🍦 Today's Scoops: Showing off your technical skills (Oct 11)

Good morning folks! Here’s what we have today:

1. Link Lounge Refresh

2. School of the Day: Georgetown University

3. Admissions Blueprint: Where to show your technical skills

LINK LOUNGE REFRESH
New Resources & Scholarships!

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays we will be updating the Link Lounge section with links to great resources such as scholarships and tools during the college application process. You’ll find it at the top of your email on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and near the bottom during the rest of the week.

(NEW) Diamond Challenge - The ultimate high school entrepreneurship competition

(NEW) ROTC Scholarships - Get involved in the military and go to college for free

PEO STAR Scholarship - $2,500 scholarships for exceptional female seniors

Hack Club High School Hackathons - Upcoming hackathons for high schoolers, with thousands in prizes

SCHOOL OF THE DAY
Georgetown University

Every day, we cover a different school, helping you learn something new about your favorite schools or find a new school that could end up being your dream school.

📍 Location: Washington, DC
🎓 Undergraduates Enrolled: 7,968
📊 Acceptance Rate: 12%
📝 Average SAT/ACT: 1480/33
💸 Cost: $68,016
📅 Admission Options: Early Action (Nov 1), Regular Decision (Jan 10)
🏆 Top Ranking Programs: International Relations (#1), Accounting and Finance (#2), English (#7) (Niche)
📈 Most Popular Majors: Business/Management (20%), Psychology (13%), Biological/Biomedical Sciences (9%) (US News)

Some Positives

✨ Unbeatable Location in D.C.
Georgetown’s location offers unparalleled access to world-class internships at think tanks, embassies, NGOs, and government agencies. You could find yourself engaging with diplomats, lawmakers, and global leaders, all within a short distance from campus. Life in D.C. at Georgetown allows for learning both inside and outside the classroom.

🌍 The Walsh School of Foreign Service (SFS)
As home to one of the best international relations programs in the world, the Walsh School of Foreign Service is a dream for students passionate about diplomacy, global affairs, and policy. Notable alumni like King Felipe VI of Spain and former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright are part of Georgetown’s legacy of global influence.

💼 Powerful Alumni Network
Georgetown boasts a robust alumni network, particularly strong in fields like law, politics, and business. With connections to figures like President Bill Clinton and countless ambassadors, students benefit from a deep well of mentorship and career opportunities. Check out how Georgetown alumni make an impact.

🕊️ Jesuit Values and Community Service
As a Jesuit institution, Georgetown emphasizes service and ethics, encouraging students to engage with the world through volunteerism and social justice initiatives. Programs like Georgetown’s Center for Social Justice offer students countless opportunities to give back and make an impact.

Some Negatives

🏛️ Competitive Admissions
With its prestigious reputation and prime location, Georgetown is highly selective, particularly for programs like the Walsh School of Foreign Service. The acceptance rate hovers around 12-15%, making it a tough school to get into.

🚶 Campus Crowds and Limited Space
Although Georgetown is a top-tier university, its campus is relatively small compared to its student body. The lack of space in popular dorms and study areas can make campus life feel a bit cramped. Explore campus housing options.

ADMISSIONS BLUEPRINT
Where to show your technical skills

You’ve spent all this time honing your technical skills—whether that’s coding, data analysis, robotics, or something else—and now you’re wondering where they fit into your college application. They can go basically all over the application, but let’s break down how you can fit in your immense technical knowledge:

1. Your Activities Section
This is a prime spot to showcase your skills. Did you build an app? Start a tech club? Intern at a software company? The activities section isn’t just for sports or volunteer work—it’s a snapshot of how you spend your time and, more importantly, how you’ve applied those technical abilities. If you coded a website for a local nonprofit, don’t just mention how it helped the organization connect with more people, but also talk about what skills you used to make that website.

2. Personal Essays
Here’s where you can get a bit more creative. In your essays, it’s not just about listing what you’ve done, but why it matters. Maybe you took on a project because you saw a gap in your community or wanted to solve a personal challenge. Colleges love to see how you think about problems and how your technical skills have evolved from a passion to something that has real-world impact. Just be careful not to let the essay turn into a resume—focus on the story behind your skills.

3. Supplemental Essays
Some schools have specific prompts that ask about your academic interests or experiences. This is your moment to dive deeper into your technical skills. Whether it’s explaining why you’re drawn to computer science or how you fell in love with engineering after tinkering with an Arduino kit, supplemental essays are a great way to show colleges why these skills are important to you—and how you want to continue developing them.

4. Your Portfolio (if applicable)
This is a no-brainer if you’re applying for majors like computer science, engineering, or design. A portfolio can be a digital space where you showcase the actual stuff you’ve created—like code samples, a GitHub repo, or a website you built from scratch. Not every school requires this, but if they offer the option, go for it! Just make sure your projects are polished and represent the best of what you can do.

5. Letters of Recommendation
If you’ve worked closely with a teacher or mentor on a technical project, they’re the perfect person to highlight your technical skills. If you can, be sure to tell your teachers to write about your technical knowledge in your recommendation letters. Sometimes it’s better for someone else to sing your praises, especially when it comes to specific, hands-on abilities. It adds credibility to what you’ve already mentioned elsewhere in your application.

Bonus Tip:
If you’re really passionate about a technical project, some schools allow you to upload an additional “Creative Supplement.” Whether it’s a presentation, video, or website, if the school lets you submit extra materials, use this to highlight your skills in a way that words can’t fully capture.

So, to wrap it up: your technical skills can shine in multiple areas of your application, from the activities list to essays to recommendations. Just remember, it’s not about where you put them, but how you frame them. Make sure each mention tells not only your skills, but also a story of growth, impact, and passion!

DAILY DEADLINE UPDATES
4 more days until UT and UNC deadlines!

In the Daily Deadlines section, we will keep you updated on upcoming deadlines in the college admissions world. Remember to not procrastinate and stay ahead of these deadlines!

University of Texas/UNC Chapel Hill Early Action Deadline: October 15
Most ED, REA & EA Deadlines: November 1

THE ARCHIVE
Looking for past mailings?

You can view all our previous posts at our website at https://scholarscoops.beehiiv.com

IDEAS COME FROM EVERYWHERE
Have an idea for the newsletter?

Is there a question you’ve been dying to have answered related to college admissions? Or, is there something just nagging you about Scholar Scoops that you want to see fixed soon? We want to hear from you. You can submit feedback at https://forms.gle/7Rj2eBCiauEc5oNV8. Thank you so much!