Summer School REQUIRED for Florida Public Colleges

Florida State Colleges and Universities:  Summer Term Requirement for Undergraduate Students

While visiting Florida universities and colleges, we learned an important piece of information to consider if you are applying to schools in the state system.  According to Florida State regulations, “All students entering a university in the State University System with fewer than 60 semester hours credit shall be required to earn at least nine semester hours prior to graduation by attendance at one or more summer sessions. University presidents or their designees may waive the application of this regulation in cases of unusual hardship to the individual.”  Therefore, if you attend a state college or university in Florida, plan on spending one summer on campus to fulfill this requirement!

College Admissions Offices Spot-Checking Applications

We’ve all heard the adage, “Honesty is the best policy.” However, in the competitive landscape of college admissions, some students may feel pressure to embellish their resumes or the activities sections of their applications in an attempt to gain acceptance to their top-choice colleges.  Beware!  In response to Varsity Blues, some colleges have started to spot-check applications, verifying that students’ activities and involvement in activities are accurate.  When you submit an application, you affirm that the information you provide to the colleges is “your own work, factually true and honestly presented.”  This quote is taken directly from the Common Application, but the other application platforms, Coalition Application, and college-specific applications have similar statements that you must agree to before submitting your application.  

Colleges are cracking down, indicating that they will likely revoke offers of admission to students who are found in violation of this affirmation.  So, avoid the temptation to present yourself as captain if you were a co-captain or list a club if you have never attended a meeting.  Being your authentic self is essential.  That way, when your acceptance letters arrive, you can rest assured that your achievements were earned not fabricated.

Computer Science: The bugs in the system

The number of undergraduates majoring in computer science has more than doubled from 2013 to 2017. We have seen this trend in our practice as more and more students are expressing interest in a career in tech.  At the university level, the number of students interested in studying computer science is outpacing the supply of professors, and students are starting to feel the impact of this imbalance.  From an admissions perspective, it is getting more competitive to get accepted as a computer science major.  Colleges are trying to manage the increase in demand but are finding it difficult to attract faculty when salaries in the private sector are more lucrative.  Some colleges have made computer science a limited enrollment major meaning they are only allowing a certain number of students in.  Other universities are limiting the number of courses computer science majors can take in their major in order to open up space to others in the department who are trying to fulfill their requirements.  And, many colleges are facing issues of overcrowded classes, and have started using lottery systems to allocate coveted spots.  

 As it relates to high school students thinking about applying into computer science, realize that it has gotten more competitive and building your resume to show your experience and commitment to the subject will help.

Trinity’s New Financial Aid Policy Increases Much-Needed Transparency

Trinity College recently announced that it will provide low-income students with a four year financial aid package, rather than require students to file for need-based aid each year.

“Our goal is to remove the anxiety, confusion, and complexity from a process that discourages low-income students from applying to and persisting at institutions of higher education. Knowing how much college will cost over a four-year period will also allow students and families to make better decisions about enrollment and financial planning. The requirements to apply for financial aid continue to become more complex, and for the lowest income students, the process serves as a constant reminder that they are poor. Trinity College is taking this step to help students focus their energies on academic and social success, rather than burdensome administrative processes.

Any student who is Pell-eligible and whose family has an adjusted gross income of $60,000 or less will be presented with a four-year financial aid package, with first-year financial aid accompanied by estimates for future years. Because Trinity already meets 100% of a student’s demonstrated need, Trinity will maintain its commitment to keep the family’s net price consistent for four years regardless of changes in the availability of federal or state aid. Finally, additional financial wellness opportunities will be provided for these students through a partnership with the Office of Student Accounts, Center for Student Success and Career Development, and the Office of Financial Aid.”

Way to go Trinity!!

How to Interpret Your PSAT Score Report

Do PSAT scores matter? Mostly not!

PSAT scores are not used in making a college admission decision, but as an indicator of college readiness and as a predictor of SAT scores.  Students will need to take an official SAT to meet standardized testing requirements.

So what is the difference?

It is important to understand that the PSAT is scored on a 160-760 scale for each section, whereas the SAT is scored on a 200-800 scale. The score ranges differ because the SAT contains additional questions of higher difficulty; it’s taken when students are older and have mastered more academic content. Because of this, a student who has scored a 450 in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing on the PSAT, for example, should approximately score the same on the SAT if it was taken on the same day.  It would be expected that the student’s score would improve, however, when they take the SAT in the future as they will have mastered more academic content over time.

You will also notice that percentiles are given underneath each score.  These represent the student’s relative standing among all U.S. students in that grade, whether or not they have taken the PSAT.  You can obtain the percentile ranking among students who took the PSAT by going to the online score report on your College Board account.  Be aware that this ranking will most likely be lower as the cohort that takes the PSAT is often more competitive. 

What does it count for?

The PSAT taken in the junior year is used to qualify students for the National Merit Scholarship Corporation Awards program. You will see an NMSC Selection Index Score on the 3rd page of the report. The student’s scores are used to calculate this index score, which will fall within the 48-228 range.  Each state calculates the score needed to qualify for the awards program based on students’ scores from their state and this benchmark changes from year to year.  The NMSC will notify students in September who are eligible to apply for the National Merit Scholarship Awards program.  These students are approximately the top-scoring 1% of students who took the PSAT in their junior year nationwide.

More detailed information about the PSAT can be found by logging into your College Board account online. 

Use With Caution: Scattergrams as a Predictor of College Admissions

Students and parents frequently reference their (or their child’s) admissions chances based on the Scattergrams displayed in Naviance, the online counseling tool at their high school.  We always caution that Scattergrams tell a very limited story and that they should not be considered an absolute.   

To the uninitiated, Scattergrams plot the admissions decisions received by previous students who applied from that high school to a particular college or university.  The Scattergram graph uses the X-axis for standardized test scores and the Y-axis for GPA to give prospective students a snapshot of their chances for admission. 

Some key things to keep in mind about the limits of Scattergrams:

•  Often, admission results are self-reported by the student. There are no controls in place for accuracy of results!

• The data is collected over preceding years and is a very small sample size.  Most colleges are getting more selective each year, so a student that was admitted even a year or two ago might not be admitted in the current admissions cycle.

• The two variables used, GPA and test scores, are frequently not the two most important factors of the applicants’ profile in consideration.  Many schools are now test-optional.  Most schools will look at academic rigor and like to see it on an upward trajectory over the four years of high school.  Many give important consideration to the essay and extracurriculars.  Additionally, there’s no way of knowing whether the students included on the Scattergram were recruited athletes, legacies, or had another “hook” desired by the college or university.

• Scattergrams usually don’t reveal whether the student applied Early Decision, Early Action or Regular Decision, which can affect one’s admission chances.

• The GPA utilized for Scattergrams is usually the student’s final GPA after senior year, not the GPA they used when submitting applications in the fall of senior year.  Many times, their final GPA is lower due to Senior Slide or Senior Slump in the spring.  Therefore, GPAs on the Scattergram may be skewed lower.

It’s important to keep in mind that Scattergrams offer a VERY limited window into the admissions outcomes for the given group of students. The breadth of variables upon which colleges base their decisions is not reflected in this simple diagram.  Most often, they are helpful in determining if you are shooting for the moon, but not the other way around.

Use Scattergrams with caution!

College Applicants Applying EARLIER Than In the Past

Last year early action applications were up.

Our seniors have been working hard writing essays and completing their applications. Reflecting on last year, the number of applications under the non-binding early action program increased by 15% and the number of applications under early decision was up 5%. We will be interested to see the data for our 2019 class.

College Rankings Demystified

Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education recently looked at the effectiveness of the US News and World Report’s ranking system.  Just as we expected, they concluded that to find a college that is the right match, students should look beyond the rankings. What the study found was that student success was primarily determined by the level of student engagement in their college experience. Considering that students have different priorities when it comes to their educational experience, it is no surprise that a standard ranking system is ineffective. Interestingly, the one factor that had predictive power on whether a student had a personally fulfilling college experience was emotional support through faculty connection.  We have found that while the rankings can provide some interesting factual information, when it comes to matching students to colleges students and families should look beyond the rankings.

For more information about this study click on the link below.

One Viable Option for College Loans Now Eliminated

Perkins Loans are no longer available.

A Federal Perkins Loan was once a nice addition to a financial aid award because of its relatively low-interest rate and a no interest feature whereby a student paid no interest on the loan while they were attending college full-time. However, this loan is no longer available. As of June 2018 colleges and universities can no longer make disbursements under the Federal Perkins Loan Program.

Grades Matter….But Maybe Less Than You Think

Grade inflation is real!

According to a recent article in The Atlantic, "The Two Most Important College Admissions Criteria Now Mean Less," more than half of US high school students graduate with an A average. Over half!! And affluent suburban high schools are the biggest grade-inflation offenders.

Imagine that you are a college admission representative at a highly competitive school. You are looking at transcript after transcript of straight As, and often exceptional test scores as well. There is little to distinguish one applicant from another. 

So while great rigor, grades and test scores are necessary to get you to "the dance," it is often the other parts of the application that help to make a decision.