Blog
Find advice and follow the college experiences of our current first-gen student bloggers.
Steps to Writing Your College Essay
This article is published in the 2017 I’m First Guide to College Now that you know what the personal statement is and what you can write on, it’s time to start planning your essay. Easier said than done, right? Follow these steps to get started: 1. Pick your prompt:...
The College Essays Do's and Don'ts
This article is published in the 2017 I’m First Guide to College DO: • Analyze the prompt and rewrite it in your own words before beginning your essay • Begin with a strong “hook” to pull your reader into your essay • Write about a subject you are passionate about •...
The College Essay
This article is published in the 2017 I’m First Guide to College Your GPA and standardized test scores are important in the college admissions process, but you are more than a test score. While many people perceive the college admissions process as a “numbers game,”...
Every Transcript Tells a Story
Colleges can tell more about you from your transcript than you think. How are you performing in comparison to the other students at your high school? Has your attendance been consistent? Have you become more or less motivated as a student? Are you challenging...
You Are A Jigsaw Puzzle
This article is published in the 2017 I’m First Guide to College By Bruce Poch College applications are evaluated in most places not by formula but by close readers. The more selective the college, the more likely it is that grades and scores are not where the...
Building Your College List: Put Your List Into Three Categories
This article is published in the 2017 I’m First Guide to College By Kelly Herrington Predicting admission is never an exact science. Most students apply to between four and eight colleges. Try to put the colleges on your list into one of three categories: “likely,”...
What Size College is "Right" for You?
This article is published in the 2017 I’m First Guide to College By Karen Gross How can you know whether you are better suited to a larger university or a small liberal arts college? Well, instead of looking at size as the central dividing line among colleges, think...
Decisions, Decisions: A Degree is Forever and it will Empower You All, Even Undocumented
As I enter my fourth semester at Brandeis, I realize how college is full of decisions—decisions that only you can make. Decisions about writing that paper a week in advance, a day before the deadline, or simply not do it at all. Decisions about your major(s) and/or...
Helpful resources available to Undocumented Students
There is nothing that compares to having the opportunity to do what you love. I love attending the University of Houston because I am being challenged as a student. I knew from the beginning that college would not come easy. That very aspect of being challenged has...
Building Your College List
This article is published in the 2017 I’m First Guide to College By Kelly Herrington Creating a college list can be a daunting process. With so many colleges and factors to consider, how do you start to research and narrow down the schools where you’ll apply?...