College BoundNavigating the College Search & Admissions Process

August 2017 at the Johnson County LibraryJohnson County, Kansas, USA

Image via Wikikmedia Commons used under a Creative Commons Attribution / Share Alike License

Benjamin Howard-Williams, MAEd

Who is this guy?

Asst. Director of Financial Aid & ScholarshipsUniversity of Kansas

Student Success & Enrollment ServicesMetropolitan Community College

Johnson County Community College

Benjamin Howard-Williams, MAEdTransfer & Articulation OfficerUniversity of Missouri-Kansas City

Agenda

DISCLAIMER: This information is presented by a private citizen on amatter of public concern as a free community resource. The informationpresented is intended as a general overview and should not be interpretedas an official document or publication of any institution of highereducation or the US Department of Education. Any errors or omissions areunintentional. No guarantee of admission is intended or implied.

• The College Search: Figuring out where you Fit

•College Application Standards: What’s required?

•Preparing for Admission: What are they looking for?

• The Personal Statement: How to talk about yourself

•Q&A

The College Search

Where do you fit?

Open Admission

•Open to all students.

•Strongest focus on teaching.

•Public & Private.

•4 year & 2 year.

Research Universities• Focused on the creation and

curation of knowledge.

• Biggest name recognition.

• Most well-known faculty.

• Largest number of major options.

• Well connected alumni.

• Largest class sizes.

• Greatest likelihood of being taught by a graduate assistant.

Regional Universities• Compromise between Research

& Open Admission.

• Balance of research opportunities and strong teaching emphasis.

• Smaller class sizes.

• Fewer major options.

• Less name recognition.

Liberal Arts Colleges• Most focused on the

“student experience”.

• Small class sizes.

• Strong faculty connections.

• Strong campus communities.

• Highest cost (usually).

• Least name recognition.

Things to Consider

• Size of the school?

• Size of the city?

• Live on campus or off?

• Distance from home?

• Social atmosphere?

• Surrounding community?

• School reputation?

Research Tools

Admissions Standards

What are they looking for?

Basic Standards

Graduate from an Accredited High School with 2.0+ GPA

Minimum Score of 21 on ACT OR 980 on the SAT

Place in the top 1/3 of your high school graduating class.

Based on the Kansas Board of Regents “Qualified Admissions”

Selective Admissions

Higher Standards for Admission

• Major Research Universities

• Private Institutions

• Highly Specialized Institutions

University of Kansas Admission Requirements:ACT 21+ / SAT 1060+ AND GPA of 3.25+ ORACT 24+ / SAT 1160+ AND GPA of 3.00+

ASK for the admissions standards at your school of interest.

Competitive / Scholarship

Common Elements

• Resume

• Personal Statement

• Interview

Talking about yourself.

Resumes and Personal Statements

What are they asking?

Are you likely to retain and graduate?

• What do you have to offer beyond your grades and test scores?

• Do you have something unique to contribute to this community / organization?

• Will you be a good fit for our institution?

The Skills-Based Resume

Talk about what you can DO, not where you’ve worked.

• Skills, talents, and interests supported by specific examples• Volunteer Work

• Travel Experiences

• Social Groups

• Religious Functions

• Athletics

• Performance / Fine Arts

The Personal Statement

Talking about you…

• What excites you?

• What interests you?

• What confuses you?

Talking about them…

• How can you do more exciting / interesting / confusing things at XYZ institution?

Use “I Statements” to illustrate your sense of self.

Link your “I statements” to something specific at the

institution you are hoping to attend.

Questions?

Thank you!