Here is an eBook: http://dollarfiles.net/dl.php?file=3722
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Top 10 Colleges & Universities in USA
If you are reading this blog and following the advice I am giving you high schoolers, you will have the potential to be qualified for some of the top colleges and universities.
Here are the top 10 colleges and universities in the USA:
1) Harvard University - A private ivy-league university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
2) Princeton University - A private ivy-league university located in Princeton, New Jersey.
3) Yale University - A private ivy-league university located in New Haven, Connecticut.
4) Massachusetts Institute of Technology - A private research university located in Cambridge, MA.
5) Stanford University - A private research university located in Stanford, California.
6) California Institute of Technology - A private research university located in Pasadena, CA.
7) University of Pennsylvania - A private ivy-league university located in Philadelphia, PA.
8) Columbia University - A private ivy-league research university located in New York City, NY.
9) Duke University - A private research university located in Durham, North Carolina.
10) University of Chicago - A private research university located in Chicago, Illinois.
Here are the top 10 colleges and universities in the USA:
1) Harvard University - A private ivy-league university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
2) Princeton University - A private ivy-league university located in Princeton, New Jersey.
3) Yale University - A private ivy-league university located in New Haven, Connecticut.
4) Massachusetts Institute of Technology - A private research university located in Cambridge, MA.
5) Stanford University - A private research university located in Stanford, California.
6) California Institute of Technology - A private research university located in Pasadena, CA.
7) University of Pennsylvania - A private ivy-league university located in Philadelphia, PA.
8) Columbia University - A private ivy-league research university located in New York City, NY.
9) Duke University - A private research university located in Durham, North Carolina.
10) University of Chicago - A private research university located in Chicago, Illinois.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
All About Recommendation Letters
Recommendation letters are essential when applying to colleges - they provide the admissions officers with a glimpse of your dominant characteristics as well as an exemplary relationship with a close teacher/coach/etc. As a result, they play an important role in the decision-making process in the admissions office.
Here's some advice for you when you have to deal with recommendation letters:
1) Who to Ask?
Choose someone who knows you well enough to write a strong, honest, and convincing letter on your behalf. Some suggestions for potential candidates are employers, teachers, other administrators, and anyone else who is professionally acquainted with your personality.
2) When to Ask?
One of the biggest mistakes college students have is asking teachers in the fall of Senior year for the recommendation letter. Although this isn't always a bad idea, it is strongly recommended to ask in the spring of junior year - this way, if the person says they won't / can't write the letter for any reason, you will be able to look for another person to write it without any worry.
3) How to Ask?
There is no other acceptable way to ask for a recommendation letter than in person. If you can't even make a sincere effort to ask them to write you this letter, why should they make a sincere effort to write a superb letter? Also, when you ask, please do say why you need this recommendation letter (for college, internship, etc)
4) What to Include?
You should tell the person writing this letter what exactly to include - be specific! If you had excellent drive in this teacher's class, you may want to ask if he/she can focus on that. Or, if you had a lower grade at the start of the year, but then brought it up significantly, that would be a good topic to discuss in the letter.
Conclusion:
After the teacher sends out the letter, and you receive decisions from your colleges, you should be sure to hand-write a thank you note. This person has taken time out of their day to help YOU get into a place of higher learning - the least you can do to show them your appreciation is write a thank you note!
Here's some advice for you when you have to deal with recommendation letters:
1) Who to Ask?
Choose someone who knows you well enough to write a strong, honest, and convincing letter on your behalf. Some suggestions for potential candidates are employers, teachers, other administrators, and anyone else who is professionally acquainted with your personality.
2) When to Ask?
One of the biggest mistakes college students have is asking teachers in the fall of Senior year for the recommendation letter. Although this isn't always a bad idea, it is strongly recommended to ask in the spring of junior year - this way, if the person says they won't / can't write the letter for any reason, you will be able to look for another person to write it without any worry.
3) How to Ask?
There is no other acceptable way to ask for a recommendation letter than in person. If you can't even make a sincere effort to ask them to write you this letter, why should they make a sincere effort to write a superb letter? Also, when you ask, please do say why you need this recommendation letter (for college, internship, etc)
4) What to Include?
You should tell the person writing this letter what exactly to include - be specific! If you had excellent drive in this teacher's class, you may want to ask if he/she can focus on that. Or, if you had a lower grade at the start of the year, but then brought it up significantly, that would be a good topic to discuss in the letter.
Conclusion:
After the teacher sends out the letter, and you receive decisions from your colleges, you should be sure to hand-write a thank you note. This person has taken time out of their day to help YOU get into a place of higher learning - the least you can do to show them your appreciation is write a thank you note!
Friday, July 20, 2012
"WOW" Factor
We all have something that is unique to us, whether you're one of the top golfers in the state or an expert programmer. It's important to convince the admissions officer that you will bring something special to the class that they should be interested in.
Now, what counts as an extracurricular activity?
Well, anything you do that isn't a high school course or a job can be considered an extracurricular activity (with a few exceptions). Many applicants make the mistake of considering extracurricular activities only those that are school-sponsored groups, such as yearbook committee, varsity soccer, and parade band.
The Common App, which is the most widespread college application, groups together extracurricular activities with community service, volunteer work, family activities, and other hobbies. Here are some examples of extracurricular activities:
Arts:
Church activity
Clubs
Community activity
Governance
Hobbies
Media
Military
Music
Sports
Volunteer Work and Community Service
Now, what counts as an extracurricular activity?
Well, anything you do that isn't a high school course or a job can be considered an extracurricular activity (with a few exceptions). Many applicants make the mistake of considering extracurricular activities only those that are school-sponsored groups, such as yearbook committee, varsity soccer, and parade band.
The Common App, which is the most widespread college application, groups together extracurricular activities with community service, volunteer work, family activities, and other hobbies. Here are some examples of extracurricular activities:
Testing Scores
We all dread the thought of having to take the SAT/ACT, but not everyone realizes that he/she could offset his/her grades with a high testing score. The key to coming out of the testing room with a satisfied grin is preparation; lots and lots of it!
The year before taking the test of your choice, it's recommended to buy an SAT/ACT book and take one of the practice tests without any preparation. This way, you know how much work you're going to have to put in to achieve the score you would ideally like to receive.
Now, for setting your goal. You want your ideal testing score to be reasonable, but high enough that it will take a year of hard work and determination to achieve it. For example, if you take the practice test and receive a 1560, I would suggest making your goal an even 2000.
You're finally ready to get to the good stuff. Find out the type of questions asked on the SAT/ACT, how many sections, how long the test takes, if you are penalized for incorrect answers, if you can bring a calculator, and the middle 50% score the current admitted freshman class had for your "reach" college. It is crucial to understand the basics of the test before you get into the practice; you don't want to waste your time studying the wrong material!
For preparation, you have a few choices; study from a practice book, hire a tutor, and/or take a prep class. The practice book is a must, and if you decide not to do any of the others, you should be religiously plowing through that book so that you start seeing results.
One of the best ways to ensure a higher testing score is to create a calendar with the time & dates of when you will study for the test. An hour every other day should suffice, but make sure to take a full practice test every other week; those are the best way to increase your score!
The night before test day, you're going to want to get a good night's sleep. In the morning, you should eat a protein-rich breakfast and drink some coffee or tea if that is what it will take to keep you focused during the test. If you haven't been to the testing location, you may want to head out fifteen minutes early to make sure you don't get lost and end up missing the test!
When you are taking the test, keep calm and collected; just have the mentality that you're going to ACE it. Make sure to read the instructions carefully for each section, and to read each question slowly to make sure you internalize each detail. Also, keep track of the time and if you are running short on time, fill in the rest of the questions (if you won't be penalized for wrong answers) and keep working through the rest of the section until time runs out. Another important tip is to not get distracted by other testers in the room; it will ruin your score if you let the guy next to you breathing obnoxiously loud ruin your mentality, and waver your focus. Lastly, when you are finished with each section, make sure you have completed each question, and go back to the questions that you were unsure of to see if you can solve them better now.
I hope these tips & tricks help you out when it's time for you to get ready for that big test, but just remember; preparation and confidence are key!
The year before taking the test of your choice, it's recommended to buy an SAT/ACT book and take one of the practice tests without any preparation. This way, you know how much work you're going to have to put in to achieve the score you would ideally like to receive.
Now, for setting your goal. You want your ideal testing score to be reasonable, but high enough that it will take a year of hard work and determination to achieve it. For example, if you take the practice test and receive a 1560, I would suggest making your goal an even 2000.
You're finally ready to get to the good stuff. Find out the type of questions asked on the SAT/ACT, how many sections, how long the test takes, if you are penalized for incorrect answers, if you can bring a calculator, and the middle 50% score the current admitted freshman class had for your "reach" college. It is crucial to understand the basics of the test before you get into the practice; you don't want to waste your time studying the wrong material!
For preparation, you have a few choices; study from a practice book, hire a tutor, and/or take a prep class. The practice book is a must, and if you decide not to do any of the others, you should be religiously plowing through that book so that you start seeing results.
One of the best ways to ensure a higher testing score is to create a calendar with the time & dates of when you will study for the test. An hour every other day should suffice, but make sure to take a full practice test every other week; those are the best way to increase your score!
The night before test day, you're going to want to get a good night's sleep. In the morning, you should eat a protein-rich breakfast and drink some coffee or tea if that is what it will take to keep you focused during the test. If you haven't been to the testing location, you may want to head out fifteen minutes early to make sure you don't get lost and end up missing the test!
When you are taking the test, keep calm and collected; just have the mentality that you're going to ACE it. Make sure to read the instructions carefully for each section, and to read each question slowly to make sure you internalize each detail. Also, keep track of the time and if you are running short on time, fill in the rest of the questions (if you won't be penalized for wrong answers) and keep working through the rest of the section until time runs out. Another important tip is to not get distracted by other testers in the room; it will ruin your score if you let the guy next to you breathing obnoxiously loud ruin your mentality, and waver your focus. Lastly, when you are finished with each section, make sure you have completed each question, and go back to the questions that you were unsure of to see if you can solve them better now.
I hope these tips & tricks help you out when it's time for you to get ready for that big test, but just remember; preparation and confidence are key!
Grades
The first and most commonly perceived attribute that colleges look for in an applicant is his/her grades throughout the past four years. Whether you're applying to the local community college or Harvard, all admissions officers are going to be looking for two things when they check out your transcript: superiority and progression
Superiority is all about exceeding the expectations you've had for yourself; as long as you're pushing yourself harder than you initially planned on working, you can consider this part of the job done. If you believe that you are doing even more than you planned on doing in terms of work in high school, then you are off to a good start. Now, you need to choose the right classes.
If your high school offers honors and/or AP classes, it would in your best interest to take a couple of them. What I'd recommend is taking the higher-level classes in your most comfortable subjects; this way, you will at least enjoy doing more work for them! Colleges love to see high school students taking college prep classes and doing well in them because it shows them that you will most likely be a strong student at their school if you are currently excelling in high-level classes now.
Progression is all about not only maintaining your grades, but actively seeking out a higher GPA. For example, if you receive a 3.4 GPA in freshman year, colleges expect you to not only maintain a 3.4+ GPA in sophomore, but take more rigorous classes. Admissions officers want students who know how to handle their course load every year, and not have fluctuating GPAs. They also want students who know how to challenge themselves without biting more than they can handle.
Grades are only one determining factor in the admissions process, though, so you have to make sure to balance out grades with the other factors.
Superiority is all about exceeding the expectations you've had for yourself; as long as you're pushing yourself harder than you initially planned on working, you can consider this part of the job done. If you believe that you are doing even more than you planned on doing in terms of work in high school, then you are off to a good start. Now, you need to choose the right classes.
If your high school offers honors and/or AP classes, it would in your best interest to take a couple of them. What I'd recommend is taking the higher-level classes in your most comfortable subjects; this way, you will at least enjoy doing more work for them! Colleges love to see high school students taking college prep classes and doing well in them because it shows them that you will most likely be a strong student at their school if you are currently excelling in high-level classes now.
Progression is all about not only maintaining your grades, but actively seeking out a higher GPA. For example, if you receive a 3.4 GPA in freshman year, colleges expect you to not only maintain a 3.4+ GPA in sophomore, but take more rigorous classes. Admissions officers want students who know how to handle their course load every year, and not have fluctuating GPAs. They also want students who know how to challenge themselves without biting more than they can handle.
Grades are only one determining factor in the admissions process, though, so you have to make sure to balance out grades with the other factors.
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