Getting in to College: Quality of Leadership Counts

Summer vacation is just around the corner and students are excited about the upcoming weeks of lazy summer days-no teachers, no homework, and no stress. However, if you are a high school student, do yourself a favor and dedicate a few weeks of your summer vacation to explore or develop leadership opportunities.

Leadership experience has become one of the most sought after qualifications that college admissions officers consider when evaluating an applicant. It is true that the courses you take, your GPA, and your standardized test scores are important, but most colleges look beyond these and consider your involvement in extracurricular activities as well.  This is not to say that you should become involved in every club or organization, but rather become involved in activities that truly interest you.  It is not too early to begin to explore these interests when you are in the 8th or 9th grade.

The main thing to remember is quality of involvement over quantity of involvement. As an 8th or 9th grade student, you should explore new interests and begin to discover your passion.  After the 9th grade, begin to hone your interests by dedicating your time and skills to one or two activities for which you are passionate. The term leadership does not necessarily mean being the "president" of and organization, it can just as well include being an involved participant.  Please note, colleges can quickly identify students who are passionate about their activities versus students who are involved just to have their applications "look good".

Colleges regard students who demonstrate a high level of commitment to their activities as strong "admits".  These applicants usually continue their enthusiasm for their organization while in college, are active contributors to their college, and are successful students and graduates.

As an independent educational consultant, my advice to high school students is to enjoy your summer vacation and become involved with an organization that you want to explore or feel passionate about. By becoming involved you will acquire new skills, meet interesting people, and make your summer more enjoyable.

A Word About Work Study

I want to remind students that when they are awarded Work Study (a dollar amount) that you will have to do the following before you are paid:

1.  Sign that you accept the Work Study (and your Award package)
2.  Find a Work Study job on campus - not all jobs on campus are "work study" jobs (work study jobs are funded by special monies the college receives from the government).
3.  Actually work the hours to earn the money that you are "awarded" - just like a regular job, you will receive a pay check each week/month for the hours that you worked.
4.  Sometimes you cannot earn more than you are awarded so find out the details before you accept a job.

It is important to note that YOU ARE NOT given this Work Study money upfront.  It will not be deducted from your tuition.  You will have to pay your tuition when it is due but you will not have earned any WS money by that date.  You and your parents will have to decide whether or not you save the money that you earn and apply it to the next semester's tuition, or spend it for pizza, etc.  Personally, I like the "pizza, etc" option.

An Easy Calculator to Compare Your Financial Aid Awards

We at Academic Insight want to give a "shout out" to all of you seniors who have worked hard for the past four years (+), successfully navigated the college admissions process, and received "Acceptance Letters" from colleges.  By now you should have received your Financial Aid Awards.  Aren't they confusing to understand?  All you want to know is which college is giving you the best deal, and how much will tuition cost you.  I have attached a easy to use Awards Calculator (thank you College Board!) that you can use - just plug in the requested dollar amounts for each college and section and "presto" you have a wonder comparison of awards.
pay-for-college/financial-aid-awards/compare-aid-calculator

We hope that this Calculator functions well and gives you true insight.  

Seniors, You Deserve a Break Today!

Congratulations to all you seniors on your college admissions success.  You have worked hard for four years, joined clubs, put in community service hours, sat through endless hours of testing, and  navigated your way through the college admissions process.  You have earned the right to "chill" (a bit) during these last weeks of high school.  However!  I will warn you that colleges can and do look at your last quarter grades.  So just be warned if you totally check out of school, your college will find out and can slap you with an unpleasant "REJECTION" letter.

What Senioritis Taught Me About Life

What the Top the Colleges Look For In Applicants

This year's admission to the country's top colleges (the Ivies and Highly Selective) was extremely competitive and selective.  After reading Steve Cohen's article, "Who Got Into the Country's Top Colleges", you will realize that students cannot start thinking about admission into these type of schools during their 11th grade year - planning has to begin as early as the 9th grade.
Who Got Into the Top Colleges

TEST PREP TIME!

Juniors!  June is the time to get crackin' on the SAT and/or ACT tests. Here's a great opportunity from Kaplan Test Prep to save money on the cost of getting ready for the June SAT or ACT:
Enroll in one of the following Kaplan SAT or SAT prep courses before March 31st, 2012 with the coupon code SPRING100 to receive $100 off:

• Complete SAT and ACT Prep
   
• College Prep Advantage featuring Unlimited prep for all tests
   
• Premier Tutoring featuring 1:1 support

Simply enter SPRING100 at check out to receive your discount. For more course information visit:  http://www.kaptest.com/College/Home/prepnow.html

Don't Forget to Register for These Upcoming Test Dates!

SAT test dates: June 2 - Registration Deadline: May 8
ACT test dates: June 9 - Registration Deadline: May 4

Although I don't endorse Kaplan, I do recommend that students either establish a rigorous self study schedule or register for a test prep course.  As a mom of a child who took a test prep course, I can say that my child's SAT scores did go up after taking the prep course.

What are you waiting for?  Get going!

College Interview Tips

Click on the Topics below to watch or read tips about the college interview.

Tips for College Interviews

How to Prepare For A College Interview 

12 Questions You Should Be Ready to Answer 


Questions to Ask During the College Interview