Choosing a College

May 30, 2019 By Mark Cruver Leave a Comment

College Visit Bucket List

Summertime is the best time to start working on that college visit bucket list. Students are looking for things to do and travel seems to be the inevitable solution to new adventures. Why not grab the beach towel, notepad, sunglasses and some comfortable walking shoes and visit a few college campuses.

But, before you step out of the house, be sure to walk your way through our college visit bucket list to maximize your visits and have the best summer exploring some amazing college campuses.

Visit the college website!
Locate the Visit the Campus section of the college website, usually located under Admissions. Many allow you to schedule your visit right on their website!
If there are no options on their website to register your visit, give the admissions office a call and make an appointment directly.
Either way, make sure they know you’re coming!
Listen to their admissions presentation. They have worked hard on assembling the perfect amount of information to help you. Plus, it’s not a time-share presentation so try not to treat it like one.
Meet the admissions representative that travels to your area. Be sure to grab their business card too!
Do you know what major you may want to study? While you are scheduling your visit, see if there might be a professor from that department on hand to speak with you during your visit.
Take a campus tour! I know, this one sounds silly obvious. You’d be surprised how many visit campuses without an actual tour. When you schedule your tour, if you can arrange to have this given by a current student that is best. But, during the summer it will most likely be conducted by someone in admissions — still not a bad option.
Enjoy the moment out-and-about the campus. With or without students present, try to imagine yourself on these sidewalks, sitting in the classrooms, eating in the dining hall, or staying in the residence hall. Try to imagine yourself there as a student.
Show up! Be engaged! One of the most important things you can do is be a student of the college visit. Stay alert and ask questions. There are two kinds of students who visit colleges: those who genuinely want to know about the college and those who don’t want to be there at all. Admissions can spot them both! Which one will you be?
Take pictures! Be sure to document your visit for your own sake. Take it from experience, work hard to have the first picture of your campus visit be one of the name of the college. That way, when you go back to your camera roll, you’ll know which campus the state-of-the-art engineering lab that you took pictures of belongs to.
Take notes! Moms and dads, it is extremely tempting to be the designated “note-taker” for your campus visit. But, truth-be-told, there is nothing better than having your student document their own college visit. After all, the college visit is ultimately for their future education. Make sure you bring along a notepad with your favorite pen.
Visit a room in a residence hall. Watch out here!! Colleges always like to put their best-foot-forward and “show-off” their shiniest and newest stuff. Be sure to visit a residence hall where freshman would stay. Upperclassmen residence halls are good to see too because if this is where you enroll, it’s nice to see where you’ll eventually have the opportunity to stay. Also, it’s important to point out here, this is an area at some colleges where you can impact the overall Cost of Attendance. Some colleges give options and with those options come different price-points.
Come prepared for inclement weather! There is nothing worse than being on a campus tour when the bottom drops out of the sky! Be prepared!
Wear comfortable shoes! You’ll likely catch your Fitbit on fire with the number of steps you’ll likely take on each visit. Fuel up before the tour and stay hydrated!
MOMS ONLY: Be sure to carry that light sweater! Many colleges like to keep it nice and cold (notice I didn’t say cool) inside their buildings — especially those in the southern states where humidity is high. And, you’ll be walking in and out of many buildings!
Stay off your cell phone! There is nothing more distracting to your visit, both for you and the campus host, than to have your phone ringing or dinging during critical moments of information sharing. Place your phone on silence and tuck it away for the time-being. Moms and dads, if you must take a phone call, excuse yourself and catch up with the family/group once your call is complete. You don’t want to be that family!
Ask the right questions! Get a list of questions to ask Admissions, ask Students, and ask Yourself here!
Complete a “Self-Survey” for every campus visit (link in #18)! This will help you keep them all straight. Be sure to complete the survey as soon after your visit as makes sense for you, but before your next campus visit. You’ll find it is similar to finding the right house with your realtor. After the 4th house, they all start to blend together. Keep your campus visits organized.
Visit variety! Don’t be afraid to visit a variety of colleges and universities. The college visit years are meant to help determine what you like as a student. Use the campus visits more to narrow down what you like and don’t like about a college. This will help locate colleges that fit you best!
Send a Thank You card to those you spent time with! Be sure to get their names and their role at the college. This means a ton to those who took their time to share with you.

If you’d like some help with preparing for upcoming college visits or navigating the college admissions process for your student, feel free to read about our services here, or to get in touch here.

May 24, 2019 By Mark Cruver Leave a Comment

College Openings

National College Decision Day is May 1 of every year, but following this day there are many college openings still available across the country. Those colleges and universities listing availability are members of the National Association of College Admissions Counseling.

You may be asking yourself, “Why are colleges and universities still accepting applications when most students were strongly encouraged to apply with deadlines looming?”

This is a GREAT question! And, here is the answer. Colleges and universities set out to meet certain admission goals determined by the institution for enrollment, but do not make it. So, when those numbers look weak on and around May 1, they continue to accept applications. When colleges are willing to continue accepting applications after the May 1 decision day, it is for a variety of reasons, not entirely related to meeting certain goals.

In any event, the mere fact that colleges and universities continue to keep their doors open for new freshman and transfer applications provides opportunities for students looking for new ideas to attend college in the fall. Whether it is because you joined thousands of other students whose choices for college were denied or you are simply getting a later start than many others, this proves there are plenty of options out there to get started on your degree! And, especially for those who are wanting to stay in-state!

If you are still looking for new college ideas for this fall or need some help with applying at some new options from the list of national college openings, contact us here! We are always happy to assist.

The following colleges and universities are still taking applications for the Fall 2019 incoming class.

Birmingham-Southern College

Enrollment: 1,000-4,999 Private (nonprofit)
Freshman: Yes Financial Aid: Yes
Transfer: Yes Housing: Yes
Contact: Emily Tisdale eutisdal@bsc.edu
Phone: (205) 226-4684
Website: http://www.bsc.edu

Judson College

Enrollment: 1-1,000 Private (nonprofit)
Freshman: Yes Financial Aid: Yes
Transfer: Yes Housing: Yes
Contact: Susan Jones sjones@judson.edu
Phone: (334) 683-5110
Website: http://www.judson.edu

Miles College

Enrollment: 1,000-4,999 Private (nonprofit)
Freshman: Yes Financial Aid: Yes
Transfer: Yes Housing: Yes
Contact: Chris Robertson crobertson@miles.edu
Phone: (205) 929-1657
Website: http://www.miles.edu

The University of Alabama

Enrollment: 20,000+ Public
Freshman: Yes Financial Aid: Yes
Transfer: Yes Housing: Yes
Website: http://www.ua.edu/

Augusta University

Enrollment: 5,000-9,999 Public
Freshman: Yes Financial Aid: Yes
Transfer: Yes Housing: Yes
Contact: Daniel Browning admissions@augusta.edu
Phone: (706) 737-1632
Website: http://www.augusta.edu/

College of Coastal Georgia

Enrollment: 1,000-4,999 Public
Freshman: Yes Financial Aid: Yes
Transfer: Yes Housing: Yes
Contact: Amy K. Clines aclines@ccga.edu
Phone: (912) 279-5775
Website: http://www.ccga.edu

Kennesaw State University

Enrollment: 20,000+ Public
Freshman: Yes Financial Aid: Yes
Transfer: Yes Housing: Yes
Contact: Jordan Stevenson recruitment@kennesaw.edu
Phone: (470) 578-6500
Website: http://www.kennesaw.edu/

Oglethorpe University

Enrollment: 1,000-4,999 Private (nonprofit)
Freshman: Yes Financial Aid: Yes
Transfer: Yes Housing: Yes
Contact: Lucy Leusch lucyleusch@comcast.net
Phone: (404) 213-0149
Website: http://www.oglethorpe.edu

Reinhardt University

Enrollment: 1,000-4,999 Private (nonprofit)
Freshman: Yes Financial Aid: Yes
Transfer: Yes Housing: Yes
Contact: Lacey Satterfield lacey.satterfield@reinhardt.edu
Phone: (770) 720-5620
Website: http://www.reinhardt.edu

University of West Georgia

Enrollment: 10,000-14,999 Public
Freshman: Yes Financial Aid: Yes
Transfer: Yes Housing: Yes
Contact: Erin Layton admiss@westga.edu
Phone: (679) 839-5600
Website: http://www.westga.edu/

Young Harris College

Enrollment: 1,000-4,999 Private (nonprofit)
Freshman: Yes Financial Aid: Yes
Transfer: Yes Housing: Yes
Contact: Karen Full kafull@yhc.edu
Phone: (706) 379-5172
Website: http://www.yhc.edu

April 2, 2019 By Mark Cruver Leave a Comment

Smart Advice For Parents

With technology at our fingertips it’s tough to filter through what is smart advice for parents of high school students and what is not. One thing is for certain, getting a little insight from a fellow parent and expert in the field may help you become more confident in starting this college process with your own students – and maybe a little smarter on the side.

As I listen to the concerns of parents in the community, my own friends starting the journey, and the messages heard and learned from my colleagues working with families just like yours all across the country, I’ve determined a few important things to consider:

Narrow the Noise

There’s a million voices saying this, that and the other about why, where, and what you should do. When it comes to preparing for your student’s journey to college the noise is loud. This is a tough place to be indeed. Listening to all of these voices from friends, family, websites, rankings, and news can be overwhelming. It’s one thing to ask Alexa for today’s weather, sports scores, best album in the 80’s or where to find the prettiest beach in the world. But she may not be the best resource for finding the college that makes the most sense for your son or daughter.

We recommend finding a trusted source, an actual person like those with professional membership in the Independent Educational Consultants Association and/or Certified Educational Planners. Trusted sources like these provide opportunities for parents to search for pre-qualified, pre-vetted, experienced college planners nearest their location.

Choose Wisely

Not only is it important to choose a trusted source for information on the college admissions process, but it’s also very important to choose a list of colleges for the best reasons.

Knowing your major in college before you graduate from high school may be a difficult task for many given their uncertainty with careers and how they relate to college.

Be sure to help your student become more self-aware through interest inventories such as the Strong Interest Inventory®. Identifying areas of interest and recognizing the role they play in career choice is fascinating at best. Did you know there are careers held by people of your gender and similar interest and they are incredibly happy? Studies have shown that people who are satisfied in their career choice and who share similar interests with others could be an excellent indicator of success and satisfaction should they find themselves in that same or similar career. That’s what the Strong Interest Inventory will do for you and your student!

Keep the Student Central

The journey to college can sometimes be overshadowed by a parent’s initiatives — with good intentions. Keeping the student central in the process builds responsibility and good judgement. Whether it’s writing the college essays or completing the application, students should be kept front-and-center in the process. They should own it and every click of the keyboard and stroke of the pen should belong to them.

As parents, I’m the first one to say we all want to see our children succeed in all they do. Finding and applying to the right college is no exception. So, with that in mind, encourage them every step of the way — just don’t do it for them.

By keeping the student in the “driver’s seat,” students find their voice in the process. This single effort to keep them central will allow them to better identify with who they are and become better at recognizing when a college makes sense for them.

Enjoy the Process

It’s easy to get caught up in the “hype,” excitement, worry, and frustration of the college admissions process. The powers-that-be have not made it very easy for anyone. Addressing questions like when to start, where to look, how to know, and what to look for are all central to the process. It’s easy to get hyper-focused on these questions and driven like Indiana Jones on a quest for answers. But, this flood of information makes for a frustrating process — definitely no fun!

This is why students and parents should take time to enjoy the process from start to finish. There will always be twists and turns along the way, but there’s a very important education that inadvertently could be missed if eyes are looking in the wrong direction for the right answers.

Staying active in activities, Friday night football games, and maintaining good grades while completing college applications can quickly take the fun out of the journey. But, these are actually some very exciting times and preparing for the next chapter of life is nothing to get frustrated over. When life starts to feel more like lemons, take a moment to remember those things that mean the most. What do you enjoy doing the most? Have a favorite book or activity? Do you find the best version of yourself while volunteering? When your student starts to feel overwhelmed, have them step back and reflect on these basics. At the end of the day, this process is supposed to be enjoyed — days filled with self-discovery and building tomorrow. Have fun with it!

If you would like to talk more about the college journey for your student, schedule your FREE consultation instantly here!

February 7, 2019 By Mark Cruver Leave a Comment

College Decision in 5 Easy Steps

The college decision is painstaking, especially when there are several colleges on the list, all great and all of them want you! It feels good to be invited to the party, but getting to this point for many is painful.

Families can quake at the college decision and this adds strain to the experience that should be exciting and hopeful. In order to help families process this college decision moment better, I’ve identified five easy steps to consider. These steps will not take you to the perfect college, because regardless of how much work is placed in finding a good-fit, no college is perfect. These steps will, however walk you through a process to better understand the important factors in making the college decision and assist families in identifying practical results.

Assess the Options

Now that the college applications are in, students are anxiously waiting for decisions. Colleges are contacting students by mail, by video, by email and sometimes even in-person to share their decision. These decisions come in a variety of flavors with some having a bit of a sting. Accepted – Deferred – Waitlisted – Denied The degree of rejection grows the further down this scale the decision is made. It is important to know and remember, no college decision determines a student’s worth. The most important thing is to rally and move forward.

At this point, it’s key to focus on your options. What colleges are still in the mix? Clearly, there are those to which the student was accepted. And this is super! But the colleges to which you were deferred or waitlisted should not be tossed aside just yet. Getting deferred means the school’s decision is not a “yes” or a “no” and by placing the student in a “deferred” category offers the school another opportunity to evaluate the student. This is a good time to consider revisiting the school and submitting NEW information on your academic progress and/or achievements. When waitlisted, it’s important to know the school is waiting to see how the class fills before offering a decision on your admittance. A waitlisted decision often comes after May 1 and could intersect with other decisions a family is trying to make.

Evaluate the Schools

There are many scenarios students could potentially experience in the college decision process. When a student is trying to decide between two or more equally competitive colleges, it’s important to step back and take a fresh look at each of the colleges. Dig deeper into what initially attracted you to them in the first place. Why were they a good fit and how does that reason weigh in your decision? Are all the colleges on your decision list selected by you for the same “good-fit” reason? Explore each one and give it a score and see how each one differs from the other.

Compare and Contrast

During the evaluation process, take a moment to compare and contrast what you learn. Strategically zero-in on programs of interest, potential majors, clubs, organizations and other areas of student-life important to you. What about housing options? Career centers? What are the outcomes for the major you’re considering? Do students at one of your colleges have a greater chance of getting hired after graduation than the others?

Calculate the Financial Aid

This step may actually come before all the others depending on your college list. The actual cost of attendance can differ greatly between colleges depending on their location (in-state vs. out-of-state), public vs. private and many other factors. Regardless, it is important to determine the actual cost in attending each institution.

Each of the accepted schools will soon provide a Financial Aid Award Letter to outline the varying amounts of aid available federally and institutionally. Once each of them is in your hands, begin the process of actual cost as one factor of consideration.

Be Rational

Keeping an even keel in the college decision process is critical. Getting emotionally connected without a logical approach can make the decision overly complex. For instance, consider if, at one college, you know friends from high school will be going. But at another college, you are considering there will be no friends from high school. It is always tempting to run toward the direction where we feel most comfortable, but it may not be the best choice. So be rational in your decision, keep a level head and think through your college decision from as many angles as you can. It’s one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make!

We are confident you are going to make a very informed college decision and celebrate with you on this great adventure!

If you would still like some direction, or know someone else in need of consultation, feel free to get in touch!

January 24, 2019 By Mark Cruver Leave a Comment

Choosing A College Once You’re Accepted

Choosing a college once you’ve received your acceptance letters is arguably more important than selecting the colleges in the first place. It goes without saying at this point, but congratulations on your acceptances! But that was the easy part — now it’s time to decide!

A decision typically comes between selecting one of at least two different things. In this case, it may be you have several colleges to choose from. Either way, between two or between many, narrowing down your decision is big. Here’s a simple process to consider:

Compare Apples-to-Apples

In order to fairly consider between two options and choosing a college, it’s important to place them on equal playing fields. Identify those things about each college that make them different. These things could be size, financial package, location or one may have a spot on a team whereas the other one doesn’t. In doing this exercise, you’ll be able to evaluate their similarities, such as academic program, campus amenities, faculty involvement, internship opportunities to name only a few.

Evaluate the Oranges

Whereas before you were focusing on the colleges similarities, in this exercise, you’ll focus on those things that differ: Apple-to-Oranges. Take a look at those things that make each college different from the other and determine the level of importance they each play in your attending college. Finances may be a determining factor, so it should be valued much higher to you than say having a spot on the team with no scholarship offered.

Visit the Campus

Take a trip to see the campus before making your final decision. Exploring the campus, seeing the students in action, sitting in on a class and speaking with faculty, coaches and reading up on the campus newspaper are excellent ways to broaden your understanding and perspective toward a place you’re considering to spend the next four to six years earning a degree.

Ask Questions

Before visiting the campus one last time, make the effort to do your homework. Find out everything you can about the campus, academic programs, student opinions and student organizations before you step foot onto the campus. Prepare in advance a short list of questions that address your curiosities and interest to better understand the academic programs or other aspect of the college.

We hope this helps you tackle this very important decision with more precision and ease.

As always, feel free to get in touch with us if you have any questions or need some help sorting through your options. And, for more insight into college admissions, please “LIKE” our Facebook page!

Choosing a College

College Visit Bucket List

College Openings