The International Insider » academic

A Scholarship for Your Thoughts

Dana Pistilli and Laurel Haim — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 23:04:49 +0000

Are you stressed out about how you’re planning to pay for college? With the rising costs of tuition, colleges are becoming more expensive. Will tough economic times prevent you from attending and applying to college?

“It doesn’t have to. College is still a smart choice. The options may be tougher to weigh, and students and their families will need to dig a little deeper, but there is still a wide variety of opportunities out there,” said Cheryl Brown, director of undergraduate admissions at Binghamton University.

Scholarships are a great way for students to help pay for their education. A scholarship is a financial grant given to a student by an organization or school to help pay for their education. In simpler terms, it’s free money for school.

There are many places to find scholarships. On the internet, there are scholarship search engines that help. Scholarships.com and fastweb.com are two examples.

Fastweb.com, the oldest online scholarship matchmaker, gives students a list of schools matching their preferences and a profile on each school. In addition each school’s applications and scholarships are available. Scholarships.com allows students to create a profile and find scholarships based on academics, talents and interests.

According to bookrags.com, millions of scholarships go unused each year. Some of these unused scholarships suffer from lack of publicity. Others have few applicants because of lack of interest or qualifications, for example the Student Inventors Scholarship.

Merit based scholarships are awarded to students with academic achievement. They are given based on GPA, SAT, and ACT scores. The Walton Family Foundation Scholarship, which is administered by the Wal-Mart Foundation, awards a $3,000 scholarship based a high school grade point average of at least 2.5 on a 4-point scale.

Furthermore, Need-based scholarships are given to low income families that are financially unable to pay for school.

Also, universities and colleges award athletic scholarships to promising high school athletes. To obtain an athletic scholarship, one must have the interest of a coach from a university. According to college-athletic-scholarships.com, you can be sought after by a coach or contact a coach yourself. If you choose to take the latter route, you should create a resume which includes your relevant statistics, varsity experience, awards won, current coach’s name and full contact information, as well as GPA, ACT and/or SAT scores, and any honors or AP courses you may have taken.

“A college coach will not recruit any athlete without good grades,” said physical education teacher Mr. Dennis Barrett.

There are also scholarships given to students by the school they are attending, which vary greatly based on each school. Schools often receive grant money from federal organizations to give to their students.

“Long Island University gave me my first scholarship for academic achievement. I was surprised and pleased that a school wanted me enough to offer me money to go there,” said senior Winsome Cheung.

And there are lesser-known scholarships and unusual scholarships given to those that qualify. These include scholarships for being left-handed, gay, tall, or even drinking milk on a regular basis. For example, the Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year award goes to ‘graduating high school senior scholar athletes’ that send in

photographs of their milk mustaches while the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America gives scholarships to students that are being treated for allergies or asthma.

An important tip when applying for scholarships is to start your search early and applying before the deadline. If you start early, you should have plenty of time to prepare your information and submission requirements to an organization. For instance, the deadline to register and submit your essay for Do Something Awards is March 1, 2010. One should read the qualifications carefully to be able to qualify. And as always, have someone review your work before submitting it.

“Students should be proactive in researching scholarships they may be eligible for as early as summer ‘10 for juniors,” said guidance counselor Mrs. Marie Pastena.

Although many scholarships are competitive, don’t be discouraged. Every student is unique and has an equal opportunity at scholarships.

However, be on the lookout for scholarship scams. Scholarships that say they are “guaranteed” or require an application fee are most likely scams. Being a finalist for a scholarship you never applied for is also most likely a scam. As always, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Will Power is the Solution

Jayme — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 22:53:28 +0000

It’s been a little less than eight hours since Emely Funes’s school day “ended”. Hopping on the 44 to get home, she stares at her book bag longingly as she walks inside, knowing she has tons of work to do inside her house, not just inside her book bag. Heaving a heavy sigh, she lugs the bag upstairs amidst her siblings’ screams. A couple hours later, she drags herself downstairs for dinner, most of her work complete, too tired to do anything more than eat, shower, and go to bed.

She, like most students, is too tired to read and write just for fun. And that’s not a good thing.

Now I know what you may be thinking. But she already read and wrote, at least if she did her homework. That’s true enough, but I’m not talking about reading and writing for school work. I’m talking about doing it for non-academic purposes – personal and fun purposes.

According to www.mychild.co.uk 85 percent of a child’s learning comes from outside school and school work, and that includes reading and writing not just books, but magazines, short novels, poems, comic books, manga, and fanfiction.

“I can’t read the books I want to read because I’ve already got an assigned book to read, and it’s hard to read even that,” said sophomore Jaclyn Appelgate.

“Decrease the amount of homework,” said sophomore Emely Funes. “Teachers say ‘we have a lot of work to do too, you know’, and I understand, but it really starts with the work they give us first.”

Though less homework would be a nice solution, we all know it isn’t possible.

The only solution that is realistic, in my opinion, is pure will-power. Instead of complaining about it and doing nothing, we should make time for it.

“Anything is possible. It’s just a matter of will power and intent,” said graduate John Harden.

If we want to have time to do something other than school work, then we have to have the intent to make time.

“We all do a lot of work: students, teachers, and administrators,” said English teacher Heather Prevosti. “Sometimes we allow our work to overwhelm us. We have to create a space for work and a space for play. There should be balance in our lives, and the only person who can ensure that healthy balance is each of us.”

Making a schedule and having it include some leisure time when you can do whatever you want can help reduce some stress too. Have the schedule include the dreaded “bed time”. Eight hours of sleep can help more than you think, and may even help your grades.

Teachers Learn New Tricks

Chamika Wanigatunga — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 22:17:13 +0000

Japanese teacher Mrs. Higashide using skills the learned at teacher development.

So, what were we all doing on Election Day? Going to the booths to vote or just enjoying a day off? Our teachers had other things to do. It was their professional development day and they all went to do different activities throughout New York City.

Professional development is about giving teachers ideas that they can then apply to their teaching.

The history teachers, for example, took a course on public speaking from Richard Green, author of Words That Shook the World. They learned how the gift of speech, when used properly, can change the world.

“The whole experience was a good way for me to teach US History students about how many of the most influential people in history used words to convey their thoughts on a wide scale,” said history teacher Ms. Mangiero.

Some teachers dove deeper in to what they already know. For example, the math teachers, Ms. Lo, Ms. Li, Mrs. Niederhoffer, and Ms. Biancaviso, remembering to bring their thinking caps, went on a math trail, where they solved various problems.

“This was a way for us to help students connect math to real life,” said Ms. Lo.

The same goes for Japanese teacher Mrs. Higashide, who learned about a new teaching strategy, which is being used by many schools in the European Union. Content and Language Integrated Learning, or CLIL connects language with other subjects. The teacher, and students speak in the language they’re studying while learning their academic subject.

“It would be interesting to try it at our school and study the level of proficiency and cultural knowledge that the students can obtain through the experience,” said Mrs. Higashide.

“I really loved professional development!” said music teacher Mrs. Packowski, who seemed to have loved her professional development the most out of all the teachers. For her PD, Mrs. Packowski stayed on the island, going to Staten Island Yech to work with music students there.

“The rehearsal strategy portion was not as helpful to me because our school has such a unique program,” said Mrs. Packowski.

Professional development was however, more of a way for teachers to improve on their teaching so they can then pass it on to their students, leaving them with more of an experience than just a memory.

Student Leds are our School’s Best Friend

Celeste Chow and Jamie Miller — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 22:16:38 +0000

Ms. Pan with sophomore student Nicolette Delgado
conferencing at the student-led conferences.

What makes our school different than others? Students become the captains of their own ships and the teachers and their parents the crew during student led conferences.

“Student led conferences are good because I get to show my grades and work instead of my mom just coming to the school and receiving bad remarks. Instead I can explain and justify myself,” said freshman Leo Krkuti.

Our school tradition, student led conferences, is when students conference about their grades and work they have done for a marking period with their parents and advisor. Students reflect on their grades and work rather than the teachers not allowing the students to become more involved.

“Student led conferences give students and their parents an opportunity to discuss the student’s learning. It gives the parents a chance to learn specifically what their child is learning in each class. All of the research indicates it makes students more accountable for their work and learning. We also have Engrade, which gives the parents the information about their student’s work and progress through the year, as teachers update it regularly. The middle school in our building also holds student led conferences. There are many schools throughout the country and city that also do student led conferences. Our school was the first school on Staten Island to have student led conferences,” said principal Ms. Aimee Horowitz.

Some teachers, students, and parents, think that student led conferences are a good way for the students to reflect on their grades, while others disagree and think that they are not beneficial.

“I think that [student led conferences are beneficial for students to be able to reflect on their progress and learning as they move throughout their high school career and it provides them with an opportunity to share their work with their parents,” said history teacher Ms. Meghan Emerson.

The week before Student led conference advisors helped each student gather work that they have done in all their classes. It was required to have a folder with two pieces of work from each subject with a letter reflecting how you thought you did on your report card and explaining learning in each subject.

“I think student led conferences are great because it teaches the students responsibility so their grades are ultimately on them and it teaches great leadership qualities,” said parent Suzie Kwok.

Student led conferences were held on October 29, 2009 at our school for the first marking period report cards. Each student was set an appointment to bring their parents to meet with their advisor.

Part of our school mission statement is that students, parents, and staff will work together to generate a vibrant learning community. And, the student’s community involvement will help establish the skills and experiences, “needed to be more responsible and ethical participants in the global society.” “During the first summer our school opened the founding teachers and I researched it [student led conferences] and wanted to do it because it fits in with our mission, which is about making students accountable for their learning, making them academically prepared, and it really lets kids have a conversation about their learning with their parents and allows them to set goals as well,” said Ms. Horowitz.

Students Read, Review and Reflect in Advisory

Helen Bekhit — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 22:09:27 +0000

Students in Ms. Mangiero’s advisory reviewing for upcoming tests.

As Staten Islanders know, most high schools have special programs in which students excel in pursuing their future goals. At our school teachers and students go above and beyond the typical learning approach in Advisory.

Not only does this class help students focus on what they are having trouble with, but it gives them confidence to succeed because of the focus and mission of each fifty-minute class.

Advisory is a fifty-minute class that meets every day to address community service hours and the social and academic needs of each student.

The focus each day may be different in each advisory, but on Tuesdays and Thursdays all students are engaged in independent reading.

During the other three days students work together in subject groups to discuss skills, discuss social and academic issues and challenges with their advisor and the other students in the advisory, and plan and complete community service work, since every student must complete 120 hours of community service to graduate.

“First, advisory is a place for a small group of students to grow academically and personally with the guarantee that every student is well known by at least one adult in the building.

Advisory helps facilitate service learning projects so students can be involved with college preparation and planning. It also helps students adjust socially to high school throughout a portfolio process each year.

Our school is the first school to have the advisory program in Staten Island. Even new schools that are being opened are creating advisory programs.

Research shows that when students have a stronger connection with the faculty and students they have a better advantage to graduate,” said principal Aimee Horowtiz

Still to some people this class may seem like a great way to relax students take advantage of the fact that they are only graded as pass or fail.

Depending on the advisor, the tone set, and the amount of students in the class, the work done shows whether or not the class is effective. Students sometimes take advantage of the teacher, not realizing what a bit of hard work could do for them.

“I guess at the beginning things weren’t that great because I was just a freshman and the school was still only a baby in its second year of life, but now I really appreciate it [advisory] because of all my advisor has done for me, especially helping out with SAT prep, College Now classes, and my ACT practice tests,” said senior Stav Vaknin.

Seeing students succeed in school is what brings joy to lots of teachers. Not only does advisory make a student feel great about getting good grades, but it makes the teacher feel good as well.

“Advisory is a great class for students; it helps them develop personally as well as academically. With this small group of students, it is easier to grow a better and more sophisticated global view on today’s economy and society,” said math teacher Ms. Vendra.

So, take advisory seriously, it could mean the difference in your high school experience.

Sen10r Column – No Royalty for Our Prom

Laurel Haim and Simit Christian — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 20:49:56 +0000

Our school is different, it is unique, and most of us accept it. We have what other schools don’t and they have what we don’t. But is not having a prom king and queen a distinction we, the seniors, agree with?

An anonymous vote revealed that 74.3 percent of seniors in our school want to be able to choose a prom king and queen, and 4 out the 5 senior advisors also want their seniors to partake in the contest.

The tradition of choosing a prom king and queen has existed for a few decades in the U.S., however, in our school this ritual is foreign.

“It’s something that’s not a tradition at our school. In most schools it’s a popularity contest. We don’t rank kids based on academics, and a school prom king and queen is just not something we believe in,” said Principal Ms. Aimee Horowitz.

This policy was not determined by Asia Society’s ISSN network because some, but not all, of the other schools in the ISSN network have prom kings and queens, like the School International Studies at Brooklyn, according to Gabriel Wahab, a junior at that school.

Does the fact that choosing a prom king and queen is a contest make the practice unacceptable in our school? If that’s the reason, then why are students who obtain all E’s, G’s and S’s displayed in the hallway? Isn’t that a contest where the winners are rewarded with their names on the list? Yes it’s true that any student can earn the grades to be on the list, so it’s not a popularity contest.

If our school administration won’t allow prom kings and queens, because it involves selecting few out of many, then what justifies all the other selective processes?

The prom is perhaps the most memorable moment of our four years in high school, and since we didn’t have a junior prom, this year’s event is even more important.

“Everyone knows who’s going to win, so why not have the contest anyway,” said senior Katie McSherry.

Senior Corinne Mueller suggested we choose a prom king and queen at random, similar to a raffle, so the winners aren’t winners because of their reputation, but chance gives them the victory.

Even if we don’t have a prom king and queen, we should at least attempt to make the most of our once in a lifetime high school prom night because as Mrs. Horowitz said, “Prom is a special night for everyone who participates.”

College: To Go or Not to Go?

The Insider — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 20:48:30 +0000

By now, college is expected. No one asks whether or not we’re going to college; instead, we’re asked what college we want to attend. Does the higher percentage of students going to college signify better standards in the American school system, or has college become the scam of the century?

Let’s admit it, high school isn’t for everyone, at least not for its education. Not all students are fit to spend hours each day filling their minds with information they find useless. Often, the most common question asked is “why exactly are we learning this?” Many simply don’t care to know the functions of a eukaryotic cell, or what x is in a math problem, or the properties of a complex sentence.

Yet an additional four years of such schooling has steadily become the norm. And that’s not necessarily a good thing.

Certain professions are fit for high school graduates. Graduates could essentially complete internships, apprenticeships, or volunteer to learn how their job-specific field works and then climb their ways into prestigious positions. Internships wouldn’t be a good money source for the first months, but at least people wouldn’t spend that money on tuition. Students could learn through experience, a more effective method for many people and definitely a more profitable one.

According to EarnMyDegree.com, the average difference of salaries of people with a 4-year degree and those who’ve only graduated high school is $21,000. It may seem impressive, but you have to consider the cost of those four years (per year about $20,000 for tuition, $2,000 for books, and $500 for room and board according to CollegeBoard.com) as well as the time lost to gain experience in the field. Those math classes and science courses taken won’t really be useful if you want to be a make-up artist or pre-school teacher.

After twelve years of school, most people want to see the fruit of their labor already and not have to wait years for it to arrive. It would be more convenient if they could. Besides, many students absent-mindedly attend college and later drop out because they realize it’s not for them.

According to the NY Times, only half of the students who enroll in college graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree. Out of all developed countries, only Italy has a higher drop-out rate. Or maybe students focus on one career during their college years, work, and then change their minds. College is always going to exist, so why should students rush into such a costly decision?

Yet, society in general often acknowledges the level of education as the primary indicator of intelligence and success. It’s not. People are accomplished in areas beyond academics that can make them lead successful lives. Some of us can easily thrive based on our talents in singing or writing, personality, or social skills.

Of course, there are people who like to learn and want to go to school for the experience. There are those who aspire to be doctors or lawyers, or other professionals for whom an education is mandatory. For the remainder of us, a college education is worth the tuition.

The point we are trying to make is this- everyone learns differently and aspires to be someone different. Therefore, college shouldn’t be the only path to success, especially when it costs so much.

National Honors Society: Embarking on a New Tradition

Brianne Hannafey and Marissa Mule — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 20:33:05 +0000

Have you ever wanted to be part of a new club or organization? Is your grade point average at least an 88? Do you have community service hours that you need to put to the test? Fortunately, you’re in luck. Our school has joined in the chapters of The National Honor Society (NHS,) and recently inducted a second year of new members.

NHS is a nationwide organization, consisting of many chapters. According to the official National Honors Society website, nhs.us.com, induction into this organization is based on four criteria: service, leadership, scholarship and character. Additionally, NHS chapters typically elect officers, who, under the supervision of the chapter advisor, coordinate and manage the chapter as a student organization

Scholarship for the students inducted is based on the students average GPA before NHS.

“I was honored to be the leader of NHS and I’m looking forward to learn and experience more throughout this school year,” said a senior inductee Wingsum Cheung, who spoke about the scholarship and it’s requirements.

Character, in the National Honor Society is effected by how the student behaves or acts. Students attending National Honor Society are role models for their peers. Leadership is based on how involved a student is in different school activities.

Service is determined on what the student does for the community in and outside of school. In our school, in order to graduate a student must have at least 120 community service hours.

Citizenship is the last of the five pillars of the National Honor Society, and does not happen until a student is inducted. Citizenship is based on how a student acts once inducted.

These pillars acknowledge all the achievements of each students. It is a way to prove that all their hard work and success has paid off.

“National Honor Society is a lot of fun, and putting together the induction ceremony was a great experience,” said senior inductee Katie McSherry

On Wednesday, October 7, 2009, 17 students were inducted into the National Honor Society. Mr. Christopher Chieh, Ms. Karolynn Mangiero, Ms. Ho-Ling Lo, Mrs. Aimee Horowitz, and Mr. Joseph Canale spoke on behalf of the students being inducted and were able to broaden the inductees perspectives as lovers of learning, by giving words of advice.

Once everyone is inducted, elections are held to see which member will hold which job, president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer. After they are assigned their job, they must fulfill the duties that come with being a part of NHS.

“The National Honor Society is an extraordinary academic student organization that shines on the achievements of the students in it,” said senior Raquel Wood.

“It was a real privilege to speak at the National Honors Society ceremony. My message was for the students to be persistent in their goals, and be dedicated to everything they do. The ceremony was very well planned,” said science teacher Mr. Christopher Chieh.

At the ceremony, while the students were describing the five pillars, a candle was lit for each of them. Moreover, each of the students inducted were called up one by one and given a certificate, a membership card with a pin, and a candle to hold.

After the last person lit their candle, the NHS pledge of allegiance was recited.

“I am excited to work with new and old NHS members. These members are gifted and talented students who have achieved academic and personal accomplishments. I look forward to supporting these students in their future success,” said math teacher and NHS advisor Ms. Ho-Ling Lo.

Taking a Walk Along the ‘College Brick Road’

Jackie King and Rosa Carucci — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 20:31:45 +0000

Despite the long and rainy four hour bus ride, 45 students were anxious to arrive at the schools and breathe in the sweet air of college life.

Touring colleges is a major part of deciding which college to attend. This year some sophomores, juniors and seniors went on a college trip to further understand how academics and campus life vary from school to school.

Guidance counselor, Mrs. Marie Pastena planned the trip this year to D.C., Baltimore and Delaware to visit American University, the University of Delaware, George Washington University and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Each college has a variety of majors, a unique campus, in terms of life and environment, and different admissions requirements.

“The schools were chosen based on campus setting, admission requirements and cost of attendance. We tried to show the students a sample of different types of school,” said Mrs. Pastena.

While on the trip, students were encouraged to ask themselves several questions while touring some of the schools. Do I want to go to a big school or small school? What is the range of scores that students need to be admitted? What will my major be? How far away do I plan on going from home? Will I study abroad?

“Each school had informative sessions which helped students understand the financial process, and made kids realize that a $50,000 college may be attainable,” said Parent Coordinator Annette Lentini.

Stop number one was at George Washington University, located in the heart of Washington D.C. where the weather was gloomy. However, the spirits of the students were high, as they were eager to get started on their college tour.

George Washington University is a unique 4-year private college with an urban setting. The middle fifty percent of students accepted to GWU received a score of 590-680 on SAT Reading, 600-690 on Math , 600-690 on Writing, and a 25-30 on the ACT Composite Exam. What makes this college so unique is that its relatively close location to the capital. This is a benefit to students majoring in political fields because they have an advantage to secure internship opportunities.

“I’m going to apply for George Washington University because I love the campus and the location. It’s really convenient,” said senior Wingsum Cheung.

About three miles away from GWU is American University, stop number two. American University is also a 4-year private college, however, this college setting is suburban. Normally 53% of applicants are admitted with a 580-700 on Reading, 510-670 on Math, 580-680 on Writing, and a 25-30 on the ACT. Alumni of American University include New Orleans Inspector General Robert Cerasoli and Australian politician Tom Lewis.

“The college trip was very informative. It helped me realize that I would love to go away for college. It also helped me decide that my major for college is going to be Communication Disorders and Speech, and I would like to apply to American University. I had a lot of fun too,” said junior Breanna Pizzolo.

After a night’s rest, students began their day with Retriever Fever at The University of Maryland. Different from AU and GWU, University of Maryland is a 4-year public university. Ninety percent of the students are in state residents and the other 10% are from out of state. The middle fifty-percent of first year students receive a 520-630 on Reading, 560-670 on Math, 520-630 on Writing, and a 22-27 on the ACT.

“The trip was very informative. It gave us background information about each college, all the majors and how to apply. My favorite college had to be the University of Maryland. I am going to apply there because it seems like a great place to go to school. It also has everything I am looking for in a college,” said senior Jeribeth Fradera.

Our last stop was at the home of the Blue Hens, the University of Delaware. Although students only stayed for an information session at The University of Delaware, they were able to get a feel for the campus setting by having lunch in the college’s cafeteria.

The University of Delaware is also a 4-year public university where 56 percent of applicants are admitted. Usually, the middle 50% of students admitted receive a 550-640 on Reading, 570-660 on Math, 560-650 on Writing, and a 25-28 on the ACT Composite exam.

Although each school is different and has its own feel, they all have things in common such community service requirements and internship offereings. However, the SAT/ACT acceptance scores are looked at differently in each school along with AP courses, college level courses and weighted averages.

The overnight trip allowed students to get a feel for what most colleges look at when going through the admissions process. Each college also has Division 1 sports programs.

Visiting a college you plan to apply to is essential. Although doing research about a school is important, actually visiting the school gives you the opportunity to take notice of a lot more than just stats on a website.

So what if your friends love it? You’re the one who is going to need to focus on your studies. And you should feel comfortable with your surroundings.

For more information about each college, visit collegeboard.com.

SEN10R Column: Polishing the College Application

Laurel Haim and Simit Christian — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 20:29:47 +0000

In person, you may have an interesting personality, but conveying that personality in a written college application is the tough part.

You might be able to brag about yourself on a college essay, but asking for a teacher or someone else to evaluate you in a recommendation letter is completely different.

Regardless, both the application essay and recommendation letters are equally vital components of your college application, along with your grades, standardized test scores, and extra curricular activities.

“It’s your one opportunity to really show them [colleges] who you are,” said creative writing teacher Ms. Clara Gagliardi.

Reading the application essay allows admission officers to figure out how well you write, and also determine what you, as a student, can uniquely bring to their school.

Deciding an essay topic and format might be challenging, but you can always look at sample application essays and ask for advice.

“A personal narrative works best because it helps to show the college you’re a real person and what makes you a special and unique candidate for their school,” said Ms. Gagliardi.

There are tons of topics on which you can base your essay, as long as you can deliver it with effective writing.

“I wrote about my role model, Taylor Mali, about how he influenced my dream of being a teacher,” said senior Shawn Cybulska.

To write an effective essay, it is essential to take some time to plan, write, edit, and rewrite your essay, multiple times if necessary.

“Writing is hard work. Very few clear sentences come out right the first time, or even the third time,” said professional writer William Zinsser in On Writing Well.

If your essay is full of grammatical errors, it will show that you didn’t place much or any effort into editing and revising, so it’s very important to ensure that your essay is clear. Proofread and ask someone else to proofread your essay. Then rewrite.

“Professional writers rewrite their sentences over and over, and then rewrite what they have rewritten,” notes Zinsser.

According to the Macaulay Honors expert at the College of Staten Island, reading your essay out loud will help you make sure your essay makes sense, and also help you find the parts of it that sound awkward.

Ultimately, an error free essay will bring you one step closer to being admitted to your dream school.

You are not done yet. It is time for the recommendation letters. The letters are not so hard because you are not doing the writing, but whom you ask and how you ask will determine the success of the letter.

First put together a resume. A high school student’s resume includes his or her academic information (GPA, AP classes, and standardized test scores), extracurricular activities , clubs and sports), and any other notable activities, such as travel experiences, employment, and volunteer work.

Give the resume to your recommender, and talk to him or her about what you are looking for in the letter, and how and where you plan to send the letters.

Don’t forget to include a self addressed stamped envelope with each recommendation letter.

Also don’t ask the person to write you a letter at the last minute, give him or her some time.

Remember, you are among the hundreds or thousands of other students applying to the same colleges, so you need to distinguish yourself to be considered for admission.

Strong essays combined with thorough and complimentary recommendation letters will give you a greater chance of being admitted to a number of colleges.