America's Best Colleges for B Students. Tamra B. Orr

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СКАЧАТЬ need to remember when discussing your less-than-stellar numbers. The key is to be honest at all times.

DO: Explain any circumstances that may have affected your numbers such as these:	DON'T:
frequent moves	whine
test anxiety or health issues	complain
learning disabilities	place blame on others (parents, teachers, etc.)
part-time jobs	adopt a “poor me” attitude
extenuating personal or family issues	be emotional

      As you can see, it's important to take responsibility for your performance. Instead of making excuses or blaming others, state the facts and own up to how you did. There are legitimate and understandable reasons for not doing as well as you are capable of doing. Some of these reasons were listed above. But make sure that you do not confuse explanations with excuses. Not having a date to the spring formal is not a good reason.

      Also have a balance between providing enough information to make your case but not so much information that your explanation is overwhelming. For example, you might write that having a severely ill parent affected your ability to concentrate on your studies for a semester, but you don't need to also provide the detail of every medical procedure your parent has had.

      If your grades are low in a specific subject, explain this. You can describe how you have sought extra help in the subject or how you took a summer school class to make sure you really understood the material, but it's still a weak area. You can also explain that you plan to major in another subject area in which you are stronger when you reach college.

      It's important as well to note any progress that you've made. If you have since improved your grades in a subject area or overall, indicate this and explain that you have a renewed commitment to your studies.

HOW WILL MY SAT ESSAY BE GRADED?

      Each essay will be scored independently by two high school and college teachers. Neither scorer will know what points the other one gave. Each reader will assign the essay a score ranging from 1 to 6. Essays with a 6 are outstanding, with few to no errors at all. These essays are built on a main point that is supported by stories, examples and reasons. Essays with scores of 6 are organized, focused, coherent, smooth and are indicative of a wide vocabulary. But not every essay is a 6. Let's look at what other scores can mean:

       A score of 5 indicates that the essay is effective, without being stellar. It is effective with only a few grammar/usage/mechanics errors.

       Essays that are scored with a 4 are considered competent, but with some gaps in quality.

       An essay with a score of 3 is adequate but has a number of errors, including grammar/usage/mechanics, vocabulary, focus or development.

       A score of 2 means that the essay is seriously limited with a number of weaknesses.

       An essay that is scored with a 1 is severely flawed.

      For more detailed information on how the scoring is done, check out the College Board website at www.collegeboard.com.

      Once you have discussed this topic, you can move on to focus on your strengths instead. Without dwelling on the negative, you have the opportunity to highlight how much you have to offer the college.

Include a Resume to Highlight What You Have Accomplished

      Many colleges will let you submit a resume. You may already have one on hand thanks to summer job searches. This can provide a beginning. The resume you used for looking for a summer part-time job might give you some quality information to use, but it probably will need changes before you share it with a college. Why? Two reasons: one, time has most likely passed since you wrote it and there may be new things to add, and two, your intention is different. You aren't trying to impress a potential employer so that he or she will give you a weekly paycheck. This time, the goal is to impress a college admissions officer and get you through the front door of the school.

      Resumes are like the Cliffs Notes of your academic/educational and community life. They are the condensed version of the great stuff you have accomplished thus far. Resumes can be very effective. Here are some tips:

       Have high-quality paper.

       Choose a font size and style that is easy to read (at least 12 and below 18 and Arial, Times New Roman, Garamond or Franklin Gothic Book).

       Do not handwrite this resume. Even if you have to use the school or library computer, make sure this is neat and looks professional.

       Many word processing programs include a built-in resume wizard, so check and see if you can find one. This template walks you right through where to put what and then puts it in a format that looks great.

      Here is what you need to include on your resume:

       full name

       current address

       telephone number (home and cell)

       email address

       all awards or honors you have earned

       all forms of community service

       all part-/full-time jobs

       references

       sports and extracurricular involvement—remember that these can be in school or outside of school!

      One of the most important aspects of the resume is to include the pertinent details that truly explain what you have accomplished. For example, if you worked as a volunteer at a local children's day care center, include how many children you worked with and what responsibilities you held. This is the place where you can really shine in ways that your numbers do not reflect.

      On Page 35 is an example of a typical type of resume you might want to include in your application. Look it over to see how you can adapt it to your needs.

      After you have done all this hard work, don't blow it by not checking your spelling and grammar. The greatest resume will make a rotten impression if it has errors. Have someone else read over it before you finalize it. They may catch a mistake you missed—or remember something wonderful that you forgot to include.

      A resume gives the opportunity to share with the college more than your grades and test scores. It gives them a snapshot of your achievements that will really help them understand what you have to offer.

A WORD ABOUT TEST ANXIETY

      Feeling worried or pressured about taking a test is normal. Indeed, a slight edginess can often enhance your performance. However, if the worry turns into panic and/or fear and makes it almost impossible to study or take the test, you probably are suffering from test anxiety.

      Test anxiety can strike before and/or during a test. It can make you feel physically sick, from a headache or nausea to faintness and hyperventilating. You might have a dry mouth, pounding heart or sweaty hands or be unusually emotional. It is often very difficult to concentrate at all.

      How can you combat it? Here are some tips:

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