Ask an Admissions Expert Tira Harpaz

Ask an Admissions Expert Tira Harpaz Varsity Tutors brings you insider tips and advice straight from nationally recognized admissions experts. Tira Harpaz is the Founder of CollegeBound Advice, an admissions consulting firm that aids many students in the college admissions process. She is a graduate of Princeton Universitywhere she also served as an alumni interviewer. VT: How far ahead of time should a student begin working on his or her college application? Tira: Most students will not look at an actual college application until late August/early September of their senior year of high school.However, students can and should be thinking about parts of their application before that date. In terms of a main essay (which can be used for Common Application schools, as well as many other schools), it is generally a good idea to brainstorm and begin writing the essay in the late spring or summer before senior year.Developing a topic can be time-consumingit can take several drafts to craft an essay you are satisfied with, and the process should not be left until the last minute. In addition, as you go through high school, you should keep a list/develop a resume of your extracurricular activities. That way, you will be mindful if you are doing too many one-time activities rather than having meaningful and in-depth interests. While you should never engage in an activity for the purpose of building a resume, sometimes noticing that you lack leadership or that you have not sustained many of your interests will allow you to rectify those gaps. VT: What are the best ways to go about selecting a terrific essay topic? Tira: I believe the most effective essays are ones in which the reader not only gets a sense of the student, but also feels that the student was emotionally involved with the subject. So, my advice is to brainstorm about what makes you happy and what makes you tick. Think about a time when you felt engagede.g., have you always loved inventing things? When did your fascination with music begin? What did it feel like when you threw your first pitch?In addition, sometimes it's helpful to think about the weaknesses in your application and see if there's a way to address them in an essay. For example, if your extracurricular activities are strong, but your academic performance has been spotty, try and think of times you went the extra mile in a class or got fascinated by a particular subject, and see if you can write about it. VT: Are there any essay topics you get tired of seeing or would warn students to stay away from? Tira: Although I personally have topics I dislike, I think almost any topic can work depending on how well you write. That said, there are a few topics I would be careful about using, including a summer community service/travel program that you paid for, a sports story about winning the big game, and a personal narrative about a hardship or illness in the family, unless it is truly meaningful.In addition, anything that smacks of prejudice or entitlement should be avoided. VT: What is the biggest mistake a student can make on a college application? Tira: The biggest mistake is to send out a rushed application, which does not convey the student's personality or ideas or interest in the college in question. The second mistake (which I see frequently) is not proofreading the application. Typos and sloppiness leave a bad impression, and sometimes there are inconsistencies that should be avoided. For example, if in your activities list you mention that you've been involved with your school band all four years, but your essay says you've just started band, the inconsistency raises unnecessary questions.And finally, of course, lying about activities is just plain foolhardy. VT: What is the typical process an admissions officer goes through to evaluate applications? Tira: The process for admissions offices is different depending on the school.Some very large state universities only consider standardized test results and GPAs while making a decision. For many other schools, at least one admissions officer will do an initial read of the application, looking at essays, recommendations, grades, test scores and activities. These reviews can be relatively short, sometimes only 15-30 minutes, and so your goal should be to make your application stand out in some way and make the admissions officer your advocate. VT: What do you think is the single most important thing a student should make sure they present in the best possible way on their application? Tira: I always tell students they need to answer any underlying questions raised by the application.If a student has few extracurricular activities, the admissions committee might assume the student isn't active and won't participate in the life of the college.That student needs to show, if possible, how he or she engages in activities or pursuits that are purposeful and interesting.If a student has a serious academic weakness, the student must explain how they have worked to improve in that particular subject. VT: How should students go about determining the culture of a university, and whether they would be a good fit? Tira: Students should make a checklist of factors that are important to them. Although some of these preferences may change, many will not, and such a checklist is helpful in deciding which schools will ultimately land on your college list. After that, visiting a school, if at all possible, is useful to determine whether it would be a good fit. Try and interact with students other than tour guides. Are students friendly, helpful, morose, inattentive? Sit in on a class, eat in the cafeteria and visit a dorm room if you can. If you can't visit (or even if you can), go online and access a virtual tour. Reach out to students who attend the school, through emails, texts etc. If you're interested in a particular subject, see if you can correspond with a professor in the department. Some schools offer online chats with the admissions office, and some admissions officers have great online blogs, which can be informative. VT: Early-action, early-decision, binding/non-binding, regular decisions...With so many choices when applying, what do you recommend to students? Tira: To a certain extent, the question of whether to apply early will depend on a student's profile. I generally recommend that a student apply to at least one early action or rolling admissions school that is likely to accept the student. The goal is to have an early acceptance in hand so that your stress level will be lower over the next few months.If, however, a student's grades have been problematic, I might recommend that the student wait until hopefully stronger first semester grades are available before submitting an application. VT: How important are grades and standardized test scores when admissions decisions are being made? Tira: A student's four-year academic record is by far the most important factor in admissions. Generally, no extracurricular activities or exceptional essay will outweigh your coursework and GPA. In addition, schools will look at the rigor of courses the student has taken.If you're applying to a selective school, but have only taken the easiest courses available, it will be very difficult to gain acceptance. After that, for schools requiring standardized tests, test scores are looked at carefully. Finally, all the other components of an applicationessays, recommendations, and extracurricular activitiesare reviewed. VT: What tips do you have for students asking their teachers for letters of recommendation? Tira: Near the end of junior year, students should pick two academic teachers as potential recommenders. You should then ask each teacher whether he or she can give you a positive recommendation. Once a teacher has agreed to give you a recommendation, ask whether there's any information they need.Even if they say no, I would suggest giving the teacher a brief description of why you enjoyed the class and any specific activities or projects you excelled in, as well as a list of your outside activities or your resume. Visit CollegeBound Advice for more information. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

A Level Biology Grading Exam System

A Level Biology Grading Exam System Biology A Level Exam Boards Grading System ChaptersStudying Biology At A LevelA Level Biology Course ContentCourse OverviewGetting Your Head Around Your Upcoming ExamsBiology Exam-Taking TipsAt a glance, this linear specification offered by AQA covers a range of core topics such as Biological Molecules, Cells, Genetic Information, Energy Transfers and Gene Expression, the last two being taught at A Level only.The AS Level course is split into two exams, each worth 50% of the final grade and lasting 1 hour 30 minutes. The second year, however, is assessed over three written exams, each taking 2 hours to complete and making up 35%, 35% and 30% of the final mark respectively.OCR Biology A Level AS Level (H020, H420)This specification leans on the practicality of Biology for students and integrates problem-solving to help pupils understand biological concepts and scientific methods. Like the above, the course is split between the two years of study.The course is said to refresh the popular themes from GCSE Level specifications a nd embeds new teaching modules centred around answering the all-important question: How does Science work? MahimaBiology Teacher 5.00 (10) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AndyBiology Teacher 5.00 (2) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlishaBiology Teacher 5.00 (10) £9/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SaifBiology Teacher 5.00 (9) £22/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors FrankBiology Teacher 5.00 (8) £90/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HeavenliBiology Teacher £9/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SiobhanBiology Teacher £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MackenzieBiology Teacher 5.00 (2) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsCourse OverviewBraintree Sixth Form provides prospective students with some very useful information about studying Biology, including entry requirements and career prospects. Furthermore, they provide a fantastic overview of the A Level Biology course structure, as below.Course Structu reYear 12Module 1: Development of Practical Skills in Biology: This covers the skills of planning, implementing, analysing and evaluating practical investigationsModule 2: Foundations in Biology: This covers cell structure, biological molecules, enzymes, nucleotides and nucleic acids, biological membranes, cell division, cell diversity and cellular organisationModule 3: Exchange and Transport: This covers exchange surfaces, transport in animals and transport in plantsModule 4: Biodiversity, Evolution and Disease: This covers communicable diseases, disease prevention, immune system, biodiversity, classification and evolutionYear 13Module 5: Communications, Homeostasis and Energy: This covers communication, homeostasis, excretion, photosynthesis, respiration. plant and animal responses, neurones and hormonesModule 6: Genetics, Evolution and Ecosystems: This covers cellular control, patterns of inheritance, biotechnology, cloning, manipulation of genomes, ecosystems, populations and su stainability.Biology A Level AssessmentPaper 1 â€" Biological Processes â€" 37% of total A Level. Candidates answer all  questions in a 135 minute written paper   comprising multiple choice questions,  extended response and structured questions covering content from Modules 1, 2, 3  and 5.Paper 2 â€" Biological Diversity â€" 37% of total A Level. Candidates answer all  questions in a 135 minute written paper comprising multiple choice questions,  extended response and structured questions covering content from Modules 1, 2, 4  and 6.Paper 3 â€" Unified Biology â€" 26% of total A Level. Candidates answer all questions in  a 90 minute written paper comprising extended response and structured questions  covering content from Modules 1 to 6.Practical Endorsement for Biology â€" Candidates complete a minimum of 12  practical activities and investigations covering key skills and topic areas over the two  year course. Evidence of candidates meeting a series of competencies in practical  sk ills is assessed by class teachers and moderated externally. Performance in this  assessment is reported separately to the A Level grade as a pass/fail certificated  endorsement. It does not count towards the final A Level grade.Getting Your Head Around Your Upcoming ExamsAccording to research, children and young adults in our country are among the most tested on the planet, so does this mean that UK students should be accustomed to performing under pressure?Despite being some of the most tested pupils in the world, students in the UK still find exams very stressful. Photo by half alive - soo zzzz on Visual hunt /On the contrary, it seems that the recurrent need to test performance and improvement during schooling is something that still causes a lot of distress for pupils, and the abolishment of coursework is making the importance of exams all the more stressful. What do you think?Many admit to finding it hard to get to grips with the fact that they will be participating in nationw ide exams in the not so distant future.  Nevertheless, your exams are going to happen and will make up all of your final grade, so it is time to start thinking seriously about them.Having access to a timetable, even if only a provisional one, can really help to prepare you psychologically for the culmination of your course, because having a specific goal to work towards can be very motivating.Using a calendar or a countdown app might make it even easier to remain focused on the exam period and might, on some level, build up a bit of anticipation for the day of the first exam to finally come.Attempt to keep your spirits up by translating your nervous energy into positivity. Just think, once you have completed your last exam you will have an entirely carefree summer ahead of you!When Will My A-level Exam Timetable Be Released?Timetables for compulsory exams like GCSEs and A Levels are usually released a couple of years in advance, but do remember that these are only there for guidance and should not be taken as completely certain.Although exams will usually take place across roughly the same 2-3 week period of each academic year, you should never attempt to predict when your exams will be based on information from previous years.To be on the safe side, however, we would recommend that you do not make any arrangements for holidays or social events around the time of your exams unless completely necessary, as doing so could allow you to get distracted from your revision, cause unwanted stress due to losing precious revision time, or leave you feeling tired and less alert.Your education does not last forever but you will have plenty of opportunities to go on trips or nights out in the future.What If I Am Away On The Day An Exam Is Set?You should make sure that you do not accidentally make any plans which cause you to be away on the date of any of your exams. Failing to sit an exam could result in you failing the entire course and putting two years of study to waste .If your family are looking to book a holiday which crosses over with the exam period, then every effort should be made for the trip to be booked for a later date, or rebooked for another year. Even a once in a lifetime trip will not sway the examiners, as the rules cannot be twisted for just one pupil.If, however, you have a valid reason for missing an exam, such as being unable to make an exam due to the death of a loved one or as a result of having a funeral to attend, you should consult your school or exam board at the earliest opportunity.Be warned that your eighteenth birthday will absolutely not be classed as a reasonable excuse to miss or re-sit an exam (and neither will being hungover on the morning you are supposed to sit the assessment!).Don't plan to attend or host any parties around the exam period because being hungover won't get you out of doing your exam! Photo by Flóra on VisualHunt.comIn emergencies, the officials will work together to do all that they can to help you, whether that be awarding you a mark based on other assessed performances or using comparable units of a completed exam to predict how you would probably have been graded. This is called special consideration and applies to all students so long as they have completed 25% or more of the total assessment for the subject.Similarly, special consideration can be applied to those who made it to the exam but were affected by circumstances out of their control, like sickness, a bereavement, or being in the midst of a court case, for example. In situations like these, exam boards will give an allowance (usually up to 5% of the raw mark) dependent on the severity of the circumstances.How Are The Exams Graded?When you sit your exam, you will be asked to write your answers in a booklet which will be collected once the assessment time is up. These booklets, known as scripts, get sent off to examiners to be marked. Examiners are more often than not qualified teachers, but don't worry as they are rigorously trained to mark to a particular standard.The exam marking period usually lasts for around 12 weeks, so don't bank on getting your result until the end of the summer.  Throughout this time, the examiners' work is checked externally to ensure their marking is consistent and fair and  to ensure that they are applying the mark scheme correctly.  If not, the examiner won't be allowed to continue marking.Once all of the marks have been collected, the exam boards set the grade boundaries.  This process, called awarding, is carried out by senior examiners who are experts in their particular subject field, and overseen by the qualifications regulator.They look at scripts in relation to the grade boundary from the previous year as well as a range of scripts from the current year and then compare the scripts to decide the mark for this year's boundary.Biology Exam-Taking TipsPreparing for a Biology exam isn't the same as for any other subject. Of course, the general rules of re vision apply, but there are a number of other things you should be thinking about doing when you have a Biology exam coming up.Plan extra time for Biology revisionOkay, so we would say that as we are championing Biology. But, the fact is that things you learn about in Biology are often completely new to you (except those things you already covered in GCSE which may be slightly more familiar to you). So, rather than adding knowledge to things you already know, as you would be on an English or Maths course, you will need to take some extra time to learn the contents of your Biology modules as well as all of the complicated vocabulary that comes with it.Study vocabulary listsOn the subject of vocabulary and glossaries, why not create flashcards to help you remember some of the long words and scientific terminology? Memorisation is great ahead of an exam, so be sure to start early and keep going back to the exercise, increasing the amount of time you spend on learning them as you get cl oser to the exam period.Be active in your revisionThis is more of s general suggestion rather than an exam tip. Reading alone isn't enough to pass a Biology exam with flying colours, you need to truly understand the information and be able to apply it logically. To gain this enhance understanding, you must ensure you participate actively in any classroom activities or experiments in the lab. Whilst doing so, ask as many questions as you can - you won't get the chance again and you will kick yourself if you hit a brick wall during your revision because you didn't explore the subject more at the time!Use resourcesThere are various resources you can make use of, such as science books, revision websites, exam board websites and past papers, but one place that you shouldn't forget is your classroom textbook. These books have been designed for a specific purpose, working closely with your exact curriculum to help you to pass the exam! Be sure to take a look at their revision tips, exercis es and any add-ons they offer ahead of your test.Maximise pointsOf course, you can know the course inside -out but that doesn't guarantee you top marks. Since your overall grade is down to a number of factors like  coursework,  lab experiments and racking up points in your long answers, you should try to target getting the most points. This can include displaying your knowledge of terminology in an exam, being proactive in class or it could be the extra effort you put into your homework assignments.Be readyIt goes without saying but you should always make sure you have prepared yourself enough for the exam that you feel ready. Test yourself in the run-up to the exam so that you can address any weak areas before they catch you out on the exam paper. You'd rather find these before the examiner does in your actual exam when there's no opportunity to try again, wouldn't you?To find out how using past papers can benefit you, visit our blog on the importance of past papers.Furthermore, to find out what other resources are available to you, see this article on revision resources and techniques.Finally, find biology tutors near me.