ASSISTING JUNIORS WITH THE COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS

Amityville Memorial High School Guidance Department Hosts College Essay Workshop

It’s never too early to begin writing a college essay. This was one of the messages that has been delivered to juniors at Amityville Memorial High School, who are currently starting their search for the perfect college or university. For the past several weeks, counselors have met with students individually to discuss graduation requirements, post-high school plans, and to explore a list of potential learning institutions.

Eleventh-grade Honors students received a rare opportunity to attend a workshop with Stony Brook University Dean of Admissions Judith Berhannan. She spoke about essay dos and don’ts, the types of questions asked, and how admissions counselors review applicants’ essays and applications. Ms. Berhannan warned that essays should have no spelling errors, should be grammatically correct, and completed by November of a student’s senior year. The essay should fit the school for which the student is applying. There should be no slang or profanity, and the essay must be written by the applicant.

“Consider this process as a mini-job interview,” Ms. Berhannan stated. “The way an essay looks makes a big impression on the admissions counselors.”

During the workshop, Ms. Berhannan read five sample questions and asked everyone in the class to answer one question out loud. She critiqued the students’ answers and gave her recommendations on the best way to answer certain questions.

Amityville Memorial High School Director of Guidance Patricia Hausfeld explained that the district is making every effort to assist students in navigating the college application process in order to place them in the best possible position to gain acceptance into their college of choice. “Admission to college has become very competitive, especially on Long Island, and we need to give our students every advantage possible.”