Finding Your U

Navigating the College Admission Process

Katrin Muir, Judy Muir

• Publisher: Bright Sky Publishing
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781942945734
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education Counseling

W ith expert guidance from two experienced private college counselors, you and your family can reduce the stress of this important transition time and focus on what really matters.

Insight, tools, and a four-year plan for navigating the increasingly complicated college application process make it easier for you to find your U—the college that will best prepare you for the life you want to live.

Inside you'll find detailed information about

• How to decide where to apply
• How colleges decide who gets in
• How to pay for college
• Why the process is so complex
• What artists, athletes, and international students need to know

This accessible overview puts the process in perspective, providing the definitions, dates, sources, and samples you'll need to find your best college fit—without worrying about the process.

HOW
COLLEGES DECIDE
WHO
GETS IN

Colleges look closely at course selection, academic growth, and personal involvement in school and community life when they review their applicants. Therefore, working to your potential on coursework while identifying areas where personal initiative, leadership, and special talent might emerge should be your focus throughout high school. How do your efforts affect the colleges’ decisions?

THE PROCESS

Colleges are looking for evidence of a mind at work, intellectual curiosity, and personal initiative. Admission committees balance your academic record and personal profile. Each is important because a college is putting together a class that will contribute to the intellectual vigor and social energy of the school. The importance of each piece will vary with the selectivity and needs of the college.

“HOLISTIC ADMISSION means reviewing academic excellence demonstrated by original writing and research, extracurricular activities, and community involvement. Personal qualities and character are also fundamental to every decision. The admissions committee seeks students whose backgrounds and life experiences will be educational for fellow classmates. Teacher recommendations, interviews, essays, and other qualitative information provided by applicants also help inform admissions decisions.”

– William Fitzsimmons

Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid

Harvard College

Harvard Gazette 2013

Admission officers will focus on the following categories as they seek to make a decision on your file:

Academic Record

Transcript/course selection

•Did you go beyond the requirements?

Grade Point Average

Class Position

Standardized test scores (some colleges are test optional)

•For a list of standardized tests, see page 48

Personal Profile

Extracurricular activities

•How did you spend your time outside of class?

Leadership experiences

•Where did you demonstrate initiative?

Personal talents/special attributes

Work experiences

Volunteer experiences

Summer experiences

•Did you pursue specialty training to develop a talent or explore new academic, artistic, or athletic areas?

The Application: Putting it all together

Essays

Resume

Letters of Recommendation

Interviews

Demonstrated Interest

In all cases, the application itself carries immense importance. Well-presented details can lead an admission officer to see a mutually beneficial connection between you and the institution.

STANDARDIZED TESTING

Once you enter high school, you begin to notice that test scores permeate the news and the conversations around you. Remember that scores are important, but they are only one part of your application. These scores do not define who you are; they do not measure creativity, determination, or emotional intelligence. The burning question is always, “What is a good score?” The absolute answer is always “It depends.” Schools publish the range of their students’ scores, but there are always outliers—those students who demonstrate special talents that the college needs to shape its community as a learning environment.

Colleges use the following standardized test scores (some colleges are test optional):

SAT test

SAT subject tests

ACT test

AP (Advanced Placement) tests

IB (International Baccalaureate) tests

The SAT Test

The SAT test, originally named Scholastic Aptitude Test, is a reasoning test consisting of a reading section, a math section, a writing section, and an essay. The essay may or may not be optional beginning in 2016 depending on the college. Each section’s highest score is 800 points. The essay receives a score ranging from 2 to 12. The purpose of this test is to convey important information about a student’s strengths and needs through a series of scores.

Colleges can look at standardized test scores in several ways.

1.Look at every test taken

2.Look at scores from single test dates

3.Super Score – using the highest individual scores from different subtests to compile the highest composite score

4.Super Duper Score – using highest individual scores from different subtests of the SAT and ACT to compile the highest composite score

The ACT Test

ACT, American College Testing, is a curriculum-based achievement test that provides an academic assessment of student ability. This test showcases mastery of classroom material. All colleges will accept the ACT as well as the SAT. Students need to try both to see which one is their better fit. The ACT has four multiple-choice tests—English, Math, Reading, Science Reasoning—each scored 1 to 36, then averaged together for a composite score. There is also an optional essay wo...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Finding Your U
• A Message About Our Purpose
• Why American Higher Education is Unique
• How You Decide Where to Apply
• How Colleges Decide Who Gets In
• Paying for College
• What International Students Need to Know
• After the Decisions Come In
• Why the Admission Process is So Complex
• About the Authors
• Afterword
• Endnotes
• References
• Notes