DREAM UNIVERSITY College Application Guide @roadtousa1 @roadtousa2 Table of Contents US Education System 2. Common App 3. Deadlines 4. Transcript 5. Test Scores 6. University Decision Dream University College Education System Undergraduate degree only Smaller class size Majority privately founded University Postgraduate degrees also Larger class size Majority publicly founded Dream University Common App What is it? The Common Application is a single online college application form used by over 1000 colleges and universities. Instead of filling out the same general information—like your address, GPA, and extracurriculars— a dozen times, you only have to do it once. Dream University Register a Common App account There are a few important things to note, though. Instead of going through each section, we’ll pull out a couple of key points in some of them. Dream University REQUIRED MATERIALS 1 2 High school/secondary school transcript Test scores and dates 3 A list of out-of-school activities 4 Family Information Dream University Common App Sections: Personal Information Family Information Education Testing Activities Writing Courses/grades Dream University SENDING TEST SCORES On this page, you can self-report scores for the SAT, the ACT, the TOEFL, the IELTS, and/or the PTE Academic. To do so, simply click "Yes" when asked if you’d like to self-report any scores. These unofficial scores are used for admissions purposes only. If you get accepted and decide to enroll, you’ll need to submit your official score report. Dream University Process The process of self-reporting test scores is pretty simple if you’re applying through the Common App or Coalition App. All you really need to do is look for the testing section on the application and then click "Yes" if you wish to report scores from any tests. Just be sure to check ahead of time that your school(s) accept self-reported SAT/ACT scores and don't require official reports. Dream University Activities This section and students’ essays are the most distinctive parts of the Common App, giving students a chance to convey their personalities - encourage them to do so! Dream University TIPS FOR MAKING YOUR ACTIVITIES LIST AWESOME 1. Aim for variety, making 2. Use the present tense 3. State role, leadership sure your verbs aren’t if it’s something you still description, and the redundant. do organization name in the top two sections so you don’t waste characters in the 150-character description section. Dream University YOU CAN GET FULL INFORMATION IN COLLEGEESSAYGUY.COM Dream University Writing Section 40 You may have heard the phrase “holistic 30 admissions” thrown around—many universities follow this model, which 20 means they don’t necessarily have an ACT or SAT score, nor do they require a certain 10 number of AP/IB/Honors courses. 0 Chance 1 Chance 2 Chance 3 Chance 4 Chance 5 Instead, they’re trying to get to know candidates as humans. Dream University What are these mystical college essays, anyway? Personal statement When people refer to the personal statement, they’re talking about the 650-word Common Application Essay, which all schools using the Common App will see. Supplemental Essay These are the essays that schools can choose to have you write on top of the core Common App Essay. Dream University Common App Essay prompts 2022–2023 1. 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. 2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? 3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? 4. Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you? Dream University 5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. 6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more? 7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design. Dream University COMMON APP ESSAY EXAMPLE #1 HOME As I enter the double doors, the smell of freshly rolled biscuits hits me almost instantly. I trace the fan blades as they swing above me, emitting a low, repetitive hum resembling a faint melody. After bringing our usual order, the “Tailgate Special,” to the table, my father begins discussing the recent performance of Apple stock with my mother, myself, and my older eleven year old sister. Bojangle’s, a Southern establishment well known for its fried chicken and reliable fast food, is my family’s Friday night restaurant, often accompanied by trips to Eva Perry, the nearby library. With one hand on my breaded chicken and the other on Nancy Drew: Mystery of Crocodile Island, I can barely sit still as the thriller unfolds. They’re imprisoned! Reptiles! Not the enemy’s boat! As I delve into the narrative with a sip of sweet tea, I feel at home. “Five, six, seven, eight!” As I shout the counts, nineteen dancers grab and begin to spin the tassels attached to their swords while walking heel-to-toe to the next formation of the classical Chinese sword dance. A glance at my notebook reveals a collection of worn pages covered with meticulously planned formations, counts, and movements. Through sharing videos of my performances with my relatives or discovering and choreographing the nuances of certain regional dances and their reflection on the region’s distinct culture, I deepen my relationship with my parents, heritage, and community. When I step on stage, the hours I’ve spent choreographing, creating poses, teaching, and polishing are all worthwhile, and the stage becomes my home. Set temperature. Calibrate. Integrate. Analyze. Set temperature. Calibrate. Integrate. Analyze. This pulse mimics the beating of my heart, a subtle rhythm that persists each day I come into the lab. Whether I am working under the fume hood with platinum nanoparticles, manipulating raw integration data, or spraying a thin platinum film over pieces of copper, it is in Lab 304 in Hudson Hall that I first feel the distinct sensation, and I’m home. After spending several weeks attempting to synthesize platinum nanoparticles with a diameter between 10 and 16 nm, I finally achieve nanoparticles with a diameter of 14.6 nm after carefully monitoring the sulfuric acid bath. That unmistakable tingling sensation dances up my arm as I scribble into my notebook: I am overcome with a feeling of unbridled joy. Styled in a t-shirt, shorts, and a worn, dark green lanyard, I sprint across the quad from the elective ‘Speaking Arabic through the Rassias Method’ to ‘Knitting Nirvana’. This afternoon is just one of many at Governor’s School East, where I have been transformed from a high school student into a philosopher, a thinker, and an avid learner. While I attend GS at Meredith College for Natural Science, the lessons learned and experiences gained extend far beyond physics concepts, serial dilutions, and toxicity. I learn to trust myself to have difficult yet necessary conversations about the political and economic climate. Governor’s School breeds a culture of inclusivity and multidimensionality, and I am transformed from “girl who is hardworking” or “science girl” to someone who indulges in the sciences, debates about psychology and the economy, and loves to swing and salsa dance. As I form a slip knot and cast on, I’m at home. My home is a dynamic and eclectic entity. Although I’ve lived in the same house in Cary, North Carolina for 10 years, I have found and carved homes and communities that are filled with and enriched by tradition, artists, researchers, and intellectuals. While I may not always live within a 5 mile radius of a Bojangle’s or in close proximity to Lab 304, learning to become a more perceptive daughter and sister, to share the beauty of my heritage, and to take risks and redefine scientific and personal expectations will continue to impact my sense of home. More info: COLLEGEESSAYGUY.COM COLLEGEVINE.COM Dream University Dream University #3 Add colleges to the Common App Make a note of each school’s requirements: Deadlines Writing requirements The information and minimum thresholds they need for courses and/or grades Standardized tests Recommendations Dream University Students can tailor their Common App searches according to factors that matter to them, including: A first-class college experience The institution’s state The application or country deadline The enrolment term Its writing, testing and/or recommendation requirements Dream University #5 Get recommendations for the Common App Recommenders are separated into categories of counselors, teachers, or ‘Other’. Which teachers should students ask for recommendations? It’s a good idea to get recommendations from teachers of core subjects: English, Maths, Sciences, Foreign Languages, and Social Sciences. If a college wants more than one recommendation, it’s usually best to try and get them from two different subject areas. Guide for recommenders Dream University Invite Recommender. Go to the Recommenders and FERPA section of a school in the My Colleges tab. Scroll down until you see the "Teacher" or "Other Recommender" section. Click on the box to select the Teacher or Other Recommender you want to assign. Click on the "Assign" button to assign that recommender. 3 Invite Counselor Click on the “My Colleges” tab and then click on an institution's name. This will create a drop-down menu for that school. Click on Recommenders and FERPA. Click 'Invite Advisor' and fill out your college counselor's information. HOW TO GET AN APPLICATION FEE WAIVER? Please visit our Telegram channel and search: "Common App da Fee Waiver olish". @roadtousa1 SUBMIT THE COMMON APP! Congratulations are in order - you are nearly ready to send off their completed Common App. After submission of your Common App application, you will receive an email from the colleges. The Admission Committee will inform you about receiving your application, moreover, they send a Username and Temporary Pin to your Application Portal. Deadlines The Semester System will have three semesters every year. Spring (starts in Jan) Fall Semester Deadline Top Universities will close admissions by November or end of December of the previous year. Summer (starts in May) Fall (starts in August) Spring Semester Deadline If you plan to apply for the Spring semester, you should send your completed application packet to the Admissions Office of the University by the end of July of the year before. Some Universities have September or October deadlines Spring Semester Deadline If you plan to apply for the Spring semester, you should send your completed application packet to the Admissions Office of the University by the end of July of the year before. Some Universities have September or October deadlines Fall Semester Deadline Top Universities will close admissions by November or end of December of the previous year. UNDERSTAND ADMISSION TIMING OPTIONS EARLY ACTION This is a "non-binding" early admission process. EARLY DECISION This is a "binding" early admission process, which means you are obligated to enroll if accepted. REGULAR DECISION Used by the majority of applicants, this process usually has a deadline in January or February. ROLLING ADMISSION The rolling admissions process permits applications to be submitted over a longer period of time, sometimes with no set deadline. TRANSCRIPTS It should list all the subjects you studied each year, the marks or grades you achieved for each subject, and the level of each subject. Dream University What is an applicant portal? The applicant portal contains key, personal information for each and every applicant at a college. Once logged in to the applicant portal, a college applicant can in most cases: Update contact information including mailing address, email address, and phone number Monitor the status of his or her application Track the submission and receipt of required documents Upload additional documents required for his or her application View the decision on the application (and perhaps even the financial aid offer) When Do Early Action Decisions Come Out? Most colleges notify Early Decision and Early Action applicants of admission around December 15 When does regular decisions come out? While the answer to this question really depends on what colleges you're applying to, in general, most decisions come out in the springtime, that is, in either March or early April WHEN DO EARLY ACTION DECISIONS COME OUT? Most colleges notify Early Decision and Early Action applicants of admission around December 15 WHEN DOES REGULAR DECISIONS COME OUT? While the answer to this question really depends on what colleges you're applying to, in general, most decisions come out in the springtime, that is, in either March or early April USEFUL WEBSITES niche.com PrepScholar Blog Khan Academy Princeton Review unipage.net collegeessayguy.com collegevine.com wes.org THANKS! @roadtousa1 @roadtousa2 Dream University If you found it useful share it with your friends.