College Night Presentation

with assistance from Cappex.com and NAIS.com

for Juniors and their Parentsof

Abbeville Christian Academy

Agenda

●Letter●Us and Them●Myths Parents Believe●Words of Wisdom●Preparing for a College Search●Scholarships●Parent Tips●Next Steps for Juniors

Excerpt of Letter to Dean of Admissions

Since we realized about a year ago that the college application cycle was about to materialize for us, my wife Barbara has been in a constant state of agitation. To say that she has made life miserable for my daughter Alison and me would be a colossal understatement; we are talking about daily SAT vocabulary words, nagging about homework, reminders about college essays, and the like. The only way for me to placate her was to promise her that Alison would be accepted at an outstanding college. Now I must produce the results I promised. …Were Alison not to be admitted, I would beg that you could notify me in advance, confidentially, so that I could make my plane reservations for Zimbabwe before the rejection notice appears. I know as well that your burdens of decision are many. Just know as well that my whole life rests in your hands. I am praying daily for you, your family, and your favorite charity.

Us and Them

● Anthony Campolo’s dictum: “I want me child to be…● In Japan: “…successful.”● In US: “…happy.”● Better answer: “…good.” ● Douglas Heath research: Schools of Hope,

Lives of Hope: those who turn out “good” more likely to be both successful and happy.

Myths Parents Believe

● Myth: “There’s only one right college (or school) for my child.”

● Reality: Of the 4000 colleges and university in the US, there are dozens where any child of whatever ability can make the most of his or her potential.

Myths Parents Believe

● Myth: “Our family paid dearly for independent school tuition. That investment had better pay off in the form of admission to a prestigious college.”

● Reality: Independent schools do offer a solid return by providing a challenging academic environment and rich extracurricular opportunities…but what a student makes of this is the biggest factor in where they are admitted to college…. Like paying for membership in an expensive health club: must exercise to benefit from it.

~College is a match to be made, not a prize to be won --Frank Sachs, College Counselor, Blake School, MN

Myths Parents Believe

● Myth: Guidance counselors are responsible for getting

a student accepted to his/her favorite college.

● Reality: Guidance or college counselors do not get a student in…the student’s record does.

● Most selective college do “keep score.” Applicants must have the right “colored dots” on their folder to get into the pool of those seriously considered: within the college’s mid-50% of SAT scores, high GPA and class rank, rigorous 4-year program and leadership.

Myths Parents Believe

● Myth: “In a label-conscious culture, if students don’t make it into a big-name college, they’ll always lag behind those who did.”

● Reality: All the research shows zero financial impact on long-term success of attending a big-name university: what one does in college tracks with success not where one went to college.

Myths Parents Believe

● Myth: “My child must go to college right after high school.”

● Reality: A “gap year” can be invaluable in terms of developing maturity and perspective and a wise and safe strategy, given the deferred admissions option.

Words of WisdomRelax…You will get in.

70% of colleges accept an average of 70% of their applicants.

Words of WisdomYou don’t need to go far away.

88% of high school students go to college in their home state.

Words of WisdomIf you don’t have a major, it’s OK.

More than half of new college students say a very important reason for going to college is “to find my purpose in life.”

Preparing for a College Search

Know Yourself

●Values●Ambitions●Achievements●Academic Strengths●Interests●Your Standout Talents

Types of Colleges

Type Description Tuition Admission Requirements

Four year Degrees offered: Bachelors and beyond Provides: A well-rounded college experience that includes an academic area of study.

State: Typically under $15,000/year Private: Typically more than $20,000/year

● SAT or ACT● GPA● Class rank● Essay● Extracurricular activities● Letters of recommendation● Transcripts

Types of Colleges

Type Description Tuition Admission Requirements

Two year Degrees offered: Associates Provides: A way to ease into college / take general college classes for credit.Typically have agreements with four year colleges to transfer credits.

Typically around $4,000/year

Open-door admission policy

Choosing Your College Priorities

What is important to you?●Location●Academics●Size●Campus Appeal●Social Life●Total Cost – Including aid

About College Admission Tests

●ACT●Consists of four tests: English, Math, Reading, Science, and Writing●Writing component is optional●Top composite score is 36

●SAT●Consists of three tests: Verbal, Math, Writing●Each test is scored on a scale of 200-800

What information do college admission officers review?

●Grades / Overall GPA●Strength of high school course selections

●Admission Test Score

●Essay

●Teacher and counselor recommendations

●Class rank

●Student’s demonstrated interest

●Personal accomplishments●Personality characteristics●Courses in progress Junior and Senior year

Collecting College Information – Where to go● Cappex.com - College search made simple.

Your first stop to kick-start your college and scholarship search

● nacacnet.org - National Association for College Admission Counseling. Offers national college fair information and articles about the college process

● collegeboard.com - Information about the SAT● act.org - Information about the ACT test

Scholarships

Merit Scholarship Tips

Merit scholarships are where the money is.●There is more than $11 billion in merit scholarships available to students from colleges●Not just for “A” students●Many awards emphasize leadership or school involvement●Nearly all colleges offer merit aid scholarships●The average merit scholarship is $5,000●Many awards can be renewed year after year

Scholarship Resources

●Fastweb.com - Private scholarships●fafsa.ed.gov - Free Application for Federal Student Aid●Studentaid.ed.gov - The federal government’s website about paying for college ●MeritAid.com - $11 billion in merit scholarships●Cappex.com - Scholarship matching●finaid.org - Free student resource for learning about all types of financial aid

Are You a Helicopter Parent?

10 Tips for would-be Helicopter Parents

●Help your student understand the college search process

●Be realistic and non-judgmental●Be in the "back seat" - and not the driver - of the

college search process●Be open to dialogue and responsive to questions●Be aware of deadlines and fees due●Know that things have changed since your college days●Don’t overemphasize your own alma maters●Don’t compare your student with others●Don’t dwell on disappointments, like a rejection letter●Celebrate successes!

Next Steps

Next Steps for JuniorsIn School●Stay focused on academics●Do not lighten your academic load for senior year●Meet with your school counselor●Stay involved in school activities Standardized Testing●Prepare for and register for ACT / SAT tests●Register for AP tests as appropriate College Exploration●Explore colleges on the Web●Visit colleges if you can●Meet with college representatives●Attend college fairs

Other points

●Set up a dignified/respectful email●Use it in all communications with the colleges or universities●joseph.e.sellers@gmail.comjoseph.e.sellers@gmail.com is better than superjoe@gmail.com

●Set up a blog or website to display your expertise, hobbies, academic work, or athletic prowess.

●Better than Face Book●Take down your social network or hide it.

Other Points●Set a conference with me (parents-student-me)- 30 min at most●Visit colleges and universities during the summer.

●Go a a week day●Go through the admissions office●Get a tour

●Prioritize your choices – ●Apply to all you feel comfortable with

●Get to know the admissions reps on a first name basis