Read on for details about some college consortiums to consider as you conduct your college search.

Claremont Colleges: Claremont, CA 
The Claremont College Consortium consists of five distinct colleges on adjoining campuses, each with its own distinctive mission and purpose. Students officially enroll at Pomona, Scripps, Harvey Mudd, Claremont McKenna, or Pitzer, but can take classes at any of the five. The colleges not only share library and research facilities, but athletic teams, as well. Students may eat at any dining hall, participate in student organizations, and even live in the dorms across all five campuses. Each Claremont College has fewer than 1500 students, but together, they have a student body of nearly 7000. 

Five College Consortium: Western Massachusetts 
The Five College Consortium consists of Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, Smith, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Students have access to top liberal arts colleges, women’s colleges, and a public flagship institution. The colleges share library resources, museums, several joint departments and programs, and a fair amount of social programming. In addition, students can easily cross-register. The colleges are spread out across three towns, but the farthest away, Smith, is only a 20 minute drive to any of the other schools. Free transportation is provided for students between campuses.  

Quaker Consortium: Philadelphia Area, PA
The Quaker Consortium consists of four colleges with Quaker roots: Bryn Mawr, Swarthmore, Haverford, and theUniversity of Pennsylvania. As with most consortiums, students can cross-register across all four schools. UPenn’s association with the consortium is limited to cross-registration, while the other three are more integrated on multiple levels. Bryn Mawr, Haverford, and Swarthmore offer free transportation between their schools, but not to UPenn. Haverford and Bryn Mawr in particular have a close relationship: students can live and eat on either campus, and they even publish a joint newspaper.

If you like the idea of going to one college, but having access to the resources of several, then you may want to consider including some consortium members on your college list.

1) Celebrate! You worked hard, and deserve all of your success.  

2) Prepare to be recruited. When a college admits you, they want you to enroll, and they will do their best to make you feel wanted. Expect invitations to visit campus and phone calls or letters from current students; some schools will even send you t-shirts, scarves, or posters. Take advantage of opportunities to meet with students, spend the night in a dormitory, and don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions.

3) Visit campus. Many colleges have programs just for admitted students. These programs often include specialized facilities tours, opportunities to attend classes, panels with current students, faculty, and administrators, an overnight stay in the dorms, and the chance to meet hundreds of your potential future classmates. Even if you can’t go to an admitted student event (or don’t want to), you can still have a productive visit. Be sure to let the admissions office know you’re an admitted student, and ask what you can do while you’re on campus. 

4) Focus on the schools to which you were admitted. You may have been offered a spot on a waitlist or two, and they may be schools that you’re really excited about. That’s okay. Let those schools know you’re still interested, and accept the spot on the waitlist. However, you most likely won’t be hearing back from them until after May 1, and you’ll have to submit an enrollment deposit somewhere by then, so focus your energy on the schools that admitted you. Those schools are excited about you, and would love for you to attend! Boost your ego and spend some time with people who think you’re awesome. 

5) Keep up with your schoolwork! Don’t think that just because you’ve been admitted to college that you can stop doing well in school. Colleges still need to see your final transcript, and they can rescind admission offers if your academic performance drops significantly.

6) You can change your mind. You may have had your heart set on College X since fall of junior year, and thrilled to have been offered admission, but maybe you developed a great rapport with a current student at another college, or College X’s admitted student program was less than thrilling. It’s really okay! You have until May 1 to submit an enrollment deposit, so feel free to take that time to figure out where you’ll be happiest. Remember – you want to make the best decision for you and your family, and not necessarily the decision everyone expects you to make.

Congratulations on your acceptances, and best of luck in making your decision!

Study Abroad Requirement.  Goucher College in Baltimore, MD requires all of its students to study abroad before they graduate. But they’re pretty flexible about this requirement - students can study abroad for a full-year, one semester, or during a three-week intensive program.  All students are awarded travel vouchers of $1200, unless they are part of a selective and more intensive International Scholars Program (ISP), in which case the voucher is $3000. 

Campuses Across the World.  Colleges and universities are beginning to expand their reach and establish campuses across the globe.  At these institutions, you can not only have an international experience, but earn your degree from one of their international campuses, as well.

1.  New York University’s main campus is in Manhattan, but they have degree-granting campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai.  When applying for admission to NYU, students select if they are applying to the Washington Square (New York), Abu Dhabi, or Shanghai campus.

2.  American University’s main campus is in Washington D.C., but they have a degree-granting campus in Dubai, as well.  Undergraduates can apply to American in D.C. or American in Dubai. 

Colleges Where More Than 50% Of Students Study Abroad.  Even if a college doesn’t have a global campus, or a study abroad requirement, plenty of colleges go above and beyond in encouraging their students to study abroad – and students jump at the chance, as well.  Here are some of the colleges that send more than 50% of their students to study abroad.

Every college has its own policy, so be sure to check in with colleges you're waiting on. It's perfectly acceptable to call and ask how the waitlist is ordered (if at all) and managed, and to ask what you can do to increase your chances of admission. You might also want to read the waitlist offer letter carefully, as colleges will sometimes include helpful advice in the letter itself. Some colleges also provide advice for waitlisted students on their admissions office website or blog. It’s worth checking what resources are provided by the college that waitlisted you.

Some schools have students arranged numerically, while others have students grouped in tiers. Others have no ranking system at all: if they need to go to their waitlist, they review whoever is on it at the time and go from there. 

Regardless of how the waitlist is structured, if you want the best shot at being admitted, be sure to follow-up appropriately with the college(s) you're interested in. In most cases, this means officially accepting the waitlist offer, and sending an email or letter to your regional admissions counselor letting them know you’re still interested. Beyond that, policies vary widely. Some colleges will allow waitlisted students to visit or have an interview. Other colleges discourage waitlisted students from visiting, and don’t allow interviews. Before planning anything, or arranging a visit, be sure to call (or email) and ask what’s appropriate. 

Few colleges are able to make any movement on their waitlists before May 1, the Universal Reply Date – so patience is key. And remember that you have to submit an enrollment deposit by May 1, as well. With that in mind, once you have accepted the waitlist offer, and followed up with your admissions counselor, it’s best to focus on the schools to which you’ve been admitted.  

Here is the list of new members:

You can see the complete list of the 488 current Common Application members here.

The new word limit is 650 words, and the instructions have additional commentary.  “…Write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response.  Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal.  Use the full range if you need it, but don't feel obligated to do so.  (The application won't accept a response shorter than 250 words.)”

In prior years, the Common Application suggested that essays be between 250 and 500 words, but in actuality, students could submit essays that were either shorter or longer.  The new specificity encourages students to use more depth and detail in writing their essays, enabling admissions committees to see a substantive writing sample from every applicant.

The essay prompts themselves are also quite different.  The intention is to have essay options that appeal to a wider range of students, and clearly encourage every student to tell his/her unique story. Take a look at the new essay prompts: 

• Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
• Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn?
• Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea.  What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?
• Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you?
• Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

This doesn’t mean that you have to be President or Secretary of a club or organization.  That isn’t always possible.  However, leadership comes in many forms, and the more interested you are in what you’re involved in, the more likely you’ll be able to take on a leadership role within that group.

For starters, taking on a leadership role shows that you’re, well…a leader.  And that’s a good thing!  Being a leader enables you to show that your peers look to you for guidance, that you can take on significant responsibility, that you can conceive and implement ideas, and that you can take on a task or assignment and bring it to fruition.  These kinds of qualities are precisely what college admissions officers are looking for as they select potential students.

In order to set yourself up for a leadership position by the time you get to junior or senior year, it’s important to start planning now.  If you’re involved in any clubs or organizations, you’re most likely to get a leadership position by junior or senior year if you stick with some of your current involvements.  You don’t have to continue with all of your activities, just the ones that you enjoy the most and are most fulfilling for you.  Besides, the more you enjoy your extracurricular activities, the more likely it is that you’ll want a leadership position later on.

Remember…leadership positions are usually given to those students who have proven themselves through their involvement with a group or organization over time.  The longer you stay with something, the more knowledgeable, skilled, and visible you will become in the group.  These qualities will help you gain the trust of other members and advisors, which, in turn, will make them more likely to elect or appoint you to a leadership position.

Leadership in high school is important not only because of the benefits in the college application process, but also because it will help you become a better student and community member in college.  In order to set yourself up for leadership by the time you get to senior year, start thinking about your extracurricular involvements now.

The best place to start when deciding which test or tests to take is your current course schedule. If you’re in any AP or IB classes right now that correspond with an SAT Subject Test, there’s a good chance that the curriculum for the course will overlap with the test content. Subject Tests are offered in two levels of math (Math 1 and Math 2), Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Literature, US History, World History, and several foreign languages. If your school doesn’t offer AP or IB courses, or if you’re taking an honors or advanced level course that you think could be good preparation for a Subject Test, ask your teacher about it. S/he should be familiar with the test content and be able to tell you if the course you’re currently taking will prepare you.

Once you’ve decided on some options, take a practice exam in each subject. Your performance on the practice exams should give you a sense of which tests will be most appropriate. The College Board offers a detailed SAT Subject Test study guide that has several practice tests and provides detailed information on all of the tests. 

Subject Tests are each one hour long and are multiple-choice (no fill-ins). They’re offered every time the SAT is offered, except March: October, November, December, January, May, and June. Many students like to take their Subject Tests to coincide with their AP exams in May or their final exams in June. Since you’re already studying for these exams, you can maximize your study time by taking Subject Tests around the same time. 

You can take up to three Subject Tests on one test day, and as long as you’re registered for at least one, you can change your mind about which Subject Tests you’re taking (and how many) up until the day of the test. So if you’re unsure about the specifics of which Subject Tests you’re taking, it’s still advisable to register early and decide on the details as things become clearer on your end. Also note that you can take either Subject Tests or the SAT on a given test date, but not both.

As your College List firms up, you’ll have a better sense of whether Subject Tests are required. Though your list is likely still in progress, look at the standardized testing requirements as you’re researching colleges. If you notice that some likely contenders require or recommend them, you should plan to take them. If none of the schools require them, then you can hold off for now. Either way, pay close attention to the requirements of schools you’re researching so you are appropriately prepared come fall.

Here are some statistics for this application cycle.

1) In the last 72 hours of 2012, from December 30 through January 1, the Common Application received 922,827 separate submissions of applications, supplements, and school forms, at a rate of 3.6 per second.

• 347,316 total applications
• 13.6 form submissions per second in the last ten minutes of January 1.
• 17.4 form submissions per second in the last minute of January 1.

2) The total volume of Common Applications applicants increased by 10% from last year.

3) The average number of applications submitted per applicant was 4.1.

4) 1,794,400 Secone submitted.dary School Reports were submitted.

5) 3,014,132 Teacher Evaluations were submitted

1) Be Patient.  After you’re sure that all of the pieces of your application have been submitted andreceived, it’s important to follow-up with the admissions office to make sure your application is complete. However, you shouldn’t do this right away. Colleges have received thousands of applications and documents over the past couple of weeks, and it will take a little while before everything is sorted and processed.

2) Follow-Up.  About two weeks after all of your materials have been submitted, check on your applications with each college. By then, they should have been able to process everything that was received. If anything is missing at that time, ask the admissions office for the best way to resubmit missing information. Remember – if your college counselor or teachers need to resubmit any school forms or recommendation letters, be sure to ask them nicely and politely!

3) Request an interview. At some colleges, alumni interviews are only offered to students after they’ve applied. Others still offer on-campus interviews after the application deadline. If you haven’t already had an interview, you can ask the college if it would still be possible to have one. This isn’t going to be an option everywhere, but if you do have the opportunity – great! If not, it won’t hurt your application.

4) Send your SAT Scores (if you haven’t already). In the rush to submit your applications by January 1, you may have forgotten to also send your SAT, SAT Subject Test, and/or ACT scores. Don’t worry, you can still send them. Ask each college if you need to send them via Rush Report, though, or if sending them standard is fine.

5) Did you make a mistake?  If you made a mistake on your application, try to remain calm. If it’s a minor omission, you don’t need to worry about it.  If it’s something you’re really worried about, you can always send your admissions counselor a quick email asking how to best resubmit your corrected essay.  If there’s been a significant mistake, you may want to include an explanation of the error.

6) Relax.  The hard part is over!  You’ve written all the essays, taken all the tests, submitted all the applications. Now all you have to do is stay focused on your schoolwork (colleges still need to see those mid-year and final reports), continue participating in extracurricular activities, and find some time to just have fun!

Until you hear back from colleges, there isn’t a whole lot to do for your applications. You can keep track of your applications, make sure they’re complete, and follow any further instructions from admissions offices. Beyond that, try to stay focused on your academics and activities in the present, and hope for the best come spring!

1) Do some self reflection. Building the list is one of the most important pieces of the college search process. You want to find colleges that suit your academic, social, and personal needs and interests. In order to do this, you need to take some time to think about what those needs and interests really are. One way to begin is with some list-making, such as your favorite extracurricular activities, favorite subjects in school, top 10 ways you like to spend your free time, and places you would like to live.

2) Get some college guides.  Our favorite guides are descriptive college guides that provide narrative descriptions of each college. These tend to provide a more comprehensive understanding of each college than traditional college guides. Some of our favorites are the Fiske Guide to Colleges and The Insider’s Guide to the Colleges.

3) Make an appointment with your college counselor.  You should make an appointment with your college counselor to begin talking about colleges. Your school might have a survey or intake form for you to fill out that will help narrow down your college options. Your college counselor is also a good sounding board for your initial thoughts and ideas.

4) Look up spring college fairs in your area.  Every spring, national, regional, and local organizations host college fairs throughout the country. Many high schools have spring college fairs, as well. Ask your college counselor about college fairs at your school, or in your school district. You can also check out the Spring NACAC College Fair Schedule and the Colleges that Change Lives Event Schedule for events on a larger scale.

5) Find out if colleges are coming to visit you. Many colleges send admissions counselors travel around the country for spring recruitment. If there are specific colleges you are interested in, you can check on their websites or call them to find out if they’ll be in your area in the spring. If they’re planning to visit your school, be sure to ask your college counselor about the proper procedure to sign up.

6) Think ahead to spring break. We recommend planning to visit colleges during your spring break. You’ll have a full week off, which should allow you to schedule several visits. After doing the work to indentify some colleges you’re interested in, ask your parents and college counselor for some help in planning an itinerary. Then, visit each college’s website or call their offices to ask about possible visit options for juniors and how to sign up.  

Remember – at this point you are just gathering information, not finalizing your college list. It’s important to be open-minded, and willing to consider places you haven’t heard of. By starting to think about colleges now, doing some preliminary research, and visiting some schools, you’ll be in good shape to narrow down your list in earnest by the time summer comes around.

What does it mean that my application was deferred? If your application was deferred it means that the college didn’t deny your application, but that for any number of reasons, they were not prepared to give you a final decision in December. The college will re-review your application, and send you a final decision in the spring, along with the rest of the Regular Decision applicant pool.

So what should I do next? The first thing you should do is send a friendly and polite email to your area admissions counselor telling him or her that you’re still very interested in the school, and would like to know if there’s anything that would be helpful for you to send them. Sometimes, they might have a very specific request, so it’s important to ask. For example, they might just want to see how your fall semester grades turned out. They might also have specific advice about what you should and shouldn’t do to increase your chances of admission. If there’s nothing specific that they need from you, here are a couple of things you may want to consider to strengthen your application.

• Send a short, sincere, and specific letter or email of interest to your area admissions counselor.

• Ask the admissions office if you can sign up for an interview (if you haven’t already had one). Some colleges don’t allow deferred applicants to interview, so don’t be discouraged if this option is not available to you.

• Ask the admissions office if they think paying them a visit would be a good idea (if you haven’t already visited). Some schools care about demonstrated interest, and a visit could be something they care about.

If you feel the need to do anything beyond these suggestions, we recommend holding off, or asking the college if it would be okay. You want them to know that you’re still interested, but you don’t want to do toomuch. A few well-written lines can have more impact than an overload of information. Remember – there’s no guarantee you’ll be admitted, even if you follow the admissions office’s instructions to the letter, so you can be optimistic, but it’s best not to focus on it too much.

Then, you should look forward to the admissions decisions you’ll be getting in the spring from all of the colleges you applied to.  

Applicants miss deadlines for many reasons. Unforeseen circumstances come up.  Maybe you had a family emergency, or there was a natural disaster in your area. Or maybe you just found out about a really great college too late. Even if it’s after the official Regular Decision deadline, some colleges will still accept your application. If you have a legitimate reason for missing an application deadline, and still want to apply, here’s some advice for you.

Call the admissions office and ask if they’re still accepting applications. If they are, that’s great! Ask by when you would need to submit your application to be considered, and how you should submit it, including your transcripts, school report, and recommendation letters. And you should ask if you need to rush report your standardized test scores.

If you can still add the college and submit it through the Common Application, and your teachers and college counselor already uploaded your recommendation letters and transcript to the Common Application for other colleges, you should be all set on that front, and shouldn’t need to notify your college counselor.

But at many colleges, you won’t be able to submit a late application online, so you’ll have to print it out and fax or mail it – and this is if they’re willing to accept a late application at all. You’ll also need to give your guidance counselor and teachers very clear instructions from the admissions office as to how they should submit their documents. Some colleges have a separate fax number or email address, for instance, for late recommendation letters, or there might be a specific person in the office they should be sent to.

For the most part, college application deadlines are final. But we all know that things come up and life can get in the way sometimes. If you think you missed a deadline for a good reason, it’s okay to ask the admissions office if you can still apply. You just might get another chance. 

1) Celebrate your acceptances!  You worked hard, and deserve all of your success. 

2) If you were admitted Early Decision – congratulations!  Remember, Early Decision is a binding agreement, so you need to withdraw all of your applications to other colleges.  Then, be sure send in your enrollment deposit!   

3) If you were admitted Early Action – prepare to be recruited.  When a college admits you, they want you to enroll, and they will do their best to make you feel wanted.  Expect invitations to visit campus and phone calls or letters from current students; some schools will even send you t-shirts, scarves, or posters.  Take advantage of opportunities to meet with students, spend the night in a dormitory, and don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions.

4) Your application might be deferred to the regular admission pool.  This means that later in the year, probably in early spring, the admissions office will re-review your application and consider offering you admission for Regular Decision.  Each college’s deferral policy is unique, so it is important to reach out to your admissions counselor and ask what they recommend you do to strengthen your application for the next round.  In the meantime, you need to continue working on your Regular Decision applications to ensure you have a couple of options when you receive the rest of your decisions in the spring.   

5) Unfortunately, you might also receive a deny letter, maybe even from your first choice school.  It’s OK to be disappointed, but keep in mind -- most students end up having a great time at whatever college they attend, even if it wasn't their first choice.  Remember, when you don’t gain admission to a school, the college didn’t reject you. Your application was denied.  It’s a subtle, but significant, difference.  A college may not have a space for you in the fall, but you’re still the same smart, motivated, and talented student you always were.  Shift your focus to your Regular Decision schools and get excited about the possibilities that await you!

No matter what admissions decisions you receive in the coming weeks -- no admissions decision defines you.  You still have a full semester to go and you want to stay focused on the present, so don’t let admissions decisions throw you off track.

Read on for more information about how to make the most of  the PSAT.

SAT Preparation. You can use your PSAT score to help you prepare for the SAT later this year. The PSAT has three sections: Critical Reading, Mathematics, and Writing Skills. Each section is scored on a scale of 20-80. If you add a zero to the end, the score looks a lot like an SAT score. However, don’t think that your score on the PSAT is a prophecy of how you’ll do on the SAT. Instead, you should view your PSAT score as an opportunity to see which sections, and which question types you can work on to help improve your SAT score. 

The PSAT score report, officially called the PSAT Score Report Plus, has several useful tools for you to use in preparing for the SAT. In order to fully take advantage of these tools, you need to create an account with My College QuickStart. Here are just some of the useful tools that your PSAT Score Report Plus and My College QuickStart give you.

1) Personalized ranges that show how your scores might vary if you took the test multiple times.

2) Personalized feedback on your PSAT performance.  You can see which specific skills on the PSAT are your strengths, and which you could improve upon.

3) You’ll get a copy of your actual PSAT Test booklet.  You’ll be able to see the level of difficulty of each question, and how you scored on each question.

4) A customized SAT study plan based on your PSAT performance.

National Merit Scholarship Program. Your junior year PSAT Score is also used to determine your eligibility for the National Merit Scholarship Program. The highest scorers on the PSAT in each state are invited to continue in the National Merit competition as Semifinalists. Semifinalists then have to complete an application to become Finalists. Scholarship Winners are then selected from among the Finalists. If you want to move forward in the competition, be sure to complete the application National Merit sends you, and follow all instructions carefully. 

National Merit Scholarships tend to be very small, and some colleges will match these awards, or provide awards of their own for Winners, Finalists, and/or Semifinalists.  If you receive National Merit recognition – great! But don’t expect it to make up for other weaknesses in your profile.  Your four year academic record and your SAT/ACT scores (where required) will be stronger indicators of your chances for admission than your National Merit status.  This also means that if you are not selected for National Merit, not to worry. 

Colleges won’t use your PSAT score in evaluating your application, and your score is not necessarily a predictor of what your SAT score will be.  Take advantage of the interactive score report to help you prepare for the SAT, and if you are selected as a National Merit Semifinalist, continue on in the competition.  In general, think of the PSAT as another useful tool in the college application process.  

We understand. Applying to college can be stressful and intimidating. You’re busy with a dozen extracurricular commitments, not to mention schoolwork. And your parents are all too eager to help you out.

The truth is that colleges want to hear from you – the student – and not your parents. They want to know that when you apply to their school it’s because you want to. Parents should be helpful and supportive, but when it comes to communicating with colleges, scheduling visits, and filling out applications, students need to take the lead.

If the thought of taking the lead in your college search is intimidating, remember that you have numerous resources at your disposal to find guidance and advice.

• Your college counselor is a crucial resource for you in the college application process.  S/he is there to provide information about colleges, help you interpret that information, and match your interests and personality with colleges that are a good fit for you – and, of course, making sure your school forms are sent out. But that is as far as the counselor goes. The actual process of applying, contacting schools about missing materials, and choosing the final group of colleges is up to you.

• Your local college representative is there to help you. Most colleges and universities divide travel and/or applications according to geographical region. Most likely, the same admissions counselor you met at your local college fair will also be reading your application. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your admissions counselor if you have questions that aren’t answered on the website. If the idea of reaching out makes you nervous, remember – admissions counselors are friendly and approachable, and are happy to hear from you. On the other hand, if you legitimately have nothing to ask, don’t reach out just because you think you should. 

• Your parents are absolutely allowed to help you, within reason. Parents are great for help with keeping organized, setting a schedule, and arranging the logistics of college trips. You can ask them if an idea for an essay “sounds like you” – but they shouldn’t be telling you what to write in your essays (and certainly not writing them). They can give you the information you need to fill out the Common Application, but you have to fill it out yourself. They can provide suggestions about colleges to look at, but you have to research the schools for yourself. Your parents want you to succeed, so ask them for help when you need it, but remember that you’re the one leading the way.

Applying to college is a major undertaking, and a big responsibility. You’re probably going to have some anxiety about the process, and that’s OK. It’s important to not let your anxiety get in the way of being pro-active and engaged in the college process. You’re the one going to college, after all, so now is the time to step up and take charge. Be sure to rely on your parents, college counselor, and local admissions representatives as resources, but be sure to take the lead in the process.  

Early Action has passed.  Now what?

At this point, you may have submitted an Early application or two.  If so – congratulations! But now that the Early deadlines have passed, it’s time to turn your attention to Regular Decision. We know many questions come up around this time, so here is some advice on the most common things we’re asked about this time of year.

1) I’ve already applied to my top choice school – now what? You’ve submitted your top choice application and can breathe a small sigh of relief.  You’ve worked hard on your application, but you can’t make any assumptions.  Don’t wait until December 15 to begin applying to other schools. Hopefully, you’ll be admitted, and won’t need to submit any other applications.  But if in mid-December your Early Decision or Early Action school sends a deny or defer decision, you don’t want to be scrambling for the next two weeks to throw together all your Regular Decision applications.  It might be hard to focus on schools other than your top choice right now, but in order for you to be in the strongest position later in the year, you want to at least pursue other options.

2) The colleges I’m applying to say they’re missing application materials. Will my application be reviewed?  If schools contact you about missing application materials, remain calm.  Check to see what they’re missing.  If it’s something you were supposed to submit personally, like your test scores, Common Application, or Supplement, double check that you submitted it.  If you submitted the materials in the last week, the admissions office is probably still processing them.  Wait a few days before checking again.  If it is well after you submitted the materials, you can call the admissions office to confirm receipt. If they still don’t have it, ask how they would like you to resubmit.  The guidelines for school documents are similar.  If you know they were submitted recently, give it a few days, as the documents are probably still being processed.  If they were submitted a while ago, pick up the phone and ask the admissions office to confirm receipt.  If any school forms need to be re-sent, you can ask your college counselor or teachers (nicely!) if they could resubmit their materials because the college didn’t seem to get them.

3) Can I take the SAT or ACT again?  What about SAT Subject Tests? Hopefully, you’re done with your testing.  However, if you still want to take the SAT or ACT again, or SAT Subject Tests, there’s still time, at least for Regular Decision. If you want or need to take any more tests for Regular Decision, call the schools you’re applying to and ask if they will accept scores from the test dates you’re planning on.

4) I made a mistake on my application!  What should I do?  If you made a mistake on your application, don’t fret. How big is the mistake?  Did you forget to list a club you were involved in for a month at the beginning of freshman year?  If it’s a minor omission like that, you don’t need to worry about it.  If it’s something you’re really worried about, you can always send your admissions counselor a quick e-mail that includes an explanation or correction of the error, and an apology for the mistake.  If you have an update to your application since submitting it, it’s the same basic approach – just write to your admissions counselor, provide the updated information, and request that it be added to your file. 

As you wait for decisions on your Early applications, be sure to check that they are complete, and promptly follow-up on missing materials.  The key is to remain focused on upcoming deadlines while keeping an eye on your submitted applications at the same time.

·  Why do you want to go to our school? Colleges want to know that you’re invested in their school, and that you have put some thought and effort into your decision to apply. You need to be able to articulate some specific reasons to go to each college you’re applying to, beyond things like their location, size, and student:professor ratio. 

You might think this means you need a completely new essay for each school, because really, aren’t they all unique? If you’ve done your due diligence on your college list, there are probably some important similarities among your schools. You’re probably looking for schools with a particular kind of learning environment or character, for instance. Or maybe there’s a certain type of social life you’re looking for. Whatever it is, structure your essay around your interests and how they tie into your ideal college experience. If you do that, your essay is still primarily about you, and you can easily customize each essay with specifics and details for each college.

 ·  What do you want to study and why? Colleges want to know what you think about, and how you plan to spend your time at their school. If you’re undecided, that’s OK! Talk about some things you’ve thought about studying, and perhaps address why these areas interest you, and why you can’t decide right now. It is important to show that you have academic interests and that you can point to some specifics about the programs at each school; if you have a specific major interest, show your knowledge about the field and the school’s department. The heart of the essay should be about your academic interest(s), and then you can customize it with the specific opportunities and options in those subjects at each college.

If you have school specific supplements to complete, be sure to review all of the questions before you sit down to write. Look for common themes in the questions for different schools. That way, you can plan ahead and write your essays to be widely applicable and easily customized. There’s no need to necessarily write a new essay from scratch for every question if you pay close attention to the prompts and do a bit of advance planning.

There’s a lot of talk about the Personal Statement for your college applications, but you don’t seem to hear as much about the Activities Statement.  After all, it’s only 1000 characters; how much of an impact can it really have?

The truth is that every piece of your application has the potential to make a difference, including the Activities Statement.  In order to make sure that yours stands out in a good way, take note of our suggestions.

Proofread!   It might sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how often students think the Activities Statement matters less because it’s shorter.  They will spend hours proofreading their Personal Statement, and then just a few minutes on the Activities Statement.  Typos, grammatical mistakes, and spelling errors that appear anywhere in your application will stand out.  In addition, if the writing in your Activities Statement is noticeably weaker than in the Personal Statement (because you spent much more time on the Personal Statement), colleges will notice, and possibly wonder if the same person wrote both pieces.

Be specific.  1000 characters isn’t a lot of space.  In order to have the most impact with limited room, your best option is to focus on a specific idea.  For instance, if you’re editor of the yearbook, don’t try to convey the entire experience, but choose one aspect to elaborate on.  If you focus on a narrow topic, it will be easier for you to make a coherent, interesting point about it.

Show, don’t tell.  You’ve heard it before, and it applies just as well to the Activities Statement as it does to other writing.  If you can demonstrate a point with an anecdote or an example, it will almost always be more engaging than just telling it.  Instead of just saying that being editor of the yearbook is a challenge, you need to say what specifically makes it challenging.

Have some fun with it.  This should be about something that you enjoy doing.  Think about the activity that makes you happiest, and then write about the aspect of that activity that you like the best.  If you’re happy thinking about your topic, your positive attitude will come through in your writing. 

Focus on something different than your Personal Statement.  If your Personal Statement is about the challenges and rewards of being on the lacrosse team, then you should write about something completely different in the Activities Statement.  If all of your writing is about the same activity or topic, your application might come across a bit one-dimensional.  

The Activities Statement is short, so it should be a bit easier to write than the Personal Statement.  However, just because it’s short, doesn’t mean it isn’t important.  You want every piece of writing in your application to be a strong and positive representation of your personality and skills.  With that in mind, put some focused time into writing your Activities Statement, consider our guidelines, and ask someone you trust to read it over before submitting it.     

Find out your Social Security Number.  Your parents should have this on file and you’ll be using it a lot come test registration and college application time.

Attend a local college fair.  Your school may sponsor a college fair, or go to www.nacacnet.org to find a local fair sponsored by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC).  Or you can check out our earlier blog post about finding a college fair near you.  Remember, in junior year college fairs are to give you a sense of what’s out there.  You should try to remain open-minded and flexible.

Don’t feel pressured to start thinking about specific colleges.  If there are specific colleges that appeal to you, or if you feel ready to start looking, go for it. But you don’t need to know the specific colleges that will be on your list, and you don’t need to have any favorites just yet.  Really take the time to get to know yourself and the schools you’re considering.  Over the next few months, a list will ideally be developing, and any visits you take in the spring or even in the winter will help clarify things that may seem confusing at first. 

Begin preparing for the SAT and ACT.  You may have recently taken the PSAT at your high school.  Or perhaps you’ve taken the PLAN test.  These are both excellent practice, but it’s time to start thinking about test prep for the SAT and ACT.  Many students take the SAT or ACT for the first time in the winter or spring of junior year.  Both the College Board and the ACT have test prep materials on their websites, including full-length practice tests.  Many students benefit from tutoring, either individual or group-based.  Whatever you decide to do, be sure to pick a tutoring option that suits your learning style and your personality.  Get a sense if a tutor’s approach is more conceptual or more strategy-oriented, and think about how you tend to think and what makes the most sense to you.    

Look into SAT Subject Tests.  When you’re applying to college next year, you may need to submit SAT Subject Test scores.  Subject Tests are designed to test your knowledge of particular subject areas; AP classes (and a limited number of honors courses) are the best preparation.  Take a look at the subject Test offerings and see if any of your courses this year match up.  If you’re in an AP class in a subject area that also is offered as a Subject Test, plan to take the Subject Test in May, to coincide with the studying you’ll be doing for your AP exam.  To know if Subject Tests are something you need to keep in mind, look at the standardized testing requirements for schools of interest to you.

Focus on your school work and activities!  At this stage, you should be focusing on keeping your grades up and pursuing your interests outside of school.  College applications may seem like they’re just around the corner, but what you do this year is the foundation of your applications next year.  So it’s important to stay grounded, and to be engaged in the present!  This is the year to really show that you can keep your grades strong, and that you can be an involved member of your school community.  

Request any outstanding recommendations.  If you’ve been on the fence about which teachers will recommend you, make a point of figuring it out soon!  Remember, you want to have 2 teachers from core academic subject areas (math, science, humanities, social science, foreign language) who can write you a positive and interesting recommendation.  If you’re having trouble deciding who to ask, talk to your college counselor about it, and s/he can help you.

Register for any remaining SAT, ACT, or SAT Subject Tests (if needed).  At this point, you may be done with all of your standardized testing.  If so – great!  However, if you need to put some finishing touches on your testing, there’s still time to get in those final exams.  You can still register for the November and December SAT and SAT Subject Tests, and the December ACT.

Familiarize yourself with any early application deadlines.  Does your top choice school have an Early Action or Early Decision deadline?  Are you applying to any schools with Rolling Admission or any state schools with early deadlines?  Be sure to review the deadlines for all of the colleges on your list, particularly your top choices.  You don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to apply early because you weren’t thorough in your research.

Keep working on your personal statement and supplemental essays.  If you haven’t already finished your personal statement, make that a priority.  If you have finished your main application essay, it’s time to turn your attention to the supplemental essays and to make sure you move through those essays both thoughtfully and efficiently.  Map out how many you’ll need to write and try to set target dates for each essay’s completion – that way, you’re not racing against the clock at the last minute.

Keep working on your Common Application and other application forms.  The actual application forms themselves can be the least exciting part of the college application process.  However, the information on your application form is considered just as carefully as your essays, so it’s important to be thorough and accurate.  You don’t want to leave this to the last minute!

October is a busy time of year, with college application deadlines getting closer and schoolwork to juggle, as well.  The good news is that with a little foresight and planning, the next few months don’t have to be super stressful.

You may be flattered that colleges are targeting you by sending posters, view books, e-mails, and letters.  But it’s important to remember that these seemingly personalized and sometimes even aggressive communications are marketing tools.  Receiving a letter that commends you on your superior academic performance, mentions your academic interests, and says that X College is "looking for students just like you!" sounds nice and convincing -- but it really is just a form letter.   

This is especially important if you’re a freshman or sophomore in high school.  It’s on the early side to start thinking about which colleges you’ll apply to, and college mail is in no way a reflection of how qualified you may be for particular schools.  If you’re getting letters from colleges you’ve never heard of, or from big name schools, you shouldn’t take it personally either way.

College mail can be useful, and sometimes even fun, when it’s a poster or a particularly funny letter, for instance.  However, college mail isn’t a predictor of where you are destined to go to college, nor is it an indicator of how likely you are to be admitted.  Colleges are just doing everything they can to get as many prospective applicants as possible to consider their school.

So look at these letters, e-mails, and brochures and review them objectively to see if the school may be a good fit for you (academically and socially). If you’re genuinely drawn to the school, feel free to respond or reach out to demonstrate your interest. But don't let the fact that you've received a letter sway whether or not you think a school should be added to your list.   On the other hand, if a school you like hasn’t sent you anything, don’t worry!  Just sign up for their mailing list to ensure that you receive communications from their office.

Follow our tips for more productive college visits.

1) Plan in advance. When scheduling your college visits, check out each college admissions website a couple of weeks in advance to find out what visit options they offer, and how to sign up for them. You might find out that you can have an interview, sit in on a class, or spend the night in a dormitory. Options vary, but you’ll never know if you don’t look on their website or give them a call. Besides, you want to be sure that there’ll be a tour and information session on the day you go. And if you’re planning to drive, make sure to look up about parking on campus!

2) Know where you’re going. Few things are more frustrating than getting lost. Make sure that you not only have printed directions to the college (your GPS won’t work everywhere), but that you also know exactly where to find the Admissions Office on campus. A little research can go a long way toward making your visit stress-free.

3) Be comfortable. On a college visit, you could end up doing a lot of walking. Wear comfortable clothes, and shoes that you won’t mind walking in for an hour or more. It’s also a good idea to check the weather report and be prepared for rain, cold, snow, or extreme heat. If your feet hurt after the tour, or your clothes are soaked from the rain, you’ll be less likely to enjoy your visit, which will affect how you feel about the school.

3) Go beyond the prescribed options. Most colleges will offer a college tour and information session. It’s important to take some time to wander around the campus on your own. Grab lunch in the dining hall or hang out in the student center. See if you can explore the library or athletic center (if those are of interest to you). Most important, don’t be afraid to ask random students how they feel about their school. They may provide a different perspective than your official tour guide.

4) Take notes (and pictures)! If you’re going on a whirlwind tour of 5 colleges in one week, you may have trouble remembering all of the details. Take notes at each college of things that stand out, and that you want to remember. Take a few pictures, as well. Visual aids can go a long way toward triggering your memory and helping you reflect on your visits.

Visiting colleges is an important part of the application process. Your perceptions will have a lot of impact on your applications, and your decisions to apply to certain colleges. Following our advice will not only help you collect the best information, but also get you through your visits with as little stress and hassle as possible.

Early deadlines are often in the first week or two of November, and decisions are usually released around mid-December. If your application is denied, you typically can’t reapply under the regular deadline. Some colleges will defer applications to the regular round if they can’t make a decision (or don’t want to) in the early round. In that case, your application will be reviewed again in Regular Decision and you’ll usually be sent a final decision by April 1.

Early Action
Early Action is on the more flexible end of the early deadline spectrum. You can apply Early Action to multiple colleges, and to any colleges with early deadlines that don’t impose their own restrictions. If you’re admitted, you have until May 1 to decide if you want to accept the offer, and you can apply to more colleges during the Regular Decision round.

Early Decision
If you apply Early Decision, you can apply to other colleges with Early Action or other non-restrictive early deadlines. However, Early Decision is a binding agreement, meaning if you’re admitted, you’re obligated to attend that school. If you’re admitted Early Decision you need to withdraw all of your other college applications. The only exception to this is if you absolutely can’t attend for financial reasons. 

Early Decision II
Early Decision II is similar to Early Decision in that it’s a binding agreement. If you’re admitted Early Decision II, you’re obligated to attend. However, Early Decision II deadlines are a bit later in the year, usually in January, with notification dates typically in mid-February. This is a good choice for students who perhaps weren’t admitted to their top choice early application school, or who discovered a school late, but still want to submit an “early” application. A relatively small number of schools have ED II, so be sure to check if schools of interest to you offer this option. 

Restrictive or Single Choice Early Action
This deadline is less common, but still important to be aware of. Restrictive or Single Choice Early Action deadlines are non-binding, and have most of the same characteristics as Early Action. You don’t have to attend if admitted, and you can apply to other schools Regular Decision. The main difference, however, is that under Single Choice Early Action you may not be allowed to submit early applications to certain other colleges. Under some Restrictive Early Action programs (Harvard, Yale), you can apply early to public universities; under others, you can apply to other Early Action schools, but not an Early Decision school (Georgetown).  And still under others (Michigan, UNC), you can do either EA or ED at other schools.  

Rolling Admission
Schools with Rolling Admission deadlines make admissions decisions on a continuing basis throughout the year, until space in the freshman class is filled. The class at Rolling Admission schools can fill up fairly quickly, especially at the more popular institutions. If you’re interested in a school with Rolling Admission, it’s important to submit your application as early as possible. That will give you the best shot of being admitted.

Applying early can be a great idea. It can help alleviate stress later on in the process. You could end up with an early acceptance in your pocket before Regular Decision rolls around. Having submitted a college application already, you’ll feel more confident about submitting applications later on. Just remember to pay attention to specific early deadlines, be sure you know what you’re committing (or not committing) to, and that you’re following each school’s guidelines.

A college that’s a good fit is a good match with your needs, priorities, and interests.  Why is this important? From a personal development perspective, considering fit will help you learn more about yourself and the kind of environment in which you learn best.  College will be your home for four years, so it’s important to really understand the characteristics that suit you best, and know how to find the schools that have them.

Practically speaking, if you don’t think about fit going into the application process, your college list may not yield schools where you’ll be happiest and most successful. 

Finding the right college fit may seem like a daunting task, but really all it takes is dedicating some time to researching yourself, and researching colleges.

Researching yourself.  This isn’t so easy to do because there are no guidebooks or rankings for your values, learning style, and social style.  However, you can do some self-reflection in several ways.  Start with a typical day at school.  Who are your friends?  How are you in the classroom?  What do you talk about at lunch?  What activities are you involved in?  Think about your values.  What’s important to you?  Do you have strong religious or political beliefs?  How close are you with your family?  Are you excited about college more for its own sake, or because of where college will get you in the future?  Write down these key points and keep them in mind as you’re perusing guidebooks, reading websites, and visiting colleges.

Researching colleges.  It’s very easy when researching colleges to get caught up in rankings, name recognition, and average SAT scores.  It’s OK to keep some schools on your list because you’re impressed by these things, but only after you have done in-depth research that goes beyond the college admissions FAQs.  One place to start is with descriptive college guides such as The Insider’s Guide to the Colleges and Fiske Guide to Colleges.  These sources provide detailed written descriptions of hundreds of colleges.   As you read them, pay attention to quotes and details that align with things that are important to you.

You should also do some research through the colleges themselves.  Take virtual tours on their websites, reach out to current students and admissions counselors, and ask open-ended questions about the things that matter to you. For example, instead of asking if you need to join a fraternity to have a social life, you could ask about what students like to do on the weekend.  Open-ended questions may lead to answers that more accurately reflect the reality on campus.  You’ll be able to get a sense of how each college matches (or doesn’t match) your needs and interests.

Ideally, you should like all of the schools on your list: reaches, probables, and likelies.  If you are committed to finding colleges that are a good fit, you should have no trouble finding a range of colleges you’d be happy to attend.  Besides, any extra research and thought you put toward this process will help make your applications that much stronger and will also make it more likely that you’ll end up in the right place in the end.

In general, when applying as a transfer student, the further away you are from high school, the less important your high school work and your SAT or ACT scores become.  So if you had a weaker academic record in high school, you’ll want to show the colleges you apply to at least a full semester of strong college coursework, but preferably a full year or more.  In fact, many colleges want you to attend your initial college for 2 years, if possible.  It’s a delicate balance, but generally, you should plan to transfer after your freshman or sophomore year of college.

If you are considering a transfer and wondering what courses to take, you need to examine your reasons for transferring, and the type of school you want to transfer to.  Both your motivation to transfer and the type of school you want to attend should inform your course selection.

Transferring for more of a challenge.  If you want to be at a more challenging or competitive school than the one you currently attend, make sure you are challenging yourself in college, much in the same way you hopefully did in high school.  You want to demonstrate through your course selection that you are interested in pursuing a challenging college education.  Some ways you can do this are by taking more intensive courses for your general education requirements.  Take calculus instead of statistics.  Take a lab science instead of nutritional science.  Aim for intensive reading and writing courses instead of “lighter” humanities or social science courses.  That way, even though your college may not be as competitive as you would like, you can at least show that you are seeking the most rigorous education available to you.  And of course, you must do very well in your courses.

Transferring between colleges may seem even more mysterious than applying as a first-year, but some advance planning of your college course selection can go a long way toward strengthening your application.

If you have a class rank, colleges will look at it.  If your high school uses class rank and reports it on your transcript or in your secondary school report, the colleges you apply to will see it.  That being said, they consider class rank within the context of your school.  If you go to a very small high school, class rank is not going to mean as much.  Similarly, if you go to a very competitive school, they will take that into account when considering your rank.  They will also pay attention to other factors that could affect your rank.  For instance, if you transferred high schools after 10^th grade, that could affect your rank – so it is important to provide information about special circumstances to the colleges you’re applying to.

The most important thing to know about how colleges evaluate your academic record is that it is all about holistic review.  Colleges look at your entire academic picture within your particular context.  More important than any one particular aspect of your academic record, colleges care about how all of the academic pieces fit together.         

Test-Optional and Test-Flexible are college admissions testing policies that do not have the traditional SAT, SAT Subject Test, or ACT requirements.  These schools deemphasize the use of SAT and ACT scores in making admissions decisions, either by not requiring them at all, or by allowing students to submit other types of test scores, or even graded class assignments.  For a complete list of Test-Optional and Test-Flexible schools, visit Fairtest.org. 

Test-Optional.  Will not require SAT, SAT Subject Test, or ACT scores from their applicants. However, most Test-Optional colleges will give you the option to submit your scores if you want to. In some cases, a test-optional school will ask that if you choose to not submit your SAT or ACT scores that you submit a graded paper you wrote for school or some other project or credential, instead.

Test-Flexible.  Test-Flexible schools are a bit different because they want to see the results of somestandardized testing, but it does not have to be the SAT or ACT, per se.  Test-Flexible policies range from allowing students to submit 2 or 3 SAT Subject Test scores instead of the SAT or ACT, to allowing applicants to submit the results of just about any standardized tests (IB or AP scores, for example). Schools will sometimes allow students to submit scores in combination, such as the SAT Critical Reading Section, the AP Calculus exam, and an SAT Subject Test in French.

If you see that some schools on your list are Test-Optional or Test-Flexible, you can use that information to help present yourself in the most favorable light to that school. 

At a Test-Optional school, if your SAT or ACT scores are at the high end of their middle 50% range, or above their middle 50% range, it would probably be to your advantage to submit your test scores.  However, if your scores are on the lower end of their middle 50%, or below their middle 50% range, you may want to consider not submitting them.  No matter what, you’ll want to make sure that the scores you send represent you well, relative to the college’s overall applicant pool.  

At a Test-Flexible school, you want to submit the best scores you have – and you have some flexibility on what to send. Each college’s policy is unique, so it’s important to review each school’s test options, and compare them to your scores. Within the college’s parameters, choose the scores that represent you best. You can always ask your college counselor for help if you’re having trouble deciding.   

Test-Optional and Test-Flexible policies are numerous and complex – and the options are increasing.  So it’s important to always check with the school directly to confirm their testing policy before making any assumptions.  However, if you take the time to educate yourself and read each school’s instructions, you can present yourself (and your testing) in the best possible light.  

Fortunately, many high schools or school districts host their own college fairs.  You should ask your college counselor about any upcoming college fairs this fall, and see if s/he has a list of schools that will be attending so you can arrive prepared. 

If your high school doesn’t have a college fair, or if you want access to a larger group of schools, you could also check out the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) Fall College Fairs.  NACAC offers numerous college fairs around the country throughout the fall, starting September 16 in Birmingham, Alabama through November 7 in Washington, DC.  National College Fairs are huge, often with hundreds of colleges and thousands of students and parents visiting.  They may be crowded, but they offer resources that many smaller college fairs cannot.  For instance, National College Fairs often offer workshops and presentations on admissions and financial aid, in addition to having a Counseling Center on site where you can meet with counselors.

What if there isn’t a National College Fair nearby and your school doesn’t host a fair?  Your counselor may know of some college fairs organized locally by city or region.  You can also reach out to the colleges you are most interested in to find out if they are going to any college fairs in your area.

So, how should you behave at a college fair?  Follow these suggestions and you’ll do just fine.

1)   Look presentable!  No need to dress up, but you should definitely avoid showing up in your gym clothes.  Remember, when a fair is at your school, you are representing your school.  It’s best to leave a positive impression.

2)   Do your research.  If you’re planning to see a particular college, do some preliminary research beforehand so you don’t end up asking questions you could have easily answered on your own through a quick scan of their website.  Some examples of questions to avoid: Do you offer _____ major?  What is the middle 50% range of your SAT or ACT scores?  Where is your school located?  What are your application deadlines?  Admissions representatives prefer questions that get more at the substance and character of the school than their Frequently Asked Questions.

3)   This is not an interview.  A college fair is not your opportunity to chat with your favorite college for 30 minutes while a line of students builds up behind you.  You’ll want to come up to the table, introduce yourself to the representative, ask your question (or two), pick up some materials, and move on.     

4)   Have an open mind.  You probably just want to see a few specific colleges – probably ones you and your parents, friends, and siblings have heard of.  That’s understandable, but we encourage you to be open- minded at college fairs, and learn about some colleges that you may not be as familiar with. 

We know you’re busy this fall, but we hope you will take the time to attend some college fairs and jumpstart your college search.  

§  Check out the 2012-2013 Common Application prompts.  Chances are, you’ll be applying to at least one Common Application school, and the prompts are broad enough that schools that are not on the Common Application will probably ask you some of the same questions. Write them down and carry them around with you for a while. As ideas come to you, jot down some notes right then and there.

§  Admissions officers want to get to know you through your essay. They want to read an essay that is truly about you, or about something important to you. So spend some time thinking about what’s important to you. How you like to spend your free time…Why you want to go to college…What you cannot live without… Pondering ideas like these will help you identify some possible topics.

§  College essays don’t have to be about something important, either. You can start with some fun ideas like adjectives you would use to describe yourself, and a story that demonstrates each one. Think about how your friends and family would describe you. Make a list of some of your favorite things – books, subjects in school, quotes, movies, or TV shows. Brainstorming these ideas could give you a fun way to show colleges who you are. 

§  Free Write! Sometimes, the best ideas come out of no idea at all. Give yourself a generic prompt such as “I used to wish…” or, “I’m looking out a window…” and without thinking about it too much, write for 10 straight minutes in response. The result will not be a finished product, but you may be surprised to find some great raw material to use in your college essay.

§  Sometimes, great essays are inspired by specific experiences.  Think about some moments that have stood out to you since you’ve been in high school.  Remember, they don’t necessarily have to be impressive or important experiences, but they do have to show something unique and interesting about you.

Ideally, you should enjoy writing your college essay. If you enjoyed writing it, an admissions officer is more likely to enjoy reading it. Doing some pre-writing exercises and brainstorming activities will help you be more relaxed when you write your essay. You will feel less stressed and anxious, allowing your authentic and unique voice to shine through in your writing.    

Make an appointment with your college counselor. There’s a lot to discuss with your counselor in the fall of your senior year, but make sure to cover a few key topics. Discuss the state of your college list and any college visits you went on over the summer. Ask about the process for sending transcripts to colleges. If you want your counselor to review your essays or applications, ask if s/he is willing to do so. Your counselor will be sending a recommendation letter for you to colleges, as well. With that in mind, share any updates about new accomplishments, awards, or interesting experiences.

Ask for any outstanding recommendation letters. Most colleges need at least one, and sometimes two letters of recommendation from teachers in core subject areas (math, science, English, social science, or foreign language). Check in with any teachers you may have asked at the end of junior year. If you only have one teacher lined up, think of one or two more teachers who would be happy to write you a positive letter of recommendation. And remember – colleges prefer recommendation letters from junior and senior year teachers.

Review your standardized testing results and make a fall plan. Collect any SAT, ACT, or SAT Subject Test scores you have from sophomore or junior year. If you feel comfortable with your scores – great! However, if you feel you can improve your scores significantly, consider planning to take (or retake) tests in the fall. The fall is also the time to make sure you’ve taken all necessary Subject Tests, as some colleges require these additional tests for admission.

Start working on your college applications. Even if you’re applying Early Decision or Early Action, November 1 might seem really far away. However, it is in your best interest to start filling out the Common Application (and any other college applications) now. Starting early will give you time to collect information that you may not know off the top of your head. For instance…Where did your parents go to college or graduate school? What are all of the honors and awards you received in high school? What is your social security number? The earlier you start filling out the forms, the more time you’ll have to review, research, and feel confident about your application.

Set aside time to work on your essays. The writing process is different for every student, and you need to figure out what works best for you. The most important thing is that you start brainstorming, thinking, and writing now. Review the Common Application prompts and the essay prompts from other colleges. College essay prompts are usually pretty open-ended, so you have a lot of flexibility with topics. Some students enjoy free-writing to get ideas flowing. Others need more structured brainstorming activities. If you’re really stuck, ask your English teacher or college counselor for some essay writing tips.

Keep up your academic performance! Colleges are interested in all of your academic work, not just junior year. You have signed up for challenging courses this year, and now you have to maintain your strong grades and show how you perform in a rigorous curriculum. If your grades were a bit weaker in junior year, fall semester senior year is an opportunity to show improvement. Either way, you want to start senior year with your best foot forward and show colleges your best academic work so far. 

Finalize your fall course schedule. Colleges play close attention to your academic performance throughout high school, and junior year is no exception. Make sure that you are challenging yourself in multiple areas by taking advanced or honors classes and pursuing subjects beyond the minimum requirements at your school. If you want to make any changes to your schedule, or try to move into a more advanced class, make sure to get in touch with your counselor right away.

Make an appointment with your college counselor. Discuss your college goals and academic interests, and give him/her a copy of your activities resume. You can also ask if your counselor has any college questionnaires or surveys to fill out. These are not only helpful for your counselor to get to know you better, but also to help you reflect on your talents, strengths, and interests. The college process is very much about getting to know yourself better, and filling out a survey from your counselor is a great way to begin that self-reflection.

Create a standardized testing plan. Most colleges will require that you submit an SAT or ACT score, and possibly SAT Subject Test scores. In order to avoid scrambling next year, create your testing plan now. You will want to take one or two “official” SAT or ACT tests this year, and possibly some SAT Subject Tests.

PSAT. You will most likely be scheduled for a PSAT at your high school in the fall of your junior year. The junior year PSAT is how you can qualify for the National Merit Scholarship, and a way to gauge your performance on the SAT.

SAT. Many students take their first “official” SAT in January or March of junior year, which leaves the entire fall to study and prepare. However, if you felt great about your PSAT, there is no harm in trying the SAT in the fall of your junior year, as well.

ACT. Many students, especially on the East Coast, may not be as familiar with the ACT. The ACT has more sections than the SAT (English, Math, Science, Reading, and an optional Writing section), but is almost an hour shorter. Colleges will accept the SAT or the ACT, and in some cases will accept the ACT in lieu of the SAT and Subject Tests. Many students prefer one or the other, so take a diagnostic of each.    

Subject Tests. There are a range of SAT Subject Tests in Math, Science, Foreign Languages, History, and Literature, and advanced coursework is often the best preparation. For example, if you are taking AP US History this year, you should consider taking the SAT Subject Test in US History around the same time as the AP exam. Remember – you can take up to 3 Subject Tests in one sitting, so try and find 2 or 3 tests you can take at once. 

Attend a local college fair. Maybe your high school hosts its own college fair. If so – great! If your school doesn’t have its own college fair, there are often local organizations that host college fairs, or there might be a National College Fair coming to a city near you this fall. Once at a fair, branch out; take the opportunity to learn about new schools, and also to delve deeper into schools already on your radar.

Make sure your fall schedule is finalized. Are you taking all of the required courses? Are you in the honors (or even AP) level classes you wanted? Does your sophomore year schedule show that you’re challenging yourself? If you think you’re missing an important class, or want to see if you can get into one more honors course, make an appointment with your counselor or adviser as soon as you can.

Find out when (and if) your school will be administering the PSAT or PLAN. The more standardized testing practice you get early in high school, the more comfortable you will feel taking these tests as a junior or senior. Your PSAT and PLAN results can help identify areas of weakness in your testing, as well. Your PSAT score report, for instance, includes not only your overall score, but also the individual breakdown of specific skills and how well you tested in each. If you consistently missed questions about Organization and Ideas, for instance, you’ll be able to go to the College Board to learn more about that skill, and to drill questions in that area.

Update your resume. Write down all of your activities from freshman year, and what you did over the summer, including any jobs or significant family responsibilities. Next to each activity write a one line description, and another line highlighting any titles, positions, or specific achievements. Type this up and keep it somewhere you’ll remember. Consider which activities you have enjoyed so far or could result in a leadership position, and which you can leave behind. And if your involvement has sparked a new interest, research ways to explore it further.

Maintain your academic performance. No matter what your freshman year grades were, you can have an amazing sophomore year. Of course, colleges like to see strong grades in challenging courses throughout high school. But even if you got off to a rocky start, bringing your grades up this year will show that you are committed to improving, and your transcript will have an upward grade trend, which colleges will acknowledge. What you want to avoid, no matter how strong your freshman year was, is a dip in your grades sophomore year. Start out strong sophomore year, and keep the momentum going!

Don’t start thinking about specific colleges just yet. It’s still too early in high school to know what could be a good fit for you. If you really want to start learning about colleges this year, read up on the differences between liberal arts colleges, research universities, and public and private colleges. That way, when you do start researching colleges in earnest, you will already have a sense of the significant differences between them. 

Familiarize yourself with the course offerings at your high school. High schools can offer a variety of course options, including IB or AP, honors or advanced, and College Prep or Pre-AP.  Some schools have a tracking system where students may have difficulty switching from regular to honors courses. Or your school may not have honors or elective courses at all. Ask about the options at your high school now so that you can make informed curriculum choices.

Find out what sort of standardized testing is offered at your school. Some high schools schedule the PSAT or the PLAN for their freshmen and sophomore students. Ask if your school offers the PSAT or PLAN for freshmen or sophomores, and if so, when you would be taking them.

Start thinking about extracurricular activities. What have you done after school and during the summers until now, and do you want to continue any of these activities? Find out if they are offered at your high school. If you’re unsure of what you want to do, use freshman year to explore. This is your opportunity to start over, or try something new. Be sure to start with a broad range of activities – you never know what might develop into a true passion, or become an opportunity for leadership later on. Getting involved in activities early in high school will not only help you manage your time better, but also give you plenty of time to narrow down to a few sustained commitments by the time you apply to college.

Keep your grades up from the beginning. It may be tempting to give yourself a break and take it easy freshman year, but most colleges will look at all of your high school grades, and you don’t want to start high school with bad habits (or bad grades). If you start out motivated and high performing, you will set a trend for the rest of your high school career.

And finally…don’t think about specific colleges just yet! You’ve probably heard of some “good” schools from your parents or your friends, or maybe your older brother or sister, but there’s no way to know right now which is the school for you. What appeals to you as a senior in high school may be very different than what appeals to you right now, so try not to get fixated on where you want to go just yet. Remember – just because you’ve heard of a school doesn’t mean it’s a good fit for you, and just because you haven’t heard of a school doesn’t mean it isn’t a good fit! 

First, you won’t really know how you feel about a place until you’ve been there.  College is an actual place where you will live and study for four years, so you should probably check it out to make sure you like it before submitting an application.  A college might look great on the website and in guidebooks, and you may have heard great things from your friends, but you might feel differently when you get there.

Visiting colleges can also help you in the admissions process.  Some colleges consider “demonstrated interest” as a factor in making admissions decisions.  Visiting a college, so long as there is a record of that visit in the Admissions Office, is one form of demonstrated interest.  And while some admissions offices will be more impressed if you come to visit from far away than if you live down the street, the college down the street from where you live might question why you haven’t visited.  In any event, your best bet is to pay schools a visit if you can.

Finally, college visits will help you refine your college search.  If you started your college search convinced you wanted to go to a big school – go visit a big school!  You may love the feel, or you might realize that by a big school you meant you just wanted to go somewhere bigger than your high school.  After a few visits, you’ll get a sense of what it means to be a rural or urban school, a liberal arts college or research institution, and feel more confident about your personal criteria for choosing colleges.

If you are concerned about how this might affect you, here are a couple of things you should know.

1) Some counselors work with hundreds of students, and simply do not know their students well enough, or have the time to write hundreds of detailed and thoughtful letters. If your counselor has a caseload of 500 students and elects to not write a letter for you, admissions offices will not penalize you for that. They understand that your counselor has too many students to work with and too little time, and will leave it at that.

2) On the other hand, if you go to a small school, admissions offices will expect a written evaluation from the counselor for every student. In that situation, it might appear strange if your counselor declines to write a letter for you. If you go to a small school, but don’t know your college counselor very well, there is still time to make a good impression! 

3) You can ensure that your counselor will write you a detailed letter, but only if you take the time to build a relationship with him or her. If you are worried that your counselor may not know you very well, it’s not too late. Make an appointment with your counselor; ask if s/he would review your college list with you, or help you edit your essays. Even just spending some time in the counseling office, researching colleges or working on your applications, will provide an opportunity for your counselor to learn who you are, and see your commitment to the college process.   

Of course, you can’t control what your college counselor actually ends up writing about you, but you can do some things to better the chances for a positive evaluation.  

Honors colleges combine the small liberal arts college experience with the resources and facilities of a comprehensive university. Honors colleges are academically rigorous learning communities within larger research universities where you live and study alongside some of the brightest students at the school.

Honors colleges often have their own housing facilities, smaller class sizes than the university at-large, and dedicated faculty and staff who specifically teach honors college students, and even sometimes live with them in the residence halls. Students in the honors college have the benefit of a smaller intellectual community, as well as access to the entire range of majors and programs available at the university. Sometimes, honors college students even get priority registration, which can be a big deal at a larger school.

But fear not – honors college students aren’t secluded from the rest of campus. As a student at the honors college, you are also a member of the greater university community. You are not limited to participating in activities only offered by the honors college, or taking courses with other honors college students.  Any of the clubs and extracurricular activities open to the entire university are available to you. Put on your face paint and go to the big game on Friday night. Take any courses for which you meet the prerequisites. Being in the honors college does not limit your access to resources, but expands it.

In some cases, applicants to comprehensive universities are automatically considered for the honors college – but not always. Check if you need to apply directly to the honors program from the start, if you’ll be selected by the admissions committee without an additional application, or if the process for applying begins after your initial admission notification.  As with many things in the application process, it all depends on the school.

The Block Plan is a unique class schedule used by a few schools such as Colorado College (Colorado Springs, CO), Cornell College (Mount Vernon, IA), and Tusculum College (Greeneville, TN). The Block Plan entails taking one course at a time for three and a half weeks (and professors teach one at a time, as well). When the course ends, there is a four-and-a-half day break. The school year is divided into eight “blocks.” Block Plan schools have small class sizes and offer a liberal arts and science curriculum.  

The Block Plan allows for truly intensive academic work in each subject, as there are no distractions from the course at hand. Professors can take their classes on extended trips without worrying about cutting into a student’s other academic responsibilities, or taking up a student’s vacation time. Classes typically meet 3-5 hours per day, Monday-Friday, but professors are free to schedule classes outside of that format.

For instance, the Film Studies department at Colorado College offers a Block-in-Hollywood, where students experience the film and television industry on-site. Cornell College requires all Geology majors to go on at least one extended field course for 18 days to New Zealand, the Bahamas, Hawaii, or a number of other locations offered on a rotating basis. At Tusculum College, instead of doing a full semester, or a spring break program, students can spend a block doing service work in Belize.

Any course you take at a Block Plan college will allow for intensive engagement with the course at hand, whether it’s through uninterrupted class discussion, total immersion in a foreign language, dedicated laboratory time, or the opportunity for exciting field work.  

If you are interested in pursuing a traditional liberal arts and science education with small class sizes and dedicated professors, along with the distinction of being able to focus on one course at a time, you may want to consider adding a Block Plan college to your list.

1) Do I have to major in business in order to go into business or finance after I graduate? The short answer is no. A business major is not necessary to go into business or finance. For good preparation, focus on getting a good grasp of mathematics, statistics, economics, and the social sciences, while also gaining some work and internship experience.

2) What kinds of business majors are there? There’s a wide range of business and business-related majors. The most common are Business or Business Administration, Management, Accounting, Finance, and Marketing. There’s also an increasing interest in International Business, due to the ever-growing importance of the global economy.

3) Can I major in business everywhere? No, not all colleges will offer a business major – but not pursuing a business major in no way prevents you from entering the business field after graduation. Business majors are typically offered at larger universities, sometimes offered at medium-sized universities, and less frequently offered at small liberal arts colleges. However, some liberal arts colleges do offer majors in business and you can usually find strong career advising in this field. If a small liberal arts college does offer a business major, it will probably be Business or Business Administration. In addition, at schools without business majors, students will often major in Economics while pursuing business career advising. 

4) What will I learn as a business major? This varies from school to school, and depends how specific your business major is. An accounting major, for instance, will prepare you very specifically for a career as an accountant.  A standard business major, however, will provide the skills and knowledge you’ll need to be an effective, responsible member of the work force in business, government, or non-profit work. This involves studying planning and organization, leadership and group dynamics, and, of course, finance and economics.

There are many paths to prepare for a career in business. If your interest in business is both academic andprofessionally oriented, there are myriad opportunities to major in business, and a variety of business fields. You can also pursue numerous non-business majors alongside career advising to be prepared for the business world, and most colleges will have career advising and assistance of some sort available to you. Just remember that if you’re serious about going into business, there are many ways to get there; select the programs that are the best fit for you.

Eco Schools share a commitment to environmental stewardship, social change, and building a sustainable future through environmental learning. They encourage students to explore environmental issues and develop creative solutions to sustainability problems across multiple disciplines. You can focus on business or politics, with an emphasis on environmental issues, or you can major in ecology or environmental studies. Some schools foster this atmosphere simply by providing the intellectual space and resources for students. Some schools are more intentional about this process, such as the College of the Atlantic (Bar Harbor, ME), where all students major in Human Ecology, but can take courses across a wide range of subjects.

If you are truly eco-focused, you might want to consider some colleges that have particularly strong or unique environmental programs and facilities. To highlight just a few – Middlebury College (Middlebury, VT) has the oldest undergraduate environmental studies program in the country. Oberlin College (Oberlin, OH) has the largest solar array in the state of Ohio. Dickinson College (Carlisle, PA) has a number of exciting environmental and sustainability initiatives, including the student-run Dickinson College Biodiesel Project, where students produce their own biodiesel from local restaurants (which is then used to power vehicles and equipment on campus). Duke University (Durham, NC) has an entire School of the Environment, offers a range of environmental studies majors and a couple of minors, and runs a Marine Lab in Beaufort, NC, which all students at Duke can access.

If you see yourself on the frontiers of environmental research and ecological studies, or as the next name in green architecture, entrepreneurship, or sustainable agriculture, you may want to consider adding an Eco School to your list.

Most commonly, students preparing for law school will major in social sciences such as history, political science, or psychology, but you can major in just about anything and still be prepared for law school. Pre-law programs usually recommend taking plenty of social science and humanities courses, and probably some economics or statistics courses, as well.

Law schools are looking for students who perform well academically in college, have strong critical thinking, writing, and reasoning skills, and will bring a unique perspective to the academic community. With that in mind, if you major in a field outside of the social sciences, you would be bringing that diversity of experience, which could make you a more compelling candidate.

If you really want to major specifically in a law-related field, there are a few majors you could look into such as legal studies, criminal justice, and paralegal studies. Most traditional liberal arts colleges will not offer these majors, but you may be able to find them at larger, comprehensive universities.

Bear in mind that a law degree is not something you pursue because it is a “good degree to have.” A law degree prepares you very specifically to work in the law. If you are truly interested in studying law for academic and professional reasons, law school could be a good fit for you. Fortunately, being pre-law in college does not mean you have to go to law school, but it will provide an interesting framework for your undergraduate studies. 

Some well known co-op colleges are Northeastern University (Boston, MA), University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH), and Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA).

So how does cooperative education work?

At co-op colleges, students alternate between full-time classroom learning and full-time learning on the job. Students might spend one semester on campus, followed by a semester off-campus working full-time in a field related to their academic or career interests. By the time a student graduates, they will have held between 2 and 5 different full-time jobs, explored several career interests, and gained the maturity and flexibility that comes from going through the job application process, earning money, and living independently.

Students typically take a pre co-op course to prepare for full-time employment. They are also provided with a co-op adviser or counselor who will help the student search for, and apply to, co-op positions. Co-op colleges have connections with employers throughout the United States, and around the world, to ensure that students can find engaging and exciting employment during co-op terms.

It is important to note that in some cases, the co-op schedule extends the college experience to 5 years instead of 4. However, for some students, the value of earning money and gaining work experience outweighs the extra time it might take to graduate.

Students at co-op colleges are hands-on learners. They like to put theory into practice right away, and then go back and apply what they learned on the job to their academic work. With up to 18 months of experience by the time they graduate, students are confident they will be successful in the workforce. They will be familiar with the dynamics of the workplace, working as part of a team, and communicating with co-workers and employers. And as you can imagine, it’s not uncommon for a co-op job to lead to full-time employment after graduation. Just another (potential) office perk…

• Do you have a pre-med or health professions advising program?
• How does your program work?
• Is there an application process to the program?
• How many students are pre-med?
• How many students are accepted into medical school?
• Do you have any restrictions regarding who may apply to med school?
• Are pre-med advisers (or is the pre-med adviser) easily accessible?
• How early do I have to start the pre-med program?
• Is there assistance to help undergrads find research, internship, and clinical experiences?
• Do you offer MCAT prep and med school application guidance as part of your program?

1) You won’t necessarily be taking classes only with other women. Many women’s colleges have consortium agreements with other nearby co-ed colleges. Students who take advantage of these agreements can take courses at multiple colleges, and students at other schools can take courses at the women’s college. This means you’re likely to have male students in at least some – and perhaps many –of your classes. For instance, Barnard and Columbia, Bryn Mawr andHaverford, and Scripps and the other Claremont Colleges all easily participate in class exchanges.

2) You may be more likely to pursue a math or science major at a women’s college. As much as we may be reluctant to admit it, men still far outnumber women in math and science fields, even though more women currently attend college than men. At women’s colleges, however, the sciences are highly-enrolled majors. 

3) You may be more likely to pursue – and obtain – leadership experience. If you look at the gender breakdown of America’s leaders in government (362 members of Congress are men and 76 are women), business (12 Fortune 500 companies are run by women), education (23% of college presidents are women), and other fields, there is a noticeable difference between the numbers of women and men in leadership positions. One of the keys to help level the playing field is for women to obtain more leadership positions in college. At a women’s college, women hold all of the leadership positions, and career services and advising are focused on women. This means that if you are planning to become a leader in business, technology, education, politics – or any field, really – you may be more likely to get that crucial experience at a women’s college.

Women’s colleges provide an environment with strong female role models in numerous academic fields and plenty of opportunities for student leadership…all good reasons to see if one of the women’s colleges might be a good fit for you.

The AP (Advanced Placement) program is a curriculum sponsored by the College Board that offers standardized courses in over 30 subjects. Participating colleges recognize the courses as equivalent to college-level work, and may offer college credit for qualifying scores on AP exams. The exams are offered every May, and scored on a scale of 1-5. The advantage of this curriculum, aside from the possibility of getting college credit, is that students have the flexibility to choose the AP courses that best match their interests, without needing to follow a pre-determined course plan.

The IB (International Baccalaureate) program is more structured. Students have the option to choose Standard or Higher Level IB courses, and they must take courses across a specific range of subject areas. The IB program has 3 required elements, as well: a Theory of Knowledge course, Service Learning, and an Extended Essay. Students can also get college credit for qualifying scores on IB exams, graded on a scale of 1-7. An advantage of the IB option is that it offers a cohesive curriculum that culminates in earning an internationally recognized IB diploma (there is also an option to do a partial program that culminates in a certificate).

Colleges appreciate the rigor and intellectual challenge of both curricula. If you have the opportunity to choose between them, consider the advice of your guidance counselor, and weigh that against how you learn best.  

Until now, applicants to Ithaca have had two application options.  They could apply by November 1 as an Early Decision applicant to receive a binding admissions decision by December 15.  Alternately, they could apply by February 1 as a Regular Decision applicant to receive an admissions decision by April 1.  Starting this fall, Ithaca College will offer a third option: to apply by December 1 under a non-binding Early Action deadline to receive an admissions decision by February 1.

The new application option will allow students who are excited about Ithaca College (but perhaps not ready to commit to attending) to still apply early and show their enthusiasm for the college.  Note that because of the audition and interview process, applicants to the Music or Theatre programs cannot apply Early Action.

Applicants will also have the option of not submitting SAT or ACT scores.  Students with a strong academic record in school, but relatively weaker test scores, can feel less anxious about applying to Ithaca.  However, home-schooled students and students who attend schools with descriptive (as opposed to alphanumeric) report cards must submit an SAT or ACT score; all international students whose first language is not English must also submit a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score. 

Either way, taking a gap year is a perfectly acceptable decision, so long as the time is used productively.  The goal is to begin college the following year refreshed and with greater wisdom and maturity.  

There are many paths you could take during a gap year.  You can pursue intensive service work with organizations like AmeriCorps and City Year, or seek out a year-long internship or job in an area of interest.  You may want to talk to your parents about living abroad and teaching English.  Or perhaps you just want to focus on honing your athletic, artistic, musical, or theatrical talents for a year? 

If you have already submitted an enrollment deposit, many colleges will be accommodating and allow you to defer your enrollment, so long as you can show them you have a solid plan.  You can also decline your offers of admission, and reapply next year.  Just make sure to really think it through and talk it over with your parents before making a final decision.

Summer vacation is no reason to stop doing what you love during the school year.   You can attend an athletics, music, or arts summer camp, get involved with political campaigns, or apply to summer leadership programs.  You can also head over to your local library or youth center to see if they need any summer volunteers.  If you love to act, audition at your community theater this summer.  If journalism is your thing, approach your local newspaper about submitting a few articles. 

If you’re thinking about careers, consider gaining some work experience over the summer.  You can reach out to businesses and ask for an informational interview or a shadowing opportunity; you can also offer to volunteer your services as an unpaid intern.  If you’re interested in earning money, check your local listings for jobs at businesses in the area, or apply for counselor jobs at summer camps.     

For the more academically minded, there are plenty of summer programs to apply to, or head to a community college and sign up for a class (or two).  Summer is also a good time to do some serious reading, if that’s your thing.  You might think you need to work with a professor on an intensive research project for colleges to take notice (which is a perfectly viable option if you have the opportunity), but as long as you’re actively pursuing your interests, colleges will recognize that.

Finally, don’t think you need to pack productive experiences into every moment of your summer.  It’s important to take some time to recharge, take care of yourself, and relax so that when the school year comes around, you’ll be refreshed and ready to go!

Notably, the MCAT is placing more of an emphasis on the social sciences than it has in the past.  On the 2015 exam, in addition to two sections on the Natural Sciences, there are going to be two new sections: Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior (yes, that is the name of one section) and Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills.  The Writing Sample section will be eliminated.  In all, the updated exam will be about an hour longer.   

With the addition of Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior, and Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills, the AAMC is recognizing that health is influenced not only by purely biological and natural science factors, but also by our psychology, behavior, society, and culture.  The two sections will test students’ accumulated knowledge in the social sciences, and also their reasoning ability in social science disciplines through analysis of various passages. 

Considering the coming changes to the MCAT, it’s important to reflect on how this could change your academic trajectory.  Physicians are expected to be well-versed in more than the sciences, and to have a more holistic worldview.  If you are considering a career in the medical profession, be sure to include a solid base in the humanities and social sciences in your college coursework.  This will help prepare you to take the MCAT, and ensure you have covered the breadth of knowledge and skills that will be expected of you in medical school and beyond.

Test takers who are worried about having an “off day,” will now have the option of retaking the test without needing to share the lower score.  However, applicants will have to submit scores for an entire administration of the exam, meaning they cannot send sections of GRE scores from different dates.

With the addition of score choice for the GRE, it could become a more popular test for business school applicants who would otherwise have taken the GMAT, which requires applicants to submit all scores. 

ETS’ new policy gives the applicant more control in the graduate school application process.  Just remember to check-in with the schools you are applying to before deciding to send just one, or all, of your GRE scores.  Some graduate schools may want to see your entire score history to provide context for your test scores, and others may not have a preference.  Either way, your best plan is to follow the recommendation of the Admissions Office.

College is when you begin to truly come into your own.  You may be living independently for the first time and responsible for making your own decisions – not to mention that choosing a college may be one of the biggest decisions you have made so far.  Remember, when you do go to college, it is you who will be attending, so make sure that it’s your needs and interests you’re focusing on.

You and your parents should work in partnership throughout the college search.  It is important, of course, to rely on your parents for guidance and advice.  After all, they probably know you better than just about anyone.  But be assertive about your interests while remaining open to the insight your parents provide.  And remember, when you communicate with colleges, admissions counselors prefer to hear directly from you.  After all, if they only hear from your parents, how will they get to know you?

The college search is a time of self-exploration and personal development, and we want you to find your way to a college that fits your personality and learning style.  Taking ownership of your college search early will help you face the challenges ahead, and give you the confidence to relax a little and enjoy the process along the way.             

Liberal arts colleges are small with close-knit communities.  Typically, they have fewer than 3000 undergraduate students, and very few graduate students.  Class sizes are small, most of the classes are taught by professors, and you will be expected to participate in the classroom.  Academically, you will be encouraged (if not required!) to explore a wide range of academic fields before focusing on your major.  Because there are so few graduate students, most of the research and internship opportunities will be available to undergraduates.  Living in the dormitories is encouraged, and students are heavily engaged in campus life.

Private research universities are larger than liberal arts colleges, and may have thousands of graduate students, but rarely have more than 15,000 undergraduate students.  These universities frequently have more than one college or school.  As an undergraduate applicant, many, but not all, private research universities require that you indicate which school you are applying to (College of Engineering, School of Education, College of Liberal Arts).  Applying to a specific school within the university allows you to be more focused in your academic field from the beginning.  Professors are dedicated to research in their fields, but also committed to undergraduate teaching.  There will be at least some small classes for undergraduates, but your class sizes may simply be larger here, relative to classes at a liberal arts college.  As an undergraduate, you may also have to compete for some resources with graduate students, but the facilities and opportunities will be of very high quality.  Campus life at these universities is vibrant and active, but many students may live off-campus.

Public research universities range in size, but may have between 15,000 and 50,000 undergraduate students, in addition to thousands of graduate students.  Most likely, there will be several colleges or schools at the university, and you will have to indicate your choice on your application.  Class sizes are probably going to be larger, and you can expect to have a lot of lecture courses.  Professors are primarily focused on research, and working with graduate students, but many professors teach undergraduate courses, as well.  Laboratory and research facilities will be strong, but you may have to compete for access.  These schools are often located in vibrant “college towns,” where a significant percentage of the population is affiliated with the university.  You also have the excitement of big-time athletics.  With huge student populations, there is no shortage of things to do, but you may have to be proactive to find and access what you want.

As you continue in your college search, you can use this guide to help determine what type of schools you want to consider, and where you think you could be the most successful academically, personally, and socially.  We encourage students to take a look at all three types of schools, just to be sure that your instinct (if you have one off the bat) is indeed pointing you in the right direction.

This week, the Common Application announced the addition of 37 new member colleges, raising the total number to 490.  The new members include 9 public colleges, 5 overseas universities, and 2 historically black colleges.  You can see the complete list of new members here.

They have also released the updated versions of the 2012-2013 applications for freshman and transfer applicants.  While the official application will not be available until August 1, you can see a preview of the 2012-2013 applications with the updated sections highlighted.  Here are links to the new freshman and transfer applications.

Extracurricular involvements include any activity not immediately related to a class assignment or a course you’re taking in high school.  This includes school clubs, athletics and outdoor activities, community service, work experience, internships, research experience, religious activities, political involvement, theater, music, and a host of other things. 

Just about every college expects that you’ll be active extracurricularly. Colleges want to see that you will be an engaged and contributing member of a college community.  One way to show this is to be active outside of the classroom and pursue outside interests while in high school.  The value of extracurricular involvement is not only that it strengthens your college application, but also develops your self-awareness, maturity, and time management skills.  Besides, participating in activities of interest to you should be fun and engaging (if it isn’t, maybe you should try getting involved in something new!).

In choosing extracurricular activities, it’s OK to start broad.  You’ll want to explore several areas of interest early in high school so that you can narrow it down to a few meaningful activities later on. 

Admitted student programs are designed to give you more access to the college’s resources than you could get during a typical visit. They are busy and exciting, and jam-packed with information and activities. They often offer the opportunity to attend a class or two, go on specific facilities tours, spend the night in the dormitory, meet professors and administrators, and attend sessions on topics such as Student Life and Academic Advising. You can also meet your potential future classmates and see how you get along with them. These programs are programmed and tailored to provide an informative and positive experience – for instance, every student and faculty member you meet is hand-picked for the occasions. If you enjoy lots of activity and excitement, admitted student programs might be a good option for you.

A regular campus visit will probably be less crowded and more laid back. You might get a better sense of what a “normal” day is like on campus because it won’t be packed with prospective students and families. You might still get to spend the night in the dormitory, eat in the dining hall, and attend a class, but you will have to request these options in advance and wait to hear about availability on your visit date(s). A regular campus visit might be best for you if you are a bit more independent, or enjoy a more leisurely experience.

Deciding when and how to visit a campus at this stage is essential.  The good news is that it’s up to you to decide what works best for you.

The best place to start is by looking at your current course schedule.  If you are in any AP or IB classes right now that correspond with an SAT Subject Test, there is a good chance that the curriculum for the course will overlap with the test content.  Since you are already studying for that AP or IB exam, the Subject Test should require minimal prep work.

If your school does not offer AP or IB courses, or if you are taking an honors or advanced level course that you think would be good preparation for a Subject Test, ask your teacher about it.  S/he should be familiar with the Subject Test content and be able to tell you if the course you are currently taking will prepare you.

Once you have decided on some options, take a practice exam in each subject.  Your performance on the practice exams should give you a sense of which tests you will do better in.

Remember, as long as you are registered for at least one, you can change your mind about which Subject Tests you’re taking (and how many) up until the day of the test! 

-Think long-term. If you're a rising freshman, sophomore, or junior, these choices are especially important as your classes should build on each other and show progression to more advanced coursework, while still fulfilling the necessary requirements for high school graduation.

-Challenge yourself. Aim to strike a balance so that your course load is neither too difficult/overwhelming nor too light on substance. You'll want to demonstrate that you are ready and willing to work hard and still get good grades.

-Do your research. Make sure you fully familiarize yourself with all of the course offerings at your school. Look at the course listings and talk to students and teachers to get a sense of what to expect next year, and beyond. Also, if your school requires paperwork for course selection by a certain date, hand it in early to increase the likelihood that your selections will be approved.

Remember, no two students (or schools!) are alike -- so be sure to consult with a knowledgeable adviser should you need guidance concerning the course selection process as it applies to you. 

The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) is hosting college fairs this spring in over 30 cities and metropolitan areas of the United States.  There is probably one close to you this season.

In addition to providing access to hundreds of colleges, NACAC college fairs also offer helpful workshops throughout the day on several topics, including applying for financial aid and the differences between applying to public and private colleges.

While you do not have to register in advance, it is strongly recommended that you do.  Click here for registration information.

The Colleges That Change Lives (CTCL) consortium is hosting college fairs in 22 cities this spring.  CTCL is an organization of 40 small colleges that offer particularly unique, engaging, and transformative college experiences.

CTCL college events include a 30 minute panel presentation on the college search, followed by an hour-long college fair.  In some cities, CTCL is holding programs on two separate dates.  The schedule of events for each is the same, so only plan to attend one.  Pre-registration is not required.  For more details about the CTCL college fairs, you can visit the event website.

2) Prepare to be recruited.  When a college admits you, they want you to enroll, and they will do their best to make you feel wanted.  Expect invitations to visit campus and phone calls or letters from current students; some schools will even send you t-shirts, scarves, or posters.  Take advantage of opportunities to meet with students, spend the night in a dormitory, and don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions.

3) It’s OK to be disappointed by a deny letter, but try not to get hung up on it.  Most students end up having a great time at whatever college they attend, even if it wasn't their first choice.  Besides, you should be excited about all of the schools you applied to (otherwise, why did you apply?).

4) Remember, when you don’t gain admission to a school, the college did not reject you. Your application was denied.  It is a subtle, but significant, difference.  A college may not have a space for you in the fall, but you are still the same smart, motivated, and talented student you always were. No admissions decision defines you.

5) Focus on the schools to which you were admitted.  Those schools are excited about you!  Boost your ego and spend some time with people who think you’re awesome.  

In an effort to eliminate cheating on standardized tests, the College Board and ACT are tightening up their rules for test-takers.  Students will now be required to submit a photograph when they sign up for the SAT or ACT, and officials will check that student IDs match their registration photos.  In addition to the requirement to submit a photograph, several other changes will be implemented, as well. 

Standby testing, whereby students can register the day of the exam, will be eliminated, and students will have to certify their identity in writing at the test center.  Furthermore, test-takers will be required report their gender, birth-date, and high school.  Previously, students could choose not to report their high school, but with the new changes, all scores will be sent to the high school, along with the students’ photographs. 

Plans were also proposed to send student photographs to colleges along with their SAT or ACT scores.  However, due to concerns that sending photographs might influence admissions decisions, this proposal is under reconsideration.  The ACT has opted not to send photographs to colleges, and the SAT will not automatically send photographs, but make them available to colleges in a database.

The new regulations will go into effect this fall for both the SAT and ACT.

1. Before asking any questions at all, fully explore the college's website.  Some of the most common questions are about application deadlines and academic majors – information that is easily available through a quick perusal of the admissions website.

2. Think about the most specific way you can ask your question. Instead of "What kinds of arts programs does your university offer?" try "I'm a cellist and I want to continue to play in college. I noticed on your website that you don't require me to be a music major to play in the orchestra, but how competitive is the audition process?"

3. In general, avoid emoticons and overly casual language in written and spoken communication.

4. Before you visit, check with the college about their standard visit options.  Colleges typically offer a tour and information session, but some offer the opportunity to attend a class, have lunch in the dining hall, or spend the night in the dormitory.  If you are interested in activities other than the usual options, be sure to ask if your request can be accommodated, and be understanding if it can’t.

5. Parents: don't call or email colleges pretending to be your child!

6. Students: don't call or email colleges pretending to be your parent!

7. Be positive and friendly.  Admissions officers want to help you as best they can.

Positive communication goes a long way at any time in the application process. It is important to develop these skills early so you can have smooth interactions with the colleges you are interested in.

Elmhurst College began to ask applicants about their sexual orientation last year.  Elmhurst is affiliated with the United Church of Christ, which endorsed gay marriage in 2005.  They even have some scholarships available for students who self-identify as gay in order to foster a more diverse campus community.

Asking students to report their sexual orientation on an admissions application or prior to enrollment serves a dual purpose.  It is important for practical reasons so that colleges know what types of resources and support services they will need to provide for the incoming students.  It also demonstrates that colleges recognize the value of a diverse student population, not just in terms of ethnicity and geography, but sexual orientation, as well.

For more details, you can read the full story at The Choice, a New York Times blog about college admissions.

Many colleges require at least one recommendation letter from either your school counselor or a teacher.  Some colleges even require a counselor letter, plus one – or two – teacher recommendations.

Your recommendations should ideally come from teachers who taught you in 11th or 12th grade in core academic subject areas (English, social studies, math, science, foreign language).  Among these, pick a teacher who has seen your best work and can speak to your academic abilities.

Once you’ve figured out who will be writing on your behalf, it’ll be time to invite each recommender online (this is possible if you’re using the Common App and some institutional applications) or to gather and complete paper forms.  Check with each recommender to see if they prefer to submit electronically or on paper.

Since your applications won’t be complete without all required recommendations, be sure to confirm that the required letters are received by each school.  And then, once all is complete, be sure to send a thank you note to each of your recommenders!

According to the report, of the 4.3 million students who enrolled as college freshmen at US colleges in 2004, 2.1 million officially did not graduate, and another 1.2 million students (part-time students, transfer students, and students who take a break and enroll elsewhere later on) were not tracked. 487,000 graduated from public colleges and universities, 119,000 from community colleges, 121,000 from for-profit colleges, and 292,000 from private colleges and universities.

Among the colleges tracked starting in 2004, Vassar College had the highest graduation rate in New York State with 93.3% graduating within 6 years.

How did your college, or the colleges on your list, perform in this study?

College Completion Report

Kelly Walter, Assistant Vice President & Executive Director of Admissions at Boston University, announced this week that they will no longer require freshmen applicants to submit SAT Subject Test scores.  The only exceptions to this will be for students applying to the Accelerated Medical and Accelerated Dental Programs.  All freshmen applicants must still submit either the SAT or the ACT with Writing.