In 500 Words...

It really shouldn't be that hard - it's only 500 words long and on a topic about which the writer is expert: him or herself. Yet nothing sends seniors into greater paroxysms of anxiety than the personal statement. Fears of sounding arrogant, telling an unworthy story, or simply not knowing where to begin can paralyze even the most able writer. But when you hit upon the "right" topic and the words flow from your heart as well as your head, this writing exercise can be a deeply rewarding one.

While the personal statement gives the applicant a chance to tell the admissions office something important about him or herself, it is also a chance to show off strong writing abilities, demonstrate the caliber of intellectual skills, and give a unifying theme to the various parts of the application.

While the writing process is different for everyone, sometimes the easiest place to begin is to decide what you most want the reader to know about you and then pick the moment that best illustrates that point.

Ultimately, the event you describe is not nearly as important as the meaning you derive from it. Admissions offices are not impressed by church youth group trips to Peru, hang gliding adventures or bike tours through France in and of themselves - they are looking for an experience that has meaningfully shaped the way you see yourself or the world around you. What matters is the perspective you have gained, not the experience itself.

Once you have chosen your topic, it is important not to let the details of the story overshadow the message you are working to convey. While strong writing skills can, and should, be showcased through descriptive details, given the constraints of the 500 word limit, be judicious in your use of flowery prose and tangential information. Focus on delivering your message, not on telling a story.

Along those lines, there can be a temptation to use inflated vocabulary to impress the reader. More often than not, this is more distracting than clarifying, and the writer's natural voice is muffled. Every effort should be made to use the right word, but that isn't necessarily the one with the most syllables. Choose words that most clearly convey what you want to say, and make your writing sound like you.

Finally, while a good personal statement takes a lot of writing, a great personal statement takes a lot of thinking as well. Talking through ideas with friends, keeping a journal and spending time alone thinking about who you are and what you value most can help bring ideas into sharper focus. Besides revealing the character of the applicant, the personal statement reveals the quality of the author's introspection, global awareness and analytical skills. Clear and purposeful prose reveals clear and purposeful thinking.

It's only 500 words, and by focusing on the message you wish to convey, distilling the experience you write about into the most important moments, and writing in an authentic voice you will produce a personal statement that reveals your character and personality in their best and truest light.

And if you write about what is most meaningful to you, the words should come easily. All 500 of them.

Reprinted with permission from Metrowest Daily News.

Applying Early isn't Always Better

At this point in the college process, it is not uncommon for seniors to announce proudly that they have decided to apply Early Decision or Early Action. While for some this choice reflects the fruits of thorough, thoughtful and careful research and can be a very sound decision, the early application isn't always the best application. Many colleges offer the chance to apply Early Decision, a binding commitment that promises to the school that, if accepted, the applicant will enroll. As such, students can not, ethically, apply to any more than one school ED and guidance offices will not send out student records for more than one ED application.

Early Action is similar to Early Decision but is a non-binding agreement and, thus, a student can apply to as many schools EA as he or she wishes. Many schools offer Early Action I, with deadlines typically around mid-November, as well as Early Action II, with deadlines in mid-December and sometimes later.

Typically, a student for whom either Early Decision or Early Action can be the right choice has been very involved and invested in the college search and has thoroughly considered all eligible schools.

A successful ED or EA applicant should have a strong transcript through the junior year as the admissions decision will be made before colleges have a chance to see any upward trend in the senior year. Further, all standardized testing should be completed by the October administration, teacher recommendations gathered, personal statements polished, and interviews completed, or at least scheduled, at all schools requiring or recommending them.

Early Decision can often work to the student's advantage because the commitment to attend is a way that schools can improve their yield, one of the measures by which colleges are ranked. Additionally, acceptance rates are typically higher (but not always) from ED and EA pools than the Regular Decision pool of applicants.

Finally, applying early provides students with the opportunity to learn of a college decision within six weeks, which can relieve a lot of stress - for students and parents alike.

However, there are some downsides to applying early that need to be given their due weight. First and foremost it takes an appreciable amount of time, organization and forethought to pull together an application by mid-November. As there is only one chance to make this first impression, students must be sure that the application that they submit early is the best application they can submit.

Further, applying early doesn't give a chance for a student who is just gaining their full academic momentum to have their winter grades submitted for review. And, because it does take quite a bit of motivation, effort and a certain maturity to be ready to apply ED or EA, this pool of applicants can actually be stronger than the Regular Decision pool because these same qualities make for strong students.

While most often those not accepted in the early rounds are placed into the Regular Decision pool, the risk of applying early is multiplied if applications are rejected in this round, as is sometimes the case.

For seniors who are unwavering in their decision about their first choice school and who are positioned to present their strongest application in November, applying Early Decision or Early Action can be a prudent course of action. However, the pros and cons should be weighed carefully before deciding if applying early is better.

Reprinted with permission from Metrowest Daily News.

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No One Said Applying to College Was Easy

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Time and time again parents sit in our office and reflect, "I don't remember it being like this when I applied to college." Indeed, the process has changed in some important ways. More colleges are making standardized testing optional, schools are becoming increasingly competitive, students are sending out more applications and parents are more involved in the process than ever before. For parents of rising seniors, we offer these words of advice:

1. Help your child remember that college is first and foremost about the academic experience. Colleges are offering some very enticing options including gourmet food service, dorm suites with full kitchens, athletic centers with state-of-the-art equipment, and cyber cafes at every turn. All this is very appealing, but students can lose focus on what should be at the center of their college experience - the academic program. Enjoy all the amenities colleges have to offer, but help your child assess the breadth and depth of courses offered and the level of academic rigor. While these intangibles can be hard to evaluate, it is important to help your child keep the "rightness" of the academic fit at the center of the decision making process.

2. If your child has been a procrastinator for 17 years, going through the college process isn't going to draw out Type A qualities. Know your child's strengths and weaknesses, and proceed accordingly. If he is disorganized, set up organizational systems. If he needs to read about colleges to really understand them, buy him guide books. Tech-savvy kids can gather a lot of information from YouTube videos, pod casts and school Web sites. Learning and behavioral styles are hard to change, so work with what you've got.

3. Remember, this is not your turn to apply to college. While your college years may have been the best of your life, that doesn't mean that your alma mater is perfect for your child. Let your child decide what is the best place for her to spend her undergraduate years.

4. It's hard to be objective and supportive at the same time. If you start more sentences with "Tell me more about what you think about..." and fewer with " I think...," you're well on your way.

5. Applying to college is probably the longest, most involved and most difficult decision your child has ever had to make. Give him plenty of time and space to process all the information and don't undervalue the emotional component. This is an important practice for making the even bigger decisions which lie ahead.

6. View the process of applying to college as just that - a process. It has a beginning, a middle and an end and each child will go through the process in her own way, in her own time, hopefully taking on increasing responsibility and ownership. Ultimately, this is not just about "getting in" but about developing self-awareness, clarifying values and becoming self-sufficient and self-directed. When parents become too involved, the student is denied the chance to go through this very maturing, self-actualizing process.

7. Front row seats don't always provide the best view. Sometimes the best place to watch this process is from a healthy distance. Don't be afraid to step back.

Reprinted with permission from Metrowest Daily News.

Time to Try Something New

Summer opportunities abound for high school students, and for those planning to apply to college it is important to take full advantage of the available options. This can be the perfect time to take classes, explore career interests, hone athletic skills or become involved in volunteer work. As with all extracurricular activities, how a student chooses to spend their vacation time reveals a great deal about their passions, talents and leadership skills. Yet, while the opportunities are endless, students should carefully choose what it is that they want to do with an eye not to "resume building" but to finding fulfilling experiences that will nurture their passions and allow them to pursue their interests.

For those academics who would like to move ahead in their coursework or to take a class that isn't offered at their high school, many independent schools and colleges offer summer sessions. Through these programs, students can take classes in subjects ranging from calculus to archeology to glass blowing. Most often classes are held during the morning and arts and athletic activities take place in the afternoon so there is plenty of time for recreation built into the day. Those living at a distance may opt to board to get a taste of what dorm life is like.

For those students who are more career-focused, the 10 weeks of summer provide a unique opportunity to explore those interests through internships. Besides the credibility it lends to a resume, a summer internship is the best way to discover if a specific career path is the right road for you.

For those with a more entrepreneurial spirit, the summer months allow time to run a small business mowing grass, selling handmade T-shirts or organizing a dog-walking business. The organizational, leadership and creative skills that are required to run a successful business are especially alluring to colleges.

Volunteering is another way to explore career interests and develop skills while helping others. Many schools require community service but finding time to volunteer during the academic year can be challenging for those invested in sports and other clubs and activities. For students who want to combine work with travel there are several groups that organize volunteer opportunities overseas. Rather than giving an hour or so of your time each week over the course of the year, focusing your energies on your volunteer work can lead to a more meaningful and rewarding experience.

For the athlete, sports camps are offered at many independent schools and universities and provide a tremendous opportunity not only to train with some of the best coaches in the field but also to take advantage of state-of-the-art athletic facilities. Your high school coach is likely your best resource for recommendations for area camps.

Finally, many students enroll in programs overseas where they do any combination of study, travel, language immersion and/or volunteer work. Some programs involve home-stays while others house students in dormitories. For many, this is their first time traveling without their family and the rewards of overcoming the challenges of learning how to adapt to and appreciate the traditions and routines of another culture are profound.

While summer provides myriad opportunities to explore one's interests and passions, it is important to plan ahead as the popularity of many of these camps and programs will lead them to fully enroll quickly. In addition to the Web resources listed below, "Peterson's Summer Programs for Kids and Teenagers" provides a full listing of summer opportunities including community service, study abroad, special needs and wilderness programs as well as summer schools and sports camps.

So often it is through these summer experiences, when a student steps out from the routines and safety of their school-year lives, that they discover something important about themselves or about the world around them. By planning now you will have the chance to make the most of your summer months while still leaving plenty of time for recreation and renewal.

Web resources

Although not a comprehensive list, we hope you'll find these Web sites helpful:

Reprinted with permission from Metrowest Daily News.

The College Tour

Between sports, after-school jobs, clubs and homework, high school students are finding it increasingly challenging to make time to tour colleges. However, April vacation presents a wonderful opportunity for these visits: There is enough time to see schools at a distance, classes are still in session, and admissions offices have fully turned their attention to the Class of 2009. Yet, while tour guides and admissions deans can provide a wealth of information, before you leave campus take the time to go beyond the facts and try to uncover the real culture of the school.

Colleges offer information sessions and tours for students, and it is a good idea to attend both. Information sessions are generally lead by an admissions officer who will share the important facts and statistics about their school and then open the floor to questions. Sometimes a panel of students will share their stories and experiences. These sessions are a wonderful way to get a broad overview of the school.

A student-lead tour of the campus allows you to see where students eat, sleep, study and play, and gives a good sense of the type of student who is happy at that school. The tour guide will provide information about a class day, the nitty-gritty details about meal plans and lottery systems for room selection, and will freely share stories of their experiences at the college.

Tour guides will flesh out the college experience at their school, but generally their anecdotes are limited to their personal experiences.

However, for many prospective students, the factors that will contribute to their happiness and ultimate success at college have little to do with class size, wireless Internet availability or the opportunity to "keep the same mailbox for all four years" - all the type of things your tour guide will cheerfully tell you about.

More often, it is the friendships that are cultivated, the experiences never captured in the view book, and the events and traditions that make up school culture that make the "college experience." So, the challenge to juniors is just this: After the campus tour, spend some additional time on campus to uncover the real culture of a school - those things that truly define the undergraduate experience.

One of the best places to start to get a strong feel for a school is to spend time where the students hang out. Note who is where and doing what. Are lots of students in the library studying? Are they helping professors with research? Are they playing foosball in the student center? If you can imagine yourself spending your free time the way many of the students you see are, then it is likely that this school culture is a good match for you.

Another way to get an insider's perspective on a school is to enjoy a meal in the dining hall. Sometimes the admissions office will give prospective students a meal pass, but even if they don't, the information you can gather there is well worth the modest investment. More important than understanding the variety of meal plans the school offers is to get a sense of how many students eat on campus, whether meals are an important social event or just a calorie-consuming opportunity, and if students seem to be friendly and welcoming of everyone or whether specific, well-formed cliques can be identified.

I recently visited a campus where students were encouraged to compost their food waste and recycle their plastics. While it has nothing to do with the dining experience, per se, these are things that are important to me and I could imagine finding soulmates in that dining commons.

For students who know what they want to major in, try to arrange to meet with a professor while you are on campus to learn about unique opportunities for study or research within that department.

The student athlete should certainly be in touch with the coach of their sport but, more broadly, if there is a specific person connected with a club, activity or interest that will define your college experience - be it the maestro of the orchestra, the learning center director or the study abroad coordinator - make an effort to meet that person while on campus.

Making the most of a college visit means investing some extra time and energy, but finding a school that matches your academic, extracurricular, athletic and social interests is more than worth the added effort.

Don't let the tour guide be your only source of information - dig deep!

Tips for a successful college visit

  • Make your reservations early - tour slots fill quickly
  • Sign up for both the tour and the information session
  • Leave plenty of time to walk around campus and the town on your own after the tour
  • Pick up a copy of the student newspaper, read bulletin boards
  • Talk to students you see on campus
  • Walk up front with the tour guide so you can hear him and ask him questions between stops
  • Take notes - you'll forget what you heard
  • If you're inspired, take pictures

Reprinted with permission from Metrowest Daily News