Test Your College Knowledge

How much do you know about higher education in the United States? Test your knowledge with this quiz. The data used in the quiz is from the 2007 Almanac of Higher Education, published this week by the Chronicle of Higher Education.

1. What is the national graduation rate at four-year colleges (both public and private) in the U.S.?
a. 85%
b. 40%
c. 56%
d. 70%

The answer is c. Fifty-six percent of students who enroll in college receive their degrees.

2. What percentage of adults in the U.S. have a Bachelor’s degree or higher?
a. 50%
b. 27%
d. 65%
e. 43%

The answer is b, 27%. 17.2% of adults in the U.S. hold Bachelor’s degrees, 6.9% have Master’s degrees, 1.1% have Doctoral degrees, and 2.0% hold advanced professional degrees.

3. Which state has the largest number of public four-year colleges?
a. California
b. Texas
c. Pennsylvania
d. New York

The answer is b. Texas has 45 four-year public institutions, Pennsylvania 44, New York 43, and California 35.

4. What state is projected to have the greatest increase in high school graduates between now and 2017?

a. California
b. New York
c. Wisconsin
d. Nevada

The answer is d. The number of high school graduates in Nevada is expected to grow by 48%, the highest increase in the nation. California is projected to have a 7% decline, New York a 13% decline, and Wisconsin a 3% decline between now and 2017.

5. What is the national average for tuition (not including room and board) at public institutions?

a. $3,500
b. $5,351
c. $8,500
d. $12,344

The answer is b. The national average for tuition at public institutions is $5,351.

6. What is the national average for tuition (not including room and board) at private institutions?

a. $30,250
b. $28,300
c. $19,292
d. $35,000

The correct answer is c. The national average for tuition at private institutions is $19,292.

7. What percentage of students attend college in their home state?
a. 35%
b. 66%
c. 81%
d. 50%

The answer is c. 81% of students who enrolled in college in 2004 attended college in their home state.

8. What proportion of 18 to 24 year olds are attending college?
a. 75%
b. 39%
c. 55%
d. 27%

The answer is b. The proportion of 18 to 24 year olds enrolled in college in 2005 (last data available) was 39%. In 1995, 34.3 of 18 to 24 year olds were attending college.

9. If you want to attend a private college, in which state are you most likely to pay the least tuition?
a. Alabama
b. Utah
c. Nebraska
d. Florida

The answer is b. The average tuition for a private college in Utah is $5,240. Idaho is a close second. The average tuition for a private college in Idaho is $5,490. In Alabama, the average private college tuition is $12,426. In Nebraska, $15,234 and in Florida, $17,503.

10. If you want to attend a private college, in which state are you most likely to pay the most tuition?
a. Georgia
b. Wisconsin
c. Massachusetts
d. New York

The answer is c. The average tuition at private colleges in Massachusetts is $27,335, the highest in the nation. The average tuition at private colleges in New York is $22,900. In Georgia, the average tuition at private colleges is $18,120. In Wisconsin, the average tuition at private colleges is $19,083.

11. Which four-year college has the largest enrollment in the U.S.?
a. Arizona State University at Tempe
b. University of Texas-Austin.
c. Ohio State University
d. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

The answer is a. Arizona State has the largest enrollment, with 51,619 students. The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities is second, with 51,175. Ohio State Univesity is third with 50,504 students. The University of Texas-Austin is fourth largest with 49,696 students.

12. What percentage of students apply to four or less colleges?
a. 30%
b. 50%
c. 82%
d. 16%

The correct answer is c. In a national survey of college freshman last year, 82% reported they had applied to four or fewer colleges.

14. What percentage of students applied to 11 or more colleges?
a. 15%
b. 10%
c. 8%
d. 2%

The answer is d. Only 2% of college freshman last year said they applied to more than 11 colleges.

15. What percentage of college freshman attend their first or second choice college?
a. 75%
b. 67%
c. 35%
d. 40%

The answer is b. In a survey of over 271,000 college freshmen last year, 67.3% said they were attending their first choice college and 22.8% said they were attending their second choice college.

16. Which state has the largest number of students enrolled in public four-year colleges?
a. Texas
b. California
c. Florida
d. New York

The answer is b. California has 606,397 students enrolled in public four-year colleges, followed by Texas with 537,844. Florida has the third largest enrollment with 371,583. There are 354,914 students enrolled in New York public institutions.

17. Which of the following states has the largest number of students enrolled in private, non-profit 4-year institutions?
a. Massachusetts
b. Illinois
c. Pennsylvania
d. Virginia

The answer is c. Of these four states, Pennsylvania has the largest number of students enrolled in private, non-profit 4-year institutions, 277,146. Illinois has 272,200 students in private four year colleges. Massachusetts has 251,730, and Virginia 82,535. The state with the most students enrolled in private four-year institutions in the nation is New York, with 493,245.

18. What percentage of full-time dependent students who come from families with incomes under $32,000 receive some form of financial aid from public and private colleges?

a. 100% of students in this income bracket receive some form of financial aid from both public and private institutions.
b. 91% receive financial aid from public institutions, 96% from private institutions.
c. 90% receive some form of financial aid from public institutions, 100% from private colleges.
d. 80% receive some form of financial aid.from public institutions, 85% from private colleges.

The answer is b. Ninety-one percent of students from families in this income bracket receive some form of financial aid from public colleges, 96% from private. The average financial aid award for students in this bracket is $9,900 at public institutions and $17,900 at private colleges.

19. What percentage of full-time dependent students who come from families with incomes between $32,000 and $92,000 receive some form of financial aid at public and private institutions?

a. 50% receive some form of financial aid at public institutions, 60% at private colleges.
b. 75% receive some form of financial aid at public institutions, 90% at private colleges.
c. 40% receive some form of financial aid at public institutions, 50% at private colleges
d. 80% receive some form of financial aid at public institutions, 96% at private colleges

The answer is b. Seventy-five percent of students in this family income bracket receive financial aid at public institutions, with the average financial aid package being $7,800. Ninety percent receive financial aid at private institutions, with the average package being $17,800.

20. What percentage of full-time dependent students who come from families with incomes above $92,000 receive some form of financial aid at public and private colleges?

a. 10% receive some form of financial aid at public institutions, 25% at private colleges.
b. 50% receive some form of financial aid at public institutions, 80% at private colleges.
c. 36% receive some form of financial aid at public institutions, 50% at private colleges
d. 62% receive some form of financial aid at public institutions, 80% at private colleges

The answer is d. Sixty two percent of students from families with incomes above $92,000 receive some form of financial aid from public institutions, and 80% from private colleges. The average financial aid package is $7,400 at public institutions, $14,000 at private colleges.

21. What college offers the largest number of scholarships to National Merit Scholar finalists?
a. Harvard
b. The University of Texas, Austin
c. University of Florida
d. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The answer is c. Harvard enrolls the largest number of National Merit Scholars (294) but does not offer scholarships to them. The University of Florida has the second largest number of National Merit Scholars, 257, and, of those, 212 are receiving scholarships from the institution. The University of Texas-Austin has 250 National Merit Scholars enrolled (third largest in the nation) and awards scholarships to 192 of them. MIT is 16th in the nation for number of National Merit Scholars, with 135, but, like Harvard, it does not sponsor scholarships for them.

22. Where are you most likely to earn mostly A’s?
a. At a public college.
b. At a private college
c. No difference in your chances between public and private.

The answer is b. 16.7% of students attending private colleges have grade point averages described as “mostly A’s.” At public institutions, only 10.9% reported they had “mostly A’s.”

23. Which university has the highest number of international students?
a. Harvard
b. Yale
c. New York University
d. University of Southern California

The answer is d. The University of Southern California has the largest number of international students, 6,881, making up 21% of USC’s enrollment. NYU has 5,502 international students, making it the school with the fourth largest enrollment of international students (Columbia and Purdue are number 2 and 3, respectively). Harvard ranks 15th in number of international students, with 3,669. Yale ranks 70th in the nation, with 2,019 international students. Iowa State, Wayne State, Syracuse University, and Syracuse, all have more international students than Yale.

24. What is the reason students cite most often for deciding to go to college?
a. To be able to get a better job
b. My parents wanted me to go
c. To learn more about things that interest me
d. To get training for a specific career.

The answer is c. In a survey of over 270,000 college freshmen last year, 76.8% cited "to learn more about things that interest me" as a reason for their decision to attend college. 70.4% cited "to be able to get a better job" and 69.2% said "to get training for a specific job." 46.4% said one reason they were attending college was "my parents wanted me to go."

25. How many post-secondary institutions are there in the United States?
a. 1,875
b. 4,276
c. 3,590
d. 5,600

The anwer is b. There are 4,276 post-secondary institutions in the United States. There are 640 public 4-year colleges, 1,534 private non-profit colleges, and 408 private for-profit 4-year colleges. There are also 1,053 public 2-year colleges, 113 private non-profit 2-year colleges, and 528 private for-profit 2-year colleges.

Should You Send Supplemental Recommendations?

Should you send supplemental recommendations? Although I briefly touched on this subject in my post about recommendations a while back, this is such a common question that I am going to return to this subject today.

You're a great kid, so you have lots of people who like you. Some of them may have offered to write college recommendations for you. Or, you know that they'd be happy to spin out a letter saying how great you are. The idea is attractive because, let's face it, applying to college is pretty nerve-wracking, and you're not too sure what you're chances are going to be. Sending more recommendations can't hurt, right?

Not so fast. I've asked many admissions people this same question over the years and they all tell me that they go by the adage, "the thicker the file, the thicker the applicant." In other words, when they see three or four (or more!) recommendations in an applicant's file when the college only asks for two, they start to wonder if the student has doubts about their application standing on its own merit. Admissions people also point out that they have limited time to read and think about each application that falls on their desk. The more they have to cram into that limited time, the less time they'll spend on other items in your application, like your essays, your main recommendations, your extracurriculars, or your transcript.

Before you decide to send a supplemental recommendation, ask yourself these questions:

(1) Is the extra recommendation going to add unique and IMPORTANT information about me that can't be found elsewhere in my application? Another teacher saying "Sally Sue is a great kid" isn't adding anything important. Nor does a recommendation from an alumni who is friends with your father, your town's mayor who met you once at a picnic when you were ten, or the head of the research lab where you interned last summer who you said five words to all summer. A teacher recommendation from, for example, a music teacher or art teacher who is the only one who knows your talent first hand may add a unique and important perspective if you are applying as a major in that subject.

(2)Can I get the same information across in the required recommendations? If you have something specific that you feel is important to convey, discuss this with the people writing your required recommendations.

(3) Is there someone else who would do a better job of writing my required recommendations? If you feel so unconfident in the ablility of the people writing your required recommendations to do a good job for you that you think you need to send more recommendations, maybe you just haven't asked the right people to write your main recommendations yet.

(4) Can I get the same information across in my essays, interviews, or other application materials?

Nine times out of ten, the answer is not sending MORE recommendations, but, rather, fine-tuning the rest of your application and asking your main recommendation writers to include the RIGHT things about you in the first place.

If you've answered all of the above questions honestly, and still feel it is necessary to add an additional recommendation, then you know that it will add something to your application, rather than just making your application thicker. There are some cases where sending a single, well-chosen supplement makes sense, but think things through carefully before deluging the admissions office with additional recommendations that don't clearly have a purpose that can't be filled in any other way.

Homeschool students are a different story. Because colleges have a hard time comparing them to kids that come from regular high schools, extra recommendations are usually welcomed for homeschool students because they help admissions people translate the homeschooler's education.

But, for regular students from regular high schools, supplements are usually NOT necessary if you have thought through the above questions. I know that applying to college is scary, and that it's a natural instinct to want to show colleges how many people believe in you by sending more recommendations, but MORE isn't always better. Know when enough is enough. You want your application to be the one that has a clear message told as efficiently as possible, not the one that makes people's eyes glaze over.

SAT Scores Drop Second Year In A Row

Test scores from the "new" SAT dropped again last year. This is the second year since the "new" SAT was introduced that national scores have declined.

In 2005, the last year the "old" SAT was given, the national average combined math/verbal score was 1028. In 2006, the first year the new exam was given, the combined average dipped to 1021. For the class of 2007, it fell to 1017. The national average for math was 515; for critical reading, 502. The most notable declines have been in the critical reading scores of males and the math scores of females. The average critical reading score for males fell from 513 on the previous SAT version, which included analogies, to 504 this year. The average score on the math section for females was 499, the lowest since 2001. Between 2006 and 2007, scores on the new writing section also declined, from 497 to 494.

In a press release issued on Tuesday, the College Board hinted at several possible causes for the declines, carefully noting that the number of low income students (as measured by those receiving fee waivers for the test) rose 31% and that "the SAT takers in the class of 2007 are the most diverse group on record." Of course, the College Board has also historically taken pains to defend itself as being equally fair to all students, regardless of race and income.

The press release also pointed out that the average math score of 513 is up significantly from 20 years ago, when it was 501.

Robert Schaeffer, of the National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest) was dubious. "On the SAT, botht the Critical Reading an dMath results were rising before the revised exam was administered," said Schaeffer in a press release. "After they plunged seven points last year, the College Board attempted to explain the decline as a one-time variation in re-testing patterns. That excuse does not hold up after this year's additional four point drop." Schaeffer added that he expected the trend to further chip away at the exam's credibility.

Since the "new" SAT was introduced, more than two dozen colleges and universities have adopted test-optional policies, bringing the total of institutions who do not require test scores to 740.

Do You Have A Realistic College List?

When I talk with students about college choices, I often compare building a college list to building a sturdy house. When you’re building a house, you don’t start with the roof – it needs a structure to hold it up. And, you can’t build the house’s structure until you have a firm foundation in place. Just like a house, a realistic college list needs a foundation (often called safety schools), a structure (match schools), and a roof (realistic reach schools). But, how do you determine if a particular college is a safe bet, a match, or a reach?

One common method used by students is to compare their standardized test scores to the median test scores of individual colleges. Students will often tell me, “College ABC is a match for me, maybe even a safety, because my test scores are higher than ABC’s average.” Test scores, however, only tell you part of the picture. Relying on them alone as a test of your admissions chances can be risky for several reasons. First, those median test scores are for enrolled freshmen, not admitted applicants. Since most colleges accept more applicants than they actually enroll, it’s a good bet that the test scores of enrolled students won’t give you the full picture of what type of scores are needed to get in. Additionally, the test scores you’ll see published in guidebooks, on college information websites, and sometimes reported by colleges themselves, are frequently not the scores of last year’s enrolled students, but for those of students entering two years ago. In today’s fast-changing admissions environment, two years is a long time. So, while comparing your test scores to those listed for a particular college can be a good starting point, treat the data with some caution.

There’s a more important reason than just data accuracy for not relying only on test scores alone to decide if your college list has a good mix of safeties, matches and reaches. Simply put: test scores are only one of the variety of factors colleges weigh when they make admissions decisions. In fact, the most important factor considered by colleges is not your test scores at all. Rather, it’s the strength of your high school curriculum and the grades you’ve earned.

When considering “strength of curriculum,” colleges will look to see that you’ve challenged yourself by taking a solid slate of core academic courses throughout high school, including senior year. Core academic courses include English, math, science, social studies and foreign language. They’ll also look to see if you’ve taken honors and Advanced Placement courses if your high school offers them – but don’t worry, colleges won’t penalize you if these courses aren’t offered at your high school. Colleges will also look for clues about your high school’s academic rigor in the School Profile, a sheet describing your high school that’s sent to colleges along with your transcript. For instance, if a significant portion of students at your high school attend college, admissions will tend to believe that the academics at your school are more demanding than those available at a high school where most students go directly into the workforce after graduation.

The strength of your curriculum will also help college admissions officers put your grades into context. “A’s” in a somewhat soft curriculum won’t be as attractive to an admissions person as “A’s” in the toughest possible course load available at your high school. Your GPA is important, but many colleges won’t just rely on the GPA on your transcript. They’ll often also recompute GPAs for all applicants, dropping out extra points for honors/AP courses, and using only grades in core academic subjects. So, don’t think those “A’s” in PE each year will turn Harvard into a safety school.

Of course, colleges also consider other factors as well. “Tipping points” that may pull you over the border between reach and match include your recommendations, your essays, and your activities outside of the classroom. Diversity of all kinds – geographic, economic, racial/ethnic – can also come into play. Colleges also have individual institutional admissions objectives. Perhaps they need a new oboe player in the school orchestra this year, or the faculty in the philosophy department is asking for more potential majors. However, be cautious in thinking that a special talent or extracurricular will pull you into the admitted pile. The most selective schools, for instance, get hundreds of applications from people who've played violin since they were 10, edited their school newspaper, or placed in the state science fair. So, use a clear eye when evaluating whether what you offer is really a tipping point, or just a ordinary accomplishment amongst the students who typically apply to the college. Finally, at need aware schools, admissions will also consider the amount of financial aid needed by applicants for at least some of the applicant pool.

Obviously, it’s almost impossible to know exactly how every single college will weight your grades, curriculum, test scores, and other factors. However, this is where focusing on a smaller group of colleges instead of sending out applications helter skelter to multitudes of colleges can really pay off. Focusing on a smaller list of colleges lets you do in-depth research on every college. And, the more you know about the colleges on your list, the better you’ll be able to estimate whether they’re safe bets, matches, or reaches. How many years of math, science, and foreign language does the school recommend? Will they recompute applicant GPA’s, and, if so, what grades will be included? Are they need aware? For what percentage of applicants? How unusual are the activities you’ve been involved with for the applicants this school normally attracts? What types of diversity are they looking for? And, just how important do they consider those test scores anyway?

The answers to these questions are what you really need to know to start estimating your chances at any particular school. However, the last step is to also consider each college’s acceptance rates. Even if your test scores and GPA seem to put you towards the top of applicants they’ve admitted in the past, if the school rejects 70% or 80% of applicants, it’s never going to be a safety school for anyone. If it rejects 90% or more of applicants, it’s risky to assume it’s a match. It’s a reach for everyone.

Some students reading this may be feeling pretty depressed right now because they’re realizing their college list may be woefully lacking in safety and match schools. Don’t be depressed. Be realistic. Go back to the drawing table and revise your college list so that it includes a firm foundation, a solid structure, and a leak proof roof. That may mean making some hard choices, but doing so will help keep admissions stress levels under control because you've insured that you'll have plenty of great college choices next spring.

Seniors: No Slacking

You've worked hard for the past three years and earned great grades while managing a challenging schedule of extracurriculars. You can afford to cut yourself some slack in senior year, right?

Just the opposite. Senior year is not a time to cut back. Even if you plan to apply Early Decision or Early Action, colleges will still look closely at the courses you've chosen and your grades in senior year. You may be admitted by December, but all college acceptances are "provisional" with colleges reserving the right to rescind admissions offers for any reason. Don't fool yourself into thinking it won't happen to you. Every year, through the counselor grapevine, I hear of students who have their admissions rescinded, sometimes as late as the summer before college starts. This sentiment is echoed in an article discussing the need to keep the heat turned up in senior year.

The bottomline: Don't load up your senior year schedule with fluff classes like Bowling, cooking, and keyboarding. While schedules don't always work out perfectly, try to take the most challenging courses in core academic subjects possible right through senior year, including, if possible, that fourth year of math even though you are math-phobic. Besides looking good to colleges, taking a challenging courseload will also keep your mind sharp and ready for college-level work.

However, there's a caveat: Applying to college is stressful and time-consuming in and of itself. While you should aim to keep challenging yourself in the classroom, make sure to keep some balance in your life. After all, senior year is a marathon, not a sprint. So, do fit in some time for relaxation and fun! Doing so will help keep your stress levels down and ultimately make it easier to get everything done.

The Secret To Admissions Success

Bruce Poch, dean of admissions at Pomona College in California has spilled the beans about the secret to college admissions success: Stay true to yourself.

"Although it may seem mysterious, the admissions process is actually straightforward. It's about finding relationships that will work, just like dating and marriage," says Poch in an article in Newsweek's College Guide. When you're looking for a relationship, he adds, trying to be someone you're not will almost certainly lead to disappointment.

Poch urges students to avoid "doing the right things for the wrong reasons." Don't load up on activities just because you think colleges will like them; choose activities that truly interest you. As you put together your application, let your real personality shine through. "We've had to become personality detectives because so many students, like presidential candidates, seem to work under the management of handlers," writes Poch. "Packaging the application doesn't result in the success one might expect. The odds are small of guessing exactly right about what any individual admissions office wants."

This is very important advice that can't be emphasized enough, especially as rising seniors begin working on their applications. Your essay should sound like you, not a committee. Don't let parents, counselors, or, worst of all, strangers on an internet discussion forum, "correct" your essay by wiping it clean of your voice. Admissions officers read essays because they want to get a sense of your personality, your thought process, and your passions. But, don't think your "passion" have to fit into a particular box.

Poch also answered questions from students and parents in an online chat session yesterday. The transcript is worth reading because it is filled with insights and great advice about the admissions process and finding the right balance in your life so that you're living, not just prepping for college.

Poch also had some invaluable advice for parents about helping their children through the admissions process: "Parents should help their children remain organized, not lose sight of themselves in the process and not feel defeated or frustrated by what seems like a mountain of barriers. Help them just breathe!"

Planning for College Costs

If you're the parent of a high school student, the time to get up to speed about paying for college is now. A greatarticle from CBS News is a good place to start. The article points out that even if you haven't started saving for college yet, there are still steps you can take to boost your child's chances of landing at an affordable college. It's worth a read for any parent worried about college costs, and has several excellent suggestions.

U.S. News "Best Colleges 2008"

U.S. News & World Report has published its annual Best Colleges Edition for 2008. Although I'm not a huge fan of the rankings that U.S. News includes in this special report, I do recommend either buying a print copy (on newstands next week) or paying $15 to access the online Premium Edition.

The articles in Best Colleges are usually excellent, filled with tips on college admissions and offering closer looks at selected colleges. The online Premium Edition also gives you access to additional college planning and research resources. This year, the online Premium Edition includes "road trip" online videos to selected colleges in Texas, the Northeast, and Ohio. With an online Premium Edition subscription, you can also sort rankings data by different criteria, such as admissions and graduation rates. I find the individual college profiles in the Premium Edition to be useful for quick research on financial aid, admissions, student life, and campus diversity. However, one caveat: The admissions and financial aid data used by U.S. News (and other guidebook publishers) is for the freshman class of 2006. This is important to bear in mind with admissions numbers at some schools changing rapidly from year to year -- for your final choices, it is best to go directly to the college's website or admissions office for the most current figures for the freshmen class starting this year.

In case you are interested, here are the top U.S. News Rankings for this year. My advice: no one should choose a college based solely on these - or any other - rankings because they do not tell you much, if at anything, about the experience you personally will have as a student at any particular institution. Additionally, the methodology used by U.S. News, in particular the peer ratings, raises some questions. The best way to think about the U.S. News Rankings, therefore, is as a sort of nice "extra" after you have already thought about what types of colleges will fit you best, and identified those that match your criteria, rather than a reason to put any school on or off of your final list. For a detailed, unbiased look at how the U.S. News Rankings have changed this year, and the controversy surrounding them, I recommend reading this excellent articlein today's Inside Higher Ed.

U.S. News & World Report's 2008 Rankings of National Universities:

1. Princeton
2. Harvard
3. Yale
4. Stanford
5. University of Pennsylvania, California Institute of Technology (tied)
7. MIT
8. Duke
9. Columbia, University of Chicago (tied)
11. Dartmouth

U.S. News & World Report's 2008 Rankings of Liberal Arts Colleges

1. Williams
2. Amherst
3. Swarthmore
4. Wellesley
5. Carleton
6. Middlebury
7. Pomona, Bowdoin (tied)
9. Davidson
10. Haverford

Decoding Tour Guide Lingo

After you've taken a few campus tours, a strange sense of deja vu begins. "We have hundreds of student organizations on campus!" exlaims the tour guide at College A, sounding remarkably like the tour guide at college B. You could swear that the tour guides at College X, Y, and Z said the exact same thing. And, just try to find a tour guide who doesn't wax poetic about small class sizes, faculty-student relationships, library resources, the athletic center, and general life on campus.

To really get the scoop, says a new U.S. News & World Reports article, you have to learn how to decode tour guide lingo and ask the right questions. When the tour guide talks about student organizations, for instance, ask where students go when they want to take a break from the university, or what kinds of off-campus entertainment are available in the local area.

However, one thing I've noticed on the many campus tours I've taken over the last few years is that very few prospective students actually pipe up with questions. I'm not sure why prospective students travel hundreds, sometimes thousands, of miles to take a campus tour only to follow the tour guide mutely through the campus without ever asking a question. Perhaps it's shyness. Maybe they're overwhelmed just being on a college campus. Maybe they just don't know what to ask that won't sound dumb. Here's the truth: When it comes to researching colleges, there are no dumb questions. If something matters to you, it's worth asking about. The only way to get a sense of what it will be to live and study at Harvard, Hiram or Hofstra is to speak up and ask, especially when you have a student tour guide right in front of you waiting to hear and answer your questions.

In addition to the questions in the U.S. News article, here are some other questions that I've found useful to ask the tour guide on campus tours as well as other students during a visit in order to sort out the differences between schools. Please feel free to add your own suggestions!

* What do you and your friends do for fun on Saturday night? What do you do when you just want to kick back with friends?
* If I don't want to be in a sorority or fraternity, what other social events and organizations will be available?
* Do freshmen live in separate dorms, or are they placed on floors with students from all years?
* Are substance free dorms available? If so, what does "substance free" mean here at this school?
* How many hours a day do you typically put into reading, studying and other preparation for your classes?
* Have you ever been invited over to a professor's house for dinner, or had lunch with them in the cafeteria? How common is that for most students?
* What's the largest class you've had since you've been here? The smallest?
* How tough is it to get the classes you want as a freshman? Have you ever been shut out of a class during registration? If so, what's the procedure for getting into the class after registration is completed?
* Who's your advisor? How was he/she assigned? How do you like working with them? Who advises freshmen? How did you find your freshmen advisor?
* What are the "hot issues" on campus right now? What are students concerned with?
* What do you wish was different about your college? What would you absolutely not change about this school?
* How often do you go off campus during the semester? Where do you usually go?
* How noisy are the dorms at night? Are some dorms quieter than others? Which dorms have the reputation for being the best for freshmen, and why?

Trends In College Admissions

The Chicago Tribune ran an interesting article this week showcasing five trends in college admissions. Each of the five trends has important lessons for prospective applicants.

The first trend cited in the article is the growth in the number of students who are applying to large numbers of colleges. The UCLA Higher Education Research Institute reports that two thirds of students are still applying to five or less colleges, but many students these days - especially those applying to highly selective schools - feel pressure to apply to 10 or more colleges. Pay close attention to the comments made by students in the article, especially the comment about the student who applied to 13 schools and was accepted to all but one. While it is understandable to want to cover your bases, better results don't automatically come from sending out more applications in a scattershot manner. Rather, better results come from focusing on building a better overall college list. That means being realistic about the strengths and weaknesses of your admissions profile, targeting a mix of colleges that may value what you have to offer, researching each college on your list thoroughly, and making sure that your final list includes safe bets that you would love to attend. Of course, some students, especially if they are shopping for merit money or the best financial aid offer, may want to send out 10 or 12 applications. But, do carefully consider these potential diminishing returns of applying to 15, 18, or even 20 or more colleges. Application fees and sending test scores add up quickly. The time required to effectively research, apply to, interview, and manage the nitty gritty details of multiple admissions and financial aid applications can be draining. And, the stress of having to sort through multiple options in one short month next April can be difficult. In truth, very few students end up being denied at every college that they apply to -- so carefully weigh whether your college list is both managable and full of options you really love instead of simply letting fear push you into dropping more names into the hat.

The second trend discussed in the article is that admissions officers are growing increasingly leery of admissions essays that sound as if they have been written by someone other than a 17 or 18 year old high school student. For those applying this fall, there's an important lesson in this trend. First, before you even begin writing your essays, spend time thinking about who you are -- what makes you special and unique, and what characteristics in particular do you feel are most important to convey to colleges? It's fine to brainstorm with other people, but ultimately, your essay needs to be about you, not what you think college admissions people might want to hear, or what other people tell you you should write about. Trust your gut instinct about this. Second, let your essay mull untouched for a few days or weeks after you write it before you show it to anyone else. It's fine to get feedback on your essay approach, and most students can use a grammatical correction or two, but if your English teacher, college counselor, or parent wants to jump in and red-line your essay so it sounds more like them, instead of you, step back. Don't let someone else steal your voice.

The third lesson in the article is for the international students reading this blog: U.S. colleges DO want you! However, all international students who are considering applying to U.S. colleges need to ask themselves this important question: Is my main goal to study in and experience life in the United States, or it is to attend a particular college in the United States. If your answer is the latter, and your main goal is to study at Harvard or MIT or Stanford, you will face different challenges than if you are open to exploring the thousands of excellent institutions of higher learning here, and perhaps applying to some you may have never heard of, but where you will get a great education and a chance to live in the United States.

The Tribune article also discusses how colleges are using a variety of marketing communications tools these days to try to reach prospective students. The lesson here: communication is a two-way street. Many colleges dislike "stealth applications" from students who have never been in direct contact with them. If a college interests you, don't be shy about emailing admissions and asking quesitons, trying to visit if at all possible, and, of course, interviewing and writing personalized answers to the prompt, "Why are you applying to this college?"

Finally, another trend discussed in the article is the growing number of students who are taking gap years. Good college planning includes asking "Am I ready to jump into college or do I need some time to explore and grow before I start?" The vast majority of students may decide that a gap year isn't the way to go, but, after talking with many students, and looking at national four year graduation rates, I believe that more students should at least consider this option, and feel no shame about taking it. Life is not a horse race: There is no law that says you have to go directly to college four months after you graduate from high school. If the gap year option feels right, go for it.

College Summer Programs and Admissions

More students than ever before are heading off to summer programs held on college campuses. If you ask many of these students for their reason for attending, say Harvard's Secondary School Program, they'll admit that at least part of the reason lies in boosting their admissions chances.

That may be a false assumption, according to an article in today's Inside Higher Education. "Colleges and universities see [the programs] as money-making opportunities...they're increasingly meaningless...A lot of admission folks have come to see them as vanity programs," says Peter Van Buskirk, former dean of admissions at Franklin & Marshall and the author of several books on college admissions.

Does this mean that you should avoid college summer programs? Absolutely not. Some programs provide excellent enrichment opportunities that can help students fine-tune their interests and goals, as well as gain experience with living on a college campus. However, you should choose to attend one of these programs for these reasons alone, not in hope of gaining an edge in admissions.

Save Money on College Travel

If you're a high school junior or senior planning campus visits for the fall, Amtrak, in conjunction wiht its partner, CampusVisit.com, ofers discounts for high school students traveling with a parent or guardian Pay the full price of an Amtrack ticket for the student, and the parent rides for free. The offer has selected black out dates, and you must complete a short application (at the CampusVisit site, but if you're looking to keep costs under control, this is a good way to go. The CampusVisit.com site also offers Campus Visit guides to selected areas of the country, and a hotel reservation search engine.

If you're starting your freshman year, and will be attending a college in a locations served by Southwest Airlines, you can earn free flights faster with Southwest's College Rapid Rewards Program. You'll earn four credits towards future fares just by enrolling and double credit for each Southwestern flight you take after you enroll. After three round trips, you'll have the 16 credits needed for a free round trip anywhere Southwest flies.

Recommendations for Recommendations

"Please write whatever you think is important about this student, including a description of academic and personal characteristics, as demonstrated in your classroom. We welcome information that will help us to differentiate this student from others." -- 2007-2008 Common Application Teacher Evaluation

Who will answer this question for your college applications? What insights will they share about you with college admissions officers? How convincing will their words be?

If you haven't yet thought about the answers to these questions, now is a good time to do so, especially if you are planning to apply through Early Decision or Early Action. Teacher recommendations are a valuable opportunity to give an admissions committee a deeper glimpse into your potential to contribute and succeed on their campus, both inside and outside of the classroom. A strong recommendation can support and even uplift your entire application while a luke warm one is an opportunity lost. In the worst case scenario, damning words from a teacher can raise just enough doubt in an admissions committee's mind to get your application tossed into the "deny" pile. So, in choosing who to ask to write your recommendations, it pays to choose wisely.

One common misconception students have about teacher recommendations is that they should focus on the student's extracurricular accomplishments. While it is fine for your teacher to briefly mention some of your activities outside of the classroom, colleges can already gleam most of that information from the rest of your application. What they're really hoping to uncover in teacher recommendations is who you are inside the classroom. How strong are your writing and analytical skills? Do you make valuable contributions to classroom discussions? Are you a creative thinker or someone who just dutifully parrots back information? How do you react when a subject is particularly challenging to you? Do you work just for the grade, or out of the sheer joy of learning for learning's sake? What is your intellectual potential? Will you be able to handle college level work?

To get at the answers to these questions, most colleges either require or strongly prefer recommendations from teachers who have had you in class in either 11th or 12th grade and who have taught you in core academic subjects: English, math, science, history, or foreign language. While your broadcast journalism teacher might have fabulous things to say about how comfortable you are in front of the camera and your PE instructor may be able to wax poetic about your speed on the track field, colleges mainly want to know how you perform in the courses most directly related to your readiness for college.

Don't automatically assume that your recommendations must come from the teacher who gave you the best grades, however. In some cases, it may be better to ask the teacher in whose class you struggled for a "B" but who knows and respects your determination to succeed than the teacher who gave you an easy "A" but probably won't have much to say about you beyond that. You may also want to consider the teacher's teaching style. Sometimes a teacher who encourages class discussion and uses a great deal of originality and creativity in the classroom can have more to say about your performance than the teacher whose class is taught by rote. In all cases, however, do think about which teachers seem to be the most thoughtful and to write best -- they are likely to also be the ones who will take the job of writing your recommendation most seriously.

In many schools there are one or two "popular" teachers who everyone asks to write their college recommendations. If a teacher like this is on your list of possiblities, do make sure to verify that they will have enough time to devote to each recommendation, and that they have valuable and important insights into your academic performance. In some cases, you may be better off asking that less popular teacher down the hall who never minds if you stop in to chat about a topic that intrigued you, then the "popular" teacher who knows you only superficially. If you are truly stumped about who to ask, consider brainstorming with your school counselor or parents.

Whoever you decide to ask for recommendations, approach them in a polite and tactful manner. A good question to ask is, "Would you feel comfortable writing my college recommendation?" If you sense any hesitation, don't be insulted. Just move on to another teacher who is immediately enthusiastic about writing your recommendation.

Make your recommendation writers' jobs as easy as possible. First, give them plenty of lead time. You know how hard it is to write an essay or paper -- don't expect your teachers to be able to write a thoughtful and thorough recommendation for you overnight. A good rule of thumb is to get everything they need to them at least six weeks in advance of the deadline.

Don't just drop a bunch of forms on the teacher's desk and expect them to do a good job either. It is helpful to buy one of those expandable file folders with separate pockets and organize all of your recommendation materials in it. In the first pocket, put any general information the teacher might find helpful. Include a list of all of the colleges where you are applying with their application deadlines, a brief description of each school, and perhaps a sentence or two about why you have chosen each one. If you have an activity resume, it can also go in the front pocket. The front pocket can also include a sheet with some brief reminders of your performance in the teacher's class as well as one or two stellar examples of papers or tests in their class to help jog their memory.

Label each of the remaining pockets with a different college's name. Next to the name, write the application deadline. In each pocket, include a stamped envelope addressed to the college admissions office. Also include a copy of the recommendation form for each college. (Many teachers will photocopy the Common Application form after they have completed it to send to all schools that use it.)
One tip to help track your recommendations: Go to the post office and ask for postage paid postcards. They will be blank on each side, except for the postage. On the postage side, write your own name and address. On the other side, write something similar to this: "Dear XYZ College Admissions: Please drop this card in the mail when you receive this recommendation. That will allow me to track whether all of my application paperwork has arrived safely. Thank you."

Many students ask me if it is OK to send additional recommendations beyond the number specified by each individual college. Supplemental recommendations should be used sparingly, if at all. They should not merely repeat what the main recommendations say about you, but, rather, add important information or insights that the main recommendation writers cannot. For example, if you are applying as a studio art or music major, sending a supplemental recommendation from an art or music teacher that discusses your talent and development can be useful at times. A supplemental recommendation from your direct supervisor at the research laboratory where you interned last summer, or from your direct supervisor at the restaurant where you've worked for the last three years, might also add insights if they talk about more than that you are a great kid. However, supplemental recommendations from people who barely know you, from additional teachers who will most likely say pretty much the same thing about you, or from alumni of the college who have never met you but know your grandmother, will most often backfire. Keep in mind that college admissions officers are busy, with thousands of applications to read. Each additional piece in your application file dilutes the amount of time that can be spent on the pieces that matter most. So, before you add a supplemental recommendation, make sure it is going to say something important enough to risk taking the focus off of the main recommendations from your teachers.

Q&A With FairTest's Public Education Director

For two decades FairTest, a small non-profit organization, has been the leading critic of standardized testing, including college admissions exams. The SAT and ACT, according to FairTest, are not only poor predictors of future academic achievement, but also limit college accessibility for minority and low-income students. FairTest also maintains a list of the more than 740 colleges and universities that have adopted test-optional admissions policies since 1987. This spring, four more schools were added to the list. I recently talked with Robert Schaeffer, FairTest's Public Education Director, about the test-optional movement and the key issues he believes students and parents need to know about standardized admissions testing.

Question: Where does the test-optional movement stand? Are there schools which have not yet adopted test-optional policies that have downplayed their role in admissions?

Schaeffer: Nationally, the test-optional admissions movement is growing rapidly. Three more colleges (Goucher, Merrimack and Green Mountain) dropped their standardized exam requirements just last week, and many more are in the "pipeline." FairTest expects the number of institutions on its list of accredited, bachelor-degree granting schools where substantial numbers of applicants are admitted without regard to SAT or ACT scores (www.fairtest.org/optinit.htm) to continue to increase as more colleges recognize the value of test-optional policies.

This year, George Mason University in northern Virginia implemented a test-optional admissions policy. So did Salisbury University, a part of Maryland's public higher education system. At George Mason and Salisbury, students with strong high school records (GPA and class rank) in college preparatory courses are not required to submit scores from either the ACT or SAT. A similar policy is currently under consideration at the University of Rhode Island.

Many other schools, which still require applicants to submit test scores, have deemphasized their role. At MIT, for example, research demonstrating that females with somewhat lower test scores do as well academically as higher scoring males has led to the admission of more young women.

Question: In your opinion, why have none of the "big name" schools such as Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, etc. gone test optional yet?

Schaeffer: At least one Ivy League school is considering adoption of test-optional admissions as 30 of the nation's "top 100" liberal arts colleges have already done. For the most part, however, test scores do not play a major role in the evaluation of applicants at the most competitive institutions. Since so many candidates are good test-takers, admissions officials can make selection decisions based on other factors.

Question: In your contacts with colleges, why do most colleges make the decision to take the test-optional route? How does it typically end up affecting the way admissions decisions are made?

Schaeffer: College adopt test-optional policies for a variety of reasons, including a growing recognition of the exams' weak predictive value, concerns about bias and susceptibility to coaching, and a desire to send a message that high quality classroom performance is more important than how well a person can fill in multiple-choice bubbles on a Saturday morning. There is no "one-size-fits-all" way to handle college admissions - typically, schools adopt procedures that are consistent with the institution's mission and the profile of the entering class it desires to build. In some cases, this may result in a strong reliance on personal interviews or on detailed reviews of graded writing samples from high school classes.

Question: How do you respond to those who suggest that colleges which go test optional are mainly doing it merely to artificially inflate their test medians and rise in the rankings?

Schaeffer: This claim was always a red-herring, pushed by those who profited from selling tests and true-believers in the ideology that "test scores equal merit." In fact, early adopters of ACT/SAT optional policies generally collected scores from their entire first year classes after enrollment and reported this data to ranking services. FairTest hears this false claim much less frequently now that 30 of the nation's "top 100" liberal arts colleges, according to U.S. News & World Report, have test-optional policies (see list below). Increasingly, it is the most selective colleges that are dropping ACT/SAT requirements.

Question: Could you give me an example or two of a college that you feel is a particularly good example of a school that has maintained academic excellence even though they are test optional?

Schaeffer: Bates College in Maine, which became test-optional in 1985, has collected data on the performance of its students for the last two decades. Researchers have found no meaningful difference in the academic outcomes of test non-submitters at the same time diversity of the student body increased (Read the study online)Similarly positive results were reported at Mount Holyoke, Muhlenberg, Franklin & Marshall and other colleges with excellent academic reputations.

Question: FairTest suggests that the use of rigid test score "cut-offs" for merit scholarships results in these awards being disproportionately awarded to upper-income, White students. How have test optional schools responded to this, and why do some test optional schools still require students to submit standardized test scores if they want to be considered for merit money?

Schaeffer: Some colleges that have dropped admissions testing requirements have also ended the use of minimum ACT/SAT scores in selecting "merit" scholarship winners. This is a logically consistent position, which recognizes that "test scores do not measure merit."

Institutions which continue to offer test-based tuition awards, including those that are otherwise test-optional, will have to revise their policies over the next year as a new National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) standard barring the practice is implemented. At their 2006 annual conference, NACAC delegates overwhelmingly endorsed adding a proposal stating "Members agree that they will not use minimum scores as the sole criterion for admissions, advising or for the awarding of financial aid" to the organization's Statement of Principles of Good Practice (SPGP). The expanded cut-off score ban is effective for students beginning undergraduate studies in the summer or fall of 2008.


Question: What is the most important thing you think students and parents need to know about standardized entrance exams? Why?

Schaeffer: Most college admissions officers -- and a growing body of independent scholarship -- recognizes that an applicant's high school record is both a more accurate and more equitable predictor of college performance than is the SAT or ACT. In the last two years alone, nearly three dozen selective colleges (see attached chronology), including many of the "best" in the nation, have eliminated standardized testing requirements for substantial numbers of students in their entering classes. Many other schools have moved to "holistic" policies, which consider grades, class rank, rigor of college preparatory coursework, academic honors, special talents, leadership, community service, and family background, to evaluate applicants. All these approaches recognize that students are "much more than their scores."

Question: In particular, what advice would you give to low income and minority students in particular regarding standardized testing and perhaps including test optional schools on their list?

Schaeffer: All students should consider applying to test-optional schools, if those institutions offer the academic courses and social climate they desire. The growing number of colleges that do not consider ACT or SAT scores before making admissions decisions are particularly attractive for students with strong high school records but weaker standardized exam scores, a group which includes many African-American, Latino, new Asian immigrant, and Native American applicants.



Test Optional Schools in the Top 100 U.S. News & World Report “Best Liberal Arts Colleges” July, 2007

US News
Rank

5. Middlebury College (Vermont)
7. Bowdoin College (Maine)
17. Hamilton College (New York)
23. Bates College (Maine)
24. Mount Holyoke College (Massachusetts)
32. College of the Holy Cross (Massachusetts)
36. Bard College (New York)
39. Connecticut College (Connecticut)
Union College (New York)
41. Franklin and Marshall College (Pennsylvania)
41. Dickinson College (Pennsylvania)
45. Gettysburg College (Pennsylvania)
Sarah Lawrence College (New York)
48. Denison University (Ohio)
51. Pitzer College (California)
53. Lawrence University (Wisconsin)
55. Wheaton College (Massachusetts)
57. St. Lawrence University (New York)
67. Hobart and William Smith Colleges (New York)
69. Drew University (New Jersey)
Ursinus College (Pennsylvania)
74. Muhlenberg College (Pennsylvania)
79. Gustavus Adolphus College (Minnesota)
Knox College (Illinois)
Lewis and Clark College (Oregon)
91. Bennington College (Vermont)
Goucher College (Maryland)
Hampshire College (Massachusetts)
95. Juniata College (Pennsylvania)
Lake Forest College (Illinois)

source: U.S. News & World Report America’s Best Colleges 2007 Edition pp. 86-88 and FairTest: The National Center for Fair & Open Testing

Bringing A Large School Down To Size

Many believe that large universities can't offer the same intimate feel and faculty-student relationships of a small liberal arts college. While it is true that many large universities make finding those connections a challenge, some universities have taken steps to bring a large school down to a more user-friendly size. For instance, Clemson University has established "Creative Inquiry" groups, where groups of between five and fifteen undergraduates work closely on a research project with a faculty member over three to four semesters. The groups help students get involved with research, but, just as importantly, they also help foster close-knit connections between faculty and students.

If you're considering applying to larger universities, but are worried about being treated like just a number, it is important to ask the right questions as you do college research. Look for insititutions offering programs like Clemson's that are designed to break out of the stereotypical large institution mold. In particular, look for small freshman seminars taught by full faculty, living-learning communities, honors colleges within the university, academic advising done by faculty intead of an "advising office," and the availability of special research programs such as Clemson's. Also keep in mind that most large universities are actually broken up into smaller academic units that can function as a more intimate "home base" within the larger setting. So, look for signs that the academic division you will enroll in fosters tight relationships between students and faculty as well.