College Admission 101: Simple Answers to Tough Questions about College Admissions and Financial Aid
208
College Admission 101: Simple Answers to Tough Questions about College Admissions and Financial Aid
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Overview
As The Princeton Review’s chief expert on education, Robert Franek frequently appears on ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX to share his insider expertise on the college admissions process. Each year, he travels to high schools across the country, advising thousands of anxious students and parents on how to turn their college hopes into reality.
Now, with College Admission 101, the best of Rob’s wisdom has finally been collected in one place! From standardized tests to financial aid, Rob provides straightforward answers to 60+ of the questions he hears most often, including:
· Should I take the ACT or SAT?
· When should I start my college research?
· How many schools should I apply to?
· Will applying Early Decision or Early Action give me a leg up?
· Which extracurricular activities do colleges want to see?
· How does the financial aid process work?
· What’s more important: GPA or test scores?
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781524758530 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Random House Children's Books |
| Publication date: | 05/15/2018 |
| Series: | College Admissions Guides: General |
| Pages: | 208 |
| Sales rank: | 1,098,156 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.45(w) x 8.16(h) x 0.58(d) |
About the Author
Table of Contents
Author's Note ix
Introduction: The Big Questions 1
Is a college degree worth the cost of tuition? 1
What is the "best" college? 3
Chapter 1 College Research 7
What criteria should I use to find a college or university where I can succeed? 9
How important are college rankings? 16
When should I start my college research? 18
How many schools should I apply to? 19
Is visiting campuses necessary? 21
Chapter 2 Standardized Tests 29
How are SAT or ACT scores used in the admission process and how important are they? 31
Will colleges see my PSAT scores? 33
How is the PSAT used in determining National Merit Scholarships? 34
Should I take the ACT or SAT? 35
What does it mean when a college or university is "test optional"? 38
When should I take the SAT or ACT? 39
If I take either test more than once, which scores will colleges see? 40
What are SAT Subject Tests? Which ones should I take, and when? 42
Do I need to take AP exams? 43
What's an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma? How do college admission counselors treat an IB diploma? 45
Chapter 3 High School Transcripts 49
What should I be doing in 9th and 10th grades to prepare for the college admission process? 51
What should I be doing in 11th and 12th grades to prepare for the college admission process? 55
Is it better to have a B in an honors/AP course or an A in a regular/easier course? 60
My school doesn't publish class rank. Will that hurt my application? 61
What carries more weight on a college application: GPA or test scores? 62
Which electives should I take? 63
How do admission counselors view applications from public school students vs. private school students? 64
How do I address my high school disciplinary record on my application? 66
My school is different (e.g., my GPA is out of 9.0; AP/honors are the same classes; I get written reports instead of letter grades). How will I compare to applicants from "regular" schools? 67
Chapter 4 Extracurricular Activities 69
How do college admission officers view extracurricular activities within an application? 71
Which activities do colleges view most favorably? 73
Does having a job carry as much weight as school-related extracurricular activities? 75
What about "grit"? 76
Chapter 5 Financial Aid & Scholarships 79
What is the FAFSA? 81
What is my Expected Family Contribution? 84
What's the CSS/Financial Aid Profile? 85
What financial information do I need to apply for financial aid using the FAFSA and/or the CSS Profile? 86
How does the financial aid application process differ from the admission process? 88
What is in my financial aid package? 89
What is the difference between need-based and merit-based financial aid? 92
How do I look for scholarships? 93
How do I save/pay for college? 94
What is a need-blind school? 99
Will I be penalized if I apply for financial aid? Will colleges look favorably on me if I don't apply for financial aid? 101
Can I appeal my financial aid decision? 103
Is it a smart move to attend a two year/associates degree granting school first to save money? 104
Chapter 6 Application 107
What is the Common Application? 109
Are there other applications like the Common Application? Is one better than another? 111
What do admission officers look for in an application essay? 113
When should I start the application process? 115
Should I declare a major on my application or apply undecided? 117
How important is optional or supplementary application material? 118
Is a college interview required? What should I expect? 119
Who should I ask to write my letters of recommendation? 122
Chapter 7 Inside the Admission Office 125
What are my chances of getting into my dream school? 127
How are my application materials reviewed? 129
Who is on the admission committee? 133
What is the single most important thing admission officers look for in an application? 134
Will applying Early Decision or Early Action give me a leg up? 136
What does it mean to be deferred? What can i do to improve my chances of acceptance? 139
What are my chances of getting off the waitlist? 141
Do admission officers look at prospective students' social media accounts? 142
Chapter 8 Etc 145
Is the admission process different for international students? 147
How difficult is transferring between colleges? 150
I want to take a gap year (a year off between high school and college). How will that impact my chances of admission? 154
How can a parent participate most effectively in their child's college application process? 156
How do I balance schoolwork, extracurriculars, test prep, college applications, family, social life, and SANITY?! 160
Appendix 163
College-Bound: Your Admission Checklist 165
High School Testing Timeline 168
20 Financial Aid Terms You Need To Know 169
26 Tips for Getting Financial Aid, Scholarships, and Grants and For Paying Less for College 172
2017 College Hopes & Worries Survey Results 175
More Advice from the Experts: Smart Tips from College-Bound Students for Next Year's Applicants 178
Parent to Parent: What I Wish I'd Known 181
Index 185
About the Author 195