On last week’s episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, Ian shifts the focus of our attention to the juniors and what goes into building the college list. But before we completely close the book on our current seniors, the opening segment explains a bit more about what goes on behind the waitlist process.

As students make sense of the admission decisions they’ve received these past few weeks, some families might be feeling not only excitement but dread—excitement for prospective dreams fulfilled, but dread when contemplating the cost. Numbers once considered hypotheticals are now becoming hard and fast expenses. While we’re often told, “pursue the dream and things will take care of themselves,” should we be holding college dreams to the same standard, costs be damned?

Making the Final College Decision

Congratulations on your child’s college acceptances! Their hard work has paid off and now the decision as to which college is best for them needs to be made. I always encourage parents and their child to step back for a moment. Don’t worry about choosing that one perfect college, as there are likely many colleges that fit your child’s needs and would ultimately provide a rich college experience. College is what a student makes of it, and what they accomplish while they’re on campus matters much more than the name of the college. Choosing the student’s preferred college, while also balancing financial considerations however, can present some challenges to a family. It is those very challenges that prompt me to share some important considerations that may assist you in making the final college decision.

For Seniors, The Transition to College Has Already Begun

It’s official, my daughter is going to college.  She, her mother and I all huddle around the computer as she pays her deposit and clicks send.

It’s very exciting for her to finally have made a choice; she’s excited to start this next phase of her life.  However, as the discussion afterward progresses, I realize that the process for her at this stage is totally different from mine.  I waited until the summer to find out who my roommate would be and hoped we would be compatible coexisting in a small room.  I nervously wrote letters over the summer to introduce myself and establish a rapport before the start of school.  Still, it was with anticipation that we met on move in day and relaxed as we came to the realization that it was all going to work out.  Over time, we settled in and were roommates for the next two years.

The Academic Common Market

Last week’s episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation opened with host Beth Heaton and college financial aid consultant Shannon Vasconcelos, rounding out Part IV of the tuition reciprocity series a discussion on the Academic Common Market (you can find parts I-III in our Archives). Learn why a student from Alabama who wants to study English in South Carolina isn’t going to qualify for this program, while a student seeking a marine bio major from landlocked Tennessee could be eligible! Not every college participates in the program even among the 15 member states, and those that do participate may impose their own restrictions in terms of capping the number of students or mandating a minimum GPA requirement, and our expert provided tools to determine participation guidelines.

It’s hard news to hear, especially at this time of year, but not everyone gets into the school(s) of their dreams. It can be tough to feel disappointed when seemingly everyone around you is celebrating. Your confidence may take a major hit, and it can be difficult to get revved up and excited about where you have been admitted. While this experience is a part of the admissions process for thousands of students every single year, it’s a topic many don’t like to talk about. Below, college admissions advisor Karen Spencer, former admissions officer at Georgetown University and Franklin & Marshall, offers advice to parents looking for help in moving their grieving seniors past disappointing decisions:

Getting the Student Perspective

Last week’s episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, hosted by Sally Ganga, continued the trend of welcoming a current student to discuss her college selection process. Zainab Bindher, a College Coach alumnus and current student at the University of Michigan, introduced us not only to her application process but also the first year at UM. It was really intriguing to hear her description of her “Living Learning community,” a residential offering that enables her to connect with others with the same values both inside and outside the classroom. Because of her interest in social justice and aspirations for law school, Zainab’s participation in this community has been a huge part of her UM experience. For more stories from Zainab, including favorite courses and future goals, give the show a listen!

If you’ve recently been admitted to a college or university (congratulations, by the way!), you may have started receiving invitations to regional admitted student receptions. If you’re wondering what these are, or whether or not you should attend, you’re not alone.

First, it’s important to understand why colleges offer these types of events. Admitted student receptions are often referred to in the back rooms of admission offices as yield events. Remember: a school’s yield rate is the percentage of students who choose to attend an institution in comparison to the number of students who were admitted. The higher an institution’s yield rate, the better; this means that a school can admit less students overall, knowing that a large percentage of students will take them up on their offer, thus decreasing their admit rate and moving them up rankings lists.

For many families, the month of April during senior year is a tough time! They may have survived the college visits, SATs, essays, and applications, but now they have a big decision to make: choosing the right college!

The decision may include many different factors, but once you know where you’re applying, you will have to send in a monetary deposit to secure your spot in the class and in a residence hall (if you’re living on campus). The deadline for submitting your deposit is May 1^st, no matter where you’ve been admitted. If your college of choice has limited housing, depositing earlier may guarantee you better housing, so at these institutions, the earlier you deposit, the better. After May 1^st, you will not get a refund on your deposit; and because most colleges require a deposit of $500 to $800, it is important to think carefully about where you deposit.

The national reply deadline of May 1^st is just around the corner, so last week’s episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, focusing on multiple aspects of the decision-making process, was well-timed. Sally Ganga guest hosted, bringing in three unique perspectives to discuss selecting the right college.

Asking the Right Questions

In the first segment Sally was joined by College Coach expert Peter Silberman to discuss the role of college visits in making thoughtful, nuanced decisions. Peter discussed the overload of informational resources available to students today; he suggested using college visits to “cut through” the excess noise and go straight to the source for your answers: current students. Another great suggestion was tuning into visual cues around campus, looking at everything from event flyers to newspaper op-eds.