Navigating the college admissions process

As Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway (HAFTR) High School seniors finalize their college applications and begin to receive their early admission letters, juniors are just beginning the long, rewarding, and, at times, stressful college admissions process.
The College Guidance office held its annual Junior College Night on Dec. 9. Students and their parents were briefed about the college admissions process from choosing the right school, maximizing their test scores, writing admission essays, and polishing their extracurricular activity resumes.
Students were given packets filled with college related articles, questionnaires, and a folder full of helpful resources and documents. Naomi Lippman, principal of General Studies, provided an overview of what to expect during the next few months. Joan Parmet, director of College Guidance, relayed experiences of former students, discussed and debunked multiple myths about the college process, and reviewed financial aid information as well as a timeline of deadlines for the 2015-2016 school year. 
Parmet also introduced the evening’s keynote speaker, David Weisbord, senior associate director of Admissions for Columbia University.  Weisbord presented a PowerPoint presentation, which included the “golden rule” of the college application, that every student must find the school that is right for him or her.
He also advised students to disregard the hype and find the school that is the right fit for them. Weisbord reviewed the most important parts of the college application, which are the high school transcript, standardized test scores, recommendation letters, extracurricular activities and the essays. As an admissions officer, Weisbord said that when he reads an applicant’s essay he wants to understand who the student is in his own words and not just what the applicant thinks admission officers want to hear. He explained that they want to hear what makes an applicant unique and what the student will contribute to the college community.