As you search for the right college, you have choices:
1. Take a passive approach and rely on your school's guidance office to suggest colleges and universities; to remind you of test dates, and to follow up on application materials and submittal dates. Result: you may have some choices in the spring of senior year.
In the passive mode you may or may not visit colleges until accepted by a few of them. And your final decision may be based on several unrelated factors, including: affordability; its distance from home; its social life; where your friends are going; or in its individual sales pitch and marketing materials.
2. Tale a more assertive approach, where you get "in front of" the college search and selection process; where you can "manage" events either with the support of your high school counselor or through The College Center.
If you chooseThe College Center, we offer assistance and support to ensure that you can evaluate all your options and put your "best foot forward" .........
Self Assessment for Students.
Students may need assistance in grasping their evolving academic and technical skills, thinking about their own values and communities that might enhance them, and how their particular personality would fit into a particular college’s learning and social environment.
College Evaluation Sheet.
Once students have developed their self assessment, they can do the same for the colleges and universities they want to consider. The College Center can assist students in drafting an evaluation sheet for each college choice, weighing for instance, the academic program, the athletic and artistic opportunities, the cost, the distance, the social environment, and the institutional culture of a particular school. Not the least important criterion is the difficulty of admission to a each school the student considers. Some students and families like to assign numerical weights to each of these criteria and further quantify the complex search process.
College Admissions Calendar.
Developing an overall college admissions calendar, including test dates, visiting dates, application dates, and dates for submitting teacher and other supplemental recommendations is one of the many services The College Center provides. The Calendar should also reflect dates for responding to offers of admission and revisiting the accepting colleges to confirm the final choice to attend.
Interviews.
Interviews are a significant part of the college admissions process. The College Center can advise students what to say and what not to say, what to wear and not to wear, and what generally to expect. It also offers parents advice on how to react to the interview process and how to make good use of their time while interviews are going on.
Applications.
Many students and parents think about the application as a generic document that will suffice for nearly all the schools to which a student applies. The College Center advises students on how to shape their applications to suit the interests and programs of each college or university to which the student applies. It also focuses on completing the short answers on the application, whose importance is often overlooked.
College Essay.
When it comes to the personal essay, The College Center advises students on how to think about the essay and how to use the essay to “make the match” between the applicant and the college. It does not provide topics, but it does help students make the most of their unique ideas and experiences.
Presenting Special Talents.
Often students have special talents: academic, athletic, artistic or particular interests that can enhance their opportunities for college admission. The College Center advises students on how to present their talents and accomplishments, using current technology, to the colleges they want to attend.
The following are sites that can help you and your parents investigate and evaluate colleges:.
Articles
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