Advice on How to Answer "Why this College?" Supplement Question

How to answer the “Why this college?” essay question

LEE SHULMAN BIERER

Why is the “Why this college?” essay so important? Colleges care why students put their college on their list, and many colleges incorporate the “why?” question into their applications.
While most students find themselves having to write a variety of essays for different colleges, typical students will focus almost exclusively on the Common Application essay or a college’s Personal Statement. Frequently they think they’re done with their applications, and then they go to hit “submit” and find out that colleges want them to write another essay telling them why they want to attend.

These are usually the worst essays imaginable. Students don’t know how to distinguish themselves and consequently end up writing about football, greek life and the weather.

The University of North Carolina at Wilmington got so tired of students saying they wanted to come to Wilmington for the sunny climate that a few years ago their prompt was: “Tell us why you want to come to UNC Wilmington, besides the beach!” This year, Georgia Tech’s prompt got even more specific when they asked students to respond to: “Beyond rankings, location, and athletics, why are you interested in attending Georgia Tech?”

I suggest that students imagine themselves on the other side of the admissions desk. If you were a director of admissions at a college and were choosing who to accept and who to deny, what would you want to read about in a “Why this college?” essay? Once you are looking at the prompt from that perspective, it’s easy to see why droning on and on about the sense of spirit in the stadium won’t set you apart.

Colleges want students who want to be there for the academics. Students need to demonstrate that they’ve done their homework on the college website. How does this specific college differ from others on your list? Are their multi-disciplinary majors unique? Are the study abroad opportunities especially appealing? If so, why? Is their commitment to an Honor Code something that speaks to you?

What are some things that colleges don’t want to read about?

Students often fall prey to regurgitating college facts and trivia that they read in guidebooks or heard on their campus tour. Don’t tell colleges what they already know about themselves, such as the number of books in their library or the fact that they have dining halls open 24 hours a day.
Colleges really don’t like it when students suggest that they can make a lot of money after they graduate because their school did well on some college ranking. I think they like it even less when a student writes that with an undergraduate degree from their school they’ll be able to get into a top-notch graduate school.

Make sure your final “Why this college?” essay is not an essay that you can multi-purpose and use for other colleges. Personalize it, and be specific about identifying why each college is a good fit for you. It’s very easy for a college to determine which students have put in the effort on this essay.

FREE PSAT/SAT STUDYING RESOURCES

Method Test Prep FREE webinar
Wednesday, October 4 –– 8-9 PM Eastern
The PSAT Revealed
If you are the parent, guardian, or counselor of a student (or a student yourself) who will be taking the PSAT this fall, you won't want to miss this webinar. Join us to learn all about the PSAT, including:

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Weekend Update - 9/24/2017

The Westford Academy Guidance Department, along with MEFA (Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority), is hosting a Financial Aid Night on Tuesday, October 17th at 6:30 PM in the Performing Arts Center.  There will be a detailed overview of the college financial aid process and a Q&A at the end of the presentation.  It should be an informative evening. No RSVP required.

9th Annual"College Readiness for Parents: What Every Parent Needs to Know" 

Framingham State University

Thursday, October 19 - 7-9 PM

The focus of this event is NOT on financial aid but on helping parents understand the difficulties students have with the transition to college in order to help build the habits needed to become successful. Everyone is welcome to attend, but I’m hoping to get more parents of students in grades 7-10.
Topics to be discussed will be as follows:
·  Expectations and assumptions of college faculty
·  Work/study habits and organizational skills: high school vs. college
·  Why getting good grades now is not a guarantee for future success
·  Academic accommodations: K-12 vs. college 

Register at: https://www.framingham.edu/about-fsu/enrollment-and-student-development/college-readiness-what-every-parent-should-know.php

College Visits - 9/25/2017 - 9/29/2017

Adelphi University Special Events
Information Sessions
Sunday, October 15
9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 12:00 noon
Nexus Building Lobby

Fall Open House
Saturday, October 21
10:00 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
Campuswide admissions
Register at: adelphi.edu/freshman-events

Assumption College Open House
Saturday, October 14, 2017
11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Registration begins at 10:30 a.m.
https://www.assumption.edu/admissions/undergraduate/visit/open-house

At Open House, you'll have the opportunity to:
Brandeis University "Fall for Brandeis Days"
Saturdays: October 14, October 28, November 4
Sundays: October 22 and November 12
brandeis.edu/fallforbrandeis

Castleton University Open Houses
Saturdays: October 21 and November 18
Register at castleton.edu/open-house
Decision Day
Friday November 11
castleton.edu/visit

Chelmsford Center for the Arts Performing & Visual Arts College Fair 
Chelmsford Center for the Arts
September 30 from 9 am to 1 pm
There is no fee to attend and all students are welcome.

Collegeweeklive Virtual College Fair
October 4
10am - 10pm
https://www.collegeweeklive.com/

Connecticut College
UPCOMING EVENTS AND DEADLINES
Oct. 9: Fall Open House
Nov. 11-13: Explore Weekend
Visit conncoll.edu for more information

Keene State College
Fall Open Houses: October 14 and November 3
www.keene.edu/admissions

Marymount Manhattan
Fall Open Houses: October 14 or November 4
Saturday Information Sessions (2017-2018): 11/11, 12/9, 1/28, 2/18, 3/10, and 4/7
www.mmm.edu/visit

Nichols College Open House
Sunday October 22
9am - 2pm
Register online at nichols.edu/events

Pennsylvania State University Information Session
Sunday October 1
Boston Prospective Students Reception
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Boston Marriott Newton
Auburndale, MA
Register at https://admissions.psu.edu/events/visitsyou/


Springfield College Game Lab Workshop
November 4, 10am - 3pm
Register at springfield.edu/gamelab

Sterling College Autumn Open House
October 7
Register at sterling.edu

Union College Fall Open House
Monday October 9
www.union.edu/fall

University of Rhode Island Open House
Saturday October 14 or Sunday October 29
Reservations required
RSVP online at uri.edu/admission/open-house

University of California: Santa Cruz
Saturday Tours
October 21 or November 18
Register at https://admissions.sa.ucsc.edu/see/tour_reservation_tool/visitor/welcome.cfm

Woods College at Boston College
Undergraduate Programs Info Session & Class Visit
Prospective students are invited to learn more about undergraduate programs at the Woods College.
Saturday, October 21
10:30 a.m. - Info Session
11:15 a.m. - Class Visit
RSVP at bc.edu/WoodsUGopenhouse

Scholarships and Contests 
 
Breakthrough Junior Challenge
Deadline: October 1
Don't miss your chance to win a $250,000 college scholarship.
To enter, create a short video (three minutes or less) explaining a challenging concept in physics, mathematics, or the life sciences in an engaging, illuminating, and creative way. Learn more and register today at https://breakthroughjuniorchallenge.org/

Anyone ages 13 through 18 is eligible. In addition to awarding a college scholarship to the winner, the Breakthrough Junior Challenge will give the winner's teacher a $50,000 prize and the winner's school a new $100,000 science lab. The winner also will be invited to an awards ceremony where the prize will be presented in front of superstars of science, Silicon Valley, and Hollywood.

JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest
Deadline January 4, 2018
Essays must describe an act of political courage by a U.S. elected official who served during or after 1917, the year John F. Kennedy was born. The official may have addressed an issue at the local, state, or national level.
Read all rules and requirements at: https://www.jfklibrary.org/Education/Profile-in-Courage-Essay-Contest

Article re: Harvard admissions

Harvard's incoming freshman class is one-third legacy—here's why that's a problem

Jonathan Blumberg | @YoniBlum

2:23 PM ET Wed, 6 Sept 2017

Top schools now have record low admission rates, but only some students have to worry about what that means for their chances. Legacy admissions, at elite institutions especially, put a select few at a distinct advantage.

Harvard's incoming class of 2021 is made up of over 29 percent legacy students, reports The Harvard Crimson. Last year's applicants who had Harvard in their blood were three times more likely to get into the school than those without.

The case is the same at Stanford. In fact, across the top 30 schools in the U.S., one review from 2011 discussed in the Washington Post found that children of alumni "had a 45 percent greater chance of admission" than other applicants.

Legacy students tend to be wealthy and white, students who, as a group, are already disproportionately represented at college. The New York Times found that, at five Ivy League schools, Dartmouth, Princeton, Yale, Penn and Brown, as well as 33 other colleges, there are more students from families in the top one percent than from the entire bottom 60 percent.
That's not an accident. In fact, in the early 20th century, universities introduced a preference for legacies on purpose to exclude less-desirable applicants, such as immigrants, and to keep their campuses homogeneous, Think Progress reports. Princeton adopted a comprehensive admissions process in 1922, which led to a drop in its Jewish student population. The chairman of Princeton's Board of Admissions acknowledged that he had wanted to solve their "Jewish problem."

Nowadays, supporters of this tradition are more likely to argue that alumni with kids at their alma mater will be more inclined to donate and so boost overall fundraising. But that claim has been proven false.

As the Washington Post notes, Chad Coffman found in his book, "Affirmative Action for the Rich," that when seven colleges stopped accounting for legacy status during the admissions process between 1998 and 2008, there was "no short-term measurable reduction in alumni giving."

Prioritizing legacy crowds out applicants from lower-income backgrounds, and those students arguably need more what elite schools have to offer: a great education, connections and resources such as tuition scholarships and grants for unpaid internships that will help them join the professional class.

At this point, low-income students are vastly underrepresented at elite institutions. Nationally, 40 percent of students receive federal aid in the form of a Pell Grant, the Boston Globe reports, but they only account for an average of 16 percent of Ivy League undergraduates.

A new study from the Georgetown University Center on Education and Workforce points out that selective schools should have no problem affording to admit more lower-income students.
What's more, the authors write, letting high achievers from the working class go to an elite school will give them a higher chance of graduating, and in effect, "go a long way toward advancing equity in this country — by giving students in poor financial circumstances a far greater chance of succeeding."

Schools such as Harvard and Yale have increased their share of low-income students in recent years. And, in 2016, 30 institutions, including all the Ivy League schools, signed the American Talent Initiative, which "aims to attract, enroll and graduate an additional 50,000 lower-income students" by 2025.

That's heartening, given that America's current outdated system of giving preference to the relatives of former students is essentially cheating, says Richard V. Reeves, author of the new book "Dream Hoarders" and a senior fellow in Economic Studies and co-director of the Center on Children and Families at the Brookings Institute.

"To operate a hereditary principle in college admissions," he tells CNBC Make It, is unfair.

Especially for a country that tells itself it is a meritocracy.

Reeves went to Oxford, but he says that didn't ensure his son's admission.

When his son applied, "he didn't get in, and it would have been seen as preposterously unfair" if the son had been admitted simply because his father is an alumnus. "So we might have a hereditary monarchy [in the U.K.], but, by the way, [the members of that monarchy] don't get to go to Oxford and Cambridge anymore, either, because they don't get good enough grades."
That kind of preference for legacy admissions in the U.K. "disappeared in the twentieth century," he says.

By contrast, "the way we organize our education system" in the U.S., he says, "excludes many of those in the bottom 80 percent." The system is "destroying the American Dream, rather than living it."

Jonathan BlumbergNews Associate

Mid-Week Update - Open Houses, Informations sessions, and more

Portfolio Development Opportunities at Refuge Lowell  
Wednesdays, 5:30-8:30pm @ 150 Western Ave. Studio A110
EXCLUSIVE PORTFOLIO REVIEWS BY ADMISSIONS REPRESENTATIVES:
September 20th:
Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)

October 4th:
Boston University (BU)
Lesley University
Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassART)
School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University (SMFA)

October 11th:
Maine College of Art (MECA)
Montserrat College of Art
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)
More information at: https://www.refugelowell.com
 
Open Houses/Information Sessions

Case Western Reserve University is currently accepting student applications for our Diversity Overnight, Nov. 12 and 13. Diversity Overnight is designed for smart and curious high school seniors from diverse backgrounds, to give them an in-depth look at the opportunities available to our students.
Application deadline: October 2
Apply at: https://go.case.edu/register/diversityovernight

Chapman University Open House - "Discover Champman Day"
November 12, 2017
Register at https://www.chapman.edu/admission/undergraduate/discover-chapman-day.aspx 

University of Houston Cougar Preview Days
Saturday, Oct. 21 or Nov. 11, 2017
Visit www.uh.edu/cougarpreview for more information

Lesley University Fall Open HousesSunday, September 24 and Sunday, October 29
9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Register at: https://lesley.edu/visit-lesley

New York University Fall Open Houses
September 23 and 24, October 14 and 15
Register at: http://www.nyu.edu/admissions/undergraduate-admissions/visit-nyu/open-houses.html

Roger Williams University Fall Open Houses
September 24th from 9:00am-1:00pm
October 15th from 1:00pm-5:00pm
November 12th from 9:00am-1:00pm
https://www.rwu.edu/undergraduate/admission-aid/visit-rwu

Siena College Live Admissions Chat
Tuesday, September 19 - 7:00pm
We will cover an array of timely topics such as prepping for the college admissions process, Siena's application requirements, merit scholarships and more.
You can sign-up at videochat.siena.edu.

Yale University Multicultural Open HouseSaturday, October 14, 2017
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Event Registration: https://apps.admissions.yale.edu/register/MOH2017


Community Service Opportunity

1st Annual Samaritans Walk for Hope  
The Walk for Hope will be a fundraising and awareness event to promote suicide awareness and support those who have been impacted by suicide and/or mental health challenges.
The student team that ends up fundraising the most money will be awarded a $500.00 prize to use for a mental health/suicide prevention project at their school! If you have any questions about this opportunity please feel free to contact me at apeicott@FSMV.org or 978-327-6672.
If you are interested in registering for the walk please create a team at: www.samaritanswalkforhope.racewire.com
Information about the Walk for Hope
Location: Willows Professional Park, 811 Turnpike Street, North Andover, MA
Date: October 21, 2017
Time: Check-in on the day of the event begins at 8:30am, Senator Barbara L’Italien will kick off the walk at 9:15, Walk begins at 9:30.


Scholarship Opportunities
**Additional scholarships can be found on Naviance

AXA Achievement^sm Scholarship offers college scholarships of $2,500, $10,000 and $25,000 to high school seniors who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in their activities in school, the community or the workplace. The scholarship is sponsored by the AXA Foundation. 
The 2018 program will be accepting applications from September 5, 2017 until 10,000 applications are submitted or December 15, 2017, whichever comes first. Your application MUST be one of the first 10,000 submitted electronically by the deadline date. Apply early!
Apply at: https://www.scholarsapply.org/axa-achievement/


Upcoming scholarships at www.collegexpress.com

$5,000
Scholarship: Easy Scholarship: Share Tips to Help Friends Reduce Stress
Due Date: September 30

$1,000
Scholarship: Don't Text and Drive Scholarship
Due Date: September 30

$1,000
Scholarship: Return 2 College Scholarship Program
Due Date: September 30

$500
Scholarship: AfterCollege Succurro Scholarship
Due Date: October 15

$1,000
Scholarship: Odenza Marketing Group Scholarship
Due Date: October 27

Class of 2018 Updates

Senior Parent Night
The link for the presentation from Senior Parent Night has been updated for the Class of 2018. 
It can be found on the WA Guidance website underneath the picture of the department or http://wa.westfordk12.us/pages/WestfordWA_guidance/presentations/Senior%20Parent%20Night%202017-2018.pdf

Students with October 15 or November 1 deadlines should be reaching out to their counselors to set up a meeting, if they have not already. 

Yellow Sheets 
Reminder that they need to be given to your counselor in person at least THREE weeks before your first deadline
For October 15 deadlines, no later than September 25
For November 1 deadlines, no later than October 10
For November 15 deadlines, no later than October 25
For December 1 deadlines, no later than November 10
All yellow sheets for January 1 deadlines needs to be given to your counselor by December 8.

ACT
Register by September 22 for the October 28 test date

SAT
Register by October 5 for the November 4 test date

Open Houses/Information Sessions

Service Academies Night - hosted by Congresswoman Niki Tsongas

The event has been designed to be a forum where potential candidates can ask questions relating to the Service Academies or enlistment into a military branch. This is a great opportunity for those students who would like to pursue a military career whether it is as an enlisted service member or as an officer.  
Thursday, October 5th at the Lowell High School Cafeteria
50 Father Morissette Blvd, Lowell, MA 01852
6-7PM.

Pace University will be visiting The New England Region in October.
Tuesday, October 10th
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Hilton Boston
25 Allied Drive
Dedham, MA 02026
Students can register at www.pace.edu/RSVP

PACE On Campus Open Houses
NYC Campus - Sunday October 8
Westchester Campus - Sunday October 15
Register at www.pace.edu/openhouse

The Rutgers School of Engineering welcomes all prospective students and their families to  visit us. We have opened up our tours for additional days during the fall semester to accommodate your students. https://www.ugadmissions.rutgers.edu

Knight for a Day Engineering Tours
October 6, 13, 20, and 27
November 3 and 17 - Registration will open on 10/15

Prospective Student Tours
October 9 (Columbus Day)
November 9 and 10 (NJEA Conference) - Registration will open on 10/15

Our Knight for a Day tour begins at 10 a.m. at the Visitor Center with an Admissions Information Session, followed by a five-campus bus tour. During the bus tour, families will view a first-year residence hall on Busch campus. Next, they will break for lunch at our Busch Student Center before heading to the school-specific portion of the day at 1:15 p.m. A detailed itinerary is provided after registration.

Department tour options include:
Biomedical & Chemical
Civil & Materials Science or Bioenvironmental
Electrical/Computer & Industrial Systems
Mechanical/Aerospace & Applied Science/Packaging
For more information about how to register for our tours, please visit soe.rutgers.edu/tours. You can also write to tours@soe.rutgers.edu.

Busting the Myth: Bowdoin College, the Liberal Arts, and the Path to a Career in Anything
Streamed LIVE: September 17 at 6:00pm
Learn how a liberal arts education prepares you for success in any career.
Get information about Bowdoin’s application process.
Hear about Bowdoin’s commitment to meeting the full financial need of every admitted student.
Listen to Bowdoin graduates talk about the ways Bowdoin prepared them for success, how they launched their careers in Silicon Valley, and why their liberal arts education made all the difference.

UMass Amherst Fall Visit Days
Please join us as we welcome all prospective students and their families to learn more about the Commonwealth's Flagship Campus. Students and families will have an opportunity to tour our beautiful campus, connect with representatives from Admissions, and learn more about the UMass Amherst experience. Follow this link to see all the available dates and to register for the event.
Registration for Fall Visit Days is limited and is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Can't make it to campus for Fall Visit Days? We offer other opportunities, including daily information sessions and tours, for you to visit campus and learn more about UMass Amherst. Please see our visits page for more information.
http://www.umass.edu/admissions/fall-visit-days-2017

UMass Boston Annual Fall Open House
October 14th
Open House is a great opportunity for students to explore all UMass Boston has to offer from housing opportunities to academics and athletics. Register online at www.umb.edu/openhouse.

University of Massachusetts Lowell Fall Open Houses
Sunday October 1 and Sunday October 29
Visit http://www.uml.edu/openhouse or call (978) 934-3931

Wentworth Institute of Technology Fall Open Houses
October 22 and November 19
RSVP and find more information at wit.edu/visit or call 617-989-4000

Wheaton College Fall Visits
September 23 and October 21
Preview Days

November 10
Fall Visiting Day*

*by registration only - please see our website for details: https://wheatoncollege.edu/admission/visiting-wheaton/fall-visiting-day/

Anna Maria College Fall Open Houses
Saturday October 21 and Sunday October 29
Fall Information Sessions: Saturday September 30, Monday October 9 and Friday November 10
www.annamaria.edu

NC State Fall Open House
October 14, 2017
ncsu.edu/openhouse

Miami University of Ohio Bridges Program
The Bridges Program is an overnight experience for high-achieving high school seniors for historically underrepresented populations or who have a commitment to promoting a deeper understanding of and appreciation for diversity.
November 5-6
Apply by September 18 at miamioh.edu/bridges

Rochester Institute of Technology Fall Open Houses
Saturday, September 30
Monday, October 9
Saturday, November 11
Friday, December 1
www.rit.edu

Santa Clara University Fall Open House
Saturday October 21
https://www.scu.edu/admission/undergraduate/openhouse/

Gettysburg College Open Houses
Saturday, October 14, 2017
Friday, November 10, 2017
Monday, January 29, 2018

High school seniors are invited to spend a day on campus to learn more about the excellent academic and extracurricular experiences at Gettysburg. Registration for Senior Open Houses will be available about one month prior to each event.
View a tentative schedule.
Register at: http://www.gettysburg.edu/visiting_gettysburg/special_events.dot

Boston University Fall Visit Days
Fridays, October 6 or 27, 2017
Boston University George Sherman Union
775 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts
Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m.
Program: 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
For more information about Fall Visit Days and additional fall events, please visit www.bu.edu

Class of 2018 Updates

Good luck to students taking the ACT tomorrow!

SAT
Registration deadline for the October 7 test is TODAY, September 8. Register at www.collegeboard.org

Senior Parent Night   

The Guidance Department will host a Senior Parent College Night on Tuesday, September 12 at 6:30 PM in the PAC. Please note the start time is 6:30 and not 6:00 pm as published in the newsletter. The students are exempt from this meeting as they will see this presentation during the school day on September 13.

Upcoming College Rep Visits to WA:

In order to attend college visits, the following expectations must be met: •    The College MUST be on on your "Colleges I'm Thinking About" list in Naviance.   We will check before giving you a pass.
•    The college representative will most likely be the person reading your application to that college.  Market yourself positively!
•    See Mrs. Vernalia, Guidance Administrative Assistant, at least one block before the session for a pass in order for us to provide an appropriate space for the visit.
•    Sign up for the college visit on Naviance under "About Colleges" then "Visit Schedule" and finally "Sign Me Up".
•    If you have a major assignment, presentation or assessment in a class during a scheduled visit, you must complete your academic obligation before the visit.  See your counselor with any conflicts.

Open Houses/Information Sessions

Architecture/Design College Fair

September 23

10am - 2pm

BSA Space

290 Congress St. 

Boston, MA

Register & see all schools at architects.org/collegefair

Boston National College Fair  

Sunday, September 17, 2017

1 - 4 p.m.

Boston Convention and Exposition Center (BCEC)

Bentley University Fall Open House

Sunday, September 24, 2017

This event will be an exciting day for students to meet faculty and current students, explore campus, and learn about the opportunities that make Bentley unique. On-going receptions and sessions will give guests a deeper insight into aspects of the Bentley experience from academics to student life.

Register today at http://www.bentley.edu/undergraduate/visiting/open-house

Navigating the College Search Process for Students with Learning Differences, AD/HD & Executive Function Challenges: A Workshop for High School Students and Their Families

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

7:00 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.

Curry College

1071 Blue Hill Avenue

Milton, MA

Optional Dinner with members of the Curry College Community at 5:30pm

For more information, or to register for this event, please contact Michelle Bracken, Associate Director of Admission mbracken@curry.edu or (617) 333-2106

Space is limited!  

Duke University Specialized Open Houses 

Saturday, September 23 from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

Arts & Humanities Open House

Open to Juniors and Seniors and their families

Designed for students interested in the arts and humanities (classics, languages and literatures, history, philosophy, religious studies, visual art and theory, documentary studies, dance, music, theater, film and video)

The schedule includes sample classes, campus tours, an introduction to student research, arts and humanities-related co-curricular activities, and career options for arts and humanities majors, as well as admissions & financial aid information.

To register, go to https://admiss.ugrad.duke.edu/register/aandhopenhouse.

Pratt School of Engineering Open House

Open to Seniors and their families

Designed for students interested in engineering (biomedical engineering, civil engineering, environmental engineering, electrical and computer engineering, mechanical engineering and materials science)

The schedule includes student and faculty panels, campus tours – including tours of engineering labs, an introduction to student research, engineering-related co-curricular activities, and admissions & financial aid information.

To register, go to https://admiss.ugrad.duke.edu/register/prattopenhouse

University of Pittsburgh Blue & Gold Days

Monday, October 9

Saturday, November 4

Saturday, November 11

More information about all of visit options can be found online at www.pitt.edu

Syracuse University School of Information Studies
The ITgirls Overnight Retreat
October 22-23
Apply online: itgirls.ischool.syr.edu
theitgirls@syr.edu

Scholarship Opportunities

Direct TV Scholarship

This opportunity gives students the chance to win a $1,000 scholarship to apply towards their college education. You can find more information about the scholarship on this page: http://www.directvdeals.com/resources/scholarship/

Upcoming scholarships on collegexpress.com

$2,000

Scholarship: We The Future Contest

Due Date: September 17

$500

Scholarship: MyProjectorLamps Scholarship

Due Date: September 30

$5,000

Scholarship: Easy Scholarship: Share Tips to Help Friends Reduce Stress

Due Date: September 30

$1,000

Scholarship: College JumpStart Scholarship

Due Date: October 17

$1,000

Scholarship: Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship

Due Date: October 31

$1,000

Scholarship: Easy Self-Care Scholarship

Due Date: September 15

$1,000

Scholarship: Nicholas A. Pennipede Memorial Scholarship

Due Date: September 15

$1,000

Scholarship: Branson Shows Inspired Scholarship

Due Date: October 15

$1,000

Scholarship: LendEDU Scholarship

Due Date: October 15

$1,000

Scholarship: Active Life Scholarship to Tackle Your Weakness

Due Date: October 31

** More scholarships can be found on Naviance under Scholarship List

What college admissions officers say they want in a candidate

By Judy Mandell August 30

 

(iStock)

Watching your kid sweat over college applications? Wondering which college is the best fit for your child and how to help them make that happen? We asked dozens of admissions officers to reveal the truth about admissions today. Here is what some of them told us. [Responses edited for length]

Martha Blevins Allman, Wake Forest University dean of admissions: Concentrate not on being the best candidate, but on being the best person. Pay attention to what is going on in the world around you. If you do those things, not only will the world be a better place because you’re in it, your greatest admissions worry will be choosing which college to pick from. I look for beautiful, clear writing that comes to life on the essay page and offers insight into the character and personality of the student. Beware of being someone you are not in the essay. Beware of outside influence. Editing by adults or professionals often removes the very elements that admissions officers seek.

[Want your kid to get into a good college and have a good life? Here’s how.] 

 

Tim Wolfe, College of William & Mary associate provost for enrollment and dean of admissions: Essays can help an admission committee better understand the individual and how he or she will add to the campus community. They are also an opportunity for us to evaluate a student’s ability to communicate through the written format. Whether you major in physics, history or business, you’ll need to write and be able to share thoughts and ideas with your professors and fellow students. The college application is an opportunity for the student to share his or her story and allows students the opportunity to add their voices to this process. We can get a glimpse into their personalities, and perhaps, learn something new about them, their backgrounds and experiences that doesn’t necessarily show up elsewhere in the application.

Read more at...https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/parenting/wp/2016/08/30/what-21-college-admissions-officers-say-they-want-in-a-candidate/