LiveWorld Transcripts

CosmoGIRL! presents

Steven Roy Goodman
College Admissions Expert

October 12, 2000

The crazy college search just got a little easier! International expert Steven Roy Goodman has been guiding students and families on the do's, don'ts and how to's of this stressful process for 14 years. From school selection to application strategies, personal statement preparation, and interview training, Steve's got all the answers!

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CosmoGIRL!: Welcome to our chat with college admissions expert Steven Roy Goodman. This chat is sponsored by CosmoGIRL! a magazine for REAL girls with REAL issues. Log on at www.cosmogirl.com. Please give a warm welcome to Steven Roy Goodman!

Steven Roy Goodman: Hello everyone. Thank you for joining us. Before we begin, I'd like to say a special thank you to CosmoGIRL! readers and a special thank you to CosmoGIRL!'s wonderful editor, Atoosa Rubenstein. And I'm really glad that CosmoGIRL! has taken the time to bring us together so we can talk about college admissions, general college life, and whatever else you have on your minds. I'm particularly interested in chatting about whatever you would like. Perhaps we can start by discussing college-related issues that are at the forefront of your minds and/or what you can do to improve your chances of getting into your top choice schools.

Diane: What should I be looking for in a school?

Steven Roy Goodman: I think the first thing you should when you're thinking about a school is begin by thinking about what you would like to do in your own life first. What is your objective? What would you like to do with your life? What would you like to accomplish? Now, I realize that not everybody knows exactly what they want to do when they get older. However, it is not a bad idea to try to first think about the things that you enjoy doing so that you're not simply fishing among 3,000 colleges and universities in the U.S. There are a number of things you can look for in a university. You can look for schools that are fun. You can analyze schools in terms of location. You can analyze schools in terms of distance from home. You can look at schools in terms of prestige. You can analyze schools by examining individual academic departments at those institutions. But most importantly, I think you should begin to look at the student body at different colleges and universities to determine if you 'fit' generally into that community atmosphere.

Bredapup: What sort of things do top colleges look for the most?

Steven Roy Goodman: A passion for learning. That is the most important thing that you can demonstrate to a top college. The follow-up question, of course, for that would usually be how do I demonstrate that and the way to do that is by demonstrating that you do, in fact, like to learn. And you can demonstrate that you enjoy learning by showing good grades and getting involved in activities that demonstrate a commitment to learning. An example of that would be writing for the paper, yearbook involvement, getting involved in community groups in which you're learning more and assisting your community at the same time, and taking part in voluntary activities that improve your understanding of the world, your vocabulary, and your general level of sophistication.

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