WALL STREET JOURNAL ARTICLE

If you were already at odds with the SAT, you're not going to like this...

Class of 2007
Logs Slide
In SAT Scores
In Year With Record Number
Of Test Takers, Math Results
Show Worst Drop in 3 Decades
By ANNE MARIE CHAKER
August 29, 2007; Page D1

With results that will hardly put to rest the controversy over the merits of the SAT, scores for the high-school class of 2007 are in -- and they're down.

The point drop in the average math score for the latest year was the biggest in more than three decades, reported the College Board, the New York nonprofit that administers the college-admissions test. Math scores declined three points, to 515, from the previous year's 518 out of a possible 800. Critical reading -- formerly called "verbal" -- also dropped, to 502 from 503, marking the lowest score since 1994. Scores for the writing section slipped to 494 from 497 the previous year -- the first time the new section's scores were released. Taken together, the scores are the lowest of the decade so far.
SCORES SLIP

The College Board says the latest group of test takers was the largest and most diverse ever, which may be reflected in the lower average scores. Wayne Camara, the College Board's vice president for research and analysis, said that even so, the decline was "not statistically significant."

But a number of educators, college-admissions experts and students say the scores reflect deeper problems with the test itself. A revised test was introduced in March 2005, which added more algebra and reading passages and a new section that tests writing skills. And some testing experts say the reason for the drop is simple: The new test is harder and too long.

"The new test was designed to be more challenging," says Seppy Basili, senior vice president at Kaplan Inc., the test prep concern owned by Washington Post Co. The inclusion of material from advanced algebra is "a serious concern for some students," he says, some of whom don't reach the material until their junior year.

Level of Attention
The revisions to the test also added 45 minutes to the length. "It is a problem," says Scott White, director of guidance at Montclair High School, Montclair, N.J. "There is no way on earth a kid can test for nearly four hours and have the same level of attention and acuity as with a three-hour test."

Andrew Bennett-Jackson, a senior at Montclair, says he found his "focus really go down" toward the end of the exam, which he took over the summer. He scored a 1610 out of a possible 2400. He plans on trying the ACT, a rival admissions test accepted by a growing number of schools, in the fall. One big plus: The ACT's writing section is optional, which makes it shorter for students who just want to retake the other two sections. "It just makes the test a little bit easier," Mr. Bennett-Jackson says.

Math scores in the SAT have for the most part risen over the past decade, peaking at 520 in 2005 before starting a downward trend along with the new test. By comparison, reading scores have remained relatively steady in the low 500s in that period.

Past Problems
The College Board has been subject to a range of criticism over the revised test, in addition to the concerns about length. Some critics have objected to the subjective nature of scoring a written exam. And last year, the College Board took some blows after about 4,400 students were wrongly scored too low. Last week, the board announced a settlement in which it and NCS Pearson Inc., which scanned the answer sheets, will pay $2.85 million to the test takers and their lawyers.

In recent years, a number of schools have moved away from requiring the test. Still, the test is enormously influential and is taken by many students headed to elite, competitive schools.

Laurence Bunin, senior vice president for operations at the College Board, says that this year, the College Board is "absolutely confident in the scores."

Mr. White and other guidance counselors have asked the College Board to consider allowing students to retake the exam section by section. James Montoya, a College Board vice president, says, "That approach is not one we are giving further consideration to at this time." He added, though, that the board is looking at ways to shorten the "test day" experience, for instance by streamlining some of the administrative components.
IN DEPTH

Dismissing Criticism
The College Board dismissed criticism that the test is harder, saying the new test was carefully constructed for its math and reading sections to be comparable with those sections before the revisions. For instance, while some subjects, such as advanced algebra were introduced, others, such as word analogies, were eliminated. Officials also say that research done last year showed no difference in student performance at the beginning, middle and end of the test.

The College Board pointed out that a record number of students took the test in the most recent year: 1.5 million, up 2% from the previous year. It added that minority students made up a record 39% of test takers. The class of 2007 also reflects the nation's growing immigrant population: Nearly a quarter of test takers didn't list English as their only first language, up from 17% 10 years earlier.

'Deeper into the Pool'
The overall increase in test takers may be bringing the average down, the College Board says. Maine, for instance, now requires all high-school students to take the SAT, pointed out Mr. Bunin.

Mr. Basili of Kaplan says, "When you're increasing participation, you're going to decrease scores" since it means "reaching deeper into the pool to students that would normally not be going to college."

Results by Income
Among the surprises in the results: The test takers reported as being among the wealthiest were one of the groups that saw the biggest declines. Students with family incomes of more than $100,000 saw declines in all three sections combined of 19 points from the previous year's scores. By contrast, the only income group that actually saw increases were those with reported incomes between $10,000 and $20,000. In that group, there were increases in all three sections totaling 21 points.

College Board officials say the data aren't very reliable because students report their perceptions of what their parents make. And over one-third of students didn't answer the question.

$$$ and US News' new group of unranked Colleges

Here are some more things that should help you all in trying to manage the application and financial aid processes.


The "Frugal Duchess" down in Miami got Sallie Mae's top 10 College Financial Aid tips. Take a look if you have some time.
You can also find other tips (some are similar) in this blog post entitled Here is a Method That is Helping Saving Money for College

If you're sick of reading about Financial Aid and Money then this article may be a better one for you. It's posted on the US News and World Reports page. It's their explanation of the "new group of colleges" that were added to the list of unranked schools for America's Best Colleges 2008.

A College Budget

College is a time of independence. The problem is sometimes college students get a little to free with their money. They figure: "I'll be making money after I graduate, I'll pay everything off then." You might want to be careful, especially with credit cards. Budgeting your money (and time) will make college and your time right after more enjoyable in the long run.

FAFSA - What is a FAFSA anyway?

Although it is never to early to be thinking about the FAFSA and financial aid, you might want to focus on your applications at this point. If you want to know more there are some links under financial aid on the right side and you can check out this blog post as well: My Life and Finances

Focusing on the SAT

It appears that the college board will be doing the same thing as you, focusing on the SAT. They are no longer going to be apart of the student loan industry, which could be good for the rest of us. I think it's a good sign that they will be focusing on THE college entrance exam and now exploring other ways to bring in revenue. The world of student loans is murky enough, I think it's good that the organization that runs the SAT distance itself from all of that.

In other news, there is another state based program available to students in Iowa.

Whether you live in Iowa, have a loan with the college board or not, just keep moving along your time line. Applications should be going in soon for rolling admission!

Getting ahead and BIG LOANS

It's that time of year. Parents and students in their junior year are starting their college search process if they haven't done so already. Parents and students in their senior year are starting the college admission process and either trying to come up with the perfect application or one with mistakes...intentionally. While some people think making a mistake is the best way to "get ahead" some recommend other means.

Although you all shouldn't be thinking of the financial aid process just yet, you need to be admitted first, here is an interesting article on why students are choosing costlier private loans. This begs the question: Is an in state education affordable anymore?

The College Consumer

Confused by college admissions? They're here to help -- for a fee

Here's another great article entitled Colleges offer financial aid to gain diversity in student body. This couldn't be more true. Scholarships today are always for academic merit. It may be because the school is trying to mold their incoming freshman class' demographics.

Finally, here's an article with some tips in regards to financial aid, it also has some good links and an online video.

Area ACT Scores Increasing

In some areas ACT Scores are increasing. In my experience students who take the entrance exams (SAT and ACT) twice have a better chance of getting their best possible score.

If you think about it it just makes sense. Although a student may have taken 100 practice tests, there is nothing quite like the real thing. If you can try and take the exams at the same locations both time you take them. This way everything is familiar to you. The more familiar you are with your surroundings the less anxious you will be. Also try getting to bed early a couple of nights in a row leading up to the exam this way your body is ready for that early wake up call. Also, as far as the exams go. Try and take both, twice. Some people ace the ACT and bomb the SAT and others do the opposite. Check to see what the schools you are applying to prefer and what they require.

The ACT - SAT Conversion chart is a big help when trying to figure out how well you scored.

It takes a family, not a list found in a magazine!

It may take a village to raise a child but it takes the entire family to send a child to college. I'm sure situations like this are not uncommon across the USA:
Grandparents help save for college

US News & World Reports released it "famous" list of top schools around the country. The value of this list is declining and I believe in time it will have no value at all. When part of your formula includes things like surveys, alumni donor participation rate, and other things I don't know how you tell parents and families this is the number one ranking system in America. PARENTS AND STUDENTS... Look closer!!

Instead of looking at the list. Contact companies in the area. In the Pacific Northwest The University of Washington gets a very high rating for it's business school, but guess where Ernst & Young and other firms go first when recruiting: Gonzaga and Santa Clara University. I think this is a perfect example of these ranking systems being so wrong. If you know what you want to do after college then ask those companies or grad schools which colleges and universities they think are best. Here is an article about it all: Many American colleges balk at U.S. News rankings

Fin Aid all over the country!

In today's day and age of expensive college tuition, here's an AP article about California trying to keep it's costs down:
California dream of free college wilts under fiscal pressure

My Rich Uncle seems to be one of the safer ways to go these days.

Also here is an article from another part of the country, North Carolina, entitled: Befuddled by college aid

The Helicopter Parent QUIZ!!!

Well US News and World Reports releases it's new rankings and CBS is all over the college admission process! Well good for them and good for you.

As far as helicopter parents go...let your children go. It's time.
One of my worst experinces with Helicopter parents when I was an Admission Counselor was when a family brought their prospective student in for an interview. When I went out to greet the family I asked them (as I always did:

Me: "Would if be alright if I met with your son, and when we are done you can join us and I can try to answer some of your questions?"
Parents: "No, we will join you now."

For some reason this did not leave me with the impression that this student was going to be ok on his own. Even if the student isn't ready to be on their own, maybe you want to try and hide that. Maybe this quiz will help you all asess whether or not there is a helicopter parent in your family. Good luck!


Warning! Helicopter Parents At 1,000 Feet!
Aug. 17, 2007(U.S. News & World Report) Do you hover low to the ground, micromanaging your college-bound kids from a helicopter pilot seat directly overhead?

Or, in contrast to so-called helicopter parents, do you assume your not-quite-yet-launched kids need so little oversight you become what parenting educator Michael Popkin calls a satellite parent? (Hint: Your kids complain you're so far in outer space not even the longest-distance phone plan reaches you.)

Then again, you might think your chosen distance is just right - even if your kids (not to mention their guidance counselors and prospective college admissions officers) wildly disagree. To identify an air zone both can share, take the following quiz.

1. MEET THE PARENTS (COLLEGE-PREP VERSION)

Your high schooler and the school guidance counselor set a meeting to discuss college possibilities. Because such decisions affect family dynamics (not to mention finances), the school invites the parents, too. You:

A. Assume this means you're welcome to attend every meeting, then wonder why the guidance counselor isn't ecstatic when you announce where we're applying, even as you hand over a professionally assembled press kit for your kid (including resumé and DVD) and your handpicked list of superelite schools. Haven't you just saved everybody a lot of work?

B. Blow off the appointment. "It's your education, not mine. If you're mature enough to go to college, you're mature enough to make decisions without me."

C. R.S.V.P. and listen like a fly on the wall. Voice opinions in moderation: The focus should be your child, not you.

ANSWER: The royal "we're applying" (A) sets off an automatic "you're flying too low for comfort" warning signal. Your child's applying, not you. But being totally hands off (B) risks shutting the door at a time your child needs to know you're available to talk through possibilities. To find a balance (C), Judy Hingle, career connections specialist with the Fairfax County (Va.) public schools and former director of professional development at the National Association for College Admission Counseling, suggests imagining you're looking for a job, and your family is advising you. "A light bulb should go on," she says, about the difference between helping and meddling, as well as between letting your child have space and sending the message you're just not into his future.

2. WELCOME TO REALITY

Your high schooler has identified schools whose programs fit her interests and whose admissions profile is a good match. You look at her list and:

A. Hit the roof. "Don't tell me you're not good enough for an Ivy!" you fume. "These schools aren't good enough for you!"

B. Shrug. "All those school brochures look the same to me."

C. Are impressed by a list that shows thoughtful self-evaluation, with a range of schools based not on high status but on interests and academic record.

ANSWER: Helicopter parents may fly low to the ground, but their expectations (A) can be overly high, while satellites (B) distance themselves from the application process. Popkin, author most recently of Taming the Spirited Child, comments, "If you have a child who is self-motivated, that's one thing; but most kids need a certain amount" of parental involvement to explore evolving choices. A realistic parent (C) looks objectively at the student's academic record-including what it might look like through the lens of each school, suggests Holly Thompson, a Palo Alto (Calif.) secondary-school teacher and college parent who has also been a high school counselor and college admissions officer. "There's this myth if you do something to grab the attention of an admissions officer, it will help your child get in. It would probably be more useful to look at the statistics for that college and see" how it matches your child's record.

3. THE COLLEGE OF WHOSE DREAMS?

Time to visit campuses. Your role is to:

A. Plan the itinerary, cramming in as many schools as possible. At each one, inundate both student guide and admissions officer with questions you know your son won't think to ask, meanwhile furiously taking mental notes so you can spell out pluses and minuses.

B. Beg off the trip; it would mean missing your weekend golf game.

C. Offer to go, but don't insist if he prefers doing it himself. If you do go, allow your son to tell you what he thinks before sharing your thoughts.

ANSWER: You'll get no extra credit (A) for monopolizing the tour guide but will probably succeed in embarrassing your child. And before talking up or trashing a school too much, remind yourself: "Who's going to college in September?" Still, visiting campuses as a family can be an opportunity to bond and just have fun together. So rather than excuse yourself (B), why not add a golf match to the mix? However you arrange the trip (C), let your kids do the talking, says Hingle. "You're the listener, the sounding board, not the decider."



4. COACHING 101 (TEST PREP VERSION)

It's junior year, the start of SAT/ACT season. Though it's still early in the year, you:

A. Worry. True, your child has taken test-prep courses since middle school, but is that enough? Should you hire a tutor? These tests are do-or-die!

B. Tune out. It's just another test.

C. Talk to your child about schools he's considering and the tests they require or recommend. Use that as a guide to discuss whether he needs, or wants, help preparing and what would work best.

ANSWER: For middle schoolers and high school sophomores, pursuing interests is a better use of time than SAT review courses (A), parenting experts agree. But ignoring the tests (B) may not be realistic, given that most colleges require or recommend the SAT or ACT. Nonetheless, think about review courses (C) "only once you know what areas you need to strengthen, if at all," says Thompson. The only universal bottom line: Keep track of test registration deadlines!

5. ADVICE WITHOUT CONSENT: LET ME ASSAY YOUR ESSAY!

Application deadlines loom. Your daughter has completed the essay. Your job is to:

A. Rewrite it according to what you think the college wants to hear: not that she's another aspiring theater major but a practical-minded future nursing home administrator!

B. Say, "Finally!"

C. Offer congratulations; ask if she'd like you to proofread.

ANSWER: Proofreading (C) is a fine idea, and some adult feedback is par for the course. So is breathing a sigh of relief (B)-just leave out the nonsupportive digs. At the opposite extreme (A), "admissions officers can spot an essay written by a hired gun," says Katy Rinehart, who spent 14 years as an admissions officer at Hampshire College and is now director of college guidance at Moorestown (N.J.) Friends School. Case in point: The parents' intervention in the real-life case above (A) resulted in a rejection.

6. IF THE DEADLINES DON'T KILL YOU, WILL THE REJECTIONS?

It's April: Two target schools said yes and two reach schools said no, while your child's No. 1 choice offered a place on the wait list. Your reaction:

A. You can't let your child be disappointed like that! The school screwed up! You place calls to everyone on the wait-list school staff you can think of to lobby on your child's behalf.

B. "You didn't get in where you wanted? Get used to rejection, kid. This is life."

C. Help your child recognize that even though she may feel disappointed, she still has options, and life does go on.

ANSWER: The impulse to protect our children from pain (A) may be understandable, says Rinehart, but "I don't know of a single admissions decision that has been changed because of an angry parent call." What parents can do is present a model of how to handle disappointment: not with blame and outrage (A) or school of hard-knocks cynicism (B) but with a measured overview (C) of what happened and what comes next.

7. DOLLARS AND CENTS, OR THE MONEY MIND MELD

And now comes news of each school's financial package-or lack thereof. You start crunching the numbers and declare:

A. "We can afford any of these schools. If we're paying, we choose the school-not your first choice but ours."

B. "Which school's cheapest? We have our beach house to keep up!"

C. "Let's look at the numbers together, so we can talk about the pros and cons of each school and each financial option."

ANSWER: "When seniors get to April and say their parents won't pay a school's tuition," says Thompson, the former admissions officer, "I think: Why didn't they have this conversation last fall?" Discussions should include budget parameters (B); who's paying (or not) for what (A); availability of scholarships or financial aid; and how location (near vs. far) affects transportation costs. That will make (C) part of an ongoing conversation that teaches your child about financial planning, family decision making, and fiscal responsibility.



8. IT DEPENDS ON HOW YOU DEFINE GOODBYE

Your child is in his new dorm room; it's time for you to:

A. Move into your new house, minutes from campus. You'd miss him too much, and worry too much, if you were farther away!

B. Turn your son's room into your den.

C. Do the math: College semesters are shorter than those of most high schools; add up Thanksgiving, winter, spring, and summer breaks, plus long weekends, and you'll have lots of chances to be together.

ANSWER: Separation anxiety is understandable, but if you're not able to tolerate time and distance apart (A), how can you teach your kids to do so? Yet transitions take time, and an abrupt makeover of your child's room sends the message he really can't come home again. A middle ground (C) means understanding that dropping kids off at college is not the same as dropping out of each other's lives, points out Mike Riera, head of Redwood Day School in Oakland, Calif., and author of Staying Connected to Your Teenager.

9. ASK NOT FOR WHOM THE CELLPHONE RINGS

Your daughter's being away at college hasn't made such a difference. Especially since:

A. You're her personal alarm clock, calling every morning to wake her for class. And E-mail makes it easier than ever to edit her papers or help her decide which dress to buy!

B. "I didn't see her that much when she lived here, either."

C. You stay in touch via E-mail and cellphone, at least once a week-more, depending on what's happening at home or on campus.

ANSWER: Daily calls and E-mails don't necessarily constitute helicopter parenting, Riera comments; frequency of checking in depends on family communication style-as well as the need to keep in touch in an illness or emergency (C). But when calls and E-mails cross the line (A) into micromanaging or vicariously living your kids' lives, you risk creating a codependency, he warns: "Students have to have some mystery in their lives." Disconnecting altogether (B) may save cellphone bills, but you lose something more important: your relationship.

10. TO BUTT IN OR NOT TO BUTT IN

My son sounded so blue on the phone. Maybe I should:

A. Head to his college to fix the problem. Should we think about transferring to another school?

B. Remind him he's the one who wanted to leave home.

C. Wait and see; give him time to find his way before barging in.

ANSWER: "When your kid has a problem in college," says Riera, "90 percent of the time the right response is, 'I'm not sure what the answer is, but you're resourceful, and I think you'll work it out.'" (C) That doesn't mean you should ignore his mood (B) any more than you should initiate a quick-fix transfer (A). "Growing pains of first semester almost certainly pass," Riera advises. But listen up for the 10 percent chance that something is amiss-an undiagnosed illness, for instance, or an unhealthy binge-drinking scene-when you really may need to call the resident adviser to see what's going on. As too many campus incidents have shown, a pattern of erratic, risky, or unexplained behavior-whether by your child's friends or your child himself-can be an important red flag, a cause for both scrutiny and concern.

College Admission: Tough Times For Girls?

Currently you don't have to say what your ethnic background is on applications.
Should we ask whether you are male or female on applications?

Here is an interesting story from CBSNews.com:

College Admission: Tough Times For Girls?
Aug. 17, 2007(U.S. News & World Report) The University of Richmond, like many small liberal arts colleges, has its roots in single-sex education. The campus, which sits on a picturesque 350 acres of woodland a few miles outside the Virginia state capital, was once two schools: Westhampton and Richmond colleges, on opposite sides of a small lake.

The campuses merged around the turn of the 20th century, creating the coed institution that exists today. The delicate balance between men and women at Richmond has always been a tricky thing to manage.

These days, the student body is 49 percent male and 51 percent female, a ratio that the college insists is determined by the availability of on-campus housing. Maintaining that equilibrium, however, means rejecting many more female applicants than male ones. In the past decade, female applicants have faced an admissions rate that averages 13 percentage points lower than that of their male peers just for the sake of keeping that girl-boy balance.

"From a philosophical standpoint, we've really discussed the benefits of keeping it about equal," says Marilyn Hesser, a senior associate director of admissions at Richmond. "The board of trustees has said that the admissions office can go as far as 55-45 [women to men]." Male and female applicants have test scores that are virtually the same, she says. "Was [the male applicant's] high school GPA a little lower? Perhaps."

A thumb on the scale. The University of Richmond is not unique in its effort to keep the number of men and women enrolled roughly equal in the face of a dramatically changing pool of applicants. Nor is it the school where the gap in admissions rates is the most pronounced. Using undergraduate admissions rate data from more than 1,400 four-year colleges and universities that participate in its rankings, U.S. News has found that over the past 10 years many schools have maintained their gender balance by admitting men and women at drastically different rates.

The schools that are most selective - think Harvard and Princeton - have so many applicants and so many high achievers that they maintain balanced student bodies naturally by skimming the cream of the crop. But at other colleges, maintaining gender equity on some campuses appears to require a thumb on the scale in favor of boys. It's at these schools, including Pomona, Boston College, Wesleyan University, Tufts, and the College of William and Mary, that the gap in admit rates is particularly acute.

What does this mean for applicants? For girls, making the cut might come down to something as simple as the expected field of study. As an admissions officer from a small Midwestern liberal arts college puts it: "God help the female English majors who apply to this school." On the other hand, women hoping to study engineering will find themselves at an advantage at schools like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which over the past decade has admitted women at a rate that is 17 percentage points higher than the rate for men.

Boys will be boys. Male applicants, meanwhile, are often at an advantage-so much so that college counselors have begun advising some boys to "emphasize their maleness," says Steve Goodman, a longtime independent college counselor. He encourages male students to submit pictures or trumpet their sports activities "anything to catch an admissions officer's eye."

Some colleges, like Lake Erie College in Ohio and Husson College in Maine, are making extra efforts to attract male applicants by creating football teams. Others are emphasizing hands-on learning and reaching out to all-male high schools. Common recruiting practices like writing personalized notes or having alumni call interested students are not as effective at landing students with a Y chromosome, schools have found.

A word of caution, however: Trying to second-guess which aspect of your application will most appeal is risky. What if the school needs students just like you? What's especially dangerous is trying to game the system by showing interest in a major only for the better admit rate-feigning interest in the physical sciences if you're a woman, say. At some schools, if you're accepted into the engineering school, for example, it's almost impossible to transfer into the liberal arts college. In the end, counselors and admissions officers say it's better to be honest on your application and get into a school that wants you rather than conceal your true intentions.



Sensitive topic. Moreover, it's difficult to gauge how much impact a college's desire to maintain a balanced student body has on the decision to accept or reject a particular applicant. Schools don't like to discuss their selection process, and they're especially sensitive when it comes to preferential treatment. While the Supreme Court has weighed in on the issue of affirmative action for minority students, it has not directly addressed gender targeting in admissions. "There's no easy answer as to what's legal and what isn't legal," says Marcia Greenberger, co-president of the National Women's Law Center.

'Boy gap.' The reason for lower admissions rates for female students is simple, if ironic: From the early grades on, girls tend to be better students than boys. By the time college admissions come into the picture, many watchers of the "boy gap" agree, it's too late for boys to catch up on their own. Girls watch less television, spend less time playing sports, and are far less likely to find themselves in detention. They are more likely to participate in drama, art, and music classes – extracurriculars that are catnip for admissions officers. Across the board, girls study more, score better, and are less likely to be placed in special education classes.
Females graduate from high school at a slightly higher rate than men and are more likely to forgo the workforce for an advanced degree. All of these factors help explain why the percentage of women in higher education has been steadily growing: From rough parity in 1980, women made up 57 percent of the 16.6 million American college-goers in 2006.

By 2010, the U.S. Department of Education expects the ratio to be around 60- 40. In other words, that thumb on the boys' side of the admissions scale will have to press much harder in the coming years to keep those male dormitories at Richmond fully populated.

At the universities that attract the most applicants, balancing enrollment appears to happen naturally, based on the admissions data. At Harvard University, for example, the pool of more than 22,000 applicants has remained equally divided between men and women, meaning that both sexes are admitted at an equal - if dauntingly low - 9 percent. Princeton, Stanford, Rice, Duke, and Yale are similar; ditto for the elite liberal arts colleges such as Amherst, Williams, and Middlebury.

Where girls face the biggest challenge is at small liberal arts colleges like the University of Richmond and Kenyon College in Ohio. An op-ed entitled "To All the Girls I've Rejected," published in the New York Times last year, set the college admissions world atwitter when it outlined the reality of what most officers had been seeing for years. "The fat acceptance envelope is simply more elusive for today's accomplished young women," wrote Jennifer Delahunty Britz, the dean of admissions at Kenyon, which, according to the U.S. News data, is not even among the schools that most heavily favor boys in their admissions.

An hour's drive east of the University of Richmond, the College of William and Mary also is altering its admissions rates to achieve gender balance, if not parity. In the past decade, the school's portion of women in the undergraduate body has fallen from 60 percent to 54 percent. Overall, because of the rising number of students applying to colleges, the admissions rates for both men and women at William and Mary have plummeted, from 51 percent for men and 43 percent for women in 1997 to 44 and 26 percent in 2006. Over that period, men had an admittance rate an average of 12 percentage points higher than their female counterparts had.

Striving for balance. Colleges contend that their schools are best served by keeping things balanced. "I don't think that's an issue of equity; it's an issue of institutional prerogative [to create] a community that will best serve both the men and the women who elect to be members of that community," says Henry Broaddus, director of admission at William and Mary. "Even women who enroll ... expect to see men on campus. It's not the College of Mary and Mary; it's the College of William and Mary."

Indeed, says sophomore Carrie Bruner, it's important to have men on campus in and outside the classroom. "Males have perspectives to offer that a woman doesn't have," she says. She also says that she and her female classmates do sometimes joke about a shortage of men to take to dances. And indeed, anecdotal evidence suggests that once a campus reaches, say, a 60-40 split in favor of either gender, the college becomes less attractive to applicants of both sexes. "Frankly, students care about the dating scene on campus, and no one wants to be outnumbered," says Bari Norman, a former admissions counselor at Barnard College who runs mycollegecounselor.com.

That helps explain why traditionally male-dominated schools are relishing the influx of women. Lafayette College in Easton, Pa., went coed in 1970 and has tried to attract women ever since, a challenge because one of its strengths is its engineering program, a discipline in which women have been historically underrepresented. As the school approached and finally reached gender parity in 2000, its applications from both girls and boys soared.

Nationwide, women fill the majority of places in higher education. And since most colleges are "open admission," meaning they admit all or nearly all qualified applicants, women have a higher overall admissions rate than men. "Students have very little control over admission in general, and their gender is something that they have no control over," says Janet Rosier, an independent counselor based in Connecticut. "Worrying about this aspect of an already secretive process will only cause kids more stress." Sitting in the admissions office at the University of Richmond, Marilyn Hesser agrees. Students, she says, need to follow their hearts in finding the best place for them to live and study. Chasing numbers can be problematic. "We could do more to get applications from men," she says, "but that would also result in more applications from women."

With the common application available it's easier to apply to multiple colleges, but that doesn't mean you should. The next couple of years should yield the highest number of college applicants in our nations history and therefore the highest number of rejections. So maybe applying to number of schools is a good idea. It depends on your situation.

I hope this article helps. Don't panic though. For everyone There is a different plan and a different path to the right school for you. This isn't a time to panic. Enjoy the search process and the transition into "College life."


CBSNews.com
Coming Up With A Short List
Aug. 17, 2007(U.S. News & World Report) Would you believe ... 29? That's the number of college applications one student in Fairfax County, Va., submitted this year, says Judy Hingle, career connections specialist for the county's public schools and former director of professional development at the National Association for College Admission Counseling.

There's no denying that the advent of the common application and the increased ease of applying online have fueled a rise in the number of schools to which students apply. But that doesn't mean you have to join the trend.

Indeed, narrowing your list to a reasonable number - for starters, think single rather than double digits - can yield benefits that go beyond financial savings (after all, those application fees do add up). You will have to make up your mind at some point. And though some students believe they're raising their odds by applying to a dozen schools or more, they may be spreading their efforts too thinly. If you think the "individualized" answers you've been churning out to the "why I want to go to your school" question have started sounding blandly interchangeable, admissions officers probably will, too.

To winnow the list, break down the process step by step.

STEP 1. THERE ARE NO "MUST-APPLY'S"

Rather than searching for a perfect match that meets your preconceived notions of college life, reframe what you're looking for as "one of many good matches," says Michael Popkin of activeparenting.com. "There are many colleges that [students] will be happy at and will prepare them for a successful life."

Those schools aren't necessarily the most prestigious or famous-or the ones all your friends are looking at, either. Although his father encouraged him to apply to his alma mater, Dartmouth, one student from a public high school in central Pennsylvania decided the Ivy League wasn't for him; he preferred a lower-pressure academic environment. Another public high school student, this one from New York, felt so strongly about supporting American troops in Iraq that he applied only to schools that offered ROTC.

STEP 2. KNOW THYSELF

For the majority of high school students, even familiar-sounding names (Big Ten, Ivy League, Mom's alma mater) "are just names they've heard or pictures they've seen," points out Mike Riera, head of Redwood Day School in Oakland, Calif., and author of Staying Connected to Your Teenager.

By contrast, they do know about themselves. Students who take "a few hours to think, talk, and write about" the places, activities, and settings they enjoy, the learning styles that suit them best, and the subjects that motivate them begin to develop what Riera calls "an internal map" of what they're looking for.

The challenge, then, is to find schools that value those strengths. Maybe your learning style is better suited to a work co-op program than sitting in a lecture hall. Perhaps you need a school that lets you explore different areas before you commit to a major. As to school size, Riera suggests thinking about whether you like to know most of the students whose faces you'll see or whether you like being surrounded by lots of faces you may meet or may never get to know.

Career counselors and online assessment tools can help you articulate your interests and needs. And as you explore your interests, you may discover that what you originally thought you were looking for isn't what you wanted, after all.

STEP 3. IDENTIFY A PLACE TO LIVE

After looking inward, look outward: Imagine the environment where you'll want to spend the next four years. Think about where you live, where you've traveled, areas of the country you've enjoyed - or have not - Popkin suggests. Do you want the urban energy of a city or a small-town atmosphere? Is climate a factor?

Are there outdoor activities you long to pursue and be near? A hiking and mountaineering enthusiast from Connecticut, for instance, applied to schools in Colorado to be close to western national parks. A New York student limited her applications to schools with access to riding stables.

Another aspect to explore: How closely, or not, do you wish to replicate the atmosphere of your high school? Did you thrive at that very large-or very small-school? Is it time for a change, or do you want more of the same?

Distance from home matters to some students more than to others. Joy Silberg and her husband, Richard, of Baltimore asked their three daughters during their college search: "Why go across the country when there are fabulous schools in close driving distance?" All three of them ended up in a different type of school in a different geographic area, one in a southern town (University of Virginia, in Charlottesville), another in New York City (Barnard), and the third in the Pennsylvania countryside (Franklin and Marshall).



STEP 4. SAFETY FIRST

For the most part, "campuses are probably safer than many public areas, and most campuses are doing a good job" on safety issues, says Robin Hattersley Gray, executive editor of the trade publication Campus Safety Magazine. But, as the saying goes, better safe than sorry.

Most colleges post emergency and safety information on their websites. In addition, Brett Sokolow, president of the National Center for Higher Education Risk Management, has compiled a list of questions that range from residence hall issues (are exterior doors locked? must guests sign in and out?) to general security concerns (is there a campus police force? what is the crime rate of the surrounding area?) to broader considerations (what services are offered for mental health issues? are there educational and counseling programs about substance abuse? are there policies about stalking or relationship violence?).

Families should also discuss their own emergency plan. For one New York City parent whose son is about to enter college in New Orleans, for instance, that meant he would heed any hurricane warnings, be prepared to evacuate - and call home to let his parents know he was safe.

STEP 5. INFORMATION, PLEASE

Popkin says getting facts about colleges from guides and websites is probably easier than ever before. But brochures or virtual tours are not a substitute for a campus visit. Indeed, visiting the college campus was the most commonly cited factor in determining where students applied, according to a 2006 survey of 600 high-achieving high school seniors conducted by the research and marketing firm Lipman Hearne. (Seventy-four percent cited a campus visit; factors such as talking with a student at the school, brochure, friends, and Mom's advice were mentioned by 52 to 59 percent. Dads were close behind at 49 percent.)

The reason that "college visits can be real helpful for discovering what's comfortable, where you feel at home," says Popkin, is that "until you put feet on the ground, you won't necessarily know." Riera, the California principal, similarly recalls many students who returned from a college visit and said, "'I know I want to go to that college'-because the comfort level is there. It feels familiar, what they had actually described as wanting." Even preliminary visits before you decide where to apply can help crystallize types of schools by size, location, or departmental strengths. Pay attention to your own response, not your friends' or parents', Riera advises. "If the school resonates with you, there's probably a decent shot that you will resonate with the school as well."

STEP 6. BE REALISTIC

Look at your high school profile from the point of view of a college admissions officer, suggests Holly Thompson, a former college admissions officer and high school college guidance counselor who now teaches high school in Palo Alto, Calif. Especially when applying to the most selective schools, Thompson says, "it is useful to step back and say: 'Well, there are 22,000 applicants,' and rather than letting that paralyze you, view it with a cool eye and evaluate more objectively."

Just as important to achieving a realistic perspective is putting the admissions process in a larger context-your life. Colleges apply "a very narrow test, with a very specific set of criteria," says Thompson. Rather than letting the list of colleges to which you apply define you, define for yourself who you are, and let the list follow from that.

Tip. Online search engines, application organizers, consultants: The Web is full of resources. Find out what's available, and how much it costs, at usnews.com