7 Tips for Touting Your Accomplishments on the College Application:
As you plan to apply to college, it’s important that you summarize your accomplishments in an enticing and precise way. We advocate a “brag sheet,” it’s essentially a resume for your 4 years of college. Unlike a resume you do not need to list the activities in chronological order, instead you focus on putting the most significant experiences first. Contact us for a sample Brag Sheet. Here are our tips to keep in mind as you prepare your college application.
Take notes or keep a journal: One of the best ways to chronicle your achievements throughout high school is to keep a journal or notes on the extracurricular activities you undertake. Record the practice details such as organization names, honors spent, competitions and advisor’s names and contact information. In addition, reflect on what you have learned from being a member of clubs, teams or nonprofit organizations. This will help you keep track of the dates and times as well as give you a sense of all the skills you’ve learned from your experiences.
Take notes or keep a journal: One of the best ways to chronicle your achievements throughout high school is to keep a journal or notes on the extracurricular activities you undertake. Record the practice details such as organization names, honors spent, competitions and advisor’s names and contact information. In addition, reflect on what you have learned from being a member of clubs, teams or nonprofit organizations. This will help you keep track of the dates and times as well as give you a sense of all the skills you’ve learned from your experiences.
Start big: Towards the end of your junior year, take inventory of everything you’ve been a part of over the last three years. Include after school clubs, summer programs, sports teams, lessons, part-time jobs, volunteer work, SAT tutoring, and classes that you’ve done particularly well on. By starting broad with your list you’ll be able to step back and look for a pattern in the activities you’ve belonged to and then select the most impressive or most meaningful activities to highlight.
Get feedback: Share your brag sheet with a trusted advisor, relative or college counselor and get his or her feedback. You want to ask someone who may not be familiar with all the experiences you’ve listed on your brag sheet in order to ensure that you’ve provided solid descriptions of your achievements that are easy to understand. In addition to checking for typos, you want to make sure the brag sheet portrays your character, strengths and interests.
Be original: Your experience is unique to you and it tells the story of who you are. Don’t fall into a trap believing that there are a “right” number of activities or a “specific” type of activity college admissions officers will like. Pursue the activities that interest you and use your brag sheet to demonstrate the passion and skills for these activities.
Build a web presence: Many students find that building a blog, web site, Flickr album, YouTube channel or other digital outlet provides a place to display their achievements. Think about a way to use the web to display your talents, this is especially important if the activities you refer to are better portrayed through digital media. Include these links with your brag sheet.
Quantify your achievements: Be sure to include numbers, specific dates and awards on your brag sheet. If you hold a leadership role, include the number of people you oversaw. If you play a sport, include your key stats. Consider including the achievements of any club you were a part of (number of members, amount of money raised, attendees at specific events, etc.) Specific numbers emphasize the breadth of what you have done and demonstrate an attention for detail.
Get personal: College admissions guidance counselors are looking for a way to get to know candidates beyond test scores and grades. Using your brag sheet to portray your commitment to one skill, activity or cause helps tell the story of your personality.
Aristotle Circle (http://www.aristotlecircle.com/) matches parents and students to experts with current insight and inside knowledge of admissions. Aristotle Circle experts are the top admissions professionals, guidance counselors, school administrators, financial aid advisors and child development experts in their fields. Aristotle Circle’s mission is to take the stress and frustration out of the process by giving you a clear path through school admissions.
Get feedback: Share your brag sheet with a trusted advisor, relative or college counselor and get his or her feedback. You want to ask someone who may not be familiar with all the experiences you’ve listed on your brag sheet in order to ensure that you’ve provided solid descriptions of your achievements that are easy to understand. In addition to checking for typos, you want to make sure the brag sheet portrays your character, strengths and interests.
Be original: Your experience is unique to you and it tells the story of who you are. Don’t fall into a trap believing that there are a “right” number of activities or a “specific” type of activity college admissions officers will like. Pursue the activities that interest you and use your brag sheet to demonstrate the passion and skills for these activities.
Build a web presence: Many students find that building a blog, web site, Flickr album, YouTube channel or other digital outlet provides a place to display their achievements. Think about a way to use the web to display your talents, this is especially important if the activities you refer to are better portrayed through digital media. Include these links with your brag sheet.
Quantify your achievements: Be sure to include numbers, specific dates and awards on your brag sheet. If you hold a leadership role, include the number of people you oversaw. If you play a sport, include your key stats. Consider including the achievements of any club you were a part of (number of members, amount of money raised, attendees at specific events, etc.) Specific numbers emphasize the breadth of what you have done and demonstrate an attention for detail.
Get personal: College admissions guidance counselors are looking for a way to get to know candidates beyond test scores and grades. Using your brag sheet to portray your commitment to one skill, activity or cause helps tell the story of your personality.
Aristotle Circle (http://www.aristotlecircle.com/) matches parents and students to experts with current insight and inside knowledge of admissions. Aristotle Circle experts are the top admissions professionals, guidance counselors, school administrators, financial aid advisors and child development experts in their fields. Aristotle Circle’s mission is to take the stress and frustration out of the process by giving you a clear path through school admissions.
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