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Their Rankings vs. Your Rankings

There are plenty of opportunities to read up on college rankings.  U.S. News, Princeton Review, TIME, Yahoo and the list goes on for those who provide annual updates of the best in the Nation.  However, it is important to recognize that the terms of measuring the “best” are different for each of the groups analyzing the data.

Some of the rankings published are based on graduation rates, faculty resources, and student retention while others are based on student selectivity and alumni giving.  There are lots of combinations and criteria used so it’s important to understand why an organization identifies an institution as #1.   If you use rankings as a guide for creating a list of colleges of interest, are you considering the ranking criteria for those institutions?  Even more important, are those the same criteria that are important to you?

Making sure you get a good fit college experience is grounded in making sure you do your homework and address your own rankings of colleges and universities.  Along with using the criteria of those published in high profile media, have you considered your own desires for social preferences, cultural experiences, geographic location, academic opportunity, athletic opportunity and financial impact?

Just like the statement, “apples to apples” it is important to evaluate your list of colleges and universities with a similar ranking system so that you thoroughly compare all of your opportunities and desires.  This is important both on the front end of the process of college search and on the back end at the time you are making a decision and there are multiple acceptance letters to be considered.  Will you let emotions drive your decision, or will you evaluate one more time?

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Great Fit vs.Transfer – 6 Elements for Success

Tune in to any chat with col­lege stu­dents on collegeweeklive.com and you will hear the impor­tance of find­ing the right col­lege fit.  It just makes sense, saves time, saves money, and saves the pain and effort of trans­fer.  Get­ting the right col­lege fit can make all the dif­fer­ence in a great col­lege expe­ri­ence.  Seniors need to evaluate these 6 elements to ensure a great “fit” as they make final decisions for applications and acceptance opportunities.  Juniors need to be considering these same 6 points as they visit campuses.  I was recently asked why I consider a transfer as “painful.”  My response, “Students who are unhappy in their college choice, do not perform as well, spend time seeking the next college, doing the application and waiting process, and lose credits that end up extending a 4 year degree to 5 or 6 years.  The pain is social, academic and financial.”

These 6 characteristics help you identify the best “fit” for a great college experience and avoid the pain of a transfer.

  1. Aca­d­e­mics – be sure the insti­tu­tion has the major area of study in which you have inter­est, abil­ity and desire.
  2. Geo­graphic Loca­tion – con­sider your need to be close or far from home, the travel costs, and cli­mate, urban, sub­ur­ban, and rural.
  3. Cul­tural – how do stu­dents dress, are reli­gious pref­er­ences read­ily avail­able, what about food or dietary options.
  4. Social – are there sport­ing event venues, the­ater, what about fra­ter­ni­ties or soror­i­ties, avail­abil­ity of favorite hob­bies like ski­ing, golf, and cycling or paint ball.
  5. Ath­let­ics – an oppor­tu­nity for you to engage in your sport as a col­lege ath­lete (www.collegesportstrack.com for excel­lent recruit­ing advise­ment) or the venues for you to be a fan
  6. Finan­cial – is it afford­able, what could make it afford­able, what is the earn­ing poten­tial given the degree you are look­ing to attain, does it make the cost worth the investment

Plan ahead and eval­u­ate all of the char­ac­ter­is­tics to ensure a “Great Fit” col­lege experience.

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Critical Questions for Funding a College Education

This week we have a Guest Blog written by Mike Dailey, owner of College Authority in Connecticut.  Mike has 25 years of experience working with families and college funding strategies.  He has spoken at many high schools and brings great insight to the college process.  While he is based in Connecticut, the Internet makes business anywhere a reality.  I hope you will enjoy his perspective and expertise!

Financial aid is a critical piece of paying for college for most families, and even if it is not, why are you spending unnecessary dollars?  Unfortunately, paying for college can be an extremely complex and convoluted process with colleges having different financial aid forms and filing deadlines. On top of that, there are formulas used to determine a family’s eligibility for federal aid and a college’s need based financial aid and non-need aid, scholarships and grants.  Colleges typically do not explain how the formulas are derived but they can easily be determined college by college if you know how to look up their aid statistics. Knowing this information puts the family in the driver’s seat to understand their aid eligibility and to appeal their aid package if they feel they have been shorted.

Between now and January, seniors will be submitting applications and financial paperwork will need to be filed with your institutions of choice.  Have you considered these questions:

  • How to make college affordable regardless of our income level
  • How to maximize our family’s eligibility for college financial aid
  • What are the little known funding sources available even if we don’t qualify for need based aid
  • What to do we do if the value of our 529 college savings plan is down by 25-40%
  • How do we pay for college without sacrificing our retirement
  • How do we pay for college even if I lose my job in the next 12 months
  • How do we determine exactly how much money we’ll need to pay for college expenses
  • Are there colleges that offer the best shot of getting a good financial aid package
  • Is it possible to attend an expensive private university for less than the cost of a state college

Feel free to email us for a complimentary phone consultation by visiting our website: collegeauthorityct.com

I want to say a special Thanks to Mike for sharing some of his expertise and taking the time to provide some very important questions for consideration.

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Halloween and Other Scary Times

How perfect to end the month with Halloween and a topic of Scary Times.  If you are a junior or senior in high school or a senior in college you are facing scary times.  There is enough uncertainty in the world to create plenty of anxiety in those who are in pivotal transition points in their lives.

Actually, anyone who is trying to make decisions about college and career direction is facing scary times.  But you can reduce the stress by arming yourself with tools that enhance your decision-making and place yourself in better positions for opportunities.

In a time when information is a key to success, resources can be your most important tools.  Here are some key resources for you to pay attention to regularly:

1.  Athletes in any sport – www.collegesportstrack.com – a terrific resource for understanding the college sports recruiting experience and communicating with coaches to secure your opportunity.  Hans writes a great blog with specific information.  Bookmark it!

2.  College bound students and parents – www.sat.org – a must for registering for the SAT, pacing yourself with a prep program, practicing with their Question of the Day, and they are usually the first indicator of college cost increases.   An underused resource.  Bookmark it!

3.  Anyone thinking about career opportunities – www.bls.gov – a wonderful resource for looking at trends of jobs, sectors of employment and demographic availability of employment.  Another underused resource.  Bookmark it!

Scary times can be made less frightening when armed with effective tools.  Knowing your options, how to manage them and knowing more about yourself enables you to make more effective decisions and capitalize on opportunities.  Need a great resource to learn more about yourself, choosing a college, college major or your career direction?  Contact me.

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College Search

This is a really critical time for juniors and seniors in high school who are college bound.  Juniors need to be actively engaged in a plan and a process of managing timelines of tests and prep programs, exploring options and building their “Full Student Package.”  Seniors, you are applying to colleges and universities.  So, for all of you, I encourage you to visit the CollegeWeekLive website and explore colleges and universities that are part of the site.  As a site member, they provide great tools for students and parents as well as virtual tours, live chats and tons of information.  It’s free so sign up today!

http://www.collegeweeklive.com/index.cfm?

The clock ticks and calendar waits for no one.  Don’t miss an opportunity!  Capitalize on your options.  Need help understanding options and clarifying direction?  Contact me.

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Contact – Contact – Contact

Just like Realtors promote, “Location – Location – Location” when buying or selling property, when you are working an application for college admissions, the motto is “Contact – Contact – Contact.”  That way you continue to build value in you as an applicant and potential student in the institution.

Building value begins in middle school when you establish grades that set your track for high school courses.  In high school, you create value through grades, activities, service, and leadership.  But as an applicant, all of those things are already done or in motion, but you can’t quit.  Establishing contact with someone in an admissions office is important in securing your best opportunity.  So make contact, get a name, number and email.  Check back with that individual to see if there is other information needed, where they are in the process, or to update them on a recent accomplishment.  The important factor is to maintain contact.  Build your value with them by demonstrating that you are an authentic candidate and not just one of the thousands who apply as a backup.

Build your value.  Contact – Contact – Contact, this is not the time to be shy!

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3 Considerations When Choosing an SAT or ACT Prep Program

Paying for college really starts in high school.  All those extra coaches, fees for lessons and expenses for tests are just the beginning of what is yet to come.  So how can you manage those expenses so you get the “biggest bang” for your buck?  One way is to choose a test prep program that meets your specific needs and allows your dollars to target that purpose.  After all, depending on where you live, prep programs can range from $30 an hour for standard tutoring all the way to $8400 for an annual package with some big name companies.  Each has their own benefits and drawbacks.

There are basically three different ways to engage in a test prep program.  The first is one-on-one tutoring specific to SAT or ACT, the second is a group delivery model and the third is an on-line tutorial which may be individual or group but involves a live video feed.  In order to choose one, you need to consider these factors:

1 – Timeline for Preparing – In an earlier blog I wrote about creating a timeline for working from the endpoint backwards.  That way you don’t miss deadlines for test registrations or college applications.  But as you select a test prep program, be sure you get the specifics about when classes occur, what happens if you miss a session due to illness or other school related obligations, and how does the instructor address your specific needs.  Will their schedule fit with yours?

2 – Cost vs. Benefit – What is the overall cost for a program and does it include a practice test?  How are practice test results used to structure the prep program or is it a generalized plan?  While there are no guarantees on any plan, you want to invest your time and energy in better understanding your own performance and getting the best possible score as an outcome.

3 – Consider Your Learning Style – Do you learn better through visual, auditory or kinesthetic modes?  How can you capitalize on other learning modes if your number memory is low?  The Highlands Ability Battery helps answer these questions and can assist in making an effective decision for selecting a test prep program, but how do the three delivery models address these modes of learning?

Choosing a test prep program may include conversations with student peers or parent booster groups when attending school functions, but when it comes time to select the one for you, be sure to consider these three factors.  If you need more information on the Highlands Ability Battery, contact me.  If you need more information about the programs in your home area, contact me.  Choose wisely, get the best result possible, and the “biggest bang” for your buck.

If you’ve had a good SAT or ACT prep experience, please comment here to share that with other parents and students.

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Finding Your Balance – A Good Fit

It doesn’t matter whether you are a high school student, a college student, or an adult … finding a “good fit” for college or work is a bit like finding your balance.  Robert Fulghum wrote about it in his book, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.  He said, “Live a balanced life – learn some, think some, and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.”  Wise and wonderful words!

As a high school student, it is important to be engaged in not just the grades of specific classes, but the activities and experience of high school.  In doing so, you build your value to colleges and universities through your experiences of participation, leadership and service.  All of which include opportunities to work, or play or dance or perform or demonstrate who you are as an individual.  It helps you to find your balance and understand where you fit in.  Likewise, as you search for colleges and universities you begin to develop an understanding of those things that are important to you in finding the “good fit” experience of higher education.

College students looking for that first job coming out of school, you begin to understand the kind of environment that you would find satisfying or the kind of people you want to spend the bulk of your day with as you go about creating a career.  Life begins to take on a new balance that is based on an evolving set of values, interests and abilities.  Do you know what yours are?

The culture of an institution like high schools, colleges and universities as well as the culture of a work environment all provide opportunities for you to find your balance.  But it does take some effort, it doesn’t happen by accident and you must pay attention.  Just like Mr. Fulghum said in his book, “Live a balanced life – learn some, think some, and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.”

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3 Tips for College Admissions Using Basic Etiquette

Have you seen the daily postings of “Do you remember this” on Facebook with photos of old products or tools that were used 10, 20, 40 years ago?  They take many of us back to an earlier time and the things we did or used on a daily basis. But for young people, they may seem irrelevant.  Much like Ann Landers, Emily Post or Miss Manners, wrote about social etiquette for syndicated publications for years, the new age has brought new terms and concerns.  Etiquette has now expanded to “Netiquette,” and the proper uses of the net in business, and I would expand that to say, “Your College Search.”

While many of our forms of communication have changed over the last 20 years with the Internet and cell phones, some of the old manners of business are still the best method to secure a positive outcome whether you are looking for a new job or seeking college admission.  Here are 3 Tips to help you in that process:

1 – Get Connected – When you make contact with an individual in an admissions office; get their name, a direct number you can reach them by phone for future questions, and an email address.  These are the first steps in building a relationship.

2 – Be Authentic – Don’t waste their time and yours.  If the school really isn’t an institution in which you could see yourself attending, don’t waste their time and yours.  Identify other schools that are a closer match to the experience you are looking to build.  The questions you ask should not have answers readily found on the school website, so do your homework.

3 – Be Polite – Use your manners each time you speak with someone in the admissions office and thank them for their time.  However, be sure to send a thank you note following an interview.  While email is good, handwritten is even better!

Basic etiquette is simple but it is so important.  It sends a message about your character, your attention to detail and your value of other people’s time.  Their time is valuable, but so is yours.  Make every effort count.  Get connected, be authentic, and be polite.  Basic etiquette still works wonders!

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Opportunities Impacted by Social Media

Do you have a social media presence?  What does it look like?  Universities and employers alike are using social media to “check out” their candidates.  Everything from your email address and voice message to your pictures and comments on Facebook or other social media sites are available for public scrutiny and feed into your public image or “social entity.”  They can make or break your opportunities for admissions or landing that job.

Just as different people have different perspectives on issues, different generations view and address issues differently.  The kind of abbreviated spellings or language that you use with friends is altogether different from that you must use with admissions office staff or potential employers on any emails or text messages.  Coaches, admissions advisors or employers do not want to “wait while your party is located,” when they call your cell phone. Get rid of it!  Be sure your message is clear, concise and professionally appropriate.  Your email address should also be professionally appropriate.

Now ask yourself these questions and consider who may be on the other side of the computer monitor checking you out.  What does your “social entity” look like?  What do you need to do to make yourself more marketable?

Your social media image can provide lots of insight to your character and work ethic.  That’s why institutions now hire people to scrutinize their candidates’ media presence.  The competition out there for college admissions and for the job market is tremendous.  So make yourself more marketable by scrutinizing your own social media before you put it out there for others.