This is my July 7, 2016 presentation at the Pacific Palisades Library. There are many changes to the world of college application this season.

1. The New College
Application Landscape
Rebecca Joseph, PhD
July 7, 2016
getmetocollege@gmail.com
http://tinyurl.com/julypalisadeslibrary

2. Your Presenter
Rebecca Joseph, PhD
– Professor, Cal State LA
– Founder, Get Me To
College and All College
Application Essays
– Current 2016 Unsung
Hero, LA County
Contact
getmetocollege@gmail.com
Getmetocollege.org
@getmetocollege
@allcollegeessay

3. Many Steps to Class of 2017 College
Admissions Process
New SAT; Changes to ACT
New FAFSA Structure
and Opening Date
Changes to Common Application
New UC and UT
Essay Prompts
New Coalition Application
Class of 2017 College
Admissions ProcessOrganizing Your Applications

4. The New College
Application Landscape
Overview of New College Application Landscape
– The landscape changes include testing, financial aid,
and new application types
– What changes does 2016 hold for these 4 application
types?
 Common Application
 University of California
 Apply Texas
 New Coalition Application
Which Colleges Does This Affect?
– Survey frequency of applications
Tips for Students to Finding Firm Footing
– Location
– Components
– Deadlines: Early or Regular?
– Essay management

5. Testing
• Entirely new SAT
• New Writing Section of
ACT
• Many schools now not
required writing section
of each
• Many schools now
making SAT Subject Tests
optional
• A few new test optional
colleges

6. Financial Aid
• FAFSA and CSS Profile
Now Open October 1
each year.
• Both now use prior-
prior year approach—
Applying for 2017, use
2015 taxes.

7. Student Portals
• Many portals students
need to manage
– Testing
– Applications
– Transcript Requests
– Organizational Systems
– Financial Aid
– College Specific Portals

8. Changes to Application Systems

9. The Common Application
– Allows accounts to roll-
over. Juniors can start now.
– Keeps same essays as last
year
– Continues to improve
transfer application
– Adds Indiana University,
George Mason University,
and University of
Wisconsin-Madison along
with 45 other new
institutions
– Expands outreach including
virtual counselor

10. 2016-2017 Common Application Prompts
250-650 Words (2015-2016 percentages)
1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe
their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
(49%)
2. The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time
when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
(17%)
3. Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you
make the same decision again. (4%)
4. Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual
challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the
scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a
solution. (10%)
5. Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from
childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family. (22%)

11. University of California
• Introduces new format
and prompts for both
freshman and transfer
essays
• Applicants must write 4
short 350 word max
essays
• Freshman can choose
from 8 prompts
• Transfers have one
required and then seven
prompts, of which
applicants must choose 3

12. New Personal Insight Questions
• Freshman Personal Insight Prompts: Answer any 4 of the
following 8 questions:
– What do you want UC to know about you? Here’s
your chance to tell us in your own words.
– Which questions you choose to answer is entirely
up to you: But you should select questions that
are most relevant to your experience and that
best reflect your individual circumstances.
1. Describe an example of your leadership experience in
which you have positively influenced others, helped
resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over
time.
2. Every person has a creative side, and it can be
expressed in many ways: problem solving, original
and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a
few. Describe how you express your creative side.
3. What would you say is your greatest talent or skill?
How have you developed and demonstrated that
talent over time?
4. Describe how you have taken advantage of a
significant educational opportunity or worked to
overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
5. Describe the most significant challenge you have
faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this
challenge. How has this challenge affected your
academic achievement?
6. Describe your favorite academic subject and explain
how it has influenced you.
7. What have you done to make your school or your
community a better place?
8. What is the one thing that you think sets you apart
from other candidates applying to the University of
California?
• Transfers: Personal insight questions: There is one required question you must answer
• You must also answer 3 out of 7 additional questions
– What do you want UC to know about you? Here’s your chance to tell us in your own words.
– Which three questions you choose to answer are up to you: But you should select questions that are
most relevant to your experience and that best reflect your individual circumstances.
• Required question
• Please describe how you have prepared for your intended major, including your
readiness to succeed in your upper-division courses once you enroll at the
university.
• You will also need to select 3 out of the following 7 questions to answer:
1. Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively
influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over
time.
2. Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem
solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few.
Describe how you express your creative side.
3. What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed
and demonstrated that talent over time?
4. Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity
or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
5. Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have
taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your
academic achievement?
6. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
7. What is the one thing that you think sets you apart from other candidates
applying to the University of California?

13. Apply Texas New Essays
• 2017 U Texas Austin Application Opens August 1,
2016
• 2017-2018 effective August 1, 2016 New Essays
• ApplyTexas Essay Prompts A, B and C For U.S.
Freshman and International Freshman Applications
Slated to replace current ApplyTexas essay choices
A, B and C For inclusion in ApplyTexas applications
for the 2017-2018 cycle (Summer 2017, Fall 2017,
and Spring 2018 - opening 8/1/16)
• Essay A: What was the environment in which you
were raised? Describe your family, home,
neighborhood, or community, and explain how it
has shaped you as a person.
• Essay B: Some students have an identity, an
interest, or a talent that defines them in an
essential way. If you are one of these students, then
tell us about yourself.
• Essay C: You’ve got a ticket in your hand – Where
will you go? What will you do? What will happen
when you get there?

14. New Coalition Application

15. By the Numbers
• From 29 states: California-Washington
• New York has the most members (11)
• 7 States with single college members
(Colorado, DC, Florida, Oregon, Rhode
Island, Tennessee, Washington
• 37 Public, 55 Private schools
• 3 exclusive members:
 University of Washington, Seattle
 University of Maryland College Park
 University of Florida
*Data from GuidedPath Guided Search

16. Who’s Accepting Coalition Apps this
year?
94 members
- 56 colleges
TAKING
applications
this year
38 waiting for
next year

17. Who’s Accepting Coalition Apps this
year?
3 announced
they are
“exclusive”
1. University of
Florida
2. University of
Maryland- College
Park
3. University of
Washington-
201
7

18. Coalition Launch
Timeline
Available now:
- Guidance and advising resources
- Students create accounts
- Start “locker”
- Invite collaborators
- Search for coalition schools
- Add family information, testing and
extracurricular activity sections to
profiles
Recently:
- Add Self-reported Academic Record
section
Soon:
- Recommendation and Documents
upload allowed
- Start on the Coalition Application itself
- Comprehensive counselor resource list
to share with students/parents

19. How Do We Go Forward?
http://tinyurl.com/julypalisadeslibrary

20. Easiest Path Possible
1. Find Common Denominator
– Where do most students apply?
– Use that to drive strategies.
2. Identify Components
– All essays? Recommendations? Mix? Early
applications?
– Break down and organize colleges by components.
– Personalize at end.
3. Stay current
– What has changed? What is current?
– Ensure students are working on CORRECT and
RELEVANT components.
– Minimize mistakes and need to back track or
rework information
4. Create plan
– Review past protocols/policies? Do they still work for
students and your organization? Or do you need new
ones?
– Use online application tool/process to track progress.
– Set deadlines.
– Set tasks/assignments.

21. 1. Find Common Denominator

22. 2. Identify Components

23. 3. Stay Current
• More colleges than ever are
filling more than 50% of
their classes with Early
Decision.
• More colleges are adding
ED 2.
• Many colleges making
Subject Tests optional
and/or not requiring writing
section of SAT or ACT.
• More students are applying
to 12+ colleges.
• Deferrals and waitlists more
common than ever.
• z

24. 4. Create A Plan
• Create or use platform
to help you organize
your process
• Naviance
• Google Docs

25. Essay Management

26. Use Available Resources

27. Questions?

28. Contact Dr. Joseph
• getmetocollege@gmail.com
• www.getmetocollege.org
• www.allcollegeessays.org
• Buy my Integrated Website
and Mobile App-All College
Application
Essayswww.allcollegeessay
s.org
• http://tinyurl.com/julypalisad
eslibrary