Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Finally!

At long last, I have finally found some free time to begin posting to my blog and sharing some insights and advice on the admissions process. Each time I post I will address a different topic in the admissions process. Without further ado, here is my first entry!

A popular question when I first meet with a student and his or her family is "How do we go about making a list of colleges we want to consider?". The list can be created through a series of questions the student needs to ask him or herself and answer as honestly as possible. Here are a few questions to help you get started.


  • How far away from home am I willing to travel? Some students have no qualms about flying all the way across the country, knowing that the opportunity to zip home for a little R and R may not be realistic. Some students think NYU in Abu Dhabi sounds like the most awesome collegiate setting possible.  Others don't want to be more than a few hours away by car or train and still others need to know they can zip home for dinner or laundry when they need to.  Some schools with a large commuter population may empty out on the weekends and depending on what a student wants, that can be a good thing or a bad thing.
  • Do I want to wear shorts to class all year? Do I want to ski on the weekends? Do I want access to mountains for hiking or the beach for surfing? Remember that college isn't all schoolwork all the time and being able to do the things that you love is also important. If you hate hate hate the cold, don't consider Macalester College in St. Paul MN! If you hate to sweat, UMiami is probably not the spot for you, but if you love the beach, it might be heaven. Hate snow? Skip UVM. Want access to a college ski hill? Check out Middlebury! Tennis outdoors all year long? College of Charleston sounds like a perfect fit
  • How important is a party scene to me? If you want a vibrant weekend scene, add some schools with Greek life or DI sports. If you are more the bookish sort and would rather hear a lecture or see a film with subtitles on a Saturday night, choose a school in or near a big city with a vibrant arts scene or a strong culture of intellectual engagement like UChicago or New College of Fl. 
  • Does religious affiliation matter to me? Its important to note that some schools affiliated with religious institutions may have different standards for student life. If you are Jewish or Muslim, Quaker or Buddhist, its important to find out if a school has a population of students who share your cultural heritage. 
  • How price sensitive am I? If you are sure you will need substantial aid, do NOT choose schools with limited institutional aid as you will end up with an aid package that includes a lot of loans and little grant money and be sure to include a few in-state publics in your list. If you are comfortable with paying the full sticker price for college, include a few schools that offer merit scholarships (not based on need) to desirable candidates. 
After you have gone through this list and have some direction, only then do you consider levels of competitiveness. For more help with the creation of a college list, check out www.athenacollegeadvisors.com or email me at AthenaAdvisors@optimum.net!

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