Mitchell Lipton Dean of Admissions and Records and Registrar Cooper Union For The Advancement of Science and Art

Today’s Presentation Today’s Presentation: Searching for the colleges that best “fit” your needs and the parts of a college application

How to search ? Begin early-don’t wait until December of Senior Year-this could limit your options Use variety of sources (guidance counselor, family, guide books, internet, Naviance, teachers) How many college should I ultimately apply to?

What questions should I be thinking about as I search? Location (NE,SE etc.) Setting (urban, suburban, rural) Weather Size (>2,000, >7,000, etc.) Co-Ed/Single Gender Religiously Affiliated Majors Extra Curricular Offerings

The Next Step-The College Visit Can be costly, ask colleges if assistance is available If still too expensive, visit schools in local area to get a sense of urban, suburban, rural colleges

The College Visit-Questions to Bring Get general feel from billboards/flyers Ask actual students questions Faculty access outside of office hours Weekend/After Hours scene Food Support Services/Advisement/Tutoring Ask yourself honestly: Do I feel comfortable in this environment?

More of what to look for/ask Retention rates Graduation rates Internship opportunities How many students work after graduating? How many go off to graduate school? What kinds of graduate school?

Questions?

How does a college admissions office work? Charged with creating a class comprised of a mix of students based upon institutional needs Athletes, musicians, writers, students in government, researchers, volunteers, socially/environmentally conscious, boy scouts, tutors, etc..

The Components of a College Application Actual application (most students apply on-line, some schools waive fee for applying on-line) Fee waivers available from most colleges High School Transcript Standardized Test Scores Essays/Writing Samples/Supplemental Work Extra Curricular Activities/Resume Letters of Recommendation

High School Transcript (most important factor for most colleges) Strength of program of study Trends Anomalies Performance overall Course selection relative to college plans Questions?

Standardized Test Scores How much are they used by admissions offices? SAT I or ACT (how many times should I take them?) SAT Subject Tests (required by the colleges I’m applying to?) AP Scores (credit, discrepancies) Regents Exam Scores (Regents vs. Class Grades) Questions?

Essays/Writing Samples/Supplemental Work Tips: make personal essay personal, tell us a story, tell us something not apparent in your app What did you learn from experiences? More Tips: answer question directly, check spelling, grammar, punctuation Most Important Tip: Remove Cornell from essay when applying to Cooper Union Questions?

Extra Curricular Activities/Resume Start by writing everything down: babysitting, working in parent’s store, research, sports, volunteer activities, etc. Explain gaps. Anything has the potential to be significant Quality over quantity Leadership involvement Questions?

Letters of Recommendation How many? From whom? Like essays should tell a consistent story about you Something unique not apparent in rest of application Questions?

Special Applicants/Preference: Alumni Athletes Musician Friend of donor Racial/Gender/Academic Geographic Socioeconomic

Closing Thoughts: Research every college to validate requirements Things can change year to year-don’t rely on hearsay There is always more than one college that fits your needs There are many paths to get to where you want to go Define success for yourself