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Decide if an Early Decision College Application is the Right Choice
Tweet Share on Facebook September 19, 2011 CommentWith the college admissions process looming on the horizon, an element of strategic thinking is beginning to emerge in many households as families assess their options and calculate the odds of gaining admission to selective colleges and universities.
Given the overall competitiveness of the admissions field, especially at elite institutions, a determination is made to target one of these places with an early decision application. In short, "we need to find an ED college."
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Defining the 'Best' in Colleges
Tweet Share on Facebook September 12, 2011 Comment (3)Over the last month, the release of college rankings has created a mad rush among families of college-bound students to find validation for the colleges that appear on their emerging short lists. Forbes, Newsweek, and The Princeton Review have all weighed in with their superlatives. And now the "grand-daddy" of ranking guides, Best Colleges from U.S.News & World Report, will be available for review Sept. 13.
While critics argue that rankings adversely affect the college-going landscape by distorting institutional priorities and misplacing the emphasis in the choice of a college, their popularity is an ongoing testimony to the insatiable desire of many consumers to have the "best."
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Follow 7 Steps to Manage the College Application Process
Tweet Share on Facebook September 5, 2011 Comment (3)Earlier this summer, I wrote about "8 Strategies for Starting Your College Application Process," directed at rising high school seniors as they began to contemplate the process that loomed on the horizon. Then, in August, I offered "7 Tips to Jump-Start the College Application Process." Given the importance of what lies ahead, I think it is prudent to make sure this topic continues to get the attention it deserves.
The advice in the earlier blog posts is pretty straightforward: Get organized. Be purposeful. And focus on key messages. Readers who heeded that advice should now be operating from well-conceived plans for completing their college applications.
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9 Testing Tips for College Applicants
Tweet Share on Facebook August 29, 2011 CommentAs the college application process picks up steam, no credential sparks more consternation among applicants than standardized testing. The following are tips for managing your test results as you apply for admission.
1. Consider your options: Review your testing experience to determine which scores (SAT, ACT, or both) you want to send to each school. Every college in the country now uses the SAT and the ACT interchangeably. Submit the set of results that puts you in the most competitive light.
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7 Tips to Jump-Start the College Application Process
Tweet Share on Facebook August 22, 2011 CommentThe calendar may say August, but it is not too early to begin thinking about—and working on—college applications. The applications are unavoidable, so what better way to occupy yourself during the waning days of summer than by getting a head start in the college application marathon!
Happily, doing so is easy. The more you are able to accomplish now, the less stress you are likely to feel as the school year begins to unfold and you have to deal with competing agendas. The following steps will make it easier to manage the application process later in the school year without taking too much of a bite out of your summer regimen.
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The Best College? The One That Values You
Tweet Share on Facebook August 15, 2011 Comment (2)During the month of college ranking sweepstakes, it is important to remain focused on the factors that will give you the best opportunity to achieve your educational goals. "Fit," more than rankings, rhetoric, or the emotional logic that is bound to emerge, is the greatest determinant of success in both gaining admission and completing the degree requirements at a given college or university.
The best college for you, then, will be the one that fits you best. It will be a place that:
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How to Tackle College Application Questions
Tweet Share on Facebook August 8, 2011 Comment (1)As the college application season grows nearer, students and their parents are beginning to raise good and important questions relating to their preparations. The following is a sampling of those questions.
I am applying to mostly small Northeast liberal arts schools and plan to major in English (more than 80 percent sure). Is it more beneficial to my chances of gaining admission if I put down "undecided" for my major, or should I declare English? (I have indicated a strong interest and strength in English in my interviews, in a great recommendation by an English teacher, by taking extra English elective courses and AP English, and by working as an editor of my school newspaper).
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5 Scenarios to Avoid When Choosing a College
Tweet Share on Facebook August 1, 2011 Comment (4)A recurring theme in this blog has revolved around the notion of "fit": The best college for you is the one that fits you best. Unfortunately, this notion seems to be lost on many students as they plan for college. Instead, emotion takes over, leading to college choices that are often regretted.
This can be problematic considering the potential costs involved when a college doesn't work out—your time, your parents' money, and the lost opportunity to you as a wage earner upon graduation. Therefore, it might be a good idea to avoid the following emotional factors that can contribute to unproductive college choices—colleges to which you are drawn initially but that do not fit well in the long run.
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Manage Expectations in the College Planning Process
Tweet Share on Facebook July 25, 2011 Comment (1)Expectations. Everyone has them. In fact, they are such a part of our daily lives that we rarely stop to think about how our expectations influence the choices we make. When we expect certain outcomes, we tend to think and act accordingly, as though those outcomes are certain to become reality.
This phenomenon is all too familiar in the college planning process. For many, going to the right college, not just any college, is a long held expectation. If not an end in itself, it is regarded as a means to a greater end. The implications are clear. Regarded as critical to leveraging desired outcomes, the choice of a college often holds greater significance than the fact of college attendance itself.
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'Need-Blind' Admissions: Fact or Fiction?
Tweet Share on Facebook July 18, 2011 Comment (2)"Need-blind" admissions. These three words pop up frequently in college information sessions, chat rooms, promotional literature, articles about college access, and discussions about college destinations. They are invoked with a reverence that implies "all is good and right about admissions" for the institutions in question. But what do these words mean?
