Potential Magazine October 2013 | Page 13

CREATE A RESUME. You are responsible for writing your resume. Then, make a copy and give it to your college counselor. Use forms that are clear, concise and truly show the breadth and depth of your involvement for activities in and out of school. Follow your advisor’s guidelines. Longer is not better. Both your advisor and the admissions committees at various colleges have very little time to review your resume, so a clear presentation is essential. 5WRITE ON! Essays give students, counselors, parents and admissions reps nightmares. This is not because they are that hard to write or even take that much time. Yet, they are the hardest thing to drag out of students! “On Writing the College Application Essay” by Harry Bauld is a good guide to the process. This book has some great advice and samples of what types of essays work. However, the soundest essay advice of all is simply to be yourself, find your own voice, and write about what is important to you. If the essay you write puts you to sleep, what impact do you think it will have on a rep who has been reading several hundred a night? Essays should be conversational. Let the real you show through all the paperwork. KNOW YOUR ADVISOR Spend time with your college advisor. Talk to him or her about your hopes and dreams, what is important to you. This will help your counselor help you plot a course for college selection. Don’t think “I want to go to college x.” Think about what a college needs to have to be a good match for you, and then go out and find colleges with those attributes. TAKE THE TESTS 3 Make sure that you have taken all the required tests. Remember some places are formula schools. They require a certain GPA and test score for a clear admit. Some are fine tooth-comb schools. They read all the lines of your application and everything in between the lines! So give colleges what they need, or they’ll go on to the next application. Some schools no longer require these tests, and some colleges offer test-optional admissions. See www.fairtest.org for more information. 6 SHOW INTEREST College reps may visit your high school; make sure you are there to meet them. Demonstrated interest can be a factor in admissions at some colleges. Evening programs and college fairs may be available to you. It is a big mistake not to take every opportunity to get information at these events. You may learn about new colleges or find critical information on schools you are already considering. The more information you have, the better armed you are to make appropriate decisions for yourself. 1 BE THE BEST YOU Get it done in and out of the classroom. Take care of all application materials, keeping up with your schoolwork and extracurriculars. Real work in and out of class can make a huge difference. The goal is to have options in April. Impact players, people who have made their school and activities better as a result of their presence, will have the most options, if, and only if, they’ve done all their research and homework about the process. Now, blast off! If you’ve hunted for the schools that are good matches for you, you’ll succeed. Have a terrific and successful year. KEEP GOOD RECORDS Ancient college counselor proverb: He who does not keep copies of all materials runs the risk of huge problems. The great blue mail box, admissions office student assistants, college computers or online admissions gremlins occasionally “eat” parts of applications. You may get an urgent call for a back-up copy. Be ready. EDIT =K