1/18 North Shore Counseling Dept
January News
Admissions Committees are looking at demonstrated interest, but what does that mean?
- Visit with the college recruiter while they are in the counseling/guidance office. Also, attend our college fairs/mini fairs and fill out a card demonstrating interest. These are win-win transactions that demonstrate interest and these attempts are typically logged and placed in the student's file. Also, you are likely meeting the person who is reading your application. It is always a good idea for the reader to be able to match up your face and personality to the application. This is always a good idea, but one that many students don't take advantage of.
- Schedule a campus visit through the admissions office. If you are on campus and touring with friends the admissions office doesn't know that you were there (demonstrated interest). Again, you want this visit recorded so that they know you were in attendance.
- Applying early action or priority deadline (before the regular deadline) demonstrates a higher interest on your part.
- Colleges that offer interviews as part of the admission process are a great way for you to show that you are interested. Many schools consider interviews optional so the fact that you are spending time with them in an interview shows that you are more interested than the typical student.
- Social Media - We recently had a student/parent event where the college recruiter said that his college knows how many times a student visits their web page. Colleges are using social media to recruit students. They are looking at what you post on Facebook about the college. If you spoke with the college recruiter share it via social media. Take time to like their page and consider following their tweets. Every school handles social media a little differently, but connecting with colleges of interest is never a bad idea.
- Every school defines demonstrated interest differently and you should not spend your time convincing a college that you are a good fit for them. Instead, look for a college that truly is a good fit for you.
Common Application - Get Started Early
2018-2019 Common Application Essay Prompts
1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
4. Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.
5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
As long as we are on the subject of the Common App - Read this little tip.
you provided to any questions that appear in the six sections of the Common App tab (profile, family, education, testing, activities and writing).
Information that does not carry over includes: any information you may have entered for college-specific questions and writing supplements, your FERPA release and selection, any recommender invitations, forms, and assignments.
Learn more here: http://www.commonapp.org/whats-appening/college-counseling/common-app-account-rollover
Tide Pod Challenge - What parents need to know
Scheduling Appointments
Something new this year ... high school and middle school counselors are co-presenting a lesson to all 8th graders on high school course selection.