College admission

For Such a Time as This

Online Degrees: Pray About It!

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Arguments to Ponder . . .☞American culture is almost dysfunctional.☞Evangelicalism is experiencing a new surge.☞A strong component of evangelicalism is the home school movement☞The home school movement is a pneumatological (e.g., spiritual) event--not primarily a pedagogical event.☞Many of the elite leaders in this country are evangelical and home schooled.☞Evangelical elites have an influence on culture that exceeds their number. That influence will spark a revival.☞There is historical precedence: Augustinian Age c. AD 450 and Puritan Age c. AD 1550-1700. Someday cultural historians will speak of the Evangelical Age c. AD 1985-?.☞Evangelicals will succeed as they first increase and enrich their relationship with the Lord and then obey Him at all cost.

Choosing a College

▪Prayer▪Christian or Secular?▪Large or small?▪Location: City?

Small Town? How far from home?▪Racial composition▪Strong humanities is critical because most undergraduates

change their majors.

Why would a Christian go to a secular college?

If the Christian is a Daniel

Secure in the Lord

Prophetic

Able to produce apologetics

If the student is called to an academic discipline no Christian college offers.

Be careful: what is a Christian college?

Online College

Stay at home and attend local college.

Accreditation.

Financial considerations

Admission Priorities for Home Schoolers

▪SAT I scores▪Application & Essay▪Recommendations▪Interview ▪Transcripts

National Merit Qualifying Exam

The results of the PSAT are used by the National Merit Program for scholarships and recognition of finalists and commended students.

SAT I

The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT I) is offered in October, November, December,

January, March, May, and June. (Test dates may vary in certain states. Most

colleges (78%) require that candidates for admission take this test.

SAT IIThe Achievement Tests (SAT II), now also

referred to as Subject Tests, are usually offered concurrently with the SAT I. Students

registered for each test date may take either the SAT I or SAT II, but not both. SAT II are

one-hour examinations given in all the traditional subjects.

ACT

ACT (American College Testing Program) is an

exam that many colleges will accept rather than

SAT I or SAT II.

AP ExamsAdvanced Placement Exams (AP) are taken in May of the junior and senior year. These tests are offered in each of the traditional subjects. Colleges may accept this test in lieu of that course or grant advanced standing.

Community College OptionA way to take basic courses at a cheaper price.Sometimes more competitive colleges will not accept credits.May negate financial aid potential.

The SAT Score▪The SAT I is an aptitude test.▪Preparation is time consuming and important.▪A perfect score is 2400 .▪There is no history, science, or other subjects

(only English and Math) on the SAT I.▪Scores are weighed according to gender, race,

and zip code.▪Consider skipping the PSAT

Admission Overview▪Don't be discouraged by high tuition charges. Private

colleges, for instance, especially the costly ones, usually have much more money to give away in financial aid than state- supported schools. When you start your search for the right colleges, money should not be considered an obstacle until you know how much financial aid you will be offered.

▪Financial aid is offered according to SAT scores, need, race/gender, transcript/ recommendations, zip code--in that order. The financial aid process is separate from the admission process.

▪A college will look at your entire high school record, from ninth grade on. But a college knows that a transcript is subjective.

▪Keep good records of contacts.

▪You should make sure that you have taken pre-algebra, algebra I, algebra II, geometry, and advanced math (optional). For practical reasons, consider taking a consumer math course senior year.

▪Playing a musical instrument and participating in debate are two events that many colleges consider special. Applicants with special talents get special consideration, beyond those who only get good grades.

▪A second language helps your college application. I recommend Latin as one of your languages.

▪Consider not taking the PSAT.▪The volume of your mail is an early

indication of how desirable a college applicant you will be. Colleges only recruit students they really want. The more mail you get, the more colleges want you.

▪Show interest in the college. Be assertive.

▪Be creative on your transcript. Advanced Literary Analysis: Beowulf to Ben Jonson sounds a whole lot better than English Literature I.

▪Take the SAT I in the spring of your junior year.▪Take the SAT II if appropriate. ▪Consider taking a CLEP or AP test or two.▪In your junior year visit the college(s) you are

considering. ▪The interview is important--especially to a home

school student. You want the admission officer to have a favorable impression of you.

Cedarville College 1000-1200

Grove City College 1150-1400

Wheaton College 1250-1450

What SAT I scores do colleges expect?

Advantages of a Small College

⋅More personal atmosphere

⋅Small classes, more discussion and fewer lectures

⋅Greater chance for individual participation and experience in athletics, clubs, leadership positions

⋅Less distance between students and faculty

Advantages of Large Colleges

⋅More areas of specialized study

⋅More courses in each area

⋅More anonymity

⋅Greater range of extracurricular activities and organizations

⋅Larger libraries

⋅More laboratory facilities

⋅Graduate departments

---from U. of Michigan

The Admission Essay

Keep in mind the real purpose of the exercise: telling the reader what sort of a person you are. Make sure that the purpose is achieved.

Focus on revealing characteristics that give the reader an opportunity to learn more about you as a person as well as a writer.

Be memorable and thought provoking.

Yet, be honest --the essay should encompass major and effective aspects of your character and interests, but do not stretch the truth. Crossing the thin line between creativity and make-believe is dangerous.

Remedy for the College Application Essay Jitters may be a helpful resource!

Questions to ask college representatives.

How would you characterize the majority of students?What does the biology department say about Creationism?Does the English department teach books written by Stephen King?What do students do for fun?What percentage of students belong to social clubs?What percentage of students drink and/or use drugs?Will I be able to live in a closed dorm?What is the food like?How did the college sport team(s) do last year?Is there a doctor or nurse on campus?How much is health insurance?What is there to do in town?What makes this college so much better than others?How large is the average freshman class?Do you provide laptops? High speed internet? What sort of filter do you have?

The Interview▪Pray, trust God’s plan for your life.▪Arrive before the interview appointment time.▪Wear appropriate dress.▪Mom and dad will probably stay in the hall.▪Greet with appropriate salutation (Mr., Mrs.

Dr.) and handshake.▪Use eye contact, lean forward (no slouching).▪Think before you truthfully answer questions.

Financial Aid

▪Need Based ▪Academic Based▪Race, Gender, Zip Code

Beware if . . .

1.The scholarship is guaranteed or your money back.

2.You can get the information only from one party.

3.The organization promises to do all the work for you.

4.You need to pay up front to get a scholarship.

5.You are a finalist for a scholarship (one for which you never applied).

Admission CriteriaSchool Achievement 93%Test Scores 85%Recommendations 50%Essay 44%Interview 33%Activities 30%--Survey of 1818 4 year colleges, COLLEGE COUNSELING SOURCEBOOK, 2005, p. 2- 1.

Admission Priorities for Home Schoolers

▪SAT I scores▪Application & Essay▪Recommendations▪Interview ▪Transcripts

College Prep Transcript8 credits of English (4 years)6 credits of math (3 years)2 additional math credits (1 year) calculus6 credits (3 years) lab science6 credits (3 years) social studies4 to 6 credits (2 to 3 years) of a second language.--COLLEGE COUNSELING SOURCEBOOK, p. 2-4

College AthleticsThe class of 2008 will need 16 core classes (not 14) in order to be eligible for NCAA participation.

College SuccessCollege success is tied very closely to what helps students do well on the SAT I.Rigorous, critical thinking, constructionist courses, inevitably help students do well in college.– Clifford Adelman,“Answers in the Tool Box” (1999).

The more competitive the collegeadmission process is, the more complex it is.

The Concept of “Yield”There is pressure to admit students who will actually attend the institution since this is a prestige matter. Supply and demand must preoduce a respectable yield or the college will be hindered in its recruitment program. Thus, early decision and other programs are increasing in the college admission world.

Assembling the FileA. Basic applicationB. TranscriptC. SAT or ACTD. RecommendationsE. EssaysF. Extra-curricular activity listG. PortfoliosH. Interviews & auditionsI. Financial statementsJ. Health examinations

Sometimes admission is based on very “unscientific” and pragmatic considerations. For instance, if a college has recently completed a new freshman female dormitory, it might very well accept more females than males, regardless of their merit.

Online Colleges

➠Cheaper (but not always)

➠Control Environment (but what about other siblings)

➠Accreditation?

➠Extracurricula activities?

➠Professor Mentoring?

Bible College + 4 Year College

YWAMCalvary Bible College, Maui, HawaiiPiedmont Bible College

RecommendationsLiberal Arts

Messiah

Biola

Grove City

Wheaton

Hillsdale

Calvin

Eastern (Cross Cultural)

Harvard

Dartmouth

Case Western

John Brown

Off the beaten track . . .Covenant CollegeJohn Brown CollegeHendrix College

RecommendationsEngineering and Science

Grove City

LaTourneau

Georgia Tech

Penn State

Cal Tech

MIT

RecommendationsEducation

Grove City

Wheaton

Taylor

Peabody College (Vanderbilt)

Liberty University

What if I attend a secular college?

A. Find Christian fellowship and stay in it!

B. Try to get a Christian roommate.

C. Do spiritual warfare!

D. Pray for a Christian advisor.

E. Presume nothing, hope for everything.

Quiz

▪Why did your friend get accepted to Wheaton and you did not, even though your SAT I scores are higher?

▪Would you rather have a 4.0 transcript with a 1450 SAT I score? Or a 3.2 transcipt with a 2350 SAT I score?

You be the counselor:▪John has come to you for advice. John has a 2360 SAT I score. He has

been accepted at Harvard University. While he attends church regularly, even has professed Jesus Christ as Savior, there is no evidence that he has a regular devotional life. Would you advise him to go to Harvard?

▪Mary is a National Merit Scholar. She is also a devoted, committed Christian. Purdue has offered her a an complete scholarship. In fact, they will even give her extra money to pay for travel! Mary wants, however, to attend Wheaton. Because Mary’s father is a successful lawyer, Wheaton is offering her no scholarship aid. Mary’s family, however, is really not very wealthy. Her dad recently opened a new practice and is heavily in debt. Where should she attend college?

You’re an admissions officer. Your college’s average SAT score is 1050. You can only admit 4 more students. Which

ones will you choose?

✎Debby is 19 and has recently returned from a year with YWAM. Her SAT score is 1480.

✎Raymond is 16. His SAT scores is 2380. He has graduated early.

✎Robert grew up in Brooklyn, NY. His SAT score is 1050.

✎David’s family are missionaries. His SAT score is 1525.

✎Peter is an eagle scout and scored 1300 on the SAT.

✎Susan is from a broken home. She has been arrested four times. She scored a perfect 2400 on the SAT.

✎Karen scored 1000 on the SAT. However, her father has promised to donate 4 million dollars to whichever college accepts her.