McQuaid Jesuit College Information Evening

1. McQuaid JesuitCollege Information Evening

2. This Evening’s Program • Welcome • Review of the McQuaid application process • Application details • Admissions perspective: Highly Selective Colleges (applying to your reach school) • Questions and Answers

3. Application Process at McQuaid • Schedule a meeting with your counselor (Early Action & Early Decision applicants get priority). • Only after the student résumé is approved can the student submit their Transcript Release Form to the Guidance Office. • Electronic application process.

4. Application Details • It is McQuaid’s policy that standardized test scores be forwarded to each college from the College Board (SAT & Subject Tests) or ACT. • Students ask teachers for letters of recommendation, which are sent by the teacher directly to each college via Naviance or Postal Service. • Potential college athletes must register with the NCAA Clearinghouse. ~eligibilitycenter.org ~

5. Early Decision/Early Action • Early Decision (binding) is for families who have thoroughly researched an institution and have determined they will attend if admitted. • Advantages: priority evaluation and possibly a slight boost in chances of admission. • Disadvantages: once admitted, you must withdraw all other applications. • Early Action is usually non-binding.

6. Admission to highly selective colleges Applying to your reach school

7. Naviance Graphs

8. Overview • Admission to selective colleges is highly competitive. • Admission committees look for intelligence, motivation, character and past achievement. • They may also look for students from varied backgrounds, geographic location and socioeconomic status to balance out the “shape” of their entering class.

9. Perspective

10. Factors • Admissions decisions can be based on academic credentials, recommendations, essays and interviews, standardized test scores, extracurricular activities, and other intangibles.

11. Academic Credentials • Curriculum and course selection. • Grade point average and performance in individual courses. • Strength/weakness in particular courses. • Trends in grades. • Class rank – McQuaid does not rank. • Test scores- SAT, ACT, AP, SAT II.

12. Application • Admissions committees may only know a student through the application materials submitted. • Applications should not be rushed. • Strategize with your student about what he would like a reviewer to know about him and determine where in the application he can get those points across.

13. Essay • Keep in mind many students may share a particular experience. Topics should be unique to each student if possible. • Essay should tell the committee something it will not learn elsewhere in the application. • It should be personal and reflective of his experiences. • It should be insightful rather than narrative.

14. Boston College part II essay • Students frequently ask what they can do to enhance their applications and furnish us important additional insights about themselves. Toward this purpose, the Admission Committee presents you with four topics for consideration and reflection. Please select one of the questions below and write an essay of no more than 400 words. This is your opportunity to reveal how you think, what you believe, what you value, and what you hope to accomplish. This is your chance to let us hear your voice.

15. Interview • Be sure to check each school’s interview policy. Optional should be read as required. • Interviews can dramatically sway a decisionand should be prepared for extensively. • If parents/guardians are invited in to the room, it is important to let the student do the talking. • Alumni interviews.

16. Recommendations • Teacher and counselor recommendations address issues that might affect an admission committee’s decision. • Traits such as academic ability, intellectual and personal maturity, ability to handle pressure or challenges, etc. • At McQuaid, it will not be a recap of a student’s resume.

17. Extracurricular • McQuaid uses the resume to help students expand on extracurricular activities. • Breadth is good, but not at the expense of depth.

18. Contact Us With Questions

19. McQuaid JesuitCollege Information Evening