How ready are you for college...REALLY? 10 questions, 2 minutes Graded within 3 biz days.

Tom BottorfFounder, GetCollegeFunding, Dana Point, CA

www.GetCollegeFunding.org

Join Tom for his College Planning showWednesdays at noon (CA time)

www.GetCollegeFunding.tv

Tonight’s GUEST PRESENTER

Mr. Don BettertonFormer Admissions Officer and Director of Financial

AidPrinceton University

GetCollegeFunding WELCOMES You

text GCFmobile to 69302

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• Free subscription to GCFmobile• Important Deadlines

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• College News• College Planning Events

College Readiness Report Card


• How ready are you for college ...REALLY?• 10 questions, 2 minutes• Graded within 3 biz days

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Wednesdays at Noon (CA)

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Upcoming EventsRegister at

www.GCFSeminars.com

7 Mistakes Families Make When Planning for College ...

but Don't Know Until It's Too Late

GetCollegeFunding, Dana Point Harbor Office

6:30-8:00pm

Thursday, Oct 27th

Wednesday, Nov 16th

Thursday, Dec 15th

More Upcoming EventsRegister at

www.GCFSeminars.com

Don Betterton, Formerly of Princeton UnivWhy Is It So Hard for a Good Student to Get Into a Top College?

Sat, Oct 1st GetCollegeFunding, DPHO

Tony Amaradio, Chief Strategist, SPMHow Should Families With College-Bound Students Be Planning Financially During These Rough Economic Times?

Tue, Oct 25th GetCollegeFunding, DPHO

WebinarsRegister at

www.GCFWebinars.com

“7 Mistakes” SeminarOct 19th

Nov 30th

Dec 21st

I broadcast my webinarsWednesdays at 12:00 noon (CA time)

What’s the GOAL?

How ‘bout... Getting DOWN?

65% of the deathsOccur on the way DOWN

College Planning

OUR THEME atGetCollegeFunding

College Planning


It’s not just about getting them INTO college...

College Planning


It’s not just about getting them INTO college...

It’s about gettin’ ‘em OUT!

Undergraduates

• 4 Years 35.3% – Public: 27.9%– Private (non-profit): 50.2%– Private (profit): 22.1%

• 6 Years 53.1%– Public: 54.1%– Private (non-profit): 64.0%

– Private (profit): 29.1%Source: National Center for Education Statistics (www.nces.ed.gov)

GRADUATION RATES

7 MISTAKES

1.Not Understanding “EFC”2.My EFC is the same at all

colleges3.We make too much for ANY

financial aid4.We should apply EA/ED for a big

edge5.Our scholar student will receive

merit scholarships wherever he/she goes

6.Creating a college list is easy7.We've got it covered

Constructing a REALISTIC COLLEGE LIST is

THE single most important task AND challenge

for families planning for their children’s college

So what do WE mean by “REALISTIC”?

• Excellent FIT for Student

Academic/Social/Spiritual/Political/etc.

• AFFORDABLE for the Family

The COLLEGE LIST

Don BettertonFounder of Betterton College Planning LLC

[email protected]

Formerly of

Inside the Admission Office

… What every applicant(including aspiring athletes)

NEEDS to know in an Increasingly Competitive Environment

Formerly of

250

B +/A- Avg

Top 15-20%

SAT 600-700

Some Honors, AP

Good Activities/Talent, Personal

250

B +/A- Avg

Top 15-20%

SAT 600-700

Some Honors, AP

Good Activities/Talent, Personal

Meet Basic Standards

Competitive Selective

Most Selective

1650

C+/B Avg

Top 1/2 to 1/3

SAT 450-600

Pre-College Courses

Some participation

Good HS Citizen

2000 4-yr

25

A/A+ Avg Top of Class

SAT Mid /High 700’s

All Hard Courses

Unusually Strong Activities, Talent,

Personal in combination

No Negatives

75

A Avg

Top 5-10%

SAT 700’s

Almost all Honors/AP

Strong Activities/Talent, Personal

© Betterton College Planning, LLC

Why Is It Harder Now Than When Your Parents Went to College? Supply is steady

The number of spaces for freshmen has not changed much in the last 2-3 decades.

Demand is growing overall The number of high school grads has

never been higher. Now about 3.3M

The percent going to college is increasing. From 45% to nearly 2/3 since 1980’s

More international students

Chronicle of Higher Education Almanac 2008


What to Do In This Environment

You need to know how to prepare, both inside and outside the classroom, to meet higher standards

Courses, grades Standard tests Activities and achievement

It is essential that you have a realistic college list


Hard For Admissions to Choose Among Similar Applicants

There is academic “Bunching”

Increased enrollment in hard courses Honors, AP, International Baccalaureate College courses in high school, summer

enrichment Distinctions are blurred

Grade inflation Multiple valedictorians SAT and ACT Super Scoring Test prep courses (ePrep recommended)


And

There is personal “Polishing”

Students are more savvy about building a resume with activities and accomplishments, strategizing the essay, volunteering, enrichment programs

High schools feel the pressure -- reluctant to lessen student chances – inflation in teacher and counselor recs


To Complicate Matters Further...

College admission offices have a split personality They are a meritocracy

Admit the best They also practice “institutional engineering”

Admit to meet other objectives

The result is not one, but two admissions processes that run side by side One for “Untagged” applicants One for “Tagged” applicants

This is where confusion increases and predictability decreases.


Tagged Categories

Level I Scholarship athlete

Level IIA Non-scholarship

athlete Affirmative action

minority

Level IIB Low incm, disadv,

obstacles Inst. need – arts,

academic

Level III Early Decision Connections State resident for some

publics Demonstrated interest

Level IV Legacy Geography Gender Full pay


An Admission Exercise

Colleges rate applicants on academic and personal scales.

To sort through so many apps, a number system is used.

My system is 1 (low) to 8 (high) on both academic and personal.

Academics weighted more heavily, roughly in a 3:1 ratio.


AverageGPA (UW)

Rank Courses(5 solids)

SAT (M+CR/2)

ACT(Comp)

SAT Subject

Acad Awards

8A+ 4.0 97-100

1-2%Most

Demanding**750-800 35-36 780-800 Intern/

National

7A 3.994-96

3-5%Most

Demanding710-740 33-34 760-770 Region/

State

6A-3.7-3.890-93

6-14%Very

Demanding680-700 32 730-750 County

5B+3.3-3.687-89

15-20% Demanding 650-670 29-31 680-720 School

4B/B-2.7-3.280-86

25% Demanding 600-640 26-28 630-670 None

3C 2.3-2.677-79

33% Average 550-590 23-25 590-620 None

2C 2.0-2.274-76

50%Below

Average470-540 19-22 500-580 None

1C- Below 2.0Below 74

Below 50%

Below Average

Below 470 Below 19Below

500None

ACADEMIC RATING TABLE™


PERSONAL RATING TABLE™ © Betterton College Planning, LLC

14 Super Selective Stanford

13 Most Selective UCal

12 Most Selective/Selective USC

11 Selective UC Irvine

10 Competitive Occidental

9 Competitive UC Santa Barbara

8 Lightly Competitive Santa Clara

7 Lightly Comp/Meet Basic Standards Loyola Marymount

6 Meet Basic Standards U of Pacific

STUDENT RATINGS COMPARED TO COLLEGE RATINGS™


Very Difficult

(10-30%)

Difficult

(20-40%)

Somewhat

Difficult

(30-50%)

Good Choice

(40-60%)

Solid Chance

(50-70%)

Strong Chance

(60-80%)

V.G. to Excellent Chance

(70-90%)

USC (12)

UCal Irvine

(11)

Oxy (10)

UCSB (9)

Santa Clara (8)

LMU (7) U of P (6)

:

BCP EVALUATOR™

Name John Rating 5/4 Date Here are your admission prospects comparing your credentials with those of each college’s

most recent freshman man class. Green shading indicates Core colleges.


Very Difficult

(10-30%)

Difficult

(20-40%)

Somewhat Difficult

(30-50%)

Good Choice

(40-60%)

Solid Chance

(50-70%)

Strong Chance

(60-80%)

V.G. to Excellent Chance

(70-90%)

Stanford (14)

UCal (13)

USC (12)

UCal Irvine (11)

Oxy (10)

UCSB (9)

Santa Clara (8)

LMU (7)

U of P (6)

Name John Rating 5/4 (11) Date Here are your admission prospects considering that you may find yourself

tagged as: An Athlete

BCP EVALUATOR™ (w/Tag)


Athletics: The Big Picture

NCAA – National Collegiate Athletic Association (380,000 athletes in 36 sports) Div I (331) Div II (291) Div III (429)

NAIA - National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (300 schools, 23 sports, 50,000 athletes)

NJCAA - National Junior College Athletic Association (525 schools, 16 sports)


Reality Check #1Be Honest About Where You Stand

You’re a Heavy (Blue Chip) Recruit You are recruited early by more than one college, are offered a

full ride, coach assures you he can “get you in.” You are 1% of high school athletes You don’t need this Webinar. Congratulations

If not, view yourself as a Light Recruit (interest by coach, but no early offer of admission or schp) or Self Recruit (very little or no interest by your colleges).

Light recruit. Keep in touch and keep improving. Hopefully you will move up the ladder as other recruits choose their colleges. Academics remain quite important. Might get some money.

Self recruit. Promote yourself and keep improving. Plan to go through admission process with sport as an admission plus.


Reality Check # 2The Number Funnel

Your chance to play in college may not be as great as you think. As a general rule, between 5% & 10% of high school athletes end up making a college team. For

example: Sport HS Players College Players %

Men’s Football 1,012,000 77,800 7.6%

Basketball 539,700 27,700 5.1%

Baseball 450,500 49,900 10.9%

Women’s Basketball 452,700 24,400 5.3%

Soccer 292,000 31,800 10.9%

Softball 350,200 27,200 7.8%


Reality Check # 3The Money Funnel

Nearly all “full rides” go to Blue Chip athletes in revenue sports.

An occasional full ride to outstanding recruit in non- revenue sport

If on athletic schp, expect a partial (MSOC $8750/$30K)

Athletic schps are one year at a time Don’t expect college to fund up to NCAA

allowable schp limit (MSOC 7 of 9.9)

Full ride doesn’t cover all costs No schps in some Div I and II. None at all

in Div III


Why Academics Are Important

You can’t get a schp or play for 4 years unless you meet NCAA academic eligibility rules.

Coach can’t recruit you unless you meet the college’s admission standards.

The NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate encourages coaches to recruit good students.

If it turns out you are not recruited, your academics are what counts. Your sport may help in admission as an extra-curricular activity.


You Are A Recruit

You can tell if: Usually contacted before your senior

year Get calls, home visit after July 1 of

senior year Invited to make an official (paid) visit After reviewing academics, coach,

acting as de facto admission office, will say he can “get you in” if you commit to attend.


Nice Going, But Your Problems May Not Be Over

Lack of commitment may cause coach to remove his admission offer. Possible dilemma – do you turn down

offer to keep options open, not knowing where you stand with other colleges?

Try to extend deadline as much as possible, then make your decision.

Sometimes coach will “re-recruit” you

Verbal offers vs National Letter of Intent

You Are Not Recruited

Then your option is to Self-Recruit Make yourself known. Cast a wide net. Fill out questionnaire on athletic dept Web

site Contact coach, explain more about you,

judge level of coach’s interest. If at least some interest,

Offer to make unofficial visit Update performance periodically Ask if he would like to see video Give coaches’ names as references Give schedule of where you will be playing Be Politely Persistent until successful or no

chance © Betterton College Planning, LLC

NCAA Div I&II Eligibility Requirements If you want to participate in athletics or receive an

athleticscholarship during your first year, you must:

Graduate from high school Complete 16 core courses (14 in Div II) Earn a minimum required grade-point average in your

core courses Earn a combined SAT or ACT sum score that

matches your core-course grade-point average and test score sliding scale

Comply with amateurism rules Register with the Clearinghouse Follow the recruiting rules

Guide For College Bound Athletes© Betterton College Planning, LLC

Plan COMPREHENSIVELY

Your Next Step

Meet With Don This Week!

• Don is in our DPHO through Sunday evening

• Email me: [email protected]• All Grade Levels Welcome!

– Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors

www.IGottaSenior.com

text GCFmobile to 69302

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How ready are you for college...REALLY? 10 questions, 2 minutes Graded within 3 biz days.

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