The “Other” March Madness
March 30, 2011
Ian Welham on the final countdown to college acceptances
Today I’ve got March Madness on my mind.
No, not the NCAA basketball tournament that’s had sports fans transfixed for the last few weeks. The March Madness I’m talking about occurs the last week in March — the final week college acceptance letters are mailed out.
This is the week where more fingernails are chewed off, more pimples break out, more candles are lit, and more mailbox doors get ripped off than at any time of the year. In fact, if you see a high school senior this week, be gentle. They might not be eating or sleeping well.
The basketball version of March Madness started with 68 teams. As of yesterday it was narrowed down to the final four. In the student version, some colleges started with 35,000+ applicants… and by the end of this week will have narrowed it down to perhaps 2,000 to 3,000 (or less).
To all the seniors — and their parents — my fingers and toes are crossed with you. I know it feels like torture. Some mysterious law of nature dictates that your #1 choice school always makes you sweat it out until the very end.
To those who have been working hard, I’m confident of good news. I can’t wait to hear about those large envelopes announcing, “Congratulations, you’ve been accepted to the Class of 2015!”
P.S. Our next live community workshop, “7 Ways to Get Into College and Never Worry About the Cost,” is this Wednesday, March 30th at the Chatham Public Library on 214 Main Street. Reserve your seat online at www.myacfa.com or by calling (973) 467-0101. There is no cost to attend. Parents from any town are welcome.
FREE College Workshop in Chatham, NJ
March 28, 2011
A free community workshop for parents of college-bound high school students will be held at the Chatham Public Library on Wednesday, March 30th at 7:30 pm. The focus of the workshop is “7 Ways to Get Into College and Never Worry About the Costs,” and reveals what all parents of juniors, sophomores and freshmen need to know as they take on the challenge of applying to, being accepted at and paying for college.
The workshop will be conducted by Ian Welham, one of New Jersey’s leading College Funding Advisors. Topics include:
The workshop also shows how to solve the cash flow crunch of paying for college and saving for retirement at the same time.
Parents from Chatham, Berkeley Heights, New Providence, Florham Park, Madison or any school district are welcome. All families who attend will receive the online version of Cash for College, the best-selling book on college planning and funding, plus a checklist of “The Top 10 Strengths and Experiences Colleges Look For in a High School Student.”
Reservations are suggested because seating is limited and this workshop fills up quickly. Reserve your seat online at www.myacfa.com or by calling 1-973-467-0101. There is no cost to attend. The Chatham Public Library is located at 214 Main Street in Chatham. Bring a friend – they’ll thank you.
Parsippany parents listen intently at a recent college workshop sponsored by Complete College Planning Solutions
Can a College Renege on an Acceptance Letter?
March 18, 2011
Ian Welham on the snafu by the University of Delaware Admissions Department
I heard a story this week that’s frustrating and upsetting. And what’s worse, the culprit is the University of Delaware, where one of my daughters is a senior.
Last Friday, a senior from Livingston High School (not a client) who had applied to Delaware went on their admissions website. There he was directed to a “Congratulations” message and a link to a registration for an upcoming event for admitted students. The young man was ecstatic. He called his friends. He celebrated. He called his family. He celebrated some more.
At 8 am Monday morning, he got a phone call from the Admissions Department. There’s been a mistake, he was informed. We’re rescinding your acceptance. Eleven other students who also thought they had been admitted got the same 8 am phone call.
That’s it. You’re out. “I’m sorry for the mistake. There’s nothing I can do,” said the admissions officer on the phone.”
Naturally, the young man was devastated. Embarrassed even more so. He’d told all his friends he’d been accepted. Now he had to face them feeling like a failure.
Every year it seems we hear a story like this. A few years ago it was Cornell, I believe. Last fall it was Penn State.
The difference is, in all the other cases I’ve heard where a student was admitted by accident, the college or university lived up to its commitment. In this case, Delaware did not. And in the process broke the heart of a young man who deserves better – plus 11 others just like him.
Leaves me wondering why they couldn’t just admit those 12 students. Isn’t that the right thing to do? What harm would that do to the university?
Let me know your thoughts. Meanwhile, I don’t think I’ll be wearing my Delaware shirt for a while.
The ‘Likely Letter’ — A College’s Way of Saying “Yes” Without Saying “Yes”
March 14, 2011
Ian Welham discusses what a Likely Letter is and its role in college admissions
Just when you thought the college admissions process couldn’t get any more complicated comes another twist in the game.
It’s called a likely letter or love letter. Colleges and universities send these letters to their strongest candidates, telling them that their applications are impressive.
A likely letter is not an offer of admission (further underscored by the fact that it comes in a #10 envelope). Rather, it’s a way for a college to say, “We like you!” and “Don’t forget us as you’re considering other schools.” Implied in the letter is the message that if you don’t mess up (wink, wink) and start flunking all your classes (nudge, nudge), there’s likely to be a spot for you in the class of 2015.
The number of schools sending these letters is relatively small. Many Ivy League schools send likely letters, as well as several elite private colleges. Some universities send one round of likely letters; others send two rounds during the year.
The percentage of students who get these letters is less than 10%. In other words, over 90% of applicants will never receive these letters. So if you do receive one, it’s quite an honor.
If you want to see an example of a likely letter, click on the image above. It shows a likely letter from the University of Virginia, recently received by one of our client students.
I believe the likely letter has its roots in college athletic departments. Coaches at selective schools wanted a way to stay in front of top recruits and not lose them to a rival school.
Should College Education Lead to a Job?
March 8, 2011
Ian Welham explores which college majors struggle and which lead to good jobs
I’ve reported on the blog and in the COLLEGE BOUND newsletter how 2010 college graduates are struggling to find good jobs. But I heard a shocking story recently that really hit home and made all the statistics come to life.
Complete College Planning Solutions is a member of the Gateway Regional Chamber of Commerce. We also sit on the Workforce-Education Committee. A fellow committee member, who is an expert on retail employment, told us about two positions he’s looking to fill. One was an entry-level marketing job paying under $30,000. Within days of posting an ad, he received over 700 applications. The second opening was for a position paying between $80,000 – $100,000/year. For that, he was up to 1,750 applications and counting. For one job.
That’s the kind of competition out there in the real world today.
There was a special report on the PBS NEWSHOUR recently about college graduates struggling to find meaningful employment (check it out at: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/business/july-dec10/graduates_12-03.html ). One of the profiled students graduated with an anthropology degree. He’s making $9/hour washing trashcans. Other struggling grads had majors such as history, creative writing and comparative literature.
“I can hire someone with a master’s degree in history for $20,000 a year,” says Jim Coyle, president of the Gateway Regional Chamber of Commerce. Jim was a history major in college. But he was pragmatic; as a “backup plan” he also got a degree in economics. And it’s that degree which opened the doors to his impressive career.
So I implore you to counsel your college-bound students. It’s OK to study subjects such as anthropology and history. But just make sure you also get some marketable skills. Otherwise you might find yourself the most educated can-washer around.
If you’d like some ideas on careers that pay a decent salary, check out the blog article at http://completecollegeplanningsolutions.com/2011/01/which-college-majors-lead-to-high-salaries/. It shows what you can expect to earn based on your college degree. I realize college isn’t 100% about getting a job, but you have to feed, clothe and shelter yourself somehow.
College Radio Station Interview
March 3, 2011
Ian Welham is surprised when he gets an invitation from a college radio station
What comes to mind when you think of a college radio station? Wild and wacky DJ’s, far-out music, irreverent humor?
Me, too.
At least that’s what I was thinking when Rowan University Radio, WGLS-FM, asked me to be a guest on a talk show called, “A Community Affair.” I didn’t know if this was going to be a Harvard Lampoon/Borat/Monty Python situation or what.
It turns out I was way off base. First of all, WGLS is not your typical college radio station. For starters, its broadcast signal covers South Jersey, parts of Philadelphia and Delaware — an area encompassing nearly 1.3 million people.
Its programming is quite diverse, and includes a variety of musical, cultural, educational, entertaining and informative programs of interest to the Rowan University and South Jersey communities.
Turned out to be a fun time. Public Affairs Director and Host Rachael Burgess interviewed me. We talked about:
- how 9 in 10 NJ families overpay for college (and how NOT to be one of them)
- how parents can afford sending their children to college without needing to win the lottery or having to declare bankruptcy
- how paying for college today is similar to buying an airline ticket
- how to pick colleges that will give you the best financial aid packages
Anyway, if you have any friends or relatives with kids in high school, or soon to be in high school, this is a good primer for them. Parents can listen for free on our website at http://completecollegeplanningsolutions.com/pages-faqs/radio/.
Did You See This Shocking College Report?
February 28, 2011
Ian Welham on shocking college report in USA Today
There was a rather unsettling article in USA Today recently. Did you see it? The title of the article was “First two years of college wasted? Report: Little learning done by many students” (http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2011-01-18-littlelearning18_ST_N.htm).
Here’s the opening sentence: “Nearly half of the nation’s undergraduates show almost no gains in learning in their first two years of college… a new report shows.” The findings were based on surveys of over 3,000 students on 29 campuses, as well as results from the Collegiate Learning Assessment.
Here are some of the highlights (or rather lowlights):
- After 2 years in college 45% of students showed no significant gains in learning
- Students spent two-thirds of their non-sleeping time socializing or recreating
- 35% spend five or fewer hours/week studying alone (that’s 50% less than students 30 years ago)
- 50% reported they never took a class where they wrote more than 20 pages over the course of a semester
- 32% said they never took a course where they read more than 40 pages/week
This is a little disconcerting to those of us paying (or about to pay) $50,000/year in college costs. How is this happening? Apparently, professors are more interested in their own research and students are more interested in their social lives. But my question is,
Where are these kids going to college? What college allows this to be the status quo? Many of our client students read more than 40 pages a night, and write more than 20 pages a week! And they’re in high school.
Unfortunately, the article didn’t name any of the 29 colleges surveyed. They would immediately go on our “avoid at all costs” list. Meanwhile, what can you do to ensure you’re not about to fund your child at one of these Club Meds?
- on your college visits, ask students how much time they spend studying, reading, writing
- look up a couple courses on the college website, and take a look at the course syllabus (many are online these days)
- spend some time on college review websites such as CollegeProwler.com and CollegeConfidential.com, where real students reveal the real dirt about their college
The Best College Scholarship We’re Aware Of
February 16, 2011
Ian Welham discusses how the SMART Scholarship pays for college &mdsh; and then some
What’s better than a full college scholarship? How about a scholarship that provides:
- 100% of tuition, room & board, and travel expenses
- book allowance up to $1,000/year
- your health insurance
- paid summer internships
- a cash award of $25,000/year
- a guaranteed job after graduation
Does such a scholarship really exist? Yes, it’s called The Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship for Service Program.
Sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD), it’s an is an opportunity for students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines to receive a full scholarship and be gainfully employed upon degree completion.
In return for free college and cash awards, students agree to work in assigned research facilities at the rate of one year of service for each year of paid schooling. For eligibility requirements and to see which majors are included, go to: http://smart.asee.org/. By the time you’ve completed your service, you’ll have no student debt… money in the bank… the opportunity to work side-byside with some of the top experts in their field… and valuable, hands-on experience that will impress future employers.
Now that’s SMART.
