel like Trippin’ with Griffin was an innovative yield campaign that helped maximize our dollars through offline and online channels. Stay tuned for Griff to go on Fall travel–you just might see him at a college fair and follow him on Foursquare.

Images Courtesy of Westminster College.

Who We Are: Information you can trust. For 20 years My College Guide has produced an annual magazine chock full of free college info for high-achieving high school sophomores. Check out our participating colleges.

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Tips for Getting Off the College Waitlist

Thursday, March 31st, 2011

You expect a clear answer but then your dream school puts you on the college waitlist! While it may seem hopeless—there’s still plenty a little hope! You’ve got a chance to impress college admission one last time. You don’t necessarily need to just sit there and wait it out. Here’s a few tips from My College Guide for getting off the college waitlist and into your dream school!

Stuck on the college waitlist? What are your options?

cesarastudillo / César Astudillo

What Are Your Chances? – The waitlist is a way for a college to fill in the Freshman class with qualified candidates. It could be very technical: like if too many soccer players don’t accept an offer of admission, college admission may use the waitlist to fill in the blank with more soccer players from the waitlist.

Sometimes, it can just be down to numbers. You were close to making it in but fit the academic profile of numerous other students. In that case: you’ll end up in or out based on whether enough other students decline and where you are on the waitlist! Knowing where you are on the list (if your college shares that information) can help you make an informed decision about your next move.

Act Fast – So you received an offer to sit it out on the college waitlist. Don’t just hem and haw about it! You know whether or not you seriously want to attend this school. Let the college know either way. Send in your deposit and commit to attending. Keeping them hanging will seem like indifference on your part—and you want college admissions to be pulling for you (just make sure you have a back-up plan just in case)!

Call in a Favor – Do you have someone on your side? Politely ask your advocate if they can put in a good word and get the facts! If your coach, band director, or someone else important to your academic life, who is also well-connected to the college, can find out the facts for you (like your chances of admission)—why not nicely ask him or her?

Send a Letter – This is the only school you can see yourself at for the the next four years. You like the learning style and know that this is the right fit for you! Let admissions know. See if you can find out who is in charge of your college application and send him/her an updated letter!

Fine tune your recent accomplishments if you are on the college waitlist!

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Point out what you’ve done the last few weeks or months since you applied that changes the game: do you have new hobbies? Stellar grades? More community service? Did you win some big award? Let your admissions counselor know. It could mean the difference between staying on the college waitlist or finally receiving that acceptance letter!

Before you get in touch with the school, be sure to read the fine print! How do they feel about waitlisted candidates? Do they want to hear from you again or are you supposed to sit tight until they come to you? Find out before you start your “getting off the college waitlist” campaign. Be careful not to overdo it. Sometimes just doing nothing is the best thing that you can do.

Who We Are: Information you can trust. For 20 years My College Guide has produced an annual magazine chock full of free college info for high-achieving high school sophomores. Check out our participating colleges. Subscribe to our blog via RSS or email and stay on top of everything college!

Why You Won’t Receive an Instant Admissions Response

Friday, February 4th, 2011

Wondering why you don’t receive an instant response from your dream school? This great YouTube video from Dartmouth College relays a few impressive facts regarding the admission process from actual college admission professionals!

Here’s a few of the highlights from last year’s process (and we’re guessing that this year will be even bigger!): Dartmouth Admissions read 40,000 teacher recommendation, received college applications from 138 countries, and looked over 187 applications from people named John. You know My College Guide loves when colleges get personal and this inside look at the Dartmouth College admissions process is certainly insightful and worth a look! Watch Dartmouth College Class of 2014 on YouTube or below.

Who We Are: Information you can trust. For 20 years My College Guide has produced an annual magazine chock full of free college info for high-achieving high school sophomores. Check out our participating colleges. If you’re a student, enter for a chance to win an Apple iPad or iPhone or cash!