Working with Your College Counselor
People often ask us what we think about high school counselors. Our reply: We love them! Your high school guidance counselor is one of the most useful resources for college information and you should try to cultivate a relationship with your high school college counselor as early as possible in your high school experience.
Finding Your Best Fit School: Spotlight on Barnard – Part 1
We’ve asked the IvyWise team to share some of their favorite things about the college they attended. Not one, but two of our team members are proud graduates of Barnard College in New York, NY. This week, our Executive Assistant, Bethanie tells us about her experiences at Barnard:
Finding Your Best Fit School: Spotlight on Emerson
This week, our Marketing and Student Enrollment Coordinator, Sarah, tells us about her experience at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts:
Using Facebook in the College Admissions Process
In a recent survey conducted by Kaplan Test Prep, it was revealed that nearly a quarter of college admissions officers have used Facebook or other social media or networking sites to research a college applicant. In addition, 20 percent of admissions officers admitted to “Googling” applicants. While colleges don’t spend time regularly trolling facebook and checking out your wall, if you think you’re secure because you’ve adjusted your privacy settings, you need to think again!
2011-2012 College Admissions Essays, Part 2
We had a strong response to our post about the unique and quirky college admissions essays that appear on many of this year’s college applications and supplements. As the college admissions landscape becomes more confusing, and more competetive, it is more important than ever for applicants to convey the best and most accurate representation of who they are, both academically and personally, to the admissions committees at their targeted schools. The admissions essay is your chance to stand out as a unique personality, to verbalize who you are in a compelling and effective manner, and to highlight your character and your achievements in your own voice. The trick, as always, is to be yourself. To kick off your brainstorming, we’ve gathered even more of this year’s most creative essay prompts:
What do College Rankings Mean?
Among high school guidance counselors, college-bound teens and their parents, the annual college rankings are often a prevalent consideration in the college admissions process. Newsweek/The Daily Beast, U.S. News & World Report (released this week), the Princeton Review and Forbes are among the “best college” lists that students use to guide them in their college searches. What do these college rankings really mean and how much credence should be given to them when choosing a college?
Standardized Tests – ACT vs SAT
Today is the registration deadline for the October 1st SAT, and tomorrow’s ACT marks the first standardized test of the 2011-2012 academic year. While the concept can be intimidating, standardized testing doesn’t have to be an ordeal. As of 2007, every four-year college that accepts the SAT also accepts the ACT. Determining which test is best for you (based on format, timing, and content) is an important step in ensuring testing success. At IvyWise, we recommend taking one practice SAT and one practice ACT test under realistic testing conditions, scoring both tests, and comparing initial scores. Once you determine which test is better suited to your individual abilities and begin studying, we recommend taking a practice test weekly for eight to ten weeks leading up to the actual test date.
The Transition from High School to College
I led a relatively sheltered life before leaving for college. As an only child whose parents wanted to ensure that I remained focused, I had been enrolled at an all-girls school for seven years. To their horror, I ultimately chose to attend the farthest school I applied to—Washington University in St. Louis, a shocking 16-hour drive from my home in New Jersey.
Part 2: College Freshmen – How to Prepare for the College Transition
Get Into (the) Gear:One way to feel mentally prepared for your new adventure is to get physically prepared. First, get organized: make piles of things to bring, things to store, things to toss, and things to give away. Most schools have suggestions on their websites of things to bring, as well as those that you should leave behind. This is a great exercise to do with a parent who may be more objective about what you will and won’t need at school.
Shopping for dorm décor will help you picture where you will be living and get you excited about furnishing your own space. Decorating your dorm room according to your own taste and style will help make it feel like home, which may also ward off any home-sickness. Don’t forget the necessities, including extension cords, cleaning supplies and laundry detergent. These basic items, which were always just there before, signal the realities of independence. If you haven’t already, now is a great time to ask your parents questions, learn basic housekeeping, bookkeeping and checkbook-balancing skills, and start practicing good living habits (like keeping your room tidy!).