DEC NETWORK-ING

Seniors- The college application season is winding down yet don’t forget to consider investment value as you finalize your college list. Yes, this is a message that I repeat over and over. With the cost of tuition and the level of student debt at all time highs, college applicants can’t afford to be careless about the investment return of their education. I can’t stress this enough. Many factors should contribute to the “right fit” including financial criteria. How to evaluate value? Go to sites such as www.collegedata.com and learn about how generous schools are with scholarships, financial and merit aid. Take a look at the average student debt after graduation. Combine this info with the strength of a school’s academic reputation such as selectivity levels, student-faculty collaboration, retention/graduation rates and the not to be forgotten, job placement. Another great resource: Kiplinger and its recently released 2011-2012 list of best value liberal arts colleges, private universities and public colleges/universities.http://www.kiplinger.com/reports/best-college-values/.

With my current college visits on the radar, University of Nebraska-Lincoln is ranked #67 for a Best Value Public College, as reported by Kiplinger. And, see below stats on how generous Nebraska was toward the recent freshman class, as reported by CollegeData.

Quick Value Facts
•More than $5.2 million in scholarships are awarded to freshman students every year.
•77% of UNL’s new freshmen receive scholarships and/or gift aid toward payment of their tuition.
•35% of full-time UNL students receive financial gift aid equal to or greater than the cost of tuition.
•49% of new freshmen in 2010-2011 received a scholarship from the University (excluding athletic, ROTC and outside scholarships).
•Nearly all are awarded on a rolling basis (periodically as students are admitted)

Repeat after me, “My final college list reflects investment value”.

Have you thought about attending a large public university in America’s heartland? University of Nebraska- Lincoln, the flagship campus for the state educational system has a population of approximately 20,000 undergraduate students (male, 54% and female, 46%). The Big 10 affiliate school (Go Huskers!) offers 150 plus majors and 400 clubs for undergrads to choose from during their four years. In addition, students have endless opportunities for learning whether in the classroom or at research facilities as well as from hands on experience through internships, travel abroad and more. Concerned about size? Nebraska’s Residential Communities and the Honors Program are two ways that allow for a smaller feel within a larger university. Of special note, The Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science & Management is renowned for its progam on interdisciplinary computer science and business management education. Learn more at www.nebraska.edu.

As seniors are submitting applications in record numbers, juniors are launching their college search faced with a similar future scenario. The ease of the Common Application combined with the uncertainty surrounding college admissions probabilities has fueled this stressful trend over the past few years. To help keep control of your college process and avoid needless applications (and stress!) down the road, here’s a recommended action plan to get started: 1) create your academic and interest profile by drafting a resume and completing personality assessments; 2) identify college criteria important to you such as size, location, culture, and majors; 3) develop a college list that matches profile and criteria; 4) understand test requirements to plan timeline for standardized testing and secure tutoring to match learning style, if necessary; 5) go to websites to research colleges further and buy college resource books such as Peterson’s 2012 Four Year Colleges, 2012 Princeton Review The Best 376 Colleges, and the 2012 Fiske Guide; 6) travel to colleges for formal visits and write down impressions; 7) create a “college supplies” area in your home and 9) attend local college fairs or regional visits. You can never do too much self-discovery and exploration when it comes to developing a strong college list. Start early, stay focused and your application load next fall will be smart and manageable.

November 1 deadlines for early action and early decision have taken on a new dimension for many college bound students in our area. There’s not just the final push of trying to finetune applications for submission tomorrow, but now the added stress of exactly how these applications will be submitted. Many families in Connecticut are without power and internet. The end is not near with local leaders claiming that power outages could last for up to one week. School is cancelled. So, if you’re one of those procrastinators who thought you would just spend a quick review of apps and then an easy submit at the last minute, think again. Your job has just morphed into a daunting task. What to do with no power at home and the looming deadlines? Several students are being creative and finding internet access to finish applications at local Starbucks, the Danbury Mall, parent offices, friends’ homes and more. Camaraderie is being discovered in the form of shared power cords and outlets. Some colleges are sympathetic to the storm application havoc. Marist and UPenn have adjusted their early deadlines. Words to the wise, don’t wait. You never know what kind of strange weather pattern is around the corner. Get to Starbucks.

Catch the ghoulish spirit!

Metro New York identifies the best college campuses for Halloween:

1) University of Rochester’s Scare Fair
2) The Zombie Walk at Bucknell University
3) Zombie Drills at Ohio Wesleyan University
4) Case Western Reserve’s Pumpkin Toss

Read more at http://tinyurl.com/63lxykc

When evaluating your chances of being admitted to a college, geographic statistics are another important aspect of the process in understanding admissions probability. To learn more about in state versus out of state college enrollment numbers and where exactly freshmen migrate from, take a look at the U.S. Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (Ipeds) at http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds. You can find out the percentage breakdown of freshmen enrollment by state at approximately 1600 institutions across the nation. The data is based on domestic students (not international) and is updated every two years. In a recent article, The Chronicle of Education highlights Penn State University’s historical breakdown. The graph demonstrates a shift to higher levels of out of state freshmen enrollment (36.1% in 2010 versus 30.1% in 2008) after holding fairly steady for several years. In terms of admissions, this is good news for students outside of Pennsylvania seeking a quality education from one of the top public universities in the nation.And, if you’re from a state with few or no students represented in the freshman class, your admissions probability could be much higher as colleges like Penn State are working toward greater geographic diversity. Note that in 2010, there were no freshmen from several states including Vermont; an opportunity to distinguish yourself! http://tinyurl.com/3rjvdfj.

September marks the start of the school year for high school students around the country. A time for a fresh beginnings whether in the classroom or in the community, on the sports field or on the dance floor. Give it your best shot as you begin a new chapter. For freshman, the best advice I can give you is to set your short and long term goals on what you want to achieve with your coursework, but also on joining the clubs and activities that make the most sense given your interests. From a college admissions perspective, the most attractive applicants have strong grades in their most rigorous courseload, while demonstrating dedication and special talents in a few activities. Are you a history buff and love to debate? Consider joining clubs such as Mock Trial, Model UN and or Speech & Debate. Sophomores and juniors, stay committed to your goals with positive grade trends as well as demonstrated growth through leadership within your interests. For rising seniors, the finish line is approaching, so don’t lose steam. Colleges will carefully examine 12th grade academic performance and continued focus on primary activities. Remember, in the final analysis, colleges are looking for smart, happy, balanced students. So make sure that whatever your choices, they are the right ones for you to encourage challenge and fulfillment, but not unhealthy stress. This will allow you to maintain that same feeling of enthusiasm long after the September school bells have stopped ringing.

US News & World Report cites the top ten most educated cities/regions in our nation. Using data from the Census Bureau’s 2009 American Community Survey, “the rankings take into account the shares of the population 25 years of age and older with post-secondary degrees, weighted by the length of time often required to obtain those various degrees”. Read more at http://tinyurl.com/43osbgt

1. Boulder, Colo.

2. Ann Arbor, Mich.

3. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.V, N.C.

4. Durham-Chapel Hill

5. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif.

6. Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Conn.

7. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, Calif.

8. Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Mass.-N.H.

9. Madison, Wis.

10. Raleigh-Cary, N.C.

The wrath of Hurricane Irene has been felt by 100% of Ridgefield’s population as well as many of the surrounding towns. No working plumbing, cold food in the fridge, or adequate light after 8:30PM? Why not take a trip to those colleges on your list that you just didn’t make it to this summer? Let’s face it…the novelty of camping has lost its luster. So, with Ridgefield High School’s start date re-scheduled for next week, you’ve bought some time to not only fine tune summer AP work but also visit additional campuses. You need a hotel room and restaurant food anyway. And, since fall will be busy with academics, college apps, homecoming and the like, take advantage of this gift of time to travel. I especially recommend the Ohio region which includes Miami of Ohio, Denison University, College of Wooster, Oberlin College, Kenyon College, Ohio Weselyan University and the list goes on. Many clients delay Ohio due to hesitations about the Midwest lifestyle or the prospect of a ten hour drive to America’s Heartland. Trust me, you’ll be more than impressed with the friendly people, campus opportunities, nearby city life while at the same time pampered from the comforts of a warm meal, hot shower and air conditioned room at the nearby hotels.

Did you know that about 30% of students enrolled in 2 or 4 year colleges will transfer at some point during their undergraduate education? The reasons include a change in major, rising financial pressures, unexpected academic difficulties, a shift from community college  or even a forlorn heart. So, if you’re one of the thousands of students considering a change, you’re not alone. Whatever your motivation, make sure to take a deep breath and spend time carefully re-evaluating long term education and career goals. In the process, take an honest assessment of your academic strengths as well as social and cultural criteria.  Examine what didn’t work on the current campus and what you’re looking for in the future. With a new college list in hand, take a look at the transfer student requirements for each school. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to note that many colleges post minimum transfer GPA requirements that are often lower than freshman admittance stats. And for most schools, standardized tests are not required if you’ve accumulated enough college credits. Don’t hesitate to contact the designated transfer admissions rep for each school to understand what courses can be transferred for credit as well as to have a candid discussion on your admissions probabilities. If you’re thinking about a spring transfer, don’t delay as deadlines are usually set for October/November.