College Admission Help

Texas' 10-percent rule on state College Admissions subject to Legislature's tinkering

By EMILY GUEVARA
When Evan Cooper opened the letter from the University of Texas at Austin, it wasn't good news.
He was not accepted to the school because he did not meet requirements.
But the school also expressed concern about the number of students it would have to admit under the top 10 percent rule.
Cooper, 18, a senior at Clifton J. Ozen Magnet High School, thinks that might have played a role.
A proposed bill that will be considered in the Texas House of Representatives in the coming days would limit the number of students who gain automatic admission to Texas' public universities.
The bill, passed recently in the Senate, would put a cap on the number of students public universities have to admit under the top 10 percent rule.
As it stands now, high school seniors who graduate in the top 10 percent of their senior class gain automatic admission to Texas' public universities.
The proposed bill would allow public universities to admit 60 percent of their freshman class under this rule. But if the number of top 10 percent applicants exceeded 60 percent of the school's allotted slots for freshmen, they could stop automatic admissions at 60 percent and select the remainder of their class based on the school's own criteria.
The hope is that it would give large universities such as UT-Austin more flexibility in admissions and insure that quality students aren't being turned away, according to an Associated Press report.
But some local legislators aren't so sure.
Rep. Mike Hamilton, R-Mauriceville, is adamantly opposed to the change. He said it would give students less of chance to get into the state's largest schools.
"You're letting the big colleges pick the elite of the state of Texas so that if you're not one of the elite in the state of Texas, then you don't get to go," Hamilton said by phone.
Brittany Doucette, 17, an Ozen junior, favors the top 10 percent rule as is. Doucette, who plans to attend Prairie View A&M University, said a limit could discourage some students during the college application process.
Jarrick Brown, 16, also an Ozen junior, agreed.
"I feel if a student works hard their four years in high school they should be rewarded in some way," Brown said by phone.
The top 10 percent rule was implemented to help public colleges and universities diversify their student body, said State Rep. Joe Deshotel, D-Beaumont. It specifically focused on flagship schools such as the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University in College Station, Deshotel said.
"But it has not really done that," Deshotel said. "It has not been the effect that they thought it would have."
According to The Associated Press, Rep. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, author of the bill, said the law had caused a "brain drain" at UT by discouraging bright students who fell outside the top 10 percent to go elsewhere.
It also has become something of a problem at UT, where about 80 percent of last year's Texas freshmen were admitted under the rule, according to the AP.
If it is not curtailed, in the next three years, UT will only be able to admit top 10 percent students, according to the wire service. Other large schools could be affected in the same way.
But Evan Cooper said the change could be a good thing for students like him.
"Like my class, it's really hard, everybody's fighting to be in the top 10 percent," said Cooper, who wants to study business. "I think with the top 10 percent it really limits some students to getting a good education."


Texas' 10-percent rule on state College Admissions subject to Legislature's tinkering

College Grants and Financial Aid - It's Out There

By MICHELLE GEORGE
The Eagle-Gazette Staff

LANCASTER — Felicia Ward knows she doesn’t need a 4.0 GPA or a lot of money to pay for college next year. She just needs to be a little aggressive.
So when the Lancaster High School senior set her sights on earning a degree in middle childhood education, she focused on the best way to reach that goal — financial aid and lots of scholarships.
Felicia has applied for financial assistance and close to 40 scholarships this year so she can attend the Ohio University Lancaster Campus in the fall — and she’s confident she’ll get the help she needs through one or both of those avenues.
“My grandfather once told me, ‘Even if you were homeless, there are still ways out there for you to go to college,’ ” Felicia said. “You just have to find them.”

Felicia is one of many college-bound students looking for financial assistance to pay for a college education.

Financial aid, grants and scholarships are readily available for students who need help paying for college, said Sharon Weaver, a Lancaster High School guidance counselor.

But it’s an option, Weaver said, that some students don’t always consider or know how to find.

“Students eliminate themselves because they think: ‘I’m not a valedictorian. I’m not involved in community activities. I don’t have a chance at winning a scholarship,’ ” Weaver said. “But that’s not always the case.”

And Pat Fox, enrollment director at OU-L has noticed some students don’t bother to apply for financial aid because they believe they won’t be eligible.

“I’ve noticed the volume of students looking for financial aid has increased, but I think some people may have the misconception that filling out the FAFSA is a lot more complicated than it is,” Fox said. “And I think that is one of the biggest mistakes students make, not filling out the FAFSA.”

Fox and Ward said the majority of incoming college students are more eligible for financial assistance then they think.


College Grants and Financial Aid - It's Out There

“Put it in writing” is good advice for high school freshmen seeking College Admission

By Megan Gordon
The Arizona Republic


By requiring high-school freshmen to put their plans for the future in writing, state officials anticipate a boost in student achievement.
When students have dreams and goals, they will work harder to attain them, said Maxine Daly, Arizona Department of Education's deputy associate superintendent.
Starting in the fall semester, each high-school freshman must develop his or her own program. The plan, required for graduation, includes academic, career, postsecondary and extracurricular goals for every student. Arizona's Education and Career Action Plan, or ECAP, is designed to equip freshmen with a four-year, personalized plan.
"All students should really have the same opportunity to look to themselves for their interests, their skills, their abilities and to put together kind of the road map of how they could achieve their dreams," Daly said.
How planning is done
Some schools have planning already in place.
Estrella Foothills High School in Goodyear, about four years ago, implemented its college and career prep course, which was recently honored as an A-plus Exemplary Program by the Arizona Educational Foundation.
"What we're looking for is something that works for kids," said Bobbie O'Boyle, the foundation's executive director. "That program has a profound effect on the students that it serves. It's sustainable and . . . it's replicable."
Daly said the ultimate goal is to get students thinking about the future, and many students agree.
"This class gives me a head start on letting us know about college," said Marci Flaherty, 17, a junior at Estrella. "It's preparing me throughout high school."
Students at the Goodyear school receive two semesters of college and career prep courses, mandatory for all incoming freshmen and second-semester juniors.
The classes provide information about high-school courses, study and note-taking skills, college and career research and resume writing.
"It gives me a goal and a plan," said Jessica Walker, 16. "My goal is not just getting good grades. The class helped me realize a reason for getting good grades."


“Put it in writing” is good advice for high school freshmen seeking College Admission

College Scholarship Targets College-Bound Cancer Survivors

The American Cancer Society is calling for applicants to its Young Cancer Survivor Scholarship program. Up to $7,500 each will be awarded to 60-75 students to assist them with college tuition and nurture their leadership skills in the fight against cancer. Applicants must have received a cancer diagnosis at age 18 or younger and demonstrate financial need, as well as meet additional requirements. Download an application packet at www.cancer.org/scholar or contact the American Cancer Society at (800) ACS-2345 for more information. Application deadline is April 24, 2009.
The award stipulates that scholarship recipients volunteer with their local American Cancer Society. Students improve leadership qualities as they develop community outreach programs, participate in legislative advocacy and organize fundraising events.
“Students who weather the challenges and hardships that cancer brings often develop qualities of compassion, character and resilience—qualities that lend themselves to strong leadership,” said Russ Russell, volunteer, American Cancer Society Desert Palms Leadership Council Chair. “By providing them with financial assistance, the American Cancer Society helps young cancer survivors achieve the dreams and aspirations that gave them hope during their recovery and prepares them for a lifetime of community involvement.”
Each year, more than 1,500 children and young adults under age 20 are diagnosed with cancer in California. Due to progress in the treatment of childhood cancer, the majority of them grow to adulthood. Families touched by cancer often incur significant hardship due to loss of income, as well as treatment and rehabilitation expenses. By funding these scholarships, the American Cancer Society furthers its mission to measurably improve the quality of life for cancer survivors and their loved ones.
The American Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by saving lives, diminishing suffering and preventing cancer, through research, education, advocacy and service. For more information anytime, call toll free 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.


College Scholarship Targets College-Bound Cancer Survivors

Real College Admission Decisions Don’t Come in Envelopes or E-mails

I knew what Janet had come for. She hadn’t heard anything from her college, and wondered if I might call to see if a decision had been made. The receptionist at the college asked for Janet’s Social Security number, and after a clatter of computer keys, I had the answer I had expected.

As I hung up the phone, I pulled up Janet’s file out of a drawer. Over my shoulder, and in a voice that was too casual, I said “Congratulations, you’re in.” As I added some notes to her file, a quivering breath directed my attention to what truly mattered.

“R-really?”

I turned to find two wide tears rolling down Janet’s cheeks. For the first time in my young career, I knew what it looked like when a dream came true.

This scene will soon be repeated in counseling offices, classrooms, and mailboxes all over America. It’s one thing for students to think a college could be right for them, but when the admission letter says “you’re right”, it can be a bit of a surprise, and take some getting used to.

Of course, there will also be less wonderful surprises. A selective college is one where far more qualified students apply than the college could possibly admit— so students who would make the most out of everything that college has to offer won’t get the chance, simply because the college ran out of room well before they ran out of great applicants. This kind of surprise often brings tears of another kind, and understandably so.

My advice is the same to both those who are admitted to their dream schools and those who are not—do your very best to stay focused. If you are denied, remember that a college running out of room is a deficit of the college, not a deficit of your character. The wonderful talents you would have brought to one college will serve you just as well at another, and perhaps even better, if you are able to look past the disappointment and let the skills and qualities you have chiseled into your character shine brightly wherever September finds you.

Strangely enough, the caution to be alert may be more relevant to those whose dreams have come true. Getting admitted to a “hot” school can be a heady experience, and bring a feeling you have no choice but to go there; since you were one of the “lucky ones” to get admitted, you’d be a fool to say no. You’ve done enough research and visited enough campuses to know which one will give you the best blend of support and challenge, no matter what its name is or who else goes there— and the goal is to go the school that’s right for you, not to go to the “right” school. Until that clear sense shows up again, don’t do a thing.

Less informed sources who judge colleges by brand name may respond to your college news by saying “Anyone would jump at the chance” or “But nobody’s heard of that college.” This is the most crucial time to remember that you aren’t just anyone, that you certainly aren’t nobody, and that labels limit lives more than they enrich them. You’ve learned much about colleges in the past year, but you’ve learned even more about yourself and what you need to grow as a person. Listen to that voice, and the only thing on your face come May 1st will be a smile of sheer delight, knowing you have said yes to the one college that will be your best next home.


Real College Admission Decisions Don’t Come in Envelopes or E-mails

To cut College Admission costs, you can tour campuses virtually


BY NIRVI SHAH
nshah@MiamiHerald.com

Stefania Ferro researched six different colleges -- including two in New York -- without ever leaving her home in Davie.
Ferro, 18, used instant messaging to chat with a college counselor at the University of Rochester. She posted questions about schools to current students using the forums at CollegeConfidential.com and looked at current students' photos of campus life. She used the virtual tour on the University of Florida's website to get a feel for the campus.
''I was considering at one time a bunch of schools,'' said Ferro, a senior at The College Academy at Broward College. 'I didn't want to waste my time or my parents' time.''
Saving for college tuition, room and board has become a way of life for many families. But prospective students and their parents are sometimes surprised by the thousands of additional dollars it takes to apply to schools, take entrance exams and hit the road for campus tours.
There are ways to reduce or eliminate those costs.
In addition to individual school websites, there are now sites that compile information and offer virtual tours, tuition prices and a statistics-based guess at a student's chances for admission.
California-based website creator Jerry Slavonia started CampusExplorer.com in 2007. The site has information about more than 6,000 public and private schools.
''How many have the actual wherewithal to travel to actual campuses with their parents? It's a small number,'' Slavonia said.
Once prospective students register for the site -- registration is free -- they can take tours of different schools and even create side-by-side comparisons so they can see the differences in tuition.
While some official university tours might show the grounds and classrooms, CampusExplorer tours include videos of students speaking candidly about everything from campus food to fraternity and sorority life.
The site also has a feature where students can plug in their college placement test scores and use an admissions calculator to get a rough sense of their chances at admission based on test data from the current freshman class.
USING SCHOOL SITES
Schools' individual websites are also helpful if students look beyond the basic facts.
Check out clubs or organizations that seem appealing and look up any publications those groups offer, said Katherine Cohen, who used to work in admissions at Yale University. She has a certificate in college counseling from UCLA. Cohen's web companies, IvyWise.com and ApplyWise.com, provide this guidance and other counseling for a fee for parents and students.
If students are interested in journalism or the school magazine, they should reach out to the students working at those places now via e-mail, she said.
Another way to learn about a school without spending money to travel there: Find the people who went to a particular college from your high school, Cohen said. Every high school should have a record of where their students chose to go to college.
''Reach out to Johnny even if you weren't friends,'' she said. ``It's better than just the average student who went to that college. They don't have the same high school experience.''

MEETING RECRUITERS
Most colleges have representatives who travel the country to recruit students. If visiting a first-choice school is out of the question, finding out when those reps are in town is key. Not only does a student get information directly from the university, but the student has a chance to make an impression, Cohen said.
Once a family does decide to visit a school, making the trip worthwhile is critical, she said.
Visit when school is in session to get a real feel for what the campus is like. In addition to a tour, go to an information session where questions are welcomed. Eat lunch in the main dining hall. Talk to students. Meet the representative who is responsible for reading applications from your part of the country.
''This is what we recommend to everyone,'' Cohen said, ``not a cold visit.''





To cut College Admission costs, you can tour campuses virtually

College Counselors try to handle a huge increase in financial aid requests

Eileen Ambrose
Balltimoresun.com

Telephone calls stream into the financial aid office at University of Maryland, College Park and the callers say much the same thing: A parent has lost a job or suffered a pay cut, and the family needs help paying for school.

It's become such a frequent refrain that counselors this month underwent sensitivity training to ensure that they are as patient and caring the 100th time they hear a hard-luck story as they are the first time.

"When you see 90 appeals that look the same, you can get a bit desensitized," says Dan Beaty, a financial aid counselor.

Colleges in Maryland and elsewhere have seen big increases in aid applications for the current academic year. But as the recession lingers and unemployment climbs, schools brace for even greater demand for aid during the months ahead.

And for families that suddenly find themselves with a reversal of fortune, it's critical to contact aid offices immediately to find out what resources are still available.

"I am concerned about the increase in demand for financial aid," says Vince Pecora, financial aid director at Towson University, which is preparing its 2009-2010 aid packages for 12,000 students.

Students eligible for Pell Grants, which go to the neediest of students, are up 30 percent over a year ago, he says.

Towson expects to give out $11.4 million of university need-based money to students during the next academic year, or 115 percent more than it did four years earlier. The university largely has been shifting money from merit scholarships to aid for needy students.

"We are robbing Peter to pay Paul," he says.

Signs of financial stress are showing up at the business and education schools at the Johns Hopkins University, where many students attend part time and work full time.

The aid deadline for the spring semester was Nov. 1, but there's been a 5 percent increase over last year in the number of students retroactively applying for assistance, says Laura Donnelly, financial aid director.

"They paid for spring tuition upfront and suddenly lost their jobs. The money they put forth, they now need to live on," Donnelly says. Students get a tuition refund, then turn around and pay the education bill with federal loans, she says.

And Donnelly says she's noticed that a handful of students filed for bankruptcy in recent months, something not seen before.

At College Park, appeals for aid are up 30 percent over a year ago. Some are from higher-income families who never have filed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid before and are learning to do so, says Sarah Bauder, director of financial aid.

"The face of the financial strain has taken on a new look," Bauder says. "It's hitting everybody."

During normal times, the College Park campus spends about $500,000 to help families that have fallen on hard times through a sudden illness, job loss or a parent's death. The college will spend about $1.5 million during the current academic year, and expects to double that for 2009-2010.

To raise funds for such emergencies, the school recently launched the "Keep Me Maryland" campaign to solicit money to keep students on the Maryland campus.

Financial aid counselors are on the front line, dealing with parents who are upset, panicked, angry - or all those things. The recent training at College Park was to prevent counselors from becoming less sensitive to distraught families, which some counselors acknowledged was happening.

"Redundancy often brings callousness. You hear the same story again and again," Bauder says. "For the person telling it, it's new to them. And so you have to be sensitive to that every single time."

Of course, don't expect much sympathy at any school if you earn well into the six figures, and spent every dollar and then some on everything but saving for your child's education.

Bauder's office didn't give more aid recently to an overextended family who lost a home after income fell from $2.1 million to $1.3 million. But the office is trying to do what it can for the family whose $48,000 income dropped to $17,000 because a parent lost a job. "They don't have any place to go," she says.

If your family finances change for the worse, contact the school's financial aid office immediately. You could qualify for scholarships, grants or subsidized federal loans that you were ineligible for before. Schools have their own money to help in emergencies, but these pools are limited and could be exhausted if you wait too long.

Federal Pell Grants, which were recently increased, as well as Stafford and PLUS loans, are available throughout the academic year, so you don't have to worry funds will run out, so long as you qualify.

For federal money, you need to fill out the FAFSA form, which added several more questions this year, including queries into whether a parent has lost a job and whether the student was homeless at any time.

The Maryland Higher Education Commission receives FAFSAs filed by Marylanders, and it expects a 30,000 increase in on-time applications over last year's total of 109,314.

Part of that steep increase is attributed to the economy, which isn't expected to recover any time soon. In the meantime, aid directors say they will do what they can for families in need because they don't want students withdrawing for financial reasons.

"Once you're a student, you are family," Bauder says.
When finances sour, what to do about financial aid:

•Contact financial aid office at the school, which might have you fill out a special-circumstance form to update your information and could lead to your aid being increased.

•Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid to receive federal money. That includes the needs-based Pell Grant, whose maximum award for the 2009-2010 year has been raised to $5,350 as part of the economic stimulus package.

•Consider federal loans, such as a student Stafford Loan, or a PLUS loan for parents or graduate students. You must pass a credit check to be eligible for a PLUS loan.

•Search for scholarships and grants at FastWeb.com.


College Counselors try to handle a huge increase in financial aid requests