The College Project

Okay, we know what you're thinking - 

Who wants to do a project on their own time?

This one's different.

Trust us.

The College Project is a collection of college-related tasks assembled by AP Language teacher Mrs. Belgard. It takes a little bit of time to complete the entire project, but it is time well spent. This project not only helps you to determine which colleges are right for you but also prepares you for applying to those schools once fall of your senior year rolls around.

Here are the different components:

College Resume

Decision Chart

CollegeBoard Comparison of Two Colleges Chart ( http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/search/sidebyside.jsp )

List of 5-8 Colleges Interested In and Why

Profile Activity 

List of Possible People to Write Your Letters of Recommendation

Timeline and Plan

Scholarship Opportunities

WebQuest

College Essay

If you are stretched for time, the College Resume and College Essay are the most valuable to complete - even if the essay is just a rough draft. Also, many people say that the profile activity helped them quite a bit in realizing their values, which, in turn, helped them to narrow down colleges that fit their personality.

Instructions

1. College Resume: Write a college resume which includes your name, address, phone number/email, and then any combination of the three: Activities, Honors/Awards, Volunteer Experience, Employment, or Special Classes. Generally, resumes are not expected to exceed one page. Note: College resumes differ in format from job resumes. Here is an example:  
2. Decision Chart: Select 4-5 schools that you intend to apply to. List them on the top row. In the left column, select 8 items of criteria in order of importance (examples include tuition, campus size, school ratings, school location). In the remaining boxes, give each school a rating of 1-5 in for the corresponding criteria. This will clarify weighing the cons and pros of your different schools.
3. Collegeboard Comparison: The Collegeboard website has a tool for comparing, side-by-side, up to three different schools. An account must be made in order to do this. Once you are logged in, click here. Now click the link, "My College List" on the left sidebar. Search for schools and add them to this list. Once your schools are added, click the compare button. Return to the link given above and you should find that school added, ready to be compared to any other schools.
4. List of 5-8 Colleges:  A simple list of schools you are interested in, and explanations for your interest. Generally, a paragraph will suffice. This is an opportunity for applicants to seriously consider their school choices one last time.
5. Profile Activity: It is recommended to do this part of the project prior to writing essays. The handout and questions are designed to help evaluate your personal values and character. Understanding yourself will make your essays focused and intuitive rather than shallow and generic. 
6. List of People for Rec Letters: Keep some names in mind. Generally, five names will suffice. Remember to diversify your sources (i.e. one math teacher, and one English teacher).
7. Timeline and Plan: Design your personal long-term schedule for the upcoming months towards senior year and graduation. Consider all aspects of life, not just the college applying aspect. To consider: Extracurricular activities/sports, Senioritis, jobs or volunteer opportunities.
8. Scholarship Opportunities: Find at least three scholarship opportunities that best suit you. Record the requirements and necessary information for qualification. Explain why that scholarship is good for you. If you want to search for scholarships, take a peek at the web-links given above.
9. Webquest: From the link given, select a website. Search through and navigate, then write a 1-page report on its quality. An idea would be to judge it by categories, such as graphics, navigation, ease-of-access, etc. 
10. College Essays: The fun part. Pick a college essay prompt from the link given above, and then write away. The requirement is three rough drafts of different prompts, and then one final draft. Write your college essays perfectly, check out this section of the Wiki for essay-writing pointers:  http://yourmomgoes2college.pbworks.com/Everything-You-Wanted-to-Know-About-Writing-a-College-Application-Essay (be sure to surf the Powerpoints given as well).

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