College Spotlight: Saint Anselm College

Today, I had the pleasure of meeting with two admissions representatives from Saint Anselm College for a presentation about their school. Saint Anselm College is located Manchester, New Hampshire, only about 4 hours from Manhattan. Saint Anselm, also referred to as Saint A's is a Catholic Benedictine Liberal Arts College with about 1,900 underclassmen. I will admit that I did not know as much about St. A's as I do with other schools, but after learning more today, this is a school I am eager to visit, and will recommend to many students in the future.

Saint Anselm is situated in the beautiful city of Manchester, on a picturesque campus in New Hampshire. The school is only one hour from Boston and the ocean, and only 10 minutes from the nearest airport. This is a place that embodies what a true college community is all about. It attracts students who are eager to participate in a liberal arts education where they will be challenged, but supported by peers, professors, and administrators during their time there. Professors know their students very well and are always there to make sure they get the most out of their education. Below are a few facts about the school and the students that make up the Saint Anselm community.

• There is a 90% retention rate from freshmen to sophomore year.
• 92% of students live on campus all four years.
• 86% of students stay on the weekends.
• St. A's has a 75% acceptance rate and the average GPA for accepted students is 3.2. Average accepted SAT scores are 1080-1220 and the average accepted ACT score is 25.
• Test scores are not required to be submitted with application, unless the applicant is applying for nursing.
• St. A's is a top 20 liberal arts school in the nation for return on your investment.
• Although the sticker price is a little under $50,000, the average net price for families is only $23,000, signaling that merit scholarships and  financial aid are readily available for all students.
• One of St. A's most competitive programs is nursing, which has roughly a 35% acceptance rate. Unlike at some colleges, students will begin taking nursing classes freshmen year and will begin clinical work sophomore year.
• They have a 3-2 engineering program with multiple other colleges, including Notre Dame.

Finally, one very special aspect of Saint Anselm is their connection to the New Hampshire Institute of Politics (NHIOP). In New Hampshire, Saint Anselm is the premier resource for individuals interested in contemporary political issues. As found in their literature, Saint A's was founded "on the premise that an educated citizenry is vital for a healthy democracy...and they created the New Hampshire Institute of Politics to provide a vibrant, innovative and non-partisan forum where men and women can explore, debate, and participate in all aspects of the American political process"

Almost every major national political race goes through the campus of Saint Anselm, where candidates will present and debate, giving their students VIP access to major players in politics. Interestingly, every president since JFK has spoken or has been involved in a debate at Saint Anselm. Finally, the college has recently established a partnership with Bloomberg to create nationwide polling systems.

All in all, this is a small school in a beautiful setting, full of students and faculty who truly care about one another and of improving themselves and the world around them. I personally highly recommend it as a school that students need on their radar! I hope this information was helpful, and as always, happy searching!

-Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA

 

Marist College-Learning Disabilities Support Program Open House

Anyone who is going through the college search process knows there are limitless factors to consider when choosing the right college. For students with learning differences, the quality of the school's support program may be near the top of that list of important factors. Colleges range in what they offer, costs, experience of support personnel, and overall effectiveness of the program. If you are a student or a parent of a student with learning differences, it is very important that you research these programs and ask a ton of questions when visiting the schools. There are many great schools across the country with excellent support programs, but the one I wanted to present to you today is Marist College. Past students have had great experiences there with their support program, and it is a school I can highly recommend. For those interested, Marist College is having an informational open house specifically about their learning disabilities support program.

This program will take place Sunday, September 21st at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY from 8:30-2:00. The program will include a presentation on the program overview and admissions, presentations by learning disability specialists, panel discussions with current program students, time for Q & A, and campus tours.

If you are interested, please RSVP at (845) 575-3274 or SpecServ@marist.edu Also, for more information on their program, please visit their Special Services website.

As always, happy searching!!

-Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA

College Spotlight - The University of Portland

The next school I would like to highlight is the University of Portland. UP is in beautiful Portland, Oregon, surrounded by a picturesque river and mountain range. It is a Roman Catholic school, and is part of the Holy Cross congregation. The two other colleges that are Holy Cross schools are Stonehill and Notre Dame. Although UP is far from the east coast, this is definitely a school worth checking out. The campus was stunning, the academics are diverse and strong, and you get a real sense of a strong and vibrant community. This is a school I would feel very comfortable recommending to my students. Below are some “quick hitter” stats about the school, and I will have my final thoughts at the bottom. Enjoy!

University of Portland Stats

Undergraduate enrollment: 3,320

Middle 50% for admissions: SAT: 1610-1940, GPA: 3.64, Percent Accepted: 66%

Average Amount of Merit Scholarships Awarded per year, per student: $13, 420

Average Amount of Need Based Financial Aid Awarded per year, per student: $21, 120

Colleges: College ofArts and Science, School of Education, Pre-Professional Programs, Pamplin School of Business, Shiley School of Engineering, and School of Nursing.

Standout Majors offered at UP: Drama, Environmental Ethics and Policy, Social Work, Elementary/Secondary Education, accounting, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, Global Business, Engineering (Civil, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical), and Nursing.

15 D1 Sports, with soccer being one of the hottest sporting events on campus

18 years in a row, UP has been ranked as a top 10 western university by U.S. News & World Report

UP students annually spend 163,000 hours in community completing volunteer service and service-learning projects.

UP is the number 1 school in the nation among peer institutions for the number of students who have received Fulbright Awards to study or teach abroad since 2010.

Bloomberg Businessweek named UP top college in Oregon for return on investment in 2011 and 2012.

Final Thoughts

To be honest, I did not know much at all about the University of Portland before my visit there last month. I arrived eager to learn about the school, and left with a ton of knowledge on the school and I even had a little bit of UP Pilot pride. UP is a perfect place for students who are adventurous and want to go to an entirely different part of the country. For east coasters, you are looking at a 5 hour plane ride, but it’s a ride that I think is worth it. Once you arrive to UP, you will be surrounded by a beautiful green campus, minutes from the Columbia River Gorge, Oregon Coast, and Mount Hood. The environment doesn’t get much more spectacular than this, and for individuals who like the outdoors, but still want to be close to the city, downtown Portland is only minutes away from the campus. UP offers a free shuttle to downtown, where Portland is known for its delicious food, music and arts scene, incredibly friendly people, and a wealth of learning and employment opportunities.

Academically, UP has a ton of different areas for students to study. They have great study abroad opportunities, solid internship connections for all students with majors ranging from accounting to history. For anyone interested in nursing, they have a 90% job placement rate within 6 months of graduation. UP also has small class sizes, and a very caring faculty. Students are well-cared for at UP, and you know that everyone will be closely watched and supported through graduation. UP also has an incredible residential experience. With more than half of their students choosing to live on campus, they mix their years, so upperclassmen could share the same hallways as the underclassmen. This creates an inclusive community where everyone is working and living together. Finally, UP  has one of the best orientation and freshmen transition programs I have seen. They have mandatory parent and student orientation programs, for a few days, so both students and parents make a successful transition to college. Also, they also place orientation groups in at least one freshmen academic class together. This way, once school starts, students will already know a few familiar faces from orientation.

All in all, if you are looking for a school on the smaller side, a good mix of outdoors and city living, committed to service, and a caring, inclusive, and vibrant community, you may just want to give the University of Portland a look! Happy searching…

-Joseph Korfmacher, MA

College Spotlight- Saint Louis University

Recently, I have had the pleasure of traveling to nine colleges in Seattle, Portland, and Saint Louis. Visiting schools across the country give me great perspective and insight on the different programs and environments available to all students. Since I have always worked with students in the NYC area, I have noticed that most students and families are “stuck” in the 3-5 hour bubble of schools. Of course, there are hundreds of terrific colleges and universities in this part of the country; I hate to see students limit themselves. Traveling around the country has opened my eyes to some incredible places, and I am excited to share these experiences with all of you. In the coming weeks, I will highlight the schools I visited, and I hope that you will take a closer look at these schools and others, that you may not have thought about before.

The first university I would like to highlight is Saint LouisUniversity, most commonly referred to as SLU. Here are a few SLU ‘quick-hitters’:

SLU became the first university west of the Mississippi in 1818, and in 1927, became the first federally licensed school of Aviation.

SLU is a Jesuit University, and is often ranked as 1 of the top 5 Jesuit Universities in the country, and in 2013 was a Fiske “Best Buy School”. SLU also has a top 100 business program (AACSB accredited), has an incredible and unique engineering program, and is ranked as a research university.

SLU has just under 8,700 undergraduates, a 12-1 student/professor ratio, 24.4 average classroom size, and houses over 100 undergraduate programs. The most recent retention percentage from freshmen to sophomore year is an outstanding 88% and growing!

Middle 50% for admissions- GPA: 3.81 (weighted), SAT: 1080-1330, ACT: 25-29

Scholarships Available- Merit awards range from $3,000-$16,000 and there is a Presidential (full tuition) scholarship available, where applicants usually have a 3.85 and 30 (ACT) or 1330 (SAT). SLU has no limit to the amount of Presidential Scholarships they give out. The average total package they give out to students is $24,000.

SLU’s top 10 programs, in reverse order are communications, chemistry, bio-chemistry, biomedical engineering, health sciences, psychology, physical therapy, nursing, biology, and STILL DECIDING. ‘Still Deciding’ is the number one “major” for incoming freshmen. Students, who do this, can take any classes during the first 1-2 years, and as long as they have a 2.5 GPA, they can then go into any major they want (except for physical and occupational therapy).

Unique Programs:

Accounting Scholars- Students need 3.6 GPA and 30 or 1330 test scores. Can get Bachelors and Masters in 5 years and are able to sit for CPA exam right away.

Pre-Law Scholars- Students need a very good academic record and 28 or 1250 tests scores. If accepted into program at SLU freshmen, they are guaranteed entry into the SLU law school, which has a very new building in downtown Saint Louis.

Health Sciences- SLU is one of 27 schools that have a Masters track for athletic training, which is a direct admit as a freshmen. They are also only 1 of 2 schools in country that have a registered dietician (RD) and culinary arts major.

Parks College ofEngineering, Aviation and Technology- Houses the first federally certified flight school in the nation. Aviation students will graduate with over 250 hours of flight hours. There are numerous engineering degrees, including flight science, aviation management, and a global aviation track. This school also has a 3-2 program with Washington University in Saint Louis, where students can get a BS and MS in chemical engineering.

Fun Facts:

SLU has tremendous study abroad opportunities, which is highlighted by their own campus in Madrid.

SLU has D1 sports, andclub/intramural opportunities for all students. Their top sport is men’s soccer, where they have won 10 NCAA titles.

SLU has a gorgeous, green campus, with incredible academic, athletic, and housing facilities. It is also only 5-10 minutes from downtown Saint Louis. Perfect for students who want to be near a city, but still have that traditional college campus experience.

Their mascot is the “Billiken” which is a mythical creature that represents everything as they ought to be.

Overall Thoughts:

I have visited many colleges and universities across the country, and to be perfectly honest, I was blown away by Saint Louis University. This is place where I think most students can be very happy at, and I look forward to recommending it to students and families for years to come. SLU has a diverse curriculum with some cutting edge programs, and top notch academics. Students, who want to be teachers to CPAs to pilots, can all find a home at SLU. It also has the safe, open, diverse, and dynamic environment that will make people of all backgrounds feel at home. This is not a school full of cliques, but rather is a place that is one community open to everyone. SLU is a school that may not be on the radar for many families in the NYC, but it really should. SLU’s popularity is growing, and this is a special school in the Midwest. Wherever you may be thinking in terms of academics or college environment, Saint Louis University is certainly worth a look…and I doubt you will be disappointed.

-Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA

The College Essay…Updated Prompts, But Still As Important As Ever

   For current juniors, the next year will be a whirlwind of activity during the college application process. There are numerous elements of a student’s application profile that will be scrutinized by admissions counselors across the country. The transcript, testing scores, résumé, and many others will all be submitted and reviewed. While the transcript and testing scores are important quantitative measures for students, the college essay is often the most important qualitative measure that colleges will look at while reviewing a student. Admissions counselors put a ton of emphasis on this part of the application because it gives them an inside look into who the student really is as an individual. Of course, it will help them see how the applicant is as a writer, but more importantly it hopefully will allow them to connect to the student on many levels. If the admissions counselors are impressed with the essay, it can often be the turning point for students being accepted into the institution.

   The college essay is not something students should wait to complete at the last minute. Contemplating, researching, drafting, and reviewing should all start before the senior year of high school. In a short amount of words, students should try to demonstrate their writing skills and explain something about their own life and personality that cannot be seen anywhere else in their application.

   As of last year, there were six essay prompts, one of which was topic of your choice. This will no longer be the case. As the Common Application has announced “the new prompts and the written guidance around them are the culmination of two years of discussion about the role writing plays in a holistic selection process.”  These new prompts should be reviewed in the coming months and students should choose the essay topic that will most effectively allow their voice and personality to shine.

   Besides the change in topics, there are two other important edits to the essay portion of the Common Application. 1) There will no longer be a topic of your choice, leaving five guided prompts and 2) students MUST write essays that are between 250-650 words. This will be strictly enforced and electronic uploads will not accept essays that do not meet the word specification.

   Please be on the lookout for information on the INTENSIVE COLLEGE APPLICATION PROGRAM that will run throughout the summer. There will be different sessions to best accommodate anyone interested in the program. Each program will last only two weeks (about 2 hours per day) and students will leave with a completed and polished Common Application essay and short answer, a résumé, a completed version of the Common Application, a refined college list, interview skills, college visits and a better understanding of the entire admissions process. Once the dates are finalized, information on this program will be mailed out. Space is very limited with only 40-50 spots available, so start thinking about if you would like to be part of this program now. This intensive program is a great way for students to have most of the application aspects completed before senior year even starts!   

Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA

The Importance of College Visits!

Football season is well on its way, the weather is getting cooler, and the leaves are beginning to change. This means two things…the November 1^st early action deadline is right around the corner, and there is still tons of time to visit college campuses! Unless you are accepted into an early decision plan for your college, you most likely will have 7 months to decide where you want to go to school. You should be visiting colleges now and once you receive your acceptance letters, if you still haven’t decided, make sure you get back to the campuses and do your due diligence in deciding which environment is the best for you. Remember you will be living at your college for at least 4 years, so you want to make sure it is the best all-around fit for you!

Visiting colleges and universities is one of the most important parts of the college search process. Obviously academics, majors selection, internship opportunities, and reputation are important factors to selecting the right school, but the overall “feel” one gets at a college should be near the top of the list of deciding factors. With advances in technology, most colleges have elaborate websites where there are hundreds of pictures of the school and even virtual tours one can take. Although this is better than nothing, it does not have the same effect as actually walking the campus, watching students interact, sitting in on a class, talking with school faculty, and just listening to your gut reaction to the overall collegiate environment. Every school will be a little different, and the absolute best way to truly know if you will be happy at a certain college is by physically being there and soaking everything in. Also, although it is not always possible, try and visit the school while the college is in session full-time. For most colleges this will be from late August to early May. While visiting a college, you can only gain a true gut feeling and perspective of the school life when students are there and the campus is vibrant with the personality of its students.

The following list contains a few helpful hints and strategies when planning on visiting different colleges on your list:

--As mentioned earlier, try to visit college when school is in session, as that is when you will get the true feeling of the environment.

--Call the undergraduate admissions office at the college you will be visiting to set up a guided tour. This way you will have someone with extended knowledge of the college explain the school’s layout and will be able to answer any questions you may have about the school.

--Think of questions to ask while visiting the college! You will most likely be living at the college you choose for 4-5 years, so it makes sense to do your research on everything about the school and its surroundings. Questions ranging from activities available for students, housing availability, food services, the amount of students that stick around on the weekend, internship opportunities, service opportunities, intramurals, community surroundings, and much more should all be on your list to ask admission representatives at each school.

--If you are traveling far to visit a college, plan ahead and see if there are any other schools that you may be interested in and can stop at on the way. You won’t have that many opportunities to visit colleges, so make the most out of each trip!

--Try to schedule a time to sit in on a college class, and if you know what you want to major in, try to sit in on a class in that field.

--Again, if you know your major, try to schedule a meeting with a professor in that field. This will give you a better idea of what to expect in that major and overall field.

--Take pictures and notes! Hopefully, you will be visiting multiple college campuses. In order to avoid getting schools mixed up, snap some photos and jot down a few notes to keep everything fresh in your mind!

--Soak it all in and have fun! There is no getting around the fact that the college search process in an important part of your life, but most of you will only be doing this once in your life (unless you go to graduate school), so try to live in the moment and enjoy visiting some very beautiful and exciting college campuses, which very well could be your next home!

-Joseph D. Korfmacher, MASC

Striving for Fit: What to Look for during the College Search

‘The importance of fit’, when it comes to choosing a college to attend, is an expression that students and parents will be accustom to hearing during the college search process. But what does ‘fit’ really mean and why is it so important when choosing a college? As students in the college search process, you all want to find the right college, but this is often harder than it sounds. There are a multitude of elements and factors that should go into choosing a college, but often students and parents will look over some or all of the factors that need to be addressed. Instead, students may choose a college purely based on ranking, how good their sport teams are, if there significant other attends the school, and many other reasons that should not be a part of a very important decision.

1 in 3 students who enroll into college will transfer at some point during their time at college. This is an alarming statistic and although in some cases this cannot be avoided, many times this does not need to occur and would not occur, if the student spent more time researching colleges. Avoiding a transfer to another college will save a student and family time, money, and energy. Very early on in the college search process, students need to examine within themselves and start discussing with their parents and counselors about their own personal skills, interests, and values. Understanding what they may be can greatly help students connect to certain schools out there, which match who they are as an individual. Remember, it is not about the best college, but the right college for you!

When discovering who you are as an individual, and finding colleges that meet your needs, you most likely will discover that there are multiple colleges that are right for you. This is a good discovery! When finding these colleges that are a right fit for you, not only will students be happier there, but chances are, they will have a better shot of being accepted! If you follow these five considerations while searching for colleges, you will be in great shape when it comes to making the final decision in spring of senior year!!

1) Academic Rigor- When searching for and applying to schools, students need to explore the classroom and academic environment specific to that college. Students must try to find the colleges that provide a style of instruction that is best matched to the way the student learns. If you are an individual who strives in the most competitive of environments, working on your own at most times, and rise to occasion when working with the toughest of teachers/professors, then look for similar collegiate programs. However, you may be someone who needs a little more guidance and support from professors, and do much better with courses that are not so competitive. You know who you are, and this is perfectly OK, but you want you realize this before attending a school in the fall.

2) Geographic Location - Get to know the campus and surrounding area of possible colleges. Realize that for the most part, this is where you will live for the next 4 years of your life! So it would make sense that you should be happy with the location of where you go to school. Are you happier in the city or in a rural environment? Would you prefer going to a college with 45,000 students or one with 1,500 students? Would you like to be less than 2 hours away from home, so you can come home whenever you like, or are you adventurous and would like to live out on the West Coast for awhile? We all have our preferences on where we are happiest and no one is wrong here! You may find a school that meets all of your other needs, but if you absolutely love the city, a school in the middle of Idaho, most likely will not make you happy! So make sure you are honest and accepting with where you are happiest, and visit the colleges you are most serious about! All schools look warm and welcoming on the internet, but you can only get a real feel by visiting colleges!

3) Major/Program Offerings- It is extremely important to apply and eventually attend a school that offers a program that matches a student’s interests. It is perfectly normal not to know what you want to do for a career in high school, but you can surely breakdown your choices to a few that best interest you. Make sure the college offers numerous majors you may see yourself doing, and this will surely help in the process.

4) Cost of Tuition/Financial Aid- Far too often, students will find a college that is really great for them, but find out in March, that they just are not receiving enough financial aid and the college will just cost too much to attend. Taking out loans is definitely an option and may be inevitable, but do yourself a favor, and create a list of schools that have a wide variety of cost of attendance. I think it is best for all students to apply to 6-8 schools, for many reasons, but one reason is that some colleges may help out financially much more than others. So if you research schools diligently and apply to 6-8 colleges that you love, the deciding factor may come down to money. If this is the case, it may make it much easier to choose the school that will not have you in debt until you have grandchildren, because you have done the research and you love the school!

5) Chances of Admission- You must be realistic when it comes to applying to colleges. Students should all be applying to 2-3 safety schools, 2-3 target schools, and 2-3 reach schools. If your list contains all reach schools, you may be in trouble come March. I  absolutely think all students should strive for ‘reach’ schools, but there needs to be schools on the list that students are confident they will be accepted into. So you should not only be making sure you apply to the schools that are right for you, but be realistic with your chances of getting in!

So, remember, there are a multitude of factors that need to go into making this life decision. Students and families should not focus solely on any one factor, but the combination of all of them. College is not just about going to the classroom, but is about growing and living in the right environment and community. Please try to remember these basic ideas when searching, applying, and eventually settling on the college that is the right fit for YOU!

-Joseph D. Korfmacher, MASC