Programs for Education

Many high school seniors have heard back from some of the colleges to which they applied. The most competitive colleges will be sending out their letters no later than April 1. All students (and parents) will then have thirty days to make their final college decision.  

If you are a client be sure to FAX both your acceptance letters and subsequent financial aid letters to us as they come in. We will then help you make your decisions based on both academic and financial criteria.  If you have done a “Dry Run” earlier in the process, we will update the numbers.

Unfortunately, every year I hear about families who experienced something like this family did. There are many uncertainties in our world, but this does not have to be one of them. If you have college aspirations, take time to discuss the options in paying for college as a family unit. In fact, call us to learn how thousands of families are paying for college from income alone, and not borrowing a nickel.  

Attention juniors and sophomores. Two other spring rites are for you. If you have a list of possible colleges (and you should) try to do some college visits while classes are still in session. If some of the colleges on your list are too far away, they may be coming to you!

March, April and May is ‘College Fair’ time. Check the National Association of College Admission Counselor site here for the date, time and location near you! There are several college fairs coming up in many states.  For instance, Anaheim, CA on April 2, New York City, April 10 and Boston is on April 12.  

Some of the so-called Elite colleges do not participate in such marketing efforts but check each college website for their travel plans. In addition, you should also check out the location for the group of 40 colleges that have been identified by the late Loren Pope in his popular tome, Colleges That Change Lives. 

The second spring rite is actually a four-season ritual. Yes, I am referring to the ubiquitous standardized tests. There is a plethora of ways to prepare including no preparation at all. But if you are looking at possible merit scholarships or very competitive colleges, then you should prepare. Would you compete in your favorite sport without practicing? 

But if you want to practice with unequivocally the best test prep yet, we can help. Take the demo here with 30 practice questions. For the PSAT, SAT, ACT and Math II tests, I believe there is NO better way to prepare outside of an individual tutor like Kris Fox.

If you have any questions, I look forward to answering them for you.

Best wishes for college success…and beyond.

Eric

Are you a high school student with college aspirations? This is for you. Grades have been shown to be the single most important predictor of academic success in college. The College Board SAT and ACT Standardized tests are not to be ignored but the more A’s and B’s you have in your record the more positive attention admissions committees (adcoms) will pay to your application. If you are a junior, you can rectify some academic slumps in the freshman and sophomore years by finishing strong this year.

But if you are looking at very competitive colleges and not taking the most challenging courses offered at your high school, it may be much harder.  A few aberrant C’s will not automatically exclude you from consideration, but you may have to explain the reasons behind the lower grades. Many college application supplements, in fact, ask students to explain any performance that is inconsistent with the larger academic record. It is not uncommon for a strong student to experience a downturn in grades due to an illness, injury, family or school relocation and so on. (“I did not like the teacher” is not a good reason.)

Having said that, however, colleges know that sometimes a particular subject is unfathomable, or that a disconnect with the instructor’s style of teaching makes it difficult to learn the material. Being honest and forthcoming in taking responsibility for such inconsistency will only earn you the respect of the admissions folks.   

Some applicants with mixed grades will still be accepted to selective colleges because of their considerable talent in other areas. I refer here not only to athletes, but also to musicians, actors, dancers or student leaders. Their record may likely show that they have dedicated hundreds of hours to their passion. This is seen as a demonstration of their drive and discipline that will be applied to their academic studies in colleges.  

I have been saying since 1999 that each subsequent year will be the largest and most competitive college bound class in United States history. This escalation will peak in 2012. This year and next, therefore, fewer allowances will be made for candidates with unimpressive academic performances and fewer are admitted. Of course, everyone knows about the perennially low admit percentages of the Ivy League and schools of that ilk.

But the good news is that if college is your future, there are many very good options. Those options do not have to be confined to your local state college or university. Those should be looked at closely but with states having trouble meeting their budgets; educational funding is decreasing while enrollment has increased. That translates into extending the years in college to five or more. If you are just getting started ask us for a complimentary “get acquainted” consultation to explore those options.