May 1st College Decision Day

May 1^st may be known internationally as International Worker’s Day, but in the field of higher education, May 1^st is the day all institutions of higher learning have set as the last day accepted students can respond in the positive, “Yes, I will attend College X.”  Schools cannot be more nervous than an expectant father, awaiting the birth of his first born child.  Conjure up visions of a circa 1950’s dad pacing the hospital waiting room, palms sweating, stomach aching with angst, awaiting the outcome delivered via third party, and you’d get the idea.  In this case, the positive outcome would be a deposit in the form of a credit card payment through Pay Pal or a check or money order via snail mail.  The negative outcome would be a big resounding, nothing, nada, zilch.  Rejection would come in the form of no news.  In this case, no news is bad news.  Colleges and universities around the country turn control of their destiny, or at least their tuition income for the next four years over to essentially, 17 and 18 year olds.  For this day, once a year, the fate of the institution is really in the hands of high school seniors.  

The time line culminating in this all important day plays out a little something like this.  Starting in August of the year before, the college applications for the next academic year becomes available online or by mail.  Students in their senior year of high school from all over the world start filling out either the college specific admission application or the Common Application, which simplifies filing for multiple colleges, more than 400 at last count, at one time.  Items that are amiss, such as the student’s first quarter grades, any letters of recommendation, come straggling in around October or early November.  The Early Decision applicants usually face a much earlier deadline of November 15 through December 15 to submit their completed application.  Regular Decision applicants have anywhere from January 15 until March 1^st.   Then it’s up to the colleges and universities to review their application, and determine whether each applicant gets an acceptance letter, a rejection letter, or a wait-listed letter.  Then, the wait starts. 

This time line is more or less a given.  Schools know that not all accepted students will choose them, so the schools stack the deck.  What does that mean?  They accept more students than the number of vacant freshmen seats, knowing their yield will not be 100%.  What is yield?  In this case, yield is the numbers of accepted students who actually enroll as a freshman.  Some prestigious colleges are lucky to have a yield of 80%, most schools have an average yield of 30% to 40%.  Applicants are notified by early April.  Financial aid offers are made at approximately the same time in the case of students who have demonstrated financial need.  Candidates to whom admission is offered must respond by May 1.  Almost all schools require accepted students to make a commitment and a deposit by May 1st.  That is why May 1^st is the deadline to respond to colleges.  May 1^st truly is D-Day.

What Is A Non-Traditional Student

A non-traditional student is typically someone who attends a college or university, who is not in their late teens. Although there is no litmus test for whether or not you are a non-traditional student, the common elements among all non-traditional students is the part time element and the advance age. The number of non-traditional students has grown tremendously due to the recent economic downturn. The increase of Distance Learning or Online degree programs, which offer more flexibility than a traditional institution have also added to the rising trend. Over 40% of all college students can be considered non-traditional.


You are a Non Traditional Student if

• You delayed enrollment
• You attend part time or part of the academic year
• You attend school and work full time (35 hours or more per week)
• You have dependents, including spouse, children, or other
• You have a G.E.D. (Graduation Equivalent Degree) and not a high school diploma

I went back to school 20 years after I was awarded my Bachelor’s Degree. What a difference 20 years make! Armed with a lifetime of experience, through working in the field, raising children, taking out home loans, and interacting with every level and variety of people; I was a much better student the second time around. I was less self-absorbed and more self-aware. Not doing my homework, the research paper, the oral presentations, was not an option. I was more driven to succeed, because I knew the value of putting in the effort, doing the work, and learning the material. It was the difference between the 20 year old me and the 40 year old me. I had matured. I highly recommend to all the colleges and universities out there to recruit and accept more non-traditional students as the return is much higher. I also highly recommend those of us who are not 18 years old to return to school to learn new skills, and mentor those who are not as experienced as you to succeed. It is possible to be the student and the teacher at the same time, and succeed in both pursuits.

Top Five Reasons To Attend A Community College

Why would you consider attending a community college over a traditional four year college or university?  Years ago, most high school students thought of community colleges as a ‘Plan B’, or as an alternative to the traditional four year college.  Now a days more and more students are opting for community colleges, for all the right reasons. 

Here are the top five reasons to attend a community college

1. Cost

Tuition for the typical community college is significantly less than private college and universities, as much as 50% to 90% less. 

2. Location

There is practically a community college in every major town.  Many students commute by bus or train.  There is no need to move across the country to attend a four year college or university.  You can live at home and save on cost.    

3. Easier Transition

Community Colleges provide courses for transfer toward a Bachelor’s degree.  The money you save on completing your lower level courses and pre-requisites for a four year degree is substantial. 

4. To Increase Your G.P.A.

If your grade point average (G.P.A.) in high school is lower than needed to gain acceptance to the college of your choice, then you can still pursue college level course work at community colleges.  Community colleges are open to anyone with a high school diploma or G.E.D. (General Education Diploma).  Once you have successfully completed your Associates Degree with a higher G.P.A., you can then apply to four year colleges as a transfer student.

5. Job Skills

Community Colleges provide entry level career training for those students looking to go right into industry and for adult students who seek professional development for re-entry into the workforce or advancement.  Most community colleges grant certificates that certify you to work in specialized fields such as HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning), computer technologies, paralegal, nurse’s aid, and more.

What Is A Swirling Student

A swirling student is a college student pursuing a higher education by attending two or more colleges, either simultaneously or consecutively.  The term swirling student is thought to have been coined in 1990 by community colleges.  More than 40% of community college students will complete their Associates Degree by attending at least two or more colleges.  More than 20% of four year college students will complete their Bachelor’s Degree by attending at least two or more colleges.

How Do You End Up As A ‘Swirling Student’

In a perfect world, all the classes you want to attend will have open seats, waiting for you, at a schedule time that is convenient for you.  The reality is, most public universities offer classes only when they are filled to capacity, and then some.  With dwindling state budgets, more colleges have had to operate with fewer resources.  They resort to loading up on students per class, and course loads per faculty.  Even private universities have had to take a serious look at their curriculum, across the disciplines, with an eye towards austerity.    

There are required classes and prerequisites that students must take to complete their degree.  The problem is these classes are often only offered in the fall or spring semesters or every other year.  So if the student misses out on one semester, they might have to wait anywhere from one semester to two years before they’re offered again.  Enter the swirling student.  The swirling student proceeds to the next institution to hunt down the prerequisite course because the course they needed at their home institution was full or not available. 

Other students may have already attained their Baccalaureate, but then return to continue their professional development and retool in credit and noncredit formats.  Many community college students already have a bachelor’s degree, or higher.   

Others swirling students gets lost in the system, and end up with credits that are not transferrable.  Ultimately they quit before attaining a degree; hence, the some college, no degree category gets bigger each year.

How To Avoid Becoming A ‘Swirling Student’

I wish I knew, but I don’t have all the answers.   The economy, the politics of state run education, the teacher’s union, all have a role to play in this problem.   I do know that the number of swirling students will continue to rise until higher education gets better for everyone. 

What Is Testing Optional

More and more colleges are offering a ‘Testing Optional’ option in their college admission process.  Colleges are placing less weight on standardized test scores such as SAT and ACT.  This practice follows along with those colleges seeking to pursue a holistic approach to their student selection process.  The student as a whole is considered rather than their scores on a standardized test that offers no individualized attention.

Where do you find a list of the ‘Testing Optional’ colleges?  Fair Test, the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, is a website that list colleges that offer ‘Testing Optional’; specifically, “Schools That Do Not Use SAT or ACT Scores for Admitting Substantial Numbers of Students Into Bachelor Degree Programs”.

Fair Test also posts a disclaimer, “As the internal school listing notes indicate, some schools exempt students who meet grade-point average or class rank criteria while others require SAT or ACT scores but use them only for placement purposes or to conduct research studies.  Please check with the school's admissions office to learn more about specific admissions requirements, particularly for international or non-traditional students.”

Just because a college does not require you to submit a standardized test score does not mean it is easier to gain admission than other colleges who do.  Testing optional colleges are now individualizing what the applicant can submit in order to gain entrance.  In lieu of standardized test scores, students must satisfy some or all of the following other requirements.

• Be in the top 10% of their graduating class
• Have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale
• Submit two graded papers
• Submit SAT Subject Matter Tests
• On-campus interview

Testing optional is considered more of a tradeoff rather than a total waive.  Students are subjected to no less scrutiny than if they did submit standardized test scores.

Last Word –

If you have taken the SAT or the ACT and scored sufficiently high for your target school, then by all means, submit your scores.  If you do not have a sufficiently high standardized test score; which for the SAT means at least 1800 combined, or for the ACT, 28 or higher; you are not locked out of highly ranked colleges.  There are universities and colleges who will consider other aspects of your personality and achievements as part of their admission criteria.  Colleges such as Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Union College, Fairfield University, and 800 more have all opted for the ‘Testing Optional’ designation.  Visiting the school’s website and planning ahead will allow you to increase your odds of getting into a school that ‘fits’ you. 

When Is The Best Time To Visit Colleges

Now that you’ve done your research online and you’ve narrowed down your college search to a manageable list, it is time to visit the college campus.  There are a few times of the year that is optimum to getting the most value out of a trip to visit a college. Here are the best times to visit colleges and what you should do to make the most out of your visit to a campus.

Do –

• Visit when school is in session and the campus is alive. This is when you get to see how current students interact with each other and the campus.
• Visit during Open House Days. Keep in mind; this is when everyone puts their best foot forward.
• Visit unannounced as well. This is when colleges show their warts, if they had any.
• Arrange for an overnight visit. This is when you get the most depth. You get a feel of what the school administration want you to see and what the students want you to see.
• Visit during Monday through Thursdays. Most classes are offered Mondays through Thursdays. By visiting on a Friday, you chance catching faculty and students on the weekend mindset, already on their way off-line.
• Visit during late summer and early fall, as most colleges begin their academic year in mid-August. You won’t miss out on any school days in your high school, as most high schools begin their academic year after Labor Day.
• Visit during Finals Week. This is when all the students are hitting the books. You will see where they do their studying and if they are actually studying. Is it in their dorm room? Is it in the library? Is it in the labs? Is the environment conducive to studying?
• Visit when you can leave a paper trail. The Admission Office has an all-important visit card that you will need to fill out and submit. If you are seriously interested in applying to this college down the road, then they will need to see that you took the time to visit. So visit when the Admission Office is open.

Don’t –

• Visit during the summer, when school is not in session and the campus is dead. An empty campus does not allow for any student interaction.
• Visit during intersession, winter break, spring break, etc. Some faculty and students might still be on campus, but most of them will be home with family. You can’t get the feel of a lively campus.

Last Word – 

Some factors are out of your control. If you are a junior or senior in high school, you are limited to the number of days during the academic year when you can visit a college campus without missing out on your own school work. Winter break, spring break, holidays that fall during the week may be your only option. There are financial concerns too. Visiting campuses involve multiple expenses that may include an overnight stay at a hotel. Your parents or guardian may not be able to take off from their jobs during the most optimum time for you. Planning ahead will allow you to spread out the financial burden of visiting multiple campuses and yield you the most options.

The Best Way To Evaluate A College Is By Visiting The College Campus

There are many ways to evaluate a college to see if it's the right fit for you; but the best way to evaluate a college is by visiting the campus itself.  The first thing you must do, before you do anything else, is to do your research online - it’s free and you don’t need to leave home.  The College Board is a membership association in the United States that was formed in 1900 as the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB). It is composed of almost 6,000 colleges and universities. It contains comparative databases on all of them. You can evaluate every one of these 6,000 colleges and universities by location, size, major, acceptance rate, academics, athletics, etc.  After you’ve narrowed your search down to a manageable size, you can then proceed to the college’s own website. If you’ve already done your research and learned all that you can from the college website, then your goal should be to capture the mood, the vibe, and all the personal impressions and interesting facts that can only be gained by an in person visit. There is no substitute for the personal experience that is unique to you.  The buildings and grounds, the administration, the faculty, the students all have their own voice and impression to leave on you.  Visit the classrooms, the dorms, and the dining halls.  Talk to the administration, the faculty, and the current students.  Take photos and jot down notes.  You won’t remember everything you saw, heard, or felt; but the overall impression will help you make a more informed decision.  So, visit the campuses.  It is the best way to evaluate a college. 

Last Word –

If you do end up applying to the college you already visited, there is always a spot on the application where the question is asked, “Have you ever visited our campus?”  You will score huge points if the answer is yes!