last week for Early Applications

 Early Decision and Early Application deadlines are due  this week.
Early  applicants can improve their admission chances by as much as 10% at some universities


 I have   selected several universities and  have  provided details on the supplementary essays as well.

 The universities I recommend  and have reviewed for Early application are:

• Caltech
•  University of Chicago
•   University of Pennsylvania(UPenn)
• Northwestern University
• 
  
•  Brown University
•  Columbia University
• Carnegie  Mellon  University
• Rice University
• Dartmouth University
• Duke University
• MIT
• Georgia Tech
• University of  Michigan
• University of Illinois

 I provide a special last inute E D service for  students. Please contact me soon
 at clearskyeducation@gmail.com to  know more

Brown University Early Decision

 I will conclude my set of ED   schools by  looking a Brown University
.
 Brown is an  ivy league university  in  Providence, Rhode Island.

 Brown is unique in that it is a relatively small  camus for a research university.
 Brown has excellent science and engineering programs taught in a liberal arts  context.


 Brown  also uses the Common Ap.
 There are a few supplementary short answers required


1.Why are you drawn to the area(s) of study you indicated? (50 words or fewer)
2.A distinctive feature of the Brown Curriculum is the opportunity to be the “architect of your education.” Why does this academic environment appeal to you? (100 words or fewer)
3.Tell us where you have lived—and for how long—since you were born; whether you’ve always lived in the same place, or perhaps in a variety of places. (50 words or fewer)

Dartmouth Early Decision

With just over a week left  for ED EA applications, I will try to squeeze a few more  in

 Lets take a look at Dartmouth. Dartmouth is the smallest  member of the ivy league.

 It  is best known for  a strong liberal arts program  that is supported by     departments with  research capabilities.

Apart from  the common ap . Dartmouth requires one additional essay. Students must attempt one of the  following:( one page limit)

• Every name tells a story: Tell us about your name—any name: first, middle, last, nickname—and its origin.
• Tell us about an intellectual experience, either directly related to your schoolwork or not, that you found particularly meaningful.
• When you meet someone for the first time, what do you want them to know about you, but generally don’t tell them?
• Describe the influence your hero has had on your life.
• We believe it is critical that your candidacy reflect the interests, experiences and pursuits that are most important to you.  To this end, is there anything else you would like us to know?

 One thing  you should keep i mind is that  each prompt has multiple  spects to it. If you talk about your hero  ,m the focus of your essay is on the influence they had on you not  about why they are your hero.   Your hero need not be a famous person.  Pick someone  close to you and focus on the influence aspect especially if they have influenced  your academic interests or the way you think. 

Carnegie Mellon Early Decision

Carnegie Mellon (CMU)   is another school I highly recommend for ED applicants.
 To be honest CMU is not for everyone. Its a very work intense  culture.

CMU has  what it refers to as a liberal-professional cirriculum focusing on professional programs( Engineering, Management , Fine Arts) within a liberal arts  framework.
 However for serious  Engineering, Science and especially CS students , CMU is one of the best  universities.

 The application  seems simple.

 CMU uses the common ap.  You have a few short supplementary essays to write.

 One is  why you have chosen Carnegie Mellon and your particular major(s), department(s) or program(s).

 The best way to answer this is by connecting  your answer to your long  term goals and career aspirations.
2.List the books (if any) you’ve read this year for pleasure. Choose one and in a sentence describe it’s impact on you.

 Select books you have read outside school.  Show a broad variety if possible.   Its useful if your book  is related in some way to your  major.

A safe choice for this prompt is former CMU CS professor Randy  Pausch's book : The Last Lecture

 Other books I can recommend ( that are science related) are:
 1. The Martian - Andy Weir
2. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen -   Paul Torday
3.  Godel Escher  Bach -  Douglas Hofstadter
4.  Thinks ... - David Lodge
5. The Art of Racing in the Rain-  Garth Stein

 CMU also asks you to  write about your experience with the Alumni interview if you have completed it. This interview is  highly recommended  a it is more to  gauge a "cultural" fit rathe than your  academic/intellectual ability.

Rice Early Decision

  I am continuing the ED list with Rice.
 Rice is an excellent research university with very strong STEM programs  and a unique residential college system. Rice is also smaller in size than most major national universities.

 The supplementary essays for Rice are both short answer questions  related to  Rice.
 One asks about  what you are interested in and which college( Engineering/Humanities/Social Sciences/Natural Sciences)  you want to study in.
Thr other prompt is:

The quality of Rice’s academic life and the Residential College System are heavily influenced by the unique life experiences and cultural traditions each student brings. What perspective do you feel that you will contribute to life at Rice? (500 word limit) 


 The admission rate for ED applicants is about 30% while it id around 20% for Regular Decision.


To avail of clear sky education services for your Rice application - send me email at clearskyeducation@gmail.com

Duke Early Decision

 Continuing my list of ED universities -   I will take a closer look at Duke.

Duke is a large, research university on  Durham, North Carolina.  It is  highly reputed for strong programs in the arts and Sciences as well as Engineering and business. Duke if often referred to as a "Southern Ivy". Of course Duke  receives the most publicity for the  Blue Devils  Basketball program  but this  only makes the campus a more vibrant and socially active place to be.



 You can see the Duke  admissions home page at this link

 Duke is also on the common ap and has two  short supplementary essays, of which one is optional.

Here are the 2015-2016 Duke Prompts

The following question is required for Engineering applicants.

• If you are applying to the Pratt School of Engineering as either a first-year or transfer applicant, please discuss why you want to study engineering and why you would like to study at Duke. (150 words maximum)

The following question is required for Arts & Sciences applicants.

• If you are applying to the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences as either a first-year or transfer applicant, please discuss why you consider Duke a good match for you. Is there something particular about Duke that attracts you? (150 words maximum)

As always  do your homework before starting this type of answer.    Talk about your interests and intended major and  how  the  Trinity college /Pratt  School fits in. Duke offers undergraduates  the chance to get involved in research and  find relevant summer internships .

 These can be considered as  the fairly standard  " What do you want to study?" and Why do you want to study and Duke questions.

The following question is optional for all applicants to Duke University.

• Duke University seeks a talented, engaged student body that embodies the wide range of human experience; we believe that the diversity of our students makes our community stronger. If you'd like to share a perspective you bring or experiences you've had to help us understand you better—perhaps related to a community you belong to, your sexual orientation or gender identity, or your family or cultural background—we encourage you to do so. Real people are reading your application, and we want to do our best to understand and appreciate the real people applying to Duke. (250 words maximum)
 Keep in mind this is optional. Do not submit anything that does not improve your profile.  Above all  resist the temptation to  reuse an essay from another  college application. People in admissions offices are familisr with  various esay prompts and can easily spot a copy/paste job.

To avail of clear sky education services for your  Duke application - send me email at clearskyeducation@gmail.com

Northwestern Early Decision

Northwestern Early   Decision

Continuing my series   on Universities  I recommend for  ED applications, lets take a look at Northwestern. Northwestern is a highly ranked Research University in  the Chicago area.

 Northwestern is  well known for its excellent programs in the Arts and Sciences as well as Engineering. The Kellogg School of management is consistently ranked as one of the best undergraduate business programs. Early Decision candidates at Northwestern have a higher acceptance rate than regular decision.

 You can see the admissions home page at this link


 Northwestern has just one  open ended Question - essentially " Why Northwestern?"

 To answer this  properly do  your homework first,  go through the  Northwestern  website.   Try to Identify the major/program you  are interested in. Northwestern has over a 100 majors and minors on offer  along with many   special interdisciplinary programs. Also check out the blogs by current students. Here  is a link to the admissions blog  written by students
  Talk about  your academic interests and orofessional aspirations clearly.

Applying as an International Student

 Applying as an International Student 

As someone who studied in India, Malaysia, the Philippines before going to study at University in the  USA I am   familiar with the difficulties and issue involved in applying as an international student.

 Increasing numbers of  international students are studying at the undergraduate level in the USA. Most  students are interested in STEM  and business related programs a these are  relevant degrees for employers. A liberal arts degree is often not fully appreciated or understood outside the USA.
 international students also tend to prefer universities  in urban areas. Here is  the  USNews  list of universities with the largest  percentage of  international students

 Many aspects of the common ap are  rather odd to  international students , especially those from Asia. Asian students and teachers are not used to  letters of recommendation as most evaluation tends to be test based and purely numerical. International students are also less likely to have any  work experience or exposure to the extra curricular activities that an  American student  would have
 On  a related note an international student  has less familiarity  writing the kind of essay involved in the common ap prompts. An experienced consultant/counselor such as myself can  hepl you  put together a strong  polished essay,



i am in a unique position to assist  international students with their college appolications.  To  see the services  offered please click here . Also refer to My pledge

Send me email at clearskyeducation@gmail.com  to set up a  free phone call and  profile  evaluation 

Essay Writing Inspiration

Essay Writing Inspiration

 By now most people will be  done with test taking , the October 3rd test  being  the last one whose scores will be valid for ED/EA applications. The November test  is still an option for regular decision applicants but in all seriousness you should be done by now.


 If your essays are complete by now, its time to get to work! You have 22 days to Nov 1 and 83 to Jan 1.


 I am  sharing some of my favorite quotes on writing in the hope it will inspire you to  get started .

QUOTE:

(i) Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.

(ii) Never use a long word where a short one will do.

(iii) If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

(iv) Never use the passive where you can use the active.

(v) Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.

(vi) Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

-excerpt from George Orwell, "Politics and the English Language", 1946.

Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.

– Barbara Kingsolver
 The above quote  is   very relevant for college essays.   Don't try to  become some "ideal" student in your essays. That person  does not exist.  Its best to be  yourself and be honest .   Talk about yourself abd your interests.  At least  this way   the  colleges  you are accepted at are  probably interested  in people like yourself and you will be a good fit.
Not that the story need be long, but it will take a long while to make it short
– Henry David Thoreau
Another very appropriate quote regarding college essays.  Most essays have a tight word limit.  Do not underestimate the time you will need to edit your  essay.  When you have 250 words ,  its important to select each word carefully..

 Begin with an individual, and before you know it you have created a type; begin with a type, and you find you have created – nothing.

– F. Scott Fitzgerald

Writing is its own reward.
– Henry Miller

 Dont be intimidated by essay writing. Relax and let your thoughts flow directly. Allocate at least  an equal amount of time to edit.   If approached correctly  this can be fun.


I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.
– Douglas Adams

And  of course Don't panic.   I will be blogging on various university specific essays  until January. Feel free to contact me for a free consultation. 
 I will also  highlight universities with February dedlines and those with rolling admissions.

MIT Early Action

MIT is  the premier STEM University  in the world.   Because of its well known excellence in science and Engineering people tend to  overlook the excellent programs in the Social Sciences and management studies.

I strongly suggest all students interested in STEM programs and the social sciences such  Economics to consider an Early Action application to MIT.

MIT is not on the common ap. It  uses its own  application system.Instead of one long essay and a supplement, the  MIT application comprises of 5 short  writing prompts.

Although you may not yet know what you want to major in, which department or program at MIT appeals to you and why? (100 words)

What attribute of your personality are you most proud of, and how has it impacted your life so far? This could be your creativity, effective leadership, sense of humor, integrity, or anything else you’d like to tell us about. (250 words)

Describe the world you come from; for example, your family, clubs, school, community, city, or town. How has that world shaped your dreams and aspirations? (250 words)

Tell us about the most significant challenge you’ve faced or something important that didn’t go according to plan. How did you manage the situation? (250 words)

We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it. (100 words)

Don't  get overwhelmed by this. The  pleasure and department are not really essays  but just  a couple of lines.  The best strategy is to  rite a direct  open and honest response to each question ( naturally it goes without saying that you should be  open and honest   throughout the college application process). Do not try to b the ideal student and talk about  how you enjoy programming  or building robots for fun. Of course if this is what you really do   then  by all means mention it but focus on the "pleasure" aspect-  I enjoy seeing conceptual ideas being implemented and functioning. Again be honest about your intended major/department. There are no quotas for  each department  and you will have the opportunity to change if admitted  at  MIT. One hing to keep in mind is that MIT   focuses on the importance of implementation of technology and science rather than theory.

 The essays on challenge and world are also  relatively short  so again  keep your answers simple and honest.   The world topic is very open ended , for brevity's sake just select one aspect of your life to highlight - your  home, school, community or  even  church group. rather than describing your environment focus on how this has shaped your interests and academic aspirations.

The challenge topic is similar in nature , don't write too much about the  issue  you g faced but about the impact it had on you and your academic/intellectual  ambitions and how  MIT fits into the picture.

www.clearskyeducation.com

 To avail of clear sky education services for your MIT application  send me email at clearskyeducation@gmail.com