Facing Plan B: Community College Transfer

My days are now filled with high school seniors who are facing a tough reality.  These smart, diligent, ambitious teens who started high school with a plan to go to a four-year college have now realized that despite their hard work, Advanced Placement classes, and summer enrichment programs they are headed for community colleges.  The reason is financial.  Qualified and deserving students are being priced out of colleges due to rising costs and shrinking financial aid.

The truth is, if parents want their kids to go to college they'd better start a serious savings plan.  The days of working to pay one's way through college are long gone because it is simply too expensive.  When I went to college in the 1970s I was able to pay my own way by being a part-time waitress.  Today, the wages of a part-time waitress would not cover the costs of one semester's worth of books!

Low income students will be able to pick up enough financial aid to pay for college but it is the middle class families that suffer.  Middle class students this year are faced with a choice: a mountain of education loan debt or switch over to the community college track.  When you've worked so hard for that college admission letter it is really hard not to feel demoralized.

Parents Can Help Teens Prepare for College

Parents of kids starting high school have a very important role to play in the college readiness process.  Whether or not the parent went to college does not matter.  There are some simple things all parents can do to encourage college preparation.

1. Let your teen know that you want him/her to go to college.  Don't let fear of the cost of college interfer with your message:  getting a college education is a must in today's world.
2. Support good study habits and closely monitor school acheivement.  High school grades will either open opportunity doors or close opportunity doors!
3. If you teen gets less than a C in any academic class, contact the school counselor immediately to see what can be done to repair the damage.
4. Help your teen start exploring colleges by researching on the web, attending college fairs, or visiting colleges.
5. Acknowledge academic efforts and set high standards for school acheivement.

Getting a Jump on the College Application Process

Juniors who plan on starting the college application process next fall have a lot to do right  now.  Here's a list of the steps to take to prepare for the upcomming application whirlwind.

• Develop a senior year class schedule with the most rigorous academic classes possible.  No fluff!
• Develop a list of colleges you want to attend.  Research each college by visiting the college website and by visiting the actual college (if possible).
• Make a calendar of application deadlines for each college on your list.
• Conduct a family conversation about college costs and paying for college.
• Complete a draft of your college essay/personal statement.
• Make sure you have completed your SAT testing.
• Engage in a meaningful enrichment activity during the summer.

Which College is the Best

Which college has the best nursing program?  Engineering? English Literature?  Political Science?  Everyone keeps asking for help directing entering college freshmen to the best college for one planned major or another.  That is the wrong question.

The overwhelming majority of entering college freshmen don't know what they want to do when they grow up.  Most college students change majors several times while attending college. (And I'm not talking about mechanical engineering switching to electrical engineering! Often college students switch complete fields such as from engineering to political science.)  Therefore, it is not really wise to put too much emphasis on picking a college based on preliminary major choices.

The best way to pick a college for undergraduate work is to develop generalized criteria (location, size, religious affiliation, entrance difficulty, prestige, etc.) and then match colleges to the criteria.  Make sure the college has a wide range of majors including the types of majors the entering freshmen is considering.  After identifying colleges that match your criteria, take a road trip and visit each college.  The feel of the campus is extremely important as you will be spending four plus years there.  The college that best matches the criteria and has the environment desired is the best college to attend.

The Importance of Summer Enrichment

College-bound high school students should plan to spend some of the summer engaged in either a community service activity or a specialized learning opportunity.  A great variety of community service activities can be found  from parks and recreation programs to working at a local animal shelter.  Be creative and please, don't just tutor at the library or help out with your church youth group- everyone does that.  Set yourself apart with an interesting and unique activity.

Summer learning opportunities can include creating your own summer reading program, teaching yourself a new skill, or enrolling in a class at the local community college.  Whatever you do, don't spend the whole summer sleeping and playing video games!

What to do When Financial Aid Isn't Enough

Financial aid award letters can bring happiness or they can bring misery.  If you are fortunate, your college has offered you a sweet financial aid package that covers all of your financial need without too much loan burden.

If you are less fortunate, your college has offered you a financial aid package that leaves you facing a future of mounting financial debt.  Don't give up yet!  There are a few steps you can take to try to get a better deal.

1.  Contact the financial aid office at the college.  Explain why you believe you need more grant (gift) money to make it possible for you to attend that college.  You've been admitted and it is the financial aid office's job to help you find a way to afford the cost.  Colleges sometimes end up with a little more available money as students begin informing them that they will not be attending after all- make sure you get in line for any new money that become available.

2.  Request work study from the financial aid office if they haven't already offered it.  With work study you can get a job, earn money, and use that money to help you pay for your college expenses.

3.  Keep applying for scholarships.  There are still many opportunities.

4.  Compare the financial aid letters from all of the colleges that have admitted you.  They will be very different and you can select the college that offers you the best financial aid.

The Grade Point Average Colleges Want

For sophomores and juniors who are planning your courses for next year, please, don't select courses based on whether or not you think you'd be guaranteed to get an A.  It is absolutely wrong-headed to dumb down your course of study to boost your GPA.  Colleges aren't fooled.  Here's the problem:  colleges don't just look at your GPA, they look closely at the courses you've been taking. The college is more impressed by a difficult course of study and lower GPA than an easy course of study and a 4.0.

Use this rule of thumb:  Each year in high school should be more difficult than the year before with senior year having the most challenging courses.  Take the hardest courses you can each year and get the best grades you can each year.  Whatever GPA you end up with, as long as you've tried to do the best you can in each class, will be a fine representation of your academic potential.  Stop thinking about your GPA and start thinking about challenging yourself academically and thereby demonstrating  the hard-working and competitive qualities that colleges want.

Myth: Senior Year Doesn't Count

Juniors:  its time to plan your senior year class schedule.  Don't believe that old myth that senior year doesn't count for college admissions.  Senior year counts, especially at highly competitive colleges.  The confusion is because the manner in which senior year counts for college admission is different than the way grades 9-11 count.

It is true that during the application process colleges will not know your senior year grades.  However, they will know what you are taking. If you aren't taking a more academically rigorous schedule of classes than you did  in your junior year, you are informing your college that you are a slacker. Competitive colleges don't want slackers!  Competitive colleges would rather accept a student who has lower grades but keeps pushing through harder and harder classes because that student is demonstrating that he/she is willing to work.

Make sure your senior year classes are challenging.  Take some community college classes if your high school doesn't have anything rigorous to offer.

4-year College or Community College and Transfer

A tough choice but select the 4-year college option.  That is, don't go to a community college if you have the option to go directly into a 4-year college.  I know, I know, I hear you asking, "But why, aren't they the same for the first 2 years?"  No, they are not the same, not even close.

Community colleges are primarily filled with students who are under-prepared for college level work, unmotivated, and directionless. (Of course this isn't everyone at a community college.)  These students do have an impact on the rigor in the classrooms and on the entire learning environment.  Parents all know this to be true- why else would you have worked so hard to get your child into a "good" K-12 school?  It is the same principle at the college level.  One should try to attend the best college possible to get the best education possible.

What about cost?  Isn't it cheaper to complete the first 2 years at a community college?  You need to know that it is not as much of a savings as you think.  Community colleges are underfunded and overcrowded.  Recent studies have found that a gigantic majority (more than 75%) of community college students take five years to attain their goal.  In other words, what should take 2 years to complete is taking most students 5 years.  Compare the cost in dollars and time between spending 5 years at a community college and 2 years at a 4-year colleges (7 years) or going directly into a 4-year college and finishing in 4-5 years.

One more caution:  California State Universities are starting to discuss the possible need to only accept community college transfer students from their local community colleges due to the financial crisis hitting the whole CSU system.  This would mean that a student who attends a community college would not be able to transfer to a 4-year college in another part of the state, but would be limited to whichever 4-year college is closest to his/her community college.

Colleges Want REAL Community Service

I am constantly asked about the need to log community service hours to get into college.  Hold up, folks.  Community service isn't about logging hours to get into college its about giving something of yourself to your community for the sole purpose of doing something for others.

One is either checking off items on a "college extracurriculars" list or engaged in a meaningful community service activity that is personally satisfying.  Believe me, colleges know the difference.  So stop worrying about how many hours of community service you need to get into college.  Instead, find something to do that helps others and is a learning experience for you.  Experience it fully, enjoy it, and then reflect on what you learned from your experience.  You'll find you want to continue giving back to your community whether it matters to colleges or not... and that is exactly what colleges are really looking for.

Undocumented Students and Financial Aid

I had a difficult conversation with one of my students today.  She is bright, articulate, mature, and eager to pursue a college education but is undocumented. Unfortunately, undocumented students can not receive government financial aid.

The good news is that undocumented students can receive scholarships as long as being a US citizen is not a specific criteria for the scholarship.  Check this link http://www.e4fc.org/studentresources/scholarshiplists.html for an excellent source of scholarships that all high school students can apply for regardless of immigration status.  Don't forget that colleges are also a good source of financial aid and undocumented students should make sure to discuss their financial need with the financial aid office at the college they would like to attend.  Many colleges can provide collegiate grants and scholarships for undocumented students.

Community College Early Decision

If your high school has an Early Decision program with the local community college you should take advantage of the opportunity.  There are two big benefits of community college early decision.  First, you will be able to register for your classes ahead of all other new students.  This is huge as community colleges are packed and many students aren't able to get the classes they need/want.  Second, you will be completely enrolled, registered, and have your classes arranged before the end of senior year.  You can relax over the summer and smoothly, easily start school at your community college in the fall.

I'm bilingual, do I have to take two years of foreign language?

My bilingual students have recently been asking me about meeting the college A-G requirements and the foreign language piece.  One clever student reasonably asked if he could, "use English as his foreign language."  No, sorry.  But there are many ways for bilingual students to meet the foreign language requirement.  The easiest option is taking the SAT Subject Test in your native language.  If you score well, the foreign language requirement is waived.  Unfortunately, there isn't an SAT Subject Test in every language.  If your language isn't tested, you can have your high school certify your fluency and make a note of it on your transcript.  This method also waives the foreign language requirement.

Of course, another way to think about this question is to realize that if you are already fluent in two languages, picking up a third language would make you even more competitive for college and employment.  Go ahead and take those two years of foreign language and you'll be on your way to being trilingual!

I have low SAT scores, can I still go to college?

Folks, its only a test.  (You do know the College Board is making a profit from SAT takers, right?)  So the answer is YES! of course you can go to college... so what, you suck at taking the SAT.  There isn't a college admission officer alive who won't admit that SAT scores are not a valid predictor of how a student will do in college.  Even the College Board was forced to admit that high school GPA is the best predictor of college success, not the SAT.  That's right: GPA is the best predictor of college success.

Can you forget about your SAT scores?  Just blow them off?  No, colleges do look at them so you want to make sure you get the best score you can but please, keep it in perspective.   The higher your GPA the less your SAT scores matter.  If you have a solid GPA (3.5 or higher) you can be perfectly content with a mediocre SAT score (450-500 on each section) as it is your high school GPA that the colleges care the most about.  And don't forget the other college admissions factors:  what else you've been doing with your time (composing music, becoming an Eagle Scout, working to help support your family, etc) and those impressively hard Advanced Placement classes you've been taking.  These factors all work together to boost you into the college of your dreams.

If you aren't great at the SAT: make yourself great at something else and colleges will be bending over backwards to admit you.

Taking the SAT

My most important comment about the SAT is the timing for taking the SAT.  The SAT should be taken before the end of the junior year.  Juniors should start taking the SAT during the second semester while they are deeply engaged in math, lab science, and English literature classes as this is the moment when they will be most acadmically prepared.  Waiting for the summer to pass by and taking the SAT in October of the senior year will cause a decline in their SAT scores unless they have dedicated their summer vacation to serious SAT prep.  Furthermore, it is important to recognize that seniors will have too much to do with college and scholarship applications to give serious energy to maximizing their SAT scores.

On a related note, students can take the SAT as often as they want in an attempt to get a better score.  Colleges do not frown upon repeated attempts but rather see such diligence as a sign of seriousness.  Colleges will simply count the best score.  It does not matter if the best score was the first attempt or the last attempt.  Really.

FAFSA Submission - Next Steps

Parents of seniors should be submitting their on-line financial aid applications (FAFSA) during this month.  Remember: don't wait until you have completed your 2010 tax return, just use your 2009 tax return to estimate your FAFSA answers.  After you have submitted your application there are a few other steps to take.

Next steps:
1.  For California colleges you must submit an official Cal Grant GPA verification form.  The form can be downloaded from the FAFSA website (www.fafsa.ed.gov) and completed and mailed by snail mail.
2.  Check your email for a FAFSA confirmation.  The confirmation has the directions for making any changes to the information you submitted.
3.  Begin contacting the financial aid offices at the colleges to which you applied to determine the financial aid package each college can provide.
4.  Compare the financial aid packages offered by each college to determine the best offer.  Don't forget that you can negotiate for a better financial aid package by talking to the financial aid officer at the college.

What the Heck is EFC?

Now that you have submitted the on-line financial aid application (FAFSA), the US Department of Education has told you what your EFC is.  EFC stands for Expected Family Contribution and it is a very, very important figure for understanding the whole financial aid process.

Based on your FAFSA submitted data, the government has determined that your family can afford the EFC amount each year for college expenses.  In other words, the EFC is the amount that you will be expected to pay each year.   It is important to understand that this is the amount you will be expected to pay regardless of how much the college costs.  No matter which college your son/daughter attends, very expensive or inexpensive, you will have to pay the same amount: your EFC.  The difference between how much the college costs and how much you have to pay is the amount of financial aid you are eligible to receive at each college.

Another important angle to understand is that you will not have to write a check to the college in the amount of your EFC.  You can use your financial aid to pay the tuition and housing expenses.  Your EFC amount can be used to cover the on-going costs such as books, clothes, personal supplies, and transportation that can be paid throughout the year as needed rather than in one lump sum.  You will not feel the pinch as much since you will spread out the cost over the year.

I know this is a complex subject and  I would love to hear your comments and questions.

Tips for Finding Scholarships

The problem with scholarships is, as my colleague always says, "no one is in charge."  Every scholarship has different criteria, a different deadline,  and a different process.  Not only is there no standardization but scholarships can be based on the wackiest  criteria as I discussed in my unclaimed scholarship money post.  Just yesterday I came across a scholarship for a high school student with a demonstrated interest in iris activity!  Yes, the flower.  Now I bet there are a few teens who think the iris is pretty but there aren't likely to be any that can demonstrate an established interest in iris activity (whatever that is).

The best approach to scholarship madness is to focus your efforts on three main scholarship sources. 

1. Your own associations, employers, and organizations have scholarships for the members and for the children of the members.  These are ideal sources for scholarships because a relatively small number of people are competing for the scholarships.
2. The colleges themselves have lots of scholarships both merit based and based on random criteria similar to the iris lovers scholarship.  Make sure you tap into these collegiate scholarships during the college application process.
3. Other local scholarships.  As you search for scholarships concentrate on local ones.  If the scholarship is only for your high school, your town, or your state there won't be nearly as much competition as there is with a national scholarship that might attract thousands of applicants.

The Most Common Mistake Made When Applying for Financial Aid

Now that we have entered the filing period for Financial Aid, many of my students have been asking me nuts and bolts questions about the actual FAFSA application.  I am finding that way too many of my students are accidentally selecting the wrong year for their aid applications.  Completing the entire application for the wrong school year is quite disheartening to a 17 year old, even though I myself can't help laughing about it.

Teens:  make sure you select the option to apply for aid for the next school year, not this school year!  The FAFSA on-line application is very well designed and easy to complete but I recommend that the US Department of Education consider fixing the prompt for selecting the year. :)

A College Education Leads to a Better Life

All my posts about financial aid and scholarships, plus the psychological influence of a new year, make me want to step back and address the most common concern of parents.  A college degree is very expensive and getting more and  more costly each year.  Is it really worth it?

Yes, yes, a million times, yes.  Putting aside the obvious "the more you learn the more you earn" correlation between education level and income, let's just talk about what every parent wants for his/her child: a better life.   Spending another four years (or more) learning actually leads to more brain development.  People who stop learning after high school end up halting their brain development, while those that push on into college develop more advanced brains.  These more advanced brains pay off with a life time of deeper thinking, better common sense, and a clearer understanding of one's relationship to the rest of the world.  People with college educations have more confidence and approach life in a pro-active way, believing they control their own destiny through effort and goal setting.  As a parent, the most important thing I want for my child is the ability to think and solve problems so that he will be able to make it in an increasingly competitive world.  If having a college degree also lands him a higher paying job with better job security- that's just icing on the cake.