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All, College Admissions, College Applications, Summer

College Admissions Tips for Juniors

As summer gets closer, high school students might be heads down in end of the year exams and finals, sports playoffs, or crossing off the days until they can sleep in. But there are a few tasks they should attend to while school is still in session that will help make college applications easier. Paying attention to these important college admissions tips for high school juniors will put them in a better position to work on applications over the summer and meet all of their fall application deadlines.

Learn How Your High School Supports College Applications

Each high school has a specific process for how they send supporting documents to colleges. This includes high school transcripts, a school profile that describes the school’s curriculum and student demographics, and counselor and teacher recommendations. In some cases students have to log into their school’s student management software and request documents weeks in advance. This information is often available on the pages for your school’s counseling center, but it might be in an email or a presentation you haven’t read yet. If you cannot explain your school’s process and timeline, this is something to find out before break. You don’t want to miss an application deadline, because you didn’t follow directions or submit your request early enough.

Ask Teachers if They Will Write Letters of Recommendation.

Many colleges require or consider letters of recommendation from teachers. You should approach teachers now and ask if they are willing to be one of your recommenders. They give them a “brag sheet” that briefly outlines your contributions and achievements in their class. The brag sheet is a starting point they can use for writing the letter of recommendation. If you want them to write about how you added to class discussions or were supportive of other students, give them examples of that. If you want the letter to focus on your academic ability, remind them of when you went above and beyond the classroom requirements. Some teachers and high schools will have a standard format for brag sheets (see the first item about knowing your school’s process). If they don’t have a form to follow, this brag sheet for letters of recommendation from Common App will get you started.

Who should write letters of recommendation for college applications?

Colleges specify in their applications if they require a recommendation from a Teacher and if they allow additional recommendations from Others like coaches and employers. Military college programs like the Naval Academy or ROTC scholarships may require recommendations from teachers of specific classes like English and Math. You probably want to approach a couple teachers from core academic areas (English, math, science, history/social sciences, and/or foreign language). But if you have a great relationship with one of your elective teachers, they could be a good option too. 

Get a Copy of Your Transcript with Grades

After your final grades post, you’ll want to get a copy of your high school transcript. Most applications have a place to input your high school courses and grades. You’ll want to have the transcript so you can use the same course name in your application and correctly input each of your grades. This will also remind you of items you want to address in an additional information section.

When the last day of school arrives, celebrate knowing that you can enjoy a much needed break and also that you have what you need to work on applications and essays over the summer.

Related: How to Write a “Why Us” College Essay

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All, College Admissions, College Applications

Does Intended Major Affect College Admissions?

You probably recognize that grades and curriculum matter for college admissions. You may be tracking the changing landscape around standardized test scores. But, did you know that at some colleges, students aren’t assessed just on what they did in high school, but also what they want to do as college students? Why and how does an intended major affect college admissions? What does this mean for building a balanced college list?

Colleges have institutional priorities that affect admissions decisions. Institutional priorities might include keeping revenue flowing into the college, staying within the annual financial aid budget, maintaining a target ratio of men and women on campus, or educating state residents or even local students. There can also be an interest in bringing in enough students to keep small programs going, while not over-enrolling other programs.

Direct Admission Programs

Direct admission for certain programs is one way that colleges ensure that they don’t have too many students in a program than they have capacity to teach. Under direct admission, the student indicates an intended major when they apply. There application is compared with those from other students wanting that major, not against all students applying for the college. Successful applicants are not only admitted to the college, but into the major program as well. A competitive program might have higher gpa and test scores than the general profile for admitted students. Direct admissions is often used for high demand programs, including engineering, computer science, and business; but low capacity programs like nursing, performing arts, and professional flight can also be direct admission.

The student’s choice of major can affect college admissions if a specific program requires students to demonstrate an interest in the subject as high school students. For example, prospective nursing students may need to document volunteer experience in healthcare, and engineering students might want to have done STEM activities. Academic requirements often differ by program. Colleges of Engineering and Business Schools often expect students to have taken calculus in high school or be ready to take calculus as freshmen.

A direct admission program might also expect students to have specific high school coursework. For example, students applying to engineering programs may be expected to have taken calculus and physics, , and business students may need to show a prior interest in business as well as a high school calculus course.

Something to realize is that direct admission programs may have lower admissions rates than the college as a whole, may have higher academic profiles for incoming students, and may not have viable pathways for students admitted to the university for other majors or as undeclared/undecided students.

Case Study in How Major Affects College Admissions: University of Washington Computer Science

University of Washington’s Computer Science program is an example of a highly competitive, direct admission program. This 2022 article from Geek Wire describes how demand outpaces seat availability at the UW Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering. In this case, pursuing a computer science major affects admissions by making it much less likely that these students will be admitted to the university.

From the Geek Wire article: “Some 7,587 freshman applicants to the UW for next year picked the Allen School as their top choice for a major — more than economics, political science, nursing, and mechanical engineering combined. The program attracts more students than any other UW major, and interest has increased more than 400% over the past decade.”

“But the Allen School has room for only 550 new undergraduates in the fall. Freshmen can apply for direct admission to the program… It’s highly competitive: only 7% of direct admission students were offered a spot in the Allen School, compared to 52% of applicants to the UW’s College of Engineering, which houses the Allen School.”

It’s even more challenging for students who are not Washington state residents, as the tables below indicate. Not only does the choice of major affect college admissions, but so does state residency. The overall admissions rate for out of state students to University of Washington was 51%, but for Computer Science/Computer Engineering, that drops all the way down to 3%.

3-year University of Washington Average Admit Rates by Residency

Residency TypeAdmit rate
Washington residents60%
U.S. nonresidents51%
International44%

Source University of Washington, Spring 2022

Direct to College
Engineering Admit Rates, Fall 2021

Residency typeAdmit rate
Washington resident53%
U.S. nonresident33%
International41%
Overall40%

Source University of Washington, Spring 2022

Direct to Major
Computer Science/Computer Engineering Admit Rates, Autumn 2021

Residency typeAdmit rate
Washington resident27%
U.S. nonresident3%
International4%
Overall9%

Source University of Washington, Spring 2022

What Should Students Do?

First, realize that average admissions rates may be mathematically correct but misleading, when they don’t categorize by major or program. Search for program specific information. This may be a good question for college visits or college information events.

Second, understand that admission to a specific program at a specific university depends greatly on factors outside the students’ control, like the size and popularity of the program. You may need to decide if attending a specific college is more important or if studying a particular major matters more.

Third, create a balanced list that include colleges that don’t use direct admission for your intended major or that have viable exploratory options for freshmen. Don’t confuse popularity with quality. Starting with a broader college list helps give you more choices when admissions decisions are in.

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All, College Applications

High School Transcripts and Recommendations

It’s important to understand the role your school counselors and teachers have in supporting your college applications. Many colleges require a copy of your transcript sent directly from your high school. In addition, school profiles, counselor recommendations, and teacher recommendations can provide important context to your application.

Your school may use Naviance, Scoir, Maia, or other record keeping systems to send transcripts and recommendations to college admissions offices. It’s likely that your high school requires advance notice to send these documents, sometimes as much as a month. When students don’t pay attention to their school’s process, they can have unpleasant surprises like missing application deadlines because they were missing school transcripts and letters of recommendation.

So, what parts of your application come from the school, and how can you help this process go smoothly?

How do School Counselors Support College Applications

School counselors are responsible for forwarding official school transcripts to colleges. They may send transcripts to several colleges during the application phase, then send a final transcript to the college the student plans to enroll at.

The transcript is a record of each course a student took, grades in each course, and grade point average (GPA). You may be able to see an unofficial transcript on the record keeping software your school uses. School counselors may also submit a school profile with background information on their school, including available courses, graduation requirements, grading and GPA weighting policies, and other information that give context to a student’s educational experience. The school counselor might also write counselor recommendation letters.

Teacher Recommendations

Many colleges require letters of recommendations from teachers. Look carefully to see how many are required and if the student may submit additional letters of recommendation. Some colleges might ask for recommendations from core course teachers or even specify math and English teachers. You can find these details in the college application or on the college’s website in the section for Admissions. You should approach teachers to ask if they are willing to write a recommendation for you; don’t just assume they will agree. Teachers often ask students to provide a brag sheet or a brief resume. At some schools this info may be collected through an online questionnaire.

Because of Covid, some students worry that teachers won’t write strong recommendations, because classes were virtual. If you didn’t interact much with your core course teachers, consider a core teacher from the year before, a current teacher, teachers who know you from clubs or activities, or the teacher of an elective course. If you’re not sure a college will accept letters from these recommenders, don’t be afraid to contact their admissions office and ask.

Know How Your School Handles High School Transcript and Recommendation Requests

Schools may have a specific process for how students request transcripts and recommendations. Some require students make requests through Naviance, Scoir, Maia, or other student record keeping systems. Students might need to give counselors and teachers a resume or brag sheet that highlights accomplishments (this is a good idea even if it’s not required). Students might even have to show proof that they have submitted their portion of college applications.

Failure to follow your high school’s steps for requesting transcripts and recommendations might leave your applications lacking key information or even being considered incomplete. It can take several weeks for a busy counseling office to provide the requested records to colleges, so don’t leave this to the last minute.

Student need to coordinate with their counseling office and teachers well ahead of application deadlines. Students applying early to meet Early Decision, Early Action, or fall Rolling Decision dates need to be especially on the ball. Unfortunately, some students don’t follow their school’s process, and they miss early deadlines as a result.

Pro Tips for Getting Transcripts and Letters of Recommendation

  • Know and follow the process your school uses for requesting transcripts and recommendations.
  • Read your high school counseling center website for information for seniors.
  • Watch for announcements of class meetings or online info sessions.
  • Make an appointment in early fall with your counselor to discuss the colleges you plan to apply to and target deadlines.
  • Talk to teachers about recommendation letters rather than just adding their contact info to your applications.
  • Ask about special circumstances, like early deadlines for military academies, recommendations from non-teachers, or transcripts from multiple high schools.

Counselors and teachers want their students to be successful. But they also have a lot of demands on their time. They need time to write meaningful teacher and counselor recommendations. Learning how your school handles the process and working far ahead of deadlines will help you complete applications on time.

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All, College Applications, Essay Writing

Common App Essay Prompts 2023-24

The Common App essay prompts aren’t a list of questions to answer. They are designed to help you think about what’s important to you, who you are as a person, and what you would bring to campus as a college student. The Common App opens August 1 for students applying as freshmen for Fall 2024. The prompts are usually released by February. (This year the prompts didn’t change.) Releasing the prompts earlier allows these story starter questions to rattle around in your head for a while. It can take some time to settle on what stories you want to tell to help an admissions reader understand who you are.

What Is the Purpose of a College Personal Statement

College applications that require essays want to know more about a student than just the basic data of course grades, activities, and scores that appear in other parts of the application. The transcript might show they dropped German in favor of American Sign Language. An essay could reveal the friendship with a young neighbor and a desire to better communicate with her. The activities list might seem like a patchwork of unconnected clubs. An essay might discuss multiple cross-country moves as a military kid and how that experience taught them to make friends quickly.

When considering essay ideas, remember the topic of each essay is you, not what happened. The essay should paint a broader and deeper picture of you to the admissions reader. It might even draw direct connections to what you hope to do in college. The Common App personal statement can respond to any of the Common App essay prompts. Some college applications will have their own essay prompts, like the University of California Personal Interest Questions, or additional essay prompts like Why Us? supplemental essays.

Not sure what a Why Us? essay is? I explain what they are and how to approach them here: How to Write a “Why Us” College Essay.

How to Write Your Common App Essay

When you are ready to get started, read through some of the prompts. What experiences or stories come to mind? Jot down not only what happened but sensory details (how it smelled, sounded, felt, maybe even tasted). Then add some lines about why that experience mattered. How did you change as a result? How did you affect those around you? In other words, you want to get past describing only what happened to explain how this reveals more about who you are as a person.

Some people think their college admissions essays need to be unique. This can pressure them to try to think of topics that no one else has ever written about. But what matters isn’t writing about something unusual or unique. What’s important is making the essay individual to the student. How does the essay reveal who you are, what’s important to you, and how these traits will affect what you bring to campus?

It’s OK to feel uncomfortable during the essay writing process. You are trying to remember events in detail, convey them to someone who wasn’t there, and write in a way that is both grammatically correct and emotionally evocative. That’s a tall order and not something you will achieve at the first attempt. One of my writing profs used the phrase “zero draft” to describe the phase of pouring initial thoughts and words onto paper. This early phase wasn’t even at “first draft” stage, because we were still figuring out what to write about and where the connection points were. Give yourself time and space to work through these steps.

Close up of vintage typewriter. "rewrite...edit...rewrite...edit...rewrite" typed on paper.
College essay first drafts usually need work. Don’t be too critical of your early writing, but do leave plenty of time to reread and rewrite your essay. Remember to read it out loud and check for spelling and punctuation errors.
Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com

Full List of 2023-24 Common Application Essay Prompts

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don’t feel obligated to do so. (The application won’t accept a response shorter than 250 words.)

  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?
  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.

Don’t Panic Over College Essay Prompts

Don’t obsess over these prompts. The Common App essay prompts are simply questions designed to encourage deeper thinking and writing in a way that lets you share what’s important to you. Your goal is to give admissions readers a better understanding of who you are as a person than they would get from just looking at grades and test scores. Your essays are your opportunity to control both content and delivery. It is one of the few parts of the application you exert this much control over.

If the first six Common App essay prompts don’t generate ideas, remember that Prompt Seven gives you the freedom to choose your own adventure. This is one reason I start my clients with pre-writing exercises that help them identify what they are trying to communicate – what their story is and what examples help convey it.

Essay coaching is included in each of my comprehensive packages. Essay coaching is also available through hourly services. If this is something you are interested in, let’s connect.

Once you’re done writing your personal statement, use the advice in How to Write a “Why Us?” College Essay to work on any supplemental college essays.

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All, College Admissions, College Applications, College Planning

Are Grades or Course Rigor More Important?

When students choose their high school courses, lots of factors come into play.
-What are their academic goals?
-Do they have a strong enough grade in any prerequisite courses?
-What graduation requirements do they still need?
Students (and parents) often ask me if grades or course rigor is more important. In other words, is it better to take harder classes like Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or dual enrollment — even if they risk getting a lower grade? Or is it better to have a higher grade point average (GPA) by taking less challenging courses? Sometimes they have heard that AP or dual enrollment courses “don’t count” at many colleges or that colleges won’t consider a weighted GPA, which further confuses their attempts to pick classes.

There is a lot to unpack here, including how to be discerning about what you read and hear about college admissions. It is easy to hear one line of an admissions brief and miss the context in which it applies. Two students might have very different college application experiences that depend not only on their standing as applicants – grades, courses taken, test scores, class rank, and extracurricular activities ̶ but also on the characteristics of the college – small liberal arts college, flagship state school, highly competitive private university, or local commuter college. It’s essential to look closely at when a statement might be true and if that context applies to your situation.

Grades and Courses Both Matter

What are weighted grades? A grade point average (GPA) assigns a value to each course grade and calculates an average grade for the student over a semester, year, or full high school career. Some classes are considered harder than others, so a school might assign extra value to grades from those courses. The intention is that students still take demanding classes like calculus, fourth year Latin, or AP US History without worrying that their GPA will drop if they earned a lower grade. 

There isn’t a universal standard for weighting grades. Some school add one point for any high level course. Others have complex systems with different weighting for honors, Advanced Placement, or college courses. The same grades in the same courses might produce different GPAs depending on the system used by each high school. So, colleges look at the GPA in the context of what courses are available at a given school and may also use information like class rank to evaluate student academic achievement.

What classes should a student take? Bottom line up front: a student should take classes that they are prepared for but that also challenge them to grow. Some students will prefer standard high school level (or college prep) courses. Other students seek out the greater academic challenge found in honors or college level courses. 

Rigorous Courses and Grades Aren’t All that Matters

Grades and academic rigor consistently rank high as factors in college admissions. In the Common Data Set, colleges rate how important different factors are in admissions. The majority of colleges say that grades are of “Considerable Importance.” About half of colleges say that the strength of the curriculum at the high school are also Considerably Important. And of course, for students applying under a test optional policy, grades and strength of the courses taken will be even more important. Course rigor and grades work together to create a picture of the student’s academic ability. The courses taken provide context for the grades; the courses available at the high school offer context for the courses on the transcript.

Many colleges also consider other factors, such as extracurricular activities, personal interest, and student background; but primarily they want to admit students who have the potential to do well in the classroom. The more selective a colleges is in admissions, the more likely they are to use additional factors to differentiate between students who have similarly high-level academic profiles. Because colleges may see transcripts using many grading systems, they may have their own system for comparing grades, but this does not mean they ignore the difficulty of the courses. These colleges aren’t just looking for the students with the most Advanced Placement courses. Some selective schools indicate that beyond a certain point there may be diminishing returns to simply taking more college-level courses, especially if that takes away time from other activities that make a student interesting.

Strong Grades in Rigorous Courses

What is the bottom line for students? Courses should be challenging enough to push the student to improve their knowledge without overwhelming them. Highly selective colleges tend to pick students with great grades and course rigor. Because they get so many applications, they can be very picky. On the other hand, students should ask if they are ready for a full load of the most rigorous courses and what they pay in opportunity cost. Maybe a course that relates to an intended major is a better option than an unrelated AP course. Advanced Choir might matter more than AP Spanish for a prospective music major. It’s also worth remembering that colleges that admit fewer than 25% of applicants only enroll around 3% of US undergraduates. Almost two-thirds of the incoming freshmen in college attend schools that admit over half of the students that apply.

College Admissions, College Applications, Homeschooling

How Can Homeschoolers Apply to College?

“Can homeschoolers apply to college?” I homeschooled for almost two decades. Often when someone found out we homeschooled, they had questions about higher level academics like calculus and advanced Latin. Sometimes they asked how our kids could apply to college There were also questions about social activities like prom, but since I had two not great prom experiences, this seemed a less compelling concern. Some people went so far as to assume that homeschoolers can’t go to college. Others knew of homeschoolers who attended high profile colleges. They wondered if homeschooling could be a college admissions hook.

The reality is somewhere between these two extremes. Homeschoolers can go to college (and often do). Homeschooling often supports deep educational explorations that are highly attractive to selective colleges. But homeschooling itself is not a silver bullet in college admissions. Colleges are willing to consider homeschool applications, but still need enough information to make an admissions decision. While public and private school students get transcripts from their high school, homeschool families usually need to create the documentation that supports their student’s applications.

This article will give an overview of college admissions for homeschoolers. I’m drawing on my experience with my own three sons as well as homeschooled students I’ve worked with. I’ve also had many conversations with college admissions representatives as a co-chair of the Homeschool Affinity Group of the Independent Educational Consultants Association.

What Do Colleges Consider When They Review Applications?

There is no checklist that will guarantee admission to a student’s first choice college.

Factors considered in admissions vary from school to school, because different colleges have different institutional priorities. A public flagship may prioritize educating students from that state. One private college may do a deep holistic review of applications, while another looks mainly at grades and test scores. But we can talk in general about what colleges consider.

For decades, the most important factors have related to academic performance in high school. They usually look at grades in the context of the courses taken, along with standardized test scores. This means that the rigor of the course load matters as well as the grades earned. Colleges may also look for demonstrated ability in courses related to an intended major.

A potential engineer should start college ready to take calculus, chemistry, and physics, which is often demonstrated by having taken those courses in high school. A political science major would want to have a strong record in history, government, and economics and would benefit by demonstrating strong writing and foreign language ability. Students are sometimes surprised by the need for advanced math. Both computer science and business programs often require calculus for college freshmen and prefer students who are ready for this level of math.

Colleges don’t simply rank applicants by GPA and test score, then admit them in rank order. A second set of factors goes beyond academic readiness to consider other qualities the student possesses. A college might require essays, letters of recommendations, extracurricular activities (including family responsibilities and work), portfolios and interviews to learn more about the student’s personality, interests, and life experience. They might use class rank to provide more context to the GPA.  Dance and music majors, film production majors, and arts students may need to submit sample work or do auditions. Students interested in nursing may need volunteer experience in health care settings. Some colleges track the student’s demonstrated interest in the college. Most colleges also consider financial need as part of their admissions review process.

What Should Homeschoolers Include in College Applications?

The biggest difference for homeschoolers is that they have to provide documentation that would otherwise come from a high school. At a minimum a homeschooler needs a high school transcript that lists all courses taken with a course grade and the year they took the course.  Many colleges specifically ask for course descriptions that offer more detail about course content, textbooks used, and assessment method. 

The parent may also want to submit the counselor recommendation and a school profile. A school profile helps to explain the how and why of homeschooling, offers information on grading policies (grading scale, how outside courses were assigned credit), and briefly describes any educational partners like online curriculum providers. Think of this as a document that explains the student’s educational setting. On the other hand, a counselor recommendation describes the student’s strengths and personal traits. This recommendation describes who the student is and why they would be a great addition to the college community. Some families worry that college will immediately discount a counselor recommendation written by a family member. Most college admissions reps I’ve asked say they appreciate the context the counselor letter gives, even when written by a homeschool parent.

Many colleges ask for letters of recommendation from teachers and other individuals, and these should come from someone who is not a family member. If possible, teacher recommendations should comment on academic preparation and ability to work as part of a group of students. Sources of recommendations include coop teachers, tutors, academic team coaches (robotics, Science Olympiad, Model UN), or dual enrollment instructors. Some online course instructors will happily write letters of recommendation. If the student had no outside academic coursework, look for other adults who know the student well, like coaches, employers, clergy, or mentors. Usually, a college application specifies what type of recommendations a college accepts, but it’s worth contacting admissions to ask if you have questions. Sometimes they will accept additional letters for homeschoolers, but may ask to have them sent directly to the admissions office if they are outside the categories the application requires.

Can Homeschoolers Apply Test Optional?

Test scores tend to carry additional weight for homeschool applications, because it’s data that colleges find easy to understand. Homeschool students don’t have a class rank that compares them to hundreds of fellow students. Some colleges hesitate over homeschool grades and don’t have time to read applications holistically. Scores from the SAT or ACT can reassure a college that a student is ready for college work.

Test optional admissions are when a college considers an application complete without SAT or ACT test scores, but will consider scores if they are submitted. Some colleges have been test optional for many years, but the coronavirus pandemic forced most US colleges to allow test optional applications in 2020 and 2021. Some cheerfully extended this option to homeschoolers, but other colleges continued to require homeschoolers to submit scores. You may also see different policies around test score requirements for college scholarships.

Outside tests in specific content areas can also fill this role. National Latin Exam, AMC math tests, or Advanced Placement exams are a few examples of content specific tests. Performance in academic extracurriculars like Science Olympiad, Model United Nations, Poetry Out Loud, or History Day competitions might serve a similar role. Some colleges used to require the SAT Subject Tests for homeschoolers, but College Board eliminated those tests in 2021. If you see Subject Tests listed as an admissions requirement, reach out to that college for clarification.

What Additional Requirements Do Colleges Have for Homeschoolers?

Some colleges ask for specific additional material from homeschoolers. A few examples:

  • Arizona State University requires an evaluation form describing a complete lab for each lab science course on the transcript.  
  • Bard College requires a “full syllabus” for any course from a non-accredited school and also an analytic paper written by the student.
  • University of Alabama in Huntsville requires homeschoolers to fill out a Homeschool Transcript Template (which counts as one of the more frustrating documents I’ve tried to complete).

Some college websites refer to homeschool agencies, umbrella organizations, or private school satellites. This may reflect state law or common practice where the college is located. If the requirements don’t reflect what is required in your state, contact the admissions office directly. Some will accept other documentation while others are not at all flexible.

These requirements might be clearly stated on the admissions website, show up in the fine print on an application, or be buried in the college catalog. The best practice for students and homeschool parents is to search for homeschool requirements at each college they are considering. I recommend doing this in the early days of list formation. If a college insists on requirements that you can’t meet, such as an official final transcript from a local public school or extensive college coursework as a high school student, it’s best to know that when you have time to apply elsewhere.

Homeschoolers Do Go to College

Every year homeschoolers are accepted to colleges and universities around the US. In most cases the days of having to convince admissions that homeschooling is a valid and legal educational choice are well behind us. In addition, homeschoolers are usually eligible for need-based grants and merit-based scholarships from colleges as well as many outside scholarship competitions.

That said, colleges that are highly selective – those that receive far more applications than they can admit will be looking for evidence of academic readiness as well as indications that a student is one that will be an engaged member of the campus community.

Homeschooling itself is not a stumbling block to college admissions, but it is also not a silver bullet. Homeschool students still need to meet admissions requirements. They should be ready to provide information that the college can use to make an admissions decision. And like all students, they should build a college list that includes schools with medium and high chances of admission, not just colleges with low admissions rates.

greyscale photography of condenser microphone
College Applications, Interviews

College Admissions Interview Prep with LinkedIn

You might think of LinkedIn as something to use years from now when you are job hunting after graduation. But the platform helps more than just job seekers. There are features that can also help you research colleges and prepare for college admissions interviews.

How to Use LinkedIn to Practice College Interviews

In the Jobs tab [in the top menu on the desktop version] there is a link for Interview Prep. This opens up sets of frequently asked interview questions. They resemble the types of questions that admissions reps and alumni interviews also use.

Tell me about yourself.
What is your greatest strength?
Tell me about a time you were successful on a team.

Even the questions that refer to employment can be easily reframed for college admissions.

Why do you want to work here?” becomes “Why do you want to attend our college?”

Can you explain your employment gap?” resembles questions about dropping activities or moving high schools. It’s really asking about the context of information in your record.

What are your salary expectations?” could help you prepare for a conversation with admissions or financial aid to appeal a financial aid offer.  

Each question has an overview that explains what an interviewer might hope to get from asking it. Remember that the purpose of any college admissions interview question is to help the interviewer learn more about who you are and what your story is.

Use the Video Tool to Practice Your Interview

What’s more, there is a feature that allows you to record an answer to each question. This lets you see what you look like in an interview scenario, where you lose your place, or if you have distracting fidgets. It also shows you what your pace and intonation are, so you can see if you tend to speed up or get higher pitched as you answer.

Since remote interviews will probably stick around after the pandemic, it gives you a chance to view your lighting and background as it might appear during an interview. If you have friends or mentors who also use LinkedIn, you can even send them your video and ask for feedback.

I really like this feature and think practicing responses to the questions in the Common Questions section would prepare you well for most college admissions interviews.

College Admissions, College Applications, Essay Writing, Financial Fit, Summer

Summer College Applications Tips for Seniors

It might feel like vacation just ended. Maybe the notes from finals and AP study guides are still on your desk. But summer is the right time to for seniors to work on college applications. Most colleges open their new application cycle on August 1.  Senior year starts just a few weeks later, with many class assignments, events, and activities competing for scarce time.  Early deadlines might feel like they are far in the future, but they will loom up faster than you anticipate. These college application tips will help you get started on your applications and take some of the pressure off of senior year. 

Make an Activities Master List

Most applications ask students about how they spent their time outside the classroom.  Activities don’t have to be an official school club or team.  They could include jobs, family responsibilities, volunteer efforts, participation in faith-based groups, and important hobbies.  This isn’t just to pad your resume. Colleges are giving increasing attention to the fact that some students spend many hours a week working or caring for siblings or that a student may not be in a school club but devote their free time to beach cleanups or creating film productions.

Create a list of that includes what you did, what your responsibilities and impact were, how much time you spent each week, and what years you were involved. Go into details about projects, what you did and how you felt about completing them. If there is a teacher, coach, or adult mentor who might write a letter of recommendation, make a note of their name and contact info. Your list should lead with the activities that are most important to you, rather than strict chronological order. 

Be expansive when writing this master list. The purpose isn’t to create something that is ready to attach to an application, but to create a detailed document that you can draw from when working on your applications. It’s ok to include bullet points, paragraphs describing an event or a responsibility, or a list of awards or performance pieces. When you are done with this activities master list, it will be easier to pull out the most significant activities and what you did in them to fill out the activities sections of applications, make a brag sheet for recommenders, or create a resume.

Pro Tip: It can be a good idea to ask your parents or a close friend if they remember any activities you’ve forgotten. Short term activities like a cyber camp or film conference might slip your mind, but might be combined with other activities in your application to demonstrate a thread of a deep and enduring interest area. When my own kids applied to college, looking back at old calendars brought up several items that we had forgotten about.

Create a Common Application Account

The Common Application is a portal used by hundreds of different colleges, from Aberystwyth University (Wales) to York College of Pennsylvania to process student applications.  Students enter their personal information, school info, and activities on one main page, that is then sent to any participating college.  The advantage for students is that they don’t have to enter basic information on a multitude of different applications. The advantage for colleges is that students are more likely to apply, if it’s a relatively easy add on rather than a totally separate application portal.

The Common App does an annual rollover to the new application cycle.  The good news is that much of a student’s data is preserved in the rollover, so a rising senior can input this data during the summer and be a step ahead when the new application cycle starts.  Student accounts are frozen for about a week during the system refresh, usually around the last week of July. 

Data entered in the Common App tab will rollover.  This includes the subsections for Profile, Family, Education, Testing, and Activities.  Sections that do not roll over include answers in the My Colleges tab (which includes college-specific questions) and invitations to recommenders (or recommendations that might have been uploaded). So you should wait to enter responses to these sections until after the rollover has occurred.  This Application Guide for First Time Students can help you create your account and start filling out the application. This year there will also be a set of free Common App walk through videos called the AXS Companion. These videos are a joint project of IECA and Oregon State University and feature a bunch of fabulous Independent Educational Consultants showing step by step how to complete the application.

Pro Tip: If you are primarily applying to colleges in California or colleges that have their own application, you might not use the Common App portal for your applications. In that case, take the time to research the applications you will be using so you have a better understanding of what you will need to submit.

Start Working on Your Essays

A strong essay should be primarily about you. It’s your opportunity to tell the admissions readers the rest of the story that they don’t get from reading your transcript, activities list, and test scores. Don’t procrastinate work on pre-writing exercises that helps you define and share what values, experiences, and goals make up your story.

Many colleges use similar essay prompts from year to year.  The Common Application has announced the Personal Statement prompts for 2021-22, which includes one new prompt to replace one that wasn’t used often. This means that you don’t have to wait until applications officially open in late summer to start thinking and writing about who you are and what strengths and attributes you will bring to the college community. If this is an area you want help on, maybe an Admissions Decrypted Essay Coaching Package is something to consider.

Pro Tip: You should always write essays and other supplemental writing responses in a document and paste them into applications. This allows you to use spell check and word count tools and protects you from losing hours of work if there is a system glitch in the application.

Start Working on Applications Now; Have More Calm Later

Each of these tasks takes time, usually more time than expected.  Getting a head start on completing college applications can relieve pressure from looming fall deadlines and allow headspace for putting together a high-quality application.  Don’t panic when you can’t access your Common App account during the system refresh.  Use this time to work on other tasks (like essays) so you are ready to go when rollover is complete. I hope these college application tips are useful. If you’d like help with your college applications or college planning, get in touch.

All, College Admissions, College Applications, Covid-19, Financial Fit, Homeschooling, Updates

Update for March 2021

News

Common Application Adds More Colleges: The Common Application (or Common App) is an application portal that allows students to apply to multiple colleges via one login system. It simplifies the application for the student by eliminating the need for separate applications for every single college. Common App announced that over 30 new colleges were joining the platform, including University of Alabama, James Madison University, Colorado School of Mines, Portland State University, and all of the public colleges in Illinois. Over 900 colleges use Common App for undergraduate admissions. Significant colleges that do NOT use Common App include the University of California and California State University systems, Texas public colleges using Apply Texas, University of Washington, and all US service academies. Those colleges use an independent proprietary application or are part of the Coalition Application (University of Washington).

Note: In February Common App announced Personal Statement Essay Prompts for the 2021-22 application cycle.

Florida Bright Futures: Late in February, state legislation in Florida proposed significant changes to the Florida Bright Futures scholarship. The changes would have reduced the degrees eligible for scholarships by creating a list of degrees that lead to direct employment. It would also have reduced the number of college credits funded under the scholarship if the student had earned college credit in high school (such as through Advanced Placement or dual enrollment/dual credit courses). It also would have allowed the legislature to set an annual award amount for National Merit Scholars through the state budget process, rather than tying it to tuition costs. There was significant pushback from Florida residents and legislators and there have been major changes to the bill (including removing the section that would penalize students for early college credits), but it signals efforts by state governments to control over state grants for higher education through the annual budget process. (Article on original proposal.)

College May Require Covid Vaccines: Rutgers University announced they would require students in Fall 2021 to have a Covid-19 vaccine (with exceptions for medical and religious reasons and for students in fully remote or online-only programs). Rutgers is located in New Jersey, a state that experienced a heavy death toll in the early months of the pandemic.

Featured Long Article Episode

This month I suggest listening to This American Life Episode 734: The Campus Tour Has Been Cancelled. This episode looks at the ways that test optional admissions policies have opened the door for more applications to some highly sought colleges, at the same time that other student groups have seen applications drop precipitously. The second part of the episode looks specifically at The University of Texas, which admits the majority of its students based on class rank at Texas high schools.  In the absence of test scores, class rank may rise in importance for other colleges.

Meanwhile, Back at the Office

As Co-Chair of the Homeschool Affinity Group of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), I was excited to help launch a college admissions panel series focused on admissions for homeschool students. Our first panel included admissions representatives from Stetson University, Vanderbilt University, Whittier College, and University of California.

The conversation was encouraging. Each was excited about having homeschoolers apply to and enroll at their school, and none of the colleges on the panel had extra requirements for homeschoolers. Homeschoolers are admitted at rates that reflect their proportion in the respective applicant pools. Most of the schools read homeschool applications alongside other applications, while one school had an admissions rep who read all homeschool applications.

Each of the representatives mentioned that outside academic experiences, such as dual enrollment/dual credit courses or Advanced Placement coursework, are useful in determining student ability. Whittier, Stetson, and Vanderbilt all found detailed course descriptions and a school profile document helpful to put the student transcript into context.

On the other hand, University of California relies on the student-generated course and grade information that is internal to their application. They don’t review transcripts at all until after admissions offers have been made, so students need to clearly self-advocate in other parts of the application, such as Additional Comments and Other Academic History sections.

The rep from Stetson noted that the majority of their homeschool applications were from in-state students. This isn’t surprising, given that Florida has a large homeschool community and Stetson University is a small college (3,000 students) that is better known regionally.

Homeschool applicants need to understand their audience. The application expectations for a very large university that has to review 100,000 applications will be different than the expectations at a small college that hand reviews every application. It also underscores the need for patience when communicating with admissions reps, who may not be familiar with what homeschooling looks like outside their typical recruiting areas.

I’m looking forward to the next Homeschool Affinity Group college admissions panel in May. It will be interesting to see if there are new insights as we go into the 2021-22 application cycle.

All, College Admissions, College Applications, College Planning, Essay Writing, Testing, Updates

Update for February 2021

News

Increase in Applications for Some; Declines for Others:  As colleges release early admission decisions, it becomes apparent that the surge in applications reported by high profile colleges was not an across the board phenomenon. Not only did many smaller and regional colleges experience a drop in applications, but also applications from first generation and low-income students dropped. The Full Story on Admissions from Inside Higher Ed discusses these patterns.

Fall 2022 Test Optional Policies:  Fair Test keeps a running list of colleges with test optional admissions policies and announced that more than half of US four year colleges would be test optional for Fall 2022 admissions. Be aware of the specific details at colleges you’re interested in. Test Optional doesn’t mean Test Blind, and some colleges are using Test Flexible, but still really prefer to see scores.

A New Prompt for Common App Essays:  The Common Application announced their personal statement essay prompts for the 2021-22 application. Most of the prompts remain the same, but one new prompt on gratitude has replaced another seldom chosen prompt. However, I still advise students to start the writing process by considering what they want the admissions office to know about them rather than fixating on a specific prompt.

Featured Long Article

‘Act Now!’ Say Hello to the New Enrollment Playbook (The Chronicle of Higher Education) Seniors may have noticed that as admissions decisions have been announced, emails from colleges have shifted to frequent entreaties to make deposits and complete enrollment. Sometimes these requests are sweetened with benefits for early commitment, like first choice dorm rooms, small scholarships, or parking passes. These policies put pressure on students to commit to colleges before they have received all of their admissions decisions and without comparing financial aid offers.

In the past, many colleges agreed to an admissions cycle in which no application deadline was earlier than October 15, Early Decision applications were binding but did not have extra perks, and students applying under Early Action, Regular Decision, and Rolling Admission options had until May 1 to make their enrollment decisions. Changes to the agreed upon ethical standards has created a situation in which a number of schools are exploring ways to get students to commit earlier or switch their enrollment choice after May 1. This article goes into detail on the how and why of these efforts.

Meanwhile, Back at the Office

February was a busy month at Admissions Decrypted. I had several opportunities to discuss college admissions, including a Service to School workshop on Writing College Essays, a presentation on service academy applications to a group of IEC colleagues, and a fun talk about the myths of college admissions to a group of local area service academy alumni. I have a few more presentations currently in the works, including my first ever appearance on a podcast.  

Meanwhile, I’ve been having a lot of fun with the sophomores of Class of 2023. We have been doing interest surveys and career explorations. They bring a lot of enthusiasm to the process, and it’s cool to watch them weighing options and considering who they are and what they want to become. I still have room in both the Class of 2022 and Class of 2023 cohorts. If you know someone who would like help in the college admissions process, I’d be delighted if you referred them to me.