We all have been told at one time or another that “patience is a virtue” and it’s certainly part of life.  No time exemplifies this adage better than the months that follow hitting the submit button on college applications.  Initially, there is a huge relief for all: parents, students and even college admission counselors.  Months (often years) have gone into that one moment; studying, taking standardized tests, visiting campus after campus, writing the very best essay. . . and then it all comes down to submit . . .and wait.  And that’s the hardest part.

We have somewhat of a “post application lull” here at our office.  It always coincides with the holidays.  Our students and parents have done their “due diligence” and we’ve watched, guided, and prodded them through the process to application submission.  But now what?  Calls from parents start coming in right about now – mid February. . .and you can hear the return of anxiety in their voices.  They wonder when they might start hearing back from schools and those who already have received acceptances wonder when (and if) financial aid decisions or merit awards will come in the mail.  Unfortunately, there is no tried and true formula.  It sounds trite to say, but every school is different, and it’s true.  However, here is a rough guideline on how things “normally” unfold in the months after application season.

First – an important note to ALL students in the process of applying and we CANNOT stress this enough:  Once you have submitted your application you should ALWAYS follow up with the school to which you have applied and inquire “is my application complete?”  I can’t tell you how often we hear that something did not make it, whether it is transcript from a guidance office, a recommendation, a financial aid application, or SAT/ACT scores; quite a few things must come together to make an application complete.  Do NOT leave this to chance; it only takes a few minutes to follow up!  And who should follow up?  If you’ve read our blog in the past you know the answer:  the student, not the parents!

The EA and ED decisions will come in first, normally by early January (some as early as Christmas).  But that doesn’t mean the financial aid decision will soon follow, so the waiting is often not over.  The filing of the correct forms is crucial for the schools to send out awards and loans; this is a great reason to rely on an admission counselor familiar with what financial data schools require from you.

Beyond EA and ED there are two other types of admissions decisions: Regular and Rolling.  Regular decisions “should” be in by mid-March and Rolling are just what the word says . . .they roll through the process as they arrive in admissions offices.  So, the applications they see first are decided upon first, and so on.  There are schools that will accept applications right into early June, although this is rare.

Whichever application you submitted, there is waiting to be done.  The best way to assure your wait isn’t agonizing is to have been well prepared and submitted the best application on the correct timeframe with the correct documents, both academic and financial.  Don’t leave this to chance.  College admissions counselors know the roadmap and the timeframe and are here to help and alleviate worry and stress.  It’s the biggest decision a student will have ever made with a price tag to match, and we are here to help!

The following post was written by our Director of Client Services (and mother of 2 college and 1 high school students), Deb Coco. 

What is a College Advisor?  It’s one of the first questions you ask a new acquaintance  . . . “what do you do?”  And when I reply “I am a college admissions counselor” I often get a puzzled look.  The next question is always “do you work for a school?” and that leads into a discussion about what we at the College Advisor of New York actually do.

I understand the initial query because we are somewhat of a new kid on the block.  My memory of being a high school student involved only my high school “guidance” counselor and my parents navigating me through the admissions process.  However, as we’ve said in previous posts, the landscape has changed.  Parents phone us now, often overwhelmed and confused by a system with which they feel uncomfortable, and they are searching for help.

That’s where we come in.  We help families find the “right fit” school for their students.  By “right fit” we mean academically and socially for the child and financially for the parents.  This used to be easy and the stakes weren’t nearly as high.  My first tuition bill is now the equivalent of what my daughter’s books cost per year.  . . this is no joke.  Families who begin the college search on their own often quickly realize they are in over their heads.  Common questions include “Will my child be a competitive applicant?”;  “What type of student gets into an Ivy now?”; “How do we prepare for the SAT?”; “What is the timeline for the application process?”; “Will we qualify for need based aid?  How about scholarships?”; and the all too real “Did we save enough?”

These are all important questions and we have the answers.  We shepherd families from the beginning of the process right through to the final decision.  For students, we offer major and career counseling, a customized school list based on a series of unique assessments, essay coaching and editing and application guidance and review.  We empower students to take ownership of the college admissions process.  For parents,  we “have your back” so to speak, and often provide a cushion between parents and students when emotions run high.  We help parents understand their unique parenting role throughout the process.  In fact, we often spend as much time coaching parents as we do their kids!  What sets us apart from other counselors  is complete guidance through the financial aid and scholarship strategy process.  For many of our parents this is our most valuable service.  Many families will not qualify for need based aid, but they have no idea how to come up with the extra $55,000-$61,000 yearly tuition, room, board and fees (yes, those figures aren’t a typo).  We help parents plan and strategize early on in the process, submit the correct financial aid forms, maximize aid and scholarships, and then guide them in making the best family decision in the end.

The college search process is often an emotional transition for families.  It’s with a heavy heart that we send our children off into the world, and it becomes even more stressful when we feel out of our element.  We can help, because ultimately, knowledge is power.  And we help you understand that you have the power to make the best college decision.

 The following post was written by our Director of Client Services, Deb Coco.

What makes a student an appealing candidate?  The answers might surprise you . . .and it’s a very good reason to hire an independent college admissions consultant!

There was a time when  good grades (and I mean just “good”), solid SAT scores and a sport created a competitive college applicant.  Add legacy status to the equation and a solid student  becomes a “shoe-in.”  Those were the good old days.  The landscape has changed.  Applicant numbers are higher than ever before (not to mention costs) and the criteria for being a top candidate is not only more competitive than ever, but the list of what admission committees are looking for has shifted.

According to the IECA (Independent Educational Consultants Association), the number one reason to hire a college counselor is that every school is looking for something different  . . . there is no one recipe that satisfies every college admissions professional.  And to complicate the strategy, some items that used to carry weight no longer matter as much.   The top factors that diminished in importance: being a legacy and having a huge array of extracurricular activities.  This comes as a shock to many families!  So what do they want?   It’s actually back to basics.

1.  Strong grades in a rigorous high school curriculum.  Still the most important factor.  The classes should, if possible, include AP or IB, (if students can handle them) and grades should always show an upward trend as a student progresses through high school.  If AP or IB courses are not available, then Honors courses are a must.

2.  Strong standardized test scores; this means the SAT and SAT subjects tests.  The ACT is still foreign to some families, but has become recognized by more and more schools.  It is often accepted in lieu of SAT, and it is important to note that students who don’t see stellar results on their SAT scores (but have high GPA’s) will often see a better result on their ACTs.

3. A well written and compelling essay.  This is another solid reason to work with a college counselor.   It is important to note the value of this component increased significantly over the past several years.  Even students who excel at writing struggle with this essay;  it’s entirely different from anything they will ever have written and is a far cry from a research paper.  Heed this warning to not rely on an English teacher’s critique of this crucial piece of writing.

4. Passionate involvement in a FEW activities.  This is another change. For years student were  told to be involved in “anything and everything.”  Schools are now very suspicious of clubs joined in senior year.  They want students with “authentic passions” who are leaders in whatever passion they pursue.

5.  Strong teacher recommendations.  These should come from teachers in core classes who know you well.  We always advise that students stick to the number a school requests – don’t overdo it with multiple letters from everyone you know!  Here, it is quality over quantity.  If they ask for two, give them two from teachers with whom you have built a strong rapport in your top classes.

There you have it.  Now get busy on each of these 5 factors, and you’ll have some excellent college options!