Improve your chances of getting into college,

It amazes me when a family goes to visit a college and then never gets out of the car because they saw one thing that did not click. If you are there, give the place a chance, you might be pleasantly surprised. If you have done your research in the first place, you would not be making a visit to a college that did not interest you for some reason. There have been plenty of times that I have visited colleges and have been put off by the appearance going into campus or by the tour guide, but when I put that aside, everything else was fine.

Talk with students you see around, talk with faculty members, pick up the student newspaper to see what the current hot topics/issues are. Keep notes of your impressions so you don't forget what you liked or did not like about each college.

Strong grades and high testing are important to colleges outside the US. Take SAT Subject Tests, AP exams and/or IB exams, the SAT or ACT. The more high scores you can show the better.

While any visit is better than no visit, it is always best to visit a college while it is in session, that way you can see it in full swing with the students and faculty. It is also best to try to visit during the week if at all possible. If the college is in a particularly cold climate, you should visit at the height of the cold (for example, Middlebury in February). That way you can see if you are comfortable with the weather as well as the college. Visiting in August does not give you an accurate idea of what it would be like during the school year.

While it is most important for the student to get to the colleges he/she is considering, it can also be helpful to have a parent along. I don't recommend having friends do college tours together because they distract eachother and influence eachother too much. Parents can do a great job assessing a college with a more mature perspective. It is important for the parent to remain in the background and not share his/her thoughts at first. Parents should ask the child's impressions before sharing his or her own views (but do so carefully).

•Size is a major consideration. The size of the college you choose has an effect on your overall college experience. Do you want a small, close-knit community? Medium-sized? Large? How about a jumbo sized university? It is important to determine in which atmosphere you will feel comfortable.

•Size may, but not always, influence things such as: class size, curricular offerings, and ease and access to professors.

•Large schools often have more activities, facilities and course offerings, but they also require the student to be more independent, responsible for planning their own education, and frequently, for making their own living arrangements.

•It is important to determine how committed a large school is to its undergraduate education compared to its emphasis on graduate programs & research.

•Small, usually, but not always, means more individual or personal attention. Housing is rarely an issue for smaller schools, as they can typically accommodate all their students.

•Almost 80% of private colleges in the US, and almost 25% of the public colleges, have enrollments of under 2,500. So limiting your search to colleges over 3,000 eliminates many excellent institutions.

One of the biggest mistakes students make is not being true to themselves. Too often they write/say what they think the admission officers want to hear rather than using the opportunity to let a side of themselves shine through.

Another big mistake is putting too much value on friends opinions. The college that is right for one student is not right for every student, so students need to form their own opinions about a college.

Before you do anything you need to ask yourself some questions.

Are you ready to go to college? College is fun, yes, but first and foremost, it is hard work. You need to be ready to commit to doing well in your classes. If you are not ready, be honest, there is nothing wrong with taking some time off to work, volunteer, travel (Gap Year).

Think about what type of college is best for you. Don't just look at the college(s) your parent(s) went to because they want you to. They went there at least 18 years ago, colleges have changed during that time and you are a different person. Likewise, don't just look at the large state university because that is the best football team or where all your friends will be going. Is a large college with many options better for you, or a smaller college with lots of personal attention? Do you want a college in a rural, suburban, or urban environment (they all have their pros and cons)?

Consider your strengths and weaknesses. You don't have to know exactly what you want to major in, but it does help if you have some general direction. Write down the areas you are considering so that when you look at colleges you can find ones that offer most of your interests. If you want to specialize your options will be more limited. Is there something you really do not want to take in college? (For example foreign language) Most colleges have core requirements or distribution requirements while in college so if you do not want to take a certain subject write that down so you can investigate which colleges don't require you to take it.

Make a list of anything that is important to you in your college (internship opportunities, study abroad, Greek life, clubs, etc.) so that you don’t forget to investigate those areas.

Keep in mind that every college has its pros and cons. Don’t look for the one perfect college, love all the colleges on your list.

This is a tough question to answer because generalizing is always dangerous, but the response will be pretty long if I give all the scenarios.

When you go out-of state you expose yourself to a wider range of thoughts and cultures. The further you go and the more you get out of your comfort zone the more you will stretch yourself as an individual and learn and grow.

Most students stay within 300 miles of their home. If you are willing to look at the outer reaches of this or beyond you may be more attractive to a college (geographic diversity) and they may be a little more lenient in the admission process.

You need to know yourself. Some students love the idea of doing something different and going someplace where they don't know anyone. Other students find those ideas frightening. If you need to get home frequently, it would be wise to stay within a reasonable proximity.

These types of questions are always tough because there are so many answers. Each college processes applications a little differently. At most selective colleges an application will be read by a minimum of two admissions professionals, and could be read by as many as four. Generally, the first reader is the regional admission officer--the person who knows the school and region, and may have met the student. The second (and maybe third)reader is random, any admission officer from the office. The folder would then go to "committee" for decision. The Dean always gets involved with applications that are "sensitive" or of "interest" for some reason.

At large universities with many applications and not enough staff, the application might only be read once. If it is a clear cut admit, the student will be admitted; if it is a clear cut deny, the student will be denied; if the decision is not clear cut it will probably be read again by the Dean or Director.

Regardless of the college, most want diversity. Diversity of race, religion, socio-economic background, geography, majors, thought, interests, etc. College would be pretty boring if everyone was the same. Every college has its own goals as far as academic profile, numbers in each major, athletes, musicians, etc. It is impossible to generalize about what the ideal class for a college looks like.

Using gender in the process is not allowed at public colleges, but at private colleges it will often be a factor. Most colleges prefer to stay as close to 50:50 male:female as possible. Thirty years ago, this favored women, now it favors men (more women are applying to college than men).

Most college admission offices are set up by regions or territories so the admission officer responsible for that territory knows most of the high schools well. If they don't know the school, they read the School Profile that is sent with the school credentials and will also call the counselor to learn more if needed.

It is always nice to see when a highly selective college accepts a truly wonderful person even though the "numbers" may not be as high as they normally want. It puts your faith back into the process to know that they do read thoroughly and recognized the potential.

One example is a young man who had done extremely well in very rigorous courses at a very challenging high school. He had glowing recommendations and strong involvement in a couple activities that were really important to him. He is a genuinely kind, fun, intelligent, motivated person. The only glitch was that his testing was not as strong as his grades. The scores were not low, they just were not in line with the rest of his profile. A number of very reputable "testing optional" colleges denied him, and yet one of the Ivies accepted him. He went and has thrived.

Colleges prefer online applications as your information is dumped right into their database so no one has to enter it. Also, most admission offices now have all the "files" online so the counselors can just review the student via the computer. Even documents that get mailed in are scanned into the students file. There are a few primary application services (such as the Common Application and Apply!), but the college will tell you how to access their application.

Some colleges allow it, some don't. If you send supplemental material it must actually add substance to your application. You don't want to waste the time of the person reading the applications by sending something frivolous that does nothing to enhance your application. It should also not be big and bulky, nor should it be long (they are trying to get through a large number of applications and may not have the time to watch/listen to a lengthy recording).

Most students tend to ask the same teachers and they wait until the fall of the senior year. If you ask your teachers in the spring of your junior year you have a better chance of the teacher agreeing to write it and of the teacher witing a more thoughtful recommendation because he or she will have more time to write it.

It can be helpful to the teacher if you give him or her a resume with your activities and also a sheet of paper explaining what was important to you about the class you had with him/her. Other information the teacher might find helpful includes: academic areas of interest (majors), summer plans, career aspirations, and colleges you are considering.

Generally, it is the junior year teachers that a student will ask to write the letters of recommendation. It is a good idea to have one letter that is from a math or science teacher and one letter that is from an English, or history, or language teacher.

You do not want to be a "grade grubber," but it is important to show that you care about learning (not just the grade), ask good questions, be a positive, productive member of the class. Get your work done well and on time, be pleasant, have a sense of humor. All these attributes can lead to positive letters.

Asking early is the smartest way to do this. If you ask your recommenders during the spring of your junior year, it gives them the time to write the letter. If you waited and it is now due to the college soon, the best way to speed it up is to ask the person very nicely and acknowledge that you know you are asking later than you should, and that you are very sorry and appreciative. Give the person information about yourself to help them with the letter such as a resume with your activities and also a sheet of paper explaining what was important to you about the class you had with him/her. Other information the teacher might find helpful includes: academic areas of interest (majors), summer plans, career aspirations, and colleges you are considering.

As early as possible. Even a little bit put away each month can add up over time. College is not free and while many families will get help, most are still expected to contribute some (depending on the family income).

Yes, through your high school counselor writing a letter requesting a fee waiver based on the family falling within the income guidelines in order to qualify.

Below are two links that are helpful for understanding the fee waivers:

http://sat.collegeboard.org/register/sat-fee-waivers

http://www.nacacnet.org/studentinfo/feewaiver/Pages/default.aspx

The rigor of your classes and your grades are the most important, but for the colleges that require the standardized tests, the scores are also very important. This does not mean they have a certain cut off, it is more holistic than that as they take all the information into consideration. The testing is the only common factor they have between all applicants, so it is useful to them and important to the extent that they deem it.

The biggest mistakes I see students make is not brushing up. This is especially important for students who are in advanced math--they think the math section will be easy, but they find they have forgotten much of the geometry because it has been a long time since they had it. In addition, they are often rusty on their basic algebra skills. Just working through an SAT prep book for a few weeks ahead of time will get it fresh in their minds.

It is important to you because it gives you a chance to show the college something about you that they are not seeing in the rest of your application. The essay gives you an opportunity to let your personality shine through.

It is important to the college because they can learn about a different side of you, but also get a sense of your writing skills. Writing an essay quickly and sending it off will hurt you as a reader can tell when a piece was written hastily. You want to write it and set it aside and revisit it, get some input from your counselor or teacher (not friends). Revise it again. Make sure it is not superficial and it does not just reiterate what can already be learned from the rest of your application

It can tie in very closely or somewhat loosely, but it should make sense with the rest of your application. If you write about something that is contradictory to other parts of your application, that will raise concerns as to the veracity of your essay. That said, you do not want to reiterate what has already been said in other parts of your application because you are then wasting an opportunity to tell the admission committee something new and interesting about yourself.

English teachers have the best intentions when helping students with college essays, but they don't always understand that a great English essay does not always make a great college essay. It is fine to break out of the 5 paragraph mold for a college essay, and it needs to tell about the applicant. It needs to have heart and depth. The college essay often frightens students because they think it has to be about some extraordinary event and they may not have something momentous to write about--that is OK. Actually, the best college essays I have read have been about mundane, everyday life. What made them great is that the students showed (did not tell) who they were through their writing.

Be honest: Do not try to market or package yourself in a particular way in order to impress colleges. While this is not a time to be humble, you also need to be very careful not to come across as egotistical. If you are a genuinely interesting, kind, and complex person, you should be able to write a sincere essay that expresses all of your complexities, and you should trust that the colleges will be impressed. On the other hand, if you try to imply things about yourself that simply aren't accurate or true, colleges are likely to see through it and regard your application with a cynical eye.

Yes, every college essay is read if the college has asked for it (and often even if they did not ask for it). The number of readers depends on the college's review process. It will be anywhere from one reader to four readers.

Yes, and it is expected, just as it is expected that the student will seek guidance when in college (this is what college Writing Centers are for). The proofreader can offer suggestions, but should not be writing/rewriting the essay. It always needs to be the students work and voice.

I think it is always best for a student to have an impartial person do the proofing. It is difficult for parents to remain unbiased and often it can cause a lot of added tension between the student and parent.

It is, however, a good idea for the parents to help the student brainstorm ideas for the essay prior to writing it.

Most colleges do not require interviews and many do not even offer them, but if you can have one it is usually a good idea. It shows significant interest in a college and gives the admissions office a face and a personality to put with an application, in addition to giving you an opportunity to have your specific questions addressed.

There are a few different types of interviews:

Regional—Admissions Representatives travels to a city & schedules appointments, usually in a hotel suite.

Alumni—Alumni conduct interviews in their home region for their alma mater. They are trained representatives, but you also need to bear in mind that they do not make admission decisions.

On-campus—Normally conducted by an Admissions Officer, though you could also be seen by a current student (senior). Usually, they are individual but some colleges do group interviews. Don’t think there is safety in numbers with this method though. They take note of how you interact within the group—do you dominate, do you participate appropriately, or are you a statue?

Phone/Web—If a college requires an interview and distance/time does not permit you to do one of the above options, a college may offer the opportunity to do a phone or web interview.

The term interview is rather misleading these days. While it used to be a time when students were “grilled” it is much more humane now. It is usually viewed as a conversation…the sharing of information. While they won’t ask you what you are going to do to contribute to world peace, they will expect you to be able to talk about what is important to you and why you are considering their institution.

Usually you will meet with the admission officer for about 20-30 minutes and then your parents will be brought in too, so their questions can be addressed. Be respectful of your parents, they are a part of this process & decision, too. Even if you are tired of traveling with them, or think they are asking embarrassing questions, refrain from the “Oh, Mom’s” or rolling the eyes. You don’t want the interviewer to get a bad impression of you. They are all quite used to talking with students and parents and chances are your parents won’t ask them any questions they haven’t answered many times before.

Admission Officers, Faculty, Alumni, and Student Interviewers are the most common. Sometimes colleges will use other administrators, and even parents of students.

Yes, you could be interviewed by a student. Don't think of these interviewers as less qualified than an Admission Officer because they have been selected through a competitive application and interview process and have been trained. In many ways these interviews can be very positive experiences because you are able to hear about their first hand (and recent) experiences at the college. Students usually feel more comfortable with the student interviewers, though it is important not to be TOO comfortable.

Be prepared for questions such as:

Who are you? What accomplishments, activities, people are most important to you? What and who made you into the person you are today? What interests you? What are your passions?

Where are you going? What are your goals? What are your dreams? How do you see yourself developing over the next five/ten years? What course of study are you thinking you’ll pursue?

Why this college? What is it about the confluence of your goals, your interests, your talents and your personal style that brings you to consider this college? What do you know about this college that tells you it would be a good match for you? How will this college help you reach your goals?

Make a list of questions. Questions that you cannot find the answers to by simply picking up their viewbook. Show you have put some thought and effort into it. It is okay to pull out your list of questions and ask them, it shows you are prepared and organized. Ask questions about topics such as scholarships, interesting research going on, hot issues on campus, what the interviewer would say is the greatest area in need of change.

Know your scores and grades. It is very frustrating, and a big red flag, to an admissions person to hear a student say “I don’t remember”. It is tempting to embellish a bit, but keep in mind, they will see your transcript and scores if you apply. Be honest!! It is a good idea to get an unofficial copy of your transcript to take with you.

First, it is important to know that there are different Divisions and while you don’t really have to know what distinguishes one Division from another (numbers of stadium seats for examle!), it is important to understand that there are some critical differences between the levels.

Division I has I-A and I-AA for football and I for all other sports. This is the most competitive level for college athletics and is highly regulated. As an athlete on a Div. I team you need to expect to devote a considerable amount of time to your sport (consider it as though it were a full time job). Division II is also very competitive and regulated, though there are fewer and fewer DII colleges left. Division III can run the gamut from quite competitive to much weaker, and does not have athletic scholarships, it also does not demand quite as much of a time commitment as Divisions I & II (and I-A & I-AA).

Then there are the Club sports. These are teams that compete intercollegiately, but are not at the Div. I, II, or III level. Often the teams are competitive, but also have a lot of fun. Many colleges with a Div. I team in a sport will also have a club level team so that more students can participate in the sport.

First, there is the obvious route--that you are such an outstanding player the college coaches have heard about you and are clamboring at your door. But since the students falling in this catagory are less common than people think, the usual route is to contact the coaches at the colleges you are interested in attending. Let them know of your interest and of your stats, if they want to follow up, they will. Camps are another avenue since college coaches will often go to see the talent. It is not unusual for studnets to be "seen" at one of the camps and begin getting interest from coaches as a result.

At a conservatory you will be dancing most of the day as that is what you are there for. You will have few classes outside of ballet.

At a college, it will be your major, but you will take ballet classes along with your other classes. A college will require you to take courses in the math & science area, the social sciences, language & culture, etc. Generally about 1/3 of your college credits will be in your major area.

That depends on your training and your interersts. I have known students with arts majors go into informal art therapy (music therapy, art therapy, acting therapy), a student with an interest in biology who illustrated biology text books, working in art galleries and museums, etc. It is helpful to continue to try keep your foot in the door by staying as active in your area as possible and to make connections in the arts world.

The freshman retention rate tells you the percentage of students who return for their second year. This is important because the lower percentages of student returning usually indicates the college has many dissatisfied students. There can be many reasons students are not satisfied but it is a red flag to you as you are selecting your college. Ask the college why students leave. Ask students why students leave. Make an informed decision.

Yes, colleges can and do rescind offers of admission. They will do so for poor grades on your final transcript and/or for school expulsions, suspensions, honor violations, and tangles with the law depending on the situation. They will want to know the circumstances and will evaluate the situation case by case. Colleges tend to take a hard line with illegal substances, violent crimes, and honor violations.

How can you protect yourself? Be smart. The offer of admission is not permission to go crazy. Your grades need to stay at your usual level of performance and you can't do anything dishonorable or illegal.

Yes. Colleges feel that if the parent is overly involved now then the parent will be overly involved even when the student is in college. Why would they knowingly bring in a student/family that is going to be high maintenance? This is especially true of the colleges that have far more applicants than spots in the class, they have the luxury of being selective. Colleges expect their students to be mature, independent young adults who can advocate for themselves.

Colleges do not tell you how your child is doing. I know--they make you pay, but they will not tell you anything--very frustrating. But those are the laws. They cannot, legally, devulge any information to you unless your child has signed permission for them to do so. Most parents circumvent this by just making the student give them the student account login information, that way parents can see when the student needs more meal money/book store money on their student card, as well as the grades.

Parents should be there, but should walk behind the student, allowing the student to take the lead and ask the questions. It is fine for the parents to ask a few questions, but only a few. It is helpful if you have discussed some topics ahead of time so you all have an idea of what is important to you.

The parents can also take a picture here and there of the child in front of key landmarks on the campus to help the child remember the campus later.

Grab the school newspaper when you see it around campus.

If the child is interviewing, the child should go up to the reception desk and check in for the appointment.

If visiting your alma mater, refrain from the "when I was here" statements.

The college process does not need to be as stressful as people make it. Independent College Consultants can help relieve a lot of the stress because they answer the questions and help keep the student on track. Starting early is a big one. Not just with the search process, but with the application process. The student should start on the applications in the summer. The biggest part of the stress comes from waiting until the last minute. They look at the application and think it doesn't look too long and won't be too bad, but when they actually start it they realize it takes a lot more thought and effort than they expected.

Do what you need to do in a timely manner. Your parents are stressing you out because you are stressing them out. If you do your school work and applications early (no procrastination) then they will have more confidence in you and back off. If you are doing this already, sit them down and talk with them. Ask them "Why they are so stresed out?" then work on a solution together. Always remember, your parents want the best for you and are trying to help you, they just sometimes have a frustrating way of showing it.

You need to look closely at your profile (types of classes, grades, testing, activities, etc.) and if your profile is a fairly even match for at least 2 colleges on your list, and is much stronger than at least two colleges on your list, you should be set. Then you can apply to as many other colleges as you want. Remember, it is always important to always view each college on your list as a place you would be happy to attend. Do not apply thinking you will never go because that defeats the purpose of having them on your list in the first place. If you are open mined and do your research well you will find 6-10 colleges that will match you well (a good counselor can help with this).

Early Decision is important for all students. That said, the student must be applying early to the college because he/she feels that college is the best match. Colleges that offer ED do so because it offers many benefits for them: they get students who want their college, they can be more selective in the regular round because they already know they have a certain percentage of their class (often 27%-39%), and it helps spread out their applications over a longer period of time. Most colleges will be a little more lenient during ED than they are in the larger regular pool, so it can help a student gain admission. Even if a student is not admitted early, the fact that the student applied early can help a bit when the college reviews the application again (though the student is no longer bound to the ED agreement). A student should NOT apply ED just to "get it over with." Invetibaly, when a student applies ED for the wrong reasons, it ends up to be a poor match.

That depends on your financial situation. Many US colleges are not able to give financial assistance to international students, but many are able to help. If your family cannot afford to pay for college it makes sense to apply for financial aid. It also helps to be willing to consider colleges you may not be as familiar with because they freqeuntly want to attract international students. As a result, they will often help fund all or part of your education.

You need to submit recent testing and documentation to the College Board and they will determine if your particular learning disability qualifies you for extra time. Apply at least a few months before you need to take the SAT, SAT Subject Test, or the AP exams so you have time to be processed through before the test date.

The student needs to self-identify by sending the recent testing and documentation (usually within the last 3 years) to the college's student disability services office. The college will let you know how they will be able to accomodate you. Not every college is set up to fully serve every student's needs.

Many colleges have far better support services for students than most high schools, but that does not mean all do. It is very much a case by case situation. You need to look closely at the services provided by the colleges you are considering. If you need a more comprehensive program it might be smart to hire a consultant to help you. It can become overwhelming to navigate and a consultant who knows about LD services will know which colleges have better programs. There are not actually a lot of colleges with the highest level, most thorough services.