Senior Testimonial and Advice for the College Application Process, Part 3

I asked a number of Class of 2015 seniors to write about their experiences with the college process. This next one is by Sean Drennan of NYC. Enjoy! 

The college search and application process seems like a daunting task to many rising seniors. To myself it seemed like I had to get over a 10 foot fence. First researching and finding colleges that you would like to visit is a tough task. Getting down the location, size, and type of college you want to attend seems like an easy task but there's so many options that you don't even know where to start.

After finding the list of colleges that you want to apply to, the application process comes into play. This was actually the easy part of the process for me. In order to make this part easier many schools that I applied to had rolling admissions or the deadlines were spread out from the months of November through January. This made the essays I had to write easier to spread out thus making them better for the admissions representatives. Another tip for college essays is to get the common application essay done as early as possible. This allows your senior year English teacher to read them before you send them to colleges.

The most difficult part of the college process for me was perfecting my Common Application essay. I was submitting this essay to 4 colleges so I wanted it to be good enough to get me into these colleges. Luckily, it worked and I was able to perfect it and be accepted to those colleges.

One of the most surprising things during the entire application process was how short it actually took to apply to colleges. To colleges with no essay it took only about 25 minutes in order to complete the application and send in my ACT scores. I thought that filling out applications would be a rigorous process and take up a lot of time.

Another tip I have for the college application process is to believe in yourself and apply to schools that you love and would be happy to go to. Grades are not the only thing that get you into a college. If you fall in love with a reach school, still apply and just show your high interest in the school. They will take that into consideration and it may help your decision. Also, I recommend creating a resume to submit to every college that you apply to.

Good luck to everyone with the college application process and I hope that you all get into the colleges that you want!

Senior Testimonial and Advice for the College Application Process, Part 2

I asked a number of Class of 2015 seniors to write about their experiences with the college process. This next one is by Gianluca Milea of NYC. Enjoy!

The college process can be very intimidating at times.  While it is very important to have numerous options, I found it difficult to apply to a limited number of schools.  Although Xavier does not put a maximum on how many schools to which you are allowed to apply, application fees are very expensive and at the end of the day you will only be attending one college. 

To begin the process, I visited a myriad of schools, some of which were unrealistic options for me.  After visiting four schools in two days, I decided to create guidelines for my potential college.  While academic rigor is essential, there are many other factors that go into a final college decision: food, campus life, off-campus life, greek life, religious affiliation, athletic programs, housing, location and possibly two of the most important things, tuition cost, and how comfortable you feel on the campus tour.  Ultimately, this will be your home for the next four years, and while it may seem like high school flew by, you want to make sure that you enjoy your time in college as much as you were fortunate enough to enjoy your time at Xavier.  These parameters allowed for me to narrow down my search and my college list to a comfortable number.

Something that I was unaware of before beginning my college process is that many universities give automatic scholarships for activities outside of academics.  For instance, Catholic University has a scholarship if you know someone that attended their university and also a Parish Scholarship for weekly churchgoers.  Many schools have similar scholarships and they can be a great way to estimate a tuition (as you will definitely receive some type of financial assistance) and make sure it is affordable before spending money on an application fee.

I would also highly recommend keeping the number of schools that you apply to without visiting to a minimum.  Getting a feel for a campus is essential in the process and should not be overestimated.  Personally, I visited all of my schools except for a couple of reach schools, and will eventually visit them pending my admissions decision.  After visiting I would suggest using Naviance; it is a great website to keep order during a hectic time.  Naviance allows you to make a list of “Colleges I’m Thinking About” and rank them in your order of interest.  Another helpful feature of the website is that it gives scattergrams, which give you the opportunity to compare yourself to past Xavier students.  Overall, Naviance is a great tool that Xavier offers its students and you should really take full advantage of it.

Finally, while the college process can be overwhelming, it is completely worth it.  Make sure that you do not miss out on the opportunity to apply to a school because you were too lazy to write a supplement.  It is a great feeling when you hit ‘send’ and all of your applications have been submitted.  All in all: do your research, visit schools, make a comprehensive list, do not wait until the night before to apply, and then relax and wait for the decisions to roll in.  Good Luck!

Senior Testimonial and Advice for the College Application Process, Part 1

I asked a number of Class of 2015 seniors to write about their experiences with the college process. The first student to share his story and give feedback and tips is senior, Krist Sokoli. I will continue to add blog posts from other seniors this week and next, so continue to check back to get inside information from those who just went through the process this year. Enjoy!

1.  What was your experience like through the college search and application process?
My college search and application experience was pretty laid back partially due to me starting my research and work during junior year. I had made sure to ask a lot of the seniors where they were applying to and why they had chosen those schools. I also made sure to ask what they thought about other schools. I found that most of the answers were honest and that no one was trying to “sell” a school to me like an open- house tour guide would. I then made a shortlist and made sure to run it through my family. 

I was lucky enough to attend Mr. Korfmacher’s summer program which allowed me to knock out my first draft and requirements list quickly. This was really helpful especially during the early action application process.

2.      Are there any tips you can offer students just beginning this process?
I would definitely advise talking to your parents about a possible career path or major. Knowing that I wanted to go into a medical program really helped me shorten my shortlist as I eliminated schools that did not offer the programs I was looking for.

3.      Did anything surprise you while searching for colleges and applying?
What surprised me during the process were the application fees and the fee waivers. Most colleges require a fee to be paid before applying to them. At this point of my application process, I was not checking my email because I was just receiving spam mail from colleges. But, in the midst of the spam, I did find some emails from my top choice colleges that contained fee waivers. Fee waivers saved me a ton of money and encouraged me to apply to some of my current top choice schools.

4.      What was your timeline like? Would you encourage students to follow this or do it differently?
My college process started during the first half of my junior year. I spent a lot of time asking the seniors questions about their colleges and their majors. I then started my application process that summer through Mr. K’s summer program, which really helped me kick start the tedious essay and resume. I started and finished my Common App as soon as possible when senior year started and I made sure to finalize my application list. I planned on visiting schools, but I held back until I received my acceptances. I wanted to make sure that I was applying to schools based on the quality of the programs. After receiving my acceptances, I then toured some of the colleges on non-open house days so that I could get a real feel of what the school’s environment would be.

I think it would have been a better idea for me to check out and visit some of the schools before applying. Campus and campus life make a big difference in the decision process and I definitely would not have applied to some of the schools that I did if I had seen them beforehand.

5.      Things to watch out for?
Accelerated programs! Some schools offer accelerated graduation programs, such as Saint John’s University. An example of this would be Saint John’s 6-year Pharmaceutical PhD program. This program and many of the other accelerated programs offered require a totally different application and many new requirements and supplements.  

6.      Advice?
Converse with your parents, seniors, and counselors. You never know what program or college you may discover that could offer you the better bang for your buck and the degree that you are looking for. 

Start as early as possible. Senior year at Xavier is just as hard as junior year and you will get a lot of homework. The last thing any student wants to another essay deadline to worry about. Finishing my essay in the summer really eliminated the stress from the application 

Thank you for reading Krist's tips about the college process, and stay tuned next week for another Xavier senior's journey through the admissions process. Take care, and as always, happy searching!

Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA

Introducing Micro-Scholarships for College from Raise.me

We are all familiar with the high costs associated with pursuing a college education. But remember, there are many options out there to collect scholarships and financial aid. And some are more out-of-the-box than you may expect.

Take Raise.me, for example. I recently had the opportunity to meet with folks from Raise.me, a new organization that is partnering with colleges across the country to help families rack up "micro-scholarships" against the astronomical costs of higher education. Starting in 9th grade, students can accrue these small, conditional scholarships from colleges for accomplishments such as getting an 'A' in science class, making the Varsity swim team, being involved in community service, partaking in various extracurricular activities, and much more. If you wind up attending a school you've selected through Raise.me, the micro scholarships you've built up will be applied to your tuition.

The process is very simple; go to their website, create a free account (Name, DOB, High School, and graduation year), select any or all of the schools they partner with, input your accomplishments, and watch the scholarships grow. The Raise.me platform is retroactive, meaning even juniors and seniors can enter any high school accomplishments to count toward Raise.me scholarship money (as long as the college's submission deadline has not passed).

Currently, this organization is partnered with 65 colleges, including Tulane and Temple, but will be adding an average of one new school per week. Students may choose to connect to as many colleges on Raise.me as they want, and are under no commitment to attend those schools. However, if they do choose to attend a college selected through Raise.me, the school is bound to give them the amount in their account. The scholarships range in amounts, and can be small, but receiving any scholarship money for your accomplishments is a great way to offset college costs. Parents, this is also a great motivator for high school students to become more involved in school activities, sports, or even work harder in the classroom. Of course, getting that 'A' in Calculus is a win on transcripts, as well, but it won't hurt to also get $500 from a college for receiving that grade!

Raise.me launched for student-use 6 months ago, and has grant funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Facebook, and UPenn. So students, check out the website, connect with colleges, begin listing your accomplishments, and watch the potential scholarships accrue in your account! If you haven't had motivation yet to get involved in the classroom, on the field, or in extracurriculars, maybe a little money towards your college education will help.

Best of luck with this experience, and as always, happy searching!

Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA

YouVisit: Seeing College Campuses Virtually

I have always stressed the importance of visiting college campuses. It is one of the most, if not the most important part of the college search process. Sure, you can research most of the information on the college websites and websites such as College Board and Naviance, but it is tough to get a true feeling for the school without walking the campus, sitting in on classes, eating in their cafeteria, or talking with current students and professors. It is essential to plan ahead during high school breaks and vacations to schedule campus tours at colleges across the country. However, sometimes families do not have the time or money to visit every college the student is interested in attending, this is just a fact. So the next best thing to physically walking the campus, is to "walk" the campus virtually.

To my knowledge, the most comprehensive virtual college visit website is YouVisit. This website allows you to search for hundreds of colleges across the country, and when you select the school, you are instantly "standing" on their campus. A real-life student appears and is your tour guide for the campus visit. You can just sit back, relax and have them take your all over the campus, or you can jump to specific parts of the campus and learn important information about the school. This is definitely a website you want to visit, while looking for colleges. Enjoy the world of virtual visits, and as always, happy searching!

-Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA

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

 

Colleges Becoming More and More Competitive

January is a great time in college admissions. Most of the Early Decision and Early Action decisions have come in, and seniors’ college landscapes are starting to be filled in. The majority of students have finally finished their applications, and will be patiently waiting for those regular decisions to come in, most likely in March or April. Many students are receiving acceptances, academic scholarships, and are finally starting to see themselves at one or two specific colleges…the reality of leaving for college is beginning to set in! .

Invevitably, many students also received unpleasant decisions from colleges in the early round with either denials or deferrals. From my desk, I have seen a trend lately of schools becoming more and more difficult to get into, even for the most competitive students. Not only are more students applying to more colleges in general, but the business of college admissions has become increasingly focused on creating ways to bring in applications. Different marketing approaches have made popular colleges even more popular, and have put lesser known schools on the radar for many students. I have seen students this year who were deferred or denied from colleges that I know would easily have been accepted just two or three years ago. My hope is that students and parents understand this to not get too disappointed if they do not hear positive news from every school! Many schools that would have been a target for a particular student may very well be a reach school now. The need to find schools that students are very likely (safety) to get into, and are happy with, is more important than ever in today’s world of college admissions.

To get a true understand of the increase of applications and the selectiveness of colleges, I have three schools and their admissions numbers that I want to show everyone:

Northeastern University: NU received over 21,600 applications for Early Action, which was an increase of 7% from the previous year. Also, like many schools, NU has a desire to balance their admission opportunities for Regular Decision applicants, so they had to offer a small percentage of acceptances to Early Action applicants. Because of this, many capable and strong applicants were deferred to regular decision. Also, for Early Decision, NU received 775 applications and accepted 240 students (31%).

Dartmouth College: Dartmouth only has an Early Decision or Regular Decision option for their applicants. This year’s early decision pool was the largest in their college’s history. Their admissions received 1,859 ED applications, which was a 10.7% increase from the previous year. Of the ED applicants, only 483 were admitted (25%).

Boston College: Boston College had a tremendous increase in Early Action applicants this year from the previous year. This year, BC had nearly 9,800 applications, as opposed to 5,500 the previous year, a 56% increase. BC almost always tries to limit their Early Action incoming class to 30% of the total amount of students matriculating in the fall. Because of this and their increase in applications, they obviously became even more selective this year. BC went from a 40% acceptance rate for Early Action candidates last year to 27% this year…quite the difference!

Hopefully this gives some perspective to students and parents out there who were disappointed with early decisions. It is definitely competitive out there, but keep your head up…as long as you put effort into this process, you will end up at the right school; and as always, happy searching!

Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA

Best Colleges for Your Money

What many people want from college isn't too complicated. They desire a good education, a safe and comfortable environment, to be prepared for the workforce, and to not break the bank to attend the school. With soaring college costs and a competitive job landscape, it is more important than ever to find that perfect fit, where students will be challenged, graduate with marketable skills, and will not have loans to pay for the next 20 years. The website 'Money' recently came out with a list for colleges that are the best bang-for-your-buck. As you will see, many of them are some of the most selective schools in the country, but it is certainly worth a look. You can view the list here on their site. As always, happy searching!

-Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA

The Richmond Guarantee Program

The University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia has started a new initiative that will certainly help students during their summer breaks. Richmond is now guaranteeing all students will be given $4,000 for a summer research or internship experience. This is called the Richmond Guarantee, which will help all students have the “opportunity to pursue the internship, research experience, creative project, or service learning opportunity that best complements their academic pursuits - in any field of endeavor, and in any part of the world.” Richmond is a terrific school with great academics, and is often in the top lists for most beautiful college campuses. Only 5 ½ hours away from New York City, it is a perfect distance for students who want to get away, but not be too far from home. With just under 3,000 students, the school offers an abundance of majors, with business related degrees being their most popular. Richmond has always been a school worth considering, but the Richmond Guarantee makes it even more of a must-see college!

-Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA

Tips for Early Decision & Early Action Results

As seniors are waiting for and receiving decisions for their Early Action (EA) and Early Decision (ED) applications for colleges, I wanted to share some tips on next steps once you've heard from your schools.

• If you have been accepted to a school through Early Decision, congrats! After celebrating, the first thing you should do is withdraw your applications from the other schools you have applied to or were planning on applying to. Remember, with Early Decision, you, your parent, and school counselor all signed an agreement that, if accepted, this would be the school you would attend.
• If you have been deferred from Early Decision or Early Action to regular decision, don't worry - there is still a chance you will be accepted in the spring. For ED, you are no longer committed to attending the school, even if you are accepted through regular decision, so more options have just opened up! To be deferred means the college liked what they saw in your application, but they need a little more information and time before making a final decision. As such, you should be proactive in updating the school with additional information about yourself and your commitment to attending if accepted. You may send updated senior grades, new standardized test scores, a revised résumé and continue to demonstrate your interest with the school - perhaps take a visit and introduce yourself at the Admissions office. Most schools will note that you applied ED/EA when they review you again for regular decision, but it will also help your cause to continue to show how much you want to attend their school.
• If you have been accepted to any schools through Early Action, congrats! Lucky for you, you're not obligated to tell them whether or not you're planning to attend until May 1st. 
• If you were denied through Early Action or Early Decision, unfortunately you cannot apply again for regular decision. But take heart - there are over 3,000 colleges in the United States alone and there are likely many options where you can be happy and thrive! If your heart is set on the school you were denied by, you can wait until the following school year to apply again. 
• Make plans to visit the schools you have been accepted to, especially the ones you have yet to see in person!
• Keep track of the scholarships offered by each school you have been accepted to. It may be helpful to create an Excel document to compare the cost of each school after scholarships and eventually financial aid are factored in.
• If your college requires the CSS Profile, make sure you are getting that done as soon as possible. Also, remember the FAFSA is available on January 1, and complete that within the first few weeks of January if possible.
• Most of all, keep calm while decisions are coming out. You most likely will not be accepted to every school, and that's OK! You will end up where you belong and at the school that is a great match for you.

Have a fabulous and relaxing break, and Happy Holidays!

Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA