Admission Consulting

Extracurricular accomplishments are tough to judge, because they vary widely by school, by region, and by state.
There are obvious organizations and competitions - for instance, Key Club and Science Olympiad.
For everything else, it comes down to a qualitative judgment. That’s why you need to do everything you can to be the best, regardless of what activity you’re involved with.
Having worked in the Admissions Office of a Top 20 college (as well as being a former Ivy Leaguer), I’ve developed a clear perspective on exactly what you need to accomplish in your extracurriculars to stand out.
Here’s what you should focus on:
1) Leadership positions that are SCHOOLWIDE - like student government and class government. It’s impressive because you stand out across the entire school. Princeton will be impressed.
2) Involvement in the ECs where your high school is strong. Most College Admissions Committees know what each school is good at (for instance, Academic Decathlon) - participating in your high school’s best areas will help your admissions chances at Yale
3) Anything that leads to national or international recognition - given the competition these days, it’s the best way to stand apart from the pack for the Ivy Leagues
As I share in Hopeless To Harvard, half of your success is what you accomplish in high school. The other half is how well you present it in the college admissions application.
Describing the results and effect of your leadership and extracurricular activities. Don’t just talk about the steps you took and the process - talk about why it was important to you and what the positive impact for your school was
Follow these 3 steps, and you’ll be opening an admissions packet from Harvard in no time!

By: Ivy League Secrets

Technorati Tags: extracurriculars activities, high school extracurriculars, school extracurriculars

Where will I be the happiest? This is a question that haunts most students going through the college admissions process. Deciding on a college must be thought out well and a college search is just the bare minimum of what needs to be done in order to find the best match. What needs to be considered in order to decide on a good match? Many factors can be mixed and matched in considering which school would be the best fit for each individual student. For example, the different types of academic programs may be very important for a student. Each student should evaluate where and how far they want to go in life in order to be sure to choose a college that will allow them to fulfill all of their most wildest dreams.

Students who plan on furthering their education by going on to law school or some other graduate program need to know if the college of their choice has a decent undergraduate program that will lead them in that path. After all, it does no good to be accepted into a college that has a bad reputation for its undergraduate programs. For example, if the student wanted to attend medical school and the undergraduate chemistry program at their college is known for being extremely easy, then the chances of that student being accepted will be slim to none.

What students seem to forget is that they aren’t the only ones trying to impress someone. Colleges too are constantly trying to impress their prospective students. Therefore, if students are serious about getting the best education, they should do their own research on each college they are considering. Many students forget that the process goes both ways are happy to be accepted anywhere.

Even though I have done very well academically, I don’t consider my academic performance to be a complete measure of my current or future success. Colleges realize that academics aren’t the only way to find the most motivated students who will have success in the real world. Therefore, they are always looking for better ways to learn about future prospects and the kind of character that will be added to their campus through the students they recruit.

I remember clearly in my mind the day when I was given the opportunity to impress college admissions officers. Along with many others, I spent a few days touring the college of my choice and participating in many different workshops and activities. I was very happy to see that the college of my choice took much more into consideration when accepting students and offering them scholarships than just test scores. I really feel that by having many of the prospective students attend this weekend retreat they were able to make better decisions on who would be accepted to that college. This not only benefited the college but students themselves were able to see what that college was like and make a decision based upon their personal experience.

College admissions processes are still a work in progress. Many schools nationwide are looking for new ideas to improve the way they deal with college admissions, trying to find a way to make prospective students more than just grades and test scores. With so many applicants, it makes it very difficult for college admissions offices to look at each student in depth. A quicker way to filter through student applications would be an ideal way to better the process.

The internet has helped to lessen the headache of college admissions for both students and colleges. Online applications have made the process much easier for students. There are also new and exciting ways for college admission officers to recruit students. College recruiting is going to be taken to the next level soon with new programs that allow students to showcase themselves to any college of their choice. For example, the Yale Admissions Officers or Harvard Admissions Officials can now recruit using online services in order to find potential students.

By: Jason A. Luke

Technorati Tags: academic admission, college admissions, college distance learning

Joining a Business School is one of the most important decisions that a student or a working professional takes in life. The MBA degree can bring a major change in a person’s career, be it in getting his / her dream job, promoting the person directly to the management cadre of a company or even help in making a complete shift in domain. If you are planning to join a management institute, you will have a tough time deciding which institute to join. Therefore you must take a lot many things into consideration while selecting the institute you will be joining.

This article lists the five most important things that you must consider before taking admission into a management college.

Recognition - This is the most important thing to consider since your career growth post-MBA will depend on this factor. Check if the degree awarded by the Institute is recognized both by the academic sector and the industries. If the institute awards Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) in one of several fields of management, make sure the degree is approved by the AICTE and also has received recognition from the Association of Indian Universities (AIU). If the institute awards MBA then the degree must be approved by the University Grant Commission (UGC). In addition the degree conferred by the institute must have industry recognition which will help you in your career progression.

Curriculum - The most updated the curriculum the more updated you are. Therefore you must check if the curriculum followed in the institute is the most updated one. Many institutes have academic tie-ups with the world renowned institutes such as MIT, Harvard and Wharton which is an assurance that you will be taught the latest curriculum.
Infrastructure - A top rated business school offers truly world class infrastructure wherein students receive all-round education. Check if the institute has modern infrastructure and facilities such as latest communication devices to deliver lectures, fully computerized environment, Wi-Fi and a well-stocked library with access to all the reputed books and journals.

Faculty - This is also an important factor that you should consider before joining an institute. It is the well-educated faculties who will bring in the best curriculum into your syllabus and teach you exactly what is being taught at the best management schools in the world. Many institutes are known to have some of the renowned personalities as faculty. These institutes are always the most preferred destinations of MBA aspirants. Two other factors that you must also consider about faculty is the number of full-time professors and lecturers and the teacher-student ratio. An institute with more full-time teachers and one where the teacher-student ratio is high are more preferred by the students.

Placement - An MBA aspirant is most interested in the placements which an institute’s provides. All the factors stated above have direct impact on the placement of an institute. Find out the companies that regularly visits the institute for summer placements and for hiring students as their employees. Also get some information about the average salary offered to the students.

Once you have sufficient and reliable information about these factors, you can easily rank the institutes where you would like to join and also finalize the college you will get the best return from the course.

By: Ranadeep Das

Technorati Tags: business colleges, mba degree, mba universities

College admissions have never been so easy before. Well for the first time college admission requirements have become customized and college admission information is available like never before. College Admission planning and college admission advice/assistance, college admissions deadlines the most sought after services are now available through mycollegevision.com, a platform that grooms young minds and helps them to prosper o their career front. College planning services have in fact never been such systematic and easy. This is a haven for students wishing to rise from the ashes of a broken career or groom a competitive career for themselves.

My collegevision.com started as a team of experienced experts with a vision to help students to make them-selves competitive and contribute to the growth of the economy and country. Students here are taught to realize their inner potential and analyze their strengths and weaknesses. Students learn hoe to get an edge over their competitors at the time of college admissions. With superior college admissions advice and college planning services several success stories have been scripted here. There has been an amazing response from student takers.

Moreover apart from the financial aid information and college planning services cum assistance, college admissions deadlines are catered to and students are seen with smiling faces. Special resources like financial aids, scholarship information, SAT preparation, grooming, improvement of specific skills there is an excellent student athlete marketing package aimed at improvising the skills of special talents, Music, arts, sports are the chief amongst these talents. The student athlete marketing package aims at networking with top people in the respective industry and providing a platform for the young minds to realize their potential, get a scholarship, attend a summer camp and cultivate an all round development. All this will in turn help the student to get selected in the best of colleges that nurture potential.

Moreover all the college planning, college admission advice, College Admission Assistance comes with individualized services. The parents have special resources that help them to decide if the child needs this program. They can look at the statistics of college enrollments and increasingly competitive scenario and can prepare their child in accordance with the job market. Parents and students can request for special phone consultation for personalized services. One on one attention comes easily here and students are helped with college planning services, college admission deadlines, college admission requirements and college selection process.

It all starts with the college admission requirement analysis. After this the student is made to get prepared for the challenging process with his hand help by the experts. If parents are still worried about the fact that all this may not work, Mycollegevision has special networking links that help the students to get satisfactory and competitive college admissions. Special blogs, testimonials pages and chat rooms are available for all the students who have registered them-selves here.

Lisa Taylor is a senior college admissions adviser with My College Vision helping students and parents in Virginia with College admissions counseling, college admissions planning, college admission requirements, college admissions help, college admissions advice.

By: Lisa Taylor

Technorati Tags: admissions deadlines, requirements for admissions, summer admissions

Most students and their parents worry about getting into college, and worry more about getting into a good college. Many people have their own idea as to what colleges look for in potential students and how college admissions decide on who gets to attend their school. Of course, what type of student you are will influence what worries you most about getting into college.

And, while this is true, college admissions look at many factors before making a decision and about 35 to 50% of that decision is influenced by your high school records.

They look to see if you improved academically during high school or if you let your grades slide a little during your senior year. And yes, they do look at the courses you took, whether or not they were challenging to you and how well you handled them.

They also claim that about 25 to 40% of their admissions decision is based on test scores. Both the ACT and SAT test are used to evaluate applicants, showing them how well you would handle problem solving, reading and other basic skills.

This is one reason why SAT test preparation is vital if you want to do well and improve your SAT test score. If you have been active in community services or activities, then be sure to include that information when applying.

Approximately 5 to 20% of a college’s decision may be based on your activities and accomplishments while in high school, believing that if you were a leader in high school, then you are likely to continue to be so in college.

College admissions also base anywhere from 5 to 20% of their decision on essays and recommendations. They want to know what you are like as a person, something that SATS tests cannot tell them. They want to know what is important to you, what type of personality you have and to determine your greatest strengths and weaknesses.

Taking SAT preparation classes and a few practice SATs tests improves your chance of getting a higher grade and that along with taking AP (advanced placement) courses shows the college admissions what you are capable of and that you are serious about furthering your education. This is essential if you already have a particular school in mind, as the grades and whole high school time period are under scrutiny.

By: Kelsey Brennan

Technorati Tags: college application, college application process, parents guide to college admissions

There’s really nothing more important in your college application than the strength of your academics. Unlike essays and the SATs which can be polished in several weeks, the transcript is a culmination of four years of academic work you did in high school. There’s little you can do to change your academic record. That is why admissions officers will always turn to the transcript before anything else. After all, to get an idea of how you will perform next time in college, it’s only logical to assess how you’ve been performing so far.

What courses you take in high school and what grades you get will determine where you end up in September. When colleges look at your folder, the first thing they will see is your transcript. ‘Has this student challenged herself?’ ‘Are his grades showing an upward trend, declining, or stagnant?’ Challenged means taking the toughest courses you can handle.

Please bear in mind that when while you are encouraged to go for the most demanding schedule, you must be able to do well. No point taking the toughest courses if it eats into your social and extra curricular activities. Admissions officers can see that you’re trying too hard, and it may instead work against your favor in the college admissions process.

‘Is it better to get a B in the Advanced Placement class or an A in the regular class?’

Not surprisingly, this question gets asked a lot of times. Of course, the best thing would be to get an A in the AP class. But seriously, admissions officers would rather you get a B in the AP class. AP classes are much tougher than regular ones, and getting a B - despite the grade itself - shows that you can handle tough workloads.

Just think about it, if A was so important, then every student would try to pad his and her transcript with courses like Getting Slim for the 21st Century just so they could fatten their GPA. That is why grades alone are not enough.

An important thing to note here is that while colleges consider grades, they also consider your performance relative to your classmates. That is where class rank comes in. Class ranks help colleges determine whether the C you got in Calculus is a result of slacking on your part, or a really strict marking system. If your school does not rank, don’t despair. Colleges are adept enough at coming up with a ranking for you based on your school profile and academic trend in your school report.

For example, my school does not rank. But my guidance counselor was able to predict my rank as if there was a ranking system, by looking at the performance of my peers in my class that year. So she will write something like ‘Top 5% of the class this year’ for her students. Even if your school policy forbids ranking - as mine do - your transcript can still tell a great deal about what kind of challenges you went through in high school.

Know Your Goals

You academic preparation should also reflect your goals. What kind of school do you want to go to? If you are eyeing for highly selective colleges, then you should take as many AP classes as you can; again, without harming your grades or extra curricular activities.

At the Ivy Leagues and its cousins, you’d probably need all the As you can get from AP classes to have a shot. These academic behemoths are so competitive that a B might (read: I said might because it will still ultimately depend on your overall application strength) not work in your favor.

On the other hand, large state universities use a different rule. These schools attract tens of thousands of applications each year and so they often rely on grades and test scores to make decisions. Here GPA would be more important than the level of courses. In other words, how tough your course selection is isn’t necessary, as long as they are college preparatory.

‘What if my school does not offer AP courses?’

Don’t fret. Designing the curriculum is the responsibility of your school; your job is to take the most challenging ones available. If your school doesn’t offer AP English, and every senior takes regular English classes, then yes, that is the most rigorous one. If you come from a really competitive high school, you will be evaluated based on the school’s curriculum. Even if you rank near the bottom, there are some schools who will love to take you in since you come from a ’strong’ school.

But if your high school isn’t so tough, then it may be more important for you to rank near the top.

A really good way to stand out in a selective pool is to go beyond what your school has to offer. This means doing things that are otherwise not offered in your school. If you’ve studied all the physics courses in school, try taking up advanced courses at a local college. If you love maths and finished calculus in junior year, work with a professor to do research into multivariable equations. These actions show adcoms that you are intellectually curious and always ready to learn new things - a plus point in the admissions process.

By: Devin Yeo -

Technorati Tags: admission to college, college admission requirements, college admissions consulting

I am sure your quest for law school admissions has come to an end as you read this article. Yes, gone are those days when we have to search endlessly for law school admissions information or other such information like private school, LSAT prep course, national law school or even correspondence law school. Even without articles such as this, with the Internet all you have to do is log on and use any of the search engines to find the law school admissions information you need.

Deciding which of the online law schools will receive your hard earned tuition dollars is a monumental task. Be sure to thoroughly research all of your options before committing to a particular school. If you are considering earning a law degree from an online law school, you need to ask yourself several fundamental questions before deciding on one direction or another. First, is online learning right for you? Second, do you have the incredible amount of time and energy it will take to complete law school? Third and finally, don’t approach online law school as an easy way to become a lawyer. Earning a degree from an online law school will be just as rigorous and demanding as attending a traditional brick and mortar law school. Do you have what it takes?

When the excitement comes from receiving your acceptance letters you need to make sure to consider a few different factors such as the size of the student body, location of the school, as well as the local community. All of this should be considered and weighed against each school before you make a hasty decision. Once you also considered things such as the curriculum offered and how the school will fit into your life, you will be able to make the decision of which law school is going to be the best choice.

Don’t show up to the first day of law school unprepared. Generally, law school professors will post reading assignments prior to the first day of class. Be sure to complete the reading assignments and be prepared to answer tough questions on the first day, questions designed to get you and your law school classmates to start thinking like a lawyer.

Don’t forget to realize that this article can cover information related to law school admissions but can still leave some stones unturned. Head on over to the search engines like Ask Dot Com for more specific law school admissions information.

In addition to performing at the top of their game in their assignments and in the classroom, law school superstars are always on the lookout for their next great opportunity to gain exposure to the practice of law outside the classroom. Law school superstars don’t work at Starbucks over their breaks, but instead have used their time management skills during the year to find the time to reflect on how best to utilize their time away from school. Of course, they will schedule some fun to keep their minds refreshed just as they do during the school year, but during their times of reflection, they will have discovered the highest caliber internships and clerkships available to them. And, being law school superstars, they will have applied for these opportunities early and secured them handily. In this way, a law school superstar can smoothly make the transition from superstar law student to superstar lawyer once the jury’s doctorate is in hand.

It is important that in your law school admissions process that you consider applying to a whole range of different colleges and universities: pick some Tier 1 schools, some lower ranked schools that fit your criteria as being a good school and finally, pick a few law schools that you are certain you will be able to get into. With these tips in mind, you will be well on your way to gaining admission and becoming a practicing attorney!

Interesting, but with law, it can always be used. So, getting a Law Degree and studying Law at a top Law School might be a very good choice, although there really are too many lawyers out there. So, here comes the advice; if you are really smart and cannot seem to choose a degree that suits you, and then chooses law, because it will always come in handy way. Of course in saying this, I wish there were fewer lawyers in the World you see?

We discovered that many people who were also searching for information related to law school admissions also searched online for related information such as Harvard law school ranking, Harvard school of law, and even Michigan law schools.

By: deepak kulkarni

Technorati Tags: law admissions, online law school, preparing for law school

Many students often struggle in selecting a topic for their post college admission essays, including MBA essays (or graduate school admission essay) as part of the requirements in gaining admission to a school of their choice. In most cases, the school itself will present a topic(s) for the post college admission essay which the student can expound on and this will become a good starting point or guideline for the post college admission essay, including MBA essays.

In many instances, however, the student is left to fend for himself, where the admission essay questions posed are very general and open. In such cases, the applicant is left in the dark, not having an ounce of an idea on what to write about in his post college admission essay, including MBA essays.

In very simple terms, a post college admission essay including MBA essays, should tell a basic picture of yourself. It should be able to present a clear and definite description of you as a person, including the things that you love to do, the things that make you laugh or cry, your experiences at home, at school, in your local church, fun and adventure with friends, basically the things that make you who you are at the present moment, which in turn convey to the reader (admission officer) why you are good candidate for admission to their graduate program.

However, a very important aspect that should never be absent in any post college admission essay including MBA essays, is a precise and detailed narrative of a candidate’s academic experiences. More specifically, it should be able to express in genuine terms accounts of how the candidate was able to obtain good grades in certain subject areas that are considered as major subjects in the course he is taking up. At the same time, don’t avoid addressing weaker grades or negative marks. Face them head on and provide a good and logical explanation in the post college admission essay, including MBA essays.

Let us suppose, for example, that a student has finished his undergraduate studies in journalism and wants to take up a master degree in the same field with specialization in literary criticism. In his post college admission essay, he can detail an experience in one college subject where the teacher asked them to produce three short stories by the end of the semester. Since literature has always been his favorite subject, the student was able to meet the requirement early and was even able to receive a high grade from his teacher at the end of the course.

The sample given above is just one of the many ways by which a candidate can elaborate on the concept of presenting specific accounts on how he fared in his major field of concentration as expressed in his post college admission essay, including MBA essays.

Other related accounts can and should be given in post college admission essays to better persuade admissions officials that the applicant is well-versed in his field and has the required ability to pursue higher learning in the same. Needless to say, a student’s excellent grades on his major subjects denotes expertise and passion in his chosen field. It gives clear indications that the field he has decided to pursue is one that greatly interests him. As such, he is able to pour all his energy and efforts, and more so, his heart and soul into it, resulting in grades that are outstanding. Generally, this gives the admissions officer the feeling that the applicant is focused and driven to achieve in his chosen field of study.

Focusing on your field of concentration as a topic in your post college admission essay including MBA essays, is an effective way of convincing admissions officials that your application is worth giving due consideration because you showed focus and the desire to pursue your chosen field of study. More so, if in using such a topic in your post college admission essay including MBA essays, you are able to show specific instances in one or two subjects wherein you were able to excel.

By: Thomas Suh -

Technorati Tags: admission essays, the best college admission essays, writing college admission essays

    Get consistent good rank in high school is first step towards good future. After completing home school when you go high school or high school diploma your main goal is to gain knowledge and perform well. Obtain good grads in high school gives better chance for getting admission in good collage and also help in future job. Below are some useful tips for getting success in high school.

Time Management
      Time management is vital factor for success in high school. You have to organize yourself and make study plan for daily and also for whole semester. This help you lot in successfully completion of your high school on time.

Create work List and follow
      Create detailed work list of all your upcoming assignments, quizzes and tests. Arrange it in timely manner. Main purpose of creating work list is to determine exactly what you need to achieve in your high school class. Creating list is not only task but proper work on it, is also very essential. You have to make Priority list for your work and strictly follow it.

Constant improvement
      Constant improvement in your work is key for your success. Collages and companies always look for high potential student. Many collages give scholarship for these types of students.

Be competitive
      You have to try getting score above average. Your competition is with top performers of your class and tries to catch up them. One of the best ways to become consistent academic performer you study and retain as much as possible. This help you lot for recalling of your lessons.

Work Hard
     There is no other alternative of hard work. If your work for only minimum marks, it will not help you in long run. Many of the skills and knowledge acquired during high school will be important for years down the line, so take the time to review and put into practice regularly.

Reduce stress
     Continuous working gives stress to your body and brain. Stress create health problems, sleep problems, and difficulty in learning. For reducing stress you engage in some extra curricular activity like dance, yoga, meditation and relaxation.

By: advantagesschool

Technorati Tags: success in high school, success in high school students, tips for success in high school

Accreditation to colleges by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education is awarded to such names as Johns Hopkins, Kansas State University and University of Arizona as well as schools that are more known for their online courses such as Kaplan University, Strayer Online and University of Phoenix.

It is correct. The last three schools mentioned are awarded accreditation by the very same organization as the first three colleges mentioned. If those names don’t sound like they should be mentioned in same breath then there will be salt in the wound when you add in the credibility of a college such as Notre Dame or how about a USA government branch being awarded its accreditation from the same place. Yes it is true. USA Air Force Academy also has its accreditation from the the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Find accredited college offering on line classes and get an education that is equal to one earned at a recognized campus based school. The tuition is usually lower and you can attend classes at your convenience. However there are some less attractive points a potential student should be aware.

These colleges are basically the equivalent of a Hollywood set. They appear normal in every way but behind the scenes they are all props. Boiled down it amounts to the colleges have gathered all the necessary ingredients to be able to offer students an education which is awarded the same accreditation as those found at established campus based schools but that is the extent of their claim to fame.

Expect that you will have to largely rely on yourself to do things that one might otherwise have thought the school would provide. Especially true if you are taking a course at a college which focuses mainly at on line classes but has some brick and mortar schools placed periodically around the states. Some good examples of what you may have to do for yourself despite the promises from the school that you will not, include finding your own place to do your internship (where applicable to completing your course). Often times the college will have a claim of placing ninety-five percent of the students. Expect that you will fall into the percentage that the school does not achieve successful location and as such you will have to do it yourself.

This is also true of any facilities which are promised to be available. Do not expect those facilities to be as accessible as the college may have claimed. Often times the college will advertise the unabated use of the facilities while you are a student and as an alma matter. What they do not mention is that since they have limited facilities then the ones that exist are almost always in great demand. One such situation the college does make the facilities open to students and former students but the studio is closed on Sundays which as you can imagine really stretches the claim of them always being available. This sort of situation can put stress on your ability to complete class assignments and the school will not care, or accept excuses that you couldn’t get a time slot scheduled to do your assignment before the deadline. It is situations like the afore mentioned where your ambition and desire will be the difference of success or failure. Those adamant about successfully completing their degree will find a way to get past all obstacles.

Employers are the final test however. Would they hire someone holding a degree from an online college? Recently when visiting my personal physician (we are located in Kansas) I enquired if he would hire someone with a degree from an online college such as Devry? The answer was a resounding yes. Any potential employee holding a degree from an accredited online college is going to receive a warm welcome from employers.

By: Steven Briggs

Technorati Tags: respected colleges, respected online schools, respected schools