4 Things to Watch Out for When Applying to a Top School

Do you dream of sending your child to an Ivy League or other highly selective school? If so, you both have your work cut out for you. The country's most prestigious colleges and universities typically only admit around 25% of applicants, so to get in your child has to really stand out. But even if you've been diligently building their profile, there are some common mistakes you need to watch out for that can cost your child an acceptance letter. 1. Being careless with social media Times sure have changed. Back when we were applying to colleges we didn't have to worry about admissions officers finding out what we did over the weekend. But because of social media, the private lives of today's students are much more public. According to a recent survey from Kaplan Test Prep, 35% of admissions officers have looked at student's social media pages to learn more about them, and negative posts or tweets are being considered in some acceptance decisions. Using social media as part of the admissions process has become much more common since Kaplan first began tracking it in 2008, when only one in 10 admissions officers said they checked students' pages. But it seems students are also becoming smarter about how they use Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. In fact, at least 18% of students plan to use social media as a way to promote themselves and improve their chances of getting in to college. According to a press release from Kaplan, "even as this practice becomes more commonplace, college admissions officers are actually finding fewer things online that negatively impact applicants' chances ï ¿ ½ just 16% reported doing so this year, down from 30% last year and 35% two years ago." RELATED: Help your child get into a top school 2. Relying on grades and test scores alone Of course, grades are still a very important part of a student's college application. Most students today realize that a B average is often the minimum requirement to get into a college, and more selective schools want to see As. But because of this, most students who are applying to top schools will have As, so your child needs to find another way to stand out. Stef Mauler, an independent education consultant and owner of The Mauler Institute, reminds parents that even if every student who applies to Harvard are valedictorians, the school's acceptance rate would still only be 10%. "Kids need to get involved in something about which they are passionate". Mauler says. "They need to leverage their summers to pursue academic and extra-curricular interests beyond what their schools offer. They need to lead their own learning and go beyond the four corners of the classroom." 3. Being too well-rounded Huh? In the past, parents were told to encourage their children to get involved with a variety of activities so that their profile reflected an all-around gifted applicant. Yet today's top colleges are more interested in forming a well-rounded student body. That means they're looking for applicants who excel in a specific area. So instead of spreading your student's time among dance, community service and basketball, try to focus on an area they truly enjoy and care about. This will give them an opportunity to really shine. Colleen Ganjian, founder of DC College Counseling, also recommends students go "full force" into their passions, and should avoid wasting time in other areas. "At highly selective colleges, the collective whole of individually passionate students creates an incredibly diverse student body" Ganjian says. "When students strive to be well rounded, they often miss opportunities to demonstrate their passions, and they do not stand out to admissions committees." RELATED: 9 tips on getting into an Ivy League school 4. Only taking the SAT or the ACT (not both) Experts recommend students take a full-length practice test of each exam about four months before they begin actual test preparation. That way, they can find out if one is more suitable by evaluating their scores and deciding which exam they felt more comfortable taking. The ACT and SAT are scored differently, but your child can compare his or her score using an ACT/SAT comparison chartto get a better idea of where they stand. Jocelyn Pearson, founder and author of The Scholarship System says this was a mistake she made when applying for college: "Many people take the SAT a few times, get the score they are looking for and stop, which is what I did. I highly suggest taking both the SAT and ACT because though they may test very similar skills, the SAT leans more on vocabulary whereas the ACT has more complex math and analytical problems. I was always stronger in math, therefore, I probably would have done better on the ACT." RELATED: How you can help your child ace the ACT or SAT Do you dream of sending your child to an Ivy League or other highly selective school? If so, you both have your work cut out for you. The country's most prestigious colleges and universities typically only admit around 25% of applicants, so to get in your child has to really stand out. But even if you've been diligently building their profile, there are some common mistakes you need to watch out for that can cost your child an acceptance letter. 1. Being careless with social media Times sure have changed. Back when we were applying to colleges we didn't have to worry about admissions officers finding out what we did over the weekend. But because of social media, the private lives of today's students are much more public. According to a recent survey from Kaplan Test Prep, 35% of admissions officers have looked at student's social media pages to learn more about them, and negative posts or tweets are being considered in some acceptance decisions. Using social media as part of the admissions process has become much more common since Kaplan first began tracking it in 2008, when only one in 10 admissions officers said they checked students' pages. But it seems students are also becoming smarter about how they use Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. In fact, at least 18% of students plan to use social media as a way to promote themselves and improve their chances of getting in to college. According to a press release from Kaplan, "even as this practice becomes more commonplace, college admissions officers are actually finding fewer things online that negatively impact applicants' chances ï ¿ ½ just 16% reported doing so this year, down from 30% last year and 35% two years ago." RELATED: Help your child get into a top school 2. Relying on grades and test scores alone Of course, grades are still a very important part of a student's college application. Most students today realize that a B average is often the minimum requirement to get into a college, and more selective schools want to see As. But because of this, most students who are applying to top schools will have As, so your child needs to find another way to stand out. Stef Mauler, an independent education consultant and owner of The Mauler Institute, reminds parents that even if every student who applies to Harvard are valedictorians, the school's acceptance rate would still only be 10%. "Kids need to get involved in something about which they are passionate". Mauler says. "They need to leverage their summers to pursue academic and extra-curricular interests beyond what their schools offer. They need to lead their own learning and go beyond the four corners of the classroom." 3. Being too well-rounded Huh? In the past, parents were told to encourage their children to get involved with a variety of activities so that their profile reflected an all-around gifted applicant. Yet today's top colleges are more interested in forming a well-rounded student body. That means they're looking for applicants who excel in a specific area. So instead of spreading your student's time among dance, community service and basketball, try to focus on an area they truly enjoy and care about. This will give them an opportunity to really shine. Colleen Ganjian, founder of DC College Counseling, also recommends students go "full force" into their passions, and should avoid wasting time in other areas. "At highly selective colleges, the collective whole of individually passionate students creates an incredibly diverse student body" Ganjian says. "When students strive to be well rounded, they often miss opportunities to demonstrate their passions, and they do not stand out to admissions committees." RELATED: 9 tips on getting into an Ivy League school 4. Only taking the SAT or the ACT (not both) Experts recommend students take a full-length practice test of each exam about four months before they begin actual test preparation. That way, they can find out if one is more suitable by evaluating their scores and deciding which exam they felt more comfortable taking. The ACT and SAT are scored differently, but your child can compare his or her score using an ACT/SAT comparison chartto get a better idea of where they stand. Jocelyn Pearson, founder and author of The Scholarship System says this was a mistake she made when applying for college: "Many people take the SAT a few times, get the score they are looking for and stop, which is what I did. I highly suggest taking both the SAT and ACT because though they may test very similar skills, the SAT leans more on vocabulary whereas the ACT has more complex math and analytical problems. I was always stronger in math, therefore, I probably would have done better on the ACT." RELATED: How you can help your child ace the ACT or SAT

The Simile of the Iliad - Literature Essay Samples

Many authors employ the device of the simile, but Homer fully adopts the concept, immersing many provoking, multi-layered similes into even the most ordinary of battle scenes in the Iliad. This technique both breaks up the ponderous pace of warfare and allows insight to the frequently volatile emotions of the characters. A specific simile, found in Book Sixteen (lines 259-65), is set amongst rather dramatic action: Patroklus, in Achilleuss armor, rouses the Myrmidons as they head towards the battle. It is clear that the battalion is eager to fight (In heart and fury the Myrmidons stream from their ships (XVI, 268)), and Patroklus asks them to remember your furious valour (XVI, 270). Homer, however, offers the reader more than mere nouns, as he translates the sentiment of the Myrmidons into an elaborate visual simile. The basic premise of the comparison is to equate the fury of the aggravated wasps to the fury of the battle-hungry Myrmidons. This simile, however, runs far deeper than this surface association; as with many of Homers similes, when studied more carefully, suspiciously familiar characters emerge. The wasps of the passage, as explicitly relayed to the reader, are the Myrmidons, a faction of the Greek army. Uncovering the identity of the little boys (XVI, 260) proves more taxing. Homer lays the foundation for the character when he describes the boys as thoughtless, ignorant, and casually hedonistic. It is line 262, however, that casts the boys as expressions of Paris himself: silly boys, they do something that hurts many people [emphasis added]. Thus the parallels begin to rapidly surface in the readers mind: Pariss provocation of the enemy, his maddeningly cavalier self-indulgence, and his complete ignorance of the dire consequences of his action. It then follows that the man, presented as an innocent passer-by who stirs [the wasps] unintentionally (XVI, 264) represents the Trojan army. Troy, unlike the Greek nations, is truly forced into the war. I n the very same way, the man is left to deal with the painful outcome of the boys play. The effect of this simile on the narrative is rather remarkable. Throughout the Iliad Homer relentlessly challenges the readers allegiance to each army, and one is bound to question where justice lies amongst his perpetual juggling of sympathies. In the presented simile, Homer takes the startling stance of declaring both parties innocent, and places all of the fault cleanly on one mans shoulders: Paris. Although readers now understand the motivation of the Greeks (as the poking of the stick efficiently translates into the robbery of a wife), their pity lies with the blameless Trojans, an attitude that will deepen with the upcoming death of Sarpedon, and will then abruptly wane, in typical Homeric fashion, with the death of Hektor. This simile can, however, be viewed from another angle. The comparison to wasps especially in a poem riddled with associations between men and lions, boars, and wolve s is an interesting one. The Myrmidons, as presented, are mere wasps. They arent a great asset to the Greek army. What is most important, as becomes clear through the simile, is their enthusiastic spirit: they are eager to fight, and their will to battle is infectious. The reader is soon presented with the lucid visual of the cloud of wasps streaming (XVI, 259) out of their nests which so perfectly parallels the crowd of the Myrmidons pouring from their tents. Thus Homer communicates the innate spirit of mass warfare itself: individuals cease to exist in this swarm; they draw their power from the mob, propelled by a community filled with of ambitious, furious spirit. The final notable quality of this excerpt is the delicate insight it provides on the perspective of the gods. Using wasps as a point of comparison, one recalls scenes of Zeus sitting atop Olympos, from which the humans in fact do resemble insects. Several pages later, the reader finds Zeus looking down on the battle, watching the warriors forever swarm over [Sarpedons] dead body, as flies (XVI, 641). These two descriptions reinforce the notion that the gods are, in general, truly apathetic about the fate of humans. The perspectives of the humans and the gods clash: the humans lives are saturated with the overwhelming importance of this war and the potential honor, victory, and death, while the gods look upon it as an amusing diversion. The clashing perspectives of the humans and the gods allow the reader to better appreciate the parallel inner battle of Achilles: that perhaps the war should not completely consume ones life. Using similes, Homer manages to incorporate striking images, persuasive techniques, unifying themes, and relevant undertones into his epic tale. It is the arresting lines of comparison, and all of their intricate suggestions, that truly compel one to respect Homer for the remarkable beauty contained within his poetry.