Presentation given at AC Flora High School Mar 18 and Mar 26, 2013.

1. College Admission Is Changing

2. Remember the
Good Old Days?

3. No Need to Worry About
Choices, Deadlines,
Financial Aid or
Scholarships

4. Not What You as
Parents Experienced

5. Not What Your Last Child Experienced

6. It’s More
Complicated…

7. Stressful…

8. And Rewarding

9. What to do??

10. Tip 1: Start Saving.
Today.
Really.
Talk with your child
about cost.
Really.

11. It’s Will Cost More Than You Think!

12. Really
Public In-State Public Out-of-State Private
4 years starting
(Winthrop) (North Carolina St) (Georgetown)
2012 - 2013
(College Freshman) $102,693 $135,238 $251,288
2013 - 2014 (12th) $107,828 $142,001 $263,853
2014 - 2015 ( 11th) $113,219 $149,101 $277,046
2015 - 2016 (10th) $118,880 $156,556 $290,898
2016 - 2017 (9th) $124,824 $164,384 $305,443
2017 - 2018 (8th) $131,065 $172,603 $320,715

13. 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012
College Tuition Increase Tuition Increase Tuition Increase
Clemson 4.50% 7.50% 3.80%
Coastal Carolina 3.50% 4.90% 4.58%
Coll. Charleston 6.00% 14.75% 0.00%
Francis Marion 3.60% 6.50% 3.80%
Lander 8.50% 4.50% 3.90%
S.C. State 8.40% 5.70% 4.05%
The Citadel 3.60% 13.00% 3.50%
USC Aiken 4.90% 6.00% 3.90%
USC Beaufort 3.60% 9.50% 3.90%
USC Columbia 3.60% 6.90% 3.90%
USC Upstate 3.60% 5.00% 3.90%
Winthrop 4.00% 5.00% 3.90%

14. Tip 2: Challenging Courses Matter
• Demonstrates academic
commitment
• Best predictor of
college success

15. Tip 3: Focus Those Extracurricular Activities

16. Depth of Involvement Matters

17. Tip 4: SAT or ACT or Neither…. It Depends

18. Admission Test Popularity

19. They are Completely Different Tests

20. When to Take Them?
• SAT - After Geometry and Algebra 2
• ACT – After Algebra 3/Pre-Cal
and some Chemistry
• SAT Subject Tests (When required)
– May or June after
AP/IB exams
– Semester after Honors
level course

21. SAT Superscoring
• Almost all colleges superscore the SAT.

22. ACT Superscoring
John's Scores September December Superscore
English 26 27 27
Math 24 23 24
Reading 27 27 27
Science 23 24 24
Composite 25 25 26
Total 100 100 102
• 100 colleges superscore the ACT.
• A few colleges super superscore across both SAT and ACT
(Ga Tech)

23. 850 Colleges Do Not Require Admissions Tests

24. Test Optional Colleges
Agnes Scott College (GA) Gettysburg College (PA)
American University (DC) Guilford College (NC)
Art Institute of Atlanta Juniata College (PA)
Bard College (NY) Lawrence University (WI)
Bates College (ME) Muhlenberg College (PA)
Bowdoin College (ME) Providence College (RI)
Clark University (MA) Rollins College (FL)
Colorado College Seton Hall University (PA)
Columbia College (IL) Smith College (MA)
Connecticut College Susquehanna University (PA)
Denison University (OH) University of Arizona
Dickenson College (PA) University of Memphis
Franklin and Marshall (PA) University of Mississippi
Furman University Wake Forest University
George Mason University (VA) Wheaton College (MA)
http://www.fairtest.org/university/optional

25. Tip 5: Remember the Lottery Scholarships

26. Hope Scholarship
• Cumulative 3.0 GPA at
graduation
• $2,800 for first year only
• 3.0 in first year then LIFE
• In-state schools only
• 2-year schools free tuition

27. LIFE Scholarship
• Must have two of these three:
– Overall 3.0 at graduation
– 1100 SAT or 24 ACT
– Rank in top 30% of class

28. LIFE Scholarship
• $5,000 per year
• $7,500 in enhanced program
• Complete 30 sem hrs with 3.0
• In state schools only

29. Palmetto Fellows
Scholarship

30. Top 6% Route
• Top 6% in 10th , 11th or 12th
• 1200 SAT (CR + M) or 27 ACT
• Early and late rounds

31. 4.0 GPA Route
• Overall 4.0 end of 11th or 12th
• 1400 SAT (CR + M) or 32 ACT
• Early and late rounds

32. Award Amount
• $6,700 freshman year
• $7,500 sophomore and beyond
• $10,000/year with enhanced award
• Complete 30 sem hrs with 3.0
• In state schools only

34. SC Lottery Scholarship Retention
College Sophomores: 2010
LIFE Scholarship 48.6%
Palmetto Fellows 88.5%
SC Commission on Higher Education

35. Tip 6: Start Your Colleges Research Sooner

36. Tip 7: Ignore the Popular Rankings

37. Tip 8: Study the College
Website
• Admissions
• Financial Aid
• Specific Departments
• Academics

38. Tip 9: Look for Colleges That Pay
(Offer Strong Merit Aid)

39. Not All Colleges Give Merit Aid

40. Colleges That Award No Merit Aid
• Harvard University
• Princeton University
• Yale
• Columbia University
• MIT
• Stanford University
• University of Pennsylvania
• Cal Tech
• Dartmouth
• Brown
• Cornell University

41. Colleges With Strong Merit Aid
% of Freshman Average Merit
College Receiving Merit Aid Aid Award
American University 15% $14,768
Auburn University 24% $5,748
Baylor University 34% $12,943
Berry College (GA) 25% $10,654
Birmingham-Southern 35% $9,354
Bryn Mawr (PA) 20% $11,311
Clark University (MA 32% $14,305
Colby-Sawyer (NH) 88% $17,565
Colorado School of Mines 33% $6,388
Duquesne University (PA) 25% $11,881
Elon University (NC) 18% $10,680
Juniata College (PA) 29% $15,718
Lawrence University (WI) 31% $11,914
Marquette Univ. (WI) 36% $9,953
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/07/08/education/edlife/8edlife_chart.html?_r=1&

42. Colleges With Strong Merit Aid
% of Freshman Average Merit
College
Receiving Merit Aid Aid Award
McDaniel College (MD) 20% $17,922
Mississippi College 56% $8,858
Muhlenberg College (PA) 34% $11,335
Oglethorpe University (GA) 18% $16,715
Queens University (NC) 26% $10,717
Rensselaer Poly. Inst. (NY) 25% $14,978
Rhodes College (TN) 38% $15,330
Rollins College (FL) 25% $18,292
Southern Methodist Univ. (TX) 34% $17,268
Truman State University (MO) 41% $5,354
University of Tulsa (OK) 37% $14,321
University of Vermont 24% $4,063
Wingate University (NC) 51% $11,033
Xavier University (OH) 32% $13,484
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/07/08/education/edlife/8edlife_chart.html?_r=1&

43. Merit Aid For Freshman With No Need
Average Merit % of Freshman With
College Tuition Aid for Student No Need Who
With No Need Receive Merit Aid
Harvard University $34,979 $0 0.0%
Princeton University $37,000 $0 0.0%
Clemson University $12,688 $2,342 2.7%
Duke University $40,655 $21,158 3.0%
Univ. South Carolina $9,768 $5,422 3.0%
Stanford University $40,050 $3,755 4.0%
Wofford College $33,190 $14,184 24.0%
Agnes Scott (GA) $31,980 $19,727 25.0%
Sewanee (TN) $33,020 $14,036 29.0%
Furman University $39,200 $18,012 35.6%
Trinity University (TX) $31,176 $13,324 37.4%
College of Wooster (OH) $38,000 $20,220 38.0%
Hendrix College (AR) $33,930 $17,466 41.0%
Denison University (OH) $39,330 $15,723 43.0%

44. Tip 10: Find colleges that fit.

45. Tip 11. Know your reasons
for choosing a college.

46. Tip 12:
Demonstrated
Interest Matters

47. College Consultants of South Carolina, LLC
@CCofSC
Dr. Jim Overton