Sending your kids to college has never been
more difficult or more expensive, and outstanding grades no longer
guarantee acceptance. With competition at an all-time high, students are
facing the toughest admissions committees in history. Families are
being strangled by soaring tuition costs and a financial aid system
designed to eliminate all but the most knowledgeable and persistent
applicants.
America’s colleges and universities are far
too crowded and can no longer accommodate all the qualified
students who apply. As a result, schools reject a far greater percentage
than they accept, as much as 90% at some schools! As there are
considerably more qualified students seeking enrollment today than at any
other time in history, the objective of the admissions committee is to
weed through the masses and fill their halls with the most resourceful,
well-rounded, acceptable students they can accommodate.
Princeton University for school year
2001-2002, received approximately 19,000 applications for its freshman
enrollment of only 1,200 – and rejected 18,000! The University of Florida
for 2002-2003, received approximately 24,000 applications, but only had
room for 6,500. They turned away over 17,000 students! In both cases, the
majority of the rejected students were qualified applicants. For
school year, 2006-2007, the Ivy League schools only accepted 12.4% of all
applicants; Harvard rejected 80% of all valedictorians, and Duke 90% - for
sameness. They all had perfect grades and SAT scores, but distinguished
themselves in no other ways!
The Number One Priority
Far too many college-bound families are
preoccupied with the cost of college and lose sight of the fact that
paying for college is not their main concern! Getting accepted
to college is the number one priority! All the financial aid in
the world is useless without that coveted admission ticket.
Therefore, the first issue to be addressed is how to make the school of
your choice choose you. Knowing how to make a student acceptable greatly
increases their chances of being admitted. It becomes necessary then to
know what the colleges are looking for and how they determine if a student
will win a prized admission ticket.
A student with a 3.5 GPA, 1875 SAT, 28 ACT
and 200 community service hours would be unacceptable to Harvard,
but qualified at the University of Miami or Ohio State – yet not
necessarily acceptable to either of the schools. There is a world
of difference between qualified and acceptable, and knowing
the difference makes the difference. While no two schools follow the exact
same guidelines, it is safe to assume they all go about it something like
this:
The
Admissions Process
The admissions committee assembles around a large conference table. Each
member receives a huge pile of folders containing transcripts,
applications, essays, countless letters of recommendations, and everything
else they need to make a decision in the 15 to 20 minutes allocated for
any one student. They begin by eliminating unqualified students – those
deficient in the numbers.
Next, they look for professionally prepared applications with thought
provoking, interesting, and grammatically flawless essays. A resume
detailing academic life, extra curricular activities including community
service hours, and a cleverly written special essay perhaps entitled, “Why
I Must Attend The University Of XYZ,” all weigh heavily in their
decision.
Setting
The Stage
To ensure students have every possible
advantage when applying to the college of their choice, families
determined to see them succeed must set the stage early - no later than
the 9th grade.
While this may seem premature, starting any
later could be higher education suicide in preparation for the college of
their choice. If the
home is a circus and not conducive for study, some major changes must
take place:
-
Students need access to a comfortable
place to study with virtually no distractions;
-
A minimum of 1½ to 2 hours each night
should be devoted to schoolwork;
-
A daily routine including a healthy diet
and 8 hours of sleep must be maintained; and
-
Ideally, students should not be left alone
without supervision for long periods of time, certainly no longer than
24 hours. Nor should they spend more than 15 hours each week on
non-academic activities, and would be ill-advised to regularly burn the
midnight oil.
Beginning in junior high, students
should start to accumulate community service hours. Extra-curricular
activities are in-school participation, whereas community service takes
place outside of school, i.e. scouting, religious activities, working with
AIDS and/or Alzheimer’s patients, seniors, hospice, involvement with the
handicapped, and environmental work. Involvement with the financially,
emotionally and/or intellectually challenged demonstrates compassion and
empathy and makes the student shine. Working with those less fortunate
also gives the student a much broader idea of life outside their own
environment.
All students should begin high school by
electing to take courses with college in mind. By the time they enter the
12th grade, they will have created the right posture to
make admissions committees stand up and take notice.
Four years of core subjects are what all
colleges are looking for, unless the student has a special ability as an
athlete, vocalist, musician, or artist. English, math, a foreign
language, science and history make up the core Grade Point Average (GPA),
and the Honors Point Average (HPA) includes Honors and Advanced Placement
(AP) classes. Electives such as art, physical education, music and
computer programming are of less importance and should only be taken in
conjunction with the core subjects.
As many Honors and AP classes as possible
should be taken. The risk/reward ratio comes into play here as colleges
are looking for students who take risks and challenge themselves
academically. The bonus for earning an ‘A’, ‘B’ or even a ‘C’ adds extra
points to the GPA and gives the student that all-important edge.
Admissions officers are even more impressed by the challenge taken than
they are with the grade received.
Students must avoid becoming stressed out
from taking classes beyond their reach. However, for families with an
exceptionally bright child, it is highly recommended that they take as
many advanced courses as they can comfortably handle. An outstanding
academic record has always been and is still the greatest bargaining chip.
Extracurricular activities must be pursued,
and membership in clubs/organizations such as the Debate Club, Student Council
and Key Club aid in creating a well-rounded, acceptable student. I
strongly recommend holding office or taking on a leadership role in as
many of these as possible. Leadership demonstrates taking a risk and
assuming responsibility. Even students who are super athletes need some
diversity. They must avoid the impression they are one-dimensional and
portray themselves as multi-faceted.
Creating an acceptable student capable of
attaining academic excellence is no accident. It is accomplished solely by
the efforts of the student and their family in conjunction with their
guidance counselor and an expert in the admissions process. It
takes time, planning, patience, cooperation from all family members, and
most importantly, the student must be motivated to succeed. This is not
the optional road for a college-bound family. It is the only road
that leads to that all-important admissions ticket. Anything less is
simply not acceptable…
About The Author:
Reecy Aresty has been a financial advisor since 1977, and
is founder and president of College Assistance, Inc., located in Boca
Raton, Florida. He is the author of the critically-acclaimed,
How To Pay For College Without Going Broke, an invaluable, parent/student
manual. Arguably the most revealing book ever
written on college admissions and financial aid, it is the only book of its
kind also available in Spanish.
Reecy has been
interviewed by financial experts on radio and television, and by many of
the nation's most respected publications including Money Magazine, US
News & World Report, Bloomberg News, Scripps Howard, The Washington Post,
financial icon Terry Savage for the Chicago Sun-Times,
Consumers Digest, The Education Times and AOL. An Internet search for
Reecy Aresty will result in thousands of links to sites all over
the world that feature his articles, advice and methods. Recently, he
created the College Information Network™,
which includes The High School Blog, The College Blog, PayLess For
College and The Way To College.
For almost three
decades, Reecy has helped thousands of families send their kids to the
college of their choice for less than they ever dreamed possible.
The critics agree. The way to college is Reecy Aresty's, How To Pay For
College Without Going Broke. It reveals the trade secrets and insider
information our colleges, universities and the federal government don't want you to know. For
further information on the best college funding book on the market today,
click here. For more information on admissions and
financial aid - Ask Reecy!
