We have been reading a very good resource for assisting you in creating the best college application you can have. Michele Hernandez, an Ed.D and a former Assistant Director of Admissions at Dartmouth, is well-known for her sound advice about getting into competitive colleges. In her book Acing the College Application: How to Maximize your Chances for Admission to the College of your Choice, Hernandez covers a wide variety of topics in an easy-to-read book that offers terrific tips for applying to college. This book tells all about college applications. It covers the activity sheet, essay writing, what to send and what not to send, as well as types of recommendations and interviewing tips.
Of course, CollegeBasics always advises you to take all opportunities to include extra personal information about yourself in your applications, filling out short essays and supplemental essays, but we found another great idea from Hernandez. She strongly recommends that all applicants write an additional essay, asked for or not, which addresses the student’s subject interest. This may be a subject in the conventional sense of a course (math, English, Spanish) or it may be a subject that arises from an activity or hobby (politics, astronomy). She gives interesting advice about how to narrow that interest for a short essay and how to include details. This essay works best when it is supported by other materials in your application which show you have pursued your interest, gained recognitions or awards, done special projects, been involved in community activities, etc. Hernandez explains this additional essay also plays to your academic talents and can be adapted to the often-seen essay, why do you want to go to X college.
Check it out, and maybe pick up another Hernandez book A is for Admission, which explains how highly selective colleges make their admission decisions.
