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Finding the Right Fit: College Planning for Gifted Kids Barbara Geller www.mtagate.org/meamft-conference.html 17 Oct 2013

Finding the Right Fit: College Planning for Gifted Kids

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Finding the Right Fit: College Planning for Gifted Kids. Barbara Geller www.mtagate.org/meamft-conference.html. Potential to get into more colleges Potential to earn merit scholarships Multi-potentiality. Need to be with intellectual peers 65% - 75% introverts Sensitivities. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: Finding the Right Fit: College Planning for Gifted Kids

Finding the Right Fit:College Planning for Gifted

KidsBarbara Geller

www.mtagate.org/meamft-conference.html

17 Oct 2013

Page 2: Finding the Right Fit: College Planning for Gifted Kids

© 2009 Barbara Geller www.collegecounselor.wordpress.com

17 Oct 2013

How is college planning different for gifted kids?

►Potential to get into more colleges

►Potential to earn merit scholarships

►Multi-potentiality

►Need to be with intellectual peers

►65% - 75% introverts

►Sensitivities

Consider more colleges

Select environment carefully

Page 3: Finding the Right Fit: College Planning for Gifted Kids

© 2009 Barbara Geller www.collegecounselor.wordpress.com

17 Oct 2013

How many colleges are there?

585 publi

c1666

private

Over 2200 4-year

colleges & universities

Page 4: Finding the Right Fit: College Planning for Gifted Kids

© 2009 Barbara Geller www.collegecounselor.wordpress.com

17 Oct 2013

Get accepted by more colleges

►Develop a stellar college application Take challenging courses & do well in

them Develop credentials on a regional/national

stage Show a passion for something Cultivate recommendations

Page 5: Finding the Right Fit: College Planning for Gifted Kids

© 2009 Barbara Geller www.collegecounselor.wordpress.com

17 Oct 2013

How much does college cost?

But that’s just the sticker price!

Public in-state

Public out-of-state

Private Ivy League

1 years $17,860 $30,911 $29,056 $60,2514 years with 5% inflation

$76,979 $133,230 $125,235 $259,688

5 years with 5% inflation

$98,688 $170,803 $160,553 $332,923

Page 6: Finding the Right Fit: College Planning for Gifted Kids

© 2009 Barbara Geller www.collegecounselor.wordpress.com

17 Oct 2013

How will you pay for college?1. Parents (and students) pay

Start saving!2. Need-based financial aid

Read www.finaid.org/fafsa/maximize.phtml Use www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov to estimate your EFC Elite, well-endowed, expensive colleges offer more College Abacus – runs calculators for 3 colleges at a time

3. Merit-based aid (“scholarships”) Top tier colleges offer little / no merit aid Others offer full tuition or full rides

Private colleges can be less expensive than public universities for high-merit students or high-need families

Page 7: Finding the Right Fit: College Planning for Gifted Kids

© 2009 Barbara Geller www.collegecounselor.wordpress.com

17 Oct 2013

Three paths to merit scholarships

1. National Merit Honors Scholars Take the PSAT in 10th grade If in striking distance, take prep class Take PSAT in 11th grade

2. Target colleges where you are in the top 25% ….that give merit aid

3. Target colleges where you fill a need Geography, sex, ethnicity, religion, major

Page 8: Finding the Right Fit: College Planning for Gifted Kids

© 2009 Barbara Geller www.collegecounselor.wordpress.com

17 Oct 2013

Multi-potentiality: Keep options open

► Anticipate changing directions Most of us change careers Students who change majors take longer to

graduate Asynchronous development: lack judgment

► Technical university vs. liberal arts Olin School of Engineering, Cooper Union, Harvey

Mudd► Early decision vs. regular decision

Improves odds but… Are kids ready to make that decision?

Page 9: Finding the Right Fit: College Planning for Gifted Kids

© 2009 Barbara Geller www.collegecounselor.wordpress.com

17 Oct 2013

Find a social/emotional fit► Need to be with intellectual peers

Selective college or honors program► Opportunities for introverts to stand out

College size: claustrophobic or overwhelming? Fewer faculty -> more semesters with 1 prof Research university or liberal arts college? Class sizes mean more than faculty ratios

► Develop tactics for coping with sensitivity

Options to find a smaller “home”: smaller college, honors program, honors dorm, small department in a big university,

women’s college

Page 10: Finding the Right Fit: College Planning for Gifted Kids

© 2009 Barbara Geller www.collegecounselor.wordpress.com

17 Oct 2013

Middle School Action Plan► A great time to take risks & make mistakes!

Get on IB track / take GT Pre-AP classes Explore more extracurricular interests Get some contest experience

► Take SAT/ACT Center for Bright Kids Opens doors to summer programs Get insights on areas of giftedness

► Read, read, read, & write, write, write Wear out the library card Subscribe to the newspaper Word-a-day calendars Journals, diaries, blogs, fan fiction

Page 11: Finding the Right Fit: College Planning for Gifted Kids

© 2009 Barbara Geller www.collegecounselor.wordpress.com

17 Oct 2013

High School Action Plan► Take advantage of IB/AP classes► Find a passion and explore it in depth

Find opportunities to excel (outside of high school) Cultivate references

► Take PSAT, SAT II subject tests, SAT/ACT► Explore careers► Start checking out colleges early

“Shop” in books Consider lists (with a grain of salt) Attend (on-line) info sessions Use family vacations to visit colleges Juniors & seniors: ask for an interview

Page 12: Finding the Right Fit: College Planning for Gifted Kids

© 2009 Barbara Geller www.collegecounselor.wordpress.com

17 Oct 2013

It’s all about the fit►Fit into the budget►Fit the student

Will I feel at home? Will I find people who “get” me? Will I be challenged, but not

overwhelmed? Will I have opportunities to excel? Will this place help me achieve my goals?

Page 13: Finding the Right Fit: College Planning for Gifted Kids

© 2009 Barbara Geller www.collegecounselor.wordpress.com

17 Oct 2013

Resources► Financial aid:

Calculate your expected contribution www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov Saving/restructuring assets www.finaid.org/fafsa/maximize.phtml Calculate college-specific costs https://collegeabacus.com

► Books: Competitions for Talented Kids Colleges That Change Lives Cool Colleges for the Hyper-Intelligent, Self-Directed, Late

Blooming, and Just Plain Different The College Hook

► College fair by Colleges That Change Lives www.ctcl.org

► My blog: www.collegecounselor.wordpress.com Book recommendations, links to college lists, honors programs,

schools with merit aid, etc.

Page 14: Finding the Right Fit: College Planning for Gifted Kids

© 2009 Barbara Geller www.collegecounselor.wordpress.com

17 Oct 2013

Our daughter’s strategies► Application

Essay: legal injustice Hook: writer Recommendation: Dallas Morning News editor

► College choices: Mid-size, urban, with economics & political science majors “Only if I get into the honors program” at a large university

with wide SAT midrange► Chose:

A college in CTCL, with free M.A. program, 1 semester of AP credit, $15,000 scholarship, and Presidential Scholars program

Sacrificed desire to be in major city to get smaller environment where the students were enthusiastic

► Currently in Masters program in Geographic Info Sciences

Page 15: Finding the Right Fit: College Planning for Gifted Kids

© 2009 Barbara Geller www.collegecounselor.wordpress.com

17 Oct 2013

Our son’s strategies► Application

Hook: math (MathCounts, AMC/AIME, Intel semi-finalist, math camp junior counselor)

Recommendations: math camp director Include: Intel science competition project

► Three types of schools: Technical universities (MIT, CalTech) Selective schools with high need-based aid Schools that target National Merit Scholars with full

tuition / full rides and honors programs► Choose a major university, large National Merit

Scholarship, honors floor, honors classes► Currently in mathematics Ph.D. program with full

ride

Page 16: Finding the Right Fit: College Planning for Gifted Kids

© 2009 Barbara Geller www.collegecounselor.wordpress.com

17 Oct 2013

College action plan► Graduate in 4 years!

Explore careers early Once you pick a major, stick to it Plan out your courses

► Get the most out of college Seek out the best professors Submit AP scores, take CLEP tests for credit Register early, before classes fill

► Keep costs manageable Maintain GPA to keep scholarships Submit FAFSA yearly

► Prepare for grad school Cultivate relationships with professors for

recommendations Prep for GRE