A+ Test Prep & Tutoring Blog

In this issue:

Featured Student: Jessica Savitz

We are pleased to report on the achievement of Jessica Savitz, who completed A+’s one-on-one SAT prep program this spring. Jessica, who is going into her senior year at Council Rock North High School, took the SAT in May and got a score of 1630, which represents a 270 point increase from her PSAT score from the previous fall.

Launching of the New Common Application for College

The new 2010-2011 Common Application is now available at commonapp.org.  Over 415 colleges accept this application both online and in print versions, but it is important to note that not all schools accept it.

Saving Money on College-Related Expenses

Funding a college education is a major expense for any family, yet there are many ways in which students and parents can cut corners on college-related expenses such as books, food, and travel once their son or daughter is on campus. Here are a few of our favorite frugal tips.

FREE Proctored SAT and ACT Exams

Mark your calendars! Due to the popularity of our free proctored exams, we are once again offering free, no-obligation, proctored ACT and SAT practice exams. These exams are open to current students and to members of the community.

According to a recent posting on the website Inside Higher Ed, another 25 colleges have signed on to accept The Common App. This brings the total number of colleges accepting this online application 414. This number includes all of the Ivy League, 10 flagship state universities, and the first non-U.S. university, Jacobs University Bremen.

A recent posting on the Washington Post’s blog, The Answer Sheet, suggests that it may not necessarily be in a student’s best interests to participate in to use Score Choice, the process that allows students to choose which SAT or ACT scores to send to colleges.

The reason for this is that while students can choose whether or not to send scores from a specific test date, many colleges actually use the highest score on each section of the test, rather than the best overall score the student received in any one sitting of the test. This means that if a student took the test on multiple test dates, unless he received his highest scores on ALL of the areas of the test on that one date, he would be better off submitting scores from all test dates.

In addition, some of the most competitive colleges actually require all scores to be submitted and do not want applicants to choose not to send specific scores. This means that if a student is not careful, she could be penalized by a college for applying without submitting all of her scores and actually jeopardize her acceptance to the college.

The bottom line is that both students and parents need to carefully research the admissions requirements of the colleges the student is applying to, and be aware of the specific school’s policies regarding Score Choice, and how the test scores will be used.

In a few cases, it may be beneficial to use Score Choice, but in the vast majority of cases it will not. So be careful out there!

A list of the SAT score policies of participating colleges can be found here.

To see the full Washington Post Blog Post, click here.

Since so many teenagers are active on social media sites such as Facebook and MySpace, an issue of concern now being raised is how this type of activity may affect a college’s consideration of a student for admission. Recently a panel of admissions officers from some of the nation’s highest ranked colleges discussed this issue.

Click here to watch a discussion on the Wall Street Journal’s “On Campus” website concerning how Facebook, and other social media, postings are being treated by college admissions offices.  For both students and parents, the discussion will provide some valuable insight into what admission offices think about such postings and how you can prevent this type of activity from affecting your or your child’s chances of admission to college.

Admissions Officers from Eight Top Colleges Discuss and Demystify the College Admissions Process

Parents and other professionals interested in the ever-changing college admissions landscape will be interested in a recent addition to the New York Times website. The Choice, features the latest information, from admissions professionals, on college admissions, financial aid, standardized testing, and much more.

This week, in a five-part series, The Choice has been featuring answers to select reader questions by Gaston Caperton, who has been president of the College Board since 1999.

Many students, parents, and guidance counselors are expressing feelings of confusion, disorientation, and even anger at the College Board’s new Score Choice Policy. The new policy, which began with the March, 2009 administration of the SAT exam, gives students the option of choosing which SAT scores to submit along with their college applications. However, due to the newness of the policy, and the way colleges are reacting to the policy, there are many questions about the best way for students to use, or not use, Score Choice. The following are links to recent articles on the policy, which hopefully will shed some light on the issue:

The Choice (NY Times), by Jacques Steinberg

How Much Harder Can Score Choice Get, by Nancy Griesemer

According to Nancy Oliver Gray, president of Hollins University, a women’s liberal arts college in Roanoke, Virginia, private college might actually turn out to be a bargain. How so? Here are some of her reasons:

1.  Private colleges offer significant need-based financial aid and merit scholarships.

2.  Financial aid packages are typically much more generous than those at public colleges.

3.  Students at private colleges are more likely to graduate in four years, thereby saving money by not having to attend beyond fours years.  Since private colleges tend to be smaller than “the publics,” students will generally experience smaller class sizes and more individual attention from professors.  In addition, students tend to have an easier time getting into the classes they need to graduate than in public colleges.

Other advice on affording college from Ms. Gray includes:

• Few families pay “sticker price” for college, so don’t panic when you find out what a college is asking for tuition. In fact, according to the College Board, average net tuition (after financial aid is factored in) is more than $10,000 below the listed tuition price.
• Complete your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) as soon as possible. Students who get the FAFSA form in earlier are more likely to get a sizable aid award.
• Keep in touch with the college’s financial aid office. Often a college’s aid officers may be able to help you find money from both the college itself as well as from other sources. You can arrange a private meeting with an aid officer for more individualized help.

So, when considering which college is the best match, don’t rule out private colleges because of their “sticker price.” Remember to take the entire financial picture into account before making your college choice. Happy college hunting!

Source:

“You Can Afford College, Even In Tough Economic Times” December 14, 2008 (The Charlotte Observer),  December 18, 2008 (The Virginian-Pilot, The Roanoke Times)