Practice PSAT now Available!

I'll be writing more extensively on the redesigned PSAT and SAT soon.

Today, the College Board released a practice PSAT, along with the answers.  For all sophomores (Class of 2017), it is ESSENTIAL that you work through this.  The redesigned PSAT is correlated to the Common Core curriculum.  Even if you have had Common Core since it's first adoption, you haven't had very much exposure to it, and the corresponding test questions.  Here's your chance to do really well.  Most kids don't prep for the PSAT.  So, you'll be way ahead of your peers when you do.  ePrep.com has new PSAT prep courses on their website so you can continue your prep beyond the College Board's practice test.  Remember, order your ePrep courses through me so you get 20% off their already low retail costs.

College Board's practice PSAT:  https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat-suite-assessments/practice/practice-tests

ePrep.com

Now, Carpe Diem!

Keys to Avoiding Student Loan Debt

by Katherine O'Brien, MA CCPS

Is heavy student loan debt inevitable?  The average now is over $29,000 per indebted student and, in 2012, 71% of all students graduating from 4 year colleges and universities had student loan debt  Not only is the average amount of debt increasing, the default rate, the rate of those who are over 90 days behind on their payments, has been steadily increasing since 2003.  Additionally, student loan debt has the highest delinquency rate of all forms of debt – an astounding 11.5%!  Unlike other forms of debt, student loan debt cannot be forgiven.  Nor can it be eliminated by bankruptcy.  It’s not hard to see the devastating impact of this loan burden, and the personal habits have on these students.  What can be done now, while our kids are in high school, in order to avoid this outcome?

From 2005-2012, the average student loan debt jumped from $17,000 to $27,000, a 58% increase in seven short years.  The impact on their adult lives is significant.  For example, people with student loan debt have a 36% lower home ownership rate.

It’s not surprising that many people are starting to question the value of a college education.

Key #1 Time to Degree

Overall, the six year graduation rate at American four year colleges is 59%.  At public universities, the average is 57% while 66% of students in private non-profit colleges graduate within six years.  At private for profit institutions, the rate drops to 32%.  This means that, nationally, 59% of the students who started college in 2006 were finished six years later in 2012.  But, these are four year degrees!

At most public universities, only 19% of entering students graduate within 4 years.  Even the flagship publics with excellent research, etc. only graduate 36% of their students within 4 years.  The overall 4 year graduation rate for all colleges and universities is 39%!  The Department of Education reports that graduates who started at a 2-year public institution and subsequently obtained a bachelor’s degree had a median time to degree of 63 months.  That means the community college/transfer route is taking over 5 years for half the students (longer for the other half). Bachelor’s degree recipients who didn't start college right after high school had a median time of 80 months. (almost 7 years)  44% of 07/08 first time collegians graduated in 4 years.  The other 56% didn’t; 24% still didn’t have a degree after six years! The 4 year graduation rates for non-profit private college students are much higher, 53%.  Even that leaves nearly half of the collegians at private colleges and universities still on campus for a fifth year!

Key #2: Budgeting

The Department of Education also reports that students who received Pell grants (whose families generally had incomes less that $40,000/year) graduated with nearly $5,000 more student loan debt than their indebted peers who did not receive Pell grants.  While it is certainly understandable that such students’ families would need more assistance since they have less ability to pay, these students are finding themselves very burdened as they get started in their careers.

College is an investment from which a return is expected.  Without information – and the maturity to contextualize and interpret that information – regarding the consequences of taking on significant debt while an undergraduate, students are finding themselves with degrees and too much debt.

Key #3 Getting Guidance

California is ranked last of all US states with a counselor to student ratio of an astounding 1016 students per counselor.  Public students are lucky to be able to meet their counselors; it is rare to be able to have sufficient contact with a counselor in order to get any direction about college, at all.  What a student may receive is targeted toward general college preparation ideas, not tailored to the specific collegiate goals of the students.

The national average is 471 students per counselor, a number still far above the target of 250 set by the American School Counselor Association.  Regardless, high school counselors are responsible for scheduling, disciplinary issues and the myriad special education (IEP, etc.) tasks.  College prep tasks quickly become impossible to regularly incorporate into the workday of high school counselors.

Those families choosing to homeschool may, depending on the way they acquire curriculum, get some guidance regarding course selection but none regarding college admissions and funding.

Working Toward a Better Outcome:

In order to reduce a student’s debt, the student needs to reduce their cost to degree.  This can be done by a combination of reducing time to degree and the costs of college.  Additionally, bringing the family’s true college budget into account in order to make educational decisions in line with that budget is very important.  Lastly, there are numerous choices that are made during the high school years which contribute to each student’s ability to reduce their costs in many, many ways.

First, in order to shorten the time in college, it is critically important for students to have a well formed idea of their goals.  In order for college to make sense, it needs to be leading somewhere in the person’s life.  Before progressing very far on campus, students need to have some idea what direction they want to take their educations and their lives.  Otherwise, they may find themselves educated but not employed or employed in fields they do not enjoy.  Currently, Americans change jobs 11-15 times during their career and shift careers 3-5 times.  Therefore, either having specific career goals in mind or the goals of being able to communicate well, evaluate and organize data, and learn quickly will help students be effectively prepared to join the work force.

Consequently, since I opened my consulting practice in 2004, I have worked diligently with every student on his or her career search.  Through that process, teens learn more about who they are, what they are good at doing, what they love, and what they do not like.  Taking time to explore these areas during the first two years of high school, in particular, prepares students to approach college as the next step in their journey to their future, not simply “the thing you have to do after high school”.  The process of exploring majors and careers in depth creates relevancy for high school courses, college admissions tests (ACT, SAT), and gives direction to course selection for the second half of high school.  It also engenders maturity in the students, who are beginning to seriously consider their own futures in concrete terms and take on responsibility for themselves.

Secondly, it is imperative that expected net college costs be calculated during the college selection process and a serious determination of what can be afforded be made.  Otherwise, the student will identify and apply to phenomenal programs in his or her field, get accepted to some or all, and only then find that the school is simply too expensive.  I believe part of the student loan crisis is a failure on the parts of parents and students to do the research ahead of time.  I have heard of numerous families making drastic decisions because they didn’t want to disappoint their child who had been accepted at a great school which was simply too expensive for the parents and the student to afford.  With proper preparation, however, the outcome can be a great college education for the student and financial stability for the entire family.

Thirdly, when students are invested in their own future, they behave differently.  They understand the value of their grades and test scores and the role they have to play in creating their future.  Sometimes students hear this message in a general way during high school.  Working with students one on one to discern their career goals makes it personal.  After this process, college is no longer generic, a generalized education like high school, one size fits all.  It is also no longer unfocused.  Students also discover the plethora of options available on and off campus, options they can prepare themselves for and attain.  For example, undergraduate concentrations or specializations in numerous majors are offered, as is undergraduate research (starting freshman year at some schools!), internships, co-operative education programs (working in your field while you are still a student), interdisciplinary studies, etc.  The list goes on and on and, for the informed student with a focus, it is no longer bewildering.  Having a career and/or life goal gives college a purpose.  During the course of collegiate study, students will refine their goals and might adjust their majors.  However, because of the foundation laid during high school, extreme changes (like my own switch from engineering to theology) are unlikely.

SOURCES

http://www.forbes.com/sites/halahtouryalai/2014/02/21/1-trillion-student-loan-problem-keeps-getting-worse/

U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2011). 2008–09 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B:08/09): A First Look at Recent College Graduates (NCES 2011-236), Table 3.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/02/education/most-college-students-dont-earn-degree-in-4-years-study-finds.html?_r=0

U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2014). The Condition of Education 2014 (NCES 2014-083), Institutional Retention and Graduation Rates for Undergraduate Students.

The Institute for College Access & Success, 2014. Quick Facts about Student Debt. http://bit.ly/1lxjskr.

https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/home/Ratios10-11.pdf

How to Rock your AP tests

The AP exams are probably not at the top of your list of things to think about this week on top of schoolwork, extracurriculars, prom, etc... However, they are only a month away and will be here before you know it.  There's no need to panic, but it is time to create an action plan that will have you ready to ace your AP exams, not dreading them.

Here's the AP test schedule.  Mark your calendar NOW!

First, make sure you have the study materials you need to prepare for the exams.  Because the exams require you to understand a whole year's worth of material, many students find AP review books helpful.  Many of these books provide sample test questions and even test sections which help you become familiar with the AP test style.  Note: some AP language tests include listening and speaking sections .  AP language review books often come with CDs or website login links so you can get used to these sections.  Keep in mind that AP review books are great for studying the  picture but are only one piece of the puzzle.  Your class notes and text book(s) are also important tools to help you review more detailed information    I also recommend that you explore MIT's Highlights for High School, a guide to free online MIT courses that can help you prepare for AP tests as well as the UC (U of California) Scout Program which offers free online AP prep resources.

Once you have your study materials, pull out your planner and set aside two hours each week to study for each exam.  Start by reviewing the material that is least fresh in your mind.  You might want to read through your notes from  the fall and make a list of the concepts and themes which you've forgotten or are finding the most challenging.  Dedicate extra time to going over those topics over the next month.  Research has shown that quizzing yourself can be much more effective than simply re-reading, so make flashcards, create outlines, and copy important charts and formuli in your study sessions.  Color coding can be helpful, too.

This sounds like a lot of work.  Is worth it?  YES!  Even though colleges don't require AP scores, top colleges are inundated with students who have taken 3, 4, 5, 6 - sometimes more - AP tests BEFORE senior year!  High scores on these AP tests show admissions officers you are prepared for the challenge of college level work.  It also shows the high caliber of the work you are doing in your AP class.  So, whether or not you end up using them for college credit, they always count for admissions.

One of the features of AP tests is that you can suppress a score if you need to!  When you take an AP test (or SAT or ACT), don't indicate a college to send the score(s) to.  If you did write a specific college wn when you signed up for the AP test, you can withhold a score before June 15th so that school won't see it until you do (after July 1).  At that time, you can pay to stop withholding the score - the school will now see it.  Even after you've taken the test, if you don't think you got a 3, 4, or 5, you can decide to withhold the score - if you had put down a school's name.  If you didn't designate a school(s) to receive your score, you don't neeed to do anything.  Once you get your score, you can pay to send it wherever you'd like.

AP scores are only available online.  Use your College Board account to get your score.  You'll also be able to send it to colleges.  You can also CANCEL a score.  This means that the score is completely erased from your record (and won't be counted in AP scholar award calculations).  Once the scores are available, you'll need to contact the College Board in writing (snail mail) to cancel or withhold your score(s).  There is no charge for cancelling scores.  There is one for withholding. See your College Board account for the details.  Make sure you have your College Board login somewhere so you can easily access your account in July to get your scores.

BONUS: If you earn a number of strong (3+) AP scores, you will be eligible to receive an AP Scholar Award from the College Board.  Students with three or more scores of 3 or better, are named AP Scholars.  There are also AP Scholar with Distinction, State AP Scholar, National AP Scholar, etc. awards.  Here's another way to distinguish yourself from your peers!

EXTRA BONUS: Lastly, don't forget that strong AP scores may benefit you once you get to college.  Many colleges offer course credit and course placement for high AP scores (usually scores of 4 and 5).  This means a high AP score can often allow you to opt out of an intro level course in favor of a more advanced course, get a jump start on completing your major, or fulfill a distribution requirement.  Students with multiple AP credits may be able to graduate early or study abroad without worrying about transferring the credits from the foreign university.  So, make your AP tests a priority. 

The SAT is a-changing! And so is the ACT, but not as much…

In March2014, David Coleman, the head of the College Board held an hour long press conference.  During his talk, he spoke about a number of ways in which the SAT had been eclipsed by the ACT.  If you are not aware, the ACT and SAT are the two tests used by American colleges as a major factor to determine each applicant’s ability to be successful at their college or university.

In the past, the SAT penalized students for incorrect answers, included math through algebra II, included intensive vocabulary, had a required essay, and was a reasoning test. The SAT questions often included extraneous information and asked test takers to ferret out data the needed to answer the question, which might be posed in a circuitous, indirect, or somewhat misleading manner.  The test was focused on students’ ability to reason.

Beginning in March, 2016, the SAT will closely resemble the ACT.  The SAT will revert to its previous format which only included a critical reading section and a math section.  The highest score will revert to the 1600 we parents are more accustomed to. Like the ACT, the essay for the SAT will be optional.  The redesigned SAT will incorporate the Common Core standards and will require students to support their answers with evidence and citations from the reading passage.  The source documents for the reading passages will be selected from a range of disciplines, including one scientific passage, just as they have been on the ACT.  The vocabulary portion of the redesigned SAT will eliminate the higher level, erudite words and focus on words “widely used in college and career.”  The math section will draw from fewer topics and calculators will only be allowed to be used on certain portions of the math section.  Keep your eyes open for details on which math topics will be on the new test.  The redesigned SAT will be available both in paper and in a digital form.

Additionally, the College Board is partnering with Khan Academy to provide free SAT prep.  However, free test prep has been available for years.  Most students need to have informed, supportive adults pushing them to do test prep.  Those who can afford higher quality online or in person test preparation courses or tutors are strongly encouraged to do so.  Low income students will also receive four college application fee waivers.

Beginning in the Spring of 2015, the ACT will be available in digital format as well as on paper.  In at least  ten states, the ACT is required.  The ACT has four sections: critical reading, math (through pre-calc), science, and writing.  The top ACT composite score is a 36.  Additionally, the ACT has, for many years, regularly conducted curriculum surveys to  ensure that what’s on the test matches what’s being taught in schools and required by colleges.

Why, you may ask, did the SAT change so much?  The top reason cited is the fact that they have been steadily losing market share and, in the past couple of years, have tested fewer students than the ACT.  So, business competition is the primary reason.  Additionally, they want to align themselves with the Common Core standards which are being rolled out in most of the states. There is a targeting of certain texts, rather than a broad reading of history in the CC Standards as well as the redesigned SAT.  As more details come forth, the adequacy of this approach to equip students to think critically and have an adequate base of foundational knowledge will be able to be explored. (The ACT is taking the CC standards into account, too.)

In April 2014, the College Board will be releasing the specifications and extensive examples of the redesigned test.  More information may be found at www.CollegeBoard.org.

In the end, it will be critical that students have solid grades in conjunction with excellent test scores in order to be accepted into their target colleges and universities.  As both tests change, college admissions staffs are highly likely to emphasize the high school credentials of each student more.

So, What about Test Prep?.

There are two ends, or results, of test prep.  First, students tend to score higher on the SAT and ACT, AP and SAT subject tests.  Second, students become better prepared for the academic challenges of college.  A number of schools administer placement exams when new Freshmen arrive on campus.  The extra effort put forth doing test prep should also assist students on these exams, and in their first college courses.

For a number of years, I have been an affiliate of eprep.com.  They are already in the process of preparing to give students the opportunity to take practice tests both online and offline (pencil and paper).  Additionally, they will offer study programs for the new SAT starting in Spring 2015, well before the new SAT is launched.  (Yes, for a time, they will offer courses to prepare students for the current format of the SAT and for the redesigned format.)  I will continue to offer a 20% discount on all of their test prep tutorial courses.  Order yours by calling the office at (858) 705-0043 with your credit card info, student's and parent's names and emails, and the name of the eprep course you want. 

College Consultants: Charlatans or Essential Assistants?

College Consultants: Charlatans or Essential Assistants?

By Katherine O’Brien, MA CCPS

Founder and Chief College Planning Specialist

Celtic College Consultants

This week’s online brouhaha between Tufts’ Dan Grayson and the IECA and HECA, national organizations of professional education consultants regarding the role independent consultants play in college admissions left parents wondering whether independent higher education consultants were a blessing or a curse.  Independent consultants, college planners, and the like work directly for and with students and their families, not for high schools or colleges/universities.  These consultants range from those who promise admissions to certain schools, write essays for students, and/or give financial planning advice which results in nice commissions for themselves and little or no help for their clients to ethical, well trained and educated professionals who provide invaluable assistance to students trying to find a focus, find themselves, and find suitable colleges and programs as well as offering sound financial aid and college funding advice which increases the family’s ability to afford college.

Mr. Grayson rightly decries those consultants promising admissions to particular schools/top schools and selling admissions essays the students may never even see.  I join him in the stand for high ethical standards in this field. On the financial side of things, I wrote The Ultimate Guide to Top Quality College Planning (available through Amazon) earlier this year specifically to provide parents a solid overview of the various training programs and professional organizations for college planners/education consultants.  I provide clarity for parents seeking help on the financial side of things so parents know how to interview potential consultants and find those without a conflict of interest or, at the very least, have that bias understood by all from the beginning.

Mr. Grayson, the Assistant Director at Tufts University wrote a letter to Mark Sklarow, the president of the Independent Education Consultants Association this week and said, “I know there are a great many independent counselors who are adept and thoughtful. I'm grateful for the strong professional and personal relationships I have with independent counselors, particularly those working overseas…

“Further, in November, I'll be giving a panel at an admissions conference offering a clear and explicit defense of the role that ethical independent counselors play. …IECs, when they are ethical and thoughtful, help families navigate an often eldritch and nearly always opaque process marked with constantly shifting deadlines, requirements, and expectations. I'll say in November, and I genuinely believe, that students need to have well-informed guidance to be able to effectively understand US university admissions, and that a family that seeks help from a well-informed independent counselor is acting in their child's best interest.  We, collectively, must promote well-informed IECs …

or we risk ceding families to the group of actors who are poorly informed and will lie and cheat to make a buck.” (emphasis added)

HECA, IECA, and NICCP all require their members to adhere to a code of ethics.  Those of us who join these groups pledge to provide ethical guidance to our clients and to represent ourselves accurately to prospective families and our colleagues.  Members of the NICCP also have annual continuing education credit requirements.  Good consultants in must constantly seek updated information since requirements, trends, laws, and deadlines change often.

With his blog, page217.org and other writings, Eric J. Furda, Dean of Admissions at the University of Pennsylvania, advocates “advice on the college process which doesn’t try to give answers or false promises; instead [he] embrace[s] guidance which provides an opportunity for responsibility and growth.”  Dean Furda’s comments presuppose that students are receiving guidance.  Given the incredibly high student to counselor ratios, families are increasingly turning to independent college consultants and planners for assistance.  Money Magazine supports this option saying, “School cutbacks have left guidance counselors badly outnumbered…Consultants have begun to fill the void, helping parents and kids to find the best schools for their money.  Good consultants know college admission trends and maintain significant ties in the field.”

In this time when every dollar really counts, finding an education consultant/ college planner to work with your college bound student and family is a critical part of every college bound high school student’s life.  Many planners offer a variety of services and options which can be fine tuned to each family’s needs and budgets.  Families seeking financial as well as admissions/student preparation guidance would do well to consult the National Institute of Certified College Planning Specialists’ online directory at niccp.com.

Money Magazine quotation was found on IECAonline.com 10/23/13.

Dean Furda’s words were found in The Art of the Personal Statement by Alex Thaler

Mr. Grayson’s words were found in his open letter to Mr. Mark Sklarow, President of IECA and circulated by HECA.

Private Scholarships: How and Where to Search

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Private Scholarships: How and Where to Search!

First, check with your college(s) to see how they treat scholarships.  Per the Federal rules, outside scholarships are treated as resources and are added to your EFC, lowering the financial aid offered.  In some cases, it may lower the loans the school included in your award in order to cover a gap between federal aid, state aid, institutional aid, your contribution and the total cost of attendance (COA).  In other cases, they will lower their institutional scholarships and grants, which is certainly not helpful to you (and makes the effort to procure private scholarship dollars unproductive).

Second, the student should interview the family and relatives about where they are from, all the family names (maiden names), interesting characteristics – redheads and lefties noted! - and organizations they have or were ever involved with.  Armed with that list of information, it’s time to start the search.

Before you start, be prepared to be methodical, and to create notes and files by month.  Some scholarships can be applied for annually throughout college while others only apply to freshman year or senior year, etc.  Some will apply for certain majors but not others so take note, if the covered major is an interest and you are not firmly decided upon your course of studies.  Remember NEVER PAY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS!  Those are SCAMS.

Lastly, keep in mind that the best scholarships come directly from your college or university.  Search by university, college, department, and major.  Search by club and organization.  Search for corporate and alumni sponsored scholarships.  Fully 18% of all financial aid monies are institutional scholarships.  Private scholarships are only 1.5% of all financial aid.  Now that you are ready, here are a few places to search:

Big Future (by the College Board) http://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/scholarships-grants

Fast Web: http://www.fastweb.com/college-scholarships

Merit Aid: http://www.meritaid.org

Scholarships: http://www.scholarshipexperts.com/

Student Scholarships: http://www.studentscholarships.org

School Soup: http://www.schoolsoup.com

Zinch: http://www.zinch.com/

Pro Scholar: http://www.proscholar.com/

College Treasure: http://collegetreasure.com/index.php

Want to have Peaceful Holidays?

Thanksgiving weekend is lost to many seniors and their families who find themselves buried alive with college paperwork.  Some are just starting to look at schools at this late date!  Others are making their final choices and being shocked to find many with 12/1 scholarship deadlines.  Still others are wading their way through applications.  Depending on the academic rigor of the college or university, students find themselves with as many as five essays to write for a single school.  That late realized fact turns a long weekend off school into a busier time than when school is in session.

Other families wait even longer, and find their Christmas Break overtaken with applications.  Then they realize that there are financial aid applications, too.  It's a recipe for disaster!  It's also a recipe which won't yield the best outcome.  Rushed applications don't include the students' best representations of themselves.  Mistakes are made.  Transcripts and recommendations and test scores are forgotten, or much delayed.

In contrast to that, as of this morning, most of my clients have been accepted at between one and four colleges and they have over $200,000 in scholarship monies already offered to them.  They enjoyed Thanksgiving break and are looking forward to finishing their applications (for the few not already done) over Christmas break.  They are already started; they just didn't finish them because of finals.  But they aren't worried.  They have been steadily working at their applications for the schools which made it onto their final schools list.  And they have a time-tested college planner reviewing their essays and completed applications before they gather together to whisper a prayer and hit submit.

If you want peaceful holidays, it takes time and planning, and a little investment - with a fantastic ROI. 'Tis the season for gift giving.  Give the sophomores and juniors in your life the gift of peace.  Give us a call and book an initial consultation to explore the incredible benefits of working with one of the best college planners in the USA. Working with young people and their families all across the USA: (858) 705-0043 (Pacific Time)