New August SAT Date Announced

For the first time in recent memory, College Board is changing the SAT testing schedule. Until this yaer, they have always held the SAT during the months of October, November, December, January, March, May, and June. However, starting summer 2017, there will be an August 26 SAT for students to take. They will continue offering 7 SAT dates, and will be discontinuing the January SAT.

In my opinion, this is a great decision for a couple of reasons. First, it gives seniors another opportunity at the beginning of the school year to take the SAT before college applications. Also, and more importantly, the August date will give seniors more time and will eliminate the rushed feeling of anxiety that comes with the fall test dates. Many early application deadlines for colleges are November 1, and, for many students, this only leaves them with the early October SAT. And while this test date is usually fine for early application deadlines, there is always the worry that the scores will not be received in time. However, now with the August test, students can patiently await their scores, and decide if they want to apply early or not.

In my opinion, the August SAT brings a bit more sanity back to the college process, as students will not feel as rushed. Also, for high school students, especially on the East Coast, they do not begin school again until after Labor Day, so they will not have the pressure of school work, while preparing and taking the SAT.

I also do not feel that losing the January test date will affect most students. At this point, seniors should definitely be done taking the SAT or ACT. Most application deadlines have passed, and seniors should just be waiting to hear back from schools. January also is usually a little too early for juniors to take the SAT, and they still have three opportunities before the end of the school year to take the SAT with March, May, and June.

I really think this will only be a benefit to our students, and I look forward to seeing how this (hopefully positively) impacts the college application process!

And just for planning purposes, here are the proposed SAT test dates for 2017 & 2018:

August 26, 2017
October 7, 2017
November 4, 2017
December 2, 2017
March 10, 2018
May 5, 2018
June 2, 2018

Happy searching!

Joseph D. Korfmacher

Let's Talk about the Coalition

For the past decade, there has been two main avenues to apply to college: the Common Application and applying through the college website. Well, it's about to time to add a third option in there, as the Coalition Application has opened for business for the 2016-2017 college application year. In this post, I want to help students and parents understand what the Coalition is all about and how/when/if it should be used during the college process. We will all know much more as the fall approaches, but as of June, 2016, this is what I know...

What is this Coalition? 
The official name of the Coalition is "The Coalition for Access and Affordability". This idea was put into motion two years ago when the Common Application infamously crashed during the peak application season, causing students, school counselors, and admissions professionals to basically panic. It was not a pretty scene, and a few top colleges began thinking of new ways to improve the entire application process for everyone involved. In the fall of 2015, these colleges presented the Coalition, which is basically a new way to apply to numerous schools, using one application, just like the Common Application...but hopefully better. As of today, there are over 90 colleges and universities that have agreed to take part in the Coalition, and are "potentially" ready to use this next year.

How is the Coalition Different? 
Just like the Common Application, the Coalition allows students to create one account, complete an application, and send it to many colleges, which saves time and sanity, and keeps things more organized. However, unlike the Common Application, which has over 600 members, the Coalition is a bit more exclusive. In order to join this alliance, the college must have a graduation rate of at least 70% in 6 years (national average is much lower), and must be affordable. For state colleges, the schools must be affordable with help of in-state tuition and need-based financial aid, and private schools must meet 100% of the student's demonstrated financial need. One of the goals of the Coalition is to eliminate some of the barriers to attending college, and to help all students learn about and apply to great institutions across the country.

So what is the Deal with this Locker? 
If you have heard information about the Coalition already, you may know that the biggest questions revolve around what they are calling a "locker". The locker is the most unique feature of the Coalition. This allows students as early as freshmen year in high school to create an account on the Coalition and begin storing personal work in their secured locker. This is an online feature that allows students to upload items such as class projects, favorite essays, artwork, videos of play performances, extra-curricular milestones or awards, research, capstone projects, and much more. The locker will store all of this information, and it will never been seen by colleges during the pre-application stage. As part of the locker, there is also a collaboration space, where the student can choose a mentor (teacher, counselor, etc) who will then be able to go into their locker and look at the work they have saved. The mentor can then give feedback and comments, but will not be allowed to make changes. The hope is that over time, through the help of the chosen mentor, the student will be able to improve on his or her academic and extra-curricular work. Although we are not certain yet, as part of the application, senior year, students may be able to unlock some of their work to send to colleges, so they can get a better sense of who they are as an applicant.

Should We Use the Coalition this Year?
Well, my quick answer is NO. Although I think the Coalition has a lot of promise, the engineering of the website and application are very good, and I think the purpose of this has great merit, there are just too many questions right now. As I said before, there are over 90 colleges that have signed on to join the Coalition, but only THREE colleges are going to be Coalition-exclusive. This means rising seniors applying to the University of Florida, University of Washington, and University of Maryland, College Park MUST use the Coalition to apply. For the rest of the colleges, students can choose to either use the school's website to apply or can use the Common Application. Also, close to a third of the colleges have decided they will NOT allow rising seniors to apply to their college through the Coalition for the 2016-2017 school year, which tells me something. That list of schools can be found here: Coalition Schools not Accepting their Application Portal for 2016-2017

Final Thoughts: When I first heard of the Coalition, I was not happy. I figured this would just add to the already growing craziness that surrounds applying to college. However, as more of their plan is being outlined and delivered, I think this could be a great tool. However, I think it is in everyone's best interest to sit out of the Coalition for this next school year. There are still other ways to apply to college (besides the above mentioned 3 universities) and there are way too many questions about the effectiveness of this new application. So I hope everyone has a great summer, and I will return to this topic next year...hopefully with much more solid information and student experience from around the country. As always, take care and happy searching!

Joseph D. Korfmacher

USA Today College: 5 Pieces of Summer Advice for Rising HS Seniors

Planning to spend your summer before senior year searching for colleges? USA Today's College vertical has some key pieces of advice for getting started. The article is excerpted below, but you can see the full version here: http://usat.ly/1F5tFNH 

1. Keep your options open: Though you may have your heart set on attending one particular college or university, try to create a list of several schools that interest you. This will likely increase your chances of gaining admission to a college that you truly want to attend.

2. Visit your prospective schools: This summer, use part of your downtime to visit potential colleges. Doing so can help you narrow your short list of schools. Consider shadowing a current university student if this option is available, as it allows you to gain an authentic sense of college life.

JDK editor's note: If you can't make it to all the schools you'd like to tour, try YouVisit's virtual campus tours.

3. Be productive: Rising high school seniors can benefit from working a part-time job, completing an internship, holding a volunteer position or pursuing a hobby this summer. Engaging in such activities demonstrates that you are productive and take initiative, two qualities that are highly sought after by college admissions officers.

4. Write the first draft of your admissions essay: The admissions essay is a fantastic opportunity to set yourself apart from other applicants. It should be creative and descriptive, yet well written and concise. 

JDK editor's note: JDK College Consulting offers one-on-one guidance and editing to help focus and perfect your college essays.

5. Start your applications: Colleges generally offer applicants one of three ways to apply: an institution-specific application, The Common Application and the Universal College Application. Familiarize yourself with the release dates for these applications, and begin working on them this summer, if possible. You’ll be glad you did when you have less work to do during the school year.

Happy searching!

College Spotlight: Fairfield University

General Information

Another stop on my recent northeast college tour was Fairfield University, located in Fairfield, Connecticut. Fairfield is a private, liberal arts school with just under 4,000 total undergraduates. It is located on a lovely campus with views of the Long Island Sound. The 200-acre campus is in the suburbs, but students are only minutes from city life and the beach, and only about 90 minutes from New York City. The campus has green rolling hills throughout, which creates a perfect place for students to study, throw the frisbee, or just take a nap. When I was there, I even saw the archery club setting up for a practice. Also, it's hard to miss the turkeys that call Fairfield's campus home throughout the year, so be on the lookout if you choose to tour the school.

Fairfield University is one of the 28 Jesuit Universities across the country, and focuses on developing "the whole person" while establishing a sense of community for everyone there. The academics are strong and community service/helping others is an important part of life for Fairfield students. The vast majority of students on campus are from Connecticut and neighboring states, but Fairfield draws students from across the country and all over the world.

Academic & Admissions Information

The total cost of attendance at Fairfield is $58,625, which is high, but fairly common among private universities. However, four levels of scholarships are offered: Magis - $25,000, Bellermine - $17,000, Loyola - $13,000, and Xavier - $7,000. If covering the tuition is a concern, they are advised not to apply Early Decision. They are a test-optional school, meaning students do not need to submit test scores for admission (last year 30% of applicants applied Test Optional), and interviews are recommended for applicants. This past year, Fairfield had a 63% admission rate and right now the male to female student ratio is 37:63 and is looking to enroll a bigger percentage of males in years to come. The averages for accepted students are: GPA: 3.4; SAT: 1150; and ACT: 26. Demonstrated interest in attending is also a factor in Fairfield's Admissions' decision-making.

Fairfield University offers 41 majors and has the common ones that most students are familiar with. Their four main colleges are the College of Arts and Sciences, Dolan School of Business, School of Engineering, and the School of Nursing. At Fairfield, the majority of classes will be small, and students are guaranteed a hands-on learning experience and close relationships with their professors.

Fairfield University has always been a popular college for students on the east coast, and after visiting and learning more about their academics and community, I can see why it is a common destination. This is a great place for students who want to go away to college without being too far and have access to a beautiful campus and access to nature (hiking trails, views of the Long Island Sound, beaches, woods are all nearby). Students will be pushed academically, but supported throughout their time at Fairfield. 

As always, happy searching!

-Joseph D. Korfmacher

College Spotlight: Marist College

Last week, I visited 10 colleges and universities in Connecticut and New York. Over the next two weeks, I will discuss my thoughts on these schools, share valuable information, and post a few pictures from each school. The first school I want to share with you is Marist College, located in Poughkeepsie, New York. Located only 2 hours north of New York City, it is situated on a beautiful 200 acre campus on the banks of the Hudson River. As soon as you pull off the main road onto their campus, you are struck by the beauty of its surroundings. Lately, Marist has put a lot of time and money into their campus and buildings, and it shows. Most of the buildings are a similar color of gray stone, all of the Division 1 sports fields are located throughout the campus, and at the center of the campus is a gorgeous lawn facing the Hudson River.

General Information

Marist College has just under 4,800 students, and boasts a 16:1 student to faculty ratio, allowing for a ton of personal attention between professors and students. Today, Marist is an independent private school, but it does have a Catholic background, as it was founded by the Marist Brothers. Their retention rate from freshmen to sophomore year is a superb 93%, and the total cost of attendance (tuition, room and board, fees, etc.) is $47,000 - reasonable compared to many other private schools in the country.

Academic Information

• Marist has 6 academic schools, housing 35 Bachelor's programs and 12 master's Programs.
• There are no lecture halls on campus and the biggest class is only 35 students.
• The School of Communication and the Arts has unique internship opportunities, such as a Marist in Manhattan Program and Art Internships in Florence. They have very close connections with NBC, Guggenheim, MSG, New Line Cinema, and ESPN. They also have a very popular fashion program and often participate in fashion week in NYC.
• The School of Computer Science and Mathematics is very demanding and their most competitive program on campus. Marist has a very close relationship with IBM, as they have given over $95 million in technology to Marist. Close to 95% of information and technology and computer science majors secure jobs before graduation at companies such as IBM, USAA, UBS, and Goldman Sachs.
• The Marist School of Management  is AACSB accredited and offers degrees in areas such as economics, accounting, and finance management. There is a full, live trading room on campus, and they have many internships with Fortune 100 and 500 companies.
• The School of Liberal Arts offers majors in areas such as English, History, and Political Science. They also have a pre-law advisory program with a 100% acceptance rate to law schools. Marist is also 1 of 6 schools in the country that works directly and grants internships with presidential libraries (FDR Library and Museum, for example). 
• The School of Science has many common Science majors, and has medical track programs including pre-dental, pre-medicine, pre-veterinary, and an athletic training program. The School of Science also has a great medical technology program that has a 100% job placement rate by graduation since 1982.
• The School of Social and Behavioral Sciences  has majors in education, psychology, social work, criminal justice, and more. All students in this school are required to do an internship by the time they graduate. They are also connected with the United Nations, NYPD, FBI, Homeland Security, and the CIA.
• Finally, some students have the option of spending their freshmen year at Marist in Florence, Italy - a unique opportunity calld the Freshmen Florence Experience.

Admissions Information 

• Marists' middle 50% accepted scores for the SAT is 1600-1840 and their average GPA is about a 3.5. The acceptance rate is around 32%.
• When reviewing an applicant, strength of program (academic rigor) is very important, as are the letters of recommendation.
• Marist is a test-optional school, although 77% of students do submit scores.
• Demonstrated interest in attending is very important to Marist Admissions, as is the 'Why Marist" supplement on the Common Application.
• They are in the process of building a brand new science building, potentially relieving the acceptance rate a bit for students interested in pursuing a science-related degree.

Personal Feedback and Pictures

I have always known a good amount about Marist, but I was honestly blown away when visiting the school for the first time in official college counselor capacity. This school has a little bit of everything and I think it is a perfect fit for many students. The location is ideal, only being 2 hours from the city, but located in a stunning part of New York State. It is clear that Administration has the students' best interests in mind, and that they are committed to ensuring students have a great overall experience while at school in searching for a career post-graduation. This is truly a school I believe most students should consider for its location, scenery, academics, career development, and overall community. 

Joseph D. Korfmacher

NYT Article on Surviving College Admissions

I wanted to share with you this very powerful and well-written New York Times article on college admissions at the most selective colleges and how this can be a damaging process to students across the world, but it doesn't need to be. It explains how ridiculously competitive it is to gain admission to the top colleges in the country, but how students should not feel as if they have to attend the top 25 colleges in order to be successful. It shares personal stories about young men and women who were denied admission to the most selective colleges, went on to "second tier" schools, and were extremely successful at school and in their careers. These students turned the rejections into a learning experience and propelled them into taking full advantage of all of the opportunities that the school that did accept them offered.

I personally am a strong believer in finding the right fit of a college for each student, and the name of a college really does not mean much to me. Students should strive to find a place where they will feel comfortable and that will give them the chance to be happy and successful. Students don't necessarily need to go to the Harvards and Stanfords of the world to be happy or successful. I urge you to read through the entire article, and the end offers a great story of what two parents did for their son during the application process. The article can be found here, on the New York Times website. Enjoy!

-Joseph D. Korfmacher

College Spotlight: The University of Miami

At the end of January, I was lucky enough to attend a counselor-fly-in to the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida for three days. I have never visited this school and I was impressed with the high level of academics and the beautiful community of students, faculty, and surrounding environment that makes up 'The U". Miami is a research university and has just over 11,000 undergraduates, which makes it a very accessible campus, and allows for students to get to know their faculty and administration and establish relationships to help with their academics and career search. As you can see by the pictures below, the University of Miami is situated on an absolutely beautiful campus surrounding a small lake with water fountains in the middle. Right next to the lake is an outdoor swimming pool with Olympic style diving boards. The University is about 25 minutes outside of Miami, and is in the suburbs of Coral Gables, which is an absolutely pristine town.

Academically, the university has pretty much any type of major students are looking for, including architecture, marine biology, engineering, and business. Miami is a school that continues to grow in popularity, and is a school that's academics, culture, and environment, makes it a place where many students should look. For everyone who has had enough with this year's winter, when I was down there, it was a bit chilly to the locals at about 72 degrees every day! Check out some facts about the school below, and you would be smart to put this school on your map!

Miami's Mascot is the Ibis, which is a type of bird, known to be the last to leave before a storm hits and the first to come back when the storm is over, so just like their students and faculty, the Ibis is known for its resiliency.

There are 11 schools and colleges, including the Miller School of Medicine and the School of Law. The other nine undergraduate colleges are: 

• School of Architecture
• College of Arts and Science
• School of Business Administration
• School of Communication
• School of Education and Human Development
• College of Engineering
• School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
• Frost School of Music
• School of Nursing and Health Studies 

For admissions, they offer Early Decision, Early Action, and Regular Decision, with an RD deadline of January 1st. This past year, UMiami had about 700 students apply through ED, and they accepted about 180 students, they had about 15,000 applications through EA and accepted about 6,500 students, and through regular decision they had about 17,000 applications, and most likely will accept about 5-6 thousand students. Their middle 50% for the SAT for acceptance is 1900-2100 and the ACT is 28-32. They offer a ton of big time merit scholarships including the Stamps Foundation Scholarship which is a full ride (applicants usually have a 1500 SAT or 35 ACT) and they offer 70 full tuition scholarships each year.

UMiami has a fantastic career development center, called the  Toppel Career Center. This is a 12,000 square feet building dedicated to career counseling, which is a big deal on their campus. Here they offer 1-on-1 career advising and interview labs which are focused on the student's industry they are going for, and they have cameras and microphones to record practice interviews. The career center also offers "meet-ups" with employers for their students to network. Finally, UMiami gives 1 free academic credit for an internship. Check out  www.hireacane.com for more information.

Othere highlights:
Architecture has 3 semesters focused on the art and drawing aspects of this field, they are very big on urban design and living, and students complete one semester studying in Rome.

College of Engineering offers a 6-year BS/MS Program Partnership with the University of Bologna in Italy (which is a top 10 school for civil engineering in world). This is for civil engineers only, where they do 3 1/2 years in Miami and 3 1/2 years in Italy. Students graduate with BS and MS from UMiami and a MS from U of Bologna.

The Nursing program usually has about 25-35 students per class and students do not have to apply directly to the program. If they are accepted to the University, they can be a nursing major if they want.

The Frost School of Music has about 450 undergraduates, and all students  must audition.

They also offer a music engineering major, where students get a BS in music, and take lots of math and engineering courses. Other unique majors include music therapy, music education, and music business. Although it is not mandatory, it helps to audition on campus, as this could help with potential scholarships.

The School of Communication offers five main areas including Interactive media, journalism, advertising, PR, and motion pictures. LinkedIn has named UMiami the #17 school in the country for media preparation.

Hopefully this information was helpful, and I urge you all to look more closely into The University of Miami as a potential destination! Enjoy the pictures, and as always, happy searching!

-Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA

Senior Testimonial and Advice for the College Application Process, Part 3

I asked a number of Class of 2015 seniors to write about their experiences with the college process. This next one is by Sean Drennan of NYC. Enjoy! 

The college search and application process seems like a daunting task to many rising seniors. To myself it seemed like I had to get over a 10 foot fence. First researching and finding colleges that you would like to visit is a tough task. Getting down the location, size, and type of college you want to attend seems like an easy task but there's so many options that you don't even know where to start.

After finding the list of colleges that you want to apply to, the application process comes into play. This was actually the easy part of the process for me. In order to make this part easier many schools that I applied to had rolling admissions or the deadlines were spread out from the months of November through January. This made the essays I had to write easier to spread out thus making them better for the admissions representatives. Another tip for college essays is to get the common application essay done as early as possible. This allows your senior year English teacher to read them before you send them to colleges.

The most difficult part of the college process for me was perfecting my Common Application essay. I was submitting this essay to 4 colleges so I wanted it to be good enough to get me into these colleges. Luckily, it worked and I was able to perfect it and be accepted to those colleges.

One of the most surprising things during the entire application process was how short it actually took to apply to colleges. To colleges with no essay it took only about 25 minutes in order to complete the application and send in my ACT scores. I thought that filling out applications would be a rigorous process and take up a lot of time.

Another tip I have for the college application process is to believe in yourself and apply to schools that you love and would be happy to go to. Grades are not the only thing that get you into a college. If you fall in love with a reach school, still apply and just show your high interest in the school. They will take that into consideration and it may help your decision. Also, I recommend creating a resume to submit to every college that you apply to.

Good luck to everyone with the college application process and I hope that you all get into the colleges that you want!

Senior Testimonial and Advice for the College Application Process, Part 2

I asked a number of Class of 2015 seniors to write about their experiences with the college process. This next one is by Gianluca Milea of NYC. Enjoy!

The college process can be very intimidating at times.  While it is very important to have numerous options, I found it difficult to apply to a limited number of schools.  Although Xavier does not put a maximum on how many schools to which you are allowed to apply, application fees are very expensive and at the end of the day you will only be attending one college. 

To begin the process, I visited a myriad of schools, some of which were unrealistic options for me.  After visiting four schools in two days, I decided to create guidelines for my potential college.  While academic rigor is essential, there are many other factors that go into a final college decision: food, campus life, off-campus life, greek life, religious affiliation, athletic programs, housing, location and possibly two of the most important things, tuition cost, and how comfortable you feel on the campus tour.  Ultimately, this will be your home for the next four years, and while it may seem like high school flew by, you want to make sure that you enjoy your time in college as much as you were fortunate enough to enjoy your time at Xavier.  These parameters allowed for me to narrow down my search and my college list to a comfortable number.

Something that I was unaware of before beginning my college process is that many universities give automatic scholarships for activities outside of academics.  For instance, Catholic University has a scholarship if you know someone that attended their university and also a Parish Scholarship for weekly churchgoers.  Many schools have similar scholarships and they can be a great way to estimate a tuition (as you will definitely receive some type of financial assistance) and make sure it is affordable before spending money on an application fee.

I would also highly recommend keeping the number of schools that you apply to without visiting to a minimum.  Getting a feel for a campus is essential in the process and should not be overestimated.  Personally, I visited all of my schools except for a couple of reach schools, and will eventually visit them pending my admissions decision.  After visiting I would suggest using Naviance; it is a great website to keep order during a hectic time.  Naviance allows you to make a list of “Colleges I’m Thinking About” and rank them in your order of interest.  Another helpful feature of the website is that it gives scattergrams, which give you the opportunity to compare yourself to past Xavier students.  Overall, Naviance is a great tool that Xavier offers its students and you should really take full advantage of it.

Finally, while the college process can be overwhelming, it is completely worth it.  Make sure that you do not miss out on the opportunity to apply to a school because you were too lazy to write a supplement.  It is a great feeling when you hit ‘send’ and all of your applications have been submitted.  All in all: do your research, visit schools, make a comprehensive list, do not wait until the night before to apply, and then relax and wait for the decisions to roll in.  Good Luck!