Friday, November 19, 2010

Crosswords Galore

In a recent attempt to catch up on the latest news headlines, I found myself hopping from webpage to webpage reading all sorts of interesting articles. About a dozen clicks later, I landed on an article about the vast and hybrid nature of the English language. That’s when I stumbled upon what ended up occupying me for the next several hours: crossword puzzles. I started with one about ‘borrowed’ words in the English language and then went on to discover a plethora of others —all for students and all about different educational topics like SAT test prep. It turns out that the New York Times' Learning Network has crossword puzzles on everything from Shakespeare to genetics to the stock market.

Crosswords are a great way to review a topic you’ve studied in school or learn something new. And in my book, anything that combines learning and fun is time well-spent. Check out the Student Crossword Archive, find the one (or many) that piques your interest, and start solving!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

The College Admission Essay

Writing has never been my greatest academic strength. While I've been able to get by, I've always felt like I've never been able to get my words to really jump off the page like those of some of my peers.

So when it came time to draft my college admissions essay, I was absolutely stumped and had no idea how to make myself "shine" while being "humble" at the same time.

Fortunately for you, Jeannie Borin has compiled some key college essay writing tips as well as some basic do’s and don’ts to simplify this delicate feat.

The College Admissions Essay
By Jeannie Borin M.Ed., College Connections

The Common Application is now online and it’s ready for you to register. Visit www.commonapp.org. As of June 17th, 49 more colleges were added and this website now houses 392 colleges. Remember that some of the colleges on your list may not be on the Common Application. When this is the case, visit those college websites to complete their individual applications.

There are two required essays on the Common Application – one short and one long. Both of these essays provide you with limited space to express yourself. In addition to this, most colleges have supplements and many include more essays.

Here are tips to writing an excellent college admissions essay

1) Make yourself shine within your own story- It’s important that you don’t repeat what has already been stated on your activity resume, but you should highlight your accomplishments in your essay- weave them into your story. Reveal your personality and perhaps your future goals in your writing.

2) Be humble but don’t be modest- Don’t underestimate yourself in any way and be proud and secure in who you are. Sincerely describe your most impressive accomplishments but don’t overdo it.

3) Be confident in your statements– It’s important to write as though you deserve gaining acceptance. Present yourself as unique with specific skills and passion: "Leader in SAT tutoring etc."

4) Use personal stories- You really own your essay in this way and no one can tell YOUR story, this is what makes you unique

5) Write descriptively – Engage the reader and be specific about your experience. If writing a memorable story about a ride in the car and what you saw, have that reader sitting there with you. A good story is priceless and you will catch attention in this way. Use powerful imagery and personal anecdotes whenever you can. Leave readers with a lasting impression and it will serve you well come decision time!

DO’S & DON’TS in college essay writing

DO
  • Use personal detail- show, don’t tell
  • Be concise
  • Vary sentence structure and use transitions
  • Use active voice verbs
  • Answer the question and follow directions
  • Seek a few opinions
  • Stay focused as you have a limited word count
  • Revise, revise, revise and proofread
DON’T
  • Write chronologically- it can be boring
  • Thesaurus “ize”- don’t write what you think admission officers want to hear or use language that is not your own
  • State a point of view without backing it up with details and examples
  • Repeat what is listed on your activity resume
  • Use slang
Your character is the hardest thing for admission officers to measure. The essay is your chance to reveal who you are- your passions, values, authenticity and sincerity. Be yourself!

Friday, November 5, 2010

The Path to NCAA Academic Eligibility

There is a great deal of hard work and dedication that goes into being a student-athlete at the collegiate level. What most people don’t realize is that this hard work starts long before the athlete first steps foot onto campus; in high school with their first private SAT tutor. In order to become eligible for NCAA Division I and II athletics, the prospective student-athlete must pay as much attention to their school work as they do their sport. Below is a general guideline of how to start planning and preparing for NCAA eligibility during your high school years.
Please note that these guidelines ONLY cover the requirements for gaining NCAA Academic eligibility and does not touch on the numerous NCAA recruiting rules and regulations.
Freshman and Sophomores
  • Start planning now!
  • Work hard to get the best grades possible
  • Make sure that you are taking classes that are NCAA core courses. You can access your high school’s list of NCAA courses at http://eligibilitycenter.org/
  • Don’t fall behind early on! Use summer school classes to catch up if necessary
Juniors
  • Complete registration at the NCAA Eligibility Center (formerly known as the NCAA Clearinghouse) at the beginning of your junior year
  • Register to take the SAT, ACT, or both. Enter code “9999” as a score recipient to send your scores directly to the Eligibility Center
  • Check to make sure you are still on track with the NCAA courses
  • After completing your junior year, ask your school counselor to send your official transcript to the Eligibility Center
  • Check with a school counselor before registering for Senior classes to make sure you complete all core courses by graduation
Seniors
  • Take the SAT and/or ACT again if necessary
  • Check once again to make sure you are completing all necessary NCAA courses for eligibility
  • Request final amateurism certification on or after April 1st
  • Graduate on time (in eight-semesters)
  • After graduation, ask your high school counselor to send your final transcript to the Eligibility Center with proof of graduation
With a little planning and the hard-work to make it possible, you can set your dreams of playing collegiate athletics in motion.
For a complete list of the NCAA rules and regulations download a copy of the 2010-2011 Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete.