Educational & College Admissions Planing !

9th-11th – It’s time for Course Planning Discussions for 2022-23 and Summer ’22 Program Applications

Juniors (2023) – Attend our June WRITERS BLOCK WORKSHOP – Complete your college core essay before summer

LEARN MORE: WRITERS BLOCK WORKSHOP

Congratulations to all Seniors! I’m so proud of everyone – college acceptances, lucrative scholarships and invitations to participate in research/honors programs. Bravo!

You may have enjoyed two of my earlier newsletters: College Admissions Mistakes to Avoid and How to Begin College Planning where I focused on how to research academic majors and explore various aspects of college campuses and your perfect “fit”.

Most Seniors will spend the next few weeks making the difficult decision on where to enroll- made even more complicated as visiting campuses to evaluate the “Fit” was somewhat limited the past two years. Some high school seniors applied to colleges without having stepped onto most campuses. Some families will likely engage in negotiating financial aid awards. Seniors–if you need assistance evaluating your options, please Schedule an Appointment to explore your college admissions options relative to your emerging academic/career interests.

 Seniors- you may want to request an extension of time to place enrollment deposits. Some of you may also consider a gap year/deferral of your admissions offer. I would welcome the opportunity to guide you to evaluating both the short and longer term benefits to taking a year or two before commencing your undergraduate journey. More on this option later in this newsletter…

Our juniors — class of 2023 – you’re likely engaged in college research and we expect that campuses will begin to welcome overnight visitors this fall. That said, between now and early summer we should be honing in on a short-list – the balance of reach, match and safety campuses.

Given the uncertainty of our public health crisis (yes, even with vaccines- there is still much uncertainty), most colleges appreciate that many families may not yet be able to make an enrollment decision by the traditional date of May 1. Whether it be a desire to keep students close to home or concerns over parents’ employment, colleges know that committing by May 1 may be a challenge for your family. Some universities have extended the enrollment deposit date again as they did the past two springs Contact college admissions officers to request an extension to leave your enrollment deposit later in June, especially if you are unable to finalize any financial aid appeal that is underway. In the past, my clients routinely ask for extensions and these are granted for a variety of reasons.

DO NOT double deposit!

Absent a campus visit, I have previously talked about the importance of reaching out to faculty and students. One such pathway are social media groups and phone lines established for high school students to directly engage with currently enrolled students. You can also reach out to student contacts in campus clubs you’re likely to join, religious/cultural organizations and even frat/sorority houses to speak with current students. The undergraduate advisor in your intended major will welcome your phone call and answer your questions.

I can also connect students with currently enrolled undergraduates at several universities who are my former clients currently enrolled or recent graduates. My Aerospace Engineering freshman pictured below not only wants to talk with you- but he’s eager to recruit you to his fraternity- AEPi!

with College Consultant Bonnie Rabin, PhD

Keep in mind that much has changed since you visited a campus perhaps well over a year ago. Don’t be driven by lists, name recognition or where your friends may be attending.  This decision is an important next step and I encourage you be exceedingly thorough in making your decision. Parents, teachers and guidance counselors offer valuable insights- but students– you must make your own decision subject of course to your family budget.

The same considerations for deciding where to visit and ultimately apply continue to be relevant. College “Fit” rests upon three important pillars: Academic, Social and Financial –

1. ACADEMICS

The university you attend should provide an outstanding academic experience in your intended major/minor fields of study, along with appropriate internship and career placement opportunities. This is paramount to selecting where to attend. These data are readily available on the college website.

There’s a major field of study to match the unique strengths and interests of every young adult! With nearly 4,000 colleges offering an impressive number of traditional and cutting edge majors and minors, it can indeed be overwhelming to navigate the maze of available degree options.

Your evaluation of academics should move beyond published lists of college rankings. The most important steps include learning how to navigate through the “Academics” and the “Research” tabs to fully explore the curriculum maps, degree requirements and the research projects faculty are conducting. As a former university professor with 30+ years of experience on curriculum planning committees, I’m able to help your family assess “academic fit” and effectively explore your academic options to balance each student’s current and emerging interests and strengths.

2. SOCIAL

The social fit is important as each student is looking to find a “home-away-from-home” for their next four years. Is the campus inviting, inclusive and are there opportunities for ongoing social and emotional growth?

This is exactly why students visit university campuses before enrolling. Your Educational and College Admissions Assessment will help you hone in on the criteria that are important to you. Let me help you understand how to have an informative and meaningful online campus visit.

 Colleges are doing a outstanding job at hosting virtual sessions and connecting students with live Q&A and social media.  It’s still possible that campuses may be in a hybrid state for fall– and students are adapting. Parents – it’s hard to imagine the expense for a computer screen- but universities created fabulous and inclusive programs build online communities for freshman. You should expect if needed, the same will be true in fall 2022– for example, this winter, several colleges delayed the return to in-person learning- opting yet again to teach online.

3. FINANCIAL AFFORDABILITY

Every family faces unique financial circumstances and we factor those into the choices of where to apply and enroll. If you’re ineligible for financial aid, or find the cost daunting- understanding how to access scholarships and financial aid will reduce the stress that results from mis-information and yes, being an easy target for “scholarship and financial aid scamsters!”

THERE ARE MANY CAMPUSES PROVIDING an EXCELLENT EDUCATION offering deep discounts on tuition given your “admissions profile”. Please do NOT navigate to lists such as those published by various publications since these do not incorporate information about your student’s particular college admissions profile and mislead your family.

If your family circumstances in 2021 or 2022 differ from that reported on your 2020 FAFSA used to estimate your financial aid eligibility, please ask me how to submit an appeal of your financial aid award– no amount is too small – but if you don’t ask you don’t receive.

Every year I meet new clients in April – students who had not received a single college acceptance. I’m saddened that these students weren’t provided solid college counseling throughout high school and certainly during the application process. You should expect that you will receive both acceptances and “rejections”. All students should have a balanced list of colleges and prepare early to build an Educational and College Admissions Plan to avoid being placed in a situation such as this. All students need to appreciate and accept the meaning of “reach” college– ! Again, there are more acceptances for students in the 3.2 to 3.6 GPA range than those who are 3.8 students seeking a space at a selective university with a 3 to 6% acceptance rate. Do you know the size of the freshman class at Harvard? (As noted in an earlier newsletter- I’m particularly annoyed that close to 250k people are invited to apply- with a freshman class of only 1300 students.)

WAITLISTED? What to do Next!!

If you were waitlisted, this is a good time to share new and distinguishing information by preparing a detailed and relevant letter of continued interest. Doing so can make the difference between accepting you and another student with the exact same profile.

*** STAY ON YOUR WAITLIST but begin to envision your positive campus experience at the university that you’ve committed to thru an admissions deposit.

Let me help you determine what is appropriate to share and crafting your note. In early December I talked about how to handle a deferral in the Early Decision admissions process. I’ll outline some of these points again with particular relevancy to those who are on a Waitlist.

Colleges do need to hear from you. What to include?