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AP the Book
Samples? Grids? Examples? To-do Lists?
Activities Resume Samples
College Selection Questionaire
Teh Official Applications Checklist
Acing college admissions
Cool Websites
Rave-worthy Books
Admissions Glossary
FAQs
Underserved Students
parents
Master Essay Grid
Letters of Recommendation
College Visits
Interview appointments
Extracurricular Activities
Extracurricular Activities

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activities resume samples

Click below for a PDF of...

Model Activities Resume
The format for putting together an activities resume.

Sample Activities Resume
Sample resume for you to model in developing your own.

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COLLEGE selection questionnaire

Click below for a PDF of...

College Selection Questionnaire
Questions to ask yourself about what you want from college

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applications checklistS

Here's some of the best of our checklists - download away!

Master Admissions Checklist
A checklist of everything you need to do for all of your college applications.

Individual Application Checklist
A checklist of things to do for one application.

Master Application Due Dates Grid
A grid that organizes when applications are due for Rolling, Early Decision I & II, Early Action I & II, and Regular Admission colleges, including whether a college uses the Common App or the college's own application.

Information You Need Before Filling Out Applications
Everything about you, your parents and siblings, your school, courses and grades, testing information, school records, etc. that you need in order to complete college applications.

Materials To Gather Before Completing Applications
Everything you need for completing your applications including a filing system, equipment, stationary items, and mailing supplies.

Filing System for College Applications
A helpfulway to organize all your application materials.

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master essay question grid

Click below for a PDF of the...

Master Essay Question Grid
A grid to write out the Short, Long, Supplemental, and Optional essay questions (and the respective topics you choose to answer them) for each college.

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letter of recommendation packages

We have tons of stuff for Letters of Recommendation - click for the PDFs:

What To Provide High School Counselors
A list of things to give your high school counselor with the School Report Form.

What To Provide Teachers
A list of things to give your teachers with the Teacher Evaluation forms.

What To Provide Other Recommenders
Exactly what it says... :)

Sample College List For Counselors, Teachers and Other Recommenders
A sample college list to give to your recommenders that identifies which colleges you need recommendations for, the application due dates and why you like each college.

Cover Sheet For Recommenders
A cover sheet to give your recommenders letting them know what is in the recomm-endation package you are giving them:

Counselor
Teachers
Other Recommenders

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For college visits

Click for a PDF...

Questions To Ask Current Students
A list of questions to ask students when you visit different college campuses.

Questions To Ask College Professors When Visiting a Campus
If you have some idea about what you want to major in, before you arrive on campus ask the admissions office of the college you are visiting about sitting in on a class or two. Once there, try to have a few minutes to chat with a professor and ask one of more of these questions.

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interview appointment checklists

Click for a PDF...

Making An Admissions Interview Appointment Form
A list of everything you need to do and ask when making an appointment for an admissions interview.

College Interview Cheat Sheet
A list of what to keep in mind as you interview, including what you're looking for in colleges generally, what you like about the college at which you are interviewing, questions to ask the interviewer, and points about you that you want the interviewer to know.

Sample Questions That Interviewers Often Ask
By different categories, including who you are, why you are interested in their college, etc, a list of questions that interviewers often ask applicants.

Sample Questions To Ask Interviewers
A list of good questions to ask interviewers.

Sample Thank You Note To Interviewer
A sample of what you might email or write to an interviewer after an admissions interview.

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ideas for extracurricular activities

Sometimes it's difficult to think about what you would like to do. Here is a list of things that might help you to identify some possible interests and involvements.

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sample college lists

SAMPLE COLLEGE LIST 1
Learning disabled student from Texas with SAT I combined score of 950 (Critical Reading and Math), GPA of 2.8, no AP courses, and active in community service activities. Student decided to attend the University of Arizona and take advantage of their highly respected learning services program, SALT.

COLLEGE

  SAT 25TH-75TH
PERCENTILE
TEST SCORES

COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE RATES
REACHES  
Southwestern University (TX) 1100-1330  67%
Birmingham-Southern College (AL) 1100-1300 61%
Texas Christian University  1050-1280 53%
     
GOOD CHANCES    
University of Arizona 970-1230 75%
Arizona State University 970-1220 87%
Northern Arizona University 950-1170 65%
     
PRETTY SURE THINGS    
University of New Mexico 910-1140 66%
University of Northern Colorado 910-1140 88%
Prescott College (AZ) 990-1240 99%
     
     

 

SAMPLE COLLEGE LIST 2
Student from Massachusetts with SAT I combined score of 1100 (Critical Reading and Math), GPA of 3.3, 1 AP course, and active in the arts and the environment. Student decided to attend the College of the Atlantic.                             

COLLEGE

  SAT 25TH-75TH
PERCENTILE
TEST SCORES

COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE RATES
REACHES  
Boston University 1180-1370 58%
College of the Atlantic (ME) Test optional  64%
     
GOOD CHANCES    
Hampshire College (MA) Test optional 71%
University of Vermont  1085-1280 71%
University of Massachusetts, Amherst 1060-1260 68%
     
PRETTY SURE THINGS    
Mass College of Art & Design 970-1180 NA
University of Maine 960-1190 78%
Green Mountain College (VT) Test optional 96%
     
     

 

SAMPLE COLLEGE LIST 3
Student from Washington, DC with SAT I combined score of 1200, GPA of 3.5, 3 AP courses, and active as a dancer. Student decided to attend Skidmore College.

COLLEGE

  SAT 25TH-75TH
PERCENTILE
TEST SCORES

COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE RATES
REACHES  
Barnard College (NY) 1250-1440 28%
Connecticut College Test optional  32%
Skidmore College 1140-1340 47%
     
GOOD CHANCES    
Muhlenberg College (PA)  Test optional 49%
Fordham University (NY) 1160-1340 51%
     
PRETTY SURE THINGS    
Hobart & William Smith College (NY) Test optional 62%
University of Illinois 1180-1380 67%
Hollins University (VA) 970-1230 89%
Goucher College (MD) Test optional  73%
Marymount Manhattan (NY)  960-1170 81%
     
     

 

SAMPLE COLLEGE LIST 4
Student from Eugene, Oregon with ACT composite score of 29 (SAT equivalent of 1300), GPA of 4.0, 5 AP courses and interested in science. Student decided to attend UC Santa Barbara

COLLEGE

  SAT 25TH-75TH
PERCENTILE
TEST SCORES

COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE RATES
REACHES  
University of Southern California 1270-1470 24%
Colorado College 1260-1430 33%
     
GOOD CHANCES    
Whitman College  1220-1440 47%
Occidental College 1200-1380 42%
UC Santa Barbara  1110-1340 46%
UC Davis 1100-1340 45%
     
PRETTY SURE THINGS    
Lewis & Clark College  Test optional 68%
University of Portland 1080-1300 45%
     
     

 

SAMPLE COLLEGE LIST 5
Student from California with SAT I combined score of 1480, GPA of 4.2, 5 AP classes, Editor of school newspaper, and interested in English/Journalism. Student decided to attend Duke University.                              

COLLEGE

  SAT 25TH-75TH
PERCENTILE
TEST SCORES

COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE RATES
SUPER REACHES  
Princeton University (NJ) 1400-1580 9%
Dartmouth College (NH) 1360-1570 12%
Stanford University (CA) 1360-1550 7%
     
REACHES  
Duke University (NC) 1350-1530 16%
Emory University (GA)  1310-1500 29%
Georgetown University (VA) 1300-1490 20%
     
GOOD CHANCES    
University of Rochester (NY) 1230-1420 38%
University of Michigan 1220-1380 24%
     
PRETTY SURE THINGS    
George Washington University (NY) 1210-1390 32%
University of Wisconsin  1180-1340 55%
     
     

 

SAMPLE COLLEGE LIST 6
Student from Kansas with SAT I combined score of 1530, GPA of 4.4, 7 AP classes, involved in and winner of academic competitions, Congressional Intern, and involved in politics. Student decided to attend Williams College.

COLLEGE

  SAT 25TH-75TH
PERCENTILE
TEST SCORES

COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE RATES
REACHES  
Yale University (CN)  1410-1590 8%
Harvard University (MA)  1390-1590 7%
Amherst College (MA)  1340-1540 15%
Williams College (MA) 1310-1530 19%
     
GOOD CHANCES    
Carnegie Mellon University (PA) 1300-1500 33%
Macalester College (MN) 1260-1450 43%
Grinnell College (IA) 1220-1470 43%
     
PRETTY SURE THINGS    
University of Michigan 1220-1380 51%
     
     

Definition of Reach, Good Chance and Pretty Sure thing categories
It’s not easy to gauge what chance you have of getting into any particular college. College admission counselors often use three categories to do this:  Reach (aka, “Long Shot,” Good Chance (aka, Target, Good Match, Possible,” and Pretty Sure Thing (aka, Safety, Good Bet). There is no question that these categories are “guestimates,” but it’s useful to have some idea about where you stand. It goes without saying that there is a lot more to gaining acceptance at colleges than just test scores and acceptance rates. Of course, college admissions officers look at GPAs, essays, the quality of student activities, letters of recommendation, and sometimes demonstrated interest.

Essentially, what you do is compare your test scores and college acceptance rates with that of the college’s own data.

Definition of Reach:  These are colleges at which you have a 25% or less chance of being admitted because your test scores are less that past applicants who have been admitted in the past and the acceptance rate of a college is 35% or less.

Definition of Good Chance:  These are colleges at which you have a 50% or better chance of being admitted because your test scores are in the middle 50% of the range of past applicants who have been admitted in the past and the acceptance rate is over 35%, but usually close to 50%

Definition of Pretty Sure Thing:  These are colleges at which you have a 75% or better chance of being admitted because you test scores meet or exceed past applicants who have been admitted in the past and the acceptance rate is above the 50th percentile.

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If you want to know more about this and other admissions topics, read
adMISSION POSSIBLE®: The DARE TO BE YOURSELF Guide for
Getting into the Best Colleges for you
. Order it here!

 

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