Private Colleges and Common App

1. Private Colleges and Common App

2. What is a “Private College” • College that does not receive most of its funding from the state. • Funded by tuition and alumni endowments. • General Characteristics • Usually smaller and more intimate, camaraderie • Better access to professors • Strength is usually in the Liberal Arts • More expensive, more aid available

3. Finding the Best Fit • Location, Size, Facilities, Integration, Study Abroad • Financial Aid packages • Strength of programs • Student Body characteristics • Diversity • Attitudes • Athletics • Greek life • Selectivity

4. Private School Admission • Most Selective (acceptance rate below 20%) • Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Stanford • Highly Selective (acceptance rate 20%-30%) • Northwestern, Carleton, Georgetown • Moderately Selective (acceptance rate 31%-60%) • Macalester, St. Olaf, Grinnell, Coe • Selective (acceptance rate 61%-90%) • Drake, St. Thomas, Hamline, Augsburg

5. Admission Factors • Grades • ACT/SAT • Rigor of Coursework • Diversity, Unique Talent • Essay, Interview • Recommendations • Rank

6. Applying to Private Colleges • Applying directly to the college • Sometime easier if you’re only applying to a few private colleges • Coalition Application • Common App • Some colleges only accept applications via the CA

7. Common App

8. WRITING COLLEGE ESSAYS 2016

9. What’s It About? • A good essay tells a story. • Some examples of successful essays are: • My big feet. • Grandma’s kitchen. • My imaginary friend. • The spider farm in my closet. Mundane ideas and events can be just as good as crazy experiences.

10. Bad Essay Topics • Drugs, alcohol, and/or sex • Your heroism • Social, religious, and political issues • The travel journal • A comedy routine • Woe is me • Excuses

11. What’s It About? A good starting point is a value, characteristic, accomplishment, skill, life event or interesting story that is important to you.

12. What It’s Really About • Great college essays connect to a deeper truth or something critical or essential to yourself. • This is a chance to tell an admissions office something you can’t cover with a test score, GPA, or activities list. • The key is, what do you want to say about yourself?

13. What It’s Really About? • Check out the deeper meaning behind the previous essay examples: • My big feet Being comfortable with myself. • Grandma’s kitchen How I was raised. • Imaginary friend My best ability is my imagination • Closet spider farm Why I love science

14. Make it an Interesting Narrative Some ways to implement an interesting narrative… • My big feet Told from one foot’s perspective • Losing the race Twist in the narrative. • Grandma’s kitchen Uses smells of the kitchen and literary techniques • Imaginary friend Uses wild imaginative stories. • Closet spider farm Spiders in a closet = interesting narrative.

15. Use a Hook • Essays can be won or lost in the first paragraph…how do you bring your reader in? • An essay hook is the first one-two sentences of your essay, its introductory part, which serves to grab a reader’s attention and let him/her decide whether s/he wants to continue reading this essay or not. • My big feet... tripping over things.” • Losing the big race...e state championship.” • My grandma’s kitchen... • My imaginary friend... • The spider farm in my closet… A good hook piques your reader’s interest and frames the essay without being too specific.

16. Essay Tips - The Obvious • Start early. • Watch word limits. • Meet due dates. • Fix your grammar • Follow the instructions…..exactly

17. Essay Tips • Avoid using lists (less is more) • Use a touch of humor (but just a touch) • Tone…balance pride with humility • Reveal your character • Passions • Intellect • Strengths • Mechanics matter, go beyond spell check!

18. It should go without saying….. • Get an e-mail account….keep it plain and adult-sounding • vodka mike75@hotmail.com • sleepmaster@yahoo.com • catlover45@gmail.com • soccergirl17@yahoo.com

19. Extenuating/Special Circumstances Used to explain “abnormalities” on your transcript Only use if you have a valid reason that severely impacted your grades; be careful Check with counselor Don’t use this essay for excuses; explain what happened and how you grew into a better person/student as a result

20. 2015-2016 Common Application Questions 1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.2. The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?3. Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea.  What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?4. Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.5. Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

21. Resources • Washburn Writing Center • Blue Lab (media center) • Open: • 4th hour • Mondays and Thursdays (3:15pm-4:00pm) • Tuesdays and Wednesdays (7:45am-8:15am) • You can also make an appointment online using the WHS website (Students Writing Center Help Request!) • Contact the Writing Center Coordinator, Tara Mennitt, if you have any questions.

22. Any Questions?