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Task 4

ADMISSIONS 101

Making the Most of Your

College Applications

 

By Melissa Algranati and Jennifer Gioia

 

You can’t believe that after 12 years of education your future depends on what pearls of genius you can cram onto a handful of pages—or that complete strangers will sit in a room and determine if you will be “worthy” of attending their institution.

 

This can be a stressful time, and STUDIO 2B is here to help. Below are real questions answered by real college admissions professionals. Think of this as your inside track on making the most of your application. So what are you waiting for? Read on:

 

The Real Deal

 

Q: How do I create a power-packed application that stands out from all the other applications?

 

Really concentrate on your extra-curricular resume and essay. These are the two areas that will make you stand out. Take time to think about why you are involved in the activities that you are doing. What do they mean to you? How have they shaped you? How might they be of value to the university or college you will be attending?

 

Q: Is my Girl Scout involvement something noteworthy to put down on the paperwork?

 

Absolutely! A number of colleges and universities give scholarships and awards to Girl Scouts—especially those who have been involved in leadership or community service projects. Include your involvement in Girl Scouts under extracurricular activities, and make sure to highlight any honors or awards you have received.

 

You can also include it in your college essay, and talk about the skills you learned and opportunities you had while in Girl Scouting.

 

Q: What do colleges look for most? Grades, SATs, sxtracurricular activities, volunteerism, or something else?

 

It often depends on the school. Big universities and state schools get thousands and thousands of applicants each year, so they tend to focus on your GPA, SAT scores, and class ranking. Smaller universities and colleges will have more time to focus on things like the essay, recommendations, and extracurricular activities.

 

Q: Lots of the colleges I am applying to ask for recommendations. Who should I ask?

 

Think about who knows you best. Who can talk about your academic achievements and aspirations, as well as your character and qualities? Most students ask teachers, club advisors, coaches, and mentors. Don’t forget Girl Scout advisors and leaders.

 

To get the best letters possible, make sure you identify people who are supportive of you. When you ask them, let them know where you are applying and why. The goal is to choose someone who will stress the strengths you have already highlighted, or provide an opportunity to add something new about you that the admissions officer does not yet know.

 

 

Q: My grades haven’t been consistent throughout high school. How does this affect the likelihood of my getting accepted into a university?

 

It definitely has an impact. You should always pay attention to your grades, especially those in your junior year of high school. But don’t fret. What universities look for most is an upward trend, someone who is constantly getting better and improving.

 

If there is an unexpected event that caused your grades to drop, that will also be taken into consideration. And, if you have only done well in a particular subject, you can highlight that strength, stressing that you will use college as a way to really hone in and excel at your strengths and your passions.

 

Q: Where can I note any “extenuating circumstances” on my application?

 

The best place to mention them is in your essay.

 

Q: How much do application fees cost? What if I can’t afford to pay them?

 

Each university and college has a specific application fee, which can be found on the school’s Web site. A lot of times fee waivers are available. Check with your guidance counselor. In addition, some schools will waive the fee if the student comes to visit the campus and takes a tour or completes the school’s online application.

 

 

 

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Текст про бермудский треугольник

 

The Bermuda Triangle, or Devil’s Triangle, is the name given to an area that has been at the centre of many unexplained disappearances. The Bermuda Triangle lies between Bermuda, Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Within this area of water, numerous planes and ships have mysteriously vanished.

 

The mystery of the Bermuda Triangle began in 1950. A small article appeared outlining the strange disappearances of ships and planes. The area was given the name The Devil’s Sea. In a feature in 1964, Vincent Gaddis christened the area the Bermuda Triangle.

 

One of the most famous disappearances occurred in 1945. Flight 19 was a squadron of five naval bombers. All five planes supposedly disappeared while flying over the Bermuda Triangle. The two planes that set out to rescue Flight 19 also disappeared and were never found. Naval ships such as the USS Cyclops and the Marine Sulpher Queen also disappeared without a trace.

 

Another disappearance was that of Donald Crowhurst, who was attempting an around the world voyage. A large ship carrying ore also mysteriously vanished after only three days at sea. An official statement by the US Coastguard states that repeated search attempts were made, but no traces were ever found of the missing planes or ships.

 

Popularity of the Bermuda Triangle phenomenon reached a peak in 1974 with the publication of Charles Berlitz’s book, The Bermuda Triangle. At around the same time, a film with the same name was also released. Numerous articles and books have since been published to try and give scientific explanations to the mystery. Some of the explanations have been more than credible.

 

The stretch of water where the disappearances occurred is notorious for tropical storms. Many of the reports at the time claim that the ships and planes were lost in calm waters. Weather reports checked since do not agree with these reports. Also, the area of water under the triangle has large areas of methane gas eruptions. These eruptions create areas of gas that are incapable of supporting the weight of a ship.

 

Lawrence Kusche, a reference librarian at Arizona State University, conducted a lengthy investigation into the mystery. His conclusions cast doubt on many of the disappearances. David Crowhurst’s diaries prove his mental state to be suicidal as he sailed around the world. An area of the sea off of Japan has the same strange magnetic elements as that of the Bermuda Triangle. Many disappearances have also occurred there.

 

There are also a number of discrepancies in the reports of the Flight 19 disappearance. Flight 19 was reported to have been manned by experienced pilots flying in calm weather. In fact, the flight was a training exercise for students and the weather had turned stormy. The last contact with the flight stated that they were running low on fuel. The flight would no doubt have crash-landed, and no one could have survived the stormy seas of the triangle.

 

For all Kusche’s credible explanations of the disappearances, one mystery remains. None of the crashed planes were ever recovered. As a mystery, the Bermuda Triangle is one that may never be solved. It is certainly an area that would give cause for concern to anyone traveling across.

 

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Текст про английских животных.

 

 

Native English Animals

 

Now England has hardly any predatory animals in the wild, but has it always been that way? Not according to ancient rhymes. England was once a country where predatory animals freely roamed and so danger lurked.

 

Many centuries ago; Bears, wolves, lynx, ect, ranged the forests and woodlands. Also wild boar, Elk and Aurochs (wild bulls) were plentiful. However although some of these species hung on till medieval times, most of these animals were long gone by that time.

 

The last English wolf in England was probably killed and the population extinct by the 16th century, although in Wales it is thought to have lasted a few centuries longer. Wild Boar died out by the 18th century, probably due to being killed for meat at feasts. Wild boar meat has often been a speciality. The great Auroch herds did not least nearly as long and were sadly gone as early as the 9th Century, although on the continent it lasted for many, many more centuries.

 

There was an even bigger size herding animal in Britain in the early centuries. The Giant deer species called Megaloceros, with an antler span of up to 3 meters; was possibly extinct by the time Neolithic man was making wooden stockades. But the antlers were often found, and perhaps used for digging with.

 

Lynx is thought to have gone by the 10th Century, in England at least. It is thought that the Neolithic settlers mingling with peoples already present or taking over, came from the continent and brought their own animals; cattle, domesticated dogs and cats, pigs and also goats with them and built the wooden stockades to protect them. This introduction of imported animals also probably had a negative effect on the original wild life, after their introduction.

 

In Saxon England land was cleared from the forest and a large communal area was used for farming, this was divided in to strips called furrows. However by Medieval times the rich landlords had claimed a lot of land and planted hedges to mark their boundaries. This may have meant farming was easier, but for the poor it meant they were beggared and starving, as the loss of their land meant the loss of their livelihoods.

 

Land by the Thames was taken from the people in medieval times and given over to sheep farmers for the trading of wool, which by then had become an important industry and meant tax for the crown, extremely valuable to Britain’s Economy. However this also left less land for the common people and placed it in the hands of the rich.

 

So by now most of the original predatory or herding wild animals had been replaced by imports. Thankfully there is now a program that is re-releasing our original, surviving animals back into their own natural habitat. We hope, desperately that this is successful. But with escaped wild cats (Lynx, Jaguar etc) from careless owners, due to changes in law in the 1070’s; this and also flocks of escaped exotic birds and even wild wallabies, all now living in the wild, uncaught, we have to wait and see.

 

 

Grateful thanks go to Ladybird books for their Conservation Book. This was an invaluable tool in the writing of this article.