It is National Scholarship Month, which means high school seniors are being exhorted to scoop up free money for college.

What they are often not told is that scholarships won from corporations, nonprofits and other “outside” sources can reduce — dollar for dollar — the grants and cost-reducing financial aid they might get from colleges.

Students with financial need should be aware of this potential disincentive before they spend countless hours pursuing scholarships that may leave them no better off. The same scholarships could, however, benefit affluent families by reducing the amount they have to pay or borrow.

Casey Lu Simon-Plumb, a sophomore at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, won more than a dozen scholarships during her senior year of high school, including a $20,000 Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation award.

She thought her winnings would dramatically reduce the $60,000 annual cost of attending the school.

Instead, the outside money replaced other aid Swarthmore had offered her, leaving her family’s contribution about the same.

Federal rules require schools to reduce need-based financial aid when students win outside scholarships to ensure that their total financial aid does not exceed their costs by more than $300.

Read the whole post: http://www.startribune.com/college-scholarships-are-not-free-money/352032061/

Experts Weigh In On Common College Application Mistakes

A lot of high school seniors are applying for college right now, and some of them are likely making mistakes on their applications that are sending them straight to the trash.

Most colleges recommend high school students start thinking about the college application process as early as their freshman year.

“The whole college admissions process, the application process, everything has changed dramatically. A lot of people think that it’s just the GPA or it’s just the SAT score, but getting into the college of your choice goes well beyond that,” teacher Deann Scherer said.

New research from the National Honor Society finds that a majority of college admissions officers say participating in extracurricular activities gives students a competitive edge, but that doesn’t mean just sports.

They’re most impressed by students who’ve done long-term volunteer work in their community.

View the whole post: http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2015/11/19/experts-weigh-in-on-common-college-application-mistakes/

Don't Ghostwrite College Application Essays

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rebecca-joseph/dont-ghostwrite-college-application-essays_b_8191866.html

Recently, I have traveled to schools, college fairs, libraries, and many homes to help kids with their college applications, including their college application essays and/or personal statements. While I brainstorm essay topics with them and provide some guiding questions for their drafts, I do not write or rewrite the essays for students. I view the brainstorming, drafting, and revising process as a part of essential self-awareness development for sixteen to eighteen year olds. This process truly works, and the non-ghostwritten essays that result are truly reflective of their capabilities as thinkers, writers, and ultimately successful college students.

All students, regardless of socioeconomic status, struggle with this process. It is not natural, and it is often the first time they have had to advocate for themselves in writing. For many students, rather than accept the necessity of the drafting process and their parents desire for the "perfect essay," they often turn to tutors, parents, or older siblings.

These essays stand out--but for the wrong reasons. They not only reveal language unnatural to today's teenagers but also indicate a thought process, writing structure, and self-awareness that come only with adulthood. These essays put admissions officers on alert, as they can immediately identify ghostwritten essays.

So here is my plea to those working with teenagers on college application essays.

1. Their discomfort in writing college application essays is a natural part of the application process. They have rarely if ever been asked in or out of school to write first person narratives advocating for themselves. This process is initially awkward for many kids, especially since they live in an increasingly superficial world, where they share every surface moment with pictures, videos, or group chats. We need to help them understand the application process is a way to explore their deep unique passions, accomplishments, and goals. Learning how to write these essays is challenging, yet powerful.

2. Application essays are part of a larger process. The essays alone will not get an applicant admitted to colleges and/or scholarships. They are part of a larger process that requires applicants to present a full picture of who they are and what they offer a college. These essays should complement their applications. They should share and reflect stories about their unique qualities and experiences that will help colleges learn even more reasons why they belong on their campuses. Any non-applicant who writes or re-writes an applicant's essays needs to realize that the essays must match their applicants' grades, activities, recommendations, other application essays, and yes, test scores.

3. Colleges want authentic essays or personal statements. Several times a year I present with college admissions officers on college application essays. Time after time, they share their desire for student-written pieces. They often share ineffective pieces -- the majority are adult written. Colleges have worded their prompts to help guide students. Many post sample essays and tips on their websites to help students and families understand what they are seeking. What you see is a plea for applicants to write their own essays that share unique stories.

4. Rather than write or re-write essays, spend your time with helping to prepare resumes and brainstorming. Students need more help with realizing what they have accomplished and the different kinds of stories they have to share. Every applicants needs a resume as they never know when someone will ask for one. Often preparing these resumes leads to great essay topics. In addition, conversations about their leadership and impact help students identify their own power and potential.

5. Great essays are specific, not general. As kids write the essays, they need to realize most prompts ask for specific stories and examples and then reflect on them. Please ask kids to make sure their essays are so specific that only they could have written it. Students need to include specific examples and to focus on the major implications--specific, recent, and positive.

6. Great essays take time and drafting. We need to allow the kids to learn how drafting is essential to great writing. Each draft, which I now term layers, helps them increase the clarity of their story and its implications.

7. These essays are not formal analytic essays. College application essays are personal narratives, not the typical analytic papers they write in high school. They need to explore this process and learn that application essays use specific visual examples to reveal universal themes about the applicants. While they should have a beginning, middle, and end, they do not need formal introductions or conclusions. Rather they often can start in the middle, and then work their way to bigger picture, in a process, I term: Into, Through, and Beyond. Students need to learn this writing form as they will be asked to write this way in college, often in freshman writing classes.

8. Use essays as an opportunity to teach students how to advocate for themselves. Essays and personal statements need to show specific ways college applicants have made a difference already in their lives and in their communities. Applicants need to "humble brag" about themselves. Often these essays are the only written texts an applicant may present to a college. They need to learn to advocate for themselves, and what better way through these essays.

Ghostwriting application essays devalues the entire process. College application essays offer a great process for seniors, especially those who are very busy, to learn more about themselves, what they offer colleges, and ultimately what colleges offer them. Let them draft and re-draft. Let them layer in key qualities and reflections. Then watch as great authentic essays emerge.

The One Big Danger of Applying to College Early

http://time.com/money/4037378/danger-college-early-decision/

It might make it easier to get in—but harder to pay the bill.

You know the adage about the early bird and the worm. It holds true in college admissions too.

Applying early can boost your odds of acceptance by up to 30 percentage points, roughly the same as scoring 100 points higher on the SAT, according to research by Harvard professor Christopher Avery, co-author of The Early Admissions Game.

But while an early application might make it easier to get into college, it could also make it harder to pay the bill.

There are two main ways to apply early: early decision (ED) and early action (EA). With ED, which is considered a binding contract if you’re accepted, you apply to just one college, usually in November. You’ll get a yes or no sometime in December, a couple of weeks before the regular admissions deadlines.

EA, which isn’t binding, lets you apply to multiple schools. You’ll hear back in January or February but don’t have to commit until later in the spring.

EA won’t have much impact on your acceptance or aid prospects, but it might make sense if you can’t bear the tension of waiting to hear. So the more important question is whether it makes sense to apply ED. Here are some guidelines.

Apply early if …

• You’re pretty sure you’ll qualify for ample financial aid. One problem with early decision is that your aid offer could come months after your acceptance letter. If the aid package doesn’t meet your needs, you can be released from the contract. But that could leave you scrambling to apply to other colleges.

For an estimate, use the net price calculator on the college’s website. Bear in mind that your actual aid could swing a couple of thousand dollars in either direction, says Kathy Ruby, director of financial aid at College Coach, an advising service.

If you know how much you can afford to pay, your dream school’s net price is in that range, and you aren’t concerned that another one might make you a better offer, applying early decision can make sense, says Robert Massa, vice president of enrollment and institutional planning at Drew Universityin New Jersey.

Some colleges will provide more definitive estimates for students considering ED, says Chris Hooker-Harris, dean of admissions and financial aid at Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania. So it’s worth asking. About half of potential ED applicants at Muhlenberg decide to go through with it after getting this “early read” on their aid, Hooker-Harris adds.

• Money is no object. If you can afford your dream school regardless of aid, go for it. Early decision might improve your chances, although probably not by 30 percentage points except at certain elite private colleges. At most schools, the difference is closer to 10 percentage points. To get an idea of the potential advantage, ask about the school’s early acceptance rate and how much of its freshman class is filled that way.

But wait if…

• You’d be happy at any of several schools. Applying ED means you’ll lose the opportunity to compare aid offers from different schools or to use an offer from one as a bargaining chip with the others. “If the primary driver of the decision is ‘Who is going to make me the best deal?’, then early decision may not be the best route,” Hooker-Harris says.

• You want more merit money. If you’re hoping for merit aid, you could be better off waiting. Every school hands out its non-need based aid differently. Some colleges hold back a portion of their merit aid until spring to use as an extra incentive for students who are still undecided.

3 Ways U.S. Colleges Evaluate Applications

​"It was confusing." 

That's how Rinat, a third-year gender studies student from Almaty, Kazakhstan, described his experience preparing applications to U.S. universities. "Every university had different applications, different deadlines, different things I had to send to them."

Rinat's impression of the U.S. university application process is not unique to international students. U.S. high schools students can also be confused by the differing requirements and processes involved in a college application. The complexity of applications, and the processes that universities use in reviewing applications, is as varied as the nearly 4,000 institutions of higher education in the U.S. 

[See the 2016 U.S. News Best Colleges rankings.]

It can be helpful to understand why applications can differ so much from one university to the next. Typically, a university admissions office tries to answer a key set of questions when reviewing an application.

​First, they want to know that there's evidence that the student has the academic readiness to undertake studies at that school. Second, they want to know that the student's educational and growth goals are aligned with the missions, goals and ethos of the particular university. Finally, the university tries to determine if the student's presence on campus will provide a positive contribution to the university's learning environment and ​community.

These factors are extremely specific to each institution, and universities in the U.S. have developed several admissions models to help answer them.

There are three common models of admissions employed by U.S. universities: open admissions, threshold admissions and holistic admissions.​

Open Admissions Model

The open admissions model does not require standardized test scores such as the SAT or ACT. Nor does this model ask applicants to submit personal statements or recommendation letters. This admissions model is most commonly used by community colleges in the U.S.

"Open admission exists for those institutions with a mission to provide equal access to a variety of educational backgrounds," says Dawn Wood, director of international programs at Kirkwood Community College in Iowa.

Woods points out that colleges with open admissions models provide higher education opportunities to students who may require additional academic preparation, students who are seeking vocational or technical education, or students interested in reducing the costs of a four-year degree through transfer partnerships with bachelor's-degree-granting universities.

[Watch out for five college admissions mistakes international students make.]

Threshold Admissions Model

Universities which use threshold admissions models are those who publish very clear standards of admission. They tend to provide a minimum required GPA, SAT or ACT score for admission, but will likely not request a personal statement, essay or letters of recommendation. This admissions model is used by many U.S. colleges and universities, and is common among public institutions.

Chuck May, director of admissions at the University of Missouri, believes that transparency in the admissions process is the hallmark of threshold admissions. "We are a selective university, and in making our admission criteria very clear, we're able to be open with students as to their likelihood of admission, from the start of our communication with them."

May says this model allows his admissions team to begin to explore whether or not the university is a good fit for a prospective student at a much earlier point in the college search process, "because we are most likely to receive applications from students who have already researched our academic standards for admission, and know where they fit in relation to those measures." 

[Take this quiz and see if you're ready to apply to U.S. universities.]

Holistic Admissions Model

Selectivity is also a tenet of the holistic admissions model. Where this process is employed, a university is more likely to provide the average academic profile of the previous year's admitted class. This gives some insight into what GPA and standardized test scores may be competitive for admission.

Additionally, holistic admissions will often require that applicants provide an essay and recommendations from teachers, counselors or other community leaders.

Seth Walker, associate director of international admissions at Indiana University—Bloomington, feels that the holistic admissions approach allows the school to consider the broader experiences of an applicant. "When we read an application, we hope to get a sense of what's brought that student to where they are today."

Walker says this model allows their admissions team to compose a class that is both strong in academic ability and diverse in experience.

Students can get a sense for which model of admissions will be used to review their application by visiting the admissions website of a university. It's important to know that many universities will employ some combination of these models.

Rinat offers this wisdom he received from his uncle, who suggested he think of his college applications like going on a date: "You ask questions, they ask questions, in the end you both have to decide if it's a match."

Rinat says that was the best advice he received. 

9 Ways to Find the Best College for You

From: http://time.com/money/4025938/find-the-best-college-for-you/

Build your own personalized college rankings using these important criteria.

Lots of magazines and websites publish lists of the “best colleges.” But those general purpose rankings may not put enough emphasis on the factors that are most important for you.

Finding a college that will be the best value for you is a little like choosing the best-value car. It won’t necessarily be the cheapest. It’s the one that will take you where you want to go in life at the most reasonable price.

MONEY’s annual Best Colleges list ranks schools based on 21 factors in three key categories: educational quality, affordability, and the career success of graduates. You can use many of these same criteria to identify the schools that will provide the best value for your particular student and financial situation. Here’s how and where to find the information you need.

QUALITY OF EDUCATION

1. Check on graduation rates. Research shows that graduation rates are the single best indicator of a college’s quality; students who don’t receive adequate support or don’t think they’re getting their money’s worth are more likely to transfer or drop out. Colleges are required to report their six-year graduation rates. Look for a rate of no less than the median for similar schools: 48% at public colleges and 58% at private ones.

HOW TO FIND IT: Collegeresults.org allows you to compare 4-, 5-, and 6- year graduation rates for your target college and similar schools. If your target college isn’t in the top half of the Collegeresults.org comparison, consider some schools that are above it.

2. Compare class sizes. Research shows that personal attention from professors pays off: Students who are mentored by a professor are 50% more likely to thrive in their careers, according to Gallup research. One good indicator is the percentage of each school’s classes with 20 or fewer students.

HOW TO FIND IT: Look up your colleges on Collegedata.com. Click on the academics tab.

3. Look beyond test scores. The average ACT or SAT scores of incoming freshmen will help you see how you’d stack up academically compared with other students. But even more important than those numbers is how well the college helps its students exceed expectations, given their academic and economic backgrounds.

HOW TO FIND IT: The MONEY College Planner gives each school a “Value Added” grade. A’s or B’s generally indicate better graduation rates and alumni earnings than other schools with similar students.

AFFORDABILITY

4. Maximize your merit aid odds. More than 90% of colleges give some merit aid. Your chances of getting a substantial amount will be best at private colleges where your grades and test scores put you in the top 25% of applicants.

HOW TO FIND IT: Collegedata.com provides information on the number and size of different kinds of aid awards. The premium search filters on theMoney College Planner allow you to build a list of schools that meet your criteria and are generous with need-based and/or merit-based aid.

5. Know your real cost. Don’t pay too much attention to the college’s official cost of attendance. Nearly 60% of students pay less than that. What you want to focus on is net price.

HOW TO FIND IT: Use the net price calculator on each college’s web site for an estimate of what you’ll have to pay based on your family’s income and resources. If you want to compare several colleges’ net prices at once try CollegeAbacus.org.

6. Calculate the full cost of a degree. Look beyond freshman year to calculate what each college would cost you for the four, or possibly more, years it could take to earn a degree. The best colleges graduate students in 4.5 years or less.

HOW TO FIND IT: The MONEY College Planner shows the average net price of a degree at 700+ colleges, based on factors including how long it takes students to graduate.

STUDENT OUTCOMES

7. Expect strong job help. An active, well-staffed career services office can help students write résumés, practice for job interviews, and connect with influential alumni. Colleges should have at least one career services staffer per 1,000 students, and follow industry standard best practices.

HOW TO FIND IT: Call or visit the career services office to ask.

8. Investigate internships. The best colleges help students get internships, which not only provide real-world experience but also increase the odds of landing a good job after graduation. Students who have had paid internships, research shows, are 70% more likely to get a job offer than those who had no internships or who had only unpaid internships.

HOW TO FIND IT: Call or visit the career services office to ask what it does to help place students. Also ask how many internships—especially in your major—are paid.

9. Check up on alumni earnings. The salaries of recent grads are a good indicator of how much employers value a degree from a particular school.

HOW TO FIND IT: Payscale.com lists average early and mid-career earnings for the graduates of most large colleges. Generally, your choice of college has greater impact on early career earnings than on mid-career salary, so that’s the more important number.

Countdown to College: Application options can be confusing

From: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/education/article34100148.html

It would be easy to assume that with the increase in the popularity of online applications (www.commonapp.org and www.universalcollegeapp.com) that a variety of decisions would be streamlined for college applicants. Unfortunately, that’s just not the case.

Colleges appreciate the benefits of the common applications, but many of them want to differentiate themselves. That’s where the variety of application deadlines play a critical role. The college application process is full of acronyms, but none seem more confusing than those associated with application deadlines: EA (Early Action), ED (Early Decision), ED 1 (Early Decision, first deadline), ED 2 (Early Decision, second deadline), SCEA (Single Choice Early Action), REA (Restricted Early Action) and RA (Rolling Admissions).

Early Action is a great gift for the well-prepared student. Students must submit their complete application by an earlier deadline, typically Oct. 15-Nov. 15.

The big perk here is that students receive notification of their acceptance, rejection or deferral much earlier, in many cases by Dec. 15. The best benefit is that EA is not binding, so students may apply to multiple schools EA and can even apply to one school Early Decision (ED), which is binding. Students who apply EA and are accepted are not required to notify the college of their decision until May 1.

Early Decision (ED), Early Decision 1 (ED 1) and Early Decision 2 (ED 2):

ED is straight-forward. You apply early – typically there’s a Nov. 1 deadline – and you’re notified early, typically by Dec. 24. If you’re accepted, it’s binding – you must go. Since it is binding, you are only allowed to apply to one college ED. But now a small number of colleges have added an ED 2, with a January deadline.

ED 2 is frequently used by students who applied ED elsewhere and were either rejected or deferred. Colleges love students who apply ED. It allows them to have a better grasp of their numbers and how many students they’ll need to accept in regular decision. Many colleges have a surprising bump in their ED acceptance rates compared with regular decision.

There are trade-offs with Early Decision. Yes, the numbers can be very appealing, but families need to understand that the applicant pool for ED is typically stronger. ED applicants are frequently athletes, legacy students, development cases (where the family has donated a lot of money), etc.

Since the ED decision is binding, once students are accepted ED, they are asked to withdraw their applications from all the other schools where they applied. Applying ED eliminates any possibility for a family to compare financial aid offers or to even find out about need-based or merit-based aid at other schools.

Early decision is a big decision.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/education/article34100148.html#storylink=cpy

What makes a good college list?

From: http://www.examiner.com/article/what-makes-a-good-college-list

The fall of the senior year is the best time to put the finishing touches on a solid college list. At this point, hopefully students have had the opportunity to visit a few colleges, talk to friends who have moved on to new places and had the important conversation with mom and dad about where they might spend the next few years. Now is the time when counselors will work with students via Naviance or provide other resources to help them track student lists and application progress. With many deadlines falling in December and January, counselors want to make sure students are narrowing down the list and submitting materials before the holiday break.

Seemingly every admissions season, colleges experience record application numbers. The Common Application and general hype around college admissions leads students to apply to ridiculous numbers of colleges. At the end of the process, students may end up with few options or with colleges that simply aren't financially possible for their family. With those considerations in mind, below are a few suggestions for helping your student create a well-rounded college list.

1) Number of Colleges. A solid and well-rounded college list should include between 7- 10 colleges in total. There should be 3-4 "safe" colleges, 2-3 "match" colleges, and 2-3 "reach" colleges. Every counselor has a different definition of what these categories mean, but the standard definitions are as follows:

Safe - The student is in the top 25% of admitted students to this college based on their academic profile.

Match - The student falls within the middle 50% of admitted students.

Reach - The student is in the bottom 25% of admitted students OR this is a highly selective university (fewer than 30% of applicants are admitted).

Ideally, students will feel comfortable and excited about all of the colleges on their final list and should not just include colleges at random. When application fees average $50 and students may have to pay to send test scores or additional documents, the cost of applying can add up.

2) Financial Feasibility. Counselors and parents should help students with this part of the college research and use it as a time to educate students about loans, budgeting and expectations. If students will be expected to take on loans and/or get a job to help finance their education, mom and dad should establish these guidelines. For families who require need-based financial aid, the college list should include colleges that meet a high percentage of this need through grants and scholarships, not just loans. For wealthy families that will not qualify, the college list should include colleges which award merit scholarships to top students. Students should check-in with their counselor to identify appropriate colleges. Families can also seek this information out on their own using sites like Big Future, College Navigator, Common Data Sets for each college and visiting the college's financial aid and scholarship websites.

3) Location. Students should always include at least one college in their home state or within a short drive, if possible. This provides options in case a family situation arises which requires the student to be close to home. Additionally, a local college option may end up being the most affordable if the student is able to live at home or live off-campus with a friend.

These are only a few of the many aspects students and parents should take into account when creating a college list. Cultural and social fit, majors offered, location, size and employment statistics are are few of the other factors that should come into play. These are a bit more difficult to research and pinpoint, of course. However, students do have the opportunity to visit colleges for admitted student events in the spring if they want to experience that college culture first hand before making the big decision.

Why Colleges Want Ambitious and Dynamic Students

from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeannie-borin/why-colleges-want-ambitio_b_8096356.html

The college admissions process can be overwhelming for many families considering the competitive nature of admissions as well as the many variables high school students must take into account: challenging curriculum, strong essays, excellent standardized test scores (in most cases) and remarkable recommendation letters to name a few. In addition to students presenting these factors, it is essential for students to distinguish themselves, stress their additional activities and present themselves as ambitious and dynamic students.

It is not the quantity of activities presented but the depth and continuity of a few activities demonstrating focus and sincere interests.

Colleges want to accept students they believe will become actively engaged on their campuses. Once students have the required grade point average and test scores, admission officers look for those items that will set a student apart and enrich their incoming classes. Colleges want ambitious and dynamic students who will explore and take part in many campus activities. Their goal is to create a well-balanced class with students who have exceptional talents.

Although not everyone is a leader, it is important for students to have activities that encourage them to take on responsibilities, create new clubs and bring innovative ideas to campus. High school students may start out as a member of a club and rise to be president by the time they are seniors, for example.

Students who are active on campus tend to enjoy their college experience more with few if any reasons for transferring to another college. Colleges want to establish strong retention rates. So, they like students who remain productively engaged in campus activities. Colleges consider involved students as eventual alumni who may be potential contributors to that college.

Students should know that if their high schools do not offer the types of activities that interest them, there are countless community resources that can be researched. Remember that although grades, scores, essays and recommendations count, it's also the student's participation in things that the transcript does not reflect that also matter in admission decisions. Activities do not need to be directly related to the high school. Colleges want to know what students like to do in their free time. It is okay to list hobbies in which students are involved whether building computers, photography, cooking, learning magic or anything that demonstrates learning, enthusiasm, initiative and continuity.

The purpose of the activity resume is to give college officers better insight on the student, as they do want to learn as much about them as possible.

Ways for Parents, Students to Revise College Application Essays Together

http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/college-admissions-playbook/2015/06/08/ways-for-parents-students-to-revise-college-application-essays-together

College application essays are intended to provide insight beyond the impersonal numbers of test scores and academic transcripts. Recommendation letters can provide a third-party perspective, but the essay is a student's best chance to speak directly to the gatekeepers of higher education.

A great essay can lead to a coveted acceptance letter, but a great essay involves careful planning and execution – including substantial editing. This revision process is one area where parents can be of help to their students. If this is your first time applying to colleges with a student, here are several editing tips to keep in mind. 

1. Develop a timeline that includes editing days: A strong essay cannot be written and revised in a single day. It is essential that students begin their essays well ahead of schedule in order to allow ample time for revisions and reconsiderations.

Starting two to three months before the earliest application deadline is not unreasonable, nor is beginning the summer before senior year. Since college applications generally fall outside a high school student's class load, parents are key to ensuring that there is ultimately time for essay editing.

With a due date that is several months away, your student may be tempted to postpone work on his or her essay until the last possible moment. You can avoid this by setting realistic goals together,including a timeline for finishing an outline, a draft, a first round of revisions and a final essay. Students can check in with their parents to provide updates on a weekly or biweekly basis.

2.Flesh out the details: My mother loves telling the story of how, when I was three, she left me unattended for "just a minute." In that minute, I managed to not only find a spectacular mud puddle, but to lead my younger brother in a full-body art project that involved squeezing as much mud as possible through a nearby window screen.

When I was 17 and working on my college applications, I would have never considered using this story in an essay – it was just a way that my mother had a good laugh at my expense – or so teenage me thought.

Consider, though, the plight of the admissions officer who must read thousands of variations on, "I demonstrated leadership by becoming treasurer of the junior class council." 

Imagine, amidst a sea of such essays, a personal statement that opens with an anecdote showing that this person is capable of self-reflection, and that he or she possesses a sense of humor, an early aptitude for leadership​ and a developed sense of self-expression.

The goal during revision is for parents to help ensure that college application essays move beyond the simple recitation of events. Once your student settles on a thesis, think of small stories that illustrate that argument. The "big" narrative – the tournament victories, the scholastic achievements​ and the test scores – will already be in the application.

It is the small moments that make for wonderful stories. These are the same moments that might not occur to a student looking toward adulthood, such as showing kindness to a stranger, offering to share a treasured toy or displaying an unexpected feat of willpower.

3. Focus on audience: College application essays are written by high school students, but they are read and evaluated by adults. Thus, the challenge is not just to write a meaningful essay, but also one that speaks to the intended audience.

A well-crafted essay that avoids slang and other forms of teen speak can demonstrate maturity and superior writing skills. One way parents can help with the revision process is to act as a filter.  In other words, they can highlight expressions that perfectly suit the tone of a college application essay, or identify those sentences where different phrasing could make a far more effective point. 

4. Always remember to strike a balance: Both too little and too much parental involvement can harm a student's final draft. A student's college application essay is his or her opportunity to speak directly to a school, so parental suggestions should be limited to more general observations.

For example, parents can point out places where the purpose of the essay is unclear, or underline paragraphs where the wording is awkward. Be sure to praise the sections that work, and discuss why they work. Do not restructure an entire introduction or conclusion.

Parents need to remember that college application essays are their child's chance to shine. By the end of the revision process, you should have learned something about your student. If you have, this is a great indicator that the complete stranger who will ultimately read this essay will learn something too.

College Admissions: Advice to The Class of 2016 From The Class of 2015

From: http://www.golocalprov.com/lifestyle/college-admissions-advice-to-the-class-of-2016-from-the-class-of-2015

Students receive a myriad of advice throughout the college admissions process from parents, counselors, teachers, coaches and other adults. However, the best advice (and most likely to be followed) often comes from their peers. So, I polled my seniors who are graduating this year and asked them “What one piece of advice would you give the Class of 2016 about the college admissions process?” Here are their answers:

• Always go on separate info sessions and tours from your parents because they are way too opinionated. The search is about your preferences, not theirs. 
• Write your essays during the summer!!!
• Don’t believe all the rumors you hear about admissions. Most of them are not true.
• Pay close attention to each campus you visit and really see whether you could envision yourself there for four years. 
• Write great essays that talk about personal growth, situations you have learned from, philosophies, and challenges overcome. These core ideas can be modified to cover a multitude of extra essays on the Common App. 
• Get your applications in for all early action deadlines. Having at least once acceptance before Christmas really relieves stress.
• Remember not to let up in school once you get into your first college. There's nothing more stressful than when you think there's a possibility of getting your acceptance taken away.
• Don’t think of your college search as the end-all. College shouldn’t be what you have worked so hard for these past 4 years—consider college just a stepping stone to making a difference in the world. In the future, no one is going to care where you went to college, they’re going to care what you did during/after. College isn’t the goal, it’s a way of reaching your goal. For me, this realization gave me a lot of perspective. 

Wise words of wisdom from the Class of 2015. Congratulations to all the graduating seniors!