Comments for Educational Consultant and College Planner | Great College Advice http://greatcollegeadvice.com Expert Advice on College Admission Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:05:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 Comment on Is An Expensive Private College Education Worth the Money? There's No Telling! by Educational Consultant and College Planner | Great College Advice | Educational consultant comments on paying for a costly college. http://greatcollegeadvice.com/is-an-expensive-private-college-education-worth-the-money-theres-no-telling/comment-page-1/#comment-5609 Educational Consultant and College Planner | Great College Advice | Educational consultant comments on paying for a costly college. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:05:22 +0000 http://greatcollegeadvice.com/?p=2826#comment-5609 [...] of the matter is that there is no way to know for sure whether or  not paying for a costly college will pay off.  In the end, you have no idea what kind [...] [...] of the matter is that there is no way to know for sure whether or  not paying for a costly college will pay off.  In the end, you have no idea what kind [...]

]]> Comment on New Mexico Highlands University: A Nice Place to Visit, But… by Mark Montgomery http://greatcollegeadvice.com/new-mexico-highlands-university-a-nice-place-to-visit-but/comment-page-1/#comment-5607 Mark Montgomery Thu, 29 Jul 2010 04:13:11 +0000 http://greatcollegeadvice.com/?p=444#comment-5607 Hi, Laurel, You're right: there are new dorms. However, it's telling that you say that kids are tempted to sign up just to get the new dorms. Imagine how disappointed they will be, however, when they get are assigned the ugly ones (which are not on the official tour). The lesson is this: don't pick a school by the dorm rooms alone--especially the ones you see on the official tour. Get off the tour, consider that only a fraction of the student population lives in the new, opulent dorms, and remember: you are buying a college education, and not a dorm room. Thanks for writing in! Hi, Laurel,

You’re right: there are new dorms. However, it’s telling that you say that kids are tempted to sign up just to get the new dorms. Imagine how disappointed they will be, however, when they get are assigned the ugly ones (which are not on the official tour).

The lesson is this: don’t pick a school by the dorm rooms alone–especially the ones you see on the official tour. Get off the tour, consider that only a fraction of the student population lives in the new, opulent dorms, and remember: you are buying a college education, and not a dorm room.

Thanks for writing in!

]]> Comment on New Mexico Highlands University: A Nice Place to Visit, But… by Laurel Summerfield http://greatcollegeadvice.com/new-mexico-highlands-university-a-nice-place-to-visit-but/comment-page-1/#comment-5606 Laurel Summerfield Thu, 29 Jul 2010 02:45:57 +0000 http://greatcollegeadvice.com/?p=444#comment-5606 You must have seen the old dorms. In the first of my 2 visits to NMHU, we were shown the new dorms, which were almost completed at that time (May 2009). Of the many colleges I have toured, the new dorms were by far the nicest I have encountered at any college. Beautiful, brand-new, spacious suites. The kids I had with me were tempted to enroll just to get one of those awesome dorm rooms. You must have seen the old dorms. In the first of my 2 visits to NMHU, we were shown the new dorms, which were almost completed at that time (May 2009). Of the many colleges I have toured, the new dorms were by far the nicest I have encountered at any college. Beautiful, brand-new, spacious suites. The kids I had with me were tempted to enroll just to get one of those awesome dorm rooms.

]]> Comment on Why Hire An Educational Consultant? by Educational Consultant and College Planner | Great College Advice | Educational consultant commend on US New article on making a college list. http://greatcollegeadvice.com/why-hire-an-educational-consultant/comment-page-1/#comment-5604 Educational Consultant and College Planner | Great College Advice | Educational consultant commend on US New article on making a college list. Sun, 25 Jul 2010 15:03:21 +0000 http://greatcollegeadvice.com/?p=5724#comment-5604 [...] down your choices if you are finding your list is a little too broad.  There are many reasons to hire an educational consultant.  Why not contact us today to find out if hiring a consultant is the right move for [...] [...] down your choices if you are finding your list is a little too broad.  There are many reasons to hire an educational consultant.  Why not contact us today to find out if hiring a consultant is the right move for [...]

]]> Comment on Which is Better: AP or IB? by Mark Montgomery http://greatcollegeadvice.com/which-is-better-ap-or-ib-advanced-placement-vs-international-baccalaureate/comment-page-2/#comment-5602 Mark Montgomery Sun, 25 Jul 2010 05:14:50 +0000 http://greatcollegeadvice.com/?p=163#comment-5602 Hello, Lane. Your parents' move will have an impact on your transcript, and you will have to take the time to explain what happened on the application so that the admissions folks can follow the decisions. They will likely not hold the change against you. The way to ensure that this does not happen is to get recommendations from your old school, as well as from your new school, to support your application. Your counselors will play an important role in explaining the change to colleges. You need to gain their support and assistance. As for your chances at UPenn, everything depends on your performance--and upon all the other subjective factors that go into an admissions decision. None of this is a science, so don't spend too much time worrying. Instead, focus on doing well, focus on documenting the move, and focus on doing the things you love. Thanks for writing in! Hello, Lane.
Your parents’ move will have an impact on your transcript, and you will have to take the time to explain what happened on the application so that the admissions folks can follow the decisions. They will likely not hold the change against you. The way to ensure that this does not happen is to get recommendations from your old school, as well as from your new school, to support your application. Your counselors will play an important role in explaining the change to colleges. You need to gain their support and assistance.
As for your chances at UPenn, everything depends on your performance–and upon all the other subjective factors that go into an admissions decision. None of this is a science, so don’t spend too much time worrying. Instead, focus on doing well, focus on documenting the move, and focus on doing the things you love.
Thanks for writing in!

]]> Comment on How Do I Calculate My "Real" GPA? by Mark Montgomery http://greatcollegeadvice.com/calculating-your-real-grade-point-average-gpa/comment-page-3/#comment-5601 Mark Montgomery Sun, 25 Jul 2010 05:08:58 +0000 http://greatcollegeadvice.com/?p=338#comment-5601 Hi, Bob, You have stumbled onto the fact that most colleges do not really have grading policies. And most graduate programs do not teach their students how to be professors and how to set up grading systems. It's crazy--to the point that in some respects, college grades do not mean much of anything anymore. Lawrence Summers figured this out during his tenure at Harvard, and he tried to change the system--without much success. Anyway, if you think the grading system is wacky, then your son (and not you) should approach the professor and point out the mathematical effects of the system. If the professor sticks to it, then your son goes next to the department chair. If there is no change, then the next level is the dean or head of school--whoever is above the department chair. It will a a long row to hoe, but if your son becomes a good self-advocate, and avoids getting angry at what will be a frustrating process, then he could have an impact--and learn a few things along the way. Best of luck! Hi, Bob,
You have stumbled onto the fact that most colleges do not really have grading policies. And most graduate programs do not teach their students how to be professors and how to set up grading systems. It’s crazy–to the point that in some respects, college grades do not mean much of anything anymore. Lawrence Summers figured this out during his tenure at Harvard, and he tried to change the system–without much success.
Anyway, if you think the grading system is wacky, then your son (and not you) should approach the professor and point out the mathematical effects of the system. If the professor sticks to it, then your son goes next to the department chair. If there is no change, then the next level is the dean or head of school–whoever is above the department chair.
It will a a long row to hoe, but if your son becomes a good self-advocate, and avoids getting angry at what will be a frustrating process, then he could have an impact–and learn a few things along the way.
Best of luck!

]]> Comment on Weighted or Unweighted GPA? by Mark Montgomery http://greatcollegeadvice.com/weighted-or-unweighted-gpa/comment-page-3/#comment-5600 Mark Montgomery Sun, 25 Jul 2010 05:04:20 +0000 http://greatcollegeadvice.com/?p=123#comment-5600 Hi, Brian, You're right that some recruiters do look at GPA--as students leave college. And graduate schools look at GPA, of course, to decide whom to admit and whom to reject. But GPA means less and less the further away from college we travel. What matters most is what you can do, how you can contribute to a company. A polished 4.0 will not necessarily get you a job at McKinsey or PriceWaterhouseCoopers. There are other important factors, too. Thanks for writing in! Hi, Brian,
You’re right that some recruiters do look at GPA–as students leave college. And graduate schools look at GPA, of course, to decide whom to admit and whom to reject. But GPA means less and less the further away from college we travel. What matters most is what you can do, how you can contribute to a company. A polished 4.0 will not necessarily get you a job at McKinsey or PriceWaterhouseCoopers. There are other important factors, too.
Thanks for writing in!

]]> Comment on AP, IB, and Dual Enrollment (or PSEO): An Analysis by Mark Montgomery http://greatcollegeadvice.com/ap-ib-and-dual-enrollment-or-pseo-an-analysis/comment-page-1/#comment-5599 Mark Montgomery Sun, 25 Jul 2010 05:00:12 +0000 http://greatcollegeadvice.com/?p=581#comment-5599 Hi, Kim, Thanks for your thoughtful and very helpful comment. You see the pros and cons very clearly. As you say, the PSEO option can help you amass college credits most easily if you are planning to attend a state university. It is especially easy to transfer PSEO credits from a community college to a four-year college in the same state. Private colleges, however, are under less pressure to accept those credits, both politically and economically. So if you go the PSEO route, don't expect credits to transfer automatically to a private college--do the research in advance. Best of luck, and thanks again for stopping by. Hi, Kim,
Thanks for your thoughtful and very helpful comment. You see the pros and cons very clearly. As you say, the PSEO option can help you amass college credits most easily if you are planning to attend a state university. It is especially easy to transfer PSEO credits from a community college to a four-year college in the same state. Private colleges, however, are under less pressure to accept those credits, both politically and economically. So if you go the PSEO route, don’t expect credits to transfer automatically to a private college–do the research in advance.
Best of luck, and thanks again for stopping by.

]]> Comment on Which is Better: AP or IB? by Mark Montgomery http://greatcollegeadvice.com/which-is-better-ap-or-ib-advanced-placement-vs-international-baccalaureate/comment-page-2/#comment-5598 Mark Montgomery Sun, 25 Jul 2010 04:56:49 +0000 http://greatcollegeadvice.com/?p=163#comment-5598 Dear Shane, To go right to your questions, Vanderbilt does not automatically admit IB students any more than AP students. They are looking beyond the curriculum to the performance, and then to other aspects of your application and how you fit into their community. So take the curriculum that you enjoy more and that fits you best--academically. Taking classes just to be with friends is probably not the best way to consider academic "fit." Take the courses that best coincide with your learning preferences and style, and preferred level of intensity. I hope this helps. Dear Shane,
To go right to your questions, Vanderbilt does not automatically admit IB students any more than AP students. They are looking beyond the curriculum to the performance, and then to other aspects of your application and how you fit into their community. So take the curriculum that you enjoy more and that fits you best–academically. Taking classes just to be with friends is probably not the best way to consider academic “fit.” Take the courses that best coincide with your learning preferences and style, and preferred level of intensity.
I hope this helps.

]]> Comment on Weighted or Unweighted GPA? by Mark Montgomery http://greatcollegeadvice.com/weighted-or-unweighted-gpa/comment-page-3/#comment-5597 Mark Montgomery Sun, 25 Jul 2010 04:52:25 +0000 http://greatcollegeadvice.com/?p=123#comment-5597 Hi, Jenny, It would seem that your HS counselor will be able to give you a good idea of your acceptability to UCI, based on your school's previous track record. UC requirements are pretty clear. As for the question about foreign language, the usual routine is that you are required to take 3 years of the same language. If you decide to drop the French, well, that's fine. But know that most decisions have some sort of consequence. I don't have enough information to be able to tell you whether the consequence would be dire. Again, your counselor seems to be giving your solid advice. If you decide you cannot take it, well, that's cool. Best of luck to you! Hi, Jenny,
It would seem that your HS counselor will be able to give you a good idea of your acceptability to UCI, based on your school’s previous track record. UC requirements are pretty clear. As for the question about foreign language, the usual routine is that you are required to take 3 years of the same language. If you decide to drop the French, well, that’s fine. But know that most decisions have some sort of consequence. I don’t have enough information to be able to tell you whether the consequence would be dire. Again, your counselor seems to be giving your solid advice. If you decide you cannot take it, well, that’s cool.
Best of luck to you!

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