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Competitive Scholarship Weekend


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My dd is going to attend a scholarship weekend the week after next at a college that she is pretty interested in. Her admissions counselor said that she has all the necessary documentation in. She asked him if there was anything that public school students provide that she hasn't and that might help her application. He said that the scholarships are given out as the result of interviews during the weekend, however, he did say that some students provide portfolios but that it wasn't a requirement. The application she filled out had her include all her extra-curricular stuff and she had to write a couple of very short essays about them.

 

What is this portfolio of which he speaks? I know about artistic type portfolios but not sure what would be in one if not something to do with art. Do you think it's important that she try and submit something like this. Her test scores are very good so that part should be good for her and she's fairly good at interviewing I think, just reluctant to brag on herself.

 

Also any and all tips and information about scholarship weekends would be greatly appreciated!

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A portfolio could include a resume, samples of work, images of specific activities or special events, award certificates, news articles your student was mentioned in if relevant, and more.  

 

 

 

ETA, don't assume the interviewer has the transcript, course descriptions, book lists or other extras sent with the initial admissions applications. 

Edited by PinkyandtheBrains.
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It's hard to know what exactly students might be bringing in a portfolio to the weekend without knowing the focus...is it geared toward a particular academic interest?

 

My biggest piece of advice is to go into the weekend very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the school and the program of interest, with some solid questions prepared. This is generally a time when it is important to show strong interest in the school. They want to feel fairly certain that your student will attend if offered the scholarship. That doesn't mean that she has to actually feel that certain, but she needs to behave as if this is her #1.

 

She needs to go in prepared to participate in group discussions as well, and to interact with her fellow scholarship candidates. Make sure she knows to introduce herself to others and have a few small talk topics ready to go. This may seem obvious but that sort of thing doesn't come naturally to some of our more reserved students. The scholarship weekends were a real opportunity for growth in that area for my daughter!

 

If there is something unique/memorable about her, make sure she knows to bring it up if the opportunity presents. For my daughter, it was our geographic location.

Edited by GoodGrief
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It's hard to know what exactly students might be bringing in a portfolio to the weekend without knowing the focus...is it geared toward a particular academic interest?

 

My biggest piece of advice is to go into the weekend very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the school and the program of interest, with some solid questions prepared. This is generally a time when it is important to show strong interest in the school. They want to feel fairly certain that your student will attend if offered the scholarship. That doesn't mean that she has to actually feel that certain, but she needs to behave as if this is her #1.

 

She needs to go in prepared to participate in group discussions as well, and to interact with her fellow scholarship candidates. Make sure she knows to introduce herself to others and have a few small talk topics ready to go. This may seem obvious but that sort of thing doesn't come naturally to some of our more reserved students. The scholarship weekends were a real opportunity for growth in that area for my daughter!

 

If there is something unique/memorable about her, make sure she knows to bring it up if the opportunity presents. For my daughter, it was our geographic location.

 

Thank you! Some great advice! I'm going to share all this with my daughter. You also answered another question I had about whether the portfolio was sent in or if it was taken to the event by the student. Would it be appropriate to include a couple of letters of recommendation in the portfolio from things like her robotics team or the place she volunteers? Also would it be ok to put in pictures of a mission trip she went on?

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Thank you! Some great advice! I'm going to share all this with my daughter. You also answered another question I had about whether the portfolio was sent in or if it was taken to the event by the student. Would it be appropriate to include a couple of letters of recommendation in the portfolio from things like her robotics team or the place she volunteers? Also would it be ok to put in pictures of a mission trip she went on?

 

It's really hard to answer that without knowing more about the specifics of the scholarship weekend. What I suspect is that a portfolio is not really necessary at all, but that the counselor just threw that out as an option. None of the scholarship weekends that my daughter attended required or suggested bringing anything to the event. One did ask for a resume at the semifinalist stage of the prescreening process, but that was well before the event. I think any of the things you mentioned might be okay, but I have no way of knowing. Each school and program varies.

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