Navigating Through the College Admissions “Puzzle” Marisel Figueroa-Marrero Another Course to College Guidance Counselor

Workshop Outline Types of post-secondary institutions Helping your child choose a college or university The college admissions criteria How many colleges to apply to? Early action, early decision, etc… Campus visits The college application process at ACC

Types of Post-Secondary Education Institutions Four Year Colleges and Universities -these institutions typically offer a bachelor of arts (B.A.) or bachelor of science (B.S.) degree Community, Technical, and Junior Colleges -these colleges offer programs that are less than four years in length, usually 2 years -these programs often lead to an associate of arts (A.A.) degree, an associate of science (A.S.) degree, or a specialized certificate.

Cont. of Types of Post-Secondary Institutions Public vs. Private Institutions A. Public: are often supported by state and local revenues. Have a lower cost of attendance when compared to private colleges and universities. B. Private: are often supported by private monetary donations and revenues. Have a higher cost of attendance when compared to public colleges and universities.

Helping Your Child Choose a College or University Factors to consider: 1. Environment (big city, in the country, in a college town). 2. Weather (where it’s sunny all the time, where you see a change in seasons, etc…). 3. Size (with < 2,000 undergraduates, with > than 20,000 undergraduates). 4. Region (in the Northeast, Southwest, Southeast, etc…).

Cont. of Helping Your Child Choose a College 5. Accessibility (< than three hours from home or a plane ride away). 6. Living arrangements (where everyone lives in a dorm, where living off campus is an option, etc…). 7. Social (where most of the social scene is found on campus, where the social scene is primarily based on the Greek system, where there are various extracurricular organizations, etc…). 8. Academics (where studying is emphasized and there is a lot of competition around class rank, where the preferred program of study is offered, where academics are not the end all be all of a students life in college, etc…). 9. Culture (where you can visit museums and attend concerts, where you can shop, etc…).

The College Admissions Criteria Biographical Information Courses and Grades Academic Interests Activities Essay Standardized Testing Interviews Recommendations

College Admission Decisions Special talents and skills Application questions and essays Grade point average Personal interview Extracurricular activities (school and outside of school). Intended course of study Standardized tests results (SAT and/or ACT) Grades Rigor of courses taken Teacher and guidance counselor recommendations Notes:

Standardized Testing (SAT vs. ACT) 1. Mathematics section: - two 25 minute sections and one twenty minute section - 44 multiple choice and 10 grid-in questions -worth 200 to 800 points What is being tested? - Arithmetic - Algebra I - Algebra II - Geometry

Cont. SAT vs. ACT SAT Writing Section - 49 multiple choice questions and 1 essay - Students are given 1hr, 25 minutes of which will be spent on the essay - Worth 200 out of 800 points What is being tested? -identifying sentence errors -improving sentences -improving paragraphs -essay (tests idea development, organization, and being able to support an argument).

Cont. SAT vs. ACT The Critical Reading Section - two 25 minutes sections and one 20 minute section - 48 reading comprehension questions - 19 sentence completion questions - Worth 200 to 800 points

cont. SAT vs. ACT ACT (American College Test) - Another standardized entrance exam used by colleges and universities instead of, or in addition to, the SAT. - The ACT tests a student’s abilities in math, English, natural sciences, and social studies. - A writing section is optional (however, many colleges now require that student take the ACT with the writing section). - Each section is scored from 1 to 36. - The final reported ACT score is the average of the scores on each section.

Cont. SAT vs. ACT Students should consider taking the SAT if they: - are good in math - have a strong vocabulary - are not strong in science Students should consider taking the ACT if they: - are not strong in math - have a weak vocabulary - are strong in science

College Essay The essay is your VOICE. Don’t write about something the college can already gather about you from your application. The student should write about something that is meaningful to him/her rather than what he/she thinks the college might want to read. Write about a specific incident or event rather than something broad. Make sure to have someone you trust proofread the essay.

Compiling a College List How many colleges should a senior apply to? There is no magic number! However, a college list should include approximately five to eight colleges. 1 to 2 colleges that the student will most likely get in. 2 to 4 colleges that are good matches/competitive (colleges that are a good fit academically and socially). 2 reach colleges (colleges that are a challenge to get in when considering the students GPA and Standardized Tests scores.

Cont. Compiling a College List Reach -GPA and SAT scores are on average higher than mine. Competitive -GPA and SAT scores are on average close to mine. Most Likely -GPA and SAT scores are on average lower than. Financial Safety

Admission Decisions Early Decision (ED): You can only apply to one college for early decision. Apply early to your first-choice college (typically in November). You will receive an admission decision from the college around December You can still apply to other colleges through regular admissions. If you are accepted under early decision, this is binding. This means that you will attend the college, if accepted. Also, you must withdraw all applications submitted under regular admissions.

Cont. Admission Decision Early Action (EA): You also apply early (around November). If you are accepted under early action, the decision is not binding. This means that you do not have to commit to the college. You can apply early action to other colleges. You will receive an admission decision from the college around January or February. You may apply to other colleges through regular admissions. You can choose to commit to the college early or wait until the spring (after you have received admission notification from other colleges).

Cont. Admission Decisions Please note: Some colleges stipulate that you may not apply early (EA or ED) to other colleges. These colleges are referred to a single choice early action programs.

Recommendations The student should ask someone who knows him/her well and will say positive things about him/her. Give the recommender at least two weeks for the letter of recommendation. Some students request that students ask them by the end of the junior year. Provide teachers with the required information (addressed envelope and teacher recommendation forms from application packet). Do not assume that the letter will be completed. The student should follow-up with the recommender in person and clarify whether he/she will be mailing it or giving it back to the student. The student should say thank you or send a thank you note. Writing a letter of recommendation is hard work!

College Application Envelopes Each student should provide Ms. Figueroa with 2 enveloped for each college on their college list. One envelope is for the Mid-Year Report that will be mailed in February. The envelopes should represent the college list; if a student adds a school to the college list, he/she must provide me with the envelopes.

Office of Undergraduate Admissions Cont. Envelopes Another Course to College Stamp 20 Warren Street Brighton, MA Office of Undergraduate Admissions College Address Student Name: Deadline:

College Campus Visits Visit when college is in session. Make sure to sit in a class. Do you see yourself happy in such a class. Can you picture yourself fitting in? Some questions to ask the tour guide? How would you describe the academic environment? What are the most popular majors? How accessible are the professors to the students? What are the most popular on campus activities? What types of sports are offered?

The “Helicopter” Quiz The College Board has developed a survey for parents to help them look at their level of parental involvement. Are you overly involved? Should you become more involved? A student’s last year in high school can not only be overwhelming and confusing for him/her, but also for the parents as well. Parents keep up the good work! Thank you for supporting your child as they transition out of high school!