Act now!
Yes – waiting for the start of school is a delaying tactic that could prove to be problematic.
Following through on the list below will allow the college search/applying process to be so much easier on you and your family. In fact, you will find that you can derive some joy from this part of your senior year.
1. Look up the dates for the fall open houses at the colleges on your tentative list. Plan to attend one or more of these functions.
2. Sign up online for the SATs or ACTs to be sure that you are assured a space at the site and date of your choice.
3. Look for an answer to this question: is your academic record consistent with the profile of students your chosen universities usually accept? Look on the admission section of the colleges’ web sites and heed the requirements and the entering class profile (most universities list both).
4. Be sure that you “love your list.” If you are not enthusiastic about a college on your list, then deep-six it!
5. Identify the topic(s) for the essays that you need to write for your college choices. Sketch out an outline for each essay. Compose your first drafts(s).
6.. If your list is shy of “loved” colleges, then now is the time to email your counselor at school for an early appointment in September and/or engaging an independent college consultant. Identify possible choices by looking at the professional web site for the Higher Education Consultants of America – www.hecaonline.org. For a modest cost a consultant will help you to develop an appropriate list of universities.
Consultants can work with you in person or by distance (phone/email).
Will Dunfey
University Advisors
Showing posts with label college admission advice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label college admission advice. Show all posts
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
Five Reasons Why College Is Important For Your Future
I remember some of my high school friends asking what's the point of going to college in the early 1990s. Many of them wanted to skip college and continue being a teen-ager forever. Where are they now?
COMPLETING a college education is important for many reasons. First, a graduate from a four-year university can expect to earn almost 75% more over a 40 year period than a high school graduate earns over the same period. If money is important to your happiness, than college should be in the picture. Second, college affords you the opportunity to attain knowledge. Do you want to be ignorant or informed on various matters surrounding your daily life? Third, college introduces you to people outside of your hometown. Why is this important? It gives you another perspective and interaction with people from different backgrounds and circumstances. Fourth, college empowers you to communicate. What are the most important skills in life? Reading, writing, speaking, and thinking. College helps build and refine these skills. Finallly, college is fun. What other time in your life do you have to interact with people your same age and learn for the sake of learning?
Fifty-two percent of students at a four year college or university either drop out or transfer before earning an undergraduate degree. Do you want to be part of the statistic or do you want to select a school wisely before enrolling?
College is important and if you plan on going, strongly consider your action plan.
Liam Dunfey
University Advisors
COMPLETING a college education is important for many reasons. First, a graduate from a four-year university can expect to earn almost 75% more over a 40 year period than a high school graduate earns over the same period. If money is important to your happiness, than college should be in the picture. Second, college affords you the opportunity to attain knowledge. Do you want to be ignorant or informed on various matters surrounding your daily life? Third, college introduces you to people outside of your hometown. Why is this important? It gives you another perspective and interaction with people from different backgrounds and circumstances. Fourth, college empowers you to communicate. What are the most important skills in life? Reading, writing, speaking, and thinking. College helps build and refine these skills. Finallly, college is fun. What other time in your life do you have to interact with people your same age and learn for the sake of learning?
Fifty-two percent of students at a four year college or university either drop out or transfer before earning an undergraduate degree. Do you want to be part of the statistic or do you want to select a school wisely before enrolling?
College is important and if you plan on going, strongly consider your action plan.
Liam Dunfey
University Advisors
Monday, February 23, 2009
How to get the most out of your college campus visit
Visiting a college campus plays a vital role in the college admission process for both the student and college. The student is able to see firsthand what the campus grounds, building, staff and students are like, and the college gets to see what the student’s personality and character is like. The recommended time to visit a college campus is during the spring of the student’s junior year of high school through the fall of their senior year. Visiting during the summer is fine but realize that most college student will not be there so you may not get the full vibe of the college.
In order to schedule your campus visit come up with a day and time that works best for you and your family (always have a back up date too just in case) and then call the college to see what their availability may be. Most college websites will have their available hours of operation and all of the contact information. It is very important for the student to be making this phone call as this is your education and you need to start taking responsibility for it yourself. When visiting the college, show up prepared and nicely dressed. You do not have to wear a suit but look at it this way: would you wear a t-shirt and jeans to a job interview? This interview will help you get into the college you want; thus, the career you want. The major things to accomplish during a campus visit are to tour the campus and have an Admission interview. Touring the campus allows you to see class rooms, residence halls, sport and recreational facilities, libraries, student centers and any other areas of interest. For example, if you are interested in majoring in Nursing, ask to see the nursing labs or if you want to be on TV or Radio ask to see the stations. The Admission interview is your time to shine and allows your personality to shine through, allowing the Admission Counselor to acknowledge your potential at the college and lets them put a face with your name. This is also your time to ask questions and this is where being prepared comes into play. Having a list of questions to ask shows that you’re interested and you have the maturity of wanting to find the right college.
Here are some great questions to ask:
What are the class sizes?
What is the student to teacher ratio?
Are there any support services like tutoring and is it free?
Is housing guaranteed?
Are there any resources on campus for internships and job placements?
How are your study abroad programs?
How are the sports programs, intramurals, weekend life and activities?
What is the % of students that live on campus? Percent that are out of state and where?
What is the student retention rate?
More questions include: is there part time or full time faculty?, future strategic plan for the college?, what is allowed in the residence halls?, wireless and where?, meal plans and what is the surrounding area like? Some good final questions include: why the counselor likes working for the college and what makes that college different from the rest? After the interview, ask for a business card so you can send a personal thank you card.
If you are traveling and trying to see as many colleges as you can in a set amount of time think about this: the average college campus tour is around one hour and the Admission interview will last around thirty minutes to an hour. If you schedule yourself to meet with a coach or person from any other specific program then that is additional time as well. This can add up to around three or more hours at just one college so I suggest only two colleges a day; one morning visit and one later afternoon visit is plenty. This will allow your brain to let it all sink in as there is a lot of information flying at you for one day. If for some reason you are going to be late for your appointment or cannot attend at all, make sure to call and cancel. Not showing up without explanation is unacceptable.
To conclude, always have this in the back of your mind: the Admission Counselor’s job is to find students that can add to the prestige of their university. What do you possess that they are looking for? What are their weaknesses you can help to make their strengths- academically and socially? Sell that and you will have them knocking on your door.
By: Aaron F. Smith and Jerrod Zertuche
University Advisors
In order to schedule your campus visit come up with a day and time that works best for you and your family (always have a back up date too just in case) and then call the college to see what their availability may be. Most college websites will have their available hours of operation and all of the contact information. It is very important for the student to be making this phone call as this is your education and you need to start taking responsibility for it yourself. When visiting the college, show up prepared and nicely dressed. You do not have to wear a suit but look at it this way: would you wear a t-shirt and jeans to a job interview? This interview will help you get into the college you want; thus, the career you want. The major things to accomplish during a campus visit are to tour the campus and have an Admission interview. Touring the campus allows you to see class rooms, residence halls, sport and recreational facilities, libraries, student centers and any other areas of interest. For example, if you are interested in majoring in Nursing, ask to see the nursing labs or if you want to be on TV or Radio ask to see the stations. The Admission interview is your time to shine and allows your personality to shine through, allowing the Admission Counselor to acknowledge your potential at the college and lets them put a face with your name. This is also your time to ask questions and this is where being prepared comes into play. Having a list of questions to ask shows that you’re interested and you have the maturity of wanting to find the right college.
Here are some great questions to ask:
What are the class sizes?
What is the student to teacher ratio?
Are there any support services like tutoring and is it free?
Is housing guaranteed?
Are there any resources on campus for internships and job placements?
How are your study abroad programs?
How are the sports programs, intramurals, weekend life and activities?
What is the % of students that live on campus? Percent that are out of state and where?
What is the student retention rate?
More questions include: is there part time or full time faculty?, future strategic plan for the college?, what is allowed in the residence halls?, wireless and where?, meal plans and what is the surrounding area like? Some good final questions include: why the counselor likes working for the college and what makes that college different from the rest? After the interview, ask for a business card so you can send a personal thank you card.
If you are traveling and trying to see as many colleges as you can in a set amount of time think about this: the average college campus tour is around one hour and the Admission interview will last around thirty minutes to an hour. If you schedule yourself to meet with a coach or person from any other specific program then that is additional time as well. This can add up to around three or more hours at just one college so I suggest only two colleges a day; one morning visit and one later afternoon visit is plenty. This will allow your brain to let it all sink in as there is a lot of information flying at you for one day. If for some reason you are going to be late for your appointment or cannot attend at all, make sure to call and cancel. Not showing up without explanation is unacceptable.
To conclude, always have this in the back of your mind: the Admission Counselor’s job is to find students that can add to the prestige of their university. What do you possess that they are looking for? What are their weaknesses you can help to make their strengths- academically and socially? Sell that and you will have them knocking on your door.
By: Aaron F. Smith and Jerrod Zertuche
University Advisors
Friday, February 6, 2009
University of California Regents Change Admission Policies
The UC Board of Regents approved a change to the University's admission policy that will affect current high school students graduating in 2012 and beyond. The new policy requires the same number of "a-g" courses and the same GPA as current policy.
The two key differences are:
1. These changes will not change the way students prepare for the University: students still need to complete the"a-g" requirements, earn the best grades possible, and take the ACT Assessment with Writing or the SAT Reasoning Test. They will also need content knowledge in case they choose to take an SAT Subject Test to demonstrate specific subject-matter proficiency.
2. Students who graduate from high school prior to 2012 will be held to existing admissions requirements. Moreover, this means that these students will be required to submit scores from two SAT Subject Tests in order to be eligible for admission (which is the policy now).
You can find out more information about the policy here.
Liam Dunfey
University Advisors
The two key differences are:
1. These changes will not change the way students prepare for the University: students still need to complete the"a-g" requirements, earn the best grades possible, and take the ACT Assessment with Writing or the SAT Reasoning Test. They will also need content knowledge in case they choose to take an SAT Subject Test to demonstrate specific subject-matter proficiency.
2. Students who graduate from high school prior to 2012 will be held to existing admissions requirements. Moreover, this means that these students will be required to submit scores from two SAT Subject Tests in order to be eligible for admission (which is the policy now).
You can find out more information about the policy here.
Liam Dunfey
University Advisors
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