CO - College Admission Counseling

Best Value in Public Colleges

Jared Hobson — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 16:01:44 +0000

With college cost soaring, many families are wondering how to get the best “bang for their buck” when it comes to paying for a college education. With that said, I have noticed that many families are shying away from public colleges due to fears of budget cuts and delayed graduation timelines, even though the overall cost may be cheaper.
Kiplinger recently published their list of the Best Values in Public Colleges.

University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, University of Virginia and University of Florida all top the list. But as with any ranking, you have to ask, who determines what is valuable? Is it academics? Is it resources? Graduation rates? Or is it just the overall experience?

While Kiplinger’s list provides some valuable insights into the opportunities provided by public higher education, students need to determine what is most important to them when looking into which colleges to apply to. Rankings are good place to start your research, but do not make your entire college decision based on where a college falls on a list.

Great College Advice

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Applying to USC? Make Sure You Have a Balanced College List

Jared Hobson — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 16:01:37 +0000

Last year, many students (and counselors) were shocked by USC admission decisions. Since it was the first year that USC was on the Common Application, they experienced a large increase in the number of applications they received. So what is going to happen this year? On a recent visit to USC, Katherine asked that very question. Watch the video below to learn more about the answer she received.

In addition to learning more about the research opportunities here at USC, I really wanted to learn more about the admissions process. I think this past admissions season was a shocking year for students who applied to USC. Last year was the first year that USC was on the Common Application and they receive 46,000 applications. That was up from 37,000 from the previous year. Their acceptance rate went from around 23% to 18% so USC became significantly more competitive. Their average SAT score from last year was a 2050 to 2250 and the average ACT was a 31 to 33. So I wanted to hear a little bit more about the selective process and what their thoughts are on what could happen next year. Basically it is anyone’s guess. Those numbers can continue to rise and those numbers could also fall back a little bit. It basically shows that the world of admissions can be unpredictable and while a jump in increase in applications of that size does not happen very often, it does show that you have to take your time and do your research. You need to make sure you have a balanced college list. You need to make sure you have a good number of reach schools, a good number of safety schools and a good number of obtainable schools in the middle so when you do have surprises like that, you are very well prepared and you still have a great college to attend in the fall.

Great College Advice

The post Applying to USC? Make Sure You Have a Balanced College List first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

Beware of the Sophomore Slump

Jared Hobson — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 21:00:58 +0000

Sometimes it creeps up slowly. You are excited to go back to college for your sophomore year, but all of sudden, you realize, you are not happy. You hate taking general education classes that you have little to no interest in. You either want to jump right into your major classes or you are feeling anxious because you have not idea what your major will be. You did not get to live the residence hall you wanted, which is totally going to ruin your social life. To top it off, you go back to school and there is no parade. No herd of orientation leaders to help you move in. No one saying, “We are so glad you are here!” No organized social engagements and no one to tell you where you first class will be. What happened? Why is sophomore year so different?
If any of these thoughts sound familiar to you, you may have a case of sophomore slump. Colleges spend so much energy making sure that their freshman class is oriented and well adjusted to campus, that they often neglect the “middle child”; the sophomores.
Sophomore year is an important year. This is when you start establishing yourself on campus. You may be taking on a leadership role in a club or on an athletic team. You may be starting to explore options for internships or studying abroad. You also need to start exploring majors. So many decisions to make! It can be overwhelming and not every university is great about reaching out to sophomores to help.
If you are starting to feel a little lost, here are a few tips of resources to look out for on your campus to help remedy the sophomore slump.

Sophomore Year Experience. Some colleges are on the ball and offer a program that is similar to what you experienced your freshman year. It can have many names and many forms, but the premise is to get sophomores together in some form of group advising format. This may happen through an academic advisor, a course or even in the residence halls. So, search your college’s website, ask your RA or orientation leader from last year. Find out if this program exists where you are and then take full advantage of it.
Can’t decide on a major? Visit Career Services. Deciding on a major can be very stressful. Some students don’t know where to begin. Your Career Services office should be able to help. The first step may be to take some career assessments. These tests may give you a general idea of career options. Once you have some options, continue to explore that career. Find out if there is anyone you know who does that job and do an informational interview. This also a great way to learn about internship options. Career Services may also host a variety of programs in order to help you pick a career or major. Internship fairs, career panels and guest speakers are all great events to participate in order to help you narrow down your career interest.
Get to know your professors. Once you have some career options to explore, start talking to professors in departments associated with those particular careers. If you are nervous about approaching professors you don’t know, ask a professor you do know to introduce you.
Continue to be involved. Just because you are a sophomore, does not mean you can’t try something new. Attend the club fair they hold for freshmen. Sign up for anything interesting. Branch out.
Mentor someone. Nothing can reinvigorate your love for your college like passing your knowledge along to someone new. Find out how you can help incoming freshmen or transfer students. This experience will help you focus on what you love about your college experience.

If you are in high school and just beginning your college search, make sure to look for some of these resources when you are visiting campuses. Most admissions offices are quick to point out programs for freshmen, but you may need to ask about what is available beyond your first year.
If you currently have a case of “sophomore slump,” remember that it is only a temporary condition. Once you find your way, you will love your college again!

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Snow Day? Great! Work on Your College Applications

Jared Hobson — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:55:03 +0000

The snow is coming down in Littleton, Colorado and many students are finding that they have a SNOW DAY! This is a great opportunity to spend some time on your college applications or your college search process. Watch Katherine’s video, or ready the summary below for some great tips on how to get the most out of a snow day.

For seniors, use today to finish up your supplemental essays. Supplemental essays are an important part of your college application, so don’t leave them until the last minute. Colleges are using these essays to gage how interested you are in their school. Make sure an write about specific programs or academic offerings that you are excited to participate in. Most importantly, make sure you answer the question! For more tips on supplemental essays, be sure to read my previous blog post on supplemental essays.
Another great idea for seniors is to get started on your thank you notes. Write thank you notes to any admissions officers that you have recently interviewed with. You should also write thank you notes to any teachers that have completed your letters of recommendation. Don’t forget your guidance counselor as well.
For juniors, snow days are great time to get organized. By now you have probably received a ton of college brochures. What do you do with it all? Well Cara offers some great advice on how to weed through all of that mail and get things organized.
Snow days are also a great time for juniors to start thinking about standardized tests. It is important to come up with a standardized testing plan. Look at the test dates for both the ACT and SAT and mark your calendar for both the test dates and registration deadlines. You should also look at the SAT Subject test offerings and determine if you will be completing these exams as well. SAT Subject tests are required or strongly recommended by several colleges.
Another “to do” list for juniors is to start your resume. Don’t worry about formatting at this point, but just try to get all of the activities you have done on one piece of paper.
For sophomores, it is a good idea to just get started with your college research. Start playing around with all of the college information websites that are out there. We have listed some of our favorites on greatcollegeadvice.com.
So there you have it. A few things to do as you stay inside and try to keep warm on this perfect snow day!
Katherine Price
Educational Consultant

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