Anna Seltz
@AnnaSeltz
Founder, Higher Ed U College Admissions Consulting
A comprehensive college advising practice with over 16 years experience in highly selective college admissions and college counseling work.
Check back later for some activity here. Thank you!
Anna Kraus-Gelzer
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Anna Seltz
Hi Anna,
Thank you for reaching out to me. Please send me your email and phone number to the email address below and I will send you information on my work and fees and we can set up a time to discuss your needs for Hannah. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Anna Seltz
610-202-5461
annaseltz71@gmail.com
Anonymous
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Anna Seltz
Applicants can find out what highly selective colleges are looking for by going to the college's admissions web page. First look at the admitted student profile of the most recently admitted students. The profile will show you the grades and testing of the middle 50% of admitted applicants. This will give you a good understanding of the academic quality of the students the school is looking for. Additionally, schools will often list accomplishments of their admitted students. You can often find lists of these accomplishments. Usually highly selective colleges and universities are looking for students who have challenged themselves academically and have made a significant contribution in another area outside of their school work. Students do not have to be in every club and activity to be competitive, but they do have to have a significant committment to at least one or two areas outside of schoolwork. And those are key words, "outside of schoolwork." The activity doesn't have to be a school related activity. It can be a sport, a musical instrument, a job, taking care of a family member, or being in a school activity. You get the picture. When all else fails, call the admissions office of the schools you are considering. Ask them what the profile of a competitive applicant is. Ask them if students need to have participated in a certain caliber of competition or activity in order to be competitive. These professionals are there to help you with the admissions process.
Good activities for the summer are anything that allows you to engage with an interest, people, a new skill, a sport, an academic subject, a work environment, etc. There is no one right thing to do in the summer. I encourage students to participate in activities that they enjoy. A summer job means as much as taking a class at a college. And taking a class at a college doesn't have to be by participating in an expensive program. It is just as impressive to take a course at a community college as it is to pay thousands of dollars to take a class at an elite private school. The important thing is that you are using your time to grow, learn, work, give back, or participate in something that you really enjoy.
For the college essay, I recommend the following:
Do's
Do's
- Do share a quality about yourself that you want the admissions officers to know about you that won't be found in other parts the applicatio.
- Do put yourself in the best light possible.
- Do think reflect on an experience and how you responded to it when writing your essay.
- Do be sure your essay answers the prompt.
- Do be yourself in your essay. This is your time to share who you are with the admissions office.
- Don't make your essay about listing achievements.
- Don't use inappropriate language in your essay.
- Don't feel like you have nothing to share with the admissions committee because you haven't cured diseases, lived through a trauma or started a school in another country. You have just as much to share about who you are and what makes you ho you are.
- Don't put off writing your essay until the last moment. Give this process the time it needs to be done write.
- Don't forget that you are the owner of your essay. Others may help you and give you advice, but this essay is yours and it is about you.
