Why Hire a Private College Consultant
Hiring a private college consultant to assist in the college planning process depends on the type and level of counseling support available at the home school. In large public high schools with counselor-student ratios of 500 to 1 or greater, clearly outside assistance is justified. Even so, many students – including those that attend small private schools – may need additional guidance due to learning disabilities, interest in a specific area of study, athletics admissions, or highly individualized help with college affordability/financing. And, for homeschooled students – an alternative which continues to gain traction as an educational choice – private counseling is a given.
Private college counseling need not be expensive. Competent counselors should have a number of services available at various price points. Seeing firsthand the tremendous gains realized by students receiving even a small amount of customized counseling in the 6-8 hour range prompted me to develop my affordable College Planning 101 package for which I charge $750. I feel strongly that every high school student should have the right to explore their college options regardless of their economic circumstances. When qualified independent college consultants align with school counselors everyone wins – the school counselors get much needed help with their back breaking workload and the students get the guidance they so desperately need.
Like any profession, there are good consultants and bad ones. Be aware of consultants that make promises about getting accepted at certain schools or those that charge exorbitant fees. Seek out professionals whose goal is to create an ideal match between a student’s academic, social, and financial needs within the college options available to him or her. Membership in professional organizations such as the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) or the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) – although not a guarantee of quality – generally signals a high level of commitment to the profession on the part of the consultant. Finally, really good college consultants don’t just develop overnight. Ask about the consultant’s background and experience. It takes years of studying colleges, admissions policies, and visiting schools in order to truly be in the position to provide support, insight, and navigational expertise about college planning to families who need it.
In my video interview below for the parenting website “Kids in the House” I discuss the benefits of hiring a private college consultant:
Common Application Essay Changes for 2013-14
Savvy high school juniors begin the process of drafting their college essays well in advance of the start of their senior year. If you are amongst this ambitious group – now is the time to start brain-storming and thinking about working on the early iterations. It’s important to note that the Common Application https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/default.aspx, which is used at nearly 500 colleges and universities has changed its essay prompts for 2013-14 and increased the number of words allowed for the essay from 500 to 650. No essay can be less than 250 words. Don’t forget that many schools that accept the Common App still ask for additional information, including extra essays. Perhaps the biggest change is the decision to drop an essay prompt that allowed students to write about a topic of their choice. While lamentable to some, most students should be able to find their voice as the five new prompts are really quite broad and multi-faceted.
Here are the new essay prompts for 2013-14:
- Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
- Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn?
- Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?
- Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you?
- Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.
Good luck, and remember everyone has a unique story to tell!
Decisions, Decisions……..
For high school seniors who have applied regular decision to college and are lucky enough to be weighing multiple offers of acceptance, April is a month of deliberation. Selecting a college is a big deal, arguably one of the most pivotal moves an individual will make in his/her lifetime. There are so many considerations – school size, reputation, location, choice of major, and the really tough factor – how to pay the bill. A small percentage of students are in the fortuitous position of being able to choose a college regardless of the cost. However, for the vast majority – sticker price matters a lot. Recently the New York Times published an excellent piece entitled “Measuring College Prestige vs. the Cost of Enrollment” http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/20/your-money/measuring-college-prestige-vs-price.html?pagewanted=all and did a great job discussing the emotional aspect which is so inextricably linked to this process – unfortunately at times leading to irrational conclusions for many students and families. I’d like to add my thoughts to the mix of how cost plays out in the final decision of where to enroll.
Taking on an onerous amount of debt in order to attend a private, non-elite college seems hard to justify given today’s uncertain economy. In my practice I advise against borrowing heavily when students are not sure about what they will study in college or for those who are leaning toward the liberal arts where career paths are less defined than with the STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) majors. Unfortunately, only a handful of schools – the Ivies and a few other super selective campuses – offer generous financial aid packages that require little or no borrowing on the part of families who qualify. The frustrating conundrum – getting admitted to these schools is next to impossible. Harvard’s admit rate this year was 5.8%, Princeton accepted slightly over 7%. Even at the flagship state universities with their more affordable tuitions for in-state residents, i.e. UCLA and the University of Michigan – admission rates are relatively low. UCLA only accepted 20.1% of all applicants this year. Compounding matters even further, often the financial aid award letters that accompany the letters of acceptance can be confusing and difficult to read and decipher. Therefore, it is essential to read the fine print. What initially may appear to be a very generous award “covering” the full cost of attendance may actually be only a small amount of grant money with the rest of the “package” comprised of loans and work-study aid.
So what’s a student to do? Remember, financial aid awards are not always final. College financial aid staff members are there to help you and typically they are reasonably approachable. Most schools have an established mechanism in place where you can appeal aid amounts. Be sure to take advantage of this process particularly if you’ve had a change in circumstances, i.e. parental loss of a job, or family illness. Also, if you’ve re-taken the SAT and your scores have improved, it’s worth a shot to re-apply for merit awards which use academics in the criteria for selection. Finally, if the numbers still don’t add up try to remove the emotion from the equation and look objectively at your circumstances. Studentaid.gov http://studentaid.ed.gov/repay-loans/understand/plans/standard/comparison-calculator is the site for federal student loans and provides an excellent calculator enabling you to determine what your loan re-payment schedule and monthly costs will be over the lifetime of the loan. If you’re sure you’ll have that job lined up on Wall Street after you graduate then go for the expensive college because more than likely you won’t have too much difficulty paying back your loans. However, if you’re not clear about your college plans it might make more sense to go with a more affordable option.
Things That Keep Me Awake at Night
I thought it would be worthwhile – at the very least 3-4 times per year – to devote a blog post to college related issues that I find worrisome. Actually way more about the college experience excites me rather than disturbs – yet being the committed idealist that I am – my goal is for all my clients to have a stellar four years. As college counselors we spend countless hours helping students find the perfect college fit. However, come April when the acceptance letters have all gone out and I finally have time to catch my breath – I realize that there is quite a lot of work still left to do! Students have plenty of decisions to make once the final choice of college has been made, i.e., selection of a major, roommate, campus job, Greek life, etc. – I’d like to offer up a few insights that I have compiled over the years which may help pave the way for a seamless transition.
Again, most of the elements of my job are quite fulfilling and “sleep inducing”. What follows is my inaugural list of “sleep reducers” –
Students will stop reading for pleasure.
College freshman are often not prepared for the increased reading assignments associated with their classes as opposed to what was expected of them in high school. This increased workload in addition to all the digital distractions that consume us on a daily basis often leaves little time for pure reading for enjoyment. And, from a strictly utilitarian standpoint, there’s no better way to become an effective writer than by devouring books, and lots of them. College grads with strong expository writing skills are valued by employers regardless of their majors.
The search for the “easy A”.
College students soon figure it out that there are certain courses that have the reputation for being an “easy A”. And while it certainly is a smart move to occasionally enroll in a less demanding class to balance a particularly tough semester, ideally this plan will be the exception rather than the rule. Although over-cited, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s quote about there being no second acts in life rings true in this case – it is unlikely that you will ever have the opportunity again to spend four years exclusively devoted to education. So take a few risks, step outside your comfort zone, and enroll in that class in Shakespeare’s sonnets, Astronomy, or Art History – and see if it ignites a new passion.
Students switch majors and delay graduation.
I’m all for college students switching majors prior to graduation if they discover halfway through say their engineering program that they really are way more passionate about books and literature than they are pocket protectors and algorithms. Much better to have this epiphany while in school than on the job. However, I encourage students to think long and hard before declaring a major – particularly if it’s a subject where many if not most of the required classes cannot be cross-utilized for other majors or to satisfy General Education requirements. Unfortunately, switching majors often means an extra semester or more of time enrolled in college which at today’s prices translates to several thousand dollars more in tuition payments – and for many – college loans.
Students not getting to know their professors.
Getting to know your professors in college is important. Go to their office hours if you need clarification or have questions – not only will it benefit you as a student but it will make a big difference in how your professors view you and your commitment to your schoolwork. Unlike high school – where teachers appear more approachable – college professors can seem intimidating, yet they are generally quite welcoming. And, when it comes time for graduation you will be glad to have these relationships – as you most likely will need recommendation letters for jobs or graduate school. Think twice about spending the semester “head on the desk” asleep or texting with your friends if it means potentially jeopardizing these valuable connections.
THE “EARLY DECISION”/ “EARLY ACTION” ADMISSIONS PROCESS
IS IT RIGHT FOR ME?
Few aspects of applying to college have generated more attention and discussion than “applying early”. If you’ve done your due diligence, i.e., visited and toured several campuses, viewed countless websites, and talked with alumni from various schools, you may want to consider this application option.
According to the CollegeBoard website, early application plans allow you to apply early (usually in November) and get an admissions decision well before the usual spring notification date. You know by December or January whether you’ve been accepted to your first-choice college. Sometimes, students who apply under these plans have a better chance of acceptance than they would through the regular admissions process.
Generally speaking, there are two types of Early Application processes: Early Action and Early Decision.
Early Action means you can apply to one or more schools and if you are accepted you are under no obligation to attend that institution. You can still apply to other colleges under regular decision plans and are not required to give your final answer until May 1. (the regular decision deadline). Examples of early action programs are Stanford and Georgetown University.
Early Decision is different. You agree to attend the college if it accepts you and offers an adequate financial aid package. This is a binding process since once you are admitted you are committed or bound to that institution. As a result, you can only apply to one early decision school. Both Duke and the University of Pennsylvania have early decision programs.
Single Choice Early Action works the same as other early action plans, but candidates may not apply early (either early action or early decision) to any other colleges.
Many students (and their parents, too!) feel an enormous sense of relief to have the college admissions process over with in December of their senior year. However, it is important to ask yourself a few tough questions to make sure that applying early is the right decision for you:
- Have you made up your mind in October of your senior year about where you want to go to college? Remember, under early decision plans, if you’re accepted, this is where you’re going – no “buyers remorse” here!
- Have you completed all of your standardized tests and are you satisfied with your scores? Many students need the first semester of their senior year in high school to raise both their test scores and GPA’s. You’ll have to save the “senioritis” behavior for the second semester!
- Can you complete the application, write your essays, and obtain recommendations by November 1 of your senior year?
- Will you need financial aid? If you apply and are accepted under an early decision program you won’t be able to compare various financial aid packages as you would during the regular admissions cycle.
If you can answer yes to all of these questions, you may be a candidate to “apply early” to college. However, if like many high school students, you need those extra few months to do additional research and mull things over, then wait and apply regular decision! The college years are arguably the four most important and influential years in your life – don’t be pressured into making a commitment if you’re not absolutely certain and absolutely ready.
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