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

It's Never Too Early To Investigate Your Own Career

As seniors are watching their college decisions roll in, juniors are beginning the college search process, and underclassmen are beginning to think about life after high school, there is one topic that has likely crossed all of their minds. That topic is their life and what they see themselves doing for a career. There is no set schedule for when individuals should know what type of career would be best for them, as some know when they are 10 years old and others don’t know until they are 40 years old. As high school students it is completely normal not to have a solid grasp of a type of job or field you see yourself in, and contemplating about what you would like to do for the next 40+ years is not the easiest concept to wrap your head around, but it is definitely something all high school students should be thinking about. As jobs are becoming more competitive and specialized, it would greatly benefit any individual to choose the right major for themselves in college and getting started early on the right track for their desired career.  A career does not just happen and this is something students need to be aware of. A career is something a person will have for the majority of his or her life, so it makes sense that it should be something in which the person enjoys and fits his or her personality.

Students coming into high school should learn about themselves, including their values, interests, beliefs, and skills, and then begin to prepare for the next stage. Along with this, 9^th and 10^th grade students should be encouraged to explore, and should not worry about making career decisions. As students enter their junior and senior year of high school, they should be much more focused on decision making, and integrating what they have learned about themselves in previous years to growth and change towards their future career development. Once students have explored who they are, they must be allowed to access information on all types of careers and what needs to be done to obtain these careers. Goals need to be set and students must work with their counselor on reaching these goals.

During your junior year, you will be able to use the Career Finder tool on Naviance. This allows you to answer hundreds of questions about your personality, abilities, likes and dislikes. The program will then provide you with a multitude of careers that may fit you best and where you will be the happiest. Each career option will provide information on what the careers involve, average earnings, and how to best get to that career, including college majors.

It also is never too soon to think about which careers may be vibrant and which ones may not even exist in the future. A great site to visit is the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is part of the United States Department of Labor. This website gives everyone access to much of the information available on careers. A very useful tool on this site is to see projections of careers, including which careers will be booming in 10 years and which careers are on the decline. Click on the link, and you will be directed to the New Jersey part of the site giving a multitude of information on careers in our state.  

So some simple advice for all high school students…although your plans may change, it is never too early to start thinking about what you may want to do. Use the resources available to you and start trying to connect your personality and needs to certain jobs and careers that exist. And parents…engage with your child about careers and opportunities that may arise. Have conversations with them about your own experiences and support them when they start coming to terms with a career they see themselves attracted to. Also, encourage them to go after internship opportunities or summer jobs that become available. Although an individual most likely will change careers at least once during a lifetime, it’s important to get off to a good start. So make thinking about a career a part of your life right now, as it will always be an important part of your entire life.

Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA

January 1st has Passed...Time for FAFSA and More!

So seniors…you are beginning to hear back from the colleges you applied to and most are happy to hear that you have been accepted to many of the schools. However, in the majority of cases, that initial joy inside you and your parents goes away when you see the amount of merit scholarship you are receiving. Sure, $10,000 is a big amount of money to earn in merit scholarship awards and is a great start…but for numerous schools, this is just 1/5^th of the total amount it costs to attend. As countless private schools are reaching $40,000- $50,000 each year to attend, a $5,000-$10,000 merit scholarship just is not enough. So what do you do? Are you just expected to give up on a college that you think it a perfect fit? Well before you do that, check out these options that can help subsidize the total COA (cost of attendance) of college!

FAFSA  - January 1st is the official start date to complete and submit the FAFSA to colleges. Many colleges have deadlines (that are not that far away) to submit the FAFSA, so make sure this is finished soon! Most people have heard of the FAFSA, which stands for the FREE Application for Federal Student Aid; however some families choose not to take the time to apply because they do not believe they will receive any aid. Although this is a family decision, we really do urge all families to complete this form. This is one of the only ways a student can receive government aid (also check out the CSS Profile, which some colleges use to calculate financial aid.) Schools receive the FAFSA report that gives them the EFC (Expected Family Contribution), and colleges will decide how much financial aid they will give to families. So please, take the time to get this application completed and sent to all of the schools you apply to!

Naviance Scholarship Page-  All juniors, seniors, and their parents should have a Naviance account. Check this page out for additional college-specific scholarship, and organizational scholarships. Details on each scholarship, including how to apply, amount awarded, and due date are all there. This page is updated throughout the year, so please check the site regularly!

Online Scholarship Finder Websites- There are a multitude of online sites available to find scholarships to college. For many of these, all you need to do is put in your basic information, and it will find scholarships that match your criteria. The three that come highly recommended are: CollegeBoard, Fastweb, and FinAid. Also check out www.collegescholarships.org. Just click on the links, and start applying!

Loans- Although it is ideal to avoid loans, it is not always possible. Here are two websites that help out with understanding and getting started with federal loans: www.direct.ed.gov and http://www.studentloans.gov/

Project on Student Debt -  This has a list of schools that have made the pledge to limit or eliminate student loans from financial aid packages, which reduces cost of college for students and their families. It may be too late for seniors, but juniors should definitely look at this list and see if there are any schools of interest.

Call College Financial Aid Departments- Often families will receive financial aid reports from colleges and will feel that they are not receiving nearly enough of aid for their income and family situation. Since on the FAFSA you are using the previous year’s tax return, it is very possible that there have been some changes in parents’ job and income situation. Also, there may be some special circumstances that financial aid counselors at colleges are not aware of (i.e. high medical bills). You have every right to call the counselors at the colleges and explain your situation. Schools will respond differently, but some may very well give you more financial aid, so it is definitely worth a shot!

Also, please remember that every school is required to have a Net Price Calculator on their website. This can also be found on CollegeBoard. A Net Price Calculator will give families a better idea of what they may have to pay out of pocket or borrow for each college earlier on in the college search process. 

Finally, please check each college’s website in which you were accepted and see if there are any additional merit/need-based scholarships you can apply to. Remember to apply to as many scholarship opportunities as possible, because every dollar will help!

-Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA

No Desire in Paying College Tuition? Check out Antioch College

If you are a student who doesn’t mind a small school…and I am talking about a very small school, you may be interested in a college that is offering free tuition for all four years, for the incoming freshmen classes of ’12, ’13, and ’14. The college is Antioch College in Yellow Spring, Ohio, and estimated at $26,500 a year for tuition; students will be saving $106,000 in college tuition over four years!

What’s the reason for the free tuition? Well in 2008 Antioch closed its doors due to financial problems and poor management. However, alumni were appalled with the closing, so they put big bucks up to re-open the doors. The school now believes their finances are settled, and are offering free tuition as an incentive for students to apply. Right now, Antioch is offering 12 majors, and they still offer a strong co-op program for many of their majors.

Last year their freshmen class had a total of 35 students. Moving forward they are looking to accept 65-75 students within each freshmen class. So again, if you are looking for a school with thousands of students, historic sports teams, and hundreds of majors, Antioch definitely is not your school. But if you like the idea of an intimate setting where you would know basically everyone, you are interested in co-op programs, and you like the idea of building a school back up, take a look into Antioch. It certainly is worth a look!

The regular decision deadline for applicants this year is February 15^th, and the free-tuition incentive will last for the next three freshmen classes. Please click the following link to the school’s website: http://www.antiochcollege.org/

For a longer list of tuition-free colleges and universities, please check out this USA News article.

-Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA

College Acceptance Etiquette

As we near the end of the year, many of the students who applied early decision or early action are hearing back the decisions from colleges. This is a very exciting, yet anxious time for students and families. Students in the same high schools are applying to the same colleges, but will all hear different decisions. It’s essential for students (and parents) to be mindful that friends and classmates may not be hearing the great news of being accepted. Being accepted into your top choice colleges is an incredible feeling, in which students and families should celebrate. However, it is not appropriate to brag about the acceptances, especially in areas (such as schools) that are populated with individuals who may have just heard they were deferred or denied from that very same school. So, use your private space in your home to jump around and shout with your parents, but when it comes to the school halls or cafeteria, keep the information to your close friends and the teachers and counselors that helped you along the way. Just try to think how you would feel if you were just denied from your top choice, and a peer came shouting down the hallway how this is the best day of his or her life because of their acceptance to that same school. Try to keep this in mind over the course of the next few months.

On another note, it is also important to show gratitude to your parents, teachers, and counselors who have been there every step of the way during the college process. Of course, you have put in the time and energy and you deserve much of the credit for reaching your goal of being accepted into colleges. However, you did have some help along the way, and the supporting cast could not be happier! Take the time to inform your parents, teachers, and counselors the decisions from colleges, and let us all enjoy this time together. Students may not believe this, but we all look forward to hearing the good news and this is an exciting time for all of us too!! So don’t rush this process, take some time to think about everything going on, and keep everyone close to you involved. This is a special once-in-a-lifetime event, and it’s big enough for everyone to enjoy!!

-Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA

The Waiting Game...Being Emotionally Prepared to Hear from and Leave for College

As of now, the majority of students have applied to at least one college, and many will hear decisions in the next couple of weeks. The waiting game can be extremely nerve-wracking and happens during senior year, which is already stressful all around. At the beginning, students scramble to complete their applications while balancing busy extracurricular and academic schedules. They worry about their choice of college essay topic, their list of schools, and whether or not their applications have arrived safely in the admissions offices. As second semester begins, though, most of the applications are out, midterm grades are finalized, and a period of waiting ensues. Many schools will not send out decisions until April, and so students wait, in a state of uncertainty about the vast next step of their lives.

There is so much activity and so many stressors during senior year that we sometimes forget that it is a crucial period of transition, not only for students, but for parents and families as well. As graduation approaches, there are many conflicting emotions at play. For students, it is certainly an exciting time, but also a continuous reminder that they will soon leave behind their high school, their friends, and their families in order to graduate to the next phase of their lives. It is a time filled with uncertainty and ambiguity. Students may not realize that their parents are also experiencing a great deal of conflicting emotions, as they prepare to see their child off into a new environment.  Whether a student is moving away to college or living at home, graduation from high school is a huge symbolic move towards adulthood.

Both students and parents are reminded that it is perfectly normal to see emotional ups and downs during this time. There may be some shifting in the dynamics of the relationship between parent and child, as they both prepare for the student to take on new roles.

In conclusion, some advice: Parents, trust in the work that you have done in raising your child to be an independent, competent decision maker. Be open to dialogue with your child, and don’t hesitate to bring these issues up for discussion. Students, remember that it is totally acceptable to be experiencing a range of different emotions. Graduating from high school is exciting, daunting, joyous, and saddening all at the same time. You are always welcome to contact your counselor for any advice you may need.

-Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA

NCAA Eligibility...Are You on the Right Track?

Whether you are a potential DI/D2 student-athlete, a parent of one, or you know someone who might participate in college sports, this information will be important for you. In order to play a sport in college (D1/D2 only), the student must be eligible. Eligibility is measured by a sliding scale, with the lowest possible GPA being a 2.0. With a 2.0, the student must achieve a 1010 (Math and CR only) on the SAT's to be eligible. From there, the higher a student's GPA, the lower their SAT needs to be in order to be eligible. 

However, starting with high school class of 2015 (current sophomores), it will get just a little harder to become eligible to participate in Division 1 sports right out of high school. The NCAA eligibility center has decided to increase their eligibility standards for Division 1 athletes. These new rules will go into effect starting August 1, 2015. Whereas students prior to 2015 needed a minimum core GPA of 2.0 and 1010 SAT (Math and Critical Reading) or an ACT combined score of 86 in order to participate in competition, students after 2015 will need a minimum core GPA of 2.3 and 1080 SAT, or an ACT combined score of 93 to participate in their first year. 

There also is a new rule put in place to 'redshirt' incoming freshmen. With the present eligibility rules, a student-athlete was either eligible or not eligible. Now there will be three outcomes: Eligible to compete right away (Full Qualifier), not eligible at all (Nonqualifer), and eligible to join team and practice, but not compete in first year (redshirt). Now this is where it becomes tricky! The sliding scale (core GPA with SAT or ACT) for the redshirt option is very similar to the present regular eligibility scale, except the SAT requirement has gone up 10 points for each GPA (i.e. 2.0 GPA will require 1020 SAT). However, the combined ACT score has stayed the same (i.e. 2.0 GPA will require 86 combined score).   

The final change for students to be eligible as full qualifiers is that 10 of their 16 core courses must be completed and “locked in” by the start of their senior year. In the present format, students can use any of their approved classes for eligibility purposes until high school graduation.

For those who do not know, the core GPA is calculated from 16 approved courses throughout a student’s high school career. Not every course a student takes will be approved by the NCAA; therefore it cannot be used in the core GPA calculation. Courses that must be used for the core GPA are 4 years of English, 3 years of mathematics, 2 years of science (1 year with lab), 1 year additional English, mathematics, or science, 2 years of social science, and four years of additional approved courses (i.e. foreign language, social sciences, philosophy etc.). Once a core GPA is established a student must have at least the minimum SAT/ACT score associated with that GPA. Sliding scales can be found online, or by visiting the NCAA eligibility website at www.eligibilitycenter.org .

Once again, these new eligibility standards will not go into effect until August 1^st of 2015, which are current high school sophomores. As always, if you have any questions about NCAA eligibility please do not hesitate to contact your counselor to make sure you are on track to being eligible!

-Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA

November...What Now for Seniors?

As many seniors have applied to schools for early action, early decision, or rolling admissions, a big question is what should they be doing now…besides waiting and waiting. For seniors who have applied to all of their schools, a few of their schools, or none of their schools, take a look at the following list of what you can be doing now for the college admissions process:

·         Revise your college list: Take a look at your college list and make sure you have 2-3 safeties, targets, and reaches in each category. Hopefully you have done your research on these colleges and visited some of them. It is imperative that you are happy with all of the colleges you apply to, not just the reach schools!

·         Be on top of your testing game: Hopefully you have taken your SATs or ACTs by this time. Make sure you know which test dates you will send to the colleges, or if you will not send test scores at all (test-optional schools). You have the ability to pick which test dates you send to colleges, and most of them will super score for you. If your November testing scores come in after application deadlines, call each school’s admissions office and ask about their policy for this. Schools will have different procedures, so make sure you contact each one.

·         Continue to demonstrate your interest: Whether you visited the college, sat in on an information session, or had an interview with an admissions counselor, remind the colleges of your interest in attending. Take a few minutes and write a brief e-mail to your admissions representative letting them know you have applied and if there is anything else you should be doing while awaiting a decision. Most colleges will not have you do anything additional, but the admissions representative will certainly know that you are very interested in the school, and that could go a long way.

·         Have all of your supplemental materials prepared: Although most colleges use the Common Application, they will all have a variety of additional information that needed to be completed. Some are simple, others are more intense, and they vary greatly. A few colleges need two teacher recommendations, and others specify which subjects they want to see for recommendations. Take initiative and have all of the supplements organized and completed.

·         Students who have applied ED…be prepared: Hopefully you will be accepted to your ED school, but there is a chance you will be deferred or denied. Have your other applications prepared and ready to go. Most will have time between when they hear from their ED school and the regular deadlines, so no need to submit your other applications just yet (save tons of money!). But be ready to go, so if you hear bad news from the ED school, you can just hit submit on the applications and move on!

·         Beware of deadlines: You should memorize (or at least keep track) the deadlines for everything associated with the college application process. This includes application deadlines, financial aid deadlines, and eventually deposit deadlines (most likely May 1^st). It would be a shame to put in all of this effort, but miss an important deadline, possibly being left out.

·         Show gratitude to your counselors, teachers…and parents: We commend you for all of the effort you put into this process, and we understand how much time it took. But the majority of you had support from school advisors and family members. Take a moment to thank your counselor and teachers for assisting in the applications and recommendations. Also, realize that as much stress you felt during this process, it was probably doubled for your parents. Share the joy of being accepted and selecting a college with your family and let them know how much you appreciate their time and support…especially when it comes time to write the college checks!

·         Try to relax…but not too relaxed: Once everything is submitted and being reviewed, try to relax and don’t focus too much on what the decision may be. At this point, there is little more you can do, so there is no sense in worrying about it. However, this does not mean you should stop working hard in your classes. Even after you are accepted, if your grades drop drastically, colleges have the right to revoke your acceptance. You have worked very hard for 3 ½ years during high school, so try your best to finish strong!

Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA

The True Meaning of Early Action Plans

The first of November is usually an exciting time with Thanksgiving right around the corner, and the rest of the holiday season not too far behind. However, for many seniors, Thursday, November 1^st, 2012 is a day they have had circled on their calendar for many months, for an entirely different reason. This is the Early Action deadline for many of the competitive colleges and universities across the county. Another popular Early Action deadline is November 15^th and you many see a few schools that have Early Action a little later than that. Since the Early Action season is near, I thought it would be appropriate to explain early application plans, and everything that goes into them.

First, it is very important to understand that applying under Early Action, will NOT improve a student’s chances of admission. Since EA is non-binding, it does not benefit a school to accept a student who is on the border, as that student is not committing himself to the college. Additionally, the regular decision candidates are in a much larger pool, and admissions counselors will often wait to compare students on the edge to that larger, more representative pool. Applying Early Decision can often give students an advantage of being accepted, even those who may be a bit lower than the average student accepted.  The reason for this is simple; ED is a binding agreement, and colleges are assured that if they accept the student, that student will be attending their school. For Early Action, unfortunately if you are well below the average student accepted, applying this way will not give you an advantage of being accepted.

For students who are satisfied with their current grades and testing scores, and are competitive with the middle 50% of accepted students, the real advantage to applying early is for peace of mind. For most schools, students will hear back before Christmas, which can be a great present, and will put students and parents in a better mental state! Applicants applying through Regular Decision often will not be notified of an admissions decision until March or April, so finding out 3-4 months in advance can make a huge difference (emotionally and mentally).

Next, let’s discuss the decisions that come from applying early to schools. Unlike regular decision, where students are accepted, denied, or waitlisted, students applying early will be accepted, denied, or deferred. Being deferred is not necessarily a bad thing, as it really just means that the admissions counselors like the student’s application, but they just need more time to make a decision and need to compare that applicant to the larger pool of candidates. The applicant will then be moved to the regular decision pool and will be reviewed again, with a final answer coming in March or April.

Finally, make sure you truly understand the parameters of the early action plan you are applying to, as there are numerous options, and various ways colleges approach early action plans. Take a moment to review the following types of early application types:

Early Action: Non-binding and student can apply to as many schools as they want this way. Student usually needs to apply by the 1^st or 15^th of November and will receive a response by Christmas.

Early Decision: This is a binding agreement, and if a student is accepted, they must withdraw all other applications.

Restrictive Early Action (REA): Non-binding, but a student should not apply Early Decision to any other schools (i.e. Boston College).

Single-Choice Early Action: Non-binding, but students agree not to apply early at all (EA, ED) to any other schools (i.e. Princeton).

Rolling Admissions: Non-binding and students can apply anytime throughout the year and will have an admissions decision generally anywhere from 3-4 weeks after application submission. It is usually a good idea to apply earlier to schools that have rolling admissions (SUNY schools).

Priority: Non-binding, but students should apply before their priority date, as this increases chance of admission and will make them eligible for merit-based scholarships (i.e. Penn State, USC).

-Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA

Thoughts about Test-Optional Schools

People often say that death and taxes are the only two things we can be sure of in our lives. Well for high school students, you can add one more to that list, and that is ‘standardized testing’. For some this is no big deal, and for others, this can be a very scary thought. There are tests to get you into high school, college, graduate school, professional schools, and tests to keep you enrolled in these schools. After that, there are tests to gain professional certificates and then to keep those certificates. As someone who was never a good test-taker, I wish tests didn't exist, but they do and we all better get used to that fact.

For high school juniors and seniors, the SATs and ACTs are a very important part of the college application process. Although some schools have started going test-optional, which means they do not consider a student’s standardized test scores for admission, there are still many questions about the effectiveness of this option. This is a very new process, and it is important for all students to research this option before applying test-optional to colleges. Please take a moment to read an article recently composed by Jennifer Karan, Executive Director of the SAT Program at the College Board, which talks about their view on test-optional schools:

-Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA

“Test Optional” May Not Mean What You Think It Means

Much has been made in the past few years about the ‘test-optional’ approach some colleges have taken toward admissions.  For those not familiar with the term, this means that these schools do not require students to submit a college entrance exam score.  At least, that’s what many of them would like you to think.

By making the admissions process appear a little easier or less cumbersome, higher education – and everyone else – knows students will be more likely to submit applications. To wit: in his 2009 report in The Journal of College Admission, Jonathan P. Epstein examined how dropping test requirements affects recruitment and enrollment. He said, “With colleges and universities engaged in intense competition to recruit ever more talented and diverse students… test-optional policies become alluring.”

Test-optional colleges often cite grades in core coursework and academic rigor as the most important factors on an application, and there’s no question that high school GPA is central to the admission process. What they don’t say is that the SAT actually serves as an objective validation of the factors like GPA. When test-optional colleges don’t require an entrance exam like the SAT from every student, they eliminate a fair and reliable predictor of how the applicant would perform at their institution.

Despite the label, test-optional schools still see the value in an SAT score.

College Board score-sending data indicates that 60 to 80 percent of applicants to test-optional schools still send SAT scores – and test-optional schools consider these scores when they’re received. Why?  Because students inherently understand that the SAT corroborates the other academic information on their application and colleges have seen that prove out time and again in their retention and graduation rates. 

Further, these schools often require scores to be submitted upon matriculation for course placement,  scholarship opportunities, and internal research, meaning that students who thought they didn’t need a college entrance exam end up taking one anyway, often on the fly.

As colleges work to become applicants’ dream schools, it’s important for students to remember that a seemingly easier application process – or the “alluring” path, as Epstein put it – isn’t always best.  College entrance exams provide critical information to students, parents and admission officers to help inform important decisions that will impact their future. 

By: Jennifer Karan, Executive Director SAT Program at the College Board