A preview of some of the content covered in the Udemy course, Master College Admissions: The Common Application. The course covers: -What each section of the Common Application entails -How to deliver meaning in your activities sheet/resume -What are the fundamentals of a great story -What makes a story stick -How to begin to master your story Here's what students have had to say: "From viewing the content in this course, it is apparent that Will Yang and College Creed have created an online tool that has the potential to help countless students navigate their way through the Common Application and overall college admissions process. Initially, one sees a high level summary of what college admissions is like in today’s society, providing a necessary glimpse into why a service such as this is so valuable. From there, Will helps students move through the entire application from beginning to end, providing useful tips and tricks that could have been easily overlooked. This provides an immediate advantage to those who might not have individuals to rely on who are familiar with the Common App, or have the resources to obtain one on one guidance. From there, Will and College Creed really drive it home. By providing insightful tips to crafting essays, teaching the STAR technique, explaining the importance of story and perspective in the essays, and then explaining the nuance of the faculty recommendation, Will provides techniques that are sure to increase one’s odds at a successful application. I wish I had a service like this when applying to college five years ago. It certainly would have bolstered my confidence in my applications!" "This step-by-step guide to mastering the common app is a must-see for anyone who takes their college applications seriously. Will does a great job of guiding you through the process and has a lot of insight to make sure you represent yourself in the best way possible. Completing this course makes me feel like I can confidently tackle the application knowing that I am giving myself the best possible chance for acceptance." "This is a phenomenal way to understand the often murky college admissions process. I especially appreciate that the lectures are split into short, easily digestible segments" Get 50% off: https://www.udemy.com/mastercollegeadmissions/?couponCode=SLIDESHARE

1. The common app
Master College Admissions:
Will Yang

2. Overview
• 9 Sections of the Common Application
• STAR Method
• Fundamentals of a Story

3. Playing field
The

4. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education
High School Graduates
3.2 million

5. 2.1 millionEnrolled in College
Source: U.S. Bureau of labor Statistics

6. Is competitive.
Applying to college

7. Students are applying to more colleges
64%
79%
29%
• of students applied to three or more
colleges in 2011
• of students applied to seven or more
colleges in 2011
• of colleges reported receiving more
applications than the prior year
Source: 2012 National Association for College Admission Counseling Report

8. Why?

9. Engagement
#1

10. Common App
The

11. What is the Common App?

12. Est. 1975
500+
Member Colleges
Standardized
1st Year Application
Not-for-profit
Organization

13. The Common Application [is]
committed to providing
reliable services that promote
equity, access, and integrity in
the college application process.
“
”

14. Average #
of applications
submitted per student
4.1

15. Fundamentals
The

16. The common app consists of 9 sections
Applicant
Future Plans
Demographics
Family
Education
Academics
ECs/Work Experience
Writing
Signature

17. Applicant
The

18. Who are you?
• General information
– Name
– Birth date
– Social Security Number
– Contact information
– Mailing address
The “Applicant” section provides colleges with information on how to best
communicate with students.

19. Future plans
The

20. What will be your college experience?
• Basic “4-Year”Plan
– Entry term
– Academic/Career Interests
– Financial Aid/Scholarships
– Full-time status
– Housing
The “Future plans” section provides colleges with information on the student’s
broad interests and what the student will be applying for.

21. check “merit Based
Scholarships” no matter what
your stats are.
Tip:

22. Engagement
#2

23. Demographics
The

24. What populations do you belong to?
• Personal background
– Citizenship Status
– Birthplace
– Years in/out of the United States
– Language proficiencies
– Optional ethnic identification
The “Demographics” section provides colleges with critical information about your
citizenship and ethnicity.

25. family
The

26. What is your family background?
• Household
• Parents
• Legal guardian
• Siblings
The “family” section provides colleges with parents’ contact information and
insights towards the education history of your family.

27. Education
The

28. Where do you go to high school?
• Secondary school
• Guidance counselor
• College/university affiliated courses
The “Education” section provides colleges with your secondary school information
and your guidance counselor’s contact information.

29. Academics
The

30. What is your academic background?
• Grades
• Standardized testing
– ACT
– SAT
– TOEFL/IELTS
– AP/IB/SAT Subject tests
– Academic honors
– Course load
The “academics” section provides colleges with a general picture of your high
school academic performance.

31. Extracurriculars +
work experience
The

32. What are you involved in?
• Extracurriculars + Work experience
– Years/hours of involvement
– Positions held + honors/letters earned + employers
– Activity description
– 10 total
– In order of importance
The “extracurricular” section aims to provide information about what clubs/
organizations/teams you have been involved with throughout high school.

33. Use the star method.
Tip:

34. Star example 1
• Original:
– Model United nations vice president, 2011-2012
– helped with practice; Went to local and state conferences for model
united nations;

35. So what?

36. The star method
• Situation
– General context: who, what, where, when, problem
• Task
– Specific issue that was addressed
• Action
– How did you solve the problem? What steps did you take?
• Results
– What was the result/impact measured from your contribution?
The star method creates an accomplishment-based resume for colleges to better
understand the impact you made on teams and organizations.

37. Star example 1
• Revised:
– 2010-2013 Model United Nations
» Vice president (2011-2012)
» Co-facilitated weekly practices for 35-member student group in
preparation for local and state conferences resulting in three
outstanding team awards and five individual honorable mentions—
the most in school history

38. Preview.
End of

39. Your story.
Start mastering

40. 50% off Code: slideshare
udemy.com/mastercollegeadmissions
Enroll today.