Falmouth Academy College Counseling Handbook

College Counseling

Handbook

Introduction

FalmouthAcademyisaschoolgroundedingreatteachingand engagedlearning,andstudents’yearsherewillpreparethemwellfor collegework. Itishardtobeprepared,however,forthesometimes dauntingandstressfulprocessofapplyingtocollege.Wehopethatthis guidewillbeahelpfulresourceasstudentsandfamiliesmovethrough thisjourney.

Theguideisintendedtoclarifytheprocessofbuildingacollegelistand applyingtocollege.Itisimportantthatfamiliesandstudentsaddress expectations,setrealisticgoals,andestimatecostsearlyinthisprocess.

FalmouthAcademy’sCollegeCounselingOfficeisheretosupport studentsandparentsastheygothroughthisincreasinglycomplex process.

Inthissmallschoolcommunity,wehopethatourrelationshipswith

CollegeCounselingCalendar

Althoughthecollegeadmissionsprocessdoesnotbeginformallyuntil thejunioryear,manyfamilieswillbegintovisitcollegesearlier.

Weespeciallyencouragefamiliestofoldacollegetourintoafamilytrip toaplacethatmightbehardtovisitlateron.Onepossibledifficulty withearlycollegevisitsisthatfamiliesmaychoosetovisitonlyfamous, highlyselectiveschools.

Ifyouareplanningtovisitcollegeswithyoungerstudents,pleasetryto alsoincludesomeschoolsthatarenotinthemostselectivecategory.

SophomoreYear

Studentsshouldcontinuetodeveloptheiracademicand extracurricularinterestsatFalmouthAcademyorinoutsidepursuits.

. FALL:AllSophomorestakethePSATatFalmouthAcademy.

SPRING:SophomoreCollegeTriptoBoston-areacollegestointroduce studentstodifferenttypesofschools.

SUMMER:Thisisagoodtimetothinkaboutmeaningfulopportunities forstudentsincludingpaidwork,internships,andcareerexploration.

JuniorYear

FALL/WINTER

JuniorCollegeNight:Parentsandstudentsattendtogether.Atthis eveningevent,studentswillreceiveandreviewtheirtranscripts,andwe willdiscussthemainpointsofmakingacollegelistandbeginningthe process.

Naviance:JuniorsandparentswillreceiveNavianceaccount registrationcodes.Navianceisacollegecounselingplatformthatserves severalpurposes.Inadditiontoprovidingcollegesearchresources,itis athree-wayelectronicbulletinboardlinkingthecollegeadvisor, parents,andstudents,andallowseveryonetotrackthedevelopmentof collegelistsand,later,thestatusofapplications.

InitialStudentAdvisingMeeting:AftercompletingtheStudent Questionnaire,studentsshouldscheduletheInitialStudentMeeting withthecollegeadvisor.

InitialFamilyMeeting:AftercompletingtheFamilyQuestionnaire, parentsshouldscheduleaninitialmeetingwiththecollegeadvisor.

JuniorCollegeSeminars:BeginafterScienceFair.

ACTandSAT:SomestudentsmayconsidertakingtheACTinFebruary ortheSATinMarch.

CollegeBoardAccount:StudentsshouldcreatetheirCollegeBoard accountiftheyhavenotalreadydonesoandregisterfortheSATs. (Whencreatinganaccount,youdonotneedtofilloutallofthe informationaskedbytheCollegeBoard.Chooseanemailaddressthat youwillusethroughoutyourcollegesearch.)

SPRING

CollegeVisits:Ifpossible,plantovisitsomecollegesoverMarchbreak.

SATorACT:SitfortheSATatFalmouthAcademyandregisterfor additionalSATtestsorACTtestsinspringorsummer.

CollegeFairs:Watchforspringcollegefairsandadmissionseventsin BostonandProvidence.

JuniorCollegeSeminarTasks:CompletetasksassignedintheJunior CollegeSeminarincludingCommonAppessaydraft,teacherlettersof recommendationrequests,andpreliminarycollegelist.

SUMMER

Ifanyofthetaskslistedabovearenotcompleted,thesummermonths areagoodtimetofinishthem.Thiscanalsobeagoodtimetovisit collegeseventhoughtherewon’tbestudentsoncampusinmost cases.Studentsshouldcontinuetoexplorework,internships,summer programs,andotheropportunitiestoexpandtheirhorizons.

SeniorYear

FALL

•AttendSeniorCollegeNight

•BeginSeniorCollegeSeminars

•FinalizetheCommonAppessayandactivitiessection

•Beginanysupplementalessays

•RegisterforSATdatesinOctoberandNovember,ifneeded

•BeginFAFSAapplicationonOctober1

•SubmitEarlyDecisionandEarlyActionapplicationsbyNovember1or November15

•SubmitFAFSAandCSSProfileFinancialAidForms(checkallindividual collegeduedates)

WINTER

•ReceiveEarlyDecisionandEarlyActioninmid-December

•Completesupplementsbymid-December

•FileJanuary1andJanuary15deadlineapplications

•Begintoinvestigatelocalscholarshipopportunities

SPRING

•Receiveallcollegedecisions

•Re-visitcollegesandattendacceptedstudentevents

•Ifwaitlisted,sendaLetterofContinuedInterest,ifapplicable

•MakeadeposittoconfirmenrollmentbyMay1

•NotifyallcollegesofyourenrollmentintentionsbyMay1

•Ifrequired,sendofficialtestscorereportstothecollegeyouare attending

•FAsendsfinaltranscriptsanddocumentationtocolleges

TheCollegeSearch

Oftenthehardestpartofthecollegeplacementprocessis creatingthecollegelist. Inmostcases,yourinitiallistwillchangein responsetotestscores,resultsofEarlyActionapplications,andother factors.Asyoubeginthisprocess,itisimportanttoassessyourown needsandestimatethelikelihoodofbeingadmittedtoaparticular college.

Self-Assessment

Asyoudevelopacollegelist,youshouldanswersomequestionsabout yourselfandconsiderwhatwillbethebestenvironmentforyou.Below aresomeconsiderationstoguidethisassessment.

NON-ACADEMICCONSIDERATIONS

Distancefromhome:Areyoucomfortablegettingonaplanetocome toandgofromcollege?Doyouwanttobeabletocomehomeoften? Insomecases,thefartheryougofromhome,thebetteryourchanceof admission.Thisisnottrueforthemostselectivecolleges,however.

SizeandSetting:Doyouwantalargeschool(morethan15,000),a medium-sizedschool(5,000–15,000),orasmallschool(fewerthan 5,000)?EverythingwillseembigafterFA.Doyouwantanurban school?Howwillyoufeelinabigcitysetting?Howiscampussafety addressed?Livinginacitycanbemoreexpensivethaninother settings.Wouldyoupreferasuburbansetting?Considertheresources andcharacterofnearbycities.Wouldyouenjoyaruralenvironment? Thereisarangehere.Someschoolsaretrulyisolated;othershave vibrantsmalltownsnearby.

Selectivity:Thisisacriticalconsideration.Whatistheacceptancerateat thecollege?Doesitacceptasmallpercentageofqualifiedapplicants?

HousingandDining:Whatpercentageofstudentsliveoncampus?Are studentsguaranteedcampushousingforallyears?Isthereavarietyof housingoptions?Whatarethediningoptions?Canstudentshave flexibilityinmealplans?Howisthefood?

CampusCulture:Whatroledofraternitiesandsororitiesplay? Athletics?Domoststudentssharestrongpoliticalandreligious affiliations?Howmightyoufitin?Wouldyouconsiderasingle-sex college?

FinancialSupportforStudents:Thisisacriticalcomponentformost families.Doesthecollegemeetfulldemonstratedneed?Howmuch meritaidisawarded?Arefinancialawardsstableyear-to-year?

CareerSupport/Internships:Whatarethestatisticsoninternshipsand careerplacement?Istherefinancialsupportforunpaidinternships? Doemployersrecruitoncampus?

Athletics:Intercollegiateathleticprogramsarecategorizedbythe NCAAintothreedivisionsofvaryingdegreesofcompetition:Division1, Division2,andDivision3.Mostsmallliberalartscollegesandsmaller universitieswillhaveDivision2and3sports.Division1sportsofferbig scholarshipstoathletesandtherecruitingprocessishighlyregulated. Studentswhomayberecruitedtoplayasportincollegeshouldbein contactwithFAcoachesandthecollegeadvisoraboutprospects.Club sportsandintramuralsportscanbeanimportantpartofcollegelifefor studentswhowanttocontinuetoplayandcompetebutnotaspartofa college’sformalathleticprogram.Itisimportanttoaskquestionsabout ifyoursportisavailableatthecollegeyouareinterestedin.

Safety:Isthecampussafe?Whatarethecrimestatistics?Doesthe campuspoliceorsecurityofficehaveavisiblepresenceoncampus?Are ride-escortservicesofferedbycampussecurityforstudentswhodon’t wanttowalkhomealoneatnight?

HealthandWellness:Whathealthandwellnessservicesareavailable? Arementalhealthservices,likecounseling,readilyavailable?What insuranceoptionsareoffered?Canyouremainonyourparents' insurance,ifyouwish?

ACADEMICCONSIDERATIONS

LiberalArtsCurriculum:Manystudentsareunsureofwhattheywantto studyincollege.Aliberalartscurriculumprovidesabroad undergraduateeducationinhumanitiesandsciences.Someliberalarts schoolshaveasetofrequirements(acorecurriculum),whileothers haveopencurricula.

SpecializedCurriculum:Somestudentsknowthattheywouldliketo focusimmediatelyonparticularfieldssuchasbusiness,nursing, architecture,etc.Lookcloselyatthestrengthoftheseprogramsandjob placementaftercompletion.

FacultyandAverageClassSize:Howaccessiblearefacultytostudents?

Dograduatestudentsoradjunctsteachmanyclasses?Whatisthe faculty-to-studentratio?FAstudentsareaccustomedtosmallclasses. Atalargeuniversity,youmaybeinlecturehallswithhundredsof students.Atsmallercolleges,largeclasseswillberare.

AcademicFacilitiesandResearchOpportunities:Thismaybe particularlyimportanttostudentsofscienceandengineering.How manystudentsconductresearch?Doprofessorsworkwith undergraduates?Howdoestheschoolhelpstudentsfindresearch opportunities?

AcademicandSocialSupportServices:Aretherepsychological counselingandacademicsupportservicesthatareavailabletoall students?Doyouneedspecialtestingtoqualifyforthissupport?

AdvisingProgram:Howareyoupairedwithyourcollegeadvisor?What aretheformalrequirementsforadvising?Howcanyouchangeyour advisor?

StudyAbroad:Nearlyallcollegeshavestudyabroadofferings.Ifyou havestrictrequirementsforyourmajor,canyoustillgoabroad?Can youmatriculateataforeignuniversityandtransfercreditsordoyou needtogothroughyourcollege’sforeignpartnerschools?

Selectivity

Identifyingcollegesthathavewhatyouwantisonepartoftheprocess, butthiswon’tbeusefulunlessyoucanbeadmitted.Tohelpyoubuilda listthatwillallowyousomegoodchoices,youneedtoincludeschools thatarelikelytoadmityou.Thefollowingclassificationscanhelpyou determineyourchancesofadmissionateachschoolonyourlist.Itis importanttorememberthateachstudentwillfittheseclassifications differently.Also,specialfactorsinadmission(legacy,race,athletics,and majordonors)canchangetheseclassificationstoadegree.

Reach:Twotypesofschoolsfitintothiscategory.

1)Anyschoolthatacceptsfewerthan30%ofitsapplicantsisareachfor allstudents.Withanacceptanceratethatlow,thereisonlyasmall chanceofacceptance,regardlessof yourrecord.

2)Ifyourscoresandgradesarebelowthecollege’saverageadmittance range,thatschoolisareachschoolforyou.

Possible:Yourscoresandgradesfitwellwithintheaveragerangeof admittedstudentsforthiscategory.Yourchanceofadmissionisusually about50%.Itisveryimportanttosignalyourinterestintheseschoolsby visitingorattendingevents.Threeormoreofthecollegesonyourlist shouldbeinthiscategory.

Likely:Theseareschoolsthatadmitasignificantnumberofapplicants andwhereyourgradesandscoresputyoutowardthetopoftheir admittedrange.Twoormoreofyourcollegesshouldbeinthis category.

LearningMore

Somestudentshavetheopportunitytovisitmanycollegesinperson; forotherstheexpenseandtimeneededforthesevisitsareprohibitive. Thereareclearlyadvantagestovisitingcollegesifyoucan,butthereare otherwaystolearnaboutschoolsandtoshowthemyourinterestifyou cannottraveltoacollege.

CollegeVisits

•Visitarangeofschools:Don’tjust visithighlyselectiveones.

•Registerinadvancefortoursand informationsessions: Don’tjust dropinordrivearound.Almostall butthemostselectiveschoolskeep trackofastudent’sinterestinthe school.Theydothisbecauseit helpsthemdecideifastudentis likelytoattendifadmitted.

•Record Impressions:(SeeTipsfor CollegeVisits).

•Interview: Taketheopportunityto interviewifoffered.(SeeTipsfor CollegeInterviews).

CollegeFairsandRegionalSessions:Thereareseveralcollegefairson theCapeandinBostonandProvidence.Acalendarofthesefairsis postedontheCollegeCounselingBulletinBoard,andthecollege advisorsendsemailsalertingstudentstotheseevents.CollegeFairscan beusefultoquicklymakecontactwitharegionalrepresentative,get someinformation,andsignalyourinterestinacollegebyfillingoutan informationrequestcard.Manyhighlyselectivecollegesalsosponsor largeinformationsessionsatvenues.Attheseevents,representatives willmakeshortpresentationsabouttheirschools.Ifyouareinterested inoneoftheseschoolsanddon’thavetheopportunitytovisitinperson, thesesessionscanbeuseful.Theyareusuallycrowded,andyoumust registerearly.Studentsarenotifiedaboutupcomingsessionsusuallyby mailoremaildirectlyfromthecolleges.Therearealsopostersabout upcomingsessionsontheCollegeCounselingBulletinBoard.

VirtualEvents:Sincethepandemic,collegeshavemademany resourcesavailablevirtually.Thesearegreatopportunitiesforstudents tolearnmoreaboutacollegewithouthavingtotravel.Itisimportantto formallyregisterfortheseeventssothatacollegeknowsthatyouhave attended.Attendingavirtualeventwillcountas“demonstrated interest”shouldastudentlaterapplytothatcollege.

CollegeRepresentativesatFalmouthAcademy:Everyyearcollege representativescometoFalmouthAcademytomeetwithseniors.Most ofthesevisitsarein-person,butsomearevirtual.Bothtypesarean opportunitytohavesmallgroupdiscussionswithregional representatives.Thelistofvisitingrepresentativesispostedonthe CollegeCounselingBulletinBoardandonNaviance.Youshouldregister forameetingthroughNavianceandbepreparedtoaskafewgood questionstoputyourbestselfforward.Ifyouneedtoleaveaclass,you mustfirstaskyourteacherforpermission.

ApplyingtoCollege

Onceyouhaveconsideredwhatyouwantinacollegeandmadealist thatincludeslikely,possible,andreachschools,youwillbereadyto beginyourapplications.

Thereareseveraldifferenttypesofapplicationsandoptionsfor admission.Youshouldconsultwiththecollegeadvisorasyoumake decisionsregardinghowandwhentoapply.

Thegoalisforeachstudenttohaveseveralgoodchoicesinthespring. Tomeetthatgoal,itisimportantthatstudentsandfamiliesarecleareyedabouttherealchancesofadmissiontoaparticularcollege.

HowCollegesMakeDecisions

Howwillacollegedecidewhetherornottoacceptyou?Mostcolleges reviewapplicationsholistically;thatis,theylookatavarietyoffactorsto decidewhetherornottoadmityou.Collegesarebuildingresidential communitiesandwantavarietyofpeopleineachclass.Giventhis,itis possiblethatsomeonewithlowertestscoresandgradesmightbe admittedoversomeonewithhighertestscoresandgrades.

Ifyouarearecruitedathlete,alegacy,oramemberofan underrepresentedgroup,youmayreceivespecialconsiderationfrom anadmissionscommittee.Inallcases,youmustbeagoodmatchwith theacademicprofileofaschooltobeacandidateforadmission.Of primaryimportancetoanadmissionscommitteeisyourhighschool preparation.

Collegeswanttoseethatyouarechallengingyourselfandareprepared forcollegesuccess.

AcademicRecord:Whenacollegelooksatyouradmissionsfile,your highschooltranscriptwillbetheirfocus.EveryFalmouthAcademy studentiswell-prepared,andcollegesvaluetherigorandfocusofour curriculum.AtFalmouthAcademy,wedonotweighttheGPA accordingtothelevelofthecourse.ThehighestGPApossibleis4.0, unweighted.Allofourcoursesarechallengingandequivalenttoan honors-levelcourseorabove.Eachcollegewillcalculateanapplicant’s GPAaccordingtoitsownmethodology.Likemostsmall,independent schools,wedonotrankourstudentsorlisttheGPAonastudent’s transcript.

StandardizedTestScores:Beginningduringthepandemic,most collegesmadestandardizedtestscoresanoptionalpartofthe application.Thatsaid,hightestscores,relativetoacollege’srange,can beusefulingainingadmission.Studentsshouldconsultwiththe collegeadvisortodeterminewhetherornottosubmitscoreswithan application.Afewschoolsare“test-blind”meaningthattheywillnot acceptscoresfromapplicants,andafewschoolsrequirescores.

PersonalRecord/ExtracurricularActivities:Atsomelargeuniversities, youracademicrecordalonedecidesadmission;lettersofreferenceare notrequiredorread.Atmostschools,however,yournon-academic talentsandyourcharacterarecarefullyconsidered.Collegeslearn abouttheseextracurriculartalentsintwoways:Youlistthemonthe CommonApplication(ortheschool’sindependentapplication),and yourcollegeadvisordescribestheminherreferenceletter.

Collegesarelookingforstudentswhowillcontributetotheirresidential communities.Whatwillyoubringtoourcommunity?Thisisaquestion thatyoushouldbeabletoanswerandthatshouldbeclearfromyour application.

DemonstratedInterest:Manycollegestrack“demonstratedinterest”to measurehowinterestedyouareinthatparticularcollege.Thisis particularlyrelevantforEarlyActionandRegularDecisionschools. Studentsshouldtrytoparticipateinacampusvisit,virtualinformation session,orotheradmissionseventsforcollegesthattrack demonstratedinterest.

TheCommonApplication:TheCommonApplicationisnowusedby morethan900institutionsandmakesapplyingtocollegeeasier becauseyouonlyneedtofillintheinformationonceonthisstandard formandthenyoucansendittoseveralinstitutions.TheCommonApp asksfordetailedinformationaboutyourfamily,education,academics, extracurricularactivities,etc.Therearealsomanycollegesthatdonot usetheCommonApp.DuringJuniorCollegeSeminar,youwillopena CommonAppaccount.Inthefallofsenioryear,youwilllinkthat accountwithyourNavianceaccountsothatdocumentscanbesent throughNavianceeDocstoyourschools.

TheCollegeEssay:Thisoftencausesagreatdealofstressforstudents. Itisimportanttorememberthatyouressayisonlyonepartofyour application.Afantasticessayisnotgoingtogetyouintoacollegeif yourgradesandscoresaren’tagoodfit.Likewise,amediocreessayis notgoingtokeepyououtifyouareagoodmatchinotherregards.

Studentsbegintheprocessofwritingtheessayinthespringofjunior year.Thereisalotofsupportforstudentsastheygothroughthis process.Anessayisonlyvaluabletoyourapplicationifitrepresents yourauthenticvoiceandshowssomethingimportantandtruetoan admissionscommittee.

SupplementalEssays:Inadditiontothestandardessay,manyselective collegesalsoaskapplicantstowritesupplementalessays.

Supplementalessayscanbeonarangeoftopics,butmostareseeking moreinformationaboutyouandwhatyouwillcontributetothe college.Itisveryimportanttotaketimetocarefullydraftsupplements. Donotwritethematthelastminuteandsendtheminwithoutany adviceorhelp.

ArtandMusicSupplementsandSlideroom:Ifyouareapplyingtoanart ormusicschoolorplanningtomajororminorinartormusic,you shouldsubmitexamplesofyourworkalongwithyourapplication.Art schoolsusuallyhaveclearportfoliorequirements,anditisimportantto knowwhattheyareandprepareworkforsubmissionasearlyas possible.Somecollegesencouragestudentstosubmitexamplesof theirartisticworkregardlessoftheirplannedcourseofstudy.Ifyou havebeenactiveintheatre,art,music,oranotherpursuit,itcanbe usefultosharethiswithacollegesothattheycanseeanothersideof youraccomplishments.Manycollegesallowvideosubmissions.

SchoolProfile:ThecollegeadvisorsendsaprofileofFalmouthAcademy toallofyourcolleges.ThisdocumentexplainstheFAcurriculumand putsyouracademicrecordinperspectiveforanadmissionscommittee.

Mid-YearReport:First-trimestergradesaresentouttoallofyour schoolsintheMid-YearReport.Seniorgradescloseearlytomakethese marksavailableascollegesmakeEarlyDecisionandEarlyAction decisions.

FinalReport:Aftergraduation,yourfinaltranscriptissenttothecollege youhavechosentoattend.Ifyourgradeshavechangedsubstantiallyin thelastterm,acollegehastherighttorescindyouracceptance.Ifyou havebeenformallydisciplinedduringyoursenioryear,resultingin suspension,probation,orexpulsion,thismayneedtobereportedto yourcollegeatthistime.

-BenjaminBaum’99 VicePresidentofEnrollment,St.John'sCollege

Afterspendingsixyearswithagroupofthirtypeersanda small group of talented faculty, most of us were ready to enterabiggerworldwhenwegraduatedfromFA.

But those close friendships, the relationships I had with teachers,andthewayIlearnedtoread,write,andthink— thosethingshaveinfluencedeveryaspectofmylifesince.

AdmissionsOptions

Aswithmanyaspectsofcollegeplacement,thepossibleapplication typeshavebecomemorecomplicated.Therearenowfivemainoptions forapplyingtocollege:EarlyDecision,EarlyAction,RestrictedEarly Action,RegularDecision,andRollingAdmissions.Carefulandtimely considerationoftheseoptionsisimportant.Notallcollegesofferallof theseoptions.

EarlyDecision

Ifyouhaveaclearfirst-choiceschoolandifyourparentshave determinedthatthisschoolisaffordable,youshouldlikelyapply throughEarlyDecision(ED).You,yourparents,andyourcollegeadvisor signacontractstatingthatyouareboundtoattendthatschoolifyou areofferedadmission.IfyouareadmittedED,youmustwithdrawall otherapplicationsatonce.Ifyouarenotadmitted,yourapplicationwill bedeniedordeferredforreconsiderationalongwithRegularDecision applicants.MostEDdeadlinesareNovember1orNovember15.

Advantages:Inmostcases,qualifiedapplicantshaveastrongerchance ofbeingadmittedthroughED.Ifadmitted,youwillhaveyourcollege searchprocesscompletedbyJanuary1.

Disadvantages:Atsomeschools,theneed-basedfinancialaidandmerit aidofferedtoEDstudentsarethesameasforRegularDecision applicants,butatmanyotherschools,thisisnotthecase.Ifyouneedto weighfinancialandmeritaidpackages,youshouldprobablynotapply ED.Insomecases,aparentshouldcallthefinancialaidofficeofan institutionbeforeanEDapplicationismade.

EarlyDecisionII

IfyouarenotadmittedtoyourEDschool,youmaydecidetoapplyfor EarlyDecisionII(EDII)atanothercollege.EDIIdeadlinesareusuallythe sameasforRegularDecision(Jan.1orlater).

Advantages:ThesameasforED,butthetimeframeislonger.Notethat thechancesofacceptancethroughEDIIaresometimeslowerthanED Ibecausethepoolofapplicantsisusuallystronger.

Disadvantages:ThesameaswithED.

EarlyAction

EarlyAction(EA)canbeausefuloption,oftenintandemwithED.You mustsubmityourcompletedapplicationearly(usuallybyNovember1), butyouarenotboundtoattendthecollegeifyouareadmitted.EAis notavailableatallschools.

Advantages:Youcanhaveearlynewsaboutacceptances,whichcan helpyounarrowyourRegularDecisionlist.Ifyouarerejectedfrom participatingEAschools,thisinformationcanbeusefulinformulating yourRegularDecisionlist.

Disadvantages:Collegesaretakingthetopoftheirapplicantpool throughEA.Usually,youneedstrongSATscores(ifsubmitting)and gradesincomparisontoacollege’spoolofapplicantstogainadmission atthisstage.Ifyouarenotadmitted,youwillbedeferredordenied.

SelectiveschoolswithlargeEApoolssometimesdon'treleasetheir decisionsuntillateJanuaryorFebruary,wellpasttheRegularDecision deadlines,limitingtheusefulnessofthisnews.

RestrictedEarlyAction

AfewofthemostprestigiouscollegesinthecountryuseRestricted EarlyAction(REA),alsoknownasSingle-ChoiceEarlyAction.Ifyouare acceptedREA,youdonothavetoattend.IfyouapplyREA,youmaynot applytoanyotherschoolthroughED.Insomecases,youmayapplyEA toothercollegesanduniversities.YouneedtocheckeachREAcollege’s requirements.

Advantages:Youmayhaveaslightlybetterchanceofgettingadmitted, althoughschoolsthatuseREAareusuallysoselectivethatyour chancesremainextremelyslight.Ifyouareadmitted,youcanstillapply tootherschoolsthroughRegularDecision,soyoucanweighother financialaidoptionsbeforemakingafinaldecision.

Disadvantages:YouforfeitapplyingED,whichcanbeasignificantlost opportunity.

RegularDecision

RegularDecisiondeadlinesareusuallyJanuary1or15th.Youwillbe notifiedofdecisionsinMarchorApril.YouwillhaveuntilMay1toaccept ordeclineoffers.

Advantages:Youhavetimetoimproveyourgradesduringsenioryear. Youcancomparefinancialandmeritaidawardsbeforemakinga decision.Youhavetimetorevisitschoolslaterintheyearbefore makingafinaldecision.

Disadvantages:Youarecompetingwithamuchbiggerpoolof applicants.

RollingAdmissions

Someschoolsconsiderandmakedecisionsaboutapplicationsasthey arereceived.Ineverycase,youarebetteroffifyouapplyearly.

Advantages:Youcanapplyearlyandhearnewsearly.Ifotheroptions donotworkout,rollingadmissionschoolscanbeveryhelpfullatein theyear.

Disadvantages:Ifyoudonotapplyearly,laterapplicantsmaybe admitted,buttheremaynotbeanyfinancialaidfundsremaining.

Lastyear,Imetanengagingapplicantwhenhecameto visit[our]college.Astiminghadit,Ihadjustreadhis application.Hisessay,theaccompanyingpeer recommendationletter,andthewholeauraofFalmouth Academykindofknockedmysocksoff.

[He]chosetoattendcollegeelsewhere,butIwasleftwith adesiretovisitFalmouthAcademyandseewhaton earthyouaredoingthere.Itseemsamazing."

—St.Anselm'sCollegeAdmissions

Naviance

Naviancehasmadecommunication,research,deliveryofdocuments, andrecord-keepingmucheasierasstudentsgothroughthecollege placementprocess;weencourageallparentsandstudentstousethis system.

InitialLog-in:StudentsandparentsreceiveNaviancelog-ininformation intheearlywinterofjunioryear.Ifyouhaveanytroubleloggingin, pleasecontactthecollegeadvisor.

BuildingaListofProspectiveColleges:Navianceincludesagreatdeal ofinformationaboutmostcolleges.AfterloggingintoNaviance Studentandclickingthe“colleges”tab,studentswillfindseveral optionsforcollegeresearch,including“collegesearch”and“college lookup.”Parents,students,andcollegeadvisorscanaddcollegestoa student’sprospectivelist.Ifpossible,studentsshouldsignaltheirlevelof interestineachcollegeonthelistusingthedrop-downmenunextto thecollegename.Whenpossible,thecollegeadvisorwillindicatean “expecteddifficulty”foreachcollegeonceastudent'sscoreandgrade informationisavailable.Theseclassificationsreflectyouradvisor’sbest guessofthestudent’schanceofadmissionataparticularcollege.

CreatingtheFinalList:Inthefallofsenioryear,studentscreateafinal listofcollegesonNavianceandontheirCommonAppaccounts.They thenmatchtheseaccountssothatdocumentscanbesent electronicallyviaNavianceeDocstoCommonAppschools. Itis importantthatstudentschoosewhattypeofadmissionoptiontheywill useforcollege:EarlyDecision(ED),EarlyDecisionII(EDII),Restricted EarlyAction(REA),EarlyAction(EA),RegularDecision(RD),orRolling Admission(RL).

RequestingTeacherRecommendations:Oncetheteacherhasagreed towritealetter,studentslogintoNavianceandmakearequest.Your teacherwillthengetanemailthatprovideselectroniclinkstoNaviance andtheCommonApprecommendationform.

ElectronicSubmissionofSupportingDocuments:Inmostcases,your transcriptandothersupportingdocumentswillbesubmittedvia NavianceeDocs.Studentsshouldregularlycheckcollegeportalsto makesurethatallmaterialshavebeenreceived.

UpdatingYourAccount:Asyouhearofacceptances,denials,andwaitlistdecisions,itisimportantthatyouenterthisinformationonyour account.

StandardizedTesting

Inthepast,standardizedtestssometimescausedthemoststress duringthecollegeplacementprocess.Post-pandemicalmostall collegesanduniversitiesarenowtest-optional(studentscanoptto submitornotsubmitscores)ortest-blind(testscoresarenever considered)andwillremainsofortheforeseeablefuture.Therearea fewschools,however,thatrequiretestscores,andwerecommendthat allstudentstakestandardizedtestssothattheywillhavethe opportunitytoapplytoanyschoolthatrequiresthem.

StudentsshouldplantotaketheSATorACTatleasttwicebeforethe fallofsenioryear.Moststudentselecttotakestandardizedtestsinthe springandsummerofjunioryear;sometestinthefallofsenioryearas well.Inmostcases,itisagoodideatoregisterearlysothatyouare assuredofaseatforthetest.Ifastudenthasadocumentedlearning differenceandiseligibleforaccommodations,suchasextendedtesting time,aformalapplicationmustbemadetoTheCollegeBoardorthe ACTatleasteightweeksbeforeaplannedtest.Pleasetalktothe learningspecialistifyouneedtoapplyfortestaccommodations.Up-todateprofessionaltestingisrequiredbybothorganizations.

PSAT

AllFAsophomoresandjuniorstakethePSATinthefall.Falmouth Academyadministersandpaysforthistest.TheresultsofthePSATare notsenttocolleges.ToreceivePSATscores,studentslogintothe CollegeBoardsite.IfstudentsdoextremelywellonthePSATintheir junioryear,theymayberecognizedbytheNationalMeritScholarship Program.

SAT

TheCollegeBoardhaspartneredwithKhanAcademy,andallstudents whohaveaCollegeBoardaccounthaveaccesstoawidelibraryoftest preparationresourcesfreeofcost.Inadditiontosampletestsand detailedanswerexplanations,studentscanlinktheirPSATresultsto KhanAcademyandreceiveacustomizedsetofreviewtutorialsto strengthenareasofweakness.SomeSATpreparation,usingKhan Academyresources,isdoneduringJuniorCollegeSeminars.Some parentsandstudentsprefertohireoutsideSATtutors.Inaddition,there areoftencoursesofferedatCapeCodCommunityCollegeandother venues.

ACT

AnincreasingnumberofourstudentshavechosentotaketheACT.The ACTisofferedlocallyseveraltimesayear.Studentswhotakethistest usuallyspendtimepreparingforthetestindependently.ACThas partneredwithKaplantoprovideonlinetestpreparationforarelatively lowcost.

SENDINGSCORESTOCOLLEGES

Somecollegesallowself-reportingofscoresontheCommonApp,but itisimportantforstudentstoascertainwhetheranofficialreportis requiredaspartofanapplication.Ifanofficialreportisrequired, studentsmustrequestthattheSATortheACTsendtheirscoresto eachcollegeandthenpayafeeforeachscorereport.Itcansometimes take3weeksfortheCollegeBoardtosendscoressoitisbesttoorder thereportsearly.

AdvancedPlacement(AP)Exams

FalmouthAcademydoesnotteachtheCollegeBoard’sAPcurriculum. Wedo,however,offerstudentstheopportunitytotakecertainAP examsthatarelinkedtoacademiccourses.Usually,thefollowingAP testsareadministeredatFalmouthAcademyinthespring:APCalculus, APChemistry,APPhysics,APFrenchLanguageandCulture,AP GermanLanguageandCulture,APSpanishLanguageandCulture,and APEnglishLiterature.Studentsneedtoordertestsinthefallofjunioror senioryear.TakingAPexamsisonlyworthwhile,fromacollege placementstandpoint,ifastudentisfairlyconfidentofearningatop mark(4or5)ontheexam.CollegesdonotexpectFalmouthAcademy studentstohavetakenanyAPexams,however,anditisclearly communicatedinourSchoolProfilethatwedonotteachtheAP curriculum.

PayingforCollege

Payingforcollegeisacentralconsiderationformostfamilies. Unfortunately,onlyahandfulofthemostselectivecollegesinthe nationare“need-blind,”meaningthattheymakeoffersofadmission regardlessofastudent’sabilitytopay;nearlyeveryothercollegetakes financialneedintoaccountwhenmakingdecisions.Somecolleges pledgetomeet“fulldemonstratedfinancialneed”foralladmitted students;othersengagein“gapping,”whichmeansthatthecollege offerspartialsupportbutdoesnotmeetafamily’sfullneed,resultingin agapbetweenwhatisofferedandthefinalcost.

Whenvisitingcolleges,itcanbeimportanttoaskquestionsregarding financialaid,suchas:Whatistheaverageindebtednessperstudent, andwhatpercentageofstudentshavetheirfullneedmet?

Manyhelpfulstatisticsregardingeachcollege’sfinancialaiddataare availableontheUSGovernmentsite,CollegeScorecard. (www.collegescorecard.ed.gov).

FinancialAidInformation

Belowisasummaryofimportanttermsandinformationabout estimatingcollegecostsandapplyingtoacollegeforfinancialaid.

Need-basedFinancialAid

:Thisismoneygivenorloanedbyacollegeor thegovernmentbaseduponafamily’sabilitytopay.Financialneedis assessedthroughtwostandardforms:theFAFSAandtheCSSProfile.

Merit-basedFinancialAid:Thisisgivenbyacollegebasedona student’sgrades,scores,andspecialtalents.Merit-basedaidisawarded regardlessofafamily’sincome.Themosthighlyselectivecollegesrarely awardmeritaid.Meritawardscanrangefrom$2,000to$30,000or moreandare,essentially,discountsgiventocertainstudents.Most meritawardsrequirethatstudentsmaintainacertainGPAyear-to-year.

ESTIMATINGCOLLEGECOSTS

Perhapsthegreatestconfusionaboutcollegecostsliesinthedifference betweenthe“stickerprice”andtherealcostofattending.Inanygiven classroomonaprivatecollegecampus,itislikelythatastudentpaying $75,000toattendissittingnexttoastudentwhoispayinghalfthat much.

Itisimportanttoestimatecostsinadvancesothatyouknowyourreal costofattendingasyoumakeapplicationdecisions.Inmostcases,a publicuniversitywillbetheleastexpensiveoption.Insomecases, however,aprivateuniversitymayoffermeritorfinancialaidthatmakes thefinalcostequaltoorlessthanthecostofapublicuniversity.

Howcanyouknowwhatyourcostwillbe?Thebestwaytomakethis estimationistouseaNetPriceCalculator(NPC).Everycollegeis requiredbythefederalgovernmenttohaveanNPConitswebsite.You canfilloutanindividualcollege’sNPC,oryoucanusemoregeneral NPCstogetanideaofwhatyouwillbeexpectedtopay.

OnesourceofconfusionwithNPCsismerit-basedfinancialaidvs.needbasedfinancialaid.Ifacollege’sNPCrequiresGPAandtestscores,you willgetacalculationthatincludesamerit-basedaward.

Tocalculateastudent’sGPA,youcanuseonlineGPAcalculators,like theonefoundatwww.gpacalculator.net/college-GPA-calculator.After youfilloutacollege’sNPC,youwillreceiveacalculationofwhata collegeestimatesyourfamilycanaffordtocontributetocollegecosts eachyear.TheNPCisavailablethroughthenon-profitorganization MyinTuition(myintuition.org)isagoodplacetostart.

APPLYINGFORAID

FAFSA(FreeApplicationforFederalStudentAid):Thisisthefederal form(www.fafsa.ed.gov)usedbyallcollegestodetermineeligibilityfor federalloansandgrants.ItisavailableonOctober1andisbasedon previoustaxfilings.ItisimportanttoapplyforaFederalStudentAid identificationnumber(FSAID)beforefillingouttheFAFSA.Goto: studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-accounttoapplyforanFSAID. OnlythecustodialparentneedstocompletetheFAFSAincasesof divorce.ThereisnocosttoapplyforfinancialaidusingFAFSA.

CSSProfile:ThisistheCollegeBoard’sformtohelpprivatecolleges assessafamily’sabilitytopay.ItisalsoavailableonOctober1.Incasesof divorce,theCSSProfilerequiresthatbothparentsprovidedetailed financialinformation,regardlessofcustodialarrangements.Ifa divorcedparentisremarried,theCSSProfilewillalsorequirefinancial informationfromstep-parents.Thereisafeetosendthisreportto colleges.Goto:www.profileonline.collegeboard.comforthisform.

ReadinganAwardLetter:Thereareseveraltypesofgrantsandloans listedinatypicalawardletter.Therehasbeenmuchdiscussionlately aboutmandatinggreaterclarityinawardletters.Insomecases,families mayappealformorefinancialormeritaid.

TYPICALAWARDTYPES

GrantMoney:Thesearefunds,usuallygivenbythecollegeorthe government,thatyoudonotneedtopayback.

Loans:Thereareseveraldifferentkindsofloansthatacollegeoffer. Someofthesearelow-interestgovernmentloanstostudentsand parents;othersarehigher-interestprivateloans.

WorkStudy:Studentswhoqualifyforfederalwork-studycanworkin designatedjobsatcollegetopayforaportionoftheirexpenses.

Scholarships:WeencourageFAstudentstoapplyforlocalscholarships, especiallyiftheyortheirfamiliesareconnectedtothegranting organizations.TheCollegeCounselingBulletinBoardwillhavedozens oflistingsbeginninginDecember.

TheCapeCodFoundation:Thisisaclearinghouseformanylocal scholarshipsanditslistingsbecomeavailableonFebruary1.Ifyou receivealocalscholarshipandyouarereceivingneed-basedfinancial aidfromyourcollege,youmustusuallyinformyourcollege’sfinancial aidoffice.Insomecases,yourfinancialaidawardwillbereducedbythe amountoftheoutsidescholarship.

MakingFinalDecisions

Forsomestudents,adifficultpartoftheprocesscomeswhentheyare confrontedwithseveralgoodoptionsandfeelunsureaboutwhattodo. Sometimesthereisasignificantdifferenceinthecostofattendingone schooloveranother.Itisimportanttocalculatetherealcostof attendingoverfouryearsbeforemakingacommitment.

Studentsfacingdifficultdecisionsshouldattendaccepted-student eventswheneverpossible.Theseareheldatthecollegeor,fordistant schools,atlocalhotels,andallowstudentstomeetwithcollege representatives.Revisitingcollegesisalwaysadvisable,asistalkingwith alumni,collegeadvisors,andparents.Allstudentsmustpayanonrefundabledeposit(usuallybetween$500-$750)byMay1.Some collegesencourageearlydepositsbyofferingprioritydormitoryoptions tothosewhocommitearlier.

WaitingLists-Ifyouareonawaitinglistforaschoolthatisyourclear firstchoice,youshouldcommunicatewiththatschooltosaythatifyou areadmitted,youwillattend.Youmustbetruetothiscommitment. Thelikelihoodofbeingadmittedoffawaitinglistishardtoassess.

Institutionshavedifferentpracticesregardinghowtheybuildanduse waitinglists.(Manyschoolsdonotadmitstudentswhoneedfinancial aidfromtheirwaitinglistsbecausetheyhavealreadyspenttheir financialaidbudgets.)Youcanneverassumethatyouwillbeadmitted fromawaitinglist.Youmustmakeadeposittoaschoolthathas acceptedyoubyMay1.Ifyouarethenadmittedoffawaitinglist,you willlosethatdepositifyouchoosetheotherinstitution.

AGapYear-MoreandmoreAmericanstudentsaredecidingtotakea yearbetweenhighschoolandcollegetowork,explore,orlearnanew skill.Weusuallysuggestthatstudentsstructureagapyearinthree parts:onepartwork(usuallycontinuingasummerjob),onepart education(usuallyacommunitycollegecourse),andonepart adventureorexploration.Ifyoudecidethatyouwouldliketotakeagap year,youneedtofollowproceduresatyourcollegeandmakethis requestinatimelyfashion.Yourfamilywillneedtoreapplyforneedbasedfinancialaidthefollowingyearasfinancialawardsarenotcarried overyear-to-year.Merit-basedawardswilllikelyremainunchanged,but youshouldverifythiswiththeadmissionsstaff.

TipsforCollegeVisits

•Whenyouvisitacollege,itcanbedifficulttocategorizeyourreactions. Itisagoodideatokeepajournaltorecordyourimpressions.(Youalso mighttakeafewpicturestohelpyourememberdetailsofthevisit.)

•Signupfortoursandinformationsessionssothatyouareinthe college’sdatabase.

•Trytoavoidvisitingmorethantwoschoolsinaday.

•Pickupacopyoftheschoolnewspaperandtakealookatwhatis goingon(andconsiderhowthestudentjournalistswriteaboutand reportoncampuslifeandlargerissues).

•Ifyouhaveaspecificinterest(art,music,research,community outreach,etc.),trytoarrangetomeetstudentsorfaculty.

•Ifyouhaveatourguidewhomyouloveorloathe,trynottoletthat coloryourexperience.

•Iftheweatherisgorgeousorterrible,trynottoletitinfluenceyour overallimpression.

•Ifpossible,spendsometimeinthestudentcenteroracafeteriato observeandtalktostudents.

•Findoutinadvanceifinterviewsarepossibleoncampus.

•Ifyouscheduleaninterview,comepreparedforthediscussion(see TipsforCollegeInterviews).

•Findoutifyoucansitinonaclass.

QUESTIONSFORATOURGUIDE ORINFORMATIONSESSION

•Whatroledosororitiesand fraternitiesplayoncampus?

(Whatpercentageofstudents join?)

•Howmanystudentsliveon campus?

•Whatarethemostpopular majors?

•Whatisthepoliticalmoodon campus?

•Whatdoyoulikebestaboutthis school?

•Whatisyourbiggestcomplaint?

•Whataretheweekendslike?

•Whatdoyoulikebest/least aboutthisschool?

TipsforCollegeInterviews

Manyyearsago,collegeinterviewswereacentralpartofthe applicationprocessbutthathaschanged.Mostcollegesnolonger scheduleinterviewswiththeiradmissionsofficersbecauseinterviews aretootime-consumingfortheirverybusystaff.Today,alumni interviewsarethenorm,butsomecollegesstillofferinterviewson campus.Ifyousignupforacampusvisit,itisagoodideatocheckifan interviewispossible.Itisalmostalwaysagoodideatointerviewifyou haveachance,butyouneedtobeprepared.Inmanycases,afteryou submityourapplication,youwillbecontactedbyalumniofthecollege andofferedthechancetointerviewwiththem.Itisagoodideatodoa bitofresearchonyouralumniinterviewersothatyouknowhowlong agotheygraduatedfromcollegeandwhattypeofworktheydo.

Thepurposeofacollegeinterviewistwo-fold.Itisyourchancetoask questionsaboutacollege,anditistheirchancetolearnmoreabout you.Ifyouhaveaninterviewwithsomeoneinthecollege’sadmissions office,thismayhaveasignificantimpactonyourapplication.Ifyou haveanalumniinterview,especiallyforahighlyselectivecollege,the resultsoftheinterviewgenerallycarrymuchlessweight.Regardless, theseinterviewsarechancestopracticeyourpresentationskillsand putyourbestfootforward.Belowaresomewaystoprepareforan interview.

GeneralInformation:Trytorelaxandfeelcomfortable.YouareanFA studentandknowhowtohaveagoodconversationandpresent yourselfwell.Dotalk!Theinterviewerwantstolearnasmuchas possibleaboutyou.Remembertodresswellforyourvisit.Youdon’t needtobeformal,justneatandprofessional.

Remembertomakeeyecontact,shakehands,introduceyourself,and smile!(Also,remembertosilenceyourcellphone.)Ifyouare interviewingonZoom,youneedtomakesurethatyouhaveacalm background,thatyourfamilyknowsnottodisturbyou,andthatyour faceiswell-lit.Afteryourinterview,itisimportanttowriteanemail thankingtheinterviewerfortheopportunitytotalkwiththem.

QUESTIONSYOUMAYBEASKED

•Whyareyouinterestedinthiscollege?(Thisisacentralquestion,and youneedtobeabletoansweritwellandwithspecificreasons—doyour research.Theintervieweristryingtogaugethelevelofyourinterest.)

•Tellmeaboutyourhighschool.Whatdoyoulikeordislikeabout FalmouthAcademy?(Hereisyourchancetoshowthatyouhave appreciatedyoursmallschool,evenifyouareseekingabigger environmentforcollege.Thisisnotagoodtimetocomplain.)

•Whoweresomeofyourfavoriteteachers?Howdotheyseeyou?

•Whatisyourfavoritesubjectinschool?Why?

•Whatbooksorauthorshavemadethebiggestimpressiononyou,and why?

•Howwouldyoudescribeyourself?

•Whatwillyouaddtotheenvironmentatthiscollege?Whatcanyou contributethatmightsetyouapartfromothercandidates?

•Whatdoyoudoduringthesummer?Inyourfreetime?

•Whydoyouwanttogotocollege?

•Whatdoyouthinkyoumightstudyincollege?

•Whatdoyoucareaboutmost?

QUESTIONSYOUMIGHTWANTTOASK

•Whatdoyoulikemostaboutthisschool?

•Howdoesstudentadvisingworkhere?

•Whatarethemostpopularmajors?

•Ifyouhaveaparticularareaofinterest,nowisagreattimetoask aboutthat.

•Ifyouhavemetwithalumni,youmightaskhowtheirexperienceat thatcollegehelpedthemintheircurrentcareers.

Aftertheinterview,youshouldsendapoliteandgraciousemailtoyour interviewerthankingthemfortheirtimeandreiteratingyourinterestin thecollege.

TipsforCommonApplication andElectronicApplications

MostcollegesusetheCommonApp,butsomehavetheirown electronicapplications.Whileelectronicapplicationsmaketheprocess mucheasier,pleaseconsiderthefollowingsuggestionstoavoidsome commonpitfalls.

GENERALINFORMATION

•Useoneemailaddressforallcollege-relatedactivitiesandcheckit regularly.

•Createusernamesandpasswordsthatyouwillrememberandrecord somewherethatyoucanaccesseasilywhileatschool.

•Disablespamandpop-upblockers.Checkyourspamfrequently duringapplicationseason.

•Openallemailcommunicationsfromcolleges.Collegestrackthis. Mostcollegeswillcreateanelectronicportalforyouafteryouapply.

Openitandcheckthatalldocumentshavebeenreceived.Contactyour collegeadvisorifanythingismissing.Somecollegesdonotsendfollowupemailsbecausetheyassumeyouwillbecheckingyourportaloften.

APPLICATIONTIPS

•Followdirectionsandcompleteallsteps.Scrolltothebottomofeach pagetoavoidmissinginformation.

•OntheCommonApp,checkifyourcollegerequiressupplemental essays.Workwithyourcollegeadvisortofinalizetheseessays

•Completeonlineapplicationsinadvanceofthedeadline.The CommonAppisusedbymillionsofstudentsfacingthesamedeadlines andhashadtechnicalproblemsinthepast.Applyatleastadayin advanceofthefinaldeadline.

•Afterpayment,besuretoprintoutthefinalreceipt.OntheCommon App,thereareseveralstepsbeforepaymentiscompleted.

TheTop10ThingsForParents

ToRememberAboutthe CollegeSearchProcess fromtheMiddleburyCollegeAdmissionsOffice

Itisgood,ofcourse,thatstudentsandparentsapproachthisprocess jointly,butweallknowthatatitsbest,theprocessitselfcanprepare studentsfortheindependencethattheywillexperienceincollege. Thefollowinglistcontainssomepossiblesymptomsofparentaloverinvolvement.

10.Rememberthatthisprocessisnotaboutyou.Nomatterhowsimilar yourchildrenmaybetoyou,theyneedtomaketheirowndecisions andobservations.

9.Supportandencouragementaremoreappropriatethanpressure andunsolicitedadvice.Allowyourchildrentoseekyououtandrestrain yourselffromimposingyourviewpointuponthem.

8.Donotusethewords“we”or“our”whenreferringtoyourchildren’s applicationprocess.Thoselittlepronounsaresurefireindicatorsthat youhavebecometooinvolved.

7.Helpthempreparebutletthemperform.Encouragethemtosleep wellandputthoughtintoacollegevisit,butonceoncampus,step backandletthemdrivetheexperience.Thisisgoodpracticeforthe nextphaseoftheirlives—adulthood.

6.Encourageyourchildrentomaketheirowncollegeappointments, phonecalls,andemails.Whenafamilyarrivesatanadmissionsoffice, it’simportantthatthestudentapproachthereceptiondesk,notthe parents.Wenotice!Havingcontroloverthosedetailsgivesthema senseofownership.Don’tbetemptedbytheexcusethat“I’mjust savingthemtime”or“theyaretoobusy”—studentswilllearnto appreciateallthestepsittakestomakebigthingshappeniftheydo them.

5.Allowyourchildrentoaskquestions.Theyhavetheirownsetofissues thatareimportanttothem.

4.Prepareyourchildrenfordisappointment.Formanystudents,thisis thefirsttimetheycouldfacebadnews.Remindthemthereisno perfectschoolandthatadmissionsdecisionsdonotreflectontheir worthaspeopleoryourworthasparents.

3.Nevercompleteanyportionofthecollegeapplication–yes,evenifit isjustbusywork.Thatalsogoesforfriends,siblings,counselors,and secretaries.Formanycolleges,thatoverstepwouldbeviewedasa violationofthehonorpolicyattheschool.

2.Donotletstereotypesoroutdatedinformationsteeryourchildren awayfromschoolsinwhichtheywouldotherwisehaveaninterest. Timeshavechangedandsohavecolleges. Thenumberonethingforparentstorememberaboutthecollege searchprocessis:

1.Never,ever,duringacollegevisitbuythatsouvenirsweatshirtor T-shirtfromthebookstoreinyoursize–it’sadeadgiveaway!