Many applicants to the most selective university programs share high grades, high test scores, solid recommendations and generous doses of community service and volunteer activities. Yet, if they want to set themselves apart from the pool of exceptional students, a significant research experience in STEM or the social sciences helps.
If you are fortunate enough to gain admission to Stanford, or any of the Ivy League schools, even if your family income is slightly over $100,000 a year, you'll receive substantial grants. (See "Looking for a Well-Endowed College?" in this blog.) Should you not be among the chosen elite, but have participated in an IB Diploma Programme, or took a slew of AP courses, you just might be able to skip a year, and get your Bachelors degree in 3 instead of (especially in the public schools) 5-6 years
Among the many college information websites, several, such as the College Navigator, from the National Center of Educational Statistics, http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/ with its extensive enrollment and financial aid information, and the College Board site http://www.collegeboard.com/student/csearch/index.html with its college selection tools and college major research information, are stalwarts.
When exploring potential colleges, many students start with their state schools or the more prestigious independent colleges, such as Duke, Haverford, Stanford, or the Ivies. Some students, however, are attracted to the Catholic universities and colleges. With over a 180 scattered across the United States, there are a number to choose among
In light of this year's flood of applications received by the most selective schools: Harvard received a record 27,200 applications, an increase of 19% over last year, University of Chicago's application volume increased by 18%, Amherst College, 17%, Northwestern, 14%, and Dartmouth, 10%, gaining a clearer insight into how the admissions offices of the most selective schools operate is useful. What better way to do this than hearing what the key admissions officers have to say?
During the recent WACAC (Western Association of College Admissions Counselors) meeting at the University of La Verne, Hector Martinez, Director of College Guidance, the Webb Schools, Claremont, CA, conducted a session on the much neglected art of essay writing: "Helping Students find their Voices in Essays".
Hector, in his college counseling position at Webb, has spent over two decades helping students brainstorm, revise, and polish literally thousands of college essays. Over the years of working with essays, Hector can recall only five that truly impressed him. Three of the essay writers actually went on to become published authors. The point Hector made was well taken: only a small portion of essays make their mark.
If you take the ACT, you have control over which scores are submitted to which colleges. It’s a practice the ACT has had since its inception. Now the College Board, following the ACT lead, is introducing Score Choice. If you want to get more information on Score Choice, go to the following link: http://professionals.collegeboard.com/testing/sat-reasoning/scores/policy to get a copy of the fact sheet, and a PowerPoint presentation. Score Choice launches this March and will be available through the College Board’s website or customer service department.
Sometimes when I recommend a small, liberal arts school to students, say a school like Pomona College, they're puzzled. Why in the world would they want to pay $45-50,000 a year for a school with 1,500 students (smaller than most high schools) and, in all likelihood, with limited resources? On the surface, such an objection makes sense. However, it doesn't account for the consortium of colleges to which Pomona belongs. This consortium opens a huge network of educational opportunities for all Pomona students, while maintaining Pomona's personal and intimate touch.
Tuitions are slated to rise over the next years as public schools feel the pressure of state government belt tightening, and private schools encounter a drop off of funds. One remedy might be to apply to the service academies , which will cover all your costs and pay you a monthly stipend, or attend tuition-free schools (with some, such as Deep Springs, actually picking up all costs) . Or, if you're lucky enough to gain admission to the most selective schools, you might find some incredible blue light specials:
Many admissions officers become upset when told of students' positioning their applications to highlight specific strengths. Somehow, such an enterprise is perceived as commercializing the admissions process. Yet, turn to politics, business, sports, art...and you'll note everyone must compete hard to sell their unique strengths to a very demanding public. The admissions process is no different. Actually, it just might be a bit more competitive than these other areas, if the targets of your desire are the most selective colleges.
The NACAC (National Association for College Admission Counseling) led by William Fitzsimmons, dean of admissions and financial aid at Harvard, issued, during the latter part of September, its annual commission report questioning the value of standardized tests in the admissions process. The report mentions that admissions offices that begin analyzing standardized tests soon question their value.
