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Building Your College List

+Introduction

ü Who We Are

ü Structure of Presentation

ü Your Role

ü Q&A

+Principles to Remember

ü This process is about CHOICE. You’re in charge.

ü Shift your mindset from “The Best College” to “The Best-FIT College for Me”

ü Researching and choosing colleges is one of the first big decisions that most students will make. Parents, let them make it!

+Terms to Know

Application Plans

v Early Decision I

v  Early Decision II

v  Early Action [Single Choice]

v  Early Action [Non-Restricted]

v  Rolling

+Terms to Know

Standardized Testing

ü  Test-Optional

ü  Score Choice

ü  SAT Subject Tests

ü SAT vs. ACT

+Terms to Know

Financial Aid

²  FAFSA

² CSS Profile

² Merit Aid

² Need-Blind vs. Need-Aware

+Timeline

For Freshman and Sophomores

n  Freshman Year: Keep it Simple! n  Good Grades

n  Get Involved

n  Consider taking a science SAT Subject Test

n  Sophomore Year n  Good Grades

n  Stay Involved

n  Keep your eye on SAT Subject Tests

n  Athletes: Start your search

n  Dancers, Actors, Musicians: Start collecting footage

+Timeline

For Juniors and Seniors

n  Junior Fall

q  Take the PSAT

q  Prepare for SAT or ACT

q  SUNY College Fair

n  Junior Spring

q  College Research

q  Campus Visits

q  Ask current teachers for recommendations

n  Junior Summer:

q  Personal Essay

q  Common Application

q  Arts Supplement

n  Senior Fall:

q  Overnight Visits

q  Supplemental Essays

+THE SEARCH

Before you begin…

n  How do I stay organized? q  E-mail Address

q  Calendar

q  Folder & Notebook

n  How do I find the time? q  Treat your College Search as a class

q  Weekly, consistent time to work on college-related tasks

q  Outside of this time, limit the college conversation

v  Parents, this means you!

+Giant Wall Calendar

+THE SEARCH

I. The Thinking Process Qualities to Consider….

ü  Location ü  Size ü  Setting ü  Price ü  Academic Strengths ü  Social Life ü  Athletics ü  Teacher-Student Interactions ü  Class Size ü  Diversity of Student Body ü  Current Campus Issues ü  Academic Support ü  Internship & Career Support

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+THE SEARCH

II. Research

u Make a Preliminary List

v  College Board’s Big Board

v  CollegeResults.org

v  Peterson’s Online College Search

u Already know what you want to study?

v  The Fiske Guide

u Nervous about submitting test scores?

v  Fairtest.org

u Have a specific characteristic you’re looking for?

v  CollegeExpress.com/lists

+THE SEARCH

II. Research

v  Preliminary List: 20-25 schools

v  Subjective Guidebooks

v  The Fiske Guide to Colleges

v  The Insider’s Guide to the Colleges, Yale Daily News

v  Colleges That Change Lives, Loren Pope

v  Colleges Of Distinction [CollegesOfDistinction.com]

v  Social Media

v  Facebook Page

v  YouTube

v  Admissions Blogs

v  Reach out!

+Personality via YouTube

+ Facebook

+Let’s not forget Twitter..

+THE SEARCH

II. Research

v  Another important component of your research: Cost

v  Need Blind vs. Need Aware

v  But also: Meets Full Financial Need?

v  Examples of need-blind: v  Carnegie Mellon v  Brown University v  University of New Hampshire

v  Examples of need-aware: v  Furman University v  Colby College v  George Washington University v  Union College v  Tufts University

+THE SEARCH

II. Research

v  “Best Value” Public Colleges (Princeton Review)

v  UNC

v  University of Michigan

v  UCLA

v  University of Florida

v  College of William & Mary

v  Strong Merit-Aid (US News & World Report)

v  Hillsdale College (Michigan)

v  Denison University (Ohio)

v  DePauw University (Indiana)

v  Rhodes College (Tennessee)

v  Trinity University (Texas)

No Merit Aid Ivy League Schools

Amherst Bowdoin Hamilton

MIT Middlebury

Vassar Williams Trinity

Haverford

+THE SEARCH

II. Research

v  With regards to cost, think BALANCE

v  Need-aware vs. need-blind

v  Public vs. private

v  Include SUNYs, CUNYs

v  Schools where you are academically overqualified

v  Check Net-Price Calculator

v  MeritAid.com

v  Searchable database of college-specific merit scholarships

v  Cappex.com/scholarships

v  Find scholarships based on ethnicity, gender, state, major

+THE SEARCH

SUNY

u Visit the SUNY Information Center at 33 West 42nd Street

u Attend a SUNY College Fair

u Strengths within the System u  Purchase (Arts) u  Binghamton (Liberal Arts) u  Stony Brook (Engineering) u  SUNY College of Environmental

Science and Forestry (ENVS)

+THE SEARCH

CUNY

u Options at CUNY

u Eleven “Senior Colleges” (Four-year programs)

u Seven Community College (Two-year programs)

u The Macaulay Honors College

u One Application for the CUNY system

+THE SEARCH

III. Campus Visits

u Organize your Road Trip

v  RESOURCE: GoSeeCampus.com/college-trip-planner

v  Check interview policies before you visit

u Make it count

u  If you know someone on campus, connect with them beforehand

u Find out whether you can sit in on a class

u Try to see the campus during “down time”

+Maximizing Campus Visits

n  Questions to ask students… n  What did you learn about this college that you didn’t know

before you arrived?

n  When did you last meet individually with a professor?

n  What events draw a crowd?

n  What was happening on campus last weekend? What did you do last Thursday and Friday night?

n  Questions to ask admissions officers…. n  What sort of students seem happiest here?

n  What is new at the school in the past year or two?

n  If you only had 2 minutes to describe your college, what would you say?

n  What is freshman year like in terms of requirements, orientation programs and traditions?

þ

+

Did You Know?

Demonstrated Interest

Over 20% of colleges rank “demonstrated interest” as more important than class rank or the interview.

What is Demonstrated Interest?

It’s pretty much what it sounds like: showing a college that you’d seriously like to go there. You can show your interest by visiting campus, attending a local information session or writing a thank-you note to the admissions officer after you’ve met.

+THE SEARCH

IV. Campus Visit Alternatives

­ New York City Performing and Visual Arts Fair ­  October 7th, 2014

­ National Portfolio Day ­  November 16th, 2014

­  Portfolio Feedback

­  Meet with representatives from 50+ art schools

­ Admission Reps ­  LaGuardia Arts Admissions-Visit Schedule

­  Locate Admissions Counselor for the NYC area

+THE SEARCH

IV. Campus Visit Alternatives

­ All accessible without a car

­  Urban Universities ­  NYU ­  Drexel University

­ Residential College in an Urban Environment ­  Manhattan College (small) ­  Fordham University (medium)

­  Suburban College in a Town ­  SUNY Stonybrook ­  SUNY Purchase ­  Fairleigh Dickinson University

­  Small Liberal Arts College ­  Sarah Lawrence College ­  Vassar College

+The Final List

¤ 4-5 Target Schools

¤ 2 Likely Schools (“Safeties”)

¤ 2 Reach Schools

Based on average SATs, GPA & Naviance comparisons

+Case Study

n  Megan Fox n  Academic GPA: 92

n  SATs: 660 M / 680 R / 670 W

n  Acting Major; Strong Roles; Camp Counselor for 3 summers; interested in small liberal arts college

n  Sample College List: n  Reaches: Connecticut College, Oberlin College

n  Targets: Trinity College, College of Wooster, Colby College, Washington & Lee, Whitman College

n  Safeties: Allegheny College, Franklin & Marshall College, SUNY-Binghamton

+Case Study

n  Peter Parker n  Academic GPA: 83

n  SATs: 590 M / 580 R / 570 W

n  Technical Theater Major; works on set construction for local theater; directs and edits skateboard videos; interested in medium/large schools near a city

n  Sample College List: n  Reaches: Clark University, Emerson College

n  Targets: Temple University, SUNY Oneonta, BU, Ithaca College

n  Safeties: Columbia College (Chicago), CUNY-Brooklyn

+Additional Resources

For the Arts

n  Creative Colleges: A Guide for Student Actors, Artists, Dancers, Musicians and Writers, Elaina Loveland

n  College Guide for Performing Arts Major: The Real-World Admission Guide for Dane, Music, and Theater Majors, Carole Everett

n  Lists in The Fiske Guide

+Summer Advice

n  Sophomores: n  Near a college? Check it out!

n  Start SAT Studying

n  Staying in NYC?

n  Job

n  Volunteer Work

n  Stay busy!

n  Juniors n  Identify gaps in your calendar, and schedule time for:

n  The Common App

n  Personal Statement,

n  Arts Supplement

+Arts Supplement

n  Common App Arts Supplement

n  Other Schools: n  Create a website

n  http://www.aidanstack.com/ n  http://malcolmhoyt.wordpress.com/

n  Video or Images n  Artistic Statement n  Resume

n  Doesn't’t have to be fancy!

n  Deadlines may vary for arts supplement submissions

+Questions?

+A Word on Resources