American International School in Abu Dhabi College Planning Guide

Transcription

1 American International School in Abu Dhabi College Planning Guide

2 Contents Introduction Timeline 4-5 Types of College... 6 Naviance Overview...7 Naviance Tutorial College search worksheet...10 Things to consider in choosing college College fairs and visits SAT information Personal Statement Letter of recommendation request form. 19 Letter of recommendation form

3 I NTRODUCTION: This packet is your college- planning guide, it will help you understand each step of the college application process. You will find a lot of helpful information in this packet and it will answer many questions that may arise while applying for college! Who is your counselor? Mr. Samer Abdallah is your career and college counselor and you can contact him at sabdallah@aisa.sch.ae or stop by the college counseling office on the third floor in the Rotunda. College and Career Counseling Mission: The college and career counseling office is committed to guiding students to successfully achieve their prospective goals. The office strives to achieve the goal through educating students about the college application and admission process. Our program is designed to guide students to be proactive self- efficient students. Goals: The goal of the college and career counseling office is for every student to have the knowledge and materials needed to successfully begin their post secondary education. This will be achieved through one- on- one and parent meetings including follow up meetings that will revolve around ensuring students are adhering to the following three steps: Step 1 Research: Students will understand what to look for in a university that fits them personally. Step 2 The Application Process: Students will understand every step of the college application process. Step 3 Acceptance: Students will have the information needed to make informed decisions. 3

4 TIMELINE Junior year (11 th grade) This year is a key year in the college planning process because you ll be taking standardized tests, narrowing down your college list, and learning more about writing your personal statement. In addition, you ll need to stay involved in your high school courses and activities. February and March: Organize a testing plan. Plan to take important tests like the SAT, ACT, and SAT subject tests. All 11 th graders should take an exam in May or June; you ll want to have plenty of time to prepare. Prepare for standardized tests. It is recommended that all students take a standardized test preparation course and purchase a study book. Remember you can retake exams in the fall of your senior year if you are unhappy with your scores. Make a college list. Your list of colleges should include schools that meet your most important criteria (for example: size, location, cost, academic majors, and special programs). Talk to your family. Have a discussion about the colleges you are interested in. Your family can learn about the major you want to pursue and the location of the universities you are interested in and you can discuss any concerns or suggestions they might have. April, May and June: Contact your recommendation writers. Teachers are often asked to write recommendations for lots of students. Consider whom you want to ask now and let them know so they can have time to prepare them before getting tons of requests in the fall. Ask teachers who know you well and who will have many positive things to say about you. Start working on your application essays. Compose rough drafts of the essays you will need for your college applications. Have a teacher read and discuss them with you so you can see what to work on. Make any revisions to your application essays and prepare final drafts. Don t forget to proofread your final essays a few times. Take SAT. All 11 th graders should plan to take the SAT in the months of May and June Passport. Submit a copy of your passport to the counseling office by June. Summer: Have a final draft of college essay completed. Look over edits that your English teacher has made and use their suggestions to improve your essay. Make early decision preparations. You should plan to apply for early decision, take the time to visit the school s websites and make sure you are willing to commit. If you elect to apply for early decision, you should start working on your application as soon as possible because it s deadline will be earlier than others. University Visit. Visit as many university campuses as you can and talk to an admission officer for a tour. Make sure you ask questions about campus life and the major. 4

5 TIMELINE (Cont.) Senior year (12 th grade) It is very important to stay on track with your grades and extracurricular activities. Colleges will look at what you ve done in your senior year, so stay focused on doing well in your classes and maintaining a commitment to extracurricular activities. September and October: Finalize your college list. Use the information you ve gathered from your research, decide on which schools you will apply to. It s okay to apply to colleges that you think will be more difficult to get into, but it s also important to put a few safety schools on your list (where you re sure you ll get in). Talk to counselors, teachers, and parents about your final choices. Keep track of deadlines. You will be filling out lots of forms this year, so it s important to know what form is due when. Make a calendar showing the application deadlines for admission, financial aid, and scholarships. Ask for letters of recommendation. Prepare and hand out letter of recommendation request forms to the teachers you have chosen to write letters of recommendations for you. Discuss your goals and ambitions with your teachers so they ll be more prepared to write about you. Meet with your guidance counselor. Your counselor can help you stay on track with admissions requirements. Make sure he knows which colleges you want transcripts, score reports, and letters sent to. Give your counselor any necessary forms much earlier than the actual deadlines so they ll have time to send the forms in. November, December and January: Complete applications. Finish the application forms for the schools you are interested in. Make sure you and your school s guidance office have sent all necessary materials, including test scores, recommendations, transcripts, and application essays. You should plan to get all this done before winter break, so you won t be rushing to make deadlines. Act on the results of early decision applications. If you applied for early decision, you ll soon find out if you were accepted. Follow up on your applications. Verify with your counselor that all forms are in order and have been sent out to colleges. February, March and April: Make your final college decision. Accept an offer! If you re not sure which offer to accept, talk to your family about schools that you are considering. Make sure to send your deposit to your chosen school and ask your guidance counselor to send your final transcript to the college in June. Complete enrollment paperwork for the college you will attend. Once you accept an offer, you should receive information from the college about completing necessary forms. Be sure to complete all required paperwork by the appropriate deadlines. May and June: Congratulations! You ve finished high school and are about to embark on an exciting new phase of life. Good luck. 5

6 WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF COLLEGES? Colleges aren t all the same. Different colleges and universities have different missions (or functions, or goals). While no two are exactly alike, most fit into one or more of the following categories: LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES: Liberal arts colleges focus on the education of undergraduate students. Professors who see teaching as their primary responsibility generally teach classes. Most liberal arts colleges are smaller than universities, classes tend to be smaller, and more personal attention is available. As opposed to gaining preparation for a specific career path, students who attend liberal arts colleges are exposed to a broad base of courses in the humanities, social sciences and sciences. In addition, they select at least one area of in depth study, which is their college major. Many employers look for graduates of liberal arts programs, valuing their wellrounded preparation. UNIVERSITIES: Universities are generally larger and include a liberal arts college, as well as some professionally oriented colleges and graduate programs. Universities offer a greater range of academic choices than do liberal arts colleges. They will likely provide more extensive resources in terms of library, laboratory, fine arts and athletic facilities. At many large universities, class size will reflect institutional size, with most introductory classes being taught in a lecture format. Graduate students will teach some classes. Professors at major universities will be involved in research, which adds to the vitality of the academic community, but may also draw energy, focus, and resources away from undergraduate teaching. TECHNICAL INSTITUTES AND PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS: Technical institutes and professional schools are for students who have made clear decisions about what they want to study. They emphasize preparation for specific careers, for example in music or fine arts, engineering or technical sciences. You will want to be quite sure of your future direction before selecting one of these options. WOMEN S COLLEGES: Women s colleges with their larger numbers of female faculty and administrators, offer college women confidence-building role models, greater opportunities to serve in a full range of student leadership positions, and a heightened awareness of career possibilities for women. Women s colleges graduate a high number of science majors, as well as students who continue on to graduate school and/or professional studies. COMMUNITY OR JUNIOR COLLEGES: Community or junior colleges generally offer the first two years of a liberal arts education, in addition to specialized occupational preparation. An associate degree is awarded at the end of a two-year program of studies, following their education at a four-year institution. 6

7 NAVIANCE: What is Naviance? Naviance is a web based software program that offers a number of features that will help you make career and college plans. Organized by three tabs (colleges, careers, and about me). Naviance is a wonderful planning and organizational tool for the college process. To access Naviance, log onto Your Naviance Login Details: Your username is: your address Your password is: AISA and your school ID (Example: AISA1234) Ways to use Naviance for research: Research Colleges: You can look up colleges by name or search for colleges based on selected criteria. You can compare GPA averages, standardized test scores, and other statistics to actual historical data from our school for students who have applied and been admitted in the past. You can use Naviance to maintain a list of colleges that you're considering. That list is also available to your counselor. Research Careers: Explore different careers you are interested in learning more about. If you are undecided, you have the opportunity to take personality quizzes to see where your interests and strengths lie in regards to possible careers and majors. Organize Your College Application Process: Build a resume, complete on-line surveys, and manage timelines and deadlines for making decisions about colleges and careers. Letters of recommendation: All letters of recommendation requests will need to be submitted through Naviance. How to get to AISA s Naviance page: Step 1: Log on to AISA s website Step 2: Click on college counseling in the campus life drop down menu. Step 3: Click on the Naviance Logo on the left hand side of the college- counseling page. o You should also watch a video above the link labeled letter of recommendation that will teach you a how to request a letter of recommendation through Naviance. Why is Naviance important? Most USA universities and many other international universities accept electronic transcripts through Naviance; this saves you a lot of time and money because when a university receives a transcript from Naviance it is considered official. 7

8 HOW TO GET THE MOST FROM YOUR NAVIANCE ACCOUNT? The purpose of this assignment is to introduce you to the college search features in your Family Connection account by Naviance. 1. Login to Naviance (Family Connection): Your login information will be given to you during your interview with your college counselor in the upcoming weeks. At this time you will also be given a password and then you will create your own password. If in the future you forget your password, indicate this on the login screen and Naviance will send you a new temporary password. 2. College Search: At the top of the page, select the Colleges tab. Under College Research, click College Search. Through Naviance, you can conduct and save many advanced college searches. Note that there are many categories of criteria: type, location, students, admission, majors, costs, etc. This is how to conduct a search given the following criteria: Select Type: 4 year Click on next at the bottom of the page. Select Location: Distance within 360 miles of zip code (Gibsonia). Click next. Click on Students: Enrollment: Choose 2,000-5,000 and 5,000-10,000. Click next. Click on Majors: Browse to the category Engineering and then click on Engineering, General and Add Selected major to the box. Click next. Select show matches: How many schools did you find that meet those criteria? 3. Saving a Search: You can save all searches for easy future reference. Select Save Search (by Number of Matches). Enter a search name. (For example: General Engineering Schools) 8

9 4. Add to My Colleges: Select Pick next to one of the colleges that interests you. Select the button Add to My Colleges. You will be brought to a new screen. 5. My Colleges: You are now in the My Colleges tab of Naviance. Junior year is the time to begin narrowing your college options. To add a college: If you are not already in My Colleges, select Colleges I m thinking about on the left hand side of the screen. a. Select add to this list. b. Select lookup. c. Type in part of the name of a college you are considering. For example, if you type in Pitt, you will get a list of every college in the US that has Pitt as part of its name. d. Select a school from this list. e. Select Add Colleges. 6. College Information: Under the College Research tab, select College Lookup. Choose one of the colleges listed below to lookup. Circle the name of that school. New York University University of California University of Illinois Suffolk University University of Pennsylvania Georgetown University Generic College Information: The following questions can be answered by clicking on the gray links toward the middle of the page. (Please note that all of this information is reported by the colleges and published on a national level.) Complete the Game Plan under About Me. 7. Explore careers and personality type under the Careers Tab. 8. Begin Building Your Resume: Under the About Me tab, select Resume. Add new entries to your resume by selecting a type of entry from the menu below. If you re not sure what information to provide, you can select an entry type and read the tips displayed. When printing your resume, you can choose which entries you want to display, so add as much information as possible. 9. Test Preparation: Under the Colleges tab: Click on college resources Prepare for the SAT using Method Test Prep. Choose SAT. 9

10 College Research Guide This work sheet is to help guide you through with you college research. You can learn a lot about a college from their website. Research and fill in the information below, which will help you learn about the universities acceptance rate and qualifications. This information will help you decide whether a school is a Safety, target, or reach school. Target school: is one that you really want to attend, and where your stats match their admissions standards. Reach school: is one where your academic credentials fall below the school's range for the average freshman. Safety school: is what it sounds like: a school where you are very confident that you are going to be accepted. University Name Reach Match Safety What major offered at this college? What % of students applied were accepted? Application deadline Minimum IB score required Language proficiency req. ILETS/TOEFL SAT/ACT admission requirement 10

11 THINGS TO CONSIDER IN SELECTING COLLEGES: ACCREDITATION AND PARTICIPATION IN THE FEDERAL STUDENT AID PROGRAMS: The goal of accreditation is to ensure that education provided by colleges and universities meets acceptable levels of quality. Accrediting agencies, which are private educational associations of regional or national scope, develop evaluation criteria and conduct peer evaluations to assess whether or not those criteria are met. To participate in the federal student aid programs, an institution must be accredited by an accrediting agency or state approval agency recognized by the national departments of Education as a reliable authority as to the quality of postsecondary education within the meaning of the Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended. This is all very technical, but the bottom line is if a college or university is unaccredited, it will not be able to offer federal student aid. You should be very cautious about considering a school that does not participate in the federal student aid programs. INSTITUTION SIZE: The size of a college or university will have an impact upon many of your opportunities and experiences. The range of academic majors offered, the extracurricular possibilities, the amount of personal attention you ll receive, and the number of books in the library will all be influenced by size. In considering size, however, it is essential that you look beyond the raw number of students attending. Consider instead, average class size for both first year students and upperclassmen. Investigate not just the number of faculty, but also how accessible faculties are to students. Perhaps you are considering a small department within a large school, or vice versa. Large schools may offer extensive support services for students with special needs or those who are experiencing difficulty. Smaller schools may not be able to fund similar programs. On the other hand, extra support may not be necessary if faculty work closely with individual students. LOCATION: Distance from home may be important to you. Is it important to you to be able to visit home frequently, or do you see this as a time to experience a new part of the country? Some of you will prefer an urban environment with access to museums, ethnic food, or major league ball games. Others will hope for easy access to outdoor activities or the serenity and safety of a more rural setting. ACADEMIC PROGRAMS: If you have a good idea of something specific you want to study in college or a career for which you want to prepare, look for well-respected academic departments in this discipline at the colleges you explore. You should not limit your selection process to academic program issues alone. Studies show that a majority of college students change college major at least once during their college years. Therefore, it is important to pick a college or university that will offer you many appealing possibilities. Look for unique options such as study abroad, unusual academic calendars, or cooperative education plans, which enable you to include several, paid internships with your class work, as ways of enhancing your education. If you are undecided, relax and pick an academically balanced institution, which offers a range of majors and programs. Most colleges offer expert counseling to help the undecided student find a focus. 11

12 THINGS TO CONSIDER IN SELECTING COLLEGES Cont.: CAMPUS LIFE: Be sure that you consider what your experience will be like at a college beyond the classroom. In order to grow in all ways, you will want a reasonable balance between academic rigor and an active social life. Find out what is available in terms of extracurricular activities, athletics, and special interest groups. Does the community surrounding the college offer attractive outlets for students? Are students truly welcomed by the community? Is there an ethnic or religious community in which you can participate? What influence, if any, do fraternities and sororities have on campus life? Colleges will often require that you live in campus housing for one or more years. So, in considering social life, be sure to look carefully at the quality of life in the dormitories. Many colleges now offer residential-life options such as substance-free dorms and special interest floors for students who share academic, recreational or community service interests. Others will offer dormitory-based study assistance, computer facilities, and counseling services. Ask if housing is guaranteed to returning students. If so, how are dormitory assignments made after the first year? COST: Today s price tag for a college education has made cost an important consideration for most students. At the same time, virtually all colleges work very hard to ensure that academically qualified students from every economic circumstance can find the financial aid, which will allow them to attend. In considering cost, look beyond the price tag for available assistance. Decide the value of a desired educational experience and how much sacrifice you are willing to make to obtain your goals (usually in terms of work and loan). Work closely with the financial aid officers at the colleges to which you apply. Two factors which are less obvious to many students, but very important in predicting the kind of experience you will have in college are: DIVERSITY: You will learn much from your college classmates every day in the classroom and in activities. Consider geographic, ethnic, racial, and religious diversity of the student body as ways of assessing your future learning opportunities. RETENTION AND GRADUATION RATES: One of the best ways to measure the quality of a college or university and the satisfaction of its students is by learning the percentage of students who return after the first year and the percentage of entering students who remain to graduate. Comparatively good retention and graduation rates are indicators that: a college and a majority of its students are well-matched, sufficient classes and academic programs are available, and responsible, academic, social, and financial support systems exist for most students. 12

13 COLLEGE FAIRS AND VISITS: College reps and admission officers generally enjoy talking to high school students. They like to share information about their schools and will be happy to answer any questions you may have about their college. Make your questions count, thoughtful questions will make a memorable student and will help in the admission process. How to get the most from a college fair. Before the fair, spend time determining what kind of school best suits you. This process takes time and is finally complete when you say YES to the school of your choice. Prepare a list of questions to ask the admissions representative. Here are a few good questions and categories to consider: Campus life: Activity centers and athletic and recreational facilities What kinds of facilities does the student center have? Is it a magnet for student activities? Are there other hangouts? Do you think the college pays attention to its appearance? How would you rate the fitness center? Health, career counseling, special student services, and security Is there a doctor, nurse, psychologist, or career counselor on campus? What is the waiting period for appointments? How good is the security on campus? Library How have students experiences with the library been? Have there been complaints? Is the library well equipped with computers and copy machines? Housing and dining Is there something I should know about housing that would help me in my choice? What are the types of food plans? All you can eat? Vegetarian? Kosher? Academics and faculty What is distinctive about education here? What is the most popular major on campus? Why? Do you think that students are generally enthusiastic about their classes? How would you characterize the academic pressure and workload? Are there research possibilities with the faculty? In what areas? What is the quality of student and faculty relationships? Is the faculty interested in and accessible to students after class 13

14 SAT What is the SAT and why is it important? Created by The College Board, the SAT is an entrance exam used by most colleges and universities to make admissions decisions. The idea, in theory at least, is to provide colleges with one common criterion that can be used to compare all applicants. However, it is just one factor in the admissions decision. Schools also consider your high school GPA, academic transcript, letters of recommendation, interviews and personal essays. The weight placed on SAT scores varies from school to school. For more specific information on the importance of SAT scores at the schools you're interested in, contact the admissions offices directly. The SAT is offered internationally every year in October, November, December, January, March, May and June. How is the SAT scored? Each section is scored on a 200- to 800-point scale, making the "perfect" score SAT TEST TACTICS: 1. Learn the section directions now. Use the time saved during the test to work on questions. 2. Answer easy questions first. Mark skipped questions in your exam book so you can quickly return to them later. 3. Guess...if you can eliminate at least one choice. 4. You can write in the test book: cross out wrong answers; do scratch work. 5. Easy questions usually precede hard ones. 6. Skip any question if you haven't the faintest idea about the answer. You don't lose points. 7. Understand the scoring! You get a point for a right answer. You lose a fractional point for a wrong answer. There is no deduction for omitted answers, or for wrong answers in the math section's student-produced response questions. 8. Don't spend too much time on any one question. You should spend only seconds on the easiest questions, and hesitate to spend more than 1-2 minutes on even the hardest ones. 9. Practice, practice, practice! 10. Read the questions carefully. Be sure to answer the question asked and not the question you recall from a practice test. 14

15 SAT SPECIFIC SECTIONAL STRATEGIES: CRITICAL READING: 1. Use the context of nearby words to figure out unknown words. 2. Don't overlook the reversing effect of negative words (like not) or prefixes (like un-). 3. If you're really stuck for the meaning of a word, try to think of other words that have similar prefixes, roots, or suffixes. 4. Eliminate choices in double-blank questions if the first word alone doesn't make sense in the sentence. 5. Let transition words (like although and likewise) help suggest the best answer. 6. You should base your answers to the questions solely on what is stated or implied in the passages. 7. Read the italicized introductory text. 8. First and last sentences of each paragraph are critical. 9. Find the right spot in a passage by using any line reference numbers that appear in the questions. 10. Read the passages before reading the questions. 11. Don't waste time memorizing details. 12. Some passages are presented in pairs. Read the brief introduction first to see how they relate. 13. Spend more time on answering the questions than on reading the text. WRITING Section: 1. Write a short (about words), persuasive essay on an assigned topic. 2. Keep in mind the structure of an essay - 5 paragraphs consisting of an: Introduction, Body (about 3 paragraphs), Conclusion 3. The allotted time frame is 25 minutes. Read the essay question quickly and think about the topic (about 5 minutes). Allow most of your time (about 15 minutes) to write the essay. Spend the remaining 5 minutes reviewing and editing your work. 4. Introductory Paragraph should state the position that is being taken. It should also state about 3 points that support this position. 5. The Body Paragraphs should expand the points that you present with specific detail and examples. 6. The Concluding Paragraph should summarize your point of view by restating the thesis statement in a revised format. 15

16 SAT SPECIFIC SECTIONAL STRATEGIES: (CONT.) MATH Section: 1. Guess if you can't figure it out. There is no penalty for wrong answers in this section. 2. Negative numbers are not possible as answers in this section. If your answer comes up negative, do it again. 3. You may begin to enter a short answer in any column. For instance,.6 can be entered in columns 1-2, or 2-3, or If an answer is a repeating decimal (like ), just enter as many decimals as will fit in the grid (.333). 5. You may enter an equivalent decimal for a fraction as your answer, but why waste the time evaluating the fraction? 6. Do not try to enter mixed numbers. For example, if your answer is 3 1/2, enter it as 3.5 or 7/2. 7. Read the question well. Be sure to select the best answer for the variable, value, or expression that is requested! 8. Learn in advance all of the critical definitions, formulas, and concepts that appear in common questions. 9. Remember to use the test booklet for scratch work, as well as for marking up any diagrams/graphs. 10. Early questions in this section are easier. Spend less time on them. 11. Don't get carried away with detailed calculations. Look for a trick or a shortcut if the question seems time consuming. 12. When a question contains a weird symbol, just substitute the accompanying definition when figuring out the best answer choice. All Students should plan to take the SAT by the end of their 11 th grade year ideally in the months of May and June. 16

17 THE PERSONAL STATEMENT This handout provides information about writing personal statements for academic applications. The personal statement, your opportunity to sell yourself in the application process Questions to ask yourself before you write: What's special, unique, distinctive, and/or impressive about you or your life story? What details of your life (personal or family problems, history, people or events that have shaped you or influenced your goals) might help the committee better understand you or help set you apart from other applicants? When did you become interested in this field and what have you learned about it (and about yourself) that has further stimulated your interest and reinforced your conviction that you are well suited to this field? What insights have you gained? How have you learned about this field through classes, readings, seminars, work or other experiences, or conversations with people already in the field? If you have worked a lot during your college years, what have you learned (leadership or managerial skills, for example), and how has that work contributed to your growth? What are your career goals? Are there any gaps or discrepancies in your academic record that you should explain (great grades but mediocre LSAT or GRE scores, for example, or a distinct upward pattern to your GPA if it was only average in the beginning)? Have you had to overcome any unusual obstacles or hardships (for example, economic, familial, or physical) in your life? What personal characteristics (for example, integrity, compassion, and/or persistence) do you possess that would improve your prospects for success in the field or profession? Is there a way to demonstrate or document that you have these characteristics? What skills (for example, leadership, communicative, analytical) do you possess? Why might you be a stronger candidate for graduate school and more successful and effective in the profession or field than other applicants? What are the most compelling reasons you can give for the admissions committee to be interested in you? General advice: Answer the questions that are asked If you are applying to several schools, you may find questions in each application that are somewhat similar. Don't be tempted to use the same statement for all applications. It is important to answer each question being asked, and if slightly different answers are needed, you should write separate statements. In every case, be sure your answer fits the question being asked. 17

18 PERSONAL STATEMENT TIPS Tell a story: Think in terms of showing or demonstrating through concrete experience. One of the worst things you can do is to bore the admissions committee. If your statement is fresh, lively, and different, you'll be putting yourself ahead of the pack. If you distinguish yourself through your story, you will make yourself memorable. Be specific: Don't, for example, state that you would make an excellent doctor unless you can back it up with specific reasons. Your desire to become a lawyer, engineer, or whatever should be logical, the result of specific experience that is described in your statement. Your application should emerge as the logical conclusion to your story. Find an angle: If you're like most people, your life story lacks drama, so figuring out a way to make it interesting becomes the big challenge. Finding an angle or a "hook" is vital. Concentrate on your opening paragraph: The lead or opening paragraph is generally the most important. It is here that you grab the reader's attention or lose it. This paragraph becomes the framework for the rest of the statement. Tell what you know: The middle section of your essay might detail your interest and experience in your particular field, as well as some of your knowledge of the field. Too many people graduate with little or no knowledge of the nuts and bolts of the profession or field they hope to enter. Be as specific as you can in relating what you know about the field and use the language professionals use in conveying this information. Refer to experiences (work, research, etc.), classes, conversations with people in the field, books you've read, seminars you've attended, or any other source of specific information about the career you want and why you're suited to it. Since you will have to select what you include in your statement, the choices you make are often an indication of your judgment. Don't include some subjects: There are certain things best left out of personal statements. For example, references to experiences or accomplishments in high school or earlier are generally not a good idea. Don't mention potentially controversial subjects (for example, controversial religious or political issues). Do some research, if needed: if a school wants to know why you're applying to it rather than another school, do some research to find out what sets your choice apart from other universities or programs. If the school setting would provide an important geographical or cultural change for you, this might be a factor to mention. Write well and correctly: Be meticulous. Type and proofread your essay very carefully. Many admissions officers say that good written skills and command of correct use of language are important to them as they read these statements. Express yourself clearly and concisely. Adhere to stated word limits. Avoid clichés: A medical school applicant who writes that he is good at science and wants to help other people is not exactly expressing an original thought. Stay away from often-repeated or tired statement 18

19 LETTER OF RECOMMEDATION REQUEST How important are the teacher/counselor recommendations? Recommendations confirm what else is in your application. Sometimes a very strong or personalized recommendation can help reveal particularly interesting or important traits or experiences, including reasons why you might not have done too well in this or that class or in a particular semester (you were sick, you have a disability, your parents divorced, you just moved to town, and so on). Helping Your Teachers do a Good Job for You: All teachers are overwhelmed by all that they must do. Therefore, one of your jobs is to make their job of writing your recommendation easier. You have nothing to lose by doing this, and everything to win. Some of the ways that you make the counselor's job easier is by: Being organized and neat Providing the recommender with useful, detailed, up-to-date materials Getting everything to him/her early, and certainly on time Appreciating whatever is done Who to ask: Many students wonder which teachers they should ask for letters. Some students incorrectly believe that a teacher in whose class they received and A or high 90s grade is the obvious choice. A class in which you excel could be the right teacher to ask, but a better indicator of your college potential may come from a subject or class where you struggled to do well and made an impression on the teacher with your persistence and motivation to improve. If you have formed a bond with a teacher, that teacher can write more knowledgeably about you than a teacher who barely knows you. If you are an active participant in a class, express interest in a subject, or regularly attend extra help sessions, a teacher can write a more detailed letter about you, which is what college counselors want to read. College admissions counselors don t want to read general letters that read, Tim is a quiet and studious student who gets 100s on all my tests. They would rather read letters that are specific, such as Tim is an intellectually curious student who stayed after class to engage me in conversation about a book he recently read for pleasure. He does not have the highest average in the class, but he does have a passion for learning, and his paper on the use of herbal medicines in Chinatown was carefully researched, well organized, and featured critical analyses of primary and secondary sources. Which letter would you rather read: One that is general and says very little about the person or one that is specific and says a great deal about the person s academic potential in college? So, the bottom line is to choose carefully who to ask for letters of recommendation. How to ask an AISA teacher? Make a request on Naviance (video available on the college counseling website) Complete the letter of recommendation form in detail and give it to you teacher. It is very important to give your teacher enough time at least one month to write you a letter. The best time to request at letter of recommendation is at the end of your 11 th grade year or at the begging of you 12 th grade year. 19

20 Faculty Letter of Recommendation request: Student: Teacher: Today s Date: Date Due to Counseling Office: Please List a sample of the schools you intend to apply to: If you don t have college names, What country: What course of Study: What courses did you take with this teacher? o Course Year 9,10,11,12 (please circle the correct Year) o Course Year 9,10,11,12 (please circle the correct Year) o Course Year 9,10,11,12 (please circle the correct Year) Please answer all the questions on the back. 20

21 1. Activities (Job, community, volunteer etc.) Years of participation (9, 10, 11, 12). Be specific Indicate Leadership positions, honors, recognition and awards) 2. Describe the single high school accomplishment that you are most proud of. 3. What do you see as your major contribution to this particular class? 4. Describe a particular project, assignment, test, presentation, or discussion that you feel demonstrates your potential in this course. Why are you proud of it? 5. Is there anything that you would like the teacher to know about you that they may not know from the context of the class? 21

22 Works Cited "3 SAT Tips & Advice." 3 SAT Tips & Advice. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Jan "Access Denied." Access Denied. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Jan "11th Grade: College Planning Timeline." Peterson's. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Jan Gelb, Alan. Conquering the College Admissions Essay in 10 Steps: Crafting a Winning Personal Statement. Berkeley: Ten Speed, Print. Hernández, Michele A. A Is for Admission: The Insider's Guide to Getting into the Ivy League and Other Top Colleges. New York: Warner, Print. McGinty, Sarah Myers. The College Application Essay. New York: College Entrance Examination Board, Print. "SAT Reading Section Tips." SAT Reading Tips. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Jan "Welcome to the Purdue OWL." Purdue OWL: Writing the Personal Statement. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Jan "What College Admissions Officers Look For: How Important Are Letters of Recommendation?" Education.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Jan