College admissions is competitive,

The best time to visit a college campus is when college is in session. That way you have a chance to interact with students other than your tour guide and you have a better sense of whether the college is a good fit for you.

Small School Pros -

- It is more likely that your classes will be small and that you can get to know your professors better

- It is more likely that you can participate in the extracurricular activities of your choice

- Teaching is likely to be valued more highly than research at a smaller school

Big school pros -

- It is more likely that there will be more majors and more activities to choose from at a big school than at a small school.

- A student who wants to be anonymous, may prefer a big school to a small school

- A big school is more likely to have a nationally-known sports team than a small school

Some colleges have supplements to the common app because they want to learn more information about the prospective student.

Common questions on the supplement include:

-- What college in the University the student is interested in attending?

-- What is your intended major?

-- Have you visited the college?

-- Have you had an interview?

-- Have other family members attended this college?

Often there are one or more additional essays in the supplement. A common essay in the Supplement is some variation of "Why do you want to attend College X?"

The essay is one way students can stand out. Students should make sure that the essay lets the admissions officer learn something important about you that does not appear elsewhere on the application and demonstrates how well you write.

Most colleges allow students to apply online. Sometimes colleges waive their application fee if a student applies online, instead of using a paper application.

The Common Application is a not-for-profit organization that provides an undergraduate admission application. Students can use this application at over 450 member colleges or universities.

Pick teachers who know you well, that you believe have a good impression of you, and that can relate specific positive experiences in the letter of recommendation. Schedule an appointment to ask the teacher, in private, if they feel comfortable writing a solid letter of recommendation for you. Describe your plans for college. Tell the teacher why you selected them and remind them of highlights like an outstanding paper you prepared in their class. Give the teacher a copy of your resume and transcript, the colleges you are applying to, as well as any recommendation forms they need with due dates.

If you plan ahead, you can give recommendation letter writers adequate time and information (e.g., why you selected them, highlights of your experience with them, a resume, a transcript, colleges you are applying to, due dates for recommendation letters, and hard copy forms with stamped addressed envelopes, if needed) to complete a great, on-time the teacher recommendation.

Start saving for college when your child is born. If you are past that point, start saving now!

Yes. Application fees are waived based on financial need. Some colleges waive their application fee if you use an on-line application. Other collees waive their application fee if you visit the college, prior to submitting the application.

A 529 plan is a tax-advantaged investment used to save money for future college expenses of a designated beneficiary, usually a child. There are two types of 529 plans: prepaid and savings.

Prepaid plans allow one to purchase tuition credits at today's rates to be used in the future. Twelve states provide a prepaid tuition plan.

Savings plans value grows based upon the performance of the underlying investments, typically mutual funds. 529 savings plans typically offer age-based asset allocation options. The investments become more conservative as the beneficiary gets closer to college age.

Prepaid plans are administered by states or colleges. Savings plans are administered by states. Record-keeping and administrative services are often delegated to a financial services company.

A 529 plan can provide an easy hands-off way to save for college. Once you decide which 529 plan to use, you complete an enrollment form and make a contribution or sign up for automatic deposits. The ongoing investment is handled by the plan, not by the donor. Plan assets are professionally managed. 529 plans generally have low minimum start-up and contribution requirements.

Students who did well in their AP exams may be able to complete college in less than four years, thus saving the expenses for one or two semesters.

Financial aid may be made up of need-based aid and merit-based aid.

For need-based aid, Financial Need is is computed as:

Cost of Attendence minus the Expected Financial Contribution.

The Cost of Attendence is the cost of tuition and fees, room and board, books and expenses, travel and miscellaneous personal expenses for one year at a particular college.

The Expected Financial Contribution is the amount of money a student and their family are expected to contribute for an academic year. It takes into consideration items such as wages, savings, parent age, number of children in college. It is computed using the FAFSA, CSS PROFILE and/or college financial aid forms.

A college may meet 100 per cent or less of the Financial Need through grants, loans and work study.

Merit-based aid is a scholarship determined based on merit, skill, or unique characteristic and it does not need to be paid back. Often, students must fill out an application and meet specific criteria to be considered for merit aid.

Often, by the time that students are accepted off the wait list, there is little or no money available for financial aid.

If there is a significant change in a student's family financial circumstances (e.g., parent dies, parent loses their job, significant family medical expense), the student can appeal their financial aid package with the college's financial aid office. The student should write a letter of appeal documenting the specifics of the change.

Work Study is a type of need-based financial aid awarded to students. It consists of a paid job on campus.

I recommend that students take an SAT I practice test and an ACT practice test and see which one they do better on. They should focus on preparing for the test they did better on. Typically, I suggest students take the test twice: once in the middle of the junior year and once in the end of the junior year.

In addition, students should check if the schools they are applying to require that they take any SAT II Subject tests.

Standardized test scores are one of the top ten items that most colleges look for in an applicant. At many colleges, standardized test scores follow a rigorous high school curriculum and strong grades in importance. Having said this, students and parents should realize that a group of over 800 four-year colleges have gone test optional. Often these colleges want something submitted (e.g., a graded paper, an extra essay) in lieu of the SAT I or ACT scores.

The SAT or ACT scores are generally a very important part of the application. However, they are not as important as they used to be because now over 850 four year colleges have gone test-optional. For a list of these colleges, see http://www.fairtest.org/.

Definitely! Have someone proofread your essay. You don't want an essay with typos or grammatical errors or an essay with the name of the wrong college.

Here are some do's and don'ts for the admissions essay from college admissions officers:

-- "Don't write an essay that any one of a thousand other seniors could write."

-- "Write on a topic that is important to you and one with which you have firsthand experience."

-- Think of the choice or subject and the first writing as simply sharing some part of yourself with a friend."

-- "Be yourself."

-- "We aren't looking for perfection; we are looking for people who are truly interesting - to themselves and to others."

-- "Don't have others edit it and correct it until you cannot hear your own voice anymore."

-- "Avoid writing an essay that will embarrass the reader."

Here are some components of a great college essay. It:

-- Gets the admissions officer to learn something important about you that does not appear elsewhere on the application.

-- Focuses on a narrow topic, that you have firsthand experience with.

-- Could only have been written by you.

-- Relates the essay topic back to you.

-- Includes vivid descriptions, specific details, examples, and anecdotes

-- Is interesting, well-written, and follows the essay instructions

The college interview is typically conducted by admissions personnel or by alumni.

- Follow my interview preparation tips.

- Be on time. Turn off your cell phone and other electronics.

- Dress appropriately. Boys should wear slacks (not jeans), a button down shirt or polo shirt tucked in with a belt, dress shoes or loafers with socks. Girls should wear a blouse (not low cut and not with spaghetti straps) with a skirt or pants (not jeans) and shoes.

- Don't chew gum.

- Shake hands firmly with the interviewer.

- Listen carefully to what is being asked.

- Speak clearly.

- Share information that you want the interviewer to know about you.

- Ask questions you have about the college

- Smile and maintain eye contact during the interview.

- Don't bring your parents to the interview.

- Hand write a personal thank you note to the interviewer when you get home.

-- Become familiar with the college before the interview.

-- Think about what you want the interviewer to learn about you.

-- Think about 3 or 4 strengths or experiences you want to share.

-- Think about what weaknesses you want to explain..

-- Anticipate questions that may arise because of anything unusual in your application.

-- Prepare a few questions you have about the school.

-- Prepare a binder or folder with paper, pen, a copy of your resume, your SAT/ACT scores, your GPA, and questions you have for the interviewer.

The factors that are important in selecting a college depend on what is important to you. Some typical factors (in no particular order) are:

- Academics

- Majors offered

- Facilities (e.g., labs, libraries)

- Availability of Internships or co-op opportunities

- Job placement of graduates

- Per cent of students who continue on to graduate school

- Study abroad opportunities

- How hard it is to get admitted

- Size

- Location

- Distance from Home

- Cost

- Availability of financial aid

- Religious or political influence

- Ethnicity of the student body

- Gender mix of the school

- Greek life

- Safety

- Whether students commute or live on campus

- Extracurricular activities

- Spectator sports

Freshmen retention rates tell you what percent of first year students complete their first year of college and will remain in the same college for their sophomore year. High freshmen retention rates are a good indication that most freshmen have made a successful transition into the college community and are satisfied with the education they are receiving. Low freshmen retention rates are a warning sign that students are not making a successful transition into this college and/or that they are unsatisfied with the education they received.

Colleges can revoke admissions for a number of reasons including a significant change in grades in the senior year or finding out that an applicant has lied or plagiarised on their application. Don't let senioritis set in and always be truthful on your application.

Ask the tour guide questions that concern you, where the answer isn't readily available on the college website. For example you may want to know how available the professors are, why the tour guide selected this college, what kind of student would fit in the college, and what students do on a typical weekend.

The National Survey For Student Engagement (NSSE) provides a great, free guide entitled "A Pocket Guide to Choosing a College: Questions to ask on your college visits" that I recommend. It focuses on questions in five areas:

- Supportive campus environment

- Enriching experiences

- Student-faculty interaction

- Active Learning

- Challenging academics

In addition to the tour, try and do some or all of the following:

- Attend an info session

- Eat a meal on campus

- Read the school newspaper

- Talk to students and faculty

- Sit in on a class

- Stay overnight

- Have an interview

- Visit the surrounding neighborhood

- Talk with the financial aid office

- Meet with “key” personnel based on your needs/interests

- Take notes and photos.

If you have been waitlisted for your first-choice college, contact admissions and let them know you really want to go to their college and that if you are accepted off of the wait list, you will attend. Send them any new information that will shed a good light on you (e.g., strong Senior grades, new awards or honors, new leadership positions).

If you are waitlisted for your #1 college, and you get into your #2 college, accept the offer of your #2 college and pay your non-refundable deposit. If you subsequently are accepted to your #1 college, you will be able to attend it if you want. Recognize that you will lose your deposit from your #2 college and you will probably not get any financial aid from your #1 college.

Hopefully all the colleges you applied to are ones you would be happy attending. If you are not sure what your third choice college is, you may want to:

- Sit down and make a list of the important features of college and how your potential colleges compare to that list.

- List the academic, social and finacial pros and cons of the potential colleges.

- (Re-)visit the potential colleges.

If you are a student with Learning Differences and/or ADHD, I recommend that you research and visit with the personnel in the departments that provide disability services at the college. These services may be in one department or spread over several departments with names like Disability Support Services, Office of Disability Support, Learning Support Center, and Academic Support Center. Think about what information you need to help you decide whether the program meets your needs.

Some questions you may have are:

- What is the philosophy of the program?

- How many professionals are on staff?

- What services, accommodations, workshops, and adaptive technology are available?

- What is the procedure for students to receive accommodations from a professor?

- How many tutors are on staff? Are they peer or professional tutors? How often can students be tutored? What subjects is tutoring available for?

- Are there organizational coaches?

- How many students are accepted in the program each year? How many apply?

- Is there a fee for the program? How much is the fee?

- How does the graduation rate for students in the program compare to the overall graduation rate?

- What documentation is needed to apply for the program? Is there a separate application for the program? Is an interview required?

- Is there an orientation before the freshman year?

Whether to disclose a disability during the application process is a personal decision. The college is prohibited from asking a student about a disability and may not deny admission because of that disability. Colleges are not required to waive or lower their admission criteria if a student discloses.

A student might want to disclose if they have something to gain from disclosure. For example, a student might want to disclose if the disclosure explains poor academic performance prior to being diagnosed with a learning disability or if the student wants to highlight how they have learned to adapt and make adjustments to their learning style.

If the student is applying to a special disability services program requiring a separate application, they may need to disclose during the application process. Sometimes, this application is not needed until after the student has been accepted to the college.

Yes. Different colleges have different levels of support available to students with learning differences: minimal, moderate, comprehensive, and developmental services.

Schools with minimal services are the most common. Typically, they provide basic accommodations, don't have a professional learning specialist, lack a distraction-reduced test environment and may have peer tutors. A student with a learning difference generally needs to advocate for himself at a college with minimal services.

Schools with moderate services typically have many accommodations, a learning center staffed by a degreed professional, staff who will help advocate for the student, a distraction-reduced test environment, peer or professional tutors, support groups and/or workshops, specialized summer orientation programs (which may have a fee), and student-initiated organizational and study skills assistance.

Comprehensive programs generally charge a fee. These programs typically have a full-time director and additional staff. The staff may be involved in admissions and may communicate with teachers to advocate for the student. They typically have a Support Center with a distraction-reduced test environment and trained proctors. They also typically have support workshops; groups for support, self-advocacy and social skills; specialized summer orientation programs; and organizational and study skills tutoring, typically meeting 3 to 5 hours per week in small groups or individually.

Developmental programs also are fee-based. Typically they are a two-year core curriculum within a four-year college. These programs typically have specially chosen teachers and specific courses offered. They provide a structured, supportive environment and typically meet more times per week to build skills work into the class schedule. Often they will accept students with a lower GPA or SAT/ACT scores than the rest of the college.

Students who have a current professionally diagnosed and documented disability which requires extra time may receive either 50% extra time or 100% extra time on the SAT.

Your documentation should show both that you have a disability and that you require an extra time accommodation because of that disability.

The College Board who administers the SAT says "a student who requests extended time should have documentation that demonstrates difficulty taking tests under timed conditions. In most cases, the documentation should include scores from both timed and extended/untimed tests, to demonstrate any differences caused by the timed conditions".

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To receive disability support services at college students usually need current, comprehensive documentation from a certified/licensed professional including a diagnosis and recommendations for accommodations. Students provide this documentation to the disability support office at the college and they will determine what services are "reasonable".

Some accommodations provided in high school may not be provided in college. IEPs and 504 plans "expire" when students graduate high school.

In college, the law doesn't require accommodations that fundamentally alter the essential requirements of a course, the college to change their core curriculum, or for the college to provide assistance that is personal in nature. The focus in college is on avoiding discrimination and on making students into independent learners through assistive technology and/or compensatory strategies.

How a school is ranked (e.g., by US News and World Report), does not answer the question whether this school is a good match for you. To evaluate a college, compare it to the criteria you have established as being important (e.g, for academics, social life/extr-curricular activities, and cost/financial aid).

The official website will provide you with important facts and figures about the college, as well as information on the college's mission. In addition, it may provide you with some subjective information like the school newspaper and student blogs.

When applying to colleges, it is important for you to understand the school's selectivity. The more selective a college is, the less likely it is that you will get accepted even if you are a qualified candidate. Selectivity is not a measure of how good a fit the college is. it is a measure of how likely it is that you will receive the "fat" envelope with an acceptance letter.

Some important facts or statistics are:

-- Facts or statistics related to the college criteria that are important to you

-- The college results of the National Survey of Student Engagement (http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/nsse.htm)

-- Four year graduation rate

-- Freshman retention rate

-- Average class size

-- The middle 50% GPA and test scores

-- Selectivity

-- % of financial need met

-- Average college debt of graduates.