It is difficult to believe that after working for nearly 3 years on the admission web log, this is my final post. Reflecting on my time as an admission therapist at USC is bittersweet. I learned a ton, i have grown professionally, and I was challenged day in and day trip. But, more important than what I’ve achieved or added in my job, we get to go on from this chapter of amazing memories to my life, hilarious stories, and best of all, some pretty incredible friends.

The silver lining as we like to say in this profession by working in a high school as a college counselor for me is that I’m not leaving the college admission world entirely—I’ll be transitioning to ‘the other side of the desk. I’m excited to continue working with pupils and families in this capacity and I feel therefore happy to have had such a wonderful experience at USC to help guide me continue.

Saying goodbye is not easy, but similar to it is hard to graduate from high school and begin your life as an university student, life is really all about the transitions and embarking on new and exciting chapters. So, that’s how I’m going to treat this change—I’m ‘graduating’ from my 4 years in the admission that is undergraduate at USC and simply moving to the next chapter of my entire life. I’m leaving USC with amazing memories and starting my next adventure with a available mind. Best of all, my experience at USC will always be described as a part of me — Fight On!

Tricks and tips for Tackling the Personal Statement

Calling all seniors! The college is right around the corner, and that means it’s time to start thinking about college applications year. While grades and test ratings are definitely a essential section of the application, at USC, we conduct a holistic review of files, meaning that people just take all components associated with application into account when creating an admission choice.

Therefore, we expect you to put a fair amount of the time and energy in to the qualitative aspects of your application; specifically, your essay and brief answer responses. This 12 months, the Common Application changed the essay prompts to the(you that are following one):

Some pupils have a story or background that is so central to their identity which they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

Recount an incident or time whenever you experienced failure. Just How did you be affected by it, and just what lessons did you learn?

Reflect on a right time when you challenged a belief or concept. What prompted you to act? Would you make the exact same decision again?

Describe place or environment where you’re perfectly content. What do you are doing or experience there, and just why is it significant to you?

Discuss a achievement or occasion, formal or casual, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family members.

While there is not one topic that is preferable to another, we do expect a few things from you. Firstly, your essay must be free of grammatical and mistakes that are spelling. This may sound very obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many personal statements we see that contain errors. Many are little, it does look careless and ultimately, does perhaps not reflect well in your application in general. Ensure you have people—parents that are few counselors, teachers, etc.—look over your writing to ensure it is spotless!

Your writing must also be authentic and show your unique sound. Do not make an effort to wow us by utilizing words that are fancy discovered in a thesaurus. We want to listen to your tale, your struggles, your triumphs. You can share this while staying true to your writing style.

Do keep in mind that your personal declaration is a chance to share something, well, personal about yourself, and to let an admission counselor know whom you really are outside of your GPA and standardized test score. The writing components of the application are your opportunity to paint a complete picture of whom you are to emphasize something that may well not shine through elsewhere.

While admission counselors cannot review any personal statements before they’ve been officially submitted, we are here to respond to any questions you may have about the procedure. Happy writing!

On the Road Again!

As summer comes to a close (where did the right time go?!), my peers and I are turning our attention to Fall travel season. Many of us will visit up to ninety high schools during the months of September, October, and November, in nearly 50 states and in over five countries that are different. We’ll additionally be attending receptions and holding interview weekends in major towns like Seattle, New York, Boston, San Francisco, etc.

And we’re not alone. A great deal of colleges and universities in the united states are visiting high schools in an effort to meet up with great students and generate interest in their respective institutions. We know that these ‘college visits’ can seem overwhelming, confusing, and yes, maybe even a bit repetitive, but there are methods to help make the most out of the university visit. Here, we wanted to talk about a few tips:

1. The individual who’s visiting your senior school is most reading that is likely application. Many institutions implement a ‘territory manager’ system, in which the nationa country ( and quite often, the world) is divided up into different territories. These regions are then assigned to people that are various work. At USC, the person visiting your high school is certainly the first person to read your application, and is also your direct contact throughout the entire application procedure.

2. Make an impression that is good! No, this does maybe not mean shower us with gifts and compliments (though wouldn’t that be nice if we could accept shmoop.pro them!) building a good impression means doing all of your research in regards to the institution, remaining attentive during the see, asking insightful questions, launching your self after the visit and telling the territory manager a little about your interests, and potentially writing a follow-up e-mail or note.

3. Do not be nervous. an university visit isn’t an interview. There exists a process that is separate that. This is your opportunity to get as much information you can in regards to the college or university.

4. Sometimes, two universities maybe you are interested in will be planned on the same day, as well as at the same time. We all know that in betwixt your AP/IB classes, tests, and extracurriculars, you may not be able to attend every check out that passions you. It is possible to still link with a representative by sending an e-mail and introducing yourself. We will always leave additional materials in the counseling office for folks who cannot attend.