You Asked, We Answered
If you love a good reality show like me, then you love the season finale...the "Tell All". Well, welcome to the CollegeConsulting.us "Tell All" episode, where we tell you all our secrets to the most pressing questions in college admissions.
1. What determines an essay as a "personal statement" material or "supplemental" material?
A personal statement requires a lot of reflection. The student is showing who they are, their personality, their style of writing, and their values. This takes a lot of time and a lot of revision. There are two "types" of supplemental essays. There are the traditional supplemental essay questions, where a college asks questions like 'Why do you want to attend [insert college name]?' or a more specific question like 'Reflect on this quote - [insert quote from a famous speaker].' There is also the option for a supplemental essay. This essay is not mandatory, and is for students who want to shed light on an extracurricular activity or event in their life that they could not expand on somewhere else in their application. For example, a student started a business and wants to speak about this in depth, but cannot find a place to do so elsewhere.
2. How does one decide how to allocate time this summer across the following:
Full time job
SAT prep
College essays/applications
Deciding/visiting schools to identify a potential ED application
Getting ahead on fall semester (all honors classes)
Intern/shadow/or research?
We hope you watched Jack Beecher's response to this question that we published yesterday. If you haven't, you can watch it here.
We also have an entire video and designated worksheet to help you prioritize your summer (or your child's summer) grade by grade (9-12):
Watch: What to do with your summers, grade by grade
Time: 26:39
3. How can I balance my extracurricular activities with academics?
This process is individual. For some students, it is different than for others. Piotr, our college coach, finds it very important for students to have balance in their life (emphasizing sleep, health, and socializing). In a session with Piotr, there is typically a discussion about a student's current balance, what they can take on, and what they can't. He asks questions like, 'What are the most important things to you?' Piotr's advice: Cut out what is less important and focus on what drives you, make time for the things that are most important.
4. How important is a college’s ranking in my decision-making process?
This is entirely family specific. Some families value prestige as their top choice, others not at all and perhaps, for them, cost is the most important factor. Given that it is not a one-size-fits-all situation, we strongly encourage you to review our blog post (and free tool download) on 'how to decide': linked here - This will allow your family to really determine what characteristics you are prioritizing in your OWN college planning journey.
5. What should I consider when visiting a college?
Watch: How to Make the Most of Your College Campus Visits
Time: 26:35
This video has helpful tips to make the most out of your college visits. Because let's face it, not all of us have the time or money to venture from coast to coast looking at schools.
If your family is checking out any schools in the coming months or you're just interested in how to evaluate if a school is the right fit for you or your child, this one's for you.
We also recently published a blog about how to maximize your campus visits this summer. You can read about some more tips here.
6. When should I start preparing for the SAT/ACT? How many times should I take the SAT/ACT?
It can never be too early to start preparing for the SAT/ACT, but it definitely can be too late. We recommend that HS students in the fall/winter of their Junior year take one (1) real, live SAT and one (1) real, live ACT. Take them both…without studying. Take them both. Wait for your scores. And then assess the following:
Which test did you prefer? (Example: Did you like the ACT because it has a science section and the SAT doesn’t? Or perhaps you enjoyed the format of the SAT because it has smaller, shorter sections?)
Which test did you score better on?
For 90+% of our students, the answers to #1 and #2 above align. Now go all-in taking that test.
As for how many times...as many times as you need to achieve a score you are comfortable submitting.
7. How can I ensure my letters of recommendation are strong?
You can ensure your recommendations are strong by putting your best foot forward in the classroom. It is not about receiving the best grade, but rather the presence your have in the classroom. Are you active in class discussions? Are you a good team member? If you are not in class, is your lack of presence felt? We recommend you reach out to your teachers and tell them about the class, not just about what you do outside of the classroom. What did you learn? What did you find challenging? What will stick with you? Make sure to give specific examples of where you excelled (group projects, essays, presentations, etc.). Jogging your teacher's memory about you as a student will give them the best chance at writing you a killer letter of recommendation.
8. What should families expect during the college consulting process?
Everyone's process is unique so our first step is really getting to know your specific family: what your child's profile is, background is, perhaps what things you have already done in the college planning journey, what things you have not done, and (most importantly, oftentimes) what things you did not REALIZE you should be doing. Once we have this background, we can decide if we would be a good fit to work together. If so, we personalize the journey exactly for your family, ensuring you have coaching in the exact areas you need and none of the areas you don't. (Ex: If you come to us with a 35 on your ACT, we'll make sure we remove all standardized testing guidance in our coaching with you - you've already got an elite score!) The ultimate goal is to work with you to a) ensure your college list has the RIGHT schools on it for you and then b) when you do apply to those schools, ensure you have the best chance of gaining acceptance and standing out from your peers.
Best of luck,
Melina Kazanas
P.S. - Have a high-performing high schooler w/ a 3.7 GPA or higher? We'll help get them into at least one of their top 5 dream colleges...and if we don't get them into at least one of their top 5 dream colleges, you don't pay us a penny. Seriously! You can learn more about our world renowned all-inclusive, start-to-finish college coaching here and to see if your family qualifies for an introductory call.
P.P.S - Our most common question is "When should we start?!" The answer is, if you truly care about giving your high schooler the best chance of college planning success, you should start NOW. 9th grade is not too early to start! 10th grade is certainly not too early to start! And 11th grade is far, far too late! (supporting data here to show just how much of an advantage you give your child by starting the process early).
