I’ll let you draw your own conclusions.

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You want to continue your studies and apply for graduate school? You need a graduate school letter of recommendation but don’t know how to get it? Well, this article will certainly help you out.

When applying for graduate school, you will need a variety of documents, including your CV, a cover letter, your grade transcripts, and diplomas. Most importantly, you will have to find a professor willing to write a letter of recommendation for you. That is arguably the most crucial part of your application.

What Is a Letter of Recommendation for Graduate School Anyway?

It’s a letter that gives the admissions committee a better idea of who you are. Reference letters are used to highlight your strengths and achievements from another person’s perspective.

However, that’s exactly why you need to carefully consider who you will ask to write it for you. It should be a professor who knows you well and with whom you share a strong connection. Their recommendation letter will present a much more accurate portrayal of you to the admissions committee reading it.

Your instructors probably won’t refuse to write the letter for you. Still, you should know they are doing you a favor. It likely won’t be done by tomorrow or even next week.

When to Ask for a Graduate School Letter of Recommendation

You should ask for a recommendation as soon as possible. Professors are very busy juggling grading students, updating lecture content, doing their research, and much more. They are open to writing references for their students, but you should give them plenty of time to prepare.

You might be disappointed by the results if you give a short notice to your professor. They could refuse you or even write a letter that could negatively impact your application.

Still, you can assist your instructor by giving them your cover letter. This should help avoid any overlaps in content. Also, provide them with a list of topics they could cover and your CV, as well as a list of all the volunteering you have done and any extracurricular activities you have been a part of. The letter should emphasize your strengths and achievements with specific examples.

The more time and information you give your professor, the easier it will be for them to write the letter. That will, of course, increase your chances of getting a convincing graduate school letter of recommendation.

Here’s a sample letter of recommendation for graduate school

Naturally, the best way to understand what this letter looks like is to see it for yourself. Below you can find a draft graduate school letter of recommendation you could use for reference.

——

Dear Admissions Committee,

It’s a great pleasure for me to recommend Amy Swift for your graduate school program. I got to know her during my Marketing 101 class in her first year at our university. Since then, she has proven to be a creative, determined, and hardworking student.

Amy has maintained excellent grades throughout her studies while engaging in student council activities of the Marketing Department at SMU. She has excelled among her peers, and I have yet to find a colleague of mine who has been dissatisfied with either her work or attitude.

Amy has, on multiple occasions, shown her qualities. She organized a charity event for the child of one of her fellow students, which was suffering from a rare disease. Her work there was extraordinary and managed to gather the required funds in less than a day.

Additionally, Ms. Swift created a video with the student council, promoting the Marketing Department of our university. Their efforts resulted in a significant increase in applications the following year. Most recently, she gave her valedictorian speech despite going through a serious personal loss.

I am confident that she could become a supporting pillar for your students as well as improve your institution to the best of her abilities. She has certainly done so for ours. Thus, I wholeheartedly recommend her to your institution.

Should you have any further questions, do not hesitate to contact me at wadewilson@smuniversity.com.

Sincerely,

Prof. Dr. Wade Wilson

Chairman of SMU

—–

Final Thoughts

Now you know what a letter of recommendation looks like, what it should contain, and how to make it easier for a professor to write one for you. With this newfound knowledge, you should start working on getting a recommendation right away by making a list of professors to contact. It can be a challenging process, but one well worth the effort.

When all is said and done, do not forget to thank your professor for the time they have taken to write the recommendation letter. They will surely appreciate it!

The post Letter of Recommendation for Graduate School — [Sample Included] appeared first on College Apps.

Ever since the concept of the SAT changed a couple of years ago, students have been struggling with the Writing section of the exam. It’s no wonder — this part requires you to know English grammar rules inside out. What’s more, you have only 35 minutes to answer 44 questions, so there’s no time to waste.

Still, SAT Writing is not impossible to ace. You just have to study hard and prepare yourself well. With this guide, you will learn the most common SAT grammar rules and sweep through the test.

10 Major SAT Grammar Rules for the Writing Section

1. Pay Attention to the Context

Unlike the old SAT, the new version won’t test your knowledge of those extremely rare, weird English words that you’ve never heard of in your life. That is great news, as this change has saved you from hours and hours of learning words like pogonotrophy and cattywampus parrot-fashion.

Still, SAT Writing includes several questions that will assess your vocabulary. But there is one major difference — instead of checking if you know the meaning of words, the test will make sure you can use words properly in the context.

Most commonly, you will get word-choice questions. What makes this tricky is that all the words have the same or similar meanings, but only one fits the given context. So, when you face this type of question, bear in mind that just looking at the sentence is not enough. You will have to pay attention to the context and maybe even the whole paragraph.

Example Question:

The tower attracts thousands of visitors every year who flock to Pisa to see one of the greatest architectural weirdnesses in the world.

1. NO CHANGE
2. Deviations
3. Oddities — Correct answer
4. Abnormalities

In this example, all words have rather similar meanings. However, the Tower of Pisa is one of the most beloved Italian landmarks. So, since options A, B, and D have a slightly negative connotation, the correct answer is C. As you can see, to get the correct answer, you need to think about the meaning behind the whole sentence.

There is another type of question that tests your understanding of context. In this case, the options will include homonyms and homophones. What kind of words are these?

• Homonyms: words spelled the same way but with different meanings (left as a noun, left as the past tense of the verb to leave).
• Homophones: words that sound the same but have different meanings (right, meaning true or correct, and the verb to write).

Example Question:

Due to there extensive training, medical school graduates can already perform some basic procedures when they start their residency.

1. NO CHANGE
2. They’re
3. Their — Correct answer
4. His or her

Options A and D do not make sense in this context, while option B is not grammatically correct. Thus, the correct answer is C.

2. Make Sure There Is Subject-Verb Agreement

Understanding the subject-verb agreement is incredibly important for anyone who wants to become a master of SAT grammar rules. Indeed, questions related to this agreement are incredibly common on both the SAT and the ACT tests. Yet, the rules here are simple:

• If the subject is singular, the verb must take the singular form.
  • Mary studies a lot, so she’s the best student in our class.
• If the subject is plural, the verb needs to be plural as well.
  • Mary and Jane study a lot, so they are the best students in our class.

While this probably seems rather simple, the SAT will try to confuse you with long or collective-noun subjects. Therefore, you need to pay close attention to the sentence subject when solving this type of question.

3. Use Singular Predicates with Collective Nouns

Using collective nouns is a great way to make the subject-verb agreement questions a bit more challenging. Since collective nouns represent a group of people, it’s natural that a plural verb will be your first instinct. However, bear in mind that collective nouns, such as team, committee, jury, panel, and police, require singular verbs.

• The team celebrate their every victory. — INCORRECT
• The team celebrates its every victory. — CORRECT

Still, if the collective nouns are plural, you should use a plural verb.

• All teams work hard to prepare for the season.

4. Prepositional Phrases Don’t Change the Noun Number

Subjects that contain prepositional phrases can be a bit confusing when determining the number. Therefore, you need to remember that prepositions and prepositional phrases do not influence the number.

To make it easier, just pretend that the prepositional phrase isn’t there. If you don’t pay attention to it, you will determine the correct number instantly.

• The jacket with brown buttons are beautiful. — INCORRECT
• The jacket (with brown buttons) is beautiful. — CORRECT

5. Keep the Sentence Structure and Verbs Parallel

Many SAT candidates make mistakes on questions that include longer or complex sentences. However, there are certain SAT grammar rules that will make these questions incredibly easy.

All you need to do is follow the pattern. If you notice that one verb form was used in the first part, use the same form for the rest of the sentence.

Question Example:

Jane likes singing, playing the piano, and dances ballet.

1. NO CHANGE
2. Dance
3. Dancing — CORRECT
4. Has been dancing

In this example, the correct answer is obviously C. This verb form is parallel to other forms (singing, playing), so if you follow the pattern, you will easily get the right answer.

You can use this strategy for all sorts of sentences. Follow the verb, preposition, conjunction, or any other pattern in the sentence, and you won’t make a mistake.

Question Example:

Edward wanted to apply to med school, partly because of his love for medical soap operas, but mostly because he needs to help people.

1. NO CHANGE
2. Of his need — CORRECT
3. There is a need
4. He needed

Again, to reach the correct answer, you need to follow the pattern. In the first part of the sentence, you have the structure because of + possessive adjective + noun — “partly because of his love for…”. Out of the four given options, only B uses this structure. Therefore, it is the right answer.

6. All Pronouns Must Have a Clear Reference and Number

In your SAT Writing part, you will face several questions designed to test your understanding of SAT grammar rules related to pronouns. Therefore, you need to make sure that the pronoun reference is clear and that it agrees with the noun it refers to.

• Jeremy was walking down the street when he saw the accident.

As you can see from this example, the pronoun clearly refers to Jeremy. However, the example is quite simple, and you need to expect more difficult questions.

For instance, you might come across a sentence with multiple nouns. In that case, you need to make it clear who the pronoun refers to.

• Jeremy, Walter, and Chris were walking down the street when he saw the accident. — INCORRECT

While this sentence may seem correct at first, it is not clear enough. You don’t know who saw the accident. Since the pronoun he was used, and all three potential subjects are male, it could be any of them. Therefore, additional information is required, so you should use a noun instead of a pronoun.

• Jeremy, Walter, and Chris were walking down the street when Chris saw the accident. — CORRECT

However, at times, you will find sentences with prepositional phrases. As already discussed, prepositional phrases do not influence the number. So, just like you learned to skip them when determining the verb number, you should do the same when identifying the right pronoun.

• Houses with big gardens in Joan’s neighborhood are nicer than that in Jackie’s neighborhood. — INCORRECT
• Houses (with big gardens in Joan’s neighborhood) are nicer than those in Jackie’s neighborhood. — CORRECT

To make things easier, you can cross out the unnecessary part and circle the pronoun and the noun it refers to. That way, you will find the correct answer faster.

7. Follow the Punctuation Rules

In order to do well on your SAT, you need to learn how to recognize the main clause and complete sentences.

Basically, a complete sentence consists of a subject and a predicate. You can recognize them as the noun phrase and the verb phrase. If a sentence has both of these phrases, it is complete and can stand independently in the text.

According to the punctuation rules, two or more grammatically complete sentences cannot be linked by a comma.

• Mark’s best friend is Joanna, she is always there for him. — INCORRECT

In this example, you have two complete sentences combined into one with a comma. Therefore, the sentence is incorrect.

There are a couple of ways to fix the sentence. For example, you can separate it into two sentences, or link them with a semicolon.

• Mark’s best friend is Joanna. She’s always there for him. — CORRECT
• Mark’s best friend is Joanna; she’s always there for him. — CORRECT

Alternatively, you can link them with a coordinating conjunction. If the conjunction requires it, a comma is allowed in this case.

• Mark’s best friend is Joanna because she’s always there for him. — CORRECT

8. Avoid Run-Ons and Fragments

As mentioned in the previous rule, the main clauses need to be connected in a certain way. However, it’s easy to make a mistake and link them incorrectly. Let’s take a look at the most common sentence mistakes and SAT grammar rules that will help you fix them.

Run-ons are a common example of incorrect sentences. A run-on sentence is one that consists of two main clauses that are not linked with proper punctuation or conjunctions.

• Jeremy lives in Canada and Michael lives in the US. — INCORRECT

Another type of sentence that you may come across is a fragment sentence. These sentences seem like full sentences, but they do not have the main, independent clause. So, you need to transform them and form the main clause.

• Jeremy living in Canada and Michael in the US. — INCORRECT
• Jeremy lives in Canada, and Michael lives in the US. — CORRECT

9. Place the Modifiers Next to the Words They’re Modifying

One of the most important SAT grammar rules refers to the position of the modifier. If there is a modifier in a sentence, it needs to be located next to the word it modifies. Otherwise, the modification won’t be clear. Let’s take a look at a typical mistake:

• An intelligent, ambitious man, banking was the perfect career choice for Alex. — INCORRECT

Since the modifier “an intelligent, ambitious man” is placed incorrectly, it seemingly refers to “banking” instead of “Alex.” To fix this sentence, you will need to shuffle it a bit.

• An intelligent, ambitious man, Alex found that banking was the perfect career choice for him. — CORRECT

There are many other examples of misplaced, ambiguous modifiers. Check out the following sentence:

• Harrison said that he would work harder during the meeting. — INCORRECT

From this sentence, you can’t know for sure when Harrison will work harder. Will it be during the meeting? Or did he mean it in general? To make the meaning clear, you need to move the modifier.

• During the meeting, Harrison said that he would work harder. — CORRECT

Now the meaning is quite clear. Harrison made this statement during the meeting and promised to work harder in the future.

10. Certain Coordinators Require a Pair

Anyone who’s not familiar with SAT grammar rules will easily make a mistake with correlative coordination.

Basically, some coordinators can’t stand in a sentence on their own — they come in pairs. You will have to learn these words by heart, but they will be extremely helpful on the exam day. Let’s go through the most common examples.

• Either… or… — Either Stephanie or Angela will be the class president.
• Neither… nor… — Neither Jonathan nor his mother showed up at the wedding.
• Both… and… — Both my dog and George’s dogs like to play fetch.
• Not so much… as… — She’s not so much confident as she’s self-centered.
• Not only… but (also) — This car is not only affordable but also feels good to drive.

The Bottom Line

Now that you are familiar with SAT grammar rules, preparing for the test will be far easier. So, start studying on time, do a lot of practice tests, and be confident in your skills. If you work hard enough, you will surely ace the exam.

The post 10 Must-Know SAT Grammar Rules for Acing the Writing Section appeared first on College Apps.

You have decided to apply for an MBA program or a business school? If so, you will probably need to take the Graduate Management Admission Test — GMAT.

But how hard is the GMAT exactly? It may look like a monster of an exam at first. However, there are plenty of strategies and methods that will help you ace it. In this guide, you will learn what the GMAT is, how hard is the GMAT, how the scoring system works, and what are the best ways to prepare for it.

What Is the GMAT?

The GMAT is a standardized entrance exam test required by MBA programs and business schools all around the world. The test was developed by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) in order to help schools assess their applicants’ skills and ability to follow a graduate-level course. At the moment, the application fee for the GMAT is $250.

The GMAT tests your reading and writing skills, critical thinking, and quantitative abilities. Besides the writing assignment, all questions are multiple-choice. In addition, the test is computer adaptive. Therefore, the difficulty of each question depends on how well you answered the previous one. You will have three and a half hours to complete your test.

Do You Need a GMAT Certificate?

The GMAT is one of the most popular entrance exams. Nearly every business school and MBA program candidate is required to take it. However, each school has its own admissions rules and decides which standardized entrance exams are obligatory. So, depending on the school and the program you want to apply for, maybe you will have to take another exam instead of the GMAT.

If you’re wondering how hard is the GMAT, you’re probably scared by the exam. However, there’s no need to fret yet — maybe you can avoid it. Before you apply and start preparing for the test, check out the application requirements on the school’s website. That way, you won’t waste your time and money on preparing for the wrong exam.

Other standardized entrance exams that you may have to take are:

• The Graduate Records Examination (GRE) — GRE is a rather common entrance exam. It is required by various schools and programs, including maths, science, liberal arts, business schools, and law schools. Some schools accept both the GRE and GMAT, so you will be able to choose the test that you prefer.
• The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) — required for medical school applications.
• The Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) — a test necessary to apply for law schools.
• The Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) — required for most pharmacy schools.
• The Dental Admission Testing Program (DAT) — you will need it if you’re applying for a dental school.
• The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) — if you are not a native English speaker, you will probably need to take this test.

If you find that you definitely need to do this exam, keep reading to find out how hard is the GMAT.

How Hard Is the GMAT?

Almost everyone who considers taking this test wonders — is the GMAT hard? The GMAT isn’t an easy exam. There are certain aspects of this test that make it quite challenging. Let’s take a look at what makes the GMAT difficult.

• Duration — you need to improve your stamina and learn to stay focused for three and a half hours.
• Timing — each section has a time limit so you need to practice your pacing.
• The English language — English required for this test is quite challenging, even for native speakers.
• No calculator — there are many maths questions in this test and you can’t use a calculator.

While these aspects make the test a bit difficult, bear in mind that it’s not unbeatable. If you prepare well, you will be able to answer even the most difficult questions.

The GMAT Structure

Now that you know how hard is the GMAT, it’s time to see what kind of tasks you will find on it. The GMAT consists of four sections. You will be able to choose in which order you prefer to do these sections before you begin your test. The sections are:

1. Verbal Reasoning — 36 questions, 65 minutes

Verbal Reasoning section is designed to test your knowledge and command of the standard English language. In this part, you will find sentence correction questions, critical reasoning, and reading comprehension questions.

2. Integrated Reasoning — 12 questions, 30 minutes

This section includes table analysis, two-part analysis, graphics interpretation, and multi-source reasoning questions.

3. Quantitative Reasoning — 31 questions, 62 minutes

This part of the exam will test your knowledge of basic mathematical concepts. There are two types of questions: problem-solving and data sufficiency questions.

This section focuses on basic maths concepts. Thus, you will need to practice arithmetic, especially statistics, probability, integers, fractions, powers, and roots. You will also find questions testing your algebra skills so work on functions, variables, and various equations. Finally, make sure to brush up your geometry knowledge.

4. Analytical Writing Assessment — one essay question, 30 minutes

The essay section will assess your writing skills. You will be given an argument that you need to analyze and critique.

To excel in this part of the test, you need to learn how to write and structure an essay. In addition, you need to practice developing your ideas and supporting them with explanations and examples. It goes without saying that your English skills need to be at an extremely high level.

How Is GMAT scored?

If you’re asking yourself how hard is the GMAT, you’re probably not sure how to pass it. Actually, you can’t fail this exam. Still, you need to achieve a certain score that your school requires.

Your GMAT score can range from 200 to 800. For most schools, a score of around 600 will be more than enough. Yet, if you’re applying for a more competitive school, you will need to achieve at least 700.

Most of your test will be scored by the computer algorithm. However, your score doesn’t depend on the number of correct answers only. Another important factor is the difficulty of the questions you got.

What makes this test tricky is that you need to do the questions in the given order. You can’t skip a question and return to it later. In addition, with every question you skip, your score will drop significantly.

Each GMAT section has its own scoring system. Let’s take a look at how this system works.

Integrated Reasoning Score

The score for the Integrated Reasoning section ranges from 1 to 8. Your score is calculated based on the number of correct answers. However, some questions consist of multiple tasks, and to get a point, you will need to complete all tasks correctly. Otherwise, you will lose that point.

Verbal and Quantitative Sections Score

Your score for each of these two sections can range from 0 to 60. Your score depends on several factors: the number of correct answers, the total number of questions you answered, and the difficulty of the questions.

Analytical Writing Assessment

The score for this section ranges from 0 to 6. Bear in mind that this section is scored separately and your results will not be a part of your overall 200–800 score.

Your essay will be assessed both by a computer algorithm and a human grader and the average will be your AWA score. It may happen that these two scores are drastically different. In those cases, another human grader will take a look at your essay and score it.

The graders will pay attention to several things:

• Your analysis of the argument,
• Transitions between sentences and paragraphs,
• How well you can develop your ideas,
• Whether the organization of the essay is logical and thoughtful.

When Will You Receive the Test Score?

Right after you finish the test, you will see your unofficial score for all sections except for the Analytical Writing Assignment. You will have two minutes to decide whether you accept the score or you want to cancel it.

If you choose to accept the score, your test results will be automatically sent to schools that you listed prior to taking the test. You will also receive your scores in print, but since these are unofficial results, you can’t use them for school applications. It will take up to three weeks until the official results are available online.

On the other hand, if you want to cancel your results, it will be as if you hadn’t done the test at all. Also, if you accept the score but change your mind later, there’s no need to worry. You will have a 72-hour window to cancel it for a fee.

Bear in mind that if you do not make a decision in those two minutes, your score will be canceled automatically.

Your GMAT score will be valid for five years. Also, it can be used in GMAT reports for 10 years.

How to Prepare for the GMAT?

Now that you know how hard is the GMAT, it’s time to come up with a strategy. Even though the GMAT is not one of the easier entrance exams, there is one thing that will make getting a good score more likely — thorough preparation. The GMAT is not a test you can excel at without studying. Let’s take a look at what skills you need to work on to achieve the results you need.

Mathematics

Luckily, advanced maths concepts usually don’t show up on the GMAT. Still, that doesn’t mean that the math section is easy. You will need to revise your high-school lessons and brush up your knowledge of algebra, geometry, and trigonometry.

Once you are familiar with the basics, all you need to do is practice. There are plenty of the GMAT tests that you can use and they will surely help you improve your skills.

Bear in mind that you can’t use a calculator on your exam. Therefore, while preparing for the Quantitative Reasoning section, make sure you do all calculations on your own.

The English Language

Both the Analytical Writing Assessment and the Verbal section of the exam will assess your knowledge of standard English. To do well in these parts, you will need to use complex grammar structures and advanced vocabulary.

If this is a struggling area for you, start with studying English grammar rules and taking grammar tests. Also, since you will probably come across many unfamiliar words, you should create vocabulary lists and flashcards. They are quite helpful for both studying and revising. In addition, learning affixes and root words will help you figure out the meaning of unknown words on the exam.

There is a lot of material that you can use for practice. The GMAT exam books contain many good exercises. Also, you can use your old English textbooks or advanced ESL tests.

As for the Analytical Writing Assessment, you need to write as many essays as possible. Before you start practicing, read a couple of sample essays to get an idea of what your essay should look like. In addition, learn which transition words you can use and how to structure the essay properly.

Pay Attention to All Question Types

There are many question types on the GMAT. For each format, there is a strategy that will help you answer it easily. Preparation for untypical formats is especially important in parts where your reasoning abilities and critical thinking are tested.

The GMAT books are a great source of tips for all sorts of questions. However, the best way to excel is to practice as much as possible. Once you are familiar with all types of questions, you will feel confident enough and solve all tasks without much effort.

Practice Your Timing

Time constraints are probably the greatest cause of low GMAT scores. The fact that you can’t skip a difficult question and get back to it in the end makes the pacing even more challenging. You will have only around 3 minutes per question, so you need to learn how to make the most of your time.

The best way to improve your speed is to take plenty of the GMAT tests. However, if you give yourself more time, you won’t achieve much. Therefore, make sure you respect the time limit.

There are some strategies that may help you here. For example, make sure you read every question carefully. If you don’t understand it, reread it a couple of times.

Also, when you come across a difficult question, get down to it right away. Don’t waste your time stressing about it. Instead, just do your best to solve it. If you feel you’ve spent much time on it or can’t solve it, just pick any answer. Fortunately, the GMAT uses multiple-choice questions. So, even if you don’t know the answer, you might get lucky.

If you practice regularly and get familiar with unusual question formats, you will improve your timing and stamina quite fast.

Bottom Line

Are you still wondering how hard is the GMAT? Hopefully not, as the aim of this guide was to show you that it’s not so difficult.

As you can see, the GMAT is not a test you can do well without a lot of work. But now that you know how hard the GMAT is, you are ready to start preparing. If you prepare well and study enough, you will find it quite simple. So, stock up on the GMAT practice tests, focus on your weakest areas, and get to work.

The post How Hard Is the GMAT? A Beginner’s Guide to Prepare for the Test appeared first on College Apps.

If you’re looking to make yourself stand out from the thousands of other college candidates, you’ll need a memorable college application. As someone who’s approaching the end of their high school years, you probably already have a lot on your plate.

In addition to having a good class attendance record, you also need to do all of your homework and keep an eye on your grade point average. Naturally, all of that is on top of the household chores you already have. As all of those responsibilities start piling up, it can be exceedingly difficult to find the time for the things you love doing. So what are you to do?

Well, there’s one surefire way to devote yourself to a passion project while beefing up your college application! Usually, the way to do that is to participate in an extracurricular activity, which can enrich your social life while adding structure to your spare time. But what if there are no clubs you’d enjoy at your school? Well, if you really want to impress colleges, you can show some initiative by learning how to start a club in high school.

How to Start a Club in High School — a Comprehensive Guide

Knowing how to start a club in high school isn’t a skill anyone is born with. However, creating and managing a club can be a great way to showcase your leadership and organizational skills. Furthermore, it’ll show colleges that you’re someone who knows what they want and follows through.

1. Figure Out What’s Missing at School

If you’re looking to learn how to start a club in high school, you need to start by finding out which ones already exist. There is more than one way to go about finding that information. For example, you can:

• Check the bulletin boards at school for club flyers or signup sheets. You might be able to gauge what the student body is most interested in by the number of signatures. Later on, that might help you work out the purpose of your club!
• Ask around the school. If you just want to see which clubs the school is already offering, the front-desk receptionist will be happy to help. However, you can also survey your friend group, which is another method that can help you see what’s missing.
• Check the school site. If it’s relatively up to date, you should be able to find a list of all of the extracurricular activities and clubs the school offers.

Once you know which clubs are on offer, you’ll be able to see which ones are missing and go from there. On the other hand, there’s also a chance that your school is already offering the very club you wanted to start. If such a club exists, but it’s inactive, you can have a hand in bringing it back to life. Just find out which teacher is in charge of the club and tell them that you’d like to restart it.

The good thing about finding a dormant club you’re interested in is that you wouldn’t have to start from square one when you have to establish the club’s rules and mission statement. However, if you do find a void your club could fill, you’ll have to put in some more effort.

2. Workshop the Subject or the Title

When you’re trying to figure out how to start a club in high school, these first two steps should ideally happen simultaneously. It’s a bit of a “chicken or egg” situation in that either of these steps can precede the other. You can have the idea for a club and then go looking to find whether your school already has it. Alternatively, you could be inspired to create a club only after you see the list of existing clubs. No matter how you came to the idea, there’s more to making a club than simply naming it.

So now is the time to workshop your idea. If you only have a vague idea of the purpose of your club, you need to narrow it down. Why should your club exist? Will it be a fundraising group, a community service one, or will it cater to a specific professional interest? Alternatively, you can just make a club that’s supposed to gather people around a particular subject.

Furthermore, you might want to consider opening a branch of a nationally recognized group, such as the National Honor Society, Red Cross, or UNICEF. Even some political parties have official high school clubs. So if you eventually want to go into politics, you can start building your resume in high school.

On the other hand, if you don’t want to establish a branch of an existing organization, you’ll have to come up with an easy club name. It can be quirky and creative, but the name should also clearly convey what the club is about.

3. Find a Teacher to Sponsor Your Club and Figure Out the Details

Once you figure out the exact purpose of your club, it’s time to work out the details. However, figuring out the ins and outs of your school’s club registration process can be a bit too complicated for a single person. Fortunately, you don’t need to know how to start a club in high school all on your own — your teachers are there to help.

Once you know the general subject you want to address with your club, there are two ways to find an appropriate sponsor. If the club doesn’t have an academic goal, you can just ask your favorite teacher to help you out. However, if there’s a teacher whose professional field aligns with your club’s purpose, you should ask them. So if you want to start an environmental club, you might want to ask your biology teacher to sponsor it. Even if your preferred teacher doesn’t have time to sponsor your club, it’s not the end of the road. They may still be able to recommend a teacher that’s available to be a sponsor.

By the time you approach a teacher, you should ideally already have a general proposal for the creation of the club. Type out everything you’ve come up with so far, including the club’s name, purpose, and goals. Later on, you’ll probably need to come up with a formal mission statement, which is just a sentence or two in the third person, explaining the reason why the club exists.

When you find your sponsor, they could help you with the club registration process. The requirements for starting a club should either be on the school site or in the administrator’s office. While you’re there, you should also pick up any forms you’ll need to fill out, and look up the school rules regarding clubs.

4. Get Funding — If You Need It

When you go to register your new club, it might also help to have an estimate of the finances the group might need. Most high school clubs are able to get by without school funding — in fact, most have to. However, those that require finances typically get it by either collecting annual dues from the membership, throwing fundraisers, or selling products. Some groups even use more than one of those methods. Either way, the school board would obviously be pleased if your club required no financial assistance at all.

Still, some clubs need it. For example, artistic or crafting clubs may need money for equipment — although many get by on the supplies the students bring. Rock climbing clubs would need transport to a local climbing gym if the school itself didn’t have a climbing wall. So you see, learning how to start a club in high school can also teach you how to handle funding.

5. Attract Members

Now, there’s no point in learning how to start a club in high school if you’re going to be the only person at the meetings. One student and a sponsor teacher do not a club make. So you’re going to need members.

If you came to the idea of starting a club through conversations with your friends, that’s an excellent place to start roping people in. However, if only one or two of your friends want to join, you can always hold an introductory meeting where people can learn about the club. Here’s where you’ll really get to show off your leadership skills. After doing all the work to start and register the club, now all you’ll need to do is sell it!

Get people to come to your inaugural meeting by printing out fliers and posting them around the school and announcing it during classes. In fact, use any tricks you have to get people to show up. Let them know that there will be snacks and drinks, or various activities related to the purpose of the club. That should drum up some interest.

Many schools also have club days, when all the different clubs have a chance to present themselves to the students. If such an event exists at your school, make sure to host a table. Even better, you can start a little social media campaign by creating a Facebook group, a Twitter account, and/or an Instagram page for the club!

6. Have the First Meeting

As you surely know by now, first impressions are incredibly important. That’s why you need to be creative and exciting in order to draw in your membership. When people come to your club’s introductory meeting, make sure that they’ll have something to see. More importantly, make sure that they’ll leave with a lasting impression — and plans to come back.

For your first meeting, you should have a signup sheet for potential members to write their names and contact information. That way, you’ll be able to let them know when the next meeting will take place. In addition to explaining the purpose of the club, you should also hint as to some exciting activity the club will do during the second meeting. Basically, you’ll want to hook your audience.

At this point, you can also take suggestions from the audience, which you can implement into the future club operation. For this first meeting, you can act as the club secretary and take notes. However, you should probably sort out the club hierarchy as soon as you can.

7. Establish Hierarchy

Most of the people who want to know how to start a club in high school also want to be the president of said club. Whether you want to lead the club or not, you’ll probably at least have to help the members set up a hierarchy. If you’d rather work behind the scenes or you’d like to have a fair election, you can assign the different club roles democratically.

Namely, you’ll need a president, who will be the face of the club as well as its leader. Secondly, the president will need a right-hand man or woman to replace them in case of an emergency. The vice president can also continue marketing the club, looking for new members, and talking to the ones you already have.

Next, you’ll need to make someone the club secretary. They’re the ones who’ll write down each meeting’s minutes and keep an eye on the club’s paperwork. For a more personal touch, you can create customized items that will signal the rank of all of these people. For example, the secretary can have a nice binder or a notebook with a club logo sticker on the front. You might want to have an artist whip up a recognizable logo, if only for the sake of branding.

Lastly, your club will also need a treasurer, who will be responsible for the club’s finances. If you don’t trust another student with the money, you can leave it to the teacher sponsor. However, the whole point of clubs is to have students in charge of an organization. So you should really distribute these roles among the membership.

8. Keep It Going

Now all you need to do is keep the club going. Establish a regular meeting time, whether that’s monthly, bi-weekly, or weekly, that suits most of the members. Some schools have specific times set aside for club participation during school hours. However, others may require you to meet before or after school as well.

No matter how often you end up meeting, try to make the club time count. The president or the vice president should remind the membership of the previous meeting’s minutes ahead of time. That will help everyone be more prepared for the next meeting. Whether everyone is working on individual projects (like in the case of an art club) or a group one (like Yearbook club), everyone should be prepared to pull their own weight.

In order to sustain the club, the members should socialize fairly frequently. Simply knowing how to start a club in high school doesn’t guarantee that it will survive after you graduate. So do whatever you can to ensure its stability and longevity by establishing it in the school’s social life.

Soon enough, your club victories will translate into collegiate wins. The same skills you used to set up and run your high school club will help you strike the right school-life balance at university!

The post How to Start a Club in High School appeared first on College Apps.

Waiting to hear back from one of the medical schools you’ve applied to can be an excruciating experience. Still, you’ve done all you could. You have finished all of your pre-med course requirements, passed your MCAT test with flying colors, and you have a GPA to match. Additionally, you’ve probably even beefed up your applications with a few pertinent extracurriculars before you sent them out.

If your applications were impressive enough, you may already have gotten called in for some interviews. After all that, you just need to sit back and wait for the acceptance letters to come rolling in. However, there is one last thing you can do to improve your chances of getting into the school of your dreams.

If you’ve been placed on the school’s waiting list after your interview with the admissions committee, there is a way to express your eagerness to join the school. In this article, we’ll discuss what a letter of intent for medical school is and how you can go about writing one.

What Is a Letter of Intent for Medical School?

Before we talk about how to approach writing a letter of intent for medical school, we need to know what that document signifies. Firstly, let’s point out the difference between a letter of intent and a letter of interest. The latter is a letter you can send to any school you want to attend along with your application. In it, you explain why you believe the school would suit you and why you’re the right fit for it. Additionally, you can write about other interests that may have influenced your decision to apply to the school.

Your letter of intent for medical school can include all of those things as well. However, it’s meant to let the school know that you would be willing to enroll if a position opened up. A letter of interest doesn’t express that kind of commitment. But why would you send such a letter — does it make any difference to the admissions committee?

In a word — yes. Medical schools generally want as many of their students to graduate as possible. You don’t get that kind of high yield rate by accepting applicants who are less than enthusiastic. In that sense, writing a letter of intent can really show that you’re ready to work hard. On the other hand, some medical schools discourage applicants from sending letters of intent. So if you want to avoid a blunder, check the school’s site before you sit down to compose your letter.

How to Write a Letter of Intent for Medical School

As with any other formal missives you will write in your life, there are some set rules for writing and sending out letters of intent. First, let’s talk about when it is appropriate to start composing one.

When to Send Your Letter of Intent

As you now know, some medical schools don’t want applicants to send letters of intent under any circumstances. So first and foremost, you should find out whether the school is receptive to exchanging communication with applicants. They may even have instructions on their site that might shed some light as to whether sending a letter of intent would be appropriate.

However, that’s not the only reason why you may want to avoid sending one. Indeed, there are several times when a letter would be unnecessary. If you haven’t heard back from a school since you sent your application, you may want to forgo writing a letter. Ideally, you should wait for them to signal that they’re interested in you before you start composing the letter. When in doubt, wait to send the letter after your interview with the school.

On the other hand, there’s also no reason to send a letter of intent if you’ve already been accepted into the school. But if you haven’t been accepted yet, and you’ve already had your interview — there’s no reason not to make your preference known. That is, you should feel free to send your letter if the school hasn’t expressly stated that they don’t want you to. And if you weren’t able to find out whether or not the school accepts letters of intent online, you can always ask someone who already goes there.

The Contents of the Letter

Once you sort out whether the school wants you to send a letter in the first place, you can start writing it. Altogether, the letter should be just about one page long. So you should make sure that your thoughts are as concise as possible. After all, the people who will read your letter will likely read hundreds of others, so every word counts. Generally, a letter of intent for medical school should include:

• A brief segment in which you’ll explain why you’re the ideal candidate for the school
• An expression of interest and a solemn promise that you intend to enroll in the school if the position is offered to you
• A section explaining why you want to go to the specific school you’re writing to
• Any additional information you may not have mentioned in your interview

Of course, like any other professional correspondence, letters of intent should also follow a certain structure.

Proper Formatting

Firstly, you’ll need to address the letter to the person in charge of admissions. You can look for the dean or director of admissions on the school site or call the school to ask who you should address. Alternately, you can simply write “Dear Sir/Madam” — but whatever you do, avoid any other kind of introductory greeting.

After the formal greeting, you should introduce yourself and remind the reader when you had your interview. You can also recall something that happened during it, though that’s not necessary. Following that first sentence, you can go over the items we have discussed above. Explain why you want to go to the school in question. Also, make sure to clearly state that you intend to enroll if accepted.

Next, you can impress upon the reader the importance of attending that particular school. Perhaps mention favorable statistics, famous alumni or professors, or a program that doesn’t exist anywhere else. After that, you can also try to sell the reader on the idea of accepting you into their school. Here’s where you can let some of your personality shine through — but not enough that you’re deemed unprofessional.

Lastly, you can reiterate some of the accomplishments you’re most proud of, or add any information you felt was overlooked during your interview. End the letter with another statement of intent, and close with a formal greeting such as “Best regards,” and your name.

Stylistic Tips

Once you finish writing your letter, you should double-check the spelling and grammar. You can even get someone else to proofread it if you don’t think you’ll be able to catch the mistakes yourself. Aside from looking for typos, you should also mind that the tone is professional, but not boring. Even though this letter should be formal, there’s no need for it to be dull. Instead, infuse it with your wit and enthusiasm — those things can go a long way.

Additionally, you should steer clear of general statements in your letter. Instead of talking about why you want to study medicine, focus on why you want to study it at that particular school. Use details to show that you’ve done your research.

In the final segment of your letter, you can also mention any acceptance letters you might have received since your interview. If the school sees that you’re a desirable candidate, you might get a response faster. However, it’s also okay if you don’t have anything new to share with the admissions director. In that case, just focus on the other parts of the letter.

Throughout the letter, make sure that your statement of intent is as clear as it can be, even at the cost of sounding blunt. If you don’t make the purpose of the letter clear, it could get lost in translation.

Alternately, if you don’t want to write a letter of intent for medical school at all, but you have updates the school should know about, you can just type up a letter of update. Those are similar to letters of intent, without hinting that you’re committed to the school.

Mistakes to Avoid

Now, before you save and send your letter of intent, there are some basic mistakes you should look for. Most importantly, you don’t want to come across as conceited, which often happens when you’re trying to “sell yourself” in school applications or professional resumes. There’s a fine line between highlighting competence and bragging without being able to back up your claims.

To that end, you should avoid making the letter too wordy and lengthy. The admissions director may not read the letter carefully, anyway. So make the words you’ve got count. That is also why you don’t need to reiterate things from your application in great detail.

Finally, there is one last mistake you ought to avoid, and that’s writing letters that are too general. Most people who do this are planning to send the same letter to multiple schools after changing a few key details. However, that’s generally considered a bad idea.

Even though it’s not technically a legal document, your letter of intent for medical school is still a commitment. You’re making a promise to the school that you’ll enroll if they offer you the position. That’s why you’re only supposed to send one letter — and make it specific to the school you’re sending it to. On the other hand, if you really want to leave your options open, you can always send letters of interest instead.

Send the Letter

After you’ve made sure that your letter isn’t too pretentious or cold, you’ll be ready to send it out. If you want to make sure that everything stays just where you put it, export the letter into a PDF format. Before you send it, check the school site to confirm how they want you to send the letter. While most schools have a dedicated email address for this kind of correspondence, some of them have special application platforms or portals you should use.

Follow Up

Once you send out your letter of intent for medical school, all you’ll have to do is wait. If you’re not a particularly patient person, that might cause you to feel helpless and anxious. But this time around, you’ll know that you’ve done all you could do. After a few weeks, you might even find yourself wondering whether you should just go ahead and commit to one of the schools that already sent you their acceptance letter.

However, even if the school doesn’t get back to you immediately, there’s still no reason for concern. As long as you haven’t received a rejection letter, there’s still a chance for you to end up in the school of your dreams. Still, if you want to reiterate your desire to attend said school, there’s one last thing you can do.

It’s perfectly appropriate to follow up with the school about a month after sending your first letter of intent. You don’t need to worry about seeming overly pushy, either. If you set the tone of your letters is just right, your follow-up missive will come across as enthusiastic and (hopefully charmingly) anxious, rather than annoying.

Now, your follow-up letter doesn’t need to be as detailed as your first letter of intent. Instead, you can use it to politely remind the admissions director who you are and why you are excited by the possibility of going to their school.

On Writing Your Letter of Intent for Medical School

So let’s offer a brief summary of everything we’ve just talked about. Most medical schools want students that are eager to attend classes and do well. Therefore, showing your enthusiasm in the form of a letter of intent certainly won’t hurt your chances of getting accepted. Indeed, if you’re on a waitlist, a letter of intent for medical school could tip the scales in your favor. However, there are strict rules you should know before you start writing.

For one, you should know that a letter of intent is something you can only send to one school. Even though it’s not a binding agreement, you’d be ethically obliged to enroll in the school if the offer comes.

You can only send the letter if you had your interview, preferably after waiting to see if you’ve been accepted. Generally, you should know after about a month.

The letter should be formal but also interesting and personal, which is admittedly a tough balance to strike. You don’t have to go over all of the segments listed above, but it would help the school determine your level of enthusiasm. However, you don’t want to drone on either — keep everything confined to a single page.

Most importantly, you must remember to state the purpose of the letter two times at least. If you forget to express your commitment to the school, the text won’t read as a letter of intent, which might make the admissions director overlook it.

Lastly, remember to follow the school’s instructions precisely when it comes to sending the letter. Don’t let an avoidable clerical error ruin your chances of getting into the school you like!

The post Should You Write a Letter of Intent for Medical School? appeared first on College Apps.

Sometimes, your college application just doesn’t get you the results you were looking for. However, there’s no need to despair if, for some reason, your dream college has waitlisted or deferred you. In most cases, you’ll likely get a spot — and you can up your chances by writing an incredible letter of continued interest.

Letter of Continued Interest: Is It as Powerful as Many Think?

In its very core, this is a letter one writes to the college when they are waitlisted or deferred. It shows that you’re still very much interested in getting a spot at the school, even though you may have been somewhat discouraged.

Most importantly, a letter of continued interest allows you to highlight what you have achieved since you sent the application, thus boosting your chances of getting into a good school.

The Right Time to Write a Letter of Continued Interest

Although you will probably want to write the letter immediately after you receive the (somewhat) disappointing news, it’s important to check whether the school even wants to continue communication.

In most cases, you can send your letter of continued interest after a certain date. Most schools indicate whether they can (or should) be contacted — and you must respect that decision. Others, however, may not be so interested in communicating until they decide whether you have what it takes to get the spot.

If you go against what the school has said in their waitlist/deferral letter, you risk losing the spot altogether. It will seem as if you consider yourself above the rules, which won’t bode well with anyone in the admissions committee. Therefore, tread carefully and double-check when you can send the letter.

Overall, most schools don’t give any specific instructions, so it is fine to send a letter of continued interest as soon as you receive the deferral/waitlist letter. However, take into account any impending achievements you might want to include in the letter.

If you’re expecting information that could change the status of your college application significantly, don’t send the letter just yet. After all, you really shouldn’t send two letters, as that will seem a bit too eager.

Therefore, wait it out a bit if you’re supposed to receive information about your improved GPA, higher test scores, or new awards and achievements. These could tip the scales in your favor, so you ought to use them to your advantage the right way.

Can a Letter of Continued Interest Help You Dazzle the School?

Although no one can say for sure that a letter of continued interest can get you that coveted spot, it certainly won’t hurt. Essentially, the point of this letter is not only to express your desire but your interest as well. The school should be made aware that you are ready to give it your all to get that spot. Additionally, it’s a good chance to mention some other things that could turn you into a valuable candidate.

In the end, it’s a sign that you’re not afraid of extra effort or putting yourself out there and showing how much you want something. When it comes to college admissions, eagerness is not a bad thing. Of course, you shouldn’t go overboard — but you ought to show your interest nonetheless. At the very least, the letter gives you an advantage over candidates that may have decided against writing one!

Contents of a Letter of Continued Interest

Before you start writing the letter, you have to think about what you’re trying to achieve here. This letter isn’t just a simple reminder that says, “Yes, I’m still interested in your school.” It should show that you are ready to attend the school if you get a spot and have what it takes to become a roaring success.

Because of that, taking the time to craft a perfect letter is essential. It has to be professional-looking, neat, and full of value. Most importantly, it should include a few key points that ought to give you the edge you’re looking for.

The Format

In general, a letter of continued interest looks similar to a cover letter you would send to a potential employer. At the top of the page, you ought to provide information about who you’re sending the letter to. Therefore, type out the name and the title of the person you’re addressing. Additionally, don’t forget to name the school and the city and state where it’s located.

In terms of formatting, you should strive to keep it as simple as possible. This is not the time to play with fonts or different colors — you don’t want to be perceived as a joker who’s poking fun at higher education.

So, keep the font and font size simple yet easy to read. It should look as professional as possible. What’s more, pay attention to the alignment. The paragraphs should be left-aligned, and they shouldn’t be separated by more than a line of empty space. On top of that, you ought to avoid adding an indent at the beginning of a line.

In general, it’s best to address the letter to a real person, not the whole school. You may address it to the person who sent the deferral/waitlist letter. Alternatively, you could address the director of admissions.

In any case, remember that you’re writing to a person, not a robot. You should try to maintain a warm tone by starting with a salutation (Dear [The Person’s Name]), and ending the letter with a closing line such as “Sincerely, [Your Name].”

Make sure your name is under “Sincerely,” not next to it. On top of that, double-check your spelling. There’s nothing worse than misspelling the name of the person who may decide your future.

The Body

Getting the results you want with your letter of continued interest does require a bit of prep. Therefore, think about what you will say and how you will structure the body of the letter.

Show Gratitude

You should start by expressing how grateful you are that the school has deferred or waitlisted you. Of course, you aren’t really glad — no one would be. But, you must refrain from expressing your disappointment. You ought to stay optimistic, as there’s still a chance you might get in.

Show Interest

Then, you should move on to explaining that you’re still interested in the school despite the setback. Additionally, mention that the school is at the top of your list as your first choice. However, don’t lie — if it’s not your first choice, just avoid mentioning anything similar.

Now, the key to showing interest is to talk about all the things that have attracted you to a particular school. For example, if there are some professors or subjects you are very keen on, this is where you should mention them. Furthermore, if you have visited the school to see how it looks and what you may expect, mention that as well. Taking the time to visit a particular college means a student is definitely interested. Otherwise, you probably wouldn’t bother with planning the trip!

Talk About New Achievements

Once you have reiterated how interested you are, it’s time to give some substance to this letter. After talking about why you believe this is the college for you, you ought to mention what you have achieved in the meantime. Whether you now have a higher GPA, have received some awards, or have improved your SAT or ACT scores — mention anything relevant that the admissions committee ought to know about.

Closing Statement

In general, the letter shouldn’t be longer than four paragraphs, depending on how much you have to say. In the end, though, you should repeat how grateful you are for their time and consideration. What’s more, mention how they can contact you, should they have any questions.

Things You Should Not Include

Given that you now know what you should add to your letter, it’s also important to learn more about the things that could lower your chances of getting into your preferred college.

Above all, you must not use the letter as a way of showing the admissions committee how wrong their decision was. You don’t want to seem angry or frustrated, not to mention entitled to assume that they don’t know how to recognize potential. Instead, you should aim to show gratitude for the second chance. The letter should convey that you are persistent and resilient, as well as optimistic about getting accepted.

However, at the same time, you don’t want to seem desperate either. Sometimes, future students make the mistake of mentioning that other schools have rejected them or that they’ve only gotten accepted to schools they don’t really want to go to.

Many think this strategy will gain them points — someone at the admissions committee is bound to feel pity for them. Nevertheless, it often backfires tremendously. No school wants to know that it’s your last resort.

Finally, go over your college application and make sure you don’t include information the committee already knows. Otherwise, they may perceive the letter as a reprimand. By mentioning achievements they are already aware of, it’s almost as if you’re saying that they’ve made a huge mistake.

Sending Your Letter of Continued Interest

After all that writing, it is time to finally send the letter on its way. But where should you send it? How can you be sure anyone will read it?

In most cases, deferral/waitlist letters contain information about where you can send additional materials, i.e., things the committee should be aware of, such as a letter of continued interest. If these instructions appear in your letter too, don’t be afraid to follow them.

However, do know that some schools also have a pre-determined submission form or an application portal where you’re supposed to upload the letter or additional information. Make sure you’re familiar with the process before sending it.

When in doubt, though, you can always contact the admissions office to ask where you should send it. In general, you should be able to send it via email, fax, or regular mail.

As to which method is the most advantageous one — it often doesn’t matter, as long as the committee reads the letter. Still, some do say a physical letter is more likely to be read and added to your file. Similarly, if you want to send an email to make sure the letter arrives on time, it’s best to attach it as a PDF document.

Can Someone Send the Letter Even if They Don’t Have Any New Accomplishments?

In the end, a letter of continued interest should show that you’re not just eager to attend a school but have also done something in the meantime that may tip the scales in your favor. But…what happens if you haven’t achieved anything else after getting your waitlist/deferral letter?

Well, even if that’s the case, you should definitely try to boost your chances a bit. However, you will have to rack your brains and really think about relevant, completely new information you can include.

A letter that doesn’t say anything new won’t have the impact you desire. Therefore, think about what has happened in the meantime. Consider specific examples that you can use to your advantage.

For instance, if you got a not-so-exclusive internship, you may think that the committee doesn’t want to hear about that. Yet, if it’s an internship in the field that you want to study, that shows you’ve taken the initiative to learn more about it, especially if you connect it to something you would like to do or pursue at the university. Similarly, if you’ve taken up volunteering or have contributed somehow to your school, job, or extracurricular club — you ought to mention it.

In general, if the school doesn’t forbid sending in new information, writing the letter is always worth it. Just remember to follow this format when talking about new accomplishments:

• Give some general details about it
• Connect it to a specific trait or talent you possess so that they see how much potential you bring to the table
• Associate it with something that you want to do at the university if you get the spot. This part may not come naturally to you, so make sure you do thorough research

Final Thoughts

As you can see, a letter of continued interest is more than a “fan letter” you should send to your school of choice. It is an opportunity to reiterate how much you’re still interested and grateful to have gotten another chance. More importantly, it’s a letter that should give you an edge over other students because it contains information about new achievements the committee isn’t aware of yet.

The post Letter of Continued Interest: What It Is and How to Write the Perfect One appeared first on College Apps.

Contrary to how they sound, brag sheets are not supposed to make people envious of you (although some definitely might). However, you aren’t that far off. Brag sheets are meant to highlight all your best qualities, show just how amazing you are right now — and what an incredible student you could be.

But why do you need a brag sheet in the first place? Is there a reason every student is advised to write one? Who do they serve, and should you send them to the admissions committee directly? It’s time to answer all the burning questions and talk about why brag sheets matter and what they should contain.

A Good Recommendation Letter Could Earn You a Coveted Spot

Before delving further into the matter, you first have to learn more about letters of recommendation. Once you’ve perfected your personal essay and done everything else your college application requires, you’re ready to ask your mentor, coach, or favorite professor to recommend you to the admissions committee.

Now, you may be wondering why your grades and academic achievements aren’t enough to earn you a spot at your preferred college. Well, as with most things in life, you have to “sell” yourself and stand out. There are hundreds of applicants that have done the same things as you. They have achieved the same grades and showed an equal level of potential. Thus, you have to figure out a way to stand out. In the end, there’s no better way to do that than by asking someone else to “brag” about you.

In your personal essay, you will be the one talking about yourself and listing all you have achieved. You will explain how specific experiences in life have inspired you to not only work hard but to apply to a particular school. The essay contains a description of how you see yourself and what you think you can do as a student.

However, it would be too easy for committees to just read the essays and form their opinions based on those documents alone. After all, there’s nothing stopping anyone from “embellishing” the truth a bit. Thus, they ask for letters of recommendation. In those letters, notable figures in your academic life can talk about your achievements, speak on your behalf, and show why they believe you are the right fit for a particular college.

When Recommendation Letters Matter the Most

Sometimes, your grades may not be able to reflect who you indeed are and how successful a student you can be later on. Perhaps you’ve had a tough year and couldn’t keep your grades up at one point. Maybe you were going through stuff and couldn’t focus.

Whatever it is, you cannot fix it now. What you can do, though, is use recommendation letters to your advantage.

Make sure you ask the recommenders to talk about how you bounced back from all the troubles you went through. Additionally, ask them to highlight things the committee may not get to see in the rest of the application. In essence, the letters should showcase you in the best light possible. More importantly, they ought to contain specific examples of how you improved yourself and what that says about you and your skills, work ethic, etc.

Contents of a Recommendation Letter

So, what does the perfect recommendation letter include? As it turns out, a lot of things! Additionally, you need to have a few of them written to up your chances (but don’t go overboard).

Overall, the admissions committee will look for the following:

The Letter Was Written by Someone Who Truly Knows You

The first thing the committee will look for is how well the recommender knows you. They won’t be easily swayed by seeing a famous name has written it. So, if you were looking for an expert in your future field of study as a recommender, drop that idea immediately.

The whole point of the letter is to talk about your character and reveal who you truly are. It should mention what your hopes and dreams are, as well as how you’ve fought through and came out victorious through some of life’s hardest challenges.

Thus, the best person to ask to write a letter of recommendation is someone you have worked with closely throughout the years. Ideally, it should be a professor, a mentor, or a coach who has witnessed how incredible you are and is ready to give their own account of it.

The Letter Includes Examples of How Great You Are

Although it may seem obvious by now, it should be emphasized: the letter has to contain examples of some of your traits, skills, etc. It cannot just talk about how amazing you are and how it would be a great idea to give you a spot at a particular college. No one gets an acceptance letter with such a recommendation. More importantly, no matter your grades or how truly magnificent you are — you won’t either. Therefore, aim to help the recommenders write a letter that offers specific examples. For that, brag sheets are absolutely necessary.

The Letter Is Personal

It goes without saying that the letter should feel as personal as possible. Of course, the recommender will keep a certain level of distance. However, they have to show through their words that they know you and have worked with you on multiple occasions.

They ought to emphasize your good sides, skills, and experiences by getting more into your personality and what really makes you tick. In essence, they cannot just list your achievements and hope for the best. The letter must be personal and able to give a good, insightful description of who you are.

The Letter Was Written by Someone Who Believes You Can Achieve Your Goals

You should ask for two or three recommendation letters, so why not make one of those specific to the field you want to study and your goals? For example, if you wish to pursue a degree in literature or perhaps join the ranks of the best American novelists in the world, you should ask your English teacher to serve as a recommender. Their expertise and knowledge of the field of study you want to pursue should cement the overall impression. More importantly, it should present you as the perfect candidate.

The Letter Is in Line with What the College Stands For

Finally, remember that neither you nor the recommender should go into this whole process blindly. Colleges do say what they are looking for in candidates, so use that to your advantage. If a college is particularly interested in students who have focused on community service over the years, aim to show how experienced you are in that field in your letter of recommendation. Of course, it wouldn’t hurt to send in a letter by your English professor. Still, a letter by someone who has witnessed your volunteering firsthand is a better choice.

Why Recommendation Letters Need Brag Sheets

So, what are brag sheets, really?

Well, they are summaries you can provide your recommenders with so that they don’t forget to mention some of the achievements and experiences the admissions committee might be interested in.

You see, recommenders are usually quite busy, and there’s a good chance they are writing recommendation letters for a variety of people. Thus, they are sometimes forgetful, which is why brag sheets help them immensely. If they have a brag sheet to use for reference, they can easily remember what someone has done and how they’ve worked with them in the past.

Additionally, take into account the fact some schools are now asking for brag sheets as a way of having all you’ve done and what you aim to achieve in one place for easy access. Therefore, these aren’t just things you can haphazardly write in a few minutes. Brag sheets have to look and feel professional and be as neat as possible. Most importantly — they must contain up-to-date, accurate information.

Contents of a Brag Sheet

Standard Information

When writing the brag sheet, remember to first write your name, contact information, and details about your school. If needed, the admissions committee should know how the school is called, when you are going to graduate, and your GPA. Additionally, the brag sheet should contain information about your standardized test results.

Activities and Work Experience

Once you’ve given all the details about you and your academic profile, it’s time to list the achievements and activities you’ve taken part in. You ought to give a brief description of what the activity was about, which role you had, and when you engaged in it.

The activities section can include any academic and extracurricular clubs you’ve been a part of. Furthermore, if you’ve been a member of a sports team or any out-of-school clubs, now is the time to mention them.

Once you have filled in that section, it’s time to talk about any work experience you have had. Even entry-level jobs, such as working at a McDonald’s, count. You might have shown your work ethic there and learned skills that could help you later in life. Therefore, don’t be afraid to mention them; use every experience to your advantage.

Awards, Goals, and Additional Notes and Information

Finally, don’t forget that awards count, too. They testify to your know-how in certain fields, as well as how successful you have been in your previous endeavors. What’s more, you should mention what your goals are as well. That helps the committee recognize the potential you may bring to the school you’re applying to.

The “Notes” section is there to explain some things you feel need clarifying to give an accurate representation of your character. In essence, those notes should help the recommender understand you better, so use this section wisely.

Tips on Writing an Incredible Brag Sheet

Make Sure Your Grammar and Spelling Are Up to Standard

There’s nothing worse than showing the committee you haven’t even bothered to read the brag sheet before sending it in. Therefore, read it once, reread it, and then ask someone to go over it one more time to ensure everything makes sense. Additionally, run the brag sheet through a program such as Grammarly.  It can show you what doesn’t sound good and all the spelling and grammar mistakes you’ve made.

Keep It Classy and Professional-Looking

Comic Sans is never a good choice, especially if you’re writing something that can make or break your future. Instead, opt for good old Times New Roman, font size 12. If you want to emphasize a heading, for example, go for indent or bold. And — although this should be obvious — remember that the font should be black and that the brag sheet shouldn’t contain any pictures.

Be Concise

Brag sheets are a bit like professional summaries of your achievements. Hence, you ought to keep yours as short as possible — ideally, only one page long. Of course, you should include everything you’ve done but stick to the important stuff. Relevance is crucial here, so list only the things you believe will make a good impression. Mention the actual results of some of your activities. For example, if you’ve taught children English, say how many of them have improved at school. However, don’t go into too much detail. If someone wants to hear more about a particular activity or experience, they’ll contact you.

Go for a Specific Format If Your School Has It

In general, there are no formatting rules when it comes to brag sheets. It’s essential to keep them professional-looking, though, so make yours neat and to the point. Also, check if your school has a specific format you should use and that your coaches and teachers are most comfortable with.

Don’t Rush It

Instead of rushing through the whole process once the application deadline approaches, start writing your brag sheet as soon as you begin taking part in clubs, getting awards, etc. Keep all the information on the achievements in a specific folder/binder so that you don’t forget about anything. Additionally, make sure the brag sheet is always up to date. Keep adding things to it so that you don’t have to rewrite it entirely in the end.

Tips on How to Help the Recommender Write an Outstanding Letter

Ask them to write it (in person, always) well before the deadline. They might not have time to write the letter for you, so it’s better to find that out sooner rather than later. On the other hand, they may need more time than usual because they’re too busy right now. Give them a few weeks, at least.

Share with them information about the schools you’re looking into. Since they have to write a letter that highlights all your strengths, it’s imperative to include them in the whole application process. Therefore, apart from the brag sheet, give the recommender information about a particular school’s mission, your goals, and what they’re looking for in potential students. That way, they’ll better understand what they should write about and compose an incredible letter.

Don’t leave them in the dark regarding the logistics of it all. Of course, don’t forget to tell them when the letter is due. The recommender should also know whether they should send the letter to the school directly or if they have to upload it somewhere. Additionally, they may wonder whether you’ll send them a link to all the data.

Final Thoughts

Although a bit daunting, asking for and getting the letter of recommendation you deserve is crucial if you want to get into the school of your dreams. For that, you need to write a good brag sheet first.

Give the recommenders all they need to write a top-notch letter by summarizing what you’ve done, how you’ve done it, and what you’re planning to achieve in the future. Only then can you be sure you’ve given it your best. Better yet, with an amazing brag sheet, you may hope the admissions committee notices the effort as well.

The post Brag Sheets 101: What They Contain and Why They Matter appeared first on College Apps.

If there’s one thing everyone should be able to agree on, it’s that the SAT is stressful enough even when you did everything you could do to prepare. There’s no need to make the experience worse by forgetting to bring tools that could help you get better results. When it comes to the math section of the SAT, students may bring a calculator. But not all kinds of devices are welcome. If you need a few pointers for finding the best SAT calculators on the market, you’ll find them here.

Which Calculators are Allowed on the SAT?

Before you get too invested in the idea of using calculators during the math section of the SAT, there are a few things you should know. First, you might be wondering whether you can just use your phone instead of a calculator. The answer to that question is a resounding no.

Any device you bring can’t be used to possibly share information with other students. So phones are definitely out of the question, as are any other Internet or Bluetooth-enabled devices. For the same reason, the calculator you bring must stay next to you at all times. Students must not share calculators, because doing so may result in cheating.

Ultimately, you can only bring a certain kind of calculator. The device can’t have power cords, so it must rely on batteries (or solar power). It can be a simple four-function device or a more complicated scientific or graphing calculator. For the kind of problems you’ll be solving for the SAT, you should go with the latter type of device. With such a narrow scope of approved features, the next question may be obvious.

Which Calculators Aren’t Allowed on the SAT?

No matter what, you want to avoid showing up to take the SAT with the wrong kind of tool. If you’ve already taken the PSAT, you might think you can just bring the device you used for that exam. However, that’s not necessarily the case.

Aside from the exclusion criteria above, the calculator you bring should also be minimally obtrusive. It shouldn’t have a keypad similar to a typewriter, as that might make noise which may distract other test takers. Additionally, the calculator you bring shouldn’t have electrical outlets, paper tape, or a pencil tool.

How to Find the Best SAT Approved Calculators

If you’re looking for the best SAT calculators, steer clear of four-function devices. While they’re not illegal, they’re too simple for the tasks you’ll have before you. Still, you might also have a difficult time choosing between scientific and graphing calculators.

On the one hand, scientific calculators are generally less expensive, even though they tend to have great features. However, graphing calculators definitely have more functions, including:

• Converting decimal figures into their most reduced fraction forms with a single button
• Quickly solving equations using the INTERSECT key
• Finding points of intersection in two graphs
• Matching graphs without having to draw them manually (just input the function and select the graph)
• Finding absolute zero by selecting MATH, then using the right arrow key to NUM and selecting “1 abs( )“

Overall, graphing calculators are more convenient for taking the SAT. However, if you’re more comfortable with scientific devices, the first two products on the following list fit the bill.

Top 5 Best SAT Approved Calculators

When it comes to shopping for the best SAT calculators, there are two brands to look out for. Without a doubt, Texas Instruments and Casio make the best devices on the market. However, instead of looking at the products by brand, the following list will split them into categories of scientific calculators and graphing ones.

Casio fx-115ES PLUS Scientific Calculator

The Casio fx-115ES Plus calculator is great for engineering and scientific equations. It has a textbook-style display, so the results will appear natural, each line appearing under the last. That should also allow you to backtrack and edit your entries in order to get more accurate results. Overall, the device boasts over 280 functions, which include fractions, statistics, and everything from basic arithmetic to complex equations.

The layout of the keys is very organized. The basic functions and the figures are the larger white keys in the lower half of the device, with the delete and AC keys in orange. Furthermore, the upper half of the device has smaller, navy keys for more complicated functions. Above those keys, there are 5 more buttons, including the arrow pad.

Texas Instruments TI-34 MultiView Scientific Calculator

Not to be outdone, Texas Instruments also has its own version of the scientific calculator. The device has a very neat layout, combined with the natural-looking display. In fact, the 4-line display allows you to scroll and edit your entries, just like you could with the previous device.

There are several modes that are all accessible from the same starting screen, easily found in the pull-down menus. Like the previous device, this one has a step-by-step fraction simplification process. Additionally, both calculators are both solar and battery-powered devices — but then, that’s a fairly common feature.

Casio fx-9750GII Graphing Calculator

The following three devices are all graphing calculators. Those tend to be a bit more expensive than scientific calculators, so let’s start with the budget-friendly option. If you used the Casio graphing calculator for your PSAT, you should be able to use it during the SAT and the ACT.

Whether you need to make a pie chart or bar graphs, this machine delivers quickly — thanks to its high-speed CPU. What’s more, between the calculator’s high-res LED display and sleek key layout, you should have no trouble learning how to operate the device.

However, this calculator does have USB connectivity for file sharing, which could be a problem. The device itself uses solar and battery power, so the USB port serves no purpose other than file sharing.

Texas Instruments TI-84 Plus Graphing Calculator

The TI-84 Plus graphic calculator from Texas Instruments has everything you’ll need to solve even the most complicated graphs. More to the point, the device also has a “decimals to fractions” converter, which will definitely come in handy during the SAT. However, as impressive as its features are, you should probably consider the price tag on this device. If you don’t think you’ll need the calculator after the SAT, just get a cheaper alternative.

Texas Instruments TI-89 Titanium Graphing Calculator

Finally, the TI-89 titanium graphing calculator is the most advanced device on this list — but also the most expensive one. Like the other devices on this list, this machine can answer all your calculus, algebra, and statistics questions. Furthermore, it actually uses Flash technology, so it gets occasional software updates. However, you’d have to connect the device to your PC using the USB cable to upgrade it.

The display is so large, it even allows split-screen views. However, ACT test-takers can’t use this device because of the different requirements.

Final Thoughts & How to Use a Calculator During the SAT

Even the best SAT calculators couldn’t help you get the score you’re after if you don’t know how to use them. So let’s see how you can make the most of the calculator you have.

To begin with, you should become familiar with the functions of your calculator in advance. Use it while you practice the math portion at home or during math classes. Scientific and graphing calculators are quite different from regular four-function devices. Since they can run longer equations, you should make sure to check the entry line in order to avoid typos. Over time, checking the entry line will become a habit, and you’ll be ready to use your device during the SAT.

But above all, you should keep in mind that you’re not dependent on calculators to solve every question on the test. Some questions don’t require the use of additional tools. In fact, you’d probably be wasting valuable time if you stopped to consult your calculator instead of solving the problem yourself.

Lastly, before you head into your exam, remember to check the batteries! Even if you’re reasonably sure you won’t drain the batteries that day, you should put new ones into the calculator. That way, you can be sure that you won’t lose your calculator mid-equation.

The post Top 5 Best SAT Calculators and How to Use Them appeared first on College Apps.

Having a bad calculator can really set you back during your ACT. If it malfunctions or stops working, you probably won’t have enough time to calculate everything yourself. And in turn — you won’t do so well and you’ll probably have fewer points than you normally would.

To avoid stressing out during your ACT, you need to find a good calculator that won’t let you down, but one that follows the ACT guidelines, of course. Before we get into the best ACT calculators, let’s see what you need to consider when buying one.

Which Calculators Are Approved on the ACT

For a calculator to be ACT-approved, it has to be a 4-function, graphing, or scientific one. Before the test starts, you’re responsible for making sure it works and to bring a backup one, just in case.

What’s more, if the calculator is battery-powered, you should bring another set of batteries with you in case the first one fails. To ensure the best results, the ACT always recommends getting familiar with the calculator beforehand.

Prohibited Calculators

During the ACT, you won’t be allowed to use calculators that have a downloaded or built-in computer algebra system. Also, you can’t use tablets, handheld computers, or laptops. What’s more, the ACT prohibits using any calculator that’s built into a cellphone or any other communication device.

There are also a couple of specific models from the three most popular calculator manufacturers that the ACT forbids using.

From Casio, you can’t use:

• ClassPad 300, 330, or 400
• Algebra fx 2.0
• Any model that starts with CFX-9970G

From Hewlett-Packard:

• HP 48GII
• HP Prime
• Any model that starts with HP 40G, HP 49G, or HP 50G

Finally, from Texas Instruments:

• TI-Nspire CAS
• Any model that starts with TI-89 or TI-92

Modified Calculators

There are some types of calculators that you can modify to get them to be ACT-approved. For example, if you have an HP 38G with an infrared port, all you have to do is cover the port with some heavy-duty tape.

You could also use calculators that can hold documents or programs; you just have to delete everything from them. If your calculators have power cords or paper tape, just remove them and you’re ready to go. Also, make sure to turn off the sound on your calculator if it has that option to avoid distracting others during the ACT.

1. Texas Instruments TI-84 Plus Graphing Calculator

The TI-84 Plus comes with expanded graphing technology and about a dozen applications. Some of the applications include: real-world data collection and analysis, interactive geometry, and inequality graphing.

Texas Instruments also claims that this calculator is perfect for all high schoolers because of its MathPrint technology. With it, you can enter equations and fractions and the screen will show you graphic representations of them.

The calculator also has 14 interactive zoom features and it can store up to 999 elements. What’s more, the TI-84 Plus can convert decimals into fractions. It is also pre-approved for the ACT, SAT, PSAT, IB, and AP tests.

On the Texas Instruments official website, you can find different guidebooks, product tutorials, and a software service center. Also, you can reach their customer support system via phone, e-mail, and live chat. What’s more, you can access the self-service knowledge base for any warranty and service questions, as well as troubleshooting and product usage.

2. Casio fx-9750GII Graphing Calculator

If you’re looking for a reliable, sturdy graphing calculator that’s half the price of the TI — Casio’s fx-9750GII is the way to go. The calculator has a 10-digit, 8-line LCD screen, perfect for all of your graphs and equations. What’s more, it features a simple icon menu and is pretty easy to use.

Casio’s calculator also comes with a built-in hard case and in three different colors. But possibly one of the most impressive things about it is its battery. Once you put 4 AAA batteries, Casio claims this calculator can last up to 200 hours. You’ll also be happy to know that the batteries are included when you order from Amazon.

Now, the Casio does come with a bit of a learning curve. Since nowadays most high schools recommend using the TI, it might be difficult figuring this one out at first. But the calculator does come with a manual and you can find plenty of tutorials on how to use it.

3. Texas Instruments TI-83 Plus Graphing Calculator

The TI-83 Plus model from Texas Instruments is easy to use, durable, and works great for both science and math applications. With it, you can do data plotting and analysis. What’s more, it’s one of the best ACT calculators for comparing functions and making graphs.

Since it has FLASH ROM memory, you can update the software from time to time and install some apps. Also, the TI-83 can store up to 10 matrices and display the tables and graphs on its LCD split-screen.

Now, the calculator comes with four AAA batteries, so you can start using it right out of the box. But it also has one lithium battery for backup and saves energy with its automatic shutoff feature. Also, just like the TI-84, this model comes with 14 zoom features and you can use it for calculus, algebra, and much more.

4. Texas Instruments TI-30X IIS 2-Line Scientific Calculator

As one of the cheapest and best ACT calculators, the TI-30X is one of the most popular models for high schoolers. It’s a scientific calculator that features a robust and sturdy design. You can use its 2-line display to see your entries and the calculated result at the same time.

The TI-30X can easily handle one- and two-variable statistical calculations. You can also use it to work with angle modes, including grads, degrees, and radians. What’s more, the calculator can work in both engineering and scientific modes.

The model comes with a protected case and you can get it in two different colors. If you buy it on Amazon, you’ll get a lithium battery included with your purchase. But if the battery ever fails you, you’ll be happy to know that this model is also solar-powered.

5. Casio fx-115ES Plus Scientific Calculator

The scientific calculator from Casio is one of their most popular and possibly best ACT calculators. It’s extremely versatile and you can use it for algebra, statistics, chemistry, and so much more. The calculator also has a natural textbook display, making it easy to read your results.

You’ll be happy to know that with this model, you can do over 280 different functions. For example, you can do fractions, arithmetics, and computer science, to name a few. The fx-115ES also has a table function and 40 different metric conversions.

Moreover, you can use the Multi-replay function on the calculator to see and edit expressions and recalculate your answers. The calculator has a 2-line display and needs one LR44 battery to work. But in case the battery fails, you can charge it using solar power.

In Conclusion

Even though the standardized test laws state that you don’t need a calculator for the exam, it’ll be much easier for you if you use it. But getting the right one is of the essence. So, when looking at which one to buy, think of the classes you’ll be using it for and the functions you’ll need to use.

Also, to avoid wasting time during the ACT, make sure to familiarize yourself with the calculator beforehand. If you can, always bring it with you to your math and ACT prep classes.

All of the models you’ve seen here today are precise, reliable, and durable. No matter which one you choose, you won’t be making a mistake, as these are the best ACT calculators on the market right now.

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