- 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.
- 5 Keys to Finding the Right Fit
Only 2.9% of students applied to 12 or more schools.
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College Fairs
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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.
- Making the grade.
- 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.
- 5 Keys to an Awesome Application
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
- 5 Keys to Finding the Money
Students who request extra help (and can document their need for it) are far more likely to get aid these days.
- Compare loans:
- 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.
- Know no boundaries.
Other Links
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Education Trust (graduation rates) – http://www.collegeresults.org
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Racial Diversity (page 40) – diversity index (0.0 to 1.0)
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Economic Diversity (page 41) – pell grants ratio
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International Students (page 41) – percentage
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