Mechanics of US College Applications

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Mechanics of US College Applications

• Choosing colleges
• Applying to colleges
• Replying to colleges

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Choosing a College

• Research potential choices
• Lots of information online
• Check college websites
• College rankings
• OK as starting point, but more importantly

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Choosing a College (continued)

• Determining factors
• Cost? Financial aid system?
• Distance from home?
• Location?
• Student population?
• Domestic/International
• Student organizations
• Available programs/academic resources?
• Popular majors
• Student/faculty ratio
• Competitiveness?
• Competitive admissions, competitive students

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Applying to College Holistic applications

• Recall no one factor determines acceptance

Application
Preparation
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Applying to College (continued)

• How many applications?
• American counselors 6
• Canadian students
• 4 or 5 is fine
• The Common Application
• Same application for 300 colleges
• Saves time, since all schools use the same form
  BUT
• Schools require supplementary applications
• Usually includes additional essays
• so doesnt actually save that much time

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www.commonapp.org
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Applying to College Starting early

• Applications are complex
• Regular admission deadline Early January
• Early action/Early decision
• What they are
• Early deadline Early November
• Advantages
• Motivation
• Template for other applications
• If accepted, less stress later
• Higher acceptance rates (up to 3x!!)
• Single choice

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Applying to College The Essay

• What the essay is
• Most time-consuming part of application
• OK to recycle essays, but beware
• Varying requirements
• Length
• Topic choice
• Essay content
• Sweeping generalizations vs. personal voice
• War is bad vs....
• Fundraiser for an NGO
• Im unique, I want to save the world. vs.
• Standing against majority opinion

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Applying to College The Interview

• What the interview is
• Who interviewers are
• Making contact
• Preparing for the interview
• Dress
• What to bring
• Resume
• Essays
• Common questions
• Why this college?
• Career aspirations
• The follow-up

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Applying to College Recommendations

• What they are
• Who to contact?
• Teachers (required)
• Guidance counselor/principal (required)
• Supervisors/coaches
• Anyone else who knows you well
• What to provide
• Resume
• Recommendation etiquette
• Fill out forms required
• Stamped, addressed envelope
• At least 2 weeks of time

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After the Application

• Mid-semester report
• College responses
• Early action/Early decision mid-December
• Regular admissions early April

• Rejections
• Everyone gets them
• Deferrals
• Contact admissions office
• Update achievements, extracurriculars, essay
• Wait lists
• Acceptances
• Reply deadline May 1

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Resources
www.commonapp.org Common Application
website Apply online, or print out paper
forms www.collegeboard.com Sign up for
SAT Data on colleges and admissions
advice www.princetonreview.com Very good
resource for SAT preparation, college and career
exploration and much, much more!