Trying to figure out your “hook” for college admissions? In general, a college hook refers to the element of your college application that makes you stand out from the crowd. It’s what will make the admissions office “bite” on your application. But not all college hooks are the same.
When people think of using baseball to get into college, they’re usually thinking about a coach offering a full-ride scholarship to play on the team. For those who still hold such delusions, time for a reality check. But there are still all sorts of ways baseball can help you get into college, including providing content for your college application essay.
(If you just want to see the list of college essay examples-keep scrolling to the table.) It’s easy for students to put off writing their essay for their college applications. After all, chances are that the most commonly requested essay, the personal statement, is something the student hasn’t had to do before. And it’s only natural that their first reaction leaves them feeling as if they couldn’t possibly provide an answer that wouldn’t sound contrived or pathetic. So they start looking for college essay examples to see what is expected and possibly for inspiration.
Filling out college applications is just one step of the college search process. But students and families quickly find out that this one step isn’t as simple as you might think. And there is a lot advice out there on how you should complete the college application process. Before you swamp yourself in page after page of internet search results, use the following websites to orient yourself and figure out what information you really need to complete the college applications.
The following is a guest post by Randy Levin. Randy has one focus–helping students with their college application essays. You can see a sample of his presentation here.
Senior year will be here faster than another Lindsey Lohan arrest. It’s your last year in high school forever (Sad? I should be a motivational speaker). Whether you have over-scheduled yourself or “Senioritis” set in mid-way through Junior year, the college application process can be stressful for you and your family.
The following is a guest post by Randy Levin. Randy has one focus–helping students with their college application essays. Based on his experiences, Randy has created a list of commonly made mistakes by students which he shares here. You can see a sample of his presentation here.
It is important to first understand the purpose of the college application essay. A student’s transcripts as well as his academic and extra-curricular achievements do not give any “unique” insight into the student as a person. Yes….they will illustrate hard work, intelligence, drive, aptitude, etc. However, these are the same attributes reflected in the other 30,000 applications for the same institution.
If you haven’t started your college application essays yet, it’s time to stop procrastinating and get to work. Why? Because even though the college application essay would seem to fall under academic tasks you have already mastered in high school, it is an essay after all, the reality is that it’s not. By that I mean it’s not an academic task.
The college application essay has nothing to do with your ability to craft an essay to demonstrate to a teacher your analytical abilities in literature or history. It has everything to do with figuring out who you are and how to show it to the people reading your application. Now which high school class covered self-discovery?
If you’re planning on applying to college, you need to get smart about the SAT, ACT, and test prep. Why? Because understanding college admissions testing allows you to make the right choices about which college admission tests to take, how to prepare for them, or if you should even take the tests at all. And remember that students with test scores in upper quartile of freshman test scores are likely to receive more generous merit aid.