Quoted in article - Don't Go Broke Paying for your Kid's College

A number of good tips in this article from ACB News out of Denver:

What You Don't Know About Financial Aid....NYTimes

Here's a recent article about the dilemma many families are facing this month....deciphering the financial aid awards from various colleges and trying to determine what the net price of each will be.  So many variables go into determining a family's ability to pay.  Colleges also differ on how they meet the demonstrated financial need.  There are many myths and misunderstandings related to college cost and financial aid - this article helps to address many of them.

A good read for all families sending students off to college.

An inside look at Selective College Admissions

As we prepare to release admission decisions tomorrow evening, Duke’s admissions officers know that many deeply talented students are going to be crestfallen and perhaps mystified. Only 9% of Regular Decision applicants will receive the news they hope to see. For those we do not admit, an admissions officer’s words may not diminish disappointment, but I hope they can make the selection process less opaque.
Alongside mystery naturally lies skepticism for some, especially in an arena as complex and high-stakes as selective college admissions.  Earlier in the application season, The Atlantic tapped into the confusion many students experience and took a shot at holistic admissions as a lure, offering students the false promise of personal consideration. Phoebe Maltz Bovy argues: “From colleges’ perspective, “holistic” is just shorthand for, we make the decisions we make, and would rather not be asked to spell out each one.”
The decisions we make here in Duke Admissions are nuanced, subjective, and, yes, personal.  Though never arbitrary, they can be difficult to understand without having seen a large, representative sample of the applicant pool. However, “holistic admissions” is not an explanatory scapegoat; it is a practice that enables meaningful distinctions among a sea of candidates who are highly qualified to attend a school like Duke.
I’ve written before about the workings of reading season, but let me dig a little deeper into the underpinnings of holistic admissions.  Philosophically, it rests on two fundamental assumptions:

1. Each student is a person, not merely a catalog of accomplishments (though, of course, those are considered in our selections).  Remembering this benefits applicants by allowing identification of merits that do not lend themselves to quantitative measurements. It also benefits the university as we seek to create the most vibrant possible community of flesh-and-blood individuals.
2. Context matters.  Each component of an application indicates more as part of a whole than on its own. Different pieces reflect back on one another to portray and reinforce characteristics, and accomplishments become more meaningful considered in the context of opportunities available and obstacles faced. Further, each application is necessarily considered in the context of the entire applicant pool and the potential context of a well-rounded incoming class.

As an intellectually demanding and fast-paced university, Duke is first and foremost concerned with our applicants’ academic qualifications.  When I read an application, I always start with the transcript.  Even the best essay of the year is unlikely to sustain an academically lackluster application. (By the way, to younger students reading—please don’t feel that you ought to write a confessional essay. The personal statement is already a tricky genre, and the confessional is even tougher to write well.  For essay tips from Duke Dean of Admissions Christoph Guttentag, check out this piece in the Raleigh News & Observer.)
Most students who apply to Duke display the intellectual chops and commitment to succeed here. With over 32,000 students vying for just 1,700 spots in the class, even absurdly fine grained distinctions along a numeric metric wouldn’t get the selection job done. To look at just one example: more than twice as many valedictorians applied as we had spaces in the class, and that’s a count contextualized by the fact that only half of schools sending us applicants provided a class rank. We have to look at other factors, and we want to consider all the other ways a student might contribute to the richness of Duke’s community.
Duke is very transparent about relevant characteristics we seek—things like engagement, impact, creativity, talent, and drive—and where in the application we look to find them.  There are six areas, both quantitative and qualitative: curricular rigor, academic grades, letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities, the quality of thought and expression in the application essays, and standardized test scores.
These components are equally important, and most of the time just one of them doesn’t “make or break” a decision, though different pieces may come to the fore in different discussions.  In making a case to admit a student, I have to articulate to the committee what stands out.  For decisions on the bubble, the factors that most differentiate a student from the norms of the applicant pool—positively, negatively, or simply uniquely—are likely to drive the committee conversation.
We do not rate or rank applicants’ personal qualities, but we do aim to identify those that emerge, and we care very much about them. A suite of recommendations, essays, extracurricular and academic choices, accomplishments, and an interview report, if available, can solidify a strong sense of kindness, grit, wit, or a particular flavor of intellectual fervor.
Evaluating a file is an art akin to assembling a jigsaw puzzle without a box.  We aren’t starting with any preconceived pictures, and we don’t possess every piece of information that might be interesting or valuable.  We do not presume we know everything about all our applicants, but the application provides enough interlocking pieces, many of them very big, for us to identify a picture of each student as a person.
I take it very seriously that a real, hopeful human being devoted significant effort over many years to present each one of the 1,600 or so applications I read in a winter. I consider it a great privilege as well as my duty to give full, fair consideration to each applicant.  I am often saddened to recommend deny decisions, and I frequently experience excitement when someone’s unique blend of traits and talents comes to life on the pages of her application. Many times, disappointment and delight come hand-in-hand as the committee is forced to make tough calls.
Bovy is right on this count: a disappointing outcome does not imply any shortcoming.  The tough reality is that there is far more excellence of character and ability in our applicant pool than we can physically accommodate on campus. The selection process is personal, but don’t take it personally if you receive bad news from Duke or any other selective university.  If you are among the few to receive a letter that begins with the word “Congratulations” from us, know that it has been tremendously well-earned.
Thornton Wilder writes: “Hope, like faith, is nothing if it is not courageous.” As you wait these last few hours, keep your courage—and be sure to take it with you to college. It is the first step in all great things.

About the author

Elizabeth Harlow
I am a Duke alumna and the regional admissions officer for Central California, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and my native Washington. I graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 2011, receiving my B.A. with Distinction in English and with minors in Philosophy and Psychology. As an undergraduate I was involved as a resident assistant, president of Sapphire A Cappella, programming chair for the Brownstone Selective Living Group, and active member of the Duke Swing Dance Club and Duke Cru. These days, you can find me in my spare time rock climbing, running, blues dancing, or frequenting one Durham's many wonderful cafes with a friend or a book.

When the answer is no.....from a parent's perspective. Insightful & encouraging

From the New York Times....a great read for all parent's of the college-bound.

The Right Reasons to pick a College

As seniors receive the last of the decision letters - it's a good time to revisit the criteria for picking a college that's most important to them.  Here are some great insight to consider. The right Reasons to pick a College.

Focusing too narrowly in college could backfire....from WSJ

A reminder about the value of a liberal arts education....
Article from the Wall Street Journal

Front page article from the Bradenton Herald

College prep series to guide Manatee students through the selection

Bradenton Herald - November 4, 2013

By ERICA EARL — eearl@bradenton.com

MANATEE -- Finding the right college can be a daunting task for high school graduates. There is the debate of whether to experience another part of the country or stay in state, with school costs a heavily weighted deciding factor. This is the time of year when high school students are either sending off their college applications or scheduling campus tours. While it is the beginning of a new chapter, it can also be a stressful and confusing process.

College admissions experts Robin Groelle and Maria Furtado will provide some clarity at a seminar: "College: Getting in and Paying For It" Saturday at the Manatee County Central Library. The seminar is one in a series led by Groelle as seniors complete their college applications for acceptance next year.

"When I was a counselor, many students came in with the expectation of 'Where am I going?' It is one of the first big decisions they will make in life," Groelle said. "Their schedule and routine changes abruptly, and there can be a great sense of loss looming." Groelle said others see college as a chance for freedom. Either way, Groelle said, the seminar is designed to give students and parents different views on college, including practical advice, a college planning calendar, advice for making the most of campus visits and getting financial aid.

Students can benefit by taking a deeper look at the college search process, starting with their feelings toward the high school classroom. "One question every student should ask is: 'How do I learn best now?' and find a college with those values," Groelle said. Furtado said an initial start to finding the right college fit is putting aside name branding. "It is not as stressful if you are open-minded, true to who you are, and not chasing after a name," she said.  For many families, that can be a struggle. "Recognizable names are often seen as safer choices," Furtado said. "They don't always take a step back before making a decision." She recommends looking at small liberal arts colleges locally, keeping in mind academic and personal experience.

After reading about or visiting a string of schools, they can all start to look alike, Groelle said, so students should step back from the marketing materials when that happens to talk about what they want in a school. Parents can participate in the college admissions process through tours. "Even if the criteria is set for what a student wants academically, is the campus culture one they will feel comfortable in?" Groelle said. Families often look at extremes, such as conservative versus liberal, but forget the middle ground of comfort. "Some students have come to me saying they have looked at five to six schools with no 'aha' moment," Furtado said. "That it is hard, but I can't really say 'Visit 38 more schools, that'll work.' The best thing to do is to tour until it clicks and feels like the right place."

The seminar will also direct students toward finding a match culturally and intellectually. Groelle said students should determine if they will thrive more in a competitive environment in which they must rise to the occasion to maintain their desired grade point average, or a less competitive school. "The vast majority of scholarships are merit-based aid," Furtado said. Groelle said the cost of higher education is "the big elephant in the room." The average cost of college -- $20,000 a year -- is beyond the means of many Americans. "Families hear about student debt, but it is not a new concept," Groelle said. "College is the largest investment you will make in yourself."

Another sensitive topic is testing, Groelle said. "It narrows the funnel of those qualifying for Bright Futures Scholarships," Groelle said. "A growing number of colleges are questioning the accuracy and predictability of testing." Fairtest.org provides a list of test-optional colleges, including the American University in Washington, D.C. and the Berklee College of Music. In-state colleges include Beacon College, Chiploa College, Daytona State College and Full Sail University. Groelle said these schools look at other credentials, such as an additional essay. Even top test-takers may choose to go to these schools, but students still need to think seriously about preparing for the ACT and SAT. "The tests can make a difference if a student chooses to stay in-state," Groelle said.

Groelle said opting only for in-state eliminates different types of schools, such as all-girls schools, highly selective institutions and Ivy League schools. Going out of state might not be a financial option, but students may want to consider the population of in-state students at their choice colleges. "When going to school with mostly in-state students, you only get one perspective," Furtado said. "It can skew the social and academic experience." Groelle recommends the "where does your freshman class come from?" link on the Chronicle of Higher Education website. According to the website, 95.5 percent of freshmen at the University of Florida came from Florida in 2010. At Eckerd College, only 18.1 percent of the 2010 freshman class came from in-state.

Furtado and Groelle said the seminars will touch on a variety of factors to consider when applying for school, including some that several students may not have thought about. "The message is that you can do this," Furtado said. The "College: How to Get in and Pay for It" seminar will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Manatee County Central Library.