Anxiety 101:A Short Course in College Admission

Presented by Presented by Campus Planning Inc.Campus Planning Inc.

College Selection

Is the school with the lower sticker price the least expensive to attend? You may be surprised!

Three questions a family should resolve before choosing possible colleges and universities!

Is the bigger school, the better school for my child to attend? Is older school, the better school for my child to attend? (i.e. the Ivies)

College SelectionIs bigger better?

Large University– you will have many more course

options

Small College– the majority offer free tutorial

help

– will have more student diversity

– will attend a school that is better known … usually have Division I athletics

– will have very large classes, particularly in the freshman or sophomore year

– will have a much betterwill have a much better chance of being involvedchance of being involved in campus activitiesin campus activities

– will not need to bewill not need to be assertive to getassertive to get individual attentionindividual attention

– will have much betterwill have much better odds of graduating inodds of graduating in four yearsfour years

– will have smaller classeswill have smaller classes

– will, many times, be more generous will, many times, be more generous with financial aid with financial aid

College Selection Should the student commute or live on campus?

If you commute,

you will:– need a car … unless you ride the bus

If you live on campus,

you will;

– have your parents around to help you make decisions– have your remaining friends around … those you will begin to have less in common with– have a nicer room … perhaps one that is cleaner

– lower your family’s college expenses– be making your ownbe making your own decisionsdecisions – be making new friendsbe making new friends– be able to be involved in be able to be involved in more campus activities more campus activities– learn to wash your learn to wash your own clothesown clothes

– learn more

Types of Collegesand Universities

open door exact criteria (head

to head competition) selective (student is

judged against an “ideal set of academic/personal achievements”)

College SelectionThe greatest danger is not that our hopes are too high and we never reach them

but, that our hopes are too low and we do!

College SelectionIn other words: If you

haven’t been denied admission by at least one school, you haven’t been

assertive enough with your selections!

Elite College Admission Criteria

geographical distribution lineage (Did a parent attend this institution?) special talent (music, athletic, etc.,) minority

The average SAT scores of denied students, applying to elite colleges or universities, are higher than the average SAT scores of the admitted students. The best applicants do not necessarily gain admission to such institutions. Campus Planning assists the student in increasing his or her odds of gaining admission to such schools.

Does an elite college education raise the quality of life of its graduates?

Lifetime success of elite university graduates is due as much to the characteristics that got the student into that school as to anything that happened to the student while the student was enrolled there.

The College Admission Essay

Types of Questions Tell us about yourself. Write about some of your interests. Why do you want to attend this

college? Use your creativity and/or

imagination.

The College Admission EssayHow Campus Planning can help!

We help your child begin the process by as assisting him or her in selecting a topic.

We critique and help refine the college admission essay in order to maximize the student’s chances of gaining admission. Elite colleges use the essay, many times, to to separate and select quality students for admission.

What a college visit may not tell you.

Remember, colleges have been answering questions much longer than you, the parents, have been asking them.

1. The deception of statistics.

College statement: Our average class size is 25 or our student to faculty ratio is 12 to 1.

You should ask: What is the size of the three largest classes my child will be taking?

2. Glossing over your child’s opportunities for academic success.

College statement: We help our students succeed academically.

You should ask: Do you offer free tutorial help? If so, how easy is the help to get?

3. We make your education affordable. You should ask: Do you

attempt to meet 100% of our demonstrated financial need? Do you offer merit scholarships that are not based on financial need?

Campus Planning uses our Financial Aid Comparison Program to answer this question once you receive all your financial aid awards in March or April.

4. Our campus is safe. Yes, college students are

safer than the average person in our society.

Notice: Is the school located in a city or a rural area?

If concerned, request a copy of the school’s security report. (Federal Law)

5. What is your admission criteria? Descending order of

criteria importance:

-Academic Record

-Letter of Rec./Essay

-SAT/ACT Scores

-Extracurricular Activities Do not apply to more than

two elite schools … you will need some certain “admits.”

Make an online consultation appointment! Contact this Web site or call (440) 526-7331.

Questions may be addressed to us on this Web site or by e-mail at: campusplan@ameritech.net