Handbook Class 2013

Beaver Beaver Country Day School

COLLEGE COUNSELING HANDBOOK

Class of 2013 Edition

Don’t forget our Naviance Family Connection web address:

http://connection.naviance.com/beavercds

Beaver Country Day School College Counseling Handbook, 2012–13

Beaver Country Day School College Counseling Handbook

2012–13 Edition, for the Class of 2013

Content is the responsibility and property of Beaver County Day School, unless otherwise noted.

Office of College Counseling Beaver Country Day School

791 Hammond St. Chestnut Hill, MA 02467

617-738-2700 www.bcdschool.org


TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction and Food for Thought 5 1. Being in Contact 9

• College counseling contact information 9 • Helpful websites 10

2. College Admissions Calendars 13

3. Beaver Forms 17

• Teacher recommendation request 17

• Student’s college list forms 18 4. Standardized Testing 21

• The tests described 21

• Dates of SAT and ACT examinations 24

• Test-optional liberal arts colleges 25

• ACT/SAT comparison chart 26

5. The College Search 27 • Developing a college list 27

• Resources for beginning a college search 29

• How to request materials from a college 30

• Hints for a successful college visit 31

• Questions to ask your tour guide 32

6. The Application 33 • Overview of the application; who sends what 34

• Pointers on writing a college essay 35

• Common Application Tip Sheet 36

7. Interviews 39 8. Learning Disabilities and the College Process 43 9. Special Talents: Art, Music & Athletics 51 10. Financial Aid and Scholarships 57

• College application expenses 57 • General advice on financial aid 58

• “In a Rocky Economy, 10 Steady Tips” 59

• Financial aid websites 63

11. Decisions 65 12. Final Tips 67

• Student Rights and Responsibilities 69

• “Ethical Issues in the Application Process” 71

12. Some Articles of Interest 73 • “Staying Sane ” 73


• “10 Great Reasons to Study In Canada” 75

• “How I Got Into College: 6 Stories” 77

• “Go Your Own Way” 81

• “Before College, A Taste of the Real World” 84

Glossary 89

Bibliography 95


January 2012

Dear Parents and Students,

Welcome to College Counseling at Beaver Country Day School. We look forward to

working closely with you over the next year and a half. It is our hope that the

information found in this handbook will be helpful to you. This document is one of

many tools that families may use to guide them through this adventure.

The college process is a partnership in which each of us plays a vital role. We expect that

you will be active participants. We are here for you to call, to e-mail, and to meet with as

you see fit. Regular and honest communication among students, parents, and

counselors is the key to a positive and meaningful experience.

Prior to your initial meeting with us, we ask that you complete the parent/guardian

questionnaire enclosed in your handout and (like the required student questionnaire)

also available through Naviance. Your careful completion of these forms will help us get

to know you as you begin the college search.

We look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

Peter Gow

Debi Ellman

Lesley Colognesi

Cynthia Monasterios


SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT

A STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES FROM

THE EDUCATION CONSERVANCY GUIDANCE FROM ADMISSIONS OFFICERS Applying to college does not have to be overwhelming! The following principles and guidelines can help make the college admission process more manageable, more productive, and more educationally appropriate. This guidance is offered by the Education Conservancy, a group of admission professionals committed to calming the commercial frenzy by affirming educational values in college admission. Principles These guiding principles are relevant for parents, students, counselors and admission deans: • Education is a process, not a product. Students are learners, not customers. • The benefits and predictors of good education are knowable yet virtually impossible to measure. • Rankings oversimplify and mislead. • A student’s intellectual skills and attitude about learning are more important than what college a student attends. • Educational values are best served by admission practices that are consistent with these values. • College admission should be part of an educational process directed toward student autonomy and intellectual maturity. • Colleges can be assessed, but not ranked. Students can be evaluated, but not measured. • Students’ thoughts, ideas and passions are worthy to be engaged and handled with utmost care. Student Guidelines An admission decision, test score, or GPA is not a measure of your self-worth. And, most students are admitted to colleges they want to attend. Knowing this, we encourage you to: • Be confident! Take responsibility for your college admission process. The more you do for yourself, the better the results will be. • Be deliberate! Applying to college involves thoughtful research to determine distinctions among colleges, as well as careful self-examination to identify your interests, learning style and other criteria. Plan to make well-considered applications to the most suitable colleges. This is often referred to as “making good matches.” • Be realistic and trust your instincts! Choosing a college is an important process, but not a life or death decision. Since there are limits to what you can know about colleges and about yourself, you should allow yourself to do educated guesswork. • Be open-minded! Resist the notion that there is one perfect college. Great education happens in many places. • Use a variety of resources for gathering information. Seek advice from those people who know you, care about you, and are willing to help. • Be honest; be yourself! Do not try to game the system. • Resist taking any standardized test numerous times (twice is usually sufficient). • Limit your applications to a well-researched and reasonable number. No more than six should be sufficient, except in special cases. • Know that what you do in college is a better predictor of future success and happiness than where you go to college.


Parent Guidelines An admission decision, test score, or GPA is not a measure of a student’s worth. And, parents should always be mindful of the behavior they are modeling for their children. Knowing this, we encourage you to: • Recognize that gaining admission to college is merely one step in a process of education that will include your student attending a college where she or he can maximize talents and growth. Emphasize the education. • Resist doing for your students what they are capable of doing for themselves. • Allow your child to take responsibility for his or her own part of the college application process. Be involved in the process, but do not try to control it. • Resist relying on rankings and college selectivity to determine the most suitable colleges for your child. • Realize that researching, selecting, and applying to colleges does not have to be an expensive process. • Resist attempts to turn the process into a status competition. Develop a healthy, educationally based, and family-appropriate approach to college admissions. • Consider that gaming the system may not only diminish your child’s self-confidence, it may also jeopardize desired admission outcomes. • Listen to, encourage and believe in your child. Do not use the term “we” as in “we are applying to….” • Discuss the idea of education as an ongoing process, and how selecting a college might be different from buying a product. • Love them enough to let them demonstrate the independence you have instilled in them. • Keep this process in perspective. Remember that student skills, self-confidence, curiosity, and desire to learn are some of the most important ingredients in quality education and successful college admissions. Do not sacrifice these by overemphasizing getting into the “best” college. THIS GUIDANCE IS OFFERED BY THE FOLLOWING VETERAN ADMISSION PROFESSIONALS: Phillip Ballinger, University of Washington Michael Beseda, St. Mary’s College of California Jennifer Britz, Kenyon College J. Antonio Cabasco, Whitman College Sean Callaway, Pace University John Carroll, Kalamazoo College Sidonia Dalby, Smith College Doris Davis, Cornell University Will Dix, University of Chicago Lab School Bill Fitzsimmons, Harvard University Karl Furstenberg, Dartmouth College Daniel Lundquist, Union College Brad MacGowan, Newton North High School Bonnie Marcus, Bard College Paul Marthers, Reed College

Robert Massa, Dickinson College David McDonald, Western Oregon University Tom McWhertor, Calvin College Mark Moody, The Bush School Marty O’Connell, Colleges That Change Lives Ted O’Neill, University of Chicago Bruce Poch, Pomona College Jon Reider, San Francisco University High School Jeff Rickey, Earlham College Mike Sexton, Lewis and Clark College Bill Shain, Vanderbilt University Jim Sumner, Grinnell College Steven Syverson, Lawrence University Harold Wingood, Clark University

From The Education Conservancy 805 SW Broadway, Suite 1600 • Portland, OR 97205 • Ph. 503.290.0083 • Fax 503.973.5252

www.educationconservancy.org


1. BEING IN CONTACT College Counseling Names and Numbers Beaver CDS School Code Number for standardized tests (SAT, ACT) and

applications: 220595

Beaver CDS phone number: 617-738-2700

Beaver CDS Registrar fax number: 617-738-2747

Beaver CDS address: 791 Hammond Street

Chestnut Hill, MA 02467

Peter Gow, Director of College Counseling 617-738-2755 [email protected]

Debi Ellman, Associate Director of College 617-738-2788

Counseling [email protected]

Lesley Colognesi, College Counselor 617-738-2734 [email protected]

Cynthia Monasterios, Registrar 617-738-2733 [email protected] OR

[email protected]


Helpful Web Sites Researching College Options www.collegeboard.org College and Career Search

www.petersons.com Peterson’s Guide College Search

www.review.com Princeton Review College & Career Search

www.ncaa.org College Athletics

www.usnews.com U.S. News & World Report College Rankings

www.macleans.ca/education/rankings.jsp Maclean’s college rankings and links to much information on Canadian colleges and universities

www.fairtest.org/optinit.htm National Center for Fair and Open Testing; listing of test-optional four-year colleges

www.edonline.com/cq/hbcu/alphabet.htm Educational On-Line Listing of Historically Black Colleges and Universities

College Applications www.commonapp.org Common Application

www.review.com APPLY Application Program

www.fastweb.com College Application/Organizer Program

www.heic.org Higher Education Information Center in Boston

Test Preparation www.collegeboard.com SAT Reasoning/Subject Test Preparation

www.chyten.com SAT and ACT Test Preparation

www.kaplan.com SAT Reasoning/Subject Test & ACT Test Preparation

www.review.com SAT Reasoning/Subject Test Preparation

www.act.org ACT Test Preparation

www.toefl.com TOEFL Preparation

Financial Aid and Scholarship www.collegeboard.com Financial Aid Info./Scholarship Search/ CSS PROFILE online


www.heic.org Higher Education Information Center in Boston

www.scholarships.com Free Scholarship Search

www.finaid.org Comprehensive Financial Aid Info./Scholarship Search

www.fafsa.ed.gov Electronic FAFSA

www.fastweb.com Scholarship Search/Newsletter

www.mefacounselor.org Financial aid advice and assistance, all free Loan Options www.nelliemae.org NellieMae-Loan Information

www.teri.org The Educational Resources Institute

www.mefa.org Massachusetts Educational Finance Authority

Year-Off Options www.aei-auduboncollege.org Audubon Expedition Institute

www.interimprograms.com Center for Interim Programs

www.cityyear.org CityYear

www.dynamy.org Dynamy Internship Year

www.gapyear.com Gap Year Programs

www.gquest.org/index.html Global Quest

www.globalservicecorps.org Global Service Corps

www.habitat.org Habitat for Humanity

www.seamester.com Semester at Sea Program

www.takingtimeoff.com Taking Time Off

www.timeoutassociates.com Time Out Associates

www.wheretherebedragons.com Where There Be Dragons Program


2. COLLEGE ADMISSIONS CALENDARS

COLLEGE CALENDAR FOR THE CLASS OF 2013 SPRING 2012

JANUARY 2012

1. Junior College Night: January 19, 7:00 PM in Bradley Hall. Guest speaker Lee

Coffin, Dean of Admission and Enrollment Management at Tufts University.

2. Student and Parent Questionnaires: You must complete the forms on-line before

scheduling your first appointment.

3. Student Meetings: Students begin meeting with Mr. Gow, Ms. Ellman, or Ms.

Colognesi.

4. Parent/Guardian Meetings: Parents and guardians begin meeting with Mr. Gow,

Ms. Ellman, or Ms. Colognesi following initial student meeting.

5. Review PSAT scores and test. Identify areas of strength and weakness and look for strategies to improve your scores.

6. Begin to plan to do something productive over the summer.

FEBRUARY 2012 1. Student meetings continued. 2. Parent meetings begin. 3. Begin to map out SAT, ACT, and Subject Test schedule. 4. Register for the March SAT Reasoning Test and/or April ACT.


5. Plan possible March visits to college. 6. Continue to work hard. Do well on exams.

MARCH 2012 1. SAT Reasoning Test (only) date: March 10 2. Search guidebooks and web for colleges of interest. Send away

for catalogues. Inquire about tours and interviews. 3. Register for the May and June testing.

4. Athletes expecting to be recruited register with NCAA Eligibility Center at

www.ncaa.org 5. Visit colleges over vacation.

APRIL 2012 1. ACT date: April 14

2. College Counseling Mini-Sessions: Juniors will be required to meet in small

assigned groups with the College Counselors during free blocks to discuss the

college process.

3. Begin to consider who will write your letters of recommendation. 4. Finalize summer plans 5. Attend BISCCA college fair at Milton Academy: Sunday, April 29,

1–4 PM.

MAY 2012 1. SAT (all tests) date: May 5


2. Athletics and Recruiting informational evening event at Beaver: May 7 3. Essay Writing workshop 4. Continue to meet with your college counselor and create an initial list of

colleges to research and visit over the summer. 5. Ask two teachers for letters of recommendation and have them sign

the form.

JUNE 2012 1. SAT (all tests) date: June 2 2. ACT Date: June 9

SUMMER 2012 1. Continue college visits; schedule interviews if appropriate. 2. Write an essay about a significant event, person, achievement or academic

experience/ project (see Common App essay questions). 3. Begin filling out the Common Application (but WAIT until after mid-July,

when new form is available)


3. BEAVER FORMS

REQUEST FOR TEACHER RECOMMENDATION LETTERS

DIRECTIONS FOR THE STUDENT:

• You must decide which two teachers you would like to write recommendations for your college applications. ASK these teachers if they are able and willing to write letters of recommendation for you. Because of the busy schedule in the fall, it is important that students select their teachers in the spring so that teachers can have the opportunity to begin writing or outlining recommendations during the summer.

• You should choose teachers who are primarily familiar with you as a student, but it is also helpful if they know you as a citizen of the school. You may want to choose a teacher who has also been your coach, your advisor, the advisor to a club in which you participate, etc.

• You should choose teachers who have either taught you in the latter stages of your high school career or have taught you in more than one class.

• You should avoid choosing two teachers from the same academic discipline.

• If you would like to choose a teacher who will not be at Beaver next year, plan for that contingency. Establish a plan for how you will stay in touch with one another between the end of the school year and the time that recommendations are due to colleges.

• Both you and the teachers you have chosen must sign this form as a record of your agreement. Please return this form to your college counselor by Friday, May 18.

Student’s Signature: ____________________ Student’s Name: ____________________

Teacher’s Signature: ____________________ Teacher’s Name: ____________________

Teacher’s Signature: ____________________ Teacher’s Name: ____________________


Date:___/ ___/ _____ College Counselor: PG DE LC Name:

BEAVER COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL

Preliminary List of Colleges (to be filled out in by Friday, September 28)

Name of College EA, ED, Roll, Reg. Deadlines Comm. App? (Y/N) Prospects (R-T-L) 1.

2

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

Teacher Recommendations 1._________________________________ Student Signature: 2._________________________________ Parent Signature:




Early Decision/Early Action Applications (submit by October 12)

Name of College EA, ED, Roll Deadlines Comm. App? (Y/N) 1.

2

3.

4.

5.

6.

_____ I have checked the waiver boxes on my Naviance Family Connection page _____ I have given my college counselor all non-Common App School Report forms _____ I have had my family and my college counselor sign my ED commitment form

Teacher Recommendations 1._________________________________ Student Signature: 2._________________________________ Parent Signature:




ALL Decision plans (submit by November 30) Name of College EA, ED, Roll, Reg. Deadlines Comm. App? (Y/N) Prospects (R-T-L) 1.

2

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

_______ I have included all Common App colleges listed here on my Common App account _______ I have given my college counselor all School Report forms for non-Common App schools _______ I have completed my UCAS registration (for universities in the United Kingdom only) _______ I have checked the waiver forms on my Naviance Family Connection page

Student Signature: Parent Signature:


4. STANDARDIZED TESTING

THE TESTS DESCRIBED

Standardized testing is an important factor in admission decisions at most highly selective colleges and universities. A few institutions have downplayed the importance of scores, and some have eliminated test requirements entirely, but those institutions are in the minority. At the majority of colleges, standardized testing still matters. At Beaver, we have found that students who plan carefully and familiarize themselves with the test format through use of practice materials are able to attain scores that accurately reflect their school performance. When difficulties with scores arise, the College Office is prepared to help individual students find appropriate resources. We want our students to understand the testing requirements and, just as importantly, to keep testing in perspective. Students’ academic achievements and extra-curricular activities are as important as test scores, both in terms of acquiring a first rate education and in terms of enhancing their chances for admission to selective universities.

The SAT Family of Tests Virtually students should take the SAT Reasoning Test either once or twice during the spring of their junior year. Most students will repeat this test once during the fall of their senior year. The total number of times a student takes a test depends on his or her level of satisfaction with the scores. In a typical Beaver class, about 10% will take this test only once, most will take it twice, and another 10–20% will take it three times. No one should take it more than three times. Under the new policy of “Score Choice,” many colleges will accept a student’s best test results, but many selective colleges require students to send all SAT Reasoning and Subject Test scores; students should attend carefully to the requirements of each college and carefully follow the instructions for submitting scores. In all events, most colleges will focus on a student’s best Critical Reading score and best Math score, even if they are achieved on different testing days.

In addition to the SAT Reasoning Test, a few students will need three SAT Subject Tests by the time they apply to college. (See definition of Subject Tests in the glossary.) Not all colleges require these subject tests, but some of the colleges that Beaver


students apply to do require them; a few colleges will accept ACT scores (see below) in lieu of both SAT Reasoning and Subject Tests. Most students take the SAT Math 1C (if the student is taking Precalculus at the Standard level) or 2C (for students who are taking Precalculus Honors or above) and either a science subject test or the Literature subject test. Since the SAT Subject Tests are curriculum driven, students should consult with their teachers and college counselor prior to registering for them. There are some schools, especially public institutions, that have very specific SAT Subject Test requirements. Students are responsible for researching these requirements during their college search. The College Board’s Score Choice policy applies to SAT Subject Tests, but each college has different requirements; students must check each college’s website and then carefully follow the instructions. The ACT ACT (formerly American College Testing) is a testing program that combines elements of aptitude and achievement tests in a single instrument. All colleges accept the ACT in place of the SAT Reasoning Test; some accept the ACT (especially with the optional Writing test) in lieu of both the SAT Reasoning and several Subject tests.

We strongly urge students to consider adding at least one sitting of the ACT, either in junior Spring or senior October, as part of their college admission process. Many now do, and a few students have elected to take only the ACT and not the SAT. Students sometimes elect to take the ACT when they have found that their SAT scores do not fully or accurately reflect their abilities, particularly in the verbal section where scores are more likely to fall short of a student’s performance in the classroom. One of the advantages of the ACT is that a student may choose to send to colleges only the result of one testing session, unlike the SAT, which requires that ALL scores from all testing sessions be submitted. Advanced Placement Examinations A third category of standardized tests, known as Advanced Placement Examinations (APs), is optional in the college admissions process. Although APs were not designed as admission tools, they may be used to document a student’s strength in a particular subject. The disadvantages of the AP examinations are that they are time-consuming, expensive, and require preparation. They are given in May, when students have other pressing demands on their time. On the positive side, AP examinations present an opportunity for strong students to demonstrate their expertise to admissions committees and possibly earn college credit or waivers from introductory courses. Strong AP examination scores do impress admissions committees. Students can seek individual advice about taking AP examinations from their teachers and advisors.


TEST PREPARATION Practice can improve scores. Students become familiar with standardized testing by taking the PSAT. When students received the results of the PSAT, they also receive the test booklet, and an annotated copy of their answers with concrete suggestions for improvement. Students who study this material thoroughly will be able to establish a firm understanding of their areas of strength and weakness. Next, students should read thoroughly two College Board publications: TAKING THE SAT REASONING TEST and TAKING THE SAT SUBJECT TESTS, available on line. We hesitate to recommend specific review guide books, computer programs, and other review materials, as these are constantly changing. Some are better than others, but the effectiveness of any depends largely upon a student’s learning style and his/her level of self-discipline. Beaver keeps a list of programs or tutors who previous students have found helpful.

FEE WAIVERS Fee waivers are available for students on high levels of financial aid according to the stringent standards set by The College Board and the ACT. We receive a list of those students who qualify from our admissions office, and will be happy to let you know if you qualify. Do not be afraid to ask; these tests can get very expensive.

EXTENDED TIME ON STANDARDIZED TESTS

PSAT/SAT

Students who qualify for extended time on standardized tests must have an evaluation that is no more than three years old. Students taking the PSAT/SAT will need to fill out the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) form with Ms. Colognesi, chair of the Academic Services Department. Once students are approved for the additional time, they will receive a letter from the College Board. This letter will include an SSD number for the student. Each time a student registers for the PSAT/SAT, he/she must send a copy of the College Board letter with the registration form. Tests taken in extended time are not flagged by the College Board. ACT The ACT requires students to fill out a form for extended time. The student’s full evaluation is copied and sent along with a letter from the chair of Academic Services Department.


ACT and SAT Test Dates and Registration Deadlines

ACT Examinations, 2012-February 2013 Test Date Registration Deadline Late Registration Deadline

Feb. 11* January 13 January 20 April 14 March 9 March 23 June 9 May 4 May 18 Sept. 8 (date not set) (date not set) Oct. 27 (date not set) (date not set) Dec. 8 (date not set) (date not set)

Feb. 9, 2013* (date not set) (date not set) *Test not offered in New York State on these dates Register at www.act.org

SAT Subject and Reasoning Tests, 2012-January 2013 Test Date Registration Deadline Late Registration Deadline

Jan. 28 December 30, 2011 January 11 Mar. 10* February 10 February 22 May 5 April 6 April 18 June 2 May 8 May 16 Oct. 6† (date not set) (date not set)

Nov. 3† ** (date not set) (date not set) Dec. 1† (date not set) (date not set)

Jan. 26, 2012† (date not set) (date not set) † The College Board lists these dates as “anticipated” as of January 5, 2010 *Reasoning test only **Language with Listening tests available Register at www.collegeboard.com


Some Liberal Arts Colleges with Optional Standardized Testing

(This listing is partial and not guaranteed to be up to date; see individual college admission websites for specific requirements)

Just a few of the hundreds of colleges for which the submission of standardized test scores can be optional for applicants:

Bard Bates Bowdoin College of the Atlantic Denison Dickinson Drew Franklin & Marshall Gettysburg Hampshire Hartwick

Hobart & William Smith Holy Cross Lewis & Clark Mount Holyoke Muhlenberg Rollins St. John’s St. Lawrence Sarah Lawrence Union Wheaton

Only a few schools will not even accept standardized test scores. In some schools test-optional applications come with specific requirements, such as that students submit one or more graded school papers, submit to an interview, meet certain minimum GPA requirements, or forego access to merit scholarships. In other cases, colleges may ask for SAT Subject Test scores or ACT (with Writing) scores in lieu of the SAT Reasoning Test. College policies on testing are changing rapidly. For general information and a sense of the landscape on this issue, a regularly updated list of test-optional colleges can be found at www.fairtest.org. In all cases, the student should check specifically with the admissions office of a particular college for the latest information on score-reporting policies. We also recommend that students considering test-optional applications should hold onto several graded papers (preferably with good grades and favorable teacher commentary) from junior or senior year in the event that these could be used in lieu of standardized tests.


SAT vs. ACT

• All colleges accept either test • The tests are significantly different

The differences at a glance:

SAT ACT • No science section • Science reasoning section • No trigonometry section • Math sections include trigonometry • Vocabulary emphasized • Vocabulary less important • Non-multiple choice questions

included • Entirely multiple choice

• Guessing penalty • No guessing penalty • No English grammar • English grammar tested • Math accounts for 50% of your score • Math accounts for 25% of your score • Questions go from easy to hard in

most sections • Easy and hard questions mixed

within sections • Some colleges require submission of

all SAT scores • Report scores only from test dates

you choose From Kaplan Online, 2004

SCORE COMPARISONS: SAT (Critical Reading + Math) to ACT Composite (These are approximations in general use by colleges)

I f your SAT CR+M is 1600 then your equiva l en t ACT Compos i t e s core would be 36 and v i c e v er sa 1560-1590 35 1510-1550 34 1460-1500 33 1410-1450 32 1360-1400 31 1320-1350 30 1280-1310 29 1240-1270 28 1200-1230 27 1170-1190 26 1130-1160 25 1090-1120 24 1060-1080 23 1020-1050 22 980-1010 21 940-970 20 900-930 19 860-890 18 810-850 17 760-800 16 710-750 15


5. THE COLLEGE SEARCH DEVELOPING A COLLEGE LIST It is important to students that they have a college list in their hands as soon as possible. Helping construct this list is one of the crucial jobs of our College Office. Your list will take into account those characteristics and trademarks you are looking for in a school, be it size, location, quality of particular academic or extracurricular programs, etc. In working with you to create a list we will also share our experiences as to how past Beaver students with similar academic credentials have fared in the admission process. We will constantly work to revise this list, taking into account the research you will do and how you define what you want out of college. Even if you have outstanding credentials, you may not be accepted by every college to which you apply. The most highly selective colleges deny far more students than they accept, with several now accepting less than 12% of their applicants. The goal is to come up with a balanced group of eight or so schools that fall into three categories. We cautiously use the terms, reach, target, and likely, but these terms should be viewed as relative not absolute. It is important to dream, so you should feel comfortable applying to a few reach schools. However, it is also important to get accepted, so we will urge you to apply to a range of schools. We define each of these categories in this way:

REACH: There are two reasons why a college might fall in this category for you. First, your credentials are not as strong as those of students who are typically admitted from Beaver as well as those published in college guidebooks. Second, the percentage of admitted applicants to this school is extremely small, thereby affecting the chances of admission for every candidate. If there are special circumstances affecting your application, you should discuss them with your college counselor.

TARGET: Your credentials for admission are truly competitive, and you are qualified for admission. We would see this as a college at which you may have a 50-50 chance of admission, as former Beaver students with similar credentials have often, but not always, been admitted. This also may be a school where factors beyond pure academics play a larger role in the decision.


LIKELY: These are schools at which your credentials are very competitive, and we are confident that you will be admitted assuming that your application is well done and that you have demonstrated interest in the school. We consider it extremely important for students to find likely schools at which they truly believe they can be happy, productive, and successful members of the community.

It is important to remember that our groupings are estimates; there is nothing about this process that makes it an exact science. These estimates assume continued strong course work and a thoughtful, well-presented application. FINAL THOUGHTS In helping you create a college list we do our best to consider you as an individual. Your “target” school may be someone else’s “reach” school and vice versa. You need to spend a lot of time focusing on the colleges at which we feel confident about your chances of admission. Developing a well-balanced and informed list of colleges is the key to a successful college process. Most importantly, apply to a college because you can easily imagine yourself being happy and successful there. Don’t apply to a college that you don’t really want to attend; it’s a wasted application for you and perhaps a lost opportunity for someone who really DOES wish to go there.


RESOURCES FOR BEGINNING A COLLEGE SEARCH

Most students begin to compile their search list by naming the schools with which they are most familiar—at least, they are familiar with the names. Often these are schools that family members, family friends, or older Beaver students have attended. In order to get beyond simple name recognition, the students look over many college websites and then send for information that the admissions office provides to prospective students.

Almost all students use the Internet to acquire more in-depth information about

schools that they know only by name. In addition to individual college web sites (www.nameofcollege.edu), refer to the list of helpful web sites in the beginning of the handbook.

Some students sort methodically through the piles of mail that they receive from

colleges searching for those that look like a match.

Use the various college search engines, like the College Search and College Match features on the student’s Naviance Family Connection account.

The Boston Area Independent School College Counselors Association sponsors

a major college fair at Milton Academy on Sunday, April 29. This is a great opportunity to speak with college admission officers from outside the New England area.

Every bookstore and library has an extensive collection of books describing

colleges.


HOW TO REQUEST ADMISSIONS MATERIALS FROM A COLLEGE 1. Write a sample letter or e-mail, such as the one below: Dear Director of Admission:

I am a junior at Beaver Country Day School in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, and I will graduate in June 2013. I am interested in learning more about your school. Please send me your most recent catalogue, viewbook, and application materials (and also a financial aid application if necessary). Thank you. Sincerely, (Your name) (Street Address) (City, State, Zip Code)

2. Use the internet to request information from any colleges and/or search for the

most current information on any colleges. All colleges have wonderful, informative, well-organized sites.

3. Call the college’s admission office directly.


HELPFUL HINTS FOR A SUCCESSFUL COLLEGE VISIT 1) Do not schedule more than two schools per day. Give yourself ample time to roam

the campus before or after the interview. 2) BE PUNCTUAL! Make sure that you have given yourself a cushion of time to

accommodate any missed turns, traffic jams, or foul weather. 3) If, despite your best efforts, you are still going to be late, call the admissions office to

inform them of your situation. 4) Once you have set up a tentative itinerary, call the school. Written requests simply

take too long to process. Ask for written confirmation of your appointment and for any current materials if you don’t already have them.

5) Be flexible. Schools may not be able to accommodate your ideal schedule, but with

some adjustments you should be able to see all the campuses you hope to see. 6) Because the campus visit can play an important part in the admissions decision,

make sure the school makes a record of your visit by filling in an information card in the admissions office.

7) Be sure to note the name of the admissions officer you meet. Direct future phone

calls and correspondence (REMEMBER TO WRITE A THANK-YOU LETTER!) to him or her.

8) While visiting, keep in mind that you are interviewing the college as much as it is

interviewing you. Do not be afraid to probe, but, at the same time, remember that you also describe yourself by the questions you ask. Be thoughtful and articulate.

9) Read the campus newspaper to discover the burning school issues. 10) Scan the bulletin boards and kiosks for announcements and for messages; these

sorts of communications reveal a great deal about the tone of the school. 11) Talk with students on your own, without parents and without the folks from

admissions office; their answers are more candid. The way you are received will also give some indication of the friendliness of the community.

12) Visit the dorms. Sample the food in the cafeteria. Are the students respectful of the

school and its facilities? Does the menu have a variety of offerings? Can you live comfortably there?

13) Be aware of walking distances. Is it easy to get around campus? Is the campus

centralized or sprawling?


QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR TOUR GUIDE

• How large are all of your classes?

• Who teaches you in these courses? Graduate assistants or professors?

• Does this school have a core curriculum? How restrictive is it? Is there a foreign language requirement?

• How adequate is the library? How adequate are the computer facilities?

• When do you have to declare your major? What are the most popular majors?

• Tell me about housing. Are some dorms much better than others? Are dorm rooms wired or wireless? Do many live off campus? If so, why?

• Do students seem to work primarily for grades? How competitive is the student body? What is the attitude towards working hard?

• Have you been in any faculty homes since you’ve been here? How available are your professors?

• Can you tell me anything first-hand about the (French, English, history) department?

• What’s the biggest issue in local campus politics?

• What are the big issues in national or international politics? Are students politically active?

• What percentage of students study abroad at some time?

• What impact do fraternities have here? Athletics?

• What are weekends like? Are there alternatives to the typical party scene?

• How active is student government? What activities are popular?

• Are the arts supported here? Are the courses oversubscribed? Which areas are strong?

• What do you think is the greatest shortcoming of this college? What do students complain about?

• What do you like best about your experience and education here?

• Where do students come from? Is this a diverse community?

• If you could attend another college now, where would you go? Why?

• Why did you choose this school? What others did you apply to?

• What kinds of kids do you think are happiest here? Which ones are least happy?


6. THE APPLICATION

OVERVIEW

The majority of colleges to which Beaver students have been applying in recent years accept or even require The Common Application. The list of colleges that accept it grows every year, and it is a useful tool when dealing with so much paperwork. However, students often ask: “How will colleges know that I am truly interested in them if I just send The Common Application?” First, you should know that all colleges that use The Common Application sign an agreement promising to treat the application just as they do their own (some do not even have a separate application). Be aware that many Common App schools also ask students to complete a supplementary form that asks for information tailored to that college’s admissions process. Even so, this is a good question because it leads into the issue of “demonstrated interest,” a term used by colleges to measure which students REALLY want to attend their institutions. To demonstrate interest, you need to supplement your applications (both Common and regular) in one or more of the following ways:

An inquiry at a college fair A campus tour and information session An interview on campus or with an alumnus A follow-up thank you note A quick response to any supplement the college sends you Contact with a coach, conductor, or department of interest An email communication with admissions regarding any follow-up questions

Your application file should provide thorough answers in a manner that provides insight into the candidate’s personality, character, and accomplishments. The transcript and recommendations serve to corroborate and enhance the candidate’s own presentation. Admissions Officers look for consistency between the applicant’s presentation and the recommendations. Often there are common themes that emerge throughout the file.


A copy of the Beaver School Profile accompanies every application that we send to colleges. It is updated every year to reflect accurate information. The profile presents Beaver to colleges so that they can better understand our curriculum and community. We do not compute class rank. WHAT WE SEND AND WHAT YOU SEND: BEAVER is responsible for sending the following:

The School Profile The Student’s high school transcript The College Counselor’s recommendation or “School Letter” The Secondary School Report Teacher recommendations

The student is responsible for sending the following:

The application and essays The application fee Any writing samples, portfolios, or tapes Official SAT/ACT Scores

Note: There are a few schools, usually large state universities, that request that all the information be sent together. If you are applying to a university that requires this, you must get your part of the application into the Registrar in a timely fashion and communicate with her about this. Students applying to universities outside the United States should make sure that they understand any special processes or programs as well as any unusual deadlines (October 15 for Oxford and Cambridge, or for any U.K. university if the student plans to study medicine, for example).


WRITING A WINNING COLLEGE ESSAY: SOME POINTERS

After Emily Allyn, Mount Holyoke College, 2002

You the student control the essay section of a college application in a way that is not true of other elements. Even if the topic on which you write is not explicitly autobiographical, you communicate important information about yourself through what you say and how you say it. College admission officers depend on essays for “inside information” about you. They get a sense of what you care about, how you think and what you think about as well as about how you see yourself and your world—on top of learning how well you spell and punctuate.

Colleges want to see essays that show you at your most creative, most insightful, and most articulate, stretching yourself , thinking hard, and reflecting. You should relax and have fun, too, even as you keep in mind organization and clarity, intent and effectiveness, grammar and spelling.

On a more objective note, you should aim to create a specific effect or make a specific point in your essay. Choose a topic that interests you and that conforms to the prompt on the application. Write in a style appropriate to you, the topic, and the purpose of the essay. Organize your essay so that the development of your ideas is clear and coherent from beginning to middle to end. Choose vocabulary that suits the topic and style and use words in accurate and appropriate ways. Unless your personal mode of expression demands otherwise, abide by conventional rules and grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

Remember, a well constructed essay is defined by strong mechanics—accurate punctuation and grammar, effective organization, concise expression—and careful crafting. Make several drafts, as hastily written essays are easy to spot.

A good essay lets your passion shine through and tells an admission committee what you want them to know about you. Humor never hurts, either, but be careful not to overdo or be too clever. A few guidelines: • Get in the mood. Brainstorm, reflect, try a few drafts. • Organize your thoughts and WRITE—content is more important than form at first. • Show, don’t tell; use anecdotes and your own point of view • Don’t allow a big event to stand alone or a long story to muddy the waters. Relay

how an event has affected you—inspired you, changed you, humbled you. • Reread, and rewrite. • Find a reliable proofreader or editor to offer comments and suggestions. • Wait a while, then go over your draft again to make adjustments with a fresh eye. • Proofread, proofread, proofread! • Send your essays off with pride and confidence.


COMMON APPLICATION TIP SHEET (When you fill in the Common Application, have this right in front of you)

• You will have to be using the correct browser—the Common App warns that users may

have problems with Chrome and AOL; Firefox and Safari are very stable.

• Write down and save and then learn your own username and password; you will need these for other things.

• Be patient—once you start filling out the Common App the site will always pester you until it’s happy, which means everything on the page is correctly filled in.

• Have your Social Security number handy if you are planning to apply for financial aid.

• It’s OK to be “Undecided” about your academic interests; some schools will want to know your career interests, and it’s okay to be “Undecided” on those, as well. If you do pick a

specific major or a career, it does not mean that you are committed to it.

• Languages: “Proficient” means you could probably live independently using the language.

• The “optional” demographic section: Do what feels comfortable and right; once you select a category, there may also be subcategories for you to choose from.

• Have Beaver’s 6-digit CEEB code handy: 220595.

• You’ll need your school counselor’s name, title, phone, and email address; you can look these up on the school website.

• There are 85 people in your class. Beaver GPAs are weighted on a 4.0 scale.

• Class rank: Leave it blank.

• Leave the test date and score sections BLANK; it’s okay. • “HONORS”—don’t worry if you don’t have much here, because lots of people don’t. But

don’t forget any academic awards, honor rolls, or anything else you might have earned FROM NINTH GRADE ON; this is not the place for athletic or service awards.

• TIPS FOR THE ACTIVITIES SECTION:

o List your activities IN THE ORDER OF THEIR IMPORTANCE TO YOU.

o A school sports season is usually about 12 weeks for varsity and 11 for JV or lower; you can use these numbers.

o Varsity school sports usually take up about 18 hours a week; JV or lower is probably about 11 hours a week.

o An activity that you do through the school year lasts 33 to 34 weeks; you can estimate.

o If you are a club officer, you probably spend time planning for your activity, and so you should add more time.

o Take your best reasonable guess as to how much time you put into an activity; be honest, but be fair to yourself.

o Even a regular babysitting gig counts as employment; but if you just sometimes sit for


your aunt or got 10 bucks for weeding your grandmother’s garden, don’t bother.

• The “Short Answer” essay should be about an activity that matters a whole lot to you; write about WHY the activity is important in your life—and keep it short (1000 characters)!

• The “Personal Essay” is a big deal and needs to be about something really important— REALLY important—in your life. It needs to be very, very well written. Get help from your English teacher, your advisor, and your college counselor.

• The length suggestions for the essays are important. Keep the Short Answer under the stated 1000-character limit, and keep your personal essay at 500 words or less. When you write your first draft, start worrying if you go onto a 3rd page, double-spaced.

• The “Additional Information” section is for something really important that wasn’t asked elsewhere—possibly something UNIQUE in your personal background. It’s not a place to just say that you’re really a wonderful person.

• Be honest in the “Disciplinary History”—and use the “written explanation” spot as a chance to write a short essay explaining what happened AND WHAT YOU LEARNED; it’s not the place to complain that it was unfair or that other kids get away with doing the same thing.

• Then be ready for two BIG surprises:

1. You have left things blank or made mistakes, and the system will pester you until you have filled in everything it wants you to fill in.

2. Many colleges have SUPPLEMENTS—special pages of even more information that you have to fill in. Sometimes these are easy, and sometimes there are short essays (250 words on “Why do you want to attend our college?”). Sometimes, as for places like Yale and Tufts, there are a whole bunch of extra essays to write. CHECK OUT THE SUPPLEMENT REQUIREMENTS, AND DON’T LEAVE THESE UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE!

• If you have a supplement that asks you to list the colleges to which you are applying, leave it blank!

• AND ONE LAST SURPRISE: For many schools there is an application fee. These range from $25 to as much as $75 per college, although some schools charge NO fee when you apply on line. You may be eligible for a FEE WAIVER (if you qualified for a fee waiver for the SATs or ACT, you qualify for this), so check with your school counselor about getting the fee waiver form. The Common App form explains how this works; ask your counselor for help if you need it.

• Your “signature” is required before you submit, but it’s all electronic

• You need to sign forms on Naviance allowing your school to release your records (transcripts and recommendation) and waiving your right to see your letters of recommendation. Do sign these, as colleges are more willing to trust a letter that the student hasn’t seen than one that the student has seen. Trust your counselor and teachers to write good, strong, positive letters on your behalf—they will!

• If you are applying Early Decision there may be another form that pops up requiring your signature as well as that of a parent/guardian and your college counselor; you may need to print out a paper copy—but check on what you need to do and DO IT


7. INTERVIEWS

COLLEGE INTERVIEWS

The opportunity for interviews for admission to some colleges has decreased during the past few years, so you will need to inquire about the interviewing policy of each school. The policy will probably be one of the following:

No interviews – group information sessions only Alumni interviews only – off campus Interviews are optional and informational only Interviews are encouraged and do become a part of the student’s

application folder If the college does offer an on-campus interview and you are able to visit, please take advantage of this opportunity. It may be very helpful to you. Don’t be surprised if the interviewer spends much of the time selling you on her or his school. Interviews are, in part, a marketing device.

What You Can Do To Prepare:

• Read all available material on the college beforehand. Do not ask questions that

are answered in the material. • Dress and comport yourself as someone who respects the process and wants to

present himself/herself as a serious, mature young adult. Ditch the gum before the interview starts!

• Be prepared to comment on particular programs that combine your talents and interests.

• Be prepared for cryptic questions (e.g. “What would you like to talk about?”, “Are you a mature person?”)

Sample Questions from College Admission Interviewers:

1. Why do you want to attend this college? What do you expect to get out of college, and what will you contribute to your college community? 2. How do you like Beaver? What has been the most positive experience you have had? The most negative? What would you like to change about Beaver? 3. What is your role in the school community? What would your teachers say about you as a person? As a student? 4. What is the most significant contribution you’ve made to your school?


5. What are you looking for in a college? How did you become interested in __________? 6. What are some of your goals – personal and career – for the future? 7. Tell me about a particular class or assignment in which you found yourself most stimulated intellectually. 8. How and in what ways do you expect, plan, hope, to transfer your secondary school contributions, achievements, activities to the college level? 9. What has been your favorite subject in high school? Why? 10. What events, if any, would you deem critical in your life thus far? Who has most influenced you? 11. What books or authors have made a lasting impression on you? Have you read deeply into any one author or field? 12. How have you spent your summers? 13. How would you describe yourself as a person? 14. Have you ever thought of not going to college? What would you do? 15. How do you spend your free time? 16. Why do you think you are a good match for this college? 17. Do you have any questions? (Have some in mind.)


DOING THE INTERVIEW REALLY WELL

Talking Points For Beaver Students

You attend a high school that takes a slightly more modern approach to education than many other schools. You may want to say this, and you can then expect to be asked what this has meant to your experience. Here are a few things you might talk about: • PROJECTS. From the Junior history paper to projects you might have done in any

other course, the Big Projects you have done at Beaver are not the usual fare. Think about these projects and talk about o Major papers that have gone along with these projects o Presentations you have done—these are public speaking experiences o Field work and other out-of-school research you have done o Group projects, and what your roles have been and what you have learned about

yourself, about leadership, and about teamwork from doing these • THE ARTS. The art requirement at Beaver is double that of most other school. Think

about o What you learned about yourself and about your creative strengths in your art

classes o Whether these classes awakened or kept something special and important alive

in you o If you have gone beyond the requirement, tell why

• COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS. The service and diversity programs at Beaver are

different, because here we want to make students truly socially aware and to inspire students to become involved as activists in the community and in the world. Think about o How the community service program and events have taken you out of school

and shown you aspects of the community and community needs—and how YOU can play a part in making things better

o How events like Unity Day help bring the community together to have some real conversations about issues like race, religion, and class—and inspired YOU

• RELATIONSHIPS WITH TEACHERS. Teachers at most schools are “there for the

students,” but the relationships you have had with teachers at Beaver are probably stronger and more honest than the relationships students in most other places have had. Think about o How your relationships with one or more teachers have shaped you, or helped

you to see things or think about things in certain ways o How these relationships have perhaps inspired you to think more deeply about

who you are, about important questions in life, about your own potential • ADVANCED AND HONORS COURSES. Here is your chance to tell the story of the

most challenging work that you have done in school. Questions to ponder:


o Was it just about staying up late and remembering things, or was it about reading hard, thinking hard, doing hard? Was it about sweat, or real intellectual effort?

o If you are in an Honors Advanced course, talk about the material being covered and about the impact this course is having on you. Colleges will really want to know this.

o Can you describe what made your most challenging courses hard—and why you stuck with them and what you gained?

• NuVu. If you have done NuVu, are doing NuVu, or are planning to do NuVu, be

ready with an enthusiastic and clear explanation of the program. Colleges are excited by this. Be sure to mention o What NuVu is, how it started (MIT people), what it means to do NuVu at Beaver

(a term just doing NuVu in Cambridge) o How NuVu works: studio model, projects, collaboration, coaches who are experts

in their areas, critiques and exhibitions o If you have done or are doing NuVu, be REALLY specific about the kinds of

projects you have been doing, why you chose them, what the coaching is like, and what the work was/is like


8. LEARNING DISABILITIES AND THE COLLEGE PROCESS

JANUARY 2011 UPDATE IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR FAMILIES REQUESTING ACCOMMODATIONS ON

STANDARDIZED TESTING Re: The College Board/ACT accommodations/updating testing

For students with documented learning disabilities on file with us, extended time is a standard and reasonable accommodation. Under the American Disabilities Act, these scores are not “flagged” with any extended time notation. For the College Board:

1. In order to register for the PSAT/SAT/AP with accommodations (extended time, computer, etc.), each student must fill out a form in my office, bring it home to be signed by a parent/guardian, and return it to me before the deadline. Students’ testing cannot be more than five years old. 2. Beaver will complete our portion and submit our learning profile along with the student’s testing.

3. The College Board will review the testing to determine the level of accommodation offered. A student may qualify at Beaver for extended time but not through the College Board. You can visit http://www.collegeboard.com/ssd/prof/limitation.html for more information regarding diagnoses and required testing as well as timed academic testing. You may call the College Board (609-771-7137) at any time to check on your student’s status.

4. Once you have registered with the College Board, the process is complete and there will be no need to re-register again. Once the ACT grants extended time (see below), file the acceptance letter in a safe place for future use. ___________________________________________________________________________________________

For the PLAN/ACT: Beaver offers the PLAN (the practice test for the ACT) in spring of tenth grade. Students do not need to register for extended time for that particular test.

If students with a documented learning disability decide that they would like to take the ACT, they will also need to fill out separate paper work. Families can pick up the application in the Enrichment Center.

Students can begin this process no earlier than six months prior to the exam. Standards for eligibility can be found at www.act.org. The ACT is accepted at all American universities and can be used in lieu of the SAT. Once you register with the ACT, the process is complete and you will not need to re-register again. You may call the ACT (319-337-1851) at anytime to check on your student’s status.

1. Beaver will complete our portion and submit our learning profile along with the student’s testing.

2. The ACT will review the testing to determine the level of accommodation offered. A student may qualify at Beaver for extended time but not through the ACT.

3. Student’s testing cannot be more than three years old.

4. Once the ACT grants extended time, file the acceptance letter in a safe place. Beaver does not receive any notification of the student’s status. The ACT contacts the family directly.

For specific information, contact: Lesley Colognesi Director of Academic Support Services/College Counselor 617-738-2734 [email protected]


COLLEGE SELECTION CONSIDERATIONS FOR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES The Degree of Assistance available at college varies from one institution to another. Consider what your child has needed at Beaver in order to succeed and match it to the schools to which you apply. The degrees of assistance offered at college can be categorized as follows:

LEAST DEGREE. Accommodation: the basic assistance that every college must offer; it requires the most student initiative & labor & involves the least amount of institutionalized organization & assistance (e.g., extended time on exams is pursued by each qualified student with each professor of each course taken all four years). MEDIUM DEGREE. Services: the amount of assistance most like that at Beaver; an organized approach, centered in a department, staffed by 1 or 2 professionals, it offers a more extensive range of assistance than just Accommodation—but not the full range of a Program. It organizes assistance to students requiring some support that is standardized across disciplines (e.g., extra time on tests, access to computers on exams, books on tape, foreign language waiver or alternative, etc.). GREATEST DEGREE. Program: the most comprehensive range of offerings that include all Services but also extend to: diagnostic testing, specialized courses, remediation, counseling, etc. Staffed by several to many trained professionals, it often costs an additional fee.

Another key consideration in making the best match is evaluating the required curriculum at each institution in terms of the number of courses required per term, the length of each term, foreign language alternatives, math requirements, etc.


ENSURING THE BEST MATCH & THE APPROPRIATE DEGREE OF

ACCOMMODATION AT COLLEGE

What PARENTS/GUARDIANS Must Do:

Provide valid testing by making sure that it is updated (should be a standard neuropsychological battery no older than 3 years); if desirable, call the chair of the Academic Services Department for a referral.

Never send your child’s evaluation in the application process. Provide it when requested – but only after admission and only to the appropriate department.

What STUDENTS Must Do:

Appraise all colleges you are considering by criteria that include the appropriate degree of accommodation available AND the required courses for graduation (e.g., foreign language study), as well as the usual considerations of: geography, campus, student body, strong departments in areas of your interest, programs abroad, student life, etc.

Go to websites of all colleges you are interested in for the most current information on each Department of Services. At each college you visit, go to the Department of Services & interview personnel as well as students who receive such services.

Learn to Self Advocate before going to college. Come work with the Academic Services Department to learn how to do this if you do not already know how.

o Read & Understand your Evaluation; know your cognitive strengths & weaknesses, your diagnosis & specifically what accommodation(s) you need from the college in order to be a successful student.

o Once admitted, bring or send your updated testing to the appropriate department & make an appointment to talk about your issues & needs for freshman year.

o Self-Advocate.


WHY & HOW TO SELF-ADVOCATE? WHAT IS INVOLVED? “Self-Advocacy: the ability to plead in favor of yourself” (Webster). In terms of seeking accommodation for a learning disability or disorder, effective self-advocacy involves the ability to:

o know yourself honestly and fully, including: your cognitive strengths, weaknesses, and critical need(s) for accommodation; actual diagnosis; its degree of severity; its impact on which courses and/or your mental processes (to know these things and to learn the appropriate terminology to describe them, read your current evaluation and/or come see the Academic Services Department).

o speak up for yourself; to be articulate & tactful about your issues. Know how

to request things in different ways – even when you are countered or questioned;

o hustle in your own behalf: show up; make appointments; work hard; think

through; organize and prioritize that which needs to be done Effective Self-Advocacy also involves:

o the ability to ask for and accept assistance graciously when needed o the ability to seek from others only the help that is needed o over time, the increased ability to let go of past accommodations that are no

longer necessary. To Learn to Self-Advocate:

o practice articulating your diagnosis and requests for accommodation o practice arguing on your own behalf – on these & other matters o role play with your advisor or the Academic Services Department to develop

verbal ease and fluency on this issue.


QUESTIONS OF SELF-DECLARATION IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS

~ Who Should Self-Declare?

~ Who Should Not?

~ When To Do It If You Do & How? No one is required to self- disclose a learning disability; however, in the interest of making the best match, it is important to decide whether or not it is in your best interests to do so. And, if so, when? To determine whether or not to self-disclose, consider the following advice: 1. Do not self-disclose your learning disability if it is mild and you are fully

compensating for it. (That is, you had little or no need for accommodation at Beaver and you expect to have no need at college.)

2. Self-disclose once you have been admitted if you need a moderate degree of

standard accommodations at college (e.g., extended time on exams ). Self- disclose once admitted by sending a letter to your college – to the appropriate department person – stating your diagnosis & listing your specific need(s) for accommodation. Ask where you should send your evaluation and when. Consider requesting a letter from the Director of Academic Services at Beaver, confirming this information.

3. Consider self-disclosure during the admission process if you need to explain

something out of the usual on your transcript (e.g., a language waiver) or you require a very special kind of accommodation at college and want to ensure that you get it. Do this during the interview or in a short note that accompanies your essays & application. We do not recommend that you make your LD the subject of your essay unless it has been such a defining characteristic of your life – or you have changed so much because of it. Otherwise, we think it more important that you discuss other aspects of yourself that demonstrate your interests and ideas. Consider requesting a letter from the Director of Academic Services confirming your diagnosis & need for accommodation and perhaps outlining your progress in compensating for your LD over the years.

Whether or not you plan to self-disclose, make sure that you visit the Department of Academic Services (or whatever it is called) at the colleges you apply to in order to evaluate the services available & their accessibility. Also, interview students who receive such services in order to evaluate the program more realistically. Always consult the website of each college you apply to regarding their services. As you go about your college search, please consider the following:


1. If you have a learning disability and/or a disorder and you have been successfully accommodated at Beaver, you should think about ensuring the same kind of accommodation at college.

2. As you look at colleges, and read their literature, appraise their department of

Services for Learning Disabilities (no two are exactly the same). 3. Ask questions of admissions officers, professionals in the Department of Services,

and students who use these services. Evaluate the quality and accessibility of each college’s offerings; compare them to what you are used to at Beaver, and compare them to other college offerings.

4. In any of the above cases, you should discuss your reasoning with the Beaver

Academic Services Department before doing so and then ask the chair to write a follow-up letter to confirm what you say. We should then discuss the timing of this letter in terms of pre or post admission policy.

5. All eligible students seeking accommodation at college should have their evaluations

updated in order to be accommodated. 6. After being accepted, all students are responsible to send their own updated

evaluations to college to the appropriate person in the correctly titled department (every school seems to have its own version of “Academic Services”.) Beaver cannot do this, as this kind of information is considered personal and private and up to the individual to share with another institution.

7. If you need to have your evaluation updated and do not know where to go, please

call the director of Academic Services at Beaver for a referral. 8. If you need to discuss the question of your need for accommodation at college,

please see the director of Academic Services at Beaver this fall. 9. If you need to understand and to practice articulating your diagnosis and need for

accommodation, come meet with me and we shall role-play the situation.


QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER ASKING...re: Services for Students with LD

1. Name of the department. Title of director. Location on the campus.

2. Number of professionals in the department (vs. graduate students, peer tutors, etc.)

3. Years of operation of the department at this college

4. Number of students served each year; ratio of students served to professionals

5. How services are accessed by the individual student once admitted

6. Frequency of use possible for the individual student

7. Availability of professional help vs. student assistance

8. Kinds of Accommodation & services offered?

o extended time on exams? tests? how much time, and where and how to put in place

o language waiver? what alternatives are acceptable? American sign? Latin?

o use of computers for tests &/or exams?

o assistance in course choice? help with load management?

o writing center? assistance with organization, editing revision?

o books on tape?

o separate, quiet rooms for testing?

o tutoring available? in subject areas?

9. Any other question that pertains to your individual needs. (See your Learning Profile, recent evaluation, or the Academic Services Department to figure out what they might be if you don’t know for sure.

10. Additional cost to tuition to access services?

This is just a starter set of possibilities. After a while, when you know enough, just

ask the focused questions that relate to your interests and your needs.


9. SPECIAL TALENTS: ART, MUSIC, ATHLETICS

SENDING SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS The only purpose for sending supplementary materials is to supply documentation for those aspects of your life and work that cannot easily be conveyed by the normal application. These usually include: a musical performance recording, additional writing samples, a portfolio of artwork, newspaper articles by or about the applicant, a photo of some project, or an athletic profile. Admissions officers find themselves at the receiving end of many video cassettes featuring actors, dancers, and athletes. Most of these usually go unwatched. It is better to send these videos directly to the department heads and coaches. Think quality over quantity. You do not need to have additional letters of recommendation written unless they offer a new view not evident in the application.

ART PORTFOLIOS There are many options available to you if you intend to pursue visual arts in college. Besides arts schools such as RISD, Pratt, and the Art Institute of Chicago, many liberal arts schools like Connecticut College, the University of Denver, and Skidmore have dedicated art colleges or strong visual arts departments. Given the wide range of options, it will be important that you consider carefully your particular needs and goals. Consider the strengths and emphasis of each program. Visit the facilities, peruse the course offerings, and talk with faculty and students in the department. If you think it is possible that you will apply to art schools or pursue art as a major at a liberal arts college, it will most likely be necessary to submit an art portfolio to supplement your applications. A portfolio usually consists of 12–20 slides representing your best work in a range of areas: drawing, painting, and, if applicable, 3-D. You submit your portfolio with your applications and/or directly to the art departments at the schools to which you are applying. Many students also show their portfolios to admissions representatives in the early fall (even of Junior year) at one or more of the National Portfolio Day events sponsored by the nation’s top art schools. Often, a student’s portfolio will be accepted at a Portfolio Day. While this can be exciting, it does not mean that a student has been accepted to the school. Final acceptance depends upon the Admissions Office’s review of the applicant’s academic transcript, essay and recommendations. While many liberal arts schools do not require portfolios, if you intend to pursue art at that school, you should submit your work for review by a member of the visual arts faculty, ideally the Head of the department.


While you should begin thinking about your portfolio during your sophomore year, relax and have fun making art; begin collecting your best work for inclusion in your portfolio. In your junior year, you should consider attending a Portfolio Day in order to gain a sense of the expectations of the reviewers. During your senior year, you should bring your portfolio to a Portfolio Day for an evaluation. Most of the artwork that comprises your portfolio will be produced during your junior year and during your junior summer. Attending a summer art program at a college (e.g., Carnegie Mellon, Maryland Institute College of Art, RISD) is a good way to produce high quality work and discover whether or not you enjoy being an art student at the university level. The first term of your senior year should be a period when you fine-tune your portfolio. Schools want to see consistent work that shows your serious interest and dedication to making art. You should present a balanced body of work that displays both your skill as an artist and your individual creative style. Be aware that in addition to a portfolio, some schools will also require that you perform other art-related tasks or submit specific pieces of work. Acquaint yourself intimately with the specific application requirements for each school to which you plan to apply. Review the following procedures and guidelines for producing a portfolio: Format: Most colleges will want a selection of 12–20 professional quality slides. Some

schools will also accept unmounted 8” x 10” photographic prints, a DVD, or a website address where can be found documentation of your work.

The slides should be arranged in a plastic slide-holder page and should be labeled

with your name and a number that corresponds to a typed list accompanying your slides. The list should include the corresponding number, a title for each slide, identification of the media, an indication of size, date of completion, and a brief description of the work.

You should also include a brief (half page, typed) artist’s statement describing your

interests and investment in the visual arts. Procedure: Collect all of your artwork at school. You should start collecting your work during

your junior and even sophomore years. Take care of your work to ensure that it remains undamaged.

Ask a member of the Visual Arts Department to be your mentor throughout this

process. All of them have produced art portfolios and have studied at a wide range of art schools and liberal arts colleges. Review your work with that faculty member, and follow her/his advice.


Hire a professional photographer to photograph and produce slides of your work.

Photograph more than the requisite number of pieces so that you can choose those which reproduce best. Have the photographer produce enough slides so that you do not have to have them duplicated later.

Once you have the slides, meet with your faculty mentor again to select your best

work. Research how and to whom you should submit your portfolio at each college to

which you are applying. Send your portfolio.

MUSIC FOR COLLEGE APPLICANTS

The following information is intended as a guide for students who have focused on music during their time at Beaver. We encourage any senior to create a recorded tape and a short document outlining their past musical achievements at Beaver and elsewhere. Creating this tape will showcase your abilities and help set you apart from other applicants.

Tape Format:

All colleges differ in what they require for a musical recording. If you intend to major in music, most schools will require an audition at the school. The earlier you register the better.

The recording should be professionally made. Record the performance in the

best acoustical surroundings using the best quality equipment.

Choose your pieces wisely. Highlight your strengths. Choose a variety of pieces to demonstrate different abilities.

Do not make a recording too long.

Send the recording to the regular college admission office and to the appropriate

member of that school’s music department. Enclose a letter and resume outlining your musical achievements. Follow up with a phone call sometime later to that same music faculty.

Resume Format:

With your recording, enclose a resume outlining past musical achievements. List the important things you have done musically, both at Beaver and outside of Beaver.

Keep your information brief. Highlights of your accomplishments are enough.


THEATER AUDITIONS

(adapted from www.ecampustours.com/collegeplanning/auditionsandtryouts.aspx) Many colleges and universities have a theater or performing arts department. If you are interested in majoring in drama, you may or may not have to audition in order to be accepted into the major. However, you will definitely have to audition for plays, and often times you will have to audition for scholarships. If you do have to audition in order to be accepted into the major, then you will probably have to set up an audition appointment. Most campuses will have a couple of dates set for on-campus auditions, and some campus reps may even travel to regional cities to hold auditions. Auditions for plays are usually advertised in campus newspapers or posted on campus bulletin boards. Often times, these auditions are open call. You may be required to come prepared with a monologue, or if you are doing a musical, you will need to come prepared with a song. Check with your school to see if there are guidelines on the kind of performance you should present, such as contemporary, classical, dramatic, or comedic. Sometimes you may be required to perform a cold reading, which is where you will have no prep time to study a script prior to reading it on stage. For play auditions, you are usually tested on how well you can read, project your voice, memorize lines, and follow directions. Judges will also look for whether or not you have the potential for growth, a sense of humor, and the ability to identify with the character(s). Remember these tips for audition day:

• Choose a lesser-known monologue/play and be ready to answer questions about the whole play. Give yourself plenty of time to pick out and practice an appropriate piece. (Ask your theater teacher/ director for guidance)

• Wear clothing that gives you freedom to move around but still remember to look neat and professional.

• Try to show that you are eager and ready to take risks.

• Don’t go over the time limit set for your audition.


ATHLETICS AND THE COLLEGE PROCESS

The following information is for those at Beaver who are thinking about continuing with athletics in college and might be considered a “recruitable” athlete. If you have been contacted by college coaches at Division I, II, or III schools, you can feel fairly confident that you may have the ability to compete in college at some level. If you have not heard from any coaches, but hope to continue in college with a sport, or perhaps begin a new one that Beaver does not offer, we suggest the following:

Self-Assessment: Take the time to be honest with yourself about your abilities and potential. If you have never been a starter, can you really play at the college level? How good is the program at the school at which you are looking? Do they welcome all to the program, with potential for development, or only those they recruit?

Talk with others: Talk to your coach at Beaver, or former Beaver students who

were similar to you in ability. Ask for their help in aiding you in self-assessment. If you now feel that you may be of interest to some college coaches, we recommend the following:

Talk to your coach at Beaver about the kinds of schools you are considering. Discuss other programs that may be of interest to you. Ask if he or she will contact these schools on your behalf.

When communicating with the admission offices at these colleges, be sure to

inform them that you are a varsity athlete and the sport(s) you play. They will often pass this information on to the respective coach.

Contact these colleges directly. Let them know of your interest in applying to their

school and your intention to participate in their program. You should set up a visit to meet with the coach. Some colleges may ask for an athletic resume or a video.

Depending on your ability, you may be of interest to some college coaches and not to others. Do your best to be realistic in your self-assessment of your athletic talent and the teams for which you are most likely to play. Remember that, while you may be good enough to play on a particular college’s team, your athletic talent may not be of the caliber to play a role in the admission committee’s decision making. Coaches have varying ranges of ability to support you in the admission process, so it is important to understand their system. Watch out for coaches’ tactics. Remember that your interests and a coach’s interests don’t always overlap to your advantage. A coach’s goal is to build the best possible team. Typically, a coach is allowed to present to the admission committee a list of his or her most desired candidates from among the applicant pool. There is no guarantee that


the admissions committee will admit all candidates on a coach’s list or follow his/her order of preference; academic and personal factors will be taken into consideration. Coaches’ promises should almost always be taken with a heavy dose of skepticism. Coaches who guarantee you admission are probably overstepping their bounds. It is the admission committee that makes admissions decisions, not the coaches. A coach may lead you to believe that you will make his or her list, but there are no guarantees. You could be bumped from the list at the last minute if the coach finds a better athlete, or even a somewhat less talented athlete with better academic credentials who is more likely to make it through the admissions process. It is not unusual for a coach to ask you to state which college is your first choice. After all, in choosing which athletes to support in the admission process, a coach does not want to waste energy or a high position on the list on a candidate who is not likely to enroll. We do not want you to lie to coaches. Nor do we want your honesty to put you at a disadvantage. If coaches start asking you to commit, come talk to your college counselor before responding. Indeed, it is important that you keep us posted throughout the process about all communications with college coaches. Our work as your advocate is strengthened if we know which college coaches seem most interested in you. If coaches make unfounded promises to you or ask you to commit when you are not ready to do so, we can often intervene to your advantage by contacting the admissions office.


10. FINANCIAL AID AND SCHOLARSHIPS

COLLEGE APPLICATION EXPENSES

STANDARDIZED TESTING (2011–12 prices) SAT Reasoning $49.00 SAT Subject Tests $22.00 registration fee plus $11–22 for each subject test ACT $34.00 ($49.50 with writing test) APs $87.00 per exam

Extra fees may obtain for late registration, registration changes, extra score reports, expedited score reports, or other special situations or services

APPLICATION FEES

While a few colleges permit you to apply on-line for no fee, most charge application fees ranging from $25 to $85. The Common Application lists the fees of specific colleges.

FINANCIAL AID FORMS (2011–12 prices) FAFSA (federal form) FREE; avoid “help” services that require payment! CSS/Profile (for private, nonfederal student aid funds) Registration: $ 9.00 Fee per college: $16.00 NCAA ELIGIBILITY CENTER (formerly the “Clearinghouse”)

Student-athletes being recruited to play a Division I or II sport need to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center. The 2011–12 fee is $65.

COLLEGE VISITS Obviously, the cost varies depending on the location of the college. FEE WAIVERS

Families who may meet certain eligibility requirements should speak with their college counselor about fee waivers for the SATs, the ACT, the application fee, the CSS/Profile, and the NCAA Clearinghouse.

Information on using fee waivers when reporting SAT scores to colleges can be found at http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/calenfees/feewaivers.html


GENERAL ADVICE ABOUT FINANCIAL AID

Plan ahead! If you think that you will need financial aid at any time during your college years, apply at the time you are first applying to college. The process may seem daunting, but we will help you. College is expensive. For many families, this will be a major part of the application process. Request and read all materials from colleges about the policies and procedures. Note and comply with all deadlines. A missed deadline could prove costly. Keep In Mind:

Financial aid is handled directly between the college and the applicant. The FAFSA must be filled out on line by everyone who requests financial aid.

Each college has a financial aid office which is your best source of current information, including scholarships. Call them. Initiate what may become a long-term relationship.

Keep in mind that some colleges have more money to make available than others. This fact alone might heighten their attractiveness to you. If they want you, they will pay.

When considering loans, think at least four years down the road. How big a loan burden will feel comfortable?

STANDARD FORMS FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) If a student wants to receive federally funded student financial aid, he or she must complete a FAFSA. This form is used to determine what a family can pay toward postsecondary education and, in turn, a student’s financial aid eligibility. The form must be completed after January 1. Do not complete more than one FAFSA. Also, do not submit the FAFSA before January 1. Apply on-line at www.fafsa.ed.gov. However, before you begin the FAFSA on the Web, you need to get a PIN number (Personal Identification Number) at the web site: www.PIN.ed.gov. CSS/FINANCIAL AID PROFILE Many private colleges require this form which can only be completed on-line at www.collegeboard.com. The College Board web site lists all colleges and scholarship


programs that require the PROFILE. PROFILE registration should be completed in the fall of senior year- at least four (4) weeks before your first financial aid deadline. INSTITUTIONAL FORMS Some colleges have their own aid forms in addition to the ones above. Check with each college and follow their instructions. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION If your family has a special financial need or financial circumstances that are not covered on any of the forms above, write a letter describing your situation and send it to the Financial Aid offices of the colleges to which you are applying. DO NOT attach letters or tax forms, etc. to the FAFSA or PROFILE. They will be destroyed.

Help on completing the FAFSA can be found at http://www.ed.gov/prog_info/SFA/FAFSA

For FAFSA on the web, go to http://fafsa.ed.gov All kinds of information and assistance, from the Massachusetts

Educational Finance Authority: http://www.mefa.org Financial Aid Information Page: http://www.finaid.org For scholarship searches and an application to calculate range of aid possible

given your income, go to http://www.collegeboard.org or http://www.mefacounselor.org

AN ARTICLE OF INTEREST FROM THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION: Friday, November 7, 2008

In a Rocky Economy, 10 Steady Tips About Student Aid By BECKIE SUPIANO Financial aid was already complicated. In recent months, new federal regulations and a rocky economy have made it even more so. And there might be yet more change under a new Democratic administration. Still, there are some financial-aid basics that aren’t likely to go anywhere—and experts say it is important not to lose sight of them. Arlina DeNardo, director of financial aid at Lafayette College, and Carolyn Lindley, director of financial aid at Northwestern University, presented their list of “must know” information at a session of the College Board’s annual conference here. This is what they say everyone—high-school counselors, parents, even professors—working with future or current students should know: 1. Every student should apply for aid—regardless of family income. The financial-aid office


needs the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or Fafsa, to process a loan, even for students who don’t qualify for need-based aid. And, if a student’s financial situation changes, the financial-aid office cannot offer aid without that form. 2. Deadlines matter. Students have to apply for aid each year, and they must do so on time. First-year students need to understand that different colleges may have different deadlines. 3. All aid applications are not the same. All colleges require the Fafsa. About 250 colleges require a CSS/Financial Aid Profile, a form that asks for more information than is included on the federal form. State grants and outside scholarships may also require additional paperwork. 4. Students should know what colleges mean by “family contribution.” This figure is what a college determines a family can contribute based on the Fafsa, sometimes combined with information from a CSS/Financial Aid Profile. The dollar amount is not necessarily what the family will pay, since students don’t all spend the same amount of money on items like housing. It could also vary from college to college. For example, some financial-aid offices will add in an expected contribution from a student’s summer earnings. 5. Students should be aware of what is included in the cost of attendance. This figure includes tuition, fees, housing, and indirect costs like books, supplies, and transportation. The actual cost paid for some of these items will vary from student to student. 6. Eligibility and need aren’t always the same. If a student meets the criteria for a federal Pell Grant, the college has to award it. But the college may determine that a student who is eligible for a Pell Grant on paper doesn’t demonstrate the level of need to get other institutional need-based aid. 7. There is a big difference between need-based and merit aid. Merit aid is almost always tied to academic performance, and some is tied to specific criteria like having a certain major or being from a certain part of the country. Need-based aid is determined solely from families’ documented financial situations. 8. There are different forms of aid. Students can receive federal, state, and institutional aid. Aid can come in the form of grants, loans, or work. And yes, financial-aid offices view loans as a form of aid. 9. Award letters vary. Be sure to note whether aid is in the form of grants or loans and whether it is renewable from year to year. 10. Award letters can be appealed. If a family knows or expects its financial situation will change, it should talk it over with the financial-aid office. Most offices can help a family with special circumstances—an issue many expect to see happen more in a year like this one.


TIPS FOR FILLING OUT FORMS

Note: These forms are completed on-line in almost all cases; however these tips are still applicable! 1. Assemble records you will need:

Completed 2012 income tax forms (or estimated 2012 tax information) W-2 Forms and other records of money earned in 2012 (or estimates of

earnings) Records of 2012 untaxed income such as welfare, social security, AFDC or

veteran’s benefits Current bank statements Current mortgage information Business (farm) records Records of stocks, bonds, other investments Student’s driver license and social security card Student’s alien registration card (if applicable)

2. When completing the FAFSA (worksheet or paper form), use a sharp #2 pencil or ball point pen with black ink. You will fill in the final form ON-LINE.

3. Use proper names, not nicknames, and make sure the social security number reported matches the one on the student’s card.

4. Complete all required sections of the form.

5. If the instructions tell you to skip a section, leave it blank. If your answer is “none” or “zero”, put a zero in the answer space.

6. Your PIN number is your identification for all forms. DO NOT submit the FAFSA before January 1, 2013. DO submit forms at least five (5) working days prior to your earliest financial aid deadline. KEEP A COPY AND RECORD OF ALL FORMS. 7. Your FAFSA is processed faster if you write in the correct, 6 digit Title IV Code and the name of the college only. These codes are not the same as the College Board CSS 4 digit codes used on the PROFILE. You may list the college and its address without the code, but make sure you have the correct city (e.g., Boston College is NOT in Boston!).

8. The FAFSA only allows you to list a specified number of colleges. If you are applying to more than this number, list colleges that do not require the PROFILE first. (Colleges


that require the PROFILE can usually access data from your FAFSA electronically.) When you have a final (and correct) copy of your Student Aid Report (SAR, see below), you can then resubmit the FAFSA, replacing the names of colleges to which forms have been sent with the names of new ones.

9. Within four weeks after filing your form, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR). The SAR will either request further information, or provide you with a number called an Expected Family Contribution- abbreviated as EFC. Once you have a final SAR (corrected if necessary) you should follow the directions on the form for signatures, etc. and give the SAR to the financial aid administrator at the college the student plans to attend.

10. For questions about the status of your application or to request duplicate copies of your SAR, call 1-319-337-5665. If you do not get a SAR in four weeks, it is wise to call and check on your application. EARLY APPLICANTS The issue of applying early and financial aid raises concerns for many. By applying early, you limit your opportunities to compare financial aid packages between schools. On the other hand, it has been our experience that the financial aid packages in the early round have been quite adequate for families demonstrating need. SCHOLARSHIPS Information about current scholarships comes through the College Counseling Office regularly, and families should check the Financial Aid pages on their Naviance Family Connection account. We update these pages as applicable. There are a number of web sites where you can search for free information about scholarships. A few good ones are: http://www.finaid.org

http://www.college-scholarships.com/100college.htm http://www.ed.gov/studentaid As a rule, DO NOT use any websites or services that charge money to help you final scholarships. At best, this is unnecessary, and at worst you might find yourself the victim of a scam or of identity theft.


FINANCIAL AID-RELATED WEB SITES (with some repetition) Financial Aid and Scholarship www.collegeboard.com The College Board How Financial Aid Works Financial Aid Calculator Scholarship Search CSS/PROFILE Online Tips For Filling Out FAFSA & PROFILE Comparing Aid Awards Online Applying For Loans www.heic.org Higher Education Information Center in Boston Checklist for Financial Aid Recipients Frequently Asked Questions About Financial Aid Finding Funding From Private Sources

Link to FAFSA Online Title IV School Codes Links to Loan Organizations www.fafsa.ed.gov Electronic FAFSA www.mefacounselor.org Massachusetts Education Finance Authority FAFSA help Scholarship search General assistance and advice www.scholarships.com Free Scholarship Search & Financial Aid Resource Free Scholarship Search Scholarship Grants and Contests Scholarship Scams Borrowing Responsibly Prepaid Tuition and Savings Plans Top Ten Lists (suggestions for filling out forms) Glossary www.finaid.org The Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid Free Scholarship Search Loans, scholarships, military aid, other types of aid CSS PROFILE & Title IV codes Financial Aid Calculators Tips for Students, Parents & Educators www.fastweb.com Free Scholarship Search


Loan Options www.nelliemae.org NellieMae Loan Information www.teri.org The Educational Resources Institute www.mefa.org Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority


11. DECISIONS

THE RESULTS ARE IN… Families and students should be aware that college decisions are not always as simple as “accepted” or “denied.” Along the way to admission there are a few other possible outcomes:

∗ DEFERRED. Students who are deferred from an Early Decision or Early Action application have their applications moved forward into the Regular Decision pool for later reconsideration. Students who are deferred should continue to show active interest in the college in order to be considered favorably. Some colleges use deferrals as a gentle way to say “probably not,” but others will give a student full consideration on the second round without the earlier deferral harming their candidacy.

∗ WAIT-LISTED. Many colleges put students on a waitlist after “final” admission decisions are made. Students may show active interest or submit further information, but some waitlists never move. Other colleges, however, regularly and actively go to waitlists throughout the late spring and early summer to fill their classes.

∗ JANUARY ADMIT. This is an increasingly common result, and it always

seems to come as a shock. Some colleges will admit a student but not until the second semester of the student’s first year. The student may be able make up missed coursework over the summers to graduate “on time,” but this is often a way for colleges to admit candidates whom they want, but not immediately, and about whose qualifications they may have some reservations.

∗ “CONDITIONAL ADMIT.” Admission conditions come in many forms, from a

mandatory year off before starting college to a semester of coursework at another college at a particular grade-point level. Some colleges use conditional admissions to hedge their bets when working to fill a class.


12. FINAL TIPS

TIPS FOR PARENTS AND GUARDIANS “We should help our children understand that we love and care for them no matter what a given college decides. We need to make it clear to them that college admission decisions are not evaluations of them, either as students or as valuable human beings. Let them know that no matter what, you believe they are unique individuals whom you love and respect.”

—The Fiske Guide to Getting Into the Right College, 1997

Encourage your child to think through the basic questions: Why do you want to go to college? What are your most important needs and goals? What kind of college would serve you best?

Look for moments that present themselves for communicating with your child. Being available to talk and listen is the most important thing you can do. It is okay to set financial parameters, but do so early on. Be realistic; do not set your child up for failure by setting unrealistic expectations. Look honestly at your child’s record. Make it your task to make sure that your child applies to at least two colleges where you know the student will be accepted. Think broadly, beyond the Northeast. Let the student take center stage; the admission process is the time for the student to stand on his or her own, while you stand on the sideline (and cheer!). BE SUPPORTIVE!


TIPS FOR STUDENTS Save and copy everything! If you have a special talent, pursue it with each college; this is no time to be modest. Develop a filing system. Read the application requirements for each college thoroughly; if you have questions, call or e-mail the college and ask. Treat each application as if that school were your first choice. Meet all deadlines. Be supportive of everyone—friends and family, especially; this process can be hard on everyone. All grades in all high school courses do count. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!


Students’ Rights and Responsibilities in the College Admission Process (from the National Association for College Admission Counseling)

Students applying to college have the right to certain information about colleges and universities, and about how much it costs to go to college. The U.S. government requires that colleges and universities provide prospective students with the following information. Most colleges and universities post this information on their Web sites. In addition, campuses are required to dedicate at least one staff member as a “customer service” information provider. College admission offices will be able to direct you to that staff member to answer your questions.

Colleges’ Obligations General Information: • The cost of attending an institution, including tuition, books and supplies, housing, and related costs and fees • Requirements and procedures for withdrawing from an institution, including refund policies • Names of associations that accredit, approve or license the institution • Special facilities and services for disabled students. Academics: • The academic program of the institution, including degrees, programs of study, and facilities • A list of faculty and other instructional personnel • A report on completion or graduation rates at the college • At schools that typically prepare students for transfer to a four-year college, such as a community college, information about the transfer-out rate.* Financial Aid: • The types of financial aid, including federal, state and local government, need-based and non-need based, and private scholarships and awards • The methods by which a school determines eligibility for financial aid; how and when the aid is distributed • Terms and conditions of campus employment, if financial aid is delivered through a work-study aid program. (For more information about student financial aid, visit www.studentaid.gov) Campus Security: • Procedures and policies for reporting crimes and emergencies on campus, as well as the system of adjudication • The number and types of crime reported on and around campus • The school’s drug offense policy, as well as descriptions of the school’s drug awareness and drug use prevention programs. (To compare campus crime statistics for different colleges, visit http://ope.ed.gov/security)

Students’ Rights Before You Apply to Colleges and Universities, • You have the right to receive factual and comprehensive information from colleges and universities about their admission, financial costs, aid opportunities, practices and packaging policies, and housing policies. If you consider applying under an early admission plan, you have the right to complete information from the college about its process and policies. • You have the right to be free from high-pressure sales tactics. When You Are Offered Admission: • You have the right to wait until May 1 to respond to an offer of admission and/or financial aid.


• Colleges that request commitments to offers of admission and/or financial assistance prior to May 1 must clearly offer you the opportunity to request (in writing) an extension until May 1. They must grant you this extension and your request may not jeopardize your status for admission and/or financial aid. • Candidates admitted under early decision programs are a recognized exception to the May 1 deadline. If You Are Placed on a Wait/Alternate List: • The letter that notifies you of that placement should provide a history that describes the number of students on the wait list, the number offered admission, and the availability of financial aid and housing. • Colleges may require neither a deposit nor a written commitment as a condition of remaining on a wait list. • Colleges are expected to notify you of the resolution of your wait list status by August 1 at the latest.

Students’ Responsibilities Before You Apply to Colleges and Universities, • You have a responsibility to research, and to understand and comply with the policies and procedures of each college or university regarding application fees, financial aid, scholarships, and housing. You should also be sure you understand the policies of each college or university regarding deposits you may be required to make before you enroll. As You Apply, • You must complete all material required for application and submit your application on or before the published deadlines. You should be the sole author of your applications. • You should seek the assistance of your high school counselor early and throughout the application period. Follow the process recommended by your high school for filing college applications. • It is your responsibility to arrange, if appropriate, for visits to and/or interviews at colleges of your choice. After You Receive Your Admission Decisions, • You must notify each college or university that accepts you whether you are accepting or rejecting its offer. You should make these notifications as soon as you have made a final decision as to the college you wish to attend, but no later than May 1. It is understood that May 1 will be the postmark date. • You may confirm your intention to enroll and, if required, submit a deposit to only one college or university. The exception to this arises if you are put on a wait list by a college or university and are later admitted to that institution. You may accept the offer and send a deposit. However, you must immediately notify a college or university at which you previously indicated your intention to enroll. • If you are accepted under an early decision plan, you must promptly withdraw the applications submitted to other colleges and universities and make no additional applications. If you are an early decision candidate and are seeking financial aid, you need not withdraw other applications until you have received notification about financial aid. in the College Admission Process Revised March 2006 If you think your rights have been denied, you should contact the college or university immediately to request additional information or the extension of a reply date. In addition, you should ask your counselor to notify the president of the state or regional affiliate of the National Association for College Admission Counseling in your area. If you need


further assistance, send a copy of any correspondence you have had with the college or university and a copy of your letter of admission to: National Association for College Admission Counseling 1631 Prince Street Alexandria, VA 22314-2818 Phone: 703/ 836-2222 800/ 822-6285 Fax: 703/ 836-8015

Ethical Issues in the Application Process

(adapted from Ramaz School, New York, NY)

There are some important ethical issues relating to applying to college. What follows is the official Beaver College Counseling Office position on some recurring issues.

Early Action/Early Decision Applying early action/decision is not a decision that one makes lightly. Because of the nature of an early application, significant thought and planning must go into a decision to apply early. Students are not permitted to file more than one early application to a private college. Students may, however, apply to one or more rolling admission or early action schools in addition to one early decision private school. (Several colleges—Yale, Brown, Boston College, among others— have their own restrictions around the early application process, and students are urged to make sure that their plans are consonant with these restrictions.)

In December, when early decisions are rendered, should a student be deferred or denied from the early action/decision college, application materials for regular decision schools will be forwarded immediately. It is imperative that students applying to rolling admission schools who are accepted early decision at another college withdraw all other applications immediately.

Completing Applications Honesty and forthrightness should be your bywords when writing your college applications. Your response to questions about extracurricular activities and achievements should be truthful and complete. Do not omit things out of a sense of modesty or because you feel that they may be insignificant. On the other hand, do not overstate the title of a leadership position you hold. If you are an “associate editor,” do not write that you are “editor.” If you are one of two or more “co-captains,” do not write that you are “captain.” Obviously, you may include only activities in which you have actually participated and positions of leadership that you have actually held.

“Likely” or “Safety” Schools Frequently, offers of admission will be tendered by schools that use rolling admission practices as early as December. Students accepted under such a plan have no obligation to attend the school. However, should a student receive an early acceptance at a preferred school, he/she should withdraw applications immediately from the less preferred schools. There is no excuse for a student’s continued presence in the applicant pool at a school which he/she has no intention of attending. This student is taking a place away from someone else who need not be a Beaver student,


but who might desperately want to attend that school. You must inform your college counselor of any college acceptances, withdrawals, or enrollments immediately. Making the Choice May 1 is regarded as the “Candidates’ Common Reply Date” (CRD). This means two things. First of all, colleges that subscribe to the CRD (almost all do) cannot insist that an accepted applicant respond to an offer of admission before that date. On the other hand, colleges will insist that you do respond by that date. While some colleges, on petition, might be willing to extend that deadline if there are special circumstances, most are firm in requiring a deposit to be in place by May 1. The practice of putting down multiple deposits, and thereby guaranteeing oneself a place at more than one school, is obviously unethical and also dangerous. In doing so, one runs the risk of having an offer of admission rescinded should a college discover a double deposit. It is part of the understanding between secondary schools and colleges that multiple deposits are not to be tolerated.

Deferring Admission for a Year Many schools will allow admitted students to defer their admission for one year. It is necessary to write to the college to request a deferral, but this should be done only after the student has been accepted. It is not incumbent upon the student to mention deferral plans prior to that letter--in the application, in an interview, or elsewhere—unless specifically asked. (The College Office is concerned about the propriety of such a question and would appreciate knowing about it, if it should occur.) At the same time, students should be aware that many colleges have deadlines after which requests for deferral will not be honored. Make certain you meet your school’s deadline.

For Those Who Defer The decision to attend a particular college may be made as early as November of the senior year. That year and the year that follows frequently involve significant personal change. You may find that you are no longer interested in attending the college you committed to as a senior. Should this be the case, there is a procedure to follow. First, withdraw from the college to which you have committed. You are then free to apply to as many other colleges as you wish. Beaver will not process any materials for you until you have withdrawn from the college that you accepted as a senior, and we have received verification from the college. If there are questions about the issues discussed above, please feel free to talk to any of the college counselors.


13. SOME ARTICLES OF INTEREST

From Independent School magazine, Winter 2003

Staying Sane Through Your Child’s Application Process

Karin Kasdin

On a mild and gorgeous New England spring day last June, my husband and I, along with our mild and gorgeous son, pulled into the parking lot of a bucolic college campus. We had driven four-and-a-half hours to this destination and arrived precisely 15 minutes before Andrew, our son, was scheduled for an interview at the admissions office. I was looking forward to the tour as a way to stretch my legs. Andrew had other thoughts. He looked out of the car window at the contemporary brick and glass campus complex and announced that he had no intention of attending this school and we should leave immediately. And that’s what we did. We put the car in reverse before it had ever been in park. Andrew is my second son. Had he been my first, I would have had a conniption. I would have begun to breathe heavily and sweat behind my ears as I screeched at him to give the school a chance, listen to what they have to say, take the darn tour for God’s sake! But that mother is dead. The first college application process killed her, and the woman who remains knows better than to stand in the way of her child’s negativity. There would be nothing I could do to change his mind, so why bother doing anything at all except heading down the highway to the next school on our itinerary, six hours away.

I learned much from my firstborn’s college application process, and much of it isn’t pretty. I learned that most everything I had done as a parent had been done in an effort to secure a spot for my son at a prestigious university. For us, as is the case with millions of baby-boomer families, college prep did not begin in the spring of my son’s junior year of high school. It began on the day he could first hold up his own head and I decided he was a genius. I hereby confess to engaging in all of the following futile endeavors:

• I read to him incessantly, convinced that the experts were right... if you read to your child, he or she will most surely develop a lifelong love of reading. Ha!

• I scheduled him to within an inch of his life with a wide assortment of resume-enhancing activities.

• I banned television. • I paid him for good grades. • I harangued him with such creative invectives as, “Would it kill you to go above and beyond

once in a while?” Week by week, year by year, his childhood slipped away from me, as I was too lost in dreams of future success to appreciate his presence in the present.


Parents: don’t let this be you. If you hunger for an Ivy League education for your child, and nothing less will suffice, I encourage you to examine your motives. We boomers suffer from a collective case of sticker lust. We want the top-of-the-line stickers for the rear windows of our top-of-the-line cars. As you embark on the adventure that is the college application process, try to keep the following in mind.

• When you wished for a perfect child, your wish was granted. • Leaving home for a new independence is a stressful proposition. Adolescents often handle

stress by sleeping. Don’t be surprised if your child dozes off at college night or even at those stimulating information sessions on campus. And don’t despair. If you look around, half the room is asleep. The young half.

• Don’t expect your child to choose a college based on the number of books in the library or the faculty- student ratio. It’s more likely that she’ll like the bands that performed there last year, or the gorgeous hunk she saw in the cafeteria.

• Before you blab your child’s SAT scores to the rest of the world, think how you’d feel if she did that with your weight.

• Your child is not the sum of his SAT and GPA. Don’t smirk. I acted like mine was for a while and I know there are many other parents who do the same.

• Don’t confuse your college visitation trip with your family vacation. It is a business trip. Don’t be surprised if your child doesn’t view it as a wonderful opportunity for bonding with Mom and Dad.

• Remember, Harvard admitted some geniuses, but they also admitted the Unabomber.

I am a recovering hyper-parent who now truly believes that my children will be unique gifts to the world regardless of the college they attend. Yours will be, too.

Karin Kasdin is the author of Watsamatta U: A Get-a-Grip Guide to Staying Sane Through Your Child’s College Application Process (Chandler House Press).


10 great reasons to study in Canada By Nancy Griesemer, DC College Admissions Examiner

As college tuitions continue increasing at rates faster than the overall cost of living, more and more U.S. students are beginning to look toward our ‘neighbor to the north’ for quality education at an affordable price.

And they are pleasantly surprised at what they find among Canada’s 4-year undergraduate baccalaureate programs.

“I decided to apply to McGill because I knew it was a good school,” explained Sarah Brooks, a local graduate of Walt Whitman High School in Montgomery County, Maryland. “I also liked the idea that tuition was much less than at a lot of schools in the States.”

The number of US undergraduate and graduate students crossing the border to attend college in Canada has increased exponentially in the past ten years, from 2500 in 2001 to over 10,000 in 2011.

And here are 10 great reasons why:

1. Quality of Education. Canadian degrees are entirely comparable to those earned in the US. Colleges and universities maintain high standards of academic excellence and are consistently recognized in top international rankings.

2. Value. International student tuition in Canada ranges from $8,000 to $26,000 (US), making studying in Canada a tremendous value for U.S. students. As an added bonus, Americans in Canadian baccalaureate programs are eligible for US federal financial aid as well as numerous Canadian scholarships.

3. Educational Opportunities. Canada has over 90 universities and more than 150 colleges ranging from world-class research institutions to small liberal arts schools. US students can find just the right “fit” in terms of size, character, and the availability of specific programs and majors.

4. SAT/ACT Optional Admissions. While Canadian universities will accept and consider standardized test scores, most do not require them. Grades and curriculum are much more important factors in determining admissions.

5. Visas. Student visas are remarkably easy to obtain. American citizens studying in Canada can apply for their visa at the Point of Entry at major airports and border crossings.


6. Quality of Life. Canada is an incredibly safe place in which to live and study. A low cost of living together with the scenic beauty of the countryside makes Canada very attractive to American undergrads.

7. International Experience. Canada is close to home—but a world away! Without crossing an ocean or sometimes changing time zones, US students have the opportunity to explore a new culture as they engage in an international campus community. And the global perspective gained while studying in Canada will open doors around the world after graduation.

8. Graduate School. Canadian degrees are recognized by all the top graduate and professional schools in the US as well as in Canada. The quality of a Canadian education will support applications to the best law, business, and medical schools.

9. Employment. Canadian universities have outstanding job placement rates—both in Canada and the US. With a student visa, students qualify for employment opportunities in any of the provinces as well as closer to home in the US.

10. Network. Thousands of graduates of Canadian universities live and work in the US, and the ability to connect with so many alumni is a real plus on many different levels.

Canadian universities follow same Bachelor’s/Master’s/PhD-Professional system as

in the States. Canadian colleges, however, are more similar to US community colleges, granting certificates and diplomas.

Last year, Canadian universities educated over 1.5 million students and were responsible for over $10 billion in ongoing research. The schools are welcoming to American students, and the opportunities are every bit as attractive as those found at US colleges and universities.

“The experience of living in Montreal for four years and the quality of the education I got were definitely the best things about going to school at McGill,” said Ms. Brooks, who is currently a graduate student at Cornell University. “When it came time to apply to jobs and later grad school, the fact that I had studied in Canada was not a problem—people knew about McGill and that it was a great school, so it actually helped me.”

Specific application procedures and deadlines vary by institution. For the best and most current information on how to apply, contact individual colleges and universities directly (a complete list is provided on the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada website).

But in the meantime, to learn more about Canada’s colleges and universities, check out Maclean’s Magazine OnCampus or visit the Education au/in_Canada website. September 14, 2011


FROM THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, November 26, 2008

How I Got Into College: 6 Stories By Ellen Gamerman Many seniors in the Class of ’09 -- that’s more than 3.3 million students – are now applying to college. For many, it’s a time fraught with paperwork, essays, interviews and road trips. And after all that work, it comes down to a letter or an email: In or out? Admissions are expected to be as competitive as ever, and many schools say even the economic downturn has not slowed the onslaught of early applications. At Cornell University, early applications are up 9% from what they were this time last year; at Amherst College, they are up 5%; and at Barnard College, the rise is 8%. The acceptance odds are still long; many highly selective schools accept fewer than 20% of applicants. Counselors, admissions staff and parents can all provide useful advice for getting in, but some of the best tips can come from the most recent veterans of the application frenzy: college freshmen. We’ve asked a range of students to share what they’ve learned. Dare to Dream Matthew Crowley was set on going to Stanford University last fall, but all the signs told him he wouldn’t make the cut. He plugged his grades and test scores into a computer program that tracked college-acceptance statistics and came out on the low end of a graph for Stanford. Guidance counselors at Kent Denver, a private school he attended in Englewood, Colo., did not include Stanford on a list of suggested colleges. And he says a college adviser his family hired for $2,800 told him not to bother applying. But Mr. Crowley, who at age 16 started a company that built and tested skis, didn’t like being told what not to do. He remembered his father, who died when Matthew was 11, telling him, “What’s the harm in trying?” He sent in his application early, but also applied to seven other schools. Soon he got the news that Stanford had put him on the wait list, meaning a slot for him could open up later. Then, while hanging out in the basement with his brother, he got the email from Stanford: accepted. Mr. Crowley ran upstairs with the news. “It was the greatest joy I’ve had as a parent other than giving birth,” says his mother, Melissa Crowley. Now a freshman, he’s majoring in product design and was accepted to a small class led by Banny Banerjee, the director of Stanford’s design program. Prof. Banerjee once worked for IDEO, an innovation and design firm that Matthew had admired so much, he toured the company’s Boulder, Colo., office as a 9-year-old with his father. “I walk into his class and I can’t stop smiling,” Mr. Crowley says. Advice: Have a backup plan, but don’t get scared off by long odds. “It pays off to keep on going for it even if you’re told you can’t do it,” he says. His mother says with the next kids, twin high-school juniors, she’ll seek advice that is realistic but still “gives them hope.”


Keep It Neat When Dartmouth College rejected Ramond King last December, he blasted Radiohead’s “Let Down” and tried to figure out why he wasn’t at least put on the wait list. He had a 3.9 grade-point average his senior year, took five Advanced Placement courses and won the headmaster’s cup, an award to the student who showed the most personal growth at the Branson School in Ross, Calif. A few weeks later, as he was finishing 13 applications, Mr. King’s college counselor called with a possible explanation. On his application, where he’d described his course load, Ramond had spelled chemistry as “chemestry” and literature as “literatre.” The errors appeared six times. “When it happened, of course, I’m freaking out,” Mr. King says. Before he’d sent that Dartmouth application, his mother, father and sister had studied each word, scouring for mistakes. But the errors were on a page he filled out on his own and gave to the guidance office to complete with recommendations. In his next round of applications, the errors were corrected. This time, he was accepted to five schools, including Cornell, where he is now a freshman. He says blatant misspellings can be fatal to an application: “I try and laugh about it now,” he says. Advice: Check every section of an application immediately after finishing it, as well as before sending it. Many college counselors recommend printing out an online application and proofreading the hard copy. Practice Makes Perfect Three days after she received her first college rejection, Sophie Nunberg started a Facebook group for others who were turned down by their top choices. Over the next few weeks, the senior at the International High School of San Francisco returned to the online group as rejections and wait-listings arrived from eight of the 12 schools she had applied to, including Columbia, the University of Chicago, Vassar and Swarthmore. “I was very upset,” she says. She started to look back over her applications to figure out what had happened. When she re-read her essay for Columbia, where she’d applied early, she sounded like she was posing as a kid who could only thrive in a city. Her applications to Swarthmore and Vassar emphasized her love of writing but revealed little else. But her essay for Wellesley, where she was accepted, really stood out -- because it sounded like her. Her ease came partly from her familiarity with Wellesley -- her mother is a graduate -- and partly from her impatience with twisting her essays to fit what she thought admissions officers wanted to hear. Her two Wellesley essays about working for Planned Parenthood and her mother’s influence on her life came naturally: “I just wasn’t afraid of being judged.” She’s now a campus tour guide, touting Wellesley to prospective students. “If it hadn’t been for a hard year and very difficult admissions, I might never have come here, and I might not be as happy,” she says. Advice: The more applications she filled out, she says, the better they got. So she advises students not to rush an application for the sake of applying early. College counselors recommend avoiding


clichéd essay topics, such as community service, unless they’re essential to a student’s identity. Students can also consult how-to books to view sample essays. Cast a Wide Net Virat Gupta was at the top of his class at Detroit Country Day School, president of the student council, captain of the cross-country team, captain of a public speaking team and secretary of the honors choir. So when he applied to about 10 colleges, including four Ivy League universities, he felt pretty confident. In December, Columbia University rejected his early application. In April, he was put on the wait list by Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown and Rice. Rejections came from Yale, Cornell, Northwestern and Washington University in St. Louis. He got the news while on vacation in Paris. “I had a couple of breakdowns,” he says. Last fall, Mr. Gupta was accepted at two in-state schools, the University of Michigan and Michigan State University, but he considered them “safeties” -- schools he had a strong chance of getting into -- and barely paid them any mind. Now he’s a freshman at the University of Michigan, where he says he enjoys working in student government and singing in the men’s glee club. “I really, really like it,” he says. He thinks less about transferring than he used to, though he still may send applications to some schools that rejected him. “It’s not the end of the world,” he says. “Everything will end up working out.” Advice: Students shouldn’t just apply to dream schools and safeties, but schools in between as well. “And make sure that all the schools you apply to, you’re pretty sure you’d be willing to go there,” Mr. Gupta says. In his view, the pressure of college is nothing compared to the stress of getting in, he says. And he still has big plans. “I’ll do my best and get into a killer law school,” he says. Just Do It Mari Huessy says she was expected to be “the pride of the high school” in Essex Junction, Vt. But when December of her senior year rolled around, she was overwhelmed by the prospect of applying to 10 different colleges. “I totally freaked out,” she says. Her approach: apply only to her top choice, Grinnell College in Iowa. An aspiring writer, she’d been hoping to attend the school ever since ninth grade because of its top English program. But she froze when it was time to follow through on her dream. She didn’t visit the campus or interview with the admissions office. She struggled with her essay about imagination. “It was really bad,” she says. Her rejection notice came on April 1, her birthday. Instead of applying elsewhere, she took a year off after high school to teach English at a school in Germany, hoping the experience abroad would strengthen her bid. When application season came around the next fall, she spent nearly two hours speaking with Nancy Maly, Grinnell’s interim director of admission, describing the ways Germany had changed her. Two days before Christmas, Ms. Huessy’s parents called to tell her she got in. “It was incredibly, incredibly wonderful,” she says. The 20-year-old freshman says the gap year didn’t just help her get into Grinnell; it also enabled her to make the most of college once she arrived. She’d given her major a lot of thought during her year off and gained confidence from living in a foreign country. Advice: Had she visited a number of campuses, Ms. Huessy says, she probably would have gotten


excited and applied to more schools. Many school counselors urge students to apply to at least 10 colleges, and some say seniors should apply to extra schools this year to give themselves some lower-priced options. Ms. Huessy also tells peers not to apply at only one school: “I got lucky,” she said. Know Thyself Caitlin Flood, the oldest of six children, turned down Georgetown, which costs about $50,000 a year. She also passed on Cornell, too, worried she’d feel timid in big classes at a school with more than 13,000 undergraduates. After visiting 40 campuses, Ms. Flood of Bellerose Terrace, N.Y., discovered Lafayette College. The Easton, Pa., school offered $16,000 in financial aid, and she thought she’d thrive in a freshman class of 600 students. The choice surprised some classmates at Mary Louis Academy in Queens, N.Y. “It was hard for me,” she says. “Most people hadn’t heard of Lafayette.” For three weeks, she questioned turning down two elite schools. But she also knew she didn’t want to worry about a mountain of student loans, and she didn’t want to go to a pressure-cooker school where she’d feel guilty if she left the library before 2 a.m. Since starting her freshman year, she’s joined the College Democrats and the school’s law society. She’s also helping kids with educational projects at a local community center. She says she adjusted to college right away, while some friends at big universities still haven’t gotten comfortable. Advice: Ms. Flood suggests setting limits on campus visits; touring dozens of colleges just ended up confusing her. To get up to speed on financial-aid options, students can use calculators found on the prospective schools’ Web sites. The National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities also has financial-aid resources at information on its site at www.ucan-network.org.


From Time Magazine ’s COLLEGE CENTER website (2001) Go Your Own Way Ditch those college rankings and get to know thyself instead. Choose a college for the right reasons, and you’ll have a meaningful four years BY DANIEL OKRENT

How did it get to be like this? You’re an intelligent person, 17 or 18 years old; you’ve had some experience; you’re looking for more. But from the time you reached the second half of your junior year in high school, just as you were getting to be the person you intend to be, people suddenly seemed as if they wanted you to smooth your edges, sacrifice your depth, become strictly one dimensional. You could have won the Nobel Prize in physics, composed the logical successor to Beethoven’s Ninth, found the cure for cancer or hit the winning basket in the NBA Finals, but they’re always asking you the same question, a question so predictable it could be chanted like some weird mantra. Where are you thinking of going to college?

You, wanting to be sociable — or at least to get your questioner to go away — answer with a familiar name, and after barely a beat comes the second part of your inquisitor’s chant: Oh, that’s a good school!

Now let’s stop here for a small question of our own: How do they know? It’s remarkable, this instant and ubiquitous expertise. People who have never set foot on a particular campus, who couldn’t name three of its faculty members, who even if they could name them know absolutely nothing about the subjects those professors teach or how well they might teach them are suddenly experts, omniscient judges of American higher education.

How do they know? Because people say so — people whose judgment may be based on nothing firmer than memories of similarly vapid conversations 35 years earlier when they were picking a college. You may as well ask someone for an opinion on a restaurant they haven’t been to or a book they haven’t read.

True professionals in the college-selection racket look at it a little differently. Not long ago, the father of a senior at Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York City asked director of college counseling Laura Clark whether the school’s current seniors could expect to do as well as the previous year’s crop. How do we know they did well? Clark asked, and the man responded that several students had been accepted at Harvard, Yale and Stanford. “The only way I would know whether last year’s class did well,” Clark said, “would be to call all its members and ask them if they’re happy where they are.”

What Clark knows, and what every other college adviser or admissions officer ought to know, is that choosing a school because of its reputation alone makes as much sense as buying a painting because someone else likes it. Another way of putting it: if your four years of undergraduate life are as important as people claim they are, shouldn’t the decisions about how and where to spend them be made with you in mind?


If so, that means spurious ranking methods, arbitrary rating schemes and any other system that presumes to provide a definitive measurement of a school’s quality are inherent shams. As Jim Conroy, who heads the post-high school counseling program at New Trier High School just north of Chicago, says, “I think you can rank a car. You can base it on its gas mileage, power, durability. But when you start ranking schools, it’s like ranking people. And how can you rank people?”

Even the one remotely plausible claim that can be made for the virtues of a school’s reputation in the culture at large — that it may give you a better shot at a particular job, especially a better-paying one — has recently been proved meaningless. Employing highly sophisticated statistical techniques, Princeton University economist Alan B. Krueger and Stacy Berg Dale of the Mellon Foundation conducted a study that convincingly established that future earnings correlate with the qualities of the individual far more than with the qualities — real or perceived — of the college he or she attended. Overwhelming evidence proved to Krueger and Berg Dale that students with, say, 1350 SAT scores who went to Harvard did no better in life than students with 1350 sat scores who went to No Name U.

As Krueger wrote not long ago, “Students who attend more selective colleges are likely to have higher earnings [only because of] the very reasons they were admitted to the more selective colleges in the first place.” In other words, your post-college life is shaped by who you are, not by the decal in the back window of your mother’s minivan. It is possible for apathetic students at élite schools to find other apathetic students with whom to play Nintendo and guzzle beer, Krueger says. By contrast, a good student can get a good education almost anywhere.

That certainly has never been truer than it is today, given the incredibly rich buffet that is the American student’s choice of colleges. There are more than 2,000 degree-granting, four-year colleges in the U.S., and if the dedicated searcher can’t find something imaginative, distinctive and nearly unique at every one of them — either academically, sociologically or both — he isn’t really looking. You can major in aviation at Lewis University in Illinois, in jazz studies at Loyola University in New Orleans, in the great books at an increasingly wide range of colleges that have made a sharp turn back toward classical education. (At Wilbur Wright, a public two-year school in Chicago, Professor Bruce Gans has community-college students writing papers with such titles as “A Politically Incorrect Defense of the Athenian Empire” and on such topics as social codes in Beowulf.) At the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine, the only major is human ecology; the school’s primary laboratory is the ocean just outside the college’s doors.

Irrespective of your intended major, your hoped-for career or any other curriculum-related matter, you can very sensibly make your choice on the issues that matter most to you. Nafeesah Cumming, a sophomore at Clark Atlanta University, chose her school because one of the most important benefits of attending an HBCU (historically black college or university) is that the classroom setting and campus activities are culturally comfortable. Joshua Kalven finds himself productively challenged at Colorado College — where the innovative block plan has students taking one class at a time, full-time, for 3 1/2 weeks — because it allows him to focus more acutely on each subject. For Karen Norcross, a recent graduate of Boston’s Suffolk University, “being able to study with students from all over the world made a tremendous difference for me,” a difference she could locate at Suffolk, which has some 650 foreign students from 96 different countries. What all these students have found is a school that may or may not have been right for the inexpert experts but was precisely right for each of them.


Northeastern University in Boston emphasizes a celebrated co-op program that assures graduates a specific, career-related occupational experience obtained from one of 2,400 different relationships NU maintains all over the country and in 18 nations around the world. At Warren Wilson College, high in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, every student must spend 15 hours a week working at an on-campus job — ranging from slopping hogs to re-wiring buildings — effectively eliminating any divisions between wealthy students and the less well-off. Says Eliza Lynn of Evanston, Illinois, a recent Warren Wilson graduate: “I knew that to pay for college, I’d have to work. I wanted to be in a place where everybody had to work, where the person behind the counter wasn’t divided [from others] by economic class.”

In the end, once you acknowledge that there is no reason to choose a college based on something as insubstantial and probably irrelevant as reputation, the meaningful standards by which to choose begin to burst forth like daffodils in the spring. Career plans, extracurricular interests, study habits, social inclinations — whatever combination of these and a hundred other factors go into your decision, they are likely to lead to a rewarding (in every sense of the word) college experience.

How to choose? It’s simple. Ask yourself: Who are you?

Only after you’ve answered that will you be ready to pick where you’ll be spending four of the most rewarding years of your life. “What really matters,” says Bruce Stempien, guidance director at Weston High School in Connecticut, “is going to a school that you really want to go to.”

Could anything be simpler, or better?


February 29, 2004

Before College, A Taste Of Real World By ABIGAIL SULLIVAN MOORE

‘‘IT’S incredible. It’s fabulous. It’s stressful, and some days I just want to tear my hair out. Why can’t I save every one?’’ said Sonia Pascal, who at 18 recently deferred admission to the Ivy League to tutor sixth-graders in the Bronx.

Ms. Pascal is enrolled for a 10-month stint in City Year, a nonprofit, national service program for young people. Graduating seventh in Norwich Free Academy’s 2003 class, Ms. Pascal saw her deferment as a precious chance to ‘‘develop my humanity,’’ while still attending the University of Pennsylvania next fall, and then, perhaps, law school.

The fierce competition to get into good colleges has spawned a marathon of stress, punctuated by multiple advanced placement courses, mountains of homework, prep courses for the Scholastic Assessment Tests, peer pressure, meetings with private tutors and admissions consultants, membership in team sports and other résumé-building activities.

Some high school graduates, like Ms. Pascal, while not burned out by the admissions race, are seeking new adventures before sitting in a classroom for at least four more years. Others are so burned out that they need a break.

And so, a small but growing number of students are temporarily stepping out of the race. Instead of college, they first are doing a ‘‘gap year,’’ working in inner-city schools, maintaining national parks, or engaging in an experience-based program here and abroad. In turn, their experiences are encouraging other students and sparking discussions about such alternatives among guidance counselors, and parents. While many parents fear a gap year will deter their child from ever attending college, advocates of the interim year said the benefits far outweigh the risks. Meanwhile, some elite colleges, including Harvard and Yale, are delighted by these deferments.

‘‘We see it happening and recommend it more and more,’’ said Steve Boyle, a counselor at William H. Hall High School in West Hartford. ‘‘Eighteen-years-old is pretty young to make decisions about your life.’’

Most gap year students arrive at college mature, experienced in the ‘‘real world’’ and ready to learn, said college admissions officers, guidance counselors and educational consultants.


For almost 30 years, Harvard has been recommending a ‘‘gap year’’ in its admission letter. At Yale, ‘‘We just think it’s a great idea,’’ said Margit Dahl, director of Yale’s undergraduate admissions, noting 20 to 40 Yale students defer admission annually. ‘‘We would love it to grow.’’

Lewis & Clark and Haverford Colleges are seeing more deferments. A decade ago, Haverford, a small, liberal arts college in Haverford, Pa., averaged one deferment a year, related to unusual family circumstances, said Robert Killion, the director of admissions. Now, Haverford is granting deferments to about a dozen students for gap year experiences and fielding many more related inquiries, Mr. Killion said.

Michael B. Sexton, dean of admissions at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Ore., said it has seen a slight increase of gap year students.

‘‘We don’t see a downside to it,’’ he said.

Educational consultants said it is growing in New England, California and New York. Some programs, like City Year, pay participants a stipend, while other programs here and abroad don’t pay anything and cost participants thousands of dollars in fees and airfare. City Year also gives a $4,725 higher educational award after completing the program.

At Hall High School in West Hartford, five students from the class of 2003 deferred college to work at City Year sites in New York and Boston. The students’ decisions set a record at the school, where high-achieving seniors take five Advanced Placement courses and town officials recently eliminated class rankings because so many students had such high grades.

Adwoa Arhin, 18, a Hall High School graduate, didn’t let the pressure affect her.

‘‘I’m a pretty mellow person,’’ said Ms. Arhin, who deferred admission to Reed College in Portland, Ore, to work with children in New York with City Year. ‘‘I felt it was a like a good time for me to give back.’’

Cassie Cats, 18, another Hall graduate in the City Year program, said she needed a break.

‘‘High school was difficult for me. I’m just not that competitive. I had to take a break from that mindset,’’ she said, noting that she didn’t apply to college.

Some counselors and consultants said many students are saying that.’’They just feel like ‘There’s no time for myself. And if there is free time, I sleep late,’’’ said Diederik van Renesse, a Westport educational consultant noting, ‘‘They feel so much pressure and they want a change.’’

Miss Cats works with elementary school children and on community improvement projects in the Hyde Park section of Boston. Despite the often long hours and busy pace, ‘‘I love it,’’ she said. ‘‘You feel a sense of accomplishment.’’

Miss Cats, who said her goal is to be a special education teacher, is applying to Boston area colleges.


Dr. Nancy DePalma, Hall interim principal, is judiciously enthusiastic about the gap year concept. ‘‘It’s an appropriate alternative for the right student,’’ she said.

An unfortunate demographic of too many top students vying for admission to the same select colleges in the Northeast has brought inevitable rejections to even the best students. A well-structured, interim year is a welcome alternative, said Joan Ramsay, guidance director at Simsbury High School. ‘‘It’s exciting, acceptable, unique and something fun I can do out there, when so many doors are being closed,’’ Ms. Ramsay said, describing some students’ reaction to the concept.

Some consultants see the gap year as a way to make a student a more desirable college candidate, bettering their admissions chances the second time around. Robert P. Gilpin, co-author of ‘‘Time Out: Taking a Break From School, to Travel, Work, and Study in the U.S. and Abroad,’’ said the strategy has worked well.

‘‘In the past three years, I’ve worked with 40 kids in that situation; three of them did not change their status, but the others did significantly,’’ he said.

For example, one student, unhappy with her college choices, spent a gap year working as an intern at a biotechnology firm and studying in England, and then was admitted to Cornell University; another got into Brown University, Mr. Gilpin said. But some counselors are uneasy with the notion. Marilyn Moks, college and career center director at Weston High School, said the strategy could backfire because the competition could be even tougher the next year.

While relatively few students are taking a gap year, the prospects of an interim year are being discussed in many Connecticut high schools.

‘‘It’s part of the conversation,’’ said Gary D. Meunier, director of guidance at Daniel Hand High School in Madison. A few students at Joel Barlow High School in Redding also are planning a gap year, said Anne Kipp, the guidance director.

Christine M. Collins, a post high school planning specialist at Wilton High School, said her department has worked with five families seeking alternative programs.

At Edwin O. Smith High School in Storrs, Doug Melody, the guidance director, said he had just met with a student who wanted to take a year off. Several Smith alumni have taken the gap route. ‘‘To a person, everyone has been enriched by the experience,’’ he said.

But, Barbara McGehan, a secretary in Glastonbury High School’s guidance department, said the gap year would have a tough reception there. The school said only one student has taken a gap year in the past couple of years.

‘‘This town is very big into college,’’ she said. ‘‘It’s college, college, college.’’

Similarly, at Ridgefield High School, Charles McFarlane, college placement counselor, said parents and students were focused mainly on getting into ‘‘the best possible schools’’ and have shown no real interest in gap year programs.


Internet access to gap-year programs, word-of-mouth and school visits by satisfied gap-year alumni are helping spread the news.

A recent presentation on a gap year by a Brookfield High graduate prompted visits by a dozen interested students to the guidance office, said the school’s guidance director, Jean Baker. A similar visit by a Hall graduate helped ignite interest there.

Yet, many guidance counselors are reluctant to bring up the option for fear of upsetting parents and their traditional college ambitions.

‘‘It’s a frightening thing for parents,’’ said Robert A. Esposito, the new director of pupil services and guidance at Fairfield High School, whose son, Scott, worked in an Oriental rug store in New Haven before entering the University of New Hampshire. ‘‘In some communities how do you tell your peers? ‘My son is going to Yale. My daughter is going to Brown. My son is going to work in an Oriental rug store.’’’ When other parents learned Lynn Bard’s daughter, Maggie, also a Hall student, was enrolled in City Year, they said, ‘‘‘Oh, you’re going to let her do that?’’’ Ms. Bard said, adding, ‘‘I was thrilled to death.’’

As recognition of the gap year and the intensity of college competition grow, some guidance counselors are seeing parent attitudes change. Several years ago, when Choate Rosemary Hall offered a session about the gap year, ‘‘We literally had parents come up to us and be angry at us for offering a session,’’ said Rosita Fernandez-Rojo, the school’s director of college counseling, noting now, ‘‘Parents are more receptive to the idea.’’

Connecticut educational consultants who provide admission counseling and gap-year-planning are busier than ever.

‘‘We are getting lots of calls,’’ said Joanne Carter of Education Solutions of Essex. Mr. van Renesse said about 15 percent of his clients want to discuss a gap year compared to about 5 percent a decade ago.

Gap year programs such as Dynamy, a residential, supervised internship program in Worcester, is seeing a steady increase in Connecticut students, said James Zuberbuhler, Dynamy’s executive director, adding that the organization is planning to expand to other sites.

Despite the gap year’s episodic growth, William Fitzsimmons, dean of admissions and financial aid at Harvard College, is confident the trend will become more commonplace.

‘‘I think it takes,’’ he said, ‘‘believe it or not, a generation.’’


GLOSSARY OF COLLEGE ADMISSION TERMS

(adapted from the Glossary of College Admissions Terms, Saint Michael’s Preparatory

School, Silverado, California, 2006) ACT (formerly stood for American College Testing): A 4-year college admissions test covering English, critical reading, science reasoning, and mathematics. (www.act.org) Admission Requirements: A set of rules established by each college for a student to be accepted. Alumni Interview: Many highly selective colleges offer students unable to schedule on-campus interviews the opportunity to interview with graduates in the area who have been selected and usually trained to do this work. AP (Advanced Placement): A system by which college freshmen may simultaneously earn high school and college credit and thus bypass entry-level courses by proving that they have already taken the equivalent in high school. College credit may be awarded by many colleges if a student earns a certain grade on the specially designed College Board exam at the conclusion of an AP course. Refer to each college catalog for further information. Application Deadline: Most colleges have a specific date by which applications must be filed. In some cases the colleges will state that the application must be postmarked by that date. You will be wise to assume that the deadline date means that they want to have the application in hand by then, so mail early. Candidate’s Reply Date: By May 1, you must decide and convey to the chosen college your decision to attend and send your deposit. You must inform all other colleges that accepted you that you do not plan to attend. If you wait until after May 1 to inform the college of your decision, your place could be released and given to someone on the waiting list. College Board: Company which provides college entrance testing, such as SAT, PSAT, etc. It also oversees AP testing. Test information: (www.collegeboard.com) College Catalogue: A book published by the college describing requirements for admission, degrees, services and course descriptions. Often confused with the viewbook, which is a glossary, picture-filled piece of promotional literature published by most colleges.


CEEB Code: The school code used for all testing and college applications. The Beaver code is 220595. Common Application: Standardized application form accepted by over three hundred colleges. Check www.commonapp.org to see which colleges currently accept the Common Application. CSS/PROFILE (College Scholarship Service): Some colleges (most of them private) require the Profile to be completed as part of it’s a financial aid process. Students register for and complete the Profile online at www.collegeboard.com. Note: This does not replace the FAFSA. CSU: California State University. (Apply online at www.csumentor.edu). Deadline: Due dates strictly adhered to regarding Secondary School Reports, Mid-Year Reports, Applications, Transcripts, and Letters of Recommendations. Deferred Admission (do not confuse with Early Action Deferral): College applicants may be offered admission to college for up to a year after graduation. Early Action (EA) or Notification: A small but growing number of colleges have early action or early notification policies. You may apply early, be notified of acceptance in December of the senior year, but not be obligated to make a decision before May 1. Students who are not admitted through early action or early notification may possibly be considered again, with the regular candidates. Check college websites to be sure. NOTE: Several colleges have Restrictive Early Action programs that prohibit a student from applying simultaneously via other EA or ED programs. Early Admission: Some colleges accept a student to begin college without the student yet having finished high school, typically this happens at the end of the junior year of high school. Early admission is very rare, but may be appropriate for the student who has clearly taken an accelerated academic program, has a top academic record, and who demonstrates exceptional maturity. Early Action Deferral: Students denied Early Action Admission may be deferred to the Regular Admission applicant pool.


Early Decision (ED): Some colleges allow students to apply early (usually with a November deadline, although some colleges have an ED II program with a later deadline), and then, if you are admitted, you are obligated to attend that school. If you have a clear first-choice college that has an early decision policy and if you have very strong grades and SAT or ACT scores, early decision may be for you. Talk it over with the college counselor. Be careful! If you are not accepted for early decision, you will want to make sure you will be reconsidered with the regular decision applicants. Colleges vary greatly in their early decision policies, so check with the college very carefully for specifics. EFC (Expected Family Contribution): Amount of estimated college costs the family is expected to pay after a Need Analysis has been done. FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid): Used to file for financial aid from colleges, CAL grants A, B, and/or C, and the Pell Grant. (www.fafsa.ed.gov) Fee Waiver: A form available to students already receiving substantial financial aid from Beaver. The Fee Waiver is submitted instead of money when applying for college testing or admission. See the college counselor if you qualify. Financial Aid: Money which may be derived from a variety of sources (grant, loan, scholarships, work study), which helps pay for college costs. The “package” of funds is determined by family financial need and the availability of funds. Financial Aid Package: The financial aid offer from the institution which is usually made up of a combination of grant/scholarship, work study, and loan money. Financial Need: The difference between the cost of education and what the family or the applicant can reasonably be expected to contribute. GPA (Grade Point Average): Different colleges compute this differently— some only include certain grades or courses. Some limit the student to a 4.0 scale while others allow “extra points” for honors or Honors Advanced classes. Impacted Program: A college degree program, such as computer science or nursing, which may be temporarily closed to new students due to heavy enrollment or may require supplementary screening of student records for selection of the strongest candidates.


January Admit: A growing number of colleges will offer admission to students for the second semester of the year in which the student intends to enroll. There are many reasons for a January Admit, and some possible advantages. Major: The main area of study in college, usually requiring about the equivalent of a year and a half of study in a planned series of courses during the 4-year program. Mid-Year Report: Many private schools require that a Mid Year Report form be submitted in the middle of senior year. This form is similar to the SSR. Minor: At most colleges, approximately 18 credits in an area outside major department. Naviance: The name of the web-based service through which Beaver maintains college counseling records and submits applications. Students and families have access to the Naviance Family Connection service, which has search engines and other information useful to Beaver students applying to college. NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Clearinghouse, now known as the NCAA Eligibility Center: The arm of the NCAA that evaluates student athletes’ academic records for eligibility for athletic scholarships to Division I or II colleges after the junior year of high school. Need Analysis: A technique used to estimate a student’s need for financial assistance. It consists of two major components: (1) estimating the student’s educational expenses and (2) the family’s ability to contribute (EFC). Open Admissions: Students are accepted upon application (usually community colleges). Some programs within these same schools may have more selective admissions. PLAN: A “preliminary” version of the ACT examination, given at Beaver to students in the spring of the tenth-grade year. Private College: A school which is not supported by state taxes. Also referred to as an independent college.


PSAT/NMSQT: Formerly the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test, a practice version of the SAT Reasoning Test given at Beaver to tenth and eleventh graders. Although scores are not seen by colleges, students scoring at the top of the PSAT nationally become eligible for several scholarship programs administered by the National Merit Scholarship program. Rank in Class: Most colleges and scholarship programs request a student’s rank in the graduating class. Beaver does not rank its graduates. If an application says RIC is mandatory, talk to the college counselor. Rolling Admissions: Some colleges have rolling admissions. As soon as the school has your application and supporting documents (transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc.), the admissions committee will make a decision usually within a few weeks. Schools using rolling admissions oftentimes do so until term enrollment is full. SAT Reasoning Test (formerly the Scholastic Aptitude Test or SAT I): Previously called SAT I, this is a test of critical reading, math, and writing skills. Nearly all 4-year colleges require this or the ACT for admissions. SAT Subject Tests (formerly SAT IIs or “Achievements”): One-hour exams offered in many different subjects: writing, mathematics (levels 1 or 2), social studies, foreign language, science, English literature, etc. Many colleges require as many as two SAT Subject Tests scores in addition to the SAT Reasoning Test. Subject Tests may be taken in the sophomore or junior year, but must be taken by December of the senior year. Check with colleges to see if they have special requirements regarding Subject Tests. Scholarships: A gift of money awarded for merit (achievement, skills, talents) and/or financial need. Scholarships may be a onetime grant or be renewable based on maintenance of certain criteria. Score Choice: A policy instituted by the College Board that allows members of the Classes of 2010 and later to select scores from individual test administrations to be submitted to colleges. This policy is not available to students applying to all colleges; some colleges will require students to submit scores from all administrations. (The ACT has always had the equivalent of “score choice,” although a few colleges state a requirement that all ACT administration scores be submitted.)


Secondary School Report (SSR): Form included with college application that requires information (i.e., GPA, rank, transcript, letter of recommendation, etc.) that is submitted directly from the college counselor and not the student. TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language): Test for students English is not a first language, show proficiency in English, often required as part of admissions process. (www.ets.org/toefl ) Transcript: Copy of student’s official academic record, showing all courses taken and grades earned. UC: University of California system of colleges. (www.universityofcalifornia.edu) UCAS: The online system through which students apply to universities in the United Kingdom. Registration required. (www.ucas.co.uk) Viewbook: A glossy, picture-filled piece of promotional literature published by most colleges, sometimes used interchangeably with the term college catalogue. Wait List: If you are put on the wait list, it means that you are an acceptable candidate, but the college did not have room for all of their strong candidates. How much of a chance you have usually depends on factors the college cannot pinpoint before May 1. If you are notified that you are on the wait list of your first choice college, talk to the college counselor. There may be something you could do to enhance the chances of being accepted from the wait list or perhaps you should put in a deposit at another college where you have been accepted to be sure you have a place in the fall. Work-Study: A form of financial assistance in which the student works on- or off-campus to help pay for costs of college attendance.


BIBLIOGRAPHY

Objective College Reference Books: These books provide thorough, fact-based profiles of the colleges and are quite helpful in the initial stages of the college search. Always look for the most recent available edition of these:

Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges. College Admission Data Handbook. The College Handbook (The College Board) Peterson’s Competitive Colleges Peterson’s Guide to Four-Year Colleges

Subjective College Guidebooks: These books provide colorful commentary and anecdotes that can help a student get a feel for the spirit and tone of a college. Some of the insights can be quite valuable; all should be taken with a grain of salt. Again, always look for the most recent available edition of these:

Antonoff, Stephen, The College Finder Fiske, Edward B. The Fiske Guide to Colleges Fiske, Edward B & Hammond, Bruce, The Fiske Guide to Getting into the Right

College, Yale Daily News. The Insider’s Guide to the Colleges The College Prowler series

Books with a Specific Focus: These more specialized publications provide information pertaining to specific backgrounds, interests and needs.

Everett, Carole, The Performing Arts Major’s College Guide (Arco) Jewish Life on Campus (B’nai B’rith Hillel) Killpatrick, Frances and Killpatrick, James. The Winning Edge: A Complete

Guide to Intercollegiate Athletic Programs. (Octameron) Kravetz, Marybeth and Wax, Imy, The K&W Guide to Colleges for the Learning

Disabled (Random House) Mitchell, Robert, The Multicultural Student’s Guide to Colleges (Noonday) Steinberg, Jacques, The Gatekeepers: Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College (Viking, 2002) Windmeyer, Shane L. The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students (Alyson)


Books with Alternative Perspectives: These books pose ways of evaluating and conducting the college admission process that fall somewhat outside the mainstream. They can help families retain their sensor of humor and perspective.

Asher, Donald, Cool Colleges for the Hyper-Intelligent, Self-Directed, Late Blooming And Just Plain Different (Ten Speed, 2000). Pope, Loren. Colleges that Change Live (Penguin, 1996) Pope, Loren, Looking Beyond the Ivy League: Finding the College That’s Right for You (Penguin, 1995) Weinstein, Miriam, Making a Difference College Guide (Princeton Review, 1996)

Books for Parents: These books help parents understand their role in the college process.

Coburn, Karen and Treegar, Madge. Letting Go: A Parent’s Guide to Understanding The College Years (Adler and Adler, 1997)

MacGowan, Sandra & McGinty, Sarah. 50 College Admission Directors Speak to Parents (Harcourt Brace, Jovanovich, 1988)

Mayer, Bill. The College Admissions Mystique (Noonday, 1998) Test Prep Books: You’ll never guess what these books provide:

How to Prepare for the ACT (Barron’s) 10 Real SATs (College Board) Real SAT Subject Tests (College Board)

Financial Planning Books: These books will help families navigate the financial aid process or point them in the direction of applicable, merit-based scholarships.

Cassidy, Daniel & Alves, Michael. The Scholarship Book: The Complete Guide to Private- Sector Scholarships, Grants, and Loans for Undergraduates (Prentice Hall, 2000)

The College Cost and Financial Aid Handbook (College Board) Don’t Miss Out: The Ambitious Student’s Guide to Financial Aid (Octameron, 2000)

Handbook Class 2013

Documents

Transcript of Handbook Class 2013