Welcome to POWER THURSDAYS by The Baltimore Renaissance Foundation.6/17/07 – “Real Talk with an HBCU Admissions Counselor”This week features our interview with Mr. Sean Thompson, admissions counselor for Clark Atlanta University. Mr. Thomas offers his input on how prospective students can stand out from the crowd during the college application process.Leaders for Change:The application process can be very intimidating for both students and their parents. When should high school students begin thinking seriously about their college choices? Mr. Thompson:The ideal time is during the second semester of their junior year, which is when the student should schedule SAT/ACT test times and request information from their top 10 school choices. During the 1st semester of their senior year, once the student has narrowed their choices to 2 or 3 schools, they should apply to those schools.Leaders for Change:Describe briefly the process that is used by admissions in deciding whether to accept or reject a candidate. What characteristics in a student, in your opinion, are most important?Mr. Thompson:There are many factors involved in the decision-making process, some of the key elements are: high school GPA, SAT/ACT scores, essays, letters of recommendation, as well as participation in high school activities and clubs. A well rounded young person will have an easier time adjusting to college life. Leaders for Change:The issue of standardized testing (SAT and ACT) has been of particular concern to our community. How much of an impact do competitive test scores have on the desirability of an applicant?Mr. Thompson:Good scores are important, success on standardized tests are an indicator of success at the collegiate level. However, students must remember that good scores are not the only aspect that admissions officers look for, a complete application package with several strong elements provide an applicant the best opportunity to be admitted to school.Leaders for Change:What advice would you give to a freshman or sophomore high school student who hasn’t decided on a career path, but would like to prepare himself/herself to be competitive?Mr. Thompson:Finding a mentor is one way to get great advice on their specific career. Another way to decide on a career path and find out what it takes to be competitive is to ask an adult professional what they do for a living and how they made it to that position. From there you can decide if the field is something you would enjoy doing. Maybe you could intern or “shadow” that person for a few weeks in the summer to find out what the day-today activities for that profession consist of. Leaders for Change:Most universities’ admissions departments require an essay or writing sample. As an admissions counselor, you’ve probably read thousands of application essays. What characteristics make the most successful ones stand out? What are “gimmicks” that should be avoided?Mr. Thompson:The best advice I can give is to use an essay from an English course that you received an “A” on. There will be no question that it is well written and proofread before it is sent. Gimmicks to be avoided… I would suggest that using a poem or rap lyric as an admissions essay is not a good idea. You will have plenty of opportunities to show your creative writing style once you are admitted. Tragedies and other very personal incidents should be avoided also, in my opinion. Let someone else read your essay before sending it out, grammatical and spelling errors show us that you didn’t take the time to proofread your essay. The essay is a reflection of you and how you present yourself.Leaders for Change:In the real world, not every student has perfect qualifications. What advice would you give to a student who may have a lower GPA or SAT but would still like a chance to succeed?Mr. Thompson:I know this situation very well, I was the student that didn’t get invited to the counselors office when college recruiters came to my high school. I did not get the best grades and my GPA showed it so I knew that I was not going to get accepted into a four-year college right out of high school. The route that worked for me was community college. I knew that I would be able to focus on my courses in that environment because of class size and the small number of courses that I registered for each semester. After a year in the community college I was able to transfer to a four-year university with an excellent GPA. Beyond that I also came to Clark Atlanta University with the confidence that I could succeed. Students should always remember, as a former professor told me, their GPA does not reflect their intellect it reflects their motivation.Leaders for Change:Today’s educational environment can be so competitive that many students aren’t well rounded. What recommendations would you have for students to help them find balance between academics and personal life?Mr. Thompson:Balance is the key to life, too much of anything can be bad for you. When studying you should set goals, example there are a group of friends who want to go to a movie on Saturday and you know that you need to prepare for an upcoming exam. You have to make a deal with yourself, “I need to study for 3 hours before I go to the movies.” Study for an hour each day leading up to Saturday so that you know you are prepared for the exam. Time management is a great skill to learn, it will help you everyday for the rest of your life. School is very important but studying all day everyday is not healthy. Reward yourself when you accomplish goals. Leaders for Change:What are common mistakes and mishaps that could potentially cost a candidate acceptance towards the institution of their choice? What is the most amusing experience you’ve had with an applicant during your tenure at CAU?Mr. Thompson:I continue to be amazed by the number of students who apply to institutions of higher learning and write down their email address when it is clear the addresses are unprofessional. Then there are students who put down their contact number and when someone from the office of admissions calls to speak with the student the ring back tone or voice mail greeting message is an explicit song. Students should always keep it professional. Have an email address that is simply your name or initials followed by a number. Your phone should ring to the person who is calling and your voice mail should sound professional.Leaders for Change:We’re going to wrap up our interview here. We’ll have an opportunity for discussion with a hosted chat during the week of May 21. Once again, thanks for getting involved!Leaders for Change is an HBCUConnect.com group organized by The Baltimore Renaissance Foundation, a nonprofit youth leadership organization focusing on developing young leaders through entrepreneurship and community involvement. Learn more at The Baltimore Renaissance Foundation, Inc.Join Leaders For Change here: http://hbcuconnect.com/clubs/clubs.cgi?club_id=356
