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.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
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.
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.
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