WARNING: COLLEGE IS CLOSER THAN IT APPEARS

High school is a transitional time of life. Students become individuals and prepare to travel on their own journey. For most, that journey includes expensive textbooks and an inflated tuition.

On Wednesday, April 16, sophomores and juniors were welcome to stop by and learn about advanced placement classes, the film academy and overall college preparation. If you missed out, here’s some collegiate guidance: Juniors are encouraged to begin the application process around August 1, college representatives held short seminars highlighting college preparation.

“When colleges look at all your extracurricular activities, we are looking for quality not quantity,” Southern California’s regional recruiter of Rutgers University Emily Zierolf  said.  “Create a resume–list your most valuable accomplishments, but don’t overlook what makes you special. Colleges value service, talent and leadership experience.”

New Jersey’s state school recruiter lead a lesson on what colleges look for when admitting applicants. Parents took notes as Zierolf continued to advertise the importance of community service, interviewing and application personal statement writing.

“The personal statement is the most important part of the student’s application; it presents applicants with the opportunity to give colleges a good idea of who they are,” regional recruiter for University of Arizona Veronica Leyva said. “Talk about personal success, achievements and skills, but do not write about an activity previously listed on your application. ”

Leyva warns against students trying to appear as the perfect applicant. The University of Arizona recruiter tells students to get creative when writing application essays. Encouraging imagination, she embraces the idea of straying away from first person.

“Common and UC applications have very specific prompts,” Leyva said. “Do your research; it’s like a job interview. Tell us the truth and strive for depth. Yet, don’t be afraid to have fun with it.”