College Resource Center

 

YOUR COLLEGE SEARCH:
SENIORS, TIME TO BEGIN YOUR COLLEGE SEARCHES.... If you haven’t already!!!!!

Now that school has started - guess what!!!  It's time to spend some time in some preparation for that next big step in life - COLLEGE. There is no better time than now to begin your college search. USE THE INTERNET, I believe it's one of the best tools out there in the daunting task of finding the best college for you.  Depending on if you want to go out of state or stay in sunny Florida, here are just a few things you should look for in weeding out the number of choices available to you.

1.      LOCATION:  how about snow - big cities - rural farmland - beaches - mountains - staying close to home - getting as far away as possible - different people - different cultures - plenty of activities or plenty of study time - fading into the crowd or standing out with the few - close personal attention or being left to sink or swim. Each college or university has their own personality. By doing your own investigation, you may find out what college environment best suits YOU. YOUR own personal success is often determined by how comfortable and happy you are in your new environment.

2.      ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:  know your deadline dates!!!!! know if either early action or early decision are offered - letters of recommendation and essays - know what their mid-range GPA and SAT/ACT scores are - determine if you match the qualifications a college is looking for and your chances of getting accepted!!!!!  Know what type of application is preferred by the admissions department - know what financial aid forms are required.

3.      COSTS:   Get an idea of what tuition, room/board, books etc will cost you and your family.  This is a great time to learn about financial aid and how it works ------ most importantly, talk this over with your parents, know what they can afford then do some soul searching to determine what you will have to do to make up any shortages. Investigate what you may qualify for in financial aid. Check out what institutional aid is available - know what GPA and SAT/ACT scores are required to qualify for an institutional scholarship. All institutions are different and many offer great awards to worthy students.  NOW is the time to do your research. 

4.     TESTING:  If your SAT or ACT scores are a few points off the mark, NOW is the time to plan to retake these tests. Remember state university minimums:  SAT >>> 440 Math / 440 Critical Reading >>> ACT >>> 17 English / 18 Reading / 19 Math - please retake if you have failed to meet state minimums. Now when you register for the SAT, or ACT, please go ahead and put down the 4 colleges you want your scores sent to (it’s FREE). A lot of time will be wasted if you fail to do so.

 

 - PLAN out your strategy prior to the date that your COLLEGE APPLICATION is due.

4.      ACADEMICS:   This should be simple - right!!!!!  Always allow yourself some flexibility. Just know that most small or liberal arts colleges may offer a limited number of programs and majors. That's fine if you are sure you know what you want to study. Not so good if you want to study Sports Medicine and they don't offer it!!! Universities (universal) usually offer a wide variety of programs and majors. If you are like most college students, you may end up changing your major several times. Universities may offer the flexibility that a fickle mind needs.

When you have developed a list of colleges, please plan a visit. Call ahead to arrange a tour. Pay attention to the atmosphere of the college as well as the students who attend there. Visit a class if possible; ask about institutional scholarships as well as financial aid. Most importantly, get a feel as to how you as a person will fit into the college culture and if it will meet your scholastic as well as career goals.  GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!

What ever you do, please consider the tremendous impact that a careful college choice will have on you and your future. If you are not sure where to begin, try some of the websites for college searches that I have listed @ On the Web.

 

 

Early Decision versus Early Action:

First of all, is it important to realize that the traditional definition of Early Decision vs. Early Action is being redefined. The definitions below are the traditional definitions. My best recommendation is that you clearly understand the definition of these terms for the colleges that you are planning to apply to.

Early Decision (binding admission)

Pro: Great option if you believe your choice is the one and only and that you would be unhappy any other place. Admission people love Early Decision because it commits a greater number of students to their incoming freshman class. Your chances of being accepted ED is much higher than Early Decision and Regular Admissions. Notification usually comes within a month or so after the deadline. Remember that if you apply ED at one college, you cannot apply ED at another. For other colleges I recommend that you apply EA, or regular.

Con: Early Decision is not for everyone. I would not consider ED if there is going to be a great need for financial aid. One drawback comes when you receive your financial aid award letter and realize that you cannot afford to go to your first choice. It gets worse since you must withdraw all other applications. You may end up scrambling to apply to your secondary schools at a late date.

Early Action (non-binding)

Pro: I say...go for it!!! EA is for those students on the ball and eager to apply to their top choices. EA allows you to apply to any number of schools without being bound to any school that accepts you. EA notification usually comes a short time after ED notifications. As with ED applicants, you have a higher chance of acceptance if you go EA as compared to the regular deadline date.

Con: Can't think of any. Applicants who may not meet grade and test score levels may be deferred to a later date.

 

Financial Aid: Students applying ED or EA have a greater chance at higher levels of financial aid than those students who apply regular decision. "The early bird gets the worm". A word of wisdom here: Most Financial Aid people do not appreciate it if you try to negotiate a higher financial aid package by playing their institution off against another institutions offer. Be honest, sincere and truly desiring to attend their institution.

 

Get Noticed: 10 College Essay Tips

 

1. Don’t “recycle” essays. An essay that sounds like it has been used before will blend with everyone else’s.

2. Captivate your audience. Make your essay engaging and memorable. Include a quick, enticing intro; give a reason to finish reading it.

3. Be yourself. Choose a topic that is meaningful to you. Use your own voice. Show off a side of yourself that your application does not; don’t simply write what you think an admissions office wants to hear.

4. Accentuate the positive. When writing about a personal experience, emphasize how the experience changed you for the better.

5. Write in the active voice. Doing so will make for a clearer, more concise essay.

6. Don’t overextend. Your essay isn’t a term paper. Stay focused on your topic.

7. Ask people for input. Whether it’s a teacher, counselor, friend or parent, ask someone you respect for some candid feedback. Is it confusing? Boring?

8. Leave time for rewriting. Look for weak or dull spots and spelling and grammatical errors. Never let your first draft be your final draft.

9. Revise, reword. Improve on your first draft through various rewrites. Read the essay aloud to find awkward sentences or problems.

10. Pursue perfection. Have someone else look it over. Quadruple-check the spelling. Type your essay carefully

 

 

College Application Checklist  

Seniors, each year several colleges and universities send me a report that gives me the disposition of all applications received at their institution. I am amazed at the number of applications that end up incomplete. Common mistakes are: no transcripts, waiting for SAT/ACT test scores, application fees not paid or residency statement is not correct or complete. Remember that when you do the Florida State university application on-line, that you must print off the last page and complete the residency verification part. When completed, mail this to the college along with your application fee and your essays and letters of recommendation. Finally, when you send anything to an admissions office, please always follow-up with them in two weeks to verify that they received your information.

 

Here are some general guidelines and suggestions that I hope will help you with the application process.

 

1.       The General Application: Is all information accurate and legible? Don’t leave questions blank unless the application allows it. Most colleges now prefer that you apply on-line.

2.       Academic Transcripts: Mrs. Manchola will send your transcripts upon request.   If we are able to send your transcripts electronically, there will be no charges. One dollar will be required if we must print and mail your transcripts.

3.       Letters of Recommendation: Do you have the number of recommendations required? Also, check with the admissions office if they need to be sealed. Remember that not all colleges require letters!!

4.      Work Samples/Portfolios: Include your name, contact information and the project title on every item. Send copies, not originals.

5.      Application Essays:  Make sure your name, social security number, date of birth, contact information and essay title are on each page. Be original and remember to change college names around if you are sending your essay to more than one college.

6.      Reply Cards: Include these for your prospective college to mail back to you as receipt of delivery. They should be stamped and self-addressed.

7.       SAT/ACT Scores: If you need to send test scores to additional schools, contact the testing company immediately. SAT: www.collegeboard.com  ACT: www.act.org Scores are mailed about three weeks after your request. Due to timing issues, I strongly recommend that seniors indicate where they want scores sent when they register for a test. This will save precious time.

8.       Signatures: Before mailing, verify that all necessary forms have been signed.

9.       Keep Copies: Create a file to hold copies of all documents in case you need to refer to them later.