Are Colleges Using the "Writing" Section?

According to a story in today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette the jury is still out on how colleges are using the writing portion of the SAT, as well as the optional writing section of the ACT, in making admissions decisions. Most colleges and universities are taking a "wait and see" approach to the writing sections, gathering data on how it equates to college academic performance before weighting it heavily in admissions decisions.

Does this mean that students can safely ignore the writing section on the SAT? No. Even though it may not be weighted as heavily as the other two sections at some institutions, it's wise to still treat each section with a healthy dose of respect. Smart students will also continue to ask each institution they're considering how the writing portion will be used in admissions, and not assume that just because it is not yet in full swing at many schools that it will be ignored at all colleges.

Inside Peek Into What Happens In Admissions

Anxious seniors and their parents, as well as their junior counterparts, may want to read a great article in today's Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune. Although the article provides a first hand glimpse into the inner workings of the admissions decisions at just one school, St. Olaf College in Minnesota, the same process is going on at thousands of colleges across the country right now.

The good news: At many schools, your application won't be treated impersonally as just a pile of raw data and numbers, but, rather, the admissions committee will look beyond the numbers to try to get a sense of who you are as a person. This is most true at private colleges and universities like St. Olaf, but even many state universities now take a more holistic approach to application review that focuses on more than impersonal numbers.

But, there's also an important clue in the article about a factor that is increasingly playing a role in deciding who to admit. Namely, the student's likelihood to attend if admitted. Some also call this "demonstrated interest," but really, that is to narrow a term. Because, as the article about St. Olaf shows (and others I've mentioned here in the past do as well), even as application numbers rise, each college still has to make sure that seats will be filled the following year. Therefore, it's not just about who to admit, but also deciding which students to admit that are also most likely to attend.

This is an important distinction to remember, and belies the thinking of an increasing number of students (and parents) who believe that using a scattershot approach of sending out more applications will automatically translate into better chances somewhere. A successful college admissions process isn't about buying more college admissions lottery tickets, but, rather, it's about focusing in on which tickets give you the strongest chance of finding a match between what you and the college are both hoping to find. If you've done that, you can expect happy news on April 1.

Many thanks to Fireflyscout, a member of the AdmissionsAdvice.com discussion forum for bringing this article to my attention.

Planning Your College Visit Trip

Spring break is rapidly approaching and that can only mean one thing: Thousands of families will be heading out on campus visit tours across the nation.

If you're a parent putting together the intinerary for your child's college visit, a successful college tour is all about the details. While you may be tempted to cram in as many visits as possible, it's usually best to set realistic expectations and not try to see the entire Ivy League in one day. Most students find campus visits - especially those first ones - tiring and, sometimes, a bit overwhelming. And, more than one student has complained about spending their entire break doing nothing but being schlepped from school to school by over-eager parents. Plus, it's important to allow time after each visit to digest what you've seen and heard before moving on to the next admissions tour. So, try to take a less-is-more approach rather than the 30-colleges-in-a week-approach. Colleges aren't going anywhere, and, if absolutely necessary, you can always visit the ones that you don't fit in on this trip at a later date.

My advice, therefore, is to aim for no more than two campus visits each day. One may be even better, depending on distance and the size of the campuses involved. Allow at least two hours for each school if you're only planning to take the formal tour, have lunch in the cafeteria, and spend some time wandering around campus and the surrounding area on your own. If your child will be meeting with an admissions officer or faculty member, sitting in on a class, or attending a more formal admissions presentation, you may find a single visit will use up most of a day.

Don't forget that finding your way from campus to campus in unfamiliar territory will also probably take longer than you expect, and that getting lost is par for the course. So, don't assume that you'll be able to drive the 60 miles between Lehigh and Haverford in the same amount of time it would take you to traverse a similar distance on your home turf.

Build in down time for you and your child that has nothing at all to do with college. Do something you both enjoy that doesn't involve trodding across another scenic campus, and plan to arrive at your hotel each night early enough to enjoy a nice dinner and rest up for the next day. Don't be surprised if at some point during the trip your child seems to loose interest in looking at colleges, or even becomes downright grumpy when you suggest another stop at another college bookstore for another college tee-shirt to add to the growing collection in the back seat. Rather than pushing forward, re-evaluate if any schools can be dropped from the tour. In short, flexibilty is key.

Finally, don't think of this initial college tour as a hunt for the "perfect" college. This isn't a process that can be sewn up that easily, and there are many miles still to go before your child looks at you and says "I've decided to go here."

A few useful tools for the trip:

- Professor Pathfinder's U.S. College and University Map is just that: a map of the entire U.S. showing approximately 1200 four year colleges and universities. It can be an invaluable planning tool, and also comes in handy for mapping your route between College A and College B.

- The distance function on the ACT college search database. It allows you to enter a zip code or town name and then pull up a list of all colleges within a certain distance (i.e., 50 miles, 100 miles). If you already have one school on your "must see" list and want to know which other schools are nearby, this can be a useful way to find out.

- College admissions offices and the visit section of college admissions website can be terrific sources of information about travel times between colleges, local restaurants and hotels, and even fun things to do in the local area. Don't be shy about asking them for advice!

- A few city tourism boards and college consortiums publish college visit guides and websites specific to the area that are chock full of maps, hotel suggestions, and sight-seeing ideas. If you're heading to the greater Philadelphia area, check out
OneBigCampus.com, to Baltimore, Baltimore Collegetown, and to Boston, Bostonvisit.com. Even if you can't find such a college guide for the areas you'll be visiting, use google to track down the local visitor's and convention bureau for similar information.

- Finally, if the thought of spending a week locked in a car with a grumpy teen makes you want to run in the opposite direction, there are tour companies that specialize in taking groups of teens on campus tours. Two examples are Campus Visits and U-tours

Happy touring!

Starting the College Search Process

Not sure where to begin your college search? Don't break out the guidebooks until you have a sense of what to look for and what the college application process is all about. A great way to get up to speed are the articles about college planning on both the College Board website and ACT website. The U.S. News & World Report's College section also has regularly updated articles on college admissions, although you have to pay to access the full database. Finally, check out the overview articles available at EducationPlanner.com, a website created by a national financial aid services organization.

NPR: Quirky Essays and College Admissions

NPR's continuing series on the College Admissions Game has a great entry today on the topic of how some colleges, such as Tufts, are searching for new ways to let students show their personalities and intelligence in their admissions essays. Be sure to listen to the broadcast (click on the Listen icon at the top of the article).

Good News For Middle Class Families: Home Equity Calculations Changing At Some Schools

Many middle class families complain that they are locked out of the financial aid they need for private colleges because of the way some institutions treat home equity in need calculations. Now, a small group of private colleges are rethinking the issue.

On Wednesday, Stanford announced it will cap the amount of home equity at 1.5 times family income in calculating expected parental contributions to educational cost. Previously, Stanford entered home equity into its institutional financial aid formula at up to two times family income. Stanford expects this move will reduce the EFC for families with significant home equity by an average of $2,000. Stanford has also committed an additional $5 million in financial aid for next year.

Princeton University has completely excluded home equity from its family asset calculations since 2001.

Meanwhile, the 28 colleges who are members of the 568 Group, a consortium of colleges that use a common financial aid methodology, have agreed to new equity calculations that will reduce home equity to 1.2 times family income from 2.4 times family income.

All of this is good news for middle class families, but still only represents a small percentage of the 200+ colleges and universities that use their own institutional methodology, rather than federal methodology (which doesn't take home equity into account). However, it is likely that at least some colleges will follow suit in the near future.

Related Link: New Help for the Middle Class

Research on College Admissions Testing

If you've ever wondered about how standardized tests like the SAT and ACT are developed and their validity, a new white paper on college admissions testing from the National Association for College Admission Counseling is worth reading (adobe reader required).

The paper's author, Rebecca Zwick, a professor of education at the University of California-Santa Barbara, reviews the history of college admissions testing, research into its validity, and makes a few predictions about its future. The paper's key points paper include:

- SAT & ACT exams tend to underpredict college grades for females, while overpredicting those of male students.

- Commercial test prep services appear to have only minimal effect on student scores, with several studies showing that student scores improved an average of 6 to 8 points on verbal test sections, and 14 to 18 points on math after taking a commercial prep class. However, Zwick points out that there is "tacit" understanding among educators and testing firms that self-study for college entrance exams can produce greater results, although a full study on the issue has not been conducted.

- College admissions personnel and other educators need continual and effective training on how to properly evaluate standardized test results in the proper context when making admissions decisions.

- Zwick predicts that college entrance exams will continue to move away from merely testing "aptitude" and towards a greater focus on actual knowledge of material and skills required for college success.

- Zwick also predicts that within the next 15 years, both the ACT and SAT exams will be administered by computer. So, the days of sharpening up those Number 2 pencils may be numbered.

The College Admissions Game

What's the best way to navigate college admissions? That's the theme of an excellent five-part NPR series running this week, the College Admissions Game that should be required listening and reading for all college-bound students and their parents.

The first part of the series, Some Top Students Look for Hidden-Gem Colleges discusses how some students are opting out of the frenzied rush to "name brand" schools by investigating lesser-known academic gems. Be sure to both listen to the audio and read the accompanying articles. Even if you're not interested in looking beyond the Ivy League, the advice about matching your personality and learning style to your college choices is invaluable.

Later today, the series will focus on how college presidents are seeking to reduce the hysteria surrounding the admissions process.

Much thanks to AdmissionsAdvice.com discussion community member Limner for pointing me in the direction of what promises to be an informative and interesting series!

ACT Podcasts Help Students Plan For College

Wondering where to start with your college search? Not sure what you need to know about financial aid? How should you approach college visits?

Tune into a Podcast for answers. ACT, the standardized college entrance exam firm, has been producing a monthly podcast on college planning issues for students and parents for the past five months. Podcast topics so far have included high school curriculum planning, ACT test prep, financial aid, college visits, and how to rev up your college search process. Each three to eleven minute podcast includes interviews with actual students, a useful overview of the topic, and many great tips. The podcasts can be downloaded to an MP3 Player, or listened to directly on the internet.

"Green" Colleges

If you're passionate about environmental issues, you may want to begin your college search by checking out the member colleges in the "Eco League". The Eco League is a consortium of six small liberal arts institutions that share similar missions and value systems based on "a commitment to environmental responsibiltity, social change, and educating students to build a sustainable future." In addition, all of the schools offer strong environmental studies programs and stress experiential education. Members include Antioch College, Northland College, and Alaska Pacific University.

Common Applications Surpass 1 million

In an email to college counselors and college admissions officers this week, Ron Killion, Executive Director of the Common Application, Inc., announced an important milestone: late last week, a high school student from Paraguay submitted the one millionth Common Application online this year, to Trinity University in San Antonio.

This is the first year in the Common Application's nine year history that more than one million online Common Applications have been submitted in a single year. By comparison, in 1998-1999, the first year of the Common Application's existence, just 1,248 online applications were submitted.

By the way, the average number of Common Applications submitted online per student also increased this year to 3.9 from 3.8 last year. This year, the Common Application also signed on its 300th member college.

A Darker Side Of Merit Scholarships?

As college costs continue to rise, I'm seeing a new trend that I'll call "merit scholarship shopping" among students and parents. The thinking seems to be that one should add the possibility of merit money into the equation when drawing up a college list, and let merit money sway your final decision, even if you can afford to pay full cost. Of course, I understand this point of view: No one wants to pay more than they have to if a better deal can be found elsewhere, and certainly many middle-income families feel a financial heart attack coming on when they look at college costs, but it seems to me that a merit scholarship offer shouldn't be the only reason for choosing where to spend the next four years of your life.

There may be another darker side to the growth of merit scholarship shopping. At this week's American Council on Education, panelists criticized merit scholarships noting that their growth at some schools has resulted in less being spent on need-based financial aid. Of course, what's missing in many discussions of need-based aid vs. merit-based scholarships is the underlying fact that even need-based aid offers often have a merit-based component thanks to financial aid leveraging.

Ultimately, of course, it's up to every family to decide how much they value the worth of education, just as it is each college's right to decide how much they value individual applicants. Both decisions involve trade-offs and, in some cases, losses.

Why Does College Cost So Much?

On the heels of George Washington University's announcement that it will be raising its cost of attendance to over $50,000, many may be asking "Why does college cost so much?" An excellent article on Consumeraffairs.com sheds some light on the issue. The article explains some of the key factors driving the seemingly endless rise in college costs, and also examines whether financial aid is keeping up - or is part of the underlying problem.

Avoid "the Freshman $5,000"

Seniors will be making some hard choices in the coming months about which school to attend, and the cost of attendance will be an issue for many. Juniors and sophomore families just starting the college hunt will also be paying close attention to the bottomline.

An article in the New York Daily news cautions families about the importance of budgeting for personal expenses and extra costs when adding up the financial picture. The article notes that the College Board estimates that students attending four year private colleges who live on campus can expect to spend an extra $1,183 for personal expenses above and beyond the cost of tuition, room, and board. That figure doesn't include one-time costs most freshman will incur, such as buying a new laptop, furnishing a dorm room, and, in some cases, buying clothes for a different climate.

Finally, the article cautions students to avoid the "freshman $5,000" -- "unexpected bills and maxed out credit card debt hitting you like a ton of bricks during finals. You don't need those headaches." Good advice for students on their own for the first time.

Be Wary of Paying for Financial Aid "Help"

Every year at this time, I issue a warning about paying for financial aid "advice" that you can get elsewhere for free. There are a number of scam artists promising families that they can help them get "more" financial aid for a fee. Sometimes that fee is considerable.

Today's Modesto Bee has an article about financial aid scams, What Price Financial Aid? that brings this point home. The article highlights several firms that promise to maximize financial aid eligibilty but don't deliver anything that a family can't do for themselves, or learn from free sources of information such as a school counselor. It's well worth reading, especially if you've recently been tempted by an invitation to a "seminar" for just such a service.

While it may be worthwhile, in some cases, for families to meet with a certified financial planner to discuss strategies for saving for, and funding college educational costs, avoid any service that guarantees you'll receive extra financial aid. The truth is, the calculations for determining need are set in stone by the Federal government and individual institutions, and no "consultant" can work miracles. Don't let your family be fooled into thinking otherwise.

Annual College Bill: $50,660

If steep college prices make you woozy, hold on to your seat. Yesterday, George Washington University became the first university to charge over $50,000 a year. George Washington trustees boosted tuition for next fall 3.8 percent to $39,210. Add in room, board and other mandatory fees, and the total cost for next fall will be $50,660. George Washington University, which was already the most expensive major university before the increase, has an endowment of over $1 billion.

Get Connected: Top Wired Colleges

Students at Villanova University all get spanking new laptops for free at the start of freshman year -- and they get a new laptop again at the end of their sophomore year. Such perks helped Villanova earn top slot in PC Magazine's annual ranking of the most wired colleges. After Villanova, other schools ranked in the top five were, in order: MIT, Indiana University, Swarthmore, Creighton University, and the University of Illinois.

The website is a great resource for anyone who cares about being connected technologically. There are profiles of the technology climate at each of the 240 colleges and universities who participated in the survey which determined the rankings, as well as search features that let you identify which schools offer specific technological features, such as those free laptops at Villanova.

Suggested College Blog Reading

The Internet is full of websites and blogs devoted to college admissions topics, but not all of the information on the web comes from reliable sources. Two relatively new blogs are worth reading, however, because they are penned by folks with first-hand knowledge of college admissions.

The first blog, Stuff You Should Know, isn't just about college admissions, but it's written by a college admissions officer who sometimes covers college topics from an insider's perspective. A recent post on teacher recommendations, for example, talked about why most recommendations are irrelevant in the admissions decision because they don't provide any important insights into the applicant. Although entries related to college admissions are limited right now, the author promises to add new entries in coming months.

Eprep.com, on the other hand, is entirely focused on SAT prep and college planning advice. The blog is partially written by several "guest experts" with strong ties to college admissions, including Fred Hargadon, Princeton's former Dean of Admission. A nice touch here are the combination of a traditional blog with video and audio podcasts on issues related to college planning, financial aid, and test preparation. The site is run by a firm that sells standardized test tutoring services, but marketing appears to be kept to a minimum.

Applications Climb at Some Highly Selective Schools, Drop at Others

Application numbers are up this year at the nation's most selective universities, according to an article from Bloomberg News. While Princeton, Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, Brown and Cornell all saw increases - some to record levels - Yale University reports that its applications are down this year to 19,060 from a record 21,101 last year.

Scope Out College Options At College Fairs

If you're a high school junior or sophomore just starting your college search, attending a local college fair can be a good way to get information about the many colleges across the country.

The premise behind a college fair is simple: make it easy for colleges and students to connect by bringing both together in a single meeting place. At a typical fair, each college has a table or booth staffed by at least one admissions representative. Some college fairs are huge events, with hundreds of colleges and universities in attendance. Others are much smaller. Some college fairs also offer short seminars on admissions and financial aid topics. The grand-daddy of all college fairs, however, are the National College Fairs put on by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), which are scheduled for multiple cities throughout the coming months. To find out when the National College Fair is scheduled near you, click here.

It's best to think of college fairs as informational events, rather than a chance to impress a college rep with your qualifications. Arrive with an open mind, and be ready with a few questions for each college admissions representative, but don't expect to be interviewed or be given an estimate of your admissions chances. If a school interests you, fill out the request for information cards at the school's table for further contact with the school. Here's one tip: Print out small stick-on labels with your name, mailing address, phone number, and email address beforehand. They will save you time when you start filling out those request for information cards.

To get the most out of a college fair - especially a large one - plan ahead. If possible, get a list of the colleges and universities that will be attending before the fair. If any colleges on the list grab your attention, do a bit of research beforehand on the school's website to get some basic information. Because your time with the admissions representative for each school is likely to be limited, develop a few key questions to ask each representative. Then, put on your walking shoes and get ready to college hunt. Two great articles with more tips on how to get the most out of college fairs can be found here and here.

How Many AP Courses Do You Really Need?

Amid the College Board's press conference yesterday announcnig that greater number of high school students are taking Advanced Placement exams, was an almost overlooked question: Is it possible to take too many AP exams?

Trevor Packer, executive director of the AP program, admitted that he has spoken to college admissions officials about the question, and they told him that "three, four, or five AP courses are sufficient." Washington Post education columnist Jay Matthews, who annually ranks high schools based on the number of students taking AP exams, was one of few journalists to report on Packer's comments (Link requires registration. Non-registration link to the article here.) Matthews noted that, although the College Board was touting the rise in students taking AP exams, the same datashowed that only 2.7 percent of AP students took six or more tests in the past three years. Just over 15 percent of students taking AP exams received grades of 3 or better, enough to qualify for college credit.

Ironically, the same day as the College Board's press conference, the Washington Post also ran an excellent article on the growth of stress among high school students (Mirror site. The article discussed how schools - and some parents - are trying to dial back academic stress by encouraging students to choose realistic course schedules, instead of rushing to pile on AP courses. "Your child should be living high school, not worrying about college," the director of college counseling at one private high school was quoted as saying.

In my mind, this is a catch-22. Many students - and their parents - believe that taking every single AP course offered is the key to getting into college these days. Some students certainly can handle a schedule jam-packed with AP courses and extracurriculars, and certainly all students should take the most challenging coursework they can handle. Therein lies the catch: some students really are better served taking a more realistic schedule that still includes AP courses, but selects them based on individual capabilites and interests rather than just the Holy Grail of potential college admissions. Unfortunately, for many students, academic planning based on the needs and capabilities of individual students seems to have been tossed out as admissions hysteria reaches new levels.

Take the Information Superhighway To College: Internet Search Tips

Searching for college information? The Internet can be a terrific tool for college research. However, with millions of websites, knowing where to look – and who to trust – is key. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of Internet resources during your college hunt.

Get the most out of college websites. Individual college websites are the best sources of information on the Internet. Start by clicking on the “admissions” or “prospective students” link, then look for details on admissions requirements, application procedures, costs and financial aid, and an overview of what makes the college or university unique. But don’t stop there! Under Academics, look for links to individual departments you may be interested in. Use the site search function to find the college’s course catalog and research graduation requirements. Then do a search for the student newspaper and read back issues to get a sense of what life on campus is like.

Find the information you need. Google can be a college hunter’s best friend if you use it effectively. Say, for instance, you want to find a list of colleges that offer a specific major or a particular extracurricular. Open Google and click on Advanced Search. Enter the major or extracurricular you’re interested in, then specify “.edu” as the domain. This will limit the search mainly to colleges and universities, and usually turn up quite a few hits. Another tip: If you’re interested in a specific major or career field, do a google search using the major or career and the word “Association.” This will usually turn up any professional associations related to the field or major, and, often, you’ll find a wealth of resources on their website.

Consider the source. Unfortunately, while the data on the Internet seems unlimited, not all of it is reliable. When you find a useful college website, try to pinpoint who created it, and how trustworthy the source might be. Who owns and operates the site? What is their purpose? Is the site a non-profit venture or a commercial venture with the ultimate goal of selling you products or services?

Take discussion forums with a grain of salt. Discussion forums have become extremely popular. While they can be a useful place to exchange ideas and information, they can often riddled with inaccurate information and opinions presented as “fact.” If you’re going to participate in a college discussion forum, be especially careful about who is offering advice. Is it another student with no more knowledge than you, or an admissions expert? Also, consider who moderates the forum. Do they attempt to correct inaccurate or misleading information, or does the site take an “anything goes” approach? Finally, these forums are not always as anonymous as they may seem. College admissions officers do sometimes read these boards, so be careful about giving personal information.

Trust, but verify. While there’s a wealth of helpful data on the Internet, make sure to always verify important information yourself. If you see a negative report about a college on your list on a review site such as Studentsreview.com, don’t automatically think that means the school isn’t for you without doing your own research. If you read a piece of advice on a college information site that contradicts what your guidance counselor says, ask your counselor for clarification. Most importantly, always believe what the college website says about its deadlines and admissions requirements over anything published on a site that is not run by the college.