How To Make the Most of an Admitted Student Day Event

Seniors, have you been invited to an admitted student day for a college you have been accepted to? Whether you already know that you will be attending the college or are still trying to make comparisons between schools, these programs are often helpful.
Here are a few tips for how to make the most of your visit.
1) Check out the agenda before you go. Many colleges post their tentative agendas for their program on their website in advance. Take a look with your family so you can map out a plan for all of the sessions you want to attend and don’t feel overwhelmed when you get there.
2) Divide and conquer. There are often many sessions happening at the same time so split up (parents from students) so you can gather as much information as possible and come back together later in the day to share what you learned.
3) Talk to current students. Current students will often be your best resource at these program. However, try to talk to them away from the regularly scheduled tour time as they are often much more scripted on tours. See if you can sit with them in the dining hall or walk with them on the way to a session.
4) Check out the surrounding area. Drive or walk around the surrounding neighborhood. Scope out local restaurants, off-campus housing options (if the college allows for that), accessibility to grocery stores, shopping, etc. Get a feel for place you may be living for the next four years.
5) Eat on campus- test out the food. What kind of options are there? What time of day are they open? Are there “grab and go” possibilities if you are running late for class? Convenient stores on or off campus to grab a late night snack? Ask a current student where their favorite place to eat on and off campus is. Also, if you have any food allergies, don’t be shy about asking one of the staff for suggestions on how to manage this away from home.
6) Talk to someone in the financial aid office. Make sure you have a good understanding of the financial package they are offering you and double check that you haven’t missed any scholarship opportunities.
7) Check out your housing options. Often, these accepted student open houses allow for you to see residence halls and maybe even the one you would be living in. Trying to decide between residence halls? Talk to current students and RAs. Although most students will tell you that the one they lived in is the best (everyone develops favorites!) some have different perks to them such as: residential academic programs, proximity to certain buildings (rec center, library, etc), dining halls, etc.
8) Check out the bookstore. Try on the school colors and see how they fit. Stock up on some gear. Take a look around to see how easy it is to find your textbooks, school supplies, and computer/technology assistance.
9) Students, take some time to just sit by yourself or explore on your own. Go to the student center or another student hangout and just observe. Spend the night if you can with a student. Sometimes that feeling of independence may be just what you need to make the decision a little clearer.
10) Take pictures. Sometimes these events can be overwhelming and it is easy to forget what you saw. Pictures will spark memories when you get back home and are sorting through all of your decisions.
 
Enjoy!
 
 
image credit: https://liu.edu/CWPost/About/News/Campus-Calendar/2011/April/AdmittedSD_Apr3.aspx

How To Find a Good Gap Year Program?

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With so many gap year programs to choose from, how do you determine which ones are worth applying to?

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The SAT is not Always Needed to Get into College

You don’t have to take the SAT or the ACT to get into a four-year college!
For juniors about to take the March SAT, it’s comforting to know that there are almost 850 four-year colleges known as the “Fair Test Schools” which do not require standardized tests for acceptance.
Instead of looking at the SAT or ACT, these colleges will weigh your GPA and rigor of your classes more heavily. They might also ask to see some of your academic writing.
Some of the more well-known college on the Fair Test list include the following:
American University
Bard
Bates
Bowdoin
Colorado College
Dickinson
Drew
Franklin & Marshall
Hamilton
Hobart & William Smith
Julliard
Juniata
Knox
Lewis & Clark
Middlebury
NYU
Pitzer
Sarah Lawrence
Texas A & M
Union
Wake Forest
WPI
For a complete list of all the four year schools, go to the Fair Test Schools website: Fairtest.org
So if you’re not happy with your SAT scores in March and you just don’t want to take the SAT again consider some of the “Fair Test” schools.
 
Juliet Giglio
Educational Consultant in Syracuse, NY

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Athletic Recruiting – Why Not Plan An “Unofficial Visit” with the Coach?

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The March SAT

The deadline for the March 10th SAT is in less than a week!
The SAT test costs $49 if you sign up before February 10th.  After that, you’ll incur an additional $26 late fee if you want to take the test.
Typically, the March SAT is the most popular test date of the entire year.  According to the New York Times, last spring, more than 1.55 million students took the SAT.  An increase over previous years.
Reasons to sign up for the March SAT now include:

  • You won’t incur a late fee of $26
  • You are more likely to get the test prep site that you want
  • You’ll get your scores back in three weeks — so if you aren’t pleased, you can easily take the test again in May

Juliet Giglio
Educational Consultant in Syracuse, New York