Ready for the End and the Beginning

New Year's Celebration

Hey everyone! Happy New Year! The celebration for New Year's Eve was very hectic for me this year! First, I hosted a New Year's Eve party for all of my friends. They all came over to my house and we danced and played games until midnight when we all counted down to 2013. We all blew streamers and noisemakers, wore funny hats, and celebrated for the first hours of 2013! Unfortunately since you have to stay up to midnight, I didn't go to bed till late and I was very tired the next day! 

Happy New Year

Last minuete submittals

The next day was January 1st and the last day to submit college apps. And guess what, I submitted a college app that day right before the deadline. I know I am crazy! But better at the deadline then never! Good thing my late night didn't hurt my application. It's always good to submit everything you want and never miss out on any opportunities. So now that the deadline is officially over, I can say I am officially done with all my college apps. No more last minute submittals for me! Now I can truly enjoy the last couple of days of break before I go back to my hectic school schedule on January 7th.

How did you spend your New Year's Eve and the first day of 2013? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Holly College-y Christmas

Hey everyone! This last week at school has been pretty hectic because it is the last week before the two week Holiday Vacation we have here in the United States! All high schools have at least two weeks off around this time to celebrate Christmas, New Years, and all the other holidays and most colleges have up to a month off! Because of this large time frame off of school, its the perfect opportunity to spend with family and friends, especially if you have been away at college until now.

For students like me who are in the middle of college applications, Holiday Break is the final time to finish and submit your applications. Since almost all applications are due to schools by the beginning of January, the days off school beforehand are perfect for checking over your applications and making sure they are perfect before you submit them. Once you have submitted all your college apps, you can celebrate by getting together for the holidays with all of your family and friends! I know I will be! I already had a cookie party with all of my friends, where all made and traded different cookies and desserts we made from scratch together. It was delicious!

What do you plan on doing during your Holiday Vacation? How much time do you get off school? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Extraordinary Extracurriculars

My Tennis Team

Model UN Team

Hey everyone!  For most colleges and universities in the US, Extracurricular Activities are an important part of the application process.  They want to know how you have spent your time outside of the classroom, and what talents and interests you have other than academics.   Colleges want their students to be interesting people, ones that will participate in the variety of activities that are offered and help make their school a fun place to be. 

Whether its sports, music debate, drama, or community service, or a part time job, pick something you like to do and get involved!  It’s never too early to start!  Don’t try to do everything.  Pick a few activities that are your favorite and get involved in depth.  Colleges like to see personal development and leadership within a few activities much more than a list of a dozen activities that you just tried out.  As they say, quality is better than quantity!

My blog AmericanAmanda

Volunteering-Serving Meals
to the Military

Some of the extracurricular activities I have been involved in are 4 years on my school’s varsity tennis team and track teams, community service volunteer with the National Charity League, Model United Nations delegate, and of course, American Amanda blogger for the US Embassy in Oslo.  Being involved with each of these areas for several years has given me the chance to hold leadership positions and win awards, plus feel like a had a chance to really make a difference in each one. 

Track and Field Long Jump

The pictures all show a different extracurricular activity I am involved in! 

What extracurricular activities are you involved in?  Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Incredible Interviews

Hey Everyone! In addition to reading all about you through your high school transcript, your list of extracurricular activities, your recommendations, and your personal essays, many private colleges offer personal interviews as another way to learn about whether you would be a good fit at their school.  These interviews are sometimes held at the admission office at the school, but since there isn’t time or resources to interview all applicants that way, most interviews are done by alumni of the school that live all around the country.  That way, applicants can have an interview in the town where they live and don’t have to travel to the school.  The alumni are familiar with the school and will let the admissions office know if they think you will be a good fit for the school after the interview. 

The college interview probably isn't the most important part of your application, but it can help you if you make a good impression. A bad impression may hurt your chances of getting accepted.  An interview is also an important way to let you ask questions about the college and make sure it has everything you are looking for as well.

Before a college interview it is important to prepare like you would for any interview.  Here are some tips:

1. Research the school- so you can be informed when answering questions 
2. Think about your responses- to common interview questions-so you can be prepared
3. Give complete answers - don’t just answer “yew” or “no” to questions.  They want to know as much about you as they can.
4. Dress neatly- it shows you care about the interview and want to make a good impression
5. Show interest- by asking questions about the school (that are well thought out and not easily found on the website.)   They want to know that you want to go to their school.
6. Don’t bring your parents into the room – talk with the interviewer by yourself, that way your parents won’t answer the questions for you.

Check out some common questions asked in college interviews by clicking here!

How do you feel about college interviews? Are you confident in your interviewing skills? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Being 1st for the 1st

Hey everyone! Happy November 1st!  Many high school seniors are happy today (or they will be at midnight when they finish their application) because today is one of the big deadlines for college applications.  November 1^st is the most common date for “early” applications.  One great thing about applying “early” to a college is that they will give you their decision in mid December, months before the “regular” decisions are made. While many private and some public universities offer this option, some say you may only apply to one school “early”, so it’s important to choose wisely! I have already finished and submitted my “early” application this week, so I am very happy today!  Many of my friends will be up late tonight finishing up theirs.  Hopefully they will click “submit” on their computer before midnight!

The private school I applied to “early” accepted the Common Application, which is also accepted by almost 500 other private schools in the U.S.  The Common App required me to include information about myself, my school and my family.  I listed all my extracurricular activities in order of importance to me, and the time I spent on each one during high school.   I asked two of my teachers and my principal to write recommendations, and they sent these all directly to my Common App file.  I also sent in my official school transcript that listed all my classes and the GPA (grade point average) I had achieved during high school.  I ordered my test scores from the SAT and ACT testing boards and these where sent directly to the school.  Finally, I wrote two essays that will be included in my Common Application file.  Most schools have one or two essays and some questions that are specific to their school in addition to all this Common App information, but most of the information is shared by all schools.  Now that my Common Application is finished, I will have much less work when I go to submit the final application for the other schools!

How did you spend your November 1st? How are your college applications coming? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Essays that Excel

Hey everyone! One important, and also time consuming, part of the college application process are the application essays.  Along with school transcripts, test scores, and recommendations, most private and many public universities require students to write one or more essays to add to their application.  The essay question might be to write about yourself, to write why you would like to attend a certain college or university, or to give an answer to a specific question, like “who do you most admire and why” or “what’s important?”  Right now I am in the middle of working on essays for several different schools I am applying to.  It’s always a challenge to fit these in along with school work and fall sports, but it has to be done!

It’s important to do your own writing when completing the essays, and to be yourself, as colleges can quickly see if an essay doesn’t sound like the words of a high school student.  But it’s always good to talk over essay topics first with your parents and other adults, and definitely have them proofread it to make sure it’s the best it can be.  It’s also good to do plenty of research on each college you are applying to, so when they ask “why do you want to go here?” you can answer with specific reasons that help them see what a good fit you will be for their school.

 

Here is a link to some more advice on what to expect from college essays from the College Board:

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-in/essays/3-ways-to-approach-common-college-essay-questions?ep_ch=CO&ep_mid=10613064&ep_rid=153807

What are you gonna write your essay about? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Lovely Letters

Hey everyone! Another step that is very important to your college application process is letters of recommendation.  Almost all private universities require letters of recommendation from a counselor and teachers, but most public schools do not. Since I am applying to a lot of private schools, this aspect of the application is very important to me.
Most of the time you are assigned to a school counselor who write about you, but the teachers are completely by choice. Because of this, it is very important you choose wisely. Try to pick teachers not just because you got a good grade in their class, but because they know you on a deeper level. Teachers who know about your work ethic and leadership can write a much more convincing letter to colleges about your academic ability than a teacher who knows nothing about you. Sometimes the best letters emerge from the classes your got lower grades in, because the teachers can comment on how hard you tired and you really worked for the grade you got. Some colleges require only one letter, but most require a letter from two teachers. The teachers who are writing your letters should also be teachers or a core curriculum class like math or science. I chose my United States History/Model UN teacher and Calculus teacher who is also my tennis coach because they both know me on levels both in and out of school.
Since the required letters must be from core curriculum classes, there is also opportunity to summit one or two additional letters from teachers, coaches, or any individual whose letter could add to your application. Pick a person who is unique to something you do, like the advisor of a club or community service coordinator.
All in all, the letter of recommendation is just one part of the rigorous process that is college applications. But with the right preparation and pick, it should be smooth sailing.

Who would write your letter of recommendation for college? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Advanced Applications, College Credentials

Hey everyone! When applying to colleges, you have three main choices for your application: early decision, early action, or regular decision. Regular decision is pretty self explanatory. I am applying to practically all my schools regular decision, which means that I fill out and summit all my applications by the first week of January. However, early decision and early action are a bit more complicated. Below, I will tell you all about early decision and early action: the pros, the cons, and what I recommend.

Early Decision
When you apply for a school early decision, that means you summit your application for the one school you want to apply early around November. Early decision plans are binding. That means if you apply to a school and are accepted you must attend. As an early decision applicant, you apply early to your favorite school and receive a decision early, normally by December. You must attend that school unless you have a financial restraint. You can only apply to one college early decision, but as many colleges regular decision as you want. However if you are accepted to your early decision school, you must withdraw all other applications.

Early Action
While you still apply to one specific school in Novemember for early action, the plan is nonbinding, which means students recieve an early response to their application but do not have to commit to the college until the normal reply date of May 1st. When applying early, you receive your admission decision early like January or February and are allowed to apply to other colleges during the regular decision application process. Most schools have restrictive early action, so you can only apply to one. If you are accepted, you have until may first to give your decision.

Applying early is not for everyone. Only apply to a school early if you have researched the college, are sure it is your number one, have found a strong match academically, socially, and geographically, meet the SAT and GPA averages, and have a solid academic record. Personally, I am not ready to commit to a school yet, so I am applying early action to one school, and regular decision to the rest. But ultimately the choice is up to you. Start thinking about schools and preparing early so if you want to apply early, you are ready!

Find out more about Early Decision vs. Early Action by clicking here.

Would you apply early to your first choice college? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Common Colleges

Hey everyone! September is a very exciting, and stressful, month for seniors. This is because it is the first month where college applications are well underway! I am starting my applications this month, and am already feeling the work! However, it is a very interesting process to go through, as you decide where you want to spend your next four years.
The Common Application is
an application accepted by 488 private schools in the United States. I am applying to many private schools, so I am using the Common App a lot. When starting my applications, the first step I did was set up an account.
The Common App is an application that can be hand written or filled in online. In addition to the general information most colleges require supplemental essays or information along with the Common App. There are even some private colleges that do not accept the Common App, and you have to fill out a separate application if you want to apply to them.
The Common App is very user friendly and easy to use. It opens August 1st every year, so I started checking it out early and did some work over the summer.
Once I made an account, I started adding the schools I wanted to apply to. Then I started filling out the basic information about myself, my school record, and my testing history. Teacher and school counselor recommendations are also needed, so be prepared to ask a teacher you think can write a good and meaningful letter about you. Once all the data is filled, letters are written, and essays are finished, I will be ready to summit my application! Over the next couple of months, I will continue to work on my Common Application. But since this application is just for private schools, I still have to fill out more applications for my state schools. It's a lot of work, but it is worth it to find the perfect school for me!

To find out more about the Common App, click here

Where do you plan on applying to college? Is it a Common App school? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Top 5 Ways to be Prepared for the College Application Process

Hey everyone! As we are nearing the end of the school year, I am starting the college application process. Next year I will have a whole series on applying to college, but I thought I would give a brief introdruction to the process and things you should do to prepare a head of time.

Any student in high school will tell you that applying for college is a very important, long, and tricky process. Most people wouldn't realize, but the earlier you start preparing for applying to college the easier it is when that time approaches. With these five easy tricks, you will become an application superstar that any college would be lucky to have.

1. Enroll in challenging classes and take them seriously

  We all know that hard classes can be, well, hard. However, colleges know this and will reward you for challenging yourself. The first thing colleges look at is the level of coursework and your GPA. Honors and AP (advance placement) classes add extra point to your GPA, so even if you don't get an A your GPA will remain the same. Beginning in freshman or sophomore year, take the most challenging classes you can and do your best. Seek outside tutoring (often available free from older students) on difficult subjects. 

2. Get involved outside the classroom

Colleges love to see that you have passions outside of school. Whether its sports, music, drama, debate, community service, or other school clubs, select  2-3 extracurriculars that interest you. Don't join every club you come in contact with. Instead, focus on a few that demonstrate your interest and work towards leadership positions. Colleges love seeing that you have leadership qualities.

3. Prepare for the SAT or the ACT early

Your score on these tests are important to colleges, so take the time to prepare early in your junior year. You can take these tests as many times as you want, so start early incase you want to retake them. You can study review books or attend review sessions to help improve your score. Give yourself time to take the tests more than once to improve your score before senior year. 

4. Research colleges and universities

There are almost 3000 colleges and universities in the US, so you will find a school that is a perfect fit for you. Take time to research the details of different schools online. Schools vary by size, location, specialties, student body, and cost. Many offer generous financial aid and scholarships. If you are able, try to drive or fly to visit schools that interest you to get a feel of the campus and meet current staff and students.

5. Choose summer experiences that highlight your interest

Use your summer breaks during high school wisely. Look for summer jobs, programs, classes, or camps that demonstrate your interest and give you experience in your areas of interest.

These five easy steps will help you find and snag the college of your dreams! Happy hunting!

xoxo

Amanda

College Application Time

Hey everyone! This time between November and December is a busy time for high school seniors, because of college applications. Most applications are due at the end of November or December, so this time is the final push. I am not a senior yet, so this is a good time for me to observe the application process and get ready for next year.
College applications here in the US are very detialed. Not only do applications require a report of your grades, SAT/ACT scores, class rank, etc., they also want to know all about your outside activities like sports, music, drama, volunteer work, work experience, etc. They love to know what your interests are and makes you special. On top of all the reports they require two or three personal essays. These are to show your writing ability, along with personal creativity and spirit. There is a lot of work that goes into writing applications, but it is all worth it when you are accepted into schools! Luckily, almost all private colleges today accept the Common Application, so you can fill it out once and send it to all your schools of choice! Some schools require extra supplement essays, but basically you have a one stop place for applications.


There are over 2,000 colleges and universities and also many junior colleges here within the US so there is a place for everybody! Some colleges are much harder to get into then others and require top grades and outside activities. This is due to their ranking. Below is the URL for the list of current ranking for colleges and universities in the US.

http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities

Each college is different, yet there is a different college that is perfect for everyone!

Would you ever want to come to college in the US? Where would you want to go to college? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo