The right time to start the college application process

Applying for college is short and sweet.  Just fill out and submit an application to the college of your choice between December and January of your senior year.  That’s all you need to do if your only intention is to apply.  However, getting accepted is another matter.  With that motivation, the process starts way earlier.  College applications are more protracted when you, the candidate, mull the major considerations of the admissions offices of your target colleges. 

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Major considerations for college admissions are a student’s academic record, extracurricular activities, SAT scores, and college essay.  Your academic record is assessed based on your GPA from ninth grade onwards. High school students need to perform well in core subjects like math, english, and history because a lot of colleges recalculate students’ GPAs to discount subjects like shop and drama.  An academic record becomes more impressive with appended grades for Advanced Placement (AP) classes.  These are more difficult than regular subjects, and they signal your preparation for more stringent college courses. 

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Extracurricular activities demonstrate a student’s flexibility to adjust to college life.  SATs are taken before the start of senior year, but since it can be taken several times and colleges only consider the highest score, a student may opt to take it during junior year.  In the event of low SAT scores, you can retake it fall of senior year.  Admissions essays can be drafted well in advance.  The essays are your window to reveal to your target colleges who you are and why you’ll be an asset to the school.  The personality reflected in your admissions essays undercuts records of your school performance. 

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In a calendar year, formally filing college applications and awaiting results take all of several months.  But before that, preparation should have already rolled on, with you ensuring as early as ninth grade that you have the required grades and attitude, which are part of the process.  A successful college application actually takes years to cultivate.  

David Charlow founded CollegeCapture to guide students in getting admitted to their dream colleges. Visit this website to know more about college application processes.

REPOST: Obama Plan Encourages College Admissions to Discriminate Against Families Earning $60,000+

President Obama’s policies on college admissions, consolidated in a college reform plan, seeks to provide equal opportunity for college applicants from lower income families. Read this article by Terence P. Jeffrey from CNS news.

President Barack Obama speaking about his college plan at Henninger High School in Syracuse, N.Y. on Aug. 22, 2013. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

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(CNSNews.com) - President Barack Obama’s college reform plan, released by the White House on Thursday, would encourage colleges to discriminate against applicants who come from families with total incomes of $60,000 or more by awarding colleges higher federal ratings and increased federal aid for admitting a higher “percentage” of students who receive federal Pell Grants, which the Department of Education says are for "low-income" students.

According to a study by the Congressional Research Service, in the 2007-2008 school year, only 2.3 percent of undergraduates who were still dependent on their parents, and whose total family income was $60,000 or more, received Federal Pell Grants.

According to the College Board, in the 2010-2011 school year, only 5 percent of all Pell Grants were distributed to dependent students whose total family income was $60,000 or more.

Colleges that admit and graduate a higher “percentage” of students on Pell Grants--as the Obama plan would encourage them to do--will necessarily admit and graduate a lower percentage of students who are not on Pell Grants.

A college that based its admissions policies solely on the merit of the individual applicant--and did not consider the applicant’s family income or eligibility for a Pell Grant in deciding whether to offer the applicant a place at the school--could be penalized under the Obama plan with less federal aid for itself and for its students if its merit-only admissions policy resulted in a student body with a lower percentage of Pell Grant recipients than other schools.

The Obama plan also would reward colleges for having higher overall graduation "rates" and for graduating a higher "number" of students on Pell Grants--which could provide colleges with an incentive to lower the academic standards for earning a diploma.

"The Federal Pell Grant Program provides need-based grants to low-income undergraduate and certain postbaccalaureate students to promote access to postsecondary education," says the Department of Education. "A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid."

“In FY 2009,” the CRS reported, “an estimated 76 percent of all Pell Grant recipients had a total family income at or below $30,000.”

If a family of three included a father and a mother, who both worked 40 hours a week for the minimum federal wage of $7.25 an hour, and an 18-year-old son going off to college who did not work a single hour the entire year, the total annual income of that family would be $30,160. That would put them slightly above the income level of three-quarters of Federal Pell Grant recipients.

The fact sheet released by the White House on President Obama’s college-reform plan says Obama wants to establish a federal rating system for colleges and then tie federal aid to colleges to that rating system. The fact sheet lists as the first criteria Obama wants to use in rating colleges the “percentage of students receiving Pell Grants.”

The fact sheet also says Obama wants “to give colleges a bonus based on the number of Pell students they graduate.”

“His plan will measure college performance through a new rating system so students and families have the information to select schools that provide the best value,” say the White House fact sheet. “And after this ratings system is well established, Congress can tie federal student aid to college performance so that students maximize their federal aid at institutions providing the best value.”

“These ratings will compare colleges with similar missions and identify colleges that do the most to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds as well as colleges that are improving their performance,” says the Fact Sheet.

“The Department [of Education] will develop these ratings through public hearings around the country to gather input of students and parents, state leaders, college presidents, and others with ideas on how to publish excellent ratings that put a fundamental premium on measuring value and ensure that access for those with economic or other disadvantages are encouraged, not discouraged,” says the fact sheet.

“These ratings will be based upon such measures as: Access, such as percentage of students receiving Pell grants; affordability, such as average tuition, scholarships, and loan debt; and outcomes, such as graduation and transfer rates, graduate earnings, and advanced degrees of college graduates.”

President Obama’s plan would give more federal money to the student and to the school he or she attends if that school scores highly on the new government rating system that will be based in part on the percentage of Pell Grant students enrolled and graduated.

“The Administration will seek legislation using this new rating system to transform the way federal aid is awarded to colleges once the ratings are well developed,” says the Fact Sheet. “Students attending high-performing colleges would receive larger Pell Grants and more affordable student loans.”

“To encourage colleges to enroll and graduate low- and moderate-income students, the president will propose legislation to give colleges a bonus based upon the number of Pell Grant students they graduate.”

David Charlow is an academic counselor and financial aid expert providing admission strategies for college-bound students. With 20 years of experience as a student affairs professional at Columbia University, he has developed a proper reading of the competitive nature of college admissions. Know more about by him through this Facebook page.

REPOST: AP Sources: Senators reach deal on student loans

REPOST: AP Sources: Senators reach deal on student loans

Phillip Elliot of the Associated Press reports a recent deal among senators forwarding better rates for student loans. The full story can be accessed at Time.com.

(WASHINGTON) — Heading off a costly increase for returning college students, a bipartisan group of senators reached a deal Wednesday that would offer students better rates on their loans this fall but perhaps assign higher rates in coming years.

The deal would offer students lower interest rates through the 2015 academic year, but then rates were expected to climb above where they were when students left campus this spring. The interest rates would be linked to the financial markets, but Democrats won a protection for students that rates would never climb higher than 8.25 percent for undergraduate students. Graduate students would not pay rates higher than 9.5 percent and parents’ rates would top out at 10.5 percent.

Under the deal, all undergraduates this fall would borrow at 3.85 percent interest rates. Graduate students would have access to loans at 5.4 percent and parents would be able to borrow at 6.4 percent. Those rates would climb as the economy improves and it becomes more expensive for the government to borrow money.

The deal was described by Republican and Democratic aides who insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing negotiations.

Undergraduates last year borrowed at 3.4 percent or 6.8 percent, depending on their financial need. Graduate students had access to federal loans at 6.8 percent and parents borrowed at 7.9 percent.

A vote on the agreement could come as early as Thursday, although it could be pushed back to the middle of next week depending on the Senate calendar.

The bipartisan agreement is expected to be the final in a string of efforts that have emerged from near constant work to undo a rate hike that took hold for subsidized Stafford loans on July 1. Rates for new subsidized Stafford loans doubled from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent, adding roughly $2,600 to students’ education costs.

Lawmakers from both parties called the hike senseless but differed on how to restore the lower rates. Republicans have pushed for a link between interest rates and the financial markets. Obama included that link in his budget proposal, as did House Republicans. Democrats balked, saying it could produce government profits on the backs of borrowers if rates continued to climb.

Leaders from both parties, however, recognized the potential to be blamed for the added costs in the 2014 elections if nothing were done.

The House has already passed student loan legislation that also links interest rates to the 10-year Treasury note. The differences between the Senate and House versions are expected to be resolved before students return to campus this fall, and Obama is expected to sign the bill.

Few students had borrowed for fall classes. Students typically do not take out loans until just before they return to campus, and Congress had until they left for the August recess to restore the lower rates. The students who had borrowed for summer programs since July 1 would have their rates retroactively reduced.

Lawmakers and their top aides have been tinkering with various proposals — nudging here, trimming there — trying to find a deal that avoids added red ink for students and the government alike.

The deal was estimated to reduce the deficit by $715 million over the next decade.

But if the economy improves as congressional economists predict, rates would climb in coming years. The compromise reached Wednesday evening would limit how high those rates could go, although all were higher than the current fixed levels.

Lawmakers from both parties met with Obama and Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday at the White House. An outline of an agreement seemed to be taking shape Tuesday, with follow-up meetings Wednesday in Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin’s office yielding a final agreement.

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Republican Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina were the main negotiators, with Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Durbin filling the role of mediators.

David Charlow, part of the College Capture team, served as a student affairs specialist at Columbia University. Visit this website for more on him and his colleagues and how they help parents and their children prepare college financing plans.

Understanding the market value of a college degree

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For generations, college degrees have always been linked to career success. It seems that graduating from college can easily mean getting a good job with a good salary. But in a real-world sense, it may not always be the case.

Not all college degrees have the same value in the job market. This is something that relies on three things, according to Forbes:

1. Academic performance
Just because a person holds a college degree like the rest of his classmates does not mean he will get the same job opportunities as them. Naturally, graduates with higher grades will be considered first for decent positions. Of course, decent positions also naturally come with good pay.


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2. Majors
There are jobs that are in demand, and there are those that are not. Depending on how sought-after a job is in the market, the general salary increases or decreases. When there are only few graduates qualified for much-needed positions, salaries being offered hit the roof.

3. Reputation of the college
According to Forbes, students who graduated from top colleges earn 20 percent more than students coming from lower ranking schools. This just proves that enrolling in a reputable college can be a valuable investment. Of course, graduates must also prove that they don’t rely solely on the name of their school. They must prove to their employers that they are ready to utilize the skills and knowledge they have accumulated in their escalation in the educational ladder.


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As part of College Capture, David Charlow helps families save up for college education. Visit this website for more information.

Reading: Not as leisurely as it used to be

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Back in the day, in a time when having a horse pull a carriage is called “technology,” boys and girls, and a whole lot of men and women, spent a great deal of time and resources on books. Books were, at that time, the number one source for entertainment and knowledge, and at that time, many people have been immortalized because of their written works.

Unfortunately, this is no longer the case. In an article published by The Guardian, it is reported that the number of children who read on their own time for leisure has gone down drastically from the last reported figure in 2005. Now, only three (3) out of 10 children prefer reading books over all the other alternative activities, wherein in 2005, four (4) out of every 10 would pick up a book for entertainment. Now although the figures may not look much, there is a considerable shift in percentages, especially when the research is based on a study of more than 21,000 children.

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Champions of education such as Greg Roberts or David Charlow would definitely be the first to encourage more children – and even adults for that matter – to pick up books over the television’s remote control, or mobile phones, for good, clean fun; however, in today’s world where technology is within anyone’s reach, it is very easy to get side-tracked and choose the latter rather than the former.

Books, whether physical or electronic, are readily available to everyone. It is high time for the love of books to come back to the world.

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David Charlow, as a student affairs professional and an academic advising expert, may be able to offer more information about books (scholastic or otherwise), and how these affect a learner’s progress. This Facebook page for him would have more information on the matter.

The Adderall epidemic: What students need to know about the study drug

Adderall is a type of amphetamine developed for people with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). This drug acts as a central nervous system stimulant, counteracting ADHD and narcolepsy by affecting chemicals in the brain and nerves responsible for hyperactivity and impulse control. For people with ADHD, this drug calms them. For people without attention problems, the drug can trigger hyperactivity.

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Adderall, along with other ADHD prescription drugs like Ritalin, has earned the moniker the ‘study drug’ for its reported positive effects on focus and concentration. Students without ADHD are taking the pill and most of them are abusing it. For these students, enhanced mental performance is just a pop of pill away, and they’ve learned how to lure doctors to thinking that they’re showing symptoms of ADHD when in fact they’re just under academic pressure. The study drug “has become to college what steroids are to baseball.” Competition in America’s college has never been tougher and students drink Adderral to get them through all-nighters, cramming, projects, and gruelling exams.

 

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Taking drugs the body doesn’t really need could pose serious health risks. Like cocaine, Adderall is a Class 2 controlled substance, meaning, it’s more addictive than Class 1 drugs like heroin or LSD. It has a high potential for severe psychological and physical dependence, dragging the user into downward spiral to clinical depression. Users, having been addicted to Adderall, may need to fight withdrawal symptoms such as nightmares, fatigue, and hunger; they may suffer from seizures or heart attack, or may even die.

  

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Learn to conquer academic pressure by reading David Charlow’s guide to educational success posted on this blog.

GPAs: What's their point, anyway?

How important is a grade point average (GPA) in the college admission process?

For most parents and college-bound students, the GPA is very important, often seen as the key to higher education. However, as admission experts like Greg Roberts, Jim Bock, and David Charlow explain, some colleges barely look at an applicant’s GPA.

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“It is meaningless.” Roberts, admissions dean at the University of Virginia, told USA Today. Bock, admissions dean at Swarthmore College, agrees, pointing out that “It [GPA] is artificial” and unimportant that Swarthmore doesn’t bother including it into college guidebooks.

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Although such statements may, understandably, cause confusion among high school students and their families, there are surveys, such as those done by the National Association for College Admission Counseling, which show that most admissions officials put a high priority on grades – particularly those in college preparatory courses. But does this mean that high school students need not put much work on their GPA? Not necessarily. After all, GPAs, together with college test scores, are “still the best solution to setting a bar on which to judge thousands upon thousands of applicants,” as the Boston University’s The Daily Free Press puts it.

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Indeed, a student’s GPA is not a perfect system, like what The Daily Free Press noted. Nonetheless, it can still serve as a good indicator of how a student will fare in college.

Join the discussion on the importance of GPAs in the college admission process by logging in to this Facebook page.