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To Test or Not to Test

admin — Tue, 03 Aug 2021 15:09:53 +0000

News & Views

Staying ahead means staying informed.

To Test or Not to Test

More than 1580 colleges and universities plan to remain test-optional for Fall 2022 applicants.

To Test or Not to Test

According to FairTest, the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, (http://fairtest.org/) more than 1580 colleges and universities plan to remain test-optional for Fall 2022 applicants.

There are pros and cons for not submitting test scores, just as there are reasons for submitting them. For example, some schools still consider test scores as an important factor when making merit aid/scholarship decisions. When applying to schools, students should be aware of a college or university’s aid policies especially if they are hoping to be considered for this type of financial award.

As a general rule, if a student is planning to apply to a school that is considered ‘highly selective’ (accepts less than 15% of its applicants) they should include test scores if they fall at or above the 25th percentile of the school’s SAT/ACT median score range. Generally, this means a composite ACT score of 30 and an SAT score of at least 1370. For extremely selective schools that accept less than 35% of their applicants, the average composite ACT score is slightly less at 29 with SAT scores also slightly less at 1340. (College Transitions)

Examples of ‘most selective’ schools that accept less than 15% of their applicants include Duke, Dartmouth, Cornell, Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Stanford, Rice, Vanderbilt, and Yale. Examples of ‘extremely selective’ schools include Davidson, Georgia Tech, Tulane, UCLA, University of Michigan, University of Virginia, and Wake Forest.

The primary reason for including test scores to most and extremely selective schools is that all applicants are likely to be exceptional students in academics and activities and have challenged themselves in both areas. Test scores, even when listed as optional, can be another gauge that college admissions officers will use to determine if a student can be academically successful at their school.

When a student decides not to submit test scores, they should be aware of that colleges will need to put more emphasis on other sections of their applications such as the essay and personal statements so they can determine if a student will be a good fit for their school. This means students need to choose their essay topic wisely, and write in a manner that can convey a strong sense of who they are and how their mind works, often in 650 words or less.

Making the important decision to ‘test or not to test, to submit or not submit’ should not be left to a student to figure out on their own. Acuity College Counseling offers a special service that will help seniors take a holistic view of their applications to determine if they should send their scores into all, some, or none of the schools. During this review, Acuity can also help a student prioritize and list their activities so their interests and achievements are clear, providing yet another window into who they are and what they will bring to campus. And, if a student is struggling to select the ‘right’ essay topic and jumpstart their writing, Acuity can help with that, too.

If a student is planning to take the SAT or the ACT for the first time or as a repeat, they should mark their calendars with both registration deadlines and test dates from the College Board and the ACT. (See links below.) Students should also familiarize themselves with COVID protocols for each organization and be prepared on test day if they need to wear a mask or protective face covering.

If you have any questions related to submitting test scores, how to populate the activities section of an application, or selecting the most appropriate essay topic, please contact Jeanne Wilton at jeanne@acuitycc.com to set up a time for a consultation.

NEXT TEST DATES

The next SAT will be offered on Saturday, August 28th and the registration deadline is July 30: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/register/dates-deadlines

The next ACT will be on September 11, with a registration deadline of August 6: https://act.org/content/act/en/register-for-the-act.html

The post To Test or Not to Test appeared first on Acuity College Counseling.

Strategy is Not a Dirty Word

admin — Mon, 02 Aug 2021 19:33:46 +0000

News & Views

Staying ahead means staying informed.

Strategy is Not a Dirty Word

It is never too early to too late to provide students with road maps.

Strategy is Not a Dirty Word

While there are those who feel we shouldn’t bring up college ‘too soon,’ there are those who feel it is wrong to teach students how to strategize. To them, it makes success seem less authentic because it was planned. Recently, The Harvard Business Review refined the definition of strategy into the following:

doing something new,
building on what you already do, and
reacting opportunistically to emerging possibilities

These bullet points are the essence of what it means to be a student. They imply a constant dedication to learning. While it is clear how the first two points are applicable, to make the case on the third requires more insight.

The difference between a good student and a great one is that the latter exemplifies Harvard’s last point. That is, a great student takes full advantage of what is offered to them with a planned approach that has quantifiable goals. They do not let things happen organically. Instead, they put forethought and effort into their academics, extracurriculars, community service, and leadership roles, molding each into their desired shape.

While no two students are the same, the common denominator between great students is that they know to ‘react opportunistically to emerging possibilities’ that are available to them during high school and beyond. This begs the questions: how do they know, and where did they learn this?

There will always be the rare student that intuits the importance of such action. They seem to be born with a natural confidence and desire to achieve through self-motivation. They are neither shy or reluctant to stand out and can focus purely on their objectives without wavering.

However, the majority of great students were taught how to learn and achieve at an early age. They were given road maps that consisted of ‘doing something new, building on what they already did, and taking opportunities whenever they are presented.’ These maps came from parents or an educational environment that encouraged their intellectual curiosity and allowed them to develop their strengths into dedicated interests and passions.

Acuity College Counseling believes all students have the capacity for intellectual curiosity and it is never too early to too late to provide them with road maps. Our Application Readiness for College (ARC) Program teaches students what colleges want and helps them apply that knowledge to their academic and activity choices. It gives them support and encouragement, but honest assessment as well. With guidance provided by ARC, students will be ‘application ready’ by the fall of their senior year.

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How Soon is ‘Too Soon’ To Talk about College?

admin — Mon, 02 Aug 2021 17:51:35 +0000

News & Views

Staying ahead means staying informed.

How Soon is ‘Too Soon’ To Talk about College?

For successful students, the answer can be, ‘it’s never too soon.’

How Soon is ‘Too Soon’ To Talk about College?

For successful students, the answer can be, ‘it’s never too soon.’

Parents and educators will often say they do not want to bring up college ‘too soon’ with their kids and students. They are concerned that it will put unnecessary pressure on them, or they believe that students will figure it out on their own when they are ready.

These long-held mindsets are unlikely to change, but they do not serve all students well. By senior year, a student’s profile should not resemble the blindfolded game of ‘pin the tail on the donkey.’ That is, it should not consist of a mish mash of poorly chosen classes that do not demonstrate a student’s strengths and abilities, nor should it be coupled with a laundry list of activities, some of which did not last very long.

This kind of profile can leave a student fraught with worry that they haven’t done enough let alone the right things, especially when they open college applications and learn what schools expect to find.

Because we know what those expectations are, it is essential that we help students create a college-bound strategy from the beginning of their freshman year. With a well-planned approach, students can wisely select classes that underline their academic strengths and demonstrate a willingness to be challenged, and they can focus on activities that highlight their interests, passions, commitment, and leadership.

Having a strategy on how to approach high school is similar to taking a family road trip. While sometimes it is fun to not have a plan, we wouldn’t necessarily jump in a car loaded with kids without carefully choosing routes, things to see and do, and where to take breaks, eat, and stay. (Just think of the chaos otherwise!)

A long-range view of high school can do the same for students. By removing the blindfold and helping them to see where to stake their interests, students are given a clear road map of ‘how to get there,’ and high school becomes four years of consistent growth towards a destination of higher education.

The post How Soon is ‘Too Soon’ To Talk about College? appeared first on Acuity College Counseling.

Avoiding Common Mistakes on the FAFSA

admin — Sat, 26 Sep 2020 18:32:27 +0000

News & Views

Staying ahead means staying informed.

Avoiding Common Mistakes on the FAFSA

FAFSA Will Be One of the Most Important Forms in the Next Few Weeks

Avoiding Common Mistakes on the FAFSA

Other than your college applications, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be one of the most important forms you fill out during the next few weeks. It will take time on your part to make sure your form is correctly done but can be well-worth the investment.

The number one rule for completing any US government form is that you never leave an empty field. This will cause errors during processing and may cause your FAFSA to be rejected. If the form says you can leave an answer or a field blank, then it is okay. But if not, you can use a 0 (zero) for answers requiring numbers, and N/A (not applicable) for others.

Here are additional suggestions from CollegeData.com that can help you avoid some common mistakes that can be made on the FAFSA.

Before you begin to fill in your answers, read the instructions and the entire form. This will help you plan for enough time to completely answer all questions. This also allows you to get an idea of what you will need and how long it is going to take you to pull it all together.

Never guess on the information you provide. A good plan is to use a practice worksheet before you start to fill out the actual FAFSA form. It is helpful to have all your information and documents organized before you begin so that you can refer to them as you go.

Never wait until the last minute. File the FAFSA as soon as possible. Also, receiving financial aid may depend on getting your forms in well before the state and college deadlines. These dates may be different for every school/state so make sure you know and have doubled checked on each.

Use the correct source for tax information. The FAFSA will ask for your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) and income tax paid. You should use the figures from your tax return, not your W2’s.

Know what to include as assets. For example, the value of retirement accounts, home equity, college accounts not in a parent’s or child’s name are not included, nor are the assets of a business with less than 100 employees. Only include these once. (Some people mistakenly include the same assets in both the parent and student sections of the FAFSA.)

Make changes and provide updates when needed. If you estimate your taxes or other information, you should provide the correct data to the government as soon as you can.

Double (and triple) checking your personal information is always a good idea. Have someone check your information as you slowly read it off from the FAFSA. Make sure you use your full legal name as listed on your Social Security card, and use your permanent address, not one for another residence or school. Check your birth date and driver’s licenses number for accuracy. Because you know them so well, it is easy to overlook a small mistake.

Always use an email address that you regularly check. If there are questions during the processing of your application, timely answers will be needed so it can be reviewed as quickly as possible. If additional information is needed, you will be contacted via the email address you have provided on the FAFSA so make sure it is one that you frequently use.

The post Avoiding Common Mistakes on the FAFSA appeared first on Acuity College Counseling.

For Seniors Applying to College

admin — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 14:16:36 +0000

News & Views

Staying ahead means staying informed.

For Seniors Applying to College

Financial Aid Applications 2021-2022

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opens on October 1^st.

Filing a FAFSA form and meeting other financial aid requirements established by states and schools will be one of your most important responsibilities as you apply to college. To increase your chances to qualify for grants, work-study assistance, and scholarships, you need to file your application as soon as possible (after October 1^st) but no later than the EARLIEST financial aid deadlines of the schools where you are applying.

First Steps

The US Department of Education strongly recommends that you create a Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID. This will be your unique username and password combination that will allow you to sign the FAFSA form electronically.

Your FSA ID can also be used to access the myStudentAid application, sign loan contracts, and access other information online. You can create your FSA ID when you are fill out the FAFSA but obtaining it ahead of time helps to cuts down on errors and delays.

Find out how to get your FSA ID at:

https://studentaid.gov/help/create-fsa-id

FAFSA Requirements

The FAFSA consists of questions related to your family’s income and other financial information. The US Department of Educations suggests the form will take about an hour to complete but you should allow yourself plenty of time to correctly answer all the questions.

You and your parents can prepare to fill out the FAFSA form by gathering the following information:

Your Social Security Number (or alien registration number)
Federal tax information or tax returns
Records of untaxed income
Cash, savings, and checking account balances
Investments other than the home in which you live

You can find an electronic FAFSA form at:

https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

FAFSA Process Guide

To help you better understand and prepare to fill out the form, the U.S. Department of Education provides an excellent FAFSA Process Guide on their website at:

https://studentaid.gov/sites/default/files/fafsa-process.pdf.

Individual College Requirements

FAFSA is the key to receiving financial aid, but it is also important that you know the deadlines for financial aid requests at the schools where you are applying. They may ask that you submit financial aid forms on the same timeline as enrollment applications, but COVID may have an impact on those dates and you will not want to miss any if you are anticipating financial aid for college.

College Scholarship Service Profile

In addition to FAFSA, a school may also require you to complete forms such as a College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile, an online application created by the College Board that allows college students to apply for non-federal financial aid.

A CSS Profile application along with a list of the schools and the scholarships that require it can be found at:

https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/

Please note the information presented here is a guideline to help you get started on financial aid. You should always consult with your parents, high school counselors, admissions representatives, and the schools where you are applying to make sure you have the most up-to-date information and are taking precise actions.

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