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Admissions Strategies Posts

How to Make a College List

By posted May 3, 2012

Finding the perfect school can be a daunting task.  One of the most important steps to take is making a list of the schools that you want to apply to.  Once you have a framework, it will be easier to narrow down your choices.  Follow these steps to learn how to make a realistic list of colleges for yourself:

1. Make a Preliminary List
Write down all of the schools you might be interested in.  This can be a long list of varied colleges; we’ll help you narrow it down in the following steps.  Some preliminary factors to consider are location, small school vs. big school, and special programs, if you already know your intended major.

2. Compare Scores
Compare your GPA and SAT/ACT scores to the average scores of incoming freshmen at each university on your preliminary list.  Every school lists that information on the “admissions” portion of the school website.  For each school, note whether you fall on the low, middle, or high end of average scores.  If your scores are well below the bottom 25% or well above the top 75%, consider eliminating the school from your list.  Don’t waste time and money by applying to a school that you will not get into, or applying to a school that will be too easy for you.

3. Note Acceptance Rates
Look at the acceptance rates, also listed on each college’s website.  Next to each potential school, note whether the acceptance rate is low (under 35%) medium (35-65%) or high (65-100%).

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Finding the Right Credit Cards for College Students

By posted April 25, 2012

Shortly after acceptance letters from universities arrive in your mailbox, credit card offers will start rolling in.  Getting a credit card* can be a strategic move to establish good credit, which ensures lower interest rates on loans when you want to buy a car or house.  However, there are so many different credit cards to choose from that picking the right card can seem overwhelming.  Here are the most important factors to consider:

1. APR - APR stands for Annual Percentage Rate, and represents the amount of interest you will be charged per month on your account’s remaining balance.  The average APR is 14.9%, but may be higher for first-time credit card holders. If you have a $100 balance with a 14.9% APR, you will owe the bank $14.90 in interest on top of the $100 you already owe.  APR is the easiest way to rack up debt, so be sure to compare rates to find the lowest APR.

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2. Limit - Another factor to consider is the credit limit, the maximum amount of money that you can charge to your credit card.  Limits for first-time credit card holders are usually fairly low, $300-$500.  It’s best to start with a low credit limit to resist the temptation of spending thousands of dollars you don’t actually have, and to develop discipline.

3. Fees - Many banks will add in small monthly or annual fees for a variety of services and conditions.  Be sure to ask your bank about regular fees, and also fees associated with late payments or overages.  Check out your local credit union; they often have better deals and fewer fees.  In a 2007 Consumer Reports survey of credit card reviews, credit unions ranked highest, and large banks ranked lowest.

4. Rewards - Many credit cards offer rewards in return for money charged to the card.  Some credit cards reward a certain number of points per dollar spent, which can then be redeemed for cash back or gift certificates.  Credit cards associated with certain airlines or stores offer rewards in the form of free airline tickets or store purchases.  If you’re strategic in your spending habits, you can actually make money off of your credit card.  However, be weary; stores offer rewards to lure people into spending money that they won’t pay off in time, resulting in huge interest debt. Read more »

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Top 5 Colleges in Big Cities

By posted March 30, 2012

ACT test prep will be the last thing on your mind when you’re at a cafe in Manhattan or strolling down Sunset Boulevard.  Once you get to college, you can decide how to spend your time – so why not spend it in an exciting place?  For students who grew up in cities and can’t imagine living any other way, or students from rural areas who want a chance to experience life in a metropolis, here are some of the best schools:

1. New York University - Since New York is the biggest city in the United States, NYU is the ultimate big city college.  NYU doesn’t have a discrete campus; buildings and dorms are integrated into Manhattan.  Just walking to class everyday will be an experience, and there are nearly infinite museums, restaurants, stores, and events to explore.  An added benefit of NYU is that New York can be a daunting place to meet people (à la Sex in the City), so going to school provides an automatic community that can otherwise be difficult to find.

2. Boston - It’s hard to name one school as the top “city” college in Boston, because there are so many to choose from.  From Harvard to M.I.T. to Tufts to UMass Boston, the city of Boston offers an unmatched array of schools.  There are 52 institutions of higher education within the Boston metropolitan area, all of which offer a taste of city life.  And, if Boston isn’t a big enough city, New York is only a 4-hour bus ride away.

3. University of California, Los Angeles - Nestled in the college town of Westwood, UCLA is less than twenty minutes away from downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood, and Santa Monica (depending on traffic, of course).  You can experience a wide array of urban environments – from the beach boardwalk to the hip Hollywood club – all within one day.  Plus, celebrity spottings are fairly common; you might run into Katy Perry or Ellen DeGeneres. Read more »

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A few tips on winning college scholarships for high school seniors

By posted March 28, 2012

Many times I meet high school seniors that ask me for my best strategies for winning college scholarships for high school seniors. My story is one of success but only because I knew exactly what I needed to do to get money for college. It’s not as hard as some people describe it and hopefully these few strategies that I give will bring some light to this whole issue. By the way, I’ve won thousands and thousands of dollars including one seven day trip to Washington D.C. I only say that so that you understand that I speak from personal experience.

The first strategy that you need to implement is what I call “order of importance.” That simply means that you make a list of scholarships starting with those that are most winnable to least winnable. This is where you have to think through your skills and abilities and the specifics of your scholarships. I ordered mine with that criterion in mind as well as how many competitors I would most likely have. If it was a local scholarship, I knew that I would most likely win but if it was a state wide competition for a scholarship then I would try to produce a higher quality application.  Yes it may sound simple but you would be surprised that this is the reason that most students don’t have a chance at any scholarship.

College scholarships for high school seniors are usually more competitive in general because of the demand for them so it’s important to take all of this into consideration so that you continue to stay ahead of the pack.

Another secret that will get you a win is to get high quality scholarship recommendation letters. The reason for this is that judges usually get a sneak peek into your life when they read it. This, for many scholarship committees, is the deciding factors between two candidates. The only way to really improve the quality of the letters is to be genuine about what you do especially when it comes to community service. Whether you know it or not, the leaders in your community have an eye on you and if they see your commitment and dedication to your studies and the community, they are more likely to write a profound and meaningful letter. Once you’ve done these few things I mentioned, you will be well on your way to winning college scholarships for high school seniors.

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Explaining Hardship on College Applications

By posted March 8, 2012

Colleges understand that some students must cope with difficult circumstances that result in lower grades or SAT scores. If you are one of those students, don’t be discouraged; you can still get into your dream school. By explaining your situation on the college application, either in a personal statement or an addendum, you can actually enhance your chances of admission.

1. What to Include
If you faced any hardships that affected your academics, include a description of the circumstance and the ways in which it affected your GPA and/or test scores. If you or a family member were seriously ill, if you faced economic hardship, if you had to move frequently, these are all worthy of including on your application.

2. Essay or Addendum?
Personal statements are meant to encapsulate who you are as a person and a student.  If you can write about a topic more central to your personal identity, just include explanation of hardship on an addendum or additional space included in the application packet.  If you feel that the hardship played a central role in shaping who you are, or if you have truly meaningful conclusions to draw from your circumstances, it might be a good topic for the personal statement.

3. How to Frame an Addendum
The point of explaining personal hardship isn’t to get the admissions officer to have a pity party for you. Rather, you want to simply explain the reasons for any deficits in your application. State your circumstances and their consequences in a straightforward, professional manner.  If you were hospitalized during your senior year, you can merely state the illness and the length of time it affected your GPA; admissions counselors don’t need to know every detail of your travail.

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The Academic Perspective

By posted February 27, 2012

When applying to colleges, we suggest you consider four different perspectives and weigh them each accordingly:

  • Academic Perspective (40%)
  • Financial Perspective (30%)
  • Social Perspective (15%)
  • Campus Perspective (15%)

This week we’ll discuss the most important perspective to look at when considering where you are going to apply to college – academics.  After all, you are going to college to earn an academic degree in order to acquire the knowledge and skills you need to get a well-paying job in your intended career field after graduation.  Let’s not forget that!

Safety, Target, Reach:  If you haven’t heard these terms before, you will.

  • Safety schools are schools that you have a really good chance of getting into.  Your academic profile (GPA, SAT/ACT scores) is stronger than most of the other applicants.  For example, you have a GPA of a 3.7 and the mean GPA for admitted students is a 3.4.  We suggest you apply to about 2-4 safety schools so that you have a back up plan in case you don’t get into your top choices.  We also suggest you apply to safety schools because most schools that will give you merit-based financial aid awards will be your safety schools.  You will be a very strong applicant at these schools and colleges will be very interested in you.
  • Target schools are schools that you have a decent chance of getting into because your academic profile is average for what those colleges typically accept.  For example, if you have an SAT score of 1800, the mean SAT for incoming freshman at that school is an 1800.  You are right on “target” with the school’s standards.  We suggest you apply to about 3-5 target schools.  While you have a good chance of being accepted, don’t forget that your academic profile will look almost identical to thousands of other applicants.  You will need to do something to set yourself apart in your applications.  You will need to work hard on your admissions essay and consider scheduling an admissions interview. Read more »

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Advice for High Schoolers Contemplating AP Courses

By posted February 6, 2012

Advanced Placement classes sometimes seem like a daunting option to a high school student, but the advantages of taking AP coursework heavily outweigh the effort they entail.  AP classes are meant to give students a taste of college-level coursework and course style.  They tend to go at a faster pace, and cover material more thoroughly than a non-AP class.  For parents, I realize this alone makes AP coursework something you want for your child; they will learn more and have to work harder. For students, I realize this may not be enough to convince you.

The best reason for any high school student to take AP courses, and this assumes you will also take the corresponding AP exam, is that passing the exam results in college credits. Each college and university has different policies about accepting AP exams for credit, usually depending on your exam score. Generally speaking, each AP exam passed exempts you from one general education requirement at your future college.  Speaking from experience, I took six AP exams in high school, I passed all of them, and received 28 quarter-credits, which was the equivalent of seven classes. I passed through seven general education classes that otherwise would have taken almost two entire quarters to finish.

If you are thinking that taking seven extra classes in college is better than taking AP classes now, look at it this way: not taking those seven classes saved me well over $5,000 in tuition fees (based on University of California in-state fees in the 2008-2009 school year).  College graduation seems far away when you are still in high school, and you may not think the decisions you make now will have any effect on your life in four, five, or six years. Graduating from even the best colleges on time is difficult, and tuition fees rise every year; making smart decisions now, to make sure you graduate from college on time, is critical.

Grockit’s AP Exam Prep services will help you pass your AP US History and AP Calculus AB exams. Use test prep for all your AP subjects to make sure you understand exactly what the exam will ask of you.  Working hard in high school, and passing AP exams, will save you time and money later on.

Angela Ballard is a senior at UC Santa Barbara. She works at FindTheBest where you can compare anything from the best ski resorts to mountain bikes.

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Unigo Expert Network: Experts Answering Your Questions

By posted December 13, 2011

The Unigo Expert Network is a group of top education experts from across the US answering questions submitted by students and parents about college admissions and succeeding after high school.

SAT. ACT. Six letters that every high school student dreads. But in the ever-changing landscape of college admissions, are standardized test scores still important? The short answer: yes. This week, our experts weigh in on just how important those scores are in comparison to the rest of your application.

“How important are standardized test scores compared to other pieces of the application?” — Chris Kim, Portland, OR

A: Test Scores Are Just One Piece of the Application

Standardized test scores are one important piece of the application. As I tell my students, “I won’t lie to you, test scores are important but they are only one piece of the puzzle.” At many state universities a GPA and/or a test score are the only admission requirements but many are realizing that other factors are just as important.  At privates colleges all factors are taken into consideration. Test scores need to be taken in context.  How well you do on a test taken early on a Saturday morning should not be the only factor in your college admission.

Maureen Lawler — College Counselor – Bishop Kelley High

 

A: Scores Get You Into Dance, But Getting Asked to Dance…

Your concern about the significance of SAT/ACT scores is well placed. College views vary on their importance, however, test scores are typically ranked third behind grades and strength of curriculum. Not all colleges view scores in the same light. Some are test optional, others allow single score choice, and still others will super score (pull the highest sub scores from different tests). Most will accept either SAT or ACT. Check college websites and consult with your school counselor. Don’t lose site of the fact that while colleges value quantitative data, it is often the qualitative information that tips their decisions.

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Money Saving Tips for College Students

By posted November 25, 2011

Campus Activities: Campus activities like movie nights or math club usually mean free food.  Take advantage of these opportunities to be involved.  You may just make a new friend or two as well.

Buying Smart: Consider buying store brand items instead of name brand and think about buying in bulk at stores like BJ’s, Costco, and Sam’s Club.  Also, look for some second hand stores and don’t feel awkward shopping there, you are not alone!  You may be shocked by what they have and how much things cost.  For example – one of our students last year found a Coach purse for $40!

Get a Job: You may have been given the opportunity for work-study but even if you weren’t, you can still look for a part-time job on campus or close to campus.  Working while in college is highly recommended.  Not only is it a great resume builder and networking opportunity, but you can meet friends and make some money so you won’t be hassling mom or dad.  Some on-campus and work-study jobs may even let you do your homework or get studying done when you have down time.

Bank Accounts: There are a lot of different accounts out there and many banks have student checking accounts where there aren’t any fees or charges to keep a minimum balance.  We suggest that you find a bank that has a local branch for both you and your parents.  Your parents and you should each have a debit card and access to on-line management.  Setting up joint accounts with your parent(s) as the primary account holder will help them easily deposit money as necessary.  Link your checking and savings accounts to help with overdraft protection and to help you save money. Have your paychecks and all other funds directly-deposited into your savings, then transfer spending money to your checking account and try to spend only what you have in checking. This will help you save money now to fund future large purchases such as books, a computer, or maybe even a trip for Spring Break.

Credit Cards: Be aware of credit card hooks such as free prizes, a percent off today’s purchase for opening account, no interest for a certain number of months, etc.  A free T-shirt may sound great now, but not so much when compared to the amount of potential credit card debt you may incur and a mark on your credit report. You can also look into Credit Unions or AAA, but if you do decide to have a credit card, we suggest having only one if possible.  Be sure to minimize your credit card debt even after graduation; don’t forget about your student loans you will have to pay off.  Also, typically if you are under 21, you will need to show that you are able to make payments (meaning you have some sort of income) or you will need a cosigner in order to open a credit card account.  If you are under age 21 and have a card with a cosigner but want an increase in the credit limit, your cosigner must agree in writing to the increase.

Being money conscious from the start can seriously help you throughout college and you’ll be very thankful once you graduate.

Any additional tips to share?  Leave your comments.

About Smart Track™ Toolkit: The toolkit is a web based service that assists families with everything from admissions and test prep, to student athletics and financial aid. Our intuitive software and on-demand workshops are key components to making sure students find their top choice colleges, and families can afford to send them there.

About the author: Laura Guarino is the Student Services Coordinator with College Planning Strategies, LLC. Laura has a degree in Human Development from Boston College and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in School Guidance Counseling.  She is also enrolled in a certificate program in College Admissions Counseling.  Laura is at the forefront of the college admissions process for the families of CPS and The Smart Track™ Toolkit.

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