College Senior Survey and Information

SUMMIT students must turn in this info to Ms. Price. All others - it is meant to help you with your search this summer.


Bowie High SUMMIT Class of 2011!!!!!
Senior College Survey
This document is part of our promised support of you in the college application process. Ms. Price will look over your specific college information and give you some comments and advice to help you as you finalize your college lists. If you haven’t begun to think about your college choices, no worries! You have plenty of time, and that is why I am giving you this info now.
Please carefully read the following information; complete the requested information and return to Ms. Kelly Price in Room 250 by September 30th, 2010.
I strongly recommend you apply to:
a) Two schools to which you have a 25% chance of being offered admission, and
b) Two schools to which you have a 50% chance of being offered admission, and
c) Two schools to which you have a 75% chance of being offered admission, AND
d) Two schools to which you have a 90% chance of being offered admission.
NOTE: Letters “c” and “d” are the most important – as long as you are applying to these four schools, “a” and “b” are not even necessary. But if you are applying to an “a” or “b” school, you MUST apply to the “c” and “d” schools. You are severely limiting your options if you do not.
Note: If you applying to any competitive schools, I recommend that you apply to eight schools. This decision will give you the most options, especially financial options. IF you are applying to a school to which you have only a 25% chance of admission, you MUST apply to at least five other schools to which you have a better chance of admission. If you are applying to two schools you have a 25% chance of getting into, you need to apply to eight total. I am basing this recommendation on the advice of MANY experts whose work I have read.
NOTE: NO ONE, not even a genius, has more than a 25% chance of getting into any very selective college like Georgetown, Duke, Northwestern, Carleton, Princeton, Brown, etc. NO ONE. Last year, Yale University turned away half of its applicants who had perfect SAT scores.
Please answer the following:
Your career goals, general areas of interest. If you don’t know, that is okay. You can give me a vague answer: __________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Please list your highest SAT Scores below. Please either attach a copy of your score report OR just show Price your scores on her computer.
Highest Critical Reading Score: ______
Highest Math Score: ___________
Highest Writing Score: ___________
Are you taking the SAT again? _________ If so, when? _____
Your cumulative GPA: _______
In order of selectivity (that is, the college MOST difficult for you to get into and ending with the college EASIEST for you to get into), list:
the colleges/universities you are definitely or pretty sure you are applying to,
the reasons you are applying there*,
their acceptance rate, and
your chances for admission**.
* Reasons for applying: If you’re not sure why you’re applying, then you need to find out.
Poor reasons for applying:
“I can’t stand the thought of going there, but my parents are making me.”
“It’s an Ivy League school.”
“They sent me a free application.”
Note: These reasons might be good ones to START THINKING about applying to a college; after you begin to learn more about the school, you may actually like it. Remember: If you’re applying to the college, you might actually get in, and they may offer you the best financial aid package, and your parents may say, “This is where you are going.” Thus, you need to find ways to be happy there.
** Your chances for admission. If you don’t know what your chances of admission are, you need to find out. Look at the freshman profile on the college’s website or consult the College Board’s “My College Quick Start” service for help. Think in terms of a 25% chance to get in, a 50% chance, 75%, or 90%. (NOTE: NO ONE, not even a genius with perfect SAT scores, has more than a 25% chance of getting into any very selective college like Georgetown, Duke, Northwestern, Carleton, Princeton, Brown, etc. NO ONE.)
__________________________________________________________________________
Example of a freshman profile (I simply went to UMD’s website and searched “freshman profile” on the site.)
University of Maryland College Park Freshman Profile Information
“For the Fall 2009 Freshman class, we received over 28,000 applications for a class of 4,150. (actual acceptance rate: 39.2%) For the Fall of 2009, students admitted to the University of Maryland have an average (weighted) GPA of 3.98 and the middle 50% of SAT scores ranged from 1230 to 1390 [math and critical reading combined score], and between 27-31 on the ACT. As a result, 25% of the admitted students scored below a 1230 on the SAT and 25% scored above a 1390.” *From the UMD website
Example of how to list your college choices:
College: University of Maryland College Park
Reason you are applying: I like their engineering program and also their public policy program, hope to get in their Honors College, want to be near D.C., in-state tuition
Definitely or maybe applying? definitely
Acceptance rate: 39.2%
Chance of admission for me: 50%. (If your weighted GPA is a 4.10 and your SAT is a 1310, you would be right in the middle average of their freshmen profile, so your chances of getting in are 50/50.)
Now, list the Colleges you are DEFINITELY applying to and Colleges You MIGHT apply to (in order of hardest to easiest for YOU to get into):
College:
Reason for applying:
Definitely or maybe applying?
Acceptance rate:
Chance of admission for YOU:
College:
Reason for applying:
Definitely or maybe applying?
Acceptance rate:
Chance of admission for YOU:
College:
Reason for applying:
Definitely or maybe applying?
Acceptance rate:
Chance of admission for YOU:
College:
Reason for applying:
Definitely or maybe applying?
Acceptance rate:
Chance of admission for YOU:
College:
Reason for applying:
Definitely or maybe applying?
Acceptance rate:
Chance of admission for YOU:
College:
Reason for applying:
Definitely or maybe applying?
Acceptance rate:
Chance of admission for YOU:
College:
Reason for applying:
Definitely or maybe applying?
Acceptance rate:
Chance of admission for YOU:
College:
Reason for applying:
Definitely or maybe applying?
Acceptance rate:
Chance of admission for YOU:

College:
Reason for applying:
Definitely or maybe applying?
Acceptance rate:
Chance of admission for YOU:
College:
Reason for applying:
Definitely or maybe applying?
Acceptance rate:
Chance of admission for YOU:
Please check out the following books and websites as you finish your college search:
Books/Sites I Highly Recommend (I have all of these books in my classroom – you are welcome to come and look at them.)
www.collegeboard.com – Of course! Be sure you are using MyCollege QuickStart.
Harvard Schmarvard – by Jay Mathews, the Washington Post’s main education reporter. Mathews, a Harvard grad, explains why Ivies and other elite institutions are not nearly what they are cracked up to be for undergraduates. He lists 100 schools that high school students should be sure to consider instead.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/class-struggle/admissions_101/ (Jay Mathews’ Washington Post discussion board about college admissions)
8 First Choices: An Expert’s Strategies for Getting into College. Joyce Slayton Mitchell and Winning the Heart of the College Admissions Dean (an earlier version of 8 First Choices) These books are WONDERFUL.
Looking Beyond the Ivy League: Finding the College that’s Right for You. Loren Pope. I LOVE THIS BOOK.
Fiske Guide to Colleges 2010: Edmund Fiske. THE BEST COLLEGE GUIDE, IN MY OPINION.
The Hidden Ivies: Howard Greene and Matthew Greene. VERY GOOD LOOK AT FIFTY VERY SELECTIVE SCHOOLS.
Colleges that Change Lives -- Loren Pope. POPE FIGHTS THE MAN IN THIS BOOK – HE IS WONDERFULLY ANTI-ELITIST and has spent a great deal of time finding great schools that actually serve their student body.
www.ctcl.org -- This website, based on the philosophy of Loren Pope’s book Colleges that Change Lives, is a wonderful resource. This site/book focuses on 40-some colleges that: “share two essential elements: a familial sense of communal enterprise that gets students heavily involved in cooperative rather than competitive learning, and a faculty of scholars devoted to helping young people develop their powers, mentors who often become their valued friends."

This dynamic group of schools also share some other common attributes that have led to their distinction as colleges that change lives:
Low student-to-faculty ratios that foster collaboration, engaged learning, and personal attention. Classes are taught by professors, not TAs.
A commitment to undergraduate education that focuses on the liberal arts and sciences. Opportunities for undergraduate research are prevalent.
A living and learning environment that is primarily residential and emphasizes the benefits of community, personal growth, participation, and involvement.
Smaller student enrollments that allow students to be known and recognized as individuals.
Out-of-classroom learning opportunities that provide students with an added perspective about themselves, their interests, and the global community. Participation in internships, study abroad, service to others, and special interest activities is common and expected.
Holistic admission policies including several with "test-optional" applications for admission. These schools take into consideration everything about an applicant—not just their numbers on an application.
Alumni networks that help graduates with professional and career development opportunities as well as foster lifelong friendships based on an involved and engaged undergraduate student experience.
For many talented and motivated students, CTCL colleges provide the ideal living and learning environment for students to meet and exceed their own expectations for personal intellectual growth—indeed, an experience that changes lives.

Pope believes that the colleges' power lies in how they go about transforming their students. "The focus is on the student, not on the faculty. There are no passive ears; students and faculty work so closely together, they even coauthor publications. Teaching is an act of love. Learning is collaborative rather than competitive; values are central; there is a strong sense of community. They are places of great synergy, where the whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts. Aspirations are raised up; young people are empowered. It is those qualities that develop leaders, people who can land on their feet, who are bold and imaginative, and who can see the big picture."
CHECK OUT THESE SCHOOLS THAT POPE RECOMMENDS!!

Colleges that Change Lives
AGNES SCOTT COLLEGE
ALLEGHENY COLLEGE
AUSTIN COLLEGE
BELOIT COLLEGE
BIRMINGHAM-SOUTHERN COLLEGE
CENTRE COLLEGE
CLARK UNIVERSITY
CORNELL COLLEGE
DENISON UNIVERSITY
EARLHAM COLLEGE
ECKERD COLLEGE
EMORY & HENRY COLLEGE
THE EVERGREEN STATE COLLEGE
GOUCHER COLLEGE
GUILFORD COLLEGE
HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE
HENDRIX COLLEGE
HIRAM COLLEGE
HOPE COLLEGE
JUNIATA COLLEGE
KALAMAZOO COLLEGE
KNOX COLLEGE
LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY
LYNCHBURG COLLEGE
MARLBORO COLLEGE
MCDANIEL COLLEGE
MILLSAPS COLLEGE
NEW COLLEGE OF FLORIDA
OHIO WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY
REED COLLEGE
RHODES COLLEGE
SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE, MD
ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE, NM
ST. OLAF COLLEGE
URSINUS COLLEGE
WABASH COLLEGE
WHEATON COLLEGE (IL)
WHITMAN COLLEGE
WOOSTER, COLLEGE OF
Misperception: Students who can’t afford $48,000 a year for tuition and room/board should not apply to any private colleges or universities. They should only apply to public universities they can afford.
REALITY: Almost 90% of students who attend college receive financial aid; that is, almost 90% of students do not pay the full sticker price of a college. If you apply to private schools at which you are at the top of the applicant pool, you will surely be offered a nice chunk of merit scholarship money even before the college considers your financial need.
“You won’t have any idea how much a college will cost until you receive your financial aid package. Convince your parents that this is true. Do not select your final [college] list by the advertised cost of the college.” Joyce Slayton Mitchell, Eight First Choices: An Expert’s Strategies for Getting Into College.
MISPERCEPTION: Strong students in the top ranks of their high school class with high test scores will waste their potential at any school outside the Ivy League. They deserve to learn with other motivated achievers.
REALITY: Smaller residential schools are a great example of quality outshining quantity. It’s easier to meet people and forge meaningful—often lifelong—friendships in a small community than it is in a huge crowd. It’s easier to get involved at a smaller school because there’s less hierarchy and red tape; in fact, many students find that there’s less competition for leadership positions, theatre roles, and even student activities funding on a smaller campus.

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MISPERCEPTION: Employers and graduate schools won’t be seriously interested in a graduate from a school they haven’t heard of before. A degree from a name-brand institution means more to employers and graduate schools, and attending a well-known school puts students ahead of the curve and guarantees them successful, meaningful lives.
REALITY: Employers and graduate schools are looking for skills and experience, not evidence of an elite academic pedigree. CTCL graduates frequently outperform their peers at some of the nation's top graduate and professional schools because they’ve done more with their time in college—they’ve become campus leaders, taken on internships or tackled life in another country, completed graduate-level work, and developed the kinds of critical thinking skills necessary for a meaningful life of learning.
MISPERCEPTION: Staying close to home is a good idea because it saves money, and following high school friends makes the transition to college easier.
REALITY: The most important factor in choosing a college is its fit for a student, not its location or popularity. The ideal school may be close to home—or it could be across the country. Regardless of where the school is located, it should offer opportunities for intellectual growth, deeper understanding, and experiences that reward personal curiosity.
Following friends to school doesn’t guarantee an instantly rewarding social life in college—most friends who attend school together have found other interests by the end of the first few weeks. Making new friends at small colleges is easy, and the high school friendships that really matter will stand the tests of time and distance.
Personalities develop significantly in college, and the right school will foster, not hinder, growth. Choosing a school because it is familiar or following the same crowd to a school might even prevent students from developing as independent, capable people with their own interests and passions.

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MISPERCEPTION: If you’re serious about your future career, it’s pointless to take classes in other disciplines. It’s better to focus on one field and become an expert than to know a little about a lot of useless subjects.
REALITY: The decisions you make at eighteen could affect the rest of your life. Few people know exactly what they want to do at the beginning of college, and none of them can predict the future. The people who succeed today have a range of skills and can see connections between disciplines; they’re flexible and can adapt intelligently to change. Even people who are devoted to one field appreciate the perspectives other disciplines can bring to understanding a problem or an issue. It’s more important to have a versatile, multifaceted background and an ability to apply knowledge to many situations than a narrowly focused education in one subject that lacks breadth.