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Get
College Application Smart:
Take Our True/False Quiz
by
Sarah Hartman
 You've
been hearing it since freshman year in high school,
or even earlier: "Keep your grades up, or you
won't get into a good college... Participating
in this club will look good on your scholarship
application... Stick with baseball -- you might
need it for college."
Now
that college is on the brain, and on the tongues
of your teachers and parents, you must consider
two very important questions: How much do you
really know about getting into college, and how
much of what you've heard is true? Get a sheet
of paper, then take the following quiz to find
out if you're savvy enough to ace the app.
True
or False?
1. Even if you have a lot of extracurricular
activities under your belt, your GPA still counts.
2. A high ACT or SAT score can earn you bonus
points in the eyes of admissions officers.
3. If the essay on the scholarship application
is optional, there's no point in writing it if
you've got a 32 ACT score, a 4.0 GPA, and tons
of extracurricular activities.
4. You're in the middle of your junior year and
just realized you want to go to college. Don't
worry -- it's not too late to make up for those
horrible grades in your freshman and sophomore
years.
5. You should apply to only one school at a time.
6. It's better to wait until later in your senior
year before applying to college -- that way, you
have time to work on your GPA.
7. You can get into college with a low ACT or
SAT score.
8. You shouldn't bother applying for a scholarship,
because there are always student loans and part-time
jobs to foot your college bill.
9. Since some scholarships are only given to
recipients who haven't accepted any other forms
of financial aid, you should only apply for one
scholarship at a time.
10. You don't know if you really want to go to
college yet, so you shouldn't do anything until
you make a decision.
Answers
>>
1. True. You can be captain
of the football team, president of the drama club,
and a member of almost every club in school, and
still have problems if your GPA is only 1.2.
Dan Rosenfield, dean of enrollment management
at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, claims
that extracurricular activities don't always play
a major role in college applications -- GPA and
standardized test scores give a more accurate
picture of how well you will perform. In Rosenfield's
opinion, extracurriculars are often a "tip factor"
-- meaning if two students have equal GPA and
test scores, the scales might tip in favor of
the student with more activities. A student with
phenomenal talent, however -- such as a future
NFL possibility -- might find that extracurricular
activities factor more, he adds.
2. True. At some universities, test scores
determine placement in classes, allow you to skip
classes with credit, and determine whether you
will be able to join honor programs in your first
semester. Although ACT/SAT scores are not always
the only deciding factor in admissions, Rosenfield
recommends students take the tests a minimum of
three times -- once a year from sophomore to senior
years. Practice makes perfect, and when it could
mean a few "free" credits, practice might prove
worthwhile.
3. False. There might be 10 applicants
with equal ACT scores and GPAs, and extracurricular
activities that'll put you to shame. If the school
can only offer five scholarships, and only six
people wrote the essay, you can bet that those
six will get higher consideration. The essay also
gives you a chance to showcase traits that aren't
displayed in your academic record.
4. True. There is a college for "anyone
who is capable and willing to do the work," says
Rosenfield. It's never too late, and some colleges
will take improved academic records into account.
5. False Apply to all schools you might
be interested in, or at least your top three choices.
This is especially true when applying to highly
competitive schools. Your application may be denied,
and if you haven't applied elsewhere, a school
could have filled all their openings for that
semester. Applying to more than one university
can help guarantee that you'll at least be admitted
to one, explains Shirley Banez of the University
of Texas at San Antonio scholarship office. And
being accepted for admission doesn't mean you
can't decline in favor of another option. Rosenfield
also advises not discounting a school based on
price, because you won't know what the final cost
will be until all financial aid applications have
been calculated. Having said that, however, he
cautions students to have both an academic safety
(a school to which you know you will be accepted)
and a financial safety (a school you know you
will be able to afford).
6. False. According to Rosenfield, many
universities don't process housing or financial
aid applications until a student has been admitted.
Applying first semester senior year gives students
an advantage in housing and financial aid over
those who wait until the last minute. It also
allows more time to learn more about the institution
and possible majors.
7. True. Although test scores are important
for a variety of reasons, many colleges will also
look at your GPA, and other academic factors.
Any university is "looking for people who will
succeed," which can be demonstrated in a variety
of ways, says Rosenfield. Plus, he adds that a
low test score might not automatically keep students
from skipping basic classes -- some universities
offer their own "test-out" programs in which you
can take a test to get credit for a single class.
8. False You don't have to pay back a
scholarship. That's reason enough to apply, even
if it seems time consuming. If the scholarship
is worth $1,000, and it took you five hours to
complete the application, that's $200 an hour!
What part-time job could pay you that?!
9. False It's always best to apply for
multiple scholarships, says Banez. There's no
guarantee that you'll be awarded the scholarship
you want, and even if you receive multiple offers,
you can turn down conflicting scholarships. Plus,
scholarships oftentimes have disbursement limits,
so it's best to apply for all other applicable
scholarships when the opportunities arise.
10. False It's better to be safe than
sorry. After all, you don't have to go to college
just because you got accepted. But you won't be
able to go at all if you don't apply.
Score
Yourself >>
Three or Fewer Correct: You probably haven't
thought a lot about your college application.
If you plan on going to college, ask your guidance
counselor and teachers what steps you need to
take. If you're a freshman or sophomore, set goals
each year to work toward a great scholarship application.
If you're a junior or senior, visit nearby colleges
and speak with the dean of admission to discover
things you can do to enhance your chances of getting
in.
Four to Six Correct: You're starting to
get ready for college, and have a pretty good
understanding of the application process. Of course,
it wouldn't hurt to ask for help or advice, particularly
if you're a senior in high school and find that
you're running behind on application deadlines.
Do some online research about your college choices
and the application process. Visit www.collegebound.net
for help.
Seven to 10 Correct:
You already know a lot about applying to
college, and probably have all your information
in order (or know how to get it in order). So
what are you waiting for? Go fill out your applications!
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