Post Synopsis - Summary of Posts From October 2011 - May 2012

Every six months or so, I like to list the topics of posts I've published and briefly summarize them. In that way, you may be enticed to go back into the archives to read blogs of special interest to you. As in past synopses, this post will also include some of the websites and books mentioned.
   
Wednesday, October 19, 2011 - Declaring a Major, Early Action and Early Decision
Some thoughts on declaring a major and, as the title says, an explanation of the "Early Decision" and "Early Action" options.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011 - On the Job
A discussion of apprenticeships.
US Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship website: www.doleta.gov/oa


Wednesday, November 23, 2011 - Earn While You Learn
The subject of this post was Cooperative Education, a program that integrates academic learning and practical work experience.
The World Association of Cooperative Education website: www.waceinc.org
The National Commission of Cooperative Education: www.co-op.edu
The Journal of Cooperative Education: www.ceiainc.org

Wednesday, January 4, 2012 - Show Me the Money!
A discussion of sources of information regarding financial aid and how to determine your EFC (Expected Family Contribution) Calculator found at: www.finaid.org/calculators/finaidestimate.phtml 


Wednesday, January 18, 2012 - Show Me the Money! Part II
A continuation of the previous post.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012 - Time Out
A break in the financial aid discussion to re-assess "why college?"
Going Broke by Degree by Richard Vedder
Crazy U by Andrew Ferguson

Center for College Affordability and Productivity:  www.centerforcollegeaffordability.org

Wednesday, February 15, 2012 - Show Me the Money - Part III
Resources that provide information on scholarships.  Scholarship finders can be found at:
collegeboard.org, , www.Scholarup.net, www.scholarships.com, www.heseaa.org
Secrets to Winning a Scholarship by Mark Kantrowitz
Get Free Cash for College by Kelly Gen Tanabe

Wednesday, March 7, 2012 - Working the System
Strategies to maximize your financial aid package
Paying for College Without Going Broke - Princeton Review

Wednesday, March 21, 2012 - The Six Year Undergraduate
Recent reports show that many students take longer than four years to receive their undergraduate degree.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012 - If Spring Training Is Almost Over, Can Summer Be Far Behind?
Discussion of summer programs for students
Peterson's Summer Programs for Kids
Kaplan Yale Daily News Guide to Summer Programs


Wednesday, April 18, 2012 - Hurry Up and Wait!
Discussion of the likelihood of students being offered admission if they have been wait listed.

Hurry Up and Wait!

College-bound seniors in high school have been awaiting the mail eagerly these last few months. Many have received the dreaded letter sized envelope containing a single sheet, while others have happily received a large envelope filled with yet more forms to fill out! The third option is the purgatorial wait-listed status. Many students may have received all three types of notices. If they're lucky, they've been accepted to the school to which they would really like to go. In those cases the uncertainty of being wait-listed and the disappointment of outright rejection are mitigated. Many people would rather have a simple "yes" or "no" rather than be wait-listed. At least that's what they say, even though with being wait-listed the possibility of "yes" is still present. Or is it?

Rachel Louise Ensign and Melissa Korn wrote an article for the Wall Street Journal of 4/9/12 entitled, "Colleges Tough Waiting Game", which is available at online.wsj.com.. In the article they write about how unlikely it often is that a wait-listed student will be offered admission. Indeed, Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh accepted just six of the over 5,000 applicants they wait-listed last year. As part of the same article, they present a very interesting chart, "The Old College Try", which presents wait-listed information from more than a dozen "elite" schools.

As per the National Association of College Admission Counseling, colleges are supposed to fill remaining admissions openings from their wait-lists by August 1. The writers cite Kennon Dick who was the associate dean of admissions at Swarthmore and educational consultant at an admissions consulting firm called College Coach. Mr. Dick says that when colleges turn to their wait-lists they look to fill unique holes in the incoming class or for students who "show interest in the college through phone calls, emails and letters after accepting a spot on the wait list". In many of my previous posts I've advised that you get the names of various representatives you've met on visits and tours of the colleges you visit and contact them at different points in the application process, for example, after your visit/after you apply. This includes tour guides, professors, team coaches, admissions staff, etc. If you're wait-listed at a school in which you are really interested, now would be the time to contact them again.

In the Wall Street Journal of Saturday-Sunday, April 19-20, 2011, Jane Kim wrote an article entitled, "Buying Your Way Into College". In it she stated ,
Many schools begin by admitting part of the class without
regard to the ability to pay, but start to consider it
when the financial aid budget runs thin. For the first
time since 2005, the University of Rochester doesn't
expect it will be completely need-blind when it comes
to admitting students off the wait list this year.
Ensign and Korn also write about this:
Applicants requiring financial aid may have an even
tougher time. Even at a handful of need-blind schools-
those that don't consider financial need in admissions
decisions-waitlisted students with less need have an
edge. Six percent of private colleges were need-blind
in the regular admissions cycle but became need-aware
once they started admitting students from the wait list,
a 2008 survey by the National Association for College
Admission Counseling said.

These are all things to review when considering your options. The old adage comes to mind. "A bird in the hand..."