College 101

A “How To” Manual

Junior Year Testing Calendar
• October – PSAT
• December/January – SAT. Order the “Full Score Report”. This will
show you exactly which questions you missed so that you may direct
your improvement efforts. They will send you the test booklet as
well. Well worth the extra money.
• May – AP Exams and SAT Subject Tests.
• June - SAT
Senior Year Testing Calendar
• August -SAT
• September – ACT
• October – SAT
• November – SAT – only if you are really close to a scholarship plateau
• December – ACT or SAT (only if needed)
FAFSA – new completion date. Now Oct. 1,
not Jan. 1. Change Effective Oct. 1, 2016.
• Summer between Junior and Senior Year, look for a FAFSA estimator online (I
recommend www.FinAid.org). You will need your parent’s most recent
Federal Income Tax Return.
• Complete the estimator and determine your “EFC”. This is the Estimated
Family Contribution, in other words, the amount they expect you to pay.
• If your EFC is low, you should focus on schools that award financial aid on a
“Needs” basis. Needs Based (or Needs Blind) schools give you the difference
between what they charge and your EFC.
• If your EFC is high, you have two choices. Expect to pay the EFC at a Needs
Based school or look for “Merit” Based Schools. Merit schools give you
money for being smart and scoring well on PSAT/SAT/ACT.
Role of Parents and Students
• You need to have a frank discussion with your parents about money for
college. Do you have a college fund? What is your budget? Few people
have the ability to write a blank check for 72,000 each year.

• You, the student, have to take an active role in this process. No one will
give you money for just showing up. You are going to have to look for
scholarships that you can apply for and write essays for each of them.
Most schools have ROTC programs that you can participate in during
school. Service Jobs after you graduate can assist in paying of loans
(Teach America, Military service). Being a Resident Advisor (RA) can cover
your room and board costs after your freshman year.
Sites to Register On
• College Board
• Fast Web
• FinAid!
• Cappex
• Niche
• NJ Class – scholarships and loans for qualifying NJ students
Email Addresses & Social Media
• Pick a generic sounding email address for all things related to college
applications, College Board, scholarships, etc. For instance, I would
use Lori.Blake.1@gmail (NO, not my real email!!!!!!)
• Do NOT post photos of you in ANY format that you wouldn’t want a
college or prospective internship director (or employer) to see. Even
Snapchat could be screenshot. Even “doctored” or “photoshopped”
pictures are a NO. Nothing provocative. Check your “Public Profile”.
• Look up Laramie Tunsil from Ole Miss (U of Mississippi) and what
happened to him on the 2016 NFL Draft.
Types of Admission
• Rolling – No firm dates, can apply at any time and usually get response within six
weeks. Scholarship awards are “first come, first served” though so early is better! You
can apply to an unlimited number.
• Regular – Date late Dec/early Jan. Usually hear back on April 1. You can apply to an
unlimited number.
• Early Action – Apply early but does not require a commitment. Gives you an edge in
early admission and scholarship consideration. You can apply to an unlimited number.
• Early Decision – You are entering a (semi) binding contract with the school. You agree
that if they accept you, you will withdraw your other applications and attend that
school. You are not allowed to apply to more than one of this type of school. There
are some loopholes that we will discuss in class. You can only apply to this one school.
What SAT scores am I shooting for?
• Super Score Plateaus for the math and English sections

• 1200 – Small scholarship to NJ schools.

• 1400 – Scholarship for most schools.
• 1500 – Major scholarships and free ride offers. Jackpot!

• Good Link for SAT format and scoring sat.ivyglobal.com/new-vs-old/

Choosing Schools
• Visit schools to get a sense of small vs. large schools.
• If you are offered a “Fee Waiver” from a school, you will most likely
get money from them.
• Look at the “Public Ivies”. They are the caliber of an Ivy with the price
of a State school.
• Remember that schools are trying to create a balanced student body.
They are going to incorporate factors like the following in their
decision: gender, race, religion, geography, foreign-born, languages
spoken, activities.
How many schools should I apply to?
• You need a “safety” school to serve as your backup plan. Typically this
is a state school (not including Princeton, TCNJ, or Rutgers Pharmacy).
• Ivy League and other highly selective schools have such a low
acceptance rate (<6%) so you can’t count them as possibilities. They
are more of an “Extra”.
• Pick a range of schools but mostly of a similar caliber. If you get
scholarship money from a similar caliber school, it carries more
weight as you negotiate with other schools.
Factors
• Gender – Look at the balance that the school has in their school
profile.
• Race – Look for schools where you would be a minority. Native
American students and Hispanic Males are the most under-
represented nationally. African-American Males are the next
category.
• Religion – Religious-affiliated schools are still looking for a diverse
population. For example, you don’t have to be Catholic to apply to a
Catholic University. Understand that this type of school may require
you to complete classes of a theological basis.
Factors (continued)
• Geography – The Route 95-corridor from Boston to Virginia is where
most NJ kids apply. That means you are all competing for the same
spots and because NJ has more than its share of smart kids, this
makes it tough. Expand your search a bit, especially away from this
route.
• Apply to a school West of the Mississippi River! You will get money.
BTW, California doesn’t count for this.
• All schools want kids from all 50 states.
Activities
• Make sure your resume highlights your activities. Newspaper Staff,
Yearbook Staff, Band/Orchestra, Student Government, academic
teams, etc.
• Colleges have these same activities and need experienced people to
fill the positions.
• Sometimes it can be this activity that makes them select one student
over another.
Organizing your Awards/Honors
• Organize in the following order: International, National, State,
Regional, School (EHT).
• AP Awards are probably the MOST important one you could have (3
or more AP classes completed).
• National Honor Society would be a good 2nd.
• NJ Science League Ranking would be a good 3rd.
• Varsity Scholar is your LEAST important award.
AP AWARDS - Levels
• AP Scholar- scores of 3 or higher on 3 or more exams

• AP Scholar with Honor – average score of 3.25 on all exams taken

AND scores of 3 or higher on 4 or more exams

• AP Scholar with Distinction – average score of 3.5 on all exams taken

AND scores of 3 or higher on 5 or more exams
Separating Yourself from the Crowd
• Either through an activity or essay, you need to make yourself stand
out. Ivy League schools, in particular, are interested in quirky,
unusual, or advanced activities.
• Remember that Admissions Officers read thousands of essays each
year. The best essay is the one that speaks to who you are. Think of
something personal and share that in the essay. Being your genuine
self makes you more of a real person in their eyes and worthy of
further investigation.
Honors College Programs
• There are many perks of being in an Honors College within your
chosen school. These are often set up as a small college-within-a-
college.
• Special Housing, speakers, field trips, show/sports tickets.
• Travel Abroad scholarships.
• Accelerated programs for Medical School (6 years instead of 8).
• Research positions.
Touring Schools
• Get a 1 subject notebook to record what you learn.
• Tours consist of 2 parts. For any school you are seriously considering, you
should participate in both parts. Eat lunch in the cafeteria!
• The physical tour of the campus with a student guide is a walking tour. This
gives you a chance to ask questions of a student. Typically they show you a
dorm room. Ask where the freshman live! Have a general list of questions
in your notebook.
• The meeting with Admissions Personnel gives different information. They
present an overview of the opportunities available at the school and what
type of student the school is looking for. Scholarship opportunities are often
mentioned here.
Touring (continued)
• When you return to the car, record your impressions of the school in
your notebook. What did you like? Dislike? Special opportunities?
Travel? Jobs? How was the food? I think its important that you
complete this before the end of the day. Ask your parents to
contribute what they recall. We often found that each of us heard
different aspects of the presentation, so putting it all together made
for a more complete picture.
Negotiating
• When you go to purchase a new car, you never agree to the first price
offered. SAME FOR COLLEGE!!!!!!!
• You need to call the Financial Aid Office and ask if there is any other aid
they can offer you. Tell them how they are your Number 1 Choice (ok, it
might be a bit of a fib…) but that other colleges are offering you more
money. They will ask you to scan the other offers and send them. All they
can say is “No”, so ASK! If you do not ask, they will not give money away.
• Some schools give you money just for calling and asking.
• If they say no, ask if there is anything you can do to change their mind
(higher SAT scores?).
May 1
• You must commit to a school by May 1. This includes a deposit,
typically $500.00

• You should have negotiated for more financial aid up to this point.
Once you commit, they have no reason to offer you more money.
Remember, they are a business!
Common Application
• Most schools use the Common Application. Print out the version
online and gather the information. They will ask for numbers and
dates that you probably don’t know, especially about your parents.
• August 1 is usually the date the newest edition of the application is
available.
• Some of your schools will not use this form but will still require the
same type of information.
• Start early!
Teacher Rec Letters
• Leave a minimum of 3-4 weeks. Teachers have to do this during their free
time (at home, during lunch or class prep time).
• Ask teachers and or coaches who can speak to your character and
performance in classroom situations. The longer someone has known you,
the better.
• Your Guidance Counselor writes you a letter as well.
• You typically need two letters in addition to the Counselor’s. Do not ask more
than 2 teachers. That wastes their time and grumpy teachers will write
grumpy letters!
• Have your resume done and loaded into Naviance before you ask for letters.
Also, load all of your colleges into Naviance.
Naviance Issue
• If you ask a teacher to write you a letter, we have that, as well as,
rankings to complete. Then we have to upload and click on each
individual school.
• If you later add another school, we do not receive any notification of
that. You have to tell us. Don’t be the kid who bothers everyone 100
times. Remember, grumpy teachers!
Prestige
• The last school you attend is the one that matters. If you plan to attend
grad school of any type, that is where “the name” can matter.
• For undergraduate studies, go to the cheapest school that you can! You
do not want debt to follow you for 20 years. We will look at loan
calculators to see how crazy this gets.
• Too many people feel cheated if they don’t go to the prestigious school.
Your undergrad goal should be to get a degree in 4 years with as little
debt as possible.
• Your hard work in HS pays off when you get to graduate without debt
hanging over your head. Merit based aid does not have to be paid back.
AP Credits
• Depending on the school you choose, AP Credit will be awarded and
replace required courses. This is important because it allows you to
graduate early or take electives that interest you.
• Make sure you speak with admissions counselors about your senior
year classes. They may not have received these from College Board.
It is your responsibility to make sure they have everything they need.
• You can get anywhere from 1 class to 5 semesters from this credit.
• As a way of boosting GPA’s, some kids take a class even though they
got a passing score. This helps if you have a GPA scholarship
requirement or want to major in that or a related field.
How to read your acceptance package
• Look carefully at the bottom line. Often federal loans and jobs are
added in under “aid”. You still have to pay back loans and work at a
job. They subtract those off of the total but, in order to determine
your actual costs, you have to add those back in.
• Don’t forget to multiply your total cost by 4 (years of school). It adds
up quickly! Be smart about this and do what is best for you and your
family.
School Scholarships
• Guidance maintains a list of over 150 scholarships available to you.
• They have a physical list and an e-list on the HS Guidance website.
• Look for scholarships that are available for 4 years. Unless stated, it is
a one year (freshman only) scholarship.
Local Scholarships
• The mid-week insert of The Press of Atlantic City has local
scholarships published starting in (about) January. Since these are
local, the pool of applicants is smaller, favoring your chances of
winning the money.
Colleges I have Visited (by state)
• New York - St. John’s, Fordham, NYU, Vassar, Colgate, Cornell, Hamilton,
Marist, Hofstra, Ithaca
• New Jersey – Stockton, Montclair, TCNJ, Rider, Princeton, Rutgers (Go
Knights)
• Pennsylvania – Penn (Go Quakers), Pitt, Carnegie-Melon, Duquesne
• Massachusetts – Brandeis, Harvard, MIT, Tufts, Boston College, Boston
University, Williams
• Connecticut – Yale, Quinnipiac, Wesleyan
• Vermont – Middlebury
• Michigan – Michigan State ( Go Green! Go White!)
Colleges I have Visited (continued)
• Virginia – UVA, William and Mary
• North Carolina – Davidson, Duke , UNC Chapel Hill, NC State, Winston-
Salem, Wake Forest
• Colorado – Colorado State, US Air Force Academy
• New Mexico – UNM – Albuquerque
• Louisiana – Tulane, Loyola
• Illinois – U Chicago, Northwestern
• Ohio – Miami, Oberlin, Ohio State, Bowling Green
• Florida – UCF, UF, Rollins, Flagler, Full Sail
College GPA
• Once you begin college, you have a blank slate.
• For the rest of your life, you will have to state your college GPA on
every job application you complete. Be careful that you stay
organized and ahead on your projects.
• Utilize the syllabi provided for your classes. Note important test
dates, due dates, and policies on attendance, late work, and
homework. They are not very forgiving.
• Large white board calendars work well for organizing. Your
organization system is more important than your dorm room color
scheme.