FAQ's about College admissions:
Q: State universities are always a cheaper option than private colleges, right?
A: Sometimes - but not always! Depending upon your grades and test scores, possible guaranteed merit scholarships for students, the Estimated Family Contribution and how the college Financial Aid office calculates your "need", private colleges can be similar in price, or sometimes even a lower cost option than a state college or university.
Don't count out ANY college when applying based on price, alone. Some colleges are more generous with need based aid and merit scholarships, so the higher price tag may actually be smaller after factoring in financial aid. There is often a huge difference between the sticker price of a college and what the true cost will be based on the financial aid package offered in the spring.
The true cost is hard to predict, and will be variable based on need based aid (grants), work study jobs, student and parent loans, and most especially, scholarships. Advanced Placement classes may help waive requirements at a college, which might save you money on tuition. It is recommended for the student to apply, wait for admissions and financial aid offers, and then decide after you have all of the facts and the new "price."
Q: I am only interested in studying _____________(engineering, science, business, pre-med, etc). I only want to look at strong programs in my interest area. How can I find the best school for my interests?
A: Be prepared to seek out a campus that offers the best academic, social and financial fit - for your needs, first. You may start out as a Pre-Med major, and change over to Business Administration. It is possible you might add on a second major, or a minor. Choose a college or university based on more than just the strength of the program of your proposed major. Choose a college that has many of the academic programs you MIGHT be interested if you change your focus down the road. While you may not have any other majors in mind when you are applying for college admission, it is good to consider multiple majors/minors when thinking about colleges. There are personality and skills assessment tools that we will explore together to help find the best major or possible careers that you will likely suit you during our initial Student Planning Interview.
Q: When should I start planning for college?
A: Students should start working towards college admissions by 7th or 8th grade. This means taking challenging classes (and doing well in them!), working to his or her potential, participating in extracurricular activities such as sports, music, art, drama, clubs and taking the recommended standardized testing, on time. This doesn't mean the student should obsess over college planning at such an early age, but they should make themselves as competitive a candidate, as possible.
It is important that a student is prepared academically for college. This means taking math, science, foreign language, English, social sciences and arts classes during high school. It is recommended for students in California to follow the University of California "a-g requirements". This is the standard that most four-year colleges expect out of college applicants.
Q: I am planning on starting college at a community college and then transferring to a four-year college, later. Why should I follow the University of California recommended coursework?
A: Community college can offer students an excellent and low-cost alternative path to college for many students. Most community colleges also offer Honors and Guaranteed Transfer options to many four-year colleges. Taking the most challenging classes during high school will prepare a student for college level coursework, whether they are planning on going to their local community college or an Ivy league college, or any other college in-between!
Q: What are the advantages of hiring a college planning consultant?
A: College admissions has become much more competitive in recent years. With some of the largest high school graduating classes in recent years, those fewer freshman spots in colleges are in even greater demand than ever before. Schools that were "safeties" a few years ago are turning students away due to budget cutbacks. There are no sure things.
College admissions isn't a complicated process. You send in an application, the admissions committee considers your application and lets you know several months later whether you are admitted or denied. Finding the right school, or many "right" schools for a student is the complicated part, and one that takes time, effort and much research and self-reflection on behalf of the student. There are almost 3000 colleges and universities in the United States, and each college has their own criteria for admitting a student.
I will offer the student a realistic appraisal of the student's strengths or weaknesses, and help them to build a college list based on their own individual needs. While I cannot guarantee admissions to any college, I can provide the tools for the student to be organized and to take the stress out of the college planning, search and application process, as well as understand how to navigate the financial aid system.
Planning for college doesn't have to be an anxiety-filled process. My goal is to make college planning easy and less stressful for students and their parents. I look forward to working with students to make their college dreams a reality.
My students have been accepted at:
MIT
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Davis
University of California, San Diego
Cornell University
University of Southern California
Duke University
University of San Diego
University of the Pacific
Cal Maritime
Chapman University
La Salle University
De Paul University
Hartwick College
Loyola Marymount University
St. Mary's College of California
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
University of Redlands
University of California, Santa Cruz
collegeoptions@yahoo.com
A: Sometimes - but not always! Depending upon your grades and test scores, possible guaranteed merit scholarships for students, the Estimated Family Contribution and how the college Financial Aid office calculates your "need", private colleges can be similar in price, or sometimes even a lower cost option than a state college or university.
Don't count out ANY college when applying based on price, alone. Some colleges are more generous with need based aid and merit scholarships, so the higher price tag may actually be smaller after factoring in financial aid. There is often a huge difference between the sticker price of a college and what the true cost will be based on the financial aid package offered in the spring.
The true cost is hard to predict, and will be variable based on need based aid (grants), work study jobs, student and parent loans, and most especially, scholarships. Advanced Placement classes may help waive requirements at a college, which might save you money on tuition. It is recommended for the student to apply, wait for admissions and financial aid offers, and then decide after you have all of the facts and the new "price."
Q: I am only interested in studying _____________(engineering, science, business, pre-med, etc). I only want to look at strong programs in my interest area. How can I find the best school for my interests?
A: Be prepared to seek out a campus that offers the best academic, social and financial fit - for your needs, first. You may start out as a Pre-Med major, and change over to Business Administration. It is possible you might add on a second major, or a minor. Choose a college or university based on more than just the strength of the program of your proposed major. Choose a college that has many of the academic programs you MIGHT be interested if you change your focus down the road. While you may not have any other majors in mind when you are applying for college admission, it is good to consider multiple majors/minors when thinking about colleges. There are personality and skills assessment tools that we will explore together to help find the best major or possible careers that you will likely suit you during our initial Student Planning Interview.
Q: When should I start planning for college?
A: Students should start working towards college admissions by 7th or 8th grade. This means taking challenging classes (and doing well in them!), working to his or her potential, participating in extracurricular activities such as sports, music, art, drama, clubs and taking the recommended standardized testing, on time. This doesn't mean the student should obsess over college planning at such an early age, but they should make themselves as competitive a candidate, as possible.
It is important that a student is prepared academically for college. This means taking math, science, foreign language, English, social sciences and arts classes during high school. It is recommended for students in California to follow the University of California "a-g requirements". This is the standard that most four-year colleges expect out of college applicants.
Q: I am planning on starting college at a community college and then transferring to a four-year college, later. Why should I follow the University of California recommended coursework?
A: Community college can offer students an excellent and low-cost alternative path to college for many students. Most community colleges also offer Honors and Guaranteed Transfer options to many four-year colleges. Taking the most challenging classes during high school will prepare a student for college level coursework, whether they are planning on going to their local community college or an Ivy league college, or any other college in-between!
Q: What are the advantages of hiring a college planning consultant?
A: College admissions has become much more competitive in recent years. With some of the largest high school graduating classes in recent years, those fewer freshman spots in colleges are in even greater demand than ever before. Schools that were "safeties" a few years ago are turning students away due to budget cutbacks. There are no sure things.
College admissions isn't a complicated process. You send in an application, the admissions committee considers your application and lets you know several months later whether you are admitted or denied. Finding the right school, or many "right" schools for a student is the complicated part, and one that takes time, effort and much research and self-reflection on behalf of the student. There are almost 3000 colleges and universities in the United States, and each college has their own criteria for admitting a student.
I will offer the student a realistic appraisal of the student's strengths or weaknesses, and help them to build a college list based on their own individual needs. While I cannot guarantee admissions to any college, I can provide the tools for the student to be organized and to take the stress out of the college planning, search and application process, as well as understand how to navigate the financial aid system.
Planning for college doesn't have to be an anxiety-filled process. My goal is to make college planning easy and less stressful for students and their parents. I look forward to working with students to make their college dreams a reality.
My students have been accepted at:
MIT
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Davis
University of California, San Diego
Cornell University
University of Southern California
Duke University
University of San Diego
University of the Pacific
Cal Maritime
Chapman University
La Salle University
De Paul University
Hartwick College
Loyola Marymount University
St. Mary's College of California
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
University of Redlands
University of California, Santa Cruz
collegeoptions@yahoo.com