| Yeah, I was at schweidel's college process meeting afterschool and it was really worthwhile and since its not fair that everyone has such an experiences mentor or something, i decided to write up my notes for yall. enjoy. btw, this is probably not 100% accurate to what he said. i did my best tho.
-At college night, look for college advisors. Get names, business cards, get acquainted with them. Start relationships (hand written letter, emails). Alumni representatives are not as useful, they don't know the whole process.
-Get raves done NOW, in case your teacher is going on leave or sabbatical.
-Getting into college: it's a STRATEGY: "It's a game"
-Dream schools: possible. Good chance of getting in, but there are no guarantees.
Stretch schools: Impossible, e.g. if you have an 82 avg with a 1100 on SATs, don't expect to get into harvard.
Reach schools: very safe. Safe school: definitely have one as a back up. Sunys and Cunys, don't use a major school like Cornell as a back up. Most Sunys and Cunys are dying for Bronx science students anyway.
-It's ridiculous to apply to dozens of schools. 6-10 is fine. Don't OD.
-Financial aid: very rarely merit based.
Cuny prices range from $4,000-4,500 per year
Sunys are about $12,000
State schools: $18-20,000
Private schools & ivy leagues: $40,000 [MOST OF US DO NOT REALIZE HOW MUCH $40,000 IS]
-Start looking for scholarships, every penny counts. If you can get $250, TAKE IT!!!
-ROTC: military programs. Hard to balance out schoolwork and drilling.
-Need to be successful in APs and honors. Don't just have a lot, probably best to have a good amount and do well in it. Not good if you have a 93 average with all regular classes, or a 75 in an AP class.
-Schools prefer increasing grades over decreasing. If you did well freshman year but screwed up junior year, you're screwed.
-Although Ivy leagues have a very good reputations, they're called ivy leagues for a reason: IT'S A SPORTS THING!! Just because its an ivy league and costing you 40,000 a year, doesn't mean you wouldn't learn less if you went to a SUNY or CUNY.
-Everyone will go to a college.
-SATs
SAT I (take April, June/October)
SAT II (take 3)
ACT in lieu of SAT I, some schools will take in lieu of SAT IIs. Some, not all.
-Essay: remember, you're writing it for another human being to read. Be captivating, catch their attention. Let your friend read it. If they think it stinks, start over.
-Letter of recommendation
Every mentor has to find a way to praise you, but they cannot straight out lie by saying you're an awesome student with a 78 average.
For recommendations and raves, remind teachers what you have contributed to their class. Save recommendations for stronger subject teachers, leave raves for not as strong subject teachers.
Have 1 or 2 recommendations, don't have a million. (probably one from mentor with raves included, one from a very strong subject teacher)
Don't get a rave and recommendation from the same teacher, because the mentor recommendation will have quotes from the raves, so it ruins the whole thing.
-Extracurricular: It doesn't matter how many you do. What did you do??? Better to be a president in one club than go to four and do nothing.
-Intel: {schweidel's opinion} questionable whether its worth the effort if you don't win or at least become a semifinalist.
-Interviews can help, colleges accept or reject you on the image they have of you. A good interview can help set this image in a positive way. Alumni interviews aren't much of a help of getting in, they can only hurt you.
-Backdoor programs: Each "college" is consisted of 3 or 4 smaller colleges. You can apply for the less sought out programs, although it is of a certain field. For example, you can get into NYU by applying into their school of education (teaching)
-affirmative action: it doesn't hurt. If you're a minority, put it down. It actually can make the difference.
-Put self-postmarked postcards in applications so that you know they received your application.
-rolling admissions: After early decisions/actions, it becomes harder and harder to get into the school. The admissions raise the cutoffs as they accept more and more students. The earlier your application is sent it, the better.
-Early Decision: If you get in early, you HAVE to go.
Early Action: If you get in, you're not bound to that school.
Some schools allow you to apply early to only their school.
As safe schools, apply to SUNY Bing, Stony or Albany on early action.
MIT, Georgetown, Tulane, U of Chicago allow you to apply to other schools for early action as well as theirs. Harvard does not.
Early decision is a commitment. Unless it is your DREAM school, it's not too smart. Apply for a dream school, not as strategy. E.g. someone applied to Harvard and NYU for early decision. She had to go to NYU because once you get into NYU you can get arrested for not going, even though she got into Harvard.
-Suny applications: up to 4, $40 per application
Cuny applications: up to 8. $30 per application
-Sunys and Cunys have honors program. It's a different application, but they PAY YOU $10,000 a year, plus a free computer (and possible studying abroad, I don't remember)
-Small colleges have their benefits.
-Research schools. Certain schools have specific term arrangements. Middlebury has 4-1-4 program, 4 class in the fall term, 1 subject during all of January, 4 subjects in spring term. Other schools have summer school (3 terms). Some schools have 40 credits instead of 32, meaning 5 class a term instead of 4
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