BHSPA College Application

College Application

The College Application Process

Types of Applications
There are four types of applications that a student may submit to college.

Early Action	Early action applications: May be sent to multiple colleges Are not binding Indicate a strong interest by the student and reflect a strong application Depend on Junior year SAT I or ACT and SAT II test scores Are typically due for submission by November 1 of the Senior year Students usually receive notification in December and typically have until May to notify the school.
Early Decision	Early decision applications: Are made to only one school Are binding Reflect a very strong application Depend on Junior year SAT I or ACT and SAT II test scores Are typically due for submission in October of the Senior year and, therefore, require that students begin the application during the summer before Senior year begins. Students usually receive notification in December and require other applications to be withdrawn if accepted, except if the financial aid offered does not meet the student’s requirements.
Regular Decision	Typically, regular college applications are submitted in January of the Senior year and students are notified or acceptance or rejection in April.
Rolling Decision	Sometimes larger schools process applications as they are received and notify students of acceptance or rejection after review rather than on a set schedule.

The College Application
Regardless of the type of application the student makes, the student’s application includes the same components.

Many colleges have their application forms on the Web and students can download them. Typically, an application asks for information on:

Personal and family history
Educational history
Test scores
Academic honors
Extracurricular, personal, and volunteer activities
Work experience

Most colleges also asks for:

School transcript
A personal essay by the student, usually of 250-500 words
Recommendations

The Common Application Form
Check whether or not the colleges to which your student is applying accept the Common Application form. If so, the form can be downloaded from the Web.

For each of the colleges that accept the Common Application, the site indicates whether or not the college:

Accepts on line application?
Offers Early Decision?
Offers Early Action?

The site also has links to the Web sites for each of the 200+ colleges that use the Common Application.

School Transcript
When BHS sends the school transcript to a college, the Guidance department sends:

The student’s permanent record card, including the student’s:
- Name and address
- Unofficial test scores (official test scores are sent directly to the college by the Educational Testing Service)
- Class rank
- Grade Point Average (GPA)
High school transcript, which shows:
- The four quarterly and final grades for 9th, 10th, and 11th grades
- First and second quarter grades for 12th grade
- The level of difficulty of each course taken by the student
- Grade Point Average (GPA)
- Class rank

BHS mails all of the information to each school to which the student is applying in the BHS Profile folder. This folder includes:

A brief description of the town
Basic information about BHS, its enrollment, the faculty to student ratio, and general graduation requirements
A list of the courses offered, their levels, and an explanation of course leveling
An explanation of how class rank is calculated
A summary of SAT I scores for the graduating class
College placements of the previous year’s graduating class

Personal Essay by the Student
Most colleges require that the student include one or two essays, most often on a suggested topic or a choice from 1-3 topics. Regardless of the topic, the essay will be evaluated based on three criteria:

Ability to use the English language well. Grammar, spelling, usage, syntax all count.
Ability to use careful writing skills and well-constructed sentences to effectively convince and express ideas of substance.
Insight into the student’s unique personality, values, and goals.

Some advice:

In this situation, neatness counts! Use a word processor.
Follow the directions. Writing more or less than directed or on a subject of the student’s own choosing are not good ideas.
Make sure the essay is believable.
Be positive. If the topic is a painful experience, or the examples are about difficulties, it is important for the student to show how overcoming or moving beyond are part of the lessons learned.
As with all creative writing, it is strongest when it is personal. Using detailed examples, dialogue, specific examples are the components that should be emphasized.
Use a multi-step process that includes:
- Brainstorming for a topic
- Creating an outline and/or draft
- Writing when there is sufficient time but not unlimited time
- Leaving time for review by others (it's OK for parents to review but not rewrite)
- Revising

Recommendations
In the most recent survey conducted by the Independent Educational Consultants Association, recommendations from teachers and counselors ranked 8th in importance to admissions directors. Typically, colleges require recommendations from:

A Guidance Counselor
1 to 2 teachers

Usually, colleges do not set requirements for which teachers the student ask for a recommendation. However, it is recommended that students get:

At least one recommendation from a teacher who respects her work in an academic discipline.
One additional recommendation from a teacher who can give evidence of special skills, talents, or character traits that distinguishes him.

Although most teachers have lots of experience writing recommendations, it doesn’t hurt if the student attaches a note asking the teacher to highlight:

Accomplishments that exemplify the student’s level of commitment
Evidence of the student’s strongest skills
Examples of the student’s positive character traits
Specifics that demonstrate how the student would succeed and contribute at the college

Other Factors in College Admissions
In addition to the college application, there are a number of other factors that may affect the student’s admission to a college. The most common include:

A personal interview. Some colleges require a personal interview and others offer but do not require them. The key to a successful interview is for the student to prepare. The student should:
- Be familiar with the school and the programs of particular interest
- Have a list of appropriate questions to ask
- Be prepared to answer questions about interests and motivation
- Be enthusiastic about attending the college
Special Talents. Most often, special talents that affect admission are in music, art, or sports and the student must have strong skills in the area.
- In the best circumstances, the student has a “champion,” such as a coach, who is interested in the student and works on his or her behalf.
- The student’s work is often evaluated by the art or music department as part of the admission process for those specialties.
It is in the student’s best interest to consider those schools where their special talents will be valued.
Relatives Who Attended. The student must first meet all the other admissions requirements. Only then is having a relative who attended the school an additional plus and a factor that differentiates a student.

The Top Ten Things Colleges Want in Applicants
The following list is based on a survey conducted by the Independent Educational Consultants Association.

A high school curriculum that challenges the student. Academically successful students should include several Honors and Advanced Placement classes.
Grades that represent strong effort and an upward trend. Grades should show an upward trend over the years. However, slightly lower grades in a rigorous program are preferred to all A's in less challenging coursework.
Solid scores on standardized tests (SAT, ACT). These should be consistent with high school performance.
Passionate involvement in a few activities, demonstrating leadership and initiative. Depth, not breadth, of experience is most important.
Community service showing evidence of being a "contributor." Activities should demonstrate concern for other people and a global view.
Work or out-of-school experiences (including summer activities) that illustrate responsibility, dedication and development of areas of interest. Work or other meaningful use of free time can demonstrate maturity.
A well-written essay that provides insight into the student's unique personality, values and goals. The application essay should be thoughtful and highly personal. It should demonstrate careful and well-constructed writing.
Letters of recommendation from teachers and guidance counselor that give evidence of integrity, special skill, and positive character traits. Students should request recommendations from teachers who respect their work in an academic discipline.
Supplementary recommendations by adults who have had significant direct contact with the student. Letters from coaches or supervisors in long-term work or volunteer activities are valuable; however, recommendations from casual acquaintances or family friends, even if they are well known, are rarely given much weight.
Anything special that makes the student stand out from the rest of the applicants! Include honors, awards, evidence of unusual talent or experience, or anything else that makes the student unique. Overall, colleges are seeking students who will be active contributing members of the student body.