July 8, 2010
It's September. Those long summer days are already becoming a distant memory, and school is back in session. If you are a high school student, you have a lot of things you should be working on right now, and planning for college often takes a backseat to homework and projects, extracurricular activities and part time jobs, family, and of course, texting your friends and updating Facebook too many times a day to count.
If you are a Junior or Senior in high school, your college to-do list is even longer. Do you know what to do first? Have you signed up for SAT or ACT? Do you know which test is better for you to take? Have you taken a practice or Mock ACT or SAT? Do you know what you are looking for in a college? Have you started creating your college dream list, yet? Have you researched schools on the web or read those pamphlets that have filled your mailbox, from colleges you didn’t even know existed? Who should you ask to be a recommendation for your college application? Do you know what a FAFSA is, and why you should apply…and when? Have you talked to your parents about paying for college, and what schools actually cost? Where can you find listings of college scholarships? Does it make sense to begin at a community college and transfer after two years?
These are just some of the questions about the college admissions process that I hope to help you answer in the coming months. College admission has become more complicated in the last few years. Record numbers of high school seniors are applying to more colleges and attending in greater numbers than at any time in US history. Budget cutbacks in public colleges and endowment losses in public and private losses have created an even scarier problem in the last year, with the economic downturn. With competition rising, and students trying to figure out how to gain an edge over other applicants, it is more critical than ever for college bound students to create a realistic college list, based on their interests, needs and academic qualifications. There are 3000 colleges and universities in the United States. There isn’t one “right” school out there for you. There are several. The key is to figure out what you are looking for in a college, and imagine yourself there. What would happen if you went to a college with one major and then changed your mind after a semester or two? Would that college still be one you would be comfortable in attending? College may be one of the most expensive investments you will ever make in your life, so take the time to answer these questions.
Posted by Michelle Green. Posted In :
college admissions
July 8, 2010
You may have noticed the rankings put out by "US News and World Report" or other college planning guides.. This is a list based on several factors, that may not tell you the whole story on a school. They cannot tell you the quality of the education of a given school. These factors cannot give you a real picture of what it is like to attend a college. You will need to look beyond these rankings, to see what the school is like, not just what number it occupies on this well-known list.
Some of the best schools for you are out there, and they may or may not be on the list. A great education can be found anywhere for the motivated student. Think of the US News rankings as one big popularity contest - and only the “popular” kids get to determine the outcome each year. (These surveys are sent to the college presidents and staffs of colleges, asked to rate their school and others based on how much money is donated to the school, the SAT/ACT scores, grades and class rankings of incoming students, faculty salaries, spending per student, rankings of high school students, faculty to student ratios and number of faculty members on staff.) They do not determine if you will be happy at a school, or that if the school is 25, it is “better” than a school ranked at 97.
These rankings do not explain how happy a student is while at a college (or afterwards), how much debt they will have when they graduate, their test scores or grades during college, how many students go on to get advanced degrees, or how much income they can make after they graduate.
Your goal as a student is to look beyond these numbers and see if the school meets your own unique needs. Visit a campus, talk with students who go there, and above all, imagine if you will be comfortable there, academically and socially for four years. Choosing a college because a friend went there, or your dad, or it hosts your favorite college sports team are horrible reasons for picking a school. Rankings are not going to tell you if you will be happy on a college campus.
Posted by Michelle Green. Posted In :
college admissions
July 8, 2010
Will you need a car if you live at the school? Is there safe and cheap, fast and reliable public transportation available? What is the academic climate - competitive, or less competitive? Is the campus safe? What is the surrounding neighborhood like?
Check out the facilities. Are the dorms modern? Do they have wireless internet connections? What kind of on and off-campus jobs woud be available to you as a student? Are there internship and research opportunties for undergrads? Study abroad opportunities? Is the library open all night? Do students vacate campus on Fridays, heading home for the weekend? What about Greek life? Are there fraternities and sororities on campus? What kind of extracurricular activities are available?
Virtual tours only tell part of the story. Make an effort to see the campus in person!
Posted by Michelle Green. Posted In :
college admissions
July 8, 2010
It's September. Already. Remember when you were a kid and loved the long, lazy days of no schoolwork and lots of fun?
If you were like me, you would spend your time doing a lot of nothing (usually outside) after waking up after sleeping away the whole morning, but enjoying every minute of summer. Then, the time came to pack up your backpack with new binders and pencils and notebook paper, and were dragged kicking and screaming off to school. Your parents were way too happy about it. Think the "Staples" commercial.
Or maybe you were kind of nerdy like me and wanted to go back, but didn't want to admit it. By that time in the summer, you were kind of bored and missing your friends and looked forward to school.
Either way, the time has come. School is here. If you are a high school student, you have a lot of things you should be working on right now, and planning for college often takes a backseat to homework and projects, extracurricular activities and part time jobs, in addition to texting your friends and updating Facebook way too many times a day.
If you are a Junior or Senior in high school, you have even more to do.
Do you know what to do first? If you are a junior, have you signed up for the SAT or ACT? Do you know what you are looking for in a college? Have you started creating your college dream list, yet? Do you know what a FAFSA is, and why you should apply? Have you talked to your parents about paying for college, and what schools actually cost?
Do you know who to turn to for answers to these questions?
Posted by Michelle Green. Posted In :
college admissions
July 8, 2010
Many qualities make a good fit for students - location, cost, size of school, activities, type of academic program, etc. It is important to take these factors into consideration when you are looking for a school to attend.
You should have a minimum of 5 favorite schools that you would be happy to attend, no matter what. There are no guarantees in college admissions, and you have to be ready for that reality. More students than ever are applying to college. Most colleges accept many more students for admission than they deny.
A school that may have been “easy” to get into a few years ago may be “impacted” with too many applicants this year. Diversify the types of schools you are applying to, and pay attention to the numbers of applicants admitted. Think about “financial” safety schools, as well.
Posted by Michelle Green. Posted In :
college admissions
July 8, 2010
The budget situation in California has impacted not only our K-12 schools, but also our public college system. The University of California system is facing a triple hit of fee increases which began in May 2009, another next Spring, and the last one to take effect in Fall 2010. These fee increases add up to around $3000 more per year per student. The California State University system has faced similar, though smaller, fee hikes, a reduction in numbers of qualified students admitted, furloughs for university employees, fewer courses and larger class sizes.
This is bound to hit those students struggling, the most. While those with need-based aid may see no change to their financial aid packages, there is no way to gauge how this will impact the bulk of students attending a University of California school now - or in the future. With families impacted by corporate downsizing, employee furloughs and a loss of income in the economic downturn of last fall, things just got a whole lot tougher for students who dream of a UC education.
This hurts our students in many ways. These fees aren't providing more services for our students...but less. Fewer qualified students will be admitted; class sizes and majors and minors, and course availability will likely be impacted in the next few years. It may take longer than the typical "four years" to graduate with an undergraduate degree; if a student cannot get a needed class, this could delay their degree progress, as well as increase the overall cost of the college education, in the long run. It will be hard to predict how long our students will be squeezed by these budget woes. It doesn’t look good.
What does this mean for the coming college application season? What was once considered a "safety" school may no longer be likely, even if a student is eligible for admissions to that college.
Students applying to Cal State campuses should complete and submit their applications as soon as the filing period is “open”. This could make the difference between getting in, or not. The CSU campuses begin accepting applications on October 1st and are accepted until November 30th. No personal essays or recommendations are required on the application, and students self-report their grades on the CSU application site. This makes the process easier for students to complete this task early. Admissions decisions may take months, but odds are good that the early filing will increase an applicant's chances for admissions.
Students who will be applying to the UC system should complete those applications closer to the beginning of November, if possible. Applications are accepted in the UC system from November 1st through November 30th. Students must complete a more complicated application, including personal statements (but no recommendations). If you are a senior, and applying to one of these schools, you should be working on those UC approved statement topics, now.
Don’t wait to complete and submit these college applications. Getting those apps in early might make the difference between an admit – or a deny.
This hurts our students in many ways. These fees aren't providing more services for our students...but less. Fewer qualified students will be admitted; class sizes and majors and minors, and course availability will likely be impacted in the next few years. It may take longer than the typical "four years" to graduate with an undergraduate degree; if a student cannot get a needed class, this could delay their degree progress, as well as increase the overall cost of the college education, in the long run. It will be hard to predict how long our students will be squeezed by these budget woes. It doesn’t look good.
What does this mean for the coming college application season? What was once considered a "safety" school may no longer be likely, even if a student is eligible for admissions to that college.
Students applying to Cal State campuses should complete and submit their applications as soon as the filing period is “open”. This could make the difference between getting in, or not. The CSU campuses begin accepting applications on October 1st and are accepted until November 30th. No personal essays or recommendations are required on the application, and students self-report their grades on the CSU application site. This makes the process easier for students to complete this task early. Admissions decisions may take months, but odds are good that the early filing will increase an applicant's chances for admissions.
Students who will be applying to the UC system should complete those applications closer to the beginning of November, if possible. Applications are accepted in the UC system from November 1st through November 30th. Students must complete a more complicated application, including personal statements (but no recommendations). If you are a senior, and applying to one of these schools, you should be working on those UC approved statement topics, now.
Don’t wait to complete and submit these college applications. Getting those apps in early might make the difference between an admit – or a deny.
Posted by Michelle Green. Posted In :
college admissions
July 8, 2010
Imagine your child on that fateful day when they get the "fat envelope" from the college of their choice. Now what? As a parent, you are delighted that your child's hard work is affirmed by this clear acknowledgement of his or her intelligence and hard work.
Then, the panic sets in. Parents ask themselves how to afford to make this huge investment? With public colleges with room and board in California ranging from around $17,000 - $27,000 for in-state students, and double that for private schools, how much will this cost, in the end?
Most parents assume the price tag of the tuition listed on the website is THE price tag for all students. This is usually not the case. Each student has a financial aid package tailored to their unique family financial picture, based on income, assets, institutional and federal methodology, how many siblings are in college at the same time, the cost of attendance, and other unknown calculations that are impossible to understand, unless you have worked in a college financial aid office.
How can you avoid college tuition sticker shock? Using the free FAFSA4Caster, early in the college search process can be helpful. By answering a few questions using last year’s tax returns and information about the schools your child has applied to, you can discover your family’s Estimated Family Contribution, or EFC. This dollar amount is the minimum amount that the college and federal government expects that your family can contribute for the student's college education for that upcoming year. While no online calculator can give you the exact price tag, it can be a great starting point when researching colleges. Your "college sticker price" may vary; but using the FAFSA4Caster will give you an early edge. Get your EFC at: http://www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov/F4CApp/index/index.jsf
Posted In :
Financial Aid
July 8, 2010
Have you visited colleges or their webpages, yet? When you start preparing your list of possible colleges, look for schools that match your interests - not just your intended major. You may change your major (once or many times!), so you need to find a college that you will feel at home in for 4 (or more) years. Check out the Additional Resources pages for some nifty virtual college tours.
I am often asked when is a good time to visit colleges. The answer is simple - whenever you get a chance! Don't wait till senior year to investigate colleges. If your family is taking a trip to a new city for a vacation, or your home is near any colleges, make an effort to check them out. It's hard to know what will appeal to you about a college until you have spent some time on that campus. Visit when classes are in session, if possible. Talk to a few students. Eat in the dining hall. Go on a tour. Visit a class, if possible. Take pictures - and notes. If the college is located in a place with extreme weather, and you aren't, by all means, try to visit when it is the coldest during the winter. A college visit to a campus than gets snow for 4 or 5 months may seem very different than when during the spring thaw or summer heat.
Posted by Michelle Green. Posted In :
college admissions
July 8, 2010
Building a college wish list is no easy task. If you are like the typical college-bound senior, you will likely submit 6-8 (or more) applications to colleges. You may have heard the words “Safety”, “Match” or “Reach” to describe colleges.
On each college’s website, it is possible to see the academic profile of a “typical” freshman student. Students may have higher or lower grades and test scores, but this can be a good indication how a student might “fit” if they attend that college.
A “Safety” is most likely will always accept you based on grades and test scores. Local community colleges are always a student’s “safety” school. With honors programs offered by these colleges and guaranteed transfer options to the UC’s and CSU’s, they can provide a great college option for students, and are also affordable, to boot. Other safeties can be the less populated Cal State colleges that aren’t as impacted as the programs at schools like CSULB, San Diego State and Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. If applying to the Cal States, those applications should be turned in, as soon as possible. A “Match” school is one where you will most likely be accepted based on your GPA and standardized testing profile. Researching the SAT or ACT score range listed on the college admissions website can give you this information. Your chances improve, as your scores go above the 50% mark. If you got a 580 Critical Reading, and 620 Math, and a 600 Writing on the SAT, with a score range is somewhere between 540-640, your chances are much more likely that you will be admitted. If the typical GPA of a freshman admit is 3.80, and your GPA is closer to 3.00, it may lessen your chances of admission.
A “Reach” school is one that is a reach for you, and possibly, even for any applicant. The typical admit may have the highest academic qualifications, test scores and numerous leadership, sports, or extracurricular activities. A reach college usually has a low admit rate – somewhere between 10 and 30% of the applicants are accepted. You may wonder how many colleges should be safeties, matches and reaches? The best answer is that there is no absolute number that works for every college applicant. Generally, if you apply to 6-8 schools, it is wise to have 3 or 4 Matches, 1 or 2 Reaches, and 1 or 2 Safeties on your list.
Keep in mind you may change your major, or add a minor. Some academic departments require that you apply with a specific major before admission, like Nursing and Engineering. Ask yourself if the school meet all of your needs, academic and extracurricular, before adding a college to your list.
Do your research. Check out those virtual visits online, and visit in-person, when possible. The most important part of building your list is to feel confident that you would be happy and successful at any of the schools on your college list.
Posted by Michelle Green. Posted In :
college admissions
July 8, 2010
How does a busy high school senior visit college campuses to see if their prospective college choice schools are a good "match"? The old way used to involve trains, planes or automobiles, a substantial amount of time and money, and dragging along mom or dad to visit a campus - or several.
Now, students have a new virtual resource to see prospective college campuses and the students that attend them, without ever leaving home. By visiting a virtual student tour website like www.unigo.com on the web, prospective college students have a travel-free option in seeing what a campus is really like. These written reviews and videos are created and narrated by current students.
Unigo was founded by Jordan Goldman, a recently-graduated Wesleyan University alumni who had been profiled in the book “The Gatekeepers” while he was a prospective college bound student. While in college, he helped co-author and edit the book “The Student Guide to Colleges”. This website debuted last fall after being profiled in the New York Times college issue in the article “The Tell-All Campus Tour”. Goldman understands the needs and anxiety of prospective (and current) college students, and Unigo offers wisdom about what college is really like.
Unlike traditional college guidebooks published by colleges, Unigo.com is an online collaboration by over 15,000 student contributors who review everything from the dorms, to campus traditions to the best kept "secrets" on campus such as the Secret Taco Truck at USC, or how the on-campus parking situation rates at UCLA. While this site is designed primarily for prospective students, even those currently already attending college may learn something new about their university. These student perspectives often offer a real-world glimpse at a particular college and may differ from the marketing campaign of the colleges and their brochures and websites.
While online virtual tours can be a great source of information, they still cannot replace in-person visits to college campuses and taking the official tour, meeting students, attending a lecture and even staying in a dorm, eating in the dining hall, or staying overnight for a prospective student visit. Unigo can help students learn more about how they would ultimately fit on a specific campus or even explore colleges they might not have considered, even before beginning the college application process.
With college application deadlines coming up in the next few weeks and months, there is no better time to get the insider's view at Unigo. Why not "travel" to a few schools, right now?
Posted In :
college admissions
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