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		<title>When to Hire a College Counselor</title>
		<link>https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/when-to-hire-a-college-counselor/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jared Hobson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Nov 2025 09:05:20 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[College Application]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[college consultant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[counselors]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://greatcollegeadvice.com/?p=47708</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Four types of students could especially benefit from the wisdom of an experienced independent educational consultant.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/when-to-hire-a-college-counselor/">When to Hire a College Counselor</a> first appeared on <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com">Great College Advice</a>.</p>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The short answer: The best time to hire a college admissions consultant is typically during sophomore year or at the beginning of junior year, early enough to shape extracurricular development and course selection, but not so early that it creates an unhealthy obsession with the college process. Students who benefit most include those at under-resourced schools, ambitious applicants targeting highly selective universities, and families seeking to maximize merit aid opportunities.</p>
<p>According to veteran college admissions expert Jamie Berger, &#8220;If I were a parent today with a kid, especially a kid without much college counseling, I would definitely hire someone.&#8221;</p>
<p>The investment can yield significant returns through improved admissions outcomes and increased merit aid. For comprehensive guidance on evaluating consultants, see our guide on <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/how-to-choose-the-best-college-admissions-consultant/">how to choose the best college admissions consultant</a>.</p>
<h2>What Types of Students Benefit Most from Hiring a College Admissions Consultant?</h2>
<p>Not every student needs a private college consultant, but certain situations make the investment particularly worthwhile. The students who gain the most from professional guidance typically fall into several categories.</p>
<p>Students at schools with limited counseling resources often benefit tremendously.</p>
<p>As Jamie Berger explains from his experience: &#8220;Each counselor at a school could have 200 (or more) kids they&#8217;re responsible for. If you know that you&#8217;re at a big public school and there&#8217;s almost no college counseling, especially if you made the decision for public school over private and you can spend the money on this now, it will definitely serve you the personalized attention you need through the whole process.&#8221;</p>
<p>Ambitious students targeting highly selective universities face a particularly challenging landscape. When schools like Duke have admission rates below 5% and even formerly less selective universities like Northeastern have dropped into single-digit acceptance rates, strategic positioning becomes essential. The Elite Comprehensive Package at Great College Advice is specifically designed for students aiming for the most competitive colleges and universities in the US, providing strategic guidance to improve a student&#8217;s chances at highly selective universities such as the Ivy League, Stanford, MIT, and the top 25 liberal arts colleges.</p>
<p>Students needing help developing a &#8220;well-lopsided&#8221; profile represent another ideal candidate for hiring a consultant. Modern admissions has shifted away from valuing well-rounded students. As the Great College Advice Family Handbook explains: &#8220;&#8216;Well-lopsided&#8217; students have superior talents in one or two areas. Admissions officers at the most highly selective colleges like to see students who have well-defined interests in which they excel and exhibit leadership. They do not like to see students who flit from one activity to the next without really committing to any.&#8221;</p>
<p>Families seeking merit scholarships also benefit significantly. Jamie Berger notes: &#8220;The sticker price for us (our services) might seem large, but it might save you $20,000 a year by getting more merit aid at a college. You can&#8217;t guarantee it, but it very often does.&#8221;</p>
<p>Additionally, students applying to specialized programs (BS/MD, athletic recruiting, arts portfolios) and those whose school counselors don&#8217;t know them well enough to provide meaningful recommendations can gain substantial value from independent educational consultant relationships.</p>
<h2>Is It Better to Hire a College Consultant in Freshman Year or Wait Until Senior Year?</h2>
<p>The timing question requires balancing strategic advantage against the risk of creating unhealthy pressure too early. Jamie Berger&#8217;s recommended approach reflects years of experience with hundreds of families.</p>
<p>&#8220;I personally like to start working with students after sophomore year,&#8221; Berger explains. &#8220;I sometimes will meet students who are freshmen and help guide them on engaging in extracurricular activities. You can hire someone freshman year just to meet with them twice a year for freshman and sophomore year. And then the frequency of meetings amps up and up and up. And then after junior year, we meet almost weekly until the decision gets made.&#8221;</p>
<p>However, Berger is careful to note a significant caveat: &#8220;It couldn&#8217;t hurt, except by making a young person get too obsessed too early in the process. That&#8217;s why I think sophomore year is a good time to start.&#8221;</p>
<p>The critical insight is that some of the most important college preparation work happens before applications begin. &#8220;Some of the questions you would ask about extracurricular activities you should actually start thinking about even in middle school,&#8221; Berger notes. &#8220;What are they really into? How can I help them dive deeper into it? Deep dives for four years into activities is what&#8217;s most valuable. The great well-rounded kid is not the ideal anymore.&#8221;</p>
<h2>What Are the Risks of Waiting Until Senior Year to Hire a College Consultant?</h2>
<p>While consultants can absolutely help families who start during senior year, waiting significantly limits strategic options and can compromise outcomes in several ways.</p>
<p>Extracurricular development cannot be rushed. Admissions officers value sustained commitment over years, not last-minute activity loading. Jamie Berger illustrates this with a story: &#8220;A few years ago, a family had given their son a terrific life. He went to a normal American summer camp for seven years, all the way through junior year of high school. And that was his main summer activity. Well, if that&#8217;s your main summer activity and you got all the great grades, all the great scores, you still won&#8217;t get to major in aeronautics at Stanford. The kids who get into aeronautics programs at the top schools have been little astronauts since middle school.&#8221;</p>
<p>Academic records and course selections are fixed. By senior year, three years of transcript data are already established. A consultant starting earlier could have advised on appropriate rigor, course sequencing, and addressing any weaknesses before they became permanent parts of the academic record.</p>
<p>The &#8220;well-lopsided&#8221; profile requires time to develop authentically. Demonstrating an ongoing, in-depth commitment to an activity is more important than the activity itself. Students don&#8217;t need to fill all ten Common App activity slots, but what they do include should demonstrate genuine depth.</p>
<p>Rushed timelines create stress and lower-quality work. Completing college applications is the most stressful part of the process for most families. Great College Advice aims to have essays completed one month before each deadline, but that timeline assumes adequate preparation time.</p>
<p>One parent in the Great College Advice community shared: &#8220;We waited too long and felt like we were constantly playing catch-up. The essays felt rushed, and we didn&#8217;t have time to really explore all the school options our son might have loved.&#8221;</p>
<h2>What&#8217;s the Cost and ROI of Hiring a College Admissions Consultant?</h2>
<p>Understanding the relationship between cost and return on investment helps families make informed decisions about when to engage a consultant.</p>
<p>The cost of college consulting varies depending on the level of service your family needs. Great College Advice offers a range of options—from Comprehensive Packages that guide students through the entire process starting as early as freshman year, to Senior Select Packages and targeted services like college list development and essay support. Each service level is designed to deliver meaningful value at its price point. For a detailed comparison of consulting models, see our guide on <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/comprehensive-packages-vs-hourly-consulting-which-model-is-right-for-you/">comprehensive packages vs. hourly consulting</a>.</p>
<p>The ROI calculation should factor in merit aid potential. Jamie Berger frames the value proposition clearly: &#8220;The sticker price for us might seem large, but it might save you $20,000 a year by getting more merit aid at a college. You can&#8217;t guarantee it, but it very often does.&#8221; He adds: &#8220;And if we help you find some hidden gems, some off-the-beaten-path schools more in your target and likely areas that you hadn&#8217;t thought of, then it&#8217;s well worth it.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Great College Advice team reinforces this perspective. When families build strategic college lists that include schools known for generous merit-based aid, the upfront consulting investment can yield savings of $20,000 to $30,000 per year—potentially $80,000 to $120,000 over four years. Even for families not focused on merit aid, the right consultant helps students find schools where they&#8217;ll genuinely thrive, which translates to better academic outcomes and stronger career trajectories.</p>
<p>The team approach at Great College Advice further multiplies the value of the investment. As Berger explains: &#8220;There are six of us with well over 100 years of experience in college admissions. Not only do you hire me, you&#8217;re hiring all six of us because we meet once a week, talk about our clients, ask any questions, and bounce things off each other. We&#8217;re also in different regions of the country with different areas of expertise.&#8221;</p>
<h2>What Specific Advantages Does Early Engagement (Freshman/Sophomore Year) Provide?</h2>
<p>Families who engage consultants early gain several distinct advantages that simply aren&#8217;t available to those who wait.</p>
<p>Strategic course selection guidance helps ensure students take appropriately challenging classes throughout high school. This includes balancing rigor with performance, sequencing courses logically, and addressing any gaps before they affect the transcript.</p>
<p>Extracurricular coaching helps students develop the &#8220;well-lopsided&#8221; profile that selective colleges prefer. Early guidance helps students identify activities worth pursuing deeply and recognize when to discontinue others.</p>
<p>Summer opportunity identification becomes strategic rather than reactive. Great College Advice&#8217;s Elite Comprehensive Package includes individualized research and identification of appropriate summer opportunities. These experiences are most valuable when they build on each other over multiple years.</p>
<p>Standardized test preparation planning allows families to approach testing methodically rather than cramming. Comprehensive packages include a one-year license to Magoosh SAT/ACT self-paced test prep. Great College Advice will also recommend trusted partners for individualized test prep tutoring.</p>
<p>Activity prioritization guidance helps students make informed choices. Berger advises: &#8220;Diving deeply into things they like and dropping things that are just not for them. Even if they&#8217;ve done something for two years and they realize after sophomore year it&#8217;s just not for them, then it&#8217;s just not for them. Yes, it would be better if they did the same thing for four years, but you don&#8217;t want them to get into Harvard and be miserable in a major they didn&#8217;t want.&#8221;</p>
<p>Authentic narrative development emerges naturally when students have time to explore genuine interests. As Berger notes about essay writing: &#8220;The essay that writes a resume that duplicates their activities list is the worst possible essay. Imagine being an admissions officer reading 40 things a day and you come to one that&#8217;s just a reiteration of all that stuff that&#8217;s right there on paper already. You don&#8217;t get to know the kid at all.&#8221;</p>
<h2>Can a Consultant Still Help If We&#8217;re Starting Senior Year Without Guidance?</h2>
<p>Absolutely, and for many families, senior year is when they first recognize the need for professional support. While the scope of assistance differs from earlier engagement, skilled consultants provide significant value even with compressed timelines.</p>
<p>Great College Advice offers Senior Select Packages specifically designed for these families—those who want robust support with essays and a little extra support with the rest of the process. The Elite Senior Select Package includes support for the Common App personal statement plus up to 25 additional supplemental essays.</p>
<p>Senior-year consultants excel at essay support. The personal statement and supplemental essays are areas where expert guidance makes an immediate difference. Consultants help students identify compelling topics, avoid common pitfalls, and present their experiences authentically.</p>
<p>Strategic college list development remains valuable at any stage. Consultants identify schools that match students&#8217; academic profiles, interests, and preferences, creating balanced lists with appropriate reach, target, and likely schools. The Targeted Services College List option includes identification of &#8220;20+ colleges and universities that match the student&#8217;s academic, social, and personal needs, preferences, and ambitions.&#8221;</p>
<p>Application strategy guidance helps families navigate <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/early-decision-or-regular-decision-which-is-better/">Early Decision, Early Action, and Regular Decision</a> timing decisions. Jamie Berger explains the nuances: &#8220;Early action is something almost everyone should do. You&#8217;re not bound to a school, you&#8217;re just expressing that you&#8217;re genuinely interested. The only time not to apply early action is when you&#8217;ve had a rough patch, say your junior year grades were lower and you need to prove yourself in the first semester of senior year.&#8221;</p>
<p>Line-by-line application review catches errors and missed opportunities. The Senior Select packages include detailed instructions about how to complete application platforms and ensure every field is filled out correctly and strategically.</p>
<p>Interview preparation helps students approach alumni and admissions interviews confidently. While Berger notes that interviews matter very little in admissions compared to other factors, he advises students to approach them as informed consumers: &#8220;You&#8217;re going in as a potential customer of a product that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. Go in with your sincere concerns, interests, and questions about their school.&#8221;</p>
<h2>What Should We Expect from a Consultant at Different Stages of High School?</h2>
<p>Understanding what consultants provide at each stage helps families set appropriate expectations and choose the right service level.</p>
<p>Freshman Year: Expect regular check-in meetings focused on extracurricular exploration and course selection. The relationship is light-touch at this stage, helping students identify genuine interests worth pursuing deeply and helping develop that balance between good grades and academic rigor.</p>
<p>Sophomore Year: Meeting frequency increases as extracurricular commitments begin to solidify. Standardized test preparation planning begins, and preliminary conversations about college preferences start. Students may complete initial assessments to understand their strengths, interests, and potential fit factors.</p>
<p>Junior Year: This is when intensive work begins. Students complete comprehensive diagnostic assessments covering personal, academic, and career-oriented factors. Strategic college list development starts in earnest, using detailed criteria spanning majors, campus culture, location, size, and dozens of other factors. Summer opportunity planning intensifies. Early essay work may begin, though the bulk of writing happens later.</p>
<p>Senior Year: Meeting frequency reaches its peak. This phase includes essay drafting, revision, and refinement across multiple applications; application platform completion with line-by-line review; Early Decision and Early Action execution; supplemental essay support; interview preparation; and guidance through deferrals, waitlists, and final decisions.</p>
<p>Throughout all stages, the best consultants maintain what Great College Advice calls a hybrid tone that is both expert and conversational—providing authoritative guidance while nurturing genuine relationships with students. The goal is ensuring students remain authentically engaged rather than developing what Berger calls a &#8220;gamifying mindset&#8221; that admissions officers easily detect.</p>
<h2>Finding the Right Consultant for Your Family</h2>
<p>The questions above give you a framework for evaluating college consultants on what matters most: legitimate credentials, genuine fit with your student, clear value proposition, ethical practices, comprehensive services, appropriate meeting cadence, and effective working arrangements. A quality consultant welcomes these questions because they understand that informed families become better partners in the process.</p>
<p>Remember that the goal isn&#8217;t finding someone to do the work for your student—it&#8217;s finding an experienced guide who will help your student do their best work while discovering colleges where they&#8217;ll genuinely thrive. The right consultant helps your family navigate complexity with confidence while keeping your student at the center of every decision.</p>
<p>For additional guidance on maximizing your student&#8217;s college application success, <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com/contact-us/">book a complimentary call with our team</a>.</p>
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</script></p><p>The post <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/when-to-hire-a-college-counselor/">When to Hire a College Counselor</a> first appeared on <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com">Great College Advice</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
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		<item>
		<title>Understanding the Pricing Model of Universities</title>
		<link>https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/understanding-the-pricing-model-of-universities/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jared Hobson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 21 Apr 2023 19:46:51 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[College Application]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[college consultant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Colorado]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[counselors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Denver]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[educational consultant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Financial aid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[merit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Scholarships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tuition]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://greatcollegeadvice.com/?p=9527</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Some universities are willing to discount tuition rates heavily in order to attract quality students. Other universities are not. Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, is one of those that generally does not discount for much of anything. They recruit students who generally will pay the full price of tuition. Scholarships do exist, and a small percentage of students may get them for one reason or another. But the fact is that different universities have different business models. And Samford is unabashedly a school that wants students who can pay the full cost.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/understanding-the-pricing-model-of-universities/">Understanding the Pricing Model of Universities</a> first appeared on <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com">Great College Advice</a>.</p>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>On our usual trip across country, we at <a href="https://www.samford.edu">Samford University</a> in Birmingham, Alabama to comment on its pricing model.<br />
To understand the business model of the University you intend to join is important so you can control the cost of your Higher Education with the help of Financial Aid. Watch out this short video about this beautiful University or read the transcript below:<br />
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s0GyAHp7f1Q" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p><a title="Educational Consultant in Colorado talks about the importance of Financial Aid" href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Educational Consultant</a><br />
*****************<br />
I had a great visit here at Samford University, really beautiful, beautiful campus.  One of the things I learned about today was, it was a great lesson actually in the idea of discount rates, Samford University is actually cheaper, the sticker price of tuition is cheaper than a lot of other private universities and they use that as a huge selling point about why you ought to consider coming to Samford.  The interesting thing is that they really don’t discount tuition too much.  They do provide financial aid for some students, but fully one-third of the students who come here pay the full price of tuition.<br />
Now at other universities, even the other ones I’ve been visiting in the south, the other private universities, they actually have a much higher tuition rate but they discount the tuition for a much larger percentage of the students.<br />
So, when I talk to my clients, and I always talk about the fact that most students will not pay the sticker price when they are accepted to a private university, but parents will also be looking at that sticker price and doing comparison shopping, say between Samford and let’s say, Vanderbilt or even Birmingham Southern, and they say, “Whoa, the sticker price at those other places is so much more than it is at a place like Samford”.  Well, if you’re paying full price for tuition or if you’re planning to pay full price, then yes, Samford is a deal.  But if you are looking for financial aid, you may get less financial aid at a place like Samford than you would at a place that has a higher sticker price.<br />
So that’s a really confusing reality of the way universities, which are businesses, price their product or their service.  So it was a fascinating discovery here.  I enjoyed my time very much and I think that they provide a really great educational product here but I thought it was really interesting to learn about their pricing structure.</p><p>The post <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/understanding-the-pricing-model-of-universities/">Understanding the Pricing Model of Universities</a> first appeared on <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com">Great College Advice</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
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		<title>College of Wooster &#8211; Changing Lives</title>
		<link>https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/college-of-wooster-changing-lives/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jared Hobson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Nov 2022 14:38:25 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[College Application]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[College Profile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[admissions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[college consultant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[College counseling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[College of Wooster]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Colorado]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Denver]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[educational consultant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Liberal Arts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[office admission]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ohio]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://greatcollegeadvice.com/?p=8931</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>The College of Wooster is a fantastic liberal arts college in a small town in Ohio. It's a place that trains scholars--even students who are not scholars in high school. Wooster still requires a culminating research experience at the end of the four year Bachelors degree as a way to bring together everything one has learned.<br />
Visiting a college is a good way to get a measure of the friendliness of a campus. Wooster gave me personalized attention when I arrived--even at 4:15 on a Friday afternoon in August.<br />
If you want personalized attention and advice in choosing a college that is right for you, you might want to consult Montgomery Educational Consulting for some great college advice.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/college-of-wooster-changing-lives/">College of Wooster – Changing Lives</a> first appeared on <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com">Great College Advice</a>.</p>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>On a Friday afternoon in August, Mark visited the <a title="Educational Consultant in Colorado comments on College of Wooster" href="https://www.wooster.edu">College of Wooster</a> in Ohio, and was impressed by the personalized attention of the staff.<br />
Watch this video to see how this Midwestern gem is changing lives of its students through its special liberal arts programs.</p>
<p><iframe title="Video: The College of Wooster - A Midwestern Gem" width="800" height="450" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sOxu_pLgC0s?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Mark Montgomery<br />
<a title="Educational Consultant in Colorado comments on College of Wooster" href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com">Educational Consultant </a><br />
***************</p>
<h2>Here&#8217;s the transcript if you&#8217;d like to read:</h2>
<p>I’m here on the Campus of the College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio. And I could say that the College of Wooster is another one of those Mid-Western surprises. I’ve had on this trip where you walk into the campus and are really shocked by how really wonderful it is. I can’t say I was completely shocked because I knew from reputation that this is a really solid academic school. It’s kind of under the radar screen for a lot of people but a fantastic little liberal arts college in Ohio.</p>
<p>The thing I wanted to mention is the way I visit colleges. I tend not to go on canned admission tours. I tend to just show up kind of unannounced without a lot of fanfare or giving them prior warning of my visit. Then I walked into the Admissions Office today at 4:15, okay it closes at 5.</p>
<p>Immediately they said, let’s get you in touch with the person, what are the admissions reps and he sat down with me. He talked with me for about 40 minutes. He gave me kind of a personal tour of the campus as much as he could before he had to run off to pick up his wife. But really took a personalized &#8211; he gave me personal attention. And that’s really indicative of what the College of Wooster is all about spending the time and the energy and giving personal attention to each and every student.</p>
<p>Loren Pope put the College of Wooster in his book 40 Colleges that Changed Lives and, you know. It’s not surprising just my little experience here on an August day when the campus is pretty dead to walk into the Admissions Office and get a lot of personalized attention. We just met with the professor he was walking out of his office, stood there and talked with us for a few minutes, really impressive place.</p>
<p>Yes, the landscaping and the architecture yes that’s kind of a surprise to me. Because it really does kind of help to get a feel of the physical plant of a college. But really by reputation College of Wooster is one of those places that they take – maybe their students are diamonds in the rough not necessarily the tippy top academically. They will take students who have academic potential and they will mold them into scholars. That is really the hallmark of education here at Wooster, excellent education, someplace that is definitely off the radar screen for a lot of students but it shouldn’t be. This is a high value education and it deserves more attention.</p><p>The post <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/college-of-wooster-changing-lives/">College of Wooster – Changing Lives</a> first appeared on <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com">Great College Advice</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
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		<title>Liberal Arts Colleges&#8211;The Educational Advantages</title>
		<link>https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/liberal-arts-colleges-the-educational-advantages/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jared Hobson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Feb 2022 17:43:52 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[College Application]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[admissions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Applications]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[college consultant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Liberal Arts]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://greatcollegeadvice.com/?p=1856</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>What Is a Liberal Arts College (LAC)? Think of an LAC as a “college of arts and sciences” at a university that is removed from a broader institution. And then...</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/liberal-arts-colleges-the-educational-advantages/">Liberal Arts Colleges–The Educational Advantages</a> first appeared on <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com">Great College Advice</a>.</p>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2 id="section-1" class="wp-block-heading">What Is a Liberal Arts College (LAC)?</h2>
<p>Think of an LAC as a “college of arts and sciences” at a university that is removed from a broader institution. And then created as a stand-alone school. It has exactly the same sort of undergraduate curriculum that exists at a university. But the LAC is completely separated from graduate programs.</p>
<p>An LAC offers only undergraduate degrees. Most offer the BA, but some might offer other degrees, including a BS, BM, or even a BBA.</p>
<p>Because it is an entirely undergraduate institution, there are no graduate students in an LAC. Professors teach all classes, even discussion sections and laboratories, because there are no graduate programs at a LAC.</p>
<p>Because they are generally smaller, LACs also offer smaller class sizes than those generally found at larger universities. Thus it is often easier to make personal connections in the classroom, both with professors and peers.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Learn more about the <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/research-university-vs-liberal-arts-college-whats-the-difference/">differences between liberal arts colleges and public flagship universities</a>:</p>
<h2 id="section-4"><b>How Should the Research University vs. Liberal Arts College Decision Factor Into Building Our College List?</b></h2>
<p>The most effective approach is to avoid an either/or mentality and instead build a balanced college list that thoughtfully includes both research universities and liberal arts colleges. This is exactly the strategy that experienced admissions counselors recommend.</p>
<p>Sarah emphasizes fit over prestige when constructing a list: “When a student is looking at a school and imagining spending four years there, they have to be their best self. They have to be comfortable. They don’t want to be overwhelmed academically. They want to find their people, and they want to have opportunities to grow and to connect with their professors and advisors.”</p>
<p>Jamie, who has guided students to acceptances at institutions ranging from MIT and Northwestern to selective liberal arts colleges, takes a practical approach to list-building. He emphasizes the value of finding “hidden gems — schools off the beaten path, more in your target and ‘likely’ area that you hadn’t thought of.” These often include outstanding liberal arts colleges that families overlook because they are less familiar names, but where students may receive superior teaching, stronger mentorship, and significantly more financial aid.</p>
<p>A well-constructed college list, as outlined in Great College Advice’s methodology, divides schools into categories of “reach,” “target,” and “likely” — and ideally includes both research universities and liberal arts colleges across those tiers. This approach gives students the best chance of landing at a school where they will truly thrive, both academically and in their eventual career.</p>
<h2 id="section-5">Choose Your Best-Fit College with Expert Help</h2>
<p>The Great College Advice team — six counselors with over 100 combined years of experience in college admissions — works with each family to match the student’s personality, academic interests, and career aspirations to the right mix of institutions. As Berger notes, “You’re not just hiring me — you’re hiring all six of us, because we meet once a week, talk about our clients, and bounce things off each other. We all are in different regions of the country with different areas of expertise.”</p>
<p>Ultimately, the research university vs. liberal arts college question is not about which type is objectively better for careers. It is about which environment will help your specific student develop into their best, most capable self. And making that determination — with clarity, strategy, and expert guidance — is the foundation of a successful college application process.</p>
<p>Ready to get started? <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com/contact-us/">Schedule a free consultation</a> today.</p><p>The post <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/liberal-arts-colleges-the-educational-advantages/">Liberal Arts Colleges–The Educational Advantages</a> first appeared on <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com">Great College Advice</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
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		<title>5 Misconceptions About How To Get Into College</title>
		<link>https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/how-to-get-into-college-misconceptions/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jared Hobson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 30 Mar 2019 15:37:35 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[College Admissions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[College Application]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[College Fees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[advisor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[college consultant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[get into college]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://greatcollegeadvice.com/?p=17952</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Here are five misconceptions about how to get into college.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/how-to-get-into-college-misconceptions/">5 Misconceptions About How To Get Into College</a> first appeared on <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com">Great College Advice</a>.</p>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h4 class="wp-block-heading">1. <strong>I have to do community service</strong>.</h4>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Doing community service is a fine choice for extracurricular activity, if you enjoy it. It can be a satisfying and selfless way to contribute to society. But it is not necessary to have community service listed as an activity on your college application. You should put your extracurricular focus on areas you enjoy, where you are eager to make a difference. It is the impact of your efforts that will be looked upon positively by college admissions officers, not necessarily community service specifically.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">2. <strong>I have to go to summer school.</strong></h4>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">What you need to do is excel as much as you are able in classes that are challenging. That is how you demonstrate to college admissions officers that you are able to handle the rigors of college academic life. Summer school by itself is a fine way to show academic talent. It is a great way to get ahead in your academic career. But is it necessary? No.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">3. <strong>My grades are not that important.</strong></h4>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Your grades are of utmost importance. College life is academic life. There are many aspects of college life outside of the classroom, but you are there to learn. In order for a college to want to accept you, you must demonstrate the ability to learn, to self-motivate, and to succeed in their academic environment. The only way to prove this to colleges is to get good grades.</p>





<h4 class="wp-block-heading">4. <strong>I’ll get a scholarship.</strong></h4>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Scholarships are reserved for the strongest performers who are applying to college programs. The chances of you getting a scholarship depends on your performance relative to the college to which you are applying. If you apply to several schools, then your chances of receiving a scholarship to any one of those colleges is entirely dependent on your strength as an applicant relative to each college.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>5. I’ll pay for it somehow.</strong></h4>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">College tuition is more expensive than ever before, and student loan debt is a huge issue in the U.S., which affects many adults for years and even decades after their college days are over. You need to look at your future college education as a cost/benefit equation. Choose colleges and programs that you and your family can afford, and take advantage of any scholarships available in order to help you pay for your college education, and to protect your future.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Are there any other misconceptions you may have about getting into college? Let the experts at Great College Advice help you navigate the complicated and sometimes confusing world of college applications. We have several tiers of services we can provide that can fit any budget, and with our expertise in the areas of scholarships and other methods of financing your college education, your investment in Great College Advice could end up saving you money in your overall college education costs. Go to <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com">greatcollegeadvice.com</a> to learn how we can help you.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">&nbsp;</p><p>The post <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/how-to-get-into-college-misconceptions/">5 Misconceptions About How To Get Into College</a> first appeared on <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com">Great College Advice</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
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		<title>High Schools with Great College Advice</title>
		<link>https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/secondary-schools-where-students-have-received-great-college-advice/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jared Hobson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 31 Jul 2016 19:41:25 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[College Admissions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[admissions expert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[college consultant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Colorado]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[educational consultant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ivy League]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Massachusetts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Missouri]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New Jersey]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New York]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://greatcollegeadvice.com/?p=15787</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Great College Advice guides students attending selective private and public high schools in college selection, college admission, and college applications.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/secondary-schools-where-students-have-received-great-college-advice/">High Schools with Great College Advice</a> first appeared on <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com">Great College Advice</a>.</p>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2>Great College Advice works with Great Students from Great Schools</h2>
<h3>Below is a partial list of the secondary schools that our students have attended as we have helped them map their college journeys.</h3>
<h4><strong>SELECTED PRIVATE SCHOOLS</strong></h4>
<p>Choate Rosemary Hall (CT)<br />
Hotchkiss School  (NH)<br />
Phillips Andover  (MA)<br />
Lawrenceville School (NJ)<br />
Cate School (CA)<br />
Holderness School (NH)<br />
Northfield Mount Herman School (MA)<br />
Germantown Friends School (PA)<br />
Moses Brown School (RI)<br />
Emma Willard School (NY)<br />
Cushing Academy (MA)<br />
Lawrence Academy (MA)<br />
Brentwood School (BC, Canada)<br />
Fountain Valley School (CO)<br />
Bishop Fenwick HS (MA)<br />
St. John’s Prep (MA)<br />
Mid-Pacific Institute (HI)<br />
Saint Thomas Academy (MN)<br />
Colorado Academy (CO)<br />
Kent Denver School (CO)<br />
International School of San Francisco (CA)<br />
Signature School (IN)<br />
Prospect Hill Academy (MA)<br />
Interlochen Arts Academy (MI)<br />
Judge Memorial HS (UT)<br />
Xavier HS (WI)<br />
Harrow School (UK)<br />
Woldingham School (UK)<br />
Chinese International Schools (Hong Kong)<br />
Shanghai American School (PRC)<br />
Geelong Grammar Schools (Australia)<br />
Anglo-Chinese School (Singapore)<br />
Beijing 101 Secondary School (PRC)<br />
American School of Muscat (Oman)</p>
<h4>SELECTED USA PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS</h4>
<h5>We have worked with students attending some of the most competitive high schools in the country, many of whom have pursued Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) curricula.  We have worked with students who hail from just about every state in the country (we&#8217;re working to add Alaska and South Dakota!).  Below is just a sampling of the great schools where our students have attended.</h5>
<h5>NEW YORK</h5>
<p>Scarsdale HS<br />
Stuyvesant HS<br />
Urban Assembly School of Business for Young Women</p>
<h5>MASSACHUSETTS</h5>
<p>Lexington HS<br />
Belmont HS<br />
Hingham HS<br />
Burlington HS<br />
Ipswich HS<br />
Needham HS<br />
Bedford HS<br />
Melrose HS<br />
Somerville HS</p>
<h5>CALIFORNIA</h5>
<p>Pacific Palisades HS<br />
Palos Verdes Peninsula HS<br />
Westview HS<br />
Cerritos HS<br />
Woodcreek HS<br />
Redlands East Valley HS<br />
Rancho Cotate HS (CA)</p>
<h5>NEW JERSEY</h5>
<p>Ridgewood HS<br />
Westfield HS<br />
Cranford HS (NJ)<br />
Metuchen HS (NJ)<br />
Rumson / Fairhaven HS (NJ)</p>
<h5>ILLINOIS</h5>
<p>Buffalo Grove HS</p>
<h5>COLORADO</h5>
<p>Cherry Creek HS<br />
Fairview HS<br />
Boulder HS<br />
Denver East<br />
George Washington<br />
Cheyenne Mountain HS<br />
<em>For more Colorado Schools, <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/colorado-high-schools-of-students-who-got-great-college-advice/">click here</a></em></p>
<h5>MISSOURI</h5>
<p>Clayton HS</p>
<h5>MAINE</h5>
<p>Yarmouth HS</p>
<h5>UTAH</h5>
<p>Snow Canyon HS</p>
<h5>WYOMING</h5>
<p>Laramie HS</p>
<h5>NEBRASKA</h5>
<p>Hastings HS<br />
Scotch Plains Fairwood HS</p>
<h5>TENNESSEE</h5>
<p>Tullahoma HS</p>
<h5>INDIANA</h5>
<p>Indiana Academy for Science, Math, and Humanities<br />
Munster HS</p>
<h5>NORTH DAKOTA</h5>
<p>West Fargo HS</p>
<h5>PENNSYLVANIA</h5>
<p>Lancaster HS</p>
<h5>NEW HAMPSHIRE</h5>
<p>Newmarket HS</p>
<h5>DELAWARE</h5>
<p>Cape Henlopen HS</p>
<h5>SOUTH CAROLINA</h5>
<p>JL Mann HS</p>
<h5>TEXAS</h5>
<p>Kempner High School</p>
<h5>NEW MEXICO</h5>
<p>Maya Gold</p><p>The post <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/secondary-schools-where-students-have-received-great-college-advice/">High Schools with Great College Advice</a> first appeared on <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com">Great College Advice</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
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		<title>Whose Responsibility Is It To Pay for College?</title>
		<link>https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/financial-aid-primer-1-whose-responsibility-is-it-to-pay-for-college/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Andrea Aronson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:00:22 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[College Application]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[College Fees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[advisor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[college consultant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[counselors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FAFSA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Financial aid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[loan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[need-based aid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[student debt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[work-study]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://greatcollegeadvice.com/?p=9595</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Everything you always wanted to know about financial aid but didn't know to ask!  The first installment.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/financial-aid-primer-1-whose-responsibility-is-it-to-pay-for-college/">Whose Responsibility Is It To Pay for College?</a> first appeared on <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com">Great College Advice</a>.</p>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>With the new year beginning, financial aid application season is upon us and will soon be in full swing.  In the coming weeks, I&#8217;ll be doing a series of blog posts about the basics of financial aid .  The goal is to provide a primer that will help readers sort through the complexities of the often mysterious and confusing world of financial aid.<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Whose responsibility is it to pay for college? </strong></span><br />
Even though our country benefits dramatically from having a more educated population, the federal government’s philosophy is that parents have the main obligation to fund their children’s higher education to the extent that they can.<br />
Students themselves are also expected to contribute what they can, providing a percentage of their savings and possibly taking on debt and/or working to fund their college education.  After all, students are the ones who are most directly benefiting from their time at school.<br />
But, what if parents and students together can’t afford to pay for the cost of a college education?  This is where the federal government steps in and tries to help fill the gap.  The federal government provides aid in the form of grants, loans and work-study (employment).  Based on information that you provide, financial aid offices at colleges and universities are given the responsibility of determining what your need is.  They calculate what you will pay, as well as how much federal financial aid you should receive and in what form you will receive it (grants, loans, work-study, etc.).<br />
Colleges and universities themselves also can award additional merit and need-based scholarship money above and beyond the need-based aid that the federal government funds. Each institution differs on their criteria for awarding institutional money, but in some cases, if a school really wants a student, grants can be quite sizable.<br />
The road to financial aid begins with filling out the <a title="FAFSA link" href="https://www.fafsa.ed.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FAFSA</a> <a title="FAFSA link" href="https://www.fafsa.ed.gov/">(Free Application for Federal Student Aid)</a>.  The FAFSA requires fairly basic family and financial information from the prior two years.  While on the surface this sounds simple, to complete the FAFSA in a timely way – January of the college enrollment year &#8212; families must often <em>project</em> their tax situation from the just-ended year.  This can make life a bit more complex!  I will get much more into detail about the FAFSA in a future blog post about financial aid and will address some of these issues.<br />
As you go forward learning about financial aid, you may feel overwhelmed or encounter some things that will deter you from applying for aid.  Don’t let this happen! Did you know that over 80% of admissions applicants apply for financial aid? College is an expensive proposition for just about anyone.  Even though paying for college is a parental responsibility, the government and institutions of higher learning want to help. You should take full advantage of the financial aid opportunity despite the hurdles you may encounter.<br />
<a title="Andrea Aronson Westfield, NJ Consultant Bio Link" href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com/about-us/our-team/andrea-aronson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Andrea Aronson</a><br />
<a title="Andrea Aronson Westfield, NJ Consultant Bio Link" href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com/about-us/our-team/andrea-aronson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">College Admissions Advisor, Westfield, NJ</a><br />
&nbsp;</p><p>The post <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/financial-aid-primer-1-whose-responsibility-is-it-to-pay-for-college/">Whose Responsibility Is It To Pay for College?</a> first appeared on <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com">Great College Advice</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
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		<title>Northwestern University: Colleges</title>
		<link>https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/the-different-schools-at-northwestern-university/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jared Hobson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:00:35 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[College Application]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[College Profile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[admissions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Applications]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chicago]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[college consultant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[College counseling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[college essay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Colorado]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[counselors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Denver]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[educational consultant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Illinois]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Northwestern]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[university]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://greatcollegeadvice.com/?p=9394</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>During a recent visit to Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, Mark took a few moments to explain that many universities in the United States are divided administratively into separate colleges that focus on a particular academic area.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/the-different-schools-at-northwestern-university/">Northwestern University: Colleges</a> first appeared on <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com">Great College Advice</a>.</p>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Mark, in his recent visit to <a title="Educational Consultant in Colorado talks about the different schools at Northwestern University" href="https://www.northwestern.edu">Northwestern University</a> talks about the various schools that comprise the university.<br />
Watch out this short video where he also talks about some of the dual majors offered at the university:<br />
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qNPxJd4nV7A" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0"></iframe><br />
Mark Montgomery<br />
<a title="Educational Consultant in Colorado talks about the different schools at Northwestern University" href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Educational Consultant</a><br />
*****************<br />
You may read the transcription below:<br />
Here at Northwestern University, there are six different colleges to which students will apply.  That’s like many major universities of a certain size, where you make a decision as you are applying which of the various colleges you want to enter.  So there’s engineering.  There’s the communication school which includes the theater department, the music school, education and social policy; I forget they have a different name for it.  And I’m missing one but communications.  Oh, and of course, the Weinberg School of Arts and Sciences which is the biggest school and where you would probably go if you were an undecided major.<br />
In any case, you do apply the particular school that is most appropriate to you.  As you’re thinking about universities, you do want to make a decision as to whether or not you want to have that kind of a gateway into your educational experience.  However, here at Northwestern, it’s fairly easy to move among schools. It’s even possible to double major from one school to the next.  For example, you could go into the school of music and you can also double major in say psychology in the school of Arts and Sciences. Or Northwestern also makes it possible that you can do say if you were in the music school, you can do a Bachelors of Music Performance but you can also take a fifth year and get a Bachelors of Arts at the Weinberg School of Arts and Sciences and get two separate undergraduate degrees in five years.<br />
So there’s lots of different combinations of things and Northwestern, although its relatively large at 8,000 students, the administrative barriers to moving among the schools are fairly low. You still have to have an application and there are some administrative barriers that do exist, but it is possible to move among them.  So think about that as you’re figuring out which kind of college to attend.  Whether you want to have these separate schools of different kinds of specialties or whether you want something that everybody applies at the same thing.</p><p>The post <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/the-different-schools-at-northwestern-university/">Northwestern University: Colleges</a> first appeared on <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com">Great College Advice</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
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		<title>Northwestern University Class Size</title>
		<link>https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/class-sizes-and-teaching-assistants-at-northwestern-university/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jared Hobson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:55:40 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[College Application]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[College Profile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chicago]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Class Size]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[college consultant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[College counseling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Colorado]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[communications]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Denver]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[educational consultant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Liberal Arts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[major]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://greatcollegeadvice.com/?p=9397</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>When choosing a college, it's important to think about the impact that class size will have on how an individual class is taught.  Mark took time out during a visit to Northwestern to explain.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/class-sizes-and-teaching-assistants-at-northwestern-university/">Northwestern University Class Size</a> first appeared on <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com">Great College Advice</a>.</p>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>On a recent trip across the country, Mark stopped at <a title="Educational Consultant in Colorado comments on the Class Size at Northwestern University" href="https://www.northeastern.edu">Northwestern University</a> in Illinois and talks about the relatively large class size at the University. 97% of the classes have 100 or less students. But a large percentage of courses have over 40 students, which means that a teaching assistant is assigned to help with the course.</p>
<h2>Check this video out to learn how faculty members use the help of TAs to manage large classes:</h2>
<p><iframe title="Video: Class Size and the Student-Faculty Ratio at Northwestern" width="800" height="450" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HA7ilOiYPKU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Mark Montgomery<br />
<a title="Educational Consultant in Colorado comments on the Class Size at Northwestern University" href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Educational Consultant</a><br />
*****************</p>
<h3>You may read the transcription below:</h3>
<p>I’m here now on the campus of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, just north of Chicago. It’s about 12 miles or so north of Chicago. Great location. If you get out towards the leg it’s, the campus is right on Lake Michigan. You can see downtown from the campus. So it’s another kind of, one of these campuses is like Tuffs, like the University of Chicago where you feel like you’re very much part of the city. But you’re still enough outside of it that you can have this beautiful tree lined campus, green, especially now in the summer.</p>
<p>Probably not so great in the middle of winter. But there are a few things to know about Northwestern. Of course, I can’t sort of in this short video tell you everything. But remember that first of all Northwestern is on a quarter system. So that means that you take only three classes at a time in ten weeks – three or four, maybe four classes – four classes a quarter in ten week quarters. So it’s a little more intensive than at some other places where you might take five or six classes over a 15 week quarter.</p>
<p>A couple of other things. There are about 8,000 students here, so it’s a little larger than some other private universities, the caliber here. But it’s not so large that it’s a great big huge state university. Sort of a nice size in between. This is a size that a lot of students are looking for that is difficult to find. The Admissions Office is telling us also that 97% of the classes have fewer than 100 students. That’s an important figure to know.</p>
<p>That’s probably more important than the student to faculty ratio, which is a 7 to 1. Ignore that statistic. It tells you absolutely nothing about the classroom experience. The percentage of classes that are certain enrollment or less, that’s better. So 97% of the classes here are 100 students or less.</p>
<p>However, if the class is over 40 students then there is a TA for the class that runs the discussion section as opposed to the professor. So we were, our tour guide was from a double major, Bachelor’s in Music and Performance at the Venice School of Music, and none of those classes are large, and so there were no TA’s in that school. But then she also is doing a BA degree in History, and about 50% of the student classes that she had taken in History were over 40 students and therefore had TA’s. Now of course it depends on the classes you pick.</p>
<p>You might be able to take History to find a lot more classes that have a lower enrollment if that’s one of your priorities. To find those classes that have maybe 15 to 20 or maybe even fewer students if that’s a priority. But also remember that the more popular the class. The larger the enrollment and the more likely you are to have a TA.</p><p>The post <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/class-sizes-and-teaching-assistants-at-northwestern-university/">Northwestern University Class Size</a> first appeared on <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com">Great College Advice</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
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		<title>Kalamazoo College &#8211; Great Value for Money</title>
		<link>https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/kalamazoo-college-great-value-for-money/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jared Hobson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:28:26 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[College Application]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[college consultant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[College counseling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Colorado]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Denver]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[educational consultant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kalamazoo College]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Liberal Arts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[midwest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tennis]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://greatcollegeadvice.com/?p=8919</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan, is a beautiful liberal arts college with a very rigorous academic program. Surprisingly, perhaps, Kalamazoo also has a very strong international orientation, and a very large percentage of its students go abroad to study for part of their undergraduate experience.<br />
Kalamazoo is also home to University of Western Michigan, so the sizable student population makes it a nice town in which to go to school. The neighborhood around Kalamazoo College is quite nice. The college has a fantastic tennis facility, too. The student center is relatively new. And the central quadrangle is lovely.<br />
Kalamazoo College has an outstanding record of getting students into graduate school.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/kalamazoo-college-great-value-for-money/">Kalamazoo College – Great Value for Money</a> first appeared on <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com">Great College Advice</a>.</p>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a title="Educational Consultant in Colorado visits Kalmazoo College in Kalmazoo, Michigan" href="https://www.kzoo.edu">Kalamazoo College</a> provides great value for money. Mark was able to spend some time on this campus, poking around and learning about what special characteristics Kalamazoo has to offer.<br />
Watch this video to know more about what makes this Midwest college a good choice for students. Beyond the beautiful campus and great facilities, Kalamazoo offers a very strong liberal arts education.<br />
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S3vhTuzYj_4" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0"></iframe><br />
Mark Montgomery<br />
<a title="Educational Consultant in Colorado visits Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois" href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Educational Consultant</a><br />
*****************<br />
You may read the transcription below:<br />
I am here today on the campus of Kalamazoo College, which is in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It’s a medium sized city of about 225,000 people. It’s actually a big college town because Western Michigan University is also here. The Kalamazoo College is a small Liberal Arts college and if you look around, you know, you feel, it’s a surprise. That’s one of the things about the Midwest. It’s really a surprise to see this beautiful quad, the columns, the architecture. I mean you could swear you were on a New England campus somewhere, but here we are in the Midwest, excellent college.<br />
Kalamazoo is know for a couple of things, one, its excellent teaching. It is one of the 40 Colleges That Change Lives, and it really focuses on undergraduate education, always has since it was founded in the early 1800s, and the second thing that really sets Kalamazoo apart is its International Studies Program. Like a few other colleges, University of Denver, Dartmouth, even Northwestern, it has a trimester schedule, so that makes it possible for students to take say ten to twelve weeks off of campus, and about 80% of the students here at Kalamazoo College spend some time overseas. So, the international focus of this school is really palpable.<br />
It doesn’t have a really, really strong and diverse community although for a Midwestern Liberal Arts college it is more diverse than many, but certainly the attitude here is expansive and looking outward into the world. That’s always been one of the hallmarks of this college. It’s a beautiful, beautiful campus and brand new student center right here to my right, and we have also walked in the library, beautiful facility. Really this would be a wonderful place to go to college for someone who is serious about academics, who really wanted to spend their time learning in an undergraduate college and who had that desire to study abroad and to be among people who have that international attitude.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Mark Montgomery<br />
<a title="Educational Consultant comments on Kalamazoo College in Michigan" href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Educational Consultant</a></p><p>The post <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/kalamazoo-college-great-value-for-money/">Kalamazoo College – Great Value for Money</a> first appeared on <a href="https://greatcollegeadvice.com">Great College Advice</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
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