Carnival of College Admissions: 3rd Edition
Welcome to the third Carnival of College Admissions. Eleven articles were submitted this time, and all of them provide some great advice.
This will be my last week hosting the Carnival of College Admissions for a short while because I have two guest hosts lined up for the next couple of weeks. Make sure to give them both plenty of articles to feature by clicking the links above to submit a post of your own for next week's edition. Or if you would like to host an edition yourself, be sure to e-mail me and let me know that you're interested.
Read on for all of the excellent articles from the 3rd Edition of The Carnival of College Admissions: Read More
Have a question or comment? 4 people do.Top 12 Tips to Perfect your College Application Resume - Part 1
College financial aid assistant and scholarship finder FastWeb recently posted an article outlining 10 common resume blunders [registration required] made by college students. Their post inspired me to adapt their advice for high school students seeking college admission. With most colleges now requiring a resume as part of the college application package, students will benefit greatly from learning how to craft a proper resume. And while many of the generic tips floating around the web can be useful, there are certain things a college application resume must include to be a winner.
Because of the number of tips and the length of my commentary, I will be splitting these tips into two posts. Look for the continuation to come soon.
Why do colleges require a resume?
Sometimes the format of a typical college application does not allow the candidate to highlight his or her strong points. A resume is basically a brief, at-a-glance brag sheet that you can use to draw attention to all of the accomplishments you feel are important to define who you are, but that didn't quite make it into your personal statement.
How should the resume be structured?
Professional resumes will generally lead with work experience and discuss an individual's professional career. Colleges are not interested in you as a worker so much as they are interested in you as a scholar. As such, many of the typical rules for resume structure do not apply to college applicants. In general, following this format will work for you:
- Heading:Make sure to include a heading on the top that states your name and any other important identifying information. Many colleges will identify you with your social security number, so putting this information in the heading is helpful. A university may also assign you a special applicant number that can be used in lieu of your social security number.
- Overview: Take approximately 3 short sentences to write a mini biography about yourself. If you speak more than one language, mention it. If you're the science fair champion four years running, mention it. If you have the highest GPA at your school, mention it. Highlight your strongest features. Imagine yourself as a news reporter that needs to capture the readers' attention in only a few lines. Make the admissions officer want to read more about you. Naturally, anything you include in the overview should also appear in one of the later sections.
- Education: After the heading, lead with educational information. The name of your high school and its address will go here. Follow that with your GPA and, if you know it, your class rank. Class rank can either be stated by percentile (such as "top 5%") or by actual numerical rank (14 of 326). Any sort of academic distinction may be placed here as well, such as if you earned an International Baccalaureate full diploma or a special state distinction. Do not list your academic awards here, however, as those will come later.
- Activities: Any clubs, programs, community service organizations, sports, or other activities you were a part of during high school should go here. You should try to limit the list to only about 8 entries, so if you have more than that, choose only your most important 8. If you have less than 4, try to think of some organized event you participated in to include. Remember, it does not have to necessarily be a school-sponsored program; activities through your church, community center, or of your own personal drive (bands, etc.) may be included. Each activity should have a short, one sentence description using strong, active verbs. For example, rather than just saying "Band", say, "Marching Band First Trumpet 3 years, performing in 57 school games and in two regional competitions."
- Special Projects: Something that you did once or twice but that could not necessarily be considered an 'activity' may go here. Participation in a science fair, history day project, one-time volunteer effort, or other special events may be included. This category is not vital, so if you cannot think of any special project you participated in, you may omit this section. You should limit your list to 3 entries and provide a bit more detail about each than you would have in the Activities section (about 2-3 short sentences). If you have held a steady job during high school, feel free to add your position here with a few descriptive sentences. You should also change this section's title to something like "Experiences".
- Awards: Don't limit yourself here. This section can be a simple laundry list (though you should explain any awards that do not have an obvious title) or may include more detailed descriptions depending on the amount of awards you have received. Feel free to overlap in this section with other sections (for example, you may mention the science fair in Special Projects, and then also mention that you got first place here), but avoid listing too many awards for the same event. Mentioning your placement in each of the three years you went to History Day is fine, but outlining each of your 67 Speech and Debate victories is too much. Remember that many accomplishments may fit in this category even if you never received a trophy, medal, or certificate.
You don't have to limit yourself to just these sections. If you have a special, extraordinary experience that warrants its own section, feel free to include it. Look around on the Internet for other student resumes and see the kinds of things they include for some ideas for what you might want on your own resume.
How long can the resume be?
Don't listen to the old rule that a resume cannot be longer than a single page. Feel free to go up to 2 pages if you need the room. Keep in mind that a resume is more like an outline than an essay; it should not be dense with information, but rather be an easy-to-follow bulleted list. If you simply have too many activities and awards to keep yourself limited to one page, do not cut information out. Instead, expand onto a second page without worry (unless, of course, the application guidelines tell you to use only one page).
Should I include stuff from before high school?
Generally no unless the activity continued into high school (such as playing in the middle school band and in the high school band). Colleges are generally not interested in your pre-high school experiences.
This concludes part 1 of the college application resume tips list. Check back for part 2 with even more tips!
Have a question or comment? 12 people do.Why You’re Wrong about Your GPA, and what to Do about it
Many High School juniors who are trying to figure out their chances at competitive schools are confused about what their GPA actually is. Between "unweighted" and "weighted" GPAs -- and also with many high schools now calculating the grades of AP courses, honors courses, and standard courses differently -- students are often presented with two or three different numbers to represent their GPA. Even more confusing, many colleges use their own formulae to calculate GPA, meaning that the numbers your high school reports may all be different from what the university actually considers.
So what is a confused student to do? First of all, you should understand the process:
Many colleges will see and consider both your weighted and unweighted GPAs -- the former of which uses a 5.0 scale for honors and AP classes as opposed to the standard 4.0 scale. Most high schools will report both on your transcript. However, while a university may use your weighted GPA in considering your relative course rigor, they are typically more interested in your unweighted GPA when comparing you to other candidates. In other words, despite the common belief that an honors B equals a non-honors A, many colleges understand that an honors B is still a B even though it was earned in a harder class.
Complicating matters even further, many universities will recalculate your GPA using their own methods. Some will strip away all but the core classes, meaning the "easy A" you earned in art and gym no longer boost you as much as you thought. Instead, it is "Fundamental Five" which determine your GPA for many colleges: math, science, social science, English, and your foreign language.
So if you're looking at the 25th and 75th percentile numbers that many colleges publish, you will want to calculate your GPA using the most accurate metric possible. The best method is to consult the college itself and see if they'll reveal their system for calculating GPA. If not, or if you do not want to go through the hassle, the most conservative way to estimate your own GPA is to calculate your unweighted (i.e. don't differentiate between honors and non-honors courses) GPA from only the 'Fundamental Five' classes you have taken. While other methods of GPA calculation will be used to compare you against other applicants, this number will likely be the most accurate and universal one that you could use to estimate your chances of admission.
Have a question or comment? 7 people do.Carnival of College Admissions: 2nd Edition
See All Editions | Submit an Article
Welcome to the second edition of the Carnival of College Admissions. We had fifteen articles submitted this time, thirteen of which have been selected for publication. After a successful first run, I am excited to bring a second week of excellent college admissions articles from all over the Internet. I hope to continue this feature long into the future, but I need your help. Click on the links above for more information about this cooperative effort and to submit a write-up of your own for next week's edition.Read on for all of the excellent articles from the 2nd Edition of The Carnival of College Admissions: Read More
Have a question or comment? 1 person does.Campus Visits Dos and Don’ts
This article was submitted as part of the Carnival of College Admissions by Kat Cohen, Phd., Founder and CEO of ApplyWise.
Spring is a great time for high school juniors to visit college campuses. Here are some "Dos & Don'ts" that students and their parents need to know before visiting universities:
- Do visit campuses during your Junior year, but don't miss any classes. Holidays, spring break and weekends are a perfect time to plan those college road trips. Before you leave, check to see if there are tours or information sessions available on the dates you plan on visiting. Regardless, walking on campus while school is in session will give you a true sense of campus life. But don't skip school to visit a college. You need to keep up with your academic obligations. Many universities have open houses on weekends and holidays to work around your academic schedule.
- Do research the college before you visit and don't visit without knowing the school's basics. Research the school's academic programs and facilities before your campus visit. This will allow you to focus on elements of the campus that you are most interested in. You'll not only impress the admissions officer during the information session, but you'll also remember the visit. Bring a checklist of your expectations and questions you want answered. Keep in mind, though, that asking generic questions will not make a positive impression.
- Do explore the campus on your own, but don't leave a campus tour without informing the tour guide ahead of time. Tours are designed to show visitors different facets of campus life. However, if you need to leave early for any reason, know that you may miss some important details. Also, let the tour guide know before hand; leaving abruptly can be distracting to both guide and the group. When you do have time to explore on your own, make time to:
- Have lunch in campus dining center to meet current students. They are a great resource regarding life on and off campus. Imagine yourself as a student on that campus by interacting with students as much as possible.
- Check out the surrounding community. You’ll be living there for four years! Now’s the time to explore nearby restaurants, movie theatres, malls and places even for employment.
- Do introduce yourself to your admissions officer, but don't monopolize his time. When you meet your admissions officer, have a brief five-minute conversation about your interest. Ask one thoughtful, well-researched question; this will make a positive impression. Remember, this is not an interview, so don’t dominate the admissions officer’s time. Admissions officers are very busy and you don’t want to come off as a nuisance.
- Parents: Do listen to your child's opinions, but don't ask too many questions. Let your student do the talking. Overbearing parents are not only embarrassing, but they often prevent the tour guide from sharing some important information. Often, your questions will be addressed organically throughout the tour. Or course, if you still have personal questions, you can always ask your guide at the end of the tour or send an e-mail.
- Do send a thank you e-mail only if you are genuinely interested in a school and made a personal connection. Don't send thank you notes that your parents have written. A sincere e-mail leaves a positive impression. It may even turn into a great relationship as you start applying. Be mindful not to be insincere or over the top (like asking the tour guide to be your friend on FaceBook or MySpace) in your correspondence, as it may make you look desperate. Also, parents -- do not write any of these letters for your children. Remember, this is their college search process.
Thank you, Dr. Cohen, for your submission. Be sure to check out ApplyWise for more information. You may also read my article on entitled What should I do during a campus visit? for another perspective
Have a question or comment? 2 people do.