How to Compare Financial Aid Offers
As soon as the excitement of all of the acceptance letters wears off, it's time for the incredibly difficult decision of what college you'll ultimately attend. Different financial aid packages make this time a lot tougher.
Read about ways to compare financial aid offers and learn which each type of financial aid means. In this new article, I discuss the pros and cons of scholarships, grants, work study, and federal and private loans.
Senioritis: The Miracle Cure of Burnout, Other Student Disorders
Modern students are bred to run in a hamster wheel for 13 years, churning out A's and awards from Kindergarten to their Senior year. It is hard to maintain perspective when students are used to believing that every school assignment determines their future. And when Senior year finally hits, what used to be a final semester of wood shop, football, and partying has become a nightmare of AP tests, GPA points, and resume building.
It doesn't have to be that way. In fact, not only will a little Spring slacking not hurt students, it may actually help them. They've already been accepted to college, so why not take it easy for the first time in years?
But, you cry, won't colleges revoke the admission of students who do poorly in their final semester? Welcome to one of the biggest myths regarding college applications. Only 35% of universities reverse admissions according to the National Association for College Admission Counseling. One of the Deans of Admissions surveyed reports that he's revoked admission only eight times in 21 years. So yes, it can happen. But it probably won't.
There's a very bright line between relaxing a bit and completely dropping out of school, of course. Failing tests is bad, but cutting off studying to get into bed by 11 is fine.
Parents, ease off the reins a bit and encourage your son or daughter to study less and play more. This is his or her last year of high school, after all, and he or she has a daunting few years ahead in college, and then a daunting lifelong career afterward. Let them have fun now before they forget how. Students with admissions letters in hand are in the perfect position to finally stop being so focused on admissions, relax, and recuperate. They should never be made to feel guilty about embracing the last few months of youth before college and adulthood.
Students, stop memorizing textbooks and mastering exams. Take a breath, hang out with friends, and enjoy your final months of high school. If you've never been to a high school football game, go to one. Dance at your prom. Don't grind, but rather stop and relax. Appreciate the easier rhythm of the end of your pre-college life, and never think of these months as an academic slump, but rather as your chance to recharge and relearn how to have fun like you did outside of the SAT prep classroom.
Have a question or comment? 1 person does.Is an Online College right for me?
Online college programs -- also known as distance learning -- is a relatively new concept that many people are still skeptical about. USA Today reported that just a scant 33% of professors trust online learning.
This does not mean, however, that there is no value to online college. In fact, many programs nowadays will yield a degree identical and every bit as well-respected and accepted as a traditional one. But is a distance learning program right for you?
Remember that:
- In online colleges, most of the material you learn is text-based. This is bad for those of you like to have things explained by teachers.
- Even though there are online chatrooms and bulletin boards to talk to your peers, most of the work is done individually. Those who like a group setting may be uncomfortable with this.
- You make your own schedule and are responsible for your own education. If you have problems staying organized or tend to procrastinate, this may get you in trouble.
If you think an online program may be right for you, then don't be scared away. An online college is still one of the most flexible and convenient ways to earn a degree. Just remember that you will have to work just as hard and make just as much of a commitment as would be required in a traditional, physical college.
For more information, be sure to read my article about Common Questions and Concerns about Online Degrees. It's also a good idea to read up on phony online colleges and How to Spot a Diploma Mill.
Have a question or comment? Leave me one.Ivy League Admissions Statistics for 2007
The news that the amount of students applying to college skyrocketed for 2008 has worried many applicants. To calm fears, I have taken a look at the average recent application and compared it with the 2007 applications and admissions rates (as well as data from previous years) and have discovered that the selectivity of many elite ivy league colleges has not changed to a degree that many may expect.
For comparison purposes, here are some top schools' admissions statistics from 2007:
| SAT scores by percentile | ||||
| Acceptance Rate | Students in top 10% of HS class | 25th | 75th | |
| Brown | 13.5% | 94% | 2010 | 2290 |
| Columbia | 10.4% | 88% | 1980 | 2200 |
| Harvard | 9.0% | 90% | 2080 | 2370 |
| University of Pennsylvania | 17.7% | 91% | 1980 | 2250 |
| Princeton | 10.2% | 95% | 2050 | 2360 |
| Yale | 8.6% | 95% | 2080 | 2370 |
What should this mean to me?
If you fit into an accepted student profile for 2007, chances are good that you will also match the profile for 2008 or beyond. Despite the greater number of applications to each of the ivy league colleges, I expect that the admissions statistics for 2008 will remain relatively unchanged. Scoring in the top 10% of your high school's graduating class will still be the utmost importance, along securing an SAT score comfortably within the bounds of the 25th and 75th percentiles.
Application statistics may have gone way up for 2008, but it does not appear that admissions statistics will be fundamentally different.
After 646-204 and 70-620, most of the 220-601 professionals land great jobs. A few insist on going for 70-649 as well as 642-901 before settling down in their careers.
Have a question or comment? 2 people do.Reader Question: Will One Bad Semester Kill Me?
Reader and high school senior Gigi has submitted a college admissions question likely shared by many students in her position:
during my senior year in high school (last year), my parents decided that they wanna move to bakersfield, [California]... and that decision pretty much just ruined my senior year in high school... my grades dropped... my GPA was, i think, about 2.0... or even lower... not sure...
i was a complete stranger in a new school, with no friends whatsoever... it really affected my life and grades...
i'm wondering if i'm even eligible for college...
Terrific question, Gigi.
Remember that college admissions committees are not full of robots. They are real people who genuinely want to work with you to help you succeed. Since you had a tough senior year in high school, that is something you will want to address in your personal statement. Talk about the difficulties associated with moving to a new place, and then explain that you feel that you are ready to return to your academics and excel again. If you discuss your situation exactly as you have in your letter, the admissions officers will understand.
Remember that it's not about making excuses or casting blame, but rather persuading the admissions officers to believe that one semester or one year of grades does not accurately reflect your abilities as a student. Then, tell your story and why you believe you're ready to overcome the difficulties you had.
If you are not able to get accepted by any of your preferred California state colleges, remember that community college is always a viable option. If you finish two years, and do reasonably well, you could transfer to a California State University without having to take the SAT or ACT. You could also look into some of the admissions programs offered by the Universities of California (UCs) including the Transfer Admissions Guarantees of UCs Davis, Irvine, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz, or the similar Transfer Alliance Program of UCLA. Each offer either guaranteed admission or priority consideration if you transfer from a participating community college. Many other states have similar transfer programs as well.
Best of all, you'll save money (community colleges are way cheaper than universities) and in the end, it won't be any different than if you had gotten into your college of choice in the first place. Your diploma will say only the school you transferred to.
The most important thing is to stay calm and keep perspective. Just because you had one less-than-stellar year does not mean your opportunities are lost forever. I would recommend calling a few local community colleges to ask about their transfer programs. They will be able to make some recommendations for what you should look into initially.
Good luck!
Have a question or comment? 5 people do.