I’ve had a few people ask me whether they should write about the Presidential election and how it is has shaped their lives. The answer is: if you can do it effectively without it being too clich√©d, then yes – it can be an acceptable topic. All too often, however, students let the election season take over their college applications- writing fervently for either Obama or McCain without any substance; they forget to come up with a solid theme about themselves. Don’t fall victim to such poor writing.

Writing an essay, whether it be for prep school, college or graduate admissions, requires students take an inimitable approach. You must write with clarity, consistency and care.

For example, the following essay is a sample of bad writing on the election:

“I’m supporting ______ candidate because we need change. Change is a good thing for America. Just look at the last 8 years; when I was in middle school students and teachers thought we were heading in the right direction.”

Why does this essay start off bad? Well, for one, it is about a concept, i.e. “Change,” which can be difficult to bring down to a tangible level where the audience can see how it has shaped your life. Instead, start broadly and narrow the concept into a form where the reader/audience knows where you’re heading with the topic. Further, supplement any political writing with solid examples of your participation in the election process.

Here’s an example of a better essay with more substance:

“Having volunteered in a local phone drive for __________ candidate, I have heard the voices of people desiring change; I want to be part of this change. I took part in the electoral process because I feel our government is too large and our individual voices are all too often drowned out by special interests and lobbyists.”

These two parallel examples – one bad, one good- hopefully clarify the essay topic of the Presidential election or any election for that matter. If you have volunteered before or been an active part of any local, state or federal campaign, tell the admissions office, be specific and bring any abstract topic such as change down to a manageable level. You don’t want to sound clich√©d like many political ads airing across the nation. Bring substance, candor and care to your essay and you’re bound to connect more with your audience.

Hope that helps…
For more information on college essays and private college counseling, check out one of our programs, or call (800) 501-7737.

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Recommended College Planning Resources

Career Search

The following site will help you in your college search.
www.careerkey.org

Test Registration

As the time for testing looms on the horizon, you should be mindful of deadlines and registration requirements. Almost equal numbers of students took the ACT and the SAT during the most recent admission cycle. Check the following sites for more information about tests, dates and registration deadlines.
www.ACTStudent.org (ACT, PLAN)
www.CollegeBoard.com/index.html?student (SAT, PSAT, AP, CLEP)

List of Standardized Test Optional Colleges

The rapidly growing list of accredited, four-year colleges and universities that do not require the submission of ACT or SAT scores as part of their admission requirements is nearing 750! You can see the entire list at:
www.fairtest.org/optinit.htm

ACT/SAT Conversion Charts

The ACT and SAT are very different college entrance test. Now that every college in the country will accept either test result, you might be interested in an approximation of how your result equates with scores on the “other” test.
www.collegeboard.com

Formula for U.S. News & World Report College Rankings

Check this link to learn more about how the editors at U.S. News & World Report arrive at their results.
www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/about/weight_brief.php

Alternative to Rankings

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) conducted annually by the Indiana University at Bloomington provides a comprehensive overview of outcomes for participating institutions. To learn more about this resource, visit their site and go to the “Students and Parents” page.

http://www.nsse.iub.edu/index.cfm

Scholarship Searchs

Looking for scholarships? The following sites will give you access to scholarship information and help you assess your viability as a candidate to receive merit awards.
www.FinAid.org
www.FastWeb.com
www.Internationalscholarships.com

Financial Aid

It you are looking for guidance in completing the financial aid process or you have received a financial aid award and aren’t quite sure what to make of it, these sites provide a good orientation to the terms, the construction of financial aid award letters and how much assistance you are actually receiving.
www.FinancialAidLetter.com (“decode” financial aid awards)
www.FinAid.org (comprehensive resource)
www.fafsa.ed.gov (complete/submit FAFSA to determine eligibility for federally-administered need-based aid)
profileonline.collegeboard.com/index.jsp (complete/submit Profile to determine eligibility for institutionally awarded need-based aid)

Generic Application Forms

Interested in exploring application options that will allow you to complete one form from which you can generate applications to multiple colleges? The following links take you to websites for two membership organizations that provide such opportunities.
www.commonapp.org
www.universalcollegeapp.com

National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC)
NACAC is the professional association of which most colleges and universities are members. This site includes a comprehensive orientation to the college process for students and their parents covering topics such as college preparation, scholarship scams, international student resources and online resources.
www.nacacnet.org/MemberPortal/Students/

Athletic Recruitment and Admission

If you are an athlete who is eager to continue competing in college at any level, scholarship or non-scholarship, you need to be aware of the rules that govern the manner in which you may be recruited and considered for admission. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) are the two associations of which most intercollegiate athletic programs are members. Visit their sites to make sure you are aware of the rules before you become too heavily involved in the recruitment process.
www.ncaa.org (go to Academics & Athletes)
naia.cstv.com

If you have any questions about any of these sites, don’t hesitate to call or contact us about getting college counseling. Call 800-501-PREP.

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Dear Top Test Prep,
“I need some help with college counseling; what all can you do? P.S. I live in New York City.”
-Susie B., NYC

Hi Susie,
We offer Ivy League college counseling over the phone (and Skype for international students), via email, and using web meetings. Our college counseling is not limited to giving you a college list and letting you do the work. We work with you until you’re admitted. From top 10 schools to top public universities, we’ll make sure your application gets all the fine tuning it needs to stand out from the crowd of applicants. Depending on which Level you sign up for, we are dedicated to ensuring you are admitted.

Best,
President and Founder, Ross Blankenship

__________________________________________

Dear Top Test Prep,
“My son is applying to boarding schools. Do you have experience getting students into top boarding schools?”
John T., Greenwich, CT

Hi John,
Thanks for your email. Absolutely; both co-founders attended top boarding schools and have experience working with applicants to top boarding schools. From counseling students on the SSAT, to working on admissions packets, we’ll be here for you. We also will help you figure out basic things like student housing and financial aid (if needed).

__________________________________________

Dear Top Test Prep,
“Which exams are you tutors trained in helping with?”
-M. Brown, Dallas, TX

Hi Mr. Brown,
Our tutors help with the following exams: SSAT, PSAT, SAT, ACT, LSAT, GMAT, GRE and MCAT. All tutors have scored in the top 1% overall and will make sure you succeed. Contact us today for help!

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Well, I just checked our IT programmers and they told me that we’re almost at 10,000 readers, after having launched our blog only a couple months ago. Thank you to all of our readers. Make sure to forward the blog address to your friends and spread the word about the Admissions Blog and our admissions counseling page, Admissions Counseling

.

If you’re the 10,000th reader, we’ll be issuing a pretty great prize. To be announced!

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If your college counselor isn’t spending enough time on your applications, it’s time to get some serious help with your college applications.
We’re here to help you. If there’s anything we can help you with – don’t hesitate to call or email us.

There’s only one time to go to college, so make the right choices with the right people supporting you – Top Test Prep.

For a free consultation, check this out: Admissions Consultation.

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So, you want an Ivy League education? Well, this could be a difficult undertaking. In general, less than 1 out of 10 Ivy League applicants are accepted. To give you an idea of how tough it really is, for the 2007 school year, Harvard received 22,955 applications. They accepted only 2,058. Not very good odds are they? The question is – how do you stand out from the crowd? What will make you the 1 in 10 that they choose?

The answer: a well-refined and organized application.

Think of your college application as a full-page advertisement. An Ivy League application will include your transcripts, letters of recommendation, an essay, and test scores. These items are what the college admissions office sees as your profile or overall impression. Opinions are formed by what is contained in that admissions package. How do you make a lasting impression? Just like as in marketing – it’s all about the packaging. Here is how to make your admissions package stand out from the crowd.

First, don’t just apply to an Ivy League School for the sake of applying. A better tactic is to decide on why you want or need to go to an Ivy League School. Once you have the answer to that question, start researching what the Ivy League schools are looking for in a successful candidate. A great way to do this is to visit the schools you are interested in. Talk to everyone you can on campus about college life and whether they enjoy their experience. Ask for college brochures and admissions materials. Be sure to know what they expect as far as grades, extracurricular activities, and community work. It takes a lot more these days than a perfect SAT score and straight A’s. Know that you need at least one letter of recommendation, so start building meaningful relationships your sophomore year with school instructors and administrators.

Second, let’s talk about getting you to stand out from the crowd and making you the 1 in 10 who gets accepted. You may have heard the phrase “organization is the key to success.” This holds true for your college application process. Start by making a chart of the schools you desire to attend. You will be tracking their admissions requirements.

Be sure to note the following:

A. Application deadline

B. Applications requirements

standard forms
scores
transcripts
recommendations
essays, etc.

C. Letters of Recommendations

deadlines

who you want to write the recommendation

exact number which you’ll need

As you complete each part of the application process, check it off your chart. Remember that many colleges have a January deadline for applications. Start asking for recommendations no later than the previous November. You want to give the person writing the recommendations plenty of time to get it done correctly. If they feel rushed, your review may not be a dazzling as you had hoped. In order for your recommender to write a really good review make sure:

That your recommender knows you well. Be sure to give them enough information about why you want to attend this particular college.

Inform your recommender of the deadline.

Make sure he has your full name, address, email, home and cell numbers, and any IM or instant messaging info you may have.

Provide him with at least two copies of the forms, just in case of a mistake.

Give the complete name, mailing address of the college or university you are applying to, and include a stamped addressed envelope.

A copy of your completed application form and essays.

Information about the school you are attending. This could be a brochure or other pamphlet.

A list of all activities, awards, achievements

Your resume if you are employed.

Do not forget to send your recommender a thank you note once you are admitted.

So, you’ve organized yourself and lined up a few people to write letters of recommendation. What’s next? You need to write a killer essay. Why do you want to go to college and why should this college select you? What do you have to offer the college admissions offices? The essay is your voice to the admissions committee. Make it believable and sincere. Don’t beg or plead – illustrate your voice and vision.

Also important are interesting extracurricular activities, great grades and test scores, and a well organized application that is complete and well written will lead you to admission. If you can offer these things to the admissions counselors, you stand a good chance of getting in – you might even receive a scholarship or higher grant-based financial aid. And these rules apply to all colleges and universities, not just those Ivy League schools.

Aim high, but be fully prepared, organized and committed to enriching your application completely. Applying to the Ivy League is a challenge, but taking the process step-by-step will enable you to achieve admissions success.

Ross Blankenship is a researcher, admissions analyst and alumni of the Ivy League. He is also an author and current director of http://www.toptestprep.com. He graduated from Cornell University and obtained a law degree from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis. Article appeared on education.com.

Call Top Test Prep today at (800) 501-Prep.

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