HILL-MURRAY SCHOOL
Applying To Colleges

ADMISSION PLANS/DECISIONS

A COLLEGE ADMISSION NIGHTMARE: 7 Deadly Exploration and Application Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

The college admission process can be a scary one, but it doesn't have to be. Armed with good information and a solid plan of action, you can eliminate mistakes that might stifle your options or kill your chances of admission. We asked a group of college admission deans and directors at a cross section of American colleges and universities to describe the most common mistakes made by prospective freshmen and to identify ways to avoid them. Here is their list:

Mistake #1: You Miss the Boat Academically

The single most important factor in gaining admission to the college of your choice is how well you perform in a college preparatory curriculum, according to a study by the National Association of College Admission Counselors. (Second and third in importance are admission test scores and class rank.)An ideal college-prep curriculum includes the maximum number of English, science, mathematics, social studies, and foreign language classes you can successfully manage during high school. To be certain, other factors will enter into the college admission decision, but nothing will have as much weight as your performance in the classroom.

A related mistake is assuming that a high grade point average is more important than the difficulty of the classes selected. Nothing could be further from reality.

"The most common reason we deny admission is because students have chosen easy elective courses instead of more demanding college-prep courses," says Dan Saracino, dean of undergraduate enrollment at Santa Clara University, in California.

Mistake #2: You Ignore Great Resources

Limited information is the No. 1 cause of bad decisions. Many students fail to identify and use the resources (human and material) available to them during the college exploration and decision-making process. This often leads to the if-only-I-had-known statement at some point in the future.

Contact current college students (perhaps graduates of your high school) for the inside scoop on your top-choice schools. Seek out school counselors, admission counselors, and financial aid officers for specific information regarding the admission process. Parents, family members, and friends can serve as sounding boards for all of this newly acquired information. There are also countless tools--guides, directories, videos, and software--available through your career/college resource center, guidance office, and school and public libraries. Finally, take advantage of campus visits, college fairs, and counseling seminars to learn more about your options.

Mistake #3: You Follow the Pack

Don't choose College X just because your best friend did. The reasons a friend chose College X may have nothing to do with your educational objectives and ambitions.

Personalize your search so that you can apply your values and test many of the myths about colleges.(Examples: Small colleges are intimate and friendly, the best colleges are the expensive ones.)

"Some students think that if it's a large college, the classes must be large too," says Patricia Riordan, dean of admission at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, where the student body numbers 23,000 but classes can be as small as 20.

You should also define what you are looking for in a college (e.g., major field of study, location, size) and apply these personal criteria throughout the search. Don't make your decision based on the needs and desires of others.

Be just as wary of "ratings" and "rankings" guides. There are outstanding programs within average institutions and weak academic programs within sound institutions. Create a ranking of colleges that works for you.

Mistake #4: You Don't Take the College for a Test Drive

Would you buy a car without taking a test drive or new jeans without trying them on? Well, too many students choose their future college without conducting a thorough search and end up making a haphazard decision at application time.

"Some students don't even know the programs at the schools to which they're applying," says Riordan at George Mason. "I had one applicant eager to get into our architecture program--we don't offer an architecture major."

Proper exploration will result in a matching of your abilities, aptitudes, achievements, and interests with the academic, social, and related offerings of the various colleges. Use the exploration period to learn about yourself and what you want. Why are you going to college? What are your educational and career goals? What do you want to study?

Also, think about the sort of campus setting in which you would be most comfortable (i.e., urban vs. rural, large vs. small, all-female vs. co-ed).Be sure to tour your top-choice campuses to make sure the colleges' materials accurately portray the environment.

Mistake #5: You Decide There is Only One "Right" College

There is no single "right" college for you. There are probably several. Before you begin to narrow your options, do everything you can to expand them. Look beyond the colleges that are known to you.

Don't apply to colleges where you cannot compete academically. By matching your qualifications and personal characteristics with the profile of admitted students, you'll paint an accurate picture of your chances of being accepted.

Create a list of from 5 to 10 serious choices, using the three-tier approach. Your first-tier colleges are the long shots, or extremely competitive schools; second-tier colleges are those colleges that meet all your requirements but are not as selective as the first group; and the third-tier should include colleges that you're sure to get into, a.k.a. safety schools.

Mistake #6: You Make Price Your Priority

"You should not exclude colleges from your list of possibilities on the initial appearance of cost," says Steve Syverson, dean of admission and financial aid at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, where the total cost is $23,000 a year but the average aid package is more than $16,000."Some parents lump all private universities together as too expensive compared to the public schools. But compare the costs after taking financial aid into consideration and the real costs are often similar."

At many American colleges and universities, one-half to two-thirds of the student population is using some form of financial aid (scholarships, grants, loans, etc.).So, don't assume that your family makes too much money or has too many possessions to qualify for financial aid.

Mistake #7: You Let Your Dog Eat Your Application

Your application and supporting materials (high school transcript, essay, teacher and counselor recommendations) are all that the admission officers have in front of them when they consider your candidacy. Your application is your voice. It should be a strong voice. Read the application carefully from beginning to end. Make sure your application is complete, accurate, neatly prepared, and submitted on time.  To meet deadlines, create an exploration and application calendar and stick to it.  Also, don't just tell the admission committee what you think it wants to hear. Follow all of the directions, make certain that test scores and transcripts are directed to the proper person or department, and don't send extraneous items (such as video or music tapes)-unless, of course, they are requested.

If you have conducted a smart search and avoided the mistakes mentioned, there is a strong likelihood that a letter of acceptance will find its way to your mailbox.

APPLYING TO THE COLLEGES

1. Make appointment with counselor to finalize college selections.
2. Obtain college application forms early in the senior year.
3. Organize college materials. Set up system with a file for each college being considered. Make a profile on each college. Keep all college mail until applications have been completed and acceptance letters have been received.
4. Submit all applications to your counselor as soon as possible. Processing all the forms and writing statements about students is very time consuming. Help us to help you.
5. Allow yourself sufficient time to do carefully written, thoughtful, and neat applications. Do not rush; don't wait until the last minute. Check your spelling. Answer every question.
6. Keep in mind the importance of the essay. You are presenting yourself. At a time when so many of the competitive colleges have the largest application pools in history, writing a strong essay becomes even more important as a means of differentiation among applicants. The essay gives the student an opportunity to present ideas and, most important, to convey a sense of himself to the admissions committee. Remember: The personal voice must be heard.

   Suggestions:

   • Our teachers of senior English courses teach and assign essay writing in class.
   • If asked, counselors or teachers will read student essays and make suggestions.
   • Brochures about writing essays are available in the Guidance Office.
   
   
7. Give recommendation forms to your teachers 30 days in advance of the day they are due. Ask those teachers to write for you if they know you well and have taught you in the junior or senior years. Give the teacher the forms with your name filled in. Indicate the due dates in writing. Do not give recommendations to a teacher just before the Christmas holidays or if they are due within a week or so! Remember that the same teachers can write recommendations for all of your colleges. You are responsible to obtain letters from the teachers and submit with your completed application to Guidance & Counseling.
8. Keep photocopies of all applications. It is extremely important for you to keep a file of copies of all applications, essays, and financial aid forms. Occasionally materials are lost in the mail or are misfiled by a college admissions office.
9. Keep the Guidance Office up-to-date on your applications.
   • Let us know each time you receive notice of action taken on one of your applications. Many colleges do not send copies to the high school.
   • Senior surveys will be distributed regarding future plans. Please fill out immediately and return to the Guidance & Counseling Department. Final transcripts, which all colleges require, will then be sent.
   • Write a "thanks but no thanks" letter to schools you will not attend. Silence is not a reply.
   • Write a thank you note to all teachers, alumni and friends who wrote letters of recommendation for you. Let them know where you were accepted and where you plan to attend.

REQUESTING LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

Often a college will ask for letter(s) of recommendation as part of the application process to help provide a more complete picture of you as an applicant. Students who fail to meet a college's admission criteria should provide two to three letters of recommendation, even if they are not requested or required.  Below are guidelines to help you in this process.

GUIDELINES

1. Fill out your "Request for Letter of Recommendation" form.  Click here if you want to download a Windows version of the form.   You will need to add the information yourself.  Take the time to answer the questions fully.
2. Click here if you want to fill out the form online and print out copies.
3. Attach a copy of your Activities Resume to your "Request for Letter of Recommendation"
4. Give a copy to your letter writer(s) and make a formal request  for the letter of recommendation.  It is important that those writing the letter know you well enough to provide valuable insights about you.  They'll be asked about your intellectual strengths, your personality and what you do outside of class.  This form will help to ensure a comprehensive letter of recommendation.  Be sure to ask someone who you feel knows you well to write a personal recommendation.

• Teacher (Choose from subject areas related to your intended major and/or from those who provided you with a challenge)
• Extracurricular Advisor/Moderator
• Coach
• Counselor
• Employer

Allow the person at least four weeks to write the letter.  Indicate the agreed upon date when you can pick up the recommendation so it can be submitted to the Hill-Murray Counseling Department. On rare occasions, include with this form a stamped, addressed envelope if it is to be mailed.

4. Send a thank-you letter to the person writing the recommendation.

CHEAT SHEET FOR COLLEGE / SCHOLARSHIPS APPLICATIONS

• College and scholarship applications should be submitted for review and mailed by Guidance and Counseling.This ensures the complete application arrives all at once.
• Don't stockpile applications. Complete one and submit it to your counselor for review so errors are not duplicated on others.
• Counselor Evaluations and/or Recommendations:  When your application has a portion which needs to be completed by a school official, put that portion (or copy of it) into your counselor's hands as soon as possible.  Do not wait until you submit the application for mailing.
• Submit completed applications ten school days prior to deadlines for the above review. Completed applications include: application, application fee, essay(s), activities resume, letter(s) of recommendation and senior schedule.
• Allow people writing recommendation at least ten school days. Provide them with "Request for Letter of Recommendation" form with Activities Resume attached.
• Know automatic admission criteria. If you do not meet, include, even if not required: a) applicant statement addressing deficiencies and pointing out strengths, and b) one to three letters of recommendation.
• Create/tailor essays to each specific application. Do not use the same one for all.
• Keep things chronological; most recent first (unless otherwise instructed).
• Use "attached" when referring to items you plan on stapling to the application. For example: "Please see attached check for Application Fee."
• Use "enclosed" when referring to items you plan on including in the application. For example: "Please see enclosed Activities Resume."  Whether "attaching/enclosing," identify each piece of paper with your name and identifier.
• Use the same color pen throughout (black or blue) or type applications.
• Is application asking for "County" or "Country" or both?
• If you identify country of birth as "United States," skip questions pertaining to:
  • visa status
  • native language
  • taking the TOEFL
  • ESL programs
• Answer all "Parent/Guardian Information" sections. If you don't know, find out.
• Give parents "Access To Your File," particularly if they're helping with tuition.
• Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) / Bachelor of Science (B.S.)-know which one you are seeking.
• It's o.k. to check / list "Undecided" for intended major/field of study; do not leave blank.
• You attend Hill-Murray School (always include hyphen and not High).
• Info you will repeatedly be asked about H-M:
  • 2625 Larpenteur Avenue East
  • Maplewood (not St. Paul) MN 55109
  • 651-777-1376 General Number
  • 651-748-2428 Guidance and Counseling
  • 651-748-2242 Guidance and Counseling Fax Number
  • www.hill-murray.org Website
  • School Code/CEEB Code:242-217
• Start/From Date for H-M attendance= 8/05 if at H-M as 9th grader. To/End Date for H-M attendance=5/09. Date of Graduation=5/29/09
• Type out senior class schedule; see samples.
• Yearlong H-M courses=two semester credits; semester courses=one semester credit.
• Count Algebra II / Trigonometry as one semester Algebra II, one semester Trigonometry.
• H-M requires three Social Studies courses: World History, U.S. History, Senior Social Studies. Senior Social Studies should be split into Government and Economics.
• See your counselor regarding meeting Geography requirements.
• Cite AP Honors U.S. History, AP Honors Calculus, Calculus II and AP Honors American Literature and Composition and/or British Literature and Composition in "Previous Education-College" sections when taking Advanced Placement tests for college credit. Cite AP Honors Calculus I & II, British Literature and Composition and Introduction to Theology in "Previous Education-College" sections when paying tuition fee to Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, Winona for optional college credit.Verify college credits earned with teacher.
• ACT Test/Retest dates=4/07, 6/07, 10/07, 12/07.
• SAT Test /Retest dates=5/07, 6/07, 10/07, 11/07, 12/07.
• Commonly misspelled words: receive, college, honor roll, enclosed

COLLEGE APPLICATION CHECKLIST

1. Obtain application.
2. Note application deadline.
3. Authorization sticker for transcript release must be signed by student and parent (if student is under 18) and returned to the Guidance and Counseling Assistant.
4. Request for recommendation(s) from appropriate person(s).Word version or Webpage
5. Verify letters of recommendation have been submitted to Guidance and Counseling.
6. Complete the application paying attention to the particulars:
   • essays
   • interviews
   • ACT/SAT records
   • personal statement
   • current schedule
   • waivers
7. Sign your application.
8. Make a photocopy of your application.
9. Submit to the counseling assistant:
   • application
   • application fee
   • transcript fee of $2.00 (to Hill-Murray)
   • recommendations
   • activities resume
   • essay(s)
   • senior schedule

It is recommended that completed application materials be submitted 30 days prior to the deadline. It is required that they be submitted 10 school days prior to the deadline. Applications submitted less than 10 school days prior to the deadline will not be guaranteed timely arrival.

The Guidance and Counseling Department is responsible to adding to the items in #9 and mailing:

1. Official transcript
2. Profile of Hill-Murray School
3. School/Counselor report (when required)

SAMPLE ACTIVITIES RESUMES

SAMPLE "SENIOR SCHEDULE"

Senior Year Course Schedule

Click here for another example of a senior schedule