College Rankings in the College Application Process

The US News World and Report has been publishing its popular and highly respected college rankings since 1984. As a student who reviewed the rankings when I was going through the college admissions process, I would like to take the opportunity to explain the role I think these rankings should have in a college applicant choosing where to apply to college, and ultimately where to attend.

The rankings have been criticized a lot, but they are useful in some instances. For example there are several highly rated schools that are not well known. Let’s say you wanted to attend a liberal arts college. The rankings have a special section for liberal arts schools. You can get an idea of what are considered the most prestigious liberal arts schools in the country. You will be happy to learn they are not just the eight Ivies. The rankings also include the schools’ acceptance rates, SAT ranges, etc. You can get an idea which schools you might stand a chance of gaining admission.

However, the rankings should not be the sole determinant in the search. The rankings include factors such as yield (how many accepted students decide to enroll). This is not terribly germane to the experience you will get at the school. Furthermore, the differences between a school that is ranked 10 and one that is ranked 15. In other words, a school that is ranked 10 wouldn’t necessarily give you a better undergraduate experience than one ranked 15. You must also consider factors such as best fit. Do you want to attend college in California? How big a school do you want? You should ultimately pick the college that’s best for you, not just the one that highest ranked.

There are several other rankings. The Princeton Review ranks schools in several categories, including best food, best dorms, and best overall undergraduate experience. Washington Monthly magazine also has rankings. You should spend a lot of time poring over material. Look over the rankings. But, also make sure you look at the literature you’ve been getting from colleges, and that you carefully research schools to find a best fit. By doing so, you will certainly end up with a choice you’re pleased with in the end.

Son

The New SAT® - Part II Math on the New SAT is More Difficult

Scarecrow: “The sum of the square roots of any two sides of an isosceles triangle is equal to the square root of the remaining side. Oh joy! Rapture! I got a brain! How can I ever thank you enough?

Wizard of Oz: “You can't.”

The good news: There are fewer math questions on the test, the entire math section is five minutes shorter, and Quantitative Comparisons have been eliminated. The Bad News: Some Algebra II concepts are covered in the new SAT® Math examination in order to better align the SAT® with the math curriculum being taught in high school classrooms. The math on the new SAT® includes questions on numbers and operations, Algebra (I and II), geometry, data analysis, statistics, and probability. The questions in each section are ordered by difficulty.

As a “math challenged” mother, upon learning of the new SAT® math requirements, I was unable to provide little more than sympathy and an offer to pay for any and all SAT® math review material my son felt he might need to prepare for the exam. My son, having inherited my intense dislike for anything related to math (and more than a little anxious about the changes in the math on the new SAT®) took me up on the offer. Along with millions of other parents, I made some authors and publishers of SAT® review material very rich people. Although he was in a summer program at Cornell following his junior year of high school, he spent a good deal of time, during the summer, reviewing a variety of math and other SAT® workbooks for the October SAT.

The math on the new SAT® failed to create a crisis situation for our son because he had taken Geometry in the 9th grade (he had done well enough in Algebra I in the 8th grade to test out of it when he entered high school), Algebra II in the 10th grade, Pre-Calculus in the 11th grade and had started Probability and Statistics in his senior year. Fortunately, for him, a lot of his studying for math on the new SAT® was mostly a matter of review.

Parents who have students in the 9th, 10th, and 11th grade should strongly encourage their children to take four years of math during high school, not only because of the math now tested on the SAT®, but, because most upper tier colleges and universities require four years of math (as well as other core courses such as English/language arts) in order for a student to be considered for admission.

Mother

Recommendation Letters!

Everyone is hard at work on applications, and I suspect that many of you are nearing completion of your essays, etc. But, many of you may also have teacher and counselor recommendations that you must submit to the colleges to which you are applying. Heres my advice to help you come away with the strongest possible letters of recommendation.

I will start here with teacher recommendations. You want to find a teacher who can say that you’re brilliant and hard working, and that you really add to the class. It is not a good idea to have a ninth grade teacher write you a recommendation. If at all possible, it’s best to find a teacher from your junior or senior year . Next, you should carefully consider which teachers you ask to write a letter of recommendation on your behalf. Think back to a class you really excelled in and enjoyed. Or, ask yourself what is your favorite subject . You should ask a teacher from one of these classes to write for you. Since I liked and excelled in history and foreign languages, I had a history teacher and a foreign language teacher pen my recommendations. I also had had two English teachers write letters for me since I had enjoyed their classes and done well in them.

Make sure your teacher knows the deadlines, and give him or her at least one month to complete the letter. Provide a resume and try and meet with your teacher before he or she writes the letter. You should talk about why you wish to attend the colleges he or she is recommending you to, what you got out of the class you took with him or her, and maybe your future ambitions. Lastly, write a thank-you note to the teacher, and let him or her know where you end up going to college.

I will now address the counselor recommendation. Many of you probably go to big public schools where you might not know your counselor that well. Do not fret about this. There are things you can do to end up with a good letter. You should meet with your counselor, and talk about where you are applying to college, your favorite classes in high school, and your favorite extracurricular activities. You should also provide your counselor with a resume. Remember to give him or her at least a month to write for you. Send a thank you note. Giving your teacher and counselor plenty of lead time to write the letter will result in a much better recommendation and make the application process less stressful.

Son

Student Recommends SAT II

In order to get into most Ivy League and selective colleges, a student may need to take some SAT II subject tests. Ivy League and selective colleges often use SAT II subject tests in the admissions process and for placement in classes at the college once the student has been accepted at the school. I benefited from taking several SAT II subject tests. As a result of my performance on some SAT II tests, when I enrolled in college this fall, I did not have to take any placement exams and had met the requirements of freshman level courses required by my school and I was able to take higher level courses in subjects that I really enjoy.

The SAT I is basically a verbal and math test designed to measure how well a student reads and thinks. It does not measure rather what you actually know. The SAT II is very different. It's designed to measure exactly what you know about specific subjects. The SAT II subject tests measures your aptitude in the following subjects:

Languages

Chinese
Chinese with Listening
French
German
German with Listening
Spanish
Spanish with Listening
Modern Hebrew
Italian
Latin
Japanese with Listening
Korean with Listening
English

Literature
History and Social Studies


U.S. History (formerly American History and Social Studies)

World History

Mathematics

Mathematics Level I (formerly Mathematics IC)
Mathematics Level II (formerly Mathematics IIC)

Science

Biology E/M
Chemistry
Physics

The SAT II exams are offered on the same day as the SAT I. A student can take a maximum of three SAT II tests at one time. However, taking more than two SAT II subject tests on the same day is not recommended. The tests are very difficult and it can be very stressful trying to take two or more subject tests on one day that are very different from one another.

Students should take SAT II subject tests in subject areas in which they have excelled. If the student is a strong history student, I recommend that you take the US history and World History exams. A student who is great at math should take one of the math SAT II exams.

It is very important to check the SAT II requirements of the schools where you may want to apply. Make sure the information about the school’s SAT II requirements is current because school requirements may vary from year to year. Generally, schools that require the SAT II require a minimum of two subject tests in addition to the SAT I. Some of them may have very specific requirements.

June is the best time to take SAT II Subject Tests because that is generally when students finish with the classes for the year. Students should take the SAT II as soon as they complete a class in any of the SAT II subjects.

SAT II Subject tests last an hour and, except for the Writing Test, consist entirely of multiple-choice questions. The Writing Test has a 20-minute essay section in addition to a 40-minute multiple-choice section.

Feel free to contact College Knowledge at collegeknowledge10@hotmail.com if you have questions about SATs II tests, or visit collegeboard.com.

Preserving the Senior Year of High School : New Goal of National Association for College Admission Counseling

On October 7, the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), at its annual meeting voted to bar member colleges from admitting students to college before September 15 of the students’ senior year in high school, bar institutions from setting application deadlines prior to October 15 of the senior year, and to prohibit the use of standardized test scores such as the SAT® and ACT® as the sole criterion for awarding financial aid. The membership of NACAC includes admissions deans and other admissions staff from most colleges and universities. Unfortunately, NACAC can’t order colleges to change their admission practices.

The outgoing chair of NACAC’s Admissions Practices Committee and associate director of undergraduate admissions at Boston College, Pete Caruso, indicated the policy change was made with the intent to “…preserve the senior year.” The policy change signals that NACAC recognizes that the increased pressure from colleges and universities for students to apply early can prevent students from focusing on their senior year of high school. Some colleges and universities have set application deadlines as early as May and June, before the student’s senior year or by September of the student’s senior year. The super early admissions practice, according to Caruso, was voted against by NACAC because “…students need time to study their options and work with their counselors.”

High school counselors dislike the super early admissions practice because students do not have access to the counselors over the summer. Students who apply to colleges the summer before their senior year receive no assistance in making choices about their selection of colleges and frequently commit to colleges based on promises by the college that if the student accepts an early offer of admission they will receive priority in course selection, housing and even parking. Super early admissions prevent students from looking at all their options and to get input from counselors who may be better able to help the student find the college or university that will best fit the needs and goals of the student.

NACAC made it clear that its vote against setting early application deadlines does not apply to community colleges and open admissions institutions. Community colleges and open admissions institutions have had long standing admission programs directed at students who are more likely to attend their schools. These institutions sometimes promise students, during the earlier years of high school, that they have a place for them if they graduate from high school.