The decisions are in, and students now know where they’ll be going to college. Unless they’ve been wait listed*, in which case, they’re still… waiting. If you’re a student in limbo, here are a few strategies for tipping the scales in your favor: 1. Let them know you care: If you’ve been wait listed at your first choice school, let the admissions staff know you like them -- you really, really like them. Send an email to the admissions office, preferably to a person you’

Students are heading back to school in the next few weeks. If you’re a college-bound high school senior (or the parent of one), fasten your seat belt…this first semester’s gonna be a bumpy ride. Exciting as this time can be, there are lots of balls to keep in the air, including: Course Check. Are you on track to complete the University of California and California State University A-G requirements? How about the minimum requirements for other colleges you’re interested in?

If you live in California, you know the benefits of attending one of the colleges in the UC or Cal State systems. They provide high quality education for a reasonable price. But what if your student has her heart set on a state school outside of California? The out-of-state tuition rates for such schools could put them out of reach for many families. Before throwing in the towel, you might want to learn about WUE (pronounced woowee) – the Western Undergraduate Exchange. Sp

To declare or not to declare… that is the question. One of the most common questions students have as they fill out their applications is “Do I need to declare a major?” Declaring a major has the advantage of showing the admissions committee that you are passionate about a topic and plan to pursue it further. Passion and commitment are positive attributes for an applicant. For schools with highly desired career-oriented majors like business or engineering, declaring a major

If you listen to the media hype, you might think that a high school student with less than straight A’s has no chance of getting into a “good” college. Simply not true! There are plenty of great schools out there that welcome B students into their folds. They know that a GPA and test scores don’t tell the whole story, that there are myriad situations that impact a student’s high school transcript. These colleges assess students on a more holistic basis, looking for indiv

One of the great things about applying to schools that are part of the University of California system is that you only have to fill out one application. All of the campuses have minimum requirements for admissions consideration. You might think, therefore, that all of these schools look at your application the same way. But that’s not true. Yes, there are basic requirements that you can read about on the UC site. But if you’re interested in a particular campus, you’ll want t

Well-rounded is out. Angular is in. In terms of extracurricular activities, rather than recruiting those who do a little bit of a lot of things, colleges are looking for unique individuals--students who pursue fewer things, but pursue them deeply. An angular student is passionate and motivated. An angular student is focused. Colleges’ desire for well-rounded students has been replaced by the desire for well-rounded classes. Why? Because a class of students with div

The prospect of paying for college is more than enough to strike fear in the hearts of parents with kids in high school. What if your son or daughter has already made it clear that medical school is in his or her future? If you’re still standing, you might want to investigate some of the combined programs out there that significantly shorten the path to becoming a physician. Check out this piece from a website called Premed Roadmap. #college #medicalschool

Some educators believe that the complexity of the FAFSA presents an obstacle to many who would otherwise apply to college. Does the form ask for too much? This article from Chronicles of Higher Education examines the controversy. Click here. #fafsa #college #financialaid

Although many colleges are test optional, Hampshire is taking the next step – they won’t consider test scores at all. Read all about it. Need help making your standardized test decisions? Contact us at collegefit360.com #college #standardizedtest #sat #act #testoptionalcolleges #testnblind