When I meet with students,  I always ask them ‘”What colleges are you planning to apply to?” Since I am located in California, the inevitable answer is almost always the same;  Stanford, Cal Poly, UCLA. Sometimes I get “The Ivies” but I have yet to have a student mention Pace, Clarkson, or Louisiana Tech. Unfortunately, when students select the schools of their choice, is not based on their research or introspection,  but rather what they have heard of or what their friends tell them. 

So why is college choice so important? There are lots of reasons students should spend time choosing the right college and there are many important factors including: Geography;-east coast or west coast and urban or rural; weather-sun or snow;  size 2000 or 30,000; personal fit-social and academic.  If students are unhappy with their choice, they may want to transfer or quit which extends their graduation time line and also their debt. But perhaps the most overlooked factors when selecting the right college are loan debt and future income.  

Many students have their eye on a particular college and once admitted simply “Just say Yes” even before receiving their financial aid offer.  Many times this is a mistake.  Financial aid offers can sometimes be negotiated. If a similar college makes a bigger offer, or the student’s test score increases the college may be willing to pay more to get the student to attend their college. Not all colleges are willing to make a change in the award offer, but some are, and do. I know a student who improved his test scores in the spring of his senior year and his award letter was increased by $12,000 per year! Some colleges are more generous than others.   

California  students are often reluctant to get out of California and yet, for the most part,  the more generous schools are not found here.  If salary after graduation is important to you , it might surprise you to find some of the most unexpected colleges have the highest post graduate mid-career salaries. Among the top 25 such schools (Business Insider) we find only two California schools: University of the Pacific and San Diego State. (see the full list: http://www.businessinsider.com/most-underrated-colleges-in-america-2013-6?op=1)  In addition, according to Kiplinger (http://www.kiplinger.com/printslideshow.php?pid=13221), there are only two California colleges ranked with best college values with the least amount of college debt; CSU Long Beach and Pomona.  

So  here are your three takeaways:  be sure to include net  cost as you shop for your dream school; look at post graduate salaries since that is the point of going to college; and for goodness sakes, consider somewhere out of California! Sorry, Mom! 

Paying for college is a frightening thought for many families. “How are we going to pay for this?” is a question that looms over the heads of parents of high school, college-bound students. Most families do not think they can afford to look at private colleges and universities because of the outrageous sticker price. But I have news for you; the private college may end up costing you less than the public university that touts its affordability. 

Let’s talk about this. Many of the private colleges have large endowments- funds of donated money that the institution invests-so they are able to offer many scholarships to students.  Stanford University has over $21 billion in its endowment fund. The public colleges in California get their money from the government. Need I say more?  

The trick is to find a college or university that “wants” the student in which case they will try to “buy” him/her.  Colleges are looking to create a diverse freshman class each year, so they seek students that will bring this diversity to their campus. The diversity that I am referring to is not necessarily ethnic diversity. Maybe they are looking for a girl who rides dirt bikes, or ties flies for fishing. Or maybe they are looking for a boy who does sports but also sings and dances in the high school musicals. Maybe they are looking for a student who has traveled the world or has worked in a packing house. Every year is a new year, and the colleges will pour over each applicant to find the students who will give them the diversity they seek. 

They are also looking for high achievers. Grades and test scores (SAT/ACT) are king! Never underestimate the importance of standardized test scores for most universities.  Students should study for these tests. Higher scores may yield a bucket load of money! Students should find private schools where they fall into the top 25% academically. These are the students who garner the most money! Some schools are more generous than others. Do your homework to find the more generous schools.

Case in point; we worked with a student who had high grades and test scores and did a variety of extracurricular activities including sports, band and he was an Eagle Scout. He applied to College A, a public university in California, and College B, a small private college. He was quite certain his family could not afford the latter (with a sticker price of $60,000+/year), but agreed to apply anyway. 

Much to their surprise, when the award letters came, the private college was going to cost about $2000 more per year than the public university. Oh! And did I mention that the private college also offered a 4 year graduation guarantee? Many of the CSUs in California have less than a 50% 4 year graduation rate.  If you do the math, you will see that the private college will cost less than the public university in the long run, not to mention lost job opportunity when it takes 5 or 6 years to graduate!

So as you begin your college search, look at the private colleges and universities. Find a school where you are in the top 25% academically, do a good job of showing your diversity through your essays and applications, and find schools that are generous! 

Well, if you are a junior you have made it half way through your third year of high school, and if you are planning to go to college, the next 10 months are crucial in the planning process.  Do not make the mistake many juniors make in thinking that you don’t need to think about it until you begin your senior year. There is much to do starting now!

The first thing you need to do is to decide exactly what path you choose to walk. Will you go straight to work, go to college, or a combination of both? If you decide to go to college, will you go to a vocational school, community college, or four-year college or university? Maybe you will choose a military career.  It is important that you start to think about these choices NOW! For our purposes today, we will focus on “to-dos” for the students with aspirations of attending a 4 year college or university. 

Here are your “To-Dos”:

1. Maintain your grades and class rigor. For most colleges,  your sophomore and junior year classes and grades will be most important. 

2. Plan your testing schedule. With the new SAT being untested, at SOAR we are recommending that you focus on the ACT instead.  Be sure to prepare for this test. Not only does it affect admissions, but also increases  scholarships. If you want the best shot at the college of your choice, also consider the SAT Subject Tests and AP exams. 

3. Start a college list. Research each college. Visit if possible. Look at some colleges you have never heard of.  Don’t rule out the private colleges. Not only do they have more money to give students, but the likelihood of graduating in 4 years is much higher than it is at most state schools.

4. Continue with your extracurricular activities. Take them to the next level  by becoming a leader. Maybe organize a fundraiser or volunteer your talents in another way.

5.  Talk to your family about your college plans. Discuss finances.  Make sure they understand that financial aid at different colleges is NOT created equal. 

6. Start researching careers.  Big Future (College Board) is a great resource. There are hundreds of different majors/careers to choose from, most of which you have probably never heard of. Be open minded and understand the rigor of the major you choose. Math and science are usually the most challenging in college. Choose a major you are good at and that you enjoy.

Summer will be here before you know it, and it will be time to finalize your college list, start writing application essays and getting ready for the onslaught of “Fall Senior Year”.  This is a busy time for seniors, so get as much planning as possible done before Fall so that when school starts you can focus on grades and fun! Your senior year should be a time to build memories with your friends. Many of these friends will disappear from your life after high school, so enjoy, but stay focused! 

The “new” SAT will become a part of history in March of 2016. Many students do not even know it is changing and may take the test thinking it is the same as the “old” SAT. On the contrary, there are multiple reasons why taking the SAT next spring might be a bad idea. 

First let’s discuss the changes.  The changes to the SAT are the most extensive overhaul in the past 25 years. Why? There are lots of reasons why the SAT was changed. First of all, the SAT was losing ground to the ACT which has become increasingly popular over the past years. In fact, rumor has it that the new SAT will be suspiciously similar to the ACT.  It will have only 2 sections for a 1600 point total (as opposed to current 2400 points). It will make the essay optional, although we recommend that all students do the essay section since some universities will require it.  The new SAT drops some of its obscure vocabulary words and students will no longer be penalized for incorrect answers.  The math section will have the most changes, aligning more with Common Core Standards.  Many students will be challenged by this different approach to math, particularly if they have limited experience in Common Core.

So at this point, there are several reasons why we believe the Class of 2017 and possibly 2018 would be safer if they focus their efforts on the ACT:

1.  The colleges do not know how to use the new SAT results yet. Because they are not familiar with what the test is actually telling them about a students, you can expect that the students will be unwitting “guinea pigs” as the colleges sort this out.

2. Delayed test results.  The College Board will intentionally delay the results of the tests taken in the spring of 2016. Students who want to prepare to retake the test will find themselves in a holding pattern as they wait for their test results. 

3. Lack of test prep materials. Well to be candid, I could say that most students do not study anyway, but to that I say, “They should!” Students in other parts of the country do. The scores not only impact admissions, but also scholarships.  Test prep is important if you want to compete with students across the country! 

Although there may be some exceptions, for the most part I will encourage my students in the Class of 2017 (and probably 2018) to take the ACT.  Let’s give the College Board a year or two to work out the kinks in the “Redesigned” SAT and not make our students the test group!

For more information go to: http://www.thecollegesolution.com/why-you-should-worry-about-the-new-sat-test/ 

Well, as if the financial aid process is not already confusing enough, the government has now changed the base tax year for which information is used when filing the FAFSA. Now this can be good news or bad news for you. The good news is that you will actually have the correct tax return completed when you are ready to file the FAFSA next year. The bad news is that if you have any financial adjustments to make that could actually lower how much you have to pay for college, you will need to take care of that a year sooner.

So let’s take a look in a little more detail. If your student is a senior this year, you will file the FAFSA in January, 2016 and you will estimate what your 2015 tax return will look like. Then you will have to scramble to get the 2015 tax return completed and submitted so your FAFSA can be updated. However, next year, when your current junior is a senior, you will file the FAFSA in October of 2015, and you will use your completed 2015 tax return to input the data. This will make filling out the FAFSA a bit easier and you should not have to update information once the FAFSA has been submitted.  They call this PPY, or Prior-Prior-Year since you will be using the tax information two years prior to the student enrolling in college instead of one year as it is today.

So what is the downside? Well, there are different strategies some families can utilize that will reduce their Expected Family Contribution (EFC). That means that there are ways to reduce how much you may have to pay for college. Currently, families have until December of the student’s senior year to do this. With the new rules, these adjustments will need to be made by December of the junior year. Now the fact is that most families will not be negatively impacted by this change. However, there are some who will be. 

So how can you figure out if this will impact you?  You can start by estimating your EFC.  A good calculator can be found on the College Board’s Big Future web site. Once you have figured out your EFC, you can play around with the numbers to see if changing certain things will change your EFC. Remember, the lower the EFC, the less the college will expect you to pay. It would probably be a good idea to get started on college planning a little sooner so you have time to make potential adjustments. The sophomore year is a good time to begin planning if financial aid is a concern to your family. 

So you are ready to start your junior year of high school, and it may feel somewhat anti climactic to the excitement of the freshman year and the boldness of the senior year. However, it could be said that the junior year is the most important year when it comes to the decisions you may make for your college and career choices. 

First of all, remember that  “king” in the admissions process is rigor of classes and grades. So take the most rigorous schedule you can handle, and get the best grades possible. Remember that your junior grades are the last ones the college will see when making their admissions decisions. 

Although there is some disagreement on the value of standardized test scores (SAT/ACT) being used for admissions purposes, there is consensus that the scores are used extensively for merit scholarship decisions. At a recent college planning conference I attended, the Dean of Admissions at UCLA explained that although they don’t really like using test scores for admission purposes, they do resort to the scores to quickly narrow their applicant pool. With over 100,000 qualified applicants you can certainly understand their reasoning.  Many students spend considerable time preparing for these tests, so keep that in mind as you plan your test schedule. With the new SAT being launched this year,  we recommend sticking to the ACT until the SAT is “figured out”. Colleges accept either test. Take the test early (February or April), study throughout the summer, and retake in September. If you really want to take the SAT, stick with the old test only. The last administration of the old SAT will be in January. Oh by the way, if you are aiming for National Merit Scholarship recognition, take the PSAT in October of your junior year. 

The junior year is the time to begin your college plan. Start communicating with colleges you are interested in. Begin to make a college list of 10-15 colleges. Include, public, private, in state and out of state if funding is important in your search. You will begin to receive mail/email from many colleges. Make a new email address that you will use for all of your college communications. Choose something professional. Stay away from things like “ilovemom@gmail.com, or jockking@yahoo.com-get the picture? Use your new, professional address for all college communication, including test registration,  and get into the habit of checking it at least once a week. 

Start to develop a resume and be sure you continue to participate in your favorite extracurricular activities. Volunteer or work in a similar activity if possible. The colleges want to see depth in your passion rather than a collage of activities with no depth. 

This is also a good time to begin thinking about a major in college. If you can do a personality assessment to evaluate your interests and aptitudes,  that might help you narrow down a direction to pursue. 

Parent Alert! January of the junior year begins what is called “the base year” for financial aid. (Starting in 2016 the base year begins in January of the sophomore year). Figure out your Expected Family Contribution (EFC)  and determine if there is anything that can be done to lower the amount the college will expect you to pay.  

College is just around the corner. Do your research. Be prepared. Reduce stress by starting now. Set your goals high. As Fridtjof Nansen so aptly put it, “The difficult is what takes a little time; the impossible is what takes a little longer.”

“How do I find scholarship money for college?” is a question I am frequently asked. There are several websites that assist students in their search for scholarships, but before you get too excited, let’s talk about the pros and cons of these scholarship searches.

First, you must understand where most college funding comes from and who gets it.  There are four major sources of scholarships and grants; 

• Federal Government (44%)
• Colleges (36%)
• State Government (9%)
• Private Scholarships (6%)

Many families spend way too much time trying to get scholarships from the smallest source of college money-private scholarships.  The Federal Government awards the vast majority of funding to families who have shown that they have “financial need”. This is determined when a family fills out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Through an analysis of income, assets and other family information, a “need analysis” is conducted to determine the minimum amount a family will be expected to pay for college (EFC).  Once the EFC is determined then the amount of “need-based” aid can be determined. Of course, the amount the college expects a family to pay is almost always more than most families can afford. The answer? Scholarships! 

But wait a minute. For families who qualify for need-based aid, those private scholarships will not lower the Expected Family Contribution. What does that mean? Here is an example. So Joe College qualifies for $15,000 in need-based financial aid at The University of Somewhere. Joe receives a private scholarship in the amount of $2000 at Scholarship Night. He is required to report this scholarship to the university and they say to Joe, “Hey Joe. Since you got a $2000 scholarship, we are only going to give you $13,000 now since you got the other $2000 somewhere else. Good job, Joe! Thanks”.  

What about the family who is not eligible for need-based financial aid? Merit aid is the second type of aid a student might receive. It is not based on financial need, but rather, the “merit” of the student. Merit aid is typically awarded for good grades and/or high standardized test scores, or personal talents such as music, art or athletics. The good news is that colleges do not typically take away merit aid when a student receives private scholarship money. 

So what is a family to do? If you qualify for need-based aid, call the college and ask how they treat private scholarships. Ask if they take the amount off of loans or grants, then decide if it is worth your time to search for private scholarships. If you want to qualify for more merit money that comes directly from the college, then you need to make the college “want” you. That means you need to get good grades and high test scores.  Do not take time away from your studies to search for private scholarships that usually come in small packages of $250-$1000. 

If you are still adamant about seeking private scholarships, here are a few tips. 

• Do not pay a scholarship search company.
• Go for local scholarships first.
• Look for talent scholarships at MeritAid.com
• As a last resort, use these websites to search:  Fastweb, College Board, Scholarships.com and CollegeXpress-and good luck with that!

Always remember that your best chance to receive scholarship money is with good grades, high test scores, and choosing a school that “wants” you!

Well now that school has started up again, many seniors, and their parents are beginning to hit the panic button about college applications! Filling out applications is a much more time-consuming task than most students and parents anticipate.  So not only is everyone stressed about not knowing how to do it, but also when they begin to do it, they realize that it is a more colossal job than they anticipated.  

The University of California application was available beginning August 1^st. Start now. Go to the UC website and it will give you some things to gather before you begin. It will also give you instructions on how to fill it out.  You will not complete this in one sitting, so plan several (not including the essays/personal statements). Deadline for submission of UC applications is November 30^th. I recommend that all students try to submit no later than November 15^th. 

The Common Application is used by about 400 private schools. It was also available on August 1^st. After you finish your UC application, begin the Common App. Once again, this will be a tedious task.  Plan ahead so you do not get too busy to do the best job possible. Do not procrastinate. Common Application deadlines vary depending on each college. Be sure to write down the deadlines for each college. Try to submit them early. 

The Cal State University (CSU) applications are not available until October 1^st but once the other two (UC and Common App) are finished; the CSU application will be much easier. It requires no essays! Deadline is also November 30^th for the CSUs.

Many colleges use their own applications, so check to see what is required.  Many schools also require letters of recommendation. Students should give their recommenders at least 2-3 weeks notice if they want to get the best recommendation.

A few final tips to make this overwhelming process less stressful:

1. GET ORGANIZED!!!
2. Choose 4-10 colleges to apply to. Be sure you have some that you are certain you can get into based on GPA and test scores of previous students admitted. You can usually find this information on the college websites. 
3. Write your essays. Hopefully they were completed before school started.  Tell the colleges something you want them to know about you that was not included in any other sections of your application. Have someone proofread for you.
4. Gather all materials before you begin. This includes transcripts, extra curricular activities, test scores, and completed essays if required. 
5. Know how many letters of recommendation are required at each school. Ask someone to write them.
6. Have your test scores sent. 
7. If they want your transcript sent, request it from your counselor or the registrar. 
8. Still stressed? Hire a professional to assist you.  

Applications matter. So give yourself plenty of time, and do your best!

As an independent college consultant,  it is my job to help students select a college that will provide them with the most success.  One of the first questions I ask is, “What colleges are you considering?” The answer is inevitably quite similar for most of my California-based students: Cal Poly, UCLA, USC, Stanford. How did they decide on these schools? It is usually because they have heard of them, they like the weather or the football team. I have even had students tell me that they chose the school because their “significant” other is going there. So today I want to discuss the importance of college selection and what criteria to consider in choosing.

Academics, social, and financial should all be considered in the selection process.  Are you an academic match? If you are carrying a 3.2 GPA, with average SAT scores (500s), it will likely be a waste of the $90 application fee to apply to Stanford where 92% of the students there carry a 3.75 unweighted GPA and about 70% of the students scored over 700 in each area of the SAT. And what if you were accepted? Would you really want to sit in a class when you academically represent the bottom 3% of the class? That grading curve could be painful!

It is also important to find a good “social” match. When trying to find a good social fit, we look at the type of college to consider.  Do you want a small or large college? Do you want a research college or a liberal arts college. Do you want a college or a university? Chances are, you do not even know why each of these factors matter. So let’s take a look. 

In a small college, class sizes are typically smaller and allow for more student-to-teacher interaction.  However, the smaller colleges  may not have as many majors to choose from, the facilities may not be as updated, and they may not have the same “name recognition” as some of the larger universities. However, that does not mean it is not as good academically as many larger universities. Liberal Arts colleges typically fall more into the “small” college category and will provide a more well-rounded academic approach.

The larger universities, on the other hand, will provide a plethora of majors and courses. They typically have more updated facilities, and better funded sports programs.  However, although there may be a more distinguished faculty, the classes may be taught by teaching assistants.  The classes may contain hundreds of students with limited student-teacher interaction.  

Financial fit is also an important factor to consider . It is important to note here, that it is not the actual cost of the college, but rather the out-of-pocket cost to the family. This should be one of the first things considered when beginning to search for the right college. Do the research! Don’t  waste your time and money applying to a college you cannot afford. 

Choosing the right college can make a big difference in the overall cost. Choose the right college and you may save a ton of money!

One of the questions colleges may ask on the application is “What do you do in your spare time?” or “What have you done your last two summers?”  They are looking to see if the student has productive summers. Most college-bound students do not have a lot of spare time during the year, but summer affords them the time to choose something to do to enhance their college application. Let’s take a look at some options, and you can be sure that lying around working on the suntan is not one of them!

The most obvious is to take a summer class. The high schools typically offer summer classes for their students. But another option might be to take a community college class.  After a two year hiatus, COS brought back its summer program in 2013.  Check out http://collegelists.pbworks.com/w/page/16119590/Summer%20Programs%20-%20General   for some other ideas that promote academic enrichment. But besides a summer course, students can show their intellectual side by reading, writing a book or play, or doing their own research project. Learning a new skill can also show initiative!

Community service is looked upon favorably by the colleges.  Many students do mission trips during the summer, but it is good to remember that students want to set themselves apart from other students, so doing something “original” might be beneficial as well. How about volunteering at a summer camp? Love animals? How about volunteering at the SPCA? It is also a good idea to try to deepen their involvement in something they already do. For example, a student who rides horses could volunteer at Happy Trails Riding Academy in Tulare. Or if they enjoy building things, a summer helping Habitat for Humanity could help them develop those skills. Be creative! They should think of things they can do for others in the community that will also improve their own experience in a field they are interested in.

Some students may want/need to work in the summer.  Students may want to find a job in an area of personal interest. For example, if they love to swim, they might try to become a lifeguard or teach swimming lessons. Working in a sandwich shop or ice cream store gives the student on-the-job training and they can learn responsibility, leadership, and how to be a good employee through this summer job.

For entrepreneurs, students can start a small business of their own.  Maybe they can develop a website or babysit.  Many students are interested in photography or video production.  Students with special skills can teach music or dance. Think “out-of-the-box”.  There are many valuable skills that can be learned through entrepreneurship. 

For students who have an idea about where they would like to go to college, summer is also a great time to make college visits. Although visiting colleges can be expensive, an early visit may save you a lot of money in the long run, if the right college is selected. A college visit can help a lot in the selection process. There is something about “the real thing”. If visits are not possible, then virtual tours are available.  

Summer is a great time to become more familiar with a specific career. Try to spend time, either paid or unpaid, in a place of interest. Want to become an attorney? See if you can shadow or volunteer in an attorney’s office. Interested in medicine? Can you get a job or volunteer in a hospital?  Are you interested in math or engineering? See if you can find a summer engineering institute to attend. Google it!

There are many things you can do in the summer to enhance your application and develop your skills. How you choose to spend your time can definitely have an impact on admission to the college of your choice. Have a plan! And be sure that when the college admissions officer says, “I know what you did last summer”, that it is everything they hoped you would do!