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Features:
A
Message from Claes Nobel
Meet your new Student Council
Partner
News
College-Bound
Advice
Q & A
on the SAT from the College Board
Choosing a College
Spotlight on Service
Fulfilling
F.U.N. at Day Camp for the Disabled
Visiting
the Philippines: A Life-changing Experience
Non-Sibi:
"Not for Oneself": Tsunami Relief
Truths
about Tutoring
A Super
Summer: Controlled Chaos at the Library
Summer Experiences
Summer
Alternatives: Building the Mind AND the Body
Summer
Dreams: Friends and Fun at the World's Fair in Japan
My
Summer in Medical Research
ICE in
Summer: Georgia Tech Institute for Computer Education
Learning
about Leadership: National Student Leadership
Conference
Summertime...
and the Living is Busy: from Houston, to Harvard, to
Oxford
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Choosing a College
Anya Rasulova
Tashkent,
Uzbekistan
Brown University, Class of 2008
NSHSS Student
Council Member and
Claes Nobel Academic Scholarship
Recipient
 Dear Students,
I have been receiving e-mails
asking me for the formula for college acceptance. There is none!
Even the most brilliant mathematicians could not come up with one.
However, there are several things that you should consider carefully
in choosing where to apply.
First of all, with 4.000+ colleges in the United
States (and many more if you chose to study abroad), it can be very
difficult to decide. Nevertheless, it is a crucial to narrow
down your choices. Some major factors to consider while choosing
colleges:
Consider these factors:
Location--do you prefer to be close to home? do you
want to be in a bustling city, college, town, or rural retreat?
Size--do you want the typical large university experience or the
more intimate atmosphere of a smaller college?
Private versus public--whether you think you might be eligible
for financial aid and scholarships in private universities or
not; and the good news is that there is money!!!)
Fields of study--which universities are known for the fields you
wish to study?
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More Tips:
Decide how many colleges you
want to apply to, and choose enough different schools to create a
whole spectrum of opportunities.
Consider three groups of colleges on your list:
"dream-colleges" (it is never bad to have high goals!), middle-range
(which means that you are pretty sure that you will get in), and the
"safe list" (their admission requirements are way below
yours).
Standardized tests--the
SAT: A lot of students ask me how important are the SAT's,
and they send me their scores so I could estimate their chances.
Once again, there is NO formula. Each college gives a different
consideration to standardized tests; some do not even require them.
I have worked very closely with the Admissions Office at Brown
University this year, and let me tell you that standardized tests,
no matter how much people often criticize them, do give a little
kind of measurement of applicants against each other. Some colleges
do have strict cut-off lines.
However, what is most important is the
overall package--it is who you are. You might have not perfect test
scores, but you may have challenged yourself to take AP classes and
have done well on those. You might be a very bad test-taker and
cannot work under pressure. Colleges look into the big picture
beyond those scores: the classes you have taken, recommendation
letters (which, I must say, are very important too!), your essay
(what do you have to say and how well do you express yourself), your
resume (keep track of all the important things that you did in your
life). Many times the essay questions are about issues in the world,
and use this opportunity to speak up. Do not tell the admission
officers what you think they might want to hear, but talk about
something that you are extremely passionate about.
And most
importantly, in your application, let them feel how much you want to
be part of their community and why they would want you!!
Every college that you apply to must see that you WANT to go there, so
make sure that every application is very personal and special. Take your
time to investigate colleges, read the reviews about what people
have to say, and good luck to all of you!
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