Greater Rochester Getting-into-College Fair (Perinton)
We all know what traditional college fairs are like: huge venues hosting tons of colleges, universities and military services where students and families can gather information, brochures, and lots of first impressions. But is that all there is to the admissions process? Obviously, determining where you want to go is important. Equally essential is learning how to get in! We’re thrilled to announce the first Greater Rochester Getting-into-College Fair. How is this different from a conventional college fair? Instead of campus reps, you’ll meet amazing local experts with answers about every aspect of college admissions: Independent college consultants SAT & ACT test prep professionals FAFSA and student loans specialists College student success coaches College savings and 529 advisors NYS Excelsior and scholarship experts The experts at this fair will offer guidance and insights for high school students of all ages along with parents and educators. Look forward to…
Greater Rochester Getting-into-College Fair (Pittsford)
We all know what traditional college fairs are like: huge venues hosting tons of colleges, universities and military services where students and families can gather information, brochures, and lots of first impressions. But is that all there is to the admissions process? Obviously, determining where you want to go is important. Equally essential is learning how to get in! We’re thrilled to announce the first Greater Rochester Getting-into-College Fair. How is this different from a conventional college fair? Instead of campus reps, you’ll meet amazing local experts with answers about every aspect of college admissions: Independent college consultants SAT & ACT test prep professionals FAFSA and student loans specialists College student success coaches College savings and 529 advisors NYS Excelsior and scholarship experts The experts at this fair will offer guidance and insights for high school students of all ages along with parents and educators. Look forward to…
Ranked Priorities in College Admissions
If you’re wondering what factors matter in selective college admissions, I’m happy to summarize the list in a few words: ALL OF THEM. When you are applying to schools that accept 10% or less of applicants, nothing is really optional from test scores to supplemental essays. The good news is that not every factor in admissions carries equal weight. A few years back, we shared what really matters in college admissions, as assessed by the NACAC 2018 State of College Admissions report. Much has changed since then, but perhaps not as much as one would think. After all, the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) recently released the results of a 2020 nationwide survey of IECA member independent educational consultants that shared major similarities with the NACAC report. What matters? Grades still reign supreme, both qualitatively (honors, AP, IB) and quantitatively (the higher the better) to admissions officers. SAT and ACT…
Should You Apply Early Decision This Year?
Every year, millions of college applicants contend with billions (slight exaggeration) of questions about which schools to apply to and how to present the perfect applications. The question of when to apply hasn’t always felt pressing, but ignoring timing may be a big mistake this year. Early Decision and Early Action represent the primary options available to students who want to signal a strong intent to attend if accepted. Early Action is a less binding but also less influential indicator of intent. Early Decision, on the other hand, is an agreement with teeth to attend the single college that accepted you. In exchange for flexibility–and perhaps leverage in financial aid negotiations–applicants gain potentially significant admissions advantages. The power of enrolling Early Decision varies from school to school and year to year. To find out how beneficial ED was in last year’s cycle and what this year holds for applicants, I…
Outstanding Resources for Test Prep and Admissions
At Chariot Learning, we have all kinds of effective ways to help students earn impressive test scores while learning critical academic and executive skills. With summer coming, you’re probably looking for help with testing as well as the larger higher education admissions process. Following are some of the essential resources we recommend for our prep students and all test takers, but feel free to contact us if you don’t see what you are looking for: GETTING STARTED Whether you are working with Chariot Learning or not, you’ll be able to better understand any and every aspect of test prep and admissions with these trusted sources: Chariot Learning Frequently Asked Questions Tests and the Rest college admissions podcast College Road parent newsletter Upstate College Conversations Facebook group Chariot Learning Motivational Instagram COLLEGE ADMISSIONS AND TESTING FOR THE HS CLASSES OF 2022 AND 2023 Understand the current admissions landscape better with this…
Increases in Cost of College Over the Last 10 Years
That old adage about having to spend money to make money has never been more true than in reference to college. Among the many clear benefits of a college education are measurably improved average lifetime earnings an a higher likelihood of a satisfying career. But those benefits come at a cost, one that seems to practically double every year. How much has the cost of college really increased over the last ten years? Unsurprisingly, our friends at the College Board happen to track this exact information. Their comprehensive analysis of Tuition and Fees and Room and Board over Time provides exactly the information we are looking for, especially after some additional calculations. Private Non-Profit Four Year Schools Average tuition for private non-profit four year schools in 2021-22 was $38,070. Average tuition for private non-profit four year schools in 2011-12 was $33,320. That increase of $4,750 over a decade represents a…