1. January 19, 2013

2. Types of Institutions
• Public
• Private
• Universities: Graduate level research, includes pre-
professional programs
• Liberal Arts Colleges: Undergraduate level
research, broad preparation in academic disciplines
• Community Colleges: 2 years, general education
requirements, vocational training

3. Choosing Universities
• Cost & Financial Aid
• Location
– Rural to Urban
– Jobs/Recruitment
– Weather
– Distance to Family/Friends
• Size: Under 1,000 to 60,000+
• Major
• Special Programs
• Selectivity
– Reach (2)
– Possible (4)
– Safety (2)
• Campus Culture

4. COST & FINANCIAL AID

5. Cost
• Total cost from Tuition FREE to ~$60,000
– Public: ~$20,000 to ~$52,000
– Private: ~$35,000 to ~$60,000
• Room & Board
– About $10,000+
– Might be able to save money by living off campus
• Other expenses to consider
– Fees
– Books
– Travel

6. Financial Aid
• US Citizens • International Students
– Eligible for – Eligible for
• Federal Aid • Limited Institutional Aid
– FAFSA • Limited Private Aid
– CSS/Financial Aid Profile
• Institutional Aid
• Private Aid

7. Financial Aid
Terms
– Grants and Scholarships:
• No stipulation of repayment
• Originate from
– Federal or state government
– Private sources
– Institution
• Grants tend to be based on need
• Scholarships based on
– Financial need
– Merit
– Particular talents or skills
– Loans:
• Requires repayment, usually with interest
– Subsidized
– Unsubsidized
– Jobs:
• On campus
– Work study
• Off campus
– International students not eligible

8. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

9. Where do you want to live?
• City Living vs. The College Town
• Jobs
– Internships
– Recruitment
• Environment
• Staying close to family and friends
– Where will you go on holidays?

10. Visiting Colleges
• With family, if possible
• Visit a variety of colleges in a variety of locations
to help refine your preferences
• Schedule interviews, if offered
• Organized tours:
– Trevor Sturgeon College Tours
• www.tscollegetours.com
– College Visits
• www.college-visits.com

11. COLLEGES VS. UNIVERSITIES

12. The BIG Schools
• More majors and classes
• Bigger classes
• Research
• Diversity
• International name recognition
• Large scale events, sports
NYU 22,000 students 28 Apps
Berkeley 25,500 students 31 Apps
Michigan 27,000 students 19 Apps

13. The Small Schools
• Intimate community
• Smaller classes
• Easier to know your professors
• Focus on teaching
• Recommendations for graduate school
• Opportunities
Claremont McKenna 1,250 students 11 Apps
Wesleyan 2,850 students 10 Apps
Barnard 2,400 students 8 Apps

14. Did you benefit from the
teaching at your college?
80.00
Liberal Arts
72
70.00 Private
60.00 Top 50 Public
Public Flagships
50.00
45
Regional Public
40.00
33
29
30.00
25
20.00
10.00
0.00

17. Rankings
• Quality cannot be quantified
• They can tell you, in general terms, about the academic
credentials of the students they attract

18. US News “Methodology”
Criteria
Academic Reputation
Selectivity
Faculty Resources
Graduation/Retention Rates
Financial Resources
Alumni Giving

19. Unscientific Methods
Universities A B C
Stanford 2 6 9
MIT 7 6 1
Notre Dame 8 17 57
Duke 13 8 12
Boston College 14 31 72
Tufts 15 28 51
Dartmouth 17 10 34
Cornell 26 15 9
NYU 41 32 18

20. Perform Well as an Undergraduate
“...nearly every student in our university - and
similar institutions - will pursue career-specific
graduate studies[…] The bachelor’s degree has
become a way station, a preparatory degree; it’s no
longer an end in itself.”
USC President Steven B. Sample

21. RESEARCHING COLLEGES

22. Find Exciting Departments
• Broadcast Journalism – Syracuse University
• Chemical Engineering – U. of Minnesota
• Child Psychology and Social Work – Wayne State University
• Print Journalism – University of Missouri
• Foreign Language – Middlebury College
• Foreign Service – Georgetown University
• Genetics – UC, Davis
• Hotel Management - UNLV
• Economics – MIT
• International Relations – Tufts University
• Meteorology – Iowa State University
• Sociology – University of Wisconsin, Madison

23. Special Programs/Majors
• 3-2 Engineering
• 3-3 Law
• Design Your Major
• Open Curriculum
• Interdisciplinary Programs
• Consortia, cross-registration:
– Amherst, Hampshire, Mt. Holyoke, Smith, UMASS-
Amherst;
– UPENN, Swarthmore, Haverford, Bryn Mawr;
– Claremont Colleges

24. SELECTIVITY

25. Apply to a Selectivity Range
• Based on 8 applications:
– 2 Safety: 95% chance
– 4 Possible: 35% to 75% chance
– 2 Reach: Less than 35% chance

26. Are You Competitive?

27. Types of Admission
Early Decision (binding) Regular Decision
ED I: Nov 1, Nov 15 Strict deadlines, usually
ED II: usually January around January 1
You can do both!!!
Early Action (not binding) Rolling Admission
“Single-Choice” Apply any time, quick replies
Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford Apply early, if possible
“Restrictive”
Boston College, Georgetown

28. ADMISSION DECISIONS

29. What Colleges Want to Know…
 Can the student do the work?
 What evidence do we have?
 How does he/she compare?
 How will the student contribute?
 What will the student take away?

30. From Admissions Officers
“We are looking for people whose egos
won’t get in the way of learning,
students whose investment in ideas and
words tells us - in the context of their
records - that they are aware of a world
beyond their own homes, schools,
grades and scores.”

31. “Students we accept haven't
just gone through the
motions—they've put heart
and soul into the areas that
interest them.”

32. Factors in the Admission Decision
Considerable Moderate Limited
Factor importance importance importance No importance
84.3% 11.9% 2.3% 1.5%
67.7 20.4 5.8 6.2
59.2 29.6 6.9 4.2
51.9 39.2 6.9 1.9
Essay or writing sample 24.9 37.5 17.2 20.3
Student’s demonstrated interest 20.5 29.7 24.7 25.1
Counselor evaluation 19.2 39.8 27.2 13.8
Class rank 18.8 31.0 31.4 18.8
Teacher recommendation 16.5 41.9 26.5 15.0
Subject test scores (AP, IB) 6.9 31.2 31.5 30.4
Portfolio 6.6 12.8 30.2 50.4
Interview 6.2 25.4 25.8 42.7
SAT Subject Test scores 5.4 9.7 22.6 62.3
Extracurricular activities 5.0 43.1 38.1 13.8
State graduation exam scores 4.2 14.9 23.8 57.1
Work 2.3 17.0 43.2 37.5
SOURCE: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2011

33. The Anatomy of a Candidate
STUDENT’S CANDIDACY
WILDCARDS ACTIVELY
HARMFUL
Athletics
Strength of program Unsolicited contact from
Objective extracurricular
parents
excellence
Academic performance
Demonstrated interest Too many ungrounded
recommendations
Standardized testing
Child of alumnus/a
Overly aggressive school
Counselor recommendation lobbying
Institutional Priorities
Teacher recommendation Development
Limited and polite additional
information Financial need

34. Essays & Activities
• Are you consistently interesting?
• Are you passionate?
• Do you make an impact?

35. Teacher Recommendations
• Attest to you as a person in the context of the classroom
• Powerful characteristics colleges seek:
– Intellectual power
– Curiosity
– Love of learning
– Initiative to learn beyond the classroom
– Insightful in discussion
– Creative
– Willingness to take risks
– Independently motivated
– Collaborative
– Learns from mistakes
• Don’t feel like you have to be all these things
• Ask a teacher who knows you well and can communicate your
strengths
• Teachers need stories to tell
• Recommendations are honest but in a positive tone

36. Counselor Evaluations
• Put you in the context of our school
• Tell stories that show what kind of person you are
• Convey your interests, how you’ve pursued those
interests and what impact you’ve made in those
endeavors
• Help us advocate for you
– Allow us to get to know you; spend time in the
Counseling Center
– Give us insight into who you are and what you stand for,
dirt and all
– Senior profile, junior parent survey, journal entries and
peer recommendations

37. GETTING STARTED

38. Where Should I be in the
Process?
• Determine your own criteria for a
“good college”
• Create a college list
– Now: 20-30 colleges
– August: 5-10* colleges
• Be open-minded
• Create an organizational chart, including
deadlines and requirements
*ISM strictly limits students to 10 applications (UC, UCAS count as one)

39. What to do NOW
• Self-reflection; Determine priorities
• Research
• Junior meeting
• Meet with parents and counselor
• Register for:
– SAT
– TOEFL, if appropriate
• Request letters of recommendation
– Teacher Rec Data Sheet
– Ask departing teachers now
• Junior Parent Survey (in Naviance) due: March 4
• Senior profile due: August 12

40. Events Coming Up…
Mock US College Admissions
for Gr. 11 students and parents
Tuesday, March 19
Thursday, March 21
Tuesday, April 30
5:00 – 6:30, Little Theater
College Essay Writing Workshop Part I
for Gr. 11 students only
Wednesday, April 17
Thursday, April 18
Monday, April 22
3:00 – 4:30, Lofthouse