If you’re a student who wants to further your education, there is no way around the personal statement/essay. But why fret? For most students, this is your chance to “interview” on paper.
Here are five helpful hints before you begin or if you’re editing your personal statement/essay:
Keep It Simple, Stupid (KISS)!
Too many students try to be coy by inserting unneeded words and adding fluff. Admission committees are looking for themes that are supported with appropriate detail, not long-windedness.
Don’t start your essay the night before it’s due.
You will need time to go through several revisions and think through what is needed for a quality essay.
Answer the question(s).
It’s so easy to deviate, but don’t be that person. Stick to what’s asked within the length that is asked. If you need more substance to fill the page(s), take some time to reflect on what could be added.
Watch your use of adverbs
Like adding fluff, students like to accentuate their message. Unfortunately, it can be lost if too many adverbs are used, especially in the same sentence.
Do not Xerox key words in the essay.
Use the thesaurus to get your point across. This approach does two things: it empowers your vocabulary and enhances your essay’s themes through different word choices.
There are many more ways to improve an essay and each essay question/answer poses new challenges, accomplishments, and introspection. The bottom line is that you are unique and your essay should be too.
Liam Dunfey
University Advisors
Monday, December 29, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
Holiday Break and College Admissions Help
The holiday break is finally here for students across the country! For seniors, this could be a time to reflect on early action/decision matters and for the majority of students, it’s crunch time to complete personal statements, applications, and maybe even visit a campus or two.
The holiday break is a time to step away from the hustle, stress, and routine of school and reflect on what you really want from a college experience. Do you feel the same way about a school as you did in September? Have your goals changed? Perhaps you’re rethinking an intended major? This is completely normal. Investing your time and resources into the next fours years is not to be taken lightly, so over the next few weeks, consider all your options and which path you’d like to go. If you’re not sure, talk it over with people that are close to you. Besides yourself, they know you best!
For juniors, next month is traditionally the month that begins the college search. You may want to take a look at your school’s calendar and/or NACAC’s to figure out when a college fair is coming to your area. These fairs are an excellent way for you to learn more about what’s out there beyond the brand name school in your region. With over 4,000 accredited institutions of higher education, there’s many to choose from and learn about. Focus on the possibilities and not the limitations.
Liam Dunfey, M.A.
University Advisors
The holiday break is a time to step away from the hustle, stress, and routine of school and reflect on what you really want from a college experience. Do you feel the same way about a school as you did in September? Have your goals changed? Perhaps you’re rethinking an intended major? This is completely normal. Investing your time and resources into the next fours years is not to be taken lightly, so over the next few weeks, consider all your options and which path you’d like to go. If you’re not sure, talk it over with people that are close to you. Besides yourself, they know you best!
For juniors, next month is traditionally the month that begins the college search. You may want to take a look at your school’s calendar and/or NACAC’s to figure out when a college fair is coming to your area. These fairs are an excellent way for you to learn more about what’s out there beyond the brand name school in your region. With over 4,000 accredited institutions of higher education, there’s many to choose from and learn about. Focus on the possibilities and not the limitations.
Liam Dunfey, M.A.
University Advisors
Friday, December 12, 2008
Top 10 Reasons Why The College Search Is Fun!
10. If you are diligent and choose fit over brand as a high school senior, you won’t have to transfer!
9. The essays encourage you to dwell on your accomplishments and polish your weaknesses.
8. A good college tour guide will offer you a small treat from the cafeteria.
7. At many schools, you can get your application fee waived.
6. The realization that high school is almost over and that freedom is right around the corner!
5. When the search is over, there will be no more nagging from parents.
4. Road trips to colleges!
3. College interviews are excellent opportunities to be exceptional interviewers when you apply for your first professional job.
2. At over 800 colleges around the country, you can opt not to submit your SAT/ACT scores!
1. The American dream of going to (and completing) college is within reach.
Liam Dunfey
University Advisors
9. The essays encourage you to dwell on your accomplishments and polish your weaknesses.
8. A good college tour guide will offer you a small treat from the cafeteria.
7. At many schools, you can get your application fee waived.
6. The realization that high school is almost over and that freedom is right around the corner!
5. When the search is over, there will be no more nagging from parents.
4. Road trips to colleges!
3. College interviews are excellent opportunities to be exceptional interviewers when you apply for your first professional job.
2. At over 800 colleges around the country, you can opt not to submit your SAT/ACT scores!
1. The American dream of going to (and completing) college is within reach.
Liam Dunfey
University Advisors
Monday, December 8, 2008
Helicopter Parents: Are They Hovering Too Close?
Over the past few years there has been more and more talk and research about “Helicopter Parents” a term given to parents that tend to hover over their child, never giving the child full control of their educational life. Wikipedia defines helicopter parents as “a parent who pays extremely close attention to his or her child's or children's experiences and problems, particularly at educational institutions. These parents rush to prevent any harm or failure from befalling them and will not let them learn from their own mistakes, sometimes even contrary to the children's wishes. They are so named because, like helicopters they hover closely overhead, rarely out of reach, whether their children need them or not. An extension of the term, "Black Hawk parents," has been coined for those who cross the line from a mere excess of zeal to unethical behavior, such as writing their children's college admission essays. (The reference is to the military helicopter of the same name.) Some college professors and administrators are now referring to "Lawnmower parents" to describe mothers and fathers who attempt to smooth out and mow down all obstacles, to the extent that they may even attempt to interfere at their children's workplaces, regarding salaries and promotions, after they have graduated from college and are supposedly living on their own” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helicopter_parent). The new trend for parents of today’s college bound students is to not only help them through the admission process but to do most of it themselves. Parents are the ones making the phone calls to college admission offices, asking questions at college fairs and on campus tours, sometimes not even giving their child a chance to do it themselves. The child cannot learn to advocate for themselves if the parents always do it for them. One of the biggest issues I personally tend to see on the college campus I work for is in the residence halls. Students are not filling out the roommate information correctly because parents are either doing it all for them or hovering over them while they are doing it. Students are being improperly matched with other students thus making roommates incompatible and constructing issues that could have been avoided. An article by Shannon Colavecchio-Van Sickler of the St. Petersburg Times has some great insight from college professionals on this subject. “Administrators say they know these parents mean well. But their frequent phone calls and unreasonable demands stunt student development and test the patience of college officials. Where parent behavior becomes a challenge for us is when they encourage dependence, and they become too involved because they are afraid their son or daughter will make a mistake," says Tom Miller, a University of South Florida dean of students. "Our students are graduating," says Jeanna Mastrodicasa, associate dean of the UF honors college. "But they are not ready to go into the real world." (http://www.sptimes.com/2006/06/19/State/Mommy__tell_my_profes.shtml)
Now I know this all sounds very negative so far but there is also research that suggests being a helicopter parents is not all bad. A study done by the National Survey of Student Engagement show that students whose parents were very often in contact with them and frequently intervened on their behalf "reported higher levels of engagement and more frequent use of deep learning activities," such as after-class discussions with professors, intensive writing exercises and independent research, than students with less-involved parents. "Compared with their counterparts, children of helicopter parents were more satisfied with every aspect of their college experience, gained more in such areas as writing and critical thinking, and were more likely to talk with faculty and peers about substantive topics," said survey director George D. Kuh, an Indiana University professor. Another thing that the NSSE study also indicated was that although engagement levels and use of deep learning activities were up, the grade point averages of students reporting more frequent contact with parents and whose parents intervened more frequently on their behalf were lower. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/04/AR2007110401754.html) Also found in a recent study done by Shilo Henriques the Associate Director of Admission at Cape Code Community College in her thesis Information regarding the long-term detriments of helicopter Parenting. Her study overwhelmingly indicated that “college students and faculty alike agree that the detriments of helicopter parenting outweigh its benefits. Development of important qualities and life skills are greatly affected when parents do not allow their children to learn from their own mistakes. The development of independence, self-advocacy and decision-making skills are crucial to being a successful adult and often times are lacking in people who have not been allowed to fend for themselves."
The College Board web-site has a great test for parents to take if they are questioning their helicopter tendencies. Follow this link and scroll to the bottom to take the quiz for yourself or if someone you know needs a little help to figure it out please feel free to send them the link. The better ready and prepared students can be for college and the real world the better. http://www.collegeboard.com/parents/plan/getting-ready/155044.html.
By: Aaron F. Smith
College Counselor and Learning Disabilities Specialist
University Advisors Admission Specialists
Now I know this all sounds very negative so far but there is also research that suggests being a helicopter parents is not all bad. A study done by the National Survey of Student Engagement show that students whose parents were very often in contact with them and frequently intervened on their behalf "reported higher levels of engagement and more frequent use of deep learning activities," such as after-class discussions with professors, intensive writing exercises and independent research, than students with less-involved parents. "Compared with their counterparts, children of helicopter parents were more satisfied with every aspect of their college experience, gained more in such areas as writing and critical thinking, and were more likely to talk with faculty and peers about substantive topics," said survey director George D. Kuh, an Indiana University professor. Another thing that the NSSE study also indicated was that although engagement levels and use of deep learning activities were up, the grade point averages of students reporting more frequent contact with parents and whose parents intervened more frequently on their behalf were lower. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/04/AR2007110401754.html) Also found in a recent study done by Shilo Henriques the Associate Director of Admission at Cape Code Community College in her thesis Information regarding the long-term detriments of helicopter Parenting. Her study overwhelmingly indicated that “college students and faculty alike agree that the detriments of helicopter parenting outweigh its benefits. Development of important qualities and life skills are greatly affected when parents do not allow their children to learn from their own mistakes. The development of independence, self-advocacy and decision-making skills are crucial to being a successful adult and often times are lacking in people who have not been allowed to fend for themselves."
The College Board web-site has a great test for parents to take if they are questioning their helicopter tendencies. Follow this link and scroll to the bottom to take the quiz for yourself or if someone you know needs a little help to figure it out please feel free to send them the link. The better ready and prepared students can be for college and the real world the better. http://www.collegeboard.com/parents/plan/getting-ready/155044.html.
By: Aaron F. Smith
College Counselor and Learning Disabilities Specialist
University Advisors Admission Specialists
Monday, December 1, 2008
Remembering Loren Pope
The higher education community was saddened when Loren Pope passed away earlier this fall. However, his service, books, and message still resonates with many looking for a “good fit” college experience over a brand name/elite university.
Loren Pope was best known for his book, Colleges That Change Lives. The book was published in 1996 and it highlights forty colleges that provide stellar educations for their students. Most of the schools are small (under 2,000 undergraduates) and are not brand name institutions. When I first heard of the book, I was in college. By the time it was gaining notoriety in 2000, I was in my higher education administration program at the University of Maryland and had the experience of being at a much bigger school than my alma mater, Elmira College (NY). I was intrigued with his affinity to smaller, intimate, and in some cases, remote schools. Mostly, I was pleased that someone was highlighting the key advantages of the smaller schools over the bigger brand name schools that are perpetuated in the media.
Now that I’m ten years out of college and with several years of experience helping students navigate the college admission search, I am compelled to pick-up Mr. Pope’s book again during this holiday season. One of the things I’m grateful for in my life is having the small liberal arts experience in my back pocket and everything it gave me (and still gives).
This will be a challenging admission/financial aid season for colleges, parents, and students. I will not forget the writings of Loren Pope during these adverse times and will encourage my students to be cognizant of Loren Pope’s message as their enrollment intentions come to fruition.
Liam Dunfey, M.A.
University Advisors Admission Specialists, LLC
Loren Pope was best known for his book, Colleges That Change Lives. The book was published in 1996 and it highlights forty colleges that provide stellar educations for their students. Most of the schools are small (under 2,000 undergraduates) and are not brand name institutions. When I first heard of the book, I was in college. By the time it was gaining notoriety in 2000, I was in my higher education administration program at the University of Maryland and had the experience of being at a much bigger school than my alma mater, Elmira College (NY). I was intrigued with his affinity to smaller, intimate, and in some cases, remote schools. Mostly, I was pleased that someone was highlighting the key advantages of the smaller schools over the bigger brand name schools that are perpetuated in the media.
Now that I’m ten years out of college and with several years of experience helping students navigate the college admission search, I am compelled to pick-up Mr. Pope’s book again during this holiday season. One of the things I’m grateful for in my life is having the small liberal arts experience in my back pocket and everything it gave me (and still gives).
This will be a challenging admission/financial aid season for colleges, parents, and students. I will not forget the writings of Loren Pope during these adverse times and will encourage my students to be cognizant of Loren Pope’s message as their enrollment intentions come to fruition.
Liam Dunfey, M.A.
University Advisors Admission Specialists, LLC
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