Archive for the ‘College Admissions’ Category

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Getting the Acceptance Letter You’ve Always Wanted

Friday, February 24th, 2012

Determining how to get that acceptance letter in the mail isn’t the easiest task in the world, but it isn’t impossible either.  With dedication, hard work and planning, you can likely get into one of your college or university choices, especially if you throw a wide enough net.  The college admissions process can be tricky, and this is one of the reasons there is college counseling services, college admissions assistance and test prep tutoring.  There are also many good resources that you can turn to that will help guide you towards a better understanding of the college admissions process.  In this article, we will look at a couple of the books you may wish to consider.

Pick One-College Admissions: From Application to Acceptance, Step by Step by Robin Mamlet

College guidebooks fall into many different categories, but the best usually pull on the expertise of people who have worked in the field and understand how the process works.  It isn’t fair to say that these books give “inside information,” as they usually don’t, but they do give as sizable amount of information on issues that you might glance over or ignore when considering schools.

This book is all about “picking the brains” of admissions officers.  Most students and parents probably feel as though the entire college admissions process is confusing and a little esoteric.  College Admissions: From Application to Acceptance, Step by Step by Robin Mamlet does a solid job in demystifying the process.

Unlike many books, the nature of the advice in College Admissions is of such a comprehensive fashion that parents might want to consider reading this one early in their child’s high school career.  There are many tips that can only be used if plotted out years in advance.  If you are a planner and want to get into a great school, you should read this one.

Pick Two-How to Write Your College Application Essay by Kenneth Nourse

How to Write Your College Application Essay by Kenneth Nourse is a good book, but (and yes there is a but), it is very boring, perhaps distractingly so.  Yet, with that stated, author Kenneth Nourse knows his “stuff” and does a great job instructing students in the ins and outs of writing a good college application essay.  Here is the one drawback to choosing this book over other options; How to Write Your College Application Essay doesn’t really adequately cover how to make your essay shine above the rest.  It will be up to you to determine how to make yourself stand out to admissions officers when they are reading different admissions essays.

One of the best tricks for helping you stand out to a college admissions officer is to be memorable in a good way.  This means investing the time to think about how you are distinctive and why you are likely to be a good, or even great, graduate down the road.  If you have big plans, then consider sharing some of those plans in your admissions letter.  More importantly, outline some of the steps that you have taken or will be taking to make those dreams and goals into reality.  Being able to show and point to how you are goal oriented, driven and organized may achieve the goal of assisting you to stand out from the crowd.

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Looking at Your College Picks from a Different Perspective

Tuesday, February 21st, 2012

A great deal of work can go into deciding what kind of college or university you should select.  This is an area where people feel completely comfortable giving you advice… and a lot of it!  If you treat the process of selecting a college or university seriously, the odds are good that you will make the right decision.  With that stated, however, you also want to take in information from many sources and consider a variety of options.  Let’s take a look at two books that might change your perspective on the kind of college or university that is a good pick for you.  If you think that the only way to select a college is to find a college by major or select a college based on college dorm life, these books may just change your mind.

Cool Colleges by Donald Asher

Cool Colleges: For the Hyper-Intelligent, Self-Directed, Late Blooming and Just Plain Different by Donald Asher isn’t aiming to please everyone and be for everyone.  The title makes this just about as clear as it could be.  If you are thinking that the “cool” colleges in this book can’t actually be that “cool”- then think again.

Author Donald Asher has hit a real home run.  The colleges that he discusses in this book are indeed quite, quite cool.  What is particularly impressive is the diversity of the colleges covered.  Everything from schools that don’t give grades to totally free schools to same sex schools are covered.

If you are a student that is looking for a different type of college experience, you really do need to pick up this book.  Viewed from this perspective, Cool Colleges is highly recommended.  Parents of students who are uninterested in college and talking about “not bothering” could benefit tremendously from reading this one!

Here is what makes Cool Colleges highly unique; it is an interesting read even for those who have no interest in attending college.  This book has the very rare distinction of being a good read for those without any stake in getting into college.  You might not think its a page turner, but there are just too many quirky and interesting facts in it to not find Cool Colleges at least slightly entertaining.

Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges by Loren Pope

Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges by Loren Pope is thought provoking.  After reading this book, you might feel less motivated to attend certain expensive schools and turn more in favor of other options.  If you think that feeling this way is impossible, wait until you’ve finished this book.

There is no doubt that author Pope is very serious regarding her mission to change the way that people see higher education.  Now, if you are obsessed with going to a big name school so that you have all the prestige that comes with the “name,” well, you should probably avoid reading this book, as it might depress you a little.  However, for everyone else, this is an interesting read.  In fact, everyone who wants to get the most out of their educational experience will like reading this book.

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How to Deal with Rejection Letters

Sunday, February 19th, 2012

Rejection of any kind isn’t easy or fun, but it sure is memorable!  This is how you may feel if you receive a rejection letter from the college or university of your dreams.  The bad news is that for most students there is a possibility that such an event could occur.  The good news is that there are steps you can take to deal with rejection letters, and that is exactly what we are going to explore in this article.

So let’s say you’ve invested a great deal of time in looking for a college and avoided giving up, turning to your parents and saying, “Find a college for me,” only to receive a rejection letter, now what?  The first thing is to rewind the clock a little bit.

If possible you should apply to many different colleges and universities.  This will give you some protection against being devastated by a given rejection.  You’ve invested considerable time investigating financial aid for college tuition and SAT practice test online, so why not spend the time to find numerous colleges that fit your criteria?  Just because you think you’re a “shoe-in” for a given college or university, doesn’t mean that it’s true.

There are many different reasons why you might get edged out.  The college admissions process is notoriously esoteric and political.  In fact, the process has lead to lawsuits in the past.  Keep in mind that a “sure thing” is likely only a sure thing if you are applying to a college or university that is far below what your grades and SAT score would warrant.  If the schools you are applying to are very competitive, you will want to apply to many backup schools. (Just don’t let these colleges and universities know that they are your “backup schools!”)

Now what do you do if you didn’t apply to enough schools or you are so truly dedicated to your top pick that nothing else will do?  First, keep in mind that there are lots of other universities and colleges out there, and the odds are you can find another one that you’ll enjoy attending.  Second, remember that you can always transfer to a new school.  This happens with considerable frequency, and there is no reason that you can’t do this as well.

If you feel as though you worked very hard on your college applications, did your best on the SAT, and then you didn’t get in, this experience can be pretty devastating.  However, this does happen all the time, and so you have to let it go and focus on the universities or colleges that you did get into.

Transferring to the school you wanted to attend in a couple of years is an option.  Until then, focus on getting the best grades possible and building a fantastic case for why you should be allowed to transfer to the university or college that was your real first choice.  Until that day happens, sit back enjoy the ride and appreciate the fact that you will meet people, make friends and have experiences that you would never have otherwise made or had.  It’s not the end of the world.

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How to Keep From Waiting to the Last Minute to Apply to College

Thursday, February 16th, 2012

The process of applying for college is enough to make just about anyone’s head truly spin.  If you decide to wait until the last moment, you will likely regret it.  Tasks that would have seemed easy all of a sudden seem complex, hard and puzzling when you have little time.  Further, the less time you have to prepare, the more stress you will feel, and the poorer your decisions may ultimately be.  The question you need to keep in mind is, “How do I keep from waiting until the last moment to apply to college?”

Organization is a big deal in college admissions process.  This is why some people turn to college counseling services and look for college admissions assistance.  Before you worry about how to survive college, first make sure that you get there!  You can reduce your stress level by thinking ahead.  You might even have to take some drastic steps in order to make sure that you begin prepping early to meet your deadlines.

Motivation is important, and one helpful tip for getting motivated isn’t to focus on the work at hand when it comes to applying to different colleges and universities.  Instead focus on the fact that the more colleges and universities that you apply to the more options you will have.  This could lead to far better results.  By applying to many colleges and universities and doing so early, you may have a better time and more fun than you otherwise would have experienced.  Focus on the potential fun that you might have in the future by investing the time to get your applications in.

If you are still unmotivated, realize that not everyone has the opportunity to go to college.  In the United States, only about half of students apply (and of that half less than twenty percent eventually graduate!).  Going to college and graduating is still a significant accomplishment.  Only a few decades ago, the graduation rate for college was less than ten percent!

Now if all of that isn’t enough to get you properly motivated, then you might have to consider other options, such as having your friends or family, yes, bug you.  If your parents know your deadlines and you tell them that they must help you make sure that you meet those deadlines, then odds are you will meet more of your deadlines than you otherwise would have.  Of course, it is important that you realize that you won’t be able to rely on your parents in this fashion forever.

Considering the importance of getting into college and meeting your deadlines, it is in your best interest to work to stay on target.  It is necessary to understand that you will have no choice but to make temporary sacrifices so that you can get all of your college applications in on time.  Don’t let all the hard work you put into the college admissions process be for nothing simply because you forgot something as basic as a deadline.

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Books on How to Survive College and Show Up Prepared

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012

If you are worried about college life and college dorm life, don’t worry, as so is everyone else.  This even includes the people that are sure they are flawless and perfect in every conceivable way!  After all, determining how to survive college is about more than just college dorm life, or figuring out how to find a college roommate or the best ways to eat healthy at college.  Let’s take a look at a couple of books that can help you be better prepared for college.

Getting Ready for College: Everything You Need to Know Before You Go from Bike Locks to Laundry Baskets, Financial Aid to Health Care by Polly Bernet

The title alone is enough to make you tired.  Getting Ready for College is a useful book that turns out to deviates less into being like a grocery list of things to bring to college than one might initially think.  This book makes for a nice secondary guide to college life.  In general, you will want to check this one out after you have read some of the denser, meatier books on how to get into college and college life, such as Crazy U and Don’t Stalk the Admissions Officer.

However, once you know what college you will be attending, this is a nice book to sit down with on a Saturday afternoon and flip through.  It is an easy and light read but is packed with good information.  However, reading this book a year or two before you get into college doesn’t make much sense, as you will forget many of the basic, but very useful, tips that it contains. While the term “financial aid” is in the title, don’t rely on it too much as there are much better books on this topic. But it is virtually guaranteed that there will be some tips in Getting Ready for College that you would have missed without reading it.

90-Minute College Major Matcher: Choose Your Best Major for a College Career by Shatkin

My, my- if college isn’t expensive these days.  This fact has many ramifications.  One of the most significant ramifications is that you want to get the most you can for every dollar that you spend.  This means that you want to pick the college that is right for you.  90-Minute College Major Matcher: Choose Your Best Major for a College Career by Shatkin is a book that wants to help you and fast.  It is important to state that you should certainly feel free to spend more than 90 minutes on choosing your career.  In general, this is a helpful tool to use for thinking about your future.  While this book does have something to offer, it should not be the only tool that you use in selecting your career or major.

Keep in mind that the more you prepare for college and think about a variety of college related issues, the better off you will be.  No one can prepare you for college if you, yourself, are not invested in the process.

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Repaying Your Student Loans-It’s Closer Than You Think

Saturday, February 11th, 2012

Repaying your student loans might seem like it’s way off in the future, but the day will come when that money must be repaid.  Interestingly enough, student loan debt is the only form of debt that you can’t have discharged in a bankruptcy.  This means that sooner or later you will be repaying this money, and lenders know it!  This is the reason why so many lenders are willing to let you borrow large or even massive sums of money.

With this fact in mind, you will want to be very careful about how much you borrow, when and how.  Otherwise you might be in for a real shock down the line.

The issue of student loan debt is a complicated one, as there are many different forms of debt.  When you are researching financial aid for college tuition, financial aid and grants, direct federal student loans and other types of student loans, remember that not all loans are equal.  This point is extremely important.  You should not just dismiss the terms of the student loans that are offered to you.  Don’t think that “they’re all the same,” as the terms can differ drastically.

The interest that you pay on one type of student loan versus another type of student loan would be nothing short of eye-popping.  Currently, many people are in a position where they are unable to find work, yet have high levels of student loan debt with high rates of interest.  Obviously this is a bad situation and one that you don’t want to be in.

Highlighting and discussing these facts, while unpleasant, is important for your future.  Selecting a college major that you know will lead to reliable employment is a necessary step if you plan to have high levels of student debt.  In other words, it is difficult to encourage any young person to go to a very expensive college to pursue a degree in a major that won’t lead to employment.

Being burdened with a very high debt (and perhaps even a high level of interest) while also having a degree that isn’t likely to help you earn high wages is a recipe for pain.  If you are going to borrow in order to attend college and are pursuing a career that isn’t likely to be big earner, you might just want to consider a less expensive university or college.

There are times when attending the “best” school you can get into may not make any sense whatsoever.  Receiving an education is all about looking towards the future, but looking towards the future also means that you sometimes need to have a broad view.

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Is Community College Right For You?

Saturday, February 4th, 2012

If you are like most high school seniors, you’ve spent a good deal of time exploring what it takes to find the right college.  Part of this process has no doubt been learning about private loans for college, college savings programs and financial aid and grants.  Just trying to understand the financial part of the college equation can be a great deal of serious work!

During this research, you may have discovered that you just can’t find a way to pay for a traditional four-year degree at a college or university.  You may also be worried that your grades are not going to be good enough to get you into one of the schools of your choice.  The good news is that if you fall into these categories, there are still good options.

The community college system is diverse, works well and is more popular than ever.  The inexplicable and continued rise in college tuition in the last few years has fed something a renaissance for community colleges.  Also if you are thinking that only large communities and cities have community colleges, then guess again.  The fact is that there are more community colleges than you might imagine, and the odds are good that there is one within driving distance of you.

Community colleges offer a great, if not fantastic, value for the money.  When compared to the increasingly astronomical tuition rates at private and even some state schools, community colleges are nothing short of a bargain, if not a super bargain!

Attending a community college for two years and then transferring to finish your degree can save you a massive amount of money.  Plus, if you don’t have the grades or the SAT scores to get into one of your top picks or any of your local schools, this could be a second chance!

If you consistently pull good grades in a community college, you should be able to transfer to a four-year university or college to complete your degree.  You will also have more time to find the right college and look into financial aid and grants as well.  Thanks to community colleges, thousands of students, of all ages, who could not otherwise attend college, have the opportunity to do so.

5 Key Ways You Could Benefit from Attending a Community College

  1. Earn credits to transfer to a four-year college or university
  2. Save money
  3. Have additional time to investigate how to pay for college
  4. Have additional time to explore what major you will choose
  5. Gain access to knowledgeable facility, professors and instructors who can help guide your education and career path

These are only some of the ways that you can benefit from attending a community college.  If you think the four-year university or college route is closed to you, then you should consider community college.  In short, community colleges have a great deal to offer.  Community colleges help countless people every year, and they can help you as well.

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The Importance of Great Organizing

Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

As you look to make the transition from high-school to college, you are probably feeling as though there is a never ending and maybe even growing “checklist” of things you need to worry about or check off your list.  Don’t worry if you feel this way, as it is very normal and quite common.

When it comes to getting into one of your top college picks, you might not think much about your level of organization, but it is actually of paramount importance in the process.  The more organized you are, the greater your chances of getting into one of your top college picks.  The odds are higher for ultimate success in college as well.

If you haven’t been “much for organizing” in the past, now is definitely the time to change that.  Studying for the SAT, meeting deadlines, writing essays, taking practice tests, evaluating your different college options, investigating financial aid for college tuition and direct federal student loans takes a lot of time, and that means a lot of organization is essential.

One of the single largest steps towards great organization is being willing to prioritize what is important and what is not important.  Tackle this step first, and getting organized will become a great deal easier.

Sacrificing things that you enjoy doing in order to do something that you don’t like or find unpleasant is easier said than done.  One trick is to start small with small sacrifices of things that you enjoy.  Instead use that “recovered time” for something that relates to getting into the school of your dreams, or at least one of the schools that you like the idea of attending!

You could tackle this issue on a week by week basis.  Here is an example of how you could structure your college prep organizing.  You don’t have to use this exact model, but instead you can adapt this strategy for whatever works for you!

Week One-Spend more time studying for SAT

Week Two-Research colleges

Week Three-Get College applications

Week Four-Research financial aid related issues

Week Five-Make list of relevant deadlines

Week Six-Think about ways you can become more efficient and effective in how you use your time and make a list!

Each week look for ways that you can set time aside so that you can apply that time towards getting into college.  As a result, you will become far more organized and also far calmer!  Being organized has a benefit that few consider; being organized means less panic and that means better decision-making.

Many students “end up” at universities and colleges that were nowhere near their top picks for no other reason that a failure to get organized in advance.  They had all the tools, the necessary grades, good letters of recommendation and maybe even good SAT scores, but they lacked proper preparation.

Think of getting into college like you would think about starting a business.  You wouldn’t just try to open a business without preparing in some fashion, would you?  You instinctively understand and know that a business, at least one with any chance of success, needs work and planning.  If you invest your time in this fashion, you will be surprised by what you can accomplish.

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Should You Stay on Campus or Rent an Apartment?

Saturday, January 28th, 2012

You’ve probably given at least a little time to thinking about how to survive college, and if you haven’t, you should start doing so.  One of the major decisions that you will need to make regarding college is whether or not you will stay in on campus or rent an apartment nearby.  A lot goes into this decision.  In this article, we will look at some of the pros and cons of each path.

Staying on campus means that you get the full college dorm life experience with all of its ups and downs and pros and cons.   There are many good aspects regarding opting for dorm life, as you will be able to meet a lot of new friends, pseudo-friends, future enemies and acquaintances more readily than you would living in an apartment off campus.  No doubt, adjusting to living in a new city or state can be a little bit easier if you are constantly surrounded by people that you might have something in common with, or at least in theory.

Yet, college dorm life can have a lot of downsides.  One major downside is that it can be difficult to focus on your studies.  Now if you are going to college to mostly appease your parents, and have opted for what you feel will be a pretty “easy” major, then college dorm life could very well be the way to go.  This is even truer if you are mostly concerned with having a good time and partying.  However, if you are considering a difficult major or want plenty of time to study, then you will want to reconsider living in a dorm.

Students who want to be able to study in peace may not find that living in a dorm is the best place to do this.  No matter how studious you may, be there is no way to ensure that your dorm mates or floor mates will share your perspective on the value of peace and quite.  The fact that people will surround you who have different majors and different course loads, means that they will have different study habits too.  No matter what your perspective, this is a good point to keep in mind as it could influence your success level in college.

Renting an apartment gives your more control over your environment, and you may also enjoy more creature comforts.  On the downside, you won’t enjoy the instant access to the campus and instant access to classmates.

Opting for an apartment doesn’t necessarily mean the end of your social life.  In fact, depending on your personality, having an apartment of your own may actually help your social life.  After all, college students love trashing other people’s places during parties!

If you do choose an apartment, you may have to find a college roommate and that can be a tricky proposition (but so is potentially getting “stuck” with a dorm roommate that you hate!)  The bottom line is that there are pros and cons to both of these options.  Ultimately, you need to think long and hard about what kind of person you are, how easily you make friends and what you want out of the college experience.

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Community Colleges – A Great Option to Consider

Thursday, January 19th, 2012

One of the single most important parts of the transition from high school to college is being prepared.  Clearly, you should work hard to find financial aid for college tuition and direction federal student loans; however, if you are unable to afford college or your grades didn’t allow you to get into any local colleges or universities, don’t panic.  It is important to remember that you still have options for receiving an education.

Millions of people have successfully used the community college system.  You can attend community college to receive further education and even transfer to a four-year college or university later on.

Here are two good books on the topic of community colleges.

Community College by Susan H. Stafford

Okay, you didn’t get into the college of your dreams or you just can’t afford to go.  That doesn’t mean that you should just give up on your dream of getting a college degree.  College graduates earn far more over the course of their lifetime than those with just high-school diplomas.  This book is valuable in that it gets students and parents thinking about community college, which stands out as an important often overlooked resource.

Going to a community college can save you a staggering amount of money, and this book has most of what you need to know to begin the community college process.  There are many misconceptions regarding community college, and Community College by Susan H. Stafford is rather effective at clearing some of them up.  Another reason this book is a winner is that it doesn’t just state, “go to a community college” but instead gives you concrete reasons to do so.  This is done by showing how community colleges can tie into creating new career and earning opportunities.

If you think that your college dreams are over, then pick this book up.  It will remind you that you can, in fact, return to college at any age with very little money.

The Community College Guide: The Essential Reference from Application to Graduation by Joshua Halberstam and Debra Gonsher

The Community College Guide: The Essential Reference from Application to Graduation by Joshua Halberstam and Debra Gonsher takes a slightly different approach to community college than other books.  Halberstam and Gonsher’s approach goes beyond making the solid case for community college and gets directly into the “nuts and bolts,” such as transcripts and financial aid concerns.

Anyone considering community college will find this helpful; however, you will definitely skip over some sections.  At times the handholding might seem excessive, but ultimately there is no denying that this book is worth the effort, just be prepared to do some serious skipping and skimming.  Any book that makes a case for the value and worth of the community college system is one that is worth reading and supporting.

Both of these books can help outline the community college experience and what it has to offer.  Remember that you should be able to find a community college in your area.  In addition, you will also find many dedicated people at your local community college that are eager to help guide you, so seek them out and ask for help!

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