Taking a Closer Look at SAT 2s
Taking a Closer Look at SAT 2 Subject Exams and University Testing Policies
This is a VERY complicated topic. Get informed by doing your research and using the information below. (more…)
Some Truths about Testing
Standardized testing is often the most unpleasant and anxiety-producing part of the college admissions process. We wanted to take the time to answer your most pressing questions and give you the resources you need to figure out what is best for you. In the coming months, we will also go more in-depth into different topics addressed below.
What do my PSAT Scores mean? (more…)
What is the difference between a liberal arts college and a research university?
Below are definitions and examples of different types of colleges (liberal arts colleges, research universities, specialty schools and comprehensive colleges). Much of the content is from College Admission: From Application to Acceptance, by Robin Mamlet and Christine Vandevelde. This is a great book if you are looking for a comprehensive and easy to read book for both parents and students about the college process.
What’s in a College Mission Statement?
Choosing the type of college that matches your educational priorities and goals is just one step in the process of finding schools that are a good match for you. One of the best places to start is to look at a school’s mission statement or letter from the President. The language, tone and content of a mission statement can tell you about university priorities, values and strengths.
Questions for Campus Visits
These are just ideas . . . . highlight the questions you are interested in and then plan to ask them on your visits.
ACADEMICS:
- Do you have a learning community or other freshman experience?
- Do you have a required core curriculum?
- How much interaction, if any, will the typical undergrad have with tenured professors?
What is Demonstrated Interest?
In the world of the Common Application, demonstrating interest is showing colleges that you are truly interested in their institution and not just checking a box. Why do colleges care? Colleges are very interested in yield, or the number of students who are admitted that choose to enroll. Yield is important because it has become a proxy for popularity—the higher the yield, the more popular the school. Yield is also an important number in the US News and World Report rankings. If colleges want to move up the ranks, increasing yield numbers is very important. In general, the highly selective colleges (think Stanford and the Ivies) do not need to measure if students are interested, they are always going to have high yield numbers. However, many other private institutions use demonstrated interest as a factor in admissions. Keep reading for 5 specific things you can do to demonstrate interest right now. (more…)
The Basics of Financial Aid
Now is the time to start thinking about how you and your family will deal with financial aid. From filling out the FASFA to checking the box on the Common Application, this process can be a bit complicated. Read on to learn about things you can do to make the process much easier.
Building your Team
BUILDING YOUR TEAM
Getting into college is a team effort. You are the captain of your college application team, but you will need to surround yourself with individuals who can help make your college application shine. Your team should include your family, counselor, teacher(s) and College Calm! Below are some ideas regarding the roles that each group can play in helping your application be the best it can be. (more…)
How to Start Thinking about Financial Aid
College Calm’s class of 2017 received aid offers of over 1 MILLION dollars in merit aid per year- over 4 million dollars over 4 years. We want to give you…
Find Some Time to Play
It is now officially SUMMER!!! I know here at College Calm we talk about how much we can “get done” over the summer for the college process, but the article below serves as a reminder that summer is also a time to play — for everyone — young, old, adolescent or middle aged. We encourage everyone to leave some space this summer to PLAY.
This article was originally written for Patch.com by one of our wonderful students (before we even starting working together). It is a great synopsis of how we know many of our high school students are feeling, but cannot always articulate. Read this with your child/parent/friends and talk about your experiences and observations. Then you should read the article, “Who Fares Best in the College Process,” by Alice Kleeman, who references Laurel’s article and advocates for doing things you enjoy.
” I had a really hard time figuring out what to write about this week. I went back and forth between two other article ideas, wrote them out, but they didn’t sound like me. They were too critical and condemning for my taste. I took breaks in between these episodes of writers block to watch some TV, do some math homework, and just have time to be a teenager.
I realized then that I don’t really get that much time to just have moments to myself and to just rock out to music in my room. It seems that I always have another essay to write, another history chapter to read, or another chemistry test that needs to be studied for. (more…)