Elation! That is the normal parental reaction when your child first received their acceptance email for college. Although, even while they are running around the house cheering, a parent’s thoughts can turn to worry. Of course, it is a parent’s lot to protect their child, and that does mean some worry along the way. However, being stressed before they have even left is only going to make it harder on everybody involved, including your kid. Luckily, there are some strategies you can use to keep parental stress to a minimum when your kids go off to college. Something that can ensure the whole process is easier on you as well as your child. Read on to find out what they are.
Be sure to shop around for student loans.
Money is often a prime concern when it’s time to send your child off to study for a degree. It fact, it can be difficult for all parties involved if families cannot provide tuition and living costs needed. Of course, with many colleges charging anything up to $30,000 for a single year, few families have enough to cover the entire cost of their child’s education.
There are a few ways to combat this, though. One, in particular, is shopping around for the best rate on student loans. In fact, it is entirely possible to use multiple loan providers for smaller amounts that total the sum needed. A strategy that can help to make a substantial saving overall. Something that, in turn, can relieve some of the stress on parents to provide all of the funding for their child’s higher education.
Get them the safest accommodation.
Next, you can really help to minimize any stress for yourself as a parent by making your child has the safest accommodation possible. After all, it is well known there is a culture of both theft and assault in such institutions. One that you will want to do your best to protect them from.
Of course, when they have to share a room on campus, protecting them can be difficult. Although, finding your child a space to live like this student accommodation studio can help to solve this puzzle. The reason being that they can happily, and affordable live alone and have the security of CCTV and security lockable rooms as well. Something that will not only make them feel safer when they are home alone but can seriously reduce any worry for parents as well.
Teach them to budget beforehand.
Of course, sourcing the money they need for college is only one half of the coin. In fact, if you want to reduce your stress as a parent in this situation, you must teach your child how to budget as well.
After all, if they can manage their own finances at college competently, the likelihood of you being asking to bail them out economically becomes a lot less. Something that can significantly reduce the amount of worry and stress you experience while they are away studying for their degree.
It’s no secret that higher education in America is pricey. Tuition is on the rise, and debt is skyrocketing. With more students relying on loans to pay for school, the average borrower now graduates with more than $26,000 in debt.
We need to do more to solve this crisis. But in the meantime, one key way to bring down the overall cost of higher education is to cut down on the nickel-and-diming students are facing just to participate in class.
You see, along with covering tuition, many students struggle to pay for school supplies that are required to succeed. Two thirds even skip buying books in the first place, according to a report from U.S. PIRG Education Fund. And if they can’t pay those costs, their grades are sure to suffer.
Our analysis estimates $3 billion of student aid is spent on buying class materials. And with a handful of major textbook publishers controlling the marketplace, we can expect prices to continue to rise. This control allows them to hike up costs and lock out affordable alternatives by employing access codes (where students have to pay to submit homework) or by publishing frequent new editions.
Avoid paying high textbook prices
If you’re a student, there are several ways you can avoid paying exorbitant textbook costs. For one, you should consider the price tag on materials when registering. Find classes that don’t require books, have no-cost resources such as free open textbooks, or require low-cost (under $40) materials. Several states require price transparency at class registration, so this information is sometimes easily accessible. When possible, avoid class sections that require the use of access codes, which force you to pay additional fees to submit homework for courses.
For those classes where you cannot sidestep important materials, be aware of your college or university’s textbook policies. At some schools, publishers are allowed to automatically charge you for materials. Pay attention because you can usually opt out of these billing programs if you catch them quickly enough. This will allow you to seek out more affordable alternatives such as used books.
Seek affordable textbook alternatives
Oftentimes, more affordable alternatives are available. Your school’s library may have copies of required textbooks on reserve for free. Students have also created Facebook groups or other “for-sale” pages at many schools, and you can compare sites like Amazon to your institution’s bookstore to find the best deal. You should invest some time shopping around for the best deal if you want your own copy to keep. You can also consider a digital etext or a rental book from sites like Chegg. Before doing that, compare rental costs to how expensive the book would be if you were able to resell it for 50 percent of its value.
Finally, ask your professors to switch to open textbooks — which are available at either no cost online or for under $40 in print. They are written by professors, just like regular textbooks, but are published under an open copyright that makes them freely available to the public. By switching to open textbooks in introductory classes, your professors could save college students billions each year.
It’s also important to remember that textbooks aren’t the only financial threat facing students. Some debit cards marketed on campus come with exorbitant fees. And, expensive electronics can seriously ding your wallet. For other money-saving tips, including how to shop for cheaper, refurbished electronics, check out U.S. PIRG’s full back-to-school guides.
At the end of the day, for students to avoid the burden and distractions of these weighty costs, policies must be put in place to end these unnecessary expenses. But until further action is taken, these back-to-school tips are a surefire way for students to save hundreds of dollars.
Today’s guest post is from Make Higher Education Affordable campaign director Kaitlyn Vitez of U.S. PIRG, The Federation Of State Public Interest Research Groups. U.S. PIRG is a federation of independent, state-based, citizen-funded organizations that advocate for the public interest.
My inbox is flooded with emails from parents asking
questions about college prep. While I encourage parents to ask questions and
find good advice, I marvel at the stressful tones coming across in those
emails. Why do parents stress so much about college prep? What can you do to handle
the stress?
My first piece of advice—relax.
It’s all going to work out and your student will attend a
college that makes him or her happy. It may not be the college you choose or
even their first-choice college, but wherever they land, it will work itself
out. Stressing over every single aspect of the college application can not only
drive you crazy, but put undue pressure on your student as well. The college decision
is stressful enough without you adding to the process.
My second piece of advice—do your research.
Before you start stressing over whether your student will “have
what it takes” to get into college, look at the college
statistics for each college on their wish list. What percentage of applicants
are admitted each year? What percentage of students receive financial aid? What
does the freshman class look like—average SAT scores, average GPAs, and other
factors? What does the college value the most in their applicants—demonstrated
interest, GPAs, extracurriculars or others?
My third piece of advice—be realistic.
Be realistic. Your student may aspire to the highly selective
colleges, but is it conceivable they will be accepted? It’s perfectly
acceptable to have a dream school, but if your student applies, they should
fall within the criteria of the applicants. Applying to colleges you simply can’t
afford or your student’s chances of acceptance are slim, will only set you and
them up for disappointment.
One parent, when discussing student debt, summarized it like
this: “It’s our personal opinion [as parents], but for us we would find it
irresponsible on our part to let any of our kids incur that much debt for a bachelor’s
degree. They will have to dream with the money they have available. Plenty of
great educations out there that won’t break the bank.”
You owe it to you children to be the voice of reason. There
are over 4000 colleges within the United States that will give your student an
excellent education. Do your homework and help them find the one that is the
best fit.
My final advice—ask for help.
It’s a given. You are going to need help. Luckily, there is plenty of help available online for parents to gather information and advice. You can consult the experts or search for help in social media. Just about every question you have can be answered and if not, you can message or email an expert for their advice. Never be afraid to ask for help.
I
received an email from a concerned parent whose student was going to be
attending orientation next week. In the email, he confessed that he might need
some help with information regarding financing his son’s college education. I was
surprised that he waited so long. Unfortunately, I had to advise him that at
this point his only options were private loans and advise his student to apply
for scholarships over the summer.
Parents should consider college funding even before their student applies to college. The inevitable result of lack of planning is parents and students borrowing to pay and usually borrowing more than they can repay after graduation.
What
do the statistics say?
With
school starting shortly, student loan borrowing often appears in the news. It’s
especially prevalent now with presidential candidates promising to erase
student loan debt. Wherever you stand in the political landscape, it’s clear
from the statistics that students have borrowed more than they can repay.
According
to a 2018 report by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, as many as 44.7
million Americans have student loan debt, that’s one in five adult
Americans. The total amount of student loan debt is $1.47 trillion as
of the end of 2018 — more than credit cards or auto loans.
How
do you make wise financial choices?
Before applying to college, you and your student should investigate the cost. You can gather the information either on the college website or by using College Navigator. When viewing these figures, you should also research the college’s financial aid statistics—what percentage of students are awarded aid, how much aid is awarded and how much do students typically borrow. Since every family’s financial situation is different, these figures should help determine if the college is affordable to attend.
How
does financial aid play into the equation?
If
you complete the FAFSA, your student will receive some form of financial aid.
The most common is student loans, but colleges also award grants and merit aid
as well. Always complete the FAFSA, even if you don’t think you will qualify
for aid. Colleges use the information on the FAFSA when awarding scholarships
and grants. No FAFSA, no aid.
What’s the key to avoid borrowing too much?
Use repayment calculators before you sign on the dotted line. The rule of thumb is that students should only borrow as much to pay for college as their first year’s salary. By keeping your debt under one year’s salary, you won’t have to put more than about 10% of your income towards student loan payments. Borrowing more than your student can afford to repay sets them up for overwhelming debt after graduation. Your student can look at salary comparisons for their anticipated career at PayScale.com.
How
can you avoid borrowing to pay for college?
The key to not borrowing to pay for college is to receive merit aid, grants, and outside scholarships. Your student should apply to a college at the top of his or her applicant pool. This means the college will be more likely to award aid to attract your student. Grades and standardized test scores are also a key factor in awarding aid. Your student should focus throughout college to pursue excellence in these areas. And, don’t forget outside scholarships. Your student should focus time and effort in applying to every scholarship he or she qualifies for. This means starting early and planning to submit the best application. Click here for scholarship application tips and see how your student can win enough money to pay for college.
Finally, borrow wisely. Only borrow what you need. Your student can borrow the maximum amount, but only borrow what is necessary. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Choose the loans with the lowest interest rates first.
Potential Magazine is sponsoring two scholarships for high school students grades 9-12. It’s never too early to start searching and applying for scholarships.
National Don’t Wait to Reach Your Potential Scholarship* Hosted by: Potential Magazine Deadline: 01-04-20 Award: $500
Qualifications: This scholarship is for college-bound teens in grades 9th-12th. It does not require specific test scores, GPA, or class ranking. Parents can also register but will need to designate a student to receive the award. Description: Winner will be notified via e-mail! You will also be receiving Potential Magazine’s free weekly “Countdown to College” (C2C) eNewsletter with additional scholarship opportunities, ACT/SAT prep tips, college prep info, and more. Application: https://www.potentialmagazine.com/countdown-to-college-scholarship-sign-up/
National Countdown to College Scholarship* Hosted by: Potential Magazine Deadline: 05-04-20 Award: $1,000
Qualifications: This scholarship is for college-bound teens in grades 9th-12th. It does not require specific test scores, GPA, or class ranking. Parents can also register but will need to designate a student to receive the award. Description: Winner will be notified via e-mail! You will also be receiving Potential Magazine’s free weekly “Countdown to College” (C2C) eNewsletter with additional scholarship opportunities, ACT/SAT prep tips, college prep info, and more. Application: https://www.potentialmagazine.com/countdown-to-college-scholarship-sign-up/
A few years ago I wrote this article for TeenLife online. With school starting and students beginning their college lists during junior year and finalizing the list at the start of senior year, this advice is particularly timely.
Most teens will tell you that making the college list is one of the most stressful times in their life. It’s a process that begins with a little bit of knowing what you like, what your goals are, and that intuition that every student takes to the table. Knowing yourself, your likes, and your dislikes will help you in the process.
There’s a theory among teens and many parents, which says, “The more colleges you apply to, the better your chances.” In theory it makes sense, but there are other things to consider besides hedging your bets with numbers.
Three Considerations When Applying to College
1. The Cost
College applications can be time-consuming and pricey, costing as much as $100 per application, unless you get the fees waived by the school or an organization. Ten schools at $100 each is $1,000. These application fees are non-refundable and aren’t applied toward your total cost of attendance. Although this should not be the only factor in determining the number of applications submitted, it should be considered.
2. The Time
Applying to college takes a tremendous amount of time, and each college has their own specific application criteria. The average college application usually takes about two hours to complete, not including writing the essay. Common sense dictates that the more applications you have to complete and collate, the less time you will spend on each individual application. The applications are your way of communicating who you are to a college—it’s not the time to spread yourself thin to rack up the numbers.
3. Quality vs. Quantity
Allen Grove, an admissions expert in the About.com College Admissions Guide, thinks it’s a little ridiculous when students apply to a dozen or more colleges. He can’t imagine how the student visited all those campuses, in addition to doing extensive research, and then decided that many schools were good matches.
“You see students who apply to every single Ivy League,” Grove says. “I just have to wonder if the student who is going to like Columbia (in New York City) is really going to like Dartmouth (located in a town of around 11,000 people). I find that unlikely, so I often think students who are sending out that many applications haven’t done their research.”
How Many is Too Many?
Most admissions officers generally advise students to apply to about five to seven colleges, but no more than 10. That includes a couple of safety schools (schools you’ll no doubt get into), a couple of match schools (schools you meet the requirements for), and a couple of reach schools (schools that are less likely to accept you).
In a Huffington Post article, Maura Kastberg, Executive Director of Student Services of RSC Your College Prep Expert, concurs with that advice. “There may be 20 colleges you want to attend, or you could have your heart set on just one. When you are applying to college, be practical. Most students should apply to somewhere between five to seven colleges. There are no guarantees that you will be accepted to the school you desire, but you should have a good idea about your chances of admission to each school.”
What Are the Criteria?
If you’ve done a thoughtful job when compiling your list, you should be able to answer the following questions (provided by Carolyn Lawrence of AdmissionsAdvice.com and contributing author to the College Admission Book blog): (http://collegeadmissionbook.com/blog/how-many-colleges-should-students-apply)
1. Can I explain why all of the colleges on my list are right for me?
If your answers to this question are superficial—such as rankings, prestige, location, or a friend’s suggestion—it’s likely your list is too long. Before you add any college to your list, you should be able to explain how the college aligns with the things you personally need to be happy and successful in college.
2. Will I have enough time and energy to put my best effort into every application?
Even the simplest applications require time and effort. Can you really handle the work involved in completing 15 or 20 applications? Be honest with yourself. It’s better to do an outstanding job on fewer applications than to do a so-so job on too many.
3. Do I love my “safe bets” as much as I love my “reaches?”
Build your college list from the bottom up; fall in love with the schools that are most likely to love you in return before you add colleges that are less likely to admit you. If you do, you’re apt to find that you really don’t need to apply to as many colleges as you think you do. Finally, don’t let fear sway you into panic mode.If you’ve carefully thought about the reasons why every college is on your list, and do your best job with each application, you’ll end up with great choices!
Even with all the right information, facts, and figures in place, choosing a college is more than just a list on a piece of paper. Most students will tell you that they just “knew” when they set foot on campus they knew it was right for them.
In an article for The New York Times, Jordanna Suriani, an admissions counselor at Ramapo College of New Jersey, writes that students who apply to several colleges because they’re undecided are doing themselves a disfavor come April when it’s time to make a decision. Once you get that acceptance letter, you have even less time to make a choice.
Ms. Suriani advises, “Figure out what you need and want now, and apply to schools which offer you most, if not all of it. Forget about trying to get as many acceptances as possible to places that don’t speak to you. Trust me. Come April, you’ll be glad you did.”
Incoming college students go through big changes as they reshape their entire social circle. They just left all their friends from 4 years of high school behind them and they need a social app that is uniquely tailored to their new college life. Current social platforms don’t have any use on a physical college campus, especially if you don’t know anyone there.
Freshmen U™ addresses new college social environment
Freshmen U™ is targeted for just campus use, addressing specific college student bodies within the individual university settings. Freshmen college students now have their own social app that includes patent-pending augmented reality (AR) technology developed just for social interactions.
Students can meet and interact with other students just by using their username within the app. This allows them to get to know each other before sending out a traditional friend request. This no need to know someone’s real name to start a conversation, which is hard to do when you first arrive on campus. Students just download the app, pick their campus, and start to meet people. It’s that easy.
Designed to get new students to connect with other students
Our app is designed to get new students out of their dorm and start to connect with each other in real life on campus. Users can drop photos of themselves around campus as they walk from class to class or attend a football game, which others can now see through the app’s AR GPS ecosystem and they can rate or comment on these photos or videos. Think of Facebook meets Pokémon Go. The app encourages interaction and more face-to-face meetings around campus and does away with the awkwardness of making new friends.
Customized social interaction
In a quest for profit above all else, the big three social media platforms have ignored a very important demographic group of college students. We did not. College students need customized social interaction, and they want their digital media. We’ve found a way to give them both, with no ads and no unnecessary data sharing with 3rd parties. We are a small group of developers (3 to be exact) that wanted to build something fun but useful on college campuses. I think we did it! Students now have a way to digitally plaster their lives into the real world around campus. It feels like rebellion but is totally safe and secure.
This article was originally written for and published at TeenLife.com
The first semester of senior year is filled with anticipation. It’s your last year of high school and you have so much to look forward to, such as graduation and college. But in order for seniors to reach those goals, you have some high-priority things in the area of college admissions and creating the best college application that you can.
1. Get recommendation letters.
There’s no time to waste. Teachers and administrators and other mentors are busy people. With multiple students asking for recommendation letters, you want to be first in line. If you’ve done your homework, you have built relationships and now it’s time to ask for that college recommendation. Choose people who know you well and will be able to make the recommendations more personal.
2. Complete the college essays.
It’s time to put the finishing touches on that college essay you began working on over the summer. Remember the essay is your chance to demonstrate who you are. Be yourself and don’t try to write what you think admissions officers want to hear. Once your essay is completed, have someone proofread it before submitting with the application.
3. Finalize your college list.
It’s time to nail down your college choices. Review your notes and anything you learned during college interviews. Look at the entire picture for each college: Is it a fit academically, socially and financially? Are you at the top of the applicant pool and in the best position to receive merit aid? Make sure you have some colleges on your final list that are reach schools, some that are perfect fit schools, and some that are schools where you are pretty much ensured acceptance.
4. Visit the colleges on your list.
Fall is the perfect time for college visits. Not only will those visits help you finalize your list, but visiting a college demonstrates interest. Once the colleges receive your application, they will check to see how interested you are in attending and that will influence admissions officers. While you are on campus, schedule an interview and an appointment with the financial aid office. Ask questions that will help you finalize your college list.
5. Complete the FAFSA.
The FAFSA – the Free Application for Federal Student Aid – is available online. You should make filing it out a priority and the sooner the better. Colleges will be awarding financial aid this year along with their admissions decisions. You want to be first in line for this merit aid, so file now. Students who complete the FAFSA are not only eligible for federal aid, but for college-based aid such as grants and scholarships.
6. One last task: Submit your college application ASAP.
Consider submitting your application early. Applying early decision or early action means you will hear from the colleges sooner and also get information on your financial aid award. If you apply EA (early action) you’re not bound to any one college and you can apply to more than one. If you know the college you want to attend and it’s your absolute first choice, you can apply ED (early decision). You are bound to accept the school’s offer of admission, however, and you cannot apply to other colleges.
The college search
is easily stressful for both parents and students. The amount of knowledge a
parent needs to help their student navigate through college prep can be overwhelming.
From choosing the college, to deciding how to pay for it, to making the final
decision, it’s hard not to become stressed and frustrated.
Both my children
attended college but took different paths. One entered college straight out of
high school and the other after four years of military service. Even though the
college search for each of them was different, during their individual searches
I learned some valuable lessons.
Expand your search
beyond the usual perimeters
When you begin the
college search, you should cast a wide net. Many students limit themselves to
state colleges, colleges with prestigious names and even nearby schools. There
are over 4000 institutions of higher learning in the United States and even
more if you expand your search beyond our borders—Canada and even
internationally. Canadian colleges offer excellent educations and are often a
better financial fit than many U.S. colleges.
Moving outside your
comfort zone might help you and your student find a better fit. My daughter had
her heart set on a large university and while doing a college search, we
unearthed a small private college in the same city that was a better academic,
social and financial fit for her. Keep an open mind and don’t discount a
college simply because of name, location, or lack of notoriety.
Do the leg work
Do your research
before narrowing down the final college list. Look at statistics. They will
tell you so much about a college. You should compare graduation rates,
financial aid award percentages, freshman retention rates, admissions
acceptance rates and more. Make your choices based on your research statistics
and whether or not the college fits your student’s academic and social needs.
College visits for
you are fact-finding missions. College visits for your teen are highly
emotional. You can expect to hear words like “I’m just not feeling it”, “I won’t
get out of the car”, “I don’t like the look for the campus/buildings”, and
other irrational comments. Just remember that feelings are a part of the final
college choice. You can’t expect your student to make their new home at a
college they don’t like, for whatever reason.
I experienced this
with my daughter. She received an offer of admission and a full-ride
scholarship from a college we applied to but never visited. Based on the website,
location and academic offerings she felt it would be a good fit. When we
arrived on campus in early April for our first visit, she refused to get out of
the car. She didn’t like the look or the size of the campus. Of course, I was
completely frustrated with her, but she just instinctively knew it was not the
college for her. Looking back, even though it seemed emotional, she knew what
she wanted and ultimately chose the perfect college she felt was a good fit.
Organization is critical
You will be bombarded
with information during your college search. The key to keeping track of it all
and staying on top of all the deadlines is to stay organized. Your teen should
set up an email purely for college information and correspondence. Make it
official by using firstname_lastname @gmail.com. All college correspondence will
come to this address and your teen can set up folders to help organize it.
You should also
maintain a filing system for organizing paper. This might be anything from
college brochures to scholarship materials and applications, to keeping track
of accomplishments for the resume. Keep all college-related materials in one
place—a college landing zone.
Ask for help if
necessary
Some parents like me choose to work alone and guide their student through the college process, while others choose to hire a professional college consultant. Choose what is best for your family and its own financial resources. If you choose to work alone, there is a wealth of information online from blogs and social media. If you have a question, leave a post on a Facebook page, comment on a blog or DM someone on Twitter. Most professionals are happy to help with anything that might stump you.
You can also seek advice from your high school counselor, teachers or even college admissions staff. You don’t have to flounder around hoping you have the right information. Approach the college search with knowledge and determination and your student will succeed!
What factors influence colleges when filling their freshman class?
College admissions is definitely a subjective process.
Colleges must delicately balance a student’s application along with the goals
and priorities set by each individual college. While much is written about
admissions criteria for students, it’s normal to wonder how the colleges fill
their freshman class.
In 2014, Rachel B. Rubin, a doctoral student in education at
Harvard University, researched and authored a study on
how and why colleges choose some students over others. In her study, she found
that most colleges focus first on academic merit. They base the first cut on
grades, rigor of high school courses, test scores and so on. Although each
college has an individual formula differentiating the relative weight that is
given to these various factors, the result is the same: students who do better
than others in this area are more likely to be admitted.
Beyond the academic factors, colleges look to create a
well-balanced freshman class. This means they look at demographics (where a
student is from), minority factors, special talents such as sports or music and
any other attributes that might set the student apart and be a welcome addition
to the college student body.
Large public universities tend to follow this admissions
pattern and a student with an excellent academic record is likely to be
admitted. In Texas, all students in the top 10 percent of their class receive
automatic admission to any state university.
How are elite
colleges and large public universities different?
Elite institutions and small private colleges are a whole
other ball game. Ms. Rubin’s findings revealed that these colleges group
applicants into “pools” and applications are compared within these individual
pools, but not overall. “Certain pools receive preference, largely as a result
of the perceived benefits of a particular applicant’s background, academic
characteristics, and exceptional talents, and their relationship with a
university’s needs.”
For
elite colleges, institutional fit is often more important than a student’s
academic merit. These colleges do the initial cut based on other factors:
student essays, recommendations, and specific questions related to whether a
student will contribute to the college in various ways. Each college has their
own unique set of qualifiers based on the type of freshman class they want to
achieve.
Although
academic merit is considered important, the vast majority of applicants to
these elite colleges have the appropriate level of academic merit. This allows
the colleges to weigh this later, and focus on other parts of creating a
freshman class.
What are the most favored factors
used to determine institutional fit?
For
these elite colleges, the two most favored factors are underrepresented
minority status and exceptional talent, which is, of course, any talent the
college feels might add to their freshman class. For those colleges who
responded to Ms. Rubin’s survey that started with “fit” as their focus, these
four factors were the top contenders:
Underrepresented
race/ethnicity–42%
Exceptional
talent–42%
Recruited
athlete status–7%
Likelihood
of enrolling–7%
Fund-raising
potential–2%
These
practices may not be considered “fair” among parents and students. A student
with a strong academic background that doesn’t fall into any of these
categories might not be offered admission. But another student with a lesser
academic resume who does fall into one of these categories and helps the
college create a diverse freshman class might be. However, each college is allowed the freedom
to create their own ranking system for applicants.
What happens after the initial cut
is determined?
After
colleges have made the initial cut, whether by academics or institutional fit,
most colleges have a more formal system. Two readers review the application and
all its corresponding documents, with a third reader or entire team to help
make the difficult calls. At this state, the colleges that made the first cut
using academics, discuss “fit”, and colleges that made the first cut with
“fit”, discuss academics.
How can this information help
applicants?
While
it’s impossible to “get into the heads” of admission officers, it’s important
to take into account the college’s means of choosing applicants. If a student
is applying to a public university, it’s important to have a strong academic
record. If a student is applying to an elite college, it’s important to
remember that most all applicants will have a strong academic record. The
student will need more than exceptional grades to receive an offer of
admission. He will need to fall into one the other categories these colleges
use to determine admission.
As always, the key ingredient to applying to college is fit. If a student does his homework, researches the colleges, is at the top of the applicant pool, and fits well with the current body of students, his chances of being offered admission are extremely good. Without that fit, the chances of being offered admission are slim.
