WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TAKING AP TESTS

When we begin working with new students on their testing plan and strategy, they are often surprised that AP tests are included; they mistakenly think that AP tests are for college credit only. Actually, AP scores have become important for the purpose of college admission. Not only does taking an AP-level course show colleges that you have taken a challenging course load. By earning scores of 3 or better on the AP’s 1-5 scale on enough exams you earn not only the distinction of an AP Scholar, but it can also assist you when applying for scholarships.. To get more information about this, you can visit http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/scholarawards.html.
 

If you are at a school that  does not offer AP classes, any high school can order AP tests for students.  Y ou must be pro-active and ask your couselors ahead of time.  All schools must order the exams by March, so if you are in one of these schools without a program, plan on applying in January or February.   

If for some reason your school refuses to order a test for you, you can take AP tests at a neighboring public high school as long as you order them ahead of time. Remember that colleges only see AP tests from the junior year or dates before since the results come back in July and the tests are only offered in May. That means you want to front-load AP tests, taking as many as you can prior to senior year.

 Finally, in addition to proving your rigor of course load and giving you a nice honor to add to your Common Application, performing well on AP tests in a specific academic area can back up your honed academic focus. For example, if you want to present yourself as a budding psychologist on your applications, taking AP Statistics and AP Psychology would certainly help to back up that interest.

An article last year in USA Today noted that AP scores of students from around the country are dropping. Despite the fact that students are taking nearly three times as many AP exams as they used to (from 1.1 million in 1999 to 2.9 million in 2009), the failure rate (students scoring a 1 or 2) has risen by over 5% in the same time period.  

Nearly half of all students in the United States who take the AP exam are failing – therefore, nearly half of all students in the United States are not gaining even the most elementary level of knowledge necessary to compete at the university level and beyond. This gives you an opportunity to be in the other half of students to show your level of expertise along with rigor of course load.

What’s the average AP score at your high school for specific tests? Find out. Read your high school profile, which is sent with your transcript to colleges when you apply. If you don’t think your AP class is preparing you for the AP test or your school doesn’t even offer AP classes, take matters into your own hands and self-study for the tests. There are plenty of resources available to do so. MIT OpenCourseWare, for instance, offers free online classes in physics, biology and chemistry. (http://ocw.mit.edu/high-school/for-students/). Some additional test prep website resources are CollegeBoard's APCentral, SparkNotes and McGraw-Hill.

If you live in California, UC College Prep offers free self-study AP courses:

http://www.uccp.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=56&Itemid=78

Kahn Academy offers no cost AP test prep videos in courses such as Calculus, Biology and Physics. There are AP test prep books galore as well as AP textbooks corresponding to AP classes. 

When more and more students are performing poorly on their AP exams, your strong AP scores will help you stand out. The earlier you start preparing for your AP exams and using all of the tools available to you, the more likely it is that your scores will improve the quality of your application.

Some interesting facts about AP Tests:

• As of this year, guessing is encouraged if you are unsure of an answer. The quarter-point penalty for a wrong answer has been eliminated, so experts are advising students to play the odds.
• Foreign language AP exams are often broken up into a "language" test and a "literature" test. The former tests knowledge of grammar and vocabulary, the latter tests understanding of literary texts (such as Don Quixote for Spanish Literature). The literature tests are considered more difficult and somewhat less common but don’t shy away from them.
• Some exams have different levels: Calculus BC is higher than Calculus AB; Computer Science AB is higher than Computer Science A; Physics C is higher than Physics B. If you take the higher level AP, the lower level will usually not count for any additional credit in colleges although you may gain additional grounds for AP award eligibility.
• AP Exam Dates: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/cal/cal2.html
• You can suppress a low AP test so there is NO risk to taking one you are unsure of. In fact, this past year many of students reported that they were allowed to first SEE their score and THEN cancel it – but in either case, you can suppress a 1 or a 2.

ADMISSIONS HURDLES FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2012

Today, there is an article on the high number of student applications that have been submitted to colleges and universities across America  written by a collegian reporter, Marie Jayme.  She is talking about the "college" graduation class of 2016, which is today's high school seniors.

It is interesting on what she has found out...  it goes along with the numbers we are also getting from our own sources...   "Colleges and Universities across America are receiving admissions applications in record breaking numbers, making it more difficult to get it."

This is where a well trained college admissions consultant can come into play. They are able to relieve the stress of high school juniors and seniors as well as their families by showing them specific ways to navigate the system to their own specific needs.

Here is the article, you be the judge~ ~ ~


The University of Richmond’s Office of Undergraduate Admission has received 10,121 applications for entry into the Class of 2016. 

Gil Villanueva, dean of admission, said that the number of students who applied for admission this year was the highest number of applicants in the school’s history. These numbers represent a 50 percent increase in applicants since 2007 and a 28 percent increase within the last three years, Villanueva said. 

The admissions office is looking to enroll 765 students for the Class of 2016. With 10,121 applicants, this means 13 high school students are competing for one space in the class. 

Villanueva said the school had enrolled 270 new students from the fall early-decision pool, and they were reviewing the winter early-decision applications.

A number of factors attract prospective students to Richmond, Villanueva said.
The school’s rising national rankings, its inclusion as a “Best Value” school by guidebooks and magazines and generous financial aid policies appeal to students and families. 

Villanueva also attributes the increased number of applications to curricular offerings, the hiring of more faculty and staff, the growth of the university’s endowment and the addition of $70 million worth of new buildings.

There is data to suggest that academic excellence and prestige brings people to the school, Villanueva said. Last year, 89 percent of Richmond students who applied to law schools were accepted, he said. In addition, 81 percent of students who applied to medical school were accepted, where as the national average for acceptance is 47 percent.

In addition, Villanueva personally thinks that success in athletics and other extracurricular activities, such as the men’s basketball team’s journey to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament last year, contributes to the growth in application numbers as well. Smart students are interested in immersing themselves in a fun and vibrant community, Villanueva said. 

Despite this shocking rise in applications, the requirements for admission have not been lowered.
“What’s interesting is how the academic quality and demographic composition of the applicant pool has grown along with the increase of applications,” Villanueva said. He said that with each new class come more talented and diverse students who recognize the university as a match for their academic and co-curricular interests. 

Villanueva said that it was interesting that the retention rates have increased while the classes have become more diverse. There are more first generation college students, more low income students, and 20 percent of students are of color. Currently, Richmond’s retention rate is 93 percent and the intersection of academic quality and diversity affects this high retention rate, Villanueva said.
The admissions representatives have worked hard to visit many different places to get University of Richmond’s name out and to contribute to the increase of applications. 

Villanueva said representatives have been all across the country and even across the world except for the Middle East, where they hope to visit this Spring. The Office of Admission has also formed strategic partnerships with various departments on and off-campus to represent the school’s value proposition including the offices of Enrollment Management and University Communications, said Villanueva. 

It is not just the admission representatives who market the school, but also those who have a personal connection to the university such as students, faculty, and alumni. The facts and statistics about Richmond are on the Internet, so what most visitors are interested in are what makes Richmond amazing on a personal level, said Villanueva. The individual stories, everyday experiences, and first-hand knowledge of the school are great marketing tools. 

Evan Lund, 16, and Joseph Norris, 16, are both juniors at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, M.D. They said that while their parents were the driving force that got them to visit the school, the dining hall and architecture was intriguing. Norris’ mother said that she knew the University of Richmond has a good reputation. She also mentioned that James Narduzzi, Dean of the School of Professional and Continuing Studies, told her more about the school that impressed her and her son.
Taylor Durland, a Student Admission Representative, said that the tour groups have been getting increasingly larger since the first time gave a tour in January 2010. Joey Greener, another student representative, agrees. He said the groups used to comprise three or four families and now the number of visitors is up to five to eight families per group. In 2010, around 21,000 visitors went through the admissions office and this past year, 24,000 visitors have seen the campus and attended information sessions, said Villanueva. 

“Richmond is the best of both worlds; a small school community with big school experiences,” said Greener. He said that prospective students decide to visit because they recognize that they can’t get these advantages at other places. 

COLLEGE APPLICATION WORKSHOPS SCHEDULE FOR STUDENTS IN LOS ANGELES & HI DESERT COMMUNITIES

THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS CONSULTANT  is proud to announce that it will be offering several "ADMISSIONS BOOT CAMPtm" workshops this summer for students who live in the Los Angeles and for those who live in the high desert community between Palmdale and and Ridgecrest.

Groups are limited to 25 students per group, and the sessions will run 4 days each.

If you are interested in getting some assistance on how to select a college, brag sheet and essays, interviews, SAT and ACT, early action and early decisions.. yes or no, you will learn it all here.

Call our offices for additional information if you are interested at (310) 883-8705 or visit our website at www.thecollegeadmissionsconsultant.com  We are also signing up those who are looking for independent guidance now!

DO YOU NEED TO SIGN UP FOR THE SAT OR ACT NOW?

If you are a student who needs to take or re-take the ACT or SAT, you can sign up for it from here.

Many SAT prep classes are happening right now.  Palisades High in Pacific Palisades  has a weekend long prep class the weekend of January 21 & 22.

Sign up now for your spot!

Upcoming Tests

ACT

2/11/12

Register

 

SAT/Subject Tests

1/28/12

Late Registration

 

3/10/12

Register

EARLY ADMISSIONS DEFERRAL LETTERS, DID YOU GET ONE?

There is some confusion from students and their families who had their applications "deferred" in the early round and unclear about what to do going forward.  If you are a senior with this problem here is a deferral plan we on how to appraoch these issues beginning in December when students hear from early admissions colleges and universities.

If you have been deferred from your early school, take a deep breath and take action as you must be proactive.  If you simply do nothing, chances are you will not get in. 

Here is a plan of action you can take.:

January

• Focus on your grades! The biggest reason for a deferral is mediocre grades senior fall – cut out your extras and focus on GRADES. All A’s will help.
• Retake the SAT or SAT Subject Tests on January 28th if that was a problem area (you can always go standby if you’ve not yet registered). If you don’t do better, just don’t send the new scores and no one will see them. If you do better, RUSH them to all your schools.
• Are there any awards or competitions awards or competitions you can enter or have won and not yet reported to the college? Any concrete accomplishment will be brought up down the line.
• Have you followed up with any professors at the college that you had spoken to? Let them know your plight and enlist their help.
• Call (or email) the admissions office a few days after you receive the deferral letter and speak with your admissions officer – the person who covers your area or who you interviewed with or if you are a minority student, the minority representative.  Tell him or her how disappointed you are, how much you like the school, and ask what else you can do. LISTEN to any clues he or she might give you in the conversation.  It’s important YOU make this call NOT your parents.   We had one student discover that by not visiting her early school she was at a disadvantage.  She immediately made plans to visit.
• Ask your guidance counselor to call both to support you, and to find out anything about WHY – any missing items? Tough year? Huge rise in applicants? School support is critical.
• Ask a senior year teacher to write you a letter of support.
• If you happen to know the headmaster/principal of your current school well, you can ask him/her to call or write on your behalf.

February

By the last week in February, you want to write a “deferral letter” stressing the following info:

• Anything NEW -- grades, scores, awards, prizes, etc... -- Since my deferral, I ...   (Don’t waste space with insignificant achievements as that would only weaken your case.)
• Have your school send your updated transcript including all new grades.
• Any interesting extracurricular additions, achievements, etc...
• Anything else that is interesting you didn't mention elsewhere.
• An impassioned paragraph on WHY the school is still your first choice - summarize and stress WHAT YOU WOULD ADD to the college campus.
• Don’t forget to use the heading you used on all of your essays which includes your DOB, Name, High School and last 4 digits of your SS # (ie: xxx-xx-1234).

March

In early March, CALL again and speak to your regional admissions officer to touch base, ask if he/she got the letter, stress how it’s your first choice, and mention a few notable accomplishments (I pulled my grades up to all A’s and had the best quarter of my high school career…). You can email if they do not accept calls.

Some final advice:

• If you have any strings to pull, now is the time to pull them.
• While we want you to advocate for yourself, don’t become a pest. You don’t want to stalk the admission office.
• Don’t let this deferral erode your confidence.  Keep focused and remember that the odds these past few years have been at all time lows and you stood out enough not to be rejected.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

If you need assistance, please contact us.  www.thecollegeadmissionsconsultant.com

JANUARY MEANS FINANCIAL AID AND "TIME FOR FAFSA"

Happy New Year! I hope your holiday break was filled with happy memories and lots of relaxation.

The start of the new year means one thing: "It's time to file the FAFSA!" 

If you are looking for financial aid, this is your chance to qualify for need-based loans and grants.  While we encourage families to start entertaining financial aid questions early on,  the FAFSA is the start of the whole process and all colleges and universities will require it.  

The FAFSA is a form to be completed by the family and it is renewable every year. Everyone should apply, even if your family makes $400,000 per year. You may be eligible for some type of aid.

Here are a few things to remember about filing:

• FAFSA stands for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This means that it is FREE to file. You can access the forms by heading to the following website: www.fafsa.gov
• The deadline to file is February 15th.  For the best possible financial aid package, filing by this date is highly recommended.  It is done on a first come basis, and it must be filled out correctly or it will be kicked back to you.
• You will need to obtain the school codes in order to file.
• You must be accepted into school before the college or university can award your financial aid.

As always, if you have any questions about the application process or the FAFSA filing process, please don't hesitate to contact us. We are looking forward to hearing from you!

IT'S TIME FOR THE CLASS OF 2013 TO PREPARE FOR COLLEGE APPS

We are now signing up Students who are Juniors who will be graduating in 2013 as well as those who are still planning on transferring or applying to graduate school.

Contact our office to see how we can assist you.

Our Summer Group Sessions will be held in both the Greater Los Angeles area and California City.(Kern County) and serving those who live in the High Desert area.  ( Palmdale, Lancaster, Rosamond, Cal City, Ridgecrest, Bishop, Mammouth, and the surrounding areas.).

Remember we offer a FREE 1/2 hour consultation to all students.

ARE YOU PLANNING ON TRANSFERING TO A FOUR COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY? GOING TO GRADUATE SCHOOL?

For decades, the transfer population has seemingly played the role of second fiddle in the college admission process – a factor that has served to the detriment of prospective transfer students and the institutions in which they express interest. While many community college advocate that they have a high success rate in percentages to higher schools of learning, the hard truth is the percentage of students who transfer from community colleges to four year schools is not as much when you look at the actual numbers. 

In our recent economic shifts and changes, these issues are now effecting those who are applying  to the postsecondary education landscape.  It  has given rise to a record number of transfer applicants at many of our nation’s colleges and universities.

As a result, schools, admissions officers and students are looking from both sides of the fence and are now searching for ways to ensure that transfer students receive the attention and support required to facilitate postsecondary success.

We are aware of the issues that face both college and post secondary students.  If you are looking to transfer this year to a new school, please contact our office for a FREE 1/2 hour consultation to see how we might be able to assist you in your quest to gain entrance to a school of higher learning and achieve your goals.

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS CONSULTANT

Happy New Year!

All of us here at THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS CONSULTANT want to wish you and your family a happy, healthy and prosperous 2012! May this year bring all good things your way. 

If you are a parent, we wish you peace and calm as you help your children navigate their high school years. For students, we wish you calm as well...but also confidence that if you work hard, stay true to yourself, and keep organized you will make the college admissions journey less stressful and -- dare say  -- fun and exciting.

Please keep in mind that  we are here to offer you and your family our insight, guidance, and resources for this all important time in your lives.

Best wishes in this year!

TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY TO FILE YOUR FAFSA FOR FINANCIAL AID

While we believe the school selections are more important than the cost of the school, we find most families believe at the they  1) can not afford to work with a consultant and 2) that the schools available to their children are based on what they can afford;  and so,  students as well as their families cut their choice of school dramatically. When we start to work with students and their families, one of the first questions that we inquire about is how a family plans to pay for college.  This is a question that is very important because there are many myths and incorrect information that people begin to believe as they go through the application stress of college admissions.  The College Admissions Consultant works with financial aid professionals who assist us when we are putting together a list of choice school especially crafted for each student.  We are able to assist families with that they actual cost of attending a school with be well before the application is submitted. However, if you are a senior who has applied to colleges already and you are looking for financial aid NOW is the time to begin the most important part of your college selection process - applying for financial aid.   Here is where you should begin:  All Colleges requires the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Information from your FAFSA is used to determine the types and amounts of aid that you are eligible to receive from the College, federal, and state programs.   File your FAFSA free at www.fafsa.gov as early as possible beginning January 1, 2012.  Apply for a PIN for both student and parent to electronically sign your FAFSA by clicking on the PIN Site icon. Or, request a paper FAFSA, by calling 800-4-FED-AID (800-433-3243). Starting as early as possible beginning January 1 through February is very important keeping in mind that a verification needs to be filed with FAFSA on March 2nd ( and make sure you get a proof of mailing or send it certified mail).  Financial Aid will begin mailing award letters to this year's accepted students who have completed the FAFSA.   The sooner you start the process, the sooner we will be able to get an award letter to you.