College Preparation

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.

2. What is your opinion on applying as testoptional? Will it decrease our chances at admission?

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. 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.

4. Do you have any key tips or suggestions to make our college applications stand out?

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.

5. What is FAFSA? Is it a requirement to file it? How do we know if we are eligible to apply or receive payment?

FAFSA is a Free Application for Federal Student Aid. No, it is not a requirement to file it. It has opened up October 1st 2020. If you need scholarships or loans, you need to apply for it. Check the specific universities priority deadlines. You can determine your eligibility through their system, but most likely you will either need to be a U.S. Citizen, permanent resident, or asylum holder.

6. Some of the applications ask for optional materials such as a resume, video, essays. How advantageous is it for us to include those?

It definitely will be in your favor to send additional resume or whatever it is the college is asking for. These things are a great opportunity for the university to get to know you better. No college will deny an application just because they did not submit the optional materials. However, in most cases, it will definitely increase your chances of being admitted. 7. Can you give us some tips for college interviews? What are they like?

You would want to dress smart-casual. Do not be way too professional or exaggerate make-up. Prepare ahead of time. Research the person who will be interviewing you, prepare answers to questions that ask why you will fit in their college and why they should admit you. Be sure to talk about the institution. For example, you could pick a specific activity or club that they offer.

8. How important are college/campus visits?

College visits are fairly important because they will provide an overall idea about the campus, the people, and the area. You will gain an idea about whether you want a large/small campus, live in a suburb/city, be part of a large society or more individualized attention.

9. What are the critical activities that a highschool student should be doing during the year to best maximize his or her college planning?

Like I have mentioned earlier, be consistent with what you are doing. Continue the activities that you have been doing for the past 2-3 years. Help others, look for internships, maybe even get a part time job. Also, volunteer service is very important. Try to perform activities related to your area of interest and the major you intend to study in college.

10. Are home-schooled students at a disadvantage when applying for admissions? How can these students’ best positions themselves as top candidates for admission?

No, homeschool students may in fact have an advantage because they get to learn material at their own pace. If they have been keeping good grades and performing activities even though they may be unable to attend a school club. I would suggest activities such as sports that will turn into an even greater advantage.

11. How about the students who recently came to the United States? Most of them do not know English as well, or do not have as many high school credits/experiences. Do they have a shot at acceptance? How can these students make their application stand out?

Yes! They definitely do have a chance of admission to universities. For most of the institutions, diversity is very important, and in fact may even provide an advantage to those students. The key point is to convey to the college why you left your country, how you overcame challenges, and regardless of all the hardships how you worked so hard. It would also be an ideal thing to look for scholarships since some are specifically for immigrant or refugee students. Believe in yourself, do not discourage yourself just because you did not complete all four years of high school in the United States. 12. What is the difference between SAT and ACT? Does it matter which one a student takes?

Both SAT and ACT are accepted by almost all colleges. The only difference is that ACT contains a science section in addition to the english, math, and reading sections of SAT. It doesn’t really matter which one you take, but keep in mind that if you only take SAT, you might want to accompany it with a subject test to really prove an area of strength.

13. When is the best time to start studying for SAT/ACT?

If you start studying in the summer of 9th grade, it will provide you a more worry-free senior year. I would suggest that you take SAT or ACT by the end of junior year because senior year will be full of harder classes and college essays.

14. When are notifications of acceptance sent? How much time will we have to decide between the offers and accept one?

This will slightly differ from college to college. If you applied as Early Action or Early decision you could expect to hear back around midDecember. If you submit a regular application and submit it in January or sometimes February, you will likely hear back around March. Rolling application has no set deadline.

15. College cost is a concern of most of the students. Do you have any recommendations for finding scholarships?

Oh, yes definitely! There are numerous merit-based scholarships available and it depends on your background, academic and social achievements, college essays, recommendation letters, and why you need a scholarship, how you will pay it back. There are lots of local scholarships available, so make sure to ask your university for help if you need it. 16. Is it disadvantageous to go to a two-year community college and then transfer to a four-year institution? In some cases, it might even be a better option to start with a two-year community college and then transfer. Especially if you cannot find any scholarships, this will be the path to go for you and avoid paying too much tuition. Also, I highly recommend this option for international students who are not considered for in-state tuition too. Learning the pre requirement basics are the same for both a community college and a four-year institution. Most four-year colleges have ideal transfer options available from community colleges. 17. Do you have any tips/suggestions for applying to Ivy League or the top colleges in the United States?

It is partially true that they accept the top students of the applying class. However, there are many other details that they look for. The key is to sell your story and prove them how you will make a change in this world and are worthy of their time. In such a case, your personal and social skills, activities, service hours, job or internship experiences will be more important than GPA or SAT/ACT. Do not overly stress about it, but still put in a decent amount of time into the applications. Everyone has a shot at acceptance. I wish you all the best of luck with your

education careers!

image: Freepik.com

SHORT STORY COMPETITION

Topic: “Freedom is not free.”

Submission deadline: February 24th Winners will be announced on May 24th

Rules: One entry per person This competition is for young writers, ages 12- 21. Submissions should be between 500-1500 words. Story can be written from any point of view and can be fiction or non-fiction. It must be original, not a copy of another person’s work and it must be written in the past 6 months. In the submission email please include your name which will be shown if your work is published, and please check your email for the competition updates. You can use your real name, or you can send it with a nickname.

Submission details: Please include “Short Story Competition” in the subject line of the email for your submission. No submissions will be looked at if the subject line is empty.

mirvarisubmit@gmail.com

Please be aware it is our intention to publish the winner’s story in the magazine and a few other stories on our Instagram page.

Prize: $100 Amazon Gift Card

HİKAYE YARIŞMASI

Konu:Hür bir İnsan Olabilmek

En son teslim tarihi : 24 Şubat Kazananın açıklanma tarihi 24 Mayıs

Kurallar: Yarışmamız 14 -21 yaş aralığındakiler içindir. Hikaye 500-1500 Kelime arasında olmalıdır. Gerçek veya kurgu olabilir fakat yarışmacının kendi çalışması olmalıdır. Bir başkasının çalışması kopyalanmamalıdır. Hikayeler Microsoft Office Word programıyla 12 punto, Times New Roman karakteriyle gönderilmiş olmalı.

Başvuru Detayları: Yarışmaya başvuru email ile yapılacak. Başvuru emailinde; Öykünün altında kullanılacak olan isminiz (mahlas olabilir) Katıldığınız Ülke, Şehir Konu kısmında (Subject Line) “Hikaye Yarışması” bulunmalı.

Başvuru tarihinden sonra gönderilen ve konu kısmı boş olan emailler değerlendirilmeyecektir.

mirvarisubmit@gmail.com

Ödül: 100$ Amazon Hediye Kartı

41 | Mirvari November 2020

ART COMPETITION

Topic: “Reading for Freedom”

Submission deadline: February 24th Winners will be announced on May 24th

Rules: One entry per person This competition is for young artists, ages 10- 21. The submission needs to be in color. It can be any medium, including digital paint – all work must be scanned and sent to us via email. It needs to be creative and not a copy of someone else’s art. Please don’t include your name in the art piece.

Submission details: Please include “The Art Competition” in the subject line of the email for your submission and your name which will be shown if your work is published. Don’t forget to check your email for the competition updates.

mirvarisubmit@gmail.com

Prize: $100 Amazon gift card.

How can reading set you free from your limits and show you all the opportunities you have? SANAT YARIŞMASI

Konu:"Özgürlük İçin Okumak"

Son gönderim tarihi: 24 Şubat Kazananlar 24 Mayıs tarihinde açıklanacaktır.

Şartlar: Her yarışmacı yalnızca bir eserle katılabilir. Bu yarışma 10-21 yaş arası genç sanatçılar içindir. Eserin renkli olması gerekir. Dijital dahil herhangi bir branş olabilir - eser taranıp email ile gönderilmelidir. Eser özgün olmalı ve başka bir eserin kopyası olmamalıdır. Lütfen sanat eserinin üzerine adınızı eklemeyin.

Teslim Ayrıntıları: Lütfen eserinizi email adreesimize gönderirken konu kısmına “Sanat Yarışması” yazın ve çalışmanızla birlikte yayınlanmasını istediğiniz isminizi ekleyin. Güncellemeleri takip edebilmek için e-posta kutunuzu kontrol etmeyi lütfen unutmayın.

mirvarisubmit@gmail.com

Ödül: 100 $ Amazon hediye kartı.