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Should You Take SAT Subject Tests?

Should You Take The SAT Subject TestsSAT Subject Tests are hour-long content based tests which allow you to demonstrate just how awesome you are in a given subject. There are 20 Subject Tests in all and unlike the SAT where you have to complete all three sections, you get to choose which Subject Tests you would like to take. Subject Tests are offered on the same dates as the SAT and you can take up to three tests in one sitting.

You can check out a complete list of all Subject Tests on the College Board website here.

Now that you fully understand what a Subject Test, let’s move on to the bigger question.

Should you take one?

The answer is an easy “yes” when you plan on applying to a highly selective college. If you review their admission requirements, a lot of these schools will require or recommend Subject Tests. Pay close attention to the fine print though as some of them will recommend specific subjects depending on your major.

For example, engineering applicants to Johns Hopkins University are strongly encouraged to submit two SAT subject tests: Mathematics Level 2 and one of the sciences. Applicants for Lehigh University’s combined BA/MD degree program are “strongly encouraged” to take Mathematics Level 1 or Level 2 and Chemistry.

So, in some cases, you do have to be very strategic about which tests you take.

But what if a college doesn’t strongly encourage them? What if they just recommend taking a Subject Test? What if they say they will only use them if the scores enhance your chances for admission?

In my opinion, you always want to go beyond the basic requirements. So while there is a difference between “strongly encourage” and “recommend”, in either case the college is making a reference to them as something they like to see in their applicants’ files. When a college is telling you what they want to see, you should listen.

And if a school is only going to use them in situations where they help you, well, you’ve got nothing to lose except for a couple hours on a Saturday morning.

In today’s competitive applicant pool, especially at the most selective colleges, you can’t afford not to put together the strongest application possible. SAT Subject Tests can and will play a role in that so review the requirements for your schools and take a couple tests in your strongest subjects. Do well enough and they may just help your chances.

If you want some help and guidance on your college search and application process, contact me today to set up an appointment for a free consultation. If you’re in the local area, check out my FREE college planning workshops coming up this spring in Cheshire and Southbury. 

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Eric Mar 10, 2014 , , , , , , , No Comments
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Why You Don’t Need To Go To A Brand Name College

Why You Don’t Need To Go To A Brand Name CollegeA couple days ago, Lynn O’Shaughnessy of The College Solution wrote a piece about the gap between what employers are saying about college graduates being ready for the workplace and what college administrators are saying. It’s an interesting read and you can check it out here.

While I’m not surprised to see such an incredible gap between what the two sides are saying, what I wanted to talk more about was what Lynn exposes towards the end of her post. Namely, the fact that employers just don’t care where your degree comes from.

That’s right. They don’t care. What they do care about, according to the survey, are two things:

Knowledge and applied skills in the student’s chosen field.

So, instead of going into excessive debt to pay for a brand name, go out and look for schools who fit you financially, academically and socially. Consider majors that align with your values, interests, personality-style and skills. Then make a commitment to yourself to learn as much as you can about your intended field while interning several times before you graduate.

Do that and it sounds like a lot of employers will value you and there’s a lot to like about that.

If you want some help and guidance on your college search and application process, contact me today to set up an appointment for a free consultation. 

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Eric Mar 04, 2014 , , , , , , , No Comments
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Why Demonstrating Your Interest Matters

Why Demonstrated Interest MattersBack in December, I wrote a piece about demonstrated interest. It’s become a popular phrase in the world of college admissions and if you missed the post, you can read it here.

I wanted to revisit the idea of demonstrated interest in today’s post because of a few takeaways from NACAC’s recent report, The State of College Admission 2013. NACAC releases the report each year (free for NACAC members, $25 for everyone else) which offers insight and statistics based on data gathered from both college admission counselors and high school counselors.

This year’s report talked about a few factors which are rather relevant to the idea of demonstrated interest.

Consider that admission counselors read anywhere from 600-1000 applications each with the larger number typically belonging to counselors at public universities. That’s a lot of information to sift through, a lot of grades and test scores to review and a lot of essays to read. In my day, I used to review anywhere from 500-600 applications in a season and I will be very honest when I say that it can become a blur rather quickly when students don’t make the most of the opportunities available to them to stand out.

And that’s the key with demonstrated interest. It’s all about standing out. Not in an obnoxious, I’m waving my arms and professing my undying love for you kind of way that you would find at a boy band concert, but more in the I’m really interested in your school, I get who you are as an institution and feel I would be a good fit based on XYZ reasons, kind of interest.

Admission counselors are trying to build a class and they have to figure out which students are more likely to enroll. This is called yield and it’s an important term in the college admissions world. Predict your yield too high and you don’t have enough seats or beds for your incoming class. Predict too low and the college is running in the red. Neither is a scenario that colleges want to do deal with. The problem is that as students submit more and more applications, on average, it gets harder for schools to know who their “real” applicants are.

And that’s why you demonstrate your interest. Because you want admission counselors to notice you, and you ultimately want to enroll at a school that you love; a school which fits you academically, socially and financially.

If you make a good effort at showing these schools who YOU are and that you are an authentic and strong candidate, they will at least be able to identify you as such. Should who you are jive with who they need, it is more likely that they will admit you. Then the best part of it all happens…

You get to decide if you’re going to enroll.

So, reach out to admission counselors, visit college campuses, ask to interview, connect with the colleges on social media – do all of this and it will pay off.

If you want some help and guidance on your college search and application process, contact me today to set up an appointment for a free consultation. If you’re in the local area, check out my FREE college planning workshops coming up this spring in Cheshire and Southbury. 

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Eric Feb 26, 2014 , , , , , , , , , No Comments
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Hey Juniors, It’s College List Time!

Hey Juniors, It's College List TimeWhile high school seniors are celebrating their acceptances, it’s time for the juniors to step up to the plate. Its college list time and that means it’s time to really start getting into what makes a college interesting to you. It’s all well and good to like a college because you’ve been a fan of their basketball team or because one or more of your parents graduated from there, but it’s another to thing to understand just what makes a college a good option for you.

Here’s a few things to pay attention to as you work on building a great college list:

1. Don’t get hung up on location

Not until you’ve really investigated a college, at least. If you’re willing to be open-minded, sometimes a great school might be just around the corner from what you think is your comfort zone.

2. Be realistic

Especially when it comes to gauging your chances of admission. When you see ranges of test scores for colleges and your scores fall in the lower 25th percentile of who gets admitted, your chances really aren’t that great, even you really, really hope they will be.

3. Merit money goes to the top students

Don’t think a college is going to give you a merit scholarship just because you’ve worked hard. Often, your GPA and test scores BOTH need to be in the top 25th percentile of who gets admitted for you to be considered for merit.

4. Find your WHY

Why you like a college is important. And it will never be more important than when you have to explain your reasons in an interview or supplemental essay.

5. Majors are not created equal

If you’re looking for a major in advertising, you will find it at some schools. You will also find it as a concentration under a communications major at other schools. Don’t be so quick to discard a school just because you don’t find something listed exactly how you hoped you would.

The bottom line? You have to research and turn over all the rocks to make sure you find what you’re looking for. You have nothing but time right now so put it to good use developing your college list. When you visit college campuses this spring, you will have a more informed idea of who they are and what you need to find out before you submit your applications this fall.

There’s a lot to like about that.

If you want some help and guidance on your college application and financial aid process, check out what other families are saying about Dobler College Consulting and then contact me today to set up an appointment for a free consultation.

You can also come out to one of my FREE college planning workshops this spring. So far, dates in March and April have been announced with additional ones for May being planned.

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Eric Feb 17, 2014 , , , , , , No Comments
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Answering Your Questions About The FAFSA

Answering Your Questions About The FAFSANow that January has arrived, it’s time for high school seniors and their parents to fill out the FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The FAFSA is the form you are required to fill out if you want colleges to consider you for financial aid.

While families have their own unique circumstances, here are some of the top questions I come across this time of year and my answers which will hopefully help you along the way as well.

1. We make too much money, we probably shouldn’t bother filling out the FAFSA, right?

Wrong. Regardless of how much (or how little) you make, you should always fill out the FAFSA. Even if your EFC is very high, there are still non-need based loans like the Direct Unsubsidized Loan or Parent PLUS Loan which can help you spread out the costs. But, to qualify you must fill out a FAFSA.

2. How do parents who have joint custody and are both remarried with new spouses file the FAFSA??

When students come from divorced families, financial aid eligibility is based on the income and assets of the custodial parent. This is the parent who the student lives with for the majority of the year, even if it’s six months and one day. Even if the non-custodial parent has a considerably higher salary than the custodial parent, this parent’s income and assets are not factored into the federal financial aid eligibility calculation.

3. We’re going to have two kids in college at the same time, how will this affect our financial aid eligibility?

How many kids you have in college at the same time has a very big impact on financial aid eligibility. Consider that your EFC is divided by the number of children enrolled in college. If you have one child in college and your EFC is $40,000, then that’s what colleges would expect you to pay. If you have two kids in at the same time, the EFC will be $20,000 each. This is why it’s also important to file a FAFSA each year. Even though you may not get a lot with one child in college, if you have a second one entering a year or two later, you may end up qualifying for something.

4. We won’t have our taxes done until late March, can we just apply for financial aid then?

You can, but you shouldn’t. Financial is aid is very much a first-come, first-serve process. Additionally, some states like Connecticut have February deadlines for state grants which you don’t want to miss. If you wait until after you file your taxes, colleges won’t have as much money to give out as they would have if you had applied in January. File your FAFSA now with estimated income and then use the federal data retrieval tool after you file your taxes to update your information.

5. My daughter’s grandfather has put away money in a 529 for her which we plan on using this year. Since it’s his money and not ours, do we have to report it on the FAFSA?

Yes, you have to report any distribution from a 529. The more important factor here is that the 529 is owned by a grandparent and, therefore, may reduce your aid eligibility considerably. Where a distribution from a 529 owned by either parent is considered a parental asset, a distribution from a 529 owned by someone who is not the parent is considered student income. When calculating aid eligibility, student income and assets are assessed at a much higher level than parental assets so even though the intention is a good one, the outcome may not be helpful.

If you want some help and guidance on your college application and financial aid process, check out what other families are saying about Dobler College Consulting and then contact me today to set up an appointment for a free consultation.

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Eric Jan 06, 2014 , , , , , , , , , , , , , No Comments