Greetings!
We have an important announcement. It’s not a secret that Ethiopia has been experiencing an internet outage the past week or so. And we understand that this affected many students with the summer session applications. Therefore, we decided to extend the application deadline for the last time. The new deadline is Saturday, June 22 at midnight. Use the extension wisely.
Best,
The CTP Team
We have an important announcement. It’s not a secret that Ethiopia has been experiencing an internet outage the past week or so. And we understand that this affected many students with the summer session applications. Therefore, we decided to extend the application deadline for the last time. The new deadline is Saturday, June 22 at midnight. Use the extension wisely.
Best,
The CTP Team
Final call for Applications:
Aloha everyone!
As the Saturday, June 22 deadline approaches for the CTP 2019 Summer program application, we wanted to make one final post addressing some common questions and concerns that have been raised so far.
Q: Getting an official transcript from my highschool is really hard, and I won't be able to get it in due time before the deadline. What should I do?
Ans: It's okay. You don't necessarily have to upload an official transcript. Your report cards that you normally get at the end of the year will suffice.
Q: When and where do I pay the 650 Birr fee?
Ans: You'll only have to pay the 650 Birr once you've been accepted to the program. And you'll be paying the fee on the first day of classes (July 4).
Q: What's the number of files I can upload when submitting my transcript?
Ans: You can upload up to 5 files. But, one clear image of your transcript (or equivalent) will suffice.
Q: I'm not even in the 11th grade yet. Do you think it's time for me to start worrying about my future college applications?
Ans: Yes! Unless you are in the 8th grade or below, your future college applications to universities abroad is definitely something you should start preparing for starting this summer. The CTP summer session has a beginner section that is tailored to students with little to zero knowledge about the college application process
Aloha everyone!
As the Saturday, June 22 deadline approaches for the CTP 2019 Summer program application, we wanted to make one final post addressing some common questions and concerns that have been raised so far.
Q: Getting an official transcript from my highschool is really hard, and I won't be able to get it in due time before the deadline. What should I do?
Ans: It's okay. You don't necessarily have to upload an official transcript. Your report cards that you normally get at the end of the year will suffice.
Q: When and where do I pay the 650 Birr fee?
Ans: You'll only have to pay the 650 Birr once you've been accepted to the program. And you'll be paying the fee on the first day of classes (July 4).
Q: What's the number of files I can upload when submitting my transcript?
Ans: You can upload up to 5 files. But, one clear image of your transcript (or equivalent) will suffice.
Q: I'm not even in the 11th grade yet. Do you think it's time for me to start worrying about my future college applications?
Ans: Yes! Unless you are in the 8th grade or below, your future college applications to universities abroad is definitely something you should start preparing for starting this summer. The CTP summer session has a beginner section that is tailored to students with little to zero knowledge about the college application process
Q: How do I know if the Advanced section is the right fit for me? How much of the SAT prep will I be missing out on if I register for the advanced section? To what kind of students will you recommend the advanced section to?
ANS: (A very extended one)
As stated on the description our application form, http://www.ctpethiopia.com/uploads/1/2/1/1/121100825/ctp_2019_section_description.pdf, the advanced section will focus on helping students with their essay portions of the college app. Common app essay + some Supplement essays
Nonetheless, to answer the question, below is a list of the type of students we would recommend that they apply to our advanced section.
=> If you are currently in the 11th grade and have very satisfactory grades on your transcripts, and consistently been one of the top 5% or 10% of your class and you believe that you wouldn't need a lot of extra help with the SAT since you are capable of preparing for it by yourself, then the advanced section is for you.
=> If you are currently in the 12th grade (just finished you matrik exam) and you have already taken the SAT and are satisfed with your score or maybe you feel like you can improve your SAT on your own, but you think you need help with the numerous amount of application essays you'd have to write for college applications, then the Advanced section is for you.
=> if you are currently in the 12th grade and you had applied to some colleges this year, and despite your strong academic record and your decent SAT/ACT/TOEFL exam scores you were still rejected from most colleges that you applied to. And now you're planning to take a gap year and re-apply again. The advanced section is most definitely for you too. (Some of our instructors had also taken a gap year like you are about to, and so they'll also have a lot to help you with when ot comes to building your ).
=> Also, if you know anyone who falls under the above categories, then do share this information with them.
However, the ONE common requirement for all: We expect a huge amount of time commitment and effort throughout all 5 weeks of the session.
ANS: (A very extended one)
As stated on the description our application form, http://www.ctpethiopia.com/uploads/1/2/1/1/121100825/ctp_2019_section_description.pdf, the advanced section will focus on helping students with their essay portions of the college app. Common app essay + some Supplement essays
Nonetheless, to answer the question, below is a list of the type of students we would recommend that they apply to our advanced section.
=> If you are currently in the 11th grade and have very satisfactory grades on your transcripts, and consistently been one of the top 5% or 10% of your class and you believe that you wouldn't need a lot of extra help with the SAT since you are capable of preparing for it by yourself, then the advanced section is for you.
=> If you are currently in the 12th grade (just finished you matrik exam) and you have already taken the SAT and are satisfed with your score or maybe you feel like you can improve your SAT on your own, but you think you need help with the numerous amount of application essays you'd have to write for college applications, then the Advanced section is for you.
=> if you are currently in the 12th grade and you had applied to some colleges this year, and despite your strong academic record and your decent SAT/ACT/TOEFL exam scores you were still rejected from most colleges that you applied to. And now you're planning to take a gap year and re-apply again. The advanced section is most definitely for you too. (Some of our instructors had also taken a gap year like you are about to, and so they'll also have a lot to help you with when ot comes to building your ).
=> Also, if you know anyone who falls under the above categories, then do share this information with them.
However, the ONE common requirement for all: We expect a huge amount of time commitment and effort throughout all 5 weeks of the session.
Final announcement! The application for the CTP summer session officially closes today at midnight. Please don't message us asking for an extension. We will not accept applications past the deadline.
Hello all,
Just a quick announcement that we will release application decisions by Saturday morning!! Stay tuned.
Best,
The CTP Team
Just a quick announcement that we will release application decisions by Saturday morning!! Stay tuned.
Best,
The CTP Team
Dear all,
Application decisions have been released! Please check your email to see the status of your application.
This year, we had a record number of applicants. We would first like to thank each and every one of you for putting in so much effort on your applications. We enjoyed getting to know you through the bits of information that you projected on your essays. As much as we would have loved to accept everyone, we currently don’t have the capacity or resources to admit 200+ students.
If you haven’t made the cut, please don’t let this stop you from pursuing your dreams. Seek other programs or online resources to improve your SAT and writing skills. Remember, hard work pays off.
CTP will also be working hard to make quality information available to everyone. Our weekly application tips will resume in September so keep an eye out for that.
Once again, thank you all for the effort that you have put into your applications.
Cheers!
Application decisions have been released! Please check your email to see the status of your application.
This year, we had a record number of applicants. We would first like to thank each and every one of you for putting in so much effort on your applications. We enjoyed getting to know you through the bits of information that you projected on your essays. As much as we would have loved to accept everyone, we currently don’t have the capacity or resources to admit 200+ students.
If you haven’t made the cut, please don’t let this stop you from pursuing your dreams. Seek other programs or online resources to improve your SAT and writing skills. Remember, hard work pays off.
CTP will also be working hard to make quality information available to everyone. Our weekly application tips will resume in September so keep an eye out for that.
Once again, thank you all for the effort that you have put into your applications.
Cheers!
🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻
Happy New Year from the CTP fam!!
🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻
We hope 2012 brings you all the best! In the new year, we’re dedicated, more than ever, to increase the number of opportunities provided to Ethiopian students, be it academically or professionally, and we are motivated to work hard to help you gain access to such resources. That is our promise to you all. Cheers to a great year!
Happy New Year from the CTP fam!!
🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻
We hope 2012 brings you all the best! In the new year, we’re dedicated, more than ever, to increase the number of opportunities provided to Ethiopian students, be it academically or professionally, and we are motivated to work hard to help you gain access to such resources. That is our promise to you all. Cheers to a great year!
Selam everyone,
Hope your week is off to a great start!! The 2019/20 Application cycle has been open for a while now and we will be posting weekly tips about the college application process. Today we are going to kick off with some basic overview of the application process.
***The Common Application***
You will most likely complete your college apps online, either through the Common Application or on the school's website. The Common App makes it easy to apply to multiple schools with just one form, but each college will have different requirements for essays and test scores. Read the application instructions for the colleges of your choice carefully.
You will be asked to list basic information about yourself, your school, and your family, as well as your GPA, standardized test scores, extracurriculars, and any awards you earned in high school. If you start to fill out an application and realize you need more information from your school or parents, you will be able to save an in-progress application and return to it before submitting.
***High School Transcript***
You will need to request official transcripts from your high school for each college where you're applying. The transcripts are submitted via the commonApp. Remember that the administrators and counselors at your high school are helping all the other seniors in your class at the same time, so be polite--and patient. Senior year grades still count!
***SAT and ACT Score Reports***
You need to take a standardized exam to apply to most colleges in the U.S.. When you take the SAT, ACT, and SAT Subject Tests, you can request that a score report be sent directly to your prospective colleges. You can also decide later whether colleges see one, some, or all of your scores. Schedule your test with enough time first to receive your scores (2–8 weeks for the ACT, about 3 weeks for the SAT) and then to request reports for the colleges on your list. Both ACT and the College Board offer rush or priority report options, for a fee. A school may consider all test scores from all dates, your highest overall score from a single test date, your superscore, in which case you'll submit all your scores and the admissions committee will consider only the highest score on each section or test scores may be completely optional.
*** Letters of Recommendation and Personal Statement***
Most colleges require two or three letters of recommendation from high school teachers or school counselors. Pick someone who knows you well and can speak to your strengths. Your college essay will probably be the most time-consuming part of your application—start early. Use your essay as an opportunity to tell admissions counselors what makes you unique and what you can bring to a given campus community.
***Financial Aid***
Be aware that applying for admission and applying for financial aid are two separate processes. Check every school's financial aid policies—They will require forms like the CSS/ISFAA.
We will be back with much more detail on each of these topics in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.
Hope your week is off to a great start!! The 2019/20 Application cycle has been open for a while now and we will be posting weekly tips about the college application process. Today we are going to kick off with some basic overview of the application process.
***The Common Application***
You will most likely complete your college apps online, either through the Common Application or on the school's website. The Common App makes it easy to apply to multiple schools with just one form, but each college will have different requirements for essays and test scores. Read the application instructions for the colleges of your choice carefully.
You will be asked to list basic information about yourself, your school, and your family, as well as your GPA, standardized test scores, extracurriculars, and any awards you earned in high school. If you start to fill out an application and realize you need more information from your school or parents, you will be able to save an in-progress application and return to it before submitting.
***High School Transcript***
You will need to request official transcripts from your high school for each college where you're applying. The transcripts are submitted via the commonApp. Remember that the administrators and counselors at your high school are helping all the other seniors in your class at the same time, so be polite--and patient. Senior year grades still count!
***SAT and ACT Score Reports***
You need to take a standardized exam to apply to most colleges in the U.S.. When you take the SAT, ACT, and SAT Subject Tests, you can request that a score report be sent directly to your prospective colleges. You can also decide later whether colleges see one, some, or all of your scores. Schedule your test with enough time first to receive your scores (2–8 weeks for the ACT, about 3 weeks for the SAT) and then to request reports for the colleges on your list. Both ACT and the College Board offer rush or priority report options, for a fee. A school may consider all test scores from all dates, your highest overall score from a single test date, your superscore, in which case you'll submit all your scores and the admissions committee will consider only the highest score on each section or test scores may be completely optional.
*** Letters of Recommendation and Personal Statement***
Most colleges require two or three letters of recommendation from high school teachers or school counselors. Pick someone who knows you well and can speak to your strengths. Your college essay will probably be the most time-consuming part of your application—start early. Use your essay as an opportunity to tell admissions counselors what makes you unique and what you can bring to a given campus community.
***Financial Aid***
Be aware that applying for admission and applying for financial aid are two separate processes. Check every school's financial aid policies—They will require forms like the CSS/ISFAA.
We will be back with much more detail on each of these topics in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.
The Final Week before SAT
As the October SATs are coming up this week, the CTP team would like to extend well wishes for the test and give you a few tips on finalizing your prep. Hopefully, you have been preparing for weeks, maybe months now and you are ready to take the test. #Advice number 1. BRIEFLY REVIEW WHAT YOU HAVE DONE SO FAR: if there are notes or summaries you took while studying go over them once or twice just as a reminder. Looking over a list of techniques for the reading and writing section and a list of mistakes for the Math section is also helpful. #Advice number 2. FINAL PRACTICE: As a warm-up to the test, do some practice questions and take a practice SAT or two. This will help you know of the progress you have made as well us give you a sense of what to expect on the day. But make sure you don’t overwork yourself on these last days. You don’t want to take the test tired and worn out, which leads me to my last advice. #Advice number 3: GET ENOUGH REST: Although most of us are used to working rigorously the week of and specially the night before an exam, this is not a good strategy for the SAT. Instead you should spend take time for yourself to rest and eat well. Doing the opposite will lead to exhaustion and stress. Not only are these unfavourable conditions to be in before a test, they might result in your sickness. And we don’t want that. Finally, relax and chill cause you got this!!! WE BELIEVE IN YOU!
As the October SATs are coming up this week, the CTP team would like to extend well wishes for the test and give you a few tips on finalizing your prep. Hopefully, you have been preparing for weeks, maybe months now and you are ready to take the test. #Advice number 1. BRIEFLY REVIEW WHAT YOU HAVE DONE SO FAR: if there are notes or summaries you took while studying go over them once or twice just as a reminder. Looking over a list of techniques for the reading and writing section and a list of mistakes for the Math section is also helpful. #Advice number 2. FINAL PRACTICE: As a warm-up to the test, do some practice questions and take a practice SAT or two. This will help you know of the progress you have made as well us give you a sense of what to expect on the day. But make sure you don’t overwork yourself on these last days. You don’t want to take the test tired and worn out, which leads me to my last advice. #Advice number 3: GET ENOUGH REST: Although most of us are used to working rigorously the week of and specially the night before an exam, this is not a good strategy for the SAT. Instead you should spend take time for yourself to rest and eat well. Doing the opposite will lead to exhaustion and stress. Not only are these unfavourable conditions to be in before a test, they might result in your sickness. And we don’t want that. Finally, relax and chill cause you got this!!! WE BELIEVE IN YOU!
Hello everyone!! Today, we’ll be having our first Instagram takeover of 2019/2020 on our Instagram stories😱😍🎉🎊 It’s a series we started last school year where students abroad can show you what a day in their life looks like. So check out the stories if you’re interested! If you’re not already following us on Instagram (eskahun??) here’s the link: www.instagram.com/ctpethiopia
Happy Friday Everyone!
For this week’s CTP tip, we will be providing you with ways to stay organized over the weeks to come. Balancing standardized testing, essay writing, financial aid applications along with classes, assignments, friends and family can be challenging (we as college students still struggle with this on the daily, so know that you’re not alone). Therefore, to get the most out of this experience, it is important that you have a means of strategically achieving your goals and holding yourself accountable.
The first step to staying organized is to have a clear idea of your goals, your action plan and your deadlines. Invest in a notebook/planner and first write down all the things you have to achieve every week. Rate those items in terms of urgency and difficulty. Ideally, you should be spending the most time on the most urgent and difficult activities. Finally, block in times in your planner to work on these items. When you do cross off a certain item on your list, reward yourself (an episode of your favorite TV-show, candy – whatever works for you, as long as it doesn’t break the bank. Do it to keep yourself motivated!)
The second step is to pace yourself. A lot of the work you must complete to produce a successful college application can’t be done overnight. The best essays come out from weeks of editing and rewriting, and the highest SAT scores are contingent upon routine practice leading up to the exam date. Set a dedicated time each day (for instance, 45 minutes a day for SATs and 45 minutes twice a week for essays) to work on these items. Stick to your routine and you will see a lot of progress!
The third step is to structure your workspaces (notes and on your computer). For SAT’s keep a folder of your notes divided by section. On your laptop/computer, set up folders for financial aid, transcripts, essays, practice tests and guides to colleges. And of course, back up EVERYTHING on another computer or a flash drive!
The last step is to work with others. Find people who will motivate you and you in turn will motivate when the going gets tough. Work with them, share resources and support one another. The process will be less stressful for you if you’re around people with the same goals as you.
Managing college apps with classes can get tough but know that you are supported and more than capable. Stick to your plan, organize your workspaces and keep your self motivated. You got this!!
For this week’s CTP tip, we will be providing you with ways to stay organized over the weeks to come. Balancing standardized testing, essay writing, financial aid applications along with classes, assignments, friends and family can be challenging (we as college students still struggle with this on the daily, so know that you’re not alone). Therefore, to get the most out of this experience, it is important that you have a means of strategically achieving your goals and holding yourself accountable.
The first step to staying organized is to have a clear idea of your goals, your action plan and your deadlines. Invest in a notebook/planner and first write down all the things you have to achieve every week. Rate those items in terms of urgency and difficulty. Ideally, you should be spending the most time on the most urgent and difficult activities. Finally, block in times in your planner to work on these items. When you do cross off a certain item on your list, reward yourself (an episode of your favorite TV-show, candy – whatever works for you, as long as it doesn’t break the bank. Do it to keep yourself motivated!)
The second step is to pace yourself. A lot of the work you must complete to produce a successful college application can’t be done overnight. The best essays come out from weeks of editing and rewriting, and the highest SAT scores are contingent upon routine practice leading up to the exam date. Set a dedicated time each day (for instance, 45 minutes a day for SATs and 45 minutes twice a week for essays) to work on these items. Stick to your routine and you will see a lot of progress!
The third step is to structure your workspaces (notes and on your computer). For SAT’s keep a folder of your notes divided by section. On your laptop/computer, set up folders for financial aid, transcripts, essays, practice tests and guides to colleges. And of course, back up EVERYTHING on another computer or a flash drive!
The last step is to work with others. Find people who will motivate you and you in turn will motivate when the going gets tough. Work with them, share resources and support one another. The process will be less stressful for you if you’re around people with the same goals as you.
Managing college apps with classes can get tough but know that you are supported and more than capable. Stick to your plan, organize your workspaces and keep your self motivated. You got this!!
Hola folks!! A quick reminder for students who took the October SAT exam last Saturday: Don't forget to utilize your 4 free SAT score reports. In case you don't know, taking the SAT exam doesn't mean that colleges will automatically see your scores in the test. At this point, it's only the collegeboard that has access to your SAT test results.
In order for colleges to get your results, your score report would have to be sent to them directly from the collegeboard. Normally, sending an SAT score report costs around 12 dollars per school. However, collegeboard allows you to send your SAT score report for any four schools of your choice for free as long as you send the scores within 9 days of taking the exam.
Therefore, if you took the SAT exam last Saturday, make sure to go to collegeboard.org and send your score reports for four colleges. You only have a week left, after which you'd lose the privilege of sending your scores for free. So do it now.Time is ticking!!
In order for colleges to get your results, your score report would have to be sent to them directly from the collegeboard. Normally, sending an SAT score report costs around 12 dollars per school. However, collegeboard allows you to send your SAT score report for any four schools of your choice for free as long as you send the scores within 9 days of taking the exam.
Therefore, if you took the SAT exam last Saturday, make sure to go to collegeboard.org and send your score reports for four colleges. You only have a week left, after which you'd lose the privilege of sending your scores for free. So do it now.Time is ticking!!
Hello everyone!
For those of you who haven't joined our Piazza forum yet, please complete the form below so that you can get an invatation link to sign up to CTP's forum.
https://forms.gle/gACS6io6yvDwbj9t9
Don't know what CTP's Piazza forum is? Check out this post from last year:
We have been getting a lot of requests to create a college application forum that is specifically catered to Ethiopian students. Well, we heard you loud and clear and now we are happy to announce that the CTP Piazza page is live! With just a few steps, you can join the discussion forum which will serve as your one stop destination to ask any college application related questions. With more than 20 current and past students who have studied at U.S. colleges montitoring the forum, you can be sure that you will get an adequate response to all your questions. And now, we invite you all to join the Piazza page and take part in the discussion!
For those of you who haven't joined our Piazza forum yet, please complete the form below so that you can get an invatation link to sign up to CTP's forum.
https://forms.gle/gACS6io6yvDwbj9t9
Don't know what CTP's Piazza forum is? Check out this post from last year:
We have been getting a lot of requests to create a college application forum that is specifically catered to Ethiopian students. Well, we heard you loud and clear and now we are happy to announce that the CTP Piazza page is live! With just a few steps, you can join the discussion forum which will serve as your one stop destination to ask any college application related questions. With more than 20 current and past students who have studied at U.S. colleges montitoring the forum, you can be sure that you will get an adequate response to all your questions. And now, we invite you all to join the Piazza page and take part in the discussion!
Hello everyone!! Don’t forget to register for our Piazza forum(read prior message)! Also, today we have our second Instagram takeover coming to you from Cornell University! Again, it’s a series we started last school year where students abroad can show you what a day in their life looks like. So check out the stories if you’re interested! Make sure you’re following us on Instagram. Here’s the link: www.instagram.com/ctpethiopia
You know what time it is🎊🙌🏾🤙🏾🎊🎁!! We have our THIRD Instagram takeover coming to you from SUNY Plattsburgh University! As you know, every week we show you what a day in the life of a college student here is like and so far it’s all been Ethiopians like you! So check out the stories if you’re interested! Make sure you’re following us on Instagram. Here’s the link: www.instagram.com/ctpethiopia
Hi CTP, hope you’ve all had an interesting couple of weeks. As ED1(Early Decision 1) comes to a close, we would like to say a bit about the second Early Decision window, commonly referred to as ED2 or Early Decision 2. ED2 has the same benefits ED1 does, but its timeline is significantly different and will affect how you proceed with your Regular Decision applications. The deadline for ED2 is usually around January 1 and, typically, most colleges let you know about your application status by February 17. As you might have guessed, applying ED2 doesn’t guarantee you’ll hear back from colleges before most Regular Decision application deadlines, so you’ll have to still apply to the rest of your colleges through Regular Decision before you hear back from your ED2 colleges. You can think of ED2 as a second chance at applying Early Decision, but with the timeline caveat. For most schools, acceptance rates tend to be lower for ED2 compared to ED1, if they have the ED2 program at all. Here’s the most up-to-date list of colleges we could find that have the ED2 option so you can get ahead of things: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristenmoon/2018/12/13/early-decision-ii-colleges-the-complete-list/#2437de114acf
Here is some additional tips to help you decide if ED2 is for you: https://www.saraharberson.com/blog/7-things-to-keep-in-mind-before-applying-early-decision-2
Hope that was helpful! We’ll be back next week with another dose of tips and notes.
Here is some additional tips to help you decide if ED2 is for you: https://www.saraharberson.com/blog/7-things-to-keep-in-mind-before-applying-early-decision-2
Hope that was helpful! We’ll be back next week with another dose of tips and notes.
Forbes
Early Decision II Colleges: The Complete List
Didn't get in ED I? It's not too late for ED II.
Make sure to read the previous message with useful info on Early Decision applications! On a different note, we know you’ve been eagerly waiting for something. Perhaps...an instagram takeover🤷🏾♀️ Well the wait is over because we have our FOURTH takeover coming to you from Bryn Mawr College! As you know, every week we show you what a day in the life of a college student here is like. Check out the stories if you’re interested! Make sure you’re following us on Instagram too. Here’s the link:
www.instagram.com/ctpethiopia
www.instagram.com/ctpethiopia
Hello everyone,
Hope you are having a great weekend! For this week’s CTP tip, we wanted to talk about one of the most crucial elements of the college application process, The Common Application Essay. The Common App essay is the best way for admissions committees to get to you know you. Recommendations are what your teachers say about you, transcripts are what your grades say about you, but think of the essay as what YOU say about YOU. For this reason, try to treat the essay as an opportunity to tell colleges why you are unique and what matters to you. Since your Common App essay will be seen by numerous colleges, you will want to paint a portrait of yourself that is accessible to a breadth of institutions and admissions officers.
Because the Common App essay is only 650 words long and has few formal directions, organizing a response might seem daunting. Here are a few steps to formulate a strong and unique common app essay
Brainstorm
To begin developing your own high-level ideas, you can address these Core Four questions that all good Common App essays should answer: “Who Am I?”, “Why Am I Here?”, “What is Unique About Me?”, “What Matters to Me?”
The first question focuses on your personality traits — who you are. The second question targets your progression throughout high school (an arc or journey). The third question is more difficult to grasp, but it involves showing why your personality traits, methods of thinking, areas of interest, and tangible skills form a unique combination. The fourth question is a concluding point that can be answered simply, normally in the conclusion paragraph.
Overall, there is no single “correct” topic. Your essay will be strong as long as you are comfortable and passionate about your idea and it answers the Core Four questions.
Organize
Common App essays are not traditional five-paragraph essays. You are free to be creative in structure, employ dialogue, and use vivid descriptions—and you should! Make sure that context and logic are inherent in your essay, however. From paragraph to paragraph, sentence to sentence, your ideas should be clear and flow naturally. Great ways to ensure this are using a story arc following a few major points, or focusing on cause and effect.
Write
Your Common App essay must display excellent writing in terms of grammar and sentence structure.
A few tips to accomplish this are:
“Show, don’t tell” is vital to writing an engaging essay, and this is the point students struggle with most. Instead of saying, “I struggled to make friends when I transferred schools,” you can show your emotions by writing, “I scanned the bustling school cafeteria, feeling more and more forlorn with each unfamiliar face. I found an empty table and ate my lunch alone.”
In many cases, writing can include more specific word choice. For example, “As a kid, I always played basketball,” can be improved to be “Every day after school as kid, I ran home, laced up my sneakers, and shot a basketball in my driveway until the sun went down and I could barely see.”
To use active voice over passive voice, be sure that your sentence’s subject performs the action indicated by the verb, rather than the action performing onto the subject. Instead of writing “this project was built by my own hands,” you would say “I built this project with my own hands.”
Finally, avoid clichés like adages, sayings, and quotes that do not bring value to your essay. Examples include phrases like “Be the change you wish to see in the world” (it’s also important to know that sayings like these are often seriously misquoted—Gandhi did not actually utter these words) and lavish claims like “it was the greatest experience of my life.”
Deciding on a Prompt
Each of the common application essay prompts lends itself to distinct topics and strategies, so selecting the prompt that best aligns with your idea is essential to writing an effective Common App essay.
Here are this year’s prompts:
https://www.commonapp.org/blog/2019-2020-common-app-essay-prompts
Hope you are having a great weekend! For this week’s CTP tip, we wanted to talk about one of the most crucial elements of the college application process, The Common Application Essay. The Common App essay is the best way for admissions committees to get to you know you. Recommendations are what your teachers say about you, transcripts are what your grades say about you, but think of the essay as what YOU say about YOU. For this reason, try to treat the essay as an opportunity to tell colleges why you are unique and what matters to you. Since your Common App essay will be seen by numerous colleges, you will want to paint a portrait of yourself that is accessible to a breadth of institutions and admissions officers.
Because the Common App essay is only 650 words long and has few formal directions, organizing a response might seem daunting. Here are a few steps to formulate a strong and unique common app essay
Brainstorm
To begin developing your own high-level ideas, you can address these Core Four questions that all good Common App essays should answer: “Who Am I?”, “Why Am I Here?”, “What is Unique About Me?”, “What Matters to Me?”
The first question focuses on your personality traits — who you are. The second question targets your progression throughout high school (an arc or journey). The third question is more difficult to grasp, but it involves showing why your personality traits, methods of thinking, areas of interest, and tangible skills form a unique combination. The fourth question is a concluding point that can be answered simply, normally in the conclusion paragraph.
Overall, there is no single “correct” topic. Your essay will be strong as long as you are comfortable and passionate about your idea and it answers the Core Four questions.
Organize
Common App essays are not traditional five-paragraph essays. You are free to be creative in structure, employ dialogue, and use vivid descriptions—and you should! Make sure that context and logic are inherent in your essay, however. From paragraph to paragraph, sentence to sentence, your ideas should be clear and flow naturally. Great ways to ensure this are using a story arc following a few major points, or focusing on cause and effect.
Write
Your Common App essay must display excellent writing in terms of grammar and sentence structure.
A few tips to accomplish this are:
“Show, don’t tell” is vital to writing an engaging essay, and this is the point students struggle with most. Instead of saying, “I struggled to make friends when I transferred schools,” you can show your emotions by writing, “I scanned the bustling school cafeteria, feeling more and more forlorn with each unfamiliar face. I found an empty table and ate my lunch alone.”
In many cases, writing can include more specific word choice. For example, “As a kid, I always played basketball,” can be improved to be “Every day after school as kid, I ran home, laced up my sneakers, and shot a basketball in my driveway until the sun went down and I could barely see.”
To use active voice over passive voice, be sure that your sentence’s subject performs the action indicated by the verb, rather than the action performing onto the subject. Instead of writing “this project was built by my own hands,” you would say “I built this project with my own hands.”
Finally, avoid clichés like adages, sayings, and quotes that do not bring value to your essay. Examples include phrases like “Be the change you wish to see in the world” (it’s also important to know that sayings like these are often seriously misquoted—Gandhi did not actually utter these words) and lavish claims like “it was the greatest experience of my life.”
Deciding on a Prompt
Each of the common application essay prompts lends itself to distinct topics and strategies, so selecting the prompt that best aligns with your idea is essential to writing an effective Common App essay.
Here are this year’s prompts:
https://www.commonapp.org/blog/2019-2020-common-app-essay-prompts
www.commonapp.org
2019-2020 Common App essay prompts
The Common Application has announced that the 2019-2020 essay prompts will remain the same as the 2018-2019 essay prompts. Based on extensive counselor feedback, the existing essay prompts provide great flexibility for applicants to tell their unique stories…