Mitchell Lipton Vice President of Enrollment Services and Dean of - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Mitchell Lipton Vice President of Enrollment Services and Dean of Admissions, Cooper Union Ryan DePuy Director of Undergraduate Admissions Sacred Heart University

Today’s Presentation Today’s Presentation: Searching for the colleges that best “fit” your needs and the parts of a college application

How to search ? Begin early-don’t wait until December of Senior Year-this could limit your options Use variety of sources (guidance counselor, family, guide books, internet, Naviance, teachers) How many college should I ultimately apply to?

What questions should I be thinking about as I search? • Location (NE,SE etc.) • Setting (urban, suburban, rural) • Weather • Size (>2,000, >7,000, etc.) • Co-Ed/Single Gender • Religiously Affiliated • Majors • Extra Curricular Offerings

The Next Step-The College Visit • Can be costly, ask colleges if assistance is available • If still too expensive, visit schools in local area to get a sense of urban, suburban, rural colleges

The College Visit-Questions to Bring • Get general feel from billboards/flyers • Ask actual students questions • Faculty access outside of office hours • Weekend/After Hours scene • Food • Support Services/Advisement/Tutoring • Ask yourself honestly: • Do I feel comfortable in this environment?

More of what to look for/ask • Retention rates • Graduation rates • Internship opportunities • How many students work after graduating? • How many go off to graduate school? • What kinds of graduate school?

Questions?

How does a college admissions office work? • Charged with creating a class comprised of a mix of students • Athletes, musicians, writers, students in government, researchers, volunteers, socially/environmentally conscious, boy scouts, tutors, etc..

The Components of a College Application • Actual application (most students apply on-line, some schools waive fee for applying on-line) • Fee waivers available from most colleges • High School Transcript • Standardized Test Scores • Essays/Writing Samples/Supplemental Work • Extra Curricular Activities/Resume • Letters of Recommendation • College Interview

• High School Transcript (most important factor for most colleges) • Strength of program of study • Trends • Anomalies • Performance overall • Course selection relative to college plans • Questions?

Standardized Test Scores • How much are they used by admissions offices? • SAT I or ACT (how many times should I take them?) • SAT Subject Tests (required by the colleges I’m applying to, when to take them?) • AP Scores (credit, discrepancies) • Regents Exam Scores (Regents vs. Class Grades) • Questions?

Essays/Writing Samples/Supplemental Work • Tips: make personal essay personal, tell us a story, tell us something not apparent in your app • What did you learn from experiences? • More Tips: follow instructions, answer question directly, check spelling, grammar, punctuation • Most Important Tip: Remove Cornell from essay when applying to Cooper Union • Questions?

Extra Curricular Activities/Resume • Start by writing everything down: babysitting, working in parent’s store, research, sports, volunteer activities, etc. Explain gaps. • Anything has the potential to be significant • Quality over quantity • Leadership involvement • Questions?

Letters of Recommendation • How many? • From whom? • Like essays should tell a consistent story about you • Something unique not apparent in rest of application • Questions?

College Interview • Variety of options • If offered, take advantage esp. for top choices • Dress code, be on-time • Resume • Bring questions • Take contact info and follow up with thank you!

Special Applicants/Preference : • Alumni • Athletes • Musician • Friend of donor • Racial/Gender/Academic • Geographic • Socioeconomic

Closing Thoughts : • Research every college to validate requirements • Students should contact admissions offices. Contact us with questions. • Things can change year to year-don’t rely on hearsay • There is always more than one college that fits your needs • There are many paths to get to where you want to go • Define success for yourself