appblr

application motivation

[filmstudent2]

writing the "why x university?" prompt

for their supplemental writings, a lot of schools have a similar question that always boils down to “why do you want to attend our university?” all the tips i’m going to spell out here are things i’ve heard from various college counselors.

colleges ask this for a simple reason: they receive a SHITLOAD of applications. when they’re trying to decide who to admit, they want to pick people who are actually likely to attend the university if accepted. this question allows colleges to try and figure out if they are your first choice school or not.

what you want to do here, ideally, is game the system and convince EVERY school you’re applying to that they are your first choice. it requires a bit of extra work and a lot of extra googling and research, but if you weren’t willing to do that, i’m sure you wouldn’t have read this far in my post lol

a lot of people write the same essay for every school that asks this question. then, they just change the name of the school and send it off. they usually mention something vague about liking the “location”, “atmosphere”, “people”, “spirit”, etc. an essay like this communicates to an admissions officer that you don’t particularly care about their school. it’s not your first pick. you haven’t thought particularly hard about the decision to apply here.

you want your essay to make you stand out, so even if this school isn’t your first choice, pretend that it is. you can use the same basic framework for every one of these essays, but write them so that they couldn’t possibly apply to another school.

it’s time to namedrop. mention specific professors and classes that interest you within your major. explain that their program is the best program for you, and give reasons. cite facts and statistics. reference specific things about the school’s location (not just “it’s pretty”) and specific school traditions you want to take part in. things like this really convince a school that you care about attending their institution in particular, and you’re not just throwing their name in at the end of filling out your common app or whatever.

i hope you find this post helpful! if you did, consider following me, because i’ll be posting more appblr content in the coming months as i apply myself. feel free to message me if you have any questions.

[cyberstudies]

college app season is coming up! since i’ve had some experience with interviews, i thought i would throw together a post about college interviews to give all you seniors a hand and alleviate some stress

🌿 t h e   b a s i c s

many colleges offer interviews

can be required or optional

can be conducted at the school with a student/admissions rep, or near your home with an alumni

a word of advice: if an interview is optional and you are contacted to have an interview, TAKE THE INTERVIEW–it can only help

types of interviews

individual

most common type (95% of the time it will be this one)

one-on-one with a school representative

informational

short

more of a Q&A about the school

not personal; can have multiple interviewees

most interviews run from 20-60 mins

however, leave ample time around your interview. all of my interviews went at least 20 mins over. but remember: length of the interview doesn’t mean anything

📑 i n i t i a l   s e t - u p

first of all, if you can’t secure an interview or are not offered one, DON’T FREAK OUT. that just means the school doesn’t have enough resources to give you an interview

it will NOT count against you or your application at all

for interviews conducted on-campus, you will have to sign up for a time slot to have an interview or email the admissions office to set one up

for alumni interviews, they will contact you

via email or phone

respond within 24 hours if you can, and absolutely by 48 hours

respond using “Dear Mr./Ms. ______”, thank them for contacting you, tell them you look forward to the interview, schedule a time that works for both of you, and make sure you are clear on the interview location

you’ll get an email of confirmation back from them

then mark it in your calendar

💭 h o w   t o   p r e p

research your interviewer !!! seriously, this is important

make sure to know…

where they’re from

which schools they’ve gone to (undergrad & grad)

what they majored in

what profession they have now

anything of significance about their relationship with the school you are applying to. for example, during my Princeton interview, I brought up my interviewer’s senior thesis topic, and he said no one had brought that up to him in like 20+ years. we had a great 20 min conversation about that, plus it made me memorable

research the school

specifics! whether it be clubs, resources, traditions, classes, etc.

especially know classes, research, professors, and resources that relate to the major you intend to study

create a list of questions to ask

these should not be questions you can look up the answer to (shouldn’t be factually/statistically based)

run over your résumé or topics that could come up

research what previous interviewees have said about the format of the interview

use tumblr, college confidential, etc. BUT take everything said with a grain of salt

make sure to know the transportation route to your interview location

optional: create an elevator pitch

👔 w h a t   t o   w e a r

business casual is best

gals: a nice skirt and cardigan, dress with tights, nice jeans/slacks with a blouse, etc.

keep your hair out of your face!

stay away from noisy/clunky jewelry, or anything you might fidget with

guys: button-down shirt or polos with khakis or a nice pair of jeans, suit jacket and tie/bowtie, etc.

wear nice shoes (no sneakers) AND SOCKS

nonbinary/non-gender-conforming: do whatever you think is best for you! just remember to look professional and well put-together (although this rule applies to everyone)

weather

summer/spring: lighter clothes. most likely you will be interviewing indoors, so don’t forget to bring an extra layer if necessary

fall/winter: add outerwear like tights, stockings, sweaters, etc. check the weather and bring an umbrella, hats and gloves, or snow boots if necessary

general tips

better to be overdressed than underdressed

avoid logos, graphics, and anything noisy (and please don’t wear apparel from the school–it seems “sweaty”)

use accessories sparingly

wear something classic but comfortable, that enhances your personality but doesn’t override it

📓 w h a t   t o   b r i n g

notebook/looseleaf paper

pens/pencils

any notes you may need

a list of questions to ask the rep

résumé

phone/money/keys/bus card

***make sure you know the interviewer’s contact info and directions to the interview!

💬 d u r i n g   t h e   i n t e r v i e w

arrive 5-10 mins early to get comfortable with your surroundings

location will most likely be either a workplace (like a law/business office) or a casual setting (like a cafe)

the interviewer will meet you

make sure to shake their hand

if you are at a place like a cafe or coffee shop, you don’t need to offer to buy them anything !!! you can get yourself something if you want

they will most likely start with an open-ended question like “tell me a bit about yourself”

ELEVATOR PITCH FO DAYS

tell them your name, your school, some activities you do, etc.

try to tell them stuff that’s not on your application

ex: talk about upcoming internships/events/activities

from there a topic will latch on and they’ll start asking questions and transitioning

at the end, they will ask if you have any questions

DO

sit up straight, use manners and make eye contact

ask questions–even in the middle of the interview

consider the interview a conversation

listen to and learn from your interviewer

take notes

DON’T

interrupt your interviewer or get distracted

hold back/be modest

sound haughty

be quiet. speak. tell stories. talk!

make your answers generic

be nervous! it’s really, really hard to mess up an interview. everyone has nerves, but just remind yourself that this doesn’t really count for anything

🎉 a f t e r w a r d s

whew! you got through it. CONGRATS !!!

within 24 hours, write them a thank you email

thank them for taking the time to interview you

make sure to mention specifics about how they were helpful! it makes you memorable

you may or may not get an email back, but that doesn’t mean anything

breathe a sigh of relief. compile notes. rest.

💡 i m p o r t a n c e

how much does this actually matter?

not much

seriously, stop stressing

interviewers cannot make or break an application. having a superb interview will not boost your application by a huge amount, just like having a not-so-great interview will not doom you for all eternity

what the interview CAN do is…

help the interviewer advocate for you further

give you insight into the school

give you a chance to elaborate among things in your app

show the school you can conduct yourself gracefully in social/professional situations

give your application a boost if they are deciding between you and a similar candidate

and that’s all! i hope this post was helpful. please feel free to message me if you have any other questions or need more advice.

[collegerefs]

The basics: 

To be safe, you should apply to multiple schools. Most people would recommend at least 5, comprising of two safeties, two matches, and one reach. 

Safety: A school you are certain you’ll be accepted to.

Match: A school where most accepted students have similar credentials to you.

Reach: A school where you might not have a GPA or ACT/SAT score as high as most students, but you want to give it a shot anyway.

Where do you find schools to apply to? I recommend Cappex. There, you can put in your GPA and school preferences to find schools you may like. 

Visiting schools before you apply is nice, but not necessary if you lack the time/funds to travel. There is a ton of information online about all schools, so make sure you do your research before deciding on your list of schools to apply to. 

August-November: Early admission 

Most college applications open in August. You can start applying any time after that. Application deadlines vary from school to school, so make sure you’re keeping on top of everything. 

How do I send ACT/SAT scores? - Online. They usually cost $12 to send.

What about transcripts? - Depending on your high school, you may send these online as well, or you may have to go to the school registrar to send scores. 

What are early decision and early action? Are they different? - Yes; Early decision is a binding agreement that means that if you are accepted to a university, you will enroll. Early action is simply when you apply early to receive an earlier answer about your admission status. Early application dates are usually due between November 15th and December 1st.

October 1st: File FAFSA

Starting in 2016, students can begin to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid on October 1st. This form ensures that you will be considered for financial aid including state and/or federal grants, as well as federal loans. Make sure you file FAFSA as soon as possible. 

How to File FAFSA

What is work study? Do I qualify? - Work study is a program for eligible students to work a campus job and receive a grant for participating in work study. 

Work Study: A guide

Which schools do I list on the FAFSA? I don’t know where I’m going yet. - When you file FAFSA, you will list every school that you applied to. 

I don’t understand how paying for college works. - Here’s a guide about all the different grants, loans, and scholarships available to college students. 

December-March: Regular admission 

Depending on the university, regular applications are due sometime around March 1st. Make sure you have submitted all of your applications and supplemental materials. Decisions will be out soon! 

When applying, you may find that you are waitlisted or deferred. If you are deferred, it doesn’t mean that you have been denied! It just means that the school needs more time to consider your application for one reason or another. 

What does it mean to be waitlisted? 

April-May: Accept your offer

Hopefully by April you have a good idea of which school you’re going to choose. The deadline for accepting your offer of admission for most schools is May 1st, so make sure you do this by the deadline! 

Some other guides that may be helpful during this process: 

Apply for scholarships. Here is a guide. 

“Should I retake the ACT/SAT before applying to college?”

How to study for the ACT

[brain-exercise]

A list of college interview tips for any seniors that freaked out like I did when I got my interview request! Some advice gets repetitive but it’s all helpful and I found the tips from current interviewers were the most helpful.

From the Interviewers Themselves 

CC: Interview tips from a Brown interviewer

CC: Tips from a Duke alumni interviewer 

The Alumni Interview from Tufts Admissions 

Pre-Interview

How to email an alum about your college interview by encollegement 

Responding to alumni interview requests by genericcrappblrurl

College Interviews: Practice questions and strategies from College Board

How to actually dress for interviews by genericappblrurl

What to Wear: Winter interviews by collegeapp-chick

Spotify playlist to listen to right before: Confidence Boost

General Tips

Advice on how to approach your interview from MIT Admissions

How to ace that college interview by collegemania

My tips for interviews by fuckyeahcollegeboard

Awesome questions to ask your interviewer by genericcappblrurl

The College Interview: The Basics pdf from Rice University

How to ace the phone interview 

Tips for your alumni interview from Vanderbilt Admissions

Post-Interview

A thank you email template by genericcrappblr

Basics for a thank you email by collegemania

[dartmvthensis]

What I Wish I’d Known Senior Year

Hi guys! Long time no see. I’ve officially graduated high school and thought I’d make a post for all you incoming seniors about some things I’d wish I’d known senior year/some tips and tricks to help make your senior year less stressful because we all need a little less stress in our lives ha. So without further ado,

Make your college list over the summer: The summer before senior year is the time to finalize your college list. Do this by making a list of places you’re interested in and narrow it down based on fit. Try to visit if possible but if you can’t, most schools have virtual tours that you can take online. Make sure to have your list done before September. College apps are expensive and the fees for sending test scores to your respective schools add to the cost. Include at least one safety and two match schools on your list.

Get a calendar and mark all the deadlines for college apps, scholarships, testing, when test scores have to be sent in, etc. It will keep you organized and on track.

Start your essays over the summer (or at least brainstorm some ideas): You don’t necessarily have to start your college essays over the summer - I didn’t - but at least make a list of ideas, look over the prompts if they’ve been released, and familiarize yourself with common essay structures and how to write a good college essay. You should have a pretty good idea by September of what you want to include in your essays. Start them early so that you’ll get enough time to show them to your English teacher, parents, or anybody whose input you value.

While there are some topics for college essays that are too cliché and aren’t worth writing about (you can find a list here), in general, don’t be afraid of writing about something that you think will be cliché. If you give a topic an original spin and people can hear your voice and tell that it was a unique experience, you’re fine.

DON’T PLAGARIZE OR HAVE A PARENT/TEACHER/FRIEND/OTHER PERSON WRITE YOUR ESSAYS. No matter how tempted you are, just don’t. It will cause you more troubles that is worth and can get you in serious trouble (plus the moral repercussions of it). Be you and write your own essays.

Ask for your teacher recs early. This means to ask teachers by late September at the latest. Teachers need time to write your recs and chances are, you’re not the only one asking said teacher for a rec. Getting your request in early will make sure that you’ll get a letter of rec and that the teacher will have enough time to write a good letter of rec.

Ask for letters of rec from teachers you know will write something good about you. Go for teachers you’ve known for more than a year and/or teachers who know you better.

After they’ve written your letter of rec, it is customary to give your teachers a gift. A gift card, food, or a personalized gift/memento are in order.

Your counselor is your best friend. Seriously. Be prepared to spend significant time in the counselor’s office or emailing your counselor. You’ll likely have a lot of questions about the whole college apps process and that’s ok. Your counselor has done it before and is there to help you. Plus, most colleges require a counselor letter of rec so you’ll need to get to know your counselor and your counselor will have to get to know you. Don’t be afraid to ask for help because it will significantly reduce your stress.

It is also encouraged to get your counselor a gift if you feel they’ve helped you a lot. It’s a nice gesture that shows you care.

Send your test scores in at least 3 weeks before the college’s application deadline. This is super important because some colleges refuse to look at your application if your test scores aren’t in on time *cough* UMich *cough*. Plan ahead. This is why it’s good to have your college apps done early so that you’re not scrambling to send colleges your test scores two days before the deadline. If you’re taking a test in October, make sure to put all the colleges you’re applying to on the list of where you want your scores to be sent to so that the colleges will get the score in time. I had friends who sent their scores in too late and had their application bumped from early action to regular decision at a somewhat selective school where when you applied made all the difference. Seriously, send your scores in early and be done with it.

Most colleges won’t look at an unofficial score report so send the official one at all times. Don’t send paper score reports. We’re not in the 1920s.

If you’ve done all this but your scores will still be late, contact your college’s admissions office and let them know which brings me to my next point.

If you can’t find something on the college’s website or can’t find an answer to a question you have, contact the admissions office! The admissions office can give you the best answers to your questions and can help alleviate any concerns you have. Just make sure not to badger the admissions office because some colleges keep track of how many times you contact them and it can work in your disadvantage.

Don’t have your parents call in because it makes you look bad. You’re old enough to call someone and ask them a few questions.

Start looking for scholarships early. Preferably in the fall. Most of the big and prestigious scholarships have early deadlines and you don’t want to miss them. Finding the scholarships you want to apply to early gives you enough time to write the essays and get the other materials needed. 

Don’t compare yourself to others. There’s no point and it causes unnecessary stress. Be confident in yourself and your application and don’t worry about where others have applied/gotten in to or about what others have put on their applications. 

These are just a few points that I thought were worth mentioning. Good luck! Senior year will be over before you know it so enjoy it :)

[theartemies-deactivated20200415]

Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

Mark Twain (via lgmdstudies)

[solustudies]

15 Questions to Know for COLLEGE INTERVIEWS

Hey! You there! Are you going for a college interview? Yes? Have you prepared? If not, here are some basic questions you should anticipate from your interviewer:

1. Why do you want to attend our school?

2. What can you bring to our campus?

3. Describe yourself in three adjectives.

4. If you could take a gap year, what would you do?

 5. How do you define success?

 6. What are your strengths/weaknesses?

 7. If you could change your school, how would you do it?

 8. What do you think about [latest news issue]?

9. Who is your hero? Why?

10. What do you do outside the classroom? 

11. What is your favorite book?

12. Does your high school transcript accurately reflect your abilities?

13. What do you want to major in/ Why do you want in to major in [desired major]?

14. If you could change anything about your high school career, what would it be?

15. Why do you want to go to college?

 —

 These are questions I’ve heard before multiple times, but they’re not always the same at every interview. And remember:

 Sleep well 

Eat breakfast

 Arrive on time 

 And be natural! Getting nervous won’t really help you! Do your best!

[collegent]

HEADS UP SENIORS

I just found an amazing scholarship and college research website.  

It is called raise.me and it basically gives you mini scholarships for doing things like getting an A in a course, doing community service, or just taking an AP class in general. 

For example, you can receive up to $6,000 for a school because you completed over 200 hours of community service.

$30 per hour you work.  Guys, that is nearly triple minimum wage. 

Also, a few other schools offer mini scholarships for students who get B’s in a class or are taking a foreign language for more than 2 years. 

This is the scholarship website we’ve been looking for. 

Now you don’t have to spend dozens of nights writing scholarship essays when you can make money throughout your school career. 

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE spread the word of this website. It is very helpful and will provide many people with the opportunities to graduate college!

[sequoia-studies]

COLLEGE ESSAY MASTERPOST

For many students, the beginning of senior year marks the start of the “official” college season. Hopeful applicants are jumping right into the thick of transcripts, extracurricular lists, and essays as deadlines draw near. One of the most anxiety-inducing parts of applying for college is crafting the perfect personal statement!

To aid all of you fledgling essay writers, I’ve compiled a list of helpful sources with tips, tricks, advice, do’s and don’ts, and more below!!! (This will be added to often!)

Good luck babies I believe in you!!

    Let’s get started!

Six Tips for Writing Great Personal Statements

Writing the Personal Statement

What Makes a Great Essay?

A Free Guide to Writing Your Personal Statement

8 Tips for Crafting Your Best College Essay

9 essay writing tips to ‘wow’ college admissions officers

Too Much Information in College Essays

Cliches to Avoid in Essays (by appblrgirl)

What Makes a Strong College Essay

What You Need to Know About College Application Essays

11 Essay Mistakes to Avoid like the Plague

College Essay Mistakes

10 College Applications Mistakes to Avoid

Crafting an Unforgettable College Essay 

How to Write a Winning Ivy League Essay

First Liners of Essays

    Videos

Vital Tips for Writing a Winning College Application Essay

How to Write Your College Essay if You’ve Experienced Significant Challenges

How to Write a College Essay that Stands Out

    Ivy League (and other super competitives)

How to Write a Winning Ivy League Essay 

The Art Of Writing Ivy League Admission Essays

50 Successful Ivy League Essays

Top 19 Successful Stanford Essays

    UC Essays

Describing Your World (Prompt #1)

Personal Quality, Talent, Accomplishment…UC Prompt #2

UC Prompts (a selection of articles)

Conquer the UC Personal Statement

Top 2 UC Application Essay Mistakes

    Common Application

Getting Started (a selection of articles)

Advice on Writing the Common App Essay (by collegeadmissionbook)

19 Common App Essay Mistakes

How to Write Your Common Application Essay

Tips For Answering Common Application Essay Prompts

     Essay Examples

Essays That Worked (Class of 2019) (Johns Hopkins University)

Top 102 Successful College Essays

A Few Essays That Worked (And a Few That Didn’t)

[lalalaikas]

to high school seniors, and anyone applying to college: as someone who is about to begin their freshman year of college, and who had spent 3.5 years of high school (almost all of it) obsessing over getting into a good school for the prestige and recognition, it isn’t worth it. 

pick your school because you love it, pick it because it has programs you like, pick your school because it has the best food in the country, but don’t pick it because you think other people will be impressed. you won’t be happy there if you don’t love something else about it too, and going through life with the sole purpose of trying to create an image of intelligence and status is no way to live, now is it?

pick your school because it makes you happy to be there.