It is that time of year for high school seniors to get to work on college applications. Seniors should be getting their applications, essays and recommendation letters together now. Hopefully, they have already been involved in a number of diverse activities and community service opportunities throughout their high school career. If not get to work setting yourself apart from the average student. These activities are very important for their application to stand out from the crowd. In addition , many high schools over students the option of taking college credit courses. Seniors can actually earn an associates degree and a high school diploma on graduation day. This allows a student to apply to colleges as an incoming sophomore or junior where there is a much better chance of getting into the college of your choice.
There are several application opportunities that increase your child's chance of getting into a college of their choice. The first is Early Decision. If you are both set on a particular college this may be for you. Completing this type of application locks them into going to this college if they are accepted so they must be positive. Application need to be submitted in early November and a response may be received in December. There is a much smaller application pool for this type of application which greatly increases your child's chances of getting accepted.
Early Action differs from Early Decision in that it is not binding (meaning if they are accepted, they are not locked into going to that school. Your child could apply to several different colleges. Deadline for these applications is also in early November, application pool is also smaller and they should find out about their acceptance in December.
Early Admission is another option, but the number of applicants is larger which decreases your child's chances of getting in to the college of their choice. Early Admission applications are usually due in January and they should find out about acceptance in February.
When it comes down to apply to colleges, earlier is definitely better.
Showing posts with label college applications. Show all posts
Showing posts with label college applications. Show all posts
Monday, October 8, 2018
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Sending a Child Off to College: Part 1
What is not a good reason for selecting a college? Your child's friends are all going there, you went there, you want them to go there, it's close (or far) from home, it is prestigious or it's a great party school are all bad reasons for your child to choose a college that they will be attending for four years.
What is a good reason for selecting a college? Start by sitting down with your child and explore their needs, expectations, stregnths and weaknesses in order to determine what type of college is best for them. Consider the size of the school that will work best for your child. Some children thrive at a large college where they have lots of choices and other children thrive with the smaller class sizes indicative of a smaller college. Help your child determine what works best for them. Remember Ivy League schools meet very few children's needs and graduation from those schools does not guarantee success.
Visit a college's website, talk to alumni and current students at the various colleges being considered. Visit several campuses. Take time to eat a meal in the dining hall, visit the dorm rooms if your child will be staying on campus, note the parking situation if they will be commuting, sit in on a few classes in order to get a sense of student/professor interaction, and observe the student population in various locations around campus.
Don't be concerned if your child has not picked out a major. It isn't necessary to pick out a major before choosing a college. The majority of students change their major several times throughout their college career anyway. Just be sure to pick a college that has several majors that meets your child's needs and interests.
Don't allow your child to put all their eggs in one basket. Have them apply to several schools, even if they have their heart set on one school in particular. This eliminates the heartbreak of having to wait out a semester, if they don't get into the college of their dreams. Remind your child that many students start out at a community college for the smaller class size or another college altogether while waiting to be accepted by their college of choice.
What is a good reason for selecting a college? Start by sitting down with your child and explore their needs, expectations, stregnths and weaknesses in order to determine what type of college is best for them. Consider the size of the school that will work best for your child. Some children thrive at a large college where they have lots of choices and other children thrive with the smaller class sizes indicative of a smaller college. Help your child determine what works best for them. Remember Ivy League schools meet very few children's needs and graduation from those schools does not guarantee success.
Visit a college's website, talk to alumni and current students at the various colleges being considered. Visit several campuses. Take time to eat a meal in the dining hall, visit the dorm rooms if your child will be staying on campus, note the parking situation if they will be commuting, sit in on a few classes in order to get a sense of student/professor interaction, and observe the student population in various locations around campus.
Don't be concerned if your child has not picked out a major. It isn't necessary to pick out a major before choosing a college. The majority of students change their major several times throughout their college career anyway. Just be sure to pick a college that has several majors that meets your child's needs and interests.
Don't allow your child to put all their eggs in one basket. Have them apply to several schools, even if they have their heart set on one school in particular. This eliminates the heartbreak of having to wait out a semester, if they don't get into the college of their dreams. Remind your child that many students start out at a community college for the smaller class size or another college altogether while waiting to be accepted by their college of choice.
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