Tips for writing an Effective Application Essay

When you apply to college, you’ll need to complete an essay as part of your application. This is your opportunity to show admission officers who you are and to provide information about yourself that didn’t fit in other areas of your application. The essay also reveals what you can do when you have time to think and work on a writing project.

The number one piece of advice from admission officers about your essay is “Be yourself.” The number two suggestion is “Start early.” Check out these other tips before you begin.

Choose a Topic That Will Highlight You
Don’t focus on the great aspects of a particular college, the amount of dedication it takes to be a doctor or the number of extracurricular activities you took part in during high school.

Do share your personal story and thoughts, take a creative approach and highlight areas that aren’t covered in other parts of the application, like your high school records.

Keep Your Focus Narrow and Personal
Don’t try to cover too many topics. This will make the essay sound like a résumé that doesn’t provide any details about you.

Do focus on one aspect of yourself so the readers can learn more about who you are. Remember that the readers must be able to find your main idea and follow it from beginning to end. Ask a parent or teacher to read just your introduction and tell you what he or she thinks your essay is about.

Tips for filling ISFAA - International Student Financial Aid Application

ISFAA

Many aspiring college students who do not live in the United States do not realize that they too can get financial aid to study at a college in the United States. I'm not going to lie to you and tell you it's a fun and easy process, but it is very doable for international students to get financial aid to study at a college in the United States. Just like U.S. residents, you will need to fill out a form and make sure that the college of your choice accepts financial aid for international students.

Financial Aid for International Students: Step 1
You will need to obtain an International Student Financial Aid Application or ISFAA. You can purchase this form on the college board website or you can download it for free from the college of your choice that accepts international financial aid. The ISFAA is comprised of seven sections and all sections need to be filled out completely to be eligible for international financial aid.

Financial Aid for International Students: Step 2
You will start by filling out Section A which includes the students personal information, marital status, names of former colleges, citizenship and type of visa. Once this section is complete you will move onto to Section B which includes the students parents personal information, parents employer and parents educational information. After this is complete you will delve into the financial stuff of the financial aid for which is Section C through Section G. Keep in mind the US currency exchange rate. This is crucial and will need to be stated in the ISFAA as well as all required documents.

Financial Aid for International Students: Step 3
The ISFAA requires extremely detailed financial information. Anything having to do with you and your families assets and income will need to be declared and well documented. They want to know everything such as when the house you live in was purchased, how much is was, present value etc. They will even ask about things such as valuable artwork owned by you family so be prepared and get anything that has to do with money and assets ready before you begin filling out the ISFAA.

Barnard College

Mission Statement : Barnard College aims to provide the highest quality liberal arts education to promising and high-achieving young women, offering the unparalleled advantages of an outstanding residential college in partnership with a major research university. With a dedicated faculty of scholars distinguished in their respective fields, Barnard is a community of accessible teachers and engaged students who participate together in intellectual risk-taking and discovery. Barnard students develop the intellectual resources to take advantage of opportunities as new fields, new ideas, and new technologies emerge. They graduate prepared to lead lives that are professionally satisfying and successful, personally fulfilling, and enriched by love of learning.

As a college for women, Barnard embraces its responsibility to address issues of gender in all of their complexity and urgency, and to help students achieve the personal strength that will enable them to meet the challenges they will encounter throughout their lives. Located in the cosmopolitan urban environment of New York City, and committed to diversity in its student body, faculty and staff, Barnard prepares its graduates to flourish in different cultural surroundings in an increasingly inter-connected world.

The Barnard community thrives on high expectations. By setting rigorous academic standards and giving students the support they need to meet those standards, Barnard enables them to discover their own capabilities. Living and learning in this unique environment, Barnard students become agile, resilient, responsible, and creative, prepared to lead and serve their society.

Location : Broadway, New York

Funding : 3-4 full scholarships a year. On the admissions front, Barnard is the most competitive of all the women's colleges.

Fact : Barnard College is one of the original "seven sister" colleges. Closely affiliated to Columbia university so you can share courses. On a four acre urban campus.

Amherst College

Mission Statement : Amherst College educates men and women of exceptional potential from all backgrounds so that they may seek, value, and advance knowledge, engage the world around them, and lead principled lives of consequence. The Department of Physical Education and Athletics promotes this mission through the offering of recreational, intramural, club and intercollegiate activities that encourage students to shape their education within and beyond the curriculum. Academic excellence, high ethical standards, good sportsmanship and equal opportunities are the foundations of the Department’s commitment to the health and well-being of the students and of the greater campus community.

Location : Amherst, Massachusetts

Funding : Need blind admission for foreign students – very good. Meets 100% of demonstrated financial need.

Endowment : $1.461 Billion

Fact : Constantly ranked as one of the best Lib Arts College in the US. Very good Study Abroad Programme.

Specialism : American Studies, Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought; and Neuroscience

Percent of Applicants Admitted : 13%

Testing :
SAT Critical Reading: 660 / 760
SAT Math: 660 / 770
SAT Writing: 670 / 770
ACT Composite: 30 / 34
ACT English: 31 / 35
ACT Math: 29 / 34

TOEFL waived if above 700 on SAT Critical Reading

2 Subject Tests required

Commonapp Supplement questions : 

In addition to the essays you are writing as part of the QuestBridge application, Amherst requires a supplementary writing sample from all applicants. To satisfy Amherst’s supplementary writing requirement, you may choose either Option A or Option B. Before making a choice, you should review the following descriptions of both options.