en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Sat, 25 May 2013 19:35:38 GMT 15 By Haley Bierman
Applying to colleges is one of the most stressful parts of a student’s high school career. Here are a few tips that can make the task a little less daunting. 1. Pick the right schools for you . There’s no point in applying to too many colleges and making extra work for yourself. You should definitely apply to more than one school, but only apply to those that you have a serious interest in. According to college board.com, you should apply to “safety” schools, “match” schools, and “reach schools.” Safety schools are schools that you are almost certain that you will get into. “Match” schools are schools that you have about a 75% chance of getting into. The majority of schools you are applying to should be “match” schools. You should also apply to a couple of “reach” schools, schools you would have about a 25% chance of getting into. 2. Know what each school requires. Each school has slightly different application requirements. Although many schools use the Common Application, a few use their own applications. Also, some schools that use the Common Application may have their own supplements which require you to provide more information or write additional essays. Some schools may also require you to arrange personal interviews. 3. Pay attention to deadlines. Don’t wait too late to start your applications. Make sure you know the deadlines for each school you are applying to. You will probably not do your best work if you do an entire application the night before the deadline. In addition, your guidance counselor will need copies of your applications before you submit them. 4. Use your essay to reveal who you are. Many students stress about writing their college essays. It is important to remember that colleges will not be looking at your essays like your English teachers do. They are not as concerned about spelling and grammar as they are with learning about who you are. “Don’t try to write a perfect essay, try to write an essay that captures your personality,” advises Mr. Kane, a Latin teacher at THS. You can do this by picking a topic that you are passionate about and not just something that you think the colleges will want to hear. A unique, well-written essay can help you stand out from the other applicants. Use these tips to make your application the best it can be. And, good luck from the Pirateer staff! ]]> Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:58:00 GMT