Upcoming senior ... books you would recommend for figuring out the college process?

[MrsPete]

I know of several. They want the scores but don't consider them as highly as other criteria.

Community colleges don't require SATs or ACTs, and some non-competative private schools don't require them. Essentially it's the schools that take anyone who don't require the scores.

But if you mean the 4-year schools that you really want your children to attend, yeah, you've gotta have the scores. They don't mean as much as the GPA, but they are required.

 

[NotUrsula]

We have been through the process twice so far...personally we never found summertime college visits as helpful as visiting while the college was in session. I mean, you can see the campus and the buildings in the summer, but we liked to see the campus with the full student body there. We always made a point of eating a meal in the dining hall, checking out the flyers/posters for upcoming events, reading the student newspaper (most are online), etc.
Also we found that my high schoolers were off from school on days that most colleges were in session, so we'd visit on those days (like Columbus Day, Election Day, Presidents' Day, etc.)

OP I agree with collegeconfidential.com. Some of the posters are intense but there's a lot of good info there.

Good luck to everyone going through the process!

Unless you're looking at a really tiny place, most colleges do have summer sessions; it shouldn't be that difficult to check the calendar and make sure to time your visit so that classes are in session. The ENTIRE student body won't be there, of course, but academics will be humming along. i agree that it is better to visit during fall or spring semesters, but if summer is the only opportunity that you have, there are ways to time it so that it is a more representative situation. You're right about intersession visits, though -- try to avoid that.

Also, if your child has not yet spent a few nights on a campus, try to find an opportunity. Even a camp is OK if it is one that gives kids a degree of autonomy and turns them loose on campus. Everyone that I know finds that their kids really gain perspective from having that little taste of campus life. (I'm sending my 14 yo on a 4-night visit later this summer.)

 

[allison443]

Summertime visits are great early on in the process. It gives you a feel for what the campus is like, etc. They are good for figuring out what kind of campus you want, big, small, etc. Once you have narrowed that down and have come up with a handful of potential schools, doing a visit during the school year is good.

Well if someone has plenty of time/money to do that and starts well enough in advance, that could work. The post I referred to was an inoming senior. Yes with summer visits you can see what the campus is like, but for us it made more sense to see what the campus is like at the same time we did the visit when school was in session. That's what made sense for us-I think you mentioned you were doing visits this summer so that's great if that's what works for you. I know it can be difficult to schedule these things with kids' and parents' schedules!

 

[allison443]

But they still require the scores. He was saying they don't want them at all. Colleges won't go away from using these standard tests-they are the only thing they have to compare one student to the next from across the country. Most schools don't use this as their #1 evaluation tool but they won't let you apply without them. For more competitive schools they want to see a rigorous class schedule and the GPA that goes along with that for their #1 important thing, some schools all you need is a 20 or better on an ACT to get in. Every school has their own "thing" but they all want to see either an SAT or an ACT score.

No, all schools don't require the scores; these schools are SAT-optional, meaning you can apply without submitting the scores. Here is a list, it includes some top competitive liberal arts colleges. (list from US News and World Report). There is even one in Minnesota.

Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vt.*

Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine

Hamilton College, Clinton, N.Y.*

Bates College, Lewiston, Maine

Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Mass.

College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Mass.

Bard College, Annandale on Hudson, N.Y.

Connecticut College, New London, Conn.*

Union College, Schenectady, N.Y.*

Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pa.

Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pa.

Pitzer College, Claremont, Calif.

Lawrence University, Appleton, Wis.

Wheaton College, Wheaton, Ill.

Wheaton College, Norton, Mass.

Hobart and William Smith College, Geneva, N.Y.

Ursinus College, Collegeville, Pa.

Drew University, Madison, N.J.

Muhlenberg College, Allentown, Pa.

Gustavus Adolphus College, Saint Peter, Minn.

Knox College, Galesburg, Ill.

Lewis and Clark College, Portland, Ore.

Bennington Collge, Bennington, Vt.

Hampshire College, Amherst, Mass.

Juniata Collge, Huntingdon, Pa.

Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, Pa.

Providence College, Providence, R.I.

*SAT/ACT not required if applicants submit SAT II series

 

[jbcheerchick93]

In addition to the other very excellent advice you have received, we really liked the Fiske Guide to Colleges (I think that was what it was called). It was a great book that had a lot of information about different colleges in it.

I guess it matters what you are looking for. Does your child have a certain major they want to look at. Do they want to be close to home or doesn't matter.

If your son or daughter will be taking (or, in the case of upcoming seniors, hopefully "retaking") the SATs, here's decent book on strategy:
http://www.amazon.com/Up-Your-Score...=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1309177832&sr=1-1

It's a little too full of cutesy pop references for my taste, but does a decent job on teaching how to approach the different problem types, as well as answering common questions about the actual exam.


Here's an article I give my Math SAT Prep classes. It originally appeared in NY Newsday:

"The Top 10 websites for college-bound students Originally published in Newsday May 7, 2010 9:23 AM

1. College Board (collegeboard.com): You’ll need to create an account here so you can register for the SATs-and check your scores the minute they’re posted. But this nonprofit organization of more than 5,700 member schools provides a wealth of other information as well. Its website is a great starting point to gather-and compare- basic data on colleges, including admission requirements, program offerings and costs.

2. College Confidential (collegeconfidential.com): This site bills itself as the “leading college-bound community on the web,” and it’s easy to see why. In addition to helpful articles on admissions and financial aid, it features lively discussion boards where parents, students and admissions officers answer one another’s questions, share tips and offer support throughout the college process. All you need to do is register and give yourself a “screen name” so you can join the conversation.

3. College Prowler (collegeprowler.com): You’ll get the lowdown on schools directly from students and recent grads. For each of 1,476 colleges listed, you can learn about everything from acceptance rates to assessments of the campus drinking and dating scenes. You’ll also find colorful quotes from co-eds that give you a real-deal sense of the college environment. In addition, the site offers a tool to help you assess your chances of admission at the schools you’re considering.

4. Common Application (commonap.org): Pretty much every high school senior is familiar with the so-called “common ap.” This is the go-to resource when the time comes to actually apply to college: It provides online and print versions of application materials for almost 400 schools. Students complete one main application and essay that can be submitted to multiple colleges with the click of a mouse. You can also link to any supplementary application materials a school requires. New this year: Online forms for teachers and guidance counselors to submit recommendations electronically.

5. FAFSA (fafsa.org): If you think you’ll need help paying for college, get comfortable with the website of the Free Application for Financial Student Aid. Administered by the U.S. Department of Education, it’s a user-friendly resource that’s loaded with publications, brochures and fact-sheets on financing college. And, most importantly, it’s where you set up an account to apply for federal aid, including Pell grants and Stafford, Perkins and Plus loans.

6. FastWeb (fastweb.com): If you’re hoping for a scholarship, this is the place to hunt it down. After registering, you can custom-search a database of 1.3 million awards based on your individual qualifications and needs. FastWeb also supplies info on job and internship programs and has an active discussion board as well.

7. FinAid (finaid.com): This award-winning website, sponsored by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, may well be the most comprehensive resource on paying for higher education. You’ll find nitty-gritty details about different types of loans, scholarships, grants and even military programs. The site’s “FAQs” cover anything you can think oft: There’s even a category called “miscellaneous and unusual” questions. In addition, it has calculators to help you project college costs, estimate your expected family contribution and decide how much to borrow.

8. NCAA (ncaa.org): Any student athlete who dreams of playing at a Division I, II or III school should log onto this site and download the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s guide. It contains the rules and regulations that spell out everything, from the way college coaches can recruit to what high school courses a student needs to take and what SAT scores he must attain. This is also where athlete applicants submit a “clearinghouse form” that is used by college coaches for recruitment purposes.

9. Peterson’s (petersons.com): If you’re looking to find a wealth of material in a single place, this site is a good bet. Originally a well-respected college guidebook, Peterson’s has migrated online with enough material info to fill volumes. You’ll find basic data about hundreds of colleges and universities, including criteria for admissions, courses of study and total costs. In addition, there are helpful articles on virtually every aspect of the admissions process.

10. Princeton Review (princetonreview.com): Though primarily aimed at encouraging students to sign up for the company’s test-prep programs, this site contains tons of free content, including articles on applying to schools, choosing a major and finding a study abroad program. One fun feature is the “counselor-o-matic,” a tool that asks questions about grades, test scores, interests and activities then spits out a list of “good-fit” colleges. You’ll also find light-hearted rankings, which name the top colleges in such categories as “Most Politically Active” and “Major Frat and Sorority Scene.” "

again,


If you've already started visiting colleges and have an idea of everything, my mom and I LOVE a "workbook" called College Planning Workbook: Get Ready Get Organized Get In by sparkcollege. It's so full of information and its made tabbed for you, it has a journal for when you visit colleges (spaces for mom and kids!), a map of the U.S. with colleges (it is a bit off though), a section on how to narrow it down, places to keep SAT, ACT, SAT II scores handy, a place to keep contact information, practice app. essays, so much stuff. We really love this one! it was around $15.00 but so worth it. We took it on all of our trips so that we'd remember it right away instead of trying to compare weeks later!

 

[jodifla]

This book is short and sweet and very informative! It was written by the past president of the National Association for College Admission Counseling. What I really like is the part about matching the right school to the right kid for an optimal experience.


College is Yours
in 600 words or less


http://www.collegeisyours.com/

 

[gina2000]

But they still require the scores. He was saying they don't want them at all. Colleges won't go away from using these standard tests-they are the only thing they have to compare one student to the next from across the country. Most schools don't use this as their #1 evaluation tool but they won't let you apply without them. For more competitive schools they want to see a rigorous class schedule and the GPA that goes along with that for their #1 important thing, some schools all you need is a 20 or better on an ACT to get in. Every school has their own "thing" but they all want to see either an SAT or an ACT score.

Bowdoin, Middlebury, Bates, and Dickinson are are top notch liberal arts colleges - top 50 liberal arts as per US News and World Report. They don't require SATs/ACTs to apply or to be admitted.