*It's actually more difficult!

Rocket Science. More appropriately, aerospace engineering. The time-honored term used to describe a task or idea as being easy as compared to rocket science, which is perceived as a very difficult field. Usually used as a statement such as "It's not rocket science!"

So, why even attempt to make a connection between, say, the science of putting a man on the moon and the college application and admissions process?

Let's put it this way. The former deals with the design, construction, and application of the science behind the forces and physical properties of aircraft, rockets, flying craft, and spacecraft. The latter? Well, simply put, getting into the college of your choice.

Rocket science is thought of as complex, beyond the ken of even extraordinary men, let alone ordinary high school students. So how hard could it possibly be to put pen to paper -- or mouse-click to Common App -- and successfully navigate the road to college?

Think about it. Rocket science is precise. It can be reduced to a series of mathematical equations, material sciences and the formulae of physics and engineering. Rocket science is absolute. It is either right or it is wrong. It works, or it fails miserably.

Not so with the complexities -- and absurdities -- of college applications, let alone the mysteries of college admissions, where the perplex, real, perceived and artificially created to drive you bonkers, is enough to spin a rocket scientist's head.

Where to apply? How to apply? Which application? What supplement? SATs. ACTs. GPAs. Early Action? Early Decision? Priority Deadlines? Did somebody say college essay? Scholarships? Grants? FAFSA? CSS Profile? Where to begin? When will it all end? Does it get any more confusing than this?

Bring on the rocket science, but pleasssssssse, don't make us go through what has become the utter confusion, total frustration and, did we mention, unbelievable stress, of the college application and admissions process!

Too much information on the one hand, not enough (or worse yet, misinformation) on the other. The twists. The turns. The roadblocks. The dead ends.

Like rocket science, you've got one shot at hitting your target; at getting there and getting in. Fall short, in any aspect of this long, drawn out, tedious, brain cell consuming process and, well, put it this way, being lost in space is no way to conquer the final frontier.

Face it. Whether setting sights toward the outer reaches of the solar system or applying to college, failure is not an option!

You may attempt a model rocket flight on your own, setting the trajectory, controlling the ascent, and hoping that the parachute opens for a gentle and safe return to earth. Do not, however, attempt to go it alone when applying to college!

While there are no guarantees, either in space travel or college admissions, an independent college consultant, your personal guide through the collegiate universe -- has the expertise, the experience, the know-how, and, yes, the right stuff to help guide you through the intricacies of the black hole that calls itself the college application and admissions process, and to safely land you at the threshold of that thrill of a lifetime -- acceptance to the college of your choice.

Okay. What are you waiting for? The final countdown to college has begun. Ignition sequence start. Prepare for liftoff...

* * *
Visit College Connection on the web at www.CollegeConnect.info. Speak with a College Connection counselor at 516-345-8766.

. . .But How You Say It!

"Does this coat make my backside look big?," asked the impatient holiday shopper in the coat department of a major big box store (names withheld to protect the guilty).

"Well, to be honest... You never looked better!," responded the well-heeled (and thankful for a job) sales associate, a college grad -- with a 4.00 GPA, and Phi Beta Kappa, no less -- who, armed with his mock sheepskin and two twenty five in change for the subway, landed the only job he could get in this dismal economy.

With career path uncertain, well-paying jobs (and this wasn't one of them) scarce, and highly qualified, experienced candidates competing for fewer and fewer positions in the marketplace, our college grad was grateful just to have someplace to hang his hat, as well as a paycheck -- meager though it was -- to help buy the pasta he would have for dinner the next five nights in a row.

Yes, selling coats in the ladies coat department. Climbing ladders in the stockrooms, where coats -- woolen, down, polyester, and the kind that make you look like the Michelin Tire guy, are stacked to the hilt. Rolling stock out. Reeling damaged coats in. Unzipping stuck zippers. Retrieving tossed hangers. Salvaging ONE DAY SALE signs, from the sale that has already lasted an entire week, as strewn about the floor. My. My.

Well, at least our intrepid college grad, still hopeful and enthusiastic, got his foot in the door. Not quite what he had in mind career-wise, but then again, at least he now had something to put on his resume.

Sales Associate
-Stockroom Clerk
-Finder of lost Petite and 3X sizes
-Climber of ladders

Not exactly inspiring, or, for that matter, fodder for an HR Manager's Top Ten List. And yet, our enterprising college grad turned purveyor of fine women's outer garments was inspired. The creative juices began to flow...

Vendor Support Initiative (VSI)
-Responsible for strategic deployment and disposition of layered protective systems;
-Risk assessment and management, inclusive of laddering and roll-outs, within the corporate structure;
-Training in and observation of corporate policies and paradigms to ensure compliance and enhance corporate standing through best practices.

Whoa, Nelly! Over the top, isn't it? Way over!

After all, coat sales are just coat sales. Stockrooms are only stockrooms. And is clearing the aisles of errant hangers really risk assessment and management? [Actually, it is!]

Okay. Okay. Our zealous college grad is reaching a bit here (and he'll still have to let prospective employers know he was selling ladies coats), but he got someone's attention, and we, ladies and gents, are making a point. In life, it's not just what you say, as important and significant as this often is. How you say it, particularly in building your resume and creating that cracker jack college essay, is essential, no, critical.

Landing that first job is difficult, especially when the pickings are lean and the competition is keen. Getting into the college of your choice, with schools more selective than ever, is even more challenging.

Whether building your high school resume or developing your personal statements and supplemental essays, you've got but one shot (and a limited number of words and characters) to stand out, rise above and say something that gets the attention of the admission's committee. One big, bold. grab the bull by the, er, horns to strut your stuff on that college stage, letting them know who you are, what you bring to campus, and why they should get that acceptance letter in the mail forthwith.

How you look -- whether in that coat with the faux fur collar or in your college application -- will likely determine whether your college of choice chooses you. [All right. Not so much the coat. Your application, on the other hand!]

So, don't give short shrift to the most important part of your college application. That which gives you voice. That which truly could be your ticket to college admissions success.

Write on. And the next time you happen to be in the ladies coat department of a big box store, say hello to our college grad turned sales associate, and please, buy a coat! :-)
- - -
Does This Coat Make My Backside Look Big?


Check out all of College Connection's fare (or create your own) at Nuts and Bolts. Call us at 516-345-8766.

E-mail The College Whisperer at info@TheCollegeWhisperer.com.

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of The College Whisperer.
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Write us at info@TheCollegeWhisperer.com

The road to college begins at College Connection. [We can help with those college applications!] 516-345-8766.

The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) will host a FREE Webinar on Wednesday, December 7 on the essentials of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), while also highlighting application and program changes to the 2012-13 FAFSA.

 

The annual completion and submission of FAFSA is required by almost every college and university in order to be considered for scholarships, grants, Work-Study and Federal Loans (including Stafford Loans).

 

Learn more about and register for the Webinar online at  http://www.nacacnet.org/EventsTraining/Webinars/Pages/FAFSAEssentialsandUpdates.aspx

 

After the Webinar, contact COLLEGE CONNECTION at any time to schedule an appointment for college financial planning, including preparation and filing of FAFSA, the CSS-Profile, proprietary financial aid forms as required by the colleges, loan documents, scholarship applications (both private and college-based), and so on. [Also on the agenda should be the formulation of a comprehensive financial plan to carry you through four years of college, and beyond (including why it is so important to maintain and fund a 529 Plan).]

 

Remember, financial planning is NOT only for the Freshman year of college. The tuition bill must be paid every semester!

As always, The College Whisperer is here to answer your questions, to help you with your college plans, and to offer advice and support in all of your college-related endeavors.

All the best for a fulfilling -- and oh so filling -- Thanksgiving!

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of The College Whisperer, the authors of referenced articles and websites, and such guest bloggers as may appear.
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The road to college -- and the means to pay for it -- begins at College Connection. Call us for a FREE telephone consultation. 516-345-8766.

One of the best local insights into the college application and admissions process comes from Newsday's College PrepTalk, available both in print and online.

In an article written last year, but no less pertinent today, College PrepTalk examines whether students benefit from the advices and support of and independent college counselor and, if so, how to find the one that's best for you.

Delicious food for thought and fine fare from those who know at Newsday!

Read on. . .

Private coaches: Are they right for you?

As reports about colleges’ exclusivity blare across TVs and splash across newspapers, more families decide they don’t want to go through the college search alone. Those reports are true. Last year, applications to the nations’ most selective schools were up significantly. More applications mean a lower acceptance rate at each school, leaving students clamoring for an edge that could propel their apps to the top of the “admit” pile.

Of course, not everyone is trying to get into a highly competitive school; your focus should be getting into the school that best suits your interests, skills, budget and learning style. Still, if you want to consider a private coach, here’s what you need to know.

You can also find a coach through the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), the professional organization of private educational coaches. Go to educationalconsulting.org and click “Find a Consultant.”

Tip: Membership in professional organizations doesn’t guarantee high-quality or ethical coaching, but it’s generally a good sign if the coach belongs to the IECA or the National Association for College Admission Counseling.

Once you find a few possible consultants, ask them about the college campuses they’ve visited in the last year. (Hint: They should have a list of at least 20.) Check their references, and choose someone with whose company you’ll enjoy for a year or more.

Have clear expectations. What exactly will a private coach do for you?

At the extreme are hyper-involved coaches who select high school courses, review homework and advise families about when to hire tutors and where to spend their vacations, so students can add travel experiences to their college apps.

But most coaches are advisors—not tyrants—who guide students and their families through the maze of college admissions. The most qualified are experts on a vast number of colleges—the campuses’ personalities, student body demographics, available majors, financial aid packages and admissions requirements. And they use this knowledge to help their student-clients find schools that are good matches.

Your coach should not be filling out your apps or writing your essays. College admission counselors are sensitive to indicators that suggest too much interference from parents or private coaches, and you don’t want to be DQ-ed because your coach overstepped her bounds.

And on that note: Beware of anyone who guarantees he can get you into the school of your choice. No such magic exists.

Pay up. Fees for private coaches’ services vary widely—from as little as a few hundred dollars to provide feedback on your essay to as much as $40,000 for a full-throttle strategy over several years. Of course, most coaches fall in the middle, and you should get a detailed contract that includes total fees and an outline of services before your parents write a check.

Is it worth it? That’s a good question. Some critics say that private coaches take credit for outcomes that were inevitable: qualified students getting into schools that suit them. But proponents say that as the admissions process gets increasingly nutty—and overwhelming—a coach can help a student find the best possible college for her, which is (almost) priceless.

Must-Ask Questions

Will you use professional influence at the schools I’m interested in attending to get me admitted? The answer should be no. Ethical counselors should help you get admitted on your own merits.

Do you ever accept compensation from colleges in exchange for sending students their way? Let’s hope not. Yikes.

What specializations do you offer? You might want a coach who is a pro at serving athletes, for example, or students with special needs.

Will you fill out our financial aid paperwork? Nope. That’s a family affair.

How many other clients do you serve? You want to find someone who isn’t just coaching on the side. You want someone who can spend the time you need to work with you.
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Click

HEREto view and read Newsday College PrepTalk's Planning & Resource Guide.

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of The College Whisperer, the authors of referenced articles and websites, and such guest bloggers as may appear.
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The road to college begins at College Connection. Call us for a FREE telephone consultation. 516-345-8766.

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Official Sponsor of College Admissions Success!

G.L. of Melville, NY writes: I've recently applied to Binghamton University (State University of New York). In acknowledging receipt of my applications, Admissions wrote, "Submit your electronic transcript at www.selfreportedtranscript.com." What is this self reported transcript, and do I have to complete and submit my grades separate and apart from my high school transcript, which has been sent to Binghamton by my Guidance Counselor via Naviance, and unofficial test scores, already part of the Common App, as submitted?

The College Whisperer Replies: Ahh. Self reported grades, scores, lives. The bane of every high school student!

Yes, colleges love redundancy, especially when they've been sold a program -- or, as we like to say, a bill of goods -- that purports to aid both school and student. Alas, such services typically only benefit the provider, which has made a ton of moolah selling its program to unsuspecting colleges.

In this instance, fate (and your application to Binghamton) has caused you to stumble upon STARS, Self-Reported Testing and Academic Record System. In essence, you fill out and record your high school coursework, grades, test scores, etc. online at STARS, which self-reported (as the name indicates) information is electronically forwarded to the college.

You say your transcript has all of this, and more? And, what's that? The transcript has already been sent to the college, electronically, via Naviance? Now they want what? For you to manually enter your courses, grades and test scores for all of high school, and to send this anew to admissions?

Which part of "you already have this. Why are you driving us bananas?" don't these colleges understand?

There are only four -- count 'em, 4 -- colleges (out of nearly 4000 in the U.S.) that currently utilize STARS. Binghamton, Rutgers, Northern Illinois University and Stony Brook. Perhaps it just hasn't caught on yet. Or maybe the sales reps aren't quite proficient in selling this silly little service. Could be that the folks at STARS never got the memo, to wit: Naviance already sends the high school transcripts directly to the colleges electronically, and College Board/ACT Inc. do likewise with their test scores!

Now, there is a plus side. Binghamton Admissions, for instance, will allow you to submit test scores (SAT/ACT) via STARS for purposes of fulfilling the application process, thus obviating the need to PAY College Board and/or ACT Inc. to transmit your test scores. If you are accepted and enroll, however, the official (as in, "cough up the $$$") test scores must still be sent.

So, to answer the question, "Do I have to?" Binghamton doesn't say this step is "required." In fact, they specifically advise that students who apply are "encouraged" to "Obtain a copy of your unofficial high school transcript from your school counselor. Then create your student record online through STARS (Self-Reported Testing and Academic Record)."

In other words, the STARS submission is recommended, but NOT required. Furthermore, as stated on the Binghamton website, "If your high school counselor already submitted your official paper or electronic transcript, the submission will fulfill the 'STARS Transcript/Official High School Transcript' requirement noted when you check the status of your application."

Who knows. Maybe someone, somewhere gets something of value for each STARS sent to and received by the school. Just saying...

Seems trivial, if not entirely unnecessary, particularly where you can otherwise be assured that both transcript and test scores are safely in the hands (or on the servers) of your friendly neighborhood admissions officers.

Another project to add to your growing list of college "TO DOs?" You bet! If you are at all uncertain that your official transcript and test scores will find their way to Binghamton, to quote the folks at Nike, Just Do It! :-)

Best of luck on your college apps, to Binghamton, and wherever else you may apply!

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of The College Whisperer, the authors of referenced articles and websites, and such guest bloggers as may appear.
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The road to college -- and the means to pay for it -- begins at College Connection. Call us for a FREE telephone consultation. 516-345-8766.

To read the full page ad in Sunday's The New York Times, one would think that the Ohio State University, home of the Buckeyes, was issung 100-year bonds (they reach maturity in a century) to help students pay for their college educations.

"BUT FOR OHIO STATE," touts the ad's headline, "a new standard would not have been set for financing public education."

While it is not unusual for public universities to issue bonds to pay for both short and long term capital projects -- dormatories, classrooms, infratructure improvements, large and small -- Ohio State -- or should we say, THE Ohio State University (so as not to confuse the school with the other Ohio State University, we suppose) -- became the first public university to issue century bonds, valued at $500 million.

With this, Ohio State's total indebtedness is now more than $2 billion (yes, we said billion), with interest on the century bonds alone expected to be in the neighborhood of $2.4 billion (yes, you read that right) over the bond's lifetime. [And you were worried about getting buried under your student loan debt!]

Is it any wonder the cost of college is through the roof, and going nowhere but up year after year?

While Ohio State's costs are relatively low as colleges go -- $19,926 for tuition, fees, room & board for Ohio residents, $34,974 for out-of-staters -- the interest on those bonds, not to mention principal, has to be paid by someone, somehow. OSU, on its website, says students should expect 5-10% increases in costs annually. What does that mean for the children of this generation's college grads? You do the math!

Now, let's be fair. Modernizing campus with the latest technology, state-of-the-art facilities, and an infrastructure that befits a major research institution clearly enures to the benefit of students, academically and otherwise.

Still, billions of dollars of debt, which won't be paid off for 100 years, with more borrowing likely -- assuming no one leaves a cool billion or three in his will to the ole alma mater -- to finance public higher education down the road.

And what does a full page ad, on the back of the Sunday Business section of The New York Times, no less, run? A mere, pittance, we imagine, compared to the application fees this "new standard...for financing public higher education" will bring in. The ad may be a smart marketing move for OSU, if not somewhat disingenuous in its approach. The billions in debt, however? Not all that smart.

We see what happens when governments borrow beyond their means. And families? Buy on credit today. Have that huge credit card bill at the end of the month. Can bankruptcy be far behind?

We don't much like debt -- for students or for public entities -- though we do realize that borrowing today to fund the future is sometimes, perhaps too often, a necessary evil.

How much debt is too much debt? When and where does the buck, if not the Buckeye, stop? And what are the lessons, let alone the lagacies, we are passing down to future generations of students (as well as the taxpayers of Ohio, and the other states that bond beyond their means to repay)?

Our advice to students is to borrow only when absolutely necessary, and then, to borrow carefully. Avoid going into debt, if at all possible, but if you must borrow to pay for college, do not borrow more than you will be able to pay over a reasonable period of time. And, for goodness sake, do your homework and search out/apply for every last scholarship you qualify for. There are, after all, billions of dollars in scholarship money out there, most of it unclaimed!

The piper, from whom we borrow, must eventually be paid. Guess whose pocket that comes out of?

Maybe, just maybe, Ohio State should have checked out fastweb before borrowing $500 mil. A free ride to college for colleges themselves? Why not? Better that than to finance the future with a debt that burdens us all! 

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of The College Whisperer, the authors of referenced articles and websites, and such guest bloggers as may appear.
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Comments? Questions for The College Whisperer?
Write us at info@TheCollegeWhisperer.com

The road to college -- and the means to pay for it -- begins at College Connection. Call us for a FREE telephone consultation. 516-345-8766.

Neil Rosen, of Orange County, California, writes (via LinkedIn): What are some of the areas college admission officers are looking at besides GPA, SAT scores, ACT scores, and extra-curricular activities?

The College Whisperer responds: Great question, Neil!

The long and short of it is that colleges are looking for more than academic prowess (though, believe me when I say that grades and test scores count, so no slacking off there!). That's why, in examing the matrices and databases on admitted students for any particular college or university, you will almost always find students with top scores and GPAs -- if not perfect academic achievement -- being denied admission, while those with less stellar academic performance are welcomed with open arms.

What accounts for the difference between getting in and being shut out?

Legacies? Did mom, dad or Uncle Billy attend the same college you're applying to? A small percentage may well get in on that basis, but not quite as many as you think.

Donors to a university's endowment? Well, if that recently built, high tech campus center bears grand dad's name, consider yourself at least likely to get special attention at the admissions office. For the rest of us peons (the 99%ers), this isn't an option.

Diversity on campus? Sure. If you are a Pacific Islander who was displaced by a Typhoon, leaving you orphaned, blind in one eye, and recently adopted by lesbian parents who speak Esperanto and play the three-string runa, you're in. Maybe.

Diversity on campus is a big hook these days, as is the growing trend (translate that into big money) to recruit international students. Then again, you are what, and who, you are. If you've got it, flaunt it. If not, find your strength -- and your edge -- elsewhere.

Yes, there is an almost endless list of qualities and qualifications, some truly more important than others, depending on the college, that factor into admissions decisions, including many (i.e., which side of the bed the admission's officer got out of that morning, or whether her lunch at the college dining hall agreed with her "susceptible to Irritable Bowl Syndrome" digestive tract :-) over which students have absolutely no control.

Our colleagues at Peak to Peak Consulting provide an extensive, though by no means exhaustive list of college admissions factors. Add your own, if you like. Check out the admissions portal on the websites of the colleges you will be applying to for insight and, perhaps, specific factors those colleges consider in the admissions process.

Aside from academics, which almost every admissions officer is looking at, and extra-curriculars, which should include at least a modicum of community service, colleges want to be sure accepted students will be a good fit on campus. The well-rounded student not only shines in her GPA and test scores, but in her people skills as well. She thrives in that mix of academia and social awareness, serious in her studies yet adaptable in an ever-changing environment.

Alas, reduced to a screenshot, how do students begin to show admissions officers who they are and what they will bring to the college community? The essay, of course, supplemented by the short answers and, when offered, the personal interview. It is in these vignettes - a day in the life, or a lifetime in just 500 words, or so - where the student can give herself voice and truly rise above the madding crowd.

What separates those, scores and GPAs being equal and extra-curriculars being abundent, who get in and those who are denied entrance to the Ivy-covered gates?

It is who you are and all you are capable of becoming, almost as much, if not more so, than whether you aced the ACT or garnered a 4.24 (on a scale of 4.00) weighted GPA.

Show 'em what you've got. Work those seemingly indiscernable nuances on your applications, on your high school resume, and in your personal statements and essays. Let your personality come shining through, with a bit of poignancy, a touch of humility and a dash of humor, and, as concerns admissions, at least, you are half way there!

* * *
The college market is more competitive than ever. You need to be as well. Reach out to College Connection TODAY (we can't call you), and be on the road to college admission success tomorrow!

Check out all of College Connection's fare (or create your own) at Nuts and Bolts. Call us at 516-345-8766.

E-mail The College Whisperer at info@TheCollegeWhisperer.com.

The road to college begins at College Connection. [We can help with those college applications, admission strategies AND with finding the money to pay for it all!] Call Us - 516-345-8766.

Tuition. Room & Board. Books. Transportation. Incidentals. [Ah yes. Incidentals. Didn't think of those, did ya?]

What is the REAL cost of attending college? How close were those "guesstimates" to financial reality?

For years, many colleges, and a host of college-related websites, have posted so-called college cost calculators, aimed at helping the confused and tormented become even more so.

Calculations, often skewed and seldom accurate, were of little use in determining what money would be made available to students, let alone at providing the lo down on actual out-of-pocket costs.

That's all about to change, and, hopefully, for the better. Or so colleges, and our own federal government, would have us believe!

Beginning October 29, ALL colleges and universities -- or at least so many as hope to continue to receive federal aid dollars -- must post net-price calculators on their websites.

Nice! Assuming, of course, that they prove any more meaningful than the plethora of calculators already out there, on college websites and beyond.

College cost calculators, such as those found at StudentAid.com, which creates such calculators for students as well as colleges, use the federal calculator, which, concededly, misses the mark by glaringly omitting such seemingly critical factors as family/student assets, household size and merit awards.

Hmmm. Mere trifles. Why quibble over such minor things as assets and liabilities?

Then, too, could a one-size-fit all college cost calculator accurately determine YOUR true cost at any given college or university?

Pull out the old Texas Instrument T-Whatever, and plug in those logarithms and sine-cosine tables.

Consistency. Good. A foolish consistency? Well, you know...

Here are a couple of the "generic" net college cost calculators out there on the web:

CollegeData - Net Cost Calculator

College Board's Net Price Calculator

And one from a college itself (Rice University):

https://rice.studentaidcalculator.com/survey.aspx

12 minutes to complete? Must be Uncle Ben's Converted College Cost Calculator, or that new-fangled Minute Rice for College Students!

As with almost all such college cost calculators, these are free to use -- though we are certain College Board (the folks who charge you to file for financial aid) will soon figure out a way to get you to pay for it!

Boon to students and parents? Bust on the math? A mere recalculation of the old "razzle, dazzle 'em?"

Read just a few of the many articles on the net effect of net cost college calculators:

College Costs: 3 Unintended Consequences of the Net Price Calculator

Get the Real College Costs

Are Online College Cost Calculators Flunking the Math?

Warning: Net Price Calculators Fail to Provide Adequate College Cost Estimates‎

Right on the money or off by thousands of dollars? Yes and yes.

If the existing college cost calculators too often miss the mark, could net college cost calculators mandated by the federal government -- the same federal government that pays thousands of dollars for a hammer and millions to build bridges to nowhere -- be any more (or less) accurate?

Bottom line: YMMV (your mileage may vary). Try one. Try all. Take an average. Derive a scientific formula that would make Albert Einstein's head spin, and apply it to your favorite net college cost calculator. Better yet, build your own, trademark it, and sell it to Google for $200 million.

For the application-weary, perennially overwhelmed college-bound student -- and the parents thereof -- the advent of the latest incarnation of the college cost calculator is yet another source, as Yul Brenner in The King & I once said, of puzzlement.

Perhaps, if the penalty imposed by Congress were to hold each college and university to the penny of the cost arrived at through the use of their online net college cost calculators, we might just be on to something.

Alas, getting an act of Congress ain't what it used to be. And, or so it would seem, calculating the true cost of a college education isn't getting any easier!

* * *
The college market is more competitive than ever. You need to be as well. Reach out to College Connection TODAY (we can't call you), and be on the road to college admission success tomorrow!

Check out all of College Connection's fare (or create your own) at Nuts and Bolts. Call us at 516-345-8766.

E-mail The College Whisperer at info@TheCollegeWhisperer.com.

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of The College Whisperer.
* * *
Comments? Questions for The College Whisperer?
Write us at info@TheCollegeWhisperer.com

The road to college begins at College Connection. [We can help with those college applications AND with finding the money to pay for it all!] Call Us - 516-345-8766

As the frenzy to file college applications before deadline (be it Early Decision, Early Action or Regular Decision) heightens, that finger drawers perilously close to the dreaded "submit" button.

With the Common App serving as the very foundation of your foray into college admissiondom, you scrutinize every word, each digit, all the dotted "i"s and crossed "t"s. You pore over your personal statement, short answers and supplemental essays, making sure they give voice to the very essence of heart and soul. You "Save and check for errors" a thousand and one times, just to be certain you haven't overlooked that singular entry that could make or break your application.

And then, confident at last that you have given it your all, you arrive at the "Signature" page, ready to take that giant leap for all mankind -- or, at least, for one harried and beleaguered college-bound high school student.

You check off all of the boxes next to the plethora of colleges you are applying to. You "Print Preview," and check those squares. You certify. You Sign. You date. And then, with breath held and caution to the wind, you decidedly hit "submit."

Done?

Well, not exactly.

Dollars to donuts, Common App comes right back at ya with an error message, informing you that some or all of the colleges you are applying to require the submission of the "Supplement" prior to submission of the Common app itself.

Soooooooo, you go to the "Supplement" section, reviewing every last one of 'em for the umpteenth time, then forging ahead gallantly, pressing "Submit" for each school's supplement.

Back again to the "Signature" page, where every last one of those checked boxes is now unchecked, your entries having been unceremoniously erased.

You again check off all of the boxes next to the multitude of colleges you are applying to. You "Print Preview," and check those squares. You certify. You Sign. You date. And then, assured that you are now ready to roll, you sally forth and hit "submit."

Finished?

Not quite.

Up pops the advisory that some or all of the colleges you are applying to require PAYMENT (and here you thought this was all being done out of the goodness of the hearts of the college admissions gods :-) before submission of the main application.

And so, you submit, if to nothing else, to the whim, fancy and utter quirkiness of the Common App, going through the payment process (credit card, check or waiver of one kind or another).

Receipts printed. Emails received. Fingers worn to the bone, you proudly proclaim, "Mission Accomplished!"

Not so fast, ye of Common App faith!

Seems you -- and a good many Common App filers -- have fallen in to the Common App's trap for the weary and unsuspecting. You assume that, having paid your way, many times over, and having receipts in hand and emails in your inbox, your applications have been submitted to your colleges of choice.

But nooooooooooooooo!

Be not fooled by that false sense of Common App security; the logic and reason of an-all-in-one pay and submit, as if you were making a purchase on Amazon, having quietly fallen by the wayside.

Apparently, the folks at Common App (who still don't see "250 to 500" words in the personal statement as a "limit," but rather, the fundamentals of the English language aside, consider same to be a "suggestion"), haven't quite figured this one out. [Or could it be that they are simply -- perhaps unwittingly -- testing to see if you can follow instructions?]

One more step to go before those applications are actually submitted for the consideration of college admissions officers everywhere, each waiting with baited breath, and a truckload of caffeinated beverages, to receive your pearls of wisdom.

Return, once more, to the "Signature" page, clicking on those now vacant boxes; recertifying that which has been certified up the literal wazoo; sign, date, and then -- with trumpets blaring and angels circling above (even they, by now, have given up and gone home) -- pounce upon that "submit" button (presuming the "enter" key hasn't worn out or fallen off).

Voila! Now you have submitted your college applications (or at least as many as shall appear on Common App). Congrats!

Rest for the weary? Welllllllll, maybe by the time the holidays (and we're not saying which ones) roll around.

Make sure you submit your SAT and/or ACT scores to each college. Submit any and all required forms, envelopes, etc. to Guidance. Update Naviance, if your high school uses it.

Be certain that EVERYTHING -- on your end, the school's end, and College Board/ACT Inc.'s end -- is submitted to the colleges you are applying to in advance of the application deadline date(s) [well in advance for SAT submissions, unless you want to pay extra for College Board's so-called "expedited" service], lest your application become destined for the "wait and see" pile, or, worse yet, the cyber equivalent of the "circular file."

Then, keep on checking those emails, avoiding the temptation to delete everything that isn't coming from your favorite online store. Colleges will write, sometime just to say hi, but, more often than not, with a purpose.

Open. Read. Follow instructions (i.e., set up your personal account on the college website). And don't dare forget to follow the status of your application, NOT via Common App (their work on your behalf is now done), but rather, through the personal portal you've established on the website of each college you've applied to.

Ahhh. To sleep, perchance to dream?

There will be plenty of time to sleep after college!

You've applied. Mazel Tov! Now, the groundwork having been laid for your admission, it's time to look for, and actually find the money to pay for the college you will be heading off to next fall.

Onward, brave soldiers, to the search for scholarships and grants...

* * *
The college market is more competitive than ever. You need to be as well. Reach out to College Connection TODAY (we can't call you), and be on the road to college admission success tomorrow!

Check out all of College Connection's fare (or create your own) at Nuts and Bolts. Call us at 516-345-8766.

E-mail The College Whisperer at info@TheCollegeWhisperer.com.

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of The College Whisperer.
* * *
Comments? Questions for The College Whisperer?
Write us at info@TheCollegeWhisperer.com

The road to college begins at College Connection. [We can help with those college applications AND with finding the money to pay for it all!] Call Us - 516-345-8766

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The college market is more competitive than ever. You need to be as well. Reach out to College Connection TODAY (we can't call you), and be on the road to college admission success tomorrow!
- - -
Check out all of College Connection's fare (or create your own) at Nuts and Bolts. Call us at 516-345-8766.

E-mail The College Whisperer at info@TheCollegeWhisperer.com.

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of The College Whisperer.
* * *
Comments? Questions for The College Whisperer?
Write us at info@TheCollegeWhisperer.com

The road to college begins at College Connection. [We can help with those college applications!] 516-345-8766