College Counseling Seminar

Robin Groelle of College Counseling in collaboration with Take Stock in Children will be offering a Free College Counseling Seminar at the Kiwanis Hall in Bradenton on June 16, 19, and 21. A number of experts in college admissions will be guest speakers on topics from how to find the right college for you, getting in, scoring your best on the SAT/ACT, financial aid, and writing the college essay.  The Manatee Education Foundation, the Manatee Community Foundation and SACAC's Extend the Dream grants are funding this series of college counseling workshops for college-bound students and their parents in Bradenton and Sarasota, FL.   The Seminar is free, open to the public and will offer handouts, breakout sessions, and refreshments.  To register: email Robin at rgroelle@collegecounselling.com or call 941-932-1216.

All kinds of rankings out there....

Check out this article ranking colleges based on graduates life long projected earnings.....http://www.businessinsider.com/best-value-colleges-2012-4

Find out how colleges make admissions decisions

What lies behind the curtain of College Admissions? Watch this segment of Planning for College where admissions deans speak out with words of advice. Guest speaker: Sonia Wu from New College in Sarasota, FL and Jean Wall, former Dean of Admission at Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA and Scholarship Coordinator at U of South Florida. What every college applicant should know!

Planning for college December 2011

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Tips for Financing a College Education

Here's segment #5 of METV's Planning for College....Tips for Funding a College Education and landing foundation scholarships.

My guests: Dr. Pat Watkins, Dir of FA at Eckerd College and Marilyn Howard, Exec. Dir of Manatee Community Foundation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9Th-MmrSTo&feature=share

Planning for College - March 2012

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Where will your roommate come from?

This cool interactive report from the Chronicle of Higher Education on "Where Do The Freshmen Come From" is so much fun! Pick a college and guess what percentage are from in-state. It's a great way to learn about geographic diversity on college campuses around the country.

What are the most important components of the application?

It depends on where you apply.

College admissions offices differ in the components that are most important. All colleges will take a close review of a student's transcript noting the rigor of the courses taken in the 5 core subjects and the progression of marks earned. Many will also review the SAT, ACT, and/or SAT Subject Tests or AP exams. However, a growing number of colleges will review applicants without testing thus enabling the readers to focus on other aspects of the application including the essay(s), resume of activities, and letters of recommendations. For the most highly selective colleges, these factors will "get you to the starting line" and it's the distinguishing features that wil make the difference (noteworthy talents, accomplishments, leadership, connections to the college - the "it" factor - that helps an applicant stand apart).

Do's and Don'ts of the College Essay

I'll be sharing tips from time to time on the blog....since this is the feverish time for college essay writing for seniors - this one's for them:

Write from the heart

College admission readers are very busy folks. Many read thousands of essays in a couple of months, so keep your audience in mind. Don’t write what you think they want to hear, write what you care about in a way that no one else could. It’s not so much what you write about, but how you write about it. The most insignificant occurrence can be communicated in an extraordinary way – if it’s meaningful to the person who experienced it. Keep your writing specific with descriptions that brings the reader into your life. Draw the reader in so that they want to know more. The best college essays leave the reader wanting to meet you!