Sedona Over Thanksgiving Break

“What Colleges Want in an Applicant (Everything)” is an informative article in The New York Times targeted at applicants, parents, and those who work in admissions at universities

Prior to our recent move to Oregon, I had become quite comfortable with life in Northern New York and had applied for Empire State College as an important part of my future education. When looking into colleges to continue my education, SUNY Empire State College seemed to shine brighter than the rest. I had initially come across the Military Times Magazine and noticed that SUNY Empire State College had been recognized as “Best for Vets” for the past five years. In speaking and hearing the positive experiences of Soldiers who are current students or alumni, my interest deepened. Ultimately, I enrolled and I hope to continue in advancing my career as a History teacher through studies at SUNY Empire State College.

Acceptance into an Ivy League University is often considered the pinnacle of educational achievement. Thousands of students from around the country stress and panic, thinking that their future success is based on their acceptance into elite universities. Frank Bruni aims to change those beliefs and give parents and students some peace of mind in: Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be: an Antidote to the College Admissions Mania. Bruni explains in his book that, “where we go to college will have infinitely less bearing on our fulfillment in life than so much else: the wisdom with which we choose our romantic partners; our interactions with the communities that we inhabit; our generosity toward the families we inherit and the families that we make.”

Virginia Tech has been the home for both my brothers through their mechanical engineer degree and their transformation into responsible and hardworking young adults. I am the third of my family to attend Virginia Tech and even before I was accepted the campus already felt like a second home to me. I know the campus extremely well due to the many visits made and the rural location is quite calming and therapeutic when overwhelmed with stress. The distance from my home puts my mind at ease due to the fact that I always have an opportunity to return home if any major problems arise at home. The entire environment given to me by attending Virginia Tech allows a tranquil learning experience where I will be able to complete my short term goal of rapidly adapting to college life and focus on pursuing my chosen major.

During this stressful season of college applications, I feel that I have an advantage over my classmates. The majority are terrified, searching desperately for a school for them. I, however, am calm. I have been a Hokie fan for my entire life, and dreamed of attending the university for nearly that long. My family is constantly traveling to Blacksburg to cheer on the football team or to enjoy the local food, and I know that nothing would make my mother prouder than seeing me graduate from her alma mater one day. Even if I had no prior connection to Virginia Tech, I would have eventually decided it was the right place for me. It has a beautiful campus full of innovative and wonderfully diverse students. If someone has an ingenious idea that

I’ve kissed up to teachers with recommendation letters in mind, joined clubs, and entered different school activities only because I thought it would look better on a college application. Now that I’m actually applying for colleges, I have nothing of actual substance to say. When a college essay asks, “Why did you decide to apply here?” I know I shouldn’t write that I need a Plan B in case one of my more selective options doesn’t work out. So I lie. I write what college admissions want to hear. I write about how their college can challenge me and put me into a new social setting in which I can thrive. All I have to give are sweet nothings that only appear semi-sincere from the reader’s perspective. Yet, how am I supposed to write something of substance, when all I’ve been conditioned to think about is how to get into college and never stop to ask why I want to go to college. I’ve already applied to UNL and UNO. I found out earlier this week that I had been accepted with the possibility for a Regent’s scholarship. I should feel some sort of excitement, but all I feel is indifference. I’ve adapted enough to know that being accepted into college with such high honors is an important thing, but I feel as though this decision I’ve made is only the result of what

Coming to Virginia Commonwealth University with a major in social work has been one of the best things I have done in the year of 2016. I can remember awaiting my acceptance into Virginia Commonwealth University and instantly choosing to attend. For the remainder of my senior year of high school, I couldn’t wait to pack up and leave for VCU. Before I knew it, it was August 20, 2016, move-in day. Aside from leaving my parents and hometown, I was a bit upset about having to quit my job, the anxiety of being a broke college student hit me before I even stepped on campus. On move in day I was a bit anxious and a little nervous to leave my parents but at the same time I was ready to leave and explore something new on my own.

When people hear the word “college”, many panic inside at the thought. But, when I hear the word “college” I think about Illinois State University. In early July, I attended an Open House at ISU for my very first official college visit. As I stepped onto campus, I couldn’t but help to feel like it was my future home. Many aspects of the tour made me draw nearer to choosing this college after finishing my High School career. Illinois State University seems to fit my personality very well, has an amazing program for what I want to study, and is an outstanding campus for my academic strengths and weaknesses.

Coming from a small high school and later a small college, I know now more than ever that James Madison University is the school for me. When I received a letter in the mail offering me not only an acceptance letter, but also an abundant scholarship from Elizabethtown College, a small private school, I felt I would be foolish not to accept this generous award. While I have had great experiences and have learned an abundance of knowledge in and outside the classroom during my first semester of college, I now know that to reach my full potential, it’s time to move on to a larger, more diverse campus like JMU. For me, Elizabethtown College was comfortable and reminded me of my hometown. Now I know that to be more successful, I need to step

One of the key components in higher education enrollment management in a public, four-year university is the admissions process. With encouragement from many sources such as friends, family, and college marketing materials, high school juniors and seniors apply and enroll in college by the thousands each year (McDonough, 1994). College choice is greater now than twenty years ago, but finding the right fit for each potential student is harder due to increased college entrance standards and intense competition between institutions. Applicants now are more likely to apply to many more institutions than previous generations, yet still only attend

College is an extremely terrifying experience, especially when someone doesn’t know how to maneuver around or choosing the right course or class. Furthermore, it was a great privilege to receive that first letter from The National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS)., Knowing that I’ve been accepted into an honor society that chose someone like myself out of several other qualified students on my campus. That letter gave hope and inspiration for someone like myself the strength to overcome any obstacles, in addition, to being welcomed into this tremendous family that reaches far and wide to help students like myself to accomplish our goals and dream, especially being in the first generation to attend college especially an older adult continuing my

As I approach my final semester at Northern Virginia Community College, I’m closing in towards the finish line on what my two year institution can offer. NOVA, a community college, only offers the ability to achieve up to an associate’s degree. With regards to this, I plan on furthering my education in order to continue learning while also, narrowing my field of study to begin pursuing my passion, which is finance. As a result, I am applying to William & Mary, a prestigious, noteworthy university, to learn from top professors and my peers. My aspiration of being admitted into W&M stems from my first formal visit to the college last fall. I took the transfer tour where I met with students in a similar position as myself. When broken down into

Applying to colleges at the beginning of my senior year of high school seemed like a walk in the park. That was before I realized how much work it took to apply. With the common application and all the essays, I never thought I would get them all done. In the end, I applied to seven different schools including: Michigan State University, University of Michigan, Hillsdale College, Oakland University, Grand Valley State University, Kalamazoo College, and Hope College. Oddly enough, Hope College was the last school I applied too but the first school I got accepted too. I never thought I would attend a small, Christian school until I walked onto Hope`s campus.

Some may say it’s a cliché to write about the feelings you have when arriving on a college campus for the first time; however, the feeling I got when I stepped foot on the Dickinson College campus is one of the main reasons I decided to apply. Although I visited in June, when there were few students on campus, I still had a feeling of being at home. Through my information session, I was able to grasp an accurate understanding of how Dickinson tries to emanate a family feeling while at college. This is precisely what I’m looking for in a college: a place where I feel I belong and welcomed.

As a College Prep Scholar, Quest Bridge notified me to participate in the National College Match. Doing so, I researched each and every one of Quest Bridge’s thirty-six partner colleges. When I reviewed Vassar College, I was intrigued by its degree of flexibility in the Independent Program, which allows students to choose their own courses with no core curriculum set. This intellectual freedom appealed to me, and so I looked into Vassar more in depth. Its location is prime due to the fact that it is in the state of New York, near the scenic Hudson Valley. New York’s vastness and diversity offers each student the ability to develop their own wide web of connections. Moreover, Vassar’s small size is also a benefit in it of itself because it allows