Maximizing Merit Aid

Have you wondered what you can do to improve your chances of getting merit aid from a college? An intriguing study from the University of Rochester in New York may hold some clues.  Jonathan Burdick, their Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, analyzed the characteristics of students who received merit awards from Rochester. He looked at specific applicant characteristics to see which ones make a difference in the size of a student’s merit scholarship offer. 

Rigorous high school courses. For every AP, IB, or Honors course a student took in high school, his or her merit award at Rochester increased an average of $400.

Grades in core academic courses. Every “A” grade in a core academic course in high school translated into an extra $62 of merit money.

Test scores. For every 10 additional points students scored on the SAT, they received an average of an extra $115. For every 1 point on the ACT composite, they earned an average of $425 extra in merit money.

Interviewing. Students who scheduled an admission interview with the University of Rochester received, on average, $250 more in merit money. Students who proactively kept in touch with admissions and financial aid—even after they were admitted—were likely to receive an average of $3,000 more in merit money.

Teacher recommendations. Every teacher letter of recommendation that the admission committee rated as “excellent” correlated with an average of $1,800 more in merit awards. 

Being on time. Students who had all parts of their application into admission on time (including mid-year grade requests) earned an average of $400 more in merit money.

Applying for financial aid. Regardless of their actual financial need, students who filled out the FAFSA and CSS Profile financial aid applications received, on average, $2,500 more in merit money.

Geographic diversity. Out-of-state students received an average of $2,000 more in merit money at Rochester than in-state students.

Burdick’s data were specific to the University of Rochester, and in sharing his findings, he was careful to point out that some of the differences were not by conscious design. Still, students hoping for merit scholarships at other colleges would be wise to take these findings to heart.  Grades, high school courses, test scores, teacher recommendations, and personal contact with colleges don’t just matter to your admission chances; they may very well make a difference in how large a merit scholarship you are offered when admitted.

Tradeoffs - Can Your College Be Your Everything?

When you’re putting together a college list, you will probably find some things you love and some things you’re not crazy about at each school. It’s like choosing a partner. You might have a wish-list of 37 characteristics, but if you hold out for every single one, you could be alone for a long time. There’s not one perfect person, or one perfect college. You need to make tradeoffs. 

One student will travel anywhere in the country, as long as the college is prestigious. Another student is willing to trade the prestige of attending a highly selective college for a scholarship at a less competitive school, which will leave him debt-free at graduation.  And another is willing to tolerate a cold Midwest winter if it means he’ll get Division I football.

Many students say they want to experience life in a big city where they’ll have access to lots of internship opportunities, nightlife, restaurants and great shopping. After growing up in the suburbs, they love the idea of being able to walk outside their dorm and into the energy of an urban environment. It is true that going to Boston University or NYU can be very exciting, but it’s important to understand the tradeoff that comes with a big urban school. There may not be a traditional, grassy campus with a central quadrangle. And with so many attractive options luring students away from campus, you can lose the sense of community that you often find at schools located in college towns. You’re likely to encounter crowds of people as you walk to class every day, and that makes a school feel lively, but the tradeoff is a more impersonal atmosphere. 

There are always tradeoffs. The goal is to find a school that meets your most important needs. Writing “must have” and “would be nice” lists may help you to evaluate potential colleges. When you know what you must have and what you are willing to give up, you are more likely to be happy with the decisions you make and to have a happy and successful college experience.  

This process of establishing priorities doesn’t begin or end with college applications. A high school freshman or sophomore who plans to take every available Honors and AP class and become immersed in extracurricular activities needs to be willing to live with intense academic pressure and a lack of free time. For students who genuinely love learning and enjoy being very involved in school, this may not seem like such a sacrifice. For other students, the idea of spending their high school years studying all the time, obsessing over SAT scores, filling every free hour with community service and feeling like they never have a minute to relax isn’t worth the possibility of getting into the most competitive college. 

In the future, you may need to decide whether it’s more important to rise to the top of your profession, or to balance family life with career success. When you are clear about your priorities, you can make more satisfying choices throughout your life. 

Communications Major Explained

Communication Studies is one of the more popular majors on many campuses. Sounds interesting and marketable, but what is it, and, can it help you get a job? 

This interdisciplinary major encompasses the entire range of communication from face-to-face conversation to mass media and interpersonal understanding.

Communication Studies is a generalist path with a curriculum that can be tailored to work in a variety of industries. Most colleges require students to have some familiarity with the broad spectrum of communication issues. At some colleges students may concentrate in an area of particular interest. Advertising, Broadcasting, Communication Technology and Production, Journalism, and Public Relations are a few of the concentrations that might be available. Typical courses are likely to include Interpersonal Communication, Group Communication, Persuasion, Mass Media and Society, Cross-Cultural Communication, TV & Film Production, and Ethical and Legal Issues in Media. Courses in economics, finance, management, marketing, political science, psychology and sociology can also help.

Practical experience is critical for Communications students. Whether you host a campus radio program, work as a producer for the university TV station, or write for the campus newspaper, hands-on involvement that you can list on a resume is key. Participating in internships, co-op programs and study abroad will also help you bridge the transition from college to workplace. 

There are thousands of undergraduate Communication Studies programs. The challenge is to identify colleges and programs that most closely fit who you are and what you want to do. Because all types of colleges offer Communications majors, institutional, not just departmental, fit should be your top priority. Some departments include the study of communication disorders, while others do not. Some programs are grounded in the liberal arts, concentrating on analytical, speaking and writing skills, all of which are highly transferable to a wide range of careers. Other departments are more professionally focused, offering curricula that are more workplace driven. You can study communications either through identified majors, or by designing your own course of study, tailored to your specific interests. 

Communications Studies is a modern marriage of theory and application, combining liberal arts education with practical, professional training. In our global information age, enterprises from businesses and educational institutions to engineering firms and medical providers all must communicate effectively with their constituents, their customers, and the public. Over $1 billion is spent annually on employee and membership communications, and even more goes toward external communications. Job competition is strong, with preference given to candidates with industry-specific knowledge, communications training, and appropriate internship or volunteer experience. 

The career choices for communications professionals are incredibly diverse. Degrees in Communications lead to a wide range of career paths including advertising, broadcasting & film, marketing, media relations, personnel, and sales. Less obvious career options include community relations, customer service, corporate training, international relations, and publishing. Communications graduates also work in fundraising, social media management, tourism, website management, and risk management.  For more information visit the National Communication Association at www.natcom.org.

Career Paths for Communications Studies Majors

· Broadcaster

· Community Relations Representative

· Corporate Trainer

· Customer Service Representative

· Editor

· Event Planner

· Fundraiser

· Human Resources Professional

· Journalist

· Marketing & Advertising Professional

· Media Specialist

· Political Professional

· Sales Manager

· Social Media Manager

· Writer

Are you Applying for STEM Degree? Here's What You Need to Know

Although overall college enrollment numbers have plateaued, or more recently, dropped, the demand for STEM degrees has steadily risen over the years. In the face of the increasing demand for qualified graduates, competition for seats in STEM programs has become far more rigorous. In order to present a competitive application to a strong STEM program, students need to prepare themselves as early as possible. Desirable STEM applicant qualities can fall under two general areas: hard academic skills and soft interpersonal skills. 

Academic skills: Above all else, students seeking entry into a STEM program must have strong Math and Science skills, regardless of the discipline they are choosing – Sciences, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics. High school students need to take on the most challenging coursework available at their individual schools and do their very best to succeed in those classes. Students are advised to increase the level of rigor each year with at least at least 4 years of Mathematics; sciences such as Biology, Chemistry and Physics (including advanced science classes whenever possible); 4 years of English; as much foreign language and social studies, including History and Government, as you can fit in your schedule. If available, aim to complete AP/CP/Advanced/Honors-level classes, and if your grades are not as strong as you would like, get help and don’t give up. The trajectory of your grades matters, as your admission reader is looking carefully at your transcript to determine the likelihood of your success in the advanced rigor of the university classroom. Some students may even be able to take additional coursework at their local community college. It is also necessary to check the standardized test requirements of your chosen colleges.

Hands-on participation in a variety of STEM activities is another component part of a successful application. Some examples include participation on a Robotics Team (not one at your school? Start one!), Math and Science Olympiads, FIRST LEGO League, online courses, a STEM club at your school, or a summer program or internship. A part-time job can also give you some extra exposure and first-hand experience. Think outside the box and you’ll find a myriad of exciting opportunities. 

Tell your science story! Knowing why you want to study a particular STEM major will go a long way towards impressing colleges that you have the right stuff. Use the essay options in your application to share your passion, experience, enthusiasm, depth of interest and excitement about your chosen field. Think about your career goals and explore some of those options by interviewing men and women in the field, reading outside the curriculum and looking for opportunities to job shadow professionals. 

Interpersonal skills:  In addition to the hard skills necessary – challenging coursework, solid grades and test scores, strong extracurriculars and essays – colleges want to see evidence of soft skills. The future depends upon both the proven qualifications of STEM graduates and on the human qualities possessed by the women and men entering these specialized fields. As high school students build upon their academic records, they should always be open to opportunities that showcase their problem-solving, creative thinking and   collaborative abilities; their proficiency in communication, adaptability, flexibility and balance; and their sense of social responsibility. Think Humanistic Engineering – the production and design of things that are useful to people. As you consider how to demonstrate these qualities, think about ways to showcase your collaborative abilities by perhaps organizing a school club or working on the school paper and creating a new column to include a STEM article in every edition.

Ways of demonstrating leadership skills during your high school career could include being STEM Club President or taking the lead on directing the school play, getting a group of students together for a community service project, or asking your AP Physics teacher if you could tutor the younger physics students. All STEM fields require the development of new ideas. How can you show that in action? Spearhead a recycling effort in your school, present solutions to the traffic problems in the school parking lot to the School Board or get a group together and design something to be used by fellow students.

Again, explore opportunities that you can show an admission officer: list them on a resume, let them be shared in a recommendation and/or write about them in your essays. Balance the hard with the soft, stay focused and you’ll be successful.

Big Fish or Little Fish?

Would you rather be a big fish in a small pond, or a little fish in a big pond?   As you start your college search, this is an important question for both students and parents to consider.

Many people assume that it’s better to attend the most selective college possible, even if your high school grades, test scores, and other measures place you towards the lower end of the college’s student body.  The rationale behind this “small fish in a big pond” line of thinking is that students will always benefit from being surrounded by smarter peers, as well as enjoy the perceived prestige of the more selective school.

Yet, research suggests otherwise.  Multiple studies have shown that students who opt to be a top student at a less selective college (in other words, a big fish in a small pond) tend to feel more competent, have better college GPAs, and higher career aspirations than students who just squeaked into a more selective college.   This is true even when the student attending the less selective college had a less impressive admissions profile (i.e., high school GPA, test scores) than the student who picked the more selective school.

Author Malcom Gladwell also points out how being a big fish in a small pond can be especially beneficial to students planning to pursue STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) degrees and STEM-related careers.   At a presentation at Google Zeitgeist, Gladwell discussed how many students who begin college intending to major in STEM fields switch to non-science and math majors.  Those whose scores are in the bottom third were most likely to switch majors.

The equation doesn’t change based on the selectivity of the college, noted Gladwell.  A student’s SAT scores may put them in the bottom third of peers at a highly selective university, or at the top of their peers at a less selective school.  But, the odds of the student persisting through to graduation in a STEM major will be greater at the less selective college where they are in the top third. 

“As human beings, we dramatically underestimate the cost of being at the bottom of a hierarchy,” said Gladwell in his presentation.  “We form our self-assessment and confidence based on our standing relative to the group, not the entire world.”   Being among the top students in a college – regardless of its selectivity – makes a student likely to see themselves as capable of keeping up with the group.

Of course, there are many reasons for choosing a college.   A student and their parents may prefer the programs, location, financial aid, extracurricular activities, or a host of other characteristics of one college over another.  A motivated student can also succeed at a variety of institutions, regardless of how he or she compares to campus peers.  Students who are likely to be “big fish” among their classmates at a highly selective college will reap the same benefits as they would by attending a less selective school.  

 Deciding if you’ll be better suited to being a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond is an important part of finding a college that will be the best match for you.

College Visit Tips for Students

There’s no substitute to visiting a college and spending time on campus to tell you whether a particular college is right for you. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your campus visits.

Talk to students besides the tour guide.  Although it may be tough to strike up a conversation with students on a busy campus, make the effort.  Tour guides give you the “official” story of life on campus, but you want to know what it’s really like to go to school there.  Two good questions to ask:  “If you could do it over, would you pick this school again?”  and “How do you spend your time on weekends?” 

Peek into a “real” dorm room and bathroom.  If you can, check out a dorm room and dorm bathroom besides the one they show on the tour.  Can you see yourself living here?

Eat in a student dining hall.  Four years is a long time to go without eating, so while you’re visiting campus, see if it’s possible to have a meal in a campus dining hall.  Dining halls are also often good places to get a sense of the social atmosphere on campus. 

Spend time walking around campus on your own.  Sure, you’ll probably be visiting with your parents, but when you actually go to college, mom and dad won’t be coming with you.  So, at some point during your time on campus, break away from your parents and walk around on your own for 15-20 minutes.  Ask yourself:  Can I see myself being comfortable here for four years? 

Talk to a professor and sit in on a class.  Before your visit, ask the admissions office if it is possible for you to meet with a professor in your potential major and sit in on a class.  While this might seem intimidating, you’ll learn much more about the academic atmosphere on campus this way then you will from just going on the tour or attending the formal admissions presentation.

Read campus bulletin boards. Campus bulletin boards often contain clues about campus social life, the political hot buttons of students, and even whether it’s easy to find a ride home to where you live for spring break.  The student union is a particularly good place to peruse bulletin boards.

Grab a copy of the student newspaper.  You’ll usually find the student newspaper in a rack near the door of the main library or student union. Don’t leave campus without getting hold of the latest issue.  Read it for insight into life on campus.  You’ll want to keep up with the online editions of the newspapers from the colleges that interest you most.

Explore the surrounding area.  You’ll want to get off campus from time to time so once you’ve seen the campus, check out the local neighborhood. What’s within walking distance of campus?  Do you feel safe walking in the surrounding area?  How friendly are the locals?

Write down your impressions and take pictures.  After a few campus visits, you’ll begin to blur colleges together in your mind.  As soon as possible after your visit, write down your impressions of each school for future reference.  Snap as many pictures as you can of whatever catches your eye.  When you’re trying to answer application essay questions about why you want to attend this school, you’ll be glad to have your notes and the photos to refer back to.

College Visit Tips for Parents

Touring prospective colleges is a rite of passage for many families and an important part of the college admission process.  Here are some tips to help parents plan a successful college visit trip.

Be selective.  Less is actually more when it comes to college visit. Focus on visiting the schools that seem like the best fits for your child while being sure to include a good mix of admission safe bets, realistic matches, and reaches.

Be realistic. Most students find campus visits tiring and a bit overwhelming.  Aim for no more than two campus visits each day; one visit a day is even better, unless the colleges are located very close to each other.  Allow at least three hours for each visit, including time to wander around campus and explore the surrounding area after the official tour.  A visit may take up most of the day if your child is going to be meeting with an admissions officer or a faculty member, sitting in on a class, or attending a more formal admission presentation.  

Be flexible.  Almost every parent who has ever accompanied their child on a college tour has a story about the college (or colleges) where their child simply would not get out of the car.  When this happens, just calmly move on to the next school. 

Blend into the background.  A campus visit is a chance for your child to “try on” their future.  Blend into the background while you’re on campus.  Let your child ask the questions and walk up front next to the tour guide, while you hang in the back of the tour group.  Most important of all: give your child some space and time to walk around campus on their own after the formal tour.

If your child will be interviewing with admissions while you are on campus,  remember this is your child’s interview, not yours!  While most admission officers will invite parents in to say hello at the end of the interview, this is not an invitation to chime in with things you think admission should know about your child. Similarly, if you and your child will be talking to a coach, visiting academic departments, or stopping by the office of disabilities services, let your child take the lead.  This will help your child develop the self-confident, pro-active interpersonal skills necessary for college success.

Visit the financial aid office, the security office, and the career services office.  Most families visit the admission office while on campus, but few think to pay a visit to the financial aid office, the security office, or career services.  Yet, these stops give parents the chance to ask important questions about financial aid, campus safety, and the school’s record of helping graduates find jobs.  These stops are a good time to “divide and conquer.”  Let your child explore the campus while you visit these offices for a quick chat.

Keep an open mind.  Some colleges will likely resonate with you, but not your child – and vice versa.  Expect this, and try to keep an open mind.  Be careful about assuming that your reaction is the right one, or rushing to voice your opinions before your child expresses his or hers.  Help your child reflect on the visit by asking open-ended questions about what they saw, heard, and thought while on campus.  Listen carefully to your child’s reactions before sharing your own impressions.

Enjoy this journey with your child. Yes, this trip is about visiting colleges, but it is also a chance to spend some special time with your child before they head off into adulthood. As you visit colleges together, try to build in some downtime and fun activities that have nothing to do with college and enjoy each other’s company on this exciting journey.

Navigating the Waitlist

Colleges continue to increase the use of waitlists in order to manage their enrollment. Formerly, the waitlist served as a safety net for colleges, assuring them of extra candidates if the number of students who accepted their offer of admission fell below their expectations.  Now, however, colleges appear to be using the waitlist as a way of increasing their yields and thus their rankings.

It has become pretty typical for a selective college that accepts 2,000 applicants in hopes of enrolling 500 students to offer another 2,000 well-qualified students places on the wait list.  Of these, a quarter are likely to accept a spot.  What should you do now if you are one of the hopeful applicants who has been waitlisted at your dream school?

First, you need to understand that this is not a denial of admission; instead, the college is letting you know that they consider you a good candidate and would like to accept you if room allows.  Since students on the waitlist are not ranked, you need to get the attention of admissions in order to be admitted.  How do you do that?

First, respond quickly affirming your continued interest in the college and your desire to remain on the waitlist.  Follow up with the admissions office in the manner the school requires to affirm your place on the waitlist. If this is your top choice for college, let the rep know.

Next, update your file with any additional awards, honors, new grades or experiences. 

Be prepared to make a quick decision on attending if you get an email or phone call offering you a place in the class.  Generally, colleges will expect a yes within 24-48 hours after offering you a place.  Only then will the offer become official.  If you do choose to attend Wait List U, you’ll need to withdraw your previous enrollment at your second choice college.  Be aware that you will probably forfeit any deposits you’ve paid to that institution.