Posts Tagged ‘college application’

College Applications Video? Tufts University Tunes In

Friday, February 26th, 2010

ImNotQuiteJack/Jon Collier

You’ve heard about the College Admissions video – well, Tufts University Admissions is giving students the option to post a one minute video supplemental essay about themselves on YouTube!  It’s just another way for Tufts University to put a face to a name, and if video is your thing (ahem future filmmakers) — it could be your way in!

What did creative Tufts University applicants dream up?  There’s a Tufts hopeful on a unicycle with a ukulele, the rubber duck stop animation video supplement, the what’s currently on my iPod video, Inside the Actor’s Studio spoof, and the pink, blue, or red haired lover of questions…to name a very small, really fun assortment of what’s out there.

There are plenty of videos on YouTube – and a few more still trickling in!  It definitely looks as though the College Class of 2014 has played a key role in many new social media trends and innovations in the college applications process – so what’s next?

Marquette University on Twitter had My College Guide wondering when they jokingly tweeted, “What would you say if you had to write a college application essay in 140 characters or less?”   At least, we think they were only kidding.

Early Action: Non-Binding and Contract-Free!

Friday, February 5th, 2010
Get to Work!

mag3737/Tom Magliery

College jargon scrambling your brain?  We know.  We’ve already covered early decision (you know, that binding contract with a prospective college) so it only makes sense to talk a bit more about early action.

Early action, or EA, is non-binding.  You turn your college app in early, just like you would with early decision, somewhere around November or December, and receive an answer a few months earlier than regular admission students, like December or January (instead of March or April) but with a major difference -– no contracts!

There are two types of early action:

Restrictive – If you apply to a school with a restrictive early action plan, you can’t apply for any other early action or early decision plan at any other college – in other words: choose wisely, young Padawan. You can only apply to that one college or university but you aren’t required to accept an offer of admission (like you are with early decision).

Non-restrictive - Colleges with a non-restrictive early action plan let you apply to whatever colleges you are interested in, provided, of course, that they are also non-restrictive early action colleges (or you’ve applied for regular admission). You can also apply to one early decision college in addition to multiple non-restrictive early action colleges.

If you receive early action acceptance, you have a chance to play around with the numbers, like compare how your financial aid packages measure up, maybe make another campus visit or two, and really finalize where you can see yourself spending the next four years of your life.

Your application can be deferred, meaning the admissions office could sit on your college application until the regular admissions process begins.  Your application will be looked at one last time and you will receive the verdict with the rest of the regular admissions bunch.

Early action deniedIt can happen to the best of us, and, if it does, at least you know sooner, rather than later, right?  Also, you still have the other schools you applied to (at least you should have applied to other schools, including some “safety” schools).

If you love the college and are mostly sure you would like to attend but you don’t want the binding factor as with early decision (or your college of choice doesn’t even offer early decision), early action may be a great alternative!

6 of the Greatest Online College Planning Tools

Monday, November 30th, 2009

computerYou use your computer for just about everything, from taking notes to sending instant messages to friends to buying the latest MP3s. So why hasn’t the college application process gotten with the program?

Filling out paper applications and forms can be tedious and confusing. But the truth is, you can do just about everything online these days if you know where to look. We’ve rounded up some of the best online tools to help you out with the college application process, from finding scholarships to learning what your odds are. If you’re ready to put down the pen and paper for good, click on over to these great sites.

College Planner

Undoubtedly, you’re familiar with Facebook—in fact, you’re probably logged in right now. It’s the perfect way to keep up with friends and relatives, share photos, and play FarmVille and the rest of your favorite online games. Now, thanks to a cool app called College Planner, you can even use Facebook to apply to college.

College Planner lets you research user reviews of schools, discover schools based on your interests, find out what schools your friends are planning to apply to, and discuss school choices with your friends. Best of all, you can apply to any school online without even leaving your Facebook page!

Peterson’s College Search

There are so many decisions that go into choosing the perfect school for you—so how can you narrow it down a little? With Peterson’s detailed search tool, it’s easy to find the perfect selection of schools.  You can view detailed profiles for thousands of colleges, and run searches based on criteria including location, majors, and cost to find the schools that fit your needs.

FastWeb

As your parents have probably told you time and again, college is really, really expensive. Most families can’t afford to pay anywhere near the full tuition prize, so scholarships can really come in handy. You may not realize that there are thousands of available scholarships out there, which can be put towards any college. Is your GPA a bit lackluster because you dedicate so many hours to volunteering at a soup kitchen? You could be the perfect candidate for Cappex.com’s $1,000 “A GPA Isn’t Everything” scholarship, which rewards students who’ve shown valuable skills outside of the classroom. Learn about all the other ways you could be eligible for free money by visiting the site.

FAFSA4caster

It can be tough to know where to set your sights if you don’t know which schools are realistically within your budget. Luckily, in addition the scholarships we just mentioned, many families are also eligible for significant financial aid from the U.S. government. If you’re a senior, you can fill out a FAFSA form to determine your financial aid eligibility, but in the meantime, you can predict your needs by filling out the FAFSA4caster, which will let you know how much aid you’re likely to receive before you start applying for schools. Ask your parents to fill out the form here.

What Are My Chances?

For each college you apply to, you’re likely to be up for an application fee of between $50 and $70. That’s no small change, so when it comes to filling out your applications, you’ll need to choose your schools wisely, and choose a few safe bets along with the long shots. If you’re not sure how your odds stack up for getting into your favorite schools, Campus Compare’s handy “What Are My Chances?” tool will take account of your GPA, test scores, and extracurricular activities to measure your chances at any college you select.

Make Your Personal Statement Shine Part #4

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009

chrisl_D80/Chris

Today it’s time to learn how you can paint yourself in a bright and glowing light using the personal statement you submit with your college application.

One of the things you want to include in your personal statement is any work experience you may have that is applicable to the area you wish to study. By sharing relevant work experience, you’re showing the admission officer that your interest in pursuing a line of study that will lead to a career is something you take very seriously.

It may also be that your work experience is what sparked your interest in the area of study to begin with. For example, if your summer job was as a camp counselor for children education programs, this may have led to your interest in becoming a teacher. Or maybe your stint at a local medical clinic made you realize that medical research is where your interests lie. Connecting the dots between your experience and interests with what the college can offer you helps to complete the picture.

Make Your Personal Statement Shine Part #1

Monday, September 7th, 2009

Angelique

Applying for college is not as simple as completing the application and submitting it to your top choices. Many colleges ask you to include a personal statement with your application. While an application requests specific information from you, a personal statement is similar to a personal essay. It allows your personality to shine as you provide added details about who you are as a person, the reasons you want to attend the college you’re applying for and the educational and career goals you have set for yourself. College acceptance is very competitive so creating a personal statement that stands out from the rest can really make the difference.

List and explain your personal experiences and qualifications

The first item you should include in your personal statement is experiences you have had related school, extracurricular activities, community service, or work. Colleges like to see that a student is well-rounded and has participated in a variety of activities inside and outside of the classroom. When you are describing these experiences, make sure to be as specific as possible and supply details about each experience. Talk about how you felt and the lessons that each activity taught you.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of the series later this week.