College Admissions: What Do Schools Really Care About?

Today, MONEY WATCH talked about the college admissions process.  You can watch it heere

http://moneywatch.bnet.com/spending/video/college-admission-trends/6320041/


Here are 15 things you should know and keep in the back of your mind as you apply---


1. The number of high school graduates peaked in 2008 at 3.3 million and will continue to decline through 2014-15, but the number of students enrolled in college is expected to continue to increase until at least 2020.

2. Approximately 20.4 million students are enrolled in college and that number is expected to swell to 23 million by 2020.

3. In every year since 1976, women have completed high school at a greater rate than men. Currently the gap is 1.2 percentage points.

4. Fifty-six percent of enrolled college freshmen are female.

5. During the last admission season, colleges and universities were accepting slightly fewer applicants. The typical school accepted 65.5% of its applicants. Back in 2001, the average acceptance rate was 71%.

6. Seventy-three percent of colleges and universities in 2010 experienced an increase in applications from the previous year.

7. One out of four teenagers submitted seven or more college applications.

8. The average application fee was $40. Larger institutions and more selective colleges tended to impose higher fees.

9. The typical school’s admission yield was down. Yield refers to the percentage of applicants that a college accepts who ultimately end up attending the school. The latest yield is 41% versus 49% in 2001. The shrinking yield is not surprising since students are applying to more schools.

10. Colleges typically spent $585 to recruit each applicant during the 2010 admission season.

11. Forty eight percent of schools used a wait list. Wait lists were far more popular with selective schools that accept fewer than 50% of its applicants. More than 63% of those schools used a wait list compared with less than 12% of schools that accept 50 % to 70% of its applicants.

12. The acceptance rate gap between those who apply early decision versus regular decision has shrunk. The acceptance rate for students who applied early decision was 57% versus 50% for regular-decision applicants.

13. While the college admission landscape has become tougher to navigate, getting help from high school counselors remain challenging. NACAC notes in its survey that federal statistics indicates that the average counselor/student ratio is 460:1.

14. The average public high school counselors spend just 23% of their time on college counseling, while the average private school counselors devote about 55% of their time to college issues.

15. Only 26% of public schools have at least one counselor who works exclusively on college counseling issues. In comparison, 73% of private schools have a dedicated college counselor.

A good and qualified College Admissions Consultant can assist your child and family in ways you can not imagine.  They can reduce your stress levels over the process, and offer ideas you may have never considered, including financial aid.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA APPLICATIONS OPEN TOMORROW, NOVEMBER 1ST

If you are the average student, you probably are a little overwhelmed by the application process as it is getting under way.  You are looking over the applications,  preparing your essay(s), sending out request for letters of recommendations and ordering transcripts.  You feel a little stressed out, it is harder that you may have thought, and then you hear...

TOMORROW, NOV 1st,  opens the UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA application and admissions process.  You have ONLY 30 days in which to get everything listed and submitted.  If your application is not in by November 30th at 11:59pm,  you will have no choice but to wait till the following year.  This should put you into a sweat like never before, but wait,  there is good news this year for Califonia Students admist rising tuition costs!

According to the UC s,  About 90 percent of UC undergraduates are California residents. They are a vibrant and diverse group, encompassing the cultural, racial, socioeconomic and geographic richness from across the state.  This year,  California Students can breathe a sigh of relief as the UC s have changed their admissions policy for California Students.  If you are in the TOP 9% of the 2012 Class
and are not admitted to any of the UC campuses for which a student applies to, they will automatically be offered a spot at another campus where space is available.   This formula is called an "admissions index".

Listed below are the freshman admission profiles summarize the academic qualifications of applicants and admitted freshmen to each UC campus for fall 2011. 

Please be cautious in drawing conclusions from this information.

The numbers are useful only as a general guide to selectivity and not as a predictor of your chances for admission to a particular campus. Keep the following in mind:

• Data for several colleges on a campus are grouped together, which masks the differences in the degree of competition for admission among them. Some campuses and colleges admit students directly into individual majors, and the degree of competition among majors may vary widely.

• The data reflect the selection process for fall 2011 applicants, not the 2012 applicants. The selection process may vary from year to year; therefore the results may differ significantly.

• GPA is defined as a student's grade point average in the "a-g" requirements. The average high school GPA listed for each campus is computed from 10th and 11th grade coursework, including up to eight honors courses. These GPAs are drawn from application data at the system-wide admissions office. Average exam scores are derived from the highest official reported scores from a single test administration.

UC  Berkeley(CAL)
Admit Rate — Overall: 25.8%
Admits*: 13,793
Applicants: 52,973
ELC Student Admit Rate: 57.3%
California Residents (% of admits): 68.2%
Averages
High School GPA: 4.14
ACT Composite Score: 30
SAT Critical Reading: 674
SAT Mathematics: 707
SAT Writing: 692


UC Davis
 
Admit Rate — Overall: 48.4%
Admits: 22,385
Applicants: 46,225
ELC Student Admit Rate: 99.0%
California Residents (% of admits): 85.5%
Averages
High School GPA: 4.00
ACT Composite Score: 28
SAT Critical Reading: 613
SAT Mathematics: 658
SAT Writing: 631

UC Irvine


Admit Rate — Overall: 47.6%
Admits: 23,476
Applicants: 49,287
ELC Student Admit Rate: 97.5%
California Residents (% of admits): 81.3%

Averages
High School GPA: 3.97
ACT Composite Score: 27
SAT Critical Reading: 593
SAT Mathematics: 644
SAT Writing: 612


UCLA


Admit Rate — Overall: 22.8%
Admits: 15,696
Applicants: 61,535
ELC Student Admit Rate: 61.9%
California Residents (% of admits): 70.3%
Averages
High School GPA: 4.11
ACT Composite Score: 30
SAT Critical Reading: 657
SAT Mathematics: 701
SAT Writing: 680

UC  Merced 

Admit Rate — Overall: 81.5%
Admits: 12,395
Applicants: 15,212
ELC Student Admit Rate: 98.9%
California Residents (% of admits): 87.7%
Averages
High School GPA: 3.56
ACT Composite Score: 24
SAT Critical Reading: 551
SAT Mathematics: 564
SAT Writing: 537

UC Riverside


Admit Rate — Overall: 68.9%
Admits: 19,363
Applicants: 28,094
ELC Student Admit Rate: 99.5%
California Residents (% of admits): 84.4%
Averages
High School GPA: 3.67
ACT Composite Score: 25
SAT Critical Reading: 551
SAT Mathematics: 595
SAT Writing: 564


UC San Diego 

Admit Rate — Overall: 35.1%
Admits: 18,744
Applicants: 53,467
ELC Student Admit Rate: 86.1%
California Residents (% of admits): 76.6%
Averages
High School GPA: 4.08
ACT Composite Score: 29
SAT Critical Reading: 632
SAT Mathematics: 681
SAT Writing: 653

UC Santa Barbara
 
Admit Rate — Overall: 46.4%
Admits: 23,041
Applicants: 49,655
ELC Student Admit Rate: 98.5%
California Residents (% of admits): 82.7%
Averages
High School GPA: 3.97
ACT Composite Score: 28
SAT Critical Reading: 613
SAT Mathematics: 647
SAT Writing: 629

 UC Santa Cruz


Admit Rate — Overall: 68.0%
Admits: 19,201
Applicants: 28,235
ELC Student Admit Rate: 98.4%
California Residents (% of admits): 93.3%

Averages
High School GPA: 3.75
ACT Composite Score: 26
SAT Critical Reading: 580
SAT Mathematics: 605
SAT Writing: 591


93.6% of admitted transfer students were from California community colleges.  For those transferring from another school or community college, the admit rates were very similar to those entering the individual schools.

If you feel overwhelmed by the process, we understand.  You are not alone. We specialize ot only in the Common Application with schools across the country but also California schools.  If you are a resident, college transfer or an international student,  The College Admissions Consultant has the ability and expertise to assist you with your application(s), essays, and school choice.  We also work with Learning Differences, Gap Year,  College Transfers, Athletes, International, and Grad School Applicants.  Check out our website at www.TheCollegeAdmissionsConsultant.com

SCORE OPTIONAL SCHOOLS

Standardized testing is not every student’s strong suit and some students are not strategic enough in their planning of the SAT or ACT test dates.  Some students try to put it out of site due to "fear".   For students who fall in this category. not testing early and allowing enough time to apply early or retest for strong scores can be a drawback. 

The good news is that there are some great schools that are “score optional” schools,  which means that they do not require applicants to submit standardized testing scores to be considered for admission.  For exampke, many of the technical and arts schools do not see the ACT and SAT as good indicators of future performance, and it is now spreading over into  many larger universities and liberal arts schools who are recognizing the limitations of testing.   

Some schools believe that using the SAT and ACT in their admissions decisions give unfair advantage to students from schools or families that can afford courses in or tutors for test preparation.  Other schools believe doing away with standardized testing will help “enhance intellectual and demographic diversity". 

From a less public-spirited standpoint, becoming score-optional may also help schools raise their rankings with such institutions as The US News and World Report.   If students choose not to submit scores, their scores are likely on the lower end; if those students’ scores were not counted, the school’s overall standardized test scores would be raised, which, in turn, helps to increase their rank. 

32 of the top 100 colleges on the U.S. News & World Report liberal arts college list, including Bates, Bowdoin, Bryn Mawr, Hamilton and Smith, no longer require every applicant to submit an SAT or ACT score.   However, many of these score optional schools gather scores from all students after enrollment, including those who did not submit scores for admission, and submit inflated scores to US News and other organizations that don’t include scores from students who did not submit them during the admissions process.  A slightly sneaky way to up their rankings?

 If you are thinking a school like this MIGHT be for you,  we urge students to send scores that are strong even to those score optional schools to which they apply.  For those students who do not have scores sent,  there are a good number of excellent schools across the country that do not penalize you for submitting an application without standardized test results. Some of these schools interact with TOP TIER schools, such as Middlebury, Mount Holyoke, and Pitzer.

We want to give you a new of direction to entertain if the score optional scenario option is appealing and  the top tier schools are not for you.   Jay Matthews, a reporter for the Washington Post wrote an interesting piece about the topic: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/class-struggle/2009/07/what_the_sat-optional_colleges.html.     While this is an interesting article it is important to keep in the back of your mind that the Washington Post owns Kaplan – one of the largest test tutoring companies, and his ideas may be tainted.

The following list of schools is an abridged version of the list of SAT score optional schools.  This list includes accredited, bachelor-degree granting colleges and universities that DO NOT emphasize the use of standardized tests by making admissions decisions about substantial numbers of applicants who recently graduated from US high schools without using the SAT or ACT.

                Bard College                                               Ohio State Universities

                Bates College                                             Oregon State University – Corvallis

                Bowdoin College                                        Pitzer College

                College of the Atlantic                              Rollins College

                Concordia University                                Smith College

                California State Universities                     South Dakota State University

                Denison University                                    Susquehanna University

                Dickinson College                                       Texas A&M

                Drew University                                         University of Alaska

                Franklin and Marshall College                     University of Arkansas

                George Mason University                          University of Idaho at Moscow

                Gettysburg College                                      University of Kansas at Lawrence

                Goddard College                                          University of Maine

                Goucher College                                           University of Minnesota

                Hampshire College                                       University of Mississippi

                Hobart and William Smith Colleges            University of Montana

                Kansas State University                             University of Nebraska

                Knox College                                                 University of Nevada at Las Vegas and Reno

                Lake Forest College                                     University of Texas

                Lewis and Clark College                              Ursinus College

                Middlebury College                                    Wake Forest University

                Mount Holyoke                                           Washington College

                Muhlenberg College                                   Western Kentucky University

                Nazareth College                                         Wheaton College

                New School                                                 Wittenberg University

                Northern Arizona University                     Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)

SELECTING A COLLEGE

 College Fairs come and go.  Some people feel that the way to select a school is to go "innie, minnie, minnie, moe" through a selection of catalogues; some want to go to where mom or dad went, or even follow a boyfriend or girlfriend.  This might be a good way to select a school, but once you are in college, you might feel that you made a mistake, and that you had all the WRONG reasons to go to a school you finally decide to attend.


When looking at colleges, it is important to remeber that 85% of a student's experiences are  OUTSIDE of the classroom, so while you may think that you need to look at colleges is not to  look at just the books or the virtual tours, but to go to the schools and attend a football game or other event where you can see the "energy' of student body.    It is at that point when you determine what you like and what you don't you can assess if the school you are looking at feels like it its you.

It real easy for me to tell a student what or how to approach the different schools, but if you click on the link below,  you probably can get a better way to assess if assess if a school is right for you.  You are looking for schools that match you, your goals, and your ENERGY!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCGBCDac6tY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZC-OjDHYGc

THE COMMON APPLICATION EFFECT

The University of Michigan is expecting to bump the number of  college applications to over 40,000.  Read the story below! 



http://annarbor.com/news/university-of-michigans-switch-to-the-common-app-expected-to-bump-freshman-applications-over-40000/

THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS CONSULTANT CAN BE FOLLOWED ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER

We just launched our NEW Facebook Webpage, and hope that you all  will follow us on this site as well.
Our goal is to keep you informed as much as we can on what colleges are doing so you can be well prepared as you apply!

We hope you all will join us on Facebook !  (https://www.facebook.com/Prepping4College)

SO, YOU WANT TO GO TO THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA!

DID YOU KNOW THAT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES (UCLA) 
WILL PROBABLY GET OVER 55,000 APPLICATIONS FOR FRESHMAN ADMISSIONS 
THIS YEAR?  

DID YOU KNOW THERE ARE 10 CAMPUSES IN THE UNIVERSITY, 
9 UNDERGRAD AND 10 GRADUATE?

UC Berkeley ( aka CAL)

UCLA  (Los Angeles)

UCSF (Grad School ONLY)

UC Davis

UC Merced

UC Santa Cruz

UC Santa Barbara

UC Irvine

UC Riverside

UC San Diego

Each year, like with many selective colleges, the process is changed some.  You will note that 
it takes ONLY a 3.0 to get into the University of California, but upon further examination, you will 
also see that it is the students who apply that raise the bar on getting in.  Most students have a 
3.5 unweighted GPA or better for UCLA.

All UC schools come are listed in the TOP 100 schools across the country ( as is USC and Stanford)

Royal Hall, UCLA

The campus is beautiful.  It is sunny in California all year long,
and you are only 5 miles to the shores of California where the sea
meets the bluffs of Santa Monica.

So, you think you want to apply, here are some answers to your questions.

Who can Apply?

UCLA accepts applications from first-time freshmen and junior-level transfer students.

Who is a first-time freshman?

You are considered a first-time freshman for admission purposes if:

• you are still in high school, or
• you have graduated from high school but have not enrolled in a regular session 
• at any college or university. 

Note: If you plan to attend a college summer session immediately after graduating from high school or have completed college work while in high school, the University still considers you a freshman applicant. 

Who is a junior-level transfer student?

To be considered junior level you must have completed 60-86 semester units or 90-129 quarter units of transferable college work by the time you enter UCLA. You may not disregard your college record 
and apply as a freshman. 

UCLA does not currently accept applications from students seeking second baccalaureate degrees.

When should I apply?

UCLA is on the quarter system; our regular academic year consists of fall, winter, and spring quarters, and 
only will admit new students to the fall quarter. We do not accept applications for admission for the winter or spring quarters. 

Fall Quarter 2012

The next available term one can apply for will be Fall 2012. Students can access the application online at: www.universityofcalifornia.edu/apply. The Fall 2012 application will be posted online in October 2011. 
The filing period for Fall 2012 is November 1-30, 2011. 

How do I get an application?

Apply online at: www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/apply_to_uc.html

Concerning letters of recommendation and transcripts

UCLA does not require, solicit, or consider letters of recommendation and/or other documents for the undergraduate admissions process except for few majors that require a supplemental application. 

You would not need to send in your transcripts or other documents at this time.  UCLA will contact applicants if and when transcripts and/or other documents are necessary.

If I apply to UCLA, when will I receive my decision?

Fall Quarter 2011

• Freshman applicants: Mid-to-late March 2011
• Transfer applicants: Mid-to-late April 2011

Decisions will be available online at www.admissions.ucla.edu/applicant/decision. They will also be sent out via regular mail. Please note: no decisions will be released via e-mail, telephone, or in person.

Publications

All of the publications are available online for download and print. You can access our Viewbook, as well as 
our freshman and transfer admission guides at: www.admissions.ucla.edu/Prospect/PDF_Library.htm. 

UCLA does not at present mail out our print publications, nor do we have mailing lists to which you can be added.

UCLA General Catalog

The UCLA General Catalog is available online: www.registrar.ucla.edu/catalog

For information about purchasing a paper copy, please visit: www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect/catalog.htm
 

Links

UCLA Gateway

www.ucla.edu
 

Admissions Information

UCLA Undergraduate Admissions and Relations with Schools: www.admissions.ucla.edu

Prospective Students: www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect
 

• Details on how our admission review process works      
• Majors available at UCLA
• GPA &; test score statistics
• Information about fees & estimated student budgets

Current Applicants (students who have already applied and are awaiting a decision):
                    www.admissions.ucla.edu/applicant

• How to report changes in your application information
• Appealing admission decisions

Newly Admitted Students: www.admissions.ucla.edu/newbruins.htm

Denied Applicants:

• Freshman: www.admissions.ucla.edu/Prospect/Top10/FR_Not_Adm.htm
• Transfer: www.admissions.ucla.edu/Prospect/Top10/TR_Not_Adm.htm

Additional Links

• Athletics: www.ucla.edu/athletics.html
• Campus Tours: www.admissions.ucla.edu/tours.htm
• Financial Aid and Scholarships: www.fao.ucla.edu
• Registrar’s Office (including information about residency): www.registrar.ucla.edu
• Veterans’ Services: www.admissions.ucla.edu/NewBruins/Veterans.htm
• Housing: www.housing.ucla.edu
• Summer Sessions: www.summer.ucla.edu
• UCLA Extension: www.uclaextension.edu 

If, after reviewing the above sites, you still have unanswered questions, please write to us at counselor@TheCollegeAdmissionsConsultant.com with the subject title of “Specific Question on UCLA,” and we will attempt to provide the answers. 


Note: Due to the high volume of messages that we receive, it can take up to 1 - 3 business days for you to receive a response. E-mails received during or near university observed holidays will require additional business days for a response.

If you are requesting information about master’s degree programs, Ph.D. programs, or other graduate programs please contact UCLA Graduate Admissions at gadmission@gdnet.ucla.edu or visit their Web site: www.gdnet.ucla.edu/prospective.html  or contact us for assistance.

Make sure to check out the other campuses...  while all the same, they have their own personalities! 

If you feel you need assistance in applying to UCLA or with your personal statements, see us at www.thecollegeadmissionsconsultant.com.  


We specialize in admissions to all California Schools!

IS "GETTING IN" THIS YEAR AS HARD AS THEY SAY?

President Obama has said that he wants more students to go to college and graduate.  I just found this article which paints a different picture.  Worse,  the comments to the article are sort of comfirming what is being said.

I personally do not agree with article.  If you are getting the right guidance, and have a college counselor- coach- or consultant who is properly trained, able to properly assess your situation, help you get into the schools that are right for you, and who understands the mechanics of financial aid, you should be able to thrive.

College like your favorite local bakery, shoe store, or professional basketball or football team is a business.  Colleges are dependent on getting students to come to their schools so that they can retain the best trained professionals, hold on to their ranking and keep the school going.

Perhaps this is true, but I would like to hear back you on your feelings about this article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/education/21admissions.html?_r=2&ref=admissions

THE PERFORMING ARTS COLLEGE FAIR

Today, there was the NACAC College Fair at UCLA which hosted the "Performing Arts Schools". It ranged from big schools like USC and Michigan to smaller schools like Otis Art Institute located in Westchester, a section of Los Angeles and St. Mary's College in San Francisco.  There were also British and other foreign performing arts schools  represented.

As a college consultant, it is important to stay on top of the different types of schools so that we can itroduce students to ideas they may not have previously considered in their search.  We tour the campuses where we can, inspect the dorms, talk to students, sit in classes, and take away a good idea of what type of students will fit into a school.

Last week, we visited the Mid West College Fair last week in Indianapolis.  It was most enlightening as it introduced a host of schools which we feel will help those who don't feel that top tier school is right for them, or those who might be interested in a two year "finishing school"

College Fairs are very important to attend as they can introduce you to ideas that you might not have otherwise thought about.

If you need assistance in selecting the schools which are right for you, or are struggling with how you are going to introduce yourself to a school you are interested in, contact us.  We are here to guide you through the process.

HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS, POST GRADS NEED TO STAND UP FOR THEMSELVES

Recently, I attended the NACAC Midwest College Fair in Indianapolis, In.  I spoke to some students who all seem to be a little concerned about how they were going to pay for college admist finding the right schools for them.

I found several private two year schools which used to be considered "finishing schools", and still for many this would be a perfect place over the traditional two year junior or community college.  Some student were in the trade schools, which I spent time talking them about.... but the one thing that grabbed me was that dispite the ability to go to school, many were worried that if they go to college, they may not be able to pay the loans back due to job losses

There is no disputing that everyone,  even those with jobs are concerned about the job market and how this mess will be turned around.  Just as one thing gets better, another matter comes about pushing

it down.

Below is a letter which was written in response to a " Warren Buffet" interview.  Like many,  I see that congress is doing NOTHING to assist in turning this problem of jobs around, and it is hurting just not the wage earner, but everyone around them.

Read this below, and I recommend that if you a high school or college student, parent, post grad or just have been traumatized by this economy, then perhaps you should pull out a pen or make a phone call.

This is not republican, democrate, poor person, or rich person problem... this is a middle class problem!

Subject: Let us all speak up!    

 

Warren Buffett, in a recent  interview with CNBC, offers one of the best quotes about the debt ceiling: "I could  end the deficit in 5 minutes," he told CNBC. "You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for  re-election." The 26th amendment (granting the  right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months and 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971...before computers, e-mail, cell phones, etc. Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took 1 year or less to become the law of the land...all because of public pressure. Warren Buffet is asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn, ask each of those to do likewise. In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message.  This is one idea that really should be passed  around. Congressional Reform Act of 2011   1. No Tenure / No Pension. A Congressman* collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office. 2.  Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security. All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose. 3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do. 4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower  of CPI or 3%. 5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people. 6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people. 7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/12. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in  Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work. If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take three days for most people in the U.S. to receive the message. Maybe it is time. THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!!!!! If  you agree with the above, pass it on. If not, just delete. You are one of my 20+. Please keep it going.   * Includes congresswomen

 

Your mes

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND AS YOU WRITE YOUR ESSAY

Application essays offer an invaluable chance for you to present yourself to colleges—and they are the one and only piece of your application which you have total control over.  Regardless of your grades, scores, or extra curricular activities, essays give you the flexibility to introduce to an admissions committee who you are and what you care about. 

An original, thoughtful, genuine essay can delight and impress admissions officers. In an applicant pool full of students with great — but identical — grades and test scores, the essay could even be the one element that sets you apart from your fellow applicants.

College essays are an unusual genre: they are intensely personal, but have specific purpose and a specific audience. Your goal is to express who you are, but in a way that tells colleges that you are a good fit for them intellectually, emotionally, ethically, and otherwise. The essay must also convey your ability to write and think clearly.

 

In the Common Application Personal Essay is the most important essay you will write. College is about academics, so make this essay about your scholarly focus and offer the reader a sense of what you're going to bring to the classroom. 

If you write about how you like to help save the blue wjales or read all of Classics, that’s fine if it speaks well of you, but you must demonstrate the connection between the you and the topic.  If your essay is a conversation about merely liking whales or being obsessed with the Iliad and Odessey, it  can only go so far.  

No one cares if you’re in love with Mr. Crabtree, and Mr. Crabtree isn’t reading your application. If you bolster your essay with descriptions of research you’ve done on ocean pollution or on the ways that Classical Literature affected notions of romance and social graces in the times they were written with the way things are done today, and paraellel it to you, then you’ve presented something that can spur curiosity and interest from an admissions officer. 

Spend time working on your essay– it matters!

 

CHANGES TO NOTE ON THE 2011-2012 COMMON APPLICATION

The Common Application announced changes to their 2011-2012 application  a few weeks ago. While most of the changes were rather small, the changes will help to make the application process more user-friendly to both students and admissions counselors.

The new version will ask more detailed questions about language proficiency where students can check one of five options to describe their strongest abilities .. The application also once again have a word limit for the personal statement. Students will be asked to submit an essay that is between 250-500 words, which means students will have to be very concise in their essays.

Students will be happy to know that the Secondary School Report has changed a bit too – now your guidance counselor can add a letter of recommendation from some other school official who can better describe their strengths.

Fourty Eight (48)  schools have joined the Common Application for the first this year, including University of Southern California and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; which bring the total number of schools using the common application to  460 schools.

High school students who want to see the new version online or see new member schools can do so now.  The application process opened on August 1st.

BREAKING NEWS: UNDOCUMENTED HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS TO ACCESS STATE-FUNDED FINANCIAL AID

Today, California Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill giving illegal immigrant college students access to state-funded financial aid, the second half of two-part legislation known as the "Dream Act."

The controversial measure, which passed the Democrat-controlled legislature on a party-line vote in September, represents a victory for immigrant-rights activists ahead of the 2012 presidential election. California is the nation's most populous state.

To read more on this story go to :  

http://news.yahoo.com/california-governor-signs-controversial-dream-act-191902671.html

This a major win -win for California as it will not only give a student who has grown up in an undocumnted family a chance to go to college, but it will give them a chance to change the lives of their families, making them stronger with better paying jobs and the ability to pay higher taxes and reduce crime.

California"s Caltech No 1 University in the United States

US and British institutions once again dominate an annual worldwide league table of universities published today, but there is a fresh name at the top, unseating long-time leader Harvard.

California Institute of Technology is ranked as the world’s top university, knocking Harvard University out of the number one spot for the first time in eight years.

The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings of the top universities across the globe employ 13 separate performance indicators designed to capture the full range of university activities, from teaching to research to knowledge transfer. These 13 elements are brought together into five headline categories, which are:

• Teaching — the learning environment (worth 30 per cent of the overall ranking score)
• Research — volume, income and reputation (worth 30 per cent)
• Citations — research influence (worth 30 per cent)
• Industry income — innovation (worth 2.5 per cent)
• International outlook — staff, students and research (worth 7.5 per cent).

Harvard University lost its top seat in annual global university rankings released Thursday by the Times Higher Education magazine. Harvard was nudged off the pinnacle by the California Institute of Technology in the British magazine’s eighth World University Rankings, tying with Stanford University for second place while the University of Oxford came fourth.

THE attributed Caltech’s success to “consistent results across the indicators and a steep rise in research funding”. Caltech specialises in science and engineering and has its main campus a short distance north of Los Angeles.

“Caltech is fortunate to have steadfast donors and partners whose support gives Caltech the ability to invest in new ideas long before they would be eligible for public funding opportunities,” Dr. Jean-Lou Chameau, president of Caltech, said in an e-mailed statement. “This public-private partnership model enables our research funds to go further.”

365-year-old Harvard, which once again loses the top spot for the  since THE began publishing a global university ranking, shares second place with Californian university Stanford.

There was change at the top in Britain also where Oxford sneaked into fourth spot, overtaking Cambridge, which slipped to sixth. The turnabout can be put down to a greater emphasis being put on the arts, humanities and social sciences in this year’s study, THE explained.

The top 10 places are mainly occupied by US universities, including Princeton, Berkeley and Chicago. 

Top 20 World University Rankings 2011-12:
Institution Country
1. California Institute of Technology U.S.
2. Harvard University U.S.
2. Stanford University U.S.
4. University of Oxford U.K.
5. Princeton University U.S.
6. University of Cambridge U.K.
7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology U.S.
8. Imperial College London U.K.
9. University of Chicago U.S.
10. University of California, Berkeley U.S.
11. Yale University U.S.
12. Columbia University U.S.
13. University of California, Los Angeles U.S.
14. ETH Zurich Switzerland
15. Johns Hopkins University U.S.
16. University of Pennsylvania U.S.
17. University College London U.K.
18. University of Michigan U.S.
19. University of Toronto Canada
20. Cornell University U.S.

The College Search Begins: What Every Student Deserves

Finding the right way to prepare for college is a daunting and exhausting task, and a good college admissions consultant is something every student deserves.  After all the process of college choice and then the financial aid is one of the largest and life changing decisions a family will go through.  Here's a great article from Mark Sklarow, the executive director at IECA. 

The College Admissions Consultant is a college admissions advisor which upholds the rules and dedication demanded for by NACAC, HECA, and IECA.

As students head back to school, attention will quickly turn to the college application process as seniors prepare for standardized tests, gathering recommendations, preparing activities lists, and tackling their essay. Those loved and hated rankings come out any day. Not surprisingly, media attention to the college search and application process peaks this time of year as well.

Let’s acknowledge together that not every student will have access to an independent educational consultant, either due to geography, financial constraints, or lack of need. So, allow me to speak for a moments about all the others: what does every student deserve, and frankly what do school-based college counselors deserve in their own right.

National counseling organizations recommend a student:counselor ratio of about 350:1. In many parts of the country the number is two or three times this. This excess unfairly burdens students, and despite the economic stress many school systems are under, they must adequately provide this basic student support. We expect students to make good decisions, work through conflicts, and choose the right course load. But high schoolers are, let’s remember, teenagers, not 30 years old. They deserve support to be able to make good decisions. A “zero tolerance policy” is cruel when the school system has abdicated its advising role.

This advising role takes many forms, from crisis intervention to course selection. For too many school counselors, college advising is a tiny piece of the workload. A 2010 survey by NACAC found that in public schools, counselors are spending just 22% of their time on college advising, with the rest occupied by personal counseling, academic advising, course selection, teaching, and administrative tasks like lunchroom or bus duty. Imagine a student, burdened with emotional or academic concerns, or possessing great athletic or artistic talents, or a first generation student needing extra time and guidance, frustrated by the lack of dedicated effort or expertise that highly trained, dedicated college advisers could provide.

School counselors deserve time for professional development. No one can adequately advise students on 2012 admission if they have not been able to attend conferences, join associations, read the latest research, connect with colleagues, and visit campuses. Unfortunately, few schools systems, faced with the biggest deficits in history, are able to provide counselors with the tools they need (and the opportunities they crave) to continually seek professional growth.

In the end, at its most basic level, every student deserves great advising, whether in a school, or from an independent educational consultant. While many will benefit from the partnership with an independent educational consultant, IECA believes so strongly in the principle that our IECA Foundation has worked to bring great advice to under-served families for more than 15 years. Our hope would be that school counselors get the support they deserve—and we hope political and community pressure will force school districts to meet this critical need.

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