The College Essay

Reprinted from the NY Times 5/20/11

Juniors: In the Quiet of Summer, Start Your Essays

By ALAN GELB

Mr. Gelb is the author of “Conquering the College Admissions Essay in 10 Steps.”

In preparation for the senior year, most students try to plan their summers around some kind of résumé-building job, internship, coursework or community service, with the necessary stops along the way for beach and barbecue. Summer is also an ideal time to get the jump on your college admissions essay. These less hurried months before the onslaught of a highly pressured fall offer the chance for students to think, reflect and connect with a writing topic that can then be developed into 500 words of polished prose.

So how can you use the summer before senior year to your best advantage?
Here are half a dozen suggestions to keep in mind:

• Clear your head. Distractions like TV, texting, video games and Internet surfing can seriously inhibit inspiration. Once your school term is over, schedule some time away from those electronic diversions and find a park bench, rooftop, library carrel or some other quiet place where you can hear your thoughts bubbling up from deep down in your consciousness.

• Ask yourself exploratory questions. In looking for an essay topic, an excellent way to begin is by asking questions that can turn up some juicy conflict. Some examples: What has been the hardest thing I have ever had to face? If I had to quickly replay my life, which two or three moments would jump out ahead of all others? Which experiences have really pulled me out of my comfort zone? When have I ever felt pure rage? Write down your answers to these questions (trying to devise questions of your own as well) and, as time passes, note the answers you keep coming back to. There may be some fertile ground for an essay in those responses.

• Write it down. While we’re on the subject of writing things down, let’s make this the summer that you carry around a pad and pencil or some kind of wireless device to record your thoughts. Take it from this writer: if you don’t write it down, you’re bound to lose it.

• Familiarize yourself with the narrative form. Everyone loves a good story — particularly the overburdened college admissions counselor who has to read hundreds of student essays, too many of which view this assignment as an opening for self-promotion. It is far better to think of the college admissions essay as your chance to tell a good story. Stories are narratives, and narratives have formal elements, like a specific time frame, a point of view and a certain degree of conflict. Read some good stories this summer — not just sample essays — and be conscious of their narrative techniques. Where do they start? How do they end? What is the central conflict? How is it resolved?

• Enjoy yourself. These warm, feel-good months make it easier to relax, and approaching the college admissions essay with less anxiety is a good thing. In fact, it would be extremely beneficial to view this assignment not as an onerous task but as a creative act. In that vein, you’ll want to commit yourself to the work, accept the idea that your essay will evolve through a series of drafts and allow yourself to take some pleasure in the process. Who knows? You may even discover the joy of rewriting.

• Own your essay. Make an ironclad commitment that this is going to be your essay. No one should be permitted to write it for you — not a parent, not a sibling, not a hired gun. This essay needs to reflect your authentic voice, and perhaps making such a commitment is one of those things you’ll actually want to affirm, in writing, this summer.

It’s no mean feat to produce a powerful essay on a highly personal subject, but the good news is that we all have stories within us that deserve to be told. In the quieter, less pressured time of summer, those stories stand a better chance of coming into their own.

Class of 2011--College Choices

Congratulations to Severn School Class of 2011--102 students will be attending the following 65 colleges and universities!

American University	Maryland Institute College of Art
Anne Arundel Community College	Mercer University
Arizona State University	Middlebury College
Bates College	North Carolina State University
Boston College	Pennsylvania State University
Boston University	Quinnipiac University
Bowdoin College	St. John's University
Brown University	St. Mary's College of Maryland
Bucknell University	The Catholic University of America
Carleton College	The George Washington University
Clemson University	The Ohio State University
Colgate University	The University of Alabama
College of Charleston	The University of Tampa
College of William and Mary	Towson University
Columbia University	Tufts University
Cornell University	University of Alabama
Dartmouth College	University of Delaware
Dickinson College	University of Denver
Drew University	University of Florida
Duquesne University	University of Georgia
Eckerd College	University of Maryland
Elon University	University of Miami
Fairfield University	University of New Hampshire
Flagler College	University of Richmond
Furman University	University of San Diego
Georgetown University	University of South Carolina
Gettysburg College	University of Tennessee
Hamilton College	University of Virginia
Harvard University	Villanova University
High Point University	Virginia Commonwealth University
Johns Hopkins University	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Loyola University Maryland	Washington College
	Whittier College

Fair Winds & Following Seas
from An Admiral's Perspective!

Bucknell University

Bucknell University

·        3,500 undergraduate students, about 175 of whom study abroad each semester

·        150 graduate students.

·        Students from 46 states, 58 countries (20%  from Pennsylvania)

·        About three hours from New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

·        More than 7,100 applicants for about 925 spaces

·        Acceptance Rate: 31.4%  (of the 2,253 offered admission --47% were men and 53% were women)

·        SAT Middle 50%  Reading 620-720  Math  660-740

·        ACT Middle 50%  29-32

·        NCAA Patriot League member

We were fortunate enough to go to Bucknell during an open-house for juniors so the day was centered around all things Bucknell. A welcoming committee of Bucknell students greeted us and showed us into the lecture hall, where we would learn some useful information about the school, its students, and the admissions process. The following lectures and the student session were absolutely informative and interesting, I found out a lot about Bucknell's different programs (most important to me: study abroad) and a little about student life. I really liked how many of the students at Bucknell can major, minor, or double major in many different and seemingly unrelated topics (for example, our tour guide was a double-major in chemistry and Spanish). For someone who has a lot of interests in different subjects, Bucknell was perfect in this regard. After this we had a lunch (which was delicious)/information session and then a tour of the campus. The campus is gorgeous and spacious, is up to date on important things like internet and campus safety and it has just the right touch of an old campus feel without looking decrepit. All in all, Bucknell did everything right for their open house.  So far, Bucknell has been my favorite college!

Caroline 2012

Question of the Week

"Will I need a recommendation from a teacher? If so, does it make any difference who and when I ask?"

Most colleges will base their admission decisions exclusively on an applicant’s academic program, grade point average, and admission test scores. The highly selective institutions will require additional criteria. They may ask for an admission essay (or two), possibly an interview, and recommendations from a guidance counselor and a teacher – usually two. The more selective the institution, the more significance they will assigned to criteria that are less measureable but no less valuable.

Colleges that require teacher recommendations are hoping to learn more about an applicant than can be found from grades, courses, and test scores. They want to hear from teachers who have taught a student recently and who know the student well enough to write about his or her academic ability, habits, motivation, values, and personality. The scope of a teacher recommendation need not go beyond the classroom experience. Usually colleges will leave the choice of the teacher up to the applicant; sometimes they will stipulate an English teacher, for example, and ask to hear from one other teacher who represents a field the student intends to pursue at college.

This year, we are advising juniors to identify, with the help of their college counselor, two teachers whom they would consider asking for a letter of recommendation. Juniors are being urged to make their requests this month before school closes for the summer. As a consequence of this early notification, teachers will have ample time to prepare their thoughts, and students will be less inclined to wait until the last minute to make their request in the fall. And to help teachers with their “assignment,” we have provided students with an online Request Form, available on Family Connection.  By answering the eight questions on the Form, students will be providing teachers useful anecdotes and examples to include in their letters. Essentially, by helping their teacher, they will be helping themselves.

The Admissions Process

The Dartmouth College Alumni Magazine recently published a very interesting behind-the-scenes look at their admissions process. In “Nuanced Decisions", Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Maria Laskaris ’84 discusses legacies, athletes and the Belushi factor. Their experience is probably shared by most major colleges and universities. Click here to read more.

Question of the Week

"How do ACT and SAT scores compare?"

The following chart gives you a general sense for how the scores can be compared:

ACT	Old SAT	New SAT
36	1600	2400
35	1560-1590	2340
34	1510-1550	2260
33	1460-1500	2190
32	1410-1450	2130
31	1360-1400	2040
30	1320-1350	1980
29	1280-1310	1920
28	1240-1270	1860
27	1210-1230	1820
26	1170-1200	1760
25	1130-1160	1700
24	1090-1120	1650
23	1060-1080	1590
22	1020-1050	1530
21	980-1010	1500
20	940-970	1410
19	900-930	1350
18	860-890	1290
17	810-850	1210
16	760-800	1140
15	710-750	1060
14	660-700	1000
13	590-650	900
12	520-580	780
11	500-510	750