How Do I Answer Optional Questions or Essays?
Not all of the information requested on college applications is required. One of the most common questions asked is, “To what other colleges are you applying?” or some form of “Where are we ranked on your list of colleges?” Some counselors believe this question should not be answered at all, because it might be used against you. Based on the colleges you list for this question, a college could assume their college is not your first choice, and they may assume you would not accept their offer if you were accepted. Colleges—especially competitive ones—want many of the students to whom they offer admission to accept, driving up their yield rate, thereby affecting their college rankings. The best advice is to list a few colleges in the same tier as the college you are applying to, or don’t answer the question at all. The governing body of admissions counselors, NACAC, has revised its recommended practices on this subject, so this question could disappear from college applications.
Other optional questions include marital status, ethnicity, place of birth, and veteran status. It is your choice if you want to answer these questions. Some of the information is for statistical purposes. If you don’t think answering these questions will help you in any way, you will not be at a disadvantage if you decide not to answer.
Some colleges have optional essays, which you should answer so admissions counselors can obtain even more information about you. Many applications also contain an “additional information” section, where you can include information not directly asked on the rest of the application, which you want admissions counselors to take into account when reviewing your application.
Do I Need to Submit Supplementary Materials?
If you are planning to attend college for a creative or artistic field, you are usually required to submit supplementary materials in your chosen field. Admission must be gained through the admissions office based on grades, standardized test scores (if required), and other factors, and you must also be admitted based on your artistic talent. If you are interested in music, musical theatre, drama, acting, or dance, you have to attend an audition, where your potential ability in that field will be assessed. Check with each school in which you are interested for individual requirements and deadlines for scheduling auditions.
If you are interested in art, film, architecture, or creative or dramatic writing, you need to submit supplementary materials in the form of a portfolio. If you are planning to study interior design, graphic design, fashion design, illustration, photography, and other areas of art, specific portfolios may be necessary.
If you take art in high school, you can work with your art teacher or an art professional to develop your portfolio. You may be charged a fee for the portfolio you are developing. Requirements vary from college to college regarding whether you need to submit original artwork, slides, or CDs, size limits, media used, and deadlines. Portfolios usually contain three elements:
- Observational art: Pieces that demonstrate your drawing ability
- Personal art: Sketches and pieces done informally, not in a class setting
- Home tests: You have a short period of time to complete specific pieces, depending on your major
Whether you submit original art, slides, or CDs, a typed summary list describing all of your submitted pieces must be included. You need to list the title of the selection, the date it was completed, the size, and the media (charcoal, watercolor, sculpture, etc.) used.
Because there are additional materials required, the deadlines for art schools are usually later than those for liberal arts and other types of colleges. To help you prepare your portfolio, you can work with your art teacher or you can take a portfolio development or preparation course or a continuing education course for a fee at a local college, or attend a pre-college summer program at a local museum or art school.
There are two organizations which give you feedback during the portfolio development process:
- National Portfolio Day Association (NPDA)
- NACAC Performing and Visual Arts (PVA) college fairs
The National Portfolio Day Association began in 1978 to give students an opportunity to have their work reviewed by professionals representing accredited schools by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. These events, held September to January, are held at colleges and art schools throughout the country. You do not need to register in advance, and there is no charge for these events. For a current calendar, visit www.portfolioday.net.
The Performing and Visual Art College Fairs, sponsored by NACAC, are for students interested in pursuing majors in art, dance, music, theater, and related areas. At these fairs held in September to November in cities all over the country, you can meet with admissions counselors to discuss portfolios, auditions, and admissions requirements. You can view the current year’s schedule at www.nacacnet.org/EventsTraining/CollegeFairs/pva/Pages/default.aspx.
By submitting supplementary materials, you are giving admissions officers another piece of the puzzle about you as an applicant. It is suggested you attend one of these national events, or you can attend a portfolio review by individual colleges you are applying to when they are offered.
How Do I View and Send My Scores?
Most colleges want you to send official test scores from the testing organization, College Board, or ACT. When you register for tests in your junior year, you will create an account at www.collegeboard.com or www.act.org. Once an account is created, you will be able to register for a test, view your scores after the test, and send your scores to colleges. Test scores are usually available about 2½ weeks after you take the test, although there is usually a portion of the scores which are not available until later. You can check your scores online or you can wait for a paper copy of your scores. Your high school also receives your test scores. Some high schools place your SAT/ACT scores on your transcript and others don’t.
If you send your scores to colleges when you register for a test, the first few score reports are free; a fee is charged for more than four score reports, as well as if you release your scores after a certain amount of time after the test. Releasing scores is a priority, so don’t forget this important step!
Warning: Many students forget to release their test scores. Know that colleges will not review your application until your file is complete.
What is the Policy on Releasing Scores?
The ACT policy remains unchanged and it is clear on releasing test scores to colleges. Students must request their scores be sent from a particular test date. If you take the ACT in April and June, you must request your scores be sent for April and then separately for June. You can usually choose which scores to release. However, keep in mind some colleges require you to submit all ACT scores, so it is vital you carefully read each college’s score reporting policies.
The College Board has a new policy for SATs. Called Score Choice, this policy went into effect with the March 2009 SAT administration. Score Choice says students can choose which administration of the SAT Reasoning test they wish to report, and which individual SAT subject tests they wish to report. If you take the Chemistry, Math 1, and Literature subject tests in one sitting, you can elect to release none, one, two, or all three of these scores once you see them. If you take the SAT Reasoning test in March or June, you can decide not to release your entire set of March SAT scores if you are not happy with the scores.
The problem with Score Choice is that guidance and admissions counselors believe this policy favors wealthier students, who could conceivably take the SAT five times and only release scores from two of the five test administrations. Also, most colleges take the highest Critical Reading, Math, and Writing scores anyway, and colleges want to see the historical progression of your test scores.
Although the intent of the policy is to reduce student stress, it actually adds stress to the process. Students have to think strategically about which scores to release, and some colleges may not accept this policy. Some colleges, including Harvard and the University of Chicago, have said they will honor the Score Choice policy. Other colleges have said they will not honor this policy, and they want to see all scores from all test administrations. These colleges include Yale, Pomona, Columbia, Cornell, University of Southern California, Stanford, University of Pennsylvania, and Claremont McKenna. As of this writing, colleges were still formulating their Score Choice policy, so check with your guidance counselor or look at each college’s Web site.
According to the College Board, there is no charge for using Score Choice. You have to choose the Score Choice option when you release scores. The default option is when you release your scores, all previous scores are sent. The best course of action is to check each college’s Web site or check with an admission officer regarding how each college is treating this policy. It is also a good idea to check with your guidance counselor before releasing test scores.
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