Common Application’s new and revised essay prompts
May 30th, 2017The school year has ended for some and is near for others!
While seniors have made college enrollment choices, juniors are just beginning to ramp up for the excitement of application season. For students still intent on final exams, it is most important to finish the year with a flourish. But as the academic year finishes, juniors can begin letting essay ideas flow.
The new essay prompts from the Common Application have been revised and improved through the guidance of teachers, students and school counselors. The goal of the edits is to give students more room to express themselves freely. Along with two new prompts, three of the essay prompts have been revised to reflect the suggestions of members and constituents.
2017-2018 Common Application Essay Prompts
1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. [No change]
2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? [Revised]
3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? [Revised]
4. Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma – anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution. [No change]
5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. [Revised]
6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more? [New]
7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design. [New]
We expect these topics will spark many ideas about great stories to tell and look forward to reading our rising seniors’ essays in the weeks and months ahead.
Read more at The Common Application >>Tagged: Applications, College, Essays
Selecting high school courses
April 17th, 2017Our blog has placed a lot of focus on high school seniors lately as they wrap up the college search process and make major decisions about their academic future. This week, we turn to important decisions high school freshmen, sophomores and juniors will soon be facing, selecting courses for next school year. The high school transcript is the most important document that college admissions officers examine, and on today’s blog we find out how to make your transcript the best it can be.
In the article we share below, posted from the Yale admissions office, insight is given into what Yale admissions officers are looking for. We believe this will help Shrop Ed readers understand what other schools seek, as well. Important take-away from this article: challenge yourself as much as you can, while taking classes that you will excel in and enjoy.
Article published below from Yale Admissions Office website
Many high school sophomores and juniors (and their parents) want to know what courses to take to improve their chances for admission to Yale and other highly competitive colleges. With the caveat that every situation is different, here is some advice to help guide you as you make these decisions.
A Holistic Approach to Admissions
The high school transcript is almost always the most important document in a student’s application. But it is hard to conceive of a situation in which the appearance (or absence) of any one particular class on a transcript would determine the applicant’s outcome. The admissions committee does not make its decisions based on a piecemeal review of an applicant’s recommendations, test scores, activities, or individual elements of a high school transcript. It considers each application as a comprehensive picture of that student.
Read more at Yale Admissions >>Tagged: Applications, College, High school
Next steps for any college admission decision
March 27th, 2017Last week many students received their final admission decision letters. For some students, the waiting continues … just a few more days. We’ve been delighted to share in much excitement, some disappointment and, in some cases, questions as to what your next steps should be. Thanks to last week’s post from The Georgia Tech Blog, we all know that during this time we need to “be cool,” but what more, specifically, can you do before making your final enrollment choice?
The article link below offers guidelines to help you contemplate next steps, whether you have been accepted, wait-listed or denied. As always, we are very proud of all our hard-working seniors and we are here to answer any questions you might have during these final weeks of the application process.
Article published below by The Princeton Review
The college decision letters and emails are rolling in. Celebrate your acceptances, stay positive, and strategize with your college counselor about what you’ll do next. Whatever your application status, we have some tips on planning your next move.
If You’re Accepted
If you applied regular decision, you have until May 1 (“Decision Day”) to notify colleges. Here’s what you should do after you receive your college acceptance letters:
Read more at The Princeton Review >>Tagged: Admission decision, Applications, College
