Welcome to The Admission Game (TAG) College Planning Blog, an ongoing discussion of the factors that impact the college planning process. This space will keep you abreast of critical planning strategies, introduce you to key resources and comment on timely issues that relate to your college planning effort. I look forward to staying in touch and seeing your comments as we progress through the college planning process together. An extensive listing of past articles as well as those written by other authors can be found in The College Planning Library, a feature of the Best College Fit Resources.
Do you know you have rights as a college applicant?
Well, you do. As you apply to colleges, you have the right to certain information about them including information about how much it will cost you to attend. According to the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC), a member organization that includes more than 11,000 college access professionals around the USA and beyond, 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.”
“Be free from high-pressure sales tactics.”
“Wait until May 1 to respond to an offer of admission or financial aid.”
In order to make good decisions, you need good information and, quite often, a reasonable amount of time in which to consider your options. Toward that end, NACAC further stipulates that:
“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 the 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.”
It is important to note that May 1 is regarded as the “Candidate’s Reply Date”—the date by which admitted applicants must make their final college choices. That date was established years ago to allow students a reasonable amount of time to consider their college options and to give colleges a date by which they could begin the registration process (course selections and housing) for the coming year. If you are not an Early Decision candidate, then, you should be afforded time to process admission decisions and financial aid awards that you receive from various colleges and universities.
That said, it is easy to fall prey to pressures to make enrollment commitments before you are ready. For example, you may have already encountered enticements such as early or “priority” application deadlines associated with scholarships or housing preferences. Some colleges may offer you scholarships that you can only claim by enrolling well ahead of May 1. And, if you applied to schools that offer “Rolling Admission,” you may be offered admission with the expectation that you will submit a non-refundable enrollment deposit—as soon as possible!
If you feel uncomfortable about the conditions that seem to be placed on your admission status, there is probably a good reason to proceed with caution. Listen to your instincts. And recognize the circumstances for what they are. The colleges in question are attempting to secure as many enrolled students as early in the process as possible.
If you don’t feel you are in possession of the information necessary to allow you to move forward comfortably with a particular college, ask for an extension. It’s not likely that your enrollment opportunity will be withdrawn if you miss a deadline (May 1 is the possible exception). And communicate your concerns with your college advisor as well. If the college remains insistent, ask yourself whether this is the sort of place with which you want to be associated for the next four years.
NACAC has produced a number of important documents that help to define ethical, albeit not legally binding, behavior for everyone involved in the admission process. You can learn more about your rights and responsibilities as an applicant at the Policies and Statements page on the NACAC website. Click on “Statement of Students’ Rights and Responsibilities in the College Admission Process.” In addition, you may find the “Statement of Principles of Good Practice,” a document that guides the actions of colleges and universities, to be instructive as well.
The answer might surprise you. Over its long history, the SAT has served many purposes including that of “leveling the playing field” through a standardized test that presumed to reconcile the great disparities that exist between high school academic programs across the country.
In its current iteration, however, the test’s intended purpose is that of a diagnostic assessment that helps admission officers predict the ability of applicants to perform academically during the first year of college. It is not an intelligence test nor is it predicting the likelihood of graduation.
Within this context—as a diagnostic test forecasting first year success—it holds little value. What’s more, admission officers seem to recognize this. They regularly conduct validity studies to determine the value of different variables (courses, grades, GPA, letters of recommendation, essays, etc.) and these studies routinely reveal that the SAT has only a marginal impact on their predictive models. In short, they know they can make good decisions about whom to admit without the presence of SAT results.
So, why, then, do so many colleges and universities insist that you submit test results?
Some institutions with great volumes of applicants (state universities, highly selective schools) use test results along with GPAs to screen candidates. In effect, scores in those cases are competitive credentials. Achieving the minimum score on a given school’s scale of acceptability is less a demonstration that you can do the work—and more an indication that you have hit that school’s rather arbitrary cut-off for consideration in the admission process.
And, at the end of the day, institutions use the SAT to project the strength of their entering classes. Intimating that the SAT is a universal metric for intelligence, they seem to be saying, “Look at all these smart students we have managed to attract.” As a result, colleges seek to attract candidates with “big numbers”—and, far from the diagnostic it is intended to be, the SAT becomes a competitive credential.
The good news is that more than 850 colleges now recognize the folly of this exercise and have made the submission of test results optional. In doing so, they have acknowledged that they can make good decisions about whom to admit without test results. To see a complete, alphabetized list of these schools, go to www.FairTest.org.
When I made reference to the test optional opportunity that exists at a growing number of schools during a presentation earlier this week, a student asked, somewhat incredulously, “Won’t colleges assume that if you don’t submit scores you are trying to hide low results?” I would make two observations from personal experience in response to questions like this.
One, the removal of the testing requirement in light of their confidence in other predictive factors frees admission officers to focus their deliberations on the personal strengths and attributes of the student without concern for how a score might affect their institutions’ academic profiles. The day that my former institution went test optional in the admission process was like a day of liberation for my colleagues and me. Free from the “tyranny of numbers,” we were able to admit the students who were most interesting to us.
Two, there tends to be very little difference between the test performance of “submitters” and “non-submitters.” Subsequent studies of the two groups at my institution revealed that average scores for the two groups were nearly identical. In fact, we discovered quite a few students who had withheld high scores, presumably, because they were philosophically aligned with the test optional policy.
Did we admit kids who benefited by not having to submit substandard scores? Sure—because they produced compelling coursework and supporting documentation that gave us confidence that they could do the work in our environment. And most did very well in college and in life after school. Similarly, we admitted more than a few students over the years with high scores, but relatively modest high school records who did not find the same success.
I have also heard the assertion that test optional schools are simply using the option as a marketing ploy to attract applicants and raise their scores (because low scores are no longer reported). While those might be natural outcomes that fall to such schools, it is my experience that the rationale for going test optional runs much deeper. Many schools with test requirements tend to admit students whose test results match or enhance their respective testing profiles. In the process, they tend to arbitrarily dismiss candidates who are otherwise very compelling but whose scores would “hurt the profile.” Making the test optional allows for a broader assessment of the candidate’s credentials.
The bottom line: If testing is not your thing you or are philosophically opposed to its place in the admission process, you should feel more than comfortable exploring the 850 colleges and universities that have made the submission of tests optional. They have defined a different paradigm for decision-making that, quite frankly, is student-centered. And that’s a good thing!
On Saturday, October 29, 2011, “net price calculators” will be required elements on college and university websites. In accordance with the federal Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, institutions that enroll full-time, first-time degree or certificate seeking undergraduate students must provide a mechanism on their websites that estimates the net cost of attendance for current and prospective students.
As institutional price tags continue to soar—many are now above $50,000 per year—the resulting sticker shock is seen as a deterrent to many students who might otherwise consider post-secondary educational opportunities. The intent behind the net price calculators (NPC) is to encourage access to higher education by creating greater transparency with regard to the anticipated cost of attendance as defined by the student’s individual circumstances.
In theory, the NPC will calculate an adjusted price for each student that is reflective of that student’s “expected family contribution” (EFC). While the need-based financial aid analysis for college applicants (and returning students) is already rooted in the concept of expected family contribution, the NPC is intended to give families at glimpse at the EFC before the student engages in the application process. With this accomplished, students will be able to proceed with a greater understanding of the likely cost associated with their educational experiences.
To better understand the impact of the NPC, consider that institutions are employing “means-based” pricing models. In other words, at the end of the day they expect you to pay the amount you can afford rather than the listed sticker price. If you are fully self-supporting, you will be expected to pay the sticker price. On the other hand, if you demonstrate that you cannot be fully self-supporting, the NPC will calculate an EFC—a “reduced price”—that you are likely to encounter if admitted and enrolled at the institution.
The reality is the NPC is only an estimate of the price you will pay and it does not forecast your chances of gaining admission. Most institutions engage in differential needs analysis as they assess EFCs for students they might admit. In addition to being able to choose from a range of methodologies (FAFSA, College Scholarship Service Profile, institutional forms), financial aid officers can exercise “professional judgment” in assessing your EFC. As a result, your EFC for a given institution can vary by as much as $10,000 depending on the methodology that is used.
Moreover, the NPC cannot accurately anticipate the manner in which an institution will meet your demonstrated financial need (the difference between the sticker price and your EFC). This is because most institutions utilize preferential packaging in meeting the needs of their admitted students. Depending on your desirability to the institution, your need could be met with a financial aid award that includes a lot of gift aid (grants and scholarships) or a lot of self-help (loans and campus work study opportunities). A financial aid award that includes more of the latter adds substantially to the cost of attendance that you and your family must bear—a cost that the NPC is not likely to identify for you.
The bottom line: net price calculators are not likely to give you the degree of precision in projecting college costs that you might expect. They might give you a “ball park” sense of your out-of-pocket cost, but the final tally could be far different for the reasons outlined above. If you need a very close estimate of your EFC before making a “buying” decision, consult the financial aid professionals at the school in question directly.
The premise behind the NPC is certainly noteworthy. Unfortunately, it is not a failsafe measure nor is it likely to increase the dialogue between families and financial aid officers as the latter will direct the former to the net price calculators their websites.
An unanticipated development emerging from the NPC mandate is that many institutions now have new mechanisms for pre-qualifying, screening and recruiting potential candidates for admission. While most of the related activity is fairly benign, be wary of providing information on an NPC regarding the other colleges to which you are applying. This data is not essential to the calculation of the EFC, and, frankly, it can raise questions about the sincerity of your interest in the institution.
A critical element of just about every application is the student’s ability to bring clarity to the interpretation of his/her academic record. In other words, when there are irregularities in a student’s program and/or performance, s/he has a “story” to tell. The context for such stories, or explanations, often rests in factors that are beyond the student’s control, i.e., injury, illness, family moves, parental difficulties, etc. In the absence of explanations, though, admission officers must guess about the circumstances—and that rarely bodes well for the candidate, as admission folks are more often cynical than charitable in their assessments!
A circumstance frequently raised in this regard is that relating to a student’s documented learning difference. Specifically, families often wonder if or how the presence of “Individual Educational Plans” (IEPs) in the student’s academic experience should be conveyed in the application for admission without prejudicing the candidacy. While there are few solutions that fit every situation, it is important to consider the manner in which information is shared with the institution relative to the student’s candidacy for admission and, separately, as it relates to securing necessary support for the student once enrolled.
In terms of admission, I would err on the side of meaningful disclosure. Eliminate the guesswork for the reader. Give the admission officers who review your credentials the full picture so they can make a balanced and informed assessment. Places that value you for what you have to offer will try to find ways to admit and support you. Providing an awareness of a learning difference for which you are compensating may give them greater confidence in their respective abilities to help you find success.
That said, it is entirely possible that some schools will be averse to taking on a known learning difference. Frankly, there is no sense in worrying about that possibility. Think about it. By choosing not to disclose in light of irregularities, you force admission officers to draw their own conclusions—and that will rarely work to your advantage. If, per chance, you are admitted, do you really want to end up at a school that would otherwise have discriminated against you had you disclosed the learning difference? Do you think it will be any easier to secure accommodations in such an environment?
Speaking of accommodations, you can’t count on the admission office to pass along the documentation of academic support needs to the appropriate folks on its campus. While such information might indeed be passed along on a “need to know” basis, it is routinely purged from applicant files (in the spirit of confidentiality) after a student makes the decision to enroll.
Regardless, plan to present documentation of your learning difference and the need for support to the counseling center/disability office after you have enrolled. Don’t assume the information was passed along by the admission office—and, even if it was, don’t assume that the institution will automatically make accommodations for you.
Allen Tinkler is an educational consultant who has counseled many students with learning differences through the transition to college. He observes that, “One of the biggest errors kids/ families make…is the assumption that just because the documentation was sent, whether to admissions or to disability support services, the college will provide accommodations and services. This is not true. The student must self-identify and go through some kind of intake interview, discuss accommodations requested and learn the procedures at the college. This is done with CURRENT, COMPLETE and APPROPRIATE documentation.”
Allen further observes, and I agree wholeheartedly, that students need to learn to be “strong self-advocates.” At his former school, “each student with an IEP or 504 plan was given a complete set of documentation at a final meeting with parents present and instructed that it was now up to them to take the responsibility for acquiring accommodations at college. They were instructed that, sometime between the distribution of those papers and the beginning of classes at college, they needed to contact the disability coordinator, present themselves and their papers. We were literally passing the baton over to them.”
Ownership and the assumption of personal responsibility are vital to your success in all aspects of life. This is especially true if support for a learning difference is a part of your reality as you begin the transition to college. Make sure you take the necessary steps to ensure your success as you move forward.
October is a time of reckoning for students as they prepare college applications. The senior year of high school is in full swing with new academic challenges and a sense of nostalgia as students wistfully embrace events and relationships for the “last time” in their high school experience. And, for many, preparing half a dozen or so college application represents another layer of activity on top of an already busy schedule.
As a result, the excitement and allure associated with going to college begins to wane, as the process of applying becomes an onerous imposition. With pending deadlines and mounting requirements, there simply isn’t enough time in the day to get it all done! As a result, there is a tendency to choose the course of least resistance—to only do what is “good enough.”
I would like to offer a word to the wise if you find yourself in this situation. Make this year your best! Now is the time to push hard to achieve your goals, even though doing so may mean making compromises in your social life. You can’t “will” great grades. Essays don’t become excellent overnight. Compelling college applications don’t materialize out of thin air.
Keep in mind the competition for admission. Colleges continue to be inundated by applications from more, well-qualified candidates than they can admit. As a result, admission officers will be forced to make fine distinctions between deserving candidates. At highly selective colleges, the pressure to make these distinctions is incredibly intense as only a fraction of the students who apply—in some cases as few as 5-15%—can be admitted.
So what does this mean for you—the applicant? It means that admission officers will be looking at seemingly obscure factors as they evaluate your application. In particular, they will be interested in the choices you make as you press ahead in your senior year to see how you handle the pressure. Will you wilt under the weight of the added expectations? Will you find the easiest path to the “finish line? Or will you step up to the challenge?
Quite frankly, they want to see what you do when you don’t think you have to do anything. When a “B” seems good enough, will you continue to push for the “A?”
They will also be able to gauge your investment in your application immediately. Have you been thoughtful about conveying key messages? How have you told your “story”? What does your essay say about you? I can tell you from experience that applications and, in particular, essays that are pulled together at the last minute have that “good enough” look about them. It should not come as any surprise that “good enough” does not inspire much interest on the part of the person reviewing your credentials.
As a high school senior and an applicant to college, you are still in a position to control the manner in which your application is presented. Don’t give admission officers a reason to say “no” to your candidacy. Resist the temptation to put things off or go into “cruise control.” Now is the time to accelerate! Stay focused and finish strong! You must commit to doing so, however. As one young woman observed after hearing this message at a recent program, “If nothing else, I have learned that good enough is never enough if I want to reach my goals.”
No credential sparks more consternation among college applicants than standardized testing. The following are eight tips that will help you put your best foot forward with testing when you apply for admission later this fall.
You have options! Review your testing experience to determine which scores (SAT, ACT or both) you want to send to each school. Every college in the country will receive either the SAT or the ACT (or both), so submit the set of results that puts you in the most competitive light.
Decide which tests you will take this fall. If you have already taken the SAT two times and are disappointed by the results, you may be facing a point of diminishing returns. You might be better off turning your attention to the ACT. Achieving a respectable score on the ACT means that admission officers have options with regard to the test results they might use to rationalize offering you places in their respective classes.
Colleges strongly prefer to receive test results (SAT, ACT) directly from the testing services. Make arrangements with the appropriate testing service to have your results sent directly to the colleges to which you are applying.
“Score Choice” gives you options with regard to the testing information you need to send to most colleges. If you are taking tests this fall, you may want to wait until you have seen the results before deciding to have official score reports sent to colleges.
Remember that admission officers will look at the best combination of scores. If you have taken the SAT 2-3 times, your best Critical Reading score might have come on your third test while your best math might have come on your second test. In order for colleges to pull results from different test administrations, you will need to submit scores from each.
Don’t hold off on submitting your applications for admission until you have all of your results from tests taken this fall or to be taken this winter. You shouldn’t have to report actual scores on your applications. As long as you register with the testing service to have your scores sent to the colleges in question, the results will be forwarded automatically within 3-4 weeks.
Consider the “test optional” opportunities that might exist among the colleges to which you are applying. Compare your results with the range of scores reported for each test optional college. If your scores fall in the bottom 50% of the score ranges, logic would suggest that you not submit your scores as they will do nothing to enhance your application. A complete list of more than 850 “test optional” colleges can be found at FairTest.org.
Make sure you are choosing colleges at which your testing profile is a good fit. Remember, colleges are fond of reporting high scores for their entering classes. The further your scores fall below the mid-point of the reported range of scores at a college, the less likely you will be admitted at that college.
The following is the testing schedule through February 2012. For more information about test registration and score submission, go to www.collegeboard.org and www.ACT.org.
Test Test Date Registration Date
SAT & Subject Tests 11/5/11 10/7/11
SAT & Subject Tests 12/3/11 11/8/11
ACT 12/10/11 11/4/11
SAT & Subject Tests 1/28/12 12/30/11
ACT 2/11/12 1/13/12
Rising college costs and increased competition for admission are forcing families to consider the choice of a college more carefully than ever. In doing so, many are turning to college ranking guides to find the best colleges for their children. This would make good sense if the ranking guides were empirically driven—based on science and fact—and matched with a profile of the student’s talents, skill sets and needs.
Unfortunately, that is not the case. Rankings are far from scientific—and kids are constantly changing their dreams and directions!
Upon closer examination, college rankings are the ultimate tease—fiction wrapped up as science. Constantly changing methodologies, self-reported (by colleges) data and authoritative decrees about the validity associated with related weights and measures have the illusory effect of quantifying the mythical pecking order. While the outcomes generate marketable stories, rankings bear little that is truly useful to students in finding good college “fits.” Instead, they reinforce the destination orientation—a need to find or have the “best”—that is pervasive in college selection at the expense of solutions that are student-centered.
Before you get out your credit card, then, or rush to printout a list of the “best” colleges, take a moment to ask yourself three questions:
Who is defining the “best” and what does it mean for me/my child?
What do the editors of ranking guides know about me/my child?
Where is the evidence that rankings will make a difference in our college planning outcomes?
Let’s take a closer look at the importance of each question.
Who is defining best and what does it mean for me/my child? Don’t assume that there is a universal application of the term—and don’t assume the definition you are being given by editors is the most appropriate. References to the “best” in any context are heavily value-laden and are offered from the perspective of the person making the statement. Be discriminating. Know that the definitions of “best” that are thrown around to sell magazines may not—and, in fact, should not—be the beginning point for your own definition.
What do the editors of ranking guides know about me/my child? Where, for example, do they talk about the colleges that are best for the bright, but timid student who wants to study classical archaeology or the student who learns best through engagement in the classroom or the young person whose sense of self and direction is still emerging? Despite editorial acknowledgements that the choice of a four-year undergraduate education is “one of the biggest decisions a typical American family can make” what tangible take-aways do college rankings offer that apply to your situation?
Where is the evidence that rankings will make a difference in our college planning outcomes? More specifically, you need to ask yourself, “What’s in it for me?” Unlike the purchase process with regard to other commodities (cars, appliances, etc.), the ultimate choice of a college is the product of a mutual selection process. Rankings don’t get kids into college nor do they point you in the direction that is best for you.
The college-going process has been turned upside down by ranking guides. For example, who is really being served when the effect of ranking guides is to shine a brighter light on a handful of institutions that already turn down 80-90% of their applicants? If ranking guides are truly useful to consumers, why do disproportionate numbers of students apply to schools where the chances of gaining admission are less than one out of four? How supportive are they to agendas of access and completion when barely half of the students entering college this fall will graduate from any college in 4-5 years?
There are no shortcuts or easy substitutions for thoughtful and reflective research in the college planning process. At the end of the day, rankings are, at best, artificial metrics for quality in education that detract from sensible, student-centered decision-making. The choice of a college is one of the most important decisions in the life of a family. Avoid unhappy outcomes by establishing the student, not the destination, at the center of your deliberations.
In my last posting, I reviewed the relevance of letters of recommendation in the college application process. The following are five tips for securing letters of recommendation that can help strengthen the overall presentation of your applications.
Choose teachers who know what you can do—the teachers who push you and don’t let you settle for “good enough.” They are the folks who are more likely to be invested in your long-term success. Contrary to popular belief, your most insightful supporter may not be the teacher regarded as the most popular. Generally speaking, at least one of your recommenders should be someone who is familiar with your critical thinking and communication skills.
Give your counselor and teachers the courtesy of time to think about and prepare a letter of recommendation for you. If you are a high school Senior and still have not asked folks to write on your behalf, do it now! Extend the same consideration (time, access to information) you would want if confronted by a writing assignment that accounts for most of your grade in a class.
Meet with your recommenders. Talk with them about why college is important to you. Share your dreams and ambitions. Reflect on your strengths and weaknesses. If there are factors beyond your control that have influenced your ability to perform as you would have liked, make sure your recommenders are sufficiently informed so they can help you tell your “story.” In short, give them the necessary information and insight so they can write well-balanced letters on your behalf.
Share a resume of your activities and achievements. Don’t assume that they know the important details of your life experiences. Help them “connect the dots.” While your teachers know you well from your work in their respective classrooms, they may not have the benefit of the “big picture” that defines you.
Provide stories and anecdotes. Give your recommenders the “color commentary” as it relates to your academic and relevant life experiences that will enable them to give depth and energy to their assessments. Just as you want your essays to be engaging and “readable,” you should do what you can to ensure that the letters of recommendation submitted on your behalf engage the reader with the essence of your personality.
Provide a list of your application deadlines and the forms (either the hard copies or the links to online forms) used by each of your colleges for letters of recommendation. While your recommenders may elect to produce letters on their own stationery, they will still benefit by being able to respond to the guidelines and information requests provided by the colleges to which you are applying. As a courtesy, provide pre-addressed and stamped envelopes to those who intend to submit their letters via snail mail.
When you ask a teacher or counselor to write on your behalf, you will be able to waive your right of access to that letter. Do it. Your recommenders need to be able to provide complete and balanced perspectives without having to worry about how you or your parents will react to what they have written. If your recommenders are concerned about being second-guessed in any way, they will be less inclined to share the kind of information that is useful to admission officers in the credential review.
Give them some space and trust they will act in your best interests. The people you have chosen for this task are your strongest supporters and want to see you do well.
