Kim Spencer

Search Results for: the moving parts

The Moving Parts in Today’s College Application Process

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When my generation was applying to college, we filled out a straightforward application, wrote an essay, mailed it off and then waited anxiously by the mailbox for that tell-tale fat envelope that signaled acceptance. Well, those days are gone. High school seniors today are very often overwhelmed navigating all the components involved in simply completing the applications. I work with so many great students who have impressive accomplishments to present, but aren’t really sure how to pull it all together.

To avoid this confusion and very often the subsequent panic, it is important for students to break the process down into steps and to create a timeline for themselves to stay ahead of deadlines. The U.S. Department of Education tallies more than 4,000 degree-granting institutions in the country, and there are many different ways to apply to these schools: Common App, Coalition App, Universal App, school site applications, etc. Even schools that use a general application like the Common or Coalition may only pull certain parts of that application and most have school-specific supplements as well. No wonder this is confusing for so many students today!

Understanding the Basics:

Common Application: The Common Application is an undergraduate college admission application that applicants may use to apply to any of more than 800 member colleges and universities in 49 states and the District of Columbia, as well as in Canada, China, and many European countries . https://www.commonapp.org/

Coalition Application: The Coalition Application is a college application platform that is currently accepted by over 140 schools. The Coalition Application launched in 2016 with the goal of making the college application process more manageable for students from under-represented groups (The University of Florida has been the largest user of the Coalition. This fall, UF will also be accepting the Common App for the first time) . http://www.coalitionforcollegeaccess.org/

Universal Application: The Universal College Application is a newer option that’s currently accepted by 44 colleges and universities. Three Ivy League colleges accept this application: Harvard, Cornell, and Princeton . https://www.universalcollegeapp.com/

SSAR: SSAR is a self-reported student academic record that lists all courses and associated grades that have been attempted, or will be attempted, for high school and/or college credit. Since accuracy is critical, students should have a copy of their high school transcript available to use as a reference when creating the SSAR

College Application Resume: A resume is simply a summary of the student’s high school “career.” It will include the same information that will be requested on most college applications: test scores, GPA, honors, activities, etc., but presented in a clear snapshot form preferably not longer than one page

Essay Word Limit: This sounds straightforward but can actually become confusing during the process when applying to multiple schools. The Common App essay word limit is 650, and The Coalition App word limit is 500-550 – BUT, many schools that use these application essay prompts have different school-specific word/character limits

When I start working with a new student, we look at initial school choices and the way they accept applications.  We then breakdown a realistic timeline of priorities and tasks with the various school application deadlines. The very best strategy is to begin the process as soon as possible to avoid stress and panic as deadlines approach. High school seniors have been working very hard for a very long time, and it is important for them to enjoy this last year of high school. By staying calm and organized through the college application process, they can absolutely submit very thorough applications in a timely manner while still enjoying all the celebrations that come along with finally being a SENIOR!

For information on my college consulting services, fee structure, and availability, please email spencegator@comcast.net

College Acceptance and Rejection

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College campus tours are finished, applications are complete, essays are written, reviewed, rewritten, and polished.  College lists are created and modified. Standardized test scores are submitted, transcripts are sent, and letters of recommendation have been requested. 

And now you wait.  As explained in an earlier post on the college application process, it is now multi-layered with many moving parts and can be very time-consuming. Many times, students are honestly just happy to have the task complete to turn their attention to their schoolwork and senior year activities. It is very common initially to not give any attention to the next event in the timeline. The next event in this timeline, of course, is receiving the college acceptance or rejection notifications.

As a college consultant who has been working in Florida for the past four years, I know preparing and planning for a possible rejection from your first-choice school is also a necessary step in this process.  The two biggest state schools in Florida, UF and FSU, have both made US News & World Report’s list of 20 public schools with low acceptance rates. Both schools received over 60,000 applications last year which was over an 8% increase from the year prior which saw a similar jump from the year prior. With this increase in numbers, it obviously has become that much more competitive with the average 50% of students accepted demonstrating outstanding academic achievements:

           UF         FSU
GPA: 4.3 – 4.6 GPA: 4.1- 4.5
SAT: 1330 – 1460 SAT: 1290 – 1410
ACT: 29 – 33  ACT: 29 – 32

When working with a student, I look at the student’s application as a whole and the acceptance rates at the schools the student expresses interest in attending.  I advise applying to a minimum of five schools: two safety, two target, and a reach.  All acceptance rates are publicly published and easily attained.  Students and parents should always look at those rates when starting the college application process to ensure realistic conversations. After watching such hard work for so many years, it can feel disheartening to see a student disappointed but as we all know, disappointments are a part of life, and not getting into the first-choice school is not the end of the world. The internet is loaded with success stories by people who were rejected from their first choice school. Huffington Post listed five reasons why the rejection may actually be a blessing in disguise.

Colleges are aware there are many more very qualified students applying these days than available spots, and many are creating alternative pathways to enrollment to combat this trend. FSU has created their Pathways Program, and UF has both the Innovation Academy as well as the PaCe Program. Similar programs are rolling out at colleges across the country.

When waiting for college acceptance and rejection notifications to arrive, everyone hopes for that “fat envelope” which is now computer screen confetti, but obviously, everyone is not going to receive it.  Parents and guardians can help prepare students by monitoring their own emotions and expectations. When students receive disappointing news, it is important they have the ability to put it in perspective. The focus should continue to be a celebration of all they’ve accomplished thus far and excitement over this next big life milestone.

The 22-23 FAFSA Opens October 1st!

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Parents of high school seniors across the country have been seeing numerous FAFSA announcements, and many parents with a student going through the college application process for the first time are wondering exactly what this even means.  Just like the college application process has become more involved, so has the process for finding financial aid to help with the skyrocketing cost.  Yesterday, a parent asked me if they filled out the FAFSA to receive the Florida Bright Futures award.  This is a reasonable question, but illustrates the lack of information being given to parents to understand the basics of these programs:

FAFSA

The FAFSA is a Free Application for Federal Student Aid.  The application is available on October 1st and remains open to submit for a full 21 months.  However, each state and many individual schools have their own deadlines.  It is advantageous for families to complete the FAFSA as soon as it opens.  US News & World Report breaks down a simple explanation of the FAFSA and also current individual state deadlines.  

To fill out the FAFSA, parents need to visit the Department of Education’s site: DOE create FAFSA. It is a lengthy, but straightforward process; it does take some time to complete, and accuracy is essential.  Of the many FAFSA mistakes one could make when completing the application, one of the most common is using the wrong tax year information. In 2017, the Department of Education began releasing the application earlier and requiring the prior year’s tax data.  Before 2017, the application was released January 1st, and many families hustled to get their tax information completed for the application cycle.  The earlier release date takes away that stress, but it does add a little confusion as to exactly which financials parents should report.  Luckily, there now is also an IRS retrieval tool that enables parents to link the correct tax data directly to their application.  

The FAFSA information provided is used to determine student loan amounts as well as eligibility for work-study programs and federal grants.  The federal student loans have very low interest rates, and federal grants are “gift awards” that do not have to be repaid.   Students who qualify for work-study programs can be building a resume while taking down their college cost.  

BRIGHT FUTURES

The Bright Futures Scholarship Program is a Florida specific program to provide different types of educational funding options for qualified students.  Florida high school guidance counselors play a large role in helping the students with the Bright Futures process.  There are three Bright Futures scholarship programs each with their own eligibility requirements and award amounts:  FAS (Florida Academic Scholars), FMS (Florida Merit Scholars), and GSV (Gold Seal Vocational Scholars).  The FAS scholarship is the most competitive requiring a minimum GPA 3.5, ACT 29, SAT 1290 and at least 100 service hours.  There is also required coursework included in these minimums. Full eligibility requirements for all three programs can be found in this downloadable Bright Futures Handbook. 

GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

Grants and scholarships are referred to as “gift awards” as they do not have to be re-paid.  Grants are usually need-based whereas scholarships are typically merit-based.  Many universities have school specific scholarships for both in-state and out-of-state students.  When researching schools, students and parents should always check the school’s published information about available scholarship opportunities and requirements.  

Students can also conduct a broad scholarship search directly through their College Board account: College Board scholarship search.  Just like the application process itself, sifting through all the possibilities of financial help with college cost is the most productive when it is broken down into steps.  The first step in this process is completing the FAFSA.