College Wrap-up for the Class of 2012

Rye, New york College Consulting 101 would like to congratulate all of our clients for their tremendous hard work and determination in what many are saying was the most competitive college admissions class on record. We are very proud to have worked side by side with such committed students and wish them all the success and happiness in their next step in life.

With the Class of 2012 firmly situated, College Consulting 101 will begin to work with our soon to be Seniors on their quest for the perfect college fit". College Consulting 101 will be providing in-home services in Westchester County, NY, Fairfield and Hartford Counties in CT. Please contact Doug Steele, President of College Consulting 101 for a free consultation at dsteele@execdetails.com.

As we begin our journey, we will post important tips to help our students along the way to a successful college admissions process. Today our focus is on the college visit. This is one of the most important components to the college process so we have outlined a great checklist to get you started on the right path.


Campus Visit Checklist:
Make the Most of Your Trip.

Here are some critical things you shouldn't miss while visiting a college. Take a look at this list before planning your campus trips to make sure that you allow enough time on each campus to get a good sense and feel of the school and what it has to offer you. With the proper preparation you will be able to eliminate some schools from your list while enabling for the schools that you had a favorable experience at to rise to the top.

Take a campus tour.
Have an interview with admissions officer.
Get business cards and names of people you meet for future contacts.
Pick up financial aid forms.
Participate in a group information session at the admissions office.
Sit in on a class of a subject that interests you.
Talk to a professor in your chosen major or in a subject that interests you.
Talk to coaches of sports in which you might participate.
Talk to a student or counselor in the career center.
Spend the night in a dorm.
Read the student newspaper.
Try to find other student publications—department newsletters, alternative newspapers, literary reviews.
Scan bulletin boards to see what day-to-day student life is like.
Eat in the cafeteria.
Ask students why they chose the college.
Wander around the campus by yourself.
Read for a little while in the library and see what it's like.
Search for your favorite book in the library.
Ask students what they hate about the college.
Ask students what they love about the college.
Browse in the college bookstore.
Walk or drive around the community surrounding the campus.
Ask students what they do on weekends.
Listen to the college's radio station.
Try to see a dorm that you didn't see on the tour.
Imagine yourself attending this college for four years

Rye Brook, NY College Consulting 101 would like to congratulate one of our outstanding clients for his perfect 100% acceptance rate to his top 3 Universities!!! "Corey made a commitment to the admissions process and exemplified the meaning of hard work and persistence. With an amazing support system at home, Corey emerged as a top candidate among a growing admissions pool with pure confidence in his abilities and a drive to succeed. I am so proud to have had the opportunity to work with such an exceptional young man and his family" said Doug Steele President of College Consulting 101. College Consulting 101 would like to wish Corey all the best for a bright and successful future!!!! College Consulting 101 is committed to our clients visions and aspirations by providing realistic admissions advise and coaching tatics to offer the greatest probability of acceptance. Serving Westchester County in New York and Fairfield and Hartfrod Counties in Connecticut, College Consulting 101 is making dreams a reality one application at a time.
dsteele@colcon101.com

Applying Early?? the clock is ticking..

Early Action Keeps Your Options Open

Early action, like early decision, allows you to get a jump on the college application rush by applying in the fall of your senior year. (Some schools offer another chance at an early action decision in the spring.)
The big difference between early action and early decision admissions programs is the level of commitment. If you apply to a college via early decision and are accepted, you are committed to attending that college. With early action, if you are accepted, there is no commitment on your part. You simply have to decide if it is, in fact, the college for you.
Most early admission schools allow early action applicants to apply simultaneously to other institutions with early action. (A few highly selective colleges, such as Yale and Stanford, offer "single choice early action". You can't apply early action anywhere else.) Early action is for those who want to keep their options open and still reap the possible benefits of applying early. Usually, no more than half of early action applicants actually enroll.

The Benefits

While applying early doesn't guarantee admission, it will probably relieve you of anxiety while waiting for a college's response, since your waiting time will be considerably shorter than that of your classmates.
Students who apply early to a college are showing their desire to attend that college. It demonstrates a go-getter attitude much admired by college admissions officers.
And since you can apply early action to more than one college you have more chances at being admitted to one of them. On the other hand, if you don't meet a college's admissions criteria, applying early either way still won't help. You need to be qualified to get admitted—whenever you apply.

The Downside

If getting financial aid is critical for you, you may be better off applying regular admission. That way, you can compare aid offers before choosing a college.
Also, applying early puts a lot of stress into the beginning of your senior year. You need not only to enjoy your senior year, but also maintain excellent grades. Colleges track your grades and will cancel your admission if they don't like what they see.

What It Takes to Apply Early Action

If you decide to apply early action you will have to start earlier than most applicants. You may need to complete all your standardized tests no later than October of your senior year, depending on the early action deadline. Except for the deadline, early action applications are identical to regular applications. You just need to start working on them at the end of the summer before your senior year.

Restrictive Early Action

This is a variation on early action in which colleges create rules of their own. At highly selective schools, students are commonly restricted from applying early decision, early action, or restrictive early action to other institutions. But they don't have to commit if admitted and are free to apply via regular admission anywhere.

Suppose You Don't Make the First Cut?

If a college does not accept you early action you may still have a chance to get into that school. Depending on the college, you may automatically be added to the regular admission application pool. If not, you are free to re-apply by the regular admission deadline. Check the admission policies of each college you're interested in. There is no overriding standard for this, and policies at a college may change from year to year.

Is Early Action Falling Out of Favor?

You might have read that Harvard and Princeton recently eliminated early action starting with the class of 2012. But a rush from other colleges to do the same has not happened. For example, Yale, University of Chicago, and Georgetown announced they are sticking with their early action programs. Looks like early action is around to stay.

The "Snap App" and Other Temptations That Shorten Your Wait Time

More and more colleges are getting creative about shortening your wait time to get your decision. "Second round" early action programs let you apply by the regular deadline but get your answer sooner. A sort of instant admissions called "snap apps" or "fast apps" is another option. These applications have no deadlines and are sometimes sent out to thousands of potential students. They arrive with some of your information already filled in, so completing them is a "snap". The application fee or even the essay requirement may be waived to make it even more tempting. The risk, of course, is applying without much thought. But if the college meets your needs, and you accept only after a lot of thought, why not?
Keep in mind that applying early just to relieve anxiety can backfire. The college of your dreams may not have an early admissions option. If the waiting is tough, that's OK. Believe it or not, in a few years those extra months of waiting will not matter at all.

College Consulting 101 is here to answer any questions and provide you with real-world advice from professionals in the industry. Please contact College Consulting for all your college admissions needs!

By now, you have probably found out that almost everyone has an opinion about which college you should attend or what is important to consider. It's time to prioritize your preferences and organize what you've learned and want to learn about each college – and then listen to what others think. The journey to find the College that best fits your needs is a rewarding adventure if you make the most of your time and make every effort to stand out among the masses. This article is a greater start and if you have any questions please contact us at College Consulting 101 and we can make your dreams a reality!
All About Priorities
Although you may have thought about it from time to time, now is the time to put your requirements and preferences for a college on paper (or on a computer screen if you're more comfortable writing that way). Divide your college requirements into three categories: "must have," "would like" and "tie breakers." Ask yourself why you're placing a requirement in a certain category. Be honest with yourself and look at the long, medium and short views. For example:
Long view: Would a college requirement, such as strength in an academic program, help you in your career or in grad school? It's probably "essential."
Medium view: Would it save time and money as soon as you started school, such as being able to live at home? If so, it could go in the "would like" column.
Short view: Would it impress your friends and parents, such as having a winning basketball team? Probably goes with the "tie breakers."
Within each category, prioritize requirements from most important to least important. Use the same "views" you used to categorize your initial set of requirements. It will also help to be ready with strong arguments and reasons for each requirement, in case others question them, especially those requirements at or near the top of your "must have" and "would like" lists.
Factoring in Feedback
If you're open-minded you'll take into account the input you receive from others about what they think would make a good fit for you – not necessarily the names of specific colleges, but the type of college that would contribute to a successful college experience. It may be difficult to prioritize this input – but consider the source. Does the person know you well? Are the person's goals related to your college education similar to your goals for yourself? Does the person know a lot about the particular educational goal or career path you have in mind? Does the person have a stake in your decision?
The most important feedback is your own. Throughout this process, you'll constantly be providing feedback to yourself – up until the day you attend college classes, if not after! Be sure to add your thoughts to the input list and review it as you continue your research.
Making the Grade
Now go over any list of colleges you've been thinking about or would like to consider and see how they match your requirements. Of course, there may be a college or two you've always wanted to attend, no matter what anybody says and no matter how little the school matches your essential requirements. You might reconsider, now that you've learned more about colleges and your preferences and needs. Conversely, you may see something in a desirable college that you had forgotten to put on your requirements list. As long as one of the requirements isn't "Must be [name of college]," go ahead and revise your requirements list.
Staying Focused
Although it's usually possible to transfer to another college if you realize that the one you first attend is just not for you – the goal is to get it right the first time! The more you know about your "ideal" college before you start looking in earnest, the more likely you are to find it. There are so many colleges to choose from you should have no trouble finding several that have just about everything you want. If, after you do further research, they continue to make the grade, you'll be more confident and comfortable in applying to them and in convincing others that you made the right choice.
So, before you begin investigating colleges, focus on having a clear sense of what you want in a college and the type of environment in which you would thrive academically and socially. Your concept of an "ideal" college may change, but at least you'll still have an ideal to shoot for, a clear and welcome guide to your college search.

College Consulting 101 expands into the New Jersey market!

Bergen County, NJ College Consulting 101 announced today the expansion into the Northern New Jersey market with the addition of Mr. Larry Jones. Mr Jones is a 16 year veteran of the college admission process and will be a major addition to the development and growth of College Consulting 101. Doug Steele, President of College Consulting 101, met with Mr. Jones late last week to finalize plans for the New Jersey expansion. "I have known Larry for many years through our college admissions travel on long island. He has a passion for this business and will play a major role in the development of College Consulting 101" said Steele. College Consulting 101 now services Westchester , Nassau, and Suffolk Counties in New York and Fairfield, Litchfield, and Hartford Counties in Connecticut.

College Consulting 101 was developed with the sole purpose of providing prospective students with the appropriate tools and strategies to successfully navigate the college admissions process. Doug has assembled a team of highly experienced admissions professionals that have worked in all phases of the college process both at the secondary level and beyond.

College Consulting 101 develops Backyard Lax

Glastonbury, CT College Consulting 101 announced today the launch of Backyard Lax !!

Backyard Lax aims to prepare our players for competition and for life. We help to provide young men and women with the tools needed to ultimately succeed on and off the playing field. We extend to our athletes the importance of teamwork, camaraderie, leadership, honesty, fairness and competition.

Backyard Lax private instruction provides dedicated male and female athletes with a unique and dynamic approach to the sport of lacrosse. We will help players improve their skills, develop field vision, and focus attention on both their strengths and weaknesses as players.

Private instruction provides a training forum in which to develop our players into the athlete they desire to be. We emphasize that players who put the most into lacrosse get the most out of it! With this in mind, we will develop a plan with our players, which will incorporate player evaluation, athlete suggestions, as well as the experienced opinions of our seasoned college players and coaches. We will develop and set realistic goals with our players and implement a strategic plan to help achieve them.

Ivy alternatives move to top of students' college lists

The staff at College Consulting 101 hopes everyone is enjoying their summer break. With college admissions offices gearing up for their fall travel to visit high school seniors across the country, it is critical to prepare yourself to with solid information and questions. There is an interesting application trend beginning to surface and the article below sheds some light on this trend.
The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and other major newspapers carried stories this spring about all-time low admission rates reported by Harvard (9%), Stanford (10.3%), and other highly selective colleges. What's behind the new level of selectivity? The simple answer: More qualified students are applying to more colleges than ever. As a result, students are broadening their searches and paying more attention to colleges being called the New Ivies or Second Tiers, such as Carnegie Mellon, Tufts, and Oberlin. Students like what they see, and these colleges are becoming first choices for more and more students. Not only are there more of these colleges to consider, but admission rates are more promising than those of the Ivy League — for example, Denison (38%), Lehigh (31%), and Kenyon (29%).