A FINAL NOTE TO SENIORS

A NOTE TO SENIORS:   For those applying to colleges this year, the early admissions deadline is nearly upon us.

This year there are more confusing options than ever before ---
binding early decision, non-binding early action and single
action early action.

SINGLE ACTION, EARLY DECISION means that even though you are
applying early action school,  (it is  non-binding)  you are NOT
allowed to apply to any other college via early decision.

Why consider applying early?  Early decision gives you the highest odds of admission followed by early action (followed by regular decision where the odds dropsharply at top schools).

Finalize those early applications! Take one last read through of all your material to make sure there are no typos and that everything is there. Don't forget to enclose the check or your application will not be processed. Make sure the app is postmarked by November 1.

ONE MORE THING!  Don't bother using FedEx — it is very expensive and does not improve your chances.   Use  the US mail with delivery confirmation, certified, return receipt requested, or overnight it (saving you about 2/3 of what you would pay Fed-Ex, and getting there perhaps faster is you have to go the overnight route.)   just so you know your materials arrived, or submit on line.

As long as initial application package is complete and  postmarked November 1, the arrival date doesn't matter.

Good Luck!

MORE COLLEGE INFORMATION TO NOTE

As I am meeting with college admissions reps this year,  there are many thing that are changing.  First, there have been mamy budget cuts in Californa making the UCs  (Berkley(CAL), UCLA, UCSD, UCI,  UCR, UCSB, UCSC, UCF, UCD and UCM) ,  USC, Stanford, and LMU extremely competitive schools to get into, and there is changes in the Early Action, Early Decision, and Early Action, Single Decision.

Additionally, Class Size has been cut, tuition has gone up 35% for residents, and it takes about 4-6 years to graduate from these schools, especially the UCs. Many students this year are looking to out of state schools, and those schools are on the admission trail.

As a result, California has become the fifth largest market to other states, and so Colleges and Universities of other states are now targeting the California market in hopes of cashing in on us.

So now, I am giving you dates to mark on your calendars as provided for by admissions rep. Getting your application early in many cases is helping you gain free scholarship money to pay for your schooling.

Tufts Universityis a need based school and while a good university was nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to scholarships.

The University of Michigan is more interested in the whole student, and a large school in Ann Arbor.  The big thing at this school is the SCHOOL SPIRIT.  You better like snow to go to this school. 

Emory University is a good school for those who are looking to go into Business or Pre Med.  It has its largest campus in ... and a smaller campus   Tuition with room and board this year is $53,000 and all their financial aid awards are need based

The University of Kansas, based in Lawrence is guaranteeing admissions to those who have a   This is one of the best deals in town with a tuition of $ 34,000 per year    It appears to be a school students should look at.  I plan to visit in the near future.Kansas University is a good deal, and is willing to work with students.  It is a very happening place in Lawrence, as the admissions rep stated, but then as I was traveling to Indiana to visit IU, students could not say enough about how great this school was.

As the early decision process is coming to a close, make sure to keep up on your time line.  Know when things are due.  Make sure to get your letters of recommendation requested, and get your SAT/ ACT scores ordered to all schools.

Good luck with applying, and remember, if you need extra help in connecting the dots of the admissions process, THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS CONSULTANT is here to help you.

THE COLLEGE RANKINGS... LOVE THEM OR HATE THEM

When prospective applicants talk about college “rankings,”
they’re usually not  only referring to all the official criteria provided to research collectors on the topic,  but to the wildly popular and  controversial  annual survey
published by the U.S. News & World Report.   

The U.S. News & World Report is published annually and hits newsstands in late August across America, and even the world.   This publication ranks universities and liberal arts colleges as separate categories according to measures such as acceptance rate,
student-faculty ratio, and alumni donations. The magazine plugs that data into a formula and then produces its famous lists of the top 50 schools.

On one side of the coin, this publication gives prestige and visibility to schools that already have prestige and visibility as a rule.. On the other side, the schools contend that colleges are far too diverse to lend themselves to rankings and that the magazine’s straightforward formula fails to capture the essence of good teaching and learning. Subsequently, Colleges and Universities across America  have learned to have a love-hate relationship with the rankings.

This year with serous budget cuts in California, the tuition at the UCs has gone up 35%, and at the CSUs.  Competition to get in these schools is keen.  It has come to the attention of both schools and Californians that looking out of state is a good idea, making California the fifth largest college market to many schools.

That said, make the U.S. News & World Report your jumping-off point for the schools that you want to look at.  Do your own research and soul-searching – but never make the statements made by this publication the final  word.

You should also approach the rankings with a similar attitude. Don’t apply to schools simply because of their rankings,  base it on what feels right.  Do your own research. See which names are unfamiliar and then read up on them. Check out the familiar names and see which criteria you really care about.  Take stock of your own interests and ambitions and pick schools to match and be open.  You might find the perfect school in one you have never heard of before

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

I have been meeting with many colleges this season...  The competition is going to be keen especially in California as the UCs and CSUs announced that they have to reduce class sizes due to budget cuts.

Many California students are starting to look out of state, and colleges in other states are taking notice!

Bits of Info.

KNOW THE SCHOOLS YOU ARE APPLYING TO!  If you go Early Action or Early Decision, KNOW THE RULES!  Most of the deadlines are NOVEMBER 1st!

University of Indiana has a rolling admissions process and if you get your app in by Nov. 1st, you are eligible for the schools $9,000 financial aid award!

University of OREGON!--  if you have a GPA of 3.4 you are automatically IN!  This is the last year for this program as the competition to get in heats up.  NO ESSAYS required if you have a 3.4 or higher!

Once school that has impressed me is a small liberal arts school in Vermont.  MIDDLEBURY, Check it out!

For those who fall under AVID or AB540... check out HOLY NAMES university.  They can offer you a full ride if you are accepted.

Check out all the college fairs.  Make your list of questions, and VISIT campuses, especially before you make your final decision!

STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE FEELING THE PRESSURE THIS YEAR

As I am working part time this fall at one of the public high school in Los Angeles, I am getting to see first hand the issues that counselors, parents, and students all face,  I realize that the one thing that is so precious is TIME.  Counselors facing over 3,000 students just dont have the time to give a student what they really need as they struggle through the process, which is share time.  Counselors are starting work at 8 am in the morning, and leaving the school as late as 9 pm, not to mention attending School Board Meetings that sometimes go into the wee hours of the morning near by.

Therefore, it is important for families to be putting together a game plan.  Right now as students struggle through the application process, parents should be addressing financial aid.  Even though financial aid (FAFSA) does not open up till January 1, 2011,  parents should be putting the preparing all the necessary paperwork.  Mistakes are costly, and while many students have hopes and desires,  it is the financial aid that sometimes closes out those dreams.

Additionally, due to budget cut backs in California, the UCs, CSUs, etc are cutting spances which will put more pressure on the community colleges.  It will also force California students to look outside the box and look at schools all over the country.

Colleges and Universities are arriving in California to deal with this crisis as they all see it as an opportunity to bring a new bred into their schools, and by the same token student should look to the schools in the west such as USC, Stanford, University of the Pacific,  UCs, and CSU to bring more diversity to the nation.

Some schools like University of Indiana (Bloomington) are giving free money away to any student who applies by Novemeber 1, 2010, and there are coutless scholarships available.  If you are considering Brown,  Financial aid is dealt with on a need basis, as is Stanford.  If your family makes less than $60,000 per year, and you get in, count on being able to go because these schools will fund your way.

This is a stressful period that we are in.  If you or your family is suffering with the stress of college admissions, consider hiring an independent college admissions consultant.....  they are worth every penny to be the buffer of stress and help your students achieve!

Here at the College Admissions Consultant, we help students find the schools that suite them, not just name schools.  We help them create the essays that will grab an admissions officers eye, and get that acceptance.Consider us if you are applying to college.  Email us at thecollegeadmissionsconsultant@yahoo.com or call us and leave a message at (310) 452-4925

FALL 2010 NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION FOR DISABLED STUDENTS

This fall (2010) DisABLED Person, Inc is offering a National Scholarship Competition for college students with disabilities. With excitement they have announced that they have increased the award amount to $1500.
This competition begins on August 15, 2010 and ends on October 15, 2010 for the award of $1500.00 (one thousand five hundred dollars)!
To participate, follow these simple steps: Write an essay with no more than 750 words.
After you read the scholarship details, click on http://www.disabledperson.com/scholarships/3/registrations/new to register on the scholarship page. Make sure to fill out the form completely and paste your essay into the form.

Here is a copy of “DisABLED Person’s” announcement.



Fall 2010 National Scholarship Competition

Important! You need to "Sign up now" on disABLEDperson.com as a community member!

disABLEDperson, Inc. is excited to announce our Fall 2010 nationally based scholarship competition for college students with disabilities! This competition begins on August 15, 2010 and ends on October 15, 2010 for the award of $1500.00 (one thousand five hundred dollars)!

To participate, follow these simple steps: Write an essay with no more than 750 words (prompt can be found below). Click on the “Register Now” link below. Fill out the form completely and paste your essay into the form.

A few reminders: Please keep in mind that the form must be filled out completely. We cannot accept incomplete or fraudulent forms. Spelling and grammar is imperative. Please submit carefully edited drafts only.

In order to qualify, the student must be enrolled in a 2 or 4 year accredited college or university in the United States of America. They must be a full-time student and U.S. citizen (minimum of 12 credits for undergraduate, 9 credits for graduate). Unfortunately, we are not able to award scholarships to high school students or college students who are not attending classes full-time.

Upon winning, the student will prove disability through their Disability Student Services department. We define disability as: “A disadvantage or deficiency, especially a physical or mental impairment that interferes with or prevents normal achievement in a particular area, something that hinders or incapacitates.”

Be sure to submit your entry before the October 15, 2010 deadline. The winner will be announced on our website on October 29, 2010. All decisions made by disABLEDperson, Inc. are final.

The essay question for this competition is: “Is the U.S. government doing enough to ensure equality for people with disabilities”? Please give your opinion that is supported by facts!

HOW MANY TIMES SHOULD YOU TAKE THE SAT/ACT?

Many students, and their parents too, sweat bullets over the SAT/ACT scores. The first question out of their mouths once they see the results is “Should I take the test again?” This question is even asked by students are who are “overjoyed” with their scores. The anxiety over test scores then begs the question of how many times should you take these tests?RELAX.

Standardized tests have a way of creating havoc on students psyche. Students and their families are lead to believe that these scores are the all important decision factor into deciding weather or not a school accepts you. Students are always left questioning “I wonder if it could be higher?”

At some point students have to look at the "law of diminishing returns" and question weather there are better places you can spend your holiday or summer vacation over preparing to take the SAT or ACT yet again a third, fourth or fifth time just to gain a few points.

Students need to question if they should take both tests in hopes that one will produce better results. Many times, school will accept both SAT and ACT tests, so if you feel you are not doing well on one test, move to the other as each of the tests are based on different philosophies. If you want to repeat the test, then here are some questions you need to ask yourself.

AM I HAPPY WITH THE RESULTS ON MY SAT/ACT TEST? IF SO, YOU’RE DONE!
If you are happy with your score, end the process on a high note, and accept for what it is because there are a lot of things you can do with your time than to prepare yet again for another hit at the SAT/ACT exam. Schools are looking for students who have an out of academic life.  Don't sweat the "WHAT IFs!"

AM I FEELING OPTIMISTIC ON REPEATING THE TEST, OR BEATEN DOWN?
Some students want to take the test again. They feel that they can do better. If you feel you have the upper hand and want to show what you can do, go for it! If you're feeling defeated, but want another try, TRY! If you are just burned out, forget it. If you're feeling discouraged about doing a repeat, you've done your best and spent your time preparing and now just wish it was “just over”, quit! You have done your best and you should now close that chapter and do something else that will bring you pleasure.

SHOULD I TALK TO MY PREP TUTOR OR CLASS INSTRUCTOR?
Of course! Good instructors should be able to tell you whether or not you have a good chance of improving your scores. If you have a private tutor, perhaps they can focus on the problem areas to bring up the scores, but if it is just to raise a score by 20 points, don’t bother!

WILL THE COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY I WANT TO GO TO ALLOW ME TO REPORT ONLY MY HIGHEST SCORES?
Review in the Admissions Section of the College's Website. See if they will accept your best scores from different sitting.  Based on what you learn, you can then decide if taking the test again is necessary. Many colleges allow you to report your highest math, critical reading and writing scores from different sittings, so you might want to repeat it.

SHOULD I TAKE A TEST AGAIN BASED ON THE “AVERAGE SCORES” OF THE COLLEGE(S) THAT INTEREST ME?
Schools like to quote a “HIGH” average score as a marketing tool that score might be higher than yours, however, that isn't necessarily a good reason to take the test again. Wasting time to study yet again for a standardized test takes time away from things that you could be enjoying and bringing to the table at the school you are looking at.

Test scores are never the most important factor in the admissions decision, so don't make it your most important activity.  Focus on YOU.