Admission Essay Writing (G10) US College Application Essays The Common Application - online app used abroad to reach out to plenty of universities in one resource - lots of US, a bit of UK, China, and Japan universities accept these (may ask for a bit more info and requirements) - essays have a maximum of around 650 words that focuses more on personal details with prompts such as: - share a meaningful story that you can’t write this application without sharing - recount a time when you face a challenge, how it affected you, and what did you learn from it - reflect on something someone has done for you and how has their gratitude affected or motivated you - discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of growth for you - describe a topic, idea, or concept that interests you greatly that makes you lose track of time, why does it captivate you, and what/who do you turn to when you want to learn more - share an essay on any topic of your choice - University of California Personal Insight Questions (google it if you’re aiming for this college or if you want more essay prompts) Supplementary Essays - additional pieces of writing for selective (often more prestigious) schools - will vary in requirements (anywhere from 2-13 essays, ranging from 50-250 word essays each) - common themes: - why this school (school vision, mission, and motto are big factors into what they’re looking for in an answer)? - why this major? - extra curricular essays (what extracurriculars have you done?) - community essays (describe the community you’re from) - short answer essays (more generalized essays that go more in-depth on who you are and what your personality is like) - other possible topics: - activity resumes - extra common app topics: - - additional info - extracurriculars Covid-19 essays (how it’s affected you, and your lifestyle etc.) General Tips - start early and inquire/research on your colleges early on - www.collegeessayguy.com for college essay resources (highly recommended) - a good application essay won’t balance out raw grades but it will make you stand out from people with similar grades - be cautious on how much you spend on SATs - Khan Academy also hosts a free SAT preparation course if you look for it - college application essays gauge how well you did for a college safely (you can see your results and only then choose to turn your application in) - do note: essay checkers go through hundreds of essays, back to back to back, and that’s what you’re up against College Application Essays - a college application typically contains: - GPA - test scores (and where you got them from) - essays - activities, awards, resume, portfolio - first selection of students are dependent on grades - second selection of students are dependent on essays (what makes you different, what experiences are unique to you, who are you?) - what these essays are not: - not bragging, your accomplishments are already in the application, no need for this - not a standard school assignment, it’s a lot more personal - not a group project, only you can edit and/or rewrite your own story with your own voice, and you yourself want to be as authentic as possible - tips on starting and writing: - what are your traits and values that you stand for? uphold? prioritize? - brainstorm by writing 20 things that you love, menial or not - ask close friends/family on what you’re like - write, revise, and proofread your starting drafts - be careful on what message gets across in a vacuum - you will be writing a lot of essays so keep that in mind - college essay tutors and coaches are also a common option (the speaker’s sign up link is: z.umn.edu/essay-help) G11 College Application Resume - Advertisement, impression management, living document - Attention grabbing - Updated - Only ADMU needs in PH - Polishing the resume - - Design - One or two pages - Font style and type size are consistent (serif and san serif) - Spacing is appropriate and consistent (1.2-1.5pt) - Margins are at least 1 in. - Information is aligned on the page (use left aligned or justified) - Appears attractive and professional - Has structure, clarity and visual appeal Grammar, spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary - Concise and readable - Error free - - No typos Contact Information/header - Display accurate name and XS email - Easy to read - Free of any typos or other errors - Stands out to reader Content, Structure and Order - Excellent choice of subject headers - Categories include enough information to substantiate the need for a heading - - Structure and order of sections is easy to follow - Most important information is listed on the top half of the the page Education section - Contain complete degree title/major with graduation month and year and full name and location of school - - - - Highest level of education is listed first - Academic strand is indicated - Other achievement test scores are included Awards and achievements - Section is relevant and well organized - Contains organization name, title, dates and location as appropriate - Uses chronological order Experience section - Relevant experience listed with orgs name, title, dates, and location - Uses chronological order - Community and volunteer activities - Don't use “tasked” but instead took initiative on doing something What admission officers want to know - What makes you unique - How your past experiences and subject choices align with your career goals - How your values align with the ethos of the college/university and how you can be asset to the university - Documents: https://xs.schoology.com/course/2879356926/materials?f=465130524 Career Seminar Sessions 3 and 4 Personal Essay Writing - Do not forget what English teachers taught you (three part theme: intro, body, conclusion, grammar, etc.) - Ask for help - Always plan ahead and manage your time - Proofread - Outlining - Main Idea 1 - Supporting idea - - Supporting idea 2 - - (answer the prompt of the school) What to talk about - - Detail or example Thesis statement: yes or no - - Detail or example Experience, passion, hobby, event, involvement Red flags of an essay: - wrong grammar, poor sentence construction, generic ideas without concrete examples, too short or too long, follow the word count if provided, if not, 1000 words, I think, is safe - Is exaggerating bad - Yes, by the very meaning of the word, “exaggerating,” I think, will affect the impression you are creating in a negative way. It’s ok to showcase, but not exaggerate. The admissions officer will pick up on that. Authenticity is key. ;) Overview of the college application process - Key elements of college application process - Research - - University - local or abroad - Campus life - Diversity - Variety of clubs and orgs - Student visa (for abroad) Programs and offerings - - - What skills do they expect you to have - Is there internship/apprenticeship Career - Might change career - Possible job opportunities and its steps Resume - Contains important and detailed information about you in the recent years - Helps your teachers write strong recommendation letters for you - Do not pad with misleading or fraudulent information (Mike Ross stuff) - ECAs - G7-LenXses (Photography Club), G8 to G9- Junior Science Guild, G10 and 11- Sandugo Club (Filipino Culture Club), Committees: G10- Christmas Committee, G11- Christmas Committee and Blue and Gold (Pep rally committee, Programs Deputy Head) - Application Form - https://forms.gle/CC98U7Z3G9yD33Mf8 (Example) - “Practice application form” - search in email for reference of answers - Review the form early - Note requirements/documents needed, deadline, manner of submission (direct or through application portals), fees, etc. - Do not forget your password, applicant number or any important details - - For common app (foreign Unis)- counselor is Ms Pusta Personal essay - Work on it early. Give time to draft and improve/revise - Get feedback on it - Practice with different essay prompts Recommendation Letters - Choose teachers who know you well - Give recommenders a copy of your resume - Inform your recommenders early. Give them enough time to create a good recommendation letter for you - 2 weeks for local application - 4-6 weeks for international application - Tips - Different unis have different requirements so keep track of details - The documents that you will need from XS originate from different offices. Send you remedial requests to the correct offices so as to not waste time - Plan ahead. Ask for recommendations and any other assistance you need way before your deadlines Drive for Files: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/18We7oqaesRCjN4HLlCSSDpylwY71Ql_B?usp=sharin g
