Wellesley education spotlight: the college admissions essay story

June 26, 2020 by Martha Collins Leave a Comment

Thank you to education writer and guest columnist Martha Collins of Admit Fit College Admissions Counseling for the following post:

The college admissions essay. Just the mention of it is enough to create a pit in the stomach of any rising senior. And by senior year, although most teens have gained plenty of experience writing essays on assigned topics, this may be the first time they find themselves writing a personal story. And it can be uncomfortable.

I use the word “story,” rather than “essay,” for a reason. The best college application essay reads much more like a short, compelling first-person narrative then a dry recounting of adolescent accomplishments.

It’s all about YOU

What are the experiences you love to laugh about with friends? What are the stories your family members relish telling about you? What are the first three words that come to mind when people describe you? What are you “into”? Use examples from your life that demonstrate what you’re all about.

Admit Fit, Wellesley These are the topics that result in a college admissions essay that demonstrates your ability to write, tells the admissions reader more about who you are and what makes you tick, and conveys this information in a way that is genuine to you. (BTW, that is pretty much all the essay needs to accomplish.)

Unfortunately, most teens (and their well-meaning parents) place far too much emphasis on the college admissions essay. This can be utterly paralyzing. Instead, keep it simple. The essay is a 650-word story that tells a tale about you. It’s not the memoir of your life up until age 17.

Do not feel the need to recount your high school honors and accomplishments, since those will be listed elsewhere in the application. Do be true to who you are, or as one student I’ve worked with put it, “Don’t overthink it. No words will be the perfect words. As long as the writing is yours, your personality will shine through, especially if you choose to write about something that you’re passionate about.”

Freedom of speech

Ready to dip a toe in the water, or still need a little push? Scan the Common App or Coalition App essay prompts. Both include a prompt that gives you the freedom to write about a topic of your choice.

Still seeking inspiration? Ask a few friends or family members to describe three qualities about you, including anecdotes of when they think you demonstrated those attributes. Or instead, write about an object from your life and its special meaning to you.

Alternatively, give yourself a ten-day, ten-topics assignment. The rules: nothing is out of bounds, the topics must be different, and you must resist self-editing. Take a look after ten days and see if something speaks to you.

Or pretend for a moment that you’re a seminar day speaker, or that you’re leading a teen TED Talk, or even that you’re a stand-up comedian doing your bit on stage. What story would you tell, and how would you tell it?

Write as you would speak, and be descriptive. Be in the moment: show or demonstrate, rather than describing as an observer. Consider the reader, and how they are “hearing” your story. Free-write your first draft — no editing.

Only then consider the conclusion. Summarize your story and the personal qualities you want to highlight. Land on how you’ve changed, the insight you gained, how this experience has shaped you as a person, or even how this experience has inspired you to contribute to your future alma mater.

Next up in Wellesley Education Spotlight: avoiding common essay errors.

Martha Collins is president of Admit Fit College Admissions Counseling.

Wellesley education spotlight: college admissions in a time of contagion, Part 2

April 23, 2020 by Martha Collins Leave a Comment

Thank you to guest columnist Martha Collins of Admit Fit College Admissions Counseling for the following post:

In my first post, I reviewed changes to the senior college admissions experience as a result of the novel coronavirus. In this post, I review recent changes to college admissions for juniors.

Students and parents who were planning to visit universities in April will find that most universities have canceled on-campus information sessions and tours and replaced these with virtual events. If the pandemic passes in the weeks to come, universities may offer fall information sessions and tours, so do explore the option of visiting a college of interest on a Monday holiday in the fall. In the meantime, you can virtually tour more than 600 universities at YouVisit.

The perfect fit

To gain a better feel for personal fit with the students who could become your future classmates, reach out to friends and recent high school grads who attend or know someone who attends a school of interest. They may share an informal, less-polished take than the one you would hear during a traditional college tour.

And aspiring college students should be comforted that many of the nation’s most applied-to private and state universities do not document school visits or weigh applicant interest heavily in the admissions process. This is likely to be more so than usual this coming application year, given the circumstances. But don’t be afraid to contact your region’s admissions officer and ask directly about whether demonstrated interest is a factor, and how you might make your interest known.

There are many ways to show interest beyond attending a virtual information session. Make sure to open emails that have been sent to you from a target college, since most schools track these interactions. As stated before, contacting your region’s admissions officer directly with a pithy question that demonstrates you’ve familiarized yourself with the college counts, too. If you have a strong sense of what you might want to study, reach out to a professor in that subject area, again with a well-informed question.

As mentioned in my last post, universities are going to view applicant transcripts with a more sympathetic eye during the coming application season. Admissions officers are well aware that high schools across the country and around the world are modifying their curriculum to teach remotely and will take this into careful consideration when considering an applicant.

Changes during an unprecedented time

Standardized aptitude tests figure prominently in late junior year/early senior year college preparation. In light of the pandemic, the College Board has announced changes, including cancelation of the May 2 and June 6 SAT test dates. Makeup exams for the March 14 administration (scheduled for March 28) were previously canceled. Registered students will receive refunds for any canceled test dates.

Assuming the pandemic has subsided and it is safe to do so, the College Board will offer weekend SAT test dates every month, beginning in August. This includes the previously scheduled tests on August 29, October 3, November 7, December 5, and a new September test date, to be announced. The CollegeBoard is working with testing locations to expand capacity for these test dates.

If you’ve already registered for the canceled June test or are a member of the class of 2021 and have not yet taken the SAT, you will have early access to registration. Learn more at the College Board.

Similarly, the April 4 national test date of the ACT was postponed to June 13, and all students who registered for the April 4 test date should have received an email to reschedule to either June 13 or a later test date. The next ACT national test dates are June 13 and July 18, at this writing.

These are times that test students’ souls

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Wellesley education spotlight: college admissions in a time of contagion

April 17, 2020 by Martha Collins Leave a Comment

Thank you to guest columnist Martha Collins of Admit Fit College Admissions Counseling for the following post:

As if applying to college wasn’t challenging enough, the novel coronavirus has called for a few changes to the college application and admissions process. In this post, I review changes to the senior college admissions experience. In my next post, I will review changes to college application process for juniors.

Seniors

One thing has not changed: most seniors have already received their admissions decisions. If a university delayed its admissions decision date, seniors should have received notification of this change by email or within the online student account created when they first applied.

What has changed: admitted student visits and overnights. Accepted seniors typically have the option to attend “get to know you” events along with fellow accepted students during the month of April. These events, which can help a student make a final choice of which college to attend for the next four years, have been cancelled or replaced with a virtual event at colleges across the country.

As a nod to this unique situation, a growing number of colleges, such as Emerson College, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Williams College, are extending the yes/no and deposit decision deadlines for admitted students to June 1, or even later.

The National Association of College Admissions Counselors offers a handy directory that summarizes changes to the admissions process for each school as a result of the COVID-19. Seniors should also check their admitted student portal or contact the admission department directly if they have a specific question.

Advanced Placement (AP) exams are also changing. The traditional face-to-face exams, administered by a proctor in a classroom, will not take place this year. Instead, the College Board is developing 45-minute online free-response AP exams students will take at home. The exams will focus on content which most schools completed by early March.

The full exam schedule, with two test dates options for each exam, has been announced, and you can see the AP exam schedule here. The College Board is also offering free live-streaming AP review courses. The College Board has confirmed that colleges and universities will accept AP scores from exams taken under these conditions. Any student who is registered for an AP exam that is dissatisfied with these accommodations may also cancel their test registration and receive a full refund.

University admissions offices understand that students’ high school education is being disrupted, and that final transcripts might look a bit different this year. Therefore, universities will be prepared to see final transcripts that may include different grading systems such as pass/fail or credit/no credit, or even transcripts that reflect an abbreviated school year.

The good news: many college bookstores, while not open to the public, are still fulfilling online orders, so once you’ve committed to the college of your choice, nab some swag! Wear your school colors proudly, even if your classmates may only admire your gear remotely.