College Planning 101A PREPMATTERS PRESENTATION

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Who We Are

301-951-0350

Maureen Delaney

mdelaney@prepmatters.com

Jeff Knox

jknox@prepmatters.com

Katy Dunn

kdunn@prepmatters.com

You know where you want to go to

college, but how do you get there?

How important?

How important?

Grades, strength of curriculum,

and SAT/ACT reign on high.

How Do Colleges Evaluate Students?

ACADEMICS

Grades

Academic Rigor

Test Scores

PERSONAL

Extra-curricular Activities

Essays

Letters of Recommendation

Interviews

Application Strategy

Other Considerations

THE ACADEMICSGRADES, RIGOR, TEST SCORES

Grades and Academic Rigor

Do I need to identify an

intended major for

undergraduate

admissions?

GPA, how important is

that number?

What’s better? High

grades or high rigor?

Standardized Testing

PSAT

SAT/ACT

SAT Subject Tests

AP/IB Exams

TOEFL/IELT

Standardized Testing

How do students choose which

tests to take? ACT or SAT?

What is super-scoring and

score choice?

Do colleges require Subject

Tests?

What are test-optional/flexible schools? (Visit Fairtest.org to

learn more.)

When to Take Standardized Tests

SAT/Subject Tests ACT

March 9, 2019* February 9, 2019

May 4, 2019 April 13, 2019

June 1, 2019 June 9, 2019

August 24, 2019 July 13, 2019

October 5, 2019 September 14, 2019

November 2, 2019 October 26, 2019

December 7, 2019 December 14, 2019

*no Subject Tests offered

PERSONAL

QUALITIESACTIVITIES, ESSAYS, INTERVIEWS,

LETTERS OF REC…

Extracurricular Activities

What activities look good

on college applications?

Authenticity

Contribution to

community

Meaning vs. Resume

Depth vs. Breadth

Well-rounded students

Well-rounded CLASS

Application Essays

What makes a

compelling college

essay?

When should students

start working on their

college applications and

essays?

College Interviews

▪ Evaluative

▪ You are being assessed

▪ Informational

▪ An opportunity for you to learn

more

Demonstrated Interest

▪ Demonstrated Interest=

Likelihood to Enroll

▪ Visits, essays, email

correspondence, legacy, etc.

Letters of Recommendation

What about letters of rec

from teachers, counselors,

and other people?

Whom should I ask and

when should I ask them?

Other Considerations

First generation

Under-represented minority

Recruited athlete

Legacy/Development

applicants

International students

Early decision applicants

Application Deadlines

Regular Deadline (Jan.)

Early Decision (Nov.)

Early Decision II (Jan.)

Early Action (Nov./Dec.)

Restrictive

Single-choice

Priority Decision (Nov./Dec.)

Rolling deadline

Waitlists (March through summer)

Application Options

Common Application (Common App)

Coalition Application

School-specific applications

UCAS (Deadline slightly earlier than US deadlines; typically occurs around October 15th)

Admissions Abroad

Admissions factors: Numbers!

Course of Study

Application process

French/English language

proficiency

Helpful Resources

PrepMatters Educational Planning Guide

Prepmatters.com

The Self-Driven Child

By Ned Johnson and Dr. Bill Stixrud

The Fiske Guide to Colleges

Who We Are

301-951-0350

Maureen Delaney

mdelaney@prepmatters.com

Jeff Knox

jknox@prepmatters.com

Katy Dunn

kdunn@prepmatters.com