Category: College Admissions

The application process is relatively easy – waiting to hear back from colleges about your application is the hard part. February and March are particularly stressful for students who just submitted their applications and are waiting to hear back. Frustration, stress, and pressure put on by your parents probably won’t help your mood, especially since you’re still in school at the time.

Sandweiss Test Prep has helped students through every level of their education reach their goals and we’ve seen firsthand how stressful the waiting around can be. Here are a few things to do while you wait for your college acceptance letter: 

Apply for Financial Aid

January and February are good times to apply for FAFSA aid, even if you’re not actively considering financial aid. Having the acceptance already approved will help safeguard against any potential issues before you go to school. Don’t forget to talk with your parents about financial aid and their status. Don’t put this off, though – FAFSA funding in the State of Washington is awarded until depleted starting January 1st. Other states vary – check deadlines here.

Check Your Status Online

Typically, harassing the admissions department isn’t usually a good strategy. Most colleges have automated systems that allow you to check the status of your application. Remember, everyone else who applied is also waiting to hear back too, so piling on probably won’t get you anywhere. If a university’s website doesn’t specify when letters will be sent, that’s something you should call about.

Update Your Information

If anything’s changed in your address, contact information, financial aid status, or personal life that affects your ability to go to school, you should inform the universities of the changes. Test scores, final grades, and awards or scholarships you’ve been awarded since your application was filed should be sent to each institution to help them make a more informed decision about your achievements.

For more information about preparing for college or the standardized tests required for applications, contact Sandweiss Test Prep today. We offer admissions seminars to help you get into more prestigious or selective institutions and can prepare you for the ACT or SAT.

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It’s a stressful time of year for high school seniors. End of semester tests or papers, sports and extra-curricular activities are heating up, and college applications are due soon. Even if you haven’t selected the schools you want to apply to yet, you’ll soon be looking into filling out those college applications. We have a few tips for making yourself look good to admissions counselors and stand out amongst the pack.

Apply Early

Competitive schools get thousands of applications. Sending yours along with the crowded rush as the deadline approaches not only shows that the school might not be your first choice or that you really care, but it also means your application might not get the attention you want it to. Remember: admissions officers are just people. Someone is much more likely to spend more time on individual documents when they’re not as busy or trying to keep up with a staggering workload. Distinguish yourself and apply early.

Transcript is Important

Admissions officers consider grades a very important barometer as to how studious someone is, but also to see if they challenge themselves. There’s a reason why AP courses are considered so highly – they’re much more demanding than regular courses and require much more work outside of class, so higher scores on those may factor in more than As in regular courses. That being said, taking several AP classes and getting Bs shows that you challenge yourself and make an effort – especially if you’re also involved in extra-curricular activities.

Get an Outside Opinion on Your Essay

You may feel more comfortable handing your admissions essay off to someone who knows you well, but what good will that do? Admissions officers don’t know you, so you should have someone who doesn’t know you very well critique your essay. It’s more daunting but it’ll help in the process. Be receptive and don’t take their notes too personally – you don’t have to take their advice even if they offer it.

Don’t Fret It

People succeed and excel in schools you’ve never heard of. Don’t put too much stock in the big, name-brand institutions if you don’t get into one. Finding a college you feel comfortable being a part of and finding ways to stand out among the crowd are things you can do anywhere. The school doesn’t make the student, the student makes the school.

Contact Sandweiss Test Prep for private admissions consulting services and assistance with personal statement essays – don’t put it off any longer!

Choosing an area of study is an important step when choosing a school, but it doesn’t have to happen right away. Having a few good choices when you’re college hunting is a good way to remain relatively flexible in your studies. Here are a few majors that pay the most:

5. Physics

NASA, the Department of Defense, and private scientific research firms all scoop up these majors and their starting salaries are generous. Research and development should be your modus operandi – not to mention a whole lot of studying in college.

4. Applied Mathematics

Calculating costs, estimations, predicting outcomes and designing systems are all future projects you can expect out of this career field. A practical degree that can be utilized in many different industries, graduates can expect work in finance, economics, and education among many others.

3. Medicine

Doctors and nurses are always in high demand, as it’s a major that’s science-heavy and requires lots of hands-on training. The specific fields of study are diverse in both career paths and get more specialized as you go further. Nurses with a bachelor’s degree could specialize in neonatal, family health, surgical, and geriatric care, for example.

2. Computer Science

Focused on the interaction between humans and computers, this admittedly broad field of study could translate into a career in several industries, notably computer system development, software publishing, research, video games development, or mobile application system development.

1. Engineering

Basically any specific area of engineering you study, you’ll probably wind up with a pretty spiffy salary. Some engineering fields include: biomedical, software, mechanical, electrical, industrial, aerospace, computer, nuclear, chemical, and petroleum engineering.

Ready to take the first step towards a rewarding and high-paying career? Contact Sandweiss Test Prep to help set you on the right path towards your college major.

With college admission rates continuing to decline at the nation’s more selective schools, many students are taking advantage of Early Action programs. There’s a higher chance of acceptance to a higher education institution if the student applies early, but there are several important things to consider before applying for an Early Action plan.

First, there are two types of Early Action programs: restrictive (binding) and non-restrictive (non-binding). Restrictive Early Action allows candidates to apply to only a single Early Action institution. Non-restrictive Early Action permits candidates to apply to multiple schools on an Early Action basis. With both types of programs, the applicant is still permitted to reject offers.

Next, Early Action usually requires students to submit an application by November 1st or 15th of their senior year. If you’re a senior and are considering applying for Early Action, October is the month to complete it.

In order for SAT or ACT test results to reach the schools in time, applicants must take the exam no later than the October or November test date. Program specifics vary from school to school, so be sure to ask the admissions office what their policy is on the submission of test scores. Some schools will consider test scores received after the application deadline provided that all of the other application materials have been submitted on time.

Though the timing for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is not ideal for Early Action applicants, you can still complete the CSS/Financial Aid Profile, which will detail your family’s financial circumstances. Some schools require that profile as early as October.

Another benefit of Early Action is the opportunity for students to apply elsewhere if they are denied admission at their top-choice school, or if the amount of the financial aid award isn’t sufficient even if they are accepted. Some schools that reject applicants for Early Action will place those students in the general admission pool and consider their applications again prior to the April 1st notification date.

If you have questions about how to prepare for early action admissions this month, contact the individual institutions or to get prepared for testing, contact Sandweiss Test Prep today!

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So, you got your test results back and you’re not happy with the score. Take a deep breath, there’s no need to panic! College hopefuls can retake the SAT and ACT until they reach their ideal score. Depending on the requirements for your target colleges and your position in high school, retaking these standardized tests may be the right decision. Although it is possible to retake the ACT up to 12 times and the SAT as many times as you want, it is recommended to keep retakes to under 3 times for the sake of how it looks on your applications.

Besides the test fee, there isn’t any penalty to take the test again. It is common for students to take the SAT or ACT for the first time their junior year of high school and again during their senior year. Colleges will look at the best scores from each section of the tests when considering your application, and seeing an improvement after re-takes can be an indicator of your work ethic.

According to the College Board, 55 percent of high school juniors who retook the test as seniors saw an improvement in their scores, while 35 percent had score drops and 10 percent had no change. The lower a student’s initial score, the more likely the score will improve. Juniors who retook the test as seniors saw an average of a 40-point improvement in combined writing, reading, and math scores.

The ACT administration reports that 57 percent of students increased their composite score when retaking the test. It is common for students to take the ACT twice, generally once as a junior and again as a senior.

Another factor to consider are SAT subject tests. These hour-long exams focus on specific areas of study so that you can showcase your strengths and interests to colleges. Many colleges recommend or require subject tests for admission and course placement, or you may choose to take one to showcase a specific area of knowledge. These are the only national admissions tests where you can choose a subject that best fits your achievements. Click here to register for an SAT subject test.

Click here to register for the next ACT on September 13th.

Click here to register for the next SAT on October 11th.

Sandweiss Test Prep offers SAT and ACT prep courses, as well as free diagnostic tests. Contact us to register!

More than 500 colleges and universities throughout the United States accept the Common Application for evaluating students for admission. Students can complete the one Common Application, and submit it to as many schools as they wish, along with their supplemental essays (specific to the school). This makes the college application process slightly more efficient.

However, the Common App essays do require a lot of thought and hard work. There are five essay options provided on the Common Application (click here to review them). Students applying to college through the end of the summer and into the fall should take extra care as they craft their Common App essays.

With the expertise they practice in college admissions counseling, Sandweiss Test Prep recommends these tricks for writing Common App essays:

  • Tell a story about yourself. All of your credentials are included in the application, itself. In your Common App essays, share an anecdote (short story) about something you experienced or did that exemplifies your character or personality.
  • Reveal something about yourself that is not otherwise evident. Your ACT score is meant to tell admissions officers how academically prepared you are for college. Your GPA shows them how hard you have worked and/or succeeded in high school courses. But your Common Application may not show admissions officers how deeply that semester studying abroad influenced your desire to pursue medicine as a career. Share that extra depth about yourself in the essays.
  • Be honest about your achievements. Do not inflate your accomplishments or make up titles for yourself to embellish your essay – be truthful. As much as plagiarism is detrimental to your high school record, lying or exaggerating the truth can hurt your college experience, and may exclude you from acceptance if caught early.
  • Choose your words carefully. Remember that college admissions officers are reading through hundreds of essays, and likely will not appreciate a wordy, long-winded essay. Remove extra words and be clear and concise in each sentence.
  • Remember to entertain. The college admissions officers reading your essay have read (or are reading) many other students’ essays in the short time they have to make a recommendation. To make your essays stand out, include an element of entertainment – serious, funny, inspiring, or quirky.

Sandweiss Test Prep offers college entrance and standardized testing preparation classes, academic tutoring, college admissions guidance and coaching, and more. Contact Sandweiss Test Prep for more information, or to schedule a consultation for your student.

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Spring SAT/ACT scores are in and members of the class of 2015 should now turn their attention to college applications.

To guide students through the options and tasks they need to complete for college admissions, Sandweiss Test Prep offers in-depth support and admissions counseling at reasonable hourly rates.

Sandweiss Test Prep’s admissions counseling services include student guidance and support for their college selection process as well as help with college applications and essays. According to owner Steve Sandweiss, “I have been helping students with their applications for several years, [and] I can be useful in three principal areas: 1) narrowing the college list; 2) designing a “marketing” strategy for each application; and 3) drafting and polishing the common app and supplemental essays.”

In admissions counseling sessions, students will receive help narrowing their search for the right colleges and learn how to create a good list of schools (including safety schools and ‘reach’ schools). Once the school list has been assembled, students will receive assistance in drafting their essays for both the Common App (used by several hundred colleges and universities) and for the supplementary essays required by individual schools.

To further expand their support for high school seniors this year and in future years, Laurie Gordon, co-owner of Sandweiss Test Prep, is pursuing a certification in college admissions counseling from UCLA. This coursework will provide her with the skills and resources necessary to aid students in finding the “right fit” college.

Although we are in the midst of summer and students may be putting off their application process, it is a good idea to commence this process as soon as possible.

Once school starts in the fall, seniors will be busy with classes, extracurricular activities, and possibly preparing for one more round of standardized testing, so those students who can get a jump on the applications process this summer will be much happier and less stressed than their procrastinating peers.

 

Sandweiss Test Prep offers extensive college admissions counseling services to students in the greater Seattle area. Contact us to learn more about admissions counseling, or to book your student’s session!

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Graduation season has passed, and it’s time to think about college applications! Recent college admissions trends offer important information to students applying in the next few months…

The Importance of a High School Record.

According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling, your child’s high school record is the number-one most important factor in college admissions. Good grades, rigorous course loads, and challenging courses have a stronger influence on admissions decisions than class rank or even standardized test scores. Essentially, colleges want to see that you’ve taken the most challenging classes that your school has to offer, and that you received strong grades in these classes.

College Applications Increase.

Students are sending out more college applications than they used to, and so colleges and universities around the U.S. are getting more and more applications every year. In 2011, 29 percent of the pool of college applicants sent seven or more applications (up from 9 percent in 1990), and the average number of applications per student has increased since then. This increase in the average number of applications per student has resulted in a negative cycle: more applications lead to lower admission rates, which leads to more applications as students try to hedge their bets, and so on.

Acceptance Rates are Dropping.

The lowest recorded admission rate (5.07%, according to research from Ivy Wise) happened this year. The average overall admission rate is probably closer to 50% or more, and several Ivy League colleges are accepting a higher rate of applications for the class of 2018 than they did for last year’s class; however the difference is not great. Many Ivy League schools received a higher number of early decision applications. Since most schools accept a significantly higher percentage of early applicants over regular submission applicants, early decision is to your student’s advantage. Also, now that colleges are receiving so many (and not accepting) applications, it’s critical that students find a way to break through the noise.

Demonstrated Interest is Key.

Most selective schools are becoming even more selective in their admissions decisions. Colleges and universities nationwide are placing stronger emphasis on students’ demonstrated interest in attending their school. They track student visits and interviews, check to see if the student has contacted faculty or alumni, and analyze their supplemental essays to gauge how well the student knows the school (and therefore, the likelihood of enrolling). College admissions officers want to see that your student has done his or her homework on the school. They will almost always look at your child’s social media profiles, too, so remind your student to be careful!

Contact us to learn about test preparation, tutoring, and admissions counseling services to help your student through the college application process.

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