Your College Connector Blog

College Application and Essay Jumpstart Camp 2012

Thu, 17 May 2012 12:50:00 GMT

I will be holding a "camp" for high school seniors who want to start their senior year of high school with the Common Application already done. Busy students will have one less worry once the school year starts and this is done! The camp will be held at a local conference center. There are two sessions, each lasting two days: August 7 & 8 (Tuesday-Wednesday) and August 13 & 14 (Monday-Tuesday). The daily schedule is from 10am to 4pm and lunch is included.

The Common Application is currently accepted at over 470 colleges and universities in the US. The 2012-2013 application (for college entrance in the fall of 2013) will be available online on August 1, 2012. Though many colleges have a "supplemental" application with additional questions, most supplemental applications are not extensive and only ask basic questions.

At the camp we will able to complete the Common Application, put together an Activity Resume (which will be handy for non-Common App schools such as UF and FSU), complete the activity short answer question and work on the main essay question.

Space is limited, so contact us by email (info@yourcollegeconnector.com) or call to reserve your spot. Students who sign up before May 31 will receive a special gift, a free account at College Essay Organizer that the student can use to see how other essay questions overlap and write fewer essays. If a student signs up with 3 friends, then special pricing will apply. The camp fee is $600, with a deposit due at sign up and the full amount a week before the camp. Credit card payments are available.

Celebrate Your Senior Year and be Safe!

Fri, 18 May 2012 15:20:00 GMT

Our seniors have made (or are about to make) The Decision: which college's admission offer to accept. That is a moment to celebrate! It's also prom and graduation season. Milestones to recognize and celebrate and I congratulate my clients! But I also urge them to celebrate appropriately.

Some teens celebrate, unfortunately, with underage drinking, drug use and other risky behaviors. Informed Families recently held a Lunch & Learn event "Prom & Graduation: Life & Death Decisions". Here's are some important points presented by the speakers from the areas of law enforcement, addiction treatment and prevention education:

Teens caught with alcohol or with simply having a fake ID can be arrested and charged with a second degree misdemeanor which can stay on their permanent record!
A teen using a fake ID (to buy alcohol) can be arrested and charged with a third degree felony.
Alcohol and drug abuse can have negative consequences on learning in the short term and longterm on learning.
Parents need to be aware of where their teens are going, who they are going with, when they will return. Parents should monitor, supervise and set limits for these activities.
Schools can also develop policies that hinder alcohol and drug abuse associated around these celebrations. For instance, some schools have banned "after-parties".

We want our teens to enjoy and celebrate their accomplishments. We also want them to be at those colleges that expect them in the fall. BE SAFE!

Should You Visit a College Campus? Absolutely!

Fri, 18 May 2012 15:27:00 GMT

Campus visits are the most effective way to evaluate a college campus. That's why independent educational consultants visit college campuses regularly. You can look at video tours online and lovely pictures, but nothing beats the experience of being there (especially when classes are in session). You aren't just seeing it, you hear it, you smell it, you get a feel for the physical layout of a campus, you get to see how people move about on campus, how they interact with each other in social spaces and best of all, you meet students.

A campus visit should include the official tour and admissions talk and the student should be signed up for this before arriving on campus. A college likes to know that a student and their family was interested enough to personally explore their campus and its offerings. Many colleges offer overnight stays and/or attendance at a class. Admissions offices will usually honor requests to meet with a professor or see a particular lab.

Arrangements for college tours and visits are usually made through the colleges admissions office.

To see multiple colleges and universities on one trip, Go See Campus is a web resource thats helps plan your trip.

Back to School Special

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 10:03:00 GMT

Purchase a four-hour block to be used for any college advising service that you need. Choose from any of the following :

Develop student resume to maximize presentation of activities, achievements and community services
Brainstorm and discuss essay ideas and review completed drafts
Review applications and any supplemental materials for submission
Prepare for college interviews
Review scholarship applications and materials for submission

Contact Maite and schedule your appointment today.

Have You Started Your College Applications?

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 09:50:00 GMT

As summer winds down and students get ready to return to school, college applications are just waiting to be completed. The Common Application for the class of 2012 is available and most colleges have their applications, essays and deadlines available on their websites. The Common App is accepted at over 460 colleges across the country. With just one application, students can apply to all the universities that accept the Common App. Many colleges ask for additional information and essays, but these supplements can also be viewed and completed.

There are a few universities that do not accept the Common App, notably Georgetown University and most state universities. (Click here for University of Florida, Florida State and University of Central Florida).

Seniors will be busy with academics, extracurriculars and social activities soon enough. Don't wait until you are feeling overwhelmed with deadlines, essays, and too much information. You can get started now. The applications are there waiting for you.

Can Social Media Help or Hurt with College Admissions?

Fri, 13 May 2011 16:19:00 GMT

Today’s teens are all over social media, keeping in touch and updating their activities on Facebook, posting comments on blogs they read, sharing music and movies they like on sharing sites, and some even chronicling their lives on blogs. Today’s teens also are worried about getting into college and pursuing their futures. Where these two activities intersect can be a good thing for teens today and you can use social media to help with college admissions.

Recent conversations I have had with college admissions representatives reveal that they do google students and they also look at their Facebook profiles:

A New England college with 4,500 undergraduates regularly googles student applicants. They will also have their admissions office student worker also look up the applicant on Facebook. Yes, I know about privacy settings but so many settings are not as tight as we would like to think.

Two large Florida public universities recently revealed at a SACAC meeting that they will look at an online profile if they receive information about a student that concerns them. They have also rescinded admission to their universities based on investigations of information in these profiles!

So what’s a teen today to do? Here are some suggestions:

Make sure that Facebook and other profiles don’t show inappropriate activities. Yes, it can show fun activities, but keep it clean.
Delete unwanted comments on profiles and untag unflattering pictures. Yes, to quote one of the best lines in the movie “The Social Network”: “the Internet is written in ink, not in pencil” and it never really goes away. But you can make it less accessible.
Make a “YouTube” video of activities or community service.
Follow the colleges of interest through social media. Become a fan of their Facebook page or follow a professor or dean on Twitter–you might come up with some great information to include in the answer to the question “why do you want to attend our university?”

30,000 Applications for a Class of 1500 Freshmen?

Fri, 13 May 2011 16:21:00 GMT

Some selective colleges are reporting that up to 30,000 students applied for places in a 2010 freshman class of 1500 students. (See the New York Times Education Life article: Application Inflation: When Is Enough Enough?)

This situation raises various questions:

Is a college able to give each of these applications the proper review?
Since each college has a particular mission and personality, are colleges really communicating what they are looking for in a student?
With so many terrific students out there, do so many of them need to hear “no” at particularly popular schools?

There are well over 3,000 colleges in the US and not all of them have such high application numbers. They may know the type of student they wish to attract and communicate this effectively. They then receive a more reasonable number of applications relative to the size of their freshman class.

College applicants also need to hear the messages of the different colleges and understand that every college is not for every student. Good research is essential to identify the the best fit college.

Can you have too much information?

Fri, 13 May 2011 16:23:00 GMT

The amount of information about the college admissions process can be “quite daunting” says a Michigan high school senior just about finished with his college admissions journey. He received over 2,000 emails about college preparation and in sifting through this information, he barely met some deadlines. Read about Erik’s journey at The Choice

College Applications Timeline and Tips for Juniors

Fri, 13 May 2011 16:24:00 GMT

January-February of Junior Year

Do the absolute best you can in your junior classes to increase your GPA. Since the majority of college applications are due before the end of January of senior year, the grades earned in senior year classes will not be available for admissions decisions.

Choose classes that continue to challenge you for your senior year. Make sure to take sciences, maths and social sciences in your senior year (academic classes). If you can move into Honors and AP classes, you should do so.

Get yourself a “professional” email. Go to gmail or yahoo and choose some variation of your name. Use this email EXCLUSIVELY on all college related websites and use the SAME password on all of them. Look at this email at least every other day. Make sure that all your social media sites (Facebook. Twitter, MySpace, etc) reflect you in your BEST light. College admissions offices do look at them.

Continue to be involved in your extracurricular and sports activities. Prepare take positions of leadership in these activities as seniors.

Sign up for SAT and ACT exams for the spring of junior year. Make sure to sign up early so that you can choose when and where to take your test.

Test Date Registration Deadline

SAT only March 13 February 4
SAT & Subject Tests May 1 March 25
SAT & Subject Tests June 5 April 29
ACT April 10 March 5
ACT June 12 May 7

Prepare for these tests. USE your PSAT RESULTS to determine your strong and weak areas (concentrate on improving weak areas). Get on the email list for the SAT question of the day. Get a preparation book for these tests (and work on it 20-30 minutes a day). You cannot study for these tests (that’s what you have been doing your whole academic career) but can you can prepare by understanding the format of the tests, the type of questions asked and by practicing these questions.

Determine a list of colleges that you would like to apply to. If you have no idea, use some of the websites available that take your interests, preferences and values and help you suggest which colleges you may want to put on your list.

www.collegeboard.com www.xap.com

Use financial aid forecasting websites to approximately determine what your family’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC) to your college expenses will be. www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov

March-April of Junior Year

Research the colleges on your list. Look up the actual college website and use that as the starting point for information on their academics and social aspects. What are their application requirements? Find out the GPA’s, test scores and class rank of that college’s current freshman class (look at their ranges NOT averages). Where do you fit in those numbers?

Prepare folders for each of these colleges (for your desk and your computer desktop).

Visit some of these colleges OFFICIALLY during spring break and summer vacation. Let the admissions office know you are visiting. Your demonstrated interest may make a difference at some point. If a visit is not possible, contact the admissions office for information. You may also take video tours at www.YOUniversitytv.com and www.unigo.com

May-June of Junior Year

Take your SAT and/or ACT tests. If colleges on your list require it, take the SAT Subject Tests. Send ALL your test scores to ALL your colleges.

Do really well in your classes and on your finals.

Summer between Junior and Senior Year

Use your time productively. Do community service if you have not completed it or would like to get more involved. Get a paying job that will give you real world experience.

Prepare a resume of all your activities, awards, experiences since your ninth grade year. Many colleges will ask for a copy of this resume or you can cut and paste it into their online applications.

Prepare a personal statement. This is a type of essay. Many colleges ask for them. What makes you unique? What motivates you? What’s your story? Do not embellish. You’d be surprised how interesting you really are.

The Common Application is available sometime in the summer, usually July 1. Please complete it as much as possible (DO NOT SUBMIT IT). Do the essay that they request.

Check the website of all the colleges you wish to apply to, download their applications (if they don’t use the Common Application or require supplemental applications) and make a chart of their deadlines. Please adhere to them, this is no time for procrastination.

Start searching for scholarships. The internet is a great resource. Be careful with any site or person that asks you for money to find you scholarships or fill out financial aid forms. This information is free!

August-September of Senior Year

As you return to school with most of the college application work completed, you can continue to work hard and also enjoy a somewhat less stress-filled senior year. Please have an adult (teacher, counselor, college advisor) review your resume, personal statement, and essays ALWAYS before you submit anything.

Decide which teachers, coaches, counselors, or club advisors will give you the recommendations with the most impact. Ask this person formally, giving them a copy of your resume and personal statement. It will help them write recommendation letters that will make a difference. Give them at least two weeks before the recommendation is due.

Continue to search and apply for scholarships. Ask your counselors for any locally awarded scholarships they might know about. Look on the web sites of the colleges you apply to for scholarships given to just their students.

October-November of Senior Year

Using Early Decision and Early Action admission strategies can be tricky. Read and understand these carefully, they may vary by university.

Beware of housing deadlines, some colleges ask you to sign up even if you don’t know if you are admitted yet so that you can reserve your spot.

Continue to study and get good grades.

December-January of Senior Year

The application for the Florida Bright Futures for the Class of 2011 should be online December 1, 2010. Take 30 minutes and fill it out no matter what your grades are and what your plans are to study in state or not. If you don’t fill it out before graduation, you will never be able to apply for it again. The school will send them the information (GPA etc) to determine your eligibility. The state will send you information by email. www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/SSFAD/bf/

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is available on line January 1, 2011 for the 2011-2012 school year. They prefer that you give them the same information that the IRS will receive from you by April 15, 2011, but you can estimate (just make sure that they know that it is an estimate). It is preferable to estimate and turn it in early than to delay the FAFSA until your tax return is ready. www.fafsa.ed.gov

Continue to study and get good grades.

February-April of Senior Year

You will be receiving your notices from the college admissions offices. The latest you should hear from any of them is during the last two weeks of March. Start comparing offers to make a decision on where to enroll.

Continue to study and get good grades through to the end. Colleges have been known to rescind offers at the end of senior year for badly deteriorated grades.

May 1 of Senior Year

This is the deadline to inform colleges that accepted you whether or not you will enroll there. If you have been accepted somewhere that you will not attend, send them a gracious thank you letter stating your decision.

Be confident that you have made the right decision and you will be successful and happy wherever you choose to attend.

Your College Connector Blog

College Application and Essay Jumpstart Camp 2012

Celebrate Your Senior Year and be Safe!

Should You Visit a College Campus? Absolutely!

Back to School Special

Have You Started Your College Applications?

Can Social Media Help or Hurt with College Admissions?

30,000 Applications for a Class of 1500 Freshmen?

Can you have too much information?

College Applications Timeline and Tips for Juniors

January-February of Junior Year

Test Date *Registration Deadline*

March-April of Junior Year

May-June of Junior Year

Summer between Junior and Senior Year

August-September of Senior Year

October-November of Senior Year

December-January of Senior Year

February-April of Senior Year

May 1 of Senior Year

Test Date Registration Deadline