EmPowerment 21 (www.EP21.com)

1. EP21 EmPowerment 21 (www.EP21.com) • P-20 Initiative Welcome – 3 min • Why EP21? iPad or Laptop in Feb or $300 for previous winners? – 2 min • Disability Scholarships - www.disabilityscholarships.us/ - 3 min • What colleges are looking for??? – 20 min • Timeline – 5 min • FirstMark Credit Union – 15 min • Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation Visit (What they told/showed me!) (not just for Seniors!!!) –4 min • Bordering State Waivers (ASK!!!) - http://www.everychanceeverytexan.org/funding/aid/lreep.php • The Essay – 10 min • SAT/ACT Tips – 15 min • Avoid Common mistakes when applying to college – 3 min • Parents make a difference - 5 minutes • No Degree Required – Don’t believe the hype – 4 min What if I don’t want to go to college?

2. EP21 EmPowerment 21 Avoid the Four Common Mistakes When Applying to College (Source: San Antonio Express News) • Start Early • Check Applications for Accuracy and Completeness • Keep Copies of What You Submit • Be Aware of Deadlines

3. EP21 EmPowerment 21 PARENTS MAKE A DIFFERENCE (Source: Texas Guaranteed School Loans) • No Fear (intimidating but STAY involved…) • Make them know you want to help and that you are learning to…don’t be a know it all! • Look into other schools on your list and consider a visit • Talk with teen and show interest in whatever the receive in mail about college • Visit with counselors and attend college/financial aid nights w/teen • Never pay anyone to help w/FAFSA or other financial aid (EP21, free on-line,etc.) • Use the timeline (create your own for planning purposes) • Ask lots of questions and HELP teen w/paperwork • Go on college visit w/teen • Help them financially, if possible (little things matter) • Use all available FREE resources and on-line sites to help your teen

4. Minnie Piper (3 recommended websites) • www.studentaid.ed.gov • www.tuitionfundingsources.com • www.bridges.com

5. College Admissions:How do you stack up? College Prep/EmPowerment 21

6. What Do You Look For in a College? • Consider: • Academic Offerings • Tuition • Entrance Difficulty • School size (student body size/incoming freshmen) • Class size / Teacher-to-student ratio • Demographics • Location (setting/distance from home/weather) • Campus life (dorm, clubs & activities, social activities)

7. School Match • Collegedata.com • PrincetonReview.com

8. Top Choices • Pick your top 5-10 schools • Look competitive • Don’t tunnel vision to one school • Have a back-up plan • Remember the cost to apply ($25-50 per school) • Carefully consider each school • Application fee waived if it was waived for the SAT (collegeboard.com) • ApplyTexas.org: “Many Schools, One application” • Take a chance! • You may think you don’t have what it takes, but admissions officers may think differently

9. What do Colleges Look For? • High School Record (35-50%) • Can you perform under rigorous workload? • Course difficulty, improvement, senior year grades • Test Scores (25-40%) • ACT/SAT/etc—STUDY and PREPARE! • Activities and other accomplishments (0-20%) • Essays and Recommendations (0-20%) • Other Factors (0-30%)

11. What about Harvard? • Institution Type: Private • Undergraduate Students: 6,648 • Graduate Students: 12, 609 • Ethnicities of Students: 0.7% American Indian/Alaskan Native7.8% African-American15.5% Asian/Pacific Islander7.0% Hispanic44.8% White14.4% Unknown 9.7% from 97 countries (International students)

12. What does Harvard look for? $47,115 • Institution Type: Private • Undergraduate Students: 6,648 • Graduate Students: 12, 609 • Entrance Difficulty: Most difficult • Overall Admission Rate: 9% of 22,955 applicants were admitted • High School Class Rank: 95%, Top tenth • Average GPA: Not reported • SAT Math: 700 - 790 • SAT Critical Reading: 700 - 800 • SAT Writing: 690 - 780 • ACT Composite: 31- 35

13. What does Harvard look for?

15. College Admissions Officers Activity • You are the admissions officers! • You must decide who gets into your school and who gets REJECTED! • 2 applicants: 2 packages for review

16. Harvard College Applicant 1 Female/White/Pediatrics Neonatology Class rank: 1/432 GPA: 4.00 Honors Classes: 32, most classes SAT: 770 (math); 750 (critical reading); 750 (writing) = 2270 out of 2400 ACT: 35 out of 36 Activities: Science club (secretary freshman, vice-president sophomore, president junior and senior), Model UN club (president senior, participated junior), Mock Trial club (selected attorney senior), NHS (secretary senior, member junior), Red Cross Club (president junior and senior), internship in newborn intensive care unit (junior)        Honors/Awards: AP Scholar with Distinction, National Merit, National Society of High School Scholars, candidate for Presidential Scholarship, winner at International Science and Engineering Fair, grand prize winner at Central Utah Science and Engineering Fair high honor roll, student of the year 

17. Harvard College Applicant 1Female/White/Pediatrics Neonatology ESSAY: Describe an intellectual experience that has engaged or challenged you. It was Socrates who declared that to understand the mysteries of the Universe, a man must first know himself. When I consider the intellectual events that have most affected me, I find most striking those that have let me understand myself more deeply. When I first read the topic requested for this essay, I began thinking back upon the many recent intellectual challenges that have involved me. A few experiences stood out. There was the philosophy and worldview retreat I attended in November that helped me understand the thought-forms of my culture. There was my literature tutorship, which has taught me not only about great books, but also about Western culture, philosophy and, most importantly, solid reasoning. There were the discussions I've had with friends that have influenced my thinking and honed my rhetorical skills.

18. Harvard College Applicant 1Female/White/Pediatrics Neonatology ESSAY: Describe an intellectual experience that has engaged or challenged you. But in recent months, there has been one experience that, perhaps more than any other, has allowed me to better understand myself. And that experience, ironically enough, has been writing college application essays. ….The questions I have tackled have ranged from the profound to the inane, but all have required a good deal of time to answer properly… Such self-discovery began at shallow levels, with simple questions. One of my first college-application tasks was to merely list my hobbies. The funny thing was, I had not considered my hobbies in a long while. I live a life that includes many interests - from 4-H to folk music, from parties to politics - but I was so caught up in the flow of this "real life" that I hadn't taken time to seriously think about what these pastimes were, and what kind of person those pursuits made me. Just writing down hobbies was helping me, in small ways, to define myself. ……… For I have uncovered and polished hidden truths about myself, and those discoveries will last long after my college experience is complete.

19. Harvard College Applicant 1Female/White/Pediatrics Neonatology Letter of Recommendation As the Dean of Stonewell High School, I have had the pleasure of knowing Lacy Smith for the last four years. She has been a tremendous student and an asset to our school. I would like to take this opportunity to recommend Lacy for your undergraduate program. I feel confident that she will continue to succeed in her studies. Lacy is a dedicated student and thus far her grades have been exemplary. In class, she has proven to be a take-charge person who is able to successfully develop plans and implement them. Lacy has also assisted us in our admissions office. She has successfully demonstrated leadership ability by counseling new freshmen. Her advice has been a great help to these students, many of whom have taken time to share their comments with me regarding her pleasant and encouraging attitude. It is for these reasons that I offer high recommendations for Lacy without reservation. Her drive and abilities will truly be an asset to your establishment. If you have any questions regarding this recommendation, please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, Roger Fleming Dean of Stonewell High School

20. Harvard College Applicant 2 Male/African-American/Cell Biology Class rank: 16/375 GPA: 3.75 Honors Classes: 18, many classes SAT: 730 (math); 710 (critical reading); 590 (writing) = 2030 out of 2400 ACT: 33 out of 36 Activities: Competed in Sunshine State Scholar competition finishing top ten in the county, Summer Science Academy, Captain varsity football team, 420+ volunteer hrs at senior center and nursing home, Enrolled in music school 10 years         Honors/Awards: National Merit Commended Student, National Achievement Scholar, Who's Who Among American High School Students, Ventures Scholar, 2003- Outstanding Soloist and 3rd place pop solo, 2004- 5th Place pop solo, 1st place solo, 2005- 4th place pop solo and 1st place duet, 2006- 3rd place pop solo, 3rd place duet, and 3rd Place solo WBCC Best Volunteer Award 

21. Harvard College Applicant 2Male/African-American/Cell Biology Essay On the surface I think I am like most young and modern American men: I take school seriously, I have dreams and goals for the future that I am determined to make happen, and I don’t expect anyone to do the hard work for me. I come from what is an increasingly normal background: my parents are divorced and I live with my mom and sisters and only occasionally see my dad since he now lives on the other side of the country, but I still feel very lucky to have a supportive, if spread out, family behind me. What makes me different from the rest of the crowd though is how I choose to fill my time away from school. I come from a middle income background so I knew I’d have to get a job in the summers and/or after school to help fund college, but instead of getting the easiest job I could find like many of my friends, I purposely sought work that would teach me new skills as well as give me a sense of fulfillment, which is why I turned to coaching football and working as a camp counselor..

22. Harvard College Applicant 2Male/African-American/Cell Biology Essay I know that every summer I am out there I’m helping the kids in my community, not only by watching to make sure they are playing with skill and determination, but also by helping them learn invaluable life lessons, like how to be a good teammate and friend, and how to settle disputes fairly and efficiently…..My grades have always been high and I am especially proud of this because I don’t naturally excel in all subjects. Writing has always been a challenge for me because I find grammar to often be confusing, spelling too, but I have learned through my involvement with many varsity level sports that quitting never feels as good as conquering your own fears, which is why I have sought not only advanced placement writing classes to really help me focus on mastering the written word, but I have also challenged myself to take advanced placement Greek which, while very difficult, has helped me immensely with learning word origins, giving me the foundations to figure out challenging words in English as well. I am now on the cusp of attending college and preparing for a career, and I am confident that the determination I have displayed thus far will only grow stronger as my course work becomes more demanding. ….

23. Harvard College Applicant 2Male/African-American/Cell Biology Letter of Recommendation As the Director of the Bay Area Community Center, I work closely with many of the community volunteers. I consider Michael Thomas to be one of the most studious and responsible members of our organization. After three years time, I have come to know him well and would like to recommend him as a candidate for your undergraduate program. Michael is a dedicated member of the Bay Area community and has donated countless hours of his time to the Center. He has not only worked with members of the community, he has also helped to implement plans and programs that will enrich the lives of those around him. Michael’s leadership and organizational skills have been invaluable to these programs, most of which have been started from the ground up. For example, the children of the Bay Area are now able to benefit from a multitude of new after-school and tutoring programs, while the elderly members of our community can now apply for grocery deliveries that did not exist previously. In my opinion, Michael’s unwavering devotion to his community exemplifies strong moral fiber and character. He is a trustworthy individual and would be an excellent candidate for your school. Sincerely, John Flester Director, Bay Area Community Center

24. SO, who gets accepted?

25. Harvard College Applicant 1 Female/White/Pediatrics Neonatology Class rank: 1/432 GPA: 4.00 Honors Classes: 32, most classes SAT: 770 (math); 750 (critical reading); 750 (writing) = 2270 out of 2400 ACT: 35 out of 36 Activities: Science club (secretary freshman, vice-president sophomore, president junior and senior), Model UN club (president senior, participated junior), Mock Trial club (selected attorney senior), NHS (secretary senior, member junior), Red Cross Club (president junior and senior), internship in newborn intensive care unit (junior)        Honors/Awards: AP Scholar with Distinction, National Merit, National Society of High School Scholars, candidate for Presidential Scholarship, winner at International Science and Engineering Fair, grand prize winner at Central Utah Science and Engineering Fair high honor roll, student of the year  DENIED

26. Harvard College Applicant 2 Male/African-American/Cell Biology Class rank: 16/375 GPA: 3.75 Honors Classes: 18, many classes SAT: 730 (math); 710 (critical reading); 590 (writing) = 2030 out of 2400 ACT: 33 out of 36 Activities: Competed in Sunshine State Scholar competition finishing top ten in the county, Summer Science Academy, Captain varsity football team, 420+ volunteer hrs at senior center and nursing home, Enrolled in music school 10 years         Honors/Awards: National Merit Commended Student, National Achievement Scholar, Who's Who Among American High School Students, Ventures Scholar, 2003- Outstanding Soloist and 3rd place pop solo, 2004- 5th Place pop solo, 1st place solo, 2005- 4th place pop solo and 1st place duet, 2006- 3rd place pop solo, 3rd place duet, and 3rd Place solo WBCC Best Volunteer Award  ACCEPTED

27. Where do you stack up? • Become the total package • All academic, no community service: not likely • Know the school’s requirements and preferences • Study, Study, Study! Do not slack off—ever! • Stay involved • Attain leadership roles • Practice writing your admissions essays: Don’t write the way you talk, unless you speak perfect English! • Start thinking about letters of recommendation • Visit College Data: www.collegedata.com • Give your profile information and see what your chances are of getting in!

28. References • Sample Essays: www.ivyedge.com • College Admission Profiles, School Match, etc: www.collegedata.com • College Match: www.PrincetonReview.com • Click here to go back to the main page!