College Essay and Teacher Recommendations

1. College Essay and Teacher Recommendations Mrs. Allie McDonald School Counselor College Night March 2012

2. Overview of Presentation • College Essay • Overview • Sample Prompts • Tips • Teacher Recommendations • What schools are looking for • Who to ask • How to ask

3. Question presented to Columbia, Cornell, Rice, Brown, and U of Chicago Q: We all know that you want rigorous courses, high GPA and SAT scores… so what is it that truly separates the students that will get into your highly selective schools? A: THE ESSAY!

4. The College Essay • The College Essay should be thought of as an interview • This is a school’s chance to get to know THE STUDENT • Be yourself. This is not the opportunity to impress by using big words and complicated literary devices.

5. Choosing a Topic • Choose a topic about which you are an expert! • Don’t make it more complicated than it needs to be. Admissions officers will read plenty of essays about Egypt, the war in Iraq and global warming. Tell them about YOU. • Tell the reader why an issue is important to you, why you have made choices in life, why you care

6. Common Application Essay Questions • Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you. • Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you. • Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence. • Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.

7. Common Application Essay Questions • A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you. • Topic of your choice

8. College Essay Tips • Give yourself time to do a good job • Invest in the drafting process (even if it means starting over and trying again) • Focus on one specific event • Be careful about pet stories, accounts of a dear, departed relative, or your efforts in delivering the big play in the big game

9. College Essay Tips • Don’t be redundant. Don’t repeat information about yourself that can be found elsewhere on your application. • Eliminate distractions such as spelling and punctuation errors • When you think you are finished with your essay, read it again • Be careful using the same essay to answer different questions

10. College Essay Tips • Be careful about becoming involved with essay editing services • Be original • Do NOT let your parent write your college essay • Think of your audience. Admission committees will not read your entire essay unless it catches their attention from the beginning. • Stick to the word count limit!

11. Resources • College Essay Free Writing • “Dos and don’ts on writing the college application essay” • “Nine Horrible College Essay Topics” • “10 Great Opening Lines from Stanford Admissions Essays” • Books in Student Services

12. Teacher Recommendations “Please write whatever you think is important about this student, including a description of academic and personal characteristics, as demonstrated in your classroom. We welcome information that will help us to differentiate this student from others." -- 2009-2010 Common Application Teacher Evaluation

13. Questions to Consider about Teacher Recommendations • Which of your teachers will answer this question for your college applications? • What insights will they share about you with college admissions officers? • How convincing will their words be?

14. Teacher Recommendation Tips • In choosing who to ask to write your recommendations, it pays to choose wisely. • One common misconception students have about teacher recommendations is that they should focus on the student's extracurricular accomplishments.

15. Teacher Recommendations • What they're really hoping to uncover in teacher recommendations is who you are inside the classroom. • How strong are your writing and analytical skills? Do you make valuable contributions to classroom discussions? • Are you a creative thinker or someone who just dutifully parrots back information?

16. Teacher Recommendations • How do you react when a subject is particularly challenging to you? • Do you work just for the grade, or out of the sheer joy of learning for learning's sake? What is your intellectual potential? • Will you be able to handle college level work?

17. Choosing a Teacher to Write a Recommendation • Don't automatically assume that your recommendations must come from the teacher who gave you the best grades • Choose a teacher who knows your academic performance and has taken time to get to know you as a student • Ask early!

18. Asking a Teacher to Write a Recommendation • Ask teacher (in person) if they will consider writing a recommendation for you. Request your recommendation early. Some teachers allot a certain amount of letters per year • Politely arrange a time (at least 10 minutes) that you can meet with the teacher to discuss the recommendation. DON’T SEND AN EMAIL!

19. Asking a Teacher to Write a Recommendation Provide the teacher with the following: • List of selected colleges/universities and the application deadlines. Include stamped envelopes (including the university’s address) for each recommendation requested. • Updated resume including all of your activities • Recommendation forms provided with the college application; your portion MUST be completed

20. Asking a Teacher for a Recommendation MOST IMPORTANTLY • Typed answers to the following questions • Why do you feel like this teacher can write you a meaningful recommendation? • What was your most meaningful experience in this teacher’s class?

21. Teacher Recommendation Follow-Up • Allow a minimum of 20 school days for the teacher to complete the letter. • Check back with the teacher before due date to make sure they have everything. • Write a thank you note to each teacher that takes time to recommend you!

22. Teacher Recommendation Resources • “How to Request a Teacher Recommendation Letter”

23. Counselor Recommendation • By the end of the junior year, students will submit • Autobiographical Sketch Packet • Parent Brag Sheet • Get to know your counselor NOW • Say hi in the hallways!

24. Questions? Allison_mcdonald@hcpss.org 410-313-5535 Counselor Breakdown by Last Name A-De: Allison McDonald Dh-I: Mindy Hirsch J-Mc: Rodney Williams Me-R: Kareef Overton S-Z: Moira Baylog