What do colleges want?
This is a question that comes up repeatedly in the news, from parents, even between college consultants. Back in the old days (when parents applied to college) the buzzword was "well-rounded." We all wanted to be involved in a variety of activities that showed how balanced we were. Now the word is "passion." Colleges look for applicants who have explored one (or more) activities at depth. It is enough to make your head spin!
But aside from essays and extra-curriculars, colleges look at each applicant's quantitative mix. These mostly numerical scores are more important for large public universities who have less time to focus on each application individually, but they are also important for private colleges as well.
So what is this mysterious quantitative mix? Obviously, it includes SAT, SAT2, ACT, AP and IB scores. All of those numbers are factored in. Yes, they are important, but they are not the only thing(s) that colleges look at. Colleges know that standardized tests can show college readiness and ability in some but not all students. Timed testing can be undermined by anxiety and learning issues and are not a comprehensive measure for everyone.
Colleges also look closely at transcripts, and that is where the Crucial 5 come in. Successful applicants share one thing in common: they have 4 years of classes in the following subject areas: English, Math, Science, Social Studies, and (one) Foreign Language. Can you get into college without all 4 years? Absolutely. But if you are looking at a competitive school, you will increase your chances by making sure you have all these bases covered. And all of these classes contribute to the mix.
More than straight As, taking the most challenging combination of the crucial 5 offered at your high school will help balance out your scores. A B in an AP class shows that you challenged yourself, and you are working as hard as you can in high school. No college wants to take a slacker or an underachiever! You don't need to take the top classes in every subject, so if you are stronger in language, and weaker in Math, don't panic. (Just make sure you get through Algebra 2, a must for college admissions). And make sure your transcript shows that you made the effort.
An old joke asks: what do you call someone who speaks two languages? (bilingual) and what do you call someone who speaks only one language (an American). Hopefully this is not true anymore, and colleges are actively looking for students who prove that joke wrong. Also, brain research has shown that you can learn languages more easily as a teenager than later on. So take your 4 years of French (or Spanish, or Latin), especially since it will probably get you out of having to take language at college, which will give you an opening for more electives once you get there.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Financial Aid for college
The article below in the New York Times (How to Get More College Financial Aid By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: April 6, 2010) and others have gotten me thinking about paying for colleges. I am not a financial aid expert, but I fill out forms for 3 students of my own every year, so I have some real-world experience. Here are some tips I have learned along the way:
Plan Ahead
The first point is the one mentioned by every financial advisor I have ever met: The sooner you start planning for college, the better. Even a small 529 is better than nothing. You don't want to leave it all to the last minute and hope for a huge financial aid package! That is like assuming that your child will become a baseball all-star because he likes little league. Too much of a gamble for my liking!
On the other hand, if your child does well academically, and has a good "quantitative mix" there is a good chance that some college will be interested enough to throw money your way. Don't assume that private schools are out of the question, just because you don't have $50K to throw around. I know plenty of families (mine included) where they have paid more for a sibling at a public university than a sibling at a private school because of scholarships and grants.
So the second "plan ahead" is to take the time to fill out those endless forms (FAFSA and CSS Profile) even if you don't think you will get much. You will also need to get your taxes done in a timely fashion. Early is better, because the sooner you are done, the sooner you can be considered.
Timing is particularly important for state financial awards. Where we live, the DC-TAG (Tuition Assistance Grant) is very important for students applying to public universities. I stand in line every year in late March to have my taxes certified by the Office of Tax and Revenue, and then head to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) to get an award letter. Would I still get that award in May? Probably. But the lines are shorter, the anxiety is less, and every year they warn that they might run out of money.
Don't Make Yourself Crazy
While you are being thorough on the forms, and looking at meritaid.com and fastweb.com and studentaid.com, don't apply for everything that comes your way. The smaller grants can take just as long to apply for (even when they don't require an essay) as the larger awards. I would concentrate on aid that your child is particularly qualified for, especially if it is local. These smaller awards (high school alumni awards, military awards for those with parents and grandparents who served, church or synagogue awards) are not as well known, and are better bets. Look for those if you can. Ask some parents who have older children to see what awards they got.
Don't Be Afraid To Ask
The awards are in, and there is a gap between what you think you can spend, and what the college thinks you can pay. Most colleges offer awards to students that end up going elsewhere. It never hurts to ask for more. The worst they can say is "no."
How to get more financial aid
Plan Ahead
The first point is the one mentioned by every financial advisor I have ever met: The sooner you start planning for college, the better. Even a small 529 is better than nothing. You don't want to leave it all to the last minute and hope for a huge financial aid package! That is like assuming that your child will become a baseball all-star because he likes little league. Too much of a gamble for my liking!
On the other hand, if your child does well academically, and has a good "quantitative mix" there is a good chance that some college will be interested enough to throw money your way. Don't assume that private schools are out of the question, just because you don't have $50K to throw around. I know plenty of families (mine included) where they have paid more for a sibling at a public university than a sibling at a private school because of scholarships and grants.
So the second "plan ahead" is to take the time to fill out those endless forms (FAFSA and CSS Profile) even if you don't think you will get much. You will also need to get your taxes done in a timely fashion. Early is better, because the sooner you are done, the sooner you can be considered.
Timing is particularly important for state financial awards. Where we live, the DC-TAG (Tuition Assistance Grant) is very important for students applying to public universities. I stand in line every year in late March to have my taxes certified by the Office of Tax and Revenue, and then head to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) to get an award letter. Would I still get that award in May? Probably. But the lines are shorter, the anxiety is less, and every year they warn that they might run out of money.
Don't Make Yourself Crazy
While you are being thorough on the forms, and looking at meritaid.com and fastweb.com and studentaid.com, don't apply for everything that comes your way. The smaller grants can take just as long to apply for (even when they don't require an essay) as the larger awards. I would concentrate on aid that your child is particularly qualified for, especially if it is local. These smaller awards (high school alumni awards, military awards for those with parents and grandparents who served, church or synagogue awards) are not as well known, and are better bets. Look for those if you can. Ask some parents who have older children to see what awards they got.
Don't Be Afraid To Ask
The awards are in, and there is a gap between what you think you can spend, and what the college thinks you can pay. Most colleges offer awards to students that end up going elsewhere. It never hurts to ask for more. The worst they can say is "no."
How to get more financial aid
Thursday, April 1, 2010
College Admissions: Waiting List Woe
Admissions letters are starting to trickle in. High School Seniors are anxiously checking their computers on the appointed day and time to see what their status is. I know one Senior who refused to visit a college offering him a scholarship today so that he can be at his computer at 5pm exactly to find out about his Ivy League responses. Will it be the dreaded rejection or the hoped for acceptance? Or will students be relegated to that purgatory that is the waiting list?
This year, even more than 2009, colleges will be relying on waiting lists to help gather together what they hope will be the optimal composition of students for their incoming classes. Some colleges will have more students on waiting lists than on the actual "accepted" roster. Why? Because admissions is a bit of a crap shoot for the the colleges as well. They may offer acceptances to a fabulous set of students (and waitlist a group of equally fabulous kids) but they have no idea how many of those students will actually accept them back. This is because way back in the fall, what looked like a perfect fit may not be as perfect today, taking into account other acceptances, parental finances, and merit and financial aid offers.
So in order for colleges to get that "perfect" mix of athletes, artists, legacies, minority students, full payers and scholarship students, they will be looking to draw heavily from their waiting lists.
It all sounds pretty much out of anyone's control, but there are a few things that a student on a waiting list can do:
Stay Positive
They want you. They do. They just didn't have room for you. You wouldn't be on the waiting list if they didn't think you were worthy and capable and fabulous. You may even be more fabulous than other people they accepted, but because they had to balance their numbers, they didn't have room right now. Wait a few weeks. That may change. Feeling sorry for yourself will not help matters.
Stay in Touch
Definitely fill out the form to stay on the waiting list if this is a school you really want to attend. Next, sit down and write a letter outlining your achievements, since you sent in your original application. Include anything interesting that comes to mind: community service, fun facts, personal bests. Achievements are not just academic. Also make sure you let the admissions staff know that if you are accepted you would definitely matriculate, but don't say it unless you mean it. And don't pledge yourself to more than one college — admissions officers from different colleges do communicate with one another! Also, if you are in a financial position to do so, let them know that you won't be applying for financial aid. Sadly, waitlists are not need-blind.
Make a commitment
Just to keep your bases covered, make the best choice you can with what you have been offered. Go to their accepted students events, and see how that option feels to you. Keep an open mind. College campuses look very different with an acceptance in your pocket, and you may feel your second choice will be a better overall fit. But remember, you don't have to make a choice until May 1, and waiting until then may give the waitlists some time to start moving. Finally, don't commit to more than one school. It is not honorable, and it can get pricey, since you must be prepared to sacrifice the registration fee if you change your mind.
Don't Bear a Grudge
There are many stories in the admissions world of students who pledged their undying allegiance, and then rejected an offer off the waiting list because it wasn't early enough. Remember to stay positive, and not take this personally! If they didn't want you, they would have rejected you. Really. And getting in off the waiting list will not make you a second class citizen on campus. No one will know except the people that you choose to tell. You would be surprised at how many students end up attending a different college in September from the one they told folks they would be going to in April.
Best Wishes, and Hang in There!
The College Lady
This year, even more than 2009, colleges will be relying on waiting lists to help gather together what they hope will be the optimal composition of students for their incoming classes. Some colleges will have more students on waiting lists than on the actual "accepted" roster. Why? Because admissions is a bit of a crap shoot for the the colleges as well. They may offer acceptances to a fabulous set of students (and waitlist a group of equally fabulous kids) but they have no idea how many of those students will actually accept them back. This is because way back in the fall, what looked like a perfect fit may not be as perfect today, taking into account other acceptances, parental finances, and merit and financial aid offers.
So in order for colleges to get that "perfect" mix of athletes, artists, legacies, minority students, full payers and scholarship students, they will be looking to draw heavily from their waiting lists.
It all sounds pretty much out of anyone's control, but there are a few things that a student on a waiting list can do:
Stay Positive
They want you. They do. They just didn't have room for you. You wouldn't be on the waiting list if they didn't think you were worthy and capable and fabulous. You may even be more fabulous than other people they accepted, but because they had to balance their numbers, they didn't have room right now. Wait a few weeks. That may change. Feeling sorry for yourself will not help matters.
Stay in Touch
Definitely fill out the form to stay on the waiting list if this is a school you really want to attend. Next, sit down and write a letter outlining your achievements, since you sent in your original application. Include anything interesting that comes to mind: community service, fun facts, personal bests. Achievements are not just academic. Also make sure you let the admissions staff know that if you are accepted you would definitely matriculate, but don't say it unless you mean it. And don't pledge yourself to more than one college — admissions officers from different colleges do communicate with one another! Also, if you are in a financial position to do so, let them know that you won't be applying for financial aid. Sadly, waitlists are not need-blind.
Make a commitment
Just to keep your bases covered, make the best choice you can with what you have been offered. Go to their accepted students events, and see how that option feels to you. Keep an open mind. College campuses look very different with an acceptance in your pocket, and you may feel your second choice will be a better overall fit. But remember, you don't have to make a choice until May 1, and waiting until then may give the waitlists some time to start moving. Finally, don't commit to more than one school. It is not honorable, and it can get pricey, since you must be prepared to sacrifice the registration fee if you change your mind.
Don't Bear a Grudge
There are many stories in the admissions world of students who pledged their undying allegiance, and then rejected an offer off the waiting list because it wasn't early enough. Remember to stay positive, and not take this personally! If they didn't want you, they would have rejected you. Really. And getting in off the waiting list will not make you a second class citizen on campus. No one will know except the people that you choose to tell. You would be surprised at how many students end up attending a different college in September from the one they told folks they would be going to in April.
Best Wishes, and Hang in There!
The College Lady
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