We’re Chatty, and More Tips (#6 & #7)

The Chats:

This week has been “Chat Week” for Fletcher Admissions.Every day, for one hour, the office is filled with students and Fletcher staff (admissions, along with Career Services, and Student Academic Services), and we open up our chat site for questions.

The chats are a fun and fast-moving hour for us. They can be a nice way for applicants to “hear” about what others are thinking, and it is an easy way to reach current Fletcher students. There’s a crazy flow of questions. Our screens fill with requests for information about housing, language proficiency, admissions, job search, internships, application essay, Massachusetts weather, campus jobs, the need for a car, professors, research interests…. Mostly we manage to keep up, and I think all the participants get a satisfying (though very brief) answer to their questions.

If you have requested information or otherwise had your name added to our mail/email list, then you should have received notification of the chats. If you would like to know about future chats or other events, consider adding yourself to the list. Either way, you’re welcome to the chat tomorrow: 12:30 Eastern Time. Log in and join the conversation.

And the Tips:

Besides mentioning the chats, I wanted to add a couple more Admissions Tips, particularly since our Early Notification deadline is only two weeks away.The first tip for today (#6 overall) is:Please do not upload writing samples of more than four pages.Though you’re justifiably proud of your research papers or senior thesis, the reality is that the Admissions Committee will not be able to read more than a very short sample.And, in general, well-crafted application essays are the best writing sample.

Admissions Tip #7 is: Please do not send us your high school diploma or transcripts. We understand that many educational systems do not match the U.S. system neatly, and that there may be some blurring of the lines between your high school and undergraduate work. Nonetheless, we really only want to see your college/university grades.

We’ve nearly completed review of applications for January admission (decisions will be sent later this month). Early Notification applications for September admission are starting to trickle in. Whether we’re chatting or reading, this will be a busy month for us.