Applying for
College
The College Application
• Develop a File for Each College
– Organize college brochures, applications,
financial aid packets, and transcripts. Keep
everything under control and labeled.
The College Application
• Label Accordingly
– Grades/Transcripts
– Awards
– Articles by/or about you
– Summer programs
– Jobs
– Art or Writing Portfolio
– Resume
The College Application
• Label Accordingly
– Financial Aid Info
– Brochures and Forms
– Completed Applications
The College Application
• Stay on top of deadlines
– Applications are due starting November 30
and usually run through December
– Keep track of every deadline on a
spreadsheet.
– Include important dates for: standardized
tests, financial aid, college application, and
scholarships
The College Interview
• Why are you interested in our
college
– Be specific when answering this, and show
that you've done your research. You want to
highlight your intellectual interests. What
specifically about the college distinguishes
it from other schools you're considering?
The College Essay
• What can I tell you about our college
– Your interviewer will provide an
opportunity for you to ask questions. Make
sure you have some, and make sure your
questions are thoughtful and specific to the
particular college. Avoid closed ended
questions.
The College Essay
• Who in your life has most influenced
you
– Who's your hero? What historical or fictional
character would you most like to be like?
Spend a few minutes considering how you
would answer. Identify a few real, historical,
and fictional characters you admire, and be
prepared to articulate WHY you admire them.
The College Essay
• What will you contribute to our
campus community
– You'll want to be specific when answering
this question. Think about what it is that
makes you uniquely you.
The College Essay
• Tell me about a challenge that you
overcame
– This question is designed to see what kind of
problem solver you are. How do you handle
situations when confronted with a challenge?
College is full of challenges, so the college
wants to make sure they enroll students who
can handle them.
The College Essay
• What do you do for fun in your free
time
– College life obviously isn't all work, so
admissions wants students who will do
interesting and productive things even when
they aren't studying. Do you write? Read? Play
chess? This question will show that you are
well-rounded with a variety of interests.
The College Essay
• Choose a significant experience you
had, achievement you have attained,
risk you have taken, or ethical
dilemma you have faced, and discuss
its impact on you
The College Essay
• Discuss some issue of personal, local,
national, or international concern
and its importance to you
The College Essay
• Describe someone who has
had a significant influence on
you, and explain what the
influence has been.
The College Essay
• Describe a character in fiction, a
historical figure, or a creative work
(art, music, film, etc.) that has had an
important influence on you, and
explain that influence.
The College Essay
• Our campus is enriched by a wide range
of our students’ academic interests,
personal perspectives, and life
experiences. Describe a personal
experience that illustrates what you
would bring to the diversity of a college
community, or an encounter that
demonstrated the importance of
diversity to you
The College Essay
• Write on any topic of your choice
The College Essay
• Include
– Introduction
– Body
– Conclusion
– Be a little self-centered
– Be specific
– Be aware of the rest of your application
The College Interview
• Additional Questions
– Who most helped you get to where you
are today?
– Tell me about your community service.
– If you had a thousand dollars to give
away, what would you do with it?
– What subject in high school did you find
the most challenging?