Choosing a college can be a daunting experience, especially when it comes time to figure out the financing. Families often wonder which college will be the most cost effective, and which will likely launch the student into a well-paying first job.
It’s not a secret that students can expect to earn different salaries based on the college they attend, the degree they earn, and the field they choose for their future career. But now, thanks to the “College Scorecard,” these numbers are concrete and not an abstract concept.
The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) releases a list, in early May of each year, of colleges that still have room for students seeking admission for the upcoming fall semester. May 1st is the national response deadline for most colleges in the U.S., although many have postponed that date to June 1st for this year. By that date, students must choose the college they will be attending in the fall and send in a deposit. Since most students apply to a multitude of colleges, it’s impossible for colleges to know for sure how many students will actually enroll until the reply deadline rolls around. After the response deadline, colleges that have not met their target enrollment are anxious to accept additional students in order to bring in the tuition money necessary to keep on budget.
Often, even well-qualified students are not accepted to the college of their dreams. Other times, students change their minds. As the time to leave home for college approaches, students sometimes wish they had chosen a school closer to home. Some students fall prey to basic procrastination and find themselves approaching high school graduation without a plan for the fall. This year brings a whole new set of concerns, as students make their college decisions without really knowing whether or not they will be able to live on their chosen college campus and attend classes in person.
Fortunately, the NACAC has just released a list of more than 600 colleges that are still accepting applications for the fall semester of 2020. Included are 16 New Jersey schools that have openings for both incoming freshmen and transfer students and are still offering housing and financial aid. The public NJ universities are Montclair State, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Rowan, Rutgers and Stockton. The private NJ colleges and universities are Bloomfield, Caldwell, Centenary, St. Elizabeth, Drew, Fairleigh Dickinson, Felician, Georgian Court, Monmouth, Rider and St. Peter’s.
There are an additional 51 schools in Pennsylvania accepting applications (with the possibility of housing and financial aid), including Penn State, St. Joseph’s, Susquehanna, Temple, and University of Scranton.
Students seeking a New York education will find opportunities at more than 50 schools including Adelphi, Hofstra, Pace, Rochester Institute of Technology, St. John’s, Syracuse, The Culinary Institute of America, and several campuses of SUNY.
The key, at this point, is to act promptly. Students who are interested in any particular college should immediately contact its admissions department to find out exactly what materials need to be submitted. Students should also inquire about the availability of merit-based and need-based financial aid. After meeting all requirements, as quickly as possible, students should follow-up with an admissions officer and reiterate their strong desire to attend that particular college. An acceptance letter may appear in their mail (or email) sooner than expected!
Susan Alaimo is the founder of SAT Smart. For the past 25 years, SAT Smart’s Ivy League educated tutors have prepared students for the PSAT, SAT, ACT, Subject Tests, AP courses, and all high school subjects. Visit www.SATsmart.com or call 908-369-5362
Students who missed out on the March, May and June SAT exams (due to cancellations caused by the Coronavirus) will likely be scrambling for a seat, once registration opens this month, for the August 29th SAT exam. Ever since the August test was introduced in 2017 (after a 40-year hiatus), the seats available locally have filled up quickly and many families have found themselves taking a road trip to a distant testing site. This year is likely to produce an even greater frenzy as many rising seniors have not yet tested at all and rising juniors and sophomores are anxious to get a baseline score.
Summer is a popular time for students to prepare for the SAT, without the pressures of school and homework. By taking the exam in August, students have the opportunity to put their newly acquired SAT strategies and skills to the test without waiting for the fall testing dates which, this year, will be September 26th, October 3rd, November 7th and December 5th.
Many colleges and universities have now postponed, from today (May 1st) until June 1st, the deadline for accepted students to formally enroll and submit their deposit money to join their college community. That gives students a bit more time, but not very much, to analyze so many factors that have suddenly come into play.
Since so much is still unknown, and will be for some time, students have to honestly weigh their priorities. They need to consider whether they are still thrilled at the prospect of being a part of their intended college community even if they will be attending their first semester classes online from home with absolutely no collegiate social life (football games to attend, sororities and fraternities to join, hundreds or even thousands of new people to meet).
Don’t throw out your SAT prep book just yet. While College Board has now announced the cancellation of the June 6th SAT exam, it has also clarified its plans for the future. The SAT will be offered on August 29, September 26, October 3, November 7 and December 5.
Students should not be lulled into complacency by announcements from some colleges that they will not be requiring SAT scores from the next applicant pool. Colleges are concerned with getting the greatest number of applicants as possible and will therefore do whatever they need to do to get on the radar of college-bound students. The more applications a college receives, the more competitive it can be in selecting its next incoming class. Those students who submit impressive scores will certainly have a leg up on those who choose to skip the exam.
“What is your four-year graduation rate?” This may be one of the most important questions that college-bound students and their parents can ask when considering a potential college. An article in Money magazine stated, “the failure to graduate students in four years has become so commonplace that schools are now showing you their six-year graduation rate.” Unfortunately, that fact often is not very evident.
The “Best Colleges” Guide by U.S. News & World Report, considered a top resource of college information, lists the graduation rate as one of its key criteria in ranking hundreds of colleges and universities. Readers may assume it indicates a four-year graduation rate. But buried on page 62 is a sentence indicating that it is actually a six-year graduation rate.
April 1st has passed. That’s the deadline day for most colleges to let students know whether or not they’ve been accepted. Now the ball is in the student’s court! Many students find themselves with a pile of acceptance letters (or emails). How should students make this pivotal decision?
First of all, remember the purpose of college. It’s certainly intended to make students more educated, in general, and more aware of the world and the issues surrounding them. But, more pragmatically, most students attend college with the goal of preparing for a career that will support them for the rest of their lives. So the best choice college is often the one with the strongest program in a student’s intended field of study. A little research will reveal the mid-career salary of alumni from all of the colleges under consideration, as well as the acceptance rate at medical and dental schools, law schools and graduate programs.
