College Knowledge

College Rankings in the College Application Process

2006-10-29T11:48:00.000-08:00

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

2006-10-23T17:17:00.000-07:00

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!

2006-10-16T15:13:00.000-07:00

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

2006-10-14T21:48:00.000-07:00

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

2006-10-09T05:45:00.000-07:00

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.

WARNING: Senioritis Can Be Hazardous In the Admissions Process

2006-10-05T13:06:00.000-07:00

Senioritis: Pronunciation: "sE-ny&r-'I-t&s - Function: noun: an ebbing of effort by school seniors as evidenced by tardiness, absences, and lower grades. Merriam Webster Dictionary

Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia defines Senioritis as a “term used colloquially to describe the decreased motivation towards studies displayed by students who are nearing the end of their high school or college careers. It is typically said to include slowness, procrastination, apathy regarding school work, and a tendency towards truancy.”

I would be remiss, in discussions of the admission process, if I did not mention the potentially fatal disease, Senioritis.

In an April 18, 2005 USA TODAY® article, “We need cure for 'Senioritis,' Governors Say” by Sharon Jayson, Charles Reed, Chancellor of California State University stated "The 12th grade is the biggest wasteland in America." Reeds’ view of the senior year may be reflected in a 2001 report issued by the National Commission on the High School Senior Year which suggested that many students believe the senior year is a waste. As a parent of a senior, you should do everything in your power to counteract this kind of thinking.

It is commonly thought that Senioritis is an affliction that strikes during the spring semester after all the college applications are completed, the students are preparing for proms and dreaming of escaping from the constraints of high school and home.

Unfortunately that’s not the case. The disease actually begins in the fall of the senior year. It may be observed during registration for fall semester classes when the student finding they have met all or most of the state’s requirements for graduation decides to take basket weaving or advanced study hall rather than a 4th year of math or an Advanced Placement or Honors class. The disease may manifest itself by the student deciding to work 40 hours a week to “save” for college, failing to do home work, cutting classes, and letting their grades drop. Without parental intervention, by spring the student may totally succumb to the disease. Like any disease, Senioritis, especially advanced cases, may leave the students with unpleasant after effects.

In the June 2002 issue of the National Council of State Legislator's magazine, in an article entitled, “What's the Cure for Senioritis?” Demarée K. Michelau discusses seniors frittering away their senior year and the impact of Senioritis:

“…Many kids don't realize … the negative effects of Senioritis. In a changing economy where more than 70 percent of high school graduates enter some form of postsecondary education and where students need more than a high school degree to succeed financially, they simply can't afford to waste one-quarter of their high school years. Seniors need to be ready academically for college. Currently, nearly 30 percent of entering college freshman must enroll in remedial education courses because they aren't properly prepared. In most cases, students taking these courses do not earn college credit, but must pay the same amount in tuition as if they did. Students end up staying in college longer and cost themselves, their parents and states more money. Or, they never graduate at all.”

Most 17 and 18 year olds may not be able to connect the dots between unearned credit for remedial work, the waste of time due to remediation and the cost factor because they are young and think they have plenty of time. The cost is of little concern to the senior because either the parent with the imaginary deep pockets is paying their child’s tuition or the additional student loans for what can turn out to be six years in an undergraduate degree program doesn’t seem like such a big deal at the moment.

Since time and money have no meaning for the average senior in high school, your best weapon against Senioritis may be highlighting the section in all college brochures and applications that state, "Enrollment is contingent upon the successful completion of your senior year and graduation." The “enrollment is contingent” statement is usually followed by some variation of a statement to the effect that the college or university expects students academic performance to be consistent with that which was presented on their initial application to the school. The same caveat is repeated in a college’s letter of acceptance. Translation: if you had A’s and B’s during your freshman, sophomore and junior year, and took Advanced Placement (AP®) and/or honors courses, the college admissions office, who scrutinizes senior transcripts for any major grade discrepancies, will not look favorably and sometimes not act very kindly toward a mid- year report submitted in December and an end of year report with C’s, D’s, F’s and a list of frivolous coursework. The admissions office may express it’s displeasure to the student in a letter or a phone call.

The best case scenario, for the senior who has blown off his senior year and has been accepted at the college of his choice, is to receive a letter from the school that might state one or more of the following:

1. Dear Student, Get your act together before you get here;

2. Dear Student, Please explain why or how you mucked up your senior year of high school (if your child gets this letter, you should explain to them the college gets to decide whether or not their excuse is valid);

3. Dear Student, You know that honors program we were so pleased to admit you to…well, upon review of your final transcript, the honor is no longer yours; or,

4. Dear Student, after reviewing your final transcript, we have come to the conclusion that it would be in your best interest (and probably ours, too) that you postpone your enrollment in our fine institution for a year. Good luck as you ponder your future behind the counter of any local fast food establishment.

The worst case scenario for the senior who decided to “chill” his senior year is to get a phone call from an admissions officer who first asks, “do you know the words to “I Will Survive” and then proceeds to informs the student that due to his/her poor performance during their senior year, their acceptance at the college has been rescinded . In this situation, should the child in a dazed and confused state ask the parent what does the college mean by RESCIND, the parent should go and find the SAT Vocabulary list, hand it to the child, and then attempt to walk calmly to another room.

Since it is only October, there is still time for parents of seniors to stress the importance of avoiding Senioritis. Although the student may have not have registered for any of the more rigorous classes during the fall semester they can do their very best in the classes they have selected. They can try to catch up in the spring by taking challenging and rigorous classes that are more reflective of a student preparing to enter college. For parents with juniors, sophomores and freshman, this is the time to start reviewing the curriculum at your child’s school and finding what kind of honors and AP® classes that are offered in which your child may feel comfortable and be successful. During the junior year, parents and students should look over challenging senior courses offered at their child’s school and determine what classes the student should consider enrolling in during senior year. Parents should bring home the message that strong grades earned from challenging senior courses may compensate for weaker grades earned during the sophomore or junior year. It would also be a good idea for the student to look at the academic and admission requirements of colleges and universities in which they have an interest.

Parental Antidotes for Senioritis

Emphasize, to your child, throughout the senior year, the importance of maintaining or improving their grades from their junior year. This should be stressed even after the child has been accepted by a college.

Unless there is an absolute need, dissuade the student from working more than 10 hours a week. In a study published by the University of Washington on February 21, 2005, a survey of high school seniors determined that fifty –six percent of them, in addition to helping out at home and participating in volunteer activities, were working in the spring of their final year of school. It should come as no surprise that the director of the study, Charles Hirschman, a UW sociology professor, concluded that those students “… who are working more than 15 hours a week are at the threshold of where work can interfere with being good students… and that …too much work can take away from having time to do homework, as well as participate in other activities usually associated with going to high school."

Encourage your child to volunteer for activities or seek internships during their senior year that may relate to their intended major. Actually working in their chosen field may give them the impetus to seek out more challenging courses and the incentive to work really hard at earning grades that will make their college application standout when being reviewed by an admissions counselor.

Mother

The Scoop on the SAT from Mother - Part I

2006-10-03T07:39:00.000-07:00

How Quickly We Forget…

I read my sons “cut and dried” post to students on “Taking the SAT”. It became apparent to me “we” experienced “his” taking the SAT quite differently and as Forrest Gump said, That's all I have to say about that.” It might be that now that the SAT is behind him and he is off at college having a jolly old time, he has forgotten about the whole “ordeal” surrounding the taking of the SAT. I, on the other hand, am suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome and pre- post traumatic stress syndrome because his sister will start taking the SAT next year. Oh joy, I get to be the wicked witch of the mid west next year.

My son was among the thousands of seniors graduating in 2006 who took the New SAT®. In a fact sheet released to the press by CollegeBoard, the public was alerted to the following changes to the SAT.

Writing

A new writing section has been added to the test. Students are asked to write an essay that requires them to take a position on an issue and use reasoning and examples to support their position.

The essay is similar to the type of writing required on in-class college essay exams.
Multiple-choice questions measure a student's ability to identify sentence errors, improve sentences, and improve paragraphs.

Math

The new math section includes topics from third-year college-preparatory math, such as exponential growth, absolute value, functional notation, and negative and fractional exponents.
Quantitative comparisons have been eliminated.

Critical Reading

The critical reading section, previously known as the verbal section, includes short and long reading passages.

Analogies have been eliminated, but sentence-completion questions remain.

Total Testing Time: 3 hours and 45 minutes, including an unscored 25-minute variable section (which helps in the development of future test questions).

The new SAT, first administered in March 2005, was the first time the exam included a writing section. The maximum score changed from 1600 to 2400. The verbal analogy section was dropped, and the math portion was changed to more closely parallel what's being taught in high schools. The CollegeBoard might want to consider talking to a few parents to determine the actual parallel between what is being taught in some highschool classes and what is being tested by the SAT

The changes created a lot of anxiety and angst among students and parents. For some students from the class of 2006, the anxiety and angst was increased because a lot of the students, including my son, had already taken the “old” SAT, received quite respectable scores and perhaps planned to take the old SAT one more time to get their scores up a little and be done with the SAT by the summer of their junior year. The announcement of the “new” SAT created a lot of gnashing of teeth at my house. It also created a lot of confusion for students in the admission process because some college would take the “old” SAT scores and some would not. At that stage, most colleges were not even sure what they were going to do. Planning ahead and an attempt to make the college admissions process an orderly process for my son went to hell in a hand basket with the announcement of the “new” SAT. Orderly process, organization, a little respite from standardized testing be damned. The child had to take the “new” SAT.

Taking the SAT

2006-10-03T04:40:00.000-07:00

Hopefully you took the SATs and aced them during your junior year. Unfortunately, this was not the case for me, and I suspect many of you need to take the SATs for the first time or retake them.

The first thing to do is sign up for a test date. You should register for October 14, November 4, or December 2. You can register by creating an account at http://www.collegeboard.com/. The cost is $41.50.

Once you have taken care of this, you should study. There are several SAT preparation books out there. I recommend you get either a Princeton Review guide, or a College Board official guide. Spend some time every night going through sample questions. Every weekend leading up to the test, it’s a good idea to complete practice sections under timed conditions. Also, if your school offers free SATs you should take advantage.

On the night before you take the test, get plenty of sleep and eat a good dinner. Lastly, be on time to the test center. I was late to my SAT last year, and I had to retake the test on another date, which was enormously inconvenient. Plan plenty of time to get to the center, and take a calculator with spare batteries (if you need them) and pencils. Finally, relax. Everything will be fine.

About Us...

2006-09-28T12:01:00.000-07:00

If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. —J. D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye (1951)

We are a mother and son who have traversed the admissions process….successfully ( in the end). We learned a lot about the admissions process that we think will particularly help middle income and lower income parents navigate the admissions process.

Unfortunately, most of us don’t have legacies to elite institutions, aren’t “development” families and cannot afford consultants that charge over $35,000.00 to guarantee our children admission to the school of their dreams. I have learned some parents do not know how to assist their children in the admissions process. My son has learned that a lot of students have no idea the number of options available to them when selecting and applying to colleges and universities. Whether your child aspires to gain admission to one of the eight Ivies, one of the “highly selective” colleges or universities, or any of the other many fine colleges and universities throughout the country, your child needs guidance from you primarily in the area of management of the applications and sometimes in the manner in which the child presents themselves to the admissions committee in their applications. If you are really brave, you can ask your child to let you look over their essays before they send them out with the applications. I would suggest that you ask under the guise of “just checking for spelling errors.”

This Blog might be viewed as a retroactive journal of our journey from application to the day my husband and I dropped our son off at college. Hindsight truly is 20/20. The Blog will contain our views on different aspects of the application process. Sometimes our views about the admissions and application process will be just as different as they were during the time he was applying for college last year. In the application process, he prevailed because it’s his life. However, on the Blog, well… frankly my dear…

Okay, just in case you are dying to know, who we are, here’s the short of it: I am a mother who has been, from time to time, while not on the “Mommy Track” an attorney, a law school and college instructor and an itinerant consultant for various enterprises. I have a hyphenated name which my son recently told me (when I introduced my self to his new roommate) I should stop using because it was so “seventies.”

My son is a freshman at one of the eight Ivies. I will let him decide if he wants to share which one. He earned an International Baccalaureate degree at one of the top public high schools in the country. I will let him decide if he wants to share which one. It should be noted that when he started the college admissions process his sole goal was not to get into an Ivy League school. He considered a number of top state colleges and universities. Being an old soul and not wanting to incur a lot of debt, he was open to whatever turned out to be the best situation for him academically and financially. By the luck of the draw, the” best” situation for him was his “ first choice” Ivy.

Okay, enough about us. I hope you will join us as we explore the wonderful world of college admissions.

Best Regards,

Mother (with hyphenated name) and Son (who doesn’t know as much about the seventies as he thinks)

Three Down…

2006-09-26T04:02:00.000-07:00

The University of Virginia Ends Early Decision

On Monday, September 25, 2006, the University of Virginia announced that it will end its binding early decision program beginning with applicants for the entering class of fall 2008 and will change application deadline to January 2.

Narrowing down college choices

2006-09-24T12:22:00.000-07:00

College application season is now in full swing. You should be starting applications. But some of you might need help deciding which schools to apply to.

To start with, you should limit yourself to ten schools that you would be happy to attend next year. Answer some basic questions. How big a school do you want? How far away from school do you want to be? Do not let aid be a deterrent. Many schools with hefty price tags also have generous financial aid programs.

You should also make selectivity a factor in your search. Look at your GPA, SAT scores, etc. Then look at the average SATs and average GPA of entering freshmen at the schools you’re considering. This should give you an idea of which schools you have a realistic chance of gaining admission. You should apply to 3 or 4 schools which are realistic possibilities given you’re scores, 3 or 4 schools which will be reaches (schools that will be difficult for you to get into), and a couple of safety schools. You should try and limit yourself to around 10 applications. It's a good idea to buy a college guidebook such as The 361 best colleges by the Princeton Review. This book can give you the information you need about colleges you're looking into such as average SAT scores of entering freshman.

It is also a wise idea to talk to a guidance counselor or teacher you trust. Schedule a time with a guidance counselor and tell him or her what sorts of things you want in a college. The counselor can give you good advice about where to apply and he or she can give you some information about financing the education. At the minimum, you're counselor will at least know you better when he or she has to write your college reccomendation.

So after reading all this, spend some time doing research, and compile your list of schools. Good luck!

College Admissions Process Redux

2006-09-24T06:14:00.000-07:00

COLLEGE ADMISSION OPTIONS IN A NUTSHELL

Parents and students should commit this information to memory. The first word in the parent's College Admissions "Mantra" should be DEADLINE.

Early Decision

The student having decided upon their first choice college or university applies as an early decision candidate. The early decision applicant understands that under the early decision process, they are agreeing to attend the school if they are accepted and that the financial aid offered by the college is adequate to meet the needs of the student.

*Students must determine the school’s particular restrictions and follow the restriction without any deviation from the guidelines.

The student’s decision is binding.

Early Action

Students may submit applications early and will receive a decisions from the admissions office before the school's regular response date for regular decision applicants (typically late March or early April).

*Students must determine the school’s particular restrictions and follow the restriction without any deviation from the guidelines.

The student’s decision is non-binding.

Restrictive Early Action

Under this admissions process, the student applies early to a preferred school and receives an early decision. However, depending upon the college or university’s own peculiar policy, the student may be prohibited from applying as an Early Decision, Early Action or Restricted Early Action Candidate to another college. The student may still apply as a regular decision applicant to other schools. A Restricted Early Action Applicant has until May 1 to decide whether or not they want to accept the schools offer of admission.

*Students must determine the school’s particular restrictions and follow the restriction without any deviation from the guidelines.

The student’s decision is non-binding.

Regular Decision

Students are required to submit their application to the college or university by a designated time. They will receive a response from the admissions office within a clearly specified time period.

* Students may apply to other institutions. They have until May 1 (or some later time at some schools) to accept or reject the offer of admissions.

The student’s decision is non-binding.

Rolling Admission

Students may submit applications throughout the schools specified admissions cycle (usually from August to January or some other later date). The admissions committee evaluates applications throughout the admissions cycle.

* Students may apply to other institutions. They have until May 1 (or some later time at some schools) to accept or reject the offer of admissions.

The student’s decision is non-binding.

It’s hard out there for a kid …..applying to college

2006-09-21T15:37:00.000-07:00

Helping your Child Decide which Admissions Process is Best for Them

Harvard and Princeton have just dropped their early admissions programs. Wonderful. The other Ivies and “highly selective” schools may follow suit. However, there are approximately 270 other colleges and universities that offer early-decision programs.
Are the other schools likely to follow suit…….The jury is still out.

It should be noted that despite all the fanfare surrounding Harvard and Princeton dropping their early admissions programs, they are not the first major university to drop the early admissions program. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill stopped using the early-decision program in 2002 because the program had an adverse impact upon and low-income and minority students. In 2002, Mary Washington College in Virginia ended its early-decision program because of a number of complaints that the early decision program exacerbated the stress in the college application process. ( Va. college to eliminate 'early decision' program. (2002, October 3). The Washington Post, p. A12. )

In November of 2002. Yale and Stanford Universities announced that they were dropping their early-decision programs in 2003 for applicants for the 2004-5 academic year. Both universities adopted a nonbinding early-action program.

Before the 1990’s the college application process for seniors was pretty simple. The senior sent of for information from the colleges and universities in which they had an interest. Usually, after much haranguing and cajoling from parents (who were determined that the kid was going to be out of the house the following September), the student would fill out their applications sometime before the end of December and wait for a thick or thin envelope to arrive in April. Usually, the student did not decide until May where they were going to attend school. Early decision programs significantly shorten this process.

Students who are certain, or at least think they are certain as to their first choice college and utilize the early decision options may submit an early decision applications to one school no later than November 15th or January 15th. Students are usually notified of their acceptance or rejection within a month of submitting the early decision application. Students can apply to other colleges under their regular admission programs .

Students accepted through the early decision process are stuck with their choice. If they receive a Dear Student, We Regret to inform you letter, they have to renew the application process for other schools: complete more applications, writhe other essays ; and, maybe obtain new recommendation letters, etc. At this juncture, you and your child may have figured out that it might be wise to have at least reviewed the admission standards for other colleges; started or made plans to start on applications to other schools so that the applications can be submitted by the December or early January deadlines of most colleges.

As your child begins to review college materials to determine which colleges and universities to submit applications, you and the student should review each college’s early decision/action policy and decide, in light of your own particular circumstances which option is best for your family. The word family is emphasized because dependent upon your financial circumstances and a variety of other factors, a student’s decision to apply early decision may dramatically impact the family.

There are no standard guidelines regarding early action and early decision because each college or university has its own policy. Each institution has its own early decision and early action policies, which only lends to the confusion of students and parents.

Why We’re Here: Mothers View

2006-09-20T20:09:00.000-07:00

Long, long ago in a land far away, in another time when I applied for college, my parents called the school they decided I should attend, requested a college catalog and an application. I was given the application and told to complete it. Later I was given the catalog so that I could figure out a major. I had attempted interjecting an opinion or two about where I would like to go and even sent for some catalogues and applications on my own. I would complete "my" applications and take them to my father to sign. He refused to consider the other schools for a variety of reasons: the girls who attended certain colleges were thought to be “fast,” the school was too far away and once he was even honest. One school was totally out of the question because too many of my friends were going to that school. He said it would turn out to be just one big party. That probably would have been true. So, despite my tearful protestations, “we” submitted one application to one school. That was the end of it. One application to one school is rare these days. Some parents I know have gotten by with two or three. However, I have read where some students have submitted between 15 and 35 applications. My son submitted about 20 applications. But, more about that later.

When I applied for college, most kids did not visit several schools to get a “feel” for whether or not they liked the school. Most did not lay eyes on their college choice until their parents deposited them on campus the day the dorms opened. I was probably one of a handful of the baby boomers I knew that got to visit several college campuses prior to applying. However, that was only because my father frequently had to attend meetings and seminars in our state and surrounding states. He would take me along and I would get to look around the campus while he was in meetings. As I reflect, the only point of him taking me to visit the different campuses was to reinforce the idea that I WAS GOING TO ATTEND A COLLEGE.

When my son began the application process in the beginning of his senior year, we had already visited the campuses of several schools, taken a number of virtual tours over the internet and received tons of solicited and unsolicited application materials, brochures, etc. Also, during my son’s junior year of high school, we had attended a lot of information sessions held by college admissions counselors from schools across the country where the admissions process, SAT scores, etc. were explained ad nauseam.

I thought I had had a pretty good handle on the situation. I also knew the difference between rolling admissions and regular admissions, and I knew all of the deadlines. We had started his college resume in his sophomore year. He was done with the SAT by the beginning of his senior year. He had taken all the right classes; he had quite a few AP exams under his belt and he had taken or made arrangements to take all the SAT II ( yes, for the unenlightened, there is an animal named the SAT II) subject tests he thought necessary. I thought we were ready for the process. I thought I had it all under control. All my son had to do was fill out the applications, write a few essays and get a couple of recommendation letters. His father and I would write checks for the application fees. We would mail the applications and wait….. How difficult could that be? Boy, was I in for a rude awakening!. It seemed that sometime while I was asleep in the castle, the whole college admissions process had changed and so had the stakes. It was an entirely different ball game. Little did I know that the college admissions process, from the first application submitted, to my son actually deciding where he was going to attend school would consume the next eight months of our lives.

During those eight months, I learned a lot about the sometimes Machiavellian machinations of the college admissions process. I learned to be patient. I came to realize that the college my son ultimately chose to attend was not gong to define his entire life or … mine. I discovered that I really could avoid being a “smother mother.” I began to trust my son’s decisions and his reasoning for choosing to seek admission to certain schools. I came to understand that he had to create his own roadmap and that my role was to be his occasional compass. My faith that God would have a hand in the decision convinced me that my son would end up at the college that was best for him.

As a parent who has gone through the sometimes very arduous college admissions process with my son and preparing to go through it again with my daughter in two years, I hope to offer some insight, encouragement and support to parents facing the now daunting task of assisting their child with the admissions process. Hopefully, through these postings you will not only learn more about the admissions process but how you, as a parent, can best support your child with the application and admissions process without losing your mind.

Early Decision vs. Early Action

2006-09-19T14:34:00.000-07:00

Harvard and Princeton have just dropped their early admissions. I'm going to try and explain what early admissions are in this post.

When I was applying to college, I hated the idea of waiting until April to find out where I had been accepted. You don’t have to wait that long if you don’t want to. If you would like to know where you’re going to college in December, you can do so using two options.

The first option is early decision. If you apply early decision, you basically sign a contact which says that if you are accepted to the college, you will go there. It is important to understand that this is a binding commitment. If accepted, you will have to withdraw all other applications to other schools. If you wish to apply early decision, the deadline is usually November 15, and you will have an admission decision by Christmas. Applying early decision usually increases your odds of being accepted. If you need financial aid, you should do a financial aid estimator to see what kind of aid you’ll get if accepted. You should be completely sure the college in question is your first choice.

If you want to hear from your college by December, but don’t want to make a binding commitment, then you can apply early action. With early action, the deadline is usually still November 1, and you will still hear back by Christmas. Early action has the bonus that you do not have to sign a contract agreeing to enroll if you are accepted. However, early action usually does not provide the same boost that applying early decision does. Colleges such as Yale and Stanford which use early action deny that applying early action does not help you get in.

Usually, there are three things that will happen if you apply early decision or early action. You can be accepted. You can be rejected, or you can be deferred for further consideration in the spring. You should have applications ready for other schools that have January (or later) deadlines in case you are not admitted early.

So should you apply early decision or early action? If you need financial aid, and you do not have a clear first choice, then you should definitely not apply early decision. It is okay to apply early action since there is no binding commitment if you would like to hear that you’re admitted somewhere in December. You can still apply to other schools in January. If you really like a particular school, and want to increase your chances, then apply early decision. Good luck!

Why we're here

2006-08-31T16:29:00.000-07:00

Millions of kids are getting ready to apply for college. And as a prospective applicant or parent you probably have many questions. What does it take to get into an elite college? How many schools should I apply to? How can I best support my child through this process? As a mother and son who have successfully navigated the harrowing college admissions process and been successful, we are here to offer our advice and insights on this process.