Posts filed under 'College Admissions'
Let’s play a new game called “Are You Smarter Than an SAT Workbook?”
Okay, so it’s not really a game, but it is a real scenario for students who bought Mastering the SAT Math. According to Jeffrey Newman, a math tutor, there are around 36 errors in the book that is published by Wiley—a company that normally enjoys a legacy of producing excellent educational resources. Newman’s concern for students—and their SAT scores– prompted him to inform FOX News in New York and help spread the word to those who are using this book.
This is not the first time in publishing history that a book has ever had mistakes in it, but we’re not talking about one or two glitches here: 36 mistakes means getting an entire section wrong on the SAT! Errors were also found in the SAT Math Workbook by Barron’s (yet another publishing titan), as well as in The Official SAT Study Guide, 2nd Edition by the College Board. Yes, the College Board—you know, the people who CREATED the SAT. Hmm.
Of course, there WOULD have to be problems with math. If you are anything like me, a gal who was waiting to declare English as her college major since the day she was born, trust me—we need all the help we can get when it comes to numbers.
Without a doubt, more test prep errors will pop up, which shows that to err is certainly human, although that is not much help to college-bound students. Barron’s is offering a free replacement for the book, Wiley says you can return theirs, and College Board will probably do something similar. But all that does is leave you unsure of which book to pick up next—and as you know, studying for the SAT must go on.
Remember the student who sued her college when she couldn’t get a job? Time will only tell if students will begin to sue publishing companies when they don’t get into college.
–Barbara Bellesi
November 19th, 2009
Don’t be stressed if the college to which you’ve applied uses what’s called a “holistic” admissions process. Confused? Well, at these schools, grades and test scores alone won’t guarantee your spot. Admissions folks are factoring in how they think you could help create a diverse and multi-talented student body–which is very good news for you and your college applications.
The NY Times reports that this process tends to help students whose GPA, class rank, and test score are less impressive, but who bring something extra, such as a unique talent or having overcome an obstacle.
Mike Gargano, vice president of the Louisiana State University System, says the holistic review process has become a more common practice at public universities. The process, which some criticize, generally allows admissions folks to better understand your academic and personal attributes, he says.
Here are three big things Gargano suggested students and parents should know about the process as you’re finishing applications or waiting a school’s decision.
1. Understand all the factors
Standardized test scores and trends in high school grades, core college prep curriculum, Advanced Placement and IB courses, and honors courses are all part of a holistic review. Gargano says the process also looks at internships, membership in academic societies, band, and student government, and other leadership skills shown through those organizations or community service. Also considered: your family’s income levels and whether you will be the first to attend college.
2. Perfect the essay
The essay can sway an admissions panel, but only if you’re able to demonstrate strong writing skills and the ability to articulate a point of view and support it with facts.
3. Turn your busy schedule into a key advantage
You need to explain how your participation in activities developed new skills and how it will contribute to your learning at a particular school. Too often, the student provides a laundry list of activities and thinks the admission counselor will deduce that from their participation they have learned something, Gargano says. But you need to make the connections for the counselors–like how you learned better time management through participation in sports, which will help you perform better academically in college.
–Lori Johnston
November 18th, 2009
Sometimes I get so frustrated at Simon, Paula, and Randy on “American Idol.” I think the singer sounds great, but the judges say he or she lacks the “it” factor. Or they let singers through who don’t fit with what I think reflects an “American Idol.”
Regardless of your taste in music, you can learn a lot by watching this show if you are applying for college. College admission panels, in a way, are like the “American Idol” judges–they’ve got only a few minutes to learn about you and make a decision that could impact the rest of your life.
College admission expert Shannon Meairs shared with us her “5 Reasons Why Getting Into College is Like ‘American Idol’.”
1. You must be a standout to make it to the next round. You’ve got to stand out in a good way, not by showing up in a costume and singing like a dying animal, Meairs says. Most high schoolers don’t know how to make themselves look like a star. Fewer know how to express it through a written essay, a few short answer questions, and some recommendations, but those that do have the best chance at getting in.
2. If the judges can’t figure you out within two minutes, you’re forgettable. An admission officer has less than two minutes to review an application, which is not a lot of time to convince your dream school to admit you, Meairs says. The best applicants know their story, deliver it efficiently and cohesively, and leave the admission officer wanting more.
3. Know and leverage your strengths. To get into college, follow the successful steps of “American Idol” contestants and create a unique personal brand. Play to your strengths and mitigate your weaknesses, Meairs says. You all have one – it just takes some soul searching.
4. Forget being humble. We all remember “American Idol” contestants who lacked confidence and stage presence, and they are constantly reminded of their blah performance. Being boring and safe is the kiss of death when applying to college, Meairs says.
5. Don’t take harsh criticism personally. We cringe at the thought of being told we’re the most dreadful thing Simon has seen all year, she says. If you think Simon’s tough, think about those who are part of the admission committee day after day, month after month. Instead of being another random name on paper, give the committee a reason to send you to the top – and straight to their school.
–Lori Johnston
November 12th, 2009
If you took the SAT this past Saturday, you are probably feeling something between a mixture of relief that it’s over and anxiety as you wait for the scores to arrive. As you wait for the moment of truth, you might feel the urge to sign up for the SAT next month, if you haven’t already. But should you go ahead and take it?
College-bound students—and their parents—often feel that more is better when it comes to taking the SAT. “How many times should I take the SAT?” is a question on most high school students’ minds. While it is certainly advisable to take the SAT more than once if you didn’t achieve your score goal the first time, that score won’t miraculously rise on its own unless you study harder in between exams and focus on what needs to be improved. So before you sign up for the SAT for the third, fourth, or tenth time, consider these options instead:
Take the ACT. It is entirely possible that you are caught in an SAT rut and need to try a test with a different format. Enter the ACT. While it is still a standardized test, there are several major differences between the ACT and the SAT, including no penalty for guessing, no surprise experimental section, and no mandatory essay—you only write if the colleges to which you are applying require it. Many students are intimidated by the science section on the ACT, but don’t worry—the section asks you to analyze and make inferences based on given data, not on how well you have memorized the Periodic Table.
Take a subject test. Like its name, the subject test allows you to concentrate on one subject at a time, and for many students, the single focus takes away a lot of the pressure. Let’s say you are an A student in English, but struggle in math. Your stress over the math sections on the SAT may cause your verbal score to suffer, but this won’t happen when you take the English subject test. You’ll be free to concentrate on what you do best, your score will reflect it, and colleges will notice.
Take a break. Years ago, the SAT was not offered as many times as it is now, and students benefited from the longer breaks in between tests. Most students only took the test twice, interspersed by a subject test. Now, it seems that students are taking the SAT upwards of five times, simply because they can, and as a result, they are burning themselves out. It’s understandable that a senior who is trying to meet application deadlines wants to squeeze in one last score, but if you are a junior, aim for quality more than quality—take some time to formulate a game plan to improve on your weaknesses rather than taking test after test. Also, keep in mind that the more you progress through school, the more you will learn, which will make the SAT a bit easier—that’s why students take it during both junior and senior year.
On the other hand, if you are a senior, you might even be able to submit a new set of SAT scores after the application deadline has passed, provided that you have already submitted a complete application with at least one set of scores—check with the college admissions office to see if this is acceptable.
You’ve heard it time and again from admissions counselors, but the SAT is indeed just one portion of your entire application. Your GPA, letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities, and your essay all work together to provide a clearer snapshot of you as a future college student, so be sure to focus on the big picture.
–Barbara Bellesi
November 9th, 2009
When I was making my college decision, I visited Athens, Georgia with my dad and knew the University of Georgia was the spot for me.
It wasn’t just about what degrees the school offered or its reputation in academic and athletics; I fell in love with the vibrant, pedestrian downtown that was just across the street from campus. It had trendy shops, small local restaurants, and clubs and music venues that hosted so many popular bands that Rolling Stone called it the #1 college music town.
You’ll find cities with colleges and universities among those of Kiplinger’s Best Cities for 2009, which looks at factors such as job stability and growth. These and other kinds of “best cities” lists are worth looking at as you consider where you’re going to call home during your college career.
Athens, home to the University of Georgia, comes in at #5 on the list and had 34,180 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in fall 2009.
The top city on the list – Huntsville, Alabama–offers students the University of Alabama at Huntsville, a research-intensive institution with 10,000 students.
Washington D.C. – #3 on the list – boasts more than 15 schools surrounding our country’s center of government. They range from Georgetown University to Howard University to American University to theological seminaries and smaller community colleges.
At #8, Austin, Texas, also has a collegiate atmosphere and a happening music scene, as host of the annual South by Southwest music festival. It’s also home to one of the largest public universities in the U.S. – the University of Texas at Austin – which has a staggering amount of students, nearly 50,000.
Madison, Wisconsin, #7 on the list, also boasts another large state university, the University of Wisconsin-Madison with 42,030 students.
Another school I considered – University of Virginia, with 21,057 students – is in Charlottesville, Virginia, which comes in at #4 in Kiplinger’s list. In Olympia, Washington, The Evergreen State College attracts about 4,600 students annually. #2 on the list, Albuquerque, New Mexico is home to The University of New Mexico, which had a record enrollment of 34,674 students enrolled at its campuses in fall 2009. Flagstaff, Arizona at #9 offers schools such as Northern Arizona University, and North Carolina State University is in Raleigh, N.C., #10 on the list.
For me, the town atmosphere and setting was a plus in making my college decision. It could be for yours, too.
–Lori Johnston
November 3rd, 2009
If you’re feeling haunted by the college application process, you’re not alone.
These are the top 10 things that frighten college-bound high school seniors, according to Cappex.com’s survey of more than 600 students.
1. Getting rejected (77%)
2. Writing the application essay (50%)
3. Keeping up with deadlines (31%)
4. Finding scholarships (31%)
5. Applying for financial aid (29%)
6. Meeting a college’s GPA and test score requirements (26%)
7. Filling out applications (22%)
8. Narrowing a list of college picks (18%)
9. Reading all the mail from colleges (12%)
10. Starting a list of college picks to explore (9%)
Those are all scary propositions, but there are ways to face those fears.
The application essay may be a huge worry, but here are some tricks for making it through the fall without looking like the “Scream” stalker all the time. Think of that essay as letting college admissions folks see the real you behind the Halloween costume, as well as to learn more about your personality and dreams – things that aren’t on the basic application. Revealing an interesting side to yourself could be one way to do just that in an engaging essay that people won’t want to put down.
Getting rejected is something we all want to avoid, but it’s nothing to be frightened about.
Instead of waiting and worrying, focus on finding scholarships and applying for financial aid, which can help keep those checklist items from driving you batty. Researching options online and connecting with people in the community with funds available for your education can keep you busy this fall – and getting a head start will allow you to hit those haunted houses with a clear mind.
The ultimate treat? Not a bag of candy, but knowing where you are headed to college.
–Lori Johnston
October 7th, 2009
Hats (or, shall I say helmets?) off to the high school guidance counselors who recently embarked on a 12-day bike tour that covered 400 miles and spanned more than a dozen campuses. God bless her soul, but my college counselor barely walked from her office to our homeroom.
The initiative originated from a Florida-based counselor, Taylor Smith, who told The New York Times he wanted to fuse his love of cycling with the college tours he makes every summer, ones he says help him better advise his students. The unique adventure has since become an annual event, with counselors from across the country meeting up to pedal onto campuses in the name of research.
Among their most memorable experiences? According to NYTimes.com article, Kirk Blackard, a counselor at Christ School in Arden, N.C., said it was not “facts you can learn from the Web site,” but the personal stories he heard while settling in from long days of biking to eat in college cafeterias and rest up in dorms.
I’m thoroughly impressed — not only with the drive of these counselors, but how that drive illuminates an unparalleled commitment to their students. The way I see it, if they’re willing to don spandex bike shorts, pack up a change of clothes in a mini bike trailer, and sleep in a dorm after shackling their bike to the campus bike stand, I bet they’ll go to bat for their students when the time of need arrives.
Pedal on!
– Gina LaGuardia
July 16th, 2009
The New York Times recently addressed the financial aid climate of college admissions in an article that is quite disturbing to me. Financial aid has always been an issue and great concern for pretty much the entire college-application population. But because of the state of the economy, it is definitely at a low point.
While financial aid is still available to some, it is certainly not as available as it once was. This is, of course, completely understandable. However, in the article, some admissions offices revealed that they are looking to admit applicants who don’t apply for financial aid or those who come from wealthy families:
This year, many of these colleges say they are more inclined to accept students who do not apply for aid, or whom they judge to be less needy based on other factors, like ZIP code or parents’ background.
Although such colleges admit to applying this mindset only to those “students at the margins, the ones who would probably be ‘maybes,’” it’s a scary factor, for sure. Now, in addition to being faced with a million different emotions and issues with affording college, parents must also grapple with knowing that their pleas for aid may affect the acceptance of their children into their college of choice.
Colleges want those students who will be able to pay tuition in full, especially as endowments do not increase. What we have here is rising tuition and an attitude that is blinded by the green monster of the almighty dollar. Now, more than ever, this makes colleges seem more like businesses than institutions designed to better students’ (and the country’s) future.
This is certainly a sign of the times that those with more academic potential but less endowment potential would get rejected from their prestigious dream college. Could this be a trending discriminatory practice?
-Amanda Fornecker
April 3rd, 2009
According to The New York Times, many of the top colleges and universities in the nation are reporting that they’ve received significantly more applications than last year – despite the recent economic downturn. Although it’s encouraging to see so many high school students going for the gold, this increased turn-out translates to a lower acceptance rate and possibly more challenging admissions race.
Harvard University (Cambridge, Massachusetts), for instance, has seen a record-high of 29,112 applications this year but will only admit seven percent of all applicants – a one percent drop from last year. Similar statistics can be seen with other top schools: Brown University (Providence, Rhode Island) had 21 percent more applications; Columbia University (New York City), 13 percent; and Yale University (New Haven, Connecticut), 14 percent. (Though these colleges did not release their anticipated acceptance rates for this year, students will start to find out as of tomorrow when they start e-mailing decision letters to applicants.)
Stanford University (Palo Alto, California) also experienced a 20 percent increase in applications from last year, and expects to admit an all-time low, although they would not release an exact prediction as of yet.
– Genevieve M. Blaber
March 30th, 2009
The letters “S-O-S” rarely stand for anything good, but today that changes thanks to Sallie Mae’s new private loan, the Smart Option Student Loan. Compared to private loans offered by other companies, the Smart Option Student Loan will let students pay off loans nearly a decade sooner than they would have under normal circumstances while saving approximately 40 percent off what they would have paid.
The key to these fast savings — or rather, the catch? Instead of hitting students with the bill upon graduation, the Smart Option Student Loan lets students start paying off the loan’s interest while they’re still in college. (Not that everyone can do that, but if you can it’s a viable option worthy of further exploration.) Though nothing goes towards the principle amount, according to Sallie Mae — and, OK, the math — doing that on a monthly basis can substantially decrease the amount you will ultimately owe upon graduation.
Consider this, if you take out a $10,000 loan at a 6% annual interest rate, you’ll owe an additional $600 in interest at the end of your freshman year. By the time you graduate, you could owe nearly $3,000 more on that first loan thanks to that 6% rate –- and that’s only considering one of four loans! (Each year of schooling is considered a separate loan when it comes to calculating interest.)
Students who can swing a monthly payment while in school can get a head start on paying that interest down. So rather than let four years of it hit you where you least suspect it, Sallie Mae’s Smart Option Student Loan lets you nip things in the bud. Sallie Mae estimates that a student with an initial loan of $7,700 could save nearly $9,000 by applying for the Smart Option Student Loan as opposed to other offers for private loans. Another A+ perk? It enables those who are able to make monthly payments to build up their credit score.
On a personal note: I had a student loan very similar to this when I was in college and it made my loan payments so much easier to handle once I had graduated. The only problem was that, by my senior year in college, both my tuition rate and interest rate had jumped enough to make the monthly payments a little more than I had anticipated. What helps though, is to put some money aside during your first two years of college and apply this chunk of change to any additional interest you may owe during your third and fourth years. Remember, during the first year of your Smart Option Student Loan, you’ll only being paying down the interest on one loan, but by your senior year, you’ll only be making payments on four.
For more info, visit Sallie Mae’s Education Investment Planner.
– Genevieve M. Blaber
March 23rd, 2009
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