College Admission 101: Simple Answers to Tough Questions about College Admissions and Financial Aid

by The Princeton Review, Robert Franek

Overview

This friendly, helpful Q&A book from the editor-in-chief of The Princeton Review presents simple answers to your toughest questions about the college admissions process, figuring out financial aid, and getting into the university of your choice!

As The Princeton Review’s chief expert on education, Robert Franek frequently appears on ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX to share his insider expertise on the college admissions process. Each year, he travels to high schools across the country, advising thousands of anxious students and parents on how to turn their college hopes into reality.

Now, with College Admission 101, the best of Rob’s wisdom has finally been collected in one place! From standardized tests to financial aid, Rob provides straightforward answers to 60+ of the questions he hears most often, including:

· Should I take the ACT or SAT?
· When should I start my college research?
· How many schools should I apply to?
· Will applying Early Decision or Early Action give me a leg up?
· Which extracurricular activities do colleges want to see?
· How does the financial aid process work?
· What’s more important: GPA or test scores?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781524758530
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	05/15/2018
Series:	College Admissions Guides: General
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	609,021
Product dimensions:	5.45(w) x 8.16(h) x 0.58(d)

About the Author

The experts at The Princeton Review have been helping students, parents, and educators achieve the best results at every stage of the education process since 1981. The Princeton Review has helped millions succeed on standardized tests, and provides expert advice and instruction to help parents, teachers, students, and schools navigate the complexities of school admission. In addition to classroom courses in over 40 states and 20 countries, The Princeton Review also offers online and school-based courses, one-to-one and small-group tutoring as well as online services in both admission counseling and academic homework help.

Table of Contents

Author's Note ix

Introduction: The Big Questions 1

Is a college degree worth the cost of tuition? 1

What is the "best" college? 3

Chapter 1 College Research 7

What criteria should I use to find a college or university where I can succeed? 9

How important are college rankings? 16

When should I start my college research? 18

How many schools should I apply to? 19

Is visiting campuses necessary? 21

Chapter 2 Standardized Tests 29

How are SAT or ACT scores used in the admission process and how important are they? 31

Will colleges see my PSAT scores? 33

How is the PSAT used in determining National Merit Scholarships? 34

Should I take the ACT or SAT? 35

What does it mean when a college or university is "test optional"? 38

When should I take the SAT or ACT? 39

If I take either test more than once, which scores will colleges see? 40

What are SAT Subject Tests? Which ones should I take, and when? 42

Do I need to take AP exams? 43

What's an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma? How do college admission counselors treat an IB diploma? 45

Chapter 3 High School Transcripts 49

What should I be doing in 9th and 10th grades to prepare for the college admission process? 51

What should I be doing in 11th and 12th grades to prepare for the college admission process? 55

Is it better to have a B in an honors/AP course or an A in a regular/easier course? 60

My school doesn't publish class rank. Will that hurt my application? 61

What carries more weight on a college application: GPA or test scores? 62

Which electives should I take? 63

How do admission counselors view applications from public school students vs. private school students? 64

How do I address my high school disciplinary record on my application? 66

My school is different (e.g., my GPA is out of 9.0; AP/honors are the same classes; I get written reports instead of letter grades). How will I compare to applicants from "regular" schools? 67

Chapter 4 Extracurricular Activities 69

How do college admission officers view extracurricular activities within an application? 71

Which activities do colleges view most favorably? 73

Does having a job carry as much weight as school-related extracurricular activities? 75

What about "grit"? 76

Chapter 5 Financial Aid & Scholarships 79

What is the FAFSA? 81

What is my Expected Family Contribution? 84

What's the CSS/Financial Aid Profile? 85

What financial information do I need to apply for financial aid using the FAFSA and/or the CSS Profile? 86

How does the financial aid application process differ from the admission process? 88

What is in my financial aid package? 89

What is the difference between need-based and merit-based financial aid? 92

How do I look for scholarships? 93

How do I save/pay for college? 94

What is a need-blind school? 99

Will I be penalized if I apply for financial aid? Will colleges look favorably on me if I don't apply for financial aid? 101

Can I appeal my financial aid decision? 103

Is it a smart move to attend a two year/associates degree granting school first to save money? 104

Chapter 6 Application 107

What is the Common Application? 109

Are there other applications like the Common Application? Is one better than another? 111

What do admission officers look for in an application essay? 113

When should I start the application process? 115

Should I declare a major on my application or apply undecided? 117

How important is optional or supplementary application material? 118

Is a college interview required? What should I expect? 119

Who should I ask to write my letters of recommendation? 122

Chapter 7 Inside the Admission Office 125

What are my chances of getting into my dream school? 127

How are my application materials reviewed? 129

Who is on the admission committee? 133

What is the single most important thing admission officers look for in an application? 134

Will applying Early Decision or Early Action give me a leg up? 136

What does it mean to be deferred? What can i do to improve my chances of acceptance? 139

What are my chances of getting off the waitlist? 141

Do admission officers look at prospective students' social media accounts? 142

Chapter 8 Etc 145

Is the admission process different for international students? 147

How difficult is transferring between colleges? 150

I want to take a gap year (a year off between high school and college). How will that impact my chances of admission? 154

How can a parent participate most effectively in their child's college application process? 156

How do I balance schoolwork, extracurriculars, test prep, college applications, family, social life, and SANITY?! 160

Appendix 163

College-Bound: Your Admission Checklist 165

High School Testing Timeline 168

20 Financial Aid Terms You Need To Know 169

26 Tips for Getting Financial Aid, Scholarships, and Grants and For Paying Less for College 172

2017 College Hopes & Worries Survey Results 175

More Advice from the Experts: Smart Tips from College-Bound Students for Next Year's Applicants 178

Parent to Parent: What I Wish I'd Known 181

Index 185

About the Author 195

Editorial Reviews

2018-03-20
The intimidating process of applying to college is broken down into manageable chunks for students and parents in this relatively compact volume.The editor-in-chief of The Princeton Review, which provides services to college applicants, tries to demystify topics from choosing your best fit college—in terms of academics and affordability—to navigating the bewildering worlds of standardized testing (whether, when, and which) and financial aid. The guide covers frequently asked questions about the best classes to take in high school, the importance of extracurriculars, how to navigate online applications, and more. Institutions named in the examples are overwhelmingly elite private schools and prestigious state universities, an unfortunately narrow focus. No mention is made of the increasingly popular option among upper-middle-class families of looking overseas for affordable alternatives. Despite glancing references to saving money by attending a local community college before transferring to a four-year institution, the overall assumption is that families will be able to afford to invest a lot of time and money in this process. Fortunately, guides like Loren Pope and Hilary Masell Oswald's Colleges That Change Lives (Penguin, 2012), which focuses on liberal arts colleges, and Strive for Colleges' I'm First! Guide to College (Strive for College Collaborative, 2018), for first-generation college students, help fill in some of these gaps.A thorough yet concise guide to college admissions that covers a lot of familiar territory. (Nonfiction. 14-adult)

Kirkus Reviews