Abc's Of College Admissions

Resources

ABC’s of College Admissions College & Careers

Books • A is for Admission: The Insider’s Guide to Getting into the Ivy League and Other Top Ten Colleges by Michele A. Hernandez •

Admissions Confidential: An Insider’s Account of the Elite College Selection Process by Rachel Toor

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On Writing the College Application Essay by Harry Bauld

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Going to College…Without the Stress by Tedd D. Kelly

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How to be Accepted by the College of Your Choice by Benjamin Fine

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The Fiske Guide to Colleges by Edward Fiske and Robert Logue and Fiske Guide to Colleges Staff

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The Get It Together for College: A Planner to Help You Get Organized and Get In by The College Board

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Tipping the Admissions Odds in Your Favor by Mike Moyer

Websites • www.act.org • www.collegeboard.com • www.commonapp.org • www.fafsa.ed.gov • www.finaid.org • www.kaplan.org • www.princetonreview.org Kavita Gupta has a daughter who graduated from the University of Southern California and currently has a high schooler. She has over fifteen years experience serving on boards and committees for professional trade organizations, public, and private schools. She has two masters’ degrees and has taught both children and adults. Kavita is also an active leader and involved with the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Cancer Society and Milwaukee Achiever Literacy Group. Email questions or comments to [email protected] or http://parentsforeduction.blogspot.com. Reproduction of this material solely for educational purposes is permitted.

Your high school teen will face a few critical questions toward the beginning of senior year: Should I work or go on to college? Which college should I attend? Should I major in engineering or interior design? What if I have no idea of what I want to do in college? There is a great deal of information that teens and parents need to digest between junior and senior year. Which tests should be taken and when? The ACT or SAT? The ACT with or without the Writing section? Which standardized test preparation courses will help: Kaplan, Princeton Review or private tutoring? Which SAT II tests should be taken? What is the PSAT? Should all these tests be crammed into senior year, or should the test-taking process begin earlier? In the past few years, the structure of the SAT test has changed, and colleges have raised the bar for entry into their gates. Even though you may have gone through the college admission process with one child, it will be different the next time around because each child will have his or her own unique personalities and interests. Thus, the process can remain a challenge despite some hindsight that may have been gained from a prior experience. There are no magic formulas or answers to the college admission process. The purpose of this guide is to provide answers to some basic questions about the process, and to open a dialog among parents, teenagers, family members, friends, school teachers, counselors, and coaches about this important milestone in a teenager’s life. This guide neither endorses, supports, nor promotes the college counseling philosophy of any private, public, or parochial school. -2-

Colleges in a Nutshell According to an August 2009 article in the U.S. News, there are over 250 national universities, about the same number of liberal arts colleges, and over 300 baccalaureate colleges in the United States (a baccalaureate college is one that primarily confers an undergraduate degree). Colleges are also classified according to various criteria: private, state/public, technical, vocational, small, mid-size, large, or liberal arts. Small colleges usually have an enrollment of 2,500 students or less, mid-size colleges may have up to 7,500 students, and large colleges range from 25,000 to over 50,000 students. So, how should a teen go about finding the college that will best fit his or her needs? According to some teens, it is as simple as love at first sight! A mere visit to a college can be followed by the decision, “This is the school for me.” For some teens, it is the culmination of many years of hard work at high school, followed by a thoughtful and methodical search for the college that will allow them to fulfill their dreams and aspirations. There are over a dozen measures and indices used to rank colleges such as Most Popular Schools by Program, Top-Ranked Schools by State, Top 2000 Colleges by Highest Total Enrollment, or Top-Ranked Schools by Highest Salary for Full-Time Faculty (by StateUniversity.com).This entity uses government sources to survey educational institutions for ranking data. Here is a partial listing of some of the top 100 colleges listed on this website, based on an Overall School Score (an overall school score is a score between 0 and 100 based on a school’s ACT/SAT scores, student retention, faculty salary, and student/faculty ratio): Rank School Name 1 Stanford University 2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology 23 Yale 26 United States Naval Academy 41 Vanderbilt University 85 Denison University 100 University of Miami -3-

The College Search Process Many students begin thinking about the college admission process during their senior year. A significant number of private secondary schools encourage their students to start thinking about this process during their junior year. And a very small percentage of high schools start helping their students prepare a “resume” as early as freshman year. In general, most colleges focus on a few basic criteria for admission: a student’s academic record, standardized test scores, a summary of extra-curricular activities over the four-year high school period, community service record if any, leadership skills, an essay, and teacher or coach recommendations. Most colleges also give emphasis to consistency and depth in the selection of extra-curricular activities, as opposed to breadth and variety in the number of activities undertaken during high school. Most teens’ high school curriculum and extracurricular activities will reflect who they are, reveal their educational interests, and show what they like to do.

How to Go About It? There are four main components to the college admission process: refining the selection(s), ensuring that college entry requirements are met, completing the application(s), and making the final decision(s). Here are some questions to consider to help facilitate the process:

I. Refining the Selection(s) Begin with Broad Areas of Interest – What does a teen wish to pursue – play a sport for a college, major in music or video game design, or pursue multiple majors? Or are they simply undecided? For instance a Google search for “best engineering colleges U.S.,” can yield the following results: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Texas A&M University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Duke University, and University of Florida. But a search of “best film schools U.S.,” yields the following results: Colorado Film School, The George Washington University, Indiana University, Columbia College Chicago, University of Kansas, and University of North Carolina. -4-

These are not the only schools listed; both searches can yield the names of over 100 colleges under the categories, “Engineering” and “Drama/Film School.” Unless a teen has already made up their mind about what exactly they wish to do in college, or which college they wish to attend, the first step in the decision making process is to come up with a preliminary list of 5-8 colleges that will offer a broad range of programs. This preliminary list will go through many modifications over time, but serves as a starting point for the college search. In-State versus Out-of-State – Another key factor that will also affect the decision making process is proximity. Does a teen wish to stay close to home, or do they have a geographic preference (for example sunny Florida versus frosty Chicago, Midwest versus the East Coast, proximity to a large city or preference for a small town?) If the primary choice is an out-of- state school, then another important decision to make is whether a small, mid-sized, or large school will be the preferred choice. Thus, some of the colleges identified in the initial search may get eliminated, or a few additions may be made, based on geographic preference. The high school college counseling department can also help provide advice and guidance in this preliminary step. However, if the primary choice is an in-state college, then the process is fairly simple because a great deal of the research related to the search for external colleges can be eliminated. Technical Versus Vocational School or Community College – Sometimes, a teen will choose a specific career in an area such as the fine arts, or decide to join a culinary school, the navy, or army. If this is the preferred choice, then the search for the right institution should focus on vocational or technical colleges that offer these programs.

II. Meeting College Entry Requirements Basic versus Specific Requirements – Most colleges require four years of english and math, three years of science and history, two years of a fine art, and two years of a world language as the basic entry level requirements for admission. It is only in instances when a specialized major is selected, that specific college entry requirements may come into play. -5-

For instance, the pursuit of an undergraduate degree in pre-medicine might require a strong emphasis in the sciences, or specific test scores. Entry to a selective honors medical program at Northwestern University usually requires scores ranging in the upper 700s in the verbal, math, and writing sections of the SAT test. Similarly, the pursuit of a sport such as football or baseball as the primary focus of interest at the undergraduate level, will require demonstrated excellence in that sport including national rankings, and exemplary leadership skills in order to be recruited by a college. Many college websites also offer information on incoming freshmen profiles that include data on average SAT scores, mean GPA scores, and geographic distribution of incoming students. Portfolio – A portfolio or audition is needed only if a teen is applying for admission in areas such as the fine arts (music, drama, art, or photography). A portfolio usually consists of a student’s most selective pieces that reflect a student’s seriousness and commitment to that subject, and offers college officials a basis for making decisions about a student’s eligibility for a program. Testing Schedule – Typically, most teens will complete the tests necessary for admission to college between sophomore and senior year. Often, it is helpful to take a test (such as an SAT Subject test), immediately following the completion of a course. For example, if your teen has taken all the honors courses for math, and is eligible to take the SAT II Math Subject test during sophomore year, then this test should be taken at the end of sophomore year, instead of waiting until junior or senior year, by which time the material for this test may be forgotten. Mapping out a schedule of when the various tests should be taken, including the PSAT, SAT and/or ACT test, and SAT Subject tests, while allowing for opportunities to retake any given test (should the need for higher scores arise), gives a teen the ability to take control of the test taking portion of the admissions process. It also gives the opportunity to pace the tests, as opposed to cramming all the tests into junior or senior year. The College Board offers SAT and ACT test prep schedules, fees, and registration deadlines, as well as AP course registration information at www.collegeboard.com. -6-

Personal Interview – Select colleges may also require an on-campus interview with an admissions officer, or an off-campus interview with an alumnus from that particular school residing in your local area.

III. Completing the Application The Common Application & Essay – Most colleges accept “The Common Application,” which when completed, can be sent to multiple colleges (for a preview of the application, or list of participating colleges go to www.commonapp.org). About 350 colleges accept this application. The Common Application usually asks for standard personal information about a student. It also includes a written essay section, and requires recommendations from a school counselor and teacher. For this reason, keeping track of a teen’s academic and standardized test record, extra-curricular activities, community service hours, leadership record, work experience, and honors or awards earned over a four-year period makes the process of completing this application much easier. Application Schedule – An application can be submitted to a college anytime between the dates it starts accepting applications (usually around mid-November) until January 1. This admission process is typically referred to as Regular Decision. The other options available are Early Action, Early Decision, Restrictive Early Action, or Rolling Admission. An explanation of each of these terms has been provided in the “Common Terms” section below.

Recommendations – This is one of the most important components of the application and many colleges give significant weight to letters of recommendation from teachers, counselors, or coaches. -7-

IV. Making the Final Decision Visiting a College – Today, almost every college website offers a virtual tour of its campus, including detailed information about the different academic schools and courses available, or names of prominent faculty and what they have been recognized for. In addition, a wealth of information about the school’s heritage and the type of experience it offers its students is also available. But the true “feel” for a college can only be obtained from an actual visit to a campus. Conversations with actual faculty, admissions officers, or students, a meal at a residence dining facility, a tour of the campus and surrounding area, or gauge of the proximity of the college from the closest town or major airport, can give a teen a sense for whether the college will be right for them or not. For this reason, it is sometimes useful to begin college visits as early as junior year, and combine them with family trips when possible. Many selective schools consider a college visit by a prospective student as an indication that the student is genuinely interested in the school. If oncampus visits are not feasible, then attending presentations by admissions officers is another way to obtain first-hand information about a college (admissions officers regularly travel and conduct information sessions during the fall in various parts of the country). Another way to meet college admissions officers is to attend College Fairs in your area in the fall, where as many as 100 colleges can be represented. Budget and Finances – How a teen or his/her parents will finance a college education is another important factor that will affect the college decision making process. Most college websites provide detailed break-downs of the costs associated with attending that college, and most high school counselors can often offer further information or guidance on this subject. Many colleges also offer financial aid packages and/or scholarships, and these options can be explored by contacting a college’s financial aid office, or by reviewing -8-

the guidelines available on their websites. Financial aid is usually granted on a need-based basis, in the form of a grant, or as a merit scholarship.

Common Terms ACT – a three-hour national placement test that measures a student’s mastery of content in four main areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science with a writing option (most colleges require the writing test). The test is usually measured on a scale ranging from 0-36 (36 being the highest score). AP – Advanced Placement (AP) courses are college-level courses that a student can take in high school. Most students who take these courses are in the honors or advanced track program. Every school district in the nation differs in the number of AP courses offered but typically, courses are offered in English, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, World Language, or US History. A student can receive college credit for taking an AP course, but colleges differ in the actual college credit they will offer for any given course. College Board – A central non-profit agency that services over 5,000 schools and higher educational institutions, and offers students the ability to register for most standardized tests including the PSAT, SAT and SAT II subject tests, and AP courses. The College Board website also includes test registration centers for students all over the world, test schedules and dates, and fees. Deferred – Sometimes colleges will not make an admission decision for a small group of students who apply “EA” or “ED” (see an explanation of the terms below). These decisions are postponed or “deferred” by admissions officers, and the applicants are placed into their regular pool of applicants. In these situations, admission decisions are made at a later date and notifications sent by the regular date, April 1. EA – Early Action offers a student the ability to apply to a college by November 1 instead of January 1, and receive notification about acceptance by mid-December instead of April 1. This plan allows a student to apply to other colleges simultaneously using the Early -9-

Action or Early Decision plan. It also allows a student to decline an offer from a college. ED – Early Decision is a contractually binding plan that allows a student to apply to the college of their first choice by November 1, while receiving notification about admission to the college by mid-December. If a student is offered admission under this plan, then the student is required to withdraw their application from all other schools and accept admittance to the school. If a student is not admitted during this early decision process, then the student’s application is placed into the regular pool of applicants, and a decision regarding his/her admittance made by April 1. Every college differs in its policy of whether it offers Early Decision or Early Action plans, so it is best to consult a high school college counselor or the college website for more information about these plans. FAFSA – The Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Any student who is interested in applying to a college for financial aid is required to complete this form. It is best to do so by January of the year of matriculation. PSAT/NMSQT – Preliminary Standardized Admission Test or National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. A standardized test that allows students the opportunity to qualify for scholarships based on scores gathered from three test areas: Math, critical reading, and writing. Some colleges will offer a partial tuition scholarship to students who qualify for the NMSQT. Regular Decision – The admissions process that allows a student to submit an application to a college between November 1 and March 1, and receive notification about admittance by April 1. Restrictive Early Action – A term given to the process whereby students can apply to one Early Action college, but cannot apply to any other institution Early Decision. Similar to the Early Action plan, a student is allowed to decline an offer made by a college. - 10 -

Rolling Admission – A process whereby a college makes admission decisions on a case-by-case or “rolling basis”, based on applications received during the normal application submission period (mid-November to January 1). For instance, a student who submits an application by November 15, may receive an admission offer in eight to ten weeks, whereas another student who submits an application by December 30, may receive notification about their admission decision toward mid-February. SAT – The SAT Reasoning test was more commonly known as the Scholastic Aptitude Test or Scholastic Assessment Test. It is only required for admission to colleges in the United States and is developed and scored by the College Board. The test is 3 hours and 45 minutes long and tests a student’s ability in math, critical reading, and writing, and is scored on a scale of 800 points. SAT II – The SAT II Subject tests evaluate mastery in subjects such as Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Math., German, Music, History, or Writing and are usually required by more selective colleges including the Ivy Leagues. The tests are one hour long and consist of multiple choice questions. Most colleges require two test scores and the most popular subjects are Math, Writing, and/or a Science or Social Studies subject. Score Choice Plan – A revised program that went into effect in March 2009 that allows students to send their best test scores from different test dates to a college. Some colleges such as University of Pennsylvania and University of Southern California still don’t accept this plan, and require that a student send all test scores from all sittings to both colleges. For the most up-to-date information on this plan, it is advised that you consult a high school counselor or college admissions office. Transcript – An official document issued by a school that shows a student’s academic record during any given year. Work-Study – The Federal Work-Study program offers part-time jobs to students to offset college tuition and other expenses. Most students who receive this type of aid are students who were offered a scholarship by their college at the time of admission. - 11 -