college 101
TOP
admissions
THINGS ADMISSIONS
COUNSELORS AREN’T
TELLING YOU
Making sure your teen attends a college that best suits all of
their needs ultimately falls on the backs of parents. There is a
lot of information about college acceptance that parents and
teens should know upfront—and some of this they won’t hear
from college admissions counselors.
Many colleges fill 30-70
percent of their freshmen
seats during early action
or early decision.
APPLY TO MULTIPLE COLLEGES.
Include a “stretch” school, safe pick and backup. This allows you to compare the scholarship
financial aid packages offered from each institution.
MAKE SURE YOU WRITE YOUR OWN ADMISSIONS ESSAY.
Some colleges request an additional piece of school writing that has been graded by
a teacher. If your original essay has been forged, it can come back to hurt you. Also
beware of using college essay services, over 100 colleges use the Turnitin database
software to detect plagiarism.
DON’T VISIT COLLEGES DURING HOLIDAY BREAKS, IF POSSIBLE.
Visit the college during a normal day when class is in session to get an accurate feel of the
campus atmosphere, student body and surrounding areas.
DEMOGRAPHICS PLAY A ROLE IN YOUR ACCEPTANCE.
Reports have shown that most colleges favor wealthier students who can pay the
full price of tuition. Also, about one-third of colleges and universities consider an
applicant’s race as a factor.
YOUR ACCEPTANCE IS CONDITIONAL.
The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) recently performed a
study on revoked admissions, which found that about 22 percent of colleges rescinded at least
one offer of admission: 65 percent was due to senioritis-impacted final grades, 35 percent from
disciplinary issues, and 29 percent for falsification of the application information.
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www.potentialmagazine.com