College Admission Coach Blog

Social Media Tune-Up

noreply@blogger.com (JodiWalder) — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 17:39:00 +0000

This article first appeared on GoLocalPDX.com on September 30, 2015.

Why tune-up your social media accounts?

Sometimes, colleges you’ve applied to will want to get a feeling for how you behave outside of your academic life, and will turn to your online presence for answers. This is a good thing! It means you have another opportunity to make a positive impact on your application. Social media is a great way to back up any claims about yourself, your interests, and your activities that you make in your application. However, social media can also be damaging to your application if your posts and tweets make admissions officers uneasy. According to research by Cornerstone Reputation, in the 2013-14 application year 40% of admissions officers and 83% of college sports coaches searched applicants online. Your online presence can have a big impact—either positive or negative.

All Social Media

Regardless of what social media platform you use, keep the following in mind as you tune up your accounts and profiles:

Do not post any pictures or text posts that you wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving on an admissions officer’s desk. Remove any posts/pictures you’re unsure about. See the list of suggestions at the end of this document to help you start cleaning up your profiles.

Unfriend and block people who post things that you don’t want showing up on your wall. This is very important, since while you can control what you post, you can’t always anticipate what your friends will post.

Avoid inflammatory topics like religion, drugs/alcohol, politics, and sex. An exception might be if you’re involved in an advocacy group that addresses these issues or an organization like JSA, in which case keep the posts you make as focused on your activity in the group as possible rather than the ideology or issue your group is involved in.

Like/friend/follow pages and profiles of people, companies, organizations, and interest groups that you mentioned in your application or that fall into line with the things you said you’re passionate about. If you claim that you’re a space fanatic and a school sees that you haven’t “liked” NASA there’s going to be a disconnect, and if you write an essay about playing Magic with your friends, you should at least follow Wizards of the Coast on Twitter!

Repost and retweet material from the pages and profiles that you liked/friended/followed. For example, you could occasionally retweet a post from the World Wildlife Fund twitter feed if you’re passionate about conservation efforts.

Post about the interesting things that you do outside of school: pictures of you doing things like rock climbing, attending a school musical, or participating in a club fundraiser help give you multidimensional, human aspects that help college admissions officers imagine you in their campus communities.

Facebook

Your privacy settings can be found by clicking on the lock icon next to the notifications globe icon and clicking “see more settings.” The following are suggestions for a few of your privacy settings:

-Set your privacy settings that only friends can see your future posts. If you’ve liked and friended the pages and profiles of colleges you’ve applied to, they will be able to see your posts but you still maintain some privacy.

-Under “Privacy,” click “Use Activity Log” and review the posts and photos you’ve been tagged in and un-tag yourself when necessary. Oftentimes the most compromising material on your Facebook profile is posted by friends.

-Under “Timeline and Tagging,” make sure that you have selected to review posts your friends tag you in, and only allow friends to post on your timeline.

-Under “Timeline and Tagging,” turn on the setting that allows you to review tags that others add to your posts before they appear on Facebook.

Consider blocking or unfriending people that frequently post things to your timeline you don’t want there for the college admissions process.

Find the public pages and profiles of colleges you’re applying to and like/friend them.

When you’re all done, go to “Timeline and Tagging Settings” and click “View As” under “Who can see things on my timeline?” You’ll be able to look at your profile to the public. Oftentimes text posts will be invisible but profile pictures and banner pictures will be public, as well as any comments made on them.

Twitter

-Click on the icon of your profile picture in the top right corner, then “Settings” > “Security and Privacy.” You can choose to toggle the “Protect My Tweets” box on if you want people to need pre-approval to view your tweets, however this is not recommended. Your Twitter profile, when properly maintained, can help you if college admissions officers can view your tweets.

-Follow the accounts of schools you’re applying to and public figures, organizations, and interest groups that you’re passionate about. For instance, if you expressed an interest in political science in your application, you should probably follow the @POTUS Twitter and those of your senators and congressmen.

-Occasionally retweet posts from the feeds you followed in the last step.

-Double check your posts and pictures as well as those you’ve been tagged in to make sure that they’re appropriate.

-If your Twitter handle is inappropriate or unprofessional, consider changing it.

Instagram

-You don’t need to make your posts private, but if you do leave your Instagram profile public, you need to make sure that the pictures you have posted aren’t compromising in any way.

-Take a glance at your username and decide whether or not it might be inappropriate and needs to be changed. If so, go to “Options” > “Edit Profile” and change your username there.

-Follow the accounts of schools you’re applying to and public figures, organizations, and interest groups that you’re passionate about and like their posts.

If you haven’t already made a LinkedIn profile, it’s a great time to start building your profile. LinkedIn is a social media platform where you post information on your work experience, education, and skills and form an online professional network. Use information from your resume to fill out your LinkedIn profile as completely and accurately as you can. Think of it as needing to be of the caliber you’d expect from an application, and this includes choosing an appropriate and professional-looking profile picture.

Other Social Media (Pinterest, Snapchat, etc.)

Follow the spirit of the guidelines posted for other social media sites: you don’t need to make your profile completely private, but make sure that your posts and pictures aren’t compromising and that what you do post either enhances your application or paints you in a favorable light.

Social Media Cleanup Checklist

Some things are just never okay to have on your profile while you’re applying to college. The following list of not-acceptable posts is just a starting point for cleaning up your social media profiles:

-Swimsuit pictures – even if you think your picture is innocent or inoffensive, they could still give admissions officers the wrong idea

-Pictures with solo cups/containers that could contain alcohol – even if you’re just drinking soda out of a solo cup or dark glass bottle, a college admissions officer doesn’t know that and might assume you’re consuming alcohol

-Pictures/posts with/about alcohol or drug use

-Pictures of you in revealing clothing or positions that might be considered sexual or obscene

-Pictures of you making facial expressions or gestures that might be considered sexual or obscene

-Pictures of you at parties/posts about parties – even though they might not explicitly contain references to alcohol, parties and alcohol consumption often go hand in hand

-Posts that contain profanity

-Posts that contain reference to inflammatory topics like religion, sex, politics, and substances

-Posts in which you are complaining or being excessively negative

-Posts/pictures that show/imply you’ve been involved in illegal activity

-Posts where you attack or cut down others

-Posts containing hate speech, racism, sexism, or other socially inappropriate comments

-Posts by your friends that contain any of the above

Elise Cutts is a freshman at CalTech. A graduate of Sunset High School in Beaverton, Elise founded PEG (Physics and Engineering for Girls). She plans to become an astrophysicist and science fiction writer.

Common Application Prompt #5

noreply@blogger.com (JodiWalder) — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 02:19:00 +0000

This article first appeared on GoLocalPDX.com on September 23, 2015.

The intention of this series is to show readers a sample of a good essay in response to each of the Common Application prompts. This essay is an actual college admission essay, written and submitted by a real student. It is followed by comments from admissions professionals about what makes this personal statement effective.

Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

“Ew, what stinks?” Audrey screams.

My eyes comb through the thick foliage until they fall on a decomposing deer carcass replete with maggots and eager turkey vultures. I can’t believe my luck.

“Wow! Let’s go examine it. Who remembers what we learned about decomposers?” I ask the group, excitement evident in my voice.

When the screaming starts, I realize that I should have saved the carcass exploration for my afternoon group. I look back at Audrey, a scrawny eleven-year-old with Asperger’s Syndrome. She is prone in the grass, shrieking as though she is being tortured.

I run back to her. “Hey, don’t worry, you can take a pass on the deer. I’ll draw you a cartoon mock-up so you can still learn some sweet facts and impress your classroom teacher.” The howling doesn't even waver. Okay, new strategy.

“Guess what? We’re having mac n’ cheese for lunch and chocolate chip cookies for dessert, and at soil field study this afternoon you will make some awesome face paint.” Still nothing.

“Audrey, we’re going to play a game called predator-prey right over here. Feel free to join us when you’re ready.” Ten minutes later, Audrey stumbles over to us, her tantrum finished, but our time together just beginning. She is going to be one of the ten sixth-grade girls staying in my cabin.

It’s 6:25am the next morning. Soon I will wake up my students, but for five minutes I marvel at where I am. For one week each semester, I leave my friends, family, and technology at home and travel, with my rain boots and smile in tow, to Outdoor School, home of the freshest air in the world. Every sixth grader in Oregon is gifted six days here to experience the outdoors while learning hands-on science. For these weeks, I become Piña, and my job is to be a role model, science teacher and friend to 200 sixth graders out in the forest. My alarm clock beeps; it’s 6:30.

“I’m alive, awake, alert, enthusiastic, whoo!” I sing to wake up my cabin.

Nine groggy girls zip out of sleeping bags while one remains in bed, seemingly lifeless.

“Audrey, it’s time to wake up. We are having field day this afternoon, and tonight at campfire we are performing our skit, but before we can have any of that fun I need you to get out of bed.” I know she can hear me, but she remains barricaded in her sleeping bag. I recall the conversation I had with my supervisor the night before.

(“I have a recalcitrant girl in my cabin who is impulsive and doesn’t follow instructions. Strategies like ‘I need’ statements and distractions aren’t working on her, so I would love some suggestions of new techniques.")

My supervisor suggested I try incentives, so I couple, “If you get up within five seconds, you can sleep five extra minutes tomorrow morning” with a personalized Audrey wake-up song and, to my delight, it works. Audrey is out of bed. She refuses to get dressed, but she’s out of bed.

For the next five days, I spend all of my free time thinking up new ways to engage Audrey without triggering a melt-down. It’s a painful, yet effective trial-and-error process. Letting her draw how she’s feeling, for example, calms her down, but playing the human knot game with her cabinmates results in spinning and screaming. She drains every ounce of my energy, but I’m left feeling happily exhausted after we work through each of her lows and surprisingly refreshed after celebrating each of her highs.

Right before the students board the school bus home, Audrey runs up to me. "When I'm old like you, I'm coming back here to teach science. I think I'll be great." (Eli, Minerva Schools at KGI, Class of 2019)

Conor’s feedback: This essay shows a good deal of the author's personality and voice as she recounts her many attempts (some successful, even more unsuccessful) to be a good leader and role model for her young campers. She comes across as determined, caring, humble, and even a bit funny, all great qualities that colleges value.

Anna’s feedback: An accomplishment doesn’t need to be an award or a HUGE LIFE EVENT. We know you are just 17 or 18 years old; it’s OK that you haven’t cured cancer (yet). This essay shows an impactful moment for this student and it works. I see a young woman who loves science, is compassionate, and enjoys working with a wide variety of people.

Jodi’s feedback: Wow! This student took her grown-up role very seriously. She cared a lot about connecting with every child and rose to the formidable challenges she faced. She will adapt well to any situation, which is especially useful since she chose a college that will include living in seven countries over her four undergraduate years.

Conor O’Rourke is Senior Assistant Dean of Admission at Pomona College, which is also his alma mater. Contact Conor at: conor.orourke@pomona.edu

Anna Aegerter is the Director of West Coast Admission for Sarah Lawrence College. In her twenty year career, Anna has worked at Lewis & Clark College (her alma mater), Trinity University (TX), Lawrence University, and Pitzer College. She also was the Director of College Counseling for an independent school in Seattle before returning to Admission to work at Sarah Lawrence College. Contact her at: aaegerter@sarahlawrence.edu

Common Application Prompt #4

noreply@blogger.com (JodiWalder) — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 02:20:00 +0000

This article first appeared on GoLocalPDX.com on September 16, 2015.

The intention of this series is to show readers a sample of a good essay in response to each of the Common Application prompts. This essay is an actual college admission essay, written and submitted by a real student. It is followed by comments from admissions professionals about what makes this personal statement effective.

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.

My mouth waters as I stare at the colorful concoctions in the glass case before me. I was born and raised in Portland, so Voodoo Doughnut is practically woven into my DNA. The trays display Fruit Loops on frosting, bacon on maple, and an inappropriately shaped, cream-filled chocolate bar. It took me and my friends thirty minutes to get in the door, and it was worth it. I purchase a chocolate doughnut covered with chocolate glaze and Coco Puffs. It’s still warm, and it smells like Christmas morning. My friends and I leave the shop in high spirits as we walk back to our car. As we pass under a bridge, I hear a shuffle coming from the far side of the sidewalk. I turn to see a man huddled in a worn jacket, trying desperately to keep warm in the Oregon chill. I stop in my tracks and look down at my wonderful sugar-coated pastry. My friends urge me along, nervous on the city streets at night. I hurry to join them, but not before turning and giving the homeless man my doughnut. His smile is better than Coco Puffs. As I hop in the car, empty-handed, my friends laugh at me. I can’t help but laugh with them. Despite dozens of trips to Voodoo over the years, I have only once actually eaten one of their doughnuts. I have repeatedly seen a simple doughnut bring some joy to a joyless situation. I start brainstorming.

Two weeks later, fourteen high-schoolers from my church and I pile into two cars at 1:30am and drive to Portland. High-schoolers like us are typically broke. We can’t afford to give everyone on the streets of Portland a full meal, or even a few dollars. Thankfully, every night at 2:00am, the workers of Voodoo Doughnut fill five-gallon buckets with leftovers and sell them for five dollars a bucket. We combine our money and purchase eight buckets of delicious, only slightly smashed, doughnuts. Armed with old blankets, coats, and a box of Dollar Tree socks and gloves, we hit the streets.

For two hours, we meet and talk with the homeless of Portland. They aren’t hard to find. Everywhere we go there is someone in need—army veterans, unemployed women, and teens no older than me. I can’t build them a house or get them a job, but I have doughnuts and socks, and that seems good enough for now. One man gives each of us a hug and almost cries after we give him a bacon-maple bar and a new coat. He dubs us the Bucket and Blanket Brigade. The name sticks.

Now, every month or so, I gather the brigade (that is, anyone crazy enough to come with me at two in the morning), and we set out on another mission. When I see people travel to third-world countries or donate thousands of dollars to charity, I admire their work. But my heart is for the suffering and homeless in my own city. They are my social responsibility. I cannot give them a car, or a place to stay, or a better life. But I can give them a blanket and my time and the closest thing to heaven I can think of—a Voodoo doughnut. (Stephanie, Occidental College, Class of 2019)

Conor’s feedback: This student is wise enough to recognize the limits of her ability to help others in need and doesn't try to overstate or overvalue the impact of her goodwill.

Anna’s feedback: With one whiff of doughnuts at Voodoo’s, I am transported with Stephanie as she “sets out on her mission”. She paints a picture from the very start to draw me in. But more importantly, she tells a story of serving others but doesn’t fall into the easy cliché of pity or a naïve “I can save the world” attitude.

Jodi’s feedback: Wow! This student is both caring and practical. She takes a real and serious problem, does what she can, and convinces others to be part of the solution. She will be a huge asset to the college community.

Conor O’Rourke is Senior Assistant Dean of Admission at Pomona College, which is also his alma mater. Contact Conor at: conor.orourke@pomona.edu

Anna Aegerter is the Director of West Coast Admission for Sarah Lawrence College In her twenty year career, Anna has worked at Lewis & Clark College (her alma mater), Trinity University (TX), Lawrence University, and Pitzer College. She also was the Director of College Counseling for an independent school in Seattle before returning to Admission to work at Sarah Lawrence College. Contact her at: aaegerter@sarahlawrence.edu

Common Application Prompt #3

noreply@blogger.com (JodiWalder) — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 19:02:00 +0000

This article first appeared on GoLocalPDX.com on Spetember 9, 2015.

This is an actual college application essay written in response to the Common Application prompt: Challenge a Belief. It is followed by comments from admissions professionals about what makes this personal statement effective.

The intention of this series is to show readers a sample of a good essay in response to each of the Common Application prompts. This essay is an actual college admission essay, written and submitted by a real student. It is followed by comments from admissions professionals about what makes this personal statement effective.

Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?

“My doodlebot isn’t working, Miss!” A little hand pokes at my shoulder, drawing my attention away from the motor that I’m currently attempting to liberate from its six-layered prison of lime-green duct tape.

“What’s up, Arely?” I stand up, handing the sticky-yet-now-probably-functional motor to another girl before following Arely’s yellow hard hat through the sea of fifth graders to her table. Arely is one thirty girls who got their hard hats this year at my fledgling outreach program, Physics and Engineering for Girls. After what was—perhaps pathetically—an earth-shattering realization that being angry and complaining about the lack of women in STEM does not actually get more women into STEM, I decided to spend my anger points on something other than words and started the program in my district. If strong emotions are the currency of action, I think PEG is a good investment.

We arrive at a table covered in what used to be white butcher paper but is now a leprechaun’s experiment in abstract art: loops and circles and lines and squiggles in every color of the Crayola washable rainbow. Arely sighs and flops down in a plastic chair that’s three grade levels too small for her before presenting her problem robot. At first glance, Arely’s doodlebot is perfect—a Dixie cup with four markers poking out the bottom mixed up in a jumble of wires with a small motor perched precariously in a nest of duct tape above a nine-volt battery. At second glance, it looks exactly the same way: perfect. Except for one important detail.

“It keeps falling over.” Arely explains. “Why doesn’t it draw like theirs?” She points at the other girls’ bots, which are currently buzzing and humming as they leave unique Technicolor trails of doodle in their wakes. The variations in design stem from PEG’s intentionally vague instructions. Their Dixie cup drawing machines sport designs varying from the popular dorsal-motor-external-battery-tri-legged model to the less common, yet inspired, battery-on-the-inside-motor-on-the-outside prototype.

This remarkable freedom of design is part of what is so unique about my program. When the Beaverton Education Foundation adopted PEG last spring, they opted for more structured lessons, claiming that girls from low-SES and Title One schools wouldn’t have the intellectual chops to excel without step-by-step guidance. Honestly, at that point it took all of my willpower not to storm out of the room and leave their money and support, because that’s exactly the kind of preconceived notion about who can and cannot do STEM that I want to combat with PEG. (Also, my pilot school was a low-SES Title One school, and the girls did fantastically.) But I didn’t storm out of the room, and I didn’t leave the money and support the BEF is now providing. Next year, PEG will be a very different experience with more “learning targets” and “I Can” statements than intellectual wiggle-room, but I realize that instead of being angry about the perversion of my initial vision, it’s more pragmatic to accept that while the program might not be what I originally imagined, it’s still an improvement over nothing.

Arely presents her dysfunctional doodlebot for inspection. “What’s wrong with it?”
Smiling, I kneel to get on eye level with Arely, already having identified the device’s mechanical hamartia: a weight imbalance that arises from the positioning of the motor and battery. But what will she learn if I just tell her that? In the spirit of problem solving, I give her an answer she’ll hate, an answer she probably already knows is coming. I turn off the doodlebot and push it across the table to Arely.
“What do you think?” (Elise, CalTech, Class of 2019)

Conor’s feedback: This student would make a wonderful teacher one day and this essay really shows a wisdom and maturity in her actions that are made more impressive by contrasting them against the passionate voices and emotions she shares with the reader from her internal dialogue running throughout the essay.

Anna’s feedback: I love that this student talks about an issue that concerned her and took action. She relates this concern to her own interest in STEM and makes it relevant to her college application. What takes this essay to the next level, though, is that she sandwiches this statement with a story that brings it to life. I can see care and conviction.

Jodi’s feedback: Wow! This student takes initiative. She is also amazingly mature. I admire her pragmatic decision that even a diluted version of her program is better than no program. I’d want her in my college cohort because she seems energetic, patient and results-oriented.

Anna Aegerter is the Director of West Coast Admission for Sarah Lawrence CollegeIn her twenty year career, Anna has worked at Lewis & Clark College (her alma mater), Trinity University (TX), Lawrence University, and Pitzer College. She also was the Director of College Counseling for an independent school in Seattle before returning to Admission to work at Sarah Lawrence College. Contact her at:aaegerter@sarahlawrence.edu Conor O’Rourke is Senior Assistant Dean of Admission at Pomona College, which is also his alma mater. Contact Conor at: conor.orourke@pomona.edu

Common Application Prompt #2

noreply@blogger.com (JodiWalder) — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 19:01:00 +0000

This article first appeared on GoLocalPDX.com on September 3, 2015.

Common Application Prompt #2

This is an actual college application essay written in response to the Common Application prompt: Learning from Failure. It is followed by comments from admissions professionals about what makes this personal statement effective.

The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

I open my eyes and am immediately greeted by a stinging sensation. Water fills my mouth and nose. It’s everywhere. I need out. I kick up, greedily gulping air, but another wave is crashing down on top of me. I’m underneath again, frantically searching for the surface.

I open my eyes underwater and see the blurry shapes that are my opponents. We have been crushed by this team twice now. This might make a third—the score is 2–0 at the end of the second quarter. I surface and look around at my teammates: Kayla is close to tears, Lizzy looks furious, and the others are downcast.

I have always considered myself a good swimmer, courtesy of eleven years of swimming and three years of water polo. In fact, that’s why I’m in the water now: my water polo team has decided to take our strong legs and swimming skills to the beach. But the waves have dragged us far from shore. I duck under a wave and miss the lifeguard’s warning: there is a strong rip tide building, and we’re in the middle of it. When I surface, the other girls are already swimming in, yelling at me to hurry before I get stuck. It’s too late.

My legs ache; I’m starting to get tired. I glance at the clock—34 seconds left in the quarter. “Alright,” I tell myself, “you can do this.” Julia steals the ball. This is what I need. I quickly swing my hips and sprint to the opposite goal. Opponent number 12 swims by my side; I speed up and cut her off. The whistle tells me I have achieved my goal. She is kicked out for 20 seconds; my team is up one player.

I remember what my father told me about rip tides: swim parallel to the shore. I swim to the left, but I soon realize that I am not moving at all. I try to scream for help and cannot. My throat constricts. I think I am having an asthma attack. I force myself to calm down, comforting myself with this knowledge: I play a sport where I have to tread water for over an hour. I motion for help and duck the waves, pretending that this is just a game. The lifeguard notices my struggle and approaches.

I race down the pool, yelling, “We’re up!” This is exactly the break we need. We pass the ball around, but I realize that the other girls are afraid to shoot. I glance at the clock again—only seven seconds left now. I shift toward the shooting pocket. Kayla gets the ball, does one quick fake, and passes to me. I shoot with all the energy I have left. The buzzer sounds as the ball leaves my hand. The goalie lunges for the ball, but it skips under her arm and into the net. The stands erupt, and I see smiles return to my teammates’ faces. I have scored our first goal.

It seems to take an eternity to move, even with the lifeguard’s help. On the way back, we spot two prepubescent boys struggling against the unrelenting ocean. They are frantic, grabbing onto the first thing they can—me. I recall from my lifeguard training that they are likely too panicked to realize that they need to hang onto the buoy. While the lifeguard focuses on kicking us to shore, I yell instructions at the two boys, forcing them off of me and onto the buoy. Eventually they grab hold and help kick. We finally make it to the sand—exhausted, but alive.

Back at the wall, the sounds of heavy breathing and lapping water are accompanied by congratulatory remarks and smiles. The momentum is shifting, and the team is eager to get back into the game and show everyone that we are alive. (Colleen, Gonzaga University, Class of 2019)

Conor’s feedback: I like the contrast in this essay between a very real life, very dangerous situation with a much more safe, and commonplace one. Both are tied together by her experience as a swimmer, yet showcase a stark difference in her response given the relative stakes of each situation. Reading the two side by side really allows her message regarding the human response to fear to feel very poignant and self-reflective.

Anna’s feedback: This student talks about her tenacity through another lens – and passion – which gives depth to the essay. You don’t have to start an essay with “I am tenacious…” or “I have persevered…” to talk about a challenge and this student does this beautifully.

Jodi’s feedback: Wow! This student is really determined. She never gives up and that trait will serve her well in college. I like the way she took two stories that dealt with swimming and recovery from failure and told them in parallel.

Conor O’Rourke is Senior Assistant Dean of Admission at Pomona College, which is also his alma mater. Contact Conor at: conor.orourke@pomona.edu

Common Application Prompt #1

noreply@blogger.com (JodiWalder) — Thu, 27 Aug 2015 19:00:00 +0000

This article first appeared on GoLocalPDX.com on August 27, 2015.

Common Application Prompt #1

This is an actual college application essay written in response to the Common Application prompt: Share Your Story. It is followed by comments from admissions professionals about what makes this personal statement effective.

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.

June 2003

Armed with a shoebox, a bag of cheerios, and a box of glitter and yarn, I dash across the living room floor and over the couch. I duck into my makeshift cave—a tiny space I claimed under a scarf-roof between the wall and the lumpy backside of the couch. I dump out my supplies and get to work cutting six lopsided squares of cardboard, using my bag of cheerios for both decorating and snacking. Once yarn shapes, globs of glitter, and stacks of cheerios adorn the cardboard squares, I carefully construct a beautiful box.
A while later, I am ready and waiting with big eyes as my mom rounds the corner of the hallway. Laid out in front of me are a row of four little boxes and a sign that reads “5 sents”.

November 2006

The bell rings and the usual eruption of noise and chaos ensues as a stampede of second graders burst out the door for recess. I take a deep breath, nervously glancing down at my red folder. Mrs. Elms stands behind her desk, digging through a stack of notebooks. She smiles as I approach and asks why I'm not outside playing. Instead of answering, I proudly open my folder to present bookmarks depicting flowers, trees, butterflies, hearts and puppies. I clear my throat to deliver my eloquent sales pitch: “These are bookmarks I’m selling for free. I made them and I… I thought maybe if you liked them, you could have one.”

August 2009

Today’s business plan consists of an upside-down bulletin board resting flat on two stools, a jam jar for money, and a bean bag chair for my own comfort. Six bundles of yellow and purple wildflowers and three paper cups of blackberries sit beside a notecard that reads “$2”. A lopsided sign taped to the bulletin board boasts, “Local and fresh!”
Business is slow and my last customer is my dad. I think back wistfully to last week’s lemonade stand which raked in a hefty $12.25 after only an hour. Oh well, I muse as I pack up my stuff and eat the blackberries, at least labor was cheap. I wave at the first-grader happily picking flowers down the street.

January 2012

“What’s the difference between ionic and covalent bonds?” asks Mr. Helsel, my chemistry teacher. A hand is raised one row over and my heart jumps slightly. Gold… turn your hand. Stop moving. Aha! I can make out the word “love” in thin gold wire around Julia’s pointer finger. I feel a surge of pride. Julia Smith, the most popular girl in my grade, is wearing a ring I made. It has been a month since my handmade wire rings, at first only worn by me and my close friends, became a trend throughout my high school. Girls I have never met come up to me to ask for one, and could I possibly make a matching one for their best friend as well?

June 2013

I walk into Tender Loving Empire, a small shop located in a trendy neighborhood in downtown Portland. Ashley, the owner, greets me with a smile, then obliges when I ask for a stock report and last month’s check. While I wait, I wander over to look at new arrivals, scanning the displays of small handmade goods such as natural soaps, little clay plots, jars of lavender and books about Oregon forestry. I give a small smile as my eyes wander to a wooden tray displaying thin wire jewelry. A small placard states the price and the label “Lightshandmade: handmade wire jewelry from Portland, Oregon”. (Enya, Chapman University, Class of 2019)

Conor’s feedback: This is a nice example of Show rather than Tell. Through timely examples dating from childhood the author balances a consistent theme of entrepreneurship while also showing us a growing sense of business acumen.

Anna’s feedback: The format of this essay – short vignettes – is a great way to demonstrate commitment and passion of her interests. She’s not just stating “I’ve been interested in art and business for a long time” but rather giving a glimpse into what this has meant during her life. I feel like I know this young woman and want to know what she plans to do next.
Jodi’s feedback: Wow! This student is really creative and entrepreneurial. I liked the writing technique that showed her maturing over time, yet staying focused on art and business. Perhaps she will use her business skills to launch a start-up with other students she meets at college.

Conor O’Rourke is Senior Assistant Dean of Admission at Pomona College, which is also his alma mater. Contact Conor at: conor.orourke@pomona.edu

6 Tips for Writing Compelling College Application Essays

noreply@blogger.com (JodiWalder) — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 22:49:00 +0000

This article first appeared on GoLocalPDX.com on August 19, 2015.

The college admissions essay (also known as your personal statement) is your chance to show who you are beyond your grades and test scores.

Embrace the opportunity to give the reader a sense of your personality.

Decide what characteristics you want an admissions officer to remember before you brainstorm and choose your essay topics.

Remember, this is a personal narrative—not the sort of expository essay you write for a class assignment, and definitely not a restatement of your activities and accomplishments in paragraph format.

Tip #1: Learn by Example

Read a lot of examples of well-done college essays. You will get that chance to do so if you follow this column for the next five weeks.

Tip #2: Avoid These Overused Topics

The Trip and/or Outward Bound (how I broadened my horizons)
My Favorite Things (a list of fluffy things that tell you I’m nice)
Miss America (how I will work for world peace)
The Jock (how I learned the noble value, the great lesson)
The Three D’s (discipline, determination, diversity)
Tales of My Success (how I overcame adversity to win the day)
Pet or Relative Death (how I learned to value life)
The Autobiography (I was born at a young age).

Tip #3: Drafting Do’s

Tell a story only you can tell
Write in first person, present tense
Make it a slice of life – a moment in time
Show, rather than tell
Provide rich sensory detail
Use metaphors
Be very selective with adjectives
Get the story on paper without editing (that comes later).

Tip #4: Hook the Reader with a Good Lead

Here are a few options:

The Anecdote (dive into the story, almost mid-stream)
The Why? (make the reader ask the question)
The Shocker (takes the reader off balance)
The Curmudgeon (refutes conventional wisdom)
The Split (there are two types of people…)
The Confession (become the reader’s confidant)
Stating the Obvious (that was hidden).

Tip #5: A Good Ending

Ties to the lead – but adds a deeper insight
Is not “moral of the story-ish”

Tip #6: Revising

Make sure the tone sounds like you (read aloud)
Cut weak and waffle words (clearly, somewhat, rather, kind of)
Cut (who, what, which, that, thing)
Cut needless restatements
Swap lazy uses of “to be”
Swap vague verbs - become, get, do, have
Swap passive verbs – use active voice
Prefer punch over perfect grammar.

Student-Parent Agreements

noreply@blogger.com (JodiWalder) — Wed, 12 Aug 2015 16:22:00 +0000

This article first appeared on GoLocalPDX.com on August 12, 2015.

Congratulations, you’re off to college! But before you go, consider making some deals with your parents about how you’ll relate to each other now that you’re leaving home.

Sometime in August or September you’ll start your college adventure. Freedom and new friends beckon. But to help your transition go as smoothly as possible, it’s a good idea to make some agreements with your parents before you go. Trust me, it is way easier to negotiate with your folks face to face than it will be from college. It’s even worth putting your agreements in writing and having you and your parents both sign the document.

Here are key areas you might want to look at:

Photo Credit: Parker Knight via Compfight cc (Image cropped)

Communication

How often will you talk to your parents and by what method?

This is an area where your desires and the needs of your parents could differ greatly. You already have some system established that you used throughout high school. Perhaps you text each other multiple times a day. Your mom or dad might think this is going to remain the pattern, but you might think it will be different once you are away from home. There is no right or wrong, but getting your expectations aligned is important.

Whether it’s a weekly Skype call or a check-in phone call, it’s important to strike a deal on what works for both parties.

Note to parents: While you should definitely communicate with your child, it is not appropriate for you to communicate with his or her roommate or professors. Avoid all temptation to advocate or rescue your child from tough situations.

Money

Who is paying for what? At this point you and your parents have a clear understanding about how your tuition and living expenses are being handled, but part of that estimated total cost of attendance was for transportation, books, laundry, pizza and movie money. Are your parents giving you a monthly allowance for living expenses, or must you pay those out of pocket? If you had a summer job, were you expected to save that money for college? Who is buying books (which can range in price from $1,000 per term to far less if you shop early and buy used)? Who is buying the plane ticket for you to come home at winter or spring break (and which party is making the reservation)?

Some parents also set minimum academic standards that their student must achieve in order for the parents to keep paying for college. If that is the case, be sure those standards have been clearly spelled out.

Note to parents: You may not receive the bill for college. That sometimes comes directly to your child. If you are paying, make sure that your child is passing you the bill in a timely manner so that you don’t incur late charges.

Grades

Surprise! Your parents won’t get a copy of your grades. You are considered an adult and responsible for your education, so they only come to you. Many parents want to see your grades each term. Since college is harder than high school, it is entirely possible that your grades won’t be the same as what you are accustomed to.

It’s a good idea to agree in advance on some minimum standards and the consequence that will occur if you don’t meet them.

Note to parents: If you want to get information directly from the college about your son or daughter, they will need to sign a FERPA Release.

Health

It’s your parents’ job to worry about you, and it is scary for them if you are sick and not close enough for them to provide some chicken soup or chamomile tea.

Note to parents: If you want access to medical records and to be able to speak to your son/daughter’s doctor, they have to sign a HIPPA Authorization Form. and an Advance Care Directive for Health Care, which allows you to make some medical decisions on behalf of your son or daughter should they be unable to do so on their own.

Home for the Holidays and Summer

You might come home from school with mixed feelings—excited to see family and friends, and also wary of giving up the independence you feel while at school. Perhaps at college you choose to stay up till 3 a.m. and sleep until noon, but at home your parents are not OK with that schedule. At college you never have to tell someone where you are going, but back home your parents might expect you to let them know.

It’s worth making a written agreement about the expectations.

Note to parents: Remember, you need to give your student more freedom than he or she had during high school. Also, you may only get your child back home for one summer (the one between freshman and sophomore years) because the other summers may be filled with on-campus research opportunities or internships or study away, so don’t let your potentially last summer in one household be filled with tension.

Note to students: You cannot treat your parents as if they are your roommate or running a free hotel service. Everyone needs to compromise.

Working out these details may not seem fun, but it’s a good idea to do it now, before you leave. That will help you avoid arguments and devote your attention during your initial weeks at college to the important things: personalizing your dorm room and making friends.

Think About Graduate Fellowships Your 1st Year of College

noreply@blogger.com (JodiWalder) — Thu, 06 Aug 2015 07:00:00 +0000

This article first appeared on GoLocalPDX.com on August 6, 2015.

If you’re a college freshman heading off to school or university, it may seem awfully early to consider what comes next. After all, you have four years! And between the wide range of graduate schools and careers that exist, there are a lot of options. For most of those, it’s fine to wait a few more years to narrow down your choices. But if you’re interested in prestigious international fellowships, I encourage you to start thinking about them now.

Let me clarify what I mean by “prestigious international fellowships.” These are well-known, fully funded scholarships to earn a degree, conduct research, or teach in a foreign country for at least a year after graduation. Because there are a lot of fellowships out there, this post won’t get into prestigious awards that fund you within the US (like National Science Foundation grants). Instead, I’ll be discussing top international fellowships and what you should keep in mind during your university career if you want to be a good candidate. That said, a word of warning: Do not let your university years revolve around the pursuit of one of these awards! All of them are very competitive, so your odds are low. They also all have different focuses. If you follow your passions during university, earning good grades and doing interesting curricular and extra-curricular projects, you will likely meet the criteria to apply for some of them.

Rhodes: The Rhodes Scholarship is the oldest and best-known of any of the awards on this list. It is tenable at the University of Oxford in England, where students can earn a second BA, a Master’s degree, or a DPhil. It also has a particularly grueling selection process. Notably, the original charter for the scholarships specifies that students will be judged not just on scholastic achievements, character, and leadership potential, but also on success in sports. This criterion is now interpreted fairly broadly: non-competitive participation in sports (such as social ballroom or swing dance) is usually considered to count as the required proof of “energy to use one’s talents to the fullest.” Still, if you want to be a candidate for the Rhodes, you need to fulfill this condition in some way. Also, in addition to a personal statement, the Rhodes application requires five to eight recommendations, with the strongest applicants submitting seven or eight. This means that prospective Rhodes Scholars should begin building strong relationships with professors, employers, research supervisors, and sports coaches as early in their university careers as possible. Finally, the Rhodes interview process is notoriously wide-ranging and confrontational. Interviewees may be asked to quickly formulate and defend positions on controversial world events. You should keep up with world news and practice answering difficult questions quickly.

Gates-Cambridge: For nearly a century, the University of Cambridge in England had no equivalent to the Rhodes Scholarship. In 2000, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation established the Gates-Cambridge Scholarships to fund international students at Cambridge. This is notably one of the few international fellowships that will fund an MBA (as well as other Master’s degrees and PhDs). While Gates-Cambridge Scholarships are extraordinarily selective, the application process is less intimidating than the Rhodes process, consisting of only the usual Cambridge graduate application, plus one additional personal statement and one additional recommendation. Students are evaluated first by the department to which they applied at Cambridge, with only top-ranked students in each department being considered by the Gates-Cambridge Trust. Interviews are conducted by panels specific to each subject area (and unlike Rhodes, Marshall, or Mitchell interviews, they can be done over Skype if travelling to the interview site presents a hardship). In my experience interviewing with the arts and humanities panel, the interview format was fairly relaxed, with a focus on how well Cambridge fit my goals. (Not so relaxing: Bill Gates’ parents sitting in on my interview.) The Gates-Cambridge looks for people who will be influential in their fields rather than future world leaders, so there’s less focus on public service than in the case of the Rhodes, Marshall, or Mitchell. As a result, the group of scholars is more diverse and less concentrated in politics- and technology-related fields.

Marshall: If you love the United Kingdom but don’t have your heart set on Oxford or Cambridge, the Marshall Scholarship may be for you. It funds two years of study (with a possible third-year extension for PhD students) at any UK institution. One fun and unique thing about the Marshall is that students who are not doing PhDs are encouraged to earn two different one-year Master’s degrees at two different institutions, so scholars have the chance to live in two UK cities and study two subjects. Based on my experiences with them, Marshall Scholars tend to be very public service-minded and very ambitious. The scholarship also focuses on the “special relationship” between the UK and the USA, so be prepared to write an essay about your desire to live in the UK as well as a more specific personal statement and plan of study.

Mitchell: Drawn to Ireland? The George Mitchell Scholarship is a one-year postgraduate award tenable at universities in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, awarded to twelve students per year. It focuses on public service and leadership as well as academics, and most scholars can articulate clear, world-altering visions. The living stipend is one of the most generous of the prestigious fellowships, but the application process can be scary. While only four recommendations are required, to get to the in-person interview stage, you must also complete a recorded video interview and a Skype interview. Finalists are then invited a weekend similar to the Rhodes weekend, with social events and mixers as well as a formal, confrontational interview. (My panel had a dozen people shooting difficult questions at me.)

Watson: The Thomas J. Watson Fellowship is incredibly open-ended: You get $30,000 to travel and have new experiences. There are no research or degree requirements; in fact, formal research is discouraged. However, there is a catch: only graduates of forty small, selective liberal arts colleges are eligible to apply. If you happen to be attending one of those (the list is here), lucky you! Talk to your college’s fellowships advisor about how to become a good candidate, as each partner college each has its own nomination process.

Erasmus Mundus: Erasmus is a popular European program that funds study outside of students’ home countries. While it’s well-known and well-regarded in Europe, it’s not as commonly discussed elsewhere because so many of the scholarships are restricted to European residents. However, there’s a branch of the program—Erasmus Mundus—that runs Master’s degrees and PhDs split between multiple European institutions and offers generous scholarships for non-European residents. There are Erasmus Mundus programs in nearly every academic field I can think of, with separate websites and application processes for each. A compiled list, sorted by field, is here for Master’s degrees and here for PhDs. Note that although many of them are very enticing, you can only apply to three Erasmus Mundus Master’s programs per year if you want to be eligible for funding!

Fulbright (and more): The Fulbright Program actually includes a wide range of scholarships, but the most relevant to soon-to-be-university-graduates are research grants and English Teaching Assistant grants. The former provide a year of funding to work towards a Master’s degree or conduct independent research; the latter provide a year of funding to work as an assistant English teacher. Fulbrights are available in over 150 countries, with application requirements (such as the required level of proficiency in the local language) and selectivity rates varying widely. All countries require proven academic achievement, and all research grants require an established affiliation with a local institution and a compelling research proposal. (It’s easier to find an affiliation than you might imagine. If you study abroad during undergrad and want to return to the same country, find a host institution and professor while you are abroad! Otherwise, e-mail and call professors whose work aligns with yours late during your junior year.) Some countries will interview you; some will not. (I didn’t have to interview for Germany, but a friend who applied to Spain completed a phone interview.) Once you have a specific country in mind, it is also worth looking into country-specific grants. For instance, the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) funds graduate students in Germany, while the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) Programme funds and places English teachers in Japan.

Most importantly, if you are interested in any of these fellowships, talk to your college’s fellowships advisor at some point during your freshman year! Most of these fellowships (all but the Gates-Cambridge, in fact) require an endorsement from your college. This will usually be written or ghost-written by the fellowship's advisor, so it can help to build that relationship now. Be sure to check in with him or her regularly. In your junior year, you need to become very serious about fellowships if you plan to apply. Many have deadlines in October or September of your senior year, and it can be hard to get in touch with potential recommenders over the summer. Secure your recommenders’ agreement before you leave campus at the end of your junior year, and be sure you leave yourself lots of time for drafting and revising statements over the summer. (The Rhodes Scholarship statement that secured me an interview offer went through sixteen major drafts!) For now, though, don’t think too hard about your postgraduate plans. Focus on excelling in your classes, working on cool projects you’re passionate about, and keeping up with what’s going on in the world. After all, those are things that will serve you well regardless of whether you apply for prestigious international fellowships.

7 Tips for Email Communications with Colleges

noreply@blogger.com (JodiWalder) — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 15:00:00 +0000

This article first appeared on GoLocalPDX.com on July 29, 2015.

I know email is so “old school” that most teens don’t see the purpose of using it. Text, IM, SnapChat and Instagram are all more immediate and the preferred means of communication. Students: when it comes to day-to-day communication with your friends, you get to pick your communication vehicle. When it comes to college applications, you need to embrace email.

True story: this year one of my students never checked his email. He got multiple email messages from the Honors College at our flagship university telling him that his application was missing one component. He never saw them and followed up, so he was denied admission despite being an ideal candidate.

Here are some tips related to email communication with colleges:

1. Use a neutral email address. Your name is the best choice if possible. “SparklyPony” or “FootballFanatic” may have been great when you picked them, but for college applications it is ideal to stick with something clear and simple. Check the display name. This week I was surprised when I worked with a student whose email address was his name, however the display name was “John Doe” rather than his. Even if you cannot get your name as the actual email address, put your name as the display name that the reader sees.

2. You probably won’t remember to check multiple email addresses. If you are using a separate one for college, have the emails forward to the one you are willing to check on a regular basis.

3. Starting now, commit to checking your email a minimum of twice per week. Pick two days and put a recurring pop-up reminder on your phone. If this is unlikely to work for you, get an accountability buddy. That person agrees to bug you/remind you twice per week to look at your email and makes sure that you actually do so.

College students walking to class. Photo by: Nazareth College

4. Go on the admissions website of the schools that you are applying to and sign up to be on their email list. This is one way that you demonstrate interest. This will ensure you are notified when the admission rep will be in town, when you can sign up for alumni interviews, and they will send you any critical notices like changes in deadlines. Most colleges use their list as a marketing tool, and try to send news stories/videos/interactive options that will keep you interested in actually applying. Note: the school can tell if you open the emails they send you. Signing up and deleting everything that comes to your inbox is not a good idea.

5. Treat emails you send to colleges as if they are part of your college application, because they often are added to your file! That means you should use full sentences, capital letters, and proper punctuation. No text speak like “LOL” or “gr8”.

6. If you email a college after you have applied, be sure to put your common app ID number or the college-generated student ID number in the subject line, along with your full name.

7. When you get an email request, respond! This sounds obvious, but many students don’t actually do it. For example, if you receive an email alerting you that one of your recommendations is missing, go and get the scoop. Then respond to the college via email with the news such as, “My coach will complete it this weekend and upload it through the link the Common App sent him. Thanks for letting me know this was missing.”

Once the college application process is over you can once again decide to avoid email, however it is likely that the college you choose will be sending you important information about roommate matching, orientation and class enrollment, so you might consider this whole email process as practice with a tool you will use in your more “grown-up” life.

The Fall Recruiting Season Begins

noreply@blogger.com (JodiWalder) — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 19:18:00 +0000

This article first appeared on GoLocalPDX.com on July 22, 2015.

It may still be summer, but the fall college recruiting season is getting underway.

Colleges send their admissions representatives to visit cities around the country because it is an effective marketing method. Over the next several months, hundreds of representatives will be visiting Portland, Oregon -- and Portland high school students. Traditionally, some representatives come directly to local high schools; others will rent space and have a larger information session open to the broader community.

Some representatives will also search their mailing lists and reach out to students through an invite for a coffee, a pizza party or an interview. Regardless of how they find students or how students find them, there is an abundance of local opportunities for students to broaden their understanding of different colleges and decide if they are a good fit. Attending these events is also a way that students demonstrate interest, which is a factor that some schools take into account when making admissions decisions.

Here are some upcoming events that are worth your consideration:

Colleges That Change Lives

This is a group of 40 liberal arts colleges. Although they may not be the “name brand” schools you recognize, these are wonderful places where students have transformative experiences. I highly recommend that all students 9th-11th grade come and check out these schools. Seniors, if one of these schools is on your list, please look at these and make it a point to connect directly with a school representative. A representative is the person likely to read your application and it works to your advantage if he or she remembers you.

Wednesday, July 29, 7-9 pm
Oregon Convention Center
Portland Ballrooms 252-255
777 NE MLK, Jr. Blvd.
Portland, OR 97232

The program begins promptly at 7:00 p.m. with a 30-minute information session, and a college fair begins immediately afterwards, lasting approximately 1.5 hours. Pre-registration is not required.

Represented Schools:

Agnes Scott College
Allegheny College
Antioch College
Austin College
Beloit College
Birmingham-Southern College
Centre College
Clark University
Cornell College
Denison University
Earlham College
Eckerd College
The Evergreen State College
Goucher College
Guilford College
Hampshire College
Hendrix College
Hillsdale College
Hiram College
Hope College
Juniata College
Kalamazoo College
Knox College
Lawrence University
Lynchburg College
Marlboro College
McDaniel College
Millsaps College
New College of Florida
Ohio Wesleyan University
Reed College
Rhodes College
Southwestern University
St. John's College
Saint Mary's College [CA]
St. Olaf College
Ursinus College
University of Puget Sound
Wabash College
Whitman College
Willamette University
College of Wooster

At the same time, you could opt instead to hear from The University of Chicago:

Wednesday, July 29, 6:30-7:30 pm
Catlin Gabel School
8825 SW Barnes Rd
Portland, OR 97225
Pre-registration is requested.

And mark your calendars now for the August visit of the Claremont College Consortium.

Claremont McKenna
Harvey Mudd
Scripps
Pitzer

Note that Pomona is part of this consortium but will not be present at the Portland reception.

Saturday August 15, 2pm
Doubletree by Hilton
1000 NE Multnomah St.
Portland, OR 97232
Pre-registration is requested.

Prospective students and their families are invited to a reception for the Claremont Colleges. Attendees will hear from admission representatives from Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, Pitzer and Scripps about the benefits of attending their college, as well as the advantages of participating in this type of college consortia.

Grade-by-Grade College Prep Checklist

noreply@blogger.com (JodiWalder) — Wed, 15 Jul 2015 17:51:00 +0000

This article first appeared on GoLocalPDX.com on July 15, 2015.

Here’s a handy checklist for 9th-11th graders to ensure you stay on track for college admissions.

9th Grade

Take the most rigorous classes you can handle, and review after first semester
Understand your GPA and why it matters
Understand standardized tests and create a general timeline for taking them
Find one extracurricular and one service venue that you will commit to for four years
Start a record/hour log of activities, awards and service
Explore your interests
Visit colleges when your family travels
Read for pleasure, keep a vocab log, play family word games
Job shadow your parents
Athletes and artists- capture video
Use your summer well
Ask your parents to run college financial calculators

10th Grade

Continue to take challenging courses and plot your courses through high school
Take the optional PSAT and set a testing timeline
Take on additional responsibility in your primary extracurricular and service area
Start a college visit journal and visit a small, medium and large school
Start attending college admission rep info sessions at your school and in town
Attend local college fair
Take an interests, values and personality assessment
Job shadow at least three family friends
Apply for summer internships or a summer job or take a summer community college class
Athletes and artists-hone skills, capture video, work on portfolio/sign up on recruiting sites
Register on scholarship match websites
Do test prep the summer between 10th-11th grade

11th Grade

Continue to take challenging classes including honors, AP or IB in subjects that interest you
Get your school Naviance login and create account
Attend local college fair (again!)
Identify college characteristics that are important and create initial list (20-30 schools)
Use days off from school for college visits
Plan and take a spring break college visit tour
Do very detailed school specific research and keep notes
Continue attending college admission rep visits at your school and in town
Take a benchmark ACT and the PSAT in the fall
Prep and take the ACT or SAT in the spring
Take SAT Subject tests (only for very selective colleges) in May or June
Athletes register with NCAA Clearinghouse
Make it a point to get to know at least two teachers very well; request rec letters in May
Get a copy of your end-of-year transcript!

If you are a senior and need month-by-month guidance, check out last week’s slideshow.

Month-by-Month Guide for High School Seniors

noreply@blogger.com (JodiWalder) — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 17:53:00 +0000

This article first appeared on GoLocalPDX.com on July 8, 2015.

I am a big fan of working ahead to reduce stress. I think it easier to have a pleasant senior year if you complete a good chunk of your college application tasks over the summer. The below timeline is an aggressive one, designed to move you through the steps you need to deal with to apply for college. (These are not school specific deadlines. You need to double check those on the website of every school you apply to.)

Click here to see slideshow: Month-by-Month Guide for High School Seniors

Create Your Visual Arts Portfolio During Summer

noreply@blogger.com (JodiWalder) — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 17:04:00 +0000

This article first appeared on GoLocalPDX.com on July 1, 2015.

My advice to performing arts students was to work on audition materials over the summer and I echo that to visual artists; summer is perfect time to get creative and work on your portfolio! A summer job, goof-off activities with friends, or the reflection of the sun off the river can all provide visual inspiration.

The admission process for visual arts majors often has added requirements. You have to submit the same application for academic admission as every other student, and then you may need to prepare a portfolio showcase your talent. You will want it to include your very best work, so you probably create a lot of pieces you (or an artistic advisor) reject before you decide what to actually include. This takes lots of time (typically more than 100 hours) so it is ideal to work on this when you don’t have added academic stress.

There’s some great news related to portfolios—you don’t have to rely on your own judgment. Admissions officers at schools that want a portfolio are willing to give you a free portfolio review. You make an appointment and bring in loads of samples of your craft (drawings, paintings, photos, sculpture). You will get advice as to which pieces to include, why those pieces are being suggested, and what you still need to create in order to be competitive for admission. Both Oregon College of Art and Craft and Pacific Northwest College of Art make this review available, so book one soon so you have time this summer to act on their advice.

If you are a rising senior with a solid list of schools you are applying to, the best way to get started is to create a document where you compile the exact portfolio requirements of each school. Most likely, you will be asked to upload your portfolio to Slideroom and you will find the link to each school’s Slideroom site on the portfolio page of the school website.

If you are a rising sophomore or junior you probably don’t yet know where you plan to apply. That’s okay! You can still use summer to work on elements of your portfolio. (Advance notice: sophomores and juniors, mark your calendars for National Portfolio Day, which will take place in Portland on January 10, 2016. Representatives from regionally and NASAD-accredited art, design and film schools will be in town to connect with potential students and provide support for portfolio development.)

Below is a list of the most commonly requested components for an assortment of visual arts programs.

Technical Theatre

Resume
Portfolio showcasing your five best production projects (could be a lighting plot with cue-to-cue; sound concept and recordings; costume designs, samples of sewn work and photos of completed ensemble; set designs with conceptual description, drawings and photos of completed construction; stage manager’s production script and cast notes)
3 recommendation letters from technical theatre teachers, producers or directors

Film

Cinematic Arts Personal Statement that gives the reader a sense of you as a unique individual and how your distinctive experiences, characteristics, background, values and/or views of the world have shaped who you are and what you want to say as a creative filmmaker.
Creative Resume highlighting 5-7 pieces of what you consider to be your best creative work. These projects should demonstrate your ability to convey a story or message through creative, artistic or technical talents. Include more recent items and projects in which you were the driving force or had a leadership role. Note that this a listing and not samples of the actual work.
Narrative video (2-5 minutes) in which you had a major creative role. The video can be either live-action or animation, fiction or documentary, but it should reflect your aesthetic tastes and intellectual and emotional interests
3 letters of recommendation from art, drama, film/TV, or journalism teachers or a boss or supervisor from a job, internship, or volunteer project where your duties included something of a creative nature

Visual Arts

Artist's Statement:explain what you make, how you make it, and why you make it
10-20 visual art or design pieces, which may be executed in any medium, in black-and-white or color, and may include, but are not limited to, drawing, painting, design, printmaking, collage, photography, sculpture, jewelry, fashion, furniture or fiber art. Portfolio pieces may represent classroom assignments as well as independent projects. The portfolio should be purposeful, demonstrate originality of concept, use of appropriate materials and visual literacy. Favorable consideration is given to strong 2-D and 3-D work that shows attention to technique, drawing, scale and original design. The majority of drawings submitted in the portfolio should be from direct observation, rather than other sources (such as photographs). Still life, landscape, figure drawings, portrait, perspective, and diagrammatic drawings are all recommended. Portfolios are reviewed on the following qualitative measures: aesthetic awareness, composition, drawing, design, color perception, spatial perception, quality of presentation, technique and originality.
Some colleges have a school specific assignment such as submit a drawing of a bicycle
Artistic resume that includes art awards, classes and teachers inside and outside of school, a list of the media you work with/prefer
3 recommendation letters from teachers or others who have witnessed your creative skills and potential

Animation

Artist's Statement: explain what you make, how you make it, and why you make it
8-12 traditional visual art or design pieces from direct observation,
Animation samples that include 5-10 figure drawings, one 2D traditional animation, and 2 - 5 3D computer graphic images
3 recommendation letters from teachers or others who have witnessed your creative skills and potential

Product Design

Statement of purpose: Define your interests and experience in the field of industrial design and related areas such as engineering and architecture. What sorts of products do you want to make and why?
A portfolio of 10-20 digital images of your best and most recent work (any media)
Submit sketches and finished drawings of three or more original product designs (furniture, lighting, medical and computer equipment, or consumer products such as coffee makers, sporting goods, communications devices or personal stereos). Emphasis should be on the function of the product, as well as the aesthetics and originality of the design. Projects should show a thorough researching and exploration of a product from beginning through intermediate sketches to a final finished rendering of the product. Inclusion of photos of 3D models is optional. Of primary importance are exploratory sketches that show a variety of solutions and ideas for each product presented.
Resume
1-3 recommendation letters

Fashion Design

Resume
One-page statement of interest in the fashion program and the fashion industry
1-3 letters of reference from teachers, instructors, coaches or employers
Art and design work to include each of the following:
- 1 – 2 sketchbooks of current work (date your work)
- 2 examples of art or design work with a brief, written analysis of why you included these particular pieces
6-10 self-sewn garments made from commercial patterns, draping or applicant's own drafts that demonstrate a range of skills. Provide at least 4 different types of garments, i.e. skirts, pants, tops, dresses, jackets in different types of fabrics. Garments should include each of the following garment components: darts, two different types of zippers, two different types of pockets, set-in sleeves, collars, cuffs, buttons and buttonholes. At least one garment must be lined. Photographs not accepted.
A journal of fashion industry-related reading and information about design/manufacturing companies

Architecture

Personal statement that describes your professional aspirations and why you are interested in Architecture. This could include what sparked your interest in the discipline, what experiences you have already had in relation to art, construction, design, or craft, and what in the built environment inspires
Portfolio of 10-20 digital files that demonstrate your graphic abilities. Please include graphic and/or written materials, such as freehand drawings, basic design work, planning, painting, construction, furniture making, clothing design, ceramics, photography, origami or anything else exhibiting creative thought and execution. If you have some experience with paper modelling or wood modelling, include one or two works. While work with architectural content is not required, students who choose to submit architectural images in their portfolio should submit work that reflects design, not drafting skills.
3 recommendations, at least 2 of which are from academic sources.

Remember, these are not the exact requirements for any specific visual arts program. You must check the exact requirements at each of the schools to which you are applying.

Prepare Your Audition Materials this Summer

noreply@blogger.com (JodiWalder) — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 18:00:00 +0000

This article first appeared on GoLocalPDX.com on June 24, 2015.

Summer is officially here and by now you have had a few weeks to decompress from a hectic school year. Maybe your summer plans include a job, internship, volunteer work, travel or plenty of chill time with friends. Perhaps you have a long list of books you hope to read just for fun, or a goal to watch every movie that won the Academy Award for Best Picture. If you are a rising 10th-12th grader with an interest in performing arts, your summer should include dedicated time to work on your audition materials.

The admission process for performing arts majors often has an added layer of complexity. You have to submit the same application for academic admission as every other student, and then you need to prepare audition materials that showcase your talent. The process of putting together this portfolio is time consuming (often 50-100 hours of effort), so it is best to tackle it in the summer when you do not have an overlay of homework and school-year extra-curriculars.

If you want to know more about some of these performing arts programs, read prior GoLocalPDX articles on conservatory dance programs, non-conservatory dance programs, music production, acting, and liberal arts colleges with music conservatories.

If you are a rising senior with a solid list of schools you are applying to, the best way to get started is to create a document where you compile the exact audition requirements of each school. This saves you time and money in the long run. For example, if you are recording songs or monologues and need to arrange studio space, equipment and help, it is most cost-effective to record everything all at once.

If you are a rising sophomore or junior you probably don’t yet know where you plan to apply. That’s okay! You can still work on elements of your portfolio, although you probably won’t finish until the summer between junior and senior year.

Below is a list of the most commonly requested components for highly selective (BFA) performing arts programs. Please note that many highly selective performing arts require a Pre-Screen which is usually open to submissions by September 1 of your senior year. You must make it through the Pre-Screen process in order to be eligible for live auditions, either at the school or at the regional Unified Auditions.

Musical Theatre

Resume
Headshot
Video with high-quality audio recording of two songs (one ballad and one up-tempo)
Video with high-quality audio recording of one monologue
Dance technique video showing competence in assorted genres (ballet, tap, jazz, modern)
1-3 recommendation letters from voice teachers, drama directors, dance masters

Acting

Resume
Headshot
Video with high-quality audio recording of two age-appropriate monologues (one classical and one modern)
1-2 recommendation letters from acting coaches/drama teachers, stage directors

Vocal Performance

Resume that includes language skills, contact info for voice teachers, competitions won and knowledge of music theory
Headshot
Video and high-quality audio recording of three songs (one classical song in a language other than English, one art song in English; and One selection of the applicant's choice)
1-3 recommendation letters from vocal coaches/music teachers

Instrumental Performance

Resume that includes contact info for instrumental teachers, competitions won and knowledge of music theory
Headshot with your instrument
Video and high-quality audio recording of three pieces in assorted genres (sometimes a specific piece is required and you get free choice for the others)
1-3 recommendation letters from instrumental coaches/music teachers

Composition

Resume that includes contact info for music teachers, competitions won and knowledge of music theory
Artist’s statement (your vision for the type of compositions you plan to contribute to the musical cannon)
three or more scores in various media and a recording (audio or audio-visual) of each score
1-3 recommendation letters from music teachers

Music Production

Resume
A self-produced recording of an original work (can be made using any combination of acoustic and virtual instruments)
Artist’s statement (your vision regarding the intersection of music and technology)
1-3 recommendation letters from music teachers

Dance

Dance resume that includes height and weight measurements
Headshot
Dance/body shot
Artistic statement that addresses academic, artistic, or professional goals that you believe could be accomplished in that school’s dance program
Video of dance technique (to musical accompaniment):

- Grand Adagio with développés in each position, promenades, and pirouettes;
- Petit Allegro, including jumps on two feet, jetés, temps levés, assemblés, and beats;
- Grand Allegro including grand jetés and tour jetés, and either balancés or waltzes.
- Men, please include simple tour en l’air

Video of improvisational or choreographed dance 1-3 minutes long (solo - must be in modern, contemporary or ballet style)

Note: some programs require a black leotard and pink tights

Remember that the above-listed elements may not be the exact components required at each of the schools on your list. You must check the requirements school-by-school to be sure you submit everything that is requested.

Many colleges ask you to submit your pre-screen materials through Acceptd. There will be a link to the college’s Acceptd portal from the college website. It is important to understand that each school has customized the Acceptd requirements, so you will have to upload your audition materials multiple times.

Many people don’t realize that the odds of getting into an audition-based program may be extremely low. I often see shocked faces when I tell a family that the student’s chance of being admitted to the program in Musical Theatre at the University of Cincinnati is less than a student’s chance of being admitted to Harvard. If you are applying to an audition-based performing arts program, use your resources to prepare your audition materials. This is the time to call upon your acting, music or dance teachers/coaches/directors for advice and support.

More Athletic Recruiting TIps

noreply@blogger.com (JodiWalder) — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 19:00:00 +0000

This article first appeared on GoLocalPDX.com on June 17, 2015.

Article writin by Kathy Smith Connor

September 1st or July 1st are big days for many student/athletes. For most sports, September 1 at the beginning of junior year is the first time that a coach can proactively contact them. For Swimming & Diving, Track & Field or Cross Country, the big day is July 1 after the junior year has been completed. Athletes can contact college coaches prior to these dates, of course, via email, by calling with the hope that they pick up the phone, and through unofficial campus visits, but after either date (sport dependent) coaches can officially and proactively show their interest in a student/athlete. It's an exciting time and depending on how strongly an athlete is being recruited, the phone should be ringing during this first week, as well as subsequent months. One of the biggest goals during this time is to get your official recruiting trips lined up for the fall. How well this first week goes depends on several things.

The first, of course, is how "in demand" you are as an athlete –the faster your swim or track times, the more years on an ODP (Olympic Development Program), the farther you throw—the more you will be pursued by coaches.

Just how much the phone will be ringing will depend on how aggressively you have promoted yourself and how strongly you have established relationships with coaches. Writing, emailing and calling coaches is the best way to get on a coach’s radar. Having done your homework prior to this is very important as it shows a coach there are legitimate reasons you want to attend that school. This is the biggest and best way for an athlete to get ahead in the recruiting game and it's never too early to start. Many schools have small recruiting budgets and it's not always easy for coaches to be aware of prospective athletes. Proactive contact in your freshman through junior years is the key to getting on a coach's radar. Registering for the NCAA Eligibility Center during sophomore year is also helpful.

I was initially surprised to find that most coaches feel short video clips are helpful in the recruiting process. Sure it’s clear that these clips are useful for the more subjective sports (soccer, basketball, etc) as these sports are harder to "measure" and the videos are one way to show technical and creative moves. I was very interested to find that “timed sports” coaches, such as swimming and track & field, also find video clips very useful. For example, if a coach sees on your video that you currently only take three dolphin kicks off a wall, she may believe you have great room for improvement if she can train you to take six dolphins off the wall instead or make other technical adjustments to improve your stroke.

I am constantly amazed at how late in the recruiting process athletes get started. If you are serious about pursuing your sport in college, I strongly suggest you start your recruiting campaign in freshman and sophomore years. Here’s what you can do:

Research colleges based on academic, social and financial fit—for example, do you know your estimated EFC?
Research the athletic fit. Can you realistically compete at a DI level or should you be looking at DII or DIII? Do you understand the difference in level of competition as well as level of commitment?
Research what collegiate conference they could potentially score in. Coaches in timed sports in particular are largely looking for athletes that can score for them in their conference, as well as go on to compete at the NCAA national level.

As you can see, there’s lots of research to be done to maximize your chances for a great fit college, as well as maximize chances for merit and athletic aid.

Coaches are looking for top students who can earn merit aid to supplement the athletic aid they have to carefully manage due to their limited budgets. Beginning freshman year, you need to carefully choose classes to make sure they are NCAA compliant, as well as take rigorous courses while still maintaining a solid GPA. Careful course planning, as well as strategically taking standardized tests, and applying to colleges where your test scores are in the top 25% of the pool can maximize your financial aid packages.

I am often asked if I recommend student/athletes sign up for a recruiting service such as BeRecruited, NCSA, orCaptainU. These services have a role in recruiting and some are better suited for certain sports than others. They cannot hurt and if you want to spend the time and effort to create a profile and continue to keep it updated, then it is fine to utilize them. I have learned by talking to many, many coaches, however, that most of them prefer direct contact from the student/athlete vs. working with a service as an intermediary. They often do not have the time to research such databases and most prefer to recruit those athletes that contact them directly. So again, the best way to get on a coach’s radar and make them aware of you is direct contact!

Bottom Line: Start early, do your research, focus on your grades and the rigor of courses you take, compete at the highest level possible in your sport, and then assertively promote yourself. These actions will maximize your chances to compete and secure athletic funding at a right-fit college.

Key Steps to the Athletic Recruiting Process

noreply@blogger.com (JodiWalder) — Wed, 10 Jun 2015 19:00:00 +0000

This article first appeared on GoLocalPDX.com on June 10, 2015.

Article by Kathy Smith Connor

Athletic talent can provide wonderful opportunities and open many doors for student/athletes in the college search process. While it can present unique advantages, it also poses its own set of challenges.

The athletic recruiting process must be approached in a realistic and systematic manner. A good understanding of the NCAA recruiting rules and how to conduct a proactive and healthy recruitment campaign are key to an athlete’s success, not only in making a well-suited team roster but in obtaining the best scholarship possible.

Your first step is to find the right college fit for your academic and social needs. You are a student first and must develop the foresight and vision to understand that while playing your sport in college is an important highlight of your college years, your education is a lifetime tool. Student/athletes who do both their academic and athletic homework, followed by a proactive approach to recruiting, have the most success in getting college coaches to consider them for admission, as well as making a team roster with athletic funding.

Here are a few guidelines to a successful approach to the athletic recruiting process.

Be Realistic About Your Level of Play

If you are an athlete that wants to play your sport at the collegiate level, you must talk with your coaches about your ability. Ask them for an honest and realistic assessment of your prospects in collegiate athletics. At which level (Division I, II, III, or NAIA) does he or she believe you can compete?

If you participate in a timed sport, there are various websites and other tools you can look at to determine in which conference you would be most competitive, which is generally what coaches want in order to provide you with athletic scholarship funding.

Use this information as a guideline for targeting schools at which you can realistically compete in your sport.

Create a Realistic College List

Create a balanced preliminary list of schools that incorporates academic interests and abilities, social needs and athletic ability. This list should be driven from answers to questions including:

Could I realistically get accepted and thrive at this school based on my academic record?”
“Do I like the campus, its students, its location, etc?”
Can I play/compete at this level in both its Conference and Division?”
Is the college affordable taking into account any potential academic and athletic funding I receive?”

Assertively Work to be Recruited

Often, athletes expect coaches to come knocking on their door. This is unlikely unless you are competing at a national level - which most athletes are not.

It is important to understand the “rules of the recruiting game” in order to maximize your chances of playing – and receiving athletic money –at your preferred colleges. This takes time, effort and good communication to make sure coaches know you and want to recruit you. Many universities have very limited recruiting budgets and therefore, if you can proactively get noticed and make it onto a coach’s “list” (the earlier, the better), it makes it easier for everyone. And it increases your likelihood of being brought onto the team and receiving athletic funding.

Key Steps to the Athletic Recruiting Process

1. Proactive Contact: Assertive communication is the key to success

The majority of athletes who want to participate in collegiate athletics need to be very proactive in searching out and pursuing all possible opportunities. There is no magic formula that can guarantee selection to a college sports program.

Fill out the school’s recruiting questionnaire to get on their mailing list; write to the coaches and introduce yourself with a letter and athletic resume (filled with GPA and SAT/ACT scores and sports accomplishments) and explain why you think their school is for you; let them know any tournaments, showcases or meets you will competing in and ask them to come watch you; follow up with any new best times, achievements and stay in touch.

2. Get Seen: It’s all about exposure!

Especially for subjective (non-timed) sports, a very important aspect of recruiting is being seen and getting exposure on a fairly regular basis.

For sports such as soccer, you will need to be on a club or high school team that gives you maximum exposure to college showcases, tournaments and camp opportunities. This is where college coaches will have the best chance of seeing your athlete in action. A note of caution – very rarely is an athlete first noticed from a college showcase. Coaches attend college showcases to watch and evaluate athletes that are already on their list. It is very important to have communicated with coaches prior to showcases so they know you are interested in being evaluated.

3. Understand all NCAA rules and regulations

NCAA policies govern how coaches can recruit college-bound student/athletes. The rules specify when and how coaches can contact prospects, what materials can be sent and when student-athletes can visit campus. The rules differ slightly from sport to sport and Division to Division. It is critical that student/athletes understand these rules so as not to jeopardize their eligibility.

The student/athlete must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center for compliance approval. The Center also administers the National Letter of Intent program as well as the Amateurism Eligibility and Certification. Details can be found in The Guide for the College-Bound Student/Athlete which contains detailed information about academic and amateurism eligibility.

Being involved in athletics can be a tremendous benefit to students regardless of whether a student receives a scholarship. The life-skills and lessons learned along the way are priceless and will aid the student/athlete in any future endeavor. A young person contemplating college attendance should use high school for legitimate academic preparation then do their college “best-fit” homework and athletic homework to find just the right place.

Can You Play Your Sport in College?

noreply@blogger.com (JodiWalder) — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 19:00:00 +0000

This article first appeared on GoLocalPDX.com on June 3, 2015.

Article written by Kathy Smith Connor

Sometimes my job involves being a “dream crusher”. It’s not a part of the job I like.

I often have parents come into my office with the expectation that their son or daughter will be able to play his or her sport in college. For some, this is a realistic option. For others, not so much.

To start off, here are some facts about collegiate sports and athletic scholarships:

1. A lot of athletes contend for limited opportunities. There are 7,400,000 high school student athletes and 460,000 NCAA student athletes. Statistically, about 6% of student athletes will end up being able to compete in college.

2. The odds of winning an NCAA sports scholarship are long. Only about 2% of high school athletes win sports scholarships every year at NCAA colleges and universities. For those who do snag one, the average scholarship is less than $11,000.

3. Full-ride sports scholarships are in short supply. There are only six sports where all the scholarships are full ride. These so-called head-count sports are football, men and women's basketball, and women's gymnastics, volleyball, and tennis. In these Division I sports, athletes receive a full ride or no ride.

4. Scholarship amounts can be modest. Beyond the head-count sports, all other sports are considered "equivalency" sports. NCAA rules dictate how much money a program, such as lacrosse or track, can spend on scholarships. Coaches can slice and dice these awards as they choose, which can lead to smaller scholarships than you might expect.

5. Take flattery with a grain of salt. Coaches may tell teenagers that they have lots of scholarship money to divvy out, but prospective student athletes shouldn't assume that they will be the recipients. A coach might not know whether he really wants a certain player until he finds out what other prospective players want to sign on to the team, and then he may drop the player with whom he had been in discussion.

6. A verbal commitment is meaningless. There is no guarantee that an athlete who verbally commits to a team will end up on it. A coach can change her mind about a prospect.

7. Playing high-level college sports will be a full-time job. Division I athletes may as well be called full-time employees of their schools because of the long hours they “work” to fulfill their sport commitment. According to an NCAA survey last year, playing football required 43.3 hours per week; college baseball, 42.1 hours; men's basketball, 39.2 hours; and women's basketball, 37.6 hours. Because of the huge time commitment, as well as time away from campus, Division I athletes will often find it extremely difficult to major in rigorous disciplines, such as the sciences and engineering. If this is the case, having the ability to play a Division I sport does not always mean that one should. Division III schools should be under consideration in certain scenarios.

With all of this in mind, here are some ways to determine if your student/athlete can compete in college. Keep in mind that you are working to determine if he can compete collegiately as well as which NCAA Division (NCAA Division I, II, or III or NAIA) is the best fit for his abilities.

Timed/measured sports are easier to discern. For swimming or track & field, one can look at a “time” (distance, etc.) and know whether the student will be able to compete collegiately by comparing their times against how fast the student/athletes are swimming, running, etc. in college. Generally, coaches want to see that a student/athlete can “score” for them in their Athletic Conference to determine if they will make the roster and/or receive some sort of athletic scholarship funding. Obviously, the faster they are, the more money they may receive. We can look at CollegeSwimming.com, for example, and see if a swimmer’s current times could score in any particular conference as well as where her times would place her on a given college roster. In this way, we can tell if the student has a realistic chance of competing for that college, or any college.

For “subjective” sports (soccer, softball, basketball, etc.) it’s a bit harder to determine whether an athlete could compete collegiately, as well as which NCAA Division she is best suited for. This is done through a series of steps such as communicating to coaches, followed by sending video of her play, and participating in ID Camps and college showcases to get “exposure”. As the student starts writing to coaches, she notes which college coaches are writing back with possible interest, which helps direct the search towards the best athletic fit (Division I, Division II or Division III or NAIA). If no coaches write back, this is an answer as well. For certain sports, it’s also telling if an athlete made their Varsity high school team freshman or sophomore year rather than in later years.

While I don’t want to discourage student/athletes from pursuing their dream of playing collegiate athletics, it’s important to be realistic about their chances of competing at this extremely competitive next level.

Six College-Related Tasks Juniors Should Complete Now

noreply@blogger.com (JodiWalder) — Wed, 27 May 2015 19:00:00 +0000

This article first appeared on GoLocalPDX.com on May 27, 2015.

Juniors, in a very short time you will be seniors! Before this school year ends there are a few tasks you should do so that make it easier for you to work on your college applications over the summer should you opt to do so.

1. Request an end-of-year transcript. You will need this over the summer to fill out your applications. Most schools send a report card rather than a transcript. Do whatever the steps are at your school to ensure you get a transcript. Most commonly they are available a week or two after school ends and you can get them from the school admin if your counselor will be off for the summer. You may need to fill out a request form. Please get a printed copy and then scan it and save it in case you misplace the printed version.

2. If you might play an NCAA sport in college (I’m not referring to intramurals) be sure to register with theNCAA Eligibility Center. In order for coaches to speak with you this summer (after July 1), you have to be registered and they must receive your end-of-junior-year transcript. Once you register, your school will get the transcript request and upload the transcript for you. This is not a step you have to do, but it is polite to ask your counselor or school admin to be on the lookout for the NCAA Eligibility request.

3. Be sure to fill out any paperwork your high school requests. Every high school is different. Some require you to complete forms for teacher recommendations now, and other schools do that process in the fall. Some schools want you to provide a resume of your activities, or want a rec letter from your parent or best friend. These personal letters will not be sent to colleges but your school counselor might use them to make the letter he/she writes more personal. Even if you are working with an independent counselor, you still must follow all the steps requested by your high school counselor.

4. If your school uses Naviance, it is really important for you to know how to login to your Naviance account. Be sure to find out and write it in a safe place (or email it to your parents) so that you have the info if you want to work on your applications this summer.

5. If you took the ACT or SAT through your school and the school registered you for the test (rather than registering yourself online) be sure to get your ACT or SAT login information. You will need it to check and send your scores. Once again, write it down and also send it to someone (like a parent) who won’t lose it, so that you can access the account if you need to this summer.

6. If your school does not have a formalized process for requesting teacher recommendation letters, decide which two junior teachers you want to ask, and make a verbal request before school gets out. Teachers tend to be swamped at the beginning of the school year. Some teachers much prefer to write recommendation letters over the summer when they have more free time and don’t have the day-to-day teaching and grading duties. Other teachers like to take a total break over the summer and are willing to spend evenings and weekend in the fall writing rec letters. By asking now, you give the teacher the option to do what he or she prefers. (Remember that a teacher may say “no “ to your request, and asking early gives you time to decide whom else you would like to ask instead.) For detailed info about teacher rec letter requests, see my prior column.

Sample College Update Communication

noreply@blogger.com (JodiWalder) — Wed, 20 May 2015 19:00:00 +0000

This article first appeared on GoLocalPDX.com on May 20, 2015.

In last week’s column I talked about sending thank you notes to the people who helped you throughout high school. I also suggested that college-bound seniors send an update to people at the end of each semester of college. Melissa M., a student who is completing her freshman year at Pacific Lutheran University, graciously gave me permission to share the update I received from her this spring.

Hello!

Where do I start?

How about with the New Year? Happy 2015 everyone (we're 25% through the year already...whoa)! Spending time at home for Christmas and New Year’s was absolutely amazing. I got to see all of my best friends and celebrate with family. I spent one day at home/with family and then one day with friends. Then I came back to school.

PLU has something called J-Term, which is between Fall and Spring Semester, and is just the month of January. During J-Term students take 1 four credit course. I took “Business Financial Accounting” and it was really interesting. I learned a lot from my professor who is from Italy, and earned both his C.P.A and his J.D. Finding mentors this year has been one of favorite things. Not only have I connected with a lot of my professors, but I have also found advisors, staff, and older students who have helped make my first year of college eye opening.

Spring Semester started at the beginning of February. First I'll talk about my classes and then all of the awesome things I'm involved in!

I'm taking 17 credits this semester:

Microeconomics (4): I enjoy economics a lot and am trying to see if I can minor in it. My teacher is trying to convince me to be an econ major (I don't think that will happen), and nominated me for a 1st year economics scholarship that I was pleasantly surprised to receive! My professor also connected me to one of her former students who is now in law school and I have learned a lot by talking to her.

Statistics (4): I have the same professor for stats as I do for econ and I love her. She has a very dry sense of humor and she makes me laugh almost every class. Also enjoying stats. It's a lot of equations and information but fun to manipulate data and figure out what it all means!

Intro to Business (4): As an intro level course we're just skimming the surface of many topics ranging from marketing to finance. I have really connected to my business professor. We both have curly hair and she’s given me hair tips and tricks (professors are good for more than solely academic questions)! And she has a super cute micro labradoodle that I sometimes take out and play with.

International Honors (4): Straight from my professor’s site: "This course examines innovative ideas and institutions from the Enlightenment to today that have shaped the contemporary world. Themes include scientific, political, artistic, and commercial revolutions; emerging concepts of justice and natural rights; capitalism and imperialism; the experience of war; narratives of progress and their critics; and globalization, sustainability, and the environment". We've read a variety of pieces ranging from Pride and Prejudice to passages from the Communist Manifesto. We talk a lot about modernity and how the idea of the individual has changed.

Personalized fitness and health (1): This was just the first half of the semester and was a required class. Had information about health and physical fitness. We mainly just worked out.

Now to what I've been involved in outside of class:

Lute Ambassadors: I am currently working for the Office of Admissions as a Lute Ambassador. I went through a rigorous selection process, but I think they saw my passion and excitement for the opportunity. After completing 30+ hours of training and passing 2 evaluations and a final presentation I finally got my second gold name badge and my t-shirts. I get to give tours, host students and have lunches with prospective students and their families. It's a wonderful job that plays right into my skill set.

ASPLU: I am still a senator for our student government. I am currently working on getting a program going to give students the opportunity to get coffee with their professors for free to give them a more social atmosphere to talk to their professors rather than having to go to their office hours. The idea is to increase communication (which is already pretty good) and allow more opportunities for students to get to know their professors. ASPLU is going through a lot of changes right now and I am putting in a lot of hours to help the organization reach its full potential.

Habitat for Humanity: I am on the council for Habitat for Humanity. I asked about potentially doing a little bit more with our campus chapter and the next thing I knew I was in the council meeting. We talk a lot about advocacy, fundraising, and expanding our chapter and of course still have build days.

ELL: English Language Learners! Every Monday and Thursday night from 6:45-9:15 I teach English to adult Spanish speakers (and we recently acquired a Russian woman.--it's hard communicating with her sometimes). I really enjoy this, even though it is a big commitment. Our class is wonderful and I can't wait to do it again next year!

With it written down it doesn't look like much, but I can assure you I'm putting a lot of time into all of these wonderful programs and classes, and still having fun along the way! You might be able to tell how busy I am as I write this email at 3am...

I got to go home this past weekend and Pa visited! It was really fun being home and seeing Lilly flower, the cats and my mom and dad. I also got to see some of my best friends and have a Passover Seder dinner with my best friend Margot and her family. Then my roommate (and one of my closest friends, Shannon) came up on Easter and my dad made a wonderful breakfast and Pa, Uncle Bill and the two of us ventured up to PLU and they went on to visit Seattle.

Ok, finally, plans for the future:

Right now I'm pretty set on majoring in business and minoring in non-profit leadership (with the hopes of doubling minoring in econ as well). Here at PLU we talk a lot about vocation,--where your greatest passion meets the greatest needs of the world. This year I dove right in o volunteer work and I kept asking myself how that work would play into my future - in my career or just in my life in general. I started to think about how a passion in my life has always been to help as many people as possible. Combine that with my passion for law, connecting and working with other people, and my major and minor and you have a non-profit consultant/lawyer on your hands.

Now I'm looking for an internship for the summer. Just interviewed with a non-profit organization today (that would pay me). But I'm still looking into some law firms.

Hope to hear all of your news and what you've been up to!

Best,

Melissa

I often tell students, that it is not where you go to college, but what you do when you get there, that will matter most in life. Melissa turned down several more “prestigious” colleges because she felt that PLU would be the best place for her. She has certainly taken advantage of opportunities to explore academics, build relationships and invest herself in the school and local community. I am confident that all of the people with whom she is communicating are thrilled to be “in the know”, feel invested in her success and will go out of their way to help her in the future!

Follow her example and make a commitment to communicate throughout your college years.

Thanks and Stay in Touch

noreply@blogger.com (JodiWalder) — Wed, 13 May 2015 19:00:00 +0000

This article first appeared on GoLocalPDX.com on May 13, 2015.

Hooray graduating seniors! In just a few more weeks you will be tossing that graduation cap in the air and moving on to the next phase of life. If you are headed to college in the fall, you didn’t get there on your own. A lot of people helped, and now is the time to say thanks.

Who should you thank? Here are some suggestions:

All your high school teachers, with a special recognition to the ones that wrote you college recommendation letters
Your high school counselor
Your athletic coach, choir director, robotics mentor—anyone who supported you in discovering your talents and interests throughout your high school years
Your school administrators, including the secretaries who sent out your transcripts
Your school support staff including the cafeteria workers and custodians
Your boss at work or supervisor at a place where you did volunteer work
Any tutors or test prep folks who helped you be academically successful
Any organization that gave you a scholarship
Your independent college counselor (if you used one)
The friends who supported you throughout this crazy year and through all of your high school ups and downs
Any adult mentor who has not been mentioned
Your parents

Emails and verbal thanks are normally okay, but for this big moment I actually want you buy a pack of printed thank-you cards and hand write notes to people. In case you don’t have much practice at this, here is some advice, andhere are some phrases that are nice for teachers.

All of these people care about you. They were invested in your success and your heartfelt expression of gratitude will be deeply appreciated. Don’t be surprised if you visit years later and still see your card pinned on a teacher’s bulletin board.

Thank you notes are a short term assignment, and I am also going to suggest a long-term task. Make the effort to stay in touch with some of these people throughout your time in college (and perhaps beyond that.) For this purpose email is an excellent tool. Here’s the easiest way to update multiple people about your journey through college. Create a group contact list. Name it something easy to remember like “College Update List”. At the end of each semester write a message that lets folks know what you have been up to. (Come back for next week’s column if you want to see a sample update from a student.)

In addition to being polite, staying in touch can have tangible benefits. One of my students included the local chapter of the Elks Club (which had given her a small scholarship) in her updates. Because the members were older and many did not have computers, she printed her update each semester and mailed it to the lodge, where it was promptly posted on the bulletin board by the entry. Last I heard, all eight of her updates were still posted (four years’ worth!) and donations to their scholarship fund increased during the years she was communicating. Another example is that when my daughter decided to apply for prestigious international fellowships for the years after her college graduation, she got a recommendation letter from a Spanish literature professor who had been her instructor while she was in high school and taking an enrichment class at Lewis & Clark College. He was able to write with confidence and provide specific examples of her achievement, because she had been regularly in touch with him during the intervening six years.

If you get in the habit of thanking people and being a good communicator, you will feel comfortable using this skill set in your career and throughout life.

Yield Rate and Demonstrated Interest

noreply@blogger.com (JodiWalder) — Wed, 06 May 2015 19:00:00 +0000

This article first appeared on GoLocalPDX.com on May 6, 2015.

When I worked in the advertising industry I hired many college graduates for their first full-time job. I always had multiple qualified applicants for each open job. What I discovered through experience was that the best workers were ultimately the people who wanted the job the most—they had a passion for advertising and were willing to do entry-level tasks to learn a lot and work their way up. I judged who wanted the job most based on the follow-up I received after the interview phase.

As a contracted application reader for a small, selective college I find myself in a similar situation. There are way more fantastically qualified applicants than spots in our freshman class. I want to offer admission to all of them, but I can’t, and therefore spend a lot of time trying to determine which applicants want to be there the most. Who really understands our mission, our hands-on curriculum and would prefer what we offer over any other college option? Many students profess that the school is their first choice, but they could be saying that on every application.

The percentage of accepted students who actually enroll at a given college is known as the “yield rate”. May 1 was the date by which current seniors needed to notify the colleges that accepted them whether or not they will attend. Since an individual student can only attend one school, if that student was offered admission at six places, he or she will help increase one school’s yield rate, but be bad for the yield rate of the other five schools. This week every school is scrambling to deal with the numbers. Schools that did not hit their enrollment targets are contacting students on the wait list to offer a spot. Schools that over-enrolled are scrambling to figure out how they will accommodate the extra students in the dorms and classrooms.

Colleges used to be able to predict their yield rate with a narrow margin of error. Since the rise of online applications and vehicles like the Common Application which make it simpler for a student to apply to more schools, yield rates have become far less predictable. April is the highest stress month for admissions teams as they wait to see how the deposits come in.

Why do colleges care so much about their yield rate? A big part of the answer is financial. The cost of maintaining the facilities and paying salaries does not fluctuate much based on enrollment. Colleges need a targeted number of students in order to be financially viable. We are in a moderate downturn in terms of the number of high school graduates, so those demographics mean fewer college students overall. Over the past few years many excellent colleges have not met their enrollment goals, which puts strain on the budget. In addition, yield rate is one factor that is counted in the US News &World Report rankings. Schools can move up in the rankings by having a higher yield rate and a lower acceptance rate. Since rankings have a correlation with both the number of future applicants and with alumni donations, colleges care a lot about them.

One way that colleges try to predict a student’s likelihood to attend is by tracking “demonstrated interest”. Although not all colleges do this, it is a growing trend in admissions. According to the NACAC 2011 “Factors in the Admissions Decision” report and the Chronicle of Higher Education report on “The Dynamics of Demonstrated Interest” a total of 50.2% of all colleges consider demonstrated interest to be of “Considerable Importance” or “Moderate Importance” when making admissions decisions.

Demonstrated interest refers to the interactions initiated by college applicants with colleges they apply to. These might interactions include:

Requesting information
Responding to recruitment materials
Interacting with the school on social media (follow or friend)
Contacting the admissions office or local admissions representative
Contacting a professor or athletic coach at the school
Attending college fairs and visiting that school’s booth (scan your bar code)
Registering and attending informational presentations when school reps travel to your city or visit your high school
Visiting the school and taking a campus tour and attending an info session
Requesting an overnight visit
Participating in an on-campus, virtual or alumni interview
Writing thoughtful and well-researched supplemental essays (especially the “Why this college?” essay)
Applying before any deadline dates
Applying early action, restrictive early action or early decision
Applying for anything like Honors College or special scholarships that require extra effort
Sending (handwritten) thank you notes

Here’s one way to look up whether or not a college considers demonstrated interest. Go to collegedata.com. Type the name of the school in the search bar. Click on the school name in the results. Click on the “Admission” tab. Scroll down to the heading “Selection of Students”. Look at the line “Level of Applicant’s Interest” in order to understand whether or not demonstrated interest is a factor at that school.

Get a Summer Job

noreply@blogger.com (JodiWalder) — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 19:00:00 +0000

This article first appeared in GoLocalPDX.com on April 29, 2015.

Many students want to choose summer activities that will “impress” a college. Since application readers are humans with distinct personalities and preferences, there is no prescriptive list of activities that will make you stand out. Colleges don’t want to advantage students from wealthy families, so they try not to favor activities that are expensive—a trip to the Galapagos to save the sea turtles, a service trip to build a sport court in a remote village of Peru, a six week summer program at Oxford. While these are amazing experiences, you should only pick them if you have ample financial resources and because they are something you truly want to do. No college will be particularly impressed, and some admissions officers will joke that you are another applicant with a bad case of “affluenza”.

Some students feel stressed if they are unable to get a summer internship or research position. Research with a professor at a local college is a fantastic way to deeply explore an area of interest, but these positions are hard to find and often unpaid. Internships are another opportunity to try out a field that’s intriguing. You help a company or non-profit accomplish a task of importance to them and gain great experience, but these too are often unpaid and hard to secure. An alternative to these options sounds like old-fashioned advice: get a job!

Why would a college admissions rep be impressed if you flip burgers at a local fast food joint, or teach swim lessons at the neighborhood pool, or sell athletic wear in the mall?

Successfully getting and keeping a job tells the admissions officer a lot about your “grit” (which is a trendy descriptor for the willingness to stick with something even when it is tough). It is challenging to get a summer job because there’s lots of competition for open positions. If you have one it is logical to assume that you wrote a good resume, filled out multiple applications, followed through with the potential employer, dressed and acted appropriately for your interview, and made a good impression. You have demonstrated these characteristics: attention to detail, organization, persistence, solid written and verbal communication skills, and social awareness.

If you keep your job for the summer an admissions officer can logically guess that you showed up on time and had good attendance, performed to the expected standards, got along reasonably well with your co-workers, and took direction from your boss. At college those behaviors equate to getting out of bed and showing up for class, turning in your assignments, working well on group projects, and showing up during office hours to talk with your professor or at the writing center to get help on a paper.

Sure, you can tell an admissions officer what type of student you intend to be, but proving you have valued characteristics by holding down a summer job is much more impressive.

Writing During Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Ilana) — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 19:00:00 +0000

This article first appeared on GoLocalPDX.com on April 22, 2015.

It’s hard to get started as a writer. I’m not even talking literary agents and publishing houses—I don’t actually know those worlds. Just getting articles published in magazines or newspapers can be tough, especially if you’re a high school student. But there are a lot of ways aspiring writers can pursue their goals, get some practical experience, and burnish their resumes all at the same time. And summer, when you are free from the pressures of school-assigned essays, is a great time to do them. Here are some suggestions.

Start a blog. Is there a topic that particularly interests you? Something you’re an expert in? Blog about it! Share your posts on your social networks, but don’t worry too much about building up a large readership. If it happens, that’s awesome; if not, you still have more experience and a portfolio. I blog about opera and theater now, but I wish I had started sooner! When I was looking for my first reviewing gig, I actually had to wait until I could write some sample pieces just to submit with my application for the job. If I’d started blogging before, I would have had them ready. If you’re just getting started and need a blogging platform, I recommend WordPress if you want a more customizable blog and Medium if you want a minimalist aesthetic and more publicity for your posts.

Write fan fiction. If you care about an audience and feedback, writing fan fiction can be a great way to get both. Lots of people obsessively read (and comment on) fan fiction about their favorite characters, so a well-written spin-off from a popular novel or series can quickly develop a large readership. In addition, it’s easy to find writing prompts: people on fan fiction forums often run informal contests built around silly topics like “a Les Miserables-inspired scene with a beach party.” Fanfiction.net is the main hub for this, but a quick search can help you find more specialized sites devoted to particular topics.

Write flash fiction and submit it to contests or online anthologies. Do you love writing fiction, but you’re not quite ready to start on the Next Great American Novel? Flash fiction is another name for short, short stories, with word limits ranging from 300 to 2,000 depending on the publisher. Tons of venues run regular flash fiction contests (just Google “flash fiction contest”), sometimes with open topics and sometimes with prompts. There are also several zines and sites devoted to publishing flash fiction, including Flash Fiction Online and Every Day Fiction. Submitting to these (check their guidelines for things like word limits) can help you get your stories out to the wider reading public and also give you the satisfaction (and bragging rights) of being published.

Pitch student opinion pieces to a small, local newspaper. Do you feel strongly about particular issues where your voice as a student or teenager is unique? Perhaps it’s the local school system or a technology or environmental debate. If there’s a local newspaper in your town, try pitching them an opinion piece. Emphasize the value your particular viewpoint can add to the debate. Whether you can pitch a still-unwritten piece or need to submit an already-completed op-ed depends on your target paper, so check their submission guidelines before you write.

Write poetry and read it at local venues. Maybe poetry is more your style than prose. There are plenty of online and offline anthologies and contests for student poetry, but I don’t know them well enough to suggest specific ones. Suffice to say, seek and you shall find. (A search for “high school student poetry contest” yields a lot of results, many from prestigious institutions.) But there are also less formal ways you can share your work. Many cafes and libraries have open mic poetry nights, where you can read your favorite pieces to appreciative and supportive local audiences. Of course, if you’re into performance as well as writing, you can also sign up to take part in poetry slams.

Take a writing class. Writing in the real world is fun, but you can’t always get expert feedback. (No, your family and friends probably aren’t experts, unless you know a lot of professional writers. Neither are most of the commenters on Fanfiction.net.) Taking a class can be a great, structured way to improve your writing. In the Portland , Oregon area you could consider Fir Acres at Lewis & Clark College or show:tell at Marylhurst University. Nationally known programs include The Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop and the Sewanee Young Writers’ Conference (already full for summer 2015, but keep it in mind for next year).

Get a head start on NaNoWriMo. Ambitious enough to write a whole novel? National Novel Writing Month is a worldwide event in which thousands of professional and amateur writers try to complete a novel (50,000 words or more) in just 30 days. Technically, it only counts for NaNoWriMo if you write the whole novel between November 1 and November 30. Obviously, that’s not the summer, but there’s no reason you can’t challenge yourself to do the same thing during, say, July or August. Even if you prefer to participate in November, you can start planning your NaNoWriMo novel this summer, outlining possible plot events and developing your characters’ back stories. That way, you will be more likely to succeed (and the resulting novel will probably be better)!

Commit to summer pieces for your school paper or literary magazine. Does your high school have a student-run newspaper or literary magazine? Join now (if you’re not already a member), and propose pieces you’ll write over the summer. What, exactly, you should propose depends on your interests—you could offer to cover a big local August sporting event, review a forthcoming film, or compose a short story on a given theme. The point is to give yourself a specific but manageable writing goal to work towards over the summer months, secure in the knowledge that you’ll be able to see the fruits of your labor in print.

Many of these ideas talk about sharing your work, but really, you shouldn’t worry too much about the best way to get your pieces read or published. If you’re a high school student who wants to be a writer, the most important thing to do is simply to write every day.

Portland Spring College Fair

noreply@blogger.com (JodiWalder) — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 19:00:00 +0000

This article first appeared in GoLocalPDX.com on April 15, 2015.

A college fair is an educational opportunity for students and parents and a marketing opportunity for colleges. In the fall and spring many colleges send their admissions staff on the road to promote the school to high school students. The fall fair is larger, often with close to 300 schools in attendance. The spring fair is less overwhelming, but there will still be approximately 75 school representatives here in Portland eager to tell you why their school might be a good fit for you.

The PNACAC Portland regional spring fair is soon approaching. University of Portland will be the host site for the event on Sunday, April 26, 2015 from 12:00 – 3:00 pm. I encourage 9th, 10th and 11th grade students and their parents to attend the fair.

As the event is automated, students are asked to register prior to attending the event, to eliminate filling out prospect cards at each college table every time. The registration form is accessed from gotocollegefairs.com. After completion a barcode is created, which you should print and bring with you to the fair. Colleges will simply scan the barcodes to obtain your information. This streamlines the fair for students giving you more time to learn about the colleges that interest you.

How does this work?

Students access gotocollegefairs.com
Click on the “Student Register Now” button
Select the state, choose the fair you will attend
Complete the registration form once
Submit the form. The barcode is displayed
Print – you are done!

Great feature; two days prior to the event, you will receive an attendance reminder email with a copy of their barcode attached.

Juniors, now is the time you want to be focused on your college list. If you haven’t started exploring, use the fair to do so. If you already have some schools in mind, check the list to see if they will be in attendance and please make an effort to show up at the fair and meet the rep. Demonstrated interest is one of many factors that are taken into consideration when applications are reviewed.

Sophomore and freshman, the college fair is a great place to explore. Go with an open mind and see what catches your eye. Talk with a lot of reps so you start to understand the pros and cons of larger or smaller schools, the sorts of programs and services offered and get a sense of both the academic and non-academic factors that go into deciding which schools you will apply to.

The fair can be overwhelming if you just wander. It is a good idea to decide on some schools in advance that you want to check out and to head to those tables first. If possible, do some basic internet research first, so that you are not asking questions that have readily available answers on the school website.

If a parent is unavailable, go with a friend. Have the friend take notes for you while you are talking about your interests and asking questions. You do the same for her/him. Once you have spoken with a few colleges, it’s easy to get confused about which college had which program. These notes will help you when it comes to filling out college applications, so keep them in a place where you can find them and be sure to record the date you spoke with the rep and get his/her name.

Walk up to the college’s table/booth. Shake hands firmly with the admissions representative. Offer your name, graduation year and your school.

Potential questions to get you started:

What can you tell me about your _______________ department/program?
What are some distinctive, special or unique programs to your college?
What type of students does well at your school? What kind of students finds it a poor fit?
What programs do you offer to help freshmen adjust to college? What programs do you have that serve first-generation students or students of color?
What kind of tutoring or academic help is available?
Do you have any special housing options?
What do students do for fun on campus? (Ask about specific clubs or activities in which you are interested).
Do you offer buses or transportation to a city or other off-campus programs?
Do you offer Greek (fraternities & sororities) life? What percentage of students participates?
What traditions does your school have?
Does your school meet full demonstrated need? If not, what percent of need do you typically meet? What percentage of students receive merit aid? Is there an early scholarship deadline? What is the average debt of graduating students?

Share your interests, as it will allow the representative to highlight programs in which you may have interest.

Grab his/her business card and send a thank you email when you get home. Let the rep know what you appreciated learning about the school. Make sure your grammar and spelling are top notch.