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.