Updated for 2015-16

It's officially December, which means the Pepperdine deadline is fast approaching. In the Common App, there are two supplemental essay questions aspiring Pepperdine students will need to complete before they can spend their next four years gazing over the beautiful Pacific Ocean from their perch atop Malibu. 

We've got some ideas to help generate some material for these mini essays (50-300 words) to help you out. Here are the prompts: 

1. Write a letter to your future roommate at Pepperdine. Tell them what characteristics would make you a good roommate and what you are looking forward to most in college. (50-300 words)

AND

2. As a Christian university, Pepperdine expresses its Christian principles through all aspects of academic life and administrative policy. The university affirms that truth, having nothing to fear from investigation, should be pursued relentlessly in every discipline. Students, faculty, and staff members of all faith traditions are welcome to become part of the Pepperdine University community. Please tell us a little bit about how faith has influenced your life.

For both these prompts your goal is to use an anecdote, allegory, or other interesting tidbit to bring your writing to life. You want to "show, don't tell" as the adage goes. For example, with the first, perhaps start your supplement with a short story about your life illustrating of the traits you think will make you a terrific roommate. 

For the second prompt, think about an anecdote that relates to either your own journey in faith, a turning point in your search for truth, or an object that might represent your faith, then tell that story. You don't have to be uber Christian to get in, and that's not what the admissions committee is looking for, but you do need to explain your awareness of your place in the universe and your thoughts therein in an articulate, reflective way. 

Here are some brainstorming questions to get your rolling for each prompt. 

Prompt 1: 
--Start brainstorming by listing traits about yourself that you believe make you a good roommate. 
--Choose several of these traits. Think of stories from your life that illustrate that trait. Use the story as way of connecting with the reader and answering the prompt. 
--Don't be afraid to get creative in your initial list (if you have a flair for design, or if you have the entire season of Parks and Rec on your computer at the ready for late night study breaks...)
​--At the end of the supplement, don't forget to answer the second part of the prompt: what are you most looking forward to about college. Be honest in your response (within reason, obvi). The goal is to write something interesting, memorable, and true. 

Prompt 2: 
--When did your journey with faith begin? 
--Is there a tangible object that represents your faith?
--An important experience that affirmed your faith?
--A time when you acted on your faith?

That's it! Happy drafting. If you are looking for help with this whole college essay thing, our services may come in handy. Check out our page explaining ways we can help you navigate this college admissions jungle, or send us an email for more information. 

Erika, The Guru. 

For those who believe college applications are processed by some magic formula in which GPA’s and test scores are added up, you are (mostly) right. Seventy-five percent of an admissions decision is based on straight data (this is an average from a study by the NACAC, the actual importance varies from university to university). Candidates are reduced to mere numbers – how many APs? What’s the GPA? What’s the critical writing score?

But GPAs and test scores aren’t the whole picture, and the last 25% of that admissions decision is made up of some very important pieces that can mean the difference between acceptance and rejection.

So what’s left? There’s the essay (try this if you are looking for help with your essays), the letters of recommendation, the resume, and your extracurricular activities. Extracurriculars (as they are known around the office) are anything and everything you are doing outside of your academic life, and they go a long way in helping decide what you are really all about in ways the numbers simply cannot. Extracurriculars help the admissions officer figure out how you might contribute to her campus, and how you will spend your time while in college, presumably in similar ways to that which you did in high school.

So what should your student be doing and when should they be doing it? Let me answer those questions in reverse order: students should have started, like, yesterday (i.e. get moving now). College applicants can include any extracurriculars students have participated in from ninth grade on, so starting right away is best. Beginning early is essential for two reasons: it enriches the student’s life in important ways, helping them to cultivate maturity, and it allows ample time to acquire leadership experience.

Leadership is a glaring weakness on many applications, and here’s why: if you wait until senior year (or junior year even) to join the Robotics club, you aren’t going to waltz in and be crowned president. You are (probably) just going to be member. Those leadership roles that are worth the time and effort require you to be invested years before assuming them. So start early. Like now.

Now, as to which extracurriculars are best, the answer is the ones that the student is most interested in. Really, truly, I mean that. Never do (or force your child to do) something just because it looks good (or you think it will look good) on a college application. Students don’t flourish in those environments; they don’t learn, they don’t grow. Instead, have the courage to let them pursue their passion (I know, terrifying)—but by all means, make sure they choose a passion. And Call of Duty is not a passion (in most cases, at least). That’s the compromise: they get to choose, but it has to be something meaningful, significant, stimulating, challenging—something where they can contribute to have a positive effect on others and themselves.

So what exactly can they do? There are way more options out there than you might think. I work with many students who aren’t jazzed about sports, aren’t inspired by theater, or aren’t breathlessly excited about slam poetry. So what’s a kid to do? Create his own opportunity.

I love when students do this. It shows initiative, gumption, and passion—huge plusses in life (and the college admissions game). Here are a couple rock star examples from kids I’m working with this year.

One stellar young lady wants to pursue a degree in computer science. She’s doing cool things like teaching herself to code using apps on her phone, but she is lacking in extracurriculars and leadership. After a little brainstorming and planning, she came up with the idea to use her passion to teacher seniors in assisted living centers about technology that will allow them to connect with their families across the country. Ever try to Face Time with grandma? That’s the problem she’s trying to solve. This project is in its beginning stages but has so much potential, and I am seriously excited to see what she does with it.

Another student was struck by the hunger statistics she learned about in school that show one in five children are living in food-insecure households. Her response? Start an organization to collect unused food from restaurants like Panera that would otherwise be thrown away and deliver it to local food pantries and homeless shelters. Lots of work cut out for her here, but it’s so awesome on so many levels.

Help your child find an area of interest and figure out how he can use it to make the world a little brighter. He will learn so much in the process and end up with a heck of a line item for his extracurricular resume (or better yet, something to write about in his personal statement).

Questions? Want help? Email me: [email protected]

Here's this week's batch of scholarships. Give us a call with questions! 

1. City Pride Scholarship: $1,000
Use bullets and pictures to represent a list of 30 great things about your city. 
DEADLINE 7/1/14

2. Ten Words or Less Scholarhip: $500
DEADLINE 6/30/14

3. Youth Volunteer Scholarship Award: $500
DEADLINE Nov. 30, 2014

I was at a local middle school open house a few weeks ago when a worried parent approached the table where I was talking to other parents about college admissions. Her son was an eighth grader entering high school next fall, and like many other moms she had heard that starting next year students would have to declare a desired “endorsement” upon entering high school.

“What’s the deal with this endorsement thing?” She asked me. “Does it mean my son has to choose at 13 what he wants to study in college? How will this affect his chances at being admitted to a top-tier university?”

As the night went on, I heard this question repeated by other mothers, fathers, and even middle school counselors. It seems there is a real lack of clarity and information surrounding the new law (HB 5) in Texas. So, here is what we know and my best analysis for how this all will affect (or not affect) your child’s prospects as a college applicant. Read on!

What is HB 5?
     House Bill 5 is a law passed by the Texas House in the 2013 legislative session aimed at reducing the time students spend taking benchmark tests, changing the accountability system used to evaluate schools, and revamping graduation requirements to give students more flexibility (this is where the endorsement part was added).

When will it take effect?
      The new graduation requirements will take effect in the 2014-15 school year and will apply to students entering high school in that year. If your student is already enrolled, the old graduation requirements still apply. However, older students are able to take advantage of the endorsements (explained below) if they so choose.

What does this mean for my student and my student’s prospects for admission to college?
            The idea behind adding in the endorsement specification was to help give students more flexibility and direction in their high school studies. The endorsement can be thought of as a “mini major” completed while in high school. Endorsements are selected in one of five areas: science and technology, business and industry, public services, humanities, or a multidisciplinary option. However, not all schools will offer each of the five endorsements.
            When colleges view a student’s transcript, they are looking primarily at two things: which classes did a student take, and how did they perform in those classes? The added endorsement will not change your student’s strength or schedule or performance in the classes s/he has chosen, and thus it will not change the way colleges view your student. In fact, for a college bound high school student, the new endorsements do little to change the classes they would already select in preparation for college applications. Admittance to a competitive college still requires four years of science, three or four years of language, and three to four years of math. A selected endorsement will not impede or hinder progress toward college readiness. In other words, relax! The game’s still the same from the college point of view (at least for now!).

The Texas Tribune has a great article explaining the changes happeing under the new law, and a fun quiz to find out which endorsement is right for you. Try it out here.