+

Building Your College List

+Introduction

" Your Role

Students Parents

+Principles to Remember

! This should be a Student-Directed Process

! This process is about CHOICE. You’re in charge.

! Shift your mindset from “The Best College” to “The Best-FIT College for Me”

+Terms to Know

Application Plans

# Early Decision I

#  Early Decision II

#  Early Action [Single Choice]

#  Early Action [Non-Restricted]

#  Rolling

+Terms to Know

Standardized Testing

!  SAT vs. ACT [Updated SAT in March 2016]

! SAT Subject Tests

!  Score Choice

! Super-Scoring

! Test-Optional (Test-Flexible)

+Terms to Know

Financial Aid

"  FAFSA

" CSS Profile

" Merit Aid

" Need-Blind vs. Need-Aware

+Timeline

For Freshman and Sophomores

$  Freshman Year: Keep it Simple! $  Good Grades

$  Get Involved

$  Consider taking a science SAT Subject Test

$  Sophomore Year $  Good Grades

$  Stay Involved

$  Keep your eye on SAT Subject Tests

$  Athletes: Start your search

$  Dancers, Actors, Musicians: Start collecting footage

$  SUMMERTIME…start planning early!

+Timeline

For Juniors

$  Summer Before Junior Year $  Stay busy! Get a job, volunteer, sign up for an acting workshop $  If you’re close to a college, check it out

$  Junior Fall

%  Take the PSAT

%  Prepare for SAT or ACT

%  SUNY College Fair

$  Junior Spring

%  College Research

%  Take SAT/ACT

%  Campus Visits

%  Ask current teachers for recommendations

+Timeline

For Seniors

$  Summer Before Senior Year:

%  Personal Essay

%  Common Application

%  Arts Supplement

$  Senior Fall:

%  Overnight Visits

%  Supplemental Essays

%  Apply!

+THE SEARCH

Before you begin…

$  How do I stay organized? %  E-mail Address

%  Calendar

%  Folder & Notebook

$  How do I find the time? %  Treat your College Search as a class

%  Weekly, consistent time to work on college-related tasks

%  Outside of this time, limit the college conversation

#  Parents, this means you!

+THE SEARCH

I. The Thinking Process Qualities to Consider….

!  Location !  Size !  Setting !  Price !  Academic Strengths !  Social Life !  Athletics !  Teacher-Student Interactions !  Class Size !  Diversity of Student Body !  Current Campus Issues !  Academic Support !  Internship & Career Support

+THE SEARCH

I. The Thinking Process Qualities to Consider….

!  Location !  Size !  Setting !  Price !  Academic Strengths !  Social Life !  Athletics !  Teacher-Student Interactions !  Class Size !  Diversity of Student Body !  Current Campus Issues !  Academic Support !  Internship & Career Support

+THE SEARCH

II. Research

& Make a Preliminary List

#  College Board’s Big Board

#  CollegeResults.org

#  Peterson’s Online College Search

& Already know what you want to study?

#  The Fiske Guide

& Nervous about submitting test scores?

#  Fairtest.org

& Have a specific characteristic you’re looking for?

#  CollegeExpress.com/lists

+THE SEARCH

II. Research

#  Preliminary List: 20-25 schools

#  Subjective Guidebooks

#  The Fiske Guide to Colleges

#  The Insider’s Guide to the Colleges, Yale Daily News

#  Colleges That Change Lives, Loren Pope

#  Social Media

#  Facebook Page

#  YouTube

#  Admissions Blogs

#  Reach out!

+THE SEARCH

II. Research

#  Another important component of your research: Cost

#  Need Blind vs. Need Aware

#  But also: Meets Full Financial Need?

#  Examples of need-blind: #  Carnegie Mellon #  Brown University #  University of New Hampshire

#  Examples of need-aware: #  Furman University #  Colby College #  George Washington University #  Union College #  Tufts University

+THE SEARCH

II. Research

#  “Best Value” Public Colleges (Princeton Review)

#  UNC

#  University of Michigan

#  UCLA

#  University of Florida

#  College of William & Mary

#  Strong Merit-Aid (US News & World Report)

#  Hillsdale College (Michigan)

#  Denison University (Ohio)

#  DePauw University (Indiana)

#  Rhodes College (Tennessee)

#  Trinity University (Texas)

No Merit Aid Ivy League Schools

Amherst Bowdoin Hamilton

MIT Middlebury

Vassar Williams Trinity

Haverford

+THE SEARCH

II. Research

#  With regards to cost, think BALANCE

#  Need-aware vs. need-blind

#  Public vs. private

#  Include SUNYs, CUNYs

#  Schools where you are academically overqualified

#  Check Net-Price Calculator

#  MeritAid.com

#  Searchable database of college-specific merit scholarships

#  Cappex.com/scholarships

#  Find scholarships based on ethnicity, gender, state, major

+THE SEARCH

SUNY

& Visit the SUNY Information Center at 33 West 42nd Street

& Attend a SUNY College Fair &  May 17th at the Armory

& Strengths within the System &  Purchase (Arts) &  Binghamton (Liberal Arts) &  Stony Brook (Engineering) &  SUNY College of Environmental

Science and Forestry (ENVS)

+THE SEARCH

CUNY

& Options at CUNY

& Eleven “Senior Colleges” (Four-year programs)

& Seven Community College (Two-year programs)

& The Macaulay Honors College

& One Application for the CUNY system

& Rolling Admissions

+THE SEARCH

III. Campus Visits

& Make it count

&  If you know someone on campus, connect with them beforehand

& Find out whether you can sit in on a class

& Try to see the campus during “down time”

& Organize your Road Trip

#  RESOURCE: GoSeeCampus.com/college-trip-planner

#  Check interview policies before you visit

+Maximizing Campus Visits

$  Questions to ask students… $  What did you learn about this college that you didn’t know

before you arrived?

$  When did you last meet individually with a professor?

$  What events draw a crowd?

$  What was happening on campus last weekend? What did you do last Thursday and Friday night?

$  Questions to ask admissions officers…. $  What sort of students seem happiest here?

$  What is new at the school in the past year or two?

$  If you only had 2 minutes to describe your college, what would you say?

$  What is freshman year like in terms of requirements, orientation programs and traditions?

'

+

Did You Know?

Demonstrated Interest

Over 20% of colleges rank “demonstrated interest” as more important than class rank or the interview.

What is Demonstrated Interest?

It’s pretty much what it sounds like: showing a college that you’d seriously like to go there. You can show your interest by visiting campus, attending a local information session or writing a thank-you note to the admissions officer after you’ve met.

+THE SEARCH

IV. Campus Visit Alternatives

( New York City Performing and Visual Arts Fair (  October 27th, 2015

( National Portfolio Day (  November 16th, 2015

(  For Visual Artists and Designers

(  Portfolio Feedback, Learn about specific art programs

(  Meet with representatives from 50+ art schools

( Admission Reps (  LaGuardia Arts Admissions-Visit Schedule

(  Locate Admissions Counselor for the NYC area

+THE SEARCH

IV. Campus Visit Alternatives

( All accessible without a car

(  Urban Universities (  NYU (  Drexel University

( Residential College in an Urban Environment (  Manhattan College (small) (  Fordham University (medium)

(  Suburban College in a Town (  SUNY Stonybrook (  SUNY Purchase (  Fairleigh Dickinson University

(  Small Liberal Arts College (  Sarah Lawrence College (  Vassar College

+The Final List

) 4-5 Target Schools

) 3 Likely Schools (“Safeties”)

) 2 Reach Schools

Based on average SATs, GPA & Naviance comparisons

+Additional Resources

For the Arts

$  Creative Colleges: A Guide for Student Actors, Artists, Dancers, Musicians and Writers, Elaina Loveland

$  College Guide for Performing Arts Major: The Real-World Admission Guide for Dane, Music, and Theater Majors, Carole Everett

$  Lists in The Fiske Guide

+Arts Supplement

$  Common App Arts Supplement

$  Other Schools: $  Create a website

$  http://www.aidanstack.com/ $  http://malcolmhoyt.wordpress.com/

$  Video or Images $  Artistic Statement $  Resume

$  Doesn't’t have to be fancy!

$  Deadlines may vary for arts supplement submissions

+Final Thoughts

$  Handouts at the front $  Resources

$  Timeline

$  College Fairs in NYC

$  Other Questions? $  Meredith@focustutors.com

$  Chris@focustutors.com