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Writing a Personal Statement
Writing a Personal Statement
The personal statement is a central part of your college application. It shows colleges a bit about who you are beyond your academic data, and it demonstrates how well you can write. Checking for grammar and spelling can always come later, but in the beginning your biggest task is picking a strong topic and writing a rough draft. The Common App, which supports most college applications, offers 7 prompts for you to choose from.
Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
Talking over your personal statement ideas with others is encouraged! Your friends and family know you well, and they might be able to help you figure out what values and characteristics about yourself are most important to convey in a college essay. Once you have a rough draft, make an appointment with the College and Career Center to talk over your writing and ideas.
Many colleges have examples of successful essays on their website! Do some research on the specific colleges you are interested in to get some ideas and examples, but always make sure your essay is unique and specific to you!
If you're looking for more online resources in addition to your at-home and at-school support, check out 826 Boston's website! They offer lots of useful programs and resources for crafting a great college essay. They even host Virtual College Essay Bootcamps throughout the fall that many students have found helpful!
Supplemental Essays
Supplemental Essays
Supplemental essays are specific to each college, and they give the student a chance to demonstrate their interest in that specific school. Not all colleges include supplemental essays in their application though, so always check ahead of time to see which ones you have to do! We recommend that students make a document and go through their school's questions on Common App to copy and paste the questions, the word count, and the deadline for each school. This helps students keep track of their short essays and get them completed by the deadline!
Supplemental essay questions are usually far shorter than the personal statement, and for that reason you'll have to get right to the point in your answer. A common supplemental essay question is simply "Why are you applying to this school?". Your answer should be more specific than "I like the area" or "My friend went here". Use the supplemental essay to show the college that you've done your research on specific programs that will support you on your journey there.
Activities on the Common App
Activities on the Common App
Fill these out! These provide colleges with important context about who you are and what you do outside of school. Lots of things are considered activities, anything from sports to babysitting a sibling! If you consistently translate for your parents, that's an extracurricular activity. If you have an after-school job, that's also an activity! An exhibition of your art or a theatre performance can count too! It can be a lot of work to submit all your activities, but it makes a huge difference!
Letters of Recommendation
Letters of Recommendation
Colleges will often ask for two letters of recommendation from teachers, and one from your guidance counselor. Always check each application to see if their requirements vary from each other— some schools might want more specific letters depending upon the program you're applying to. Before teachers and your guidance counselor can write your letter of recommendation, they will need a completed Student Information Form from you. This can be found on the Google Classroom.
Before you can request your letters of recommendation through Naviance, you first must complete the FERPA Waiver on Common App. BAA recommends that you WAIVE your FERPA rights for your letters of recommendation. It is not only a common practice to do so, but college admissions officers are clear in communicating that if a student doesn't waive FERPA rights, it makes their letters of recommendation less trustworthy. If you have more questions about FERPA, please email the Guidance Office.
Picking which teachers to ask
Think about which teachers know you best, and who can really speak to your strengths as a student.
If you struggled in a class, but put in a lot of effort with a teacher outside of class, consider asking them— they are in a unique position to describe your perseverance through difficulties and your willingness to go the extra mile!
If you're applying to an arts program, getting a recommendation from an arts teacher is often preferred, or even required.
How to ask for recommendations
Complete your FERPA Waiver on Common App
Ask your Recommenders—Make sure you ask your recommenders at LEAST 3-4 weeks before the deadline!
Fill out the Student Information Form.
Send them your Student Information Form via email once they accept, and make sure you tell them the deadlines for your school.
Once they accept, add them on Naviance as one of your recommenders:
Naviance/Common App: Remember to log-in using Clever. Once logged into Naviance, click on “Apply to Colleges”, then “Letters of Recommendation”. Once you are here, you can request a letter by selecting a teacher, selecting which college the letter is for, and lastly, include a personal note in the comment section if you'd like. These letters will be sent the schools of your choice that are linked to Naviance through Common App—but your accounts must be matched first! See the "Getting Started" tab for help!
Non-Common App Schools: Inform your teachers of the recommendation process for those particular schools and ensure that they have clear instructions for where to send their recommendations.
Building a Resume
Building a Resume
Some college applications will ask for a resume, or maybe even an arts resume, and any sort of job or alternative pathway program will definitely ask for one! Feel free to make a copy of the attached sample resume templates to get started—you can always reach out to the College and Career Office for direct feedback and personalized tips for putting yours together!
Auditions and Portfolios
Auditions and Portfolios
If you're planning on applying to an arts school, whether it be for visual art, performance, design, or music, you'll likely need to either audition or submit a portfolio. Each school might have slightly different criteria for scoring your audition or portfolio, so it's always a good idea to look into their expectations in advance—this information is often on their website under the Admissions section, and if you still feel like the criteria is unclear, you can always reach out and ask an admissions counselor at the school!
Once you've done your research and thought about how you might like to audition or put together your portfolio, you should speak with the relevant arts teachers for your field and get their feedback. It might be the case that you need to put in some extra work to make a specific piece to round out your portfolio, or practice a new piece for your audition, so it's best to get started early!
For Portfolios:
Remember to attend National Portfolio Day if possible. It's free to attend, and you don't have to be a senior—you just have to bring your portfolio and you can get live, tailored feedback from the art schools you're interested in about your art portfolio. It's a great way to start getting acquainted with different schools, and to get a better understanding of what kind of artists they're looking for. This year, they are offering a mix of virtual and in-person events, and you can explore them and register below!
Interviewing
Interviewing
It's always a good idea to interview with a college if you have the option, and many alternative pathways, scholarships, or job applications will include an interview section. It's important to remember that interviews are used to give a better understanding of who you are as an applicant, and that there isn't necessarily a single right answer to any question. It's good to try to stand out in an interview, and this means answering questions fully and providing specifics or examples! Some resources are linked below to help you get started, but don't hesitate to reach out to the College and Career Office for additional prep or assistance!
Community College
Community College
Community College can be a great starting point for your career, whether you're looking to transfer to a 4 year college or get a certificate, you might find that community college is perfect for you! Community Colleges generally offer 2 year Associates degrees as well as certificates, but if you want to get a 4 year degree, you'll have to transfer to another college at the end of your study. Massachusetts has a program called "MassTransfer" that can allow you to transfer to any state school provided that you maintain good grades while at community college. You can explore the various degree paths available within that program through the MassTransfer website below. Also, Massachusetts has a Tuition-Free Community College plan for students with over a 2.0 who are considered low-income according to their FAFSA.
You can wait until the Spring semester of your senior year to apply to community college—in fact, their applications often aren't open for Fall until then. In the meantime though, you can apply to other schools and fill out your FAFSA!
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