Category Archives: 2017 Articles

When should we start planning for college? The answer to this question can be confusing, because there are so many moving parts to the college planning process. So let me just say this: It is terribly stressful to start at the beginning of the senior year. With all of the activities going on, students who have not started preparing will find themselves with too little time to show off “their best self” not to mention the stress level!  It is not too early to start having discussions about college in middle school or even elementary school (see www.soarscholars.com). So let’s make a little timeline of things to do at different grade levels.

Hopefully, before middle school, parents have started some kind of college savings program, and have started talking in general terms about what college is and why it is important.  One of the most important things you can do as a parent is to encourage reading, reading and more reading.  Make sure your student is getting a firm foundation in the academics. In high school, the academics and test scores will be the primary determining factor about where your student will attend college as well as how much merit money he/she will receive. The colleges also like to see a great resume with a variety of activities and community service. Helping middle school students find a “passion” can help them develop a sustainable activity to pursue throughout high school. Middle school students need to know what lies ahead!

So you are thinking, “Okay. So when do we get serious about the actual college stuff”? Assuming your student has already set up an academic plan for high school, some other things should be addressed during the sophomore year.  The financial decisions made by the colleges will be based on the family financials two years prior to graduation. However, it is never too late to make financial decisions that pertain to cash flow and tax advantage scholarships-even once the student is in college! So if you will not qualify for need-based financial aid, don’t be discouraged! There is plenty that can be done to get more money to pay for college. You just have to know how to do it!! Want to know more? Check out the book, Never Pay Retail for College written by Beth Walker. 

During the sophomore year, the student should start thinking about what kind of college they might like to attend, and what field of study they might be most interested in studying. They should also be taking a rigorous course of study and getting good grades.  By the junior year, students should have their testing schedule in place and know if they will focus on SAT or ACT (colleges will accept either).  They should begin narrowing down their college list and potential majors. By the summer before the senior year the student should be writing their college application and essays, putting together their activity list, and preparing to fill out applications early in the senior year. By this time, their portfolio/resume should be robust and consistent. 

If you start early enough, then Fall of the senior year should simply require fine tuning!

Where should I go to college? Most students do not spend much time thinking about this question since they assume that all colleges are the same and they just choose a college they are familiar with.  There are many factors that should go into choosing a “good fit” college. And why does a “good fit” matter? If students are going to be successful, they should be at a place that matches his/her learning style, and environmental needs. Educational needs can be met in a variety of ways, but for a student to experience maximum success, it is important that he/she chooses a college that fits his/her needs. 

So how does a student do that? There are many factors to consider as you select the best fit college. Probably the most important is finding a school that provides you with an academic program that you need and a style of instruction that suits your learning style. For example, would you prefer to be in a lecture hall with 300-500 other students taking notes and listening, or in a seminar-style environment with 20-30 students? Would you rather take a bubble-in test or do a project or write a paper? Do you enjoy class discussions where you can ask questions or to you prefer to remain anonymous? 

A second factor to consider is the environment. The environment can mean climate, extracurricular, sports and political. If you do not like cold weather, then you should probably stay away from the far north. If you want the “big time” sports atmosphere, then you probably won’t find that at some of the smaller colleges. Some students want to join a fraternity or sorority and others prefer to be involved in a campus ministry group. A student who is ultra conservative may not feel comfortable in an atmosphere that leans to the far left.  Another environmental factor might be the actual location of the college. Some students love access to the big city life with all of its hustle and bustle. Others want to go skiing or hike the nearest mountain. 

Although there are many other factors to consider, the last one I will discuss today is the financial fit. There is nothing more devastating to a student than finding out AFTER he/she has applied and been accepted, that the family cannot afford the school. It is important that you figure this out before the student goes through all the work involved in filing an application. Some families exclude a private college when they see the total cost of attendance. This is a big mistake!! The private colleges have endowment money that allows them to offset the total cost and many times the private school can be cheaper than the public university!! I often tell my students, “It is not how much the college costs, it is how much you have to pay”!

Finding the right college can be a lot of work, but it is a very important part of the college application process.  Students have to figure out what they need first and then they have to find it!

“What’s in a name?” is a familiar quote by William Shakespeare in which Juliet suggests that Romeo’s name does not matter. Perhaps this would be a good quote for us to consider when choosing a great college as well. Now although there is some truth to the value of the name, it can be argued that the name of the college is not as important as whether the college is a good “fit” and what the student does while attending. 

So as school gets underway, and a new senior class begins to search for the perfect college, we have to address the value of rankings as a criteria for choice. Did you know that the US News rankings are based on how other college administrators rank them? Sometimes those administrators know very little about the school that they are ranking. Clearly in California, for many people, UCLA would be ranked higher than Pomona Pitzer simply because many people have not heard of the latter. It is difficult to compare schools with different activities and cultures anyway.  Money magazine has also gotten involved in the ranking game and it ranks based on affordability, quality of education and alumni success. Of course “success” in their book is measured by income.  Other rankings may be based on graduation rates, which will clearly be higher at more competitive schools, humanistic research, and how the college reaches out to low income students. 

So let’s talk about the things that really matter that may not be included in the rankings. How about the weather? What is great for one student may be terrible for another. How about access to professors? The small liberal arts colleges will likely give more access than the large research universities.  The quality of instruction is rarely addressed in these rankings because it is so difficult to assess. Some students like the idea of crazy football spirit while others prefer low key school pride. And all students need to be sure that the major they want is offered at the school they choose to attend. I know of many students who have selected their college based on whether or not it is near the beach only to find out that the major they wanted is not offered. It is okay to figure that out before you enroll, but it can be a costly mistake if you enroll in the school BEFORE you figure it out.

Maybe rankings give parents bragging rights or a sense of security. Maybe the rankings  reassure the family that they are getting the “best”. Just understand that what is “best” for one student may not be “best” for another student. So focus on what matters instead of the rankings; focus on things that give a student a happy, and satisfying college experience.  

Writing the college application essay is one of the most difficult things students have to do in preparing their college application essays. Most of the required essays are a very different style than students are used to writing in their high school English classes. Their Personal Statement for the Common Application is probably the most widely required essay that the students I work with have to write.  Don’t worry about the prompts yet. We have found that almost any well-written essay can be matched to an appropriate prompt. So let’s get started:

1. Choose a topic-One of the most challenging things for students is figuring out what to write about. The best way to start is to brainstorm ideas about yourself that you would want the college to know. This should be something not too apparent when looking at the rest of your application. It should be something unique about you that makes you different than other applicants. I once had a student who wrote about doing the Funky Chicken on the pier at Pismo. Of course, there was more to the story.

2. Show, don’t tell– Once you have a topic, take the reader to the peak of the action by telling a short anecdote. Write it in first person so the reader can “see” what you experienced. One of my favorite anecdotes was about a dance audition. The twist was that it was written by a male athlete who had never danced before. 

3. Develop the body-Once you have shown the readers the peak of the action, take them back to where the story started and tell how it unfolded. The dancer/athlete went back to the time when his friends nagged at him to audition for their school musical. Of course he had no idea he would be chosen for a lead that required a solo dance. See how that worked? They should be able to see the problem the athlete faced.

4. Explain why your story matters– This is perhaps the most important part of your personal statement. The college wants to know what you learned from this story, and why it matters. The dancer-athlete who was a 4.0+ student, learned that if he worked hard enough, he could learn to do something that was difficult for him to do. It matters because he was facing a long and difficult path to medical school but he knows he can do it. And he will!

5. Conclusion-Although all personal statements do not need a “formal” conclusion, I always love an ending that makes the reader think…”Wow! That was not expected”. Or, “Wow! That was an amazing twist”. Or  something else that will make the reader remember the student. I like to compare it to what the judges always say in America’s Got Talent. If the judges love the candidate, they give them a “yes”  and they say because “I will remember you”. If the candidate gets a “no” it is because their performance is not memorable. 

Students need to use their own voice in the essays they write for their college applications. They need to tell the reader something they cannot find anywhere else in the application.  It should focus on a short “slice of life” and it must make the student memorable!

A frequent question that I get from families is, “Where is the cutoff when we will not get financial aid”? The answer to this is simple: There is no cutoff. Everyone is eligible for financial aid. Now relax. I am going to explain just how that works.

There are two kinds of financial aid: need-based and merit. Not everyone is eligible for need based aid because your need is based primarily on income and assets. But even here, there is not an income “cutoff” for determining how much  need-based aid you might be eligible for. There are many other factors involved. 

The second type of financial aid is merit aid. Merit aid is based on the merit of the student with grades and test scores typically being the primary factors considered. Athletes and artists may also receive merit aid because of their skills.  But colleges are looking for an eclectic group of freshmen each year, so any talents that make the student more desirable may motivate the college to award a merit scholarship.

But there is another way that families who will not likely get need based aid can pay for college. In her book Never Pay Retail for College, my friend Beth Walker explains that families can have more money available to pay for college with a proper tax strategy. Ideally during the student’s sophomore year, with an analysis of potential tax strategies, a plan to keep more money that has been going to the IRS is developed. There are also strategies for a household to qualify for education tax credits that you may not be taking advantage of because of income limits.

In addition, Beth teaches how to solve the cash flow riddle that many parents face when trying to navigate the challenge of paying for college. By analyzing what comes in and what goes out (financial perspective)she is able to help families construct a plan that maximizes cash flow for college.  

In her book Beth, compares herself to a general contractor managing a building project. She explains, “I’m an experienced project manager that approaches the project called college with the heart of a mother and the mind of a financial planner.Most parents I work with come to me with an existing board of advisors – investment advisors, CPAs, insurance agents, family and friends who have gone through this process before.  

My job is to step back, see the BIG picture, coordinate the efforts of every family’s current roster of expert sub-contractors and integrate their knowledge and experience in a manner that reduces stress, improves efficiencies and saves the family both time and money on their college project”.

So if you think you make too much money to get financial aid for college, think again. With good grades and test scores, choosing a college that “wants” them, and getting tax advantages and a good cash flow plan, you CAN get financial support to pay for college. 

I am often asked by students whether or not they should send their AP scores to the colleges to which they will apply. As with most of my answers, this one follows along with the “it depends” response. For the sake of this discussion, I will give the answer that applies most often, with the disclaimer that some colleges may have a slightly different answer (ie Test optional schools, top tier elite schools etc) So for our purposes, here is the answer:

Most colleges do not ask you to send an official AP score report. However, applications may ask you to self-report your scores. In this case, it is best that you only report the higher scores. For the most part, your AP scores do not carry a lot of weight in the admissions process. Generally speaking, high scores, especially 5s may be a positive factor while low scores (1s and 2s) may be a red flag to selective institutions. So with this said, you can see that reporting 5s is a good idea while reporting 1s and 2s may NOT be a good idea. Check with your counselor to see if AP scores are reported on your transcript. If so, you really need to strive for scores no lower than 3. 

So why bother to take an AP course if the scores do not matter that much? Well there are lots of reasons why taking AP classes is a good thing. 

• It will show up on your transcript. Colleges want students to challenge themselves and taking AP classes is a way to do that. They will look to see that you have taken the most demanding courses offered by your high school. 
• You may be able to get college credit and skip prerequisite classes. This is usually a good thing, but sometimes there may be a class you would like to take but you can’t because you already got credit through AP. 
• Taking AP courses can help prepare a student for the rigor they will face in college. This is always a good thing!
• If you score high enough on multiple AP Exams, you may earn the title of AP Scholar. And while there is no money or scholarship attached, it is nice to report on your application/resume to show that you did well on several AP exams. Oh! And did I mention that you get a certificate? Nice for you, but really won’t have much impact on the admissions process.

So the bottom line is this: Take as many AP courses as you can handle. Colleges like to see that a student is challenging him/herself academically. Get good grades in the AP classes. Remember that your transcript, standardized test scores and GPA matter most.  Aim to score no less than a 3 on each test. Self report your best scores (especially 5s) and pass on the 1s and 2s unless the college specifically asks for ALL scores. Be sure you know the college policy on AP credit. And then don’t sweat it!

Did you know that eighth grade is not too early to start college planning? Did you know that eleventh grade may be too late for some students? There are lots of reasons to hit the ground running in the 8th grade! Before you know it, college will be here and understanding what lies ahead is important to understand BEFORE you start high school. So what do you need to know?

Grades and Test Scores: First of all, you need to understand that grades and standardized test scores (ACT/SAT) rule when it comes to choosing your college. The better your grades and the higher your test scores, the more choices you will have. Higher grades and test scores also equate to more financial aid as well. So start early to get into good study habits for high school. Be consistent with your study habits. Stick to the schedule and follow a calendar of things you need to be doing. 

Rigor: Always take the most challenging courses that you can handle. Although the more challenging courses are more work, the payoff is worth it! These courses will help you develop college level writing skills, problem solving abilities, time management skills, good study habits and self discipline. But you must develop these skills beginning in middle school. If you take AP courses in high school, not only will you get a GPA “bump up” but you also have the opportunity to take the AP Exam and earn college credit. That can be a time and a money saver. Colleges want to see that you challenge yourself academically and they will look at your high school’s profile to see if you have taken the most challenging courses available.

Involvement: Colleges like students who have been deeply involved in activities for their entire high school years. It is best to pick your favorite activities and get deeply involved.  So if you can begin to develop your interests and activities in middle school, and sustain them throughout high school, you will improve your portfolio for your college applications. So join clubs; volunteer; participate in sports; get involved in music or art; donate your time to others. Have fun in high school and discover your interests and passions in middle school! 

By the time you hit 11th grade, your path is set. If you have bad grades, you cannot go back and fix them. If you have not been involved in extracurricular activities and volunteer work, it is almost too late to get them started since the colleges want “sustainability”; that is, the same activities all 4 years of high school. If you have not developed good study habits and an intellectual vitality in high school, it will be hard to do so in college. 

So get started early so you can set your course! Embark on your journey to an incredible 4 years of high school, college, career and life! Go for it!