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Overview
Peterson's Writing Successful College Applications offers outstanding suggestions and detailed expert advice to help students create a college application package that will help them stand out from a crowd of competitive candidates.
‘It’s more than just the essay.’ This guide reviews all the components of a successful college application process in an honest and engaging way.
- This new book offers proven strategies to help students craft a successful essay or personal statement, with tips and insights to guide them through the writing process.
- There are over 50 sample personal statements from successful students plus bonus information on how to write strong activity and academic paragraphs to highlight your leadership and teamwork skills.
- The guide provides advice and writing tips on the all-important "Why This School" paragraph to emphasize the student’s interest.
Interviews with Deans of Admission offer valuable information on what colleges are really looking for in an admission essay. Often, it’s not what you think. Be unique and bright - but also have a great story that will make you memorable. If the Dean is still thinking about your personal statement two days later, it achieved its purpose.
Today's multiple college applications involve writing more than just one long essay. The myriad required paragraphs and supplemental statements demand skill, finesse, tenacity, and patience.
Peterson's Writing Successful College Applications reminds the reader that what defines the application are the little details like:
- biographical information
- GPA and transcript
- standardized tests
- strong letters of recommendation
- extracurricular and volunteer activities on a resume
- A writing project or art or music portfolio add to the memorability factor, if the student has talent or writing skills to showcase.
The advice about writing an essay that only this student could write is excellent. Be unique and tell your own story. But remember - ‘It’s more than just the essay.’
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780768938890 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Peterson's |
| Publication date: | 09/03/2014 |
| Pages: | 312 |
| Sales rank: | 1,116,941 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d) |
About the Author
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction xi
Chapter 1 Writing from Your Heart and Mind: A College Essay That Only You Could Write 1
Questions to Answer: Self-Reflection Activity 2
The Essay Questions 3
Where to Begin? 8
Final Word of Warning: Plagiarism 10
Chapter 2 Dos and Don'ts in Writing Your College Application 11
Dos 11
Don'ts 14
Questions and Answers 16
Chapter 3 50+ Sample Essays 23
Taking Risks and Conquering Fears 24
Role Models, Teachers, and Heroes-Learning from Others in Unexpected Ways 34
Pursuing Passions and Hobbies 46
Family Reflections, Traditions, and Influences 62
Personal Setbacks and Self-Reflection 76
Work and Community 89
Academic and Philosophical Aspirations-The Thinking Essay 104
Cultural Identity and Personal Exploration 115
Humorous and Miscellaneous 134
Chapter 4 The Activity Paragraph 155
Activity Paragraph Dos and Don'ts 156
Activity Paragraph: Academic Experiences 159
Activity Paragraph: Community Service 162
Activity Paragraph: Extracurricular Activity 167
Activity Paragraph: Leadership 170
Activity Paragraph: My Job 170
Chapter 5 The Academic and "Thinking" Paragraph 173
Academic/Thinking Paragraph-Dos and Don'ts 174
Sample Paragraphs: Academic Passion 175
Sample Paragraphs: Intellectual Passion 184
Sample Paragraphs: Philosophical Ideas 187
Chapter 7 The "Why This School?" Question 191
Dos and Don'ts for Learning About a School 193
Sample "Why This School?" Essay Responses 196
Chapter 7 Supplemental Questions: Short Answers & Fill-in-the-Blanks 213
Sample Supplemental Essays 216
Chapter 8 Additional Information Sections 225
Additional Information Writing Samples 226
Including Positive Additional Information 230
Chapter 9 How to "Recycle" Your Writing 231
Tweaking Your "Why This College?" Essay 233
Another Novel Approach to "Why This School?" 240
Chapter 10 The Brag Sheet-Advice for Writing Your Resume 241
Sample "Brag Sheets" 244
Chapter 11 Interviews with Deans of Admission: Insights, Tips, and Wisdom 255
Bates College: Leigh Weisenburger, Dean of Admission and Financial Aid 256
Bucknell University: Robert G. Springall, Dean of Admissions 260
Duke University: Christoph Guttentag, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions 264
Occidental College: Vince Cuseo, Vice President for Admission and Financial Aid 268
University of Michigan: Theodore (Ted)Spencer, Associate Vice Provost and Executive Director of Undergraduate Admissions 271
University of Notre Dame: Brian T. Lohr, Director of Admissions Operations and Management, Office of Undergraduate Admissions 273
University of Rochester: Jonathan Burdick, Vice Provost and Dean of College Admission 276
University of Southern California (USC): Timothy Brunold, Dean of Admission 280
Vanderbilt University: Douglas L. Christiansen, Ph.D., Vice Provost for Enrollment and Dean of Admissions 284
Wesleyan University: Nancy Hargrave Meislahn, Dean of Admission and Financial Aid 287
Concluding Remarks 291
Student Contributors 293
Application Websites 295