5

JUSTRELEASED
IDEAS

for Getting into the

College of Your Choice

Youve
demonstrated
that youre a
gifted student.
Thats why were happy to present
you with the latest strategies to
help you gain admission to your
ideal school. Keep these five tips
in mind as you prepare for the
college application process.

Demonstrate
commitment.

Chances are theres a school club or sport that you really enjoy.
Colleges like to see students who have shown commitment to an
activity. For example, if youve been running track for a few years,
the next step might be a leadership role on the team, such as
team captain. Enjoy participating in the Beta Club? Get even more
involved by becoming an officer, such as president or secretary.
Having these activities on your application shows that youre not
afraid to get involved and work hard for something that interests you.
Getting involved at Stony Brook will become second nature, with
over 300 clubs and organizations available to students. From
fraternities and sororities to the YouTube Club and Gamers Guild,
youll find an activity that is the right fit for you. Thinking about
getting involved in sports? We have you covered for that, too. Our
mascot, Wolfie Seawolf, proudly represents 20 NCAA Division I
sports teams. Intramural and club sports, including flag football,
volleyball, bowling, and more, are also options. Plus, we just
opened our new 85,000-square-foot Campus Recreation Center.

Stay current on whats

happening globally.

Its a great big world out there. While you spend hours doing
schoolwork, do you really know whats going on outside of your
textbooks? Keeping up with current events can give you an edge
over other college applicants. Brush up on your current affairs by
reading the newspaper (either a traditional hard copy or the online
version), watching the nightly news, making your favorite news
source your Internet homepage (or following them on Twitter), or
subscribing to daily news alerts on your smartphone. You might
even have the opportunity to live and study in a foreign country in
college, so be prepared to go anywhere and do anything.
Stony Brook was recently cited as a top college just as
great as the Ivy League schools in PolicyMic. The world can be
your classroom with Stony Brooks study abroad programs. Our
students travel all over the world to enrich their education from
Kenya to China to Russia to New Zealand. Earn credits toward
your degree while living the adventure of a lifetime overseas.
Abroad programs are offered during the regular school year as
well as during the winter and summer sessions. Which country
would be your destination?

Take time
to volunteer.

Find a worthy cause youre passionate about and set aside an hour
or two each week for it. Do you enjoy hearing stories told by your
grandparents? Sign up to have dinner with nursing home residents
every now and then. If you love animals, volunteer at your local
animal shelter. Volunteering is fulfilling for you, and it impresses
college admissions officers. You may even uncover a field youre
so enthusiastic about that youll want to study it in college which
could possibly lead to a career.
Winston Churchill said it best: We make a living by what we get,
but we make a life by what we give. At Stony Brook were always
looking for ways to give back to the community. In 2011, we
were honored to be admitted to the Presidents Higher Education
Community Service Honor Roll for our commitment to service and
campus-community partnerships that produce measurable results
for the community. If volunteering is something youre interested
in, get involved with our Volunteers for Community Service. Many
of our students have participated in alternative spring breaks,
where theyve helped rebuild houses in Louisiana and Mississippi
with Habitat for Humanity.

Challenge
yourself.

Take advantage of your final years of high school as a time to take

classes that challenge you. Sign up for honors and Advanced
Placement (AP) courses (if theyre available) in subjects that you
enjoy. Not only do these look great on your application, but you may
even earn college credits for taking them. The more challenging
your curriculum is in high school, the better prepared youll be for
college courses. Since youve probably thought about what you want
to study in college and its completely normal to change your mind
a few times take courses that will prepare you.
There is something for everyone at Stony Brook, where our topnotch academic programs include 67 majors, such as Computer
Engineering, European Studies, Music, and more. We also offer
80 minors ranging from Dance to Nanotechnology. Stony Brook
manages Brookhaven National Laboratory, a state-of-the-art
research lab, and were one of only 10 universities nationwide
recognized by the National Science Foundation for combining
research with undergraduate education. Thinking further into the
future, Stony Brook was ranked 16th among public universities
with the highest-paid graduates by PayScale.com.

Perfect your
writing skills.

Many college admissions officers agree that the application essay

is the students time to really shine. Its difficult to discern a
students personality from application questions, even if you have
10 extracurricular activities listed. Obviously, paying attention in
your English classes is a must, but take time to practice your essaywriting skills outside of class. Find sample college admission essay
topics online to practice with, and then ask your English teacher
to read and critique your essays. The more you practice, the more
prepared youll be when application time rolls around.
Speaking of writing, our student bloggers write daily stories about
the little things that make our university awesome. For example,
one SB Blogger posted a blog about Wolfstock, our annual
Homecoming event. Another wrote about the Roth Pond Regatta,
an event held each April in which teams of students race in boats
made of cardboard and duct tape! Its moments like these that
make Stony Brook so unique!

As youre searching for the right college,

be sure to keep these helpful hints in
mind. We hope youll check out Stony
Brook University, because we believe it
would be the right fit for you. Thats why
wed like to invite you and your family to
visit us. Plan your visit online at
www.stonybrook.edu/sb/visiting, or give
us a call at (631) 632-6868.
Stony Brook is located on Long Islands
North Shore, just a short distance from
New York City! Enjoy a four-season
climate on our 1,039-acre, energetic
campus. We were ranked among the
top 40 public universities by U.S. News
& World Report.

Wed like to have the opportunity

to meet you in person plan a visit
for you and your family today!
www.stonybrook.edu/admissions/visiting
(631) 632-6868

Office of Undergraduate Admissions

118 Administration Building, Stony Brook, NY 11794-1901