Preparing a Great College Application

1. Preparing a Great College Application Presented by: Sasha Leonardo Coordinator of CTE and School & Community Partnerships Former School Counselor/College and Career, PPS

2. Presentation Agenda • Introduction • What does a “great” college application mean? • Preparing a CSU Application • Preparing a UC Application • Preparing a Private School Application • Academics & Testing • Activities/Extracurricular Activities • UC Personal Insight Questions • Common Application Essay • Supplemental/Short Answers • The “Other” Section • Letters of Recommendation • Q & A

3. Introduction • Served in education for over 13 years • 8 Years in Higher Education: Both Public and Private Universities • 5 Years in Public K-12 • PPS Credentialed School Counselor • Currently, Coordinator of CTE and School & Community Partnerships • University of California Application Reader for 3 Years • Certification from CollegeBoard • Affiliations: ASCA, NACAC, WACAC, RACC

4. California State University Application • Covers all 23 CSU campus in California • Submission begins October 1, 2018 (Fall 2019 Admits) • Application deadline is November 30, 2018 • Website to Apply: https://www2.calstate.edu/apply • Requirements: Personal Information, Grades, Test Scores, Intended Major – There are no essays or activities required. • CSU’s are meant to serve a region

5. University of California System • Covers all 9 Undergraduate Universities (10 for UCSF Graduate School) • Applications available August 1st of every year. • Submission begins November 1, 2018 (Fall 2019 Admits) • Application deadline is November 30, 2018 • Website to Apply: http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/ • Requirements: Personal Information, Grades, Test Scores, Intended Major, Activities/Volunteer/Honors-Awards/Paid Work/Outside Courses/Essays • Personal Insight Questions: Answer 4 out of the 8 questions (350 words each) • UC’s serve California students regardless of region

6. Private University Applications • Common Application covers over 700 colleges • Other schools may have use their own application which can be accessed on their website (example: MIT) • Applications available August 1st of every year. • Submission varies • Application deadline varies • Website to Apply: http://www.commonapp.org/ • Requirements: Personal Information, Grades, Test Scores, Intended Major, Activities/Volunteer/Honors-Awards/Paid Work/Outside Courses, Essays & Letters of Recommendation • Common Application Essay – choose 1 out of 7 prompts • Letters of Recommendation

7. Academics and Test Section • Self Reported for CSU and UC applications – no initial transcript submitted. • For UC and CSU, GPA is 10th and 11th grade only • For private universities, grades are self-reported, however you must also have a transcript submitted by deadline. • Mid-Year Report: Counselors submit 1st semester senior year grades. • Test scores are self-reported, however you will also need to submit test reports from ACT or CollegeBoard • You may submit scores up until December of senior year • UC and CSU is a weighted GPA • Do not weigh your Common Application GPA!

8. Activities & Extracurricular • UC will provide 5 different sections (activities, service, awards, class, paid work) with 5 examples – That’s 25 opportunities to brag about yourself!!! • Common Application allows up to 10 examples of activities/volunteer/work/enrichment/awards • Don’t forget family responsibility • Paid work is awesome! • Exceptional talent can always justify empty spaces • Remember, you are a student who only has so much time in a day • Depth versus Breadth • Local vs. Regional vs. State vs. National vs. International

9. UC Personal Insight Questions • 1. Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time. • 2. Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side. • 3. What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time? • 4. Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced. • 5. Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement? • 6. Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom. • 7. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place? • 8. Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?

10. How to Write to the UC Application • Straight to the Point • Write about different things! • Grammatical errors are not counted against you…but don’t! • It’s okay to say “I” • These are statements, not stories • Stop the flowery language • Respond as if you are being interviewed

11. Common Application Essay • 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. [No change] • 2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? [Revised] • 3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? [Revised] • 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. [No change] • 5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. [Revised] • 6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more? [New] • 7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design. [New]

12. How to Write the Common Application Essay • Proper writing is important! • No grammatical errors, this is a test to see how you write • Creativity is ok • Show them, don’t tell them • Write about what they still do not know about you • Have someone read your essay! • I like to write, then pick the prompt ☺ • Adapting a UC essay to the common app is tricky

13. Supplemental/Short Answers • Show your personality! • Sometimes one word responses require explanation • Have fun and be yourself! • Optional means required ☺ • Some schools may have 1 questions, some may have 20 • Write about new things they may not know • Be mindful of the space provided – never go over!

14. The “Other” section • Not required and not always necessary • Speak to academics • Speak to activities or lack thereof • Provide context • Add information you could not fit on the application • You can always use your counselor to assist with this portion • Do not make excuses or sound like a cry baby • Show that you are mindful

15. Letters of Recommendation • Usually 2 Academic Teacher Letters • 1 Counselor Letter • Outside Letters are sometime welcome – communicate with your counselor and look on the application page • Make sure your recommenders know you • Provide them with anecdotes, reminders of interactions, resume, activity sheets, etc. • Show etiquette when requesting. Best if done in person, and a follow up email to finalize selection • Letters are confidential • Do not ask more teachers than you need • Do not send more than the college is asking for – they hate this ☺

16. Final Tips • Start early • You may have multiple drafts of essays – that’s ok! • Make sure to share with only one or two people – too many opinions are not beneficial. • Keep your college list manageable! Research shows that too many applications can hurt admissions stats • Get the easy applications out of the way • Set false deadlines to ensure enough time to plan • Ask your counselors for support

17. Questions & Answers