Self-Assessment
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
“So, tell me something about yourself that I’m not reading in your application.”
As you sit across from the college interviewer, you GULP and wonder if you can come up with anything insightful to say. Who thinks about the deep stuff when you’re busy with homework and other activities? But now that the course of your life is about to change (you’re planning to graduate!), and you’re faced with making perhaps one of your first major life decisions, wouldn’t you like to base it on more than what happens to come up at the moment?
Take some time to think about who you are: your strengths, your passions, your interests. What are you looking for in your college experience, and what kind of college would best fit your interests and needs?
You should start by keeping a record of awards and recognitions as well as goals and interests. This list will come in handy when you are filling out résumés, college applications, and scholarship forms. Use the Starting Point Fact Sheet to help you start collecting data. Your goal is to build a Strengths-Based Profile. This will help you present the very best portrait of yourself when it is time to apply to college.
Taking the opportunity to analyze your interests, goals, skills, and personal characteristics will assist you in finding careers and areas of study that fit you best. These self-assessments are not meant to box you in – only to give you direction! You can revisit these at any time. In fact, it’s a good idea to do so and to re-evaluate your goals on a regular basis.
The Personal Inventory Worksheet offers you an opportunity to assess your strengths and weaknesses. Taking time to evaluate yourself is likely the single most important step you can take in selecting the right college and can have an impact on how satisfying and successful your college years will be.
The 3D Approach Sheet
Remember: Colleges are looking for intellectually-motivated students. They want to know if you are an active learner or a passive learner. Active learners seek knowledge whenever they can. Combine your passion for learning with a common focus or theme to strengthen your profile. For example:
DO: Play baseball, and then to take it further, maybe read biographies on famous baseball players or learn about coaching or managing techniques.
DONATE: Volunteer to coach young athletes.
DEMONSTRATE: Show leadership by giving batting lessons to earn money or organizing a school event to raise money for a good cause.
Action Steps:
- Download and review your Self-Assessment Fact Sheet.
- Upload the Fact Sheet into your Unit 2 folder.
