The Boettcher Foundation awards undergraduate scholarships to Colorado’s best and brightest students. Their merit-based awards essentially guarantee a 4-year fully paid scholarship to any college or university in Colorado. The application process for this scholarship is very rigorous and the competition is steep. Annually, well over 1,000 students apply for the 50 available scholarships. According to the Foundation:

Our application review is a holistic selection process that evaluates applicants on four selection criteria – superior scholastic ability and intellectual curiosity; evidence of leadership and involvement; service to community and school; and outstanding character.

Typically, competitive applicants rank in the top 5% of their classes and have test scores that average 1388 on the SAT and 32 on the ACT (as a reminder, we are not requiring test scores for this year’s applicants.) It’s important to note these averages are precisely those; every year we have Scholars who score below and above those averages.

Though grades, coursework, and test scores are important, we know that numbers do not tell the whole story of a student’s unique abilities, lived experiences, or character. We also weigh the qualitative components of an application that include leadership, involvement, and service to community and school.

The application opens September 1 every year. Your high school counselor will be receiving updated information about the scholarship. Then, they are able to invite qualified students to apply so if you are interested make sure to connect with your counselor. To see if you might be a qualified applicant check out the Boettcher website.

Boettcher Scholars are an amazing community of students and citizens.

Great College Advice

The post Are You A Talented Colorado High School Student? Learn About the Boettcher Scholarship first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

It’s no secret that the college admissions process is a long and winding road. Most college-bound students (and their parents!) look at this process with apprehension, if not outright fear. But exactly how long do college admissions take? The answer to this question depends on many factors, not least of which is what you personally consider to be the official beginning to this process. 

Some students may think that the college admissions process begins in December of senior year, when stressed out procrastinators sit down to cram in their applications over winter break, while some farsighted parents might imagine that getting their four-year-old into the right preschool is the first step on the college journey. In this post, we’ll outline some of the key college milestones you’re likely to encounter during high school so that you have some idea of how long college admissions will take for you.

Ninth grade (freshman) college milestones

Your biggest focus in ninth grade is most likely going to be adapting to high school, and that is totally fine! It is important to focus on getting your footing in your first year, but there are a few future-focused items to consider.

Course selection

The classes you take throughout high school and the grades you earn are the single biggest factor that colleges will consider when they evaluate your application. Throughout high school, you want to make sure that you are taking the hardest classes that you can handle while still keeping up your grades and your mental health. This starts in ninth grade. If you feel confident in math, challenge yourself by taking honors. If you are a bookworm, try honors English. If you have the chance to take an AP class freshman year, give it a whirl (while some schools won’t allow you to take AP classes as a freshman, some put easier APs on the menu. AP Human Geography or AP World History are popular options for freshmen looking to get their AP feet wet). 

High school is also a low-stakes time to begin exploring your academic interests, so throughout high school, be on the lookout for elective or core courses that open your eyes to new subjects. For example, if you like drawing or are interested in architecture, perhaps you’ll have the chance to take a Computer Aided Design (CAD) course. If you think you might be interested in engineering, keep your eye peeled for Project Lead the Way or other early engineering courses.

Extracurricular activities

Colleges will be looking at the extracurricular activities you participated in throughout high school, not just junior or senior year. Rather than a variety of extracurriculars that you attended for an hour a month, colleges are looking for longstanding commitment to a more narrow band of activities. Freshman year is a great time to try out a few different activities, with the idea that you’ll narrow in and seek leadership positions in two or three of these activities, rather than sticking with all of them.

Summer opportunities

The summer after ninth grade is a great time to continue exploring your interests. Maybe Spanish class was exciting for you, so you seek out a five-day Spanish immersion program over the summer. Maybe you’re developing an interest in politics, so you intern for a local politician over the summer. Whatever it is, use the summer after ninth grade to have new experiences and gather more data about the world and yourself, without worrying too much about how these experiences will look to colleges.

Tenth grade (sophomore) milestones

In terms of college, sophomore year is going to be pretty similar to freshman year. Keep choosing the hardest courses you can handle, and keep using courses and summer opportunities to explore your interests. In terms of extracurricular activities, this is the time to let go of activities that aren’t interesting to you and to start committing more to the activities that are interesting to you. On top of these considerations, there’s one more thing to start thinking about….standardized tests!

PSAT and Pre-ACT

Many sophomores take the PSAT or the Pre-ACT through school. This will give you a good baseline idea of what your future SAT or ACT scores might be. You don’t need to stress about this test too much, but it’s a good idea to at least have some familiarity with the format and content of the test. And of course, the night before, be sure to get a good night’s sleep!

Eleventh grade (junior) milestones

This is where the process is going to start picking up. While it’s still not time to actually write your applications yet, this is the year to really lay the groundwork so that when you do write the application, the process is (relatively!) seamless. As always, you’ll want to continue doing your best work in the hardest classes you can manage. Now is also the time to begin seeking out leadership opportunities in your extracurriculars, and you can also begin using summers to demonstrate leadership in your community. On top of that, there are a few new milestones to keep in mind.

Test Prep

You’ll most likely take the SAT and/or ACT in the spring of your junior year. You may also decide that you want to retest the summer after junior year or even the fall of senior year. In any case, fall of junior year is the time to start prepping for these tests. You may have a baseline score from the PSAT or Pre-ACT. If not, find an official diagnostic test and take it under test conditions (meaning set a time for the proper amount of time for each section and take the sections all in a row, just like you would on test day). Look up the median ACT and SAT scores at a few of the schools you’re interested in. This will help you decide if you need to pursue ACT and SAT tutoring.

Letters of Recommendation

Most colleges require a letter of recommendation from your counselor and one or two letters of recommendation from your teachers. Because college applications are due relatively early senior year, your senior teachers won’t really have time to get to know you enough to write a robust letter. For that reason, you’ll most likely want to pick a teacher from your junior year (sophomore year is okay if you had a really strong relationship with a particular teacher, but you don’t want to go much younger than that; presumably you’ve matured a lot since freshman year, and you want a teacher who can speak to that growth).

Many teachers “fill up” on their letters of recommendation, and rightfully so! It’s a lot to expect one teacher to write dozens of letters of recommendation, so it’s understandable that they might only accept thirty or so requests per year. For that reason, it’s a good idea to approach teachers in the spring of your junior year, even though the letters aren’t due for months. That way, you’ll know early on if they have the capacity to write you a letter, or if you’ll need to ask someone else.

College Research

There are a LOT of colleges out there! It takes a long time to figure out what it is you’re looking for in a college and even longer to figure out which colleges have what you’re looking for. Junior year is an important time to begin doing this research. This means doing some soul searching. Talking to your parents, counselor, teachers, or other adults who know you well. They may have some important insight into what kind of college environment might be best for you. But most importantly, do some journaling yourself. What do you want? Where do you want to be for the next four years? Afterall, this is your education!

Once you have some idea of what you’re looking for, it’s time to go find it. This might mean doing official college visits. It might look like staying with a friend or relative who goes to a specific college. If travel isn’t the best option for you, you can gather a lot of information from virtual tours and information sessions. Keep notes so that you’re comparing apples to apples. In the end, you want a well-balanced list of somewhere between five and fifteen schools, depending on your goals.

Twelfth grade (senior) milestones

This is the big one! You want to think of senior year as starting the minute junior year ends – the summer before senior year is an important time to get a jump on the actual application process!

Finalizing the college list and creating your plan

You’ve done the research. You have a pretty good idea of what colleges you want to apply to. The summer before senior year is the time to sit down with your parents, advisors, or other trusted adults, and finalize which schools you plan to apply to. You also want to make a note of deadlines. Deadlines can range anywhere from mid-October to mid-March or even later, so you want to do your research and know when those applications are actually due. Now is also a good time to decide whether you’ll be applying anywhere early action or early decision.

Make note of all requirements and put this information into some sort of spreadsheet

By August or September, schools will have published their updated application requirements. This includes any supplemental essays as well as other requirements like interviews, auditions, or portfolios. Gather all of this information and put it in one place (like a Google sheet!) so that you know what you have to do.

Write your Common App Personal Statement and other essays

How long do you think it will take you to write your Common App Personal Statement and other essays? However long you’re thinking, multiply that by three. Then add another week or two for good measure. These essays take way longer than you’d expect! Start them over the summer to give yourself time to write high-quality essays well before the deadlines.

How long does the college admissions process take? Dive into the detailed timeline from ninth to twelfth grade. Learn, plan, and succeed with this informative guide.

Fill out your applications

Fall of senior year is the time to actually create your accounts for the Common App, the University of California system, or any other applications you’re planning to submit. Fill everything out and paste in your essays!

Fill out your financial aid forms

Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as well as any other financial aid forms that your schools request. These forms will require you to have your parents’ tax information. Like most other steps in this process, this will take longer than you think! So start early and communicate clearly with your parents or guardians!

Congratulate yourself (and monitor your inbox)

Once you’ve submitted your final application, give yourself a HUGE pat on the back! Whatever happens, you have just completed a very challenging process, and you deserve to feel good about that! While you’re congratulating yourself, be sure to keep an eye on your email inbox. Colleges will send important follow up instructions and information (like your application decision!).

How long do college admissions take? That depends on you! But the timelines above should give you a pretty good idea of what this process is going to look like. Good luck!

Need more advice on your college applications?

The team at Great College Advice has deep experience in guiding students along the road from high school college. We provide individually tailored, one-on-one advising to help young people achieve their educational ambitions. If you’d like more information about our services, contact us for a free consultation. Or just pick up the phone and call us at 720.279.7577.  We’d be happy to chat with you.

The post How Long do College Admissions Take? first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

It’s no secret that the college admissions process is long and mind-bogglingly complicated. If you’ve decided to seek independent help to guide you through the process, you’re not alone! In today’s digital world, one great option is working with a college prep advisor online. Once you’ve decided to go this direction, you may be left wondering how to talk to a college prep advisor online. It’s normal to be a bit nervous! In this post, we’ll break down online college counseling so that you know what to expect and can feel calm and confident going into it.

How does online college counseling work?

The way that online college counseling works can vary slightly from counselor to counselor, but most counselors use similar core methods. Most of the time, you’ll meet with your counselor regularly one-on-one via video conferencing (FaceTime, Zoom, and Google Meets are all popular options). During these meetings, your counselor may walk you through questionnaires or a set curriculum to help you understand the college options as well as what you personally are looking for. Your counselor will most likely use this information to help you build a list of schools and to help you develop a timeline for completing your applications.

Once you have your application plan in place, it’s time to put your nose to the grindstone and get to work! Many college prep advisors will also help you brainstorm and write your essays. Sometimes a college prep advisor may refer you to an essay coach who specializes in essays. In either case, you will most likely meet with your essay coach via video conferencing. Most essay coaches will have you draft and edit your essays in Google Docs or a similar cloud-based word processor. Only once your essays are complete will you copy-paste the text into the Common App, the University of California application, or whatever other application platform you’re using.

How to find a college prep advisor online

There are many ways to find a college prep advisor online. Like any other service, it’s a good idea to ask around. Have your friends or parents’ friends used a counselor they liked? SAT and ACT tutors often are in contact with college prep advisors, so if you know any test prep tutors, it might be a good idea to ask them for a recommendation.

Another option is to read college prep blogs. Often, college prep advisors will keep blogs (like this one!) where they showcase their expertise and perspectives about the college process. When you find someone whose ideas align with yours, that’s a good indication that that counselor might be a good fit for you.

College prep advisors also have a couple professional organizations. There’s the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) and the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA). Both of these organizations keep lists of college prep advisors on their websites in order to help you find someone to work with.

What to ask your online college advisor

Once you find your online college advisor, it’s time to figure out what to talk about. If you’re nervous about this, relax! This may be your first time going through the college application process, but your counselor has done this dozens or even hundreds of times. Let them lead the conversation. They will probably ask you about your goals, experiences, credentials, and values. Be prepared to talk about the experiences you’ve had so far and what you think you’d like to get out of your college education. But if you don’t know that either, don’t worry! Part of their job is to help you figure out where you’re going.

If you do have specific questions, don’t be afraid to bring those up! You may be wondering whether you should submit your test scores, how to audition or submit a portfolio, or how to reach out to athletic coaches, among many other questions. Write your questions down ahead of time so that you don’t forget during your sessions. But if you do forget or get sidetracked, don’t worry! You can always follow your session up with an email to ask any lingering questions.

Why talk to an online college counselor

Talking to a college prep advisor is a great way to make sure you’re navigating the crazy world of college admissions to your best ability. Specifically, talking to someone online can have many benefits over talking with someone in person. For one thing, working online saves you the time and stress of having to commute to an in-person location. It’s also likely that an advisor who is used to operating in the online space will be more responsive to online follow up questions or communications.

Beyond the convenience, however, it’s important to remember that college admissions is very much a national game. Even if you’re planning to stay close to home for college, you still may be competing against kids from across the country. For that reason, you really want someone with a broad, national perspective. Counselors can only develop that type of insight by working with students from across the country and even around the world. And only counselors who work online are afforded that kind of opportunity. So choosing an online college prep advisor, rather than an in-person one, can have important benefits throughout the process.

If you’re worried about how to talk to an online college prep advisor, don’t be! A big part of the college prep advisor’s job is helping high school students feel comfortable. Your advisor is going to walk you through the process. All you have to do is keep an open mind and communicate as best you can!

Need more advice on your college applications?

The team at Great College Advice has deep experience in guiding students along the road from high school college. We provide individually tailored, one-on-one advising to help young people achieve their educational ambitions. If you’d like more information about our services, contact us for a free consultation. Or just pick up the phone and call us at 720.279.7577.  We’d be happy to chat with you.

The post Why and How to Talk to a College Prep Advisor Online first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

What is college counseling? How much does college counseling cost? These are important questions for parents of college-bound kids. As the college application process has gotten more complex and more competitive, the amount of support for college applicants has blossomed. There are books, YouTube channels, Facebook groups, businesses, and individuals all geared toward helping high school students navigate the college application process.

While the college application support out there can be very helpful and save you time and money, it can be difficult to know what type or level of support is right for your family and overwhelming to try to evaluate the different options. In this article, I’ll break down the types of college counseling available along with some cost benchmarks to help you consider which type of support might be right for you.

Types of college counseling services and average costs

The two main types of college counseling services are the services that are offered for free within high schools and services that are external to high schools and typically offered at a cost.

High school college counseling

Most US high schools offer some form of college counseling, but the quality of these services varies widely. Some high schools may have well-resourced college counseling departments in which each counselor is responsible for a relatively low number of students. In other schools, however, one college counselor may have four or five hundred students on their roster. They may also be responsible for guiding students towards other post-high school paths, such as employment or the military. In these cases, it can be quite challenging for students to access personalized and robust support.

Independent Educational Consultants (IECs)

As the name suggests, IECs work independently of any educational institution, meaning they don’t work for a particular high school or college. IECs may work for themselves or they may belong to a larger practice. Services, business models, and pricing can vary widely among IECs. 

 How much does college counseling cost with an IEC?

Some IECs charge hourly for their services or sell you a certain number of hours upfront. Other IECs may charge for a package that includes a set of pre-agreed-upon services, such as making a college list or helping a student brainstorm and edit a certain number of essays.

Among IECs who charge hourly, pricing can vary from around $100/hour all the way up to $2,000/hour. That being said, according to the College Planner Pro 2022 IEC pricing survey, the average hourly price for an IEC across the US was about $200 in 2022.

Similar to hourly pricing, package pricing varies widely and depends on the size of the package and how long the family is working with the IEC. Smaller packages may start around $2,000 and, at the very high end, may approach a hundred thousand dollars. But again, the average is much lower than that. The College Planner Pro 2022 Pricing survey puts the average package price at around $5,000.

Factors that affect college counseling fees

As you might imagine, there are many factors that affect the price of working with IEC. 

Your geographic region. Where you live and where your IEC operates may affect pricing. For example, IECs living and working in the northeast tend to charge the most, while IECs living and working in the south tend to charge the least.

Years of experience. As with many things, IECs with more experience tend to charge more. In many cases, the expertise that an IEC with twenty years of experience can bring justifies the higher price tag.

Services offered. This is a big one. The services included in a counseling package can vary widely. In some cases, you may be hiring someone to go over your student’s application after it’s already completed and make sure that i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed. Or you may pay someone to sit down with you one time at the beginning of the process to make sure you’re pointed in the right direction. In either case, you can expect to pay less, because you’re not buying many services. On the other end of the spectrum, robust counseling packages may involve regular meetings between the counselor and the student for several years. The IEC may be advising the student about class choices and extracurriculars years before a student formally begins the college application process. More robust packages may also include information about the higher education system, help creating and researching a college list, exploring which major might be right for a student, and, of course, brainstorming and editing countless essays. 

Is college counseling worth the price?

The answer to this one will be familiar to anyone who has spent time asking questions about the college application process: it depends! 

The path to college is more straightforward for some students than for others. For students who have long known that they want to attend their local public college or university, the application process may be relatively straightforward. On top of that, students whose high schools offer a well-resourced college counseling department may not need to look for outside help.

That being said, there are a number of reasons that families seek out a little extra help with the college application process. 

College counseling to achieve high aspirations

It has become increasingly difficult to earn a spot in one of the top fifty colleges/universities in the US. If your student is hoping to attend one of these institutions, hiring a professional early on can help your student understand how to maximize their high school years. When it comes time to put the actual applications together, IECs can help students articulate how their unique mix of experience, characteristics, values, and perspective are a good fit for a given school.

Financial considerations and professional college counseling

This is a big one, especially if yours is one of the many, many families that won’t qualify for much need-based financial aid but can’t afford sky-high college sticker prices. IECs can educate your family about the financial landscape of the higher education system. They can guide your school choices and help you understand which schools are likely to offer higher merit-based scholarships.

Parent-student harmony

The college application process is long and complex, and it is rare to find a high school student who is able to manage the entire process on their own. Parents are often required to step in and fill the gaps, making spreadsheets of deadlines and college data and reminding students again and again (and again!) to start, edit or finish up their college applications. Some parents shine in this role and really enjoy it. For other families, however, this is not a good position for parents to be in. Working with an IEC can help parents be involved in the fun parts and significant parts of the college process, while leaving the stress of the nitty-gritty to someone else.

Navigating learning differences

It is especially important for students with learning differences to understand what kind of support they need to succeed in college. They also must have a strong understanding of how to tell whether their desired schools are equipped to offer that particular support. An IEC can help students research prospective colleges and understand the difference between accessing services in high school and accessing services in college.

How much does college counseling cost: a summary

It is true that working with an IEC can be expensive. However, with the possible exception of buying a house, your child’s education is likely to be the biggest purchase your family ever makes. It is wise to consider talking to a professional to help guide you through this very big decision. When choosing an IEC, asking how much college counseling costs is a good place to start. It is also important to consider a counselor’s experience, whether they have a special area of expertise, whether their views on college are aligned with yours, and, of course, whether or not they are able to connect with your student.

Great College Advice: how much does college counseling cost?

Need more help on your college application? We have helped hundreds of kids just like you find the school of their dreams and stay sane while doing it! 

But how much does it cost to work with us? As this article points out, it depends a lot on what services you really need, what sort of college or university you aspire to attend, and how long you plan to work with us.  

We are very experienced in working with all sorts of students, and we enjoy the variety. Any student can benefit from our services, but we simply do not have a “one size fits all” solution to our college counseling practice.  

So if you want to learn more about how college counseling might help you achieve your objectives–and to learn how much it costs–either give us a call or fill out this form to schedule a free consultation with us. 

The post College Counseling: How Much Does College Counseling Cost? first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

But sometimes we get questions that really impress me. Yesterday, a young man in the eighth grade wrote asking very intelligent, well-crafted questions regarding his future plans. He was open and self-aware and displayed a maturity that sometimes is missing in students much older.

With his permission, I am going to share his question with you, as well as my answer. I think this young man is well-poised to map his educational journey.

Question: How to plan for college in 8th grade

To whom it may concern,

My name is (name withheld) and I currently am in eighth grade. I have an interest in screenwriting and am beginning to look at some college options. I do have some learning disabilities like having Tourettes syndrome and being foreign language exempt. Would something like being foreign language exempt prevent me from being able to go to a college?

Thank you and I hope you have a nice day.

Response: How to plan for college in 8th grade

You’re doing your planning early…good for you! You are also seeing that all this college finding stuff is a puzzle. You’ll want to check the admissions requirements for each college carefully. You’ll want to check if they have learning services programs to support you with your learning differences—if you need support. And you’ll want to look at the screen writing programs, of course.

Keep in mind, however, that many, many great screenwriters never went to a “screen writing program” or majored in such a thing. See if you can uncover where some of your favorites went to college. What did they study? Theater? English? History? Biology? I have a friend who has written for many different TV shows in Hollywood. I think he majored in English. [Addendum: I confirmed with my friend that he majored in “American Civilization,” a combination of history and literature.]

So keep asking questions, find people who do what you want to do, and ask they how they got there. Send them emails—just like you sent me one. You’ll be surprised how willing people are to share.

Good luck!

And then, to my surprise, the young man wrote me back.

Thank you for all of the advice. This will help me significantly.

Thanks again for all the help, I will use your advice to help me in my educational ventures.

This young man has plenty of time to explore, to ask more excellent questions, and to learn more about what sorts of educational experiences (both in and outside the classroom) will help him to achieve his goals. I always like to point out, especially with younger students, that there are many paths toward a goal: you just have to pick the one that fits you best, without losing sight of the goal. A focused screenwriting program may be what he needs. Or he may fit better in a smaller college that focuses on building general writing skills–that has a course or two in screenwriting. Or one that helps create excellent internships in the creative arts.

And if he has particular concerns that need to be addressed, like his learning differences and the limitations those may impose, he can begin now to adjust his path without every giving up on his ultimate goal of becoming the next Oscar-winning screenwriter.

One other thing: I was blown away by this young man’s willingness to write a complete stranger for advice. And what impresses me, also impresses admissions officers. So parents, please encourage your students to do their own investigations and to ask their own questions. Resist the temptation to do the research for them. Instead, guide them, encourage them, and watch over them as they communicate with those who can help them figure out how to get where they want to go.

The lessons learned through the process are at least as important as the lessons learned in the classroom.

Great College Advice

The post Planning for College from the Eighth Grade first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

Mark Montgomery
Educational Consultant 
***************

Here’s the transcript if you’d like to read:

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.

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.

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 – 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.

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.

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.

The post College of Wooster – Changing Lives first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

• Pay attention to each student’s needs
• Alleviate stress for both student and parent
• Give the student a competitive edge
• Eliminate the confusion
• Save money

Personalized Attention

College selection and application is a very time-consuming process. Counseling—of all types—requires time and energy from a professional. But school guidance counselors are overworked and have less time than perhaps they once did to give personalized college counseling.

The National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) recommends that a college counselor work with no more than about one hundred students per year. However, a study by the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) measured the degree to which school counselors are overworked.

• Nationwide, the average college counselor in a public high school serves 315 students. In Colorado. The public school student-to- counselor ratio is 553:1.
• The student-to-college-counselor ratio is higher in large schools: nationally, in schools of more than 2000 students, the ratio is 654:1. Colorado has 18 high schools of this size–all along the Front Range.

Choosing a college is not something that is easily left to computer programs and mathematical algorithms. The admissions process, while seemingly quite simple on its face. Can necessitate different strategies and tactics for each individual student. As public schools continue to reduce the number of guidance counselors. Parents are turning to private counselors to ensure that their children get the direction they need and deserve.

Alleviate Stress

Choosing a college can be stressful for a variety of reasons. First, parents, who have been nurturing their children since the day they were born, have a hard time delegating this important decision to their children. Second, students are not always equipped to make this first great life decision: most students have not made their own educational decisions or chosen their schools. They may not possess the self-knowledge to make this decision, and may need to work through a process to develop a strong set of criteria on which to base this decision.

To make matters worse, the junior and senior years of high school can be very difficult for students. They have many competing priorities to balance: improving their grades, deepening their extracurricular commitments, and preparing for those annoying SAT and ACT tests (and don’t forget the difficulty of maintaining a social life!). For these reasons—and many others—the college selection and application process becomes a vortex of anxiety for everyone.

An experienced college consultant can help reassure nervous parents. Guide students through a process of self-discovery, and ensure that all the administrative pieces are managed with efficiency and accuracy. The transition from high school to college should be an exciting time in a young person’s life, full of anticipation and promise, and a professional college counselor can maintain the focus on the excitement—and not the stress.

Competitive Edge

College admissions today seems much more competitive than ever before. More and more students are applying to college, and each student is applying to more colleges. Acceptance rates at selective colleges continue to decline. So how can college-bound students give themselves a competitive edge?

As noted above, high school guidance counselors are overburdened. So more and more families are turning to private consultants to help select the right colleges and guide the student through the admissions process. According to the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA). An estimated 22% of freshmen at private, four-year colleges have used some kind of consulting services in the admission process.

Private day and boarding schools have more robust college counseling programs than do public schools. The student to counselor ratio at a private school may be as low as 50:1, compared to the national average of 315:1. Obviously, some students are getting more help than others.

Good guidance in selecting the right schools and in completing the application can make the difference between acceptance and rejection. We can help your son or daughter develop an appropriate college selection and admissions strategy to give them the best possible chance of reaching their educational goals.

Eliminate The Confusion

One of the great benefits of the Internet age is that students and parents have much more access to enormous amounts of information. With literally thousands of websites devoted to college selection and admission, parents and students can learn more about college admission than ever before.

But knowledge is not bliss: the overwhelming quantity of information that does little to clarify our vision and answer our individual questions. Which information is useful and Which sources can I trust? Which information applies to my child’s particular situation? The huge expansion of available information has created a new burden of having to sift through zillions of bits and bytes for useful tidbits.

An experienced college consultant can help do the sifting for you. By focusing primarily on your student, the counselor can pull the information that is directly relevant to the student’s situation. And because a good counselor also knows colleges well, he can select colleges that closely match the student’s needs, abilities, and ambitions.

Save You Money

In today’s economy, almost all parents are looking for a bargain in higher education. The biggest sources of financial aid and scholarship money in the United States are the colleges and universities themselves. Colleges award better financial aid and scholarship packages to the students that best match their institutional values and priorities. Thus for the price-sensitive family, it is crucial that the student select colleges that are a perfect fit. Not only for the student, but for the college.

While we can never guarantee a particular outcome, we have a strong record of helping families reduce the overall cost of a college education by carefully selecting the right colleges to which to apply. Even families that do not expect any financial aid often find that working with us can save them tens of thousands of dollars in tuition bills.

So while hiring an educational consultant may seem like a hefty cost. Many families are surprised at how much money they can save by hiring an experienced college consultant.

Read five more reasons to hire a college consultant.

Mark Montgomery
Educational Consultant

The post Why Hire An Educational Consultant? first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

Air Academy HS
Alexander Dawson School (CO)
Arapahoe HS (CO)
Bear Creek HS
Bishop Machbeuf HS (CO)
Boulder HS
Broomfield HS
Castleview HS
Cedar Ridge Academy (CO)
Centennial HS
Cherry Creek HS
Cherokee Trail HS
Cheyenne Mountain HS
Colorado Academy
Columbine HS
Compass Montessori (CO)
Conifer HS (CO)
Custer County HS
Denver Academy
Denver East HS
Denver School for the Arts
Denver Waldorf School
D’Evelyn HS
Douglas County HS
Elizabeth HS
Fairview HS
George Washington HS (Denver)
Grandview HS (CO)
Grand Junction HS (Colorado)
Highlands Ranch HS (CO)
Kent Denver School
Kiowa HS (CO)
Lakewood HS (CO)
Lewis Palmer HS (CO)
Littleton HS
Middle Park HS (CO)
Monarch HS
Mountain Vista HS (CO)
Mullen HS (CO)
New Hope Academy
Niwot HS
Overland HS (CO)
Palisade HS (CO)
Peak to Peak Charter School (Colorado)
Pine Creek HS (CO)
Ralston Valley HS (CO)
Regis Jesuit HS (Denver)
Rock Canyon HS (Colorado)
Smoky Hill HS (CO)
Summit County HS
Valor Christian HS (CO)
Watershed School (CO)

The post Colorado High Schools of Students Who Got Great College Advice first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

TRANSCRIPT:
So here today I’m on the campus of Rollins College, it’s in Winter Park, Florida, not too far from Orlando, big city. And it’s a beautiful campus, kind of Mediterranean style, and really nice buildings, architecturally harmonious, we might say. And the location is great because not only is it warm, although it’s January right now, it’s a little nippy, sunny and beautiful but a little nippy, and it’s got the best of both worlds: it’s a smallish town, Winter Park is an older town in Florida that’s been around for a long time, but then you’ve got Orlando with Disney and Universal and all the attractions of a big city. So it’s kind of a nice combination being in a more suburban or residential area of a very large city.

So a great place to come if you’re looking for the place where you can wear your flip flops every day and enjoy the Florida sunshine. The other thing that’s really beautiful about this campus is that they are on this lake, Lake Virginia, so you’ve got a big waterfront down here that is absolutely gorgeous. So there’s a reason why Princeton Review recently called this the number 1 most beautiful college campus in America.

The post College Counselor Visits America’s Most Beautiful Campus first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

If you’ve identified a college that may be of interest to you, make a special point to visit that school. While on campus, why not make a little time to visit with the coach? Meeting with a coach is a great opportunity to ask questions about the school and the athletic program that you are interested in.

Not only will it give you more insight into the program and help you decide if you like the coach. But it’s also an excellent chance to market yourself. Be sure to contact the coach in advance of your visit to schedule an actual appointment. You don’t want to show up on campus hoping to speak to a coach and have no one there to see you!

Before you go, it’s also good idea to do a little bit of research about the college so that you can highlight to the coach the particular reasons why the school appeals to you. Spend some time on the school’s website. Read up on the school in one of the guidebooks to colleges. Check out YouTube to see if the school has a virtual tour, or go to one of the websites that offers virtual campus tours such as ecampustours.com  or Youniversitytv.com.

For your appointment, be sure to take:

• A copy of your transcript, so the coach can see what kind of student you are
• A copy of your athletic resume

When you go, there’s no harm in having a parent be there with you. It may even be beneficial since your parents will ask questions that you won’t. Be nice to your parents, however! The coach will be observing you, and you want to leave the best possible impression. Coaches don’t want disrespectful players on their team.

Because you have initiated the contact with the coach, and you are paying for everything having to do with your visit (i.e. transportation, food, lodging). You are considered to be conducting an “unofficial visit”. “Official visits” are those where the athlete is invited by the coach to spend time with the college’s team and the athlete’s expenses are paid for by the school. (Note that “official visits” can’t happen until after a student’s junior year in high school.) There is no such thing as an “official visit” in NCAA Division III sports, since those schools will not pay to recruit athletes.

If you are on an early “unofficial visit”, and you don’t really know where you stand with respect to the team and the recruiting process at that school, frame your questions as exploratory (e.g., “Playing my sport in college is very important to me, so I’m interested in understanding your approach to the team and the student experience on the team and at the school.”)

If you are further along in the recruitment process, and you appear to be clearly on the coach’s radar for recruitment. Then you can be more direct and specific with your questions. Either way, don’t be afraid to ask questions of the coach when you meet. You need to have as clear an understanding as possible about where you stand as an athlete with that school. And, if you attend, what your experience will be like when you get there.

For a great list of possible questions to ask the coach, see my colleague Mark’s blog post here.

Andrea Aronson
College Admissions Counselor
Westfield, NJ

The post Athletic Recruiting – Why Not Plan An “Unofficial Visit” with the Coach? first appeared on College Admission Counseling.