Important Information on Early Admission Policies

Dear Parent, 

It is important that you understand the differences in early admissions policies prior to your student submitting any college applications.  Following are several types of policies.  Please read carefully! 

Early Action

The student can apply to a college by an early deadline (set by a particular college) to guarantee his admission, without obligating himself to attend that particular college.  The student will then usually file for financial aid at the college under the same deadlines as a regular student applicant.  Applying early action will not be detrimental in any way. 

Early Decision

The student can apply to a college by an early deadline to guarantee his admission, but is obligated to attend that particular college under a binding contract.  Early decision applicants file for financial aid early and are offered a financial aid award at an early date.  Once the student is committed to the college, he may lose some of his financial aid appeal.  I strongly recommend that your student does not apply early decision since this is a binding contract. 

Early Notification

The college notifies the student of his admission status as the admission office makes its admission decision.  The student will apply for financial aid in the same manner as would a regular financial aid applicant.  Beware; by accepting the college’s offer of admission, the student may be limiting his appeal options. 

Early Read

The college will compute the student’s EFC early and estimate the student’s financial aid award.  Since this computation usually takes place early in the fall of the year, the student must submit estimated financial information to the college.  I strongly recommend that your student does not apply early read.  Since we can compute your estimated EFC, it is of no benefit to allow the college to have preview of your financial information.  If you should implement some financial strategies to lower your  EFC, the college may question these strategies if they have already seen your financial information.  

If you have any questions, please call me before your student submits any college applications! 

Until next month…Best Wishes

Randy Stoltz, President

SAT Tips & Strategies For Students

Dear Parent, 

Be sure your student pays attention to the registration dates for the SAT.  The best time to take the SAT is in late spring of the junior year.  Registration deadlines are usually 5 to 6 weeks prior to the date of the test.  The counseling department at your student’s high school will have all the information necessary to obtain dates and instructions.  

Here are a few tips and strategies for your student to get the best possible score!

• Know the directions for every section.
• Know the order of the questions.  Answer easy questions first. Mark skipped questions in your exam book so you can quickly return to them later.
• Guess smart.  If you can rule out one or more answer choices for a multiple-choice question as definitely wrong, your chances of guessing the right answer improve. Use your test booklet to organize your thoughts. You can cross off choices you know are wrong and mark questions you have omitted so you can go back to them if you have time.
• Avoid stray marks on the answer sheet. A machine scores your test and can't distinguish between a correct answer and a careless doodle.
• Easy questions usually precede hard ones. Mark only one answer per question.   Don’t change an answer unless you are sure you made an error.
• Check that you are placing your answer in the correct section and number on the answer sheet.
• Don't spend too much time on any one question. You should spend only seconds on the easiest questions, and hesitate to spend more than 1-2 minutes on even the hardest ones.
• Don't panic if you cannot answer every question.  You do not have to answer every question correctly to get a good score. You can get an average score by answering about half of the questions correctly and omitting the remaining questions.
• Remember that the SAT consists of a series of small, timed, mini-tests. Keep track of the time you're allotted for each one and how much time remains.   You can bring a watch to the test center.
• Read the words in the question carefully. Be sure to answer the question asked and not the question you recall from a practice test. 

There are several websites that offer test-taking tips, strategies and, essay and practice questions.   Some websites to check out are: www.CollegeBoard.com, www.Kaptest.com, and www.Powerscore.com. 

Print off these tips for your student so he/she can go over them right before they take the SAT.  Anything they can do to be prepared in advance is encouraged! 

Until next month….best wishes! 

What You MUST DO NOW In The College Planning Process

What if you are the parent of a high school junior? This is a crucial time for them now. Here are some things you need to do now for them: 

1.   Your child should register soon for the SAT. The registration dates are easy to get from your high school or from www.collegeboard.com. Whenever you decide to register, remember not to list any schools to receive the results! You want to know the scores before anyone else sees them. Many college financial aid offices look at SAT scores when deciding who gets their money. So, it’s worthwhile to consider enrolling your child in a SAT preparation course to help maximize his or her score. 

2.   Remember that this is your “base year.” That means your 2009 income, assets and other financial data will determine how much aid your child will qualify for when he or she heads for college in 2010. There are many things you can do this year to positively affect your college funding eligibility next year. We’ll talk more about that in future issues or you can call me now for more information. 

No matter when your child will be packing for college, you can take actions now that will help you put money in his or her pockets. One of the best actions you can take is to get good professional advice. The college consulting “industry” is a complex maze that most people don’t have the time or inclination to understand on their own. That’s where a professional college advisor can help. We’re happy to be “in your corner”, and we’d be honored if you asked your friends and neighbors who don’t have a clue as to where to begin to contact us.

Well, that covers it for this month. Until next month….Best wishes, 

Randy Stoltz, President

Advanced Placement Studies

Dear Parent,

Perhaps the easiest and most effective way for a student to stand out academically for college admission is to score well on Advanced Placement tests offered by the College Board (www.collegeboard.com).  While these studies are for the academically gifted student, they can represent significant reductions in the cost of college.  A student can receive a full year’s college credit and be granted college sophomore status from more than 1,400 higher education institutions by earning satisfactory grades on enough AP Exams. 

Advanced Placement is awarded by the college or university, not by the College Board.  Some institutions specify certain courses or other requirements for sophomore status.  The college’s catalog or website usually provides a detailed description of that institution’s Advanced Placement policy.  Credit is usually awarded when one is admitted, although some colleges and universities award sophomore standing only after the student has demonstrated the ability to do satisfactory college work.  When AP courses are added to the student’s curriculum, the result is a “weighted grade point average” (WGPA), such as 4.3 on a 4.0 scale.  This may help with admissions, but check with the institution the student is interested in attending to get a complete description of its AP policy before assuming that the student will get an AP credit.  AP exams are offered in a variety of subjects and are scored on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest.  The College Board gives these tests each May.  Each exam costs approximately $75. Many high schools offer students practice tests to familiarize themselves with the format. 

Some of the numerous benefits of AP courses are:

• Study a subject in greater depth
• Prepare for college caliber work
• Improve the chances of getting into a competitive college
• Increase the grade point average (GPA)
• Reduce college costs
• Increase time for special interest courses at college
• Increase the options for double majors or upper level courses
• Improve the ability to succeed in college
• Increase eligibility for an AP Scholar Award 

If your student is currently taking AP courses, strongly encourage him/her to put forth their best effort now so they will be well prepared for the AP exam in May.  As the exam approaches, and review begins, many student get “cold feet”, and decide not to take the exam because they realize (a bit too late) they are not prepared enough. 

Also, as they plan out their senior class schedule (just a few months around the corner), if they are in AP classes now, they should continue their senior year.  Some students are inclined to take a “lighter load” during senior year.  But, colleges will look to see that they continued with challenging classes through their senior year.

If your student is not currently taking AP classes, it is not too late.  Most high schools require a teacher recommendation for a student to take an AP class.  If your student is interested in taking an AP class in a particular subject their senior year, have them speak with their current teacher of that subject now.  If they get a good grade in the subject in their junior year, it is more than likely the teacher would be willing to recommend them for an AP level class. 

Until next month…I wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season! 

It’s that time of year again…and your child is an “upperclassman”!!!

Dear Parent,

 Wow…it’s that time of year again! Another summer is behind us and school is underway.  I hope that your family had an enjoyable summer break and your student is ready for a new school year. 

“Upperclassman”…I’m sure your student has used that term often…they do seem to love the title that comes with their junior year!  They feel they have reached the “upper level”, no longer low on the “high school totem pole”!  And…they should be proud of their accomplishments because they have worked hard so far!   

I know as a parent, this time of year you are inundated with paperwork from the schools, you have open houses to attend, and the fall sports season is getting underway.  It’s a busy time for you, so this month’s newsletter will be brief.  In future months, we will get into “details” that will be beneficial to you in the college planning process.  Be sure to read the newsletters as they will be full of vital information. 

Please, remind your student that their junior year is a critical year.  They need to begin now to make the most of every opportunity, study hard and get the best grades possible in every class, get involved at school, do community service…and most of all…enjoy the year.  It is important that they are aware that everything they do this year will have a direct impact when they apply for college…but they should try to enjoy themselves along the way! 

It is my heartfelt desire to see your student succeed and reach their goals and dreams for college.  As always, we are here if you have any questions.  

Until next month...when we “dive into details”….Best wishes!! 

Randy Stoltz, President

Trying to Find the “Perfect College”?

Dear Parent, 

Many families of high school juniors are entrenched in the process of determining a list of candidate colleges.  The conventional “do it yourself” approach tends to be focused upon finding the “perfect college”, to the exclusion of literally dozens of high quality, affordable colleges that could meet the academic and personal needs of the student. 

There are many colleges for which your student is perfectly suited.  Some college guides that might be helpful are the Fiske Guide to Colleges (www.fiskeguide.com) and the Barrons Guide (www.barronsedu.com).  The Fiske guide offers an insight into the “personality” of a school.  Barrons offers several different books.  When you go to their home page, click on school guides (under books by category), then click undergraduate, and you will see all they have to offer.  Their guides are comprehensive and a largely accurate technical resource. 

With all of these options available, it is astonishing that most are never explored.  When students are surveyed about how certain colleges make their short list, it is not uncommon to hear them respond with: “I keep getting mail from them” or, “They were rated in the top 20 of US News & World Report’s College Rankings” or, “My friend’s brother goes there and he says it’s great” or, “My girlfriend is applying there and we both love the college view book”.  Is this the kind of thinking you want your 17 year-old to use when making a $100,000 plus decision? A private college education could cost even more. 

It pays to be informed.  After determining what you can afford, a good college search often begins with the student completing a self-assessment or two.  It defines the student’s personality and how it relates to learning styles and career interests.  They provide insight into academic attitudes, assertiveness, learning skills, social and interpersonal skills, goals and self-reliance. 

This information coupled with an understanding of your financial parameters will help you realistically develop a candidate list of initial colleges that are appropriate. 

Until next month…Best Wishes!