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Filling out the college application: Common application walkthrough (article) | Khan Academy

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How to Do "Why this College" Short Answers

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How to Do "Why this College" Short Answers

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Check out this article here: https://blog.prepscholar.com/why-this-college-essay

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How to Write a Perfect “Why This College” Essay

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Struggling to write a great “why us” essay for your college app? We explain what makes for a good one and walk you through the process of writing it.

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College Essay Guy | College Application and Essay Help

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College Essay Guy - Personal statement and college essay tips, guides, resources, consulting, and webinars for students, parents and counselors.

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36 Companies That Pay For College – estudentloan

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One of the perfect ways to pay for college is to find companies with tuition reimbursement. This has never been more important than now, with college costs on the rise. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, for the 2018 to 2019 academic year, average undergraduate tuition, fees,…

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When you request that we send your scores to institutions or other organizations as directed by you during school day testing, we send your scores along with demographic information sufficient for identity matching to those institutions and organizations, who may then use it to support your applications to those organizations.

When you request that we send your scores to institutions or other organizations as directed by you through your College Board account, we send your scores, certain demographic information, and other information you provide to College Board to those institutions and organizations. These organizations may use this data to send you information about admissions, educational, financial aid, and scholarship opportunities. Being contacted by these organizations does not mean you have been admitted or are eligible for a scholarship or financial aid program. You must submit an application to be considered for admission at an institution, and complete any steps required by any scholarship programs to be considered for their opportunities.

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Send SAT Scores to Colleges - SAT Suite | College Board

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When you register for the SAT, you can select colleges or scholarship programs to send your scores to. When your score is available, you can send it to others.

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American University Career Center Resources

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American University Career Center Resources

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The purpose of your resume is to get an interview. In thirty seconds or less, most employers decide whether or not to consider applicants for employment, so your resume's content must be clear, concise, and compelling.

Tailor your resume to the specific position for which you are applying and present your most relevant skills, experience, and achievements. To stand a chance, make sure that your resume is free of misspellings and grammatical errors.

A curriculum vitae (CV) is more extensive than a resume and is primarily used when applying for teaching or research opportunities. To differentiate between the two, consider your target careers.

In the world of academia and scientific research, a CV is the standard job search document. The CV differs from a traditional resume in that it lists publications, professional presentations, classes taught, and other relevant academic information. While resume length is limited to one or two pages, the CV can grow with your career. Undergraduate students just beginning their academic or research careers may choose to build upon their traditional resume by adding undergraduate research, significant academic papers, publications, or presentations. You can try this free online CV builder to get started.

The term curriculum vitae (CV) can also be used when applying for positions abroad. Research your target country and its employment terminology to determine CV expectations. If possible, speak to a recruiter to better understand the country's culture and employment expectations.

Unless an employer specifically requests your publication and/or presentation history, then the employer is likely looking for a traditional resume.

This format includes the same content as a resume, as well as information required for Federal applications, such as your social security number, country of citizenship, position details, high school credentials, salary history, and references. Your employment history, education, and related training and skills should be listed in reverse chronological order and your content should emphasize specific results. To create one uniform resume that includes all of the information required by government agencies, use the USAJOBS Resume Builder. Note: you must first log in to or create an account with USAJOBS to access the resume builder.

An infographic resume is a visual timeline that details your work history and professional skills and illustrates who you are as a candidate. Infographic resumes often contain images, data/charts, text, and color that describe your experience and expertise in a visual way. Infographic resumes are appealing in certain industries and to many employers because they are a representation of your creative skills. Some of these industries include public relations, marketing and graphic design. It's important to note that most non-profits, government agencies, and positions on Capitol Hill will not accept this style of resume.

You can create an infographic resume entirely on your own or use online tools that assist you in building one. Several applications including Canva, Poster My Wall, and Kinzaa offer free tools that allow you to create dynamic infographic resumes.

While many employers find infographic resumes appealing, it is important that you create a traditional resume as well.

No two resumes are alike. In fact, everyone has something different to offer an employer. If you're wondering how to present your unique experience, don't panic. Review answers from your career advisors to these frequently asked questions.

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The purpose of your resume is to get an interview. In thirty seconds or less, most employers decide whether or not to consider applicants for employment, so your resume's content must be clear, concise, and compelling. Tailor your resume to the specific position for which you are applying and present your most relevant skills, experience, and achievements.

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If you have received an SAT fee waiver, you may apply to any Coalition, Common, or Universal College Application college without a fee. Each of these application platforms has a process in place to allow eligible students to have their application fee waived, and generally do not require you to submit your College Board fee waivers.

On the Coalition App, students can determine their eligibility for a fee waiver by answering a brief series of questions while creating their Coalition profile. If you qualify for fee waivers from the College Board (or qualify based on any of the other questions), you will automatically bypass the payment screen when you submit your application to a member school.

Similarly, on the Common App, you will be asked on the application whether your financial circumstances qualify you for a fee waiver-- if you received an SAT fee waiver, you should indicate that in response to this question to have your fee waived. Your high school counselor will be asked to verify your eligibility.

To use your fee waiver on the Universal College Application, check the "fee waiver" box on your application and submit your form to the college or university.

For all other colleges that participate in the program, submit the application fee waiver forms included in your College Board account directly to the institution.

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Frequently asked questions about college application fee waivers distributed by the College Board to eligible students beginning in the 2014-15 academic year.

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Written by Alexis Allison, College Essay Guy Team

Cue the Hallelujah chorus: the letter of recommendation is the one part of the application that students don't have to write.

But wait! Before you crank up Pharrell Williams, know this: You still have to know how to ask for a letter of recommendation.

There's actually a strategy to getting a creme-de-la-creme letter of recommendation for college-kind of like there's a strategy to getting your parents to un-ground you, or your teacher to throw out that homework assignment over spring break.

In the spirit of this topic, we've gathered advice from a number of experts, including:

Chris Reeves, school counselor and member of the NACAC board of directors

Trevor Rusert, director of college counseling at Chadwick International in South Korea

Michelle Rasich, director of college counseling at Rowland Hall

Kati Sweaney, senior assistant dean of admission at Reed College

Sara Urquidez, executive director of Academic Success Program, a nonprofit that promotes a college-going culture in Dallas/Fort Worth high schools

Martin Walsh, school counselor and former assistant dean of admission at Stanford

Michelle McAnaney, educational consultant and founder of The College Spy

And I'm Alexis, a high school English teacher-turned college counselor-turned journalist. Ethan (the College Essay Guy) and I serve as your synthesizers and storytellers in this guide, which we've chunked into a few steps:

So, you've got to get another human's stamp of approval.

Why bother? Because some colleges consider letters of rec pretty darn important - above class rank, extracurricular activities and, at least when it comes to the counselor recommendation, demonstrated interest (dun dun dun!). Check out the results of the 2017 NACAC "State of College Admission" survey:

Our buddy Chris Reeves, a member of NACAC's board of directors, has another way to read this table:
"If you consider 'considerable importance' AND 'moderate importance,' the teacher letter is also more important than demonstrated interest. The counselor rec even ranks above the essay."
Basically, if it comes down to you and another candidate-all else being equal-your letters of recommendation can get you in or keep you out.

And, according to a presentation co-led by our friend Sara Urquidez at a 2017 AP conference, rec letters can also help decide who gets scholarships and who gets into honors programs. All told, they're a big deal.

In this student guide, we focus on how to approach your teachers for a rec letter. Your school counselor may also write you one-ask to find out.

Either way, a word to the wise: Make sure your counselor knows who you are.

According to Sara, your counselor is the person that admissions representatives will call if they have questions about your application. She writes, "It's important to keep them up to date and in the know." So pop in every now and again and say hi. Make a copy of this counselor questionnaire, fill it out and either email it to them or print it and hand-deliver it. They will love you for it.

Now, the teacher letter.
How do I get started?
First things first. Find out which schools on your list require a teacher letter of recommendation for college (or two! or three!), and which deadlines you're pursuing: Early Action, Early Decision, Regular-some will be earlier than others. You'll eventually give this curated list to your recommenders. A note: They'll typically only write one universal letter to be sent to all the schools on your list, not individually tailored letters for each school.

Now you can start asking around.

In an ideal world, you'd ask someone who teaches a core subject (English, math, science, social studies), who taught you recently (junior year is prime) and who knows you well and actually likes you. If you can't find one person who fits all of those things, this is what you should prioritize:

1. Someone who knows you well and actually likes you

2. Someone who taught you recently

3. Someone who teaches a core subject*

*Important note: Some colleges require or recommend that students submit recommendations from teachers in certain subject areas. Be sure you double check that.

Overall, think of it this way-it won't help the college get to know you if your recommender doesn't know you.
What if I need two (or three!) teachers?
Pick teachers who can highlight separate strengths. For example, your band teacher knows things about you that your English teacher doesn't, and vice versa. Having said this, I wouldn't recommend picking teachers who teach electives for your main letter of rec (with exceptions like your music teacher for music school and art teacher for art school) as colleges are most interested in how well you're doing and will do in academic subjects.
What if I don't know any of my teachers?
It's better to cultivate a relationship with a teacher before you need something. But if you find yourself in a bind and haven't gotten to know any of your teachers, it's not too late to start. One of the best things you can do is pop in during your teacher's office hours and, if they aren't busy, ask questions. About class, work, life. Get to know them too.

Finally, to help your teachers get to know YOU better, click here. Make your own copy of the document, fill it out and either email it to them OR print it and deliver in person.

(For good measure, here's that questionnaire for you to fill out and give your counselor, too!)

As you think about which teachers to ask, here's an exercise, adapted from our colleague Stacey Picket Cunitz, that can help strengthen both their eventual recommendations and your understanding of what they'll be doing.

Step 1: Grab paper and pencil, or open a new doc for notes...

Step 2: And then open this up.

That's the Common App's Teacher Recommendation Form.

Step 3: Take some time and imagine how your teacher/s might fill it out for you.

With the "What are the first words that come to mind...?" identify and jot down both what you think comes to your teacher/s' minds, and the words you want to come to mind (are there differences?).

With the "ratings" section, what are your strengths? What could you improve on?

What are concrete, actionable steps you could take to improve? And what are actions you could take, with integrity, to shift the words that come to their minds?

Note that this exercise is useful to work through regardless of how much time you have before your letters or rec are due, but if you want to be able to act on that final bullet point, you'll probably want a few months to be able to shift your actions appropriately.

1. Actually ask.
Don't just add your teacher's name to your Common App. When I was a senior in high school, a guy went around telling people we were going to prom together without asking me. Yeah, no. This is just as bad. I told students who did that "no" on principle.

2. Ask in advance.

I mean way in advance-like, end-of-junior-year advance, if possible. Three weeks before the application deadline should be your minimum, and even that's pushing it. Martin Walsh, former assistant dean of admission at Stanford, recommends a 90-day heads' up. A rule of thumb: The more time you give your teachers, the more they will love you and the better your letter will turn out.

3. Ask in person.

An email ask should be a last resort. Be bold, young grasshopper! If you or they have moved, and asking in person isn't possible, opt for the phone call first, email second, text never.

4. Don't group-ask the teacher.

Make sure you ask one-on-one. Once I had two students ask me for a letter of rec at the same time, so I felt obligated to tell them both yes-how awkward would it have been if I'd told one yes and one no?

(Pro tip: This is not how you want your teachers to feel as they're writing your letter.)

5. Handle the print submissions.
While this isn't the norm, some schools still want you to snail mail your letters of rec. If that's the case, it's your responsibility to provide the teacher with a stamped envelope addressed to the admissions office of the relevant college.

6. Know your teachers (and school counselors on behalf of your teachers) may have their own process-and follow it.
For example, they may have their own questionnaire for you to fill out (and they might tell you to fill it out immediately). Whatever it is, follow through and respect their timeline.

7. Prepare to return in kind.

The more you ask of a teacher, the more you should plan to give them in return. These rec letters-especially the good ones-can take three hours to write. And the thing is, teachers don't have to write these letters. They don't get paid for them. They do them out of kindness and care on top of their other work. At the very least, plan to write thank-you notes.

Need to prepare for the college interview?

As mentioned above, ideally you'd ask for letters of recommendation at the end of your junior year (and you would, after doing the exercise above, spend a few months before the end of your junior year establishing a stronger relationship with them).

To keep it simple, the sooner your application is due, the sooner you need to ask.

But be sure to ask at an appropriate time. You know how you wait until your parents are in a good mood before you ask them for something? Do that with this.

That means: Don't ask your teachers during lunch. (They're humans. They eat.)

Not right before class. (You'll interrupt their class-prepping mojo.)

Not in the middle of class (just, no).

Two better options for when to ask for a letter of recommendation:

1. Schedule a brief meeting with your teacher in advance.

Shoot them an email asking if they have five minutes to chat with you about college sometime in the next week, then set up a time and don't be late. The thoughtfulness will add another jewel to your crown in Letter of Recommendation heaven.

2. Wait until all the students have left the classroom at the end of the day, and cautiously approach the teacher, as you would a wild animal.

Here's a sample dialogue that works:

You: "Ms. Smith, do you have five minutes to talk?" (This is key. You're inviting her into the conversation, while also giving her a quick out if she needs one.)

Ms. Smith: "Sure, Johnny. What's up?"

You: "Well, I'm in the throes of applying to college. I've got some deadlines in about three months, so I'm trying to be proactive and organized before all hell breaks loose. (She'll love you for thinking ahead.) That's why I'm here. Of all the teachers I've had, I think you know me the best, and I'm wondering: Would you be willing and able to write me a strong letter of recommendation?" (The word "strong" gives teachers a polite out if they feel like they don't know you well enough or don't have time to take on your letter.)

Ms. Smith: "Oh Johnny, I thought you'd never ask." (She probably won't say this, but you can dream.)

You: "Really? That would be wonderful/epic/lit. Tonight I'll email you all the relevant information-my resume, my list of colleges and their deadlines, and some bullet points with stuff I've done in class. ( See below for more info on this follow-up email.) Is there anything else you'd like from me?

Ms. Smith: "Wow, no, I think that about covers it. Thanks, Johnny."

You: "Thank you, Ms. Smith!"
(Turns away, nearing the door. Stops as if remembering something, turns back toward Ms. Smith with a winning smile.)
You: "Oh, Ms. Smith! I almost forgot to ask ... what's your favorite coffee shop?"

Ms. Smith: "Oh heavens. Starbucks, I think. Why?"

You: "No reason! Have a great day!"
(Skips out the door and immediately jots "Starbucks-Ms. Smith" into notes app, because you'll be getting her a Starbucks gift card and thank-you note when all this is over.)
And that's how it's done.

Now you know how to ask for a letter of recommendation.

But you aren't finished yet.

Once you've had That Conversation, you need to do one more thing the very same day: Write your teacher a follow-up email.

A teacher's brain is like a very smart bowl of spaghetti: If you don't put your conversation down in writing, it might get lost in a thick vat of garlic and marinara.

For this follow-up email, you'll need these things:

1. A heart of gratitude. Seriously.

2. This completed questionnaire about yourself. Be detailed. Your teacher will love you for it.

3. An up-to-date, professional resume. Don't have a resume? Read this blog post on writing a killer one (or if you need a template).

4. A list of the colleges that will need your teacher's letter of recommendation, and each college's application deadline. (This part is in the questionnaire!)

5. A brief paragraph about what you hope to study, and any relevant life dreams, etc. (This part is also in the questionnaire!)

Here's a good example:

SUBJECT: Letter of recommendation follow-up (Deadline: Nov. 15)

BODY:

Dear Ms. Smith,

I hope this email finds you well.

First of all, thank you. It means a lot that you're writing me a letter. To make the process smoother, I've included my current resume, as well as the attached questionnaire to remind you of all my amazing qualities (hehe). Otherwise, here's what you need to know in brief:

I'm applying to the University of Texas, Stanford and USC.

All three schools have a deadline of Nov. 15, so you've got plenty of time.

I hope to study mechanical engineering with a minor in philosophy regardless of where I end up, but Stanford is my No. 1 because I'd get to take classes at the d.school to supplement my studies.

My dream job: NASA.

That's it! Again, thank you, thank you for doing this for me. Please let me know if there's anything else you need, or if you have any follow-up questions. And, if it's okay with you, I'll probably send a check-in email maybe a week or two before the deadline to make sure all is well.

In the meantime, I hope you have a beautiful day!

Sincerely,

Johnny D.

To quote Bob from Stranger Things season 2: "Easy-peasy."

A final important tip: After you've requested a letter of recommendation, at some point in the application process you'll need to waive your FERPA rights.

What's FERPA?

It's a law that, among other things, protects your rights as a student to view your own education records. If you waive those rights on the app, it means you won't be able to see what your teachers write about you, which basically frees them up to write whatever they like.

But what if you want to see how great they think you are?

Have them sign your yearbook instead. If colleges see that you have not waived your FERPA rights, they'll assume you've read your letter of recommendation for college and may not trust its objectivity. So we recommend waiving your FERPA rights.

This is what you should see if you're using the Common App:

That's a wrap.

Congratulations-and phew! You've made it to the end of our guide.

Before you fall over from the mental food baby we've given you, we'd love to hear from you. Is there something we've overlooked? A burning question we haven't answered? Maybe you've your own suave asking strategy you'd like to share. Email us at help@collegeessayguy.com.

Finally, if you're feeling inspired and want to learn more about all things college-admissions, we've got you covered- find your next free guide here.

Want help writing an amazing college essay?
TAKE A FREE TEST RUN OF my step-by-step video course HERE

Tagged: college essay tips, example supplemental essay, personal essay

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How to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation | College Essay Guy

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Written by Alexis Allison , College Essay Guy Team Cue the Hallelujah chorus: the letter of recommendation is the one part of the application that students don't have to write. But wait! Before you crank up Pharrell Williams, know this: You still have to know how to ask for a letter of recommendation.

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Free, personalized support and resources to help you get to college, find your first job, and succeed in both.

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Free, personalized support and resources to help you get to college, find your first job, and succeed in both.

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Matriculate connects high-achieving, low-income juniors and seniors to highly-trained undergraduate advisors—completely virtually—empowering students to attend colleges where they will thrive.

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Are you a high school junior or senior interested in becoming a Matriculate High School Fellow?

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State Council of Higher Education for Virginia's information about college preparation

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Today is a great day to start preparing for college! Whether college is years away or right around the corner, you can take steps now to help make sure that you find the right fit for your future. In this section, you will find tips and tools to help you get prepared for the journey. 1-2-3, let's go!

The toolkit resources below will get you started.

Toolkit for Students and Families

What You Need to Do This Year to Prepare for College

When it comes to getting into college, every school year matters. The decisions you make, the actions you take and the effort you put in will impact your next steps and options. Refer to the checklist (9th-12th grade) to help make sure that you don't miss out on opportunities.

Figuring Out What You Want to Do with Your Future

To figure out what you want to do in your future, it's important to know your likes and values. These personal preferences can shape your career and the things you do for the rest of your life. The Virginia Wizard offers career and work values online assessments to help. K12 students automatically receive a free Wizard account. Ask your counselor or teacher to activate it. Also, try the Imagine link to see what kind of careers and areas of study will support your future lifestyle.

Questions You Should Ask about Colleges

Take advantage of every opportunity to speak to admissions representatives and current/prior students. Use the list of questions to begin your conversations. And if you have the prized opportunity to speak with college students or alumni, you can learn so much more. Use the provided Student to Student questions to interview them and take good notes.

Words/Phrases You Need to Know about Higher Education

As you enter the new world of higher education, it may seem like people are speaking another language! You will want to learn many new phrases and definitions. Use the PREPARE: Higher Education Terms A-Z list as a reference as go through this step towards enrollment.

Additional Resources

On the left side of this page is a menu with five choices:

Explore any of those links or move on to the Applying to College, Paying for College, Making Decisions about College, Student Loans and Resources sections.
ECMC College Nights in Virginia
ECMC (Educational Credit Management Corp.) has sponsored College Nights in Virginia every year since 2007. Participating locations across the Commonwealth provide opportunities for students and families to learn and receive information about planning and paying for college. Events are open to the public. Students attending events at eligible host sites may be entered in a statewide drawing for one of 20 $1,000 scholarships. Events are open to the public. See the College Nights in Virginia locations. Locations are added regularly, so check back and/or ask your school counselor if your school will be hosting a College Night event.

ECMC's Opportunities booklet for Virginia is a great resource. Check out this year's edition!

A Career Cluster is a grouping of occupations and broad industries based on commonalities. Virginia has 16 career clusters. Explore careers and use Virginia's Career Planning Guide to help find careers of interest. See career profiles and learn the paths taken by professionals across the state.

Preparation is important. Confirm and make your plans with your family and school counselor. Your school counselor can be a huge resource and source of advice on your future.

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Preparing for College | Virginia State Council Of Higher Education, VA

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Today is a great day to start preparing for college! Whether college is years away or right around the corner, you can take steps now to help make sure that you find the right fit for your future. In this section, you will find tips and tools to help you get prepared for the journey.

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This guide provides information about requesting transcripts, letters of recommendation, college visits, Common App and more!