The College Whisperer™ | Navigating The Road To College

Kiplinger Magazine, in its upcoming December issue, takes a look at "values" in private colleges. As with most rankings, the findings should be taken with both a grain of salt and a hand on your wallet. "Value," too, is subjective, given the price tags attached to most of these institutions of higher learning.

Of value to the college bound (and, most certainly, their parents) is Kiplinger's reporting on the availability of financial aid at the ranked colleges, including averages (in dollars) for both need-based and non-need-based aid, as well as average student debt upon graduation.

Read the article below. Click HERE to see the rankings.
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Best Values in Private Colleges

Our top 200 schools deliver a high-quality education at an affordable price.

By Jane Bennett Clark

From Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, December 2010

Incensed at the price of a private-college education? On the face of it, you have every reason to be. The average cost of a year at a four-year private school has lately run about $36,000, compared with $21,000 a decade ago, according to the College Board. Over the same ten-year period, family incomes have mostly stagnated. Many parents wonder whether a private-school education is attainable at all, much less worth the price.

Don’t grab the pitchforks yet, folks. Although the sticker price charged by private colleges may seem more suited to the Ancien Régime than to recession-weary families, the net price -- the cost after financial aid -- puts the total out-of-pocket cost, on average, closer to $22,000. And if you consider only tuition and fees, the net price (in inflation-adjusted dollars) is actually a bit less than it was a decade ago.

What’s more, the colleges currently offering a net price below $20,000 include some of the best institutions in the world, making them a downright bargain -- and putting them at the top of Kiplinger’s 2010-11 rankings for best values in private colleges and universities. Princeton, Kiplinger’s number-one-ranked university, reduces its $49,780 price to a bargain-basement $16,352, on average, for students with need. [See our slide show for a look at the Top 10 Values in Private Universities and our full list of the top 100 private universities.]

Swarthmore, a repeat winner in our liberal-arts category, provides a first-class education to qualified Swatties for $18,791, nearly two-thirds off its $52,650 sticker price. [See our slide show for a look at the Top 10 Values in Liberal-Arts Colleges and our full list of the top 100 liberal-arts schools.] Most private colleges devote the lion’s share of their resources to students who qualify for need-based aid, and some elite schools have eliminated non-need-based aid entirely. Still, several Ivy League schools, including Yale and Harvard, define need liberally, offering aid to families earning $180,000 or more. A few wealthy, highly selective institutions, including Davidson College, in Davidson, N.C., offer merit scholarships to 20% or more of their students. Less-competitive colleges spread merit aid more widely to attract strong students who can pay some, if not all, of the costs.

As for sticker prices, expect them to continue rising, but at a slower pace than earlier in the decade. The hike for 2010-11 -- about 4.5% -- was relatively modest, thanks to cost-cutting initiated during the recession, says David Warren, president of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. "While the crisis has lessened, it has not disappeared. It’s on the mind of every college president to hold down that rate of increase."

Quality comes first

Ever met parents who dream of sending their child to a mediocre college just because it’s cheap? Neither have we. To determine our best values, we start with indicators of high quality, such as small class size, a high-achieving incoming class, a satisfied clientele (measured by how many students return after freshman year) and graduation rates that reflect the school’s ability to deliver its education -- and a degree -- within four or five years.

Once we’ve assembled our "A" team, we reshuffle the lineup based on affordability, including the average amount of financial aid each college bestows, the extent to which students have to borrow and the cost for families who pay full price. (For more on our criteria, see How We Rank the Schools.) Because liberal-arts colleges focus on undergraduates and universities include graduate students, we divide the schools into two categories, each 100 schools strong.

This year’s standouts? Besides Princeton, the star players on the universities side include Yale, ranked second for its impeccable academics and lavish need-based aid; Caltech, ranked third for similarly superlative features plus a student-faculty ratio of three to one; and Rice (number 4), whose $46,321 total annual cost represents the lowest sticker price among our top 25 universities. (For a closer look at Rice, see Small School, Big Ambitions.)

Swarthmore, near Philadelphia, returns to our number-one spot on the liberal-arts side after a two-year hiatus. It bests Pomona College (number 2), in Claremont, Cal., and Williams College (number 3), in Williamstown, Mass., mostly for the generous merit scholarships it offers to a handful of undergrads. Each of these elite schools boasts accomplished students, small classes and strong graduation rates; each also meets the full need of qualified students and offers average need-based aid that exceeds $30,000 a year.

For more great deals, check out the Claremont Colleges, five small liberal-arts colleges -- Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, Pitzer and Scripps, along with Pomona -- on adjoining campuses about 30 miles east of Los Angeles. Students who enroll in one of the colleges can take classes at any of the others, an approach that other colleges have lately adopted in an effort to share resources and restrain costs. Claremont Colleges stand on their own when it comes to value, however. Each appears on this year’s rankings.

Keeping down debt

Imagine that your child has been accepted by Princeton but has to say no because you can’t afford the tuition. Then imagine that your child does enroll and ends up with massive amounts of debt for the sake of that Ivy League degree.

Neither scenario is likely (assuming your kid is talented enough to be accepted in the first place). Princeton not only meets the full need of qualified students but also puts families with six-figure-plus incomes in its financial-aid pool. In this year’s entering class, families with incomes of $160,000 to $180,000 qualified for an average grant of $26,450.

Note the absence of the word loan from the previous sentence. Princeton was the first university, in 2001, to eliminate student loans from its financial-aid package. “Leading up to 2001, we had been reducing and eliminating loans for low- and middle-income students,” says Robin Moscato, director of financial aid. After Princeton removed loans from the mix, "the economic diversity in the undergrad population increased dramatically."

No matter what their family income, students who qualify for aid benefit from Princeton’s no-loan policy. Since 2001, the average debt upon graduation has dropped to less than $5,000, the lowest on both our lists. (Some families borrow to cover their share of the costs.) With little or no debt to worry about, Princeton alums have the freedom to enter a low-paying profession or enroll in grad school. Says Moscato, "They can make choices as to what to do next."

Princeton was flush when it made its no-loan commitment, as were other schools that did the same, including Columbia, Dartmouth and Vanderbilt on the universities side and Davidson, Haverford, Pomona, Swarthmore and Williams among liberal-arts colleges. The recession hit endowments like a poleax, forcing Williams and Dartmouth to reinstate loans in financial-aid packages for higher-income families. So far, Princeton and the others have managed to keep their loan-free pledge. "It’s a core priority for the university," says Moscato.

Nurturing bright ideas

When Swarthmore last headed our liberal-arts list, in April 2008, this small, top-tier institution was sitting pretty. Perched on a hill amid a rolling, wooded campus just outside of Philadelphia, Swarthmore attracted some of the best students in the country and covered the costs of all those who qualified for financial aid. The school had recently announced that it would replace loans with grants and committed $1.7 million of its $1.4-billion endowment to the effort.

Several years and one brutal recession later, Swarthmore still boasts top academics, high-caliber students and a generous financial-aid policy, but it has millions of dollars less to work with. The investment return on Swarthmore’s endowment sank almost 17% from its pre-recession peak before recovering somewhat in 2009 and 2010. Meanwhile, financial-aid expenses rose by 12.5%.

To address the budget crunch, Swarthmore froze salaries, cut departmental expenses, dipped into its reserve fund, and asked alums and other donors to pitch in. That effort paid off. Swarthmore continues to accept and meet the needs of all qualified students and has kept this year’s tuition increase to 3.8%. “We have long had a deep commitment to access and to the need-blind process,” says Swarthmore president Rebecca Chopp. "We’re also trying to be very sensitive to the impact of cost on all families."

Last May, in its traditional graduation prank, the engineering majors attached working light bulbs to their mortarboards and had Chopp flip the “on” switch as she passed out each diploma. That exercise, however lighthearted, captured Swarthmore’s zest for problem-solving and eagerness to meet the challenges of the 21st century, says Chopp. "We have an amazing amount of intellectual talent. If any school can figure it out, Swarthmore can."

Swarthmore doesn’t accept every applicant, nor does every family have the same idea as to what constitutes the perfect fit. To assemble your list, dig deeper into the tables. You’ll find a choice of schools that suit your circumstances, all of them great values.

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Plan. Prepare. Prevail!

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 begins at College Connection. Call us for a FREE telephone consultation. 516-345-8766.

M.B. of West Hempstead, NY, by way of Binghamton University, writes:

I'm preparing to take the GRE (Graduate Record Exam) on Monday, On a practice test, the antonym of the word, carom, was called for. Carom. Please tell me there's an antonym for this word that a soon-to-be college grad might know?

The College Whisperer responds:

Carom? Sounds like something Captain Kirk would say in a low budget version of Star Trek. "Mr. Spock, you have the carom!"

Carom (krm), defined by Webster's as (1) A collision followed by a rebound; (2)(a) A shot in billiards in which the cue ball successively strikes two other balls. Also called billiard. (b) A similar shot in a related game, such as pool.

Ah, trouble with a capital "T", and that rhymes with "P", and that stands for "Pool"...

Sports fans -- and not just pool aficionados -- are surely familiar with the carom, as in, "the ball caromed off the wall, out of reach of the flailing outfielder". In general usage, "the car caromed off the guardrail, hurtling into the ditch".

Granted, out of context, carom, in and of itself, connotes less of a rebound, ricochet or recoil (common synonyms for carom) than it does some type of seed that may be found atop a bagel or rye bread. In terms of etymology, though, the word, first uttered in 1779 (no doubt by the precursor of the College Board), comes from the Spanish, carombola, "the red ball in billiards," originally an orange tropical Asian fruit supposed to resemble a red billiard ball, from Marathi (southern Indian), karambal.  The verb, meaning to strike or rebound, followed almost a century later, in 1860 (talk about a slow recovery of the carom), from the noun.

But we digress.

Apparently, M.B., you haven't been hanging out at the local pool hall or billiard parlour during your college career, lest the word carom -- and certainly its antonym (anti-carom???) -- would have readily come to mind.

Webster's does not provide an antonym for carom, nor do the many online dictionaries I have searched, though synonyms aplenty abound.

You do not say what choices the GRE prepsters gave you as a portended antonym, and we presume that all of the above and none of the above could be summarily ruled out.

The best bet, then, short of conjuring up the spirit of the fictional Minnesota Fats, is to select an answer that most closely fits the antonym of a synonym, of which we shall, for the sake of saving the lowly lives of electrons, such as they may be, name but a few.

backlash, bob, boomerang, bound, buck, bump, fly back, glance off, hop, hurdle, jerk up and down, jounce, jump, kick, leap , rebound, recoil, resile, ricochet, saltate, snap back, spring back, thump, vault.

Of course, this, too, presumes that carom is used as noun, with the primary definition of "a collision followed by a rebound," and not as the ever-popular in local bar circles as, "a shot in billiards in which the cue ball successively strikes two other balls." [No, we're not even going to go there...]

You may recoil at the inane propositions (if not prepositions) proffered by the GRE (the big kids version of the SAT), but, with any luck, once the test (of what, we wouldn't venture a guess. Billiard rules, perhaps?) is over and done with, you will rebound. If not, you could always spring back, doing what many college seniors (21 and over) resort to after taking the GRE, and similar so-called standardized achievement, aptitude, or whatever the current genre of tests (which, hopefully, you will never ever have to see again) may be acronymed as; Carom off the dorm room wall and into the arms of a cheerful barkeep.

Yes, M.B., you are about to graduate college, Phi Beta Kappa, honors in English with a concentration in Rhetoric, editor-in-chief of your university's student newspaper. And still, by rite of passage (and the will of the College Board, soaking students and their parents out of their hard-earned money since 1900  -- the GRE costs $160 a shot these days, plus $$$ to send your score reports), you must prove yourself worthy of admission yet again, muddling through what we call the SAT on steroids (GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT), separating the pool sharks from those who merely carom off the bedpost.

Ay, caramba!  [Having absolutely nothing to do with the carom, we're afraid.]

So go ahead, M.B. Give the GRE your best shot (or should we say, carom shot?) We have every confidence that you'll do just fine!
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Coming Up: Every high school student's nightmare. Facing the SAT with only a number 3 pencil.
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Plan. Prepare. Prevail!

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 begins at College Connection. Call us for a FREE telephone consultation. 516-345-8766.

Getting good advice -- and, sometimes, following it -- is key to success in the college application and admission process.

That's why College Connection, your one-stop source for college planning, counseling and support, sponsors The College Whisperer blog, and helps get out the word -- to parents and students alike -- on what it takes to get into college, as well has how to pay for it all -- on our website, via Facebook, and by way of Twitter.

Bringing you the inside scoop on successfully navigating the college application and admission process is our goal. Providing entree to words of wisdom and essential resources from myriad (great SAT word) sources (not just our mouths), is our promise.

So, we encourage you to join us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, as we travel the road together to college admission success!

Our friend and colleague, Lynn O'Shaughnessy, opines on why saving for college -- or for anything, for that matter -- is a good thing. To top it off, having saved some money for education beyond high school, you won't necessarily be penalized in terms of securing financial aid from your college of choice.

There are some links included, courtesy of U.S. News & World Report (the folks with those silly rankings), to be taken with the requisite grain of salt, hopefully spurring some more in-depth research into what truly is the "best" college for you or or child, at a price you can actually afford.

Be sure to visit Lynn's blog, The College Solution, for more insight into the college application and admission process.

Is your family going to qualify for financial aid?

Many families I talk to assume that they won't qualify for financial aid. Why are so many parents pessimistic about their chances for financial assistance? I think a lot of them assume that the money they've squirreled away in their college savings accounts will kill their chances.

I find it ironic that when parents have small children, they feel good about setting aside money for college. When the college years loom, however, some parents begin viewing their college accounts as hand grenades that could explode at any minute.

[Read about best value colleges.]

It's been my experience that it's typically dads who get stressed out about how colleges will treat these accounts for financial aid purposes. Some fathers whom I've talked with have become embittered about this issue. They are especially incensed at the possibility that families that didn't set aside money for college will hog all the aid.

If that's what you're worried about, here's my advice: Relax.

Families who save for college are rarely hurt in student financial aid considerations. In fact, it's been estimated that fewer than 4 percent of families who fill out financial aid applications are penalized for their savings.

[Read 10 Tips for Getting More Financial Aid.]

Here are the two biggest reasons why saving money shouldn't hurt your financial aid chances:

1. Colleges don't care how much you saved for retirement. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which anyone applying for financial aid will complete, doesn't even inquire about retirement accounts. Private colleges that use CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE, also don't penalize parents for their retirement savings.

[Read how the easier FAFSA inspires hope for more financial aid.]

2. Parents can also shelter plenty of money outside retirement accounts. It might not seem like it, but colleges don't want to strip you of all of your available cash. The financial aid formulas will also let you shield a big chunk of your non-retirement money.

How much you can shield from the FAFSA formula depends on the age of the oldest parent. The older the parent, the more you can shelter.

Let's say the oldest parent is 52. The family would be able to shield $55,500 in 529 savings plan money, as well as any other cash laying around in taxable accounts such as savings and brokerage accounts. 

Oldest Parent	Asset Allowance
45	$46,600
47	$48,900
50	$52,900
52	$55,500
55	$60,200
58	$65,300
60	$69,200
62	$73,200
65+	$80,300

Using an example should make it easier to see how this allowance would work. Let's assume that a family has $100,000 in non-retirement assets, including $25,000 in a 529 savings plan, and the oldest parent is 55.

The family would get to shield $60,200 from the FAFSA formula, which would leave $39,800 unprotected. In calculating the family's financial need, the FAFSA methodology wouldn't expect the parents to sink all of that money into college. Consequently, the $39,800 in assets would be assessed at a parental rate of 5.46 percent. When you do the math, the child's eligibility for need-based aid would only drop by $2,173 even though the family had $100,000 in the bank.

Knowing this, would you rather be a family who saved nothing for college or the family who has $100,000? Obviously, it's a no brainer.

[Get more tips on paying for college.]

So what's the bottom line? Saving for college will hardly ever hurt your chances of financial aid.

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In this era of escalating college costs, parents (and kids) should sock away as much as they can -- using the 529 as the centerpiece of their college savings plan.

Regardless of the treatment of 529 Plans under both FAFSA and CSS Profile (SEE http://www.finaid.org/savings/loophole.phtml), 529s are the vehicle of choice (New York has a great 529 Plan, by the way) for college savings, providing, along with the opportunity to amass a considerable college nest egg, myriad tax advantages, from tax-free distributions to deductions from the State Income Tax.

Of course, most of us cannot afford to rely on savings alone, or the generosity of the financial aid office, when it comes to paying for college, where six figures is quickly becoming the norm for a four year stint.

That's why a prudent plan to search out and apply for scholarship and grant money, outside the college realm and not necessarily within the purview of either the FAFSA or the CSS Profile, must be an integral part of every college-bound student's mantra. There is money out there for college, if you know where to look for it, and are willing to invest the time to apply.

Parents and students are encouraged to read The College Whisperer's posts as appear in this blog, for a greater appreciation of the many resources available to help get into and pay for college.

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Plan. Prepare. Prevail!

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 begins at College Connection. Call us for a FREE telephone consultation. 516-345-8766.

With the deadlines for applications (most colleges) -- many as early as December 1 for Regular Admission, Fall 2011 -- fast approaching, it's crunch time for most college-bound high school seniors.

Presuming you have not already conquered the Common App, Universal App, or your intended college of choice proprietary app, you should be working, diligently, on writing and tweaking personal statements and supplemental essays, accurately and completely filling in the blanks on each application and supplement, developing and implementing a comprehensive admission strategy among schools that are both "safe" and "reach," and, of course, seeking out money (you'll need lots of it) to pay for college, via scholarships, grants, and other means of financial aid (these, too, have deadlines that must be heeded). [And don't forget about completion and online submission of the CSS Profile for those schools that require same for consideration of financial aid; requesting those required letters of recommendation, school reports, and high school transcripts; and sending your ACT/SAT scores to colleges to which you apply (mindful, yet again, of pending deadlines).]

Time grows short for getting it all done -- let alone, getting it all done correctly -- especially if you're still undecided on where to apply and how to navigate the complex, and too often daunting, application and admission process.

With college admission more selective than ever, and the competition, particularly for students in the northeast, exceptionally keen, you need to put not only your best foot forward, but to position yourself -- and with a bit of expert assistance, you can -- so when that foot gets in the door, that door actually opens for you!

Here's what your College Connection counselor, working with you, one on one, can provide:

       ·         A comprehensive college plan customized to student’s needs and goals

       ·         Individualized personal consultations (includes in-person, telephone and online)

       ·         Unlimited e-mail access to your personal college counselor

       ·         Unlimited telephone access to your personal college counselor

       ·         Review of academic records, standardized scores, and extra-curriculars

       ·         Synthesis of a college/student matching profile

       ·         Essay brainstorming sessions

       ·         Editing of application personal statements

       ·         Creation and editing of the high school résumé

       ·         Editing of supplemental essays

       ·         Review and enhancement of applications
 
       ·         Proofing of all applications, supplements, essays and addenda

       ·         Assistance with submission of Applications, supplements and payments

       ·         Advice and action plan on scholarship, grant and financial aid sourcing

       ·         Assistance with completion and filing of College Profile and/or FAFSA

       ·         Recommendations and practice for college interviews

       ·         Help with making final choice when decision letters are received

       ·         Review and analysis of financial aid awards

Yes, help is but a phone call away! 516-345-8766

At College Connection, we make it our business to help get kids into college. Empowering students. Bringing peace of mind to parents. After all, it's what we do!

So, don't travel the road to college alone, unaware of the dangerous curves, damaging potholes, and seemingly endless detours that could impede your arrival at the college gates. Let College Connection help you navigate that road to college admission success!

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Coming Up: What College-Bound High School Juniors Should Be Doing Now

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Plan. Prepare. Prevail!

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.
* * *
Comments? Questions for The College Whisperer?
Write us at info@TheCollegeWhisperer.com

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

 

Yes, the road to college can be scary, with ghouls, goblins and more than a few witches popping out along the way to frighten both students and parents (most of whom, Halloween haunts notwithstanding, are already, shall we say, unnerved).

Is you application accurate? Has your essay given you voice among the cacophony (great SAT word) of hoots and hollers raised by your fellow college-bound compatriots? Did you complete every required section and answer each question on your application? Is it good enough to get you in? What about those Supplements? And how the heck do you pay for and submit this &^%$#@! Common App?

Applying to college should not be a hair-raising experience, essays, resumes, activity sheets, and those howling supplements masking the true you, and all you are capable of doing, being, achieving. Certainly, the last thing you want to do is scare off the one admission officer you want most to impress.

So, don't just get your college applications done. Get them done correctly, accurately and completely.

College is a six-figure investment. Before you hit that "SUBMIT" button, consult with your "college investment advisor".

And by the way, have a happy, and safe, Halloween!

While frustrated high school students and their nervous parents often find themselves in a state of confusion, as the college application process wends its way down that circuitous and sometimes precarious road toward the admissions office, our friends at the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) have compiled a comprehensive report on the State of College Admission.

For those still trying to figure out why colleges on the Common App can't agree on seemingly simple matters, like whether you have to pay before you submit, or submit your supplement before submitting the primary application (or some convoluted permutation of the foregoing, reading the NACAC report, while not altogether enlightening (don't expect too many "aha!" moments), may prove a worthwhile respite.

Among the highlights referenced in the report:

• Number of High School Graduates Has Peaked after Decade of Growth
• College Enrollment Continues at All-Time High
• Racial/Ethnic Minorities and Low-Income Students are Underrepresented
• Application Growth Slows
• Colleges Accept 67 Percent of Applicants
• Students Admitted Through Early Decision and Early Action Increases
• At Colleges with Early Decision Policies, Gap In Acceptance
• Chances of Acceptance from a Wait List Slightly Higher
• More than Half of Colleges Create Priority Groups for Wait List
• Cost to Recruit: On average, colleges and universities spent about $524 to recruit each applicant for Fall 2009 admission, $843 to recruit each admitted student and $2,553 to recruit each enrolled student (when admission staff salaries and benefits were included in the admission office budget).

Yes, all those glossy, colorful mailings you receive from colleges and universities far and wide cost plenty. Don't worry. They will find a way to pass expenses for printing and postage on to you!

All in all, no great revelations, but interesting reading, nice charts and graphs, and, presumably, job security for the folks who study these things and prepare such reports.

Of particular interest to The College Whisperer is the chart (Table 17: Percentage of colleges attributing considerable importance to factors in the admission decision: 1993 to 2009) as appears on page 23 of the report. Note the shifting "significance" of factors considered in the admission process, such as the essay versus class rank. Class rank, on the importance scale (whatever the heck that may be at any given college), fell from 42% in 1993 to 16% in 2009, while the essay (your voice in the admission officer's ear) rose, during the same time, from 14% to 26%. Why, the essay even trumps AP and SAT II scores. No surprise to us.

Yes. Lies. Damned lies. And statistics. Still, when the essay ranks up there with other determining factors, surpassing, by far, such admission mainstays as counselor/teacher recommendations and extracurricular activities (which colleges ought to pay closer attention to), it's time to sharpen those pencils, number 2 and otherwise.

Sooooo, take a gander at the full report on the State of College Admission. It's not the Knapp Commission Report, by any means, and it will unlikely cause any ripples in the college admission waters. It will, however, give you some insight into how the process works (or is intended to) and, hopefully, the impetus to better prepare yourself for what has become, to many, the ordeal of applying to college.

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Plan. Prepare. Prevail!

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.
* * *
Comments? Questions for The College Whisperer?
Write us at info@TheCollegeWhisperer.com

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

For followers of The College Whisperer, and students of College Connection, the advice contained in a recent Forbes article will generate little more than a "Duh!"

For the rest of you, some DOs and DON'Ts, with one big, Don't leave your common sense -- and proofreading skills -- at the door!

How To Get Your College Application Noticed
By Krystle M. Davis

High school students frequently lose sight of what's important when they're trying to get into college. Like the girl who spent 17 hours a week playing volleyball, even though she hated the sport, and it kept her from her dream of building computers. Or the student who pursued a wide range of activities and subjects, never focusing on one, even though he was most passionate about environmental sustainability.

But when Mimi Doe, cofounder of Application Bootcamp and co-author of Don't Worry You'll Get In, worked with these students, she told them to forget puffing up their résumés and instead focus on what they really cared about. The two students were eventually accepted to MIT and Harvard, respectively.

The college admissions process is more selective than ever, so it's crucial to make your application stand out. But getting noticed isn't all there is to it--you want to get noticed for the right reasons. That means not making mistakes like overloading your schedule.

In Pictures: Common College Application Mistakes

The Common Application allows students to fill out one application accepted at more than 400 schools. It was established in 1975 to simplify the admissions process but "is set up in a weird way for students to fail," Doe says. She advises students to avoid the suggested essay choices on someone who has influenced you and instead use the "topic of your choice" option to discuss a scholarly focus or working at a fast-food restaurant. "Don't pretend to be someone other than [who] you really are."

Bowdoin College's dean of admissions, Scott Meiklejohn, reviewed about 1,400 of the 6,018 applications the school received last year. Since 83% of the students accepted to the class of 2014 ranked in the top 10% of their class, finding qualified applicants was easy. The challenge: Deciding on thousands of applicants to eliminate. How you present yourself in an essay can have a big impact. "Don't try to anticipate clever answers or try to impress us," says Meiklejohn. "Write something meaningful to you."

Writing about a slice of your life that seems small but represents your personality is a good way to get noticed, says Karen Crowley, vice president of educational counseling at College Coach and a former senior admissions counselor at University of Pennsylvania. In one memorable essay, a girl compared her response in a car accident to her academic integrity. "[A good essay] doesn't have to be about a dramatic or defining moment in your life," she says. "It shouldn't have some sweeping, overall ending."

Trying too hard to differentiate yourself could get you noticed for the wrong reasons. At Northwestern University, items such as CDs and 25-page writing samples get dumped into a bin. "We don't fall for gimmicks," says Christopher Watson, dean of admissions. More impressive are students who give specific, compelling reasons for why they want to attend the particular school. But make sure you have your facts straight. He recalls one student who mentioned falling in love with the school's beautiful campus on the Chicago River--too bad Northwestern actually overlooks Lake Michigan.

Do attach an extra essay explaining why you were home-schooled or attended five different schools in three years, but never send a photo of yourself wearing the school's sweatshirt, a cake you've baked or letters from your parents' influential friends who have never met you, Doe adds.

Schools track your level of interest, so attending an information session or campus tour can help. Very few schools offer interviews, but if you can, get one. "Students should do their part and not [simply] come to the interview, sit back and wait to be asked questions," says Meiklejohn. "Come with your own questions, and advance your own knowledge about the college." Doing your research beforehand will prevent the mistake of asking anything readily available online, such as whether the school offers a certain major.

If you find yourself on a waiting list, sending an update e-mail reaffirming your interest won't hurt, but no counselor wants to receive weekly e-mails and phone calls about every new achievement. Being on a first-name basis with the receptionist at a university does nothing for your admission chances.

To ensure you send the best application possible, start early. Plan to get your application ready the summer before senior year, so you can focus on doing well in those tough senior-level courses.

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Plan. Prepare. Prevail!

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 begins at College Connection. Call us for a FREE telephone consultation. 516-345-8766.

As if getting into and paying for college weren't difficult enough!

From our friends at National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC):

Background
The primary policy goal of NACAC members is the improvement of college access for all students. NACAC’s recommendations for solving the college access crisis fall under three research-based policy principles: access to college preparatory coursework, investment in need-based student aid, and access to quality school counseling. NACAC’s recommendations to Congress on reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA, or No Child Left Behind) focus on improving access to quality school counseling for the neediest students.

In 2008, the Consortium on Chicago School Research at the University of Chicago released a report, “From High School to the Future: Potholes on the Road to College,” that came to similar conclusions regarding the college access crisis. The report concluded that critical steps to improving college enrollment and success were creating a college-going culture in the school, and providing students with adequate support and guidance, and that school counselors were in a unique position to do both.

Based partly on the conclusions of this report, Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) drafted and introduced the Pathways to College Act, in order to replicate the successes detailed in the report nationwide.

Summary of Legislation
The Pathways to College Act would provide competitive grant funds to high need school districts for the purpose of improving college going rates of all students. Eligible grant recipients would be required to use grant funds to provide the following:
 Professional development for high school counselors in postsecondary advising
 One on one meetings with a school counselor to develop a postsecondary plan for every student
 Information for all students and their families on the college application process, paying for college, and preparing for college
 Development of a school-wide plan to increase college-going culture in the school

The Pathways to College Act Would:
Improve College Readiness and Academic Achievement for the Neediest Students
Increase the amount of one-on-one time students have with a highly trained counselor, for the specific purpose of helping plan for their postsecondary options.

 Students need more than high aspirations to go to college. Low-income students require greater access to structured social support, including peer support, mentoring, and personalized support, parental involvement, and early college preparation and planning (Pathways to College Network, 2007).
 School counselors are among the best and most easily accessible sources of information about postsecondary preparation. High school students report wanting more individual time with their school counselor for college planning. (Students as Allies in Improving their School, 2004)
 Low-income and first generation college students do not have the same access to the guidance, information, and support needed to effectively navigate the college application process as their more advantaged peers. This lack of information and support may be as important a barrier to enrolling in college as academic qualifications and financial resources (Consortium on Chicago School Research, 2008).
 For many students, a lack of academic preparedness is exacerbated by a lack of academic and financial guidance, information, and resources necessary to understand and plan for getting into and succeeding in college (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2008).
 Ninety-two percent of high school counselors consider themselves the primary source of information for their students about paying for college. Sixty-five percent of public secondary school counselors at low-income schools believe that students and parents are discouraged from considering college as an option due to lack of knowledge about financial aid (NACAC, 2006).

Help Create and Maintain a College-Going Culture
The Pathways to College Act would emphasize the need to plan early academically and financially for college, and would engage all students in college readiness planning from their first year in high school.
 Counseling services can have a dramatic effect on students’ education plans. Access to information about college and financial aid is a strong predictor of postsecondary education choices and college enrollment (The College Board, 2006).
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Tell your Senators and Members of the House of Representatives to support the Pathways To College Act! Click HERE to send a message.
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Plan. Prepare. Prevail!

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.
* * *
Comments? Questions for The College Whisperer?
Write us at info@TheCollegeWhisperer.com

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