Community Service-Important for college?

It has been a little while since I have posted--the rush of getting counselor reports off to the colleges for our biggest graduating class ever has kept me a bit busy lately! But now that things are perhaps slowing down a tiny bit, let's look at how colleges look at community service.
You know it has to be done for graduation: 20 hours a year may not seem like much, but if you wait till the last minute, finding enough places to volunteer may have you panicked. But maybe you should be thinking more in terms of doubling the impact; after all, colleges ask you about your community service on their applications. So what are they actually looking for?
A new survey has brought out some interesting results:
"For the last 3 years, DoSomething.org has put the science in this community service component. We conduct an annual survey of the top 50 colleges and universities (according to the U.S. News & World Report list). This year we conducted the study in partnerhsip with FastWeb (the leading source of college scholarship information) and our longtime partner, JPMorganChase. The full report can be downloaded here.

Some of the key findings include:

• 70 percent of admissions officers prefer students to be consistently involved with one issue over a variety of causes. This is a huge increase over 2010 survey results, when 50 percent of admissions officers preferred consistency over variety.

• 68 percent of admissions officers considered a political campaign to be community service. However, they cautioned that it is not considered "community service" if the work is paid.

• 95.8 percent of admissions officers value a student who took a gap year and did a service project, while a mere 4.2 percent value a student who spent the time traveling the world. Admissions officers commented that spending your year off doing service is important to community engagement."

(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nancy-lublin/college-admissions-community-service_b_1123212.html)

This should tell you that just grabbing a couple hours here and a couple hours there is not your best strategy. Consistently working in one area that involves something important to you will give your application more appeal than having no focus at all in your community service.
Give some thought to your interests and goals. Are you considering a medical career? Then volunteering regularly at a hospital or a doctor's office will show that commitment and interest. Do you love animals? Working at the Humane Society or volunteering at a stable will give you enjoyment as well as a consistent interest shown on your college application. Do you like sports? Volunteer to coach county sports leagues or at Perdue Stadium. Are you planning on working with children in your future career? Tutoring, Children's Church or Sunday School, or other volunteer work with children will give you experience, as well as a possible reference for your application!
If you must do community service (and you must, if you want to graduate!), you might as well make it work for you in more ways than one.

SAT prep resources

Many of you juniors are gearing up for your first shot at the SAT. There are numerous ways to prepare, though it isn't really a test you can "study" for. Familiarity with challenging vocabulary helps you in the verbal sections, and more advanced math classes will help you in the math section. But there are many sites that will help you become familiar with the types of questions you will see on the test, which can be helpful in itself.
The main resource I recommend is the College Board website. After all, the company that administers the SAT is going to know more about it than anyone else. They have an SAT question of the day that can be emailed to you, they have practice tests online and a lot of other helpful resources.
I have copied below a resource I found at http://www.smartteaching.org/blog/. I have not checked out all these--many are probably commercial items designed to make the publisher/creator some money, and whether you want to spend a lot of money on this is up to you. There are so many free resources available that spending a lot of money would be unnecessary, in my opinion.
Hope you find this list helpful.

The Ultimate Guide to the SAT: 100 Helpful Sites and Resources

Every year, high school students with dreams of college admissions and scholarships wake up early on a Saturday and subject themselves to the SAT, one of the most nerve-wracking tests they’ve taken so far in their lives. The test requires lots of preparation, practice, and confidence, and there are plenty of resources available to students who want be be prepared. Here, we’ll look at 100 sites and resources that are designed to help students achieve the best SAT score they can get.

Powerhouses

These are some of the really well-established sites that offer a wide variety of incredibly helpful SAT resources.

1. College Board SAT Preparation Center: Visit the College Board website to get an official practice test, question of the day, and more.
2. SparkNotes: The SparkNotes SAT test center is a wonderful resource, including a mini SAT, vocabulary novels, power tactics and much, much more.
3. Number2: Visit Number2 to get a free SAT companion tutor complete with monitored progress, a word of the day, and more.
4. LearnHub: LearnHub’s SAT resources include a question bank, lessons, tests, and more.

Vocabulary Review

Many of the SAT resources online focus on vocabulary, offering words to study, tests, and more.

5. Vocabulary Tests Online: Here you’ll find a variety of resources designed to help you pass the vocabulary portion of the SAT.
6. 5,000 Free SAT Words: This simple site offers 5,000 vocabulary words to learn from, and an audio version to learn from as well.
7. Hard SAT Crosswords: Here you’ll find crossword puzzles featuring SAT words.
8. SAT Vocabulary Builder: Use this site’s vocabulary builder, and you’ll be able to use their flash cards and printable resources.
9. Vocab Test: Build your SAT vocabulary with the help of this website.
10. Vocabulary University: This source has the top 180 SAT and ACT words, and offers puzzles to help you learn them.
11. English Usage Practice Playsheets: Brush up on your grammar and vocabulary with these playsheets.
12. SAT and GRE Vocabulary Test Prep: Sheppard Software shares a few vocabulary quizzes here.
13. Wordsmyth SAT Dictionary: Wordsmyth offers a huge collection of frequently used SAT words and their definitions.

Practice Tests

Assess your skills and become more familiar with the SAT by taking these practice tests.

14. SAT Test Practice Questions: This resource offers an in-depth self-assessment test for the SAT.
15. SAT Test Preparation Practice Exercises: Test your ability to do well on the SAT test with these practice exercises.
16. Sentence Completion Quiz: About.com’s quiz is a great tool for testing your writing skills.
17. Yahoo! Education SAT Test Prep: Here you’ll find sample questions for writing, math, and reading.
18. English Test: This site has more than 1,000 vocabulary tests, many of them focused on SAT words.
19. PrepMe: This test preparation service offers a few diagnostic tests.
20. Morrison Media: This site has plenty of SAT tests and drills to offer, including vocabulary and math.
21. Algebra.com SAT Preparation: Visit this site to test your skills at SAT math.
22. Peterson’s Free Practice Test for the SAT: Peterson’s allows you to take a timed, full-length SAT practice test, and offers detailed answer explanations for every question. You can even log on and off.

Test Prep

Take advantage of these free test preps to improve your test-taking skills and gain admission into some of the top online universities.

23. ProProfs: Visit ProProfs, and you’ll be able to take advantage of study guides, practice tests, cram sheets, and more.
24. Study Hall: Study Hall’s free program allows you to take practice tests, learn more about the questions, and set a unique timetable.
25. SAT Exam Prep: In order to enjoy this site’s SAT resources, all you have to do is register.
26. Major Tests: Use this site’s hundreds of practice questions and vocabulary development resources to improve your SAT score.
27. eNotes: eNotes offers SAT practice tests, drills, vocabulary, and more.
28. Ivy Bound: This tutoring service has a number of free resources available online.
29. Study Guide Zone: This test prep site has study guides, writing practice, practice questions, advice, and more.

Study Programs

Make use of these courses and tutoring programs to improve your score and knowledge.

30. ePrep: ePrep’s courses offer a video-based study system.
31. Huntington Learning Center: Get tutored for the SAT from Huntingon Learning Center.
32. The Princeton Review: The Princeton Review offers in-person tutoring, tools, and a variety of online options.
33. Kaplan: Kaplan’s test preparation program includes a free SAT QuizBank, practice SAT, SAT games, and more.
34. Accolade Prep: Learn all about the SAT online from qualified experts, including a 2,400 scorer, in this course.

Tools

Put these tools to work to make studying for the SAT just a little bit easier and more fun.

35. FutureU: Get this game for the Nintendo DS and you’ll have fun studying for the SAT.
36. SAT Tip of the Day: Bookmark this page to get a little bit of SAT help at a time.
37. Pocket Prep Interactive Handheld Tutor: Use this handy gadget to study for the SAT wherever you go.
38. Texas Instruments Test Prep Solutions: Use your graphing calculator to get ready for the SAT with these downloadable tools from Texas Instruments.

Guides & Advice

Here you’ll find a wealth of information that will help you study for the SAT.

39. SAT Summer Study Guide: Here you’ll find a rough schedule for SAT studying over the summer.
40. Sentence Improvement Strategies: Use this resource to practice improving your sentences.
41. SAT Tips: Here you’ll find a printable list of SAT tips.
42. SAT Test Forum and Information: Check out this forum to talk to others who are studying for the SATs.
43. Essay Strategies: Yahoo! Education has some guidelines for writing a good SAT essay.
44. How to Score High on Your SAT Exam: Follow this how-to guide that suggests you take the PSAT and be prepared on the day of the test.
45. SAT Test Day: College Board offers some useful advice for being prepared on test day.
46. Error Identification Strategies: Check out this resource to learn how you can easily spot errors in the SAT.
47. 6 Ways to Tackle the New SAT: This article has some great advice for adjusting your SAT strategy.
48. SAT Essay Advice: Go Long!: This article recommends that you make an effort to write a lengthy essay portion on the SAT.
49. How to Do Better on the SAT: Check out this how-to to find out what steps you should take to master the SAT.
50. Grid-In Strategies: This resource will help you make sense of the SAT’s grid-in questions.
51. How to Survive the New SAT: Newsweek explains how to do well on the newly-revamped SAT.
52. Practical Advice and Test-Taking Tips for Students Taking the New SAT: In this press release, College Board explains a few strategies for doing your best on the new SAT test.
53. Problem Solving Strategies: Find out how to tackle the math section’s problem solving questions by following this guide.
54. Scholar Holler SAT Preparation and Advice: Visit this site to learn all about the SAT, what you’ll need to succeed, and a few resources that can help.
55. How to Easily Increase Your Test Score: Admissions Consultants offers a wealth of advice for doing well on the SAT.
56. SAT Prep Advice for Juniors: Here you’ll find some timely advice for high school juniors from ePrep.
57. Advice about taking the SAT: Get advice from some parents who have already been through the SATs with their children.
58. The SATs: How to Prepare: This article explains what the experts have to say about getting prepared for the SATs.
59. Long Reading Comprehension Strategies: Ace the long reading comprehension section of the SAT using this strategy guide.
60. Wikipedia’s SAT entry: Wikipedia’s coverage of the SAT offers an in-depth look at the test’s history, changes, and different sections that you’ll have to take.
61. Free SAT Prep: This site is full of advice and information about taking the SAT.
62. SAT Problem Solving: Time Management: This article explains the concept of time management for the SAT.
63. Short Passage Reading Comprehension Strategies: This guide offers some helpful strategies for doing well on the short passage reading section.
64. Eat Your Way to a Higher SAT or ACT Score: FastWeb discusses nutrition as a study tool.
65. 7 Resources for Preparing for GRE or SAT Vocabulary: Here you’ll find a handful of simple resources you can use to build your SAT vocabulary.
66. Eleven Tips to Help Your Child Prepare for Tests: This article offers advice for parents of students taking the SAT and other standardized tests.
67. Sentence Completion Strategies: Read this guide to learn how to do well in sentence completion.

Articles

These articles shed light on the SAT, and are great for helping you devise strategies and better understand the test.

68. How SATs Work: Visit this HowStuffWorks article to get the lowdown on the SAT.
69. The New SAT: Yahoo! Education explains what’s changed in the new SAT.
70. Are My SAT Scores Good Enough?: Read this collection of advice articles from About.com to find out if your scores are up to snuff.
71. Frontline: Secrets of the SAT: Here you can read about PBS’ coverage of the SAT.
72. The SAT: Questions and Answers: FairTest offers a frank look at the SAT.
73. Preparing for the SAT/ACT: FastWeb discusses a number of ways that you can prepare for the SAT.
74. SAT Prep Resources: The Seattle Times offers a number of helpful resources that will help you prepare for the SAT.
75. About the New SAT Test and SAT Exam: This article offers an in-depth explanation of the new SAT test.
76. SAT, ACT, and Test Optional Admissions: Here you’ll find some simple advice to consider when applying to test-optional schools.
77. Low SAT or ACT Scores? These Colleges Don’t Require the Tests: If your scores are low or you don’t have enough time to take the tests, consider applying to these schools that do not require test scores.
78. Martha Allman’s Great Speech on the SAT: Read what Martha Allman from the admissions department of Wake Forest University has to say about making the SAT optional at their school.
79. Taking the SAT Again: This expert recommends that students take the SAT at least twice.
80. Prescription: What To Do After the First SAT: Ivy Bound has some recommendations for specific post-SAT situations.

Books

Use these books to get practice and build your SAT knowledge.

81. The Official SAT Study Guide: Published by the College Board, you’ll find a wealth of information to prepare you for the SAT, including eight practice tests.
82. 11 Practice Tests for SAT and PSAT: With this book, you’ll be able to get lots of practice, using 10 practice SATs and 1 practice PSAT.
83. Barron’s SAT 2400: Aiming for the Perfect Score: Check out Barron’s guide to acing the SAT, including critical reading strategies, math formulas, and essay help.
84. Up Your Score: The Underground Guide to the SAT: This guide offers advice from students that "destroyed" the SAT.
85. Cracking the SAT: In this book you’ll find strategies for every question type, a list of frequently used vocabulary words, and access to online tests, lessons, and drills.
86. Critical Reading Workbook for the SAT: This book concentrates solely on the critical reading section of the SAT, offering an overview, vocabulary, practice exercises, and more.
87. How to Prepare for the SAT: Pick up this book to get an overview of the test, create a personal study plan, and take advantage of full-length practice SATs.
88. 500 Key Words for the SAT, and How to Remember Them Forever!: Give your SAT vocabulary a shot in the arm with this book.
89. The Official SAT Question of the Day Calendar: Use this calendar to give yourself an SAT brain teaser once a day for a year.
90. Increase Your Score in 3 Minutes a Day: SAT Essay: This low-committment book will help you incrementally increase your SAT essay skill level.
91. The New SAT: Writing SparkChart: Master the SAT’s new writing portion with this handy quick reference guide.
92. Kaplan SAT Math Workbook: In this SAT workbook, you’ll get 2 realistic math tests, hundreds of practice questions with explanations, concepts, techniques, and more.
93. Vocabulary Cartoons: SAT Word Power: This book makes learning and memorizing SAT words fun eand easy.
94. Writing Workbook for the New SAT: Barron’s book gives you an overview of the new SAT writing portion, as well as review chapters and writing tests.
95. The New SAT: Math SparkChart: With this SparkChart, you can print out a handy guide to math strategies, concepts, and formulas.
96. Increase Your Score in 3 Minutes a Day: SAT Critical Reading: This book will make the SAT critical reading portion both fun and easy.
97. Sparknotes: The New SAT: Read this online book from Sparknotes to get an in-depth look at the new SAT.
98. 10 Real SATs: Here, you’ll find exactly what’s promised — a book full of real SATs that you can practice your skills on.
99. New SAT: Critical Reading SparkChart: Download this printable SparkChart to get a valuable and easy to use reference for SAT critical reading.
100. Extreme SAT Flashcards Flip-O-Matic: You’ll be able to master some of the toughest vocabulary words to appear on the SAT with this set of flashcards.

College Applications

It's time! Time to start those applications, that is. As tempting as it is to put it off till the last minute, there are a lot of good reasons for getting started early.
Applications online can be tricky. They have weird character limits, they ask questions that you may need to think about, they may take a lot of time. Stressing over having to get it done in a day may cause mistakes that can affect your chances of admission.
Essays need to be thought about, written, thought about some more, revised, shared with at least one other person, revised again, shown to someone with a good grasp of grammar and spelling, revised again. This is not an overnight process.
Computer glitches. Websites have been known to crash as students all rush to post their online applications the night of the deadline. Having to contact the school to ask them to accept it late because you procrastinated is not exactly putting your best food forward.
So it's time to get to it, seniors!
Check out this link to find common application errors to avoid.
http://www.thestreet.com/story/11262970/1/8-common-college-application-mistakes.html

The Common Application

More and more schools are going to the Common Application for their main application route. There are a number of schools in both Maryland and Virginia that use the Common App, and if you are applying to 2 or more that do, it will save you time to use it rather than the other online options.
It is located at www.commonapp.org. You create an account, gather your information, and start working on it. Like most online apps, you don't need to fill it all out in one sitting; you can save what you have done and come back to it later. Read the buttons carefully, though--don't choose submit until everything is completed and double checked! It is also a good idea, once you have submitted, to print a copy for your records.
Some schools also have extra pages for you to fill out, so be sure to check if there are supplements for the schools you are applying to. Make sure you submit the supplements to the schools that require them, as your application won't be considered until it is finished.
I really like the common app for my end, as I can upload my counselor recommendation and the transcript easily--it just requires you to know my name (correct spelling) and my work email address (on the card in your senior packet). Once you submit your form, they will email me to let me know I have to fill out my part of your form, and, once I get that done, I don't have to do anything except update it at midyear and for the final transcript. It also has a place to enter names and emails for your teacher recommendations, as well. Just make sure you ask the teacher before putting their name down, as it is not very polite to just assume that they are willing to write a letter for you. They are also able to complete the process online, so make sure you get their email address to use on the form.
There you have it--one easy process to finish off 2 or more college applications. What could be better?

Colleges in Maryland using the Common App are
College of Notre Dame of Maryland
Goucher College
Hood College
Johns Hopkins University
Loyola University
McDaniel College
Salisbury University
St. John's College
St. Mary's of Maryland
Stevenson University
Towson University
UMBC
Washington College
Colleges in Virginia using the Common App:
Christopher Newport University
College of William and Mary
Hampden Sydney College
Hollins University
Randolph College
Randolph Macon College
Sweetbrier College
University of Mary Washington
University of Richmond
University of Virginia
Washington and Lee University

The "F" word

How's that for an attention grabbing title! But the F word of the day is FAFSA.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is a rite of passage for seniors and their families. If you want need based aid, you will have to go through filing your FAFSA. So what is the process?
First, you have to get a PIN that will allow you and your parent to electronically "sign" your FAFSA application. You will both need to get one, as both will need to sign. Go to www.pin.ed.gov and fill out the application; your PIN will be sent to you. As with any PIN, you want to keep it safe; you fill out a lot of financial information on the form and you will not want anyone else to access that information.
You can also begin to prepare beforehand by downloading a FAFSA worksheet at http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/fafsaworksheet.jsp. Although the FAFSA can't be filed until after the first of the year, you can often organize a lot of the information beforehand, especially if your income is pretty regular from year to year. Having the worksheet filled out before starting on the actual online application can save a lot of time.
Although you don't have to fill out the FAFSA early, it is good to get it finished before mid-February, as some state aid and college based aid is determined before the due date indicated on the FAFSA. Wor Wic usually sponsors a FAFSA help day in February, where they will put you in front of a computer and help you navigate the form. I will email senior families when I know the dates.
Once you finally finish the FAFSA and submit it, you will eventually receive the EFC--the expected family contribution. This number is what the government thinks you can afford to pay for college, and it may make you faint, so make sure you're sitting down when you read it! But keep in mind that, while this determines federal and some state aid, there are other sources of funds out there: scholarships, special grants for specific types of people, and other assorted money available for college., such as in-house college scholarships.
Financing a college education in today's economic climate is tricky, but there is money out there to help you; you just need to go after it.

College search

Here is a good list of things to consider when developing your list of colleges to apply to. Check it out!

http://www.danvilleexpress.com/square/index.php?i=3&d=&t=3099

Welcome to High School!

The beginning of the school year is always a good time to stop and take note of the milestones. Seniors are beginning the excitement of college choices, but ninth graders, just starting their first year of high school, should be looking ahead. From this point on, everything counts towards your future goals!
You are starting with a completely fresh slate. How well you did in middle school is water under the bridge--it will have no effect on your college admissions. If you struggled with grades in 8th grade, this is a new opportunity to start fresh, to get the help you need to improve and to succeed. If you did well, this is no time to get distracted. So, what do you need to know to prepare for your future? What do colleges look for in their applicants?
Obviously, the first item is academics. All the athletics, community service and talent in music or drama will not get you far if you don't work at keeping grades at the highest level you can. In high school, more of the responsibility will be on you; your teachers won't be chasing you down the hall begging you to turn in that assignment from last week--they will be entering a 0 in your gradebook. You will need to seek help if you are struggling, keep track of your assignments and turn them in on time. One way to keep track of things is to have access to Renweb, our online school software. If you stop by my office, I can enter your email address into the system and give you directions on how to log in and receive a passcode to access your homework assignments and grades from home.
In addition to good grades, colleges are looking for academic challenge, so plan on taking higher level courses, especially in math and science. Don't assume you can take all fluff classes your senior year and be accepted at that college of your dreams. The University of Maryland public universities are now requiring a senior year math, and other advanced courses will show that you are willing to challenge yourself in the educational arena.
For most schools, you will need to take college admissions tests to apply. What can you do now to help prepare? Read. Read some more. Then read some more. It is one of the best ways to learn vocabulary, to get a feel for good writing and to learn more about the world around you. There must be books out there about the things that interest you, whether it's computers, history, sports, music, or fiction, so find them and get reading! Our librarians will be happy to help you find books that appeal to you.
But colleges aren't interested solely in grades and test scores. You should have a life outside of academics, and that life should include things you love. Sports is a good thing, though very few of you will continue sports in college, and even fewer beyond it. Community service is becoming a larger item in college admissions and scholarships (besides being necessary for graduation!), so find someplace that needs your talents and get involved. Do you have a passion for music or drama or art? Cultivate that with clubs or community groups. Do you bike? Find a group that takes bike tours and join in. Are you planning on a medical career? Volunteer at a local hospital. There are many ways to become involved, and all will not only help you with college admissions, they will also add enjoyment to your life.
Try not to go overboard, though. Don't do so many different activities that none are done well or completely. Choose a few that are really important to you and stick with them.
Most important of all, keep track of everything. When you are a senior, you will be filling out lots of forms asking what you did when, how much time was spent on it, etc. Develop a record book, or file, to keep track of all you do, awards received, and any other important information; it will make your life so much easier later on.
But most of all, enjoy the years ahead. They will go by much faster than you imagine, and in three short years you will be seniors making your college application lists.

Netiquette for College Admissions

More and more colleges are using facebook, twitter, email, texting, blogs and other technology related forums to contact and interact with potential students. This is both a good thing, and a problem. The positives should be pretty obvious, but I want to give some pointers about the problems.
The main thing you need to remember when interacting with colleges is that anything you send them by any means is considered in light of your desirability as a potential student. You are making an impression on the admissions officers with every contact you make. So you need to remember that these are not your friends! You need to be much more formal than you usually are in these areas--skip the OMG, the LOL's and l8's and any other texting style jargon. You need to convince these people that you are educated, articulate, knowledgeable potential students!
Another area to consider is creating a professional sounding email just for college contacts. Your admissions rep may be amused by an email address including things like pookie, 2cute, cuddlebear, etc, but they will not be impressed. Stick to your name as your email address, and use it on all your applications. Get in the habit of checking it a couple times a week (yes, I know email is so last year, but you might as well get used to it, as colleges and workplaces use email). Colleges often contact you by email concerning items that are missing from your application or deadlines for scholarships and other important information. Don't miss out because you neglect to check your email regularly.
When you actually talk to a representative, remember again that you are making an impression on them. If it's a phone call, go ahead and rehearse before hand what you want to ask them so that you sound as mature and ready for college as possible. If you are talking to them at a school visit or a college fair, your manners are important and will help to create an overall good impression that may help your admission rep to give you greater consideration. Remember to thank them for their time and let them know you appreciate their help.
Admissions reps are interested in knowing who you are, so make sure they see the best of you.

Recommendations

Many colleges today require at least one recommendation letter, and as more and more students apply to colleges, these letters are often being given more weight in the admissions process. So, what types of recommendations will help you the most, and how can you assist in making those the best letters possible?
When you bring me your secondary school report form from your applications, there is usually a place for me to write a counselor’s recommendation. Since I haven’t had most of you in class, this can often be a difficult process for me; you can help me by including a resume with your form. The resume is a listing of all the things that might help me to flesh out your basic academic record: work and volunteer experience and how you think those experiences have helped you to grow and mature, interests, career goals, personal characteristics that you think make you stand out from the crowd, or other information that can help me to get your personality on paper. My recommendation is a more general, overall type of letter, so these details can make a big difference in the letter.
Teacher’s recommendations are different, as they are more focused on your academic personality and performance in their classroom. When you give the teacher the recommendation form, it would help them if they had a list of details to jog their memory. What classes did you take from the teacher? What was your favorite topic, project or activity? Remind them of a particular paper or activity that you did well on, and include details that will help them to describe your abilities and participation in a classroom.
If you are in the earlier high school years, think ahead. Make sure your classroom participation is positive, providing lots of material for a teacher to discuss. Cultivate good relationships with your teachers.
Most important—do not wait until the last second to ask a teacher to write a letter. They have a lot of grading and class preparation to do, as well as a life outside of school, and they might not be interested in dropping everything to deal with your crisis. Give them at least 2 weeks advance notice, provide the materials they need, and make sure to thank them, preferably in writing.

Website of the week: check out http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/. This is the official website of the National Center for Educational Statistics, with all kinds of handy information on different schools.

Choosing High School Courses

We are coming up on a new school year, and this is often the time students begin rethinking their scheduling choices. Seniors, especially, begin to think about wanting easier classes to enjoy their senior year. So this seems like a good time to talk about academic rigor—and that does not mean the condition of students being bored stiff in class!
Colleges are placing more emphasis on the types of courses you take in your 4 years of high school, and, with ever increasing numbers of applicants, they may use your course choices to determine if you are the candidate they want. If you are being compared with another candidate with the same GPA and test scores, the college might go with the one who took the harder courses. “Admissions officers want students who demonstrate a real love of intellectual pursuit, who are very well-prepared for the rigor of college coursework, and who seek challenge rather than avoid it” (collegebasics.com).
You might wonder how they would know if you took the hardest course available in a particular subject. Well, sorry, but I tell them. Most colleges ask me to send along a school profile (available in the Guidance office) along with the secondary school report for your application, and on that school profile is a list of the AP and honors courses we offer. This allows colleges to compare different students from schools that may offer different types of courses. We may offer fewer honors and AP classes than some larger schools, but if you take what you can, that will count in your favor. On the other hand, if you take mostly non-academic electives that are not academically challenging (and you all know which ones I’m talking about!) the admissions officer will see that you aren’t really serious about your education, which will not count in your favor. And the more competitive the school you are applying to is, the more these choices will count in the long run.
This, of course, does not mean you should sign up for a class you are pretty sure you will not do well in, but it does mean that you should go beyond the basic graduation requirements. Take a 4th year of science, a math in your senior year (now required by Maryland public colleges), a 3rd year of language, another history. Work hard to get the best grades you can in the courses, and don’t slack off midway through senior year.

Decisions, Decisions: Admission Plans

Applying for college is full of decisions: Do I want a public or private college? Close or far away? Big or small? If you're a senior, hopefully some of those decisions are made and you have a list of colleges you are thinking of applying to. Now you face another decision: Do I apply in the early admission round or wait till the regular round? To make that decision, you need to consider the types of admissions processes and what will best fit your plans.
Many schools have early admission deadlines, but their policies vary depending on the type of early admission. The two basic kinds are early decision and early action, and they are not synonymous.
Early decision is usually binding, meaning that if you apply in that round, you are guaranteeing that you will not apply to any other schools in early admission and, if you are accepted, you will enroll at that college and withdraw any other regular applications. This type of admission should only be used if you are absolutely sure that this is the college you want to attend. It does limit your ability to compare financial aid offers from different schools, as you have to respond well before any offers will be available from that school or any others.
Early action differs in that it is not binding--you don't have to commit to enrolling in that school. It lets you know early whether you are accepted, and may give you an edge in being accepted, as you are usually being compared to a smaller group of applicants. You are able to wait to hear other decisions and financial aid offers before enrolling, which can be helpful.
A new type of early admission is single choice early action, which allows a student to only apply to that school by early admission, but it is not binding and the offer does not have to be accepted early. this gives you a chance to see what other schools accept you in their regular decision process, and to compare financial aid offers from the various schools.
So is early admission worthwhile? Maybe. There can be a slight edge in acceptance rates for binding early decision, but not with early action. It can be nice to have the process done and not be stressed out with applications during senior year. It could also be pretty discouraging if you are denied admission. If you change your mind about wanting to attend the school, being locked in to a binding admission could be a definite problem.
If you have questions about a college's admissions policies, contact the admissions office and they will be happy to answer any questions you may have.