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College Admissions: Understanding the Common Application

时间:2017-09-17 16:41:57

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What do all of the over 4,000 colleges and universities in the United States have in common? The answer is not a lot.

These schools are all different in many ways. The same is true for their requirements for admitting students.

College applications can often be very complex, with several parts. And as the number of people seeking a college education increases every year, competition for admission1 also grows. So students often end up applying to more than one school, which can be a lot of work.

That is why a growing number of colleges and universities have started using the Common Application method, also known as the Common App. It began with 15 U.S. universities in 1975. Today over 730 schools worldwide have students apply for admission this way.

Any student can use the Common App so long as he or she is connected to the Internet. The system lets students use one set of materials to apply to as many of its member schools as they want, all at once.

To get started, simply go to the Common Application website.

Sara Brookshire is the director of admissions2 at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. Brandeis, a private research university, does have a traditional application process, where students can apply directly to the school. But Brookshire says less than two percent of its applicants4 do so. Most apply through the Common App website.

Brookshire says the purpose of using this method is to reduce barriers for students and make the application process less stressful. Some colleges may feel students are showing less interest in finding5 the best school for them by using the Common App. Some may feel that students simply want to increase their chance of getting accepted.

Brookshire admits that students could seek admission to 730 schools if they really wanted to. But many schools that use the Common App require students to pay individual application fees. So the process could get very costly6!

Brookshire adds that students can no longer expect to get into the first or second school they choose.

“So the hope was to be [honest about] the process, but also to still [ask] students to be thoughtful7,” Brookshire told VOA. “Find those eight to 10 schools that are appropriate and exciting for you, and go ahead and just send [materials to them].”

Like traditional college applications, the Common App website has several parts. The first is where applicants provide personal information, such as their sex, ethnicity and citizenship8. Students may also be asked what languages they speak and details of their family. Brookshire says this kind of information gives the school an idea of who the applicant3 is.

The second part of the application is where students provide information about their education history. This includes what high school they attended and their academic performance during the high school years. It also includes a list of the classes students are currently9 taking and any college-level classes they may have taken.

Brookshire notes that attention to detail is very important. Most colleges and universities ask for official documents from a student’s high school to confirm what they are reporting is true. So dishonesty would be a mistake. Also, students should be careful about spelling mistakes, as well as names or words used in email addresses.

The third part is where students list any awards or honors10 they have received. It is also where students list their activities outside of the classroom. Brookshire thinks this part is one of the most important.

“What we’re doing on the college side is trying to understand a student’s [possible] fit for our...community,” she said. “It has to do with which [student groups] and organizations that we think they might be involved with, what kind of [effect] they’re going to have on campus11, whether or not we think they’ll … [succeed] in a very busy…environment.”

Brookshire suggests that students think hard and list as much as they can in the activities section. Sports teams, volunteer organizations, and part-time jobs are all good examples. But, she argues, applicants should also consider adding less structured activities. Most colleges want to see that students have a lot of different interests. However, an applicant demonstrating12 hard-work and responsibility can also be appealing to admissions officials.

For example, Brookshire says, a student could talk about how they had to come home after school every day to care for an aging family member. That would explain why they did not have time to join a school band or debate team.

The fourth part of the Common Application is the personal essay. This section shows a student’s ability to communicate in writing, as well as demonstrate13 their critical thinking skills. Students must choose one of several open-ended questions about themselves. Then, they must answer the question in about 400 to 600 words.

Brookshire says this is a chance for students to explain themselves in a way that the other parts of the Common Application do not. It lets them be creative, while also showing the way they think and see the world based on their own experiences. She adds that when choosing which question to answer, students should think about how the subject relates to the schools they would like to attend.

One of the past questions was similar to this: “Think about a time when you questioned a belief or idea. What affected14 your thinking and what was the result?” Brookshire says this might be good question for a student hoping to attend a liberal15 arts college. Classes at this kind of school will often ask students to question their understanding of the world.

But Common Application member schools often request changes to the application materials and the essay questions do change from year to year. The newest form is released16 once a year on or close to July 1. And as Brookshire notes, the more time students spend on the essay the better.

Finally, the last part of the application is a teacher recommendation17. This is where a teacher with a personal connection to the applicant writes a letter in support of the student. This letter describes the personal qualities of the student and why the college or university should accept them.

Students have no control over what the teacher might write. So Brookshire says a student should probably choose a teacher who taught a subject related18 to the field they want to study in college. Or students could ask a teacher whose class they struggled but succeeded in in the end.

Brookshire suggests that a thoughtful letter from a teacher like that could show that the student never gives up, even when things get difficult.

I’m Dorothy Gundy. And I'm Pete Musto.

Words in This Story

application(s) – n. a formal and usually written request for something, such as a job, admission to a school, or a loan19

stressful – adj. making you feel worried or anxious

appropriate – adj. right or suited for some purpose or situation

exciting – adj. causing feelings of interest and enthusiasm20

academic – adj. of or relating to schools and education

spelling – n. the act of forming words from letters

campus – n. the area and buildings around a university, college, school

band – n. a usually small group of musicians who play popular music together

essay – n. a short piece of writing that tells a person's thoughts or opinions about a subject

liberal arts – n. areas of study, such as history, language, and literature, that are intended to give you general knowledge rather than to develop specific skills needed for a profession

recommendation – n. the act of saying that someone or something is good and deserves to be chosen


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 admission 6Kuyx     
n.允许进入;承认;入场费,入会费,入场券
参考例句:
  • We attached a condition to his admission to our school.我们对准许他入校附加了一个条件。
  • By her own admission,she was responsible for the accident.她自己承认,事故应该由她负责。
2 admissions 36041e3ee38a9a1077863142ac4d5abb     
n.准许进入( admission的名词复数 );入场费;入场券;承认
参考例句:
  • a need-blind admissions policy 不考虑经济能力的录取政策
  • He's the Dean of Admissions for the University of Michigan. 他是Michigan大学的新生注册主任。 来自辞典例句
3 applicant 1MlyX     
n.申请人,求职者,请求者
参考例句:
  • He was the hundredth applicant for the job. 他是第100个申请这项工作的人。
  • In my estimation, the applicant is well qualified for this job. 据我看, 这位应征者完全具备这项工作的条件。
4 applicants aaea8e805a118b90e86f7044ecfb6d59     
申请人,求职人( applicant的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • There were over 500 applicants for the job. 有500多人申请这份工作。
  • He was impressed by the high calibre of applicants for the job. 求职人员出色的能力给他留下了深刻印象。
5 finding 5tAzVe     
n.发现,发现物;调查的结果
参考例句:
  • The finding makes some sense.该发现具有一定的意义。
  • That's an encouraging finding.这是一个鼓舞人心的发现。
6 costly 7zXxh     
adj.昂贵的,价值高的,豪华的
参考例句:
  • It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
  • This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用,左不过贵了些。
7 thoughtful Wo4wg     
adj.思考的,沉思的,体贴的,关心的
参考例句:
  • She is thoughtful for her friends.她很体贴她的朋友们。
  • This is a thoughtful essay.这是一篇具有思想性的随笔。
8 citizenship AV3yA     
n.市民权,公民权,国民的义务(身份)
参考例句:
  • He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生,但没有瑞典公民身分。
  • Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后,她选择了澳大利亚国籍。
9 currently SvMzI2     
adv.通常地,普遍地,当前
参考例句:
  • Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
  • Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。
10 honors 2c250cb8374a2f7f18ab42ccf1291801     
n.礼仪;荣典;礼节; 大学荣誉学位;大学优等成绩;尊敬( honor的名词复数 );敬意;荣誉;光荣
参考例句:
  • He aims at honors. 他力求名誉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • We did the last honors to his remains. 我们向他的遗体告别。 来自《简明英汉词典》
11 campus iTOyj     
n.大学校园,学校校园;大学 
参考例句:
  • They spoke of the old days on the campus.他们谈起昔日的校园生活。
  • The campus covers an area of twenty square kilometres.这个校园占地二十平方公里。
12 demonstrating 091001418b3c0a122bab1ed0ec2565b4     
举行示威游行(或集会)( demonstrate的现在分词 ); 示范。展示; 显示; 论证
参考例句:
  • The reactionary police made a baton charge on the demonstrating crowd. 反动警察用警棍驱散示威的人群。
  • I'm having a hell of a wild time demonstrating this car. 为展示这种车子,把我搞得狼狈不堪。
13 demonstrate VwWxp     
vt.论证,证明;示范;显示;vi.示威游行
参考例句:
  • Let me demonstrate to you how this machine works.我给你演示一下这台机器的运转情况。
  • How can I demonstrate to you that my story is true?我怎样才能向你证明我的话是真实的呢?
14 affected TzUzg0     
adj.不自然的,假装的
参考例句:
  • She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
  • His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。
15 liberal R17xF     
adj.心胸宽阔的;自由(主义)的;慷慨的
参考例句:
  • He has a liberal attitude to divorce and remarriage.他对离婚和再婚看得很开。
  • This country adopts a liberal foreign policy.该国采用的是开放的外交政策。
16 released 23690fd759f17135ec9879b56ff2600c     
v.释放( release的过去式和过去分词 );放开;发布;发行
参考例句:
  • He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
  • With hindsight it is easy to say they should not have released him. 事后才说他们本不应该释放他,这倒容易。
17 recommendation ItvyJ     
n.推荐(信)建议,优点,长处
参考例句:
  • I wrote him a good recommendation.我为他写了一封很好的推荐信。
  • This method deserves recommendation.这种做法值得提倡。
18 related vkGzSv     
adj.有关系的,有关联的,叙述的,讲述的
参考例句:
  • I am not related to him in any way.我和他无任何关系。
  • We spent days going through all related reference material.我们花了好多天功夫查阅所有有关的参考资料。
19 loan w0RxB     
n.贷款;借出的东西;借;vt.借出;贷予
参考例句:
  • I asked the bank to help me with a loan.我请银行给我一笔贷款。
  • Has the bank okayed your request for a loan?银行批准你的贷款要求了吗?
20 enthusiasm ajrzQ     
n.热情,激情;巨大兴趣;热衷的事物
参考例句:
  • We set about our task at once with great enthusiasm.我们立刻兴致勃勃地干起来。
  • A team which is full of enthusiasm is more likely to win.情绪高涨的球队更可能获胜。

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