You’re told time and time again that the college essay needs to be personal. It needs to give the reader a clear sense of who you are as a person; it’s a way to let the college that you are applying to know all about you. But, occasionally College Counselors and Essay Specialists read personal essays that are a little too personal. We then need to clarify this for students and parents, so allow us to do that here.
November 1 is right around the corner. And, the rest of the college deadlines will come fast and furiously after that. But before you hit that SUBMIT button, here are a few things to keep in mind:
We may be biased, okay we are definitely biased, but Campus Bound students are the best. We are so lucky to have worked with some pretty amazing students over the years. For this week’s blog, we decided to tap into the experience and knowledge of our former Campus Bound clients to see what advice they have for students currently going through the process.
If it seems as though college applicants are having more and more essays to write as part of the college process, you would be right. It’s not uncommon for students to have four, six, or maybe even ten additional essays to write. The all-time high for a student I have personally worked with was 18! While some are shorter and some are longer, it’s still 18 different pieces of writing, and, sometimes the shorter essays are actually more difficult to write.
With that being said, in this blog we give some practical advice about how to manage all the possible essays you will have to write, and explain why getting an early start is essential.
Students, when you first sit down with a College Counselor, one of the first things we are going to ask about are your activities. We want to know about sports you play in school (and out of school), any school clubs you have been active in, volunteer experiences, and jobs you have had. The reason we ask is because, one way to set yourself apart from other college applicants is to have a balanced and thorough list of high school activities.
Resumes aren’t only for people seeking jobs; they can be an important part of the college application process as well.
We know it can feel that there are a thousand things on your “college to-do list.” And, unfortunately, you’re not that far off. But, in this blog, we take a few of the unimportant ones off the list for you. You can thank us later.
The staff at Campus Bound has well over 100 years of combined experience, in fact, it’s probably closer to 200. About once a month I like to tap into that vast knowledge and experience to bring you a recurring blog called Advice From Inside. We know what it’s like to work in Admissions, so we’ll share some of our secrets. Read More
Words like “stress,” hassle,” “craziness” are frequently used when referring to college application season. But why not “joy”? Why can’t this be a good experience, with excitement, optimism and good memories? We believe that there is joy to be found in the college application process, and here are some ways to find it.
Fall is travel season for College Admission Counselors, and we discussed that more in depth in this previous blog. But what that means is that Admission Counselors are out scouring the country for the best students to attend their college. They visit high schools, attend college fairs and conduct interviews. These are all great opportunities for potential applicants to meet with Counselors and make a great first impression.