APPLICATIONS
Check out these videos and resources to find out why a personal statement is important and how to write one that reflects who you are.
Video #1: College Essay Application Writing Myths
In this video you will learn about what your audience is looking for in a personal essay, the stakes of a personal essay, and some common personal essay misconceptions.
Videos #2 and #3: A Moment and a Message, Part 1 &2
In these videos you will learn about the difference between a moment and a message, how they are related, and why each is important.
Free Essay Review-Resource found on GEAR Up
Get Schooled Essay Review. Get Schooled is here to help you with your essays for college applications and scholarships. Submit your personal statement, supplemental college application essays, and scholarship essays for feedback and they will provide actionable suggestions and feedback within one week.
Scholarship Junkies Essay Review. Scholarship Junkies was founded by UW alum. They read and provide personalized, detailed feedback on scholarship essays within 48 hours.
Advice on application essays from CollegeBoard: Big future
Students Speak: How I Conquered the Application Essay
8 Tips for Crafting Your Best College Essay
Tips for Writing an Effective Application Essay (great video here)
College Choice net
THE COMMON APP ESSAY: HOW TO GET INTO COLLEGE WITH LESS THAN 800 WORDS
Are you writing your Common App essay? Wondering about the Common App essay prompts? If so, you've come to the right place. Let's start with what success on the Common App essay could look like. https://www.collegechoice.net/the-advisor/common-app-essay/
Scholarship Essay support: Myscholly
Need extra support on writing your scholarship essays? Look no further! Myscholly does an amazing job highlighting tips and ideas on how to write your strongest essay yet. Everything from the dos and don’ts and what colleges are looking for in an essay. Follow along through their site: https://myscholly.com/how-to-write-a-scholarship-essay/
College Application Tips and Support services
Whether applying to a four-year university or an apprenticeship program crafting a strong application can set you apart from other candidates.
Common Essay Questions, provided by Western Washington University
https://admissions.wwu.edu/freshman/freshman-essay-activities-list-tips
“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.
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.
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.
And More
1. 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.
2. 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?
3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
4. Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.
5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
6. 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? 7. 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.
TESTING SUPPORT
Resources and websites to help you prepare for college entry
EdReady: accuplacer, ACT & SAT
“If your students are attending a community or technical college, they may require your student to take an exam called the AccuPlacer, and if your students plan on attending a four-year university, they require that you take the SAT or ACT. “EdReady™ can be used to check mastery in a course of study, to plan for college and career opportunities, and to prepare for commonly used placement exams, such as AccuPlacer, SAT, and ACT. High school and GED students, homeschoolers, and adult learners will benefit from EdReady.org.”
EdReady website: https://edready.org/home
Khan Academy: SAT/ACT prep
Visit Khan Academy for free help preparing for SAT and ACT.
Free SAT prep: https://www.khanacademy.org/sat?excmpid=SM48-ED-CB-tw
GED TESTING
Sometimes, highschool isn’t the right path for you. The GED (general education development) test provides you with the academic equivilant of a highschool degree and allow you to take college-level classes.
Free study guides and practice tests: https://ged.com/educators_admins/teaching/classroom_materials/study_guides/
Free GED requirement lessons and general testing advice: https://bestgedclasses.org/online-classes/
GED class and testing place finder: https://bestgedclasses.org/bellingham-washington/
The GED test is broken up into 4 seperate exams (Mathematical Reasoning, Reasoning Through Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science). Each test is $30 in Washington state, totalling a cost of $120.
If you are first gen student feeling weary in this process, here is a pep talk from Michele Obama