This booklet empowers teenagers to command their college application journey. Once the family agrees on what is affordable for a college education, the student should take charge, and The Independent Teenager’s Guide shows the way. The student learns how to find colleges that serve his or her interests and goals, how to communicate with colleges to gather information and demonstrate interest, how to help teachers and school counselors write personalized recommendations, and how to compose dynamic application essays. The dreaded essays! This booklet, which can be read in less than two hours, is packed with exercises to hone the narrative and descriptive writing skills required for the essays. Tips are included for conquering writer’s block, navigating athletic recruitment, seeking financial aid based on need or merit, and much more.
Excerpts:
From Chapter 2, "Tell Your Story":
Your high school years tell a story, your story. This chapter will help you put it into words. From writing about yourself, you can learn a great deal that will aid you in every phase of your search, from deciding what to look for in a prospective college to remembering anecdotes for application essays. What you write for this chapter will create the foundation for the booklet’s remaining exercises.
From Chapter 3, "Make Your College List":
The later a college’s final application deadline, the less selective the college is likely to be for admissions.
From Chapter 4, "Show Interest":
When interviewing in person, make eye contact. For all interviews, show a reasonable amount of enthusiasm. These two qualities occur naturally when you are prepared.
From Chapter 5, "Help Your Advocates":
When should you ask teachers for recommendations? How about spring of your junior year, before such requests pile up and an overwhelmed teacher turns you away?
From Chapter 6, "Write Distinctive Essays":
Good application essays contain a mix of description and explanation, but too much of the latter can bleed the composition of life. Preach less, describe more. Let events speak for themselves. Step back a bit, and give the reader some freedom to draw conclusions.
Like food, information must be digested, and for the reader gagging on an interminable sentence, no procedure exists for dislodging the obstruction. Therefore, serve information in reasonable bites . . .
From "Conclusion":
Move your college search beyond “getting in” to a popular school. Think about getting on—with your life, with planning how to profit from the independence and opportunity that await you after high school.
Excerpts:
From Chapter 2, "Tell Your Story":
Your high school years tell a story, your story. This chapter will help you put it into words. From writing about yourself, you can learn a great deal that will aid you in every phase of your search, from deciding what to look for in a prospective college to remembering anecdotes for application essays. What you write for this chapter will create the foundation for the booklet’s remaining exercises.
From Chapter 3, "Make Your College List":
The later a college’s final application deadline, the less selective the college is likely to be for admissions.
From Chapter 4, "Show Interest":
When interviewing in person, make eye contact. For all interviews, show a reasonable amount of enthusiasm. These two qualities occur naturally when you are prepared.
From Chapter 5, "Help Your Advocates":
When should you ask teachers for recommendations? How about spring of your junior year, before such requests pile up and an overwhelmed teacher turns you away?
From Chapter 6, "Write Distinctive Essays":
Good application essays contain a mix of description and explanation, but too much of the latter can bleed the composition of life. Preach less, describe more. Let events speak for themselves. Step back a bit, and give the reader some freedom to draw conclusions.
Like food, information must be digested, and for the reader gagging on an interminable sentence, no procedure exists for dislodging the obstruction. Therefore, serve information in reasonable bites . . .
From "Conclusion":
Move your college search beyond “getting in” to a popular school. Think about getting on—with your life, with planning how to profit from the independence and opportunity that await you after high school.
