推荐二本书 想知道如何上大学

The New Rules of College Admissions : Ten Former Admissions Officers Reveal What it Takes to Get Into College Today
by Michael London (Editor), Stephen Kramer (Editor), more like guide book, precise, simple, clear.

The Gatekeepers : Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College /Steinberg, Jacques, more concrete student examples.

Read 2 should get a 100% full knowledge of admission to college.

Excerpt from the book "The New Rules of College Admissions"
Published 2006
Founder of College Coach (www.getintocollege.com)
High school 9 -12 grade (Freshman, sophomore, junior, senior)
Nearly 4,000 colleges in USA

Chap1: The high school experience
P4 What courses are absolutely essential year by year?
Answer: Academic solids
English
Social Science History
Mathematics
Science, Preferably with lab
Foreign Language

P5 Is is better for my child to take easier coursed and get As, or take harder courses (such as AP classes ) and get Bs?
Answer: Premier school, AP and honors whenever available. Grade Achieved in Courses ( As)

Chap2: standardized tests
College Board (http://www.collegeboard.org/)
PSAT(Preliminary scholastic achievement test): National Merit Scholarship(Higest scores: National Merit Scholarship Commended Scholars, Semifinalist, finalist) p40

SAT I and SAT II Subject Tests (scholastic achievement test,SAT II formerly called achievement test)
SAT I Critical Reading(800), math (800), Writing(800): 3 hours 40minutes
SAT II (800)

This is no advantage to taking more than 3 SATII exams p50

AP (Advanced Placement Test): usually coincide with AP classes (School awards for outstanding performance)
grade 1-5: 3(qualifying grade) 4 or 5 (excellent)

ACT (American College Tests) www.act.org
Most schools will consider the ACT in place of SAT I and II. p53
ACT:Enghish, readign, math, 30 minutes writing
Pro: Alignment with high school curriculum.

Chap3: College selection
www.petersons.com
www.collegeboard.com
www.princetonreview.com

2:3:2 (2 dream schools, 3 just right schools, 2 no problem schools), total 7

Chap4: The application
Admission option: Rolling admission, Regular decision, Early decision and Early Action.
4 section of application: Personal information and academic background, Activity Chart, Short Essay, Personal statement/Major essay.
Using common application when school offered. P85. p101 www.commonapp.org
Proofreading the hard copy of online version in case differently shown up on screen

Chap5: The application theme
5-30 minutes assess time in college admission officer: theme to make applicant standing out

Chap6: Essays and personal statement
250 - 500 words personal reflection and analysis
2 type of questions: Open-ended and analytical questions p128
Open-ended questions: "tell us about a meaningful experience, and why it is meaningful to you?" : give a personal insight on the topic, not description.
analytical questions: be given a quote, portion of essay, .... and ask to take a stance and explain how their beliefs fits with their stance. Answer why, with their own life experience, provide personal insight into their own thoughts and belief.

Short-Answer essay (100 words)
12 - point Standard font: (Times New Roman, Courier, Arial)

Chap7: Activities

Chap8:Letters of recommendation
Guidance Counsellor recommendation (Guidance Counsellor assigned in 9th grade)
2 Teachers recommendation letter
wwww.commonapp.org ( Teacher Recommendation Form ) to look at questions in the recommendation letters.

Chap9:interviews
On_campus Interviews (informational (nonevaluative) and evaluation interview)
Alumni Interviews
Student Interviews
30 minutes interview
Interviewing 101: The "Big Three " Opening Questions (first 10 minute)
Why are you applying here? What are your academic interests? What are your extracurricular activities?
It's about uncovering the passion behind the activity. p201
Interviewing 101: Open -Ended Question (second 10 minute)
Can this student do the work academically?
What will this student contribute socially, culturally, and personally if we admit him to join our school community?
Again, the key question is "Why?". Why soccer, ... important? p203 p205-p206 list of common interview questions
Interviewing 101: Final impression (last 10 minute)

Chap10:Paying for college
Federal methodology and Institutional methodology

Recruitment schoolarship: often called presidential or dean's schoolarshp, based on academic abilities (merit-based scholarship)
www.fastweb.com www.collegeboard.com (scholarship search database)

If your children received a scholarship from a source other than colleges to which he is applying, he must report the award to each college from which he is selling financial aid. p221

The FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Students Aid (required by almost all schools) www.fafsa.ed.gov (online or paper). no fee for filing the FAFSA.
The CSS: College Scholarship Service Profile (required by some schools). Each student files the FAFSA and CSS profile once each year.

http://studentaid.ed.gov/resources

The FAFSA
1. answering the questions on the FAFSA
2. selecting college that will receive the FAFSA Data
six-digit Federal School Code
3. signing the FAFSA
Sign FAFSA online by typing their Federal PIN number (four-digit PIN), under 21 must have one parent sign (Parent different PIN number), obtain from www.pin.ed.gov. PIN can be also used for sign student and parent promissory note.
4. reviewing the Student Aid Report (SAR)

The CSS profile
1. registration
www.collegeboard.com: list only the college that require CSS profile. no need to list any school that need only the FAFSA. $18 per college.
2. application

Unusual circumstances: contact directly to Director of Financial Aid.

Unusual circumstances letter that is submitted after a financial aid offer has been made is called "appeal". Write as soon as you can, the same time you file the FAFSA. or file "appeal form" after receive a financial aid.

The Financial aid statement (FAS)
The Student Bill