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College Admissions: FACTS every high school student should know

Wednesday, May 20th, 2009

I just returned from a whirlwind visit to NYC. I met with a myriad of schools and admissions officers, and came back with some interesting information I thought I would share. Some of it may be new news, some simply reminders of what is already known. But, it’s all very current and helpful to keep in mind as we embark on the college admissions process:

Fact: Due to the collection of email addresses via the PSAT and PLAN, schools are able to reach out to more and more potential applicants via email.
Rationale: Schools want to sell YOU too!
What you should do: RESPOND to emails if they ask you to. Show interest and get involved. It will help you learn about the school, and keeps you on the radar.

Fact: A key deciding factor for many admissions reps is how well you can communicate the “Why xxx school question.”
Rationale: Schools want to know that you’ve done your homework, and they are simply not another checkmark on the common app.
What you should do:  When you visit schools or explore schools via the web, be sure to keep an eye out for programs, professors or clubs that interest YOU in particular. Take notes (so you don’t forget), and don’t forget to communicate your knowledge in essays and interviews

Fact:  Schools are very focused on “increasing access” to minority groups, first generation students going to college, international students, etc.
Rationale:  Schools are looking for diverse classes- not just diverse students
What you should do: If you are identified with a minority group, be sure to include it on your application. Also, get involved with something that reflects a connection to the minority group you are claiming to belong to (ie Latino Association, African Association, etc.)

Fact: The SAT scores are often judged in “bands,” especially when combined with a top transcript. So, for example, Penn considers 1400-1600 a “band.” Below that 1400 and you are in a different category, but anywhere within the 1400-1600 is considered a strong score.
Rationale: Give or take a few points, a 1400 is still a good score, most especially when it is combined with a strong GPA
What you should do: Don’t stress about getting 10 more SAT points, focus on your classes and your career direction. Your transcript means the most!

Mandee Heller Adler, Founder and Principal of International College Counselors
www.internationalcollegecounselors.com

<http://www.internationalcollegecounselors.com> >

Tags: college admissions tips, college advisor miami, college advisor NYC, college advisors, college counselor miami, college counselor NYC, college counselors, international college counselors, mandee heller adler
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BEWARE THE SALES PITCH THAT’S NOT A SCHOLARSHIP

Wednesday, May 20th, 2009

“Congratulations on being nominated to attend the National Young Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C.”, reads the fancy script on the expensive feeling card complete with gold seal. The card promises “lifetime advantage” and valuable resume padding. It’s hard to miss the words “elite”, “distinguished,” and “select.”

The letter is a marketing scam. These particular leadership conferences won’t enhance your college applications any more or less than that art club you joined but never attended.

Your child will meet other kids who are interested in government, attend workshops, hear speakers, and sightsee, but getting invited isn’t an “honor”. College admissions officers and college advisors are aware that attendance for most students depends on their ability to pay.

Solicitations for programs like these begin filling mailboxes, virtual and real, as soon as students reach middle school, and continue coming through college. Dozens of messages may be sent from one program, reminding you of enrollment deadlines and offering testimonials from participants and fundraising tips.

According to the New York Times, The company that organized the conference, a direct-mail powerhouse called the Congressional Youth Leadership Council, runs an alphabet soup of such conferences that it says are attended by 50,000 students a year. It solicits recommendations from teachers and alumni of previous conferences, and it culls names from mailing lists, for which the council paid $263,000 in 2006 alone.

Other companies in this business include: the National Student Leadership Conference, People to People Ambassador Programs, Leadership Classroom, Envision, and the Congressional Youth Leadership Council.

Personally, it seems my name has ended up on someone’s list as well, and in the last week alone, I’ve fielded Congratulatory calls from America’s Who’s Who, the Cambridge Who’s Who, the princeton Who’s Who, and a couple of others. And, for a mere $200-$900 dollars, I can have a plaque on my wall, a trophy, or a leather bound book in my office. 🙂

Mandee Heller Adler, Founder and Principal of International College Counselors

www.internationalcollegecounselors.com

<http://www.internationalcollegecounselors.com> >

Tags: college admissions, college advisor miami, college advisor NYC, college advisors, college coach, college counselor miami, college counselor NYC, college counselors, mandee heller adler, scholarship scams
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College Tuition Hikes and What to Do

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009

Parents or guardians with students who plan to join Florida Prepaid College Plans (which I highly advocate) or get a Bright Futures Scholarship should read this:

An overview:
With universities warning of dire budget problems, the Florida Senate overwhelmingly approved a plan that could give universities the green light to raise tuition by an additional 7 percent, for a total of 15 percent.

Now the House approved it too and it’s being sent to Gov. Charlie Crist, who is expected to sign it into law.

Senate Bill 762 (SB 762) allows all 11 state universities to charge a tuition differential, or supplement, which is a power previously awarded to the University of Florida, Florida State, South Florida, Central Florida and Florida International.
.

What will happen if they pass this bill?
Bright Futures won’t be so bright next year for Florida’s top university undergraduates, who are likely to be paying a greater percentage of their tuition costs.

The latest budget offer keeps the Bright Futures scholarships at current-year levels and does not increase the funding to match even the base increase tuition of 8 percent likely to be approved this session. This means scholarship recipients will have to pick up the extra tab. The Bright Futures’ scholarship fund is funded by Lottery proceeds and currently allows many students to pay little or no tuition at state universities.

The additional increases for the Prepaid Florida Plan — known as “differential” increases — would not apply to students who attended universities before July 1, 2007. Also, they would not apply to families who had Florida Prepaid contracts before that date. However, they will raise the prices greatly for parents who want to join in the next enrollment period.

What can parents and guardians do?

Let the Governor know that you think this is a bad idea. Tuition could nearly double within five years for those with teenagers, and more than double for those with toddlers.

We voted for them. Now it’s time for them to support us. They need to find another way to cover Florida´s budget shortfalls so our kids will be able to go to college.

Our kids are our future. Tell Governor Charlie Christ to vote NO on the college tuition hike bill.

MANDEE’S NOTE:
For parents and guardians who are not invested in the Florida Prepaid College Plan, even if they raise the costs, it is probably worth it. Who knows what the economic picture will be in the future and anyone who buys a prepaid plan has a contract with the state of Florida, so your payments will be locked in from the time you sign up, and the state must foot the bill for college regardless of future financial conditions. You can enroll now in Florida Prepaid but are subject to prices effective October 2009. These have not been made public yet.

For information, go to www.myfloridaprepaid.com or call 800-552-4723.

Mandee Heller Adler, Founder and Principal of International College Counselors

www.internationalcollegecounselors.com

Tags: college advice, college advisor, college advisor NYC, college counselor, college counselor NYC, college tuition hikes, Florida Prepaid, international college counselors, mandee heller adler, miami college advisor, miami college counselor, paying for college
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JUNE 6 IS COMING AND COMING FAST!

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009

If you have a junior in high school, they should be well aware of the above date. It’s the last SAT of this academic year- and you don’t want to miss it! Miami college counselor Mandee Heller Adler of International College Counselors is here to help.

Although seniors can take the October test, results of this test must be sent directly to schools to meet early decision/ action deadlines. That’s a lot of pressure, especially given the new “score choice” where you can choose which SAT scores to send.

Did you know that the SAT has changed since you were in school? In 2005, the College Board, which owns the test, made it harder and longer. There are now 3 parts instead of two. The new section tests writing and the maximum score has changed from 1600 to 2400.

ANALOGY:GONE

Students will no longer have to suffer analogies but an essay segment was added. The math portion was changed to more closely parallel what’s being currently taught in high schools.

The best advice I can give your students is practice, practice, practice. The best strategies always involve test familiarity, tips on when to guess, and how to manage time.

Like it or not, the SAT will most likely help to determine which colleges a student will be able to attend. Some people attempt to discount the test, as simply one of many factors, or believe that it is not very important. The reality is that unless you are a professional level athlete or a Native American math whiz with a Nobel prize, the SAT will likely play a major role in your college admissions.

It makes sense to get the highest score possible.

Some high schools provide SAT prep courses as part of their curricular offerings and a variety of community-based organizations have prep programs.

Private tutors and private prep programs can teach your student strategies tailored towards their learning level and ability. Many study books can be found online and in the bookstore. On the web, study aides are available.

For example, the College Board’s website http://www.collegeboard.com/ offers practice questions for each section of the test.

For your edification (a SAT word), the test is now as follows:

Critical Reading

Total 3 sections

Content

Reading comprehension: Questions based on

Single paragraphs

Longer passages

Paired paragraphs

Paired longer passages

Sentence-level reading

.Question types

Multiple-choice with 5 answer choices

Critical reading which includes single, paired, and longer paragraphs

Sentence completions

Writing

Total 3 sections

One 25-minute essay requiring you to present your viewpoint on a topic

Two multiple-choice sections

Question types

Multiple-choice with 5 answer choices

Identifying sentence errors

Improving sentences

Improving paragraphs

Math

Total 3 sections

These will test Algebra I and II, geometry, data analysis, statistics and probability

Question types

Multiple-choice with 5 answer choices

Mandee Heller Adler

www.internationalcollegecounselors.com
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Posted by MJHAdler at 8:35 PM 0 comments

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