This week

Preparing for College

• Feature — All about your college application: part 1
• Your Turn — A day in the life of a college student
• Stay on track — A checklist of "to-dos"
• Take notice — Important dates
• All about AIEmail — Subscribe, suggest, review

Feature

All about your college application: part 1

Here are some tips for students who are gearing up for admissions applications.

How soon should students begin working on their college applications?

Start looking at colleges you are interested in at the start of your freshman year. You need to understand what the college or university is looking for concerning GPA, ACT/SAT scores, and extracurricular activities so that you can start to prepare and take the right classes.

As far as focusing on applications, start on them the summer after your junior year. Focus on getting the applications and working on the essays. In the early fall, start getting your transcripts and test scores ready to submit.

If you are serious about getting scholarships, take the ACT/SAT early — like during the spring semester of the junior year. This provides you some time to improve your test scores, if needed.

What things do admissions counselors look for in applications?

Schools are looking for someone who will be successful and a good fit for their particular university. Grades are important, test scores are important, and the classes that you take in high school are also very important. These are the standard requirements to get in.

If the class is limited to only 1,500 students and the school receives 10,000 applications, they have to turn down most of them. If everyone had the same GPA and the same test scores and took similar classes, it would be difficult for college admission counselors to choose new students. This is why they look for someone who is a good "fit" for their campus.

The criteria for finding a good "fit" can vary depending on the type of school you are applying to. Being original and standing out as an individual are important. When admissions counselors read a large number of essays, they often begin to sound alike. Spend some time on your writing, be creative, and get someone to look at your essay.

Avoid spelling errors or grammar mistakes. This kind of slip-up could be the deciding factor that makes a reviewer pass over to the next essay.

Another thing that is very important is that you be well-rounded. Do some research to see what kind of school you are applying to and what the average student is like at that school.

Schools like MIT may be looking for a serious science and math student who may not be that involved in extracurricular activities. Schools like SMU, on the other hand, could be looking for a student with strong leadership qualities, a good GPA, and something unique to contribute to fellow students and the campus as a whole.

Don't be afraid to talk about all the things that you do and have done. Get used to talking about yourself. That is the key to getting in where you want.

What are some common mistakes students make?

The most common mistakes are that students miss deadlines, they don't read the application, and/or they leave out important documents or pieces of the application. These kinds of mistakes can cost you your chance at admission or delay your paperwork. Such errors can also be a sign that you may not be that serious about attending, and that you don't pay attention to detail.

Make a checklist for every application you are filling out. Include deadlines and requirements for each school. This will help keep you organized. Also, spelling mistakes are the worst. Proofread your applications and get someone else to help edit them. Make sure that if you are using the same basic essay for many schools that you tailor it to each school. Some admissions offices see applications come in with a cover letter or essay written for another school. This is a big mistake.

Look for more tips in next week's edition of AIEmail.

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Your turn

A day in the life of a college student

Going to college is fun and exciting, yet many students worry because it is such a big step in their lives. Have you ever wondered what a typical day looks like for a college student? AIE's "A day in the life of a college student" series (www.AIE.org/HighSchool/Choosing/dayinthelife.cfm) provides honest answers from college students. Find out what they would do differently if they could go through high school again, how they decided on a major, what they do for fun, how they've met people, and more.

The following is an example of one of the interviews featured on AIE's "A day in the life..." page. To view the complete archive of interviews, visit www.AIE.org/HighSchool/Choosing/dayinthelife.cfm.

Vanessa — Public Relations Major, Fort Worth, Texas

What is a typical day for you on campus?
Balance is key. A student needs to attend class, study, eat (healthy), work out, sleep, relax, and have fun. The problem is fitting all those in. Obviously, some days are spent studying and some are spent more on extracurricular activities. I don't study every day but I attend class regularly. If you miss, it is usually detrimental to your grade. I am very involved in extracurriculars, which makes me enjoy my time on campus and at the university.

What do you do for fun? Do you stay at school and get involved with the recreational activities available on campus, or go home over the weekend?
I go home often to see my boyfriend, but I would never recommend that for a first year student. You should get involved in organizations that interest you and have fun on weekends — go to sporting events and parties.

What's the biggest difference between life in high school and life in college?
You can do whatever you want whenever you want in college. The freedom is a blessing and a curse. You have to have discipline so you know when to go to bed, when to study and if there's time, when to party. I almost miss having my bedtime set by my parents.

What's the easiest way to meet people and make friends?
Live in a dorm and get involved in activities. Also, take on projects and leadership roles.

How did you decide on a major?
I examined what I liked doing and what made me happy. Take some classes that interest you and see if the topic strikes your fancy.

What was the most helpful class you took in high school to prepare you for college?
AP English because college is all writing and reading.

Is there enough help available if you have trouble with a class?
Yes, study groups are very popular.

How did you choose which college to attend?
For one, the program I wanted to study influenced my decision. And then, I wanted to be in a fun city.

Do you live on campus or off campus? What advantages or disadvantages are there to living on or off campus?
I have always lived off campus, which is nice in that it allows getting away from campus. But living on campus makes it easier to study and make friends.

If you could go through high school again, what would you do differently?
Work hard but enjoy the free time. I don't think that high school needs to be so hard that you are burnt out on studying by the time you get to college.

Do you consider your college lifestyle to be balanced and healthy?
Yes, for the most part. I make sure to get sleep and eat. I wish I could work out more but I have so many responsibilities.

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Stay on track

Checklist for this week

For freshmen and sophomores

Do you know how your school ranks and determines your academic achievement? Here are some questions you should consider:

• How does your school calculate your grade point average, or GPA?
• Do advanced classes carry more weight than regular classes on your GPA?
• How does your school determine rank in class?
• What information is on your school transcript? Ask for a copy and take it home for your parents to review.

For juniors

If you haven't heard of or taken the Preliminary SAT (PSAT) already, you soon will. A few things to remember before the test comes along:

• Find out registration and testing dates from your counselor. Add them to your calendar.
• Remind your parents the test is coming; they may need to help you pay the registration fee.
• Take the test in your junior year to qualify to enter the National Merit Scholarship Corporation competition — do well!
• Start preparing for the test. Your counselor may have practice books available.
• Visit the College Board Web site (www.collegeboard.com), and learn more about the PSAT and the SAT.
• Review the sample questions in the booklet you use to register for the test. If you have questions, ask your teachers.

For seniors

Are you ready for the rest of the year? Here is a checklist of things that you should have done, or things you may need to do quickly, to stay on track for your college or career plan:

• Meet with your counselor to chat about your career plans, college choices, testing schedules, and other preparation.
• Share your plans with your parents and teachers.
• If you haven't taken any college entrance exams, take them now!
• Review college Web sites, brochures, and applications. Practice filling out some of the required application forms.
• Start learning more about college life by visiting Adventures In Education (www.AIE.org) and college Web sites.
• Start talking to your parents about plans to finish high school and begin the next stage of your life.

For parents

Your student is probably well into the school year by now, so his or her challenges and frustrations may start with balancing activities and keeping up with responsibilities. Some ways to help include:

• Offer to help them when they are struggling with their studies. Quiz them on concepts, or do quick reviews with them in the mornings over breakfast or when preparing a quick dinner.
• Encourage students to talk to their teachers. Some students fail to ask for help!
• Call your child's counselor and ask for a list of tutors or study groups they can join.
• Spend a couple of hours one weekend with your student visiting with a reference librarian at your local library. They can offer suggestions on resources available for learning in your community.
• Set up a "mini reference library" for your student and the family. Purchase a dictionary, thesaurus, and other tools that could benefit others in their learning tasks.
• Keep a "family calendar" in the kitchen and ask your student to list activities, dates, and times as they find out about them.

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Take notice

Important dates

Mark down these dates.

To get more information on the SAT or SAT Subject Tests, access useful tools, or register, visit the College Board's Web site (www.collegeboard.com) or call (866) 756-7346.

To get more information on the ACT, access useful tools, or register, visit the ACT Web site (www.act.org) or call (319) 337-1270.

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