What an absurd question. Of course it is…but as one article correctly points out, it is NOT OK to have someone write, rewrite, or edit it to a point where the content of the original essay is for the most part non-existent. The second the students own voice begins to fade, or appears to just not be there at all – a red flag goes up in the minds of readers (they for the most part have a great radar when it comes to these things). The point of the essay in part is to give AdComm’s a glimpse into applicants personality – what else makes them unique outside of their academic profiles (though grammar, etc. is important). My mom’s voice is different then my own, and it shows in our writing. This is not to say that she does not write well, but my style and voice in my writing (and out actually) is uniquely my own (read = more FLAIR people!). I would choose mine over hers any day (sorry, Mom) – and you should, too.
Early Decision Admit Numbers Out @Ivy’s
Peep the #’s at Harvard and PU here. Will add more when others release stats!
How Important Are Test Scores to College Applications?
Very Important.
I know this is not what most people want to hear, but let’s face it – they just are. At many highly selective schools standardized test scores are used as baseline guides for where an application may land after a first read or even a first glance (where this practice is undertaken). This is also after taking into consideration GPA, which is another very important factor. You can be certain that high test scores and a high GPA (via rigorous coursework) will land an application in the “pool” so to speak. A low-end combo of the two may be enough to move you out completely, though applicants with some other extraordinary aspect to their application may be given a second look. At less selective institutions, GPA and other aspects of the application may be able to supplement low test scores – but the chances of this happening at highly selective schools is rare. As important as they are, test scores are still just one piece of the applicant’s file, but I feel like it is important to be realistic as to their usage by AdComm’s (read = admissions committees). There are schools that place less weight on test scores and now schools that are even test-optional, so if low test scores are part of your file, you may want to explore these options. Read more about the importance of test scores according to a few folks in the biz here.
Real Applicant Profiles
Ok, so all of these students went to Blair (an EXCELLENT school located right outside of D.C. – and very diverse). That being said, this article highlights students with a range of abilities and who submitted applications to not just Ivy’s (gasp!) – yes, there are schools other than the great eight. Check out the profiles here!
Common Application Information & Additional Info Update
Here is some helpful information in reference to the Common Application, most of which has been discussed previously on this site, as well as on countless others. Nonetheless, I will provide a few articles for your reading pleasure here and here…..and for some notes on the do’s and don’ts of the Additional Information section of the Common App see this article via Huff Post. I agree with the articles sentiments wholeheartedly. Enjoy!
College Resource for Individuals with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities
I came across a fantastic resource today for students, their families, and other professionals providing information on postsecondary education for individuals with intellectual and other developmental disabilities. If you would find this information helpful, I highly suggest visiting Think College.
Here is an overview from the Think College site:
Think College is an initiative of the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at the University of Massachusetts Boston. ICI has been a leader in the area of postsecondary education for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities for over ten years. As interest in postsecondary education for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities has expanded, so has the need for research and training in this area. ICI currently has three federal grants designed to conduct research, training, and technical assistance for professionals, families, and students related to postsecondary education for individuals with intellectual and other developmental disabilities.
Think College focuses on three primary areas in postsecondary education for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities.
Research: Think College conducts research on current and promising practices that support individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities to gain access to and be successful in inclusive postsecondary education. It also identifies gaps in knowledge about the participation of individuals with intellectual disabilities by conducting a national survey of existing postsecondary options and completing a secondary analysis of three national databases to learn more about the impact postsecondary educational opportunities have on people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. To gain insight into the impact of postsecondary education from the perspective of students and other stakeholders, Think College is conducting Participatory Action Research with college students with intellectual or developmental disabilities, as well as family members and other stakeholders.
Training and Technical Assistance: Think College provides training and technical assistance using a number of venues. Think College publishes Research to Practice Briefs, Policy Briefs, E-Newsletters, and other print materials, supports Capacity Building Institutes in various locations across the country, and is developing web-based training modules and a Community of Practice all devoted to postsecondary education for individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities. The Think College website provides access to searchable databases of existing college options. It has also developed databases on related literature and training and technical assistance materials, as well as a web-based self-assessment tool based on promising practices.
Dissemination: Think College is supported by a collaborative effort of seven University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) and other national organizations. These partners will support large-scale dissemination of the knowledge developed by this initiative. Think College will produce a number of reports that detail how postsecondary education initiatives implement promising practices, and the types of activities and outcomes (employment, independent living, continued postsecondary education access) available for students with intellectual disabilities.
Early Decision Options Continuing to Gain Popularity – Updated!
It;s beginning to look a lot like…. the time early decision/action application numbers begin being published. Topping the list currently seems to be Princeton, who like Harvard, had gotten rid of their early decision program about four years ago. They report having received 3,547 applications, though Harvard’s numbers will not be available for another week or so. Many other Ivy’s and additional top-tier schools do not have their ED/EA deadline until November 15, 2011 – so we will have to wait to see who, if anyone, ends up topping PU’s number.
Numbers are up elsewhere, too:
“Duke, for example, said that 2,716 students had applied under its binding early-decision program, a 23 percent increase over last fall. Johns Hopkins said it had received 1,440 applications to its binding program, an increase of nearly 8 percent. And nearly 1,800 applied through Dartmouth’s early-decision program, a 2 percent increase.” – NYT Choice Blog
And the press just keeps on coming (here to), as the number of early applicants for the class of 2016 continues to grow!
On Brevity…
Brevity is not a bad thing….and as more and more colleges and universities begin to place restrictive word limits on application essays, students are going to need to become much more familiar with the term. The once thought of as uber restrictive 500 word limit is now being outdone by the under 50, and yes, even under 25 word limit. Looks like those Tweeting skills are going to come in handy after all!
Read more and join the discussion via The Choice.
What Matters When Your Application is Being Reviewed….
I agree with Rachel Monroe at Baltimore Fishbowl. The Hopkins Insider blog is an AWESOME resource for students applying not just to JHU but any college/university. She reports that this week, Daniel Creasy tells readers his approach to reviewing applications. Monroe sums up what she got from his post in the five points below. I am really focused on talking to students about #3 lately (in the earlier grades) as well as #1 (more so with those further along in their HS career). The only thing I would add here is do not forget about Essays. Just because they didn’t make this tip list – trust me, they matter – they actually matter quite a bit. That potential you want to convey – well the Essay is the best place to make your case!
1) Your future matters more than your past
Frankly put, admissions officers want to pick the people who will make the best college students, not those who were the best high school students. This is a fine distinction, of course, since the way schools figure out if you’re strong college material is to review how you did in high school. But the key here is to remember that potential matters more than past perfection. What does this mean? Well, you can chill out a little bit if you’re not captain of the softball team, yearbook editor, valedictorian, and volunteer extraordinaire. You don’t want to be the kind of person who peaks in high school. To make admissions officers sit up and take notice, show evidence of abiding interests (academic or extracurricular) that you’ll be able to continue and deepen during your time at college. It also means that a freshman year slip-up is looked at way more leniently than plummeting grades in a student’s senior year, even if the end-result GPA remains the same.
2) Your “deeper qualities” matter more than your grades
It’s easy to get hung up on minute differences in SAT scores, GPA, and other quantitative measures. But remember: competitive schools could stock themselves with 4.0-GPA robots if they wanted; the fact that they don’t means that they value other qualities beyond brute academic force. “Such an approach values interpersonal qualities and actual experiences and engagement, over raw data,”says Creasy.
3) Persistence is the “deeper quality” that matters most
Flashes of genius are great, but they’re just that — flashes. What impresses admissions committees more than moments of brilliance, according to Creasy, is “what a student does on a day-to-day basis.” In other words, given a student who spent a week building orphanages in Cameroon and another who spent four years tutoring low-income students at a school down the street, the student with the less flashy (but more consistent) tutoring experience is more impressive.
4) Test scores matter less than you think
Students tend to obsess about the SAT — they buy practice books, sign up for courses, and some even try to pull elaborate scams to get higher scores. But for the Johns Hopkins admissions team, at least, the test scores are not as definitive in determining admission as many students think. “Test scores are important, but the high school transcript holds much more importance in my analysis than do the test scores. I look at the test scores to see if they reflect what I expect a student’s standardized performance would be after reviewing the transcript. If they match, which they typically do, I move on. If they don’t, I ask why and then move on,” Creasy writes.
5) And recommendation letters matter more
“A recommendation tells much more about a student than a test score, and a recommendation is better evidence of future success, whereas a test score is simply an evaluation of performance,” Creasy notes. So get to know your teachers. It’s great if they can praise your classroom performance, and even better if they can speak to those value-added qualities mentioned above. Does your English teacher know about your spoken-word poetry? Can your biology teacher mention your volunteer work at the hospital in her recommendation letter? All the better to make you stand out as a candidate.
Direct Source.
“Show us the person you are, and will be, not just the test taker you were, and don’t need to be.”
As always, much love to Room For Debate!
Test prep disadvantages……test score optional admissions….the real merits (or not) of the SAT…..what role does this play in the longstanding access to higher education conversation?
Check out One Piece in the Process and Not an I.Q Test to read more!!!
Follow-up – SchoolBook.
B. Maschal Educational Consulting 