35 | Mirvari November 2020
College Preparation Admission Process Questions 1. What is the difference between Coalition and Common Application? Which one should we fill out? I cannot say that neither one is necessarily superior to the other. Common App has a wider scope of colleges whereas coalition has somewhat less. However, Coalition does offer to start the application process much earlier in high school compared to Common App.
Do not wait until the last couple days, give yourself time to write and later edit them multiple times. Common App and Coalition offer some topics for the personal statement, however you could also choose the option to submit the essay topic of your choice that you think will represent you the best.
2. What is your opinion on applying as testoptional? Will it decrease our chances at admission?
4. Do you have any key tips or suggestions to make our college applications stand out?
Most of the universities have adopted a testoptional policy for SAT and ACT. However, if you have the opportunity available, I would say go for it and definitely take it. It will be your opportunity to shine and demonstrate how you are prepared for the college level workload. In case you do not submit SAT/ACT scores, colleges will look into your letter of recommendations, essays, grades, GPA, how active you were in your community, and other aspects of your resume in greater detail . 3. What is meant by personal statement? What kind of topics can I write about for college essays? Colleges use these essays to understand why you think they should admit you. They want to know who you are, what you can contribute to their college, and whether you will fit into their institution. It is your opportunity to shine, and definitely take your time to get a nice, error free essay submitted.
I can clearly say this, move out of your comfort zone. Expand out of your community. The universities want to see how you have integrated and adapted to be a part of the system here. Things you can do include but are not limited to sports, service hours, music, school clubs, and many more. Also, keep in mind to be consistent with the activities you do. Keep doing them for at least 2-3 years.
