Students Padding College Applications?

By Larry Eldridge, Jr.
CWK Network, Inc.

A new product may have some parents breathing a sigh of relief from worrying about what their children may hear when they turn on the television. The TVGuardian is a filter that automatically detects and filters profane and offensive phrases and mutes them while you watch. The machine works by “reading” the hidden closed-captioning signal broadcast with all shows and compares the words to its database, compiled of over 100 offensive words. If you are watching a show with the closed-captioning on, it will automatically delete the offensive phrase and replace it with another one. Instead of having to buy a separate box to connect to your television, TVGuardian also makes a VCR and DVD player that have the same technology incorporated into the system.

By Larry Eldridge, Jr.
CWK Network, Inc.

Preparing for college can be extremely stressful. Many students think the preparation process starts their senior years, but it should actually start the same time they start high school. It can also be very stressful for parents, but just remember that this is ultimately your child’s decision. Try sharing the following tips, developed by experts, with your high school student and go over them throughout the year.

• Get to know your guidance counselor, and make sure he or she gets to know you, your interests, your talents and your goals for the future.
• Check with your guidance counselor to determine which subjects are the most appropriate to take for college entrance.
• Take the strongest academic program that you can handle.
• Take the American College Testing Program’s PLAN Test in October of your sophomore year.
• Continue to strengthen your study and test-taking skills.
• Take an active role in school life by joining clubs, sports and activities.
• Get involved in your community by joining an organization or doing volunteer work.
• Consider taking the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) during the fall of your sophomore, junior or senior year.

Junior Year

September – January: Take the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT). February – April: Gather information.

• Talk with friends, parents, teachers and/or recent high school graduates about how they made their decisions about choosing a college. Recent graduates possess a wealth of knowledge about their college, the requirements for acceptance and applying for financial aid.
• Meet with your counselor! An annual meeting should be scheduled as early as February, and your parents will be invited to attend. At the meeting, your counselor will discuss your progress in completing graduation requirements, your thoughts on a career and possible college choices to match your career choice. Come prepared to discuss those topics.
• Complete college searches in the guidance office, using catalogs, videotapes and college handbooks. Ponder the following questions:
  • Do I want a two-year or a four-year college? If you plan to start at a two-year college, does it have an articulation (transfer) agreement with a four-year college that will allow you to complete your degree program?
  • Do I want a public or private college?
  • How far from home (in hours) do I want to be?
  • Which setting do I prefer: Urban (big city), suburban (outside but close to a big city) or rural (small town)?
  • What size college do I want: Small (less than 1,000 students), moderate (1,000 – 3,000 students), medium (3,000 – 8,000 students), large (8,000 – 20,000 students) or very large (over 20,000 students)?
  • Does the college have the exact major I plan to pursue?
  • What sports and activities are available?
  • Any other characteristics you deem important.
• Attend a college fair. Many public and private colleges are available to students at each college fair. It is a quick and easy way to gather information from many colleges at one time.

May and June: Take college entrance exams.

• Take either the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT I) or the American College Testing Program exam (ACT). You should research which test is required at each college to which you will be applying. You may wish to take both.
• Take one or two of the Scholastic Aptitude Subject Tests (SAT II). Each test is one hour long, and is subject-specific. You should take SAT IIs in your strongest academic areas. Hint: Be sure to check if your college choices require specific SAT IIs for admission!

July and August: Visit college campuses and have an interview.

• Arrange for a tour of any college in which you are interested. Hint: It is best to arrange your tour when classes are in session because it will give you an opportunity to talk with current students, who can provide you with a realistic appraisal of the college’s strengths and weaknesses. You will also get a feel for the “atmosphere” of the college when classes are in session. Don’t worry that it’s summer – just about every college has summer session classes.
• You should also arrange for an informational interview with an admissions counselor. This will give you an opportunity to decide if the school is right for you. The interview can help you determine if this college is the place where you want to make a significant investment of time and money. A successful interview may even gain you a supporter on the admissions staff, as admissions counselors are always looking to find interesting and talented students to attend their institution. Some tips for a successful interview:
  • Have a practice interview with a friend, teacher or guidance counselor to organize your thoughts about your high school experience and what you are looking for in your college experience.
  • Research the college! Visit their website, look at their catalog, watch a video or talk with alumni in order to gain as much information about the college as possible for the interview. This will give you a chance to develop questions about the college. For example, do the academic programs offered address your interests? Does the social atmosphere match your lifestyle? Will the housing adequately meet your preferences? Are academic support services available? It will also show the interviewer that you have done your “homework” and are truly interested in their institution.
  • Dress appropriately! Be comfortable, but presentable. “Business casual” is more than acceptable.
  • Be on time! Allow extra time to find the campus and the admissions office. Punctuality speaks volumes for a person’s level of maturity and seriousness.
  • During the interview, relax and be yourself. Answer questions thoughtfully and honestly. Hint: Avoid single-word responses to questions. Imagine that the admissions counselor is an old friend that you haven’t seen in a while, and the two of you are simply having a conversation to “catch up” on each other’s lives.
  • After the interview is completed, be sure to thank the interviewer. Hint: Although not absolutely necessary, it is recommended that you follow up your interview with a short, sincere thank you note to the admissions counselor with whom you met. It will help cement a favorable impression of you.

September – November: Start the application process.

• Around mid-September, you and your parents should be invited to meet with your guidance counselor to help narrow down your college choices, review application requirements and deadlines and discuss financial aid. If the meeting isn’t planned, ask if you can set one up. It is during this meeting that a list of realistic college choices will be developed.
• After the initial meeting with your parents and guidance counselor, you should plan to meet regularly with your guidance counselor to keep yourself focused and on task. You will have a lot of work to do, and your guidance counselor can help you immensely.
• Meet with the admissions representatives from colleges in which you are interested who usually visit your high school.
• You may want to retake the SAT I, ACT and/or SAT II tests. You may take the SAT I and ACT as many times as you wish. Colleges will accept the best scores you obtain.
• Continue to visit college campuses, interview with admissions counselors, talk with current college students and alumni, etc.
• Check to see whether or not the college(s) to which you are applying require the College Scholarship Service’s (CSS) Financial Aid Profile. This profile is used by many colleges, universities and scholarship programs to help them award nonfederal student aid funds. It is typically completed in late September. The profile form should be available in the guidance office, or can be accessed on line at the website of The College Board.
• Register for a personal identification number (PIN) through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Your PIN will allow you to access your account information at any time during the application period.
• Work hard in your classes! Senior year grades do count, and can make a difference in whether or not you are accepted! Your grades will be sent to the colleges to which you have applied at the end of the second marking period.

Get organized:

• Put together a checklist of application requirements for each college to which you are applying in order to keep organized and on time. Start early to avoid missing important deadlines!
• Photocopy your applications and use them as a rough draft in order to avoid making mistakes on your final copy.
• Send in all preliminary applications as early as possible in order to allow ample time to receive and complete the secondary materials (e.g., teacher and counselor recommendations).

Letters of Recommendation:

• Your guidance counselor typically writes a recommendation for you, and sends it to each college with your transcript.
• Ask at least two teachers for a letter of recommendation. Don’t hesitate to ask – teachers rarely refuse! Hints:
  • Select teachers with whom you have had an ongoing relationship, but consider one from either junior or senior year.
  • Select teachers who you know well and who know you well as a student and as a person. You want them to be able to sufficiently address your academic strengths and weaknesses, your academic promise and your character. Keep in mind that each teacher recommendation is confidential, and will not be shared with you unless your teacher grants permission.
  • Not sure who to ask? Consider asking the teacher of a class in which you struggled to do well. Admissions counselors appreciate a student’s hard work and success in the face of adversity.

The Application Essay:

• Ask an English teacher for assistance! Most applications provide a choice of topics about which to write. Choose carefully!
• Start early with an outline and then move to a rough draft. Let the rough draft sit for a week, then reread it with a clear mind. New thoughts to improve the essay may come to you.
• If you are writing autobiographically, don’t be too critical of yourself. By the same token, don’t be too humorous. Be honest, concise and personal.
• More is not necessarily better. Think quality, not quantity. Most essays should be no longer than two pages.
• Proofread your final draft for errors. Ask someone else to proofread it, too. You do not want careless errors detracting from the quality of your work.

December: Complete and mail all applications before Christmas vacation.

• Make sure all applications are attractive and neat. Your application serves as your first impression

  with an admissions counselor.

• Proofread your final application. Have someone else proofread it again before submitting it to the college or guidance office.
• When you are satisfied that your application is complete and ready to go, make sure everything is together and send it off or take it to your counselor.
• Hints:
  • If you are applying for early decision or through some other special program, make sure you know the deadline date, and that you share it with your counselor.  
  • Make sure you have signed the application, and obtained a parent signature (if necessary).
  • If you have taken any classes earning college credit through high school, such as AP courses, you will need to request that the scores be sent directly from those tests to each college to which you are applying.
• You and your parents should save your last pay stubs of the calendar year. You can use them to estimate your annual income when you start completing the FAFSA in January.

February – April: Keep in contact with colleges.

• Provide the admissions offices with any important updates regarding your academic and/or financial status. Your mid-year grades will be automatically mailed to the colleges to which you are applying.
• Review admission and financial aid offers with a critical eye.

Late April – Early May: Accept an admissions offer & send in a deposit.

Financial Aid Forms & Scholarship Applications

• Complete the FAFSA form in early January. The forms should be available in the guidance office by mid-November. You can also apply online at the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) website.
• Investigate the financial aid programs of each college to which you are applying. There will most certainly be an application deadline for each college. In addition, you will have needed to complete the FAFSA and/or CSS Profile to qualify for consideration.
• You may wish to research scholarship opportunities on line through these web sites: FastWeb, SallieMae and the Higher Education Services Corporation.
• Listen carefullyto the daily announcements, which often contain notices of scholarship opportunities from national or state organizations. Each scholarship opportunity will detail who is eligible, the amount and the deadline for application.
• Ask your guidance counselor for a list of available scholarships. Each scholarship will list its criteria. Students may apply for any scholarship for which they are eligible.
• There are many scholarships available. Do your research and look on the Internet. But be wise. Scholarships are available to give money, not to take it. Make sure the scholarship is legitimate.

The College Board
Free Application for Financial Student Aid (FAFSA)
CollegeNet