Book: U.S. News & World Report America’s Best Colleges (2010 Edition)

• A+ Schools for B Students (page 12-13) – http://www.usnews,com/aplus
• A Strong Commitment to Teaching (page 15) – 80 colleges and universities focus on undergrads – http://www.usnews.com/college
• Chapter 2: Narrow the Search (page 16-43)
  • 5 Keys to Finding the Right Fit
    • Start with you, not the colleges.
    • Visit campuses. http://www.usnews.com/roadtrips
    • Humor the tour guide. But ask questions!
    • Drawn to specific type of schools?
    • Be realistic.

Only 2.9% of students applied to 12 or more schools.

• College Fairs
  • http://www.nacacnet.org
  • http://www.ctcl.org
• Feedback fro students at http://www.studentsreview.com can alert  you to things you won’t get from a school’s own site.

For fall 2010, Department of Education projects the ratio of collegegoers to be 57% girls to 43% boys.

• Programs to Look For (page 34-35):
  • Internships
  • Senior Capstone (ask students nearing the end of their college years to create a project of some sort that integrates and synthesizes what they’ve learned)
  • First-Year Experience (first-year seminars or other academic programs that bring small groups of students together with faculty or staff on a regular basis)
  • Undergraduate Research Creative Projects
  • Learning Communities
  • Study Abroad
  • Service Learning
  • Writing in the Disciplines
• Turning Two Years Into Four (Community Colleges) (page 42-43) – http://www.usnews.com/commcollege
  • More than 100 2-year colleges have more than 3,000 students and offer campus housing.
• Chapter 3: How to Get In (page 44-59)
  • 5 Keys to an Awesome Application
    • Grades do matter. Don’t succumb to senioritis.
    • Don’t do well on certain tests? Consider the ACT instead of SAT.
    • Polish your essay until sings. Make sure your authentic voice comes through.
    • Pick your teacher recommendations carefully.
    • Rejected by the schools you applied to? May is not too late to start over.
  • Stop Selling Yourself Short (page 46-48)
    • Making the grade.
      • academic risk takers
      • challenged themselves
      • rigorous curriculum
      • has it prepared them?
      • What we want for students is the feeling that they’re looking for the next great thing they need to know. We like to see a sense of joy and curiosity.
    • Express yourself.
      • doesn’t  have to be a week in Africa. It can you were a clerk at Safeway for the summer and that changed the way you view race relations or the environment.
      • one in which “a student travels in a few swift paragraphs from one perspective to another and has seen the deeper meaning, learned the lesson, or found the humor.”
      • We are looking for a thoughtful, earnest presentation that shows complicated interests and thinking.
      • Always, always, always be honest.
    • Show a little love.
      • demonstrated interest – showing genuine enthusiasm for each school on your list is a must.
      • No college wants to play second or fifth or 15th fiddle.
      • We want kids who want us.
      • Tailor each application individually, with concrete examples of why you can see yourself there.
    • Find your fans.
      • The best choice isn’t always the teacher whose class you aced.
      • Better to pick the one who can describe what you’re like as a person.
      • Ask if they can write you a strong recommendation and if the teacher hesitates, back off.
    • Depth beats breadth.
      • It’s important to be well lopsided rather than well rounded.
      • Focus on what you’re good at.
      • Doing less but doing it well.
      • Avoid being one dimensional.
      • Anything you’re passionate about has merit, including an after-school job.
    • The interview.
      • Some are informational and some are evaluative.
      • One-on-ones are a way to underscore your desire to attend.
      • Rehearse your questions and talking points with an adult.
      • Communication not just your strengths but also your enthusiasm.
      • Say clearly and politely, “This is what I’ve achieved, and I am proud of it.”
    • Full Disclosure.
      • from whatever tipped you up, accepted the consequences, and done what you could do to make amends.
      • You’ve got to show that you learned something.
      • Don’t whine.
    • Acing the Essay.
      • Brainstorm – Ask family and friends what to write about. Focus on what matters to you and why. How you spend your free time is a good place to start.
      • Show; don’t tell – use examples and anecdotes.
      • Be polite but not too humble.
      • Seek feedback – ask someone to read your essay and ask, “Does this sound like me?”
      • Take your time and don’t do it at the last minute.
    • Killer Extracurrics.
      • Choose wisely.
      • Lessons – what drew you in, and what did you learn?
      • Details, details – president of the poetry society? Say how many members the club has and what you do.
      • Commitment – show how much work you put into the water polo team.
  • Taking Charge of Your Test Scores (page 49)
    • SAT Score-Use Practices guide – http://www.collegeboard.com which breaks down many schools’ specific policies.
    • Make a chart that refers to each college’s rules so you completely understand each school’s requirements.
    • College Board’s SAT-Skills Insight which identifies skills that are needed for the test and poses sample questions.
    • Science section of ACT tests your scientific reasoning skills (40 questions).
    • 1.4 million fro ACT versus 1.5 million for SAT
    • http://www.usnews.com/sat
  • Rocketing Past the Blunders (page 50-51)
    • Sanitize your e-mail address.
    • keep nicknames private.
    • Follow directions.
    • Recruit enthusiastic recommenders.
    • Extracurrics: Don’t overdo it.
    • Shun jargon.
    • Explain changes.
    • Know thy college. – say something specific about the school.
    • Keep schools straight.
    • Think twice before tugging at heartstrings. – unless you can use a sorrowful story to reveal something about yourself, it is a tale best not told.
    • Keep it clean.
    • Don’t use those “texting” words.
    • Explain easy courses. – Took honors English through 11th grade then slid down to a standard class. “Burned out” is not a good answer. “Decided to focus on my real love – science” is much better.
    • Own up to bad behavior. – Don’t lie. Take on the experience, show contrition or lessons learned.
    • Optional essays aren’t optional.
    • Be electronically savvy.
    • Handwriting counts.
    • Don’t assume your counselor will handle it.
    • Don’t be cocky.

If you do opt to stay on a wait list, write or call with any new info you think will help: a stellar final transcript, a special award or achievement. And let your college know you’re not just toying with it.

• In early May, NACAC’s survey of space availability lists schools that report spots remaining for qualified applications. It stays online until mid-August.
• Chapter 4: How to Pay for College (page 60-71)
  • 5 Keys to Finding the Money
    • Look at education as an investment.
    • Spread your net wider. Seek out new sources of cash. Apply to good, cheap colleges.
    • More students are getting federal grants. and federal student loans are now bargains.
    • Parents should shop around, especially for bank loans.
    • Best value schools (page 67) – % receiving grants based on need; average cost after receiving grants based on need; average discount from total cost.
  • Target colleges’ admission statistics – http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
  • Web sites: BabyMint, LittleGrad, Futuretrust, Upromise, SAGE Scholars

Students who request extra help (and can document their need for it) are far more likely to get aid these days.

• Compare loans:
  • http://www.studentlendinganalytics.com
  • http://www.SimpleTuition.com
• It’s What You Didn’t Think Of (page 66)
  • Storage containers.
  • Gym membership.
  • Parking and car registration fees.
  • The latest iPod incarnation.
  • School pride gear.
  • Formal wear.
  • Flu-fighting vitamins.
  • Paper costs.
  • Food storage – rent a small fridge each semester.
• Out of State at In-State Rates (page 71)
  • Know no boundaries.
    • 4 geographically based programs: The Midwest program; Academic Common Market (South); Western Undergraduate Exchange (West); New England Board of Higher Education Regional Student Program
  • Escapes – vacations.

Other Links

• http://www.whatwilltheylearn.com/
• http://www.CollegeClickTV.com
• Education Trust (graduation rates) – http://www.collegeresults.org
• http://www.usnews.com/college
  • Racial Diversity (page 40) – diversity index (0.0 to 1.0)
  • Economic Diversity (page 41) – pell grants ratio
  • International Students (page 41) – percentage
• http://www.TheU.com
• http://www.CollegeConfidential.com
• http://www.cnews.com/worldcolleges
• http://www.cnews.com//morsecode – blog
• http://www.cnews.com/opinion
• http://www.cnews.com/studentcenter
• http://www.cnews.com/worldcolleges
• http://www.cnews.com/bestcareers
• http://www.USNewsUniversityDirectory.com

All You Want to Know About SAT / ACT TESTS

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General Facts

• Most colleges accept either the SAT’s or the ACT’s.
• Juniors typically begin taking SAT’s or ACT’s during the second semester of their junior year.
• Students applying to the UC system and planning to take the ACT must sign up for the ACT with Writing because, unlike the SAT, students have a choice of taking it with or without Writing. The UC system includes the Writing test in their student application review process.
• Tests can be taken more than once.
• The UC and CSU systems will use the highest scores from either the ACT or SAT.
• There are strategies involved when taking these tests that students should explore, either with a prep class, resource book or on-line.
• Each testing company also offers free preparation booklets with sample questions and test content.
• The UC’s will accept college admission tests taken through December of the senior year.
• This is also true for the CSU system with the exception of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and San Diego State, who want them completed by October or November of the senior year.
• Students should check the testing requirements for private and out-of-state schools, as they may differ from the UC or CSU systems.

SAT

• Second semester SAT dates are in January, March, May and June.
• SAT Reasoning test includes Critical Reading, Math and Writing.

ACT

• Second semester dates are in February, April and June.
• ACT Assessment differs because it includes four sections: English, Math, Reading and Science Reasoning.

SAT Subject Tests

• UC’s and many private schools also require SAT subject tests.
• The UC’s require two subject tests in two different subject areas. The subject areas include history, literature, math, science and language.
• Students should take the subject tests in May or June when they have almost completed a school year of the subject.
• For example, students enrolled in AP US History who are preparing for the May AP test will find they are well prepared for the May or June US History subject test. The same goes for AP Biology, Chemistry, and Math, etc.
• If a student chooses to take Math as one of the two subject tests, the UC system wants Math Level 2.
• For the Chemistry test, students should at least have taken Honors Chemistry, as it is a “time intensive and difficult” test.
• If Language is used as one of the subject test, the Language with listening for native, fluent speakers is only given in November. Language without listening is given during the other test dates.
• AP European History does not necessarily prepare students for the World History subject test, because the subject test focuses on non-European cultures.
• The UC’s will use the two highest subject test scores in their admission reviews.
• The subject tests take one hour, and students can take up to three on a single test date, although that’s pretty tiring.
• The CSU system does not require the subject tests.

Source: Mary Church, DVHS Career Center, mchurch@calhigh.net
http://www.dvhigh.net/ptsa/DVHSSept08newsletterver2.2.pdf

Last Updated: October 27, 2008