Tag Archives: college admissions

admissions, college guidance, college planning

IvyAlly-Helping in the admissions process

We have talked to many parents, and have heard the same problem expressed repeatedly.  A father of four whose eldest daughter had just finished her freshman year in high school explained, “I don’t know what I don’t know.” 

For some, this sentiment came from an appreciation that the application process has evolved drastically, becoming more competitive and comprehensive.  Others had not gone to college themselves and had no intimate experience to draw upon.  Still others had gone to public universities with different criteria for acceptance and were unsure if their advice would be as applicable and helpful to more selective institutions.

IvyAlly was built around the idea that no one has the insight, experience, or recollection of how to get accepted into elite universities than those students who have just crossed the chasm and are now attending the school of their dreams.

We are a community of over 40 current Ivy League students looking to help others in the admissions process.  More importantly, we are 40 individuals that demonstrate how diverse and unique the path to acceptance can be.  

Our mission is to level the playing field in the college admissions process.  Before, high school students had to rely on their own networks to receive advice.  Worse, professional services priced many families out costing hundreds to thousands of dollars.  We want to change this reality by providing affordable resources.

We have created our resources by talking to current college students and asking them what they wished they had as resources during the college application process.  We have also met with high school students for advice and feedback.  For example, we will be launching a new series titled 500 Words.  Each week, one of our Mentors will upload one of their admissions essays and film a short segment, about 5 minutes long, talking about their individual writing process, how they chose the topic, and what they like and dislike about the essay.  For more information about all of our resources, check out our site: www.ivyally.com.  

Feel free to contact me at stephanserrano@ivyally.com with any questions regarding the college application and selection process. 

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Use this code: PARENTSCOUNT and get a 20% discount

admissions, college planning

The Common Application

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On August 1st, the NEW and IMPROVED online version of the Common Application goes live! Here’s a sneak peak for you and your college-bound teen:

2010-2011 Common Application

If you’re on Twitter and would like to get some more information, you can attend a chat TODAY at 3PM PST for “Everything Common App”. Just use the  #collegejoin twitter chat hashtag and follow along. If you can’t make it, you can always review the tweets at a later time.

The Common Application is used by 391 member institutions. The benefits? You can fill out ONE application and submit it to any participating college. The same is true of the School Report, Midyear Report, Final Report and Teacher Evaluation forms. This saves your college-bound teen time and that translates into more time available for the other important college admissions tasks.

admissions, college guidance, college planning

Top 10 Questions parents ask about college

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Over the years, parents have cornered me and asked me questions about the college admissions process and their college-bound teens. While those questions are varied, and sometimes specific as they relate to their own circumstances, here is my list of the Top 10 most asked questions:

  1. What can I do to help my “average” student stand out and get accepted to college?–The good news is that the admissions application is not all about grades. They look at the overall picture: grades, SAT scores, essay, student resume, and interviews. There will always be a college that recognizes value and potential. Grades are important, but they aren’t the ONLY way to sell yourself.
  2. Should I fill out the FAFSA even though I think we make too much money to qualify for financial aid?–YES. YES. YES. The FAFSA is what colleges use to determine your EFC (Expected Family Contribution) which is used to determine the financial aid package. This package is NOT just federal aid. It’s composed of grants, scholarships and loans (much of which is merit-aid directly from the colleges themselves). If you don’t fill it out, your teen can’t get ANY of that money.
  3. My teen isn’t motivated to make good grades, how can I motivate him/her to try harder?–They need to be invested in the process. If they want to go to college, grades are part of the process. Encourage them to talk with current college students (they can do this online) or consider finding them a mentor–someone who can motivate them to do their best. Nagging won’t work. Punishment won’t work. Reward and encouragement from you and others will produce much better results.
  4. Is it really worth spending hours and hours of time looking for scholarships?–Yes and no. A large portion of scholarships/grants come from the colleges themselves. But, there are also thousands of other scholarships available to college-bound teens. It’s worth registering on some scholarship sites and applying to those that are a good fit. You can also use the College Potential Calculator for some help. Don’t neglect LOCAL scholarships–these are often the easiest to win.
  5. We can’t afford to pay for college, does that mean our teen won’t be able to go?–There are all kinds of ways to finance a college education: student loans, work-study, college grants and scholarships. Everyone qualifies for parent and student loans. But be wise about your borrowing and consider the best options. Paul Hemphill with Pre College Prep has come up with a GREAT way to attend college on the cheap!
  6. How many colleges do you think my teen should apply to?–Here’s a good formula: 2 reach colleges (colleges that might be a reach but still attainable), 3 good fit colleges (colleges that are a good match for the student), 2 safety colleges (colleges that the student will be at the top of the applicant pool). Having choices also means the colleges are in competition, which translates into negotiation for you with the financial aid package.
  7. What’s the most important tip you could give me about the college admissions process?–Find those “perfect fit” colleges. Do the research and evaluate choices based on student body, academic programs, college visits, location and financial aid awards. If the college is a good fit, they will value the student for his/her contribution to the student body. Those are the colleges you want in your application pool.
  8. My son/daughter has just been wait-listed; what should we do?–Be proactive. Send a letter to the college and let them know how much you want to attend. If there is more information you can provide that didn’t make the application, send that as well. Let them know that, if given the chance, you WILL attend.
  9. My teen’s SAT scores aren’t that great; will it affect their admissions chances?–The bottom line is that most colleges do look at those SAT scores. But, it’s just part of the overall picture. The best advice I can give is MAKE CONTACT with an admissions representative from EVERY college your teen is applying to. This PERSONAL contact can and will make a difference when the admissions application is reviewed. Do this by visiting and making an appointment to speak with them. Then hang on to their card and stay in contact until acceptance letters arrive.
  10. My teen is so scatter-brained and we keep missing deadlines–how can I help them get organized?–Set up a landing zone for college material. Use a desk, a file cabinet, a bulletin board, and a wall calendar to keep track of deadlines. Start this freshman year and remind them that their floor is NOT the landing zone. Once they get used to bringing everything to that one spot, it will be easier to find, file and locate all the college related materials.

If you liked this article, you might also like:

Finding the perfect “fit” (for college)

Motivating an underachiever towards college

Top 10 Do’s and Don’ts of Parenting a College-Bound Teen

admissions, college guidance, college planning, essays

The College Essay Demystified

Today’s guest blog post is from Brenda Bernstein, founder and senior editor of TheEssayExpert.com. Her team of trained writers, editors and coaches offer expert essay help and advice for college-bound teens. Parents–pass this post along to your teens as they struggle with that all-important college application essay.

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essay

IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY TO START THINKING ABOUT YOUR COLLEGE ESSAYS

 

If you are heading toward Senior year of high school, it’s time to start thinking about your college essays.  If you’re about to be a Junior and you’re reading this, it’s not too early.  The point is, start thinking of topics *now*!  You can even do it while you’re lying on the beach.

Why now?  Because the best college essays go through many lives.  You will write, re-write, and re-write again, over a period of weeks or even months.  Inspiration can hit at any time.

You want to have lots of time for your essays to percolate, to have those magic light bulb moments, or maybe even to wake up in the middle of the night from a dream and write a brilliantly creative essay (this really does happen!).

If you start thinking about your essays in November, you won’t have time for the process to work on you.  Instead of waking up with inspiration, you will wake up panicked or worried that you’re on the wrong track.  You don’t want that.

POSSIBLE ESSAY BRAINSTORMING QUESTIONS

Here are some things to think about – it’s not a complete list by any means.  Be creative!

  • What’s my favorite school subject and why?
  • What’s my favorite extracurricular activity and why?
  • What character in a book inspires me and why?
  • What’s a story of how I went from a simplistic understanding of how the world works to a more complex, nuanced understanding?
  • What’s an object that’s important to me and why?
  • What’s a place/location that’s important to me and why?
  • Who are the most important people in my life and what have I learned from them?

Notice that many of these questions ask “and why?”  It is important to think deeply about the meaning of things in your life.  Determine what about your experience is unique to you.  That’s what will make your story about your grandmother, trip to Israel or soccer practice different from the one sitting under it in the pile.

JUST DO IT.

Don’t sit around just thinking about these questions – start writing!  Designate a journal for your college essay ideas.  You will be surprised how quickly it fills up with great content.  Keep filling it up, and when you go back to what you wrote several months before, you might be happily surprised by some of your thoughts.

If you’re struggling finding the right topic, don’t despair.  There are professionals at The Essay Expert who will help you recognize what is special about your experiences and support you to present those experiences in words.  By working with an expert, you will end up with truly great college essays — and have the best chance of getting into the college of your dreams.

admissions, college guidance, college planning, parenting

This week's #CampusChat on Twitter

Last week, several parents joined us for the FIRST #CampusChat on Twitter. This week, I’m the scheduled guest hosted by @collegevisit (Smart College Visit). Here’s all the info and I would LOVE to have you join us.

Hot Topic: When & How to begin the College Admissions Process

Curious about the College Admissions Process? When should it begin and how to stay on top of all the info?

Find out at #CampusChat on Twitter, Wednesday night, May 12 at 9 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. CT.

Our guest this week is Suzanne Shaffer, @SuzanneShaffer, founder of Parents Countdown to College Coach. She’s a parent who successfully completed the process and coaches other parents to do the same!

Who should attend?

College-bound teens and their parents, college admissions officers, counselors and anyone interested in contributing to the topic about when the college admissions should begin are invited to join the conversation.

Plus, there’s a Give-Away!

One lucky participant will win:

Organization: The Key to a Successful College Admissions Process – This CD provides parents and teens with a suggested filing system, along with templates and forms to help with the organization process.

A winner will be selected from the list of Twitter participants (those who contribute to the conversation).

admissions, college guidance, college planning

Campus Chat on Twitter

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Smart College Visit is hosting a chat on Twitter this Wednesday and it should be great advice and information for parents of college-bound teens. Here are the details from their website:

On Wednesday evening at 9 PM, Eastern, May 5, SmartCollegeVisit will host #CampusChat on Twitter.

#CampusChat is the hashtag phrase we’ve defined in Twitter-speak to track discussions related to college-bound students and their families.

#CampusChat is hosted and moderated by @CollegeVisit.

With the May 1 Candidate’s Reply Date having just passed, Wednesday’s #CampusChat welcomes three parents with teens who just accepted offers of admission as featured guests. The parents will talk about the college decision-making process for them and their children.

Any parents, teens, college admissions officers, counselors and anyone who is interested and passionate about college admissions are invited to join the conversation.

Here’s how:

Follow SmartCollegeVisit on Twitter, @collegevisit.

On Wednesday night, May 5, at 9 PM, Eastern, track the hashtag: #CampusChat using tools such as TweetChat or WhatTheHashtag. For more information about how to use these tools or how to keep up with or follow a chat, read: 3 Easy Ways to Keep in Step with a Twitter Chat.

I’m looking forward to participating in this chat–SEE YOU THERE!

admissions, college guidance, college planning

Top 5 Ways to get OFF the Waiting List

In the life of a high school senior, it doesn’t get much more nerve wracking than the month of April. This is the time of year when high school seniors finally receive the news on which colleges have accepted or rejected them and they only have less than a month until May 1st, National Candidates Reply Date. Fat envelopes are good, thin ones are bad, but there are also the half-good/half-bad envelopes saying you are in the admissions purgatory known as the waiting list.

by Lars Leetaru-WSJ Online
Photo by Lars Leetaru-WSJ Online

Edward B. Fiske, author of the #1 bestselling Fiske Guide to Colleges states, “Colleges use waitlists because they are not sure how many of the applicants receiving fat envelopes will actually enroll. Waitlists are their safety valves.”

Fiske advises high school seniors who find themselves on the waitlist of the school of their choice to send a deposit to your first choice among colleges that did accept you to ensure you have a place to go. If you prefer to go to a school where you are on the waitlist, go on the offensive:

Top 5 Ways to Get Off the Wait List and Get Accepted to the College of Your Choice:

  1. Send a letter ASAP to the admissions director emphasizing your unyielding desire to attend. State specifically why you think the match is a good one and highlight new information.
  2. Call to see if you can arrange a campus interview. “Students who have been offered regular admission waitlist status are well advised to pay a visit by mid-April, perhaps with a set of recent grades in hand,” says Peter Van Buskirk, former Dean of Admissions at Franklin and Marshall.
  3. Send examples of impressive work. This is particularly relevant if you have an area of special talent or if you have produced new work of which you are especially proud.
  4. Ask a current teacher to write a recommendation highlighting your recent achievements. Ask teachers who wrote letters for you previously to send updates.
  5. Ask your guidance counselor to write or call and see that the admissions office is kept up to date with your grades and other achievements.

These are great tips for any college-bound teen who finds themselves on the wait list. My motto for this: it ain’t over till it’s over! In the future, I will be reviewing the Fiske Guide to Getting Into College.

college costs, college guidance, college news, college planning, financial aid

In the News: College Week Live's Spring Fair

collegeweekliveThis week, parents and college-bound teens can attend College Week Live’s FREE virtual college fair online. On March 24-25 from 10AM-10PM you can:

  • Meet hundreds of colleges live & pick the perfect university
  • Get admissions questions answered in real time
  • Hear expert advice on test prep and application essays
  • Discover new ways to pay for college
  • Video Chat With Students on 75+ College Campuses

If your schedule doesn’t permit you to attend, you can still log on and view the archived videos at your convenience. Make sure you and your student sign up and mark your calendars for two days of comprehensive college information gathering virtual events.

college planning, test prep

Creating an SAT Study Plan

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When it comes to studying for the SAT, most students don’t know where to begin.  The easy way out is to head over to the local branch of one of the big prep companies.  But, that route can be inefficient time-wise, not to mention extremely expensive.  The good news is that you can create an SAT course yourself!  All you need is some good materials and a little organization.   Here are a few tips to get you started:

  1. Be sure to get started early, ideally at LEAST three months before test day.  Unless you’re prepping over the summer, school and other activities take up most of your day.  Allow yourself a long time frame so you don’t have to cram for eight hours a day the week before the test.
  2. Plan to average about 30 a minutes a day over that time.  Note that’s an average, not a rule.  Spend a half hour here and there, with maybe couple of hours on the weekend.  Grab fifteen minutes before soccer practice.  Keep a journal of what you’ve done, what still needs to be done, and how much time you’re spending.  And be honest!  You might be amazed how much (or little) time you’re devoting.
  3. Take a timed, as close to real as possible, practice test for starting your prep.  I always recommend downloading the free SAT from the College Board’s website and using that as your pre-test.  Be sure to use the printed version.  Don’t take the online version, since you won’t be taking the real thing online!  Use your results as a guide for your prep.
  4. As for materials, there are unlimited options.  There are online courses, books, iPhone apps, podcasts, computer programs and on and on.  Check out a few options, and see what makes sense for your learning preferences and budget.  The only must-have is the Official SAT Study Guide from the College Board.  It should be your primary source for practice sections.  Use any other resources you like to learn strategy, review math and build vocabulary.  Of course, I am biased towards Word-Nerd.com for SAT vocabulary.
  5. In the early stages of your prep, do practice questions at your own pace.  Treat it as an open book test.  When you make an error, analyze it.  Always learn from your mistakes, as well as your successes.  The same types of questions appear repeatedly on the SAT.  So analyze those errors.  When you encounter a similar question on test day, you’ll know what to do!  If you’re stumped by a particular question, ask a friend or a teacher for help.  Or hire a tutor for an hour or two to get you through the tough stuff.  Wyzant.com is an amazing source for tutors nationwide if you need ideas.
  6. Lastly, ramp up your efforts as the big day nears.  By the last couple of weeks, you should be taking practice sections from the Official Study Guide under timed conditions.  Just be sure to give yourself a break the night before the test.  Nothing will hurt your score more than being tired on test day!

If you have a question I haven’t covered, feel free to send me an email at jenn@word-nerd.com – your question may be the topic of a future post on The Fat Envelope, Word-Nerd’s test prep and college admissions blog.  Good luck everyone!

Today’s guest post is by Jennifer Cohen, President and Chief Word-Nerd at Word-Nerd.com. She offers some great (realistic) tips on preparing for upcoming SAT’s. Word-Nerd.com is your best resource for efficient, fun SAT and PSAT vocabulary prep.

admissions, college guidance, college news, college planning

In the News: Videos as part of admissions applications

With technology progressing faster than we can keep up with it, Tufts University is inviting prospective students to post one-minute videos on YouTube telling the university a little something about themselves.  According to an article in The New York Times: The Choice, one of the dean of admissions at Tufts came up with the idea:

Lee Coffin, the dean of undergraduate admissions, said the idea came to him last spring, when watching a YouTube video someone had sent him. “I thought, ‘If this kid applied to Tufts, I’d admit him in a minute, without anything else,’” Mr. Coffin said.

Some of the YouTube video submissions have garnered quite a following; opening an interesting debate about privacy online.

One new company, has come up with a solution to having the whole world view your admissions video: MyCollegei. They have partnered with colleges to allow your college-bound teen to post their video FREE of charge and create a video that will give colleges an insight into who they are and find that “perfect-fit” student for their college community, while maintaining the student’s privacy.

Here’s a GREAT video presentation of the service, describing what they offer and how they have created a user-friendly site for students who want to get that extra edge in the admissions process. (Just click the graphic!)

mycollegei

Admissions officers are always looking for that “perfect-fit” student and videos are an excellent way to see beyond the traditional application and essay. And after all, teens today have grown up using technology. As colleges strive to keep up with the times, this is just another way that prospective students can communicate their creativity and passion.