College

Many colleges will ask for you to write to a prompt. The prompts can vary from “Why did you decide to apply to our school?” to “Discuss your interest in your major,” to “Any additional information you would like to share?” to “What's so odd about odd numbers?” Ultimately, the school wants to learn more about you. This is the first time they have a chance to hear from you, about you. Though the admission counselor will notice if you have typos and spelling errors (so be sure to proofread), their focus is learning more about who you are, why you are a “good fit” for their school, and what you may bring to their school. Typically an admissions counselor will spend about 5-15 minutes reading your essays when reviewing your file.

Here are some tips when writing:
 

• Start early ... but not too early. We do not want you spending your entire summer on essay writing, but we do recommend that you spend some time writing prior to starting your senior year. The essays are the most time consuming part of your application. Once you start school, you will be busy with your senior year. Starting during the summer will allow ample time for your proofreader as well. Giving your proofreader only a week before the deadline to review your essay may not give you (or your reader) enough time to polish it.

• Spend some time brainstorming topics. Pre-write, and don’t be afraid to go in a completely different direction after writing an essay. Just because you write it doesn’t mean you must use it. Check out our brainstorming worksheet here.

• Answer the prompt. This might sound silly, but many of the essays we read we find students veer off the prompt. Sometimes this is a result of using another essay and trying to morph it into a different prompt. Don’t be afraid to start fresh.


• Remember the essay is for the school to learn more about you. One-third of your essay should be about the “topic” and two-thirds should be about who you are because of it, and how you will be at the school (analysis and self-reflection). An example of this can be shown through the essay prompt “tell me about a significant person in your life.” Let’s say you write about your grandmother. At the end of your essay the reader should want to admit you, not your amazing grandmother. Be sure to include examples of her (no more than one-third of the essay), and how that has translated and inspired you in your life.


• Use the “additional information” prompt to share about a hiccup on your transcript or factors that are important for admission counselors to know. It is important to not make excuses, but to discuss what you learned from the experience and how you have grown. If it applies to you, this is also a great section to discuss an IEP or 504 plan if you choose to disclose it.


• Proofread and have someone else proofread. Spending so much time on your essay makes it easy to miss the errors. Having someone else read for content and grammar is a great idea. Consider perhaps a non-family member or close friend. Sometimes having someone who doesn’t know you well read your essay can be very insightful. They can tell you what they learned about you from your writing (which is the ultimate goal). Look in our FAQs for help we offer at SHS.


• On the flip side, do not have too many readers. The more people who read, the more opinions you will receive, and the more confused you will likely be with the direction of your essay.


• Don’t lose your voice (this goes along with the prior points). You may have some well-intentioned help in the process with people assisting with your edits. It is important that you are the one re-writing and that it is your voice and words. Admission counselors can tell the difference in writing within various parts of your application. They expect the writing to look like that of a 17- or 18-year-old. If it doesn’t “sound” like you, it might actually hurt your application.

2018-19 Common Application Essay Prompts

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. 

2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you faced a challenge, setback or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
 
3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
 
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.
 
5. Discuss an accomplishment, event or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

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?

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.

Colleges and universities that admit students at a 25% rate or lower can be classified as “highly selective.” This classification for certain institutions typically receive tens of thousands of freshman applications and employ “holistic” admissions in their evaluation process. This means the school will consider all parts of the submitted application materials for admission. In other words, the school will not have a definitive formula or minimum qualifications for offering admission.

Highly selective admissions is extremely unpredictable due to its competitiveness with students from around the world applying. For example, some public schools in California have recently received more than 100,000 applications for admission. Due to this statistical uncertainty for admission, we strongly encourage our students to diversify their applications for admission. Diversifying an application list means that students can certainly apply for schools that are highly selective, which are often referred to as “reach” schools. It is important, though, for students not to limit themselves only to reach schools as potential options. Students should also include “target” schools for admission where students are competitive for admission. Alternatively, “safety” schools includes colleges where admission is almost or may be guaranteed based on their  published minimum admission requirements.

Highly selective colleges also typically offer different admission plans. Early Decision and Restrictive Early Action Plans are typically a smaller applicant pool and sometimes a bit less selective than Regular Decision. Be sure to visit the linked page in this paragraph to understand the downside of these plans.

In addition to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), many highly selective schools also require the CSS Profile.  For more information, visit our Financial Aid page.

Some colleges offer evaluative interviews to applicants as part of their admissions process. Keep in mind that very few colleges currently require an interview for admission. If interviews are offered, there should be a section on the admissions website detailing the process for requesting an interview either on-campus or near SHS.

On-campus interviews are almost always conducted by professional admissions counselors or trained students who work for the admissions office. On average, interviews will most likely last about 30 minutes. While this might be the first interview you might experience, think about the “interview” as a conversation with the interviewer. The interviewer’s job is not to grill you on academic knowledge you have learned throughout school. Rather, the interviewer’s job is to get to know you and see if you might be a good fit with their school. The interviewer’s job is also there to answer your questions! There should be an opportunity to ask them about their experiences working for and/or attending that college/university. Be prepared with a few questions beforehand and consider writing down a few questions during your conversation.

Also, keep in mind that colleges who offer interviews typically only conduct interviews for 10-20% of their applicant pool. For example, if a college receives 20,000 applications, the admissions office might only interview 2,000 applicants during the fall semester. While interviews are helpful for the college to get to know you and for you to get to know the college, interviews should not be considered as a necessary part of the admissions process. Most students offered admission do not go through an interview at most institutions!

If interviews are not offered, you can always contact the admissions office (we recommend contacting the SHS admissions rep found in Naviance) with questions or concerns not easily found online. They are employed to help you during the entire process. We are all here to support you as you navigate this journey and feeling informed is key!

Teacher Letters of Recommendation
You may need letters of recommendation (LORs) for your application to particular colleges. Colleges are looking to learn about how you are as a student, group member, and a peer in an academic setting. These letters will help them understand how you may be in a college classroom and as a member in their community. Clear and early communication with your recommender can lessen the stress and anxiety with the process (for you and your recommender). Here are the steps to take in order to obtain letters of recommendation:

1. Students should have a firm list of colleges to which they are applying prior to asking a teacher. Once you are certain you are applying, then look at the application checklist found on each school’s website to see if they require/accept LORs. Not all schools will accept letters (e.g. University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign shreds every LOR it receives). Typically, if a school asks for a LOR, it will only want 1- 2 from a core academic teacher (English, Math, Science, Social Studies or World Languages) that you have had in the past year or so. Just think of how much you have changed since your freshman year! Colleges want to have a better idea of who you are now.


2. Once you know that you need a letter, complete a Teacher Letter of Recommendation Reflection Sheet. This will help your teacher write a more thorough letter of recommendation. The sheet can be found on our website and in the College Career Center (Room 1123). A separate reflection sheet should be completed for each recommender.


3. Prior to “inviting” your teacher to write for you electronically, seek them out and speak to them directly, in person. Provide them with the reflection sheet and make time to speak to them about your post-secondary plans and why you have asked them in particular. Remember to give them at least 3-4 school weeks to write your letter. Let them know options on how they can send their letter, and ask if they have a preference (some teachers may still prefer to snail mail their letter).


4. Send them the “invite” either through the Common App (most often the case), through the school-specific application, or provide them with a self-addressed envelope. Follow up with an email from you ensuring they received the link if you sent it electronically (it is easy to misspell their email or for it to land in a spam filter).


5. Follow up with a thank you note (handwritten is particularly thoughtful)!

Counselor Letter of Recommendation
Certain colleges will also ask for a counselor letter of recommendation. This letter is different than your teacher’s letter of recommendation. Where teachers focus more on your performance and interactions within their class, your counselor provides a bigger picture. They can highlight parts of your transcript, add contextual knowledge of your activities and achievements, and discuss how you have grown over the past three years.

Counselors will want you to complete a Counselor “Brag” Sheet. This can be found on our website or in the CCC (Room 1123). Students should make an appointment to speak to their counselor to discuss the letter and to turn in the “brag” sheet. Counselors will be writing for most of their seniors; just like your teachers, counselors should be given 3-4 school weeks of notice prior to the deadline. If your counselor has changed, or you are newer to the district, do not worry. Counselors will spend some time speaking to you when you turn in the “brag” sheet during your appointment.

If/when you email a link for your LOR to your counselor, or invite them through an application, be sure to follow up with a direct email to ensure they received it. Be sure to meet with them in person prior to sending the link.