As deadlines near, 18 application tips for prospective members of the Class of 2018

With the approach of application deadlines at Bates and many other colleges, the Bates Admission team ponies up 18 tips for prospective members of the Class of 2018.

A family studies materials distributed during an on-campus admission program. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College)

A family studies materials distributed during an on-campus admission program. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College)

The deadline for applying to Bates through Early Decision Round I is Nov. 15, and for Regular Decision and Early Decision II the deadline is Jan. 1.

1. Identify your growth

Your goal in applying to Bates should be, among other things, to show how and/or why your most important activities (perhaps an AP physics project, a team captaincy, or a community project) have changed you. Our staff at Bates wants to know what you have learned from your experiences, not just what you have done.

2. Share your history

View the admission forms as the place to chronicle your family background, school history, activities, work experiences, and other autobiographical information. Be clear and concise and use specific detail.

3. Realize that 7.2 billion people live on this planet

Your courses and grades are not you. Use the subjective questions and the essay to describe your character and experience in ways that create a distinct person that an admission staff can come to know.

4. Articulate your inspiration

Tell us about what you truly enjoy doing, what inspires you, and what holds meaning for you. As the revered civil rights leader and Bates graduate Benjamin Mays ’25 said, “It is not a disaster to be unable to capture your ideal, but it is a disaster to have no ideal to capture. It is not a disgrace not to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach for. Not failure, but low aim is sin.

5. Put effort into all your writing

The short answers matter too! While your college essay is being combed over by everyone you know, ask them also to take a look at your short responses and supplemental essays. Since there are very few places on the Common Application to express your writing, which in turn expresses your thinking skills, the Bates staff looks at all your writing to see if there is consistency in your voice and writing style.

6. Don’t oversell yourself

Additional letters of recommendation can be helpful if you feel there is a part of your life underrepresented by the standard application, but resist believing that more is better. The Bates Admission staff works very hard just to get through their required information. Expecting them to read five additional letters of recommendation can end up hurting more than helping. And some schools will not accept additional information.

7. Take full advantage of the essay

The personal statement, along with any supplemental essays, allows you to showcase who you are. The five Common Application prompts leave the range of topics wide open. The word count is small, so narrow your scope and aim for the heart of the story you want to tell.

8. Talk about it

In every step of the college search, communication between you and your family is vitally important. Beginning with expectations and ending with the decision, every component involves a great deal of prioritizing and decision making. The easiest way to get through the stressful times is honest communication.

9. Be yourself

In all your communications with your colleges, provide a window into your values and experiences. You know yourself best, so be honest.

10. Proofread your work!

We want to experience the depth, creativity and clarity of your ideas unencumbered by misspellings and grammatical errors.

11. Stay focused

When asked to write an essay, do not submit a research paper. Write an essay with meaning, and tell us something about yourself that helps admission officers envision you as a member of your campus community.

12. Grab our attention

In your essay, start with a great opener that catches the reader’s attention immediately. Make the admission officer want to continue reading more about you.

13. Include details

Use action words that make your essay come alive. Paint a picture that will hold the reader’s attention.

14. Be original

We’ve seen plagiarized essays before, as well as the work of a parent, teacher or essay-writing professional. Don’t make that mistake.

15. Keep it simple

In your writing, avoid vocabulary that tries to sound overly sophisticated. Admission officers are not impressed by the overuse of long vocabulary words found in thesauruses. Find and use your own voice to tell your story.

16. Get feedback

Have a fresh pair of eyes give you some feedback. Do not allow another to rewrite your essay, but edits and opinions from someone else are usually helpful.

17. You do have control

In the case of applying to Bates, you will be one of about 5,200 applicants, so the process is beyond your control in some ways. But in other ways, you have control. You control your writing, who you choose to write your recommendations and, by spring, which colleges you choose among the ones that accept your application.

18. Don’t stress out!

Whether it’s writing the essay or completing the application process as a whole, time spent reflecting on and communicating your experience can be valuable and positive. Bring that positive attitude to the process, and believe that most admission officers will enjoy reading your story.

Additional reporting by Hallie Balcomb ’14.

 

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