STARTING YOUR SEARCH

In many ways, beginning and reining a list of colleges is the most time consuming part of the admission process. It takes several months of careful thought and research to develop an appropriate list of colleges to apply at. Furthermore, remember that the list is likely to remain dynamic through the fall of the senior year, as needs are discerned, desires, and competiveness for particular colleges changes. This section of the toolbox is intended to serve as a guide during this process.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER
People love to give advice, and it seems that everyone has an opinion about colleges, but what you think is the most important factor. You know yourself best, and ultimately you must decide where to attend. You will be sitting in the classroom living in the dorm and eating in the cafeteria, not your parents, friends or relatives. Get started by asking some of these questions: How do I learn best? In large lecture-style classes or in small discussion groups and seminars? Do I like to be one of the top students in a class or do I enjoy being surrounded by peers who really challenge me? Do I learn more effectively when the structure is clean and unifor, or does the freedom to make choices and follow my own path fit me better? What extracurricular activities are most important to me? Which do I want to continue in college? Are there new ones I want to explore? What have I learned about my academic interests and ability that will influence what I might study in college? Who are my friends? Do I want my relationships in college to be similar or different to the ones Ive had at Maranatha?

Answers to these questions and others you devise for yourself should help you identify the characteristics of colleges that are most important to you.

INVOLVING PARENTS IN THE PROCESS

Through the responsibility of finding a college is ultimately on the students shoulders, it is important to involve parents in the process early. Have candid conversations to determine their perspective. If students and parents are on the same page, thats great; but differences of opinion are not uncommon. Do not let questions about financial aid, distance from home, potential areas of study, and other issues go unchecked until its too late. Many eleventh-hour surprises can be avoided by good communication. Also the Guidance Office strives to be a resource for parents as well as students.

TYPES OF COLLEGES, DEGREES, AND RELATED TERMS

ARMED SERVICES: There are numerous opportunities for education and training in all branches of the Armed Services. They take high school graduates and give them specialized training for various responsibilities. ASSOCIATE DEGREE: An associate degree is a degree from a community college or technical school, usually earned in two years. An associate degree can be the first step to a bachelors degree, depending on the degree, school, or program. BACHELORS DEGREE: A Bachelor of Science (BS) or Bachelor of Arts (BA) is the degree a student earns after completing the necessary course at a fouryear college or university. COMMON OR UNIVERSAL APPLICATION: These are two different online applications that many U.S. universities accept. Students fill out one form (at commonapp.org or universalcollegeapp.com) and can send copies to any of the universities that accept it. It may be nice to fill out your general information one time, but many universities also require additional supplemental information to their application. COMMUNITY COLLEGE: Sometimes called a junior college, technical college, or city college, this is general a two-year public institution. Nearly everyone is accepted. Graduate earn certificates, diplomas, or associate degrees, and often can transfer to a university to complete a bachelors degree. DEFERRED ADMISSION: This option lets a student postpone attending a specific university for one or two years. Students who want to defer their admission need to talk to an admission counselor at the university to learn about that schools policy. EARLY ACTION: If a university offers this option, student can apply for admission early, usually toward the end of November or early December. Student can choose to not attend, if accepted and may apply to other schools. This option is for student who are very sure which university they want to go to, and want to know as soon as possible if theyll be accepted. EARLY DECISION: If a university offers this option, student can apply for admission early, usually in November. Student may apply to only one early decision college. The decision is binding a student must attend if accepted and must withdraw applications to other colleges. The benefit is that students are competing again a smaller group of applicants, so they have a better chance of being accepted. GRADUATE STUDENT: Students working toward the next level of degree after their undergraduate masters degrees or doctorates (PhDs) are called graduate students. LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES: Liberal Arts Colleges focus on undergraduate education. Professors who see teaching as their primary responsibility will generally teach your classes. Because most liberal arts colleges are smaller than universities, classes also tend to be smaller and more personal attention is available. MAJOR: A major is an undergraduates focus of study. Each major has required classes and usually elective classes that students may choose from. Some schools dont let students declare a major until the end of their second year.

MINOR: A minor is an optional, secondary area of study an undergraduate student can choose. A minor allows students to pursue personal interests, such as a foreign language or specialty area. PERSONAL STATEMENT/APPLICATION ESSAY: This is an essay required by some universities, along with an application. Its a chance for applicants to sell themselves in order to get accepted to the school. UNDERGRADUATE: A university student working toward a bachelors degree is considered an undergraduate.

UNIVERSITIES: Universities are generally larger than liberal arts colleges. They may consist of several divisions (colleges), including a college of arts and sciences, similar curriculum to liberal arts colleges; and professional colleges, such as business and engineering. Universities tend to offer a wider range of academic choices than liberal arts colleges. They will likely provide more extensive resources in terms of a library, laboratories, and fine arts or athletic facilities. At many large universities, class size will reflect institution size, with most introductory courses being taught in lecture format. Graduate students may teach many classes. Professors at major universities are typically involved in research as well as teaching. WAITLIST: If a college has too many applicants, students may be placed on a waitlist. The students arent accepted or rejected just on hold until there is an opening. If waitlisted, students can contact the schools admissions department for more information.

COMPARING COLLEGE CHARACTERISTICS

With over 2000+ four-year colleges and universities out there, how can you know which one to choose? The next step is to identify your priorities, as you best understand them. Below is a list of college characteristics which have been important to students in the selection process in the past. They can be divided into Academic and Social preferences. ACADEMIC Type (liberal arts college, university, specialized institute) Majors/Programs offered Cost/Financial Aid Academic caliber of students Competitive atmosphere Special academic programs (honors, study abroad, etc.) Other support services SOCIAL Size Location (state, region) Setting (urban, suburban, rural) Athletics On-campus housing Student activities Religious affiliation

Some considerations will be unique to certain situations, such as the strength of a particular athletic program or access to private music lessons. Others should be considered by all students. 10

FINALIZING YOUR LIST

By comparing the different characteristics of colleges at the start of the senior year, students should be able to narrow down a college list to about a dozen schools. Throughout the fall, this number should be pared down to four to eight colleges on which students will apply to. If enough research has been done, these institutions should have common characteristics that reflect the students priorities. They will have one significant difference: selectivity. It is important that college application lists should have schools in each of these three categories: REACH In general, REACH colleges have students with GPAs and test scores higher than students. However, most competitive colleges, even if grades and scores are similar to their most recent freshman class, should be considered reaches. This is because these colleges have so many qualified applicants. Caution: Be careful about getting too emotionally attached to your REACH schools and not devoting enough attention to the other schools on your list. This category refers to colleges where chances of admission are good, yet still not a sure thing. TARGET schools should make up the core of students list. Colleges in this category almost always accept students with your academic profile. While preferences exist in the above two categories, students should be happy to attend these colleges. Please give careful thought to these institutions.

TARGET

LIKELY

REACH
ACT range: Average GPA:

TARGET
ACT range: Average GPA:

LIKELY
ACT range: Average GPA:

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FRESHMAN PROFILE
To find out if you are a good-fit for a specific school, it is helpful to find out what that college or universities academic profile of their most recent admitted freshman class looks like. This can often be found the schools website. Below is an example from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, and is separated by specific colleges.

ACADEMIC PROFILE OF FALL 2012 ADMITTED FRESHMAN APPLICANTS BY COLLEGE

This table provides a general overview of the high school rank percentile and standardized test scores of freshman applicants admitted for fall 2012. The data presented in the table are a composite picture of admitted freshman applicants; they are not admission criteria. Admission decisions are based on an individual, overall assessment of each application. For complete information on our application review factors, please see our admissions overview. Biological Design Sciences High School Rank Percentile Average HSR in top 10% in top 1125% below top 25% Average ACT 28-36 24-27 Below 24 Average SAT 13001600 11001299 Below 1100 94.3% 82.2% 83.4% 82.2% 83.3% 88.9% 92.9% Education & Human Development Management Food, Agricultural and Liberal Science and (Carlson School Natural Resource Sciences Arts Engineering of)

Percentage of admits who were: 82% 18% 0% 34% 40% 26% 34% 46% 20% 38% 37% 25% 37% 40% 23% 54% 39% 7% 73% 26% 1%

ACT Composite 30.3 26.8 24.7 26.2 27.3 29.4 30.6

Percentage of admits who scored: 88% 12% 0% 37% 52% 11% 25% 42% 33% 31% 51% 18% 43% 52% 5% 83% 17% 0% 88% 12% 0%

SAT Total out of 1600 (Reading + Math) 1385 1226 1168 1229 1277 1325 1381

Percentage of admits who scored: 76% 24% 0% 24% 64% 12% 16% 55% 29% 29% 57% 14% 42% 52% 6% 60% 39% 1% 76% 24% 0%

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MCIS (mncis.intocareers.org) also has an option to compare up to 3 different colleges side-by-side. Below is an example of 3 Minnesota colleges, comparing SAT & ACT scores of enrolled freshman.

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NCAA
NCAA Freshman Eligibility Standards CORE COURSES Division I 16 core courses Division II 14 core courses 4 yrs English 3 yrs English 3 yrs Math (Algebra 1 or higher) 2 yrs Math (Algebra 1 or higher) 2 yrs Natural/Physical Science (1 yr of lab) 2 yrs Natural/Physical Science (1 yr of lab) 1 yr Additional English, Math or Science 2 yrs Additional English, Math of Science 2 yrs Social Science 2 yrs Social Science 4 yrs Additional courses (from any area 3 yrs Additional courses (from any area above, above, foreign language or nonforeign language or non-doctrinal doctrinal religion/philosophy) religion/philosophy) Go to www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/NCAA/Eligibility/index.html for more about eligibility. GRADE POINT AVERAGE AND TEST SCORES Division I eligibility is based on a sliding scare Division II eligibility is a GPA of 2.00 or higher using a combination of your SAT or ACT score and a minimum SAT of 820 (verbal plus math) or and GPA. ACT of 68 (sum of 5 subject area scores). *Only grades from core courses are used to determine GPA for both Division I and II. **See www.ncaa.org and click on: Academics and Athletics NCAA Eligibility Center General Information Division I and II Initial Eligibility Standards for Division I Sliding Scale.

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