Published: Monday, April 05th, 2010
American College Planners
April 2010 Newsletter What really matters when trying to find colleges.
Choosing well today will save you time and money.
Choosing a college can be a daunting process in many ways yet choosing the best fit college is important to college success. How do you begin to choose a college? First set up some guidelines for college selection and then rate college selection criteria. The first guideline that should be followed is do not limit your choices. Cast your net wide and research schools all over the country. It doesn't matter if the school is public or private. There are more than 4,000 colleges nationwide to choose from and you will find many that may be a great fit college. The second guideline is do not exclude a college due to cost. The sticker price of a college is rarely the out of pocket price. According to a report released by the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), the average award covered more than half - 53.5 percent - of the "sticker price." If you haven't attended, our workshop discusses how to find the policies of specific colleges and universities. The third guideline is find colleges that will challenge you. If a college is too easy or too hard, you have increased chances that you will transfer or drop out. Make sure the curriculum is a great fit with your skills and talents. Try to find a college where you are in the top 25% of average incoming class. College selection will take some considerable thought and time. There are many criteria you may consider when you select a college. We provide a partial list below. - Major / Field of Study
- Location and Size
- Graduation Rate
- Student/Faculty Ratio (Average Class Size)
- Average Scholarship Size
- % of Need Met / % Met with Gift Aid
- Athletics
- Greek System
- Security
Your best bet is to rank the items from most important to least important. These rankings will help you narrow down your college search and provide focus to your search. Social Networking Sites and College Admissions Be sure to promote a positive image of yourself online at networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace. It has been reported by experts at Kaplan that approximately 10 percent of admissions officials visit social networking sites to learn more about applicants. What you have on your website can make a positive or negative impression and could help or hurt your chance to get into a college. Make sure your social networking sites present the best you have to offer a college or a potential employer. We are not to suggesting that you shut down your Facebook or MySpace account, in fact certain information or photographs can highlight your accomplishments and positive experiences such as travel or volunteer work. If you are concerned that your account may reflect poorly on you, consider limiting access to the public and adjust the settings so that only your friends can see your private information. Make sure to regularly review your account and clean out anything that may be a poor reflection of your true nature. Use the power of social networking to your advantage in the college admissions process. Post a professional picture of yourself and join groups with positive messages. These websites can be a powerful tool for self promotion and help you get into your top college choice.
American College Planners Upcoming Workshops
American College Planners is always looking for ways to share our workshop in the community and word of mouth referrals have allowed us to expand in the community. American College Planners would like to thank all of those who have referred us to their school, business, or church. We love helping students go to college and parents to understand the process. If you know of a group that would like to hold an American College Planners workshop, please call (608) 828-4336 or contact us at info@AmericanCollegePlanners.org.
Questions for American College Planners
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