Here's What Colleges Want From You!

Between SAT scores, extracurricular activities and GPAs, the process of deciphering what colleges are looking for can seem complex and daunting! Here’s a quick and easy to follow list of what many colleges are looking for in their prospective students to help make the process easier. While some of the items are old standbys, some things on the list may surprise you!

1. A great letter of recommendation. A good word from people you’ve worked with or for is a helpful source of insight into your character.

2. A challenging high school course load. This shows schools that you’re committed to
academics and that you used your time in high school wisely.

3. Good grades with an upward trend. Grades that show you’re working hard and are
consistently improving are very important to colleges.

4. Work and/or community service experience. Real world experience helps to show that
you’re a well-rounded person.

5. Involvement in extracurricular activities. Like work or community service, extracurricular involvement is a great way to show that you’re a well-rounded person with a passion for something. This can help you stand out.

6. Solid test scores. While the importance of these has dropped slightly over the years, they are still a crucial staple for many college admissions offices.

7. An outstanding essay. Essays allow college admissions offices to get a more personal look at the student behind the application. This is the time to show off your skills, insights, and talent for writing.

Knowing what’s important can be the key to getting into the school of your dreams or a college that’s a great fit socially, academically and financially. And who doesn’t want that?!

Don’t Forget to Check the Status of Your College Applications

Some of you may have heard back from colleges, some may not.  Don’t get discouraged.

All colleges provide a timeline of when important documents are due.  Closely monitor the timeline so you don’t miss out on the little things.  As time goes on, remember to:

Make sure applications are complete

Check in with the colleges to ensure they have received all the necessary application documents.  Many colleges have online profiles for the applicants; log into your account and see the status of your application.

Send mid-year grades

Many colleges require mid-year grades.  Take the time to go to your guidance counselor and request having your transcripts sent.  Use this opportunity to update colleges about any information that may have changed.

Send SAT/ACT scores

Whether you are taking the SAT/ACT for the first time or are retaking the test, don’t forget to send your scores to all of the colleges to which you applied.

Keep all applications on file

Keep hard copies of all your applications on file.  You never know when you will have to refer back to them.

Be patient as you wait to hear from colleges.  I wish you the best of luck!

Junior Year and the Dreaded College Search

Now is the time to start planning for your college career!

Junior year is known for beginning the college search and preparing for the search and application process.  It can all seem daunting, so here are some tips to help make your junior year more manageable:

Narrow down potential majors

Talk with your guidance counselor and schedule a time to take career tests and assessments.  These can be very useful in identifying your strengths, narrowing down your interests, and pointing you toward possible career paths.

Attend college fairs

College fairs are a valuable resource to gain additional information about a wide variety of colleges.  There will be admissions representatives present for each college, so it is a great way to ask questions and learn more.  For more information about college fairs, read my blog post College Fairs- Helpful Hints to Help Your Child Stand Out.

Create a list of colleges

Create a list of colleges that you are interested in; try to keep the list between 10-15 colleges.  When creating your list, don’t forget to consider important criteria such as: majors offered, location, public vs. private, financial aid options available, demographics of the campus, size, tuition costs, housing options, extracurricular activities, student-faculty ratio, etc.  

Visit colleges before applying

Schedule college visits before applying.  Even if you plan to go on a scheduled campus tour, plan your visit so you can also explore the surrounding community.  Don’t be afraid to ask questions; make a pro/con list of each school so that later you can accurately -recall details of each campus.  The college will be your home for four years, so you want to make sure you will feel comfortable there. 

Colleges monitor students’ interest in their school.  Not only will visiting the schools help you narrow down what you want in a college, but it will show the college that you are interested in them as more than a backup or safety school.

Get to know your teachers

Colleges require students to submit letters of recommendation along with their admissions application.  Get to know some of your favorite teachers.  They will be a valuable resource when it comes to asking for letters of recommendation.

Grades

If you have a low GPA it’s not too late to turn it around.  Colleges look at trends in your GPA, so if you have slacked off, you still have time to show colleges that you’re taking your education seriously.  If you do very well your junior and senior years, colleges will notice your efforts.  

Don’t forget about standardized tests

Deadlines for standardized tests are fast approaching! Make a timetable for SAT/ACT.

March 9^th is the deadline for the ACT http://www.actstudent.org/

April 6^th is the deadline for the SAT so begin thinking and studying for the SAT http://sat.collegeboard.org/home

Begin to prepare for AP exams.  Remember you can get college credit, so the time you spend studying for the exam could save you from taking a course in college.  Put forth the effort now and it will pay off in the future.

There are many study guides available to help you prepare for all standardized tests.

Begin thinking about senior year course selection

Consider taking upper level courses such as Honors, AP, and community college courses.  AP courses and classes at your local community college are great ways to earn college credits.  It shows colleges your intellectual curiosity and dedication to hard work.

Plan for summer

Start planning now so you can make effective use of your summer.  Begin to think of possible jobs or internships and schedule additional college visits.

Here are some additional resources for high school juniors.

The College Board’s action plan for juniors: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/action/juniors.html

PSAT is in: Now What

Many families have received or are about to receive the PSAT results for their 11th grade student . Most high schools present the results to students in their English classes and ask that the score report and booklet be taken home to parents. Unfortunately, most families will have no idea what to do with it. Read on for some suggestions.

1. Consider the score: Over my 15 years of practice with high school students, the most consistent response I get to "How did you do on your PSAT?" is "Awful!" No one explains to students that they still have almost two full years to go before the end of high school and that the number score is much less important than the percentile into which they fall.  For example, if a student sees a 58 on the Math section, he or she assumes that this is not a good harbinger for the SAT. If the student looked at the percentile for this score, 76%, she or he would have realized that this percentile puts him or her in the top 24% of the country. Further analysis of the section would show that the student completed all questions without using the strategy of leaving out questions for which at least one answer could not be eliminated. This lack of strategic approach to the PSAT made the student lose points for incorrect guesses.

2. Understand what to do with the booklet: The booklet is the actual test and the student can compare it to the right and wrong answers on the score report. By doing this, what was answered incorrectly can be examined to determine if it was a careless mistake or if the student does not understand a concept that is necessary to do better on the SAT. Once this analysis is done, the student should make a list of the missed questions that s/he does not understand and go to the appropriate teacher for an explanation of the concept so that there is an understanding of the concept or how to do the calculation.

3. Know that the PSAT is not identical to the SAT: The discrepancy between the two tests lies in the Writing section. There is no essay on the PSAT. The PSAT Writing section is simply a grammar test. Therefore, students who do not understand grammar will do quite poorly on this section of the PSAT. On the other hand, the student may have respectable essay writing skills in the sense that s/he can make a point and support it in a written argument, which will raise the Writing score on the SAT. This is not to say that grammar is unimportant; it is very important. Unfortunately, we have not stressed grammar in schools for many years and students are bearing the brunt of this decision. I advise students who want to do well to get a basic grammar book and study. Ask your English teacher to help you if you don't understand. Practice writing a standard five paragraph persuasive essay and apply this skill to the SAT.

4. Realize that if you don't read regularly, you will not do well on the Critical Reading section: Reading is a skill that must be developed over time. When students proudly announce to me that they "Hate reading" or "Never read," I suggest that they do 20 minutes of reading each night before bed and build up to at least 45 minutes of sustained reading in order to build the skill. I really don't care what is being read, just that the student is reading. Just as muscles will be weak without working out, reading will be weak without practice. Unless the student reads regularly, s/he will not be able to read quickly or with understanding and this will have a profound effect not only on the SAT score, but also on the likelihood of success in college where there is so much reading to be done often without feedback except for the test on the material.

The PSAT is a great tool but, like many tools, few understand how to properly use it for maximum effect. I hope that you will use it correctly and enhance your skills before the SAT.