EXTRACURRICULARS

Take credit.

Don’t minimize. (don’t say you did it “once” or that
you did it for school hours.

NAMES! (name the Church, name the business. )

Explain Acronyms. What is CARE?

Be specific – sports? Position? Results?

Brag! Don’t lie. SPIN. Give yourself a title.

Don’t tell them what you DON’T do.
Sample Sentences

“I am active in my church community at St.
Michael’s.”

“Wednesday afternoons, I volunteer as an office
assistant at 77th Street Elementary.”

“I play on our school volleyball team. Last year, we
had the ‘winningest’ season in our school’s history.

During school breaks, I work at a booth at the XXXX
Swap Meet, setting up merchandise and helping
customers.
Sample Sentences

“I am passionate about music. I started playing the
guitar when I was 6, and I play in my school’s
band.”

“I am a ‘nerd.’ I love technology. I am fascinated
with computers, and at school, I participate in the
STEM club and MESA competitions.”
WHY ATTEND COLLEGE?

If your parents and grandparents did not attend college, YOU
ARE a 1st generation college student. Even if siblings, cousins,
etc. have gone.

Better future. Money. Opportunity.

Career goals? Don’t say “I either was to be an astronaut or an
actor.” Pick one or be very general.

This is a CAL STATE application, don’t say that you want to go
to UCLA or join the army!

Role models? Motivation?
Sample Sentences

“I will be a first generation college student.”

“Neither of my parents finished high school.”

“I have older siblings who have graduated from
high school. I have one sister who is currently
attending Cal State Dominguez Hills.”

“I want to attend college to achieve my career goal
of becoming an environmental scientist, so I can
help preserve our world for future generations.”
ACADEMIC BACKGROUND

Specifics on GPA. If you say you didn’t take school seriously in
9th & 10th grade, but now you do, prove it with GPA specifics.

Be specific. If you struggle in one content area, explain that.

If you attend tutoring because you are required to, that’s great,
but don’t tell them that. That communicates,” I don’t want
extra help, but they make me take it.”

If you’ve not been at Burton Tech all four years – discuss the
transition.

“I passed all my classes.” – That’s not something to brag about.
That’s the bare minimum.
Sample Sentences

“In my freshman and sophomore years, I didn’t
take school seriously, but by junior year, I realized
that school is the path to the future I want for
myself, and I turned myself around. In freshman
year, my GPA was only 2.0; I barely passed my
classes. In my junior year, my GPA was 3.0! I know I
can still do better, but I am on the right road to
prove myself as a student.”
ECONOMIC BACKGROUND

Parents’ education? Immigration status?

It’s great the you’re proud of your family’s hard
work, and you have everything you need, but…. You
are from an economically challenged situation.

Receive any government assistance?

Neighborhood & challenges it presents.

Moved around? Live with extended family?
Sample Sentences

“It was my parents’ dream for their children to
attend college, but when my father got sick and lost
his job, my brother dropped out of school to get a
job and help support the family.”

“My parents work very hard, but with their limited
education and undocumented immigration status,
their job options are limited.”

“I have grown up in South Los Angeles. This is a
low-income community riddled with drugs, crime
and violence.”
Sample Sentences

“My family has never been able to afford a home of our
own. We have always relied on extended family for a
place to live.”

“As my father switched from job to job, my family had to
move. Each time we moved, I transferred to a new
school.”

“The public schools in my neighborhood are not very
good. My education is too important. Thankfully, we
found Burton Tech, a high school that is committed to
helping students like me succeed.”
WHAT ELSE?
 Special
interests?
 Unique
challenges?
 Sunburst?
PROOFREAD!!!
 You
are IMPORTANT! Capitalize your “I”
 Complete
 Evil
sentences. Period. Capital letter.
Twins: to vs. two vs. too, etc.
 Don’t
 Copy
use “you.”
your responses into MS Word and let
spell-check & grammar-check do their thing.