• 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.

The post Get Into the Best Colleges For You first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

The post Getting Into Top Universities first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

Many colleges, like George Mason University, offer summer programs that aim to ease the transition for first-gen students. [Alicia] Brissett says the school’s six-week Student Transition Empowerment Program made her a stronger student. And taught her to feel proud of being a first-gen student. STEP students stay on the Virginia campus and take two three-credit classes for free the summer before their freshman year. Students have mandatory study hall and learn about campus services.

The article also provides some advice on seeking out help:

Prospective students should find out what kind of support institutions offer first-gens throughout their college experience. That includes internship and career assistance, experts say.
…
Students should do a site search for “first generation” or “first gen” on college websites, [Yolanda] Norman says. Students can also use those terms to find communities on social media. And look to organizations like I’m First and Communities in Schools for additional resources.

If you feel like you’re in over your head in your quest to be the first in your family to obtain a degree, you’re not on your own! Take advantage of the programs that are out there to help guide you through an otherwise daunting task.

Great College Advice

The post Help For First-Generation College Applicants first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

Here is a list of some of the most important things to remember while you study in the United States so that you don’t find yourself faced with a violation of the F-1 regulations:

• Make sure that your data is always current in the SEVIS system. What is SEVIS? SEVIS stands for the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, a database maintained by the U.S. government that holds information on all international students in the United States, including their addresses, school programs, work authorizations, and other data. While the school’s Designated Student Officer (DSO) is responsible for entering information into the SEVIS system. To keep your record in order, you are responsible for getting that information to the DSO.
• Always have a current paper copy of your I-20.  An I-20 is a SEVIS-generated document issued by your school which contains your personal, financial and academic information, and is signed by you and the DSO.
• Do NOT engage in employment off-campus without proper authorization. F-1 Visa students are not allowed to work, except in very limited circumstances. (We’ll explore this topic in more detail in a future blog post.)
• Maintain a full course load; “full-time” means 12 credit hours for undergraduates and 9 credit hours for graduates during the entire fall and spring semesters.
• Keep your school and USCIS informed of any address changes. International students must report any change of address within 10 days. Since some students move frequently, it is easy to forget this rule, but it is very important. There is no reason to risk an interruption or premature conclusion to your studies in the U.S. because you forgot to tell USCIS you moved into a new apartment.

Before going overseas, always make sure you are allowed to travel and that you have proper documentation to return to the U.S. Remember to check with your DSO about travel regulations, particularly during the summer. You must carry an original I-20 with a recent travel signature, and a passport valid for at least 6 months. The F-1 visa in your passport must be valid. If not, you will need to make an appointment to apply for a new F-1 Visa if you are still eligible.

When travelling, you should also carry the following:

The post International Student Immigration Issues #4: Maintaining the F-1 Visa While Studying In the United States first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

• Freshman space available:  362 colleges
• Transfer space available:  374 colleges

Although it may seem that there are fewer and fewer slots available for students trying to get into college, this year had more schools reporting that they had space still available after May 1 than in the previous 12 years!
Also, if you think that you can’t afford to apply to school as a late applicant because financial aid resources will be all gone, think again!  Over 370 schools reported that they had institutional financial aid still available for late applicants.
One caveat, is that you still must be considered a “qualified applicant” to gain admission at these schools.  In other words, just because they have space, and you apply, this does not mean that you will get accepted.  If you had no chance of gaining admission during the regular admissions period, you won’t get accepted during this late application period, either.
Here’s just a very small sampling of schools who are still accepting applicants:

1. Albright College, PA
2. Albion College, MI
3. University of Arizona, AZ
4. College of the Atlantic, ME
5. Drew University, NJ
6. Eckerd College, FL
7. Elizabethtown College, PA
8. Evergreen State, WA
9. Gordon College, MA
10. Guilford College, NC
11. Hofstra University, NY
12. Hood College, MD
13. Juniata College, PA
14. Kalamazoo College, MI
15. Knox College, IL
16. Lawrence University, WI
17. Loyola University, MD
18. Manhattanville College, NY
19. University of Maryland-Baltimore County, MD
20. Mills College, CA
21. New College, FL
22. Oglethorpe University, GA
23. Seton Hall University, NJ
24. Stetson University, FL
25. Smith College, MA
26. Susquehanna University, PA
27. University of San Diego, CA
28. University of Tampa, FL
29. Villanova University, PA
30. Wheaton College, MA

To see the whole list of over 350 schools, check out the NACAC site by clicking here.  The list is available and updated through the end of June.
If you’re interested in applying to any of the space available schools for the Fall of 2012, you should contact the school admissions office directly to ask them how to best do that.  But, do it soon.  Space is available for now, but may be gone quickly!
Andrea Aronson
College Admissions Specialist
Westfield, NJ

The post It’s Not Too Late to Apply for Fall 2012 Admission at Some Great Schools! first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

Great College Advice

The post There are no SAT Tests in the Summer! first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

Are you ready to make your commitment? How are you spending these last few days leading up to May 1 deciding?

– Flipping a coin?
– Trying that t-shirt with the college name on the front on one more time?
– Getting feedback from the people you trust?
– Reading the fine print on the financial aid forms once again?
– Chatting online with current students to get your final questions answered?
– Writing pro and con lists?
Everyone makes their final decision in a different way. My advice? It echoes that of our NACAC 2011 keynote speaker, Jonah Lehrer. Go with your gut.
Go with what your instinct tells you. You’ve visited the campuses, spent the time researching, read all of the brochures, gone on the website hundreds of times and now the time has come to take the next step. Listen to what your gut is telling you and ask yourself, “Will I be happy here?” Is the answer yes? Then sign your name on the dotted line and start getting excited for this new adventure you are about to embark on!

The post Seniors, Are You Ready For May 1st? first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

These are just a few highlights. There are lots more out there to explore!

Great College Advice

The post Looking for a College Focused on Sustainability? first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

Video Recap:

After a visit to the University of Northern Colorado, I had a chance to connect with one of my graduate school friends who now works in residence life. She shared a few tips about filling out the housing application.

1) Be honest on the housing application. Students, please please please – fill it out yourself! Whether you are messy or clean, a late riser or an early-to-bed kind of person, or a smoker/nonsmoker. You want to let the housing office know so they can match you with a roommate who will complement your style.

2) Look for living and learning communities. Living and learning communities are great ways to connect with students who share a common interest. There are often extra perks such as taking classes right in your residence hall, access to special field trips, guest lectures, proximity to your classes, etc.

3) You are going to be sharing space. Be ready to learn how to compromise! Sharing your room can be a challenging experience. If it is your first time doing so. Set up a contract with your roommate and certain guidelines you want to follow to be respectful of one another.

The post Tips for Filling Out Your Housing Application first appeared on College Admission Counseling.