Admissions Expertise How important can athletics be as a hook for college admissions? 713 Likes Like This Answer Already Liked This Answer Thank you, this item will be reviewed. How important is it to visit each college and network with the admissions reps? 660 Likes Like This Answer Already Liked This Answer Thank you, this item will be reviewed. What should high school students do before the summer of their senior year? 184 Likes Like This Answer Already Liked This Answer Thank you, this item will be reviewed. When should students start the college search? 380 Likes Like This Answer Already Liked This Answer Thank you, this item will be reviewed. Why is it important for students to have a college admissions marketing plan? 811 Likes Like This Answer Already Liked This Answer Thank you, this item will be reviewed. If I haven’t found the right extracurriculars, can I still appear to be a dedicated student? Without a hook -- one activity, interest, or passion that will leap off the pages of your college application and catch the eye of admissions officers—you won’t stand out from the pack. Your job is to dig deep within yourself to reflect on your true interests and pastimes, in and out of school. Perhaps you’re an auto aficionado who redesigns cars on the Internet and hopes to become an engineer. That’s a hook. Or maybe you’re the caregiver to your autistic sister. That’s also a hook. To find your hook, write down a list of your activities and pastimes. Ask your parents to share some anecdotes and observations about your personality and character. Now, you’ve finally found your hook! 467 Likes Like This Answer Already Liked This Answer Thank you, this item will be reviewed. What do admissions officers look for in an applicant? 264 Likes Like This Answer Already Liked This Answer Thank you, this item will be reviewed. Admissions officers - what is the most memorable experience you've had in admissions? 267 Likes Like This Answer Already Liked This Answer Thank you, this item will be reviewed. In all of your years working with students, what were some of the most unexpected admissions successes you witnessed? Acing your grades at a community college could save you money up front and set you up for admission and big bucks at a top four-year college when you transfer -- especially if you earn the coveted Phi Theta Kappa award. That’s the two-year college equivalent of Phi Beta Kappa, the most prestigious academic honor available at four-year colleges. Follow the footsteps of a community college student from Florida whose Phi Theta Kappa distinction paved the way for a big surprise: $88,000 in merit money over two years at a leading private college in California. 774 Likes Like This Answer Already Liked This Answer Thank you, this item will be reviewed. Is a student-submitted resume suggested? How/when/where? 189 Likes Like This Answer Already Liked This Answer Thank you, this item will be reviewed. What is a college admissions hook? 920 Likes Like This Answer Already Liked This Answer Thank you, this item will be reviewed. How can I work with schools to boost my financial aid? Are there other sources of student aid? Policies differ from school to school. At some colleges, students can request a Professional Judgment Appeal form, which the financial aid office will use to update your file. Expect to provide documentation, such as proof of unemployment, to prove your case. At other schools, a personal appeal by phone to a financial aid officer could start the review process. Still other colleges won’t make any changes immediately: your first-semester financial aid will be based strictly on 2010 tax-year information. In any case, e-mail or FAX a letter detailing your financial situation and call the financial aid office. 702 Likes Like This Answer Already Liked This Answer Thank you, this item will be reviewed. To find scholarships, where should I look, what's needed of me, and which ones seem craziest? To max out on scholarships, start with your local Dollars for Scholars (DFS), a network of community foundations with 1,200 chapters coast to coast. Local philanthropists funnel scholarship money through DFS to worthy students in their communities. Next, apply to schools that need you. Schools a little bit down the pecking order in the rankings may recruit you because of your “hook” -- a special talent or achievement that sets you apart. For example, one multicultural student with a string of science awards won a $30,000-per-year merit scholarship at a hot university in the South that wanted her diversity and scientific brainpower to bolster the student body. 645 Likes Like This Answer Already Liked This Answer Thank you, this item will be reviewed. What are the best ways to prepare for the SAT and ACT? 399 Likes Like This Answer Already Liked This Answer Thank you, this item will be reviewed. What are some do's and don'ts for the admissions essay? 795 Likes Like This Answer Already Liked This Answer Thank you, this item will be reviewed. How can parents help students with the application process? 214 Likes Like This Answer Already Liked This Answer Thank you, this item will be reviewed. How can you get in off the wait list? 43 Likes Like This Answer Already Liked This Answer Thank you, this item will be reviewed. See More Questions Close