Get Going Workshops

by Joanne Levy-Prewitt

Frequently Asked College Admissions Questions Answered

This time of year, I am tempted to leave the house in disguise. I live in a community where 95 percent of the high school graduates are college-bound, and their well-intentioned parents seem to have an endless list of questions. So, as I choose apples at the farmers' market or sip my latte at the coffee shop, I inevitably end up chatting with parents of seniors about college admission.

It seems that many parents have the same questions: How many colleges should my son apply to? When should my daughter start completing applications? Should my kids retake the SAT or ACT?

For those of you who don't see me around town, here are my responses:

How many colleges should you apply to? These days, that's a tricky question. It is difficult to predict where one will be accepted, so students need a list with a range of schools. I used to say that the highly selective colleges were reaches for even the top, top students. Now I call them unreachable.

Students should spend as much time as possible identifying colleges that spark an academic and social interest, but also have an appealing location and class size. That means visiting, reading, researching, asking questions, attending meetings with college representatives and using Web sites. Then, choose three or four in each level of selectivity: safety (you can't imagine a scenario where you wouldn't be admitted), match (you're fairly certain you'll be admitted) and reach.

This final category requires a warning: Do not apply to a reach school simply because it would be amazing if you miraculously got in. Miracles do not happen in college admission. If your grades and test scores are not squarely in line with the profile of the most recently admitted class, or you do not have an unusual talent or come from a particular set of circumstances, you are wasting your time.

The answer: Apply to eight to 10 colleges.

When should I begin applications? Students who know that they will have busy schedules in the fall often begin their applications and essays in the summer. The Common Application (www.commmonapp.org) is available early in the summer. Most of the public and private colleges that do not accept the Common App don't make their applications available until the fall. Deadlines are usually in late November or late December, though some colleges accept applications as late as February. Early application deadlines are often the first of November.

My advice here is simple: Don't procrastinate. Essays cannot be written well if done under pressure, and they won't be well-edited if you don't have time for several respected adults to give feedback. As for the applications themselves, they all ask for personal data, grades and scores, but many also ask for thoughtful analysis of the student's extracurricular experiences. Those words need to be crafted carefully to represent the quality and importance of the activities.

The answer: Start your college applications now.

Should my student retake the SAT or ACT? It's always a challenge to answer this question before my coffee gets cold. Students want to take standardized tests multiple times because they are convinced that they can do better each time, and I think that most will do better, if they study, the second time around. Some insist on a third attempt. More than three is unadvisable: Colleges might think you are desperate, and your score is unlikely to change dramatically the third time.

If you've taken the SAT twice and are unhappy with your score, try the ACT instead. If your colleges require a writing exam, be sure to take the ACT with the Writing Test. Moreover, don't forget, there are plenty of colleges that don't require any standardized tests for admission. For a complete list, check out www.fairtest.org.

The answer: Never take a test more than three times.

COPYRIGHT 2007 JOANNE LEVY-PREWITT