Brown Alumni Association

Putting together your application

• You: interests & activities list, essays
• Your school: transcript, recommendations
• Test scores

Please see below a basic outline of the items needed to complete most college applications. Read on for detailed information regarding several of these items. There may be variation on what different applications require, so be sure to read instructions carefully.

You: interests & activities list, essays

Interests & activities list

It is important to understand as you compile your list of interests and activities that admission officers are seeing thousands of lists that look alike: most students applying to selective colleges are involved in similar types of activities, simply because that’s what high schools offer. That’s the bad news. The good news is that colleges want to see your particular list so that they can discern your relationship to these things: why do you do X (school newspaper, service, athletics, theatre, music, or art, etc.) and what do you love about it? Like the essay (see below), the list can and should be a window into who you are and what makes you tick.

Expanded activities list (a.k.a. “the resume”): Should I include one?

If you draft a resume and it restates what is already explained thoroughly in your application, this additional piece may not be right for you. Admission officers are very busy; therefore, you will want every word in your application to count. If something feels like fluff or filler, it will likely drag down the application. However, if you have pursued an activity in deep and meaningful ways and your level of commitment is not clear from the standard application or if you have less conventional hobbies that do not fit easily into the traditional categories provided, then including this expanded list can be a wise idea. (See below for formatting suggestions.)

Expanded activities list

Should you decide to include this expanded activities list, how can it provide greater insight into you and your motivations? You should always adhere to guidelines provided on each application, but it is also generally acceptable to send an additional list that is more personalized. First, organize your entries by type of activity and in order of importance to you. Second, include some narrative or anecdotal information. If you could say a sentence or two about what it’s been like to work at your local soup kitchen—the good, the bad and the ugly—what would you say? What quality in playing high school softball induces you to return year after year, even if you’re lousy at it? Why do you spend your precious free moments at home knitting or playing with a younger sibling rather than participating in more “organized” activities? The story behind what you do is generally far more interesting than the thing itself, so don’t be afraid to show a little of that to the admission reader.

General formatting guidelines for an expanded activities list include:

• Do not use a formal resume template. Remember, you are applying to college, not for a job.
• The ideal length is one page, but if you must go over, do not exceed two pages.
• Think creatively—examine everything you have done both in and out of school and look for emerging themes.
• Unless it adheres to one of your themes, and adds substance, you do not need to list academic honors on the activities sheet.

Essays

Volumes have been written about what makes a good college essay, so if you’re interested in a thorough treatment of the topic take a look at your local bookstore and pick a guide that seems insightful, appealing and sensible (and make sure the writer has had some admission experience). ACAP counselors do not offer essay review or editing, but are happy to provide general tips and pointers on how to approach them, and some insight as to how various choices such as topic and voice are likely to come across.

The most important thing about a college essay is that it sound and feel like you. Once the colleges establish that you are academically in their ballpark, they want to get a sense of you as a person—ideally, the person your friends and family know. By definition, there are as many ways to achieve this as there are applicants, so the challenge is for you to find your way—the topic, approach, and voice that most accurately convey who you are. In general, an informal and down-to-earth tone works better in capturing a sense of you than a formal and self-conscious one; humor can work well, although it needs to flow naturally from you and from your topic. Serious is fine too, as long as it’s not in the vein of taking yourself too seriously.

The good news in all of this is that your particular essay is sitting right there inside of you. The trick is settling on a topic that feels right to you and then allowing your own “unadulterated voice” (to quote the Dean of Admission at Pomona College) tell the story, whatever it is.

Writing Tips: Dos and Don’ts

• Do write your essay as if you are telling a meaningful story to a friend.
• Don’t force a topic. If you are stuck, free write until you land on something that flows more smoothly.
• Do limit your essay to one page single-spaced, unless application instructions state otherwise.
• Don’t choose a topic too large—it’s hard to do justice to “world peace” in one page.
• Do think about the elements of your life that make you special. Sometimes what seems mundane to you can give great insight into who you are.

Your school: transcript, recommendations

Transcript and college counselor recommendation

You will need to request that your transcript be sent from your high school to the colleges on your list. Along with your transcript, your high school will send a school profile. A college counselor recommendation will also be included for colleges that require one.

Teacher recommendations

Most schools ask for two teacher recommendations, both of which should be from teachers who have taught you in core academic subjects in your junior or senior year. Which teachers? Ideally, two from different core subject areas, and ones who know you well, like you, and are likely to write well. When faced with a choice between balance (representing different subject areas) and quality, we lean towards quality—the strongest letters are the ones that will represent you the best.

How to proceed? Ask your chosen teachers if they would be willing to write for you and, if so, present them with stamped, addressed envelopes for all the colleges to which you are applying, along with a clear list of the deadlines. Approach them early in the fall of your senior year, not only to give them sufficient time to write the letter, but also because many teachers set limits on how many students they are able to accommodate.

Families often ask us about extra or additional letters of recommendation, either from a third teacher or from a non-instructor adult. For guidance on this, please see Extra Recommendations.

Test scores

At your request, your test scores (SAT, Subject Tests, ACT) will be reported directly to your schools by the College Board and/or ACT. Some students indicate their wishes in this respect right when they're taking the exams, but many handle it separately, once they know exactly what their scores are and where they're applying. Also, many guidance departments will include scores on transcripts, although direct reporting from the testing services ensures that your scores will be downloaded electronically into the different colleges' databases. Whatever method you choose, just be certain that all scores are reported to the desired places by the appropriate deadlines. For additional information, see Testing.

For questions regarding this program, contact ACAP.