Making THE Decision

I recently was contacted by a student who had been accepted to a variety of wonderful schools, making her decision very difficult. For most students, deciding where to go to college is his or her first REAL adult decision and there is a lot of pressure on how to decide which school will be best for you.

Sometimes students forget the big picture and simply focus on a college's name or particular program. These are important to consider, but more importantly it is important to figure out where do you WANT to live and learn for the next 4-5 years of your life.

It won't matter how great a program is if you are absolutely miserable the entire time you are in college. All schools are not created equal for all students. That is why it is crucial to visit your top choices and try to truly 'feel your gut' as to where you should be.

When I was an admission counselor meeting with students it was clear when I talked to students that were trying to force themselves to like the campus, and it was clear when they were actually in love with the campus. In fact, if I could tell the student just really didn't want to go there, I would start giving them advice on what they need to do to figure out where they should be.

So in short, outline your goals, and research each school until you find the one that will help you accomplish what you want to achieve in college.

Dr. Porter
www.CollegeStrategiesOnline.com

I am a Legacy

Most know the college admission process only by looking from the outside in. If they hear about someone being accepted to a college but had the thought that that student should have been denied, they begin to speculate about what could have possibly been in play so that student could be admitted.

Many people believe that being a legacy, applicants who are related to alumni, have one step up in getting accepted. Most applications ask if and how the applicant is a legacy. If the question was not important, I always ask my clients: then why did they take up application space asking the question?

Although being a legacy does not guarantee that a student will be admitted, it does give the reviewer a reason to slow down and pay a little bit more attention to the application. They more than likely may then place a call over to the alumni office and find out more about the relative the applicant is claiming. If it turns out that the alumni is still active with the school in a big way, that reviewer is now really taking their time with that application.

Like most other things, it doesn't hurt to know the right people, even in the college admissions process.

The Chicago Maroon recently wrote about this topic in an article titled: Legacy Students Don't Have an Edge. Read closely, don't let the title of the article fool you.

Dr. Porter
www.CollegeStrategiesOnline.com

NPR's The College Admissions Game

NPR has included on their web site a 7-part series discussing college admissions called The College Admissions Game. The series discusses popular topics such as competitive admissions, however they also explore a variety of topics that real students are dealing with such as whether or not to attend an HBCU, go to community college first, and not to go at all. Their is also an option for audio.

Take Control Back

I recently was contacted by the creator and president of Zinch.com, a web site specifically designed to help college applicants get some control in the college admission process. I think it is a wonderful option that college students should really check out.

Colleges generally buy information about students from clearinghouses like the SAT and ACT who collect data about students. Most, if not all the information, you fill out on your standardize test can be purchased by any college in the world. Often we you receive information from a school you have never heard of, it is because they have purchased your name and information from someone and that college thinks that you would be fit because of something related to the information they have about you.

What I like about the idea with Zinch is the fact that you can still put all the standard information: grades, test scores, major choice etc., but you also have the opportunity to put information that showcases who you really are, such as essays, links to your artwork, movies you may have produced, etc. You can help colleges begin to see the person behind the name.

There are also several other features that I think would be attractive for college applicants including e-mail that you can use specifically to communicate with colleges and universities, and a link to your information that you can include on resumes. The site is not like other social networking sites because the only individuals who can access your profile are colleges, or individuals that you chose to provide them the link.

It may be some time before the majority of colleges catch on, but I really think that Zinch is onto something that will help students empower themselves during the college admission process.

College's Don't Always Get It Right

I came across this interesting take on the how chance plays into the college admission process. College Admissions and Chance summarizes the thoughts presented by the author Barry Schwartz. Although it does not help students who were denied or deferred admissions feel any better about the situation. It does prove the point that sometimes colleges can't always make 'perfect' admission decisions. That is why I continue to stress to students I work with that it is up to you to prove to admission boards that you should be there, instead of allowing them to try to decide for you.

What Should I Take?

If you ever read through the variety of college admission message boards you probably noticed that a great number of the questions have to deal with what courses they should take so they can impress college admission selection committees.

If You Don't Believe In Yourself Why Should I?

Lately I have been getting a lot of inquiries from high school and college students who are trying to get things together for the summer. They are taking the steps to secure employment, however many of them are settling on applying for jobs that are just that jobs that really are not related to their area of interest in any way, shape or form.

I can not begin to stress how important it is to utilize your student status while you have it. In general, organizations are more open to hiring students than they are recent graduates or anyone who is looking for full-time employment. I know its hard to pass up job opportunities that may pay well, but it is important to keep your big picture in mind and start building the foundation for your career.

Believe in yourself enough to find the opportunities that you know would benefit you. If you don't believe in yourself enough to find the opportunities don't expect for them to jump in your lap. Prove to people that you want what you want. Get your foot in the door first before you decide to play it safe!

Rankings and You

I guess this is the time of year when you start seeing the new rankings of colleges come out. Most popular magazines find a way to rank schools based on something, such as: Best School, Best Party School, Best College Buy...etc. Although the magazines try to justify their rankings through whatever methodology they choose to use, for the most part always remember that they are really trying to sell their magazine. Students who are in the process of choosing and deciding on where they should attend college are just another 'target market' that magazines are aiming to generate more sales of their magazine.

Unfortunately, to many students and parents trust the list as gospel and leave off their list some really good schools with really good programs. Personally, I obtained my bachelors and masters degree from a school that consistently ranked on the Best Party School list for years. Did they party? Yes. But so did the students at schools who didn't make the list. Thankfully I did not avoid applying to my college based on the party school ranking or I would have missed the great education that I received from Ohio University, who is also ranked as having some of the best programs in sport management, journalism, and medicine!

I think it is ok to read the rankings, but remember that only you can make the right decision for you. You have to go the school that is the right fit for you. If you can visit the school, talk to the students, and decide for yourself if it truly is or is not the place for you.

What Are Your Summer Plans?

I am often surprised by the number of high school and college students who do not make summer employment plans until summer is knocking at the door. One way to help yourself stand out as a undergraduate or graduate college applicant is to be able to boast that you have attempted to prepare yourself academically, and also professionally by using school breaks (summer, fall, winter, and spring) to gain experience. This is extremely important for students who have some blemishes on their academic record.

Gaining professional experience in your area of interest allows you to 'test-drive' your potential career. In addition, it demonstrates to college admission review boards that you aren't just about talking about what you want to do, you are beginning to do what you want to do. And finally, if your experiences are positive, it may provide you with the extra motivation you need to jump through the hoops and hurdles required of you to finish either high school and graduate school.

Everyone who knows me can testify that I am not a person who subscribes to having a lot of rhetoric. For myself, and for anyone asking my advice on preparing for school or their career, I believe one thing is true: don't say what you want to do, do what you want to do. So if you have not already done so, begin searching organizations or businesses in your area of interest and either apply for a formal internship program or offer to volunteer a few hours every week during the summer. Make your goals a reality by putting your foundation into place today.

How Does Your State Rate?

Find out how your state rates when it comes to higher education. This tool provides some insight on how conservative or liberal states are when it comes to financial aid.

Measuring UP

College Advice...Be Selective

For some time I weighed the decision as to whether or not College Strategies would host a public forum for students to ask and answer questions about the college admission process. There are currently some really popular forums that already exist so I have decided to contribute some advice on those forums instead. Although asking general questions about college admissions in this manner is ok, and you will receive some good advice, I am a little concerned about the students who may be making major decisions that could affect them for the rest of their lives based on the advice given by absolute strangers.

If you have a variety of specific questions about selecting a major, selecting a school, how to make your applications stronger, although it is may be an expense, you really should consider hiring an educational consultant. College Strategies offers this type of service, however you can also research others companies with the list provided by the Higher Educational Consultants Association to search other companies and independent consultants.

Free advice is nice at times, but sometimes it is worth working with a professional who has experience.

Should you tweek the essay?

On a message board I offer advice a student asked the question if it is ok to send a short story instead of an essay on the required topic? The answer unfortunately is no. Do your best to answer the question that is being asked. Don't make any assumptions when it comes to completing admission applications, just provide the information that is being required.

I have many years of admission experience, and have also helped design admission applications, every question asked has an intended purpose otherwise they wouldn't have asked. If you decide not to answer the question directly you may run the risk of sending the message that you don't know how to follow instructions, and that doesn't sit well with those who are trying to decide if they should admit you to their school.

Back on the scene!

I apologize to the readers of this blog for the long pauses in post. My accomplishment today will hopefully free up some time that I can devote to keeping this blog more current and full of information for its readers. Today I passed my dissertation defense and became Dr. Chrystal Denmark Porter!

Now back to work on getting you into college!

The One Constant in Education

College cost have a will continue to sore. That is a constant that we will all be guaranteed. The article Paying for Your Education...Forever, emphasizes how college cost continue to rise. College Strategies works on your behalf to find scholarships and help you prepare the scholarship applications as a means to improve your chances for receiving the scholarships. You should begin searching for scholarship even before you begin searching for your school.