Not everyone needs to (or should) shop for a top-name school. You can still find lots of high-quality colleges and universities among the elites.
Gems glisten everywhere. Don’t discount the liberal arts college down the street because it may be able to offer a connection that you can’t find anywhere else.
A Stanford study says “fit” is more important than rankings. I really do believe too many students and families rely on college rankings published by well-known organizations to define quality. The higher the ranking doesn’t mean it’s the best fit for your child. The study found that the “metrics used in these rankings are weighted arbitrarily and are not accurate indicators of a college’s quality or positive outcomes for students.”
Do I even need to write any more?
Quick Story
I chatted with Laurie Kopp Weingarten, president and chief educational consultant at One-Stop College Counseling, and she told me a great story.
“Several years ago I had a straight-A student with strong test scores and interesting extracurricular activities who was a bit lacking in self-confidence. She felt strongly that she should attend a college where she would be the ‘big fish in a little pond’ instead of the ‘little fish in a big pond.’ It was very important to her that she choose an institution where she would be at the top and be recognized as a superstar.
She set her sights on a public university with a 70% acceptance rate. She did apply to other colleges, including those that are much more selective, and was actually accepted into every school she applied to. However, she stuck with her plan to attend the public university.
She SOARED there. She was at the top of her class, where she won all sorts of awards. She is well-known at the school, and they’ve asked her to assume all sorts of leadership roles. She has made mini-promotional films for the school, and now, as a recent alumna, they’ve asked her back to speak multiple times.
In this case, she didn’t feel up to attending a highly selective university where the competition would be fierce. Instead, she decided to choose a school that isn’t overly competitive and where she would stand out. It paid off with lots of internships and job offers, and it built her confidence.”
Yessss! This is exactly what I’m talking about.
Best Reasons to Look for a Non-Selective or Moderately Selective College
Most people think the only reason your child would want to look for a non-selective college is because you couldn’t hack it due to poor academic achievement. Not so. There are lots of great reasons to opt for a less-selective institution.
1. Your Child May Be More Likely to Get In
Obviously, the fact that your child can get in is one of the reasons to apply to non-selective colleges.
How do you find out whether a college is selective or not? Take a look at its admission requirements. Most colleges list their admission requirements, which may look something like this:
Graduate from an accredited high school or equivalent by the time of enrollment.
Rank in the upper half of your high school graduating class.
Have ACT or SAT-I scores high enough to predict probable success. Note: ACT and SAT test scores may not be required if you’re applying for admission right now. Many colleges do not want to place undue hardships on students who cannot take the ACT or SAT due to closed testing locations.
English: Four years, including literature
Math: Two or more years, including algebra, advanced algebra and geometry
Social studies: Three or more years, including American and European history
Sciences: Two or more years of lab science
Foreign language: Two or more years
That may be the extent of a college’s requirements! You can also call an admission counselor for more information about specific college selectivity.
2. Your Child Will Still Take Rigorous Classes
Make no mistake — it’s a challenge to get through organic chemistry at just about any college or university. Lower selectivity institutions definitely offer rigorous coursework.
Just because your child’s valedictorian of her high school class or achieved a 34 ACT doesn’t mean that she won’t feel challenged at a lower selectivity institution.
Some less selective colleges let academically talented students work with faculty on research projects as well.
Students at lower selectivity institutions may also receive more personalized attention from staff.
Some lower selectivity institutions smaller classroom size with hands-on teaching may be more conducive to learning than a large lecture hall format.
You may get to know classmates and faculty closely and form lasting personal or professional relationships.
You child may get more opportunities to work on projects, connect to internships through faculty and gain valuable job experience.
3. Your Family May Experience More Personalization During the Admission Process
Less selective schools must work a little harder for their students. That means you and your child reap the benefits. In other words, highly selective colleges and universities don’t have to work nearly as hard to recruit students — they naturally come to them. That means that less selective institutions must do the hard work of calling, emailing, texting and even engaging students on social media.
You’re more likely to get one-on-one attention from an admission counselor who must carefully work through an application list. As an admission counselor, it was my job to personalize the admission process as much as possible. I would try to learn:
Students’ goals
Other schools on their list
Their favorite things (we once sent a box of Wheaties to a student because we knew it was his favorite cereal!)
Connections they’d already made with others at the college
About their families and friends
Anything else I could think of!
We made the college search process a personalized experience — and that might just happen if you’re looking into a less selective institution.
4. The College Application Process is Less Strenuous
Chances are, your child won’t have to worry about a complicated application process if he or she is looking at a less selective institution. Here’s a quick overview.
Regular Admission
Regular admission means your child can apply to as many colleges as possible. An application submission deadline varies between institutions. Regular admission deadlines typically fall in early January and admission offers get sent out in late March or early April. Your student has until May 1 to either accept or decline admission offers. (Your child may not encounter this type of admission, either.)
Rolling Admission
When I was an admission counselor, our college used rolling admission. Rolling admission means a college releases admission decisions regularly instead of sending them all out on one target date.
An admission committee will only review your child’s application as soon as all required information is in. Colleges that use a rolling admission policy usually notify applicants of admission decisions quickly. (Students learned of an admission decision within two weeks at our college!)
Rolling admission decisions are non-binding. This means that your child will not be required to attend that school and will not need to make a decision until May 1, which is National Candidate Reply Day.
Open Admission
Open admission means a college accepts any high school graduate (no matter what those grades look like) until all spaces in the incoming class are filled. Two-year community colleges immediately come to mind — most community colleges have a two-year open admission policy. Note that a college with a general open admission policy may have certain admission requirements for specific programs.
Your child probably won’t encounter these types of admission at lower selectivity institutions:
Early Action (EA), which means your student has the option to submit an application before the regular deadline. Early action plans are not binding, which means that your child is not required to attend.
Early Decision (ED) means your child can submit an application to his or her first-choice college before the regular deadline and get an admission decision earlier than usual. Early decision plans are binding, which means your child must attend that institution.
Single-Choice Early Action or Restrictive Early Action means your child is not required to attend if accepted. However, if using this method, your child may not apply to any other school during the early action period only.
5. Lower Costs
You’ll typically find lower selectivity institutions in areas that also include lower costs of living (not big urban areas). The savings on rent and tuition might be worth it.
Your child may be able to get an academic scholarship. Many colleges give half or full-tuition academic scholarships to students who have a very good high school GPA, ACT or SAT scores and class rank. The most selective colleges will not award your child a merit scholarship.
“We had a student who wanted to study business. Although she was accepted at multiple selective programs, she chose to study at Bentley University (45-50% acceptance rate), where they placed her into the honors program, provided her with a large scholarship, and of course, she received all the perks that came along with the honors program. She loved feeling like she was the top of the class!” says Kopp Weingarten.
Kopp Weingarten also said, “We also had a student who chose a large public university in the Midwest where she could use her AP credits to get advanced standing, basically entering as a sophomore. She graduated in three years, saved tons of money and was accepted into a top-tier Ph.D. program.”
6. College Selectivity is Not a Reliable Indicator of Learning, Job Satisfaction or Well-Being
The Stanford study found no significant relationship between a school’s selectivity and student learning, future job satisfaction or well-being. Furthermore, the study found only modest financial benefits of attending more selective colleges — and that applied to first-generation and other underserved students.
Individual student characteristics (background, major, ambition) may make more of a difference in terms of post-college outcomes than the institutions themselves.
7. Learning Engagement is Most Important
Students’ learning among a campus community may offer the key to positive outcomes after college, according to the Stanford study. For instance:
Students participate in service learning and thrive when they apply what they learn in the classroom to real life settings.
Students are successful when mentors at the college encourage them to pursue personal goals.
Those who are successful after college engage in multi-semester projects.
8. Grades May Be Higher
Your child may be more likely to graduate with honors at a less selective institution.
“When students apply to medical school, the two most important aspects of their applications are their GPA and their MCATs,” says Kopp Weingarten. “We had a student who felt it might be difficult to maintain a high GPA at a highly competitive college where everyone was aiming for ‘A’ grades. He chose to attend a college where he felt he could keep his GPA high due to the lower competition at the school. Due to the fact that he was at the top of their admit pile, he received a huge scholarship and only paid about $10,000 a year for a private college. It worked out for him because he graduated with a near-perfect GPA and was accepted into medical school. He then had the money he saved to put toward paying for medical school.”
Great example.
Think Carefully About College Selectivity
The main drawback of graduating from a less selective college is brand recognition. However, there are other things to think about, such as whether your child actually ends up graduating. Plus, if your child plans to go to graduate school, nobody cares where he or she goes for an undergraduate education.
Colleges with higher selectivity are also much more likely to graduate students than those with lower selectivity. However, once your child does graduate, there’s little difference in life outcomes, as the Stanford study suggests.
“Sometimes, the most highly selective schools can open the door for a candidate (job or graduate school). But what really matters is how well the student performs at the school they are at. The school doesn’t make the student successful — it’s up to the student to do that on their own,” says Kopp Weingarten.
Tip: Check the financial solvency of institutions your child is interested in (particularly those small private colleges that were already in trouble before the pandemic). Some have already closed. Attending a lower selectivity public school is less of a risk because if those institutions close, students will still be a part of the state system.
My daughter started second grade (in-person instruction!) Thursday morning. Off she went, clad in a little purple mask and a tiny plaid dress.
We don’t know how the year will go. Maybe kids will all be home by November. Maybe they’ll manage to dodge all sickness and everyone will make it to May.
Who. Knows.
The only thing we can all do is make the best decisions we make for our families and our kids and keep moving forward, right? Even if your child’s in high school, you’ve got the same worries. It’s hard to see your child’s retreating back disappear into a long hallway.
The blight of the academic changes last semester left many high school experiences high and dry, and you might wonder if your child’s high school career is crumbling.
Here are a few ways you can keep your high schooler on track! Don’t forget to get my high school checklist for quick tips for launching the college search at the start of this year.
Check in on Academics
High school disruption happened to an unprecedented level this spring. However, that doesn’t mean that your child can’t catch up or choose to go a different route.
Here’s what I mean by this. Here’s a quick scenario.
Jessica didn’t do well in Algebra II last semester. The combination of no in-person instruction and trying to get extra Zoom help from her teacher still didn’t work well. Her teacher had a hard time explaining some of the concepts to her without seeing her worksheets in person.
Jessica’s not sure what she should do this semester. She’s back in school for the time being, but she’s also back to online learning.
Here’s another scenario:
Ben missed a whole semester of individual trumpet instruction from his band teacher. He wants to be a college professor and brass instructor when he graduates from college. He still practiced, but he needs individual instruction. Zoom classes from core classes like math, science and social studies took up all his time.
Even if your child is in classes right now, you may need to be prepared for another at-home semester. You may have other options. Don’t settle if the experience last semester wasn’t the right route for your child:
Take the class somewhere else. Look into a community college option.
Get into class with another teacher.
Find out what tutoring options are available or whether in-person instruction is a possibility.
Tap into Extracurriculars
Lots of things got pushed to the wayside this spring — including extracurricular activities and athletics. Some states plan to move forward with the fall athletics season as scheduled and others have already modified plans, including shifting the entire fall season to 2021.
Meet Coaches Online
Naturally, college coaches have shifted to digital recruiting. This means coaches will rely more heavily on online recruiting networks like Next College Student Athlete (NCSA) to discover, communicate with, evaluate and recruit talent.
Help your child beef up his most recent information, including grades, highlight video and more. This will make student-athletes more searchable to college coaches. Recruiting will depend on what happened last year.
Can your child do camps, showcases, tournaments and more? If so, sign up.
Check out this summary from NCSA:
80% of college coaches do not expect impacts to their athletic program’s scholarships.
A majority of coaches say that COVID-19 will impact their recruiting timeline for their 2021 class.
39% of coaches believe that their recruiting timeline won’t encounter delays.
46% of coaches expect a recruiting delay.
15% of coaches believe recruiting will speed up.
Try to Continue Clubs and Organizations
Even if your child starts the year with at-home learning, find out if there’s a way to continue student council, Key Club, National Honor Society, Future Farmers of America — whatever it is that your child’s into! Get on Zoom, help coordinate if you can. Find out who the teacher sponsor is of the club and organization so your child has the best chance of continuing those activities.
It might be impossible to continue certain activities with remote learning (like running club) so look for alternatives. Can your child start a solo running club and members keep track of their running individually?
Be creative and help your child brainstorm other ways to continue extracurricular activities.
Know that Colleges Understand
Know that above all else, colleges understand what students are going through. If your child says, “I couldn’t complete my last semester of Future Business Leaders of America because of the pandemic,” they’re going to understand. In fact, admission offices are looking for more ways to evaluate students and come up with ways they can evaluate your student’s character, motivation, creativity and more.
So, in light of the pandemic, what did your student do? Did he come up with a way to help people during the pandemic? Did she gather supplies for people in the hospital during the pandemic?
The more your child can do to stand out, the better that college application will look.
Just don’t worry about missing out on things — more than ever, colleges will have to roll with the punches.
Don’t forget to download my free high school checklist you can be taking now for the college search!
Freshmen may not believe their journey starts right now, but it does. Now’s the start of school and there’s no reason to wait!
We’d occasionally get emails or letters from students that would explain their bad grades — loss of an important family member, students’ own illnesses, traumatic event, lack of motivation, switch to a different teacher, lack of maturity, etc.
Colleges do take that information seriously — things happen. However, it’s best not to plant those seeds of doubt.
Anecdotally, in the admission office, we found that a high predictor of college success were students’ grades in high school — more than SAT or ACT scores. The variable that generally reflects the strongest correlation with college academic achievement is the high school GPA, according to the National Association for College Admission Counseling.
So, how to prepare for college as a freshman in high school?
Naturally, it’s up to you to have that conversation with your child before school starts.
Grades Matter, Starting Now
You knew that would be the first thing, right? It’s really hard to change the tide of bad grades as a senior and high school academic success paves the way for college success. High school grade point average is still the highest predictor of a student’s likelihood of graduating from a two- or four-year college. Although any single grade is imperfect, when averaged over a high school career, the grade point average is an excellent predictor of how a student will do in college.
Here’s a scenario: Meredith knows she’ll be able to slide through high school because of the community college’s open admission option — that anyone can get in, no matter their grade point average. Meredith believes that she can “take it easy” freshman year because, if all else fails, she can go to the local community college.
However, research shows that putting effort toward grades in high school is essential, according to the American Federation of Teachers. In fact:
Students who don’t do homework end up with 1.2 years less education and 19 percent lower earnings than average.
Students doing 15 hours or more a week of homework attain almost 1.5 more years of education and attain 16 percent higher earnings than average. Isn’t that amazing?!
Steps to Prepare for Freshman Year
Freshman year may look a whole lot different than your child may have envisioned. Here’s what you can do to help your child prepare for college. (Yes! It’s time to have these conversations now!)
Roll with Remote Learning
A few moms I know have their kids all set up with remote learning. Danielle has set up a six-foot long table for her five kids and they all study at the same time, like a one-room schoolhouse. Tracey’s high schooler studies in a common living space — not in his room. Here are a more tips for remote success:
Limit distractions. As much as you can, keep kids away from their phones, Netflix, the refrigerator (“I need snacks ten times a day to study, Mom!”) and more.
Stick to a routine. If your child has a Zoom class at 10, suggest studying for that class at the same time every day. Write out a schedule in advance and align it as closely with your child’s class schedule as possible.
Look at actual textbooks. It’s taxing to look at a screen all day — you may understand if you sit at a computer all day long! Check out blue light-blocking computer glasses if your child has no choice but to stare at a screen all day!
Fix any difficulties with classes. Is your child having trouble with classes due to distance learning? It may be hard to adjust to learning trigonometry online. Find out whether the teacher offers study sessions outside of class and can demonstrate how to do complex math problems or teach Shakespeare individually. AI tools for studying can also be a great supplement, offering personalized explanations and practice problems for tough subjects.
Examine Eighth Grade Experiences
College success is linked to high school preparation — and that starts now. Use eighth grade as a springboard for the conversation. Ask your child:
What worked well in eighth grade?
What do you wish you would have done differently in your classes in eighth grade?
How would you do things differently?
Is there a better way to stay organized this year?
Classes will be more involved this year. How do you think you’ll plan to study?
What do you think is the secret to success?
What classes do you think will be a challenge/not as much as of a challenge? How will you handle each?
Take College Prep Classes
Make sure the plan includes college prep classes:
English: Keep in mind that colleges like to see four years of English.
Math: Colleges also like to see four years of math. Math classes should include at least four of these classes: Pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, algebra II or trigonometry, precalculus and calculus. If your high schooler is having a hard time with math, let him try an AI-powered math solver that explains complex concepts in digestible bits.
Science: Take at least three years of laboratory science classes (check specific school requirements) but a fourth year is still a bonus. Make sure your child plans to take biology, chemistry and physics.
Social studies: Most colleges require at least two years of social studies or social science, including world history and U.S. history, government, sociology, geography or psychology.
Foreign language: Many colleges require a minimum of two years of foreign language while in
Arts: A small number of colleges require at least one year of visual or performing arts.
Cultivate Good Study Habits
It’s best to start freshman year with good study habits so your child is used to implementing them each year of high school.
Here are some tips:
Determine your child’s most productive study hours. Does your child do better in the early morning? Late evening? During study hall? Extracurricular activities might make it tough to be picky, but try to cater to your child’s best hours.
Encourage your child to get plenty of sleep. Teenagers need between nine and nine and a half hours of sleep (in fact, studies show that most teenagers need exactly nine and a quarter hours of sleep!) according to Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The need to study might hinder your child’s sleep cycle but try to hit those nine-and-a-quarter hours as much as possible! It’ll make your child more productive in school and during study time.
Make sure your child has all necessary resources. Does your daughter do better when she’s got a laptop in front of her? A quiet room? Does your son need a special calculator? Does he do well studying in the midst of chaos (at the kitchen table)? Make sure your child’s set up for success wherever that may be.
Help eliminate distractions. Netflix off, phone in quarantine. What other distractions normally bug your child during study hours? The cat running circles in the dining room? The neighbors coming over at the exact same time every night?
Check in. Keep a mental check of what
Know what’s due. Now, this doesn’t mean you have to know every single math problem assigned to your child. Just know in the back of your head
Come up with ways to keep grades up. What went well last year? Did your child’s grades measure up to what you expected? Did your child think he could have done a little better? Make a list of ways (together!)
Talk About College, Starting Now!
Let’s step away from the academic conversation for a second. There’s other stuff to talk about!
Talk About College Money
It’s never too early to have conversations with your child about how much you’ve saved for college. In fact, it’s really important — it will help your child understand his college options. Talk to your child about how much you’ve saved, how much you can help out per month during college and more.
It helps frame the college conversation a little bit more and gets your child ready for what’s ahead. Student loans might be a part of the college cost equation, and the earlier your student knows that, the better.
Here are some topics you might want to consider talking about:
Actual college costs vs. sticker price
Loans and their implications
The importance of scholarships
Your own experience paying for college
The difference between grants, scholarships, loans and more (hint: scholarships and grants are free money!)
In-state versus out-of-state tuition
Talk About College Preference
It’s also not too early to talk about where your child thinks he might “fit” best — community college, private liberal arts college, state university, etc. Describe the differences between each and learn more:
How is a state university different from all other options?
Is a technical school or online institution a better fit?
You may not know the answers to these questions right now, but it’s time to start thinking about them.
Things Could Change in a Heartbeat!
We aren’t sure what’s going to happen during the upcoming school year. If your child’s started out online, maybe it’ll continue for the foreseeable future. Maybe your child’s taking classes in person right now but you know all this could change!
Carefully examine the ways you can help this year get underway successfully — it’s going to take some creativity and maybe even a few pivots, too.
Now that it’s back-to-school time, your child (or you!) may be in paralysis mode. Are you ready to launch the college search?
It’s okay to say no.
I know that it’s easy to feel completely unprepared, especially when the college search is changing so much right now.
I thought of five myths right before breakfast. I’m channeling the show “MythBusters” because my 12 years in college admission means I’ve seen it all.
Here are eight quick myths about college admissions, the college search and saving for college that I’m attempting to bust forever.
Myth #1: I shouldn’t save for college right now because of market volatility.
Market volatility can actually benefit you right now. The downturn in the markets means that you’ll be getting your investments “on sale.” Let’s say you just had a newborn. A portfolio diversified with a mix of stocks and bonds means you can buy shares of his 529 plan with less money.
Here’s what happens when the market goes up: You’ll still have that exact number of shares when the market goes back up — and they’ll be worth a lot more money.
It’s a really, really good idea to save for college right now.
Myth #2: It’s too late to save for college if my child’s in high school.
Let’s say your child is a high school junior and you’re thinking it’s too late to save for college.
You should save. There’s a really good reason for that, too. A study showed that it’s more likely that your child will go to college, even if you don’t have a lot saved. The study said that if parents save a small amount (less than $500), a child is 25 percent more likely to enroll in college and 64 percent more likely to graduate than a child with no savings. The study is from the Center for Social Development at Washington University in St. Louis.
In a nutshell, the study says that a low-to-moderate income child with school savings of $1 to $499 before college age is more than three times more likely to enroll in college than a low-to-moderate income child with no savings account and more than four and half times more likely to graduate. In addition, a low-to-moderate income child with school savings of $500 or more is about five times more likely to graduate from college than a child with no savings account.
Myth #3: “Shoulda, woulda, coulda” is helpful in the grand scheme of things.
I looked back on something I wrote in 2017: My daughter turns *gasp* four years old this week. Gone are the days of that sweet little voice chirping, “ma-ma.” Now, she’s deftly picking out “cat,” “in,” and “hat” while we read. (Yes, we did read “The Cat in the Hat” for a bedtime story tonight.)
I work in undergraduate admission at my alma mater, Central College, and just for a bit of fun (with a heart attack on the side), I decided to check out College Board’s college cost prediction for her in 14 years. (A really short amount of time, mamas!)
If she makes the same college choice I did, it’ll cost $137,125 (sticker price) for her freshman year alone.
Cue jaw drop.
BUT! The admission professional in me says—nobody pays full sticker price. TRUE! Plus, there are scholarships, grants, loans, etc. YES! Plus… parental savings. Right.
Believe it or not, it’s possible to save for college. There are more savings options than ever, from prepaid tuition plans to tax-deferred accounts to 529 plans.
Also… this. One of the coolest things I use (and won’t shut up about) is www.upromise.com. Upromise Rewards is a free loyalty program, in which you can earn cash back for college on “what you already do and buy,” which is exactly what the website touts. You can shop online, go out to eat, buy groceries, book a vacation, and earn cash back for doing it.
Example: We have plans for a family wedding in Mexico this November. My credit card’s registered on the Upromise.com website. I can go through Upromise.com to book a flight on Expedia. Right now, they have a deal going on that travel is 15 percent cash back through March 31. Voila — 15 percent of our flight cost funnels directly into her 529 plan.
This works for grocery stores using grocery coupons, at popular websites such as Gap, Ann Taylor, Kohl’s, Neiman Marcus, J.Crew, The Children’s Place, diapers.com — the list goes on!
Ultimately, every little bit helps. Every little bit! Anything I can do to chip away at that $137,125 (ugh… that just hurts to type…) is win-win for me and my four-year-old’s future.
So… Did I use UPromise religiously?
No.
Do I invest in my daughter’s 529 plan every month, without fail?
No.
Life happens. Expenses come up. Mice happily invade your vehicle and you need a new van (guess what happened to me this summer, folks!).
There’s no sense beating yourself up if you couldn’t do all the things. Move forward, save every penny you can and get back on track when you can.
Myth #4: It’s a good idea to write a laser-focused COVID-19 college admission essay.
It’s a good idea to encourage your child to rethink the “COVID-19 Staycation” title and, if possible, avoid it altogether. The truth is, unless your child used COVID-19 to launch an amazing social justice program or helped people affected by COVID-19. Admission application readers may not want to read about the virus in thousands of essays.
Encourage your child to pick another topic!
Myth #5: It’s not worth it to get to know the school counselor at my child’s school.
You’re missing out on a treasure trove of information if you and your child neglect to stop in the school counselor’s office at the beginning of this year. I was an admission counselor at a college for 12 years, and do you know what I did when I visited high schools?
Sure, I talked to students. But I always took it one step further. I talked to school counselors in depth and even more, I made sure to ply them with treats from our local bakery and do a deep dive on:
Academic programs
The culture of the campus
Athletics and our awesome coaches
Former high school students from that school with great success stories
The beautiful campus (“Have you been there, Mr. School Counselor? Here’s a coupon for free treats in the bakery! You’ve gotta make a road trip!”)
And so much more!
I always tried to give school counselors a list of these highlights and answered all their questions. It was so fun! Now, here’s what you can be doing right now:
Have your child meet with the school counselor. Make sure you join in on the conversation. It’s time to check on classes, make sure that class success is still possible with a new schedule and whether your child has enough college prep classes worked into the school schedule, too. Don’t forget to check out 8 Important Questions to Ask Your School Counselor Right Now.
Have your child put together a resume. The school counselor will be able to use it to refer you to scholarships later.
Participate in school counselor activities. Does your child’s school counselor plan to have a back-to-school Zoom night? A parent information night? Participate! Remember, that school counselor is a trove of information.
Have your child send a follow-up note. Teach your child to send a thank you note whenever someone does something kind for him. A great meeting with a school counselor warrants a thank you note, and remember, that kind of thanks often goes rewarded. (Who will the school counselor think of first when a new scholarship comes across her desk, perfect for your student?)
Myth #6: We’ll pay the sticker price at colleges.
Please take this to heart: Almost nobody pays the sticker price.
They really don’t. When you look at the costs list at a college and see that it costs $50,000 per year, it might only cost you $20,000. It might even cost less than that! Lots of schools are sticking their necks out for students in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. There may be brand-new aid available to your child!
Please go through the application process, file the FAFSA and get the financial aid awards from colleges — even if you’re scared away by the sticker price. A school with what looks like a prohibitively high sticker price might cost less than you think.
Myth #7: Test-optional admission doesn’t really mean test optional.
No, it does. They really do mean it. In fact, there’s a list of colleges with test-optional policies that say they will not penalize students for the absence of a standardized test score. These schools endorse a student-centered, holistic approach to admission that will not disadvantage any student without a test score.
You may have also heard something called a “character movement” showing up in the college admission landscape.
What’s that?
Colleges are starting to put more weight on students’ character for admission purposes — like social justice, citizenship and more. The tricky thing is that it’s hard to measure. However, if your student can prove outstanding characteristics like grit, tenacity, intellectual curiosity and problem-solving skills, that’s a good thing.
Major changes may be afoot — but the bottom line is that test optional really does mean schools don’t require the ACT or SAT.
Myth #8: I’m in charge of my kid’s college search.
Would you believe that in a handful of cases, I could see that moms filled out the college application for their kids? It’s hard to watch kids flounder — to sit for hours in front of a blank screen as he tries to write a scholarship essay. But remember, this is your child’s journey. Forget the college application checklist (just for a second!) and read this!
Here are a few ways you can divide up tasks. Your child should be able to:
Set up Zoom meetings with admission counselors
Set up in-person college visits (when you feel comfortable, of course)
Scholarship research and applications
Here are a few things you can do as a parent:
File the FAFSA
Figure out the logistics of college visits (transportation, hotel stays, etc.)
Talking to the financial aid office at various colleges (but have your student listen to those conversations!)
Busted!
Myths: Busted! To help you out, I’ve also put together a back-to-school checklist just for you that also busts some myths about the college search.
Everyone needs this checklist because let’s face it, launching the college search is hard — and it’s easy not to know where to start. Get my free Start-of-School College Search Checklist from College Money Tips — you’ll have it in your hands in no time!
College and career counselors are the unsung heroes of the college search process. They’re forthcoming about community-based scholarships, college prep courses and more. They’ve got a pulse on what’s going on at colleges and universities — because guess who talks to them before and after college visits? That’s right — college representatives!
This year may be a little different, but going into it, I’d like to see school counselors hop on virtual visits with college admission counselors so they know exactly what’s going on at each college and university.
Here’s what to a college counselor (also known as your child’s school counselor) this year.
1. Is it possible to work with you virtually?
You may want to jump on a conversation with the school counselor with your student this year. Classes may be a bit jumbled up because of the school schedule or required virtual classes. Eliminating electives like band and ceramics may also create openings (it’s hard to do band and choir over Zoom). The loss of electives can be a real burden for students, so if an alternative option is needed, now’s the time to talk with the school counselor. Try to schedule a meeting before school starts to discuss all the options available to your student.
However, if you must meet in person, the school may have a specific policy about how to handle in-person meetings, such as social distancing requirements and wearing a mask in a large conference room. Make sure you come with a prepared list of questions! Additionally, inquire about any remote learning resources like online math classes that might be available.
2. Is my child still on the most robust college prep schedule possible?
Certain classes may only be offered twice a week, other classes may have been cut — it may seem like your child’s schedule is slowly shrinking. Make sure these are on the schedule:
English
Colleges like to see four years of English. Any class where your child will study writing and literature is a bonus because just about every career will require your child to write well. Four years of English also enhances your child’s reading, analysis and communication skills.
Math
Colleges also like to see four years of math. Math classes should include at least four of the following six classes (in order):
Pre-algebra
Algebra
Geometry
Algebra II or trigonometry
Precalculus
Calculus
Science
It may be okay to take just three years of laboratory science classes (check specific school requirements) but a fourth year is still a bonus. Make sure your child’s taken the following:
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Social Studies
Most colleges require at least two years of social studies, including world history and U.S. history. Your child could consider other social science options, including:
Government
Sociology
Geography
Psychology
Foreign Language
Many colleges require a minimum of two years of foreign language while in high school. It doesn’t matter which foreign language your child chooses to study.
Arts
A small number of colleges require one year of visual or performing arts prior to admission.
Check with the school counselor to be sure your child is checking all the boxes. Pay special attention to the requirements at each college. The last thing you’d want is to let COVID-19 be the reason your child didn’t take a fourth year of English.
3. What’s the latest information you’ve heard from college representatives? (In particular, School X?)
When I visited schools in the fall of 2018, I made sure to talk to the college counselor at every high school I visited. I sat in that counselor’s office and made sure to spend a few minutes highlighting exactly why students should visit our college. I repeated my elevator pitch for the counselor, highlighted the exact programs and majors that were getting a lot of attention and described what the campus was like. I tried to give each counselor a goodie basket and always gave each counselor a bundle of materials to hand out to students.
Every time I visited high schools, I made sure to let counselors know that our college was a great option for the right type of student.
Now, not all admission counselors from colleges spend that much time with school counselors. However, remember that school counselors have their ears open — and still will during the pandemic. Maybe even more so, because they’ll be collecting information about which colleges have changed their requirements, like ACT and SAT testing and more. Be sure to ask this question, because you might learn a nugget of information you can’t get online.
4. When will you hold virtual visits with admission representatives? How will my child get notified?
Since it’s likely that no in-person admission visits will happen this year, encourage your child to attend virtual college rep visits. It’s the next-best thing. Virtual visits are the perfect platform for your child to ask questions. I know it seems like something’s “missing” when your kid can’t meet with reps one-on-one, but what’s more important is asking the right questions.
Here are a few key questions your child can ask:
Are there extra scholarships due to the pandemic?
What the campus is like right now due to COVID-19? Will this continue for the foreseeable future?
How has the pandemic affected the college process?
Admission reps should be as forthcoming with information as possible — it’s their job.
5. Which colleges do you think will be a good fit for my child?
Again, take advantage of the intel school counselors get from college representatives and ask about the colleges he or she thinks are a good fit for your child. The college counselor hears nuggets of information, such as:
All of College X’s students got into medical school last year.
College Y may switch to all online offerings next year.
College Z’s exercise science program is really popular.
Obviously, these are random examples but you may learn more through the school counselor than a random online search.
6. Which classes are the best college prep classes the high school has to offer?
Does your child’s high school offer college coursework? Does your student want to take AP classes? If so, your child’s college counselor should be able to suggest some options that would be a good fit. Here are a few great follow-up questions:
Is my child ready to take AP courses?
How many are available and how many do students typically handle at once?
7. Are you aware of my child’s achievements?
I personally love this question because it gets to the heart of whether the school counselor really knows your student. It’s important that the college counselor has a firm grasp on your child’s interests, career goals and achievements (both in the classroom and out of the classroom). Obviously, it’s impossible to expect your child’s school counselor to remember extracurricular activities for every student, so that’s where a resume comes in handy. Include:
Notable achievements or awards
Leadership positions held
Extracurricular activities
Community involvement
Higher-level classes taken and special projects
Make sure you and your student are as warm and friendly as possible toward the school counselor. Doesn’t it motivate you to work harder when someone brings you cookies for doing a great job? (I’m not saying you need to do that, it’s just a reminder that we’re all going through stress and a little “thank you” goes a long way.)
8. Can I switch to a different school counselor?
Technically, this isn’t a question you may want to ask your child’s school counselor. However, the question may need to be asked if your child’s school counselor doesn’t seem to fit your family. Does the school counselor push back meetings with your student or not answer your questions thoroughly? Ask for a counselor change — you want to be sure your child is getting the best help possible, especially now that colleges are changing everything.
Ask Great Questions
Your child’s school counselor may be overworked and overwhelmed, but it’s also important to give each other grace during these turbulent times. Take advantage of the precious time you get with the school counselor by getting ready: Prep those questions ahead of time. Write them down, make them a priority and have a great conversation, whether it’s on Zoom or in person.
It’s time for seniors to get that admission ball rolling, and now’s the time to start.
One of the things I wish would be easier to understand are the different types of admission available at all schools. (I also wish there was one standard financial aid award that looked the same nationwide.)
I worked in the admission office of my alma mater for 12 years and we had rolling admission. This means that we’d accept applications as they came in, without an application deadline.
In other words, if you applied in September of senior year, you could get admitted just as easily as if you waited to May of senior year. The perks to rolling admission is that you don’t have to worry about a deadline date.
However, the downside is that your child doesn’t have a deadline. It’s often easier to make sure your child actually gets the application done when there’s a hard-and-fast deadline.
One more thing worth mentioning: There’s no shame in turning to professional help to help you get admitted to college. However, it’s important to choose wisely, so read reviews of Speedy Paper services or similar platforms to make the right choice that meets your needs. Selecting a reliable assistant can boost your child’s confidence, reduce stress and help you stick to a plan. It can be a great asset, especially if companies offer reasonable perks like SpeedyPaper discount codes or original approaches and solutions.
There are no right or wrong answers (kind of like choosing a major) but there are definitely types of admission that match best with your child’s personality. Let’s dive into seven different admission types and figure out which one is best for your student.
Various Types of College Admission
Let’s go over seven common types of college admission practices: Regular admission, rolling admission,
Regular Admission
Regular admission allows students to apply to as many schools as they would like. There’s an application submission deadline, which will vary between institutions. However, regular admission deadlines typically fall in early January and admission offers are sent out in late March or early April. Your student has until May 1 to either accept or decline the admission offers. Colleges that offer regular admission typically have an early college admission option (detailed below) so make sure you and your student are aware of all the deadline dates!
Best for: Students who want flexibility with their admission decision and don’t want to have to commit to a school early.
Rolling Admission
As I mentioned before, our college participated in rolling admission. Rolling admission means a college releases admission decisions regularly — sometimes daily — instead of sending them all out on one target date.
An admission committee will only review your child’s application as soon as all required information (such as high school records and test scores) has been received, rather than setting an application deadline and reviewing applications in a batch. Colleges that use a rolling admission policy usually notify applicants of admission decisions quickly.
If you apply earlier, you’ll receive your decision earlier. iming is important when applying to schools with rolling admissions. As classes fill up, fewer spots remain.
The average turnaround time for rolling admissions decisions by colleges is about two to six weeks. Rolling admissions decisions are non-binding, which means that your child will not be required to attend that school. Your child will not need to decide whether to enroll until May 1, often referred to as National Candidate Reply Day.
Best for: Students who are unhurried throughout the college search process or who want to take their time to compare schools and financial aid awards.
Open Admission
Open admission means a college accepts any high school graduate (no matter what those grades look like) until all spaces in the incoming class are filled. Two-year community colleges immediately come to mind — most community colleges have a two-year open admission policy. Note that a college with a general open admission policy may have certain admission requirements for specific programs.
Best for: Students who don’t have stellar academic performance, those who want to save money by going the community college route for two years.
Early College Admission
You may have already heard of the terms “early action” and “early decision” and may be a little curious about what they mean, particularly for parents of underclassmen. The tricky thing about some early admission programs is that your child may be required to attend that school. It’s great for the colleges because they get early commitments from students. However, crafting a compelling and effective application can be challenging. That’s where services like OrderEssay.com can help. If your student needs to buy admission essay support, these services provide tailored guidance, helping to highlight strengths and ensure their application stands out. If you need help with the process, consider using college admission essay writing services to help you.
Let’s go over these types of admission in a little more detail.
Early Action (EA)
Early action means your student has the option to submit an application before the regular deadline. It’s a great way to get an admission decision from a college much earlier than usual.
One of the most flexible parts of early action plans is that they are not binding, which means that your child is not required to attend that particular college through this type of admission. Some colleges have an early action option called EA II, which involves a later application deadline than the regular EA plan.
To sum up:
Your child can apply to more than one college through early action.
A student can commit to that college right away or wait until spring to decide.
Your student can also decline the offer.
Best for: Students who have done their homework for the college search. The advantage to early action is that they know they’ve been accepted to college as they apply to other schools during the regular application period. In other words, they want to know they can relax a little bit. For additional support, services like EssayService’s help writing college essays can ensure students meet their goals with well-crafted applications.
Early Decision (ED)
Early decision means your child can submit an application to his or her first-choice college before the regular deadline. Your student will get an admission decision earlier than usual. Early decision plans are binding. This means your child must enroll in the college immediately if admitted and accept the financial aid award offered. Some colleges have an early decision option called ED II — a later application deadline than a school’s regular ED plan.
To sum up:
Your student can apply to just one early decision college.
Your child must go to that college if accepted and if you’re awarded enough financial aid. The decision is binding.
The early decision II (ED II) deadline gives your child more time to decide whether to apply early.
Your child must withdraw all other applications to other schools if accepted early decision.
Best for: Students who choose to go the early decision route know they want to go to one school and one school only. As a family, you must be comfortable with the financial aid award and know that your student can’t entertain any other offers from other schools.
Single-Choice Early Action or Restrictive Early Action
Single-choice early action, also known as restrictive early action or restricted early action, is another non-binding option. This means your child is not required to attend if accepted. However, if your student applies using this method, your child may not apply to any other school during the early action period only. This type of admission incorporates features of both early action and early decision. To be quite frank, it’s less restrictive than early decision but more restrictive than early action. Whew!
To sum up:
Your student can apply early to only one college, similar to early decision. Everything else in this admission type works the same as early action.
Applying to other colleges is still acceptable during the regular admission process.
Your child doesn’t have to decide until spring.
Best for: Students going the Ivy League route. This isn’t a common admission type unless your child is applying to a highly competitive school.
Early Evaluation
Admission offices may advise your student in writing of the likelihood of admission — whether it’s likely, possible or unlikely — no earlier than October 1 of your child’s senior year in high school. If a school indicates it’s likely, it’s similar to an acceptance — as long as your child keeps the same academic and personal record reflected in the completed application. The college will send a formal acceptance on the appropriate notification date.
Let’s say your student is lucky enough to get one or more such written communications. If your child has made a decision to go to one school, he’s encouraged (but not required) to notify all other institutions and to withdraw all other applications.
Deferred Admission
Permission from a college that has accepted you to postpone enrolling in the college. The postponement is usually for up to one year. Here are the steps to taking a gap year:
Make sure your student applies to college before the gap year.
Get accepted at that college.
Next, your child will need to send an email or letter to the director of admission at that college to explain exactly what he or she plans to do during the gap year. Check out the Gap Year Association for college and university policies concerning gap years. Double-check for the most updated policies at your child’s school.
Submit the enrollment deposit. This amount will be different at every school.
Determine the effects deferral will have on your child’s financial aid or scholarships. Many schools will allow you to keep the same financial aid and scholarships but it could change year to year. Check with the admission office at your child’s school.
Have your child find out whether the institution offers some form of gap year fellowship or subsidy program. Yep, it’s possible to get funded for a gap year!
Note that the school has the right to deny your gap year. If that happens, your child has a few options:
Your child can decide to attend the college as scheduled and not take the gap year.
Your student could wait and reapply to college until after the gap year. The downside is that your child may not be able to start college for another two years, which could end up making the transition a bit more difficult. Transcripts, test scores and letters of recommendation may also be more difficult to come by.
It may make sense to apply to multiple colleges and ask about gap year policies at each one.
2. Your Child Will Still Take Rigorous Classes
