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

A Great Essay Prompt

Booker T. Washington wrote:

"Success is to be measured not so much by the positions that one has reached in life, as by the obstacles one has overcome trying to succeed." 

Dunkin' Donuts Scholarship Information

What's the saying, "the world runs on Dunkin'"? Well you should be running for this scholarship. 

 FYI - you don't have to work at DD to apply.

Eligibility

Applicants must:

• Be high school seniors who plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school for the entire upcoming academic year.
• Be residents of the state of Connecticut.
• Have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or the equivalent).
  

Full-time or part-time Dunkin' Donuts employees who meet the above eligibilities are also encouraged to apply. Franchise owners and dependents are not eligible.

Award Criteria

Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of academic record, demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities, honors, work experience, a statement of goals and aspirations and unusual personal or family circumstances. Financial need is not considered.

Awards are granted without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, age, gender, disability, or national origin.

Selection of recipients is made by Scholarship Management Services. In no instance does any officer or employee of Dunkin' Donuts play a part in the selection. All applicants agree to accept the decision of Scholarship Management Services as final.

Click Here: DunkinDonuts.com/scholarship

Liberal Education is the Key Piece of the Puzzle

Article: U.S. Falls in Global Ranking of Young Adults Who Finish College

What we are striving for personally, and as a nation, in higher education?  Anthony Carnevale, director of the Georgetown University Center for Education and the Workforce, comments that, "you don't need to get a BA, you need a degree with labor-market value.  The link between level of degree and earnings has broken down.  Years of education matter less and field of study matters more".  Do you agree?

Because I am an advocate of liberal arts education, I don't agree with the above comment.  For many reasons, liberal education is the fullest and richest form of college education.  It is for that reason, that it should be a key piece in a two-year (and four year) education.  Two-year colleges/programs are not doing their graduates any favors if they don't include liberal studies in their technical degrees. Go to a two-year college and earn an Associates degree in Heating and Cooling, but include liberal arts courses in your major.  If you want to insure life long learning and thrive in a world that is complex and ever changing, liberal education is your key to continued success.

 Scholarship Application Tips


As you know, you have to apply for financial aid in order for colleges to put together a financial aid package/award for you.  With that thought in mind, you and your parents should now be  familiar with the FAFSA (Free Application for Financial Aid). If you have not completed and submitted the FAFSA, don't panic but try to complete it as soon as possible.


While you wait for your college acceptances, you can now focus on applying for scholarships.  Colleges award institution based scholarships, but there is other FREE money out there that could be YOURS!  Below are twelve (well, really thirteen) tips for applying for scholarships:


1.  Fall and Winter Scholarship Deadlines?
Many scholarships have deadlines that are in the spring.  However, there are also scholarships that have fall and winter deadlines.  So if you missed some spring deadlines, research those that have later deadlines and remember to apply for those.  After all, it doesn't mater when you get the money as long as you get some money.  Right?


2. Be Neat!
This may sound stupid, but when you mail your scholarship applications, make sure that your envelope has the proper postage, is neat and clean, and has a legible address.  Resist the urge to doodle or draw attention to your envelope-just use a properly sized, neat, clean, envelope.


3.  Strange Email Address?
Don't use any weird email addresses.  If your email address is funny, or unusual, select a new address to use for your applications.  Email addresses are free and you can usually select one that incorporates your name; such as, lisafrisbie@gmail.com.  


4.  What is on Your Facebook Page?
Clean up any social media that you have going on out there.  It is not unusual for admissions counselors and scholarship judges to do a little stalking of their applicants.


5.  Get it in the Mail Early
Get your applications mailed at least a week before the deadline.  By planning ahead you reduce your stress and present better quality work.  Remember "snail" mail can be just that-slow.


6.  Apply Local
Local scholarships are usually posted in your Guidance Office.  These scholarships are usually easier to apply for, have fewer applicants, and often give you better chance of being awarded the dollars.  


7.  What are the Other High Schools Posting?
There is no reason you can't check out other local high schools' web sites to search for scholarships that your school may not have posted.  


8.  Name, Address, and Telephone Number
If your application includes more than one page, make sure that your name, address, phone number, and email address are on ALL THE PAGES.  If for some reason the pages become separated, the judges can easily match them up rather than tossing them in the trash.


9.  Read the Newspaper?
You don't have to read the entire newspaper but peruse the "Names in the News" section.  You can often learn about scholarships from the announcements that other students won.  This is a good way to accumulate scholarship information that you can use for the following year.


10.  Please Use Correct Grammar
You are presenting yourself and your accomplishments for consideration for a scholarship.  Do you think that the awarding society/business will award a scholarship to someone who doesn't write well? 


11. Leave No Blank Spaces
Complete the entire application.  If a question does not pertain to you then write, "does not pertain".  Don't forget to submit your application with the pages in the correct order.


12.  Don't Assume
Don't assume that your parent make too much money if the scholarship specifies a certain income level. 


My Final Point! 
If your scholarship requires you to appear in person then you need to dress for the occasion!  You will be sorry if you show up in blue jeans, sneakers, and a hoodie.

Workshop: Helping Students With Learning Disabilities Navigate the College Search

Curry College (Milton, MA) hosted an amazing workshop for guidance counselors (and consultants) that focused on how to help students with learning disabilities navigate the college search.
In a "nutshell", services that colleges provide are quite different than those that public schools provide to students.  Basically, there are three "levels" of service that colleges will fall in to and those are the following:
LEVEL I - offer accommodations only (extended time, books on tape).  A designated ADA Coordinator    oversees all disabilities services; however, a student must be their own advocate.  No additional cost for this program.
Level II - offer coordinated LD services (drop-in model, peer tutors, some outreach to faculty).  Again, the student must be able to advocate for themselves.  Usually no fee for this type of program.
Level III - offer a comprehensive program (own admissions process, LD specialists on staff, curriculum based, proactive, assistive technology).  These programs are fee-based.

The key to assisting students with their college search is understanding where they fall in the spectrum of levels of service, and introducing those colleges to you student.  It is highly recommended that students tour and interview at colleges that they are considering.  They need to ask questions of the admissions counselor, and visit the ADA Student Services Office on campus.  Encourage your student to ask "good questions" and find out if the college is right (academically) for them.

Financial Aid 101 Pace University Style

Click on Pace University's website below to view a well done and comprehensive overview of the Financial Aid process.  Both the Dependent and Independent videos are great!

CLICK HERE:  Pace University Financial Aid 101 Videos

Still have questions?  Just fire away and I'll be glad to answer any questions.

Pace University's Website:  www.pace.edu

"What to Expect When You're Expecting College"

My first Blog entry had to be this article!  Nancy Woodward Berk (Denison College, '81) wrote a hilarious spin off of the book, "What to Expect When You Are Expecting".  Not only does she provide an amusing over view of what you will go through with your child, but she offers helpful insight so you can remain sane throughout the process.  Enjoy the read!

Click Here :  What to Expect When You're Expecting College