Collegewise

ACT Soon to See Your ACT Scores

For students who took the September 15th ACT, you can start checking for your multiple-choice scores online next week. That's right- October is just around the corner! According to the ACT website, after you test, you can sign-in to your account and start checking for your multiple-choice scores online beginning on the dates listed below.

If you took the ACT Plus Writing, however, your writing scores will be added to your account generally about 2 weeks after your multiple-choice scores. Or in other words, mid October. Good luck!

If you test on:	Earliest dates to view scores online:
September 15, 2007	October 02–04, 2007

September News for Friends and Family

Happy Birthday to Us

Collegewise celebrated our 8th birthday on August 16, as it was exactly eight years ago that Kevin officially submitted the "Doing Business As" paperwork to County Clerk's office in Orange County.  Since that day back in 1999, we've helped over 2,000 kids apply to college, and Collegewise students have attended over 500 colleges in nearly 40 states.      

We celebrated with a dinner out together and were joined by Arun and Jessica from the LA office.  We know that might seem like a fairly reserved celebration, but the birthday event took place on a Thursday night.  And when you work with high school kids, Thursdsay nights are school nights, no matter how old we get. 

Not The Same Old Back-To-School Advice

Get good grades.  Get involved.  Get good test scores.  It's all good advice.  But it's advice you've probably heard before... a lot.  As students head back to school, here are five bits of Collegewise admissions advice to help you get in to college that might be new for you. 

1.  Practice the art of participating in class.

Raise your hand.  Ask questions.  Participate in classroom discussions.  Colleges don't want students who just plow through courses and get good grades; they want students who are engaged in class, who like to learn, and who make contributions by participating.  In fact, that's why colleges ask for letters of recommendation from your teachers--to learn if you've demonstrated these qualities.    

Getting to Know You...

My college years were spent in an apron, slinging mocha sauce and whipped cream around a Starbucks. As an admissions officer, I always had a weakness for the part-time baristas whose applications landed on my desk. Those kids were just like me, milk-stained sneakers and the scent of espresso everywhere.  My colleague Laura, on the other hand, always had a soft spot for Girl Scouts, even though she was never actually a member. And James, who’d vacationed in Russia, liked students who read Dostoevsky instead of US Weekly.

My Collegewise seniors are now busy filling out applications, and many are asking me what the admissions officers want to hear, how they can endear themselves to the readers to get an edge. I tell them there is just no way to know whether your reader worked at a coffee shop, played soccer in high school or thinks tuba players are the coolest kids around. But there are things applicants can do that will keep them as endearing as possible, no matter who is reading their applications.

University of Tennessee- Knoxville

Knoxville, Tennesee

“Rocky top, you'll always be
Home sweet home to me.
Good ole rocky top [Woo!],
Rocky top tennessee, rocky top tennessee.”   

Ever heard that song performed by the UT Pride of the Southland Band? Or being shouted in a living room on a Saturday afternoon while watching Volunteer football, as a drooling bulldog sits besides you wearing a Tennessee-orange collar and his own jersey? I have, just last weekend. And my only suggestion is to plug your ears, or learn the fight song quickly, because these fans are die-hard, and they take their school seriously!

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville (or UTK as some call it) is a striking school with just over 20,000 undergraduates. Located in scenic, eastern Tennessee, rolling, green hills are dotted with nearby lakes, and the peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains can be seen from the campus. It’s truly an awesome sight for the students who go there, and most will tell you there’s nothing better when you need a mental break from the gravity of academia.

Welcome to the 21st Century!

It's official-- the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) will soon be exclusively available online. In a recent article, the US Department of Education announced that next year it will no longer be distributing paper copies of the financial aid application forms to high schools.

So, when you're applying to college and it's time to apply for financial aid, remember to look for the online form. It's just another effort to reduce paper waste and be a good friend to the environment. I'll cheers to that! 

For the Admissions Officers...

As Arun and I gear up for our annual trip to NACAC, I remembered a conversation I was lucky enough to have with Llloyd Thacker of the Education Conservancy at last year's conference.  The subject was college fairs, and how so many admissions officers are under enormous pressure to generate student interest in their schools.  Given that the vast majority of admissions officers we've met are smart, likeable people with a genuine interest in education and students, how could these reps use a college fair to really help kids make even better decisions about their educations and their futures (if these reps were allowed and encouraged to do so)? 

Here were some of the ideas we discussed, (though I'm sure the best ones are probably all courtesy of Lloyd). 

1.  Don't focus only on the features of your college--share the real benefits of the process of education (this one was definitely Lloyd's).

OK, they have moved in, now what?

Okay, they have been accepted, they have moved in.  Where does that leave mom and dad?  In something called an empty nest!!  So how can you best deal with it?  Here are some suggestions to ease the pain of losing your child to the wonderful world of college.