College Search Advice

THE COLLEGE SELECTION PROCESS can be confusing. Exhausting. Occasionally even nerve-racking. Here’s some advice from the experts about choosing a school, making a college visit, writing a great application, and navigating the ins and outs of financing your choice. We hope this answers some of your questions—and we look forward to receiving your Ohio Wesleyan application.

Some Advice for College-Bound Students | How to Have a Successful College Visit | College Admission Essays: What’s the Best Approach? | How to Go for the Dough when Applying for College

Some Advice for College-Bound Students
By Margaret Drugovich

Margaret Drugovich

Get organized. Start a spreadsheet.

There are more than 4,000 public and private, two and four-year colleges in the United States. You won’t be interested in most of them. Nevertheless, it takes time to discover what colleges have to offer. More importantly, it takes time for you to determine which college characteristics you really care about.

Before you spend your money (and your parents’ money!) on travel to campus, do your homework. The more organized you are about collecting information about colleges, the more satisfied you will be with the product of your effort.

Before you look at any college Web sites, create a spreadsheet that includes the characteristics you’re seeking in a college. Here are some basic factors you should consider:

• Miles from your home—do you want to be across town or across the country? If you’re going far, consider the college’s proximity to the nearest large airport.
• General location: rural, suburban, urban, inner city.
• Co-ed or single-sex (if you will consider both).
• Number of enrolled undergraduates and, if applicable, number of graduate students.
• Percentage of freshman applicants the school admits annually and the average class size for freshman students specifically.
• Academic profile of admitted students, including standardized test scores, average high school grade point average, and other stats the college promotes about its admitted students.
• Are honors and internship programs available? If so, are these available to first year students?
• Cost of tuition and room and board.
• Are scholarships (sometimes called merit aid) available? If so, how much money did the college provide students last year in gift money—that is, need-based and scholarship (or merit) aid?

Once you have created this basic spreadsheet, add items that are of particular importance to you. Do you know that you are interested in zoology? If so, add this item to your spreadsheet. Few schools offer an undergraduate major in this discipline, so you will want to look more carefully at those who do. Do you want to be able to do research in a specific area? Do you want a particular sports program? Add these to your sheet before you open your Web browser.

It’s OK if you’re not sure what you want to study. In fact, you can go to many schools where you do not need to choose a major immediately. A small, liberal arts setting will often allow students to explore multiple avenues of study before deciding on a career focus. Don’t forget to note how soon you must declare a major on your spreadsheet.

Even if you don’t have a major in mind, you should start thinking now about your passions. Jot some thoughts down on these questions: What do you like to do? Do you like to be outdoors? Do you like debate (sometimes referred to by your parents as arguing)? Are you passionate about caring for animals? Are you interested in how business works? Is there a profession that you find intriguing, even if you don’t yet know a lot about it? Remember, this list is yours, so be creative and truthful. You may not know what and area of study is actually called, but as you begin your online research you will find the names of majors that align with your interests.

Now, open your browser and start your search engines.

Once you have created your spreadsheet you are ready to start your Web search. I recommend that you start with Web sites that will give you the ability to sort and find schools by characteristics that you specify. Each will require that you select some criteria that are important to you, so your spreadsheet work will come in handy. There are a number of these engines, but check out www.act.org/college_search/fset_col_search.html or www.nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cool to get started. These search engines will help you to find the schools that fit your interests. Once armed with this knowledge, you can visit Web sites for specific colleges and start filling in your spreadsheet.

Ask colleges to place you on their mailing lists.

Complaining about the amount of mail from colleges that shows up in mailboxes has become a national pastime. However, you definitely want to hear from schools in which you are interested. You also want to demonstrate your interest to colleges that you care about. Once you narrow down your choices using your spreadsheet and Web site research, reach out to your top choices. Many colleges maintain sophisticated databases used to track student interest, so when you request information this lets the college know that you are more interested than someone who just says “send me college info” when they take the PSAT.

Finally, take charge of this search process. From the beginning.

Don’t expect or depend upon your parents to do this early research. If you abandon ship (or never board), you will get to April of your senior year and be both confused and stressed about where you will choose to go to college. Perhaps even more importantly, you will have missed some important opportunities to reflect upon, discover, and refine your own interests. I often ask students this question: what is the one thing upon which you will base your final college decision? Most students know the answer by the end of their search—few know it at the beginning. Take charge. You won’t be sorry you did.

Margaret Drugovich is vice president for strategic communication and university enrollment at Ohio Wesleyan University.

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How to Have a Successful College Visit
By Carol DelPropost

Carol DelPropost

Now you are ready to move forward—literally. It’s time to visit the four to six colleges that seem to most closely match your needs. These trips are exciting and fun, but they are serious, too. With just a little planning, you can be ready to take advantage of every opportunity a college visit has to offer.

Plan your visits early

Give yourself time. Begin visiting colleges during your junior year in high school or during the summer between your junior and senior years. You’ll want to visit schools of different sizes, locations, and campus and educational environments. After your once-in-a-lifetime senior year begins, you may find your time becoming more and more limited.

Most universities offer several types of visits, and all provide important opportunities to help you make your final decision. “Visit programs” typically include general information sessions and panel discussions with students, professors, and financial aid staff. These programs are helpful if you want a good overview of a school. “Information sessions” allow even more time for questions and personal interaction. They usually include individual meetings with admission and financial aid staff, as well as an overview of the college. “Individual visits” are one-to-one visits tailored specifically for you and often include participating in a class or attending a social event.

Schedule your visits at least two weeks in advance and plan to spend a minimum of four hours at each school. Be as specific as possible about what you want to do and see. Later, you may want to arrange an overnight stay at the one or two schools that could truly become your home for the next four years. Often, overnight visits are available for seniors only, so be sure to check that out.

Make your visit count

Successful college visits can include taking a thorough student-guided tour, attending a class, spending time with current students, eating in a dining hall, visiting a dorm room, attending a sporting or social event, and meeting with an admission counselor.

That’s a lot to pack into a visit. But each of these experiences offers you a different perspective of the school. Make a list of questions that are important to you. Of course, many questions will flow naturally from your interactions with those you meet, but having a list of prepared topics will help make sure you don’t forget a crucial question. Keeping a journal and taking plenty of pictures also will help put everything into focus.

Get to know current students

One of the best barometers to determine whether a college is right for you is your observations and interactions with current students. Are they friendly? Are they happy? Would they choose the same college over again if given the opportunity? Why or why not?

Ask these students about the availability of specific sports and activities that interest you. Are these opportunities available for first-year students? What do current students think of their classes? Are they challenging? Do they provide the real-world experience needed for future success? If campus employment and internship opportunities are important to you, be sure to ask about those, too.

Attend a class or two

Assess the academic environment. As you participate in classes, pay attention to the atmosphere and interaction. How large are the classes? Are they taught by professors or teaching assistants? Do the students and professors participate in lively discussion? Do the professors have mentoring relationships with their students? How is the workload in and out of class? Would you be comfortable in this environment?

Don’t worry if you’re undecided about a major. Many students change majors more than once and still graduate in four years. Whatever your interests, however, would this college help you to become the person you want to be?

Let your personality shine through

As you plan your itinerary, you may want to save admission and financial aid meetings for last. Interacting with students and faculty first will help make these meetings more focused and productive.

During college interviews, it’s important to be genuine and candid. Discuss any issues that you think might concern the school’s admission committee. Help counselors get to know the real you. Be active. Ask the questions that are vital to you. This meeting also is a good time to ask about the types of financial aid available.

The insights you receive will help you choose the right school and, ultimately, help ensure that you have a successful, rewarding, and even life-transforming college experience.

Don’t hesitate to contact the counselor with follow-up questions at any time. Telephone calls, e-mails, and even text messages are always welcome.

Gather impressions

Before you complete your visit, take time to relax and enjoy a sporting match, concert, or other social event. Talk informally to the students you pass in hallways and walkways. Hang out. Watch. Listen. Are you comfortable with the amount of diversity? Do students treat each other well? Do you feel a sense of community? Could you make this place your home?

Once you’ve answered that question, you’re ready for the next step.

Carol DelPropost is assistant vice president for admission and financial aid at Ohio Wesleyan University.

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College Admission Essays: What’s the Best Approach?
By Carol DelPropost

Carol DelPropost

Because so much of the application is based on factual information such as high school curriculum, GPA, and standardized test scores, the essay is a prime opportunity to showcase your personality.

Here are some tips for writing an eye-catching, effective essay:

Be creative. But stick to your true personality.

Admission counselors read hundreds or even thousands of application essays each year, so you want to grab their attention and show another dimension of yourself. You can use wit and humor, but keep in mind that tone is tough to decipher in written form. I’ve seen more than a few essays backfire when a student’s intention did not come across clearly in writing. If you have a great sense of humor and can communicate it well, go for it. If you’re normally a serious person, use that tactic to create something insightful.

Bring something new to the table.

By the time an admission counselor gets to your essay, she or he will have already read a detailed description of your accomplishments, your test scores, and how well you did in high school English. Make sure your essay brings a new element to the table. Did you overcome unusual circumstances to get to where you are now? Do you have a unique take on a classic movie and how it relates to the world? Were you raised in a foreign country, which has shaped your opinions of American culture? These are all interesting topics that allow you to expand on what you think. That’s what the essay is all about.

Address your imperfections head on.

You’re not perfect? No one is. And admission counselors don’t expect you to be. But if you feel a need to explain why your test scores are not a true reflection of your ability, or that you’re just not cut out for a career in quantum physics, now’s your chance to do so. Address your imperfections clearly and honestly, and explain how you have dealt with them. This will demonstrate that you are really ready for college. Finally, explain why this college is a perfect fit for you, and what you will bring to the community.

When you have finished proofreading your essay, proofread it again.

Submit your essay only when you are certain that is has no grammatical errors or typos. Write a first draft of the essay and proofread it carefully. Then, ask a friend, a parent, or a teacher to take a look. Sometimes it’s difficult to recognize mistakes if you have been staring at your essay for hours. Getting a fresh perspective is helpful, and it can prevent you from submitting an essay with unnecessary mistakes. After all, you want the admission counselors to notice your creativity and insight, not your spelling mistakes or misuse of commas.

Have fun! Consider the essay an opportunity, not an ordeal.

Carol DelPropost is assistant vice president for admission and financial aid at Ohio Wesleyan University.

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How to Go for the Dough when Applying for College
By Lee Harrell

Lee Harrell

The most important step at this stage is to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, more commonly known as the FAFSA.

Even if you doubt you’ll qualify for need-based financial aid, you should complete this form. It’s free to file online and relatively painless.

Ensuring eligibility

By completing the FAFSA, you ensure that you’ll be considered for all categories of aid a college has to offer, including federal, state, and institutional grants, loans, and scholarships. If you don’t file, you may not be considered for any help at all.

You and your parents can complete the FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov any time after Jan. 1 for the 2008-2009 academic year. And sooner is better in this case. Although many colleges have deadlines in the spring, they make financial aid awards on a first-come, first-served basis. If you wait until the last minute, some pools of potential cash may already be gone.

Easing through the process

The most important instruction for completing the FAFSA is to be accurate and be on time. But the process also will go more smoothly if you use your name as printed on your Social Security card and you use actual tax returns for both you and your parents. W-2 forms lack the full information necessary for the FAFSA.

To help ensure accuracy, take time to complete the online worksheet before you enter your final information into the FAFSA itself. The worksheet follows the same order as the final form, which makes data easy to transfer.

Meeting deadlines

Although being accurate is extremely important, if you think you may miss a college’s deadline because your or your parents’ tax returns are not complete, use estimated information. You don’t want to risk missing a deadline, and you can update the estimated information later.

Other helpful tips for completing the FAFSA:

• If your parents are divorced or separated, include information from the parent with whom you lived the longest during the last 12 months.
• If you have a stepparent, be sure to include that person’s information on the FAFSA.
• Include yourself in the household size, even if you don’t live there.
• Answer “yes” to the question that asks about your interest in different types of aid, such as work-study and student loans. You are not obligated to accept these programs if you are eligible, but answering “yes” allows you to be considered.
• Keep a printout of your FAFSA results and keep copies of the worksheets and other records used to complete the FAFSA.
• Make sure you and one of your parents sign the FAFSA. You both should sign the FAFSA electronically with a personal identification number (PIN). You and your parents can apply for a PIN from the FAFSA Web site.

Changing circumstances

If you complete your form, but your family’s financial circumstances change soon after—because of unemployment, disability, etc.—contact your college to discuss appealing your aid status. Most colleges have procedures that may help you receive more aid.

If you need assistance with the FAFSA or other aid issues, don’t hesitate to contact your college’s financial aid office. Financial aid administrators are available to help you complete financial aid forms, determine your eligibility, and answer your questions.

Finally, financial aid information nights are provided by many high schools during your senior year. These sessions are a great source of information for you and your parents to learn more about the financial aid process.

Lee Harrell is the assistant vice president of admission and financial aid for Ohio Wesleyan University.

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