Even though the deadline for college applications hasn’t quite arrived yet, it’s important not to lose sight of what’s about to come rolling right around the corner. The personal essay is one of the most important parts of your application, and while you might not be putting pen to paper just yet, here are 5 tips to get the gears turning on what (and what not) to write about in your college essay.
Blog
1. Make a Calendar for All Deadlines
With all the different steps in the application process, it’s easy to lose track of time and due dates, especially when the regular school year starts again, and you’re trying to remember more immediate deadlines for schoolwork assignments. Print out a calendar exclusively for keeping track of college application deadlines, school visits, and overnights, and place it in a central location to ensure that you’re always on top of where you need to be and what needs to be sent in.2. Work on Applications and Essays in a Designated Workspace
Just as you might have a specific study area for when you do your homework, choose a spot in which you work only on your college applications and essays. It can be difficult to focus relaxing in your bedroom or in the kitchen with the television on, so consider setting aside a certain time to visit the library or stop in at the College Bound Admissions Academy classroom to ensure you get some work accomplished. Meeting deadlines rather than missing them is easier to do when you work ahead and concentrate.
Tags: college applications, college planning tips, college deadlines
I have accepted the fact that my parents are clueless. I am serene. I will betray not a tremor when they offer opinions or advice, no matter how laughable. My soul will be light as a feather when my mother elbows her way to the front of my college tour and talks the guide's ear off. I am serene.
Tags: college applications, college planning tips, college deadlines, common application, college essay
Tags: college applications, college planning tips, college deadlines, common application
Tags: AP, AP Courses, Highly Selective College Admission, college planning tips
The college admission process wasn’t nearly as anxiety-producing thirty years ago. Parents who haven’t been through it yet have heard horror stories from friends and relatives, but they don’t understand why things are so different now.
Tags: college applications, college financial aid, college planning tips
Although no one enjoys taking standardized tests, there are a number of good reasons for 10th and 11th grade students to experience the PSAT or PLAN exams before taking college admissions tests. The reports generated by the PSAT or PLAN give you feedback on your strengths and weaknesses in those skills necessary for college study. By taking these practice tests well in advance of the SAT or ACT, you will be able to focus your preparation on those areas that will most benefit from additional study or practice.
Peter Thiel, the co-founder of Pay-Pal and a graduate of Stanford University, is paying 24 entrepreneurial college-age students $100,000 NOT to attend college for two years. Instead, the students will spend their time and energy developing business ideas while participating in a mentorship program in Silicon Valley. This program is the outgrowth of his idea that the high cost of college education is not justified in today’s world. But is he right? Does the money invested in a college education pay off?
Tags: college planning tips, high return on investment, is college worth it
How will you benefit from attending our college? What will you contribute to our college? Although you may not see these questions on college applications, if you answer them in your applications, you will be setting yourself apart from other applicants and making a persuasive case for your admission.
Now that you’ve brainstormed the perfect topic, you’re finally ready to cozy up with your computer and write the best college essay you can muster. The following tips will help your essay appear polished and professional throughout the writing process.
Tags: college applications, college planning tips, college essay