College Admissions

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College Admissions Is Not A Popularity Contest

Definition of collegeLast week Allen Grove, the college admissions writer for About.com, listed the ten colleges whose profiles received the most reader interest during 2012. I happen to really like what Allen does with his college admissions writing. I feel a lot of it is very informative and easy to digest, but I bring this piece to your attention for the simple fact that college admissions is not a popularity contest.

Here’s the list of the top ten colleges which received the most reader interest:

  1. Harvard University
  2. UCLA
  3. UC Berkeley
  4. Cornell University
  5. UNC Chapel Hill
  6. University of Michigan
  7. New York University
  8. Stanford University
  9. Brown University
  10. Columbia University

It’s obvious these are some of the most elite schools in the country and there’s no wonder they are in the top ten. However, what you also need to recognize is that the average admission rate for these schools is 20% with Harvard being the most selective of the group at 6% and Michigan being the least selective at 41%.

Think about that. Columbia, Harvard Brown, and Stanford all reject 90% or more of their applicants. UC Berkeley and Cornell reject 80% or more. UCLA, rejects 75% while UNC Chapel Hill and New York University come in at 70%. Not only are these schools the most popular (at least in this context) but they are also the most exclusive.

While some people would have you believe that you need to attend one of these schools to have a great college experience, you can have a great experience at just about any college. You just need to be willing to make the most of the opportunities available to you.

This is true wherever you go.

Admission to a school is not the prize. If you get in and then spend four years doing nothing but going to class, it will have been for nothing. You need to invest yourself in the classroom. Network with faculty and other students. Get involved in clubs, organizations and other extracurricular activities that have meaning for you. Gain professional experience by interning or working on a co-op. It’s about creating the life you want to have and surrounding yourself with people and experiences that make you better.

This can happen at one of these schools, but it can also happen at a liberal arts college, a state university or even your local community college. Wherever it happens, it happens because of you, not because of the name of the school.

If you would like some assistance with your college search, contact me today for a free 60-minute consultation.

Here’s what other families like yours are saying about how Dobler College Consulting made a difference for them.

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Eric Jan 06, 2013 , , , , , , , No Comments
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Students, What Are Your VIPS?

I’ve been feeling under the weather for the last couple days and today decided it made more sense to share a blog I wrote for Christine VanDeVelde and Robin Mamlet, co-authors of the book, College Admission rather than just put something out there that wasn’t my best effort. Whether you are a regular reader or are just stopping by for the first time, I appreciate the fact that you’re here. And I want to make sure I am always offering you something of value.

When I work with students, I try to get them to tap into their VIPS – values, interests, personality-style and skills. Why? Because when you know who you are and what you’re good at, your chances of finding success in your life increase significantly. And by success I’m not just talking about making a lot of money. Instead, I want my students to create lives for themselves where they find success in their work, their relationships and in life, in general.

Here’s the blog about VIPS. If you have any thoughts on it, please leave a comment below. If you think it makes a lot of sense, consider sharing it with someone you know.

 

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Eric Dec 09, 2012 , , , , , No Comments
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Don’t Let Assumptions Lead You Astray

My seniors have most of their application work done and my juniors are starting to explore programs, potential job shadows while trying to get a grasp on just how much college is going to cost them.

It’s an interesting time of year because I find myself on pins and needles with the seniors, hoping that we have done everything right and that acceptance letters will come their way shortly. With the juniors, it’s all about exploration and introducing them to the idea that they need to be good investigators right now.

Which brings me to my thought for today.

Assumptions.

Don’t make them.

Please.

There is so much information to be had about colleges that to rely on something somebody once said as a reason to apply or not to apply is just foolish. I know we all have those people in our lives who tend to know a little about everything, but when this so-called expert on life tells you that you shouldn’t apply to a school because it’s an all-male school (when, in fact, it is not) or tells you that the professors aren’t any good (like anything in life, there are the good, the bad and the ugly but I refuse to believe that the entire roster of professors on any given campus are just the worst in the world) or that there’s no way you can afford it, I say it’s time to find out the truth for yourself.

This is YOUR college application process. Not your friend’s, not your uncle’s and not your parents. Yours. And you need to own it. Use the resources available to you to qualify information before you allow assumptions to lead you astray. Go the colleges’ websites and read up on their profile, their demographics and their majors. Use their net price calculators to learn more about what you might be able to expect financially. Go for a visit and sit in on a class in your intended major. If you can’t visit, check out a virtual tour or read student reviews on sites like Unigo or College Prowler.

Whether you do all of these things or just some of them, whatever you do, just don’t make assumptions.

If you have questions or would like some help with your college search and application process, use the comment box below or email me directly at eric@doblercollegeconsulting.com. I would love to hear from you!

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Eric Dec 02, 2012 , , , , , , , No Comments
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Mom in Cheshire Grateful For Dobler College Consulting

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I wanted to share this story from a Cheshire mom whose daughter I have worked with over the past year:

“As my phone rings AGAIN and it’s my sister calling to tell me another thing I should be doing for my daughter’s college to-do list, I have heart failure.  I can’t hang up fast enough to yell for my sixteen-year old to come downstairs so I can ask her if she has done it.  She looks at me like I am crazy and says, ‘mom, Eric and I did that two months ago.’  Every single time this scenario plays out, her answer is always the same.  Not only is she prepared, she has had whatever is needed done well before the deadline.  Eric has made this process so uncomplicated and actually enjoyable!

The most important thing he has done for parent and child alike is to make my daughter accountable. The parents are not responsible to get things done for college. The student is.

This has helped my daughter in the growing-up process.  She also owns her college experience.  She did the work, she picked the colleges, and she succeeded in her first hurdle of her college experience.  Is she nervous? Absolutely, but thanks to Eric she couldn’t be anymore prepared for what lies ahead.  For this we are extremely grateful.”

To have the opportunity to work with families like this and to know that our work together has made a difference in their lives, is something I am so thankful for.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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Eric Nov 25, 2012 , , , , , No Comments
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Why You Should Know Your EFC

Last week I wrote a post about understanding the difference between net price and sticker price. Today, I wanted to carry the financial torch a bit further by talking about EFC.

EFC? What’s that you say? Another acronym?

Yup. The world of college admissions and financial aid is full of them.

EFC stands for expected family contribution. It is the amount of money you will be expected to contribute towards one year of your college costs. While it won’t paint the entire picture for you, it will serve as a starting point before you venture into how generous a school is with their aid. You won’t know your official EFC until after you’ve completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and, in my opinion, this is too late. You can’t fill out the FAFSA until after January 1st of the student’s senior year when decisions on where you are applying have already been made.

Rather, you should know your EFC before you start getting too deep into looking at colleges.

Parents of freshmen, sophomores and juniors, I’m talking to you.

For example, let’s say your EFC is $25,000. If you are looking at a college where the cost of attendance is $55,000 you can immediately see that you will be hoping to get $30,000 in aid. Conversely, if the college’s cost of attendance is $30,000, you shouldn’t be expecting much of anything outside of the basic student loan.

In the case of the former, $30,000 is a big difference to make up. The next step is to understand just how generous a school is and if they are going to help you out. Typically, the biggest factor in whether or not a college is going to offer you a financial aid package that meets your need is how competitive you are as an applicant.

Do yourself a favor and obtain your estimated EFC now. Write it down, understand it and use it when you are researching schools and want to know what a school is going to cost you.

If you have questions or would like some help figuring out how to reduce the cost of college, use the comment box below or email me directly at eric@doblercollegeconsulting.com. I would love to hear from you!

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Eric Nov 18, 2012 , , , , , , , , No Comments