AA LogoCollege Planning News
Information for the College Bound
 August 2008
In This Issue
Common Application makes its Mark
Top Ten Things Colleges Seek
Quick Links
Greetings!

The end of summer brings the start of application season. Seniors are reminded to check their ACT and SAT accounts to be sure that they have submitted the require standardized test results to schools they know they will be applying to. And consider sending your junior AP scores if appropriate.

Both juniors and seniors should register now for their fall SAT and ACT testing dates. Registering early helps ensure the availability of students' first choice testing sites. Spaces fill early, so register now! Note that the registration deadline for the September 25 ACT is August 12; September 9 is the deadline for the October 4 SAT.

Also, seats are still available for our free Seminar on "Reducing Stress in the College Planning Process" next Tuesday, August 10, at our Austin offices. Call Miriam Willis at 512-306-8567 to reserve a place. Please pass this on to a friend!
 
Best wishes for a great end of summer,

Hank Ewert and Eric Heineman
College Planning Consultants
Common Application makes its MarkCommonApp

The Common Application membership association was established in 1975 by 15 private colleges that wished to provide a common, standardized first-year application form for use at any member institution.

Today there are 346 Common Application members in 45 states and the District of Columbia. The Common Application  now provides both online and print versions of its First-year and Transfer Applications for students, as well as Counselor and Teacher Recommendations for school administrators. Over 1.1 million applications were submitted to member colleges via the Common Application online in 2007-2008; on average, each student submitted the Common Application to slightly under four colleges.

These colleges and universities represent an enormously diverse variety of institutions: small and large, public and private, coed and single-sex, highly selective and relatively open enrollment. In addition to a goal of streamlining processes for students, they all share a commitment to the mission of promoting access through holistic admission and abide by the National Association for College Admission Counseling's (NACAC) Principles of Good Practice.

All colleges accepting the Common Application must agree to regard these forms as equal to their own. Many universities will, however, require a unique supplement.  About 140 colleges use the Common Application exclusively - meaning that they no longer produce their own applications. And a number of schools even waive the application fee for students who submit their Common Applications online!

Even closer to home, all Texas public universities - and even a few private schools and two year colleges in the state - have unified their application experience for students at ApplyTexas; in fact, this is now the only application for our state's public four-year colleges. Technologies like the Common Application and ApplyTexas further streamline students' opportunities to apply to multiple schools, increasing their chances for admission to college.
Furman dorm kids What Colleges Are Really Looking For 

A 2007 survey of Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) asked experienced member consultants to summarize and rank order the "Top Ten Strengths and Experiences Colleges look for in High School Students."

Their findings:
  1. A rigorous high school curriculum that challenges the student and may include AP or IB classes.
  2. Grades that represent strong effort and an upward trend. However, slightly lower grades in a rigorous program are preferred to all As in less challenging coursework.
  3. Solid scores on standardized tests (SAT, ACT). These should be consistent with high school performance.
  4. Passionate involvement in a few activities, demonstrating leadership and initiative. Depth, not breadth, of experience is most important.
  5. Letters of recommendation from teachers and guidance counselor that give evidence of integrity, special skills, positive character traits, and an interest in learning.
  6. Special talents or experiences that will contribute to an interesting and well-rounded student body.
  7. A well-written essay that provides insight into the student's unique personality, values and goals.The application essay should be thoughtful and highly personal. It should demonstrate careful and well-constructed writing.
  8. Demonstrated enthusiasm, often exhibited by campus visits and an interview, showing an interest toward attending the college.
  9. Out of school experiences, including work and community service that illustrate responsibility, dedication, and development of areas of interest.
  10. Demonstrated intellectual curiosity through reading, school and leisure pursuits, and more.
The college consultants at Academic Answers subscribe to IECA's Principles of Good Practice, a strict set of ethical guidelines that govern the actions of consultants in their relationships with students and families, schools and colleges, and with colleagues.
Trivia
Corner
Animal House was voted as #1 on Bravo TV's selection of the 100 Funniest Movies. Without crutching on the availability of the internet, can you name the college on  which  screenwriter Chris Miller autobiographically  based the screenplay? And, for a bonus, on which university campus was the movie filmed?

A prize is offered to the first person who responds to Eric.
Last month's trivia question asked which Texas colleges were most represented as the alma maters of our most recent Texas state legislature. In Texas' 80th Legislature (2006-2007), 24 of 180 legislators were University of Texas at Austin graduates, 17 were Texas A&M alumni, and 13 came from Baylor University. Interestingly, 22 legislators were educated in other states, including Princeton (2), Notre Dame, Oral Roberts, LSU and the University of Alaska.