Course Syllabus

Course Title: Finding your fit: Navigating the college search process
ADM-101

This course will guide students in navigating the application process at selective U.S. institutions. Through two modules, students will gain a greater understanding of how to identify colleges that are a fit for their interests and background, and a deeper understanding of the financial considerations related to the college decisions. Additionally, students will learn about the importance of the college admissions essay and will work on their own common application essay. This course is ideal for students set on attending a selective institution, but unsure of how to narrow down their choices and navigate the process.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Describe the characteristics of a school that would be a good fit for them, and identify specific schools that have those characteristics.
• Identify the steps involved in applying for college 
• Navigate search engines to identify colleges based on specific characteristics 
• Express their personal qualities by writing a common application essay (you'll be able to use this as you begin to apply for colleges!)

Navigating the course

• Each week, view the "Modules" tab to view the readings and assignments for the week. Be sure to submit assignments by the listed due dates.

Discussion Board

• Initial posts on the discussion board should be between 200-300 words, and your follow-up posts should be around 100 words. Please be courteous to your fellow learners in all of your interactions. Each learner is in a different phase of the college search, so please be mindful of each individual experience and respect the experiences that are shared in the discussion board.

Questions, comments, or concerns

• Most students will benefit from hearing your question as well, so I encourage you to post it in the "Ask an Instructor" discussion board that is set up for you to use. If you have a question that you would like answered 1-1, you may always email me directly, or set up a time for a phone call.

Assignments & Due Dates:

Session 1: August 22-28, 2016

Assignments:

• College Research Spreadsheet: 30% (due Friday, August 26)
• College Research Discussion: 15% (first post due Friday, August 26, follow-up posts due Sunday, August 28)

Session 2: August 29-September 4, 2016

Assignments:

• Common application essay: 40% (due Friday, September 2)
• Reflection Discussion: 15% (first post due Friday, September 2, follow-up posts due Sunday, September 4)
• Optional discussion: College Essay Ideas -- throughout the week, ungraded

Best of luck in this course, and I look forward to working with each of you!

Kelsey