myUsearch blog

Does this scenario sound familiar?  You get home from school and grab the mail out of the mailbox in front of your home to bring inside.  It’s the usual junk mail, catalog or two, bill for your Mom or Dad.  But then you notice something different.  Something addressed to you!

Let’s be honest.  You are probably only used to getting a card from Grandma on your birthday and maybe a cell phone bill (but you probably get that online).  Something addressed to you that isn’t one of those two things must demand your attention, right?

The next day you get home … and there are 2 things addressed to you.  The next day 5.  The day after 10.  What are these wonderful pieces of mail I am talking about?  Well if you are a high school junior or senior you know … I’m talking about the mounds and mounds of brochures from colleges that you are probably getting on a daily basis.

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One of the things I have noticed students admitted to college starting to ask is, “How many students are admitted to my major?” or “How many students do you accept each year?”.  While valid questions, these answers need to be placed in the right context.

What many students may or may not realize is that the landscape of applying to colleges have changed.  The University of New Haven is not alone in an increase in the number of applicants to the school.  While we have seen a tremendous surge in applications over the last 3 years … many universities have seen a steady increase in applications as well.

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Now that the majority of college application deadlines have come and gone, there are some students whose lights seem a bit brighter, and others, a bit more dim. So how do you make sure you are one of those bright students who beat the college application clock? Here are a few tips to help you make your college application deadlines.

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The year-round cycle of college entrance exams is truly impressive. Just last week I learned that there are some schools which are now utilizing the SAT college entrance exam writing section as the gauge for freshman composition courses. I’m not referring to large publics. No. On this list were some very small private universities and colleges. Why are we being told that the writing section of the SAT or the ACT college entrance exam doesn’t matter when it so clearly does? What should the students focus on in order to gain their best admission opportunity when it comes to these college entrance exams? And how far should a student go to make the exam convey who they want to be, as opposed to just who they are?

 Photo by Cushing Memorial Library and Archives Texas A&M 

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While it’s important to take time for yourself during the holidays so you can go back to school refreshed, it is also a great time to get a jump start on some things that may help you get into college.  Here are a few suggestions of ways you can use the time to improve your chances of being admitted to the colleges you may be considering.

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This is a crazy time of year.  Thousands of colleges around the country are reading thousands of applications for students who are putting their hopes and dreams into an envelope (well … nowadays an e-mail account) and hoping for the best.

The unfortunate downside of reviewing so many applications is often times students are either not ready, or not a good fit for some of the colleges they are applying to.  This should not deter a you from applying to the school(s) you are interested in attending … in fact, it should encourage you to do your research, and prioritize your schools based on “fit” over “rank”.

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The key to writing an application essay is finding your voice. You can imagine the massive volume of college application essays the admissions staff has to wade through every year, so make yours stand out! Even if the application essay prompt seems to be very specific, it is still possible, and necessary, for you to find a way to get an idea across that is unique and that reveals something interesting, profound, and different about yourself.

Photo by Valeriana Solaris

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The following guest post was contributed by Christine Howell who frequently writes about Online Degrees and college related topics for Online College Guru, an online college directory and comparison website.

Writing college application essays can be intimidating for most aspiring applicants. College admissions can be competitive; it’s essential for students to find a way to stand out from the crowd. Extracurricular activities can be helpful, as can personal letters of reference, but most experts agree that college application essays are the best way for students to express their individuality and attract the attention of admissions officers at the college or university of their choice.

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Today we have a guest post from college admissions insider Gil Rogers, Associate Director of Admissions at the University of New Haven.

 So you are getting ready to finalize those college applications.  You have visited schools, met with counselors and students, read through every piece of mail sent to you and surfed on all of the best college search websites.  You are ready to go, right?  Wrong.

Filling out the application form is easy.  As long as you know your name and address, chances are, that part is done.  But what are you going to do to set yourself apart from all of the names and numbers on the papers going in to the admissions office at your top choice school?  That is where the application essay comes in.

Photo by Valeriana Solaris 

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There’s a belief among some students that senior year is a time to take easy classes.  Well, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but if you really want to go to college that’s the last thing you should do.  It seems that every year the same erroneous ideas regarding applying to college manage to make their way into students’ conversations.  They are part of what I refer to as “Hallway Mythology”.

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Every year, more and more students choose to apply online – a trend I’m happy to see as we become more environmentally responsible.  However, in some students’ minds, online applications seem to trigger a response that says, “It’s just another online form.  How hard can it be?”  The truth is, it’s not “just another online form”.  It’s your chance to make a great first impression – or not. (more…)

As summer is coming to an end, high school seniors will begin to think about applying to college.  Having worked in college admissions for over 10 years, I’ve seen my share of stupid mistakes from students in completing their college applications.  While many professionals will give you advice on how to construct the perfect application,  few will share the unfortunate errors with you.  Today’s blog will cover the top 5 mistakes that I’ve seen. (more…)

I’d like to let you in on a little secret: I am usually assigned topics to cover for this blog and I, naturally, follow my grand-master’s guidelines to the “T”. However, this month, no such luck. I was told to write on anything– ANYTHING that I choose. I’m picturing my high school seniors who come to me saying that they’re choosing to write their college essay using the Common Application’s prompt, “Topic of your choice”. So I guess I will take the advice I often give them and “be specific”. I would like to talk about how important it is for students to become their own advocates in the college application and admission process.

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If you’re looking to graduate from college early, add some edge to your applications, or get a little taste of the college experience before fully diving in, then you might consider dual enrollment programs, where a student takes college courses for both college and high school credit. This could mean anything from literally taking a class on the college campus to a professor coming in to the high school or even having honors high school courses signed off for credit.

Although many state systems are expanding dual enrollment programs as a way to decrease drop-out rates, encourage more students to go on to college, and save on higher education funding, other schools won’t even glance at those credits. Here are some things to consider when deciding whether or not to do dual enrollment.

photo by Robert S. Donovan

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With another school year down and a new one just lurking around the corner, it is important for high school seniors to begin their college application process now. No, we’re not doing this to fuel the fire of competitive college admissions. And we’re certainly not doing this to pile on more stress and anxiety to the already-hectic life of a teen. What we’re doing is actually trying to alleviate some of that by planning — creating a timetable of sorts to make your life more orderly. Let’s face it, the junior year was tough because that’s what the junior year is supposed to be. Your senior year is equally as difficult in the classroom. Do you really want to add to that by doing nothing the summer before? So let’s figure out what you can do now that will save you time and worry during your last hoorah in high school.

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We got a lot of great responses from students who entered our recent scholarship contest, Why the SAT/ACT Doesn’t Measure Me. Chelsea Lorimor (who will be a freshman at Mesa State in the fall) won the scholarship but many of the essays had some great advice, suggestions and opinions on the SAT and ACT. Check out what some high school seniors had to say about the test that could affect their futures.

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Last week I attended the RMACAC conference in Colorado Springs and attended a presentation given from college admissions insiders from three different selective colleges across the country. Jared Cash, Associate Dean of Admissions, Bates College; Todd Rinehart, Assistant Vice Chancellor and Director of Admission, University of Denver; and Abby Noel, Assistant Director of Admission, Vanderbilt University shared some inside information about how they determine who is accepted or denied admission to their colleges.  This is what I found out…….. 

Photo of the University of Denver by Velotech 

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Students don’t need to wait until they’ve finished high school to start earning college credit. There are many ways for students to complete college coursework during high school, and this challenge may further motivate them, give them access to a college environment, and can ultimately save thousands of dollars in college tuition. A recent article published by Inside Higher Ed advocates these programs, but I think it might be best for students to wait to take college classes until, well… college. (more…)

On April 4, high school juniors breathed a sigh of relief. They took the ACT, and it is now behind them.  They will have jumped over a major hurdle in the college admission process. Are the admission hurdles now a thing of the past for our college-bound seniors? Not quite yet…

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Several of the colleges I was considering either required or recommended applicants take a number of SAT Subject Tests. For all the pressure there was to do well on the “regular” SAT and ACT, I knew almost nothing about the Subject Tests. In case you’re in the same boat as I was, read on for some of my lessons from experience.

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