To confirm you have the correct Fall 2019 Admissions Essay Questions, you may need to use the internet AND your cell PHONE to call the admissions office for that college. They are there to answer your questions!
Do NOT look at Graduate school or programs only available to upperclassmen - like the Engineering School within a larger university. Know that many colleges have fall 2018 up until late October 2018. If needed, call and ask when they are posting the Fall 2019 ones you need!
If you find dead or broken links, or the page goes to something not helpful, please send me an email and I will try to fix it ASAP. jwesterbeck@nsd.org
- commonapp.org - *hundreds of PRIVATE SCHOOLS all over the US use this: here's the link to the Common App Website (the essays are listed on that page)
IF you are applying to a private college that uses the Common app, go through the application process "The Common App makes it easy to track each of your school's requirements through your student dashboard. From the dashboard, you can click on the Writing Requirements tab to view details regarding the personal essay and writing requirements for any of the schools you're applying to. Note: Some, but not all, colleges require the submission of the personal essay with your Common Application. You may submit a personal essay to any college, even if it is not required by that college. If not required by a college, you will be given the option during the submission process to include your essay (or not) for that particular college."To explore any of the schools click here
To search for schools by areas of interest (like nursing, math, etc.), location, and more, use this website
Washington State Community College Undocumented Student Info page *** Call and ask for updated information BEFORE filling in any DACA or related forms ***
OSU - Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR)
http://admissions.oregonstate.edu/first-year-students
(Written Experiential Assessment)
OSU would like to better understand your perspectives, contributions, qualifications, and diverse talents. Please address your experience in each category keeping in mind how what you know could contribute to the future community of excellence at OSU. Respond to the six questions and limit answers to 100 words per question.
When responding, keep in mind that Oregon State University employees are required by law to report reasonable suspicion of child abuse to law enforcement or the Oregon Department of Human Services per ORS 419B.005. Other knowledge of illegal activity may also be reported by OSU, pursuant to other reporting requirements.
1. Leadership/Group Contributions: Describe examples of your leadership experience in which you significantly influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time. Consider responsibilities to initiatives taken in or out of school.
2. Knowledge in a field/creativity: Describe any special interests and how you have developed knowledge in these areas. Give examples of your creativity- the ability to see alternatives; take diverse perspectives; come up with many, varied, or original ideas; or willingness to try new things.
3. Dealing with adversity: Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to address this challenge. Include whether you turned to anyone in facing the challenge, the role the person played, and what you learned about yourself.
4. Community service: Explain what you have done to make your community a better place to live. Give examples of specific projects in which you have been involved over time.
5. Handling systemic challenges: Describe your experiences facing or witnessing discrimination. Tell us how you responded and what you learned from these experiences and how they have prepared you to contribute to the OSU community.
6. Goals/task commitment: Articulate the goals you have established for yourself and your efforts to accomplish these. Give at least one specific example that demonstrates your work ethic/diligence.
UW Bothell
Requirements to apply:
The following minimum requirements must be met in order for your application to receive a holistic admissions review:
Completion of College Academic Distribution Requirements (CADR’s)
Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0
Submission of official SAT or ACT scores. Official test scores from SAT (school code: 4467) or ACT (school code: 4497) must be sent directly from the testing agency. The University of Washington Bothell does not require the Writing section on the SAT or ACT and superscores from all submitted test results.
Application: http://www.uwb.edu/admissions/apply
Below are the Personal Statement prompts and Activities Log as found in the application. As a First Year Student applicant to UW Bothell, you may choose one of the two prompts to write and submit.
NOTE: You can also utilize our Writing & Communication Center even before you are a UW Bothell student. They work with students of all writing abilities, and will help you craft a great personal statement. Schedule an appointment with the Writing & Communication Center here.
Personal Statement
The Personal Statement is our best means of getting to know you and your best means of creating a context for your academic performance. When you write your personal statement, tell us about those aspects of your life that are not apparent from your academic record:
a character-defining moment;
the cultural awareness you've developed;
a challenge faced;
a personal hardship overcome
Directions: Choose either #1 or #2 to answer (recommended length: 500-650 words).
1. Discuss how your family’s experience or cultural history enriched you or presented you with opportunities or challenges in pursuing your educational goals.
2. Tell us a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.
Activities Log
Using the grid provided, identify and describe up to five of the most significant activities you have participated in during grades 9-12. Your list should include activities, skills, achievements, or qualities from any of the following categories:
Leadership in or outside of school- e.g., athletics, student government, cultural clubs, band, scouting, community service, employment.
Activities in which you have worked to better your school or community.
Exceptional achievement in an academic field or artistic pursuit.
Personal endeavors that enrich the mind- e.g., independent research or reading, private dance or music lessons, weekend language/culture school.
First give a title to each activity and indicate during which grades you participated. Then write a descriptive paragraph about why this activity had meaning for you; your highest level of achievement or honor you attained; any responsibilities you had; and the contribution you believe you made to your school, community, or organization. Don't just describe the activity: tell us what it says about you (maximum 100 words).
UW Seattle
2018 Freshman Application Writing Section - 3 Required parts, and 2 optional ones - see the link.
https://admit.washington.edu/apply/freshman/writing-section
A. Essay (Required)
At the University of Washington, we consider the college essay as our opportunity to see the person behind the transcripts and the numbers. Some of the best statements are written as personal stories. In general, concise, straightforward writing is best, and that good essays are often 300 to 400 words in length.
Maximum length: 500 words
The UW will accept any of the five Coalition prompts.
Choose from the options listed below.
1. Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.
2. Describe a time when you made a meaningful contribution to others in which the greater good was your focus. Discuss the challenges and rewards of making your contribution.
3. Has there been a time when you’ve had a long-cherished or accepted belief challenged? How did you respond? How did the challenge affect your beliefs?
4. What is the hardest part of being a teenager now? What’s the best part? What advice would you give younger siblings or friends (assuming they would listen to you)?
5. Submit an essay on a topic of your choice.
B. Short Response (Required)
Maximum length: 300 words
Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the University of Washington.
Tip
Keep in mind that the University of Washington strives to create a community of students richly diverse in cultural backgrounds, experiences, values, and viewpoints.
Format for the essays
WSU - Washington State University (Pullman, WA)
WSU freshman admission application for fall or summer 2018 click here to start applying
or click here to look at the 2018 Freshman Application PDF. There is no essay asked for when you apply for admission.
If you’re in the top 10 percent of your class or have a 3.5+ unweighted GPA, check out WSU’s assured admission program. We have a spot waiting for you.
To make sure you receive the highest possible amount of financial help, file the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or WASFA (Washington Application for State Financial Aid for HB 1079 students only) by January 31.
WSU Scholarship Paragraphs info- this was 2017. (The below info is not confirmed. Call the admissions office/office of financial aid to ask!)
Your Personal Statement
The personal statement is an important part of your scholarship application as it is your opportunity to help us get to know you better. Your personal statement should describe in detail (maximum of 110 words per section) some special interest, significant experience or achievement in the following areas as well as what you learned from these experiences.
When responding, keep in mind that Washington State University employees are required by law to report suspected child abuse or neglect to law enforcement officials or the Department of Social and Health Services per Senate Bill 5991.
Used with permission of Oregon State University. OSU Insight Resume copyrighted, trademark July 2007.
Leadership/group contributions: Describe examples of your leadership experience and share how you have significantly influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time. Consider responsibilities you have taken for initiatives in or out of school.
Knowledge or creativity in a field: Describe any of your special interests and how you have developed knowledge in these areas. Give examples of your creativity: the ability to see alternatives; take diverse perspectives; come up with many, varied, or original ideas; or willingness to try new things.
Dealing with adversity: Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to address this challenge. Include whether you turned to anyone in facing that challenge, the role that person played, and what you learned about yourself.
Community service: Explain what you have done to make your community a better place to live. Give examples of specific projects in which you have been involved over time.
Handling systemic challenges: Describe your experiences facing or witnessing discrimination. Tell us how you responded and what you learned from those experiences and how they prepared you to contribute to the WSU community.
Goals/task commitment: Articulate the goals you have established for yourself and your efforts to accomplish them. Give at least one specific example that demonstrates your work ethic/diligence.
WWU - Western Washington University (Bellingham)
(the application essay covers both admissions and scholarship)
Essay Question and Tips Website click here
Writing your essay
Grades and test scores are important when applying for college admission, but it takes a lot more than "the numbers" to tell your story. The essay is a chance to give us a snapshot of who you are – your voice, your experiences, your goals. Remember that your essay is reviewed for both admission as well as scholarship purposes.
Freshman essay questions for Fall 2018
Students are asked to respond to one of the prompts below as part of the application for admission. Most essay responses are about 500 words, but this is only a recommendation, not a firm limit. Feel free to take what space is necessary for you to tell your story.
1. Share a meaningful experience and how this has helped shape you in your preparation for college. This could be related to your passions, commitments, leadership experience, family or cultural background.
2. Describe any activities you have been involved in related to diversity or multiculturalism and explain how you will actively contribute to a diverse campus community at Western.
3. Admissions Essay – topic of your choice. If you have written another essay that captures what you want the Admissions Committee to know about you, feel free to share it with us.
Also complete the Activities List (use link above)
Yes! You can go to college and get financial aid.
Washington state allows undocumented students to apply for state financial aid, called the State Need Grant. If you are an undocumented student, you'll need to fill out the WASFA rather than the FAFSA. (WASFA stands for "Washington Application for State Financial Aid.") Your college financial aid office can help guide you through the process.
Washington State Community College Undocumented Student Info
UW Bothell info https://www.uwb.edu/financial-aid/hb1079-undocumented
UW Bothell Financial Info for Undocumented Students
https://www.uwb.edu/financial-aid/hb1079-undocumented/financial-resources-at-uwb
UW Seattle https://www.washington.edu/dreamproject/students/undocumented/