College Admissions Help Blog

For some students, there is no question about where they want to go to college. I was one of those students. I fell in love with one college and I knew that if I did not apply or get into any other school I would be happy.

For students like me most colleges have either an early decision or an early action application option. Early decision and early action allow students to apply to the college of their choice early in November and usually find out if they have been admitted before Christmas. Early decision is binding, meaning that you have to attend the school if you get in. Early action on the other hand is not binding. It allows you to receive an admissions decision early, but still decline the offer if you so choose. This option also gives you the opportunity to apply to more than one school early.

With early decision and early action you have the possibility of being accepted, rejected or deferred. Deferment means that the school is not sure if they should admit you and you will be reconsidered with the regular pool of applicants.

Early decision and early action have many benefits. First of all, they usually have a higher acceptance rate than regular admissions. Secondly, if you are accepted you will not have to worry about the college admissions process for your entire senior year of high school. After you find out you will be able to concentrate on other things. Finally, if you only apply to one school you can save hundreds of dollars in application fees.

If you decide to apply for early decision or early action it is extremely important to have a plan B in place in case you do not get in. When I applied I made sure I had three other applications ready to go out in case I did not get in.

For me early decision worked out great.  I applied to my first choice school in November and found out that I got in a few days before Christmas. The rest of my year was stress free and I was able to concentrate on my school work and applying for scholarships.

If you are currently a senior in high school and applying to college you are probably well into the process by now. November is a month when deadlines slowly start to creep up and it is important to make sure you have all of your ducks in a row.

Early Decision: If you are planning on applying to a school for early decision or early action your application is probably due soon! Most schools have early decision deadlines in November so if you are planning on some good news around the holidays do not be late with your application. If you are applying to schools with rolling admissions it cannot hurt to get those applications out this month too since decisions are made as applications are received.

College Essay: Put down your pencils, time is almost up! You should be finishing up your college essays this month. You want to make sure you have time to proofread them before your applications go out. Also, it is not a bad idea to have your parents proofread your essays too!

SATs: You still have time to take another round of SATs this month if you are not happy with previous scores. Just make sure to have your scores sent to all the right schools.

Letters of Recommendation: This time of year teachers and coaches get a lot of requests for letters of recommendation. Make sure you have your recommendations lined up and that you will have them in hand in time to include with your applications. Also, make sure to thank the people who write your recommendations.

Finally, make sure you keep your school work on track. It might be hard to think about with everything else that is going on, but you are on the home stretch of your high school career and it is important to finish strong! On the bright side November comes with Thanksgiving break so take time to breath and enjoy yourself!

As juniors and seniors in high school you are probably well on your way to planning your college career. Getting ready for college can be extremely stressful on top of everything else you have to worry about, but luckily most high schools have resources to make the search and apply process a lot easier.

Many high schools host college information nights for juniors and seniors, and their families. Information nights give students and parents a broad overview of the college application process. Guidance counselors are on hand to provide direction and answer questions. Sometimes a school will even bring in a college admissions counselor to lend advice from their perspective. These events are particularly helpful to families who are sending their first child to college, but everyone should consider attending since things change so frequently.

The following is a list of topics that are usually covered at college information nights:

SATs and ACTs: All of your questions about when and where to take the SATs or ACTs will be answered. You will find out what the test dates are, where they are being offered, where to send your scores, what scores you should aim for and how many times you should take a particular test.

Visiting Colleges: You will learn how to schedule college visits and when the best times to visit are. You will find out what questions you should ask when you take a tour and how many schools you should visit to make the right decisions.

The Application Process: College applications are more than just pieces of paper. Someone from the guidance department will outline everything you need to include with your applications from the essay to the application fee.

The College Essay: Someone will go over the basics of writing a college essay. They will cover how to choose a topic, how long the essay should be and who should see your essay before you send it off.

Letters of Recommendation: Most colleges require that you submit letters of recommendation with your application. A guidance counselor will explain who these recommendations should come from, how many you should submit, and what they should say about you and your achievements .

FAFSA and Financial Aid: Financial aid can be the most confusing part of applying to college. Someone from the guidance department will go over when and how to fill out your FAFSA, what kinds of federal student loans and alternative student loans exist, and how to search for scholarships.

Institutional aid is something all students should consider when deciding on a school. Many schools provide need-based and non need-based aid to their students. This type of aid is usually referred to as institutional aid and varies by school. The importance of institutional aid has increased in recent years as educational costs have increased.

Your application for admission to a school might not automatically trigger consideration for institutional aid. You should always read the school’s catalog to find out what aid the school offers and what additional forms or applications are required.

Sometimes institutional aid is granted to full time undergraduate students in a particular field, while other times you will find institutional aid in the form of an inter-school fellowship. Regardless, every dime you can get today that you don’t have to repay tomorrow is huge. So be sure to check on the institutional aid at all colleges you are considering.

One of the most important summer’s in your life is the one leading up to you senior year of high school. That’s the time to begin visiting college campuses and narrowing down your wish list. Then, in the fall, you can apply to your top choices.

It’s important to note that many school’s do charge an application fee ranging from $25 to $100 so it could end up costing you a few bucks if you have several choice schools in mind. That said, it is advisable to hedge your bet so to speak and apply to more than one school.

Some schools will grant you a conditional acceptance within a few weeks after receiving your application. Conditional just means they must verify the prior learning experiences you claim. But if you don’t hear anything for a few months don’t panic. The admissions process is very slow, which is why most apply nearly a year out and don’t discover if their application has been accepted for four to six months. Just be patient.

Slow and steady wins the race – just like that stealthy turtle that outsmarted Bugs Bunny.

Did you know you may be eligible to earn college credit just for you life experience?

A life-experience portfolio is a comprehensive presentation listing and describing all learning experiences in a person’s life, with appropriate documentation. The basic document is then used in assigning academic credit for life-experience learning.

So if you’ve learned a language from traveling abroad, had articles published in a newspaper, or gained specific business knowledge by navigating up the ranks there is no reason to have to sit through those language, journalism, and business classes covering topics you’ve already mastered.

Contact your school’s guidance office to see if they offer life-experience credits.

One loop hole that gets completely overlooked is the equivalency exam.

The nontraditional approach to higher education says that if you have knowledge of an academic field, then you should get credit for that knowledge, regardless of how or where you acquired the knowledge from.

About 3,000 colleges and universities in the United States and Canada award students credit toward their Bachelor’s degrees solely on the basis of passing examinations.

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) and Excelsior College Examinations together administer more than 70 equivalency exams that are given at hundreds of testing centers all over North America. It usually costs anywhere from $50-$100 to take an equivalency exam.

If you feel you have sufficient knowledge in a given area you may save yourself time and money by taking an equivalency exam.

Are you passive by nature or even a self described social leper? Do you feel more comfortable behind a computer screen than behind a podium or microphone? If that’s the case there’s certainly no shame in that. But when it comes to visiting a college campus you’ll want to tap into your inner loquacious self for a couple of hours to ask some poignant questions that will have a direct impact on your future.

Devise a top 10 list: I would suggest to anyone visiting a college campus to come up with a list of questions to ask. The questions may range from “what’s your graduation rate” to “how’s the food in the cafeteria.” Just make sure whatever you ask is of paramount importance to you. Academic standards and student life are generally the two most heavily regarded criteria points for students.

It matters who you ask: School admissions officers are salesmen looking to close the deal. And while I’m not about to say they would lie to you, let’s just say they may stretch the truth or leave out a few key points if it enhances the potential you’ll choose their school. I would grab a student on campus (not literally of course), and ask them some questions. Ask more than one student if you can.

Another cool thing to keep in mind is that many schools offer an overnight at the dorms with a student host. That is an invaluable experience for prospective students. If you can sign up for that, do so!

Selecting a college is your first big decision in life. Don’t hide behind Mom and Dad. Ask questions and take charge. It is your future.

Today is officially the last day of “haggle month.” Financial aid officers refer to April as haggle month because of all of the parents who spend time asking for better financial aid offers.

Students generally have until tomorrow, May 1st, to decide whether to accept or reject an offer of admission. It’s going to be a tough decision for those who have received acceptance letters to more than one school, although cost will most likely play a key role in the decision making process.

Typically, a financial-aid offer will consist of five parts: grants, scholarships, work-study jobs, federally backed Stafford loans, and Plus loans for undergraduate students. Each school understandably offers different packages to each student based on merit and need.

Once you get settled on a school the next thing you’ll want to address is how to pay for it. Read 5 Tips for Getting Student Loans.

Just last week I wrote a blog entitled, Private Schools More Affordable than State, which spoke to the point that financial aid packages may actually be more attractive at private institutions driving down the bottom-line cost for you. This week it was announced that many budget-strapped public universities are predicting significant tuition hikes lending further credence to my earlier claim.

Right now private universities are doing everything in their power to maintain or lower the cost for students, while public schools are struggling amidst budget cuts and are looking to raise costs. Many are expected to raise tuition by 5-6%, which is understandable. Between state budget cuts, tuition income dollars, and endowments funds being down the only place to make up the shortage is through John and Jane Q student.

When completing your FAFSA just make sure to include ALL the schools on your wish list. Like Forest Gump once said, Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” You might as well go for the gusto! You may find the perfect chocolate.