College Search

1
College Search

• Finding the Path
• Paul C. Seishas
• Fall 2007

2
Myths and Anxieties

• The RIGHT School
• The Prestigious School
• The Rankings
• The Prep Courses
• The Independent Counselor

3
Relax

• There are countless schools where your son or
  daughter can find what he/she needs and wants
• While a name school may certainly have some
  advantages, they may not be the best choice for
  your son or daughter

4
Be Advised

• The rankings are media driven and seldom tell the
  real story about a school
• The research bears this out taking prep courses
  to get an edge on the SAT are only mildly helpful
• However, courses that focus on familiarization
  and strategy may help a student approach his
  upper range limits.
• The lesser expensive prep courses are just as
  effective as those with a higher price tag

5
Be Advised (cont.)

• Independent Counselors do not offer special
  advantages for our students and can be enormously
  expensive for no real difference in service and
  expertise when compared to what is already
  available from the Catholic High Schools
• BEWARE OF MISLEADING PROMISES AND UNETHICAL
  BHAVIOR
• Most independents provide an honest and valuable
  service to students who do not have the access to
  resources that our students have
• BUT we have had some very disturbing reports of
  conduct that can be damaging to your childs
  interests

6
A Grain of Salt

• Take all that you hear and read with a grain of
  salt
• Know that with even a moderate degree of effort
  your son or daughter will find a good place to
  take the next step in his/her education
• Take full advantage of the Counseling Center and
  your sons/daughters school counselor

7
Where to begin and questions to ponder

• Reflect and discuss
• Who am I as a student, then as an individual?
• For me to thrive academically, what kind of
  educational environment do I need?
• Do I have very specific and definite career
  plans?
• Do I have financial considerations that may limit
  my choice?

8
Tips to Help Your Search for a College

• Consider College Characteristics
• List, Compare and Visit Colleges
• Consider Financial Aid Options

9
Consider College Characteristics

• Educational Environment
• Majors and Education Programs
• Type of School and
• Degrees Offered
• Admissions Policies
• Location and Size
• Costs and Financial Aid
• College Affiliation and Accreditation
• Campus Activities Academic Reputation

10
List, Compare, and Visit Colleges

• Compile information from several resources
• The Counseling Center
• School Counselors
• College Representatives (many visit Jesuit each
  year)
• Teachers , Parents, Students, and Alumni
• Beware of rumor and bias
• Visit College websites and other web sites
• Prepare a College Comparison Checklist
• Plan Campus Visit Whenever Possible

11
FINANCIAL AID

• The vast majority of financial aid is need based
  and comes from the government and the university
• Grant
• Scholarship
• Work Study
• Student Loan
• Parent Loan
• Special merit based scholarships from the
  university may be available automatically or by
  special application (do the research)
• Private Scholarships

12
Questions
13
College Comparison Checklist

• LOCATION
• SIZE
• ENVIRONMENT
• ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
• ACADEMICS
• COLLEGE EXPENSES
• FINANCIAL AID
• HOUSING
• FACILITIES
• ACTIVITIES
• CAMPUS VISITS

14
LOCATION

• Distance From Home
• In-State
• Out-of-State
• Foreign

15
Type of Institution

• Public
• Private
• Community College
• College (ex. Holy Cross)
• University (a true university is an organization
  of many colleges under one administrative
  umbrella )
• Tech University (ex. Cal Tech)

16
SIZE

• Enrollment
• small less than 2000
• medium 2000 to 5000
• large 5000 to 15000
• unbelievably humongous San Diego State
• Physical Size of Campus

17
ENVIRONMENT

• School Setting (Urban, Suburban, Rural)
• Location and Size of Nearest City
• Co-ed, Male, Female
• Religious Affiliation

18
ACADEMICS

• Are your academic interests offered?
• Special Admissions Requirements (ex. auditions)
• Accreditation (absolute must and nearly all are)
• Student-Faculty Ratio (careful - this can be
  misleading)
• Typical (not average) Class Size (this is a
  better indicator)

19
COLLEGE EXPENSES

• Estimated Total Budget
• These are approximate and include tuition, room
  board, books, materials, personal expenses,
  travel, etc.
• CCs 5,000 (living at home)
• CSUs 18,000 (living away from home)
• UCs 20,000 (living away from home)
• Private 30,000-55,000 (living away from home)

20
HOUSING

• Where do most students live after freshman year
• Residence Hall Requirement
• Availability
• Types and Sizes
• Food Plan (vary widely)

21
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• GPA
• Test Scores
• SAT Reasoning, SAT Subject, ACT
• Rank
• Jesuit High School does not report except for
  scholarship programs and Military Academies
• Essays, School Reports, Recommendations
• Special Requirements
• Deadlines (Early Decision and Early Action
  programs)

22
FINANCIAL AID

• Deadlines
• Required Forms
• FAFSA
• Profile (College Board)
• Institutional
• Percent Who Received Aid
• Special Grants and Scholarships

23
FACILITIES

• Academic
• Recreational
• Other

24
ACTIVITIES

• Clubs, Organizations
• Greek Life
• Athletics, Intramurals
• Other

25
CAMPUS VISITS

• Take advantage of campus visits whenever possible
• Tours
• Virtual tours on-line

26
Web Sites

• There are many valuable web sites that offer
  college search assistance and information
• See the Jesuit High School College Handbook in
  the Counseling section of our website for a
  partial listing