1.  GRADE 11

2.  How you write your personal essay shows the admissions committee why you are different from other applicants. It provides information about you that test scores, grades, and extracurricular pursuits just cannot.  Try to steer away from just stating facts about yourself. The people who will be reading your essay want to know YOU are, not just a list of stuff you have done. They want to know your story.  Serious vs. Humorous? College Essay Tips

3.  Please read the sample essay that was handed out to you.  Critique the essay based on your writing knowledge and the overview we just went over. (highlight, underline, cross out)  Once you are done, please sit quietly and start brainstorming what prompt you are going to pick to write.

4.  The interview is rarely the deciding factor in whether the college will accept you, but it can give a representative from the college a chance to get to know you better. And the interview gives you a chance to: 1.) Show your interest in the college. 2.) Share information about yourself beyond what’s listed on your transcript. 3.) Bring up anything in your record that you’d like to explain, like a temporary drop in your grades. 4.) Discuss your goals and the reasons you want to attend the college. 5.) Ask questions about the college.

5.  Good grooming, appropriate attire and effective eye contact.  Be confident and be prepared.” Make a list of your talking points. What are the three or four items you want to make sure you mention?  Conduct extensive research on the college. You should be able to list the most popular majors, name a few extracurricular activities that interest you, know what they’re known for (study abroad, internships, interdisciplinary majors, etc.).  Make it a conversation. Sprinkle in questions for the interviewer so the dialogue becomes more than “question/answer, question/answer.”  Watch your language – beyond the obvious ban on profanity, avoid slang (“sweet,” “my bad,” “dude”), and stay away from stalling mechanisms such as “um,” “like” and “you know.”  Don’ts: Don’t tap your fingers or your feet, play with your phone (turn it off or on silent before you arrive), twirl your hair, slouch in the chair or get too comfortable.

6.  THIS IS A GRADED ASSIGNMENT.  Role play: One person is the interviewer and one is the interviewee. After you both have practice in both spots, log on to your school email account. You will have an email invite for an online interview through Sparkhire. Please click on the link and begin your online interview. There will be two questions that were picked from the list you just role-played. After you feel you are good with your video answers, submit them.  If you do not finish, you can finish it at home. You have until next Monday to complete it. GOOD LUCK!

7.  Tell me about yourself.  Why are you interested in our college?  Who in your life has most influenced you?  Why do you want to major in _____?  What will you contribute to our campus community?  Tell me about a challenge you overcame?  What do you do for fun in your free time?  What do you see yourself doing in ten years?  Does your high school record accurately affect your effort and ability?