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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781617600609 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | SuperCollege LLC |
| Publication date: | 07/15/2014 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 272 |
| File size: | 2 MB |
About the Author
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 What Selective Colleges Really Want from Applicants 1
Getting Into Your Dream School
How this Book Is Superior to All Others: A Shameless (But True) Testimonial
A Sneak Preview to What's Inside
What Colleges Consider in Deciding Whom to Admit
How Colleges Make Their Decisions: Behind the Closed Doors of the Admissions Office
The Admissions Gamble and the Role of Luck
Who We Are and How We Will Help
Chapter 2 How to Pick the Perfect College For you 21
Your First Challenge: Deciding Where to Apply
The Neapolitan Ice Cream Approach to Picking the "Right" Colleges
Which School Has the Best Parties and Other Important Questions You Need to Ask
Applying Early … or Should I Sign My Life Away?
The Dreaded Deferment
Don't Worry About Money (Yet)
Chapter 3 Create a Compelling Admission Application 33
How to Write a Killer Application
Get Your Very Own Applications
Save Time With the Common Application
Get Ready to Be a Neat Freak-Even if You're Not
Your Online Personality
Beef up Your Extracurricular and Academic Life
Prioritize Your Activities
Leadership is Always Better Than Membership
Tastefully Bragging about Your Honors and Awards
When to Leave It Blank
Nip and Tuck in All the Right Places
Leave No Question Unanswered
Zap! Tips for Applying Online
Finally … Don't Forget to Sign
An Example Application That Worked
Chapter 4 How to Guarantee Excellent Evaluations 51
Find Someone to Brag About You
Start Early
How to Hunt Down the Best Recommenders
The Bonus Evaluation
Get Recommenders Who Can Write About the Intimate Details of Your Life
The Name Game: Bigger Isn't Always Better
A Warning About Numbers
Avoid Crunch Time
Do the Grunt Work for Your Recommenders
The Perfect Cover Letter
Be a Frequent Visitor to Your Recommenders
Make Your Recommenders Feel Warm and Fuzzy
Secret Fail-Safe Weapon for Excellent Evaluations
Chapter 5 How to Write an Irresistible Essay 67
The Essay: King of the Application
The Essay in the Eyes of the Admissions Officer
Typical Essay Questions
All Questions Can Be Answered Exactly the Same
Five Step Essay-Writing Workshop
Step 1 Brainstorm Topics
Step 2 Narrow the List of Possible Topics
Step 3 Razzle and Dazzle! Answer the Question Uniquely
Step 4 Write for Perfection: Rewrite, Edit, Rewrite and Edit Again, with Help from Editors
Step 5 Polish Your Essay
The Essay-Writing Absolute Don'ts
Totally Dumb Topics to Avoid
Specific Tips for Specific Questions
Next Up: The Magic of Recycling and Examples of the Good, Bad and Ugly … Essays that Is
Chapter 6 Recycle Your Essays when Applying to Many Colleges 103
Presto-Chango! Turn One Essay Into Two
The Common Application: The Easiest Way to Recycle
How to Answer Any Question With Only One Essay
Recycling in Action: A Case Study
How to Shorten a Long Essay
How to Build a Longer Essay
A Final Warning About Recycling
Chapter 7 Example Essays: The Good, Bad and Ugly 117
The College Essay in the Real World
Magnum Opuses: Essays that Opened College Doors
Seven Disastrous Essays That Spelled Rejection
A Final Note on the Essays That Bombed
Do You Have a Good Essay?
Chapter 8 The Secrets to Crushing the Interview 151
The Interview Nightmare
Secrets of the Interview
Make the Most of Your Sweaty Palms
Interviewers Are Real People Too
Don't Just Talk About You
Creative Digressions and Connecting: How to Become Bosom Buddies With Your Interviewers
Listen, Too
Your Interview Homework
Cheat Sheet of the Most Commonly Asked Questions
The "No-No" Topics
Know the World Around You
Is Religion a Taboo Topic?
No Snoozing Allowed
The Mock Interview
Leave the Halter Top and Short Shorts Behind
Nail Polish, Aspirin and Other Emergency Supplies
Show Time! Psyche Yourself Up for the Real Thing
Why Blowing It Is' Not Blowing It
Chapter 9 Critical Final Steps Before Submitting the Application 165
You Are Done! (Well Almost…)
Do a Once, Twice and Thrice Over
The Big Send-Off
Thank All of Your Helpers
Chapter 10 How to Ace the Sat and Act 169
How to Survive the SAT and ACT
Myth #1: Standardized tests make or break your chances.
Myth #2: You have to score in the top 90 percent to get into a selective college
Myth #3: There is nothing you can do to prepare for the tests
The Ingredients of the Alphabet Soup of Tests
The SAT
The PSAT
The SAT Subject Tests
The ACT
Duel of the Three-Letter Acronyms: The SAT vs. ACT
Advanced Placement Tests (APs)
International Baccalaureate Program
TOEFL, TWE and TSE
How to Increase Your Scores
How to Master English and Reading Tests
Number Hunching and Crunching: How to Be a Math Whiz
The Day Before the Big Event
Test Time Tips
A Timeline for Testing
A Second Chance
How to Deal With a Bombed Test
Chapter 11 How to win Free Cash for College 193
Money Is Everything
Financial Aid Mumbo Jumbo Explained
Money From Uncle Sam: Federal Financial Aid
All the Forms You Need to Fill Out
Tips for Filling Out the Forms
What Happens Next?
Scholarships: The Best Free Cash in the World
Map to the Financial Aid Jackpots
Strategies for Winning Scholarships
How to Write a Winning Scholarship Essay
Strategies to Get More Money
How to Write a Letter to Ask for More
Letter to Harvard
Get the Latest Scholarship Information
Chapter 12 Admissions for Special Groups 209
Special Considerations for Special Groups
Student Athletes
Transfer Students
International Students: Corning to America
Students With Disabilities
Home-Schooled Students
Chapter 13 Get Started Before Your Senior Year 221
Catch the Early Bird Worms
Everything an Underclassman Needs to Know About College Admissions (But Is Afraid to Ask)
Visit College Campuses
The Application? What's That?
Challenge Your Brain
Practice for and Take the Alphabet Soup of Tests
The Importance of Extracurricular Activities
Compete to Stand Out
Keep a Record of All Your Accomplishments
Kiss Up To Teachers, Employers and Advisors
Avoid Appliphobia by Previewing Applications
Chapter 14 Get Your Child Ready for College 231
The Difficult Role of Being a Parent
A Galloping Overview of the Admissions Process and How You Can Help
How to Pay for College Without Filing for Chapter 11
100 Percent Freedom for Your Child
Get an Early Start With Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors
Chapter 15 Decide which College to Enter 241
The Waiting Game
The Quality of Parties and Other Important Criteria for Making Your Final Decision
The Campus Visit: A Crash Course on College Life
Don't Wait for the Wait List
Your Last Letter to the Admissions Office
Appendix A Resources 247
Appendix B College Search Worksheet 249
Appendix C Evaluation/Recommendation Worksheet 252
Appendix D College Cost of Attendance Worksheet 255
Appendix E Financial Aid Worksheet 256
Index 257
About the Authors 260