Senior Testimonial and Advice for the College Application Process, Part 4

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

The college process is a very exciting and important part of high school.  It is necessary to spend the time on it because it does decide the next, very pivotal, four years of your life.  It is a time-consuming process, but it is well worth it in the end.

For students just starting the process, it is never too early to start the process.  I would also say to just research colleges based on what you’re interested in studying.  Colleges that you’ve never heard of might make it to your final list as they did on mine.  You’ll be surprised how many schools are out there that have what you’re interested in, so just research all of the schools and add them to your list.  Do not dismiss a school because it may not be ranked high, or not hard to get into.   It is not so much about the name of the school, but rather about finding the right fit for you.

The most difficult part of the process is filling out all of the applications. They are very time-consuming and often require much thought and care.  Essays and supplements deserve their due diligence because they can really make or break your application. This is the chance to set yourself apart from the rest of the applicants by showing your true voice and interests.  Be personal with the supplements and appeal to what the specific school has to offer because this shows much more of a genuine interest in each school.

Visiting schools is very important because it shows a strong interest to the school, and you can really get a feel for the school to see if you truly like it. There is no point in applying to schools that you wouldn’t want to go to, so get out there and experience the schools for yourself.  I visited schools throughout the spring and summer. I wrote draft essays over the summer, which I highly recommend doing because it frees up a lot of time when school starts.  I finalized my list in September and started to work on all of the applications on the Common App. I worked during my free periods, which was very useful because I did not end up having to do much at home.  Take advantage of all of the free time you have, and use it constructively.  It will be worth it in the end.

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

Introducing Micro-Scholarships for College from Raise.me

We are all familiar with the high costs associated with pursuing a college education. But remember, there are many options out there to collect scholarships and financial aid. And some are more out-of-the-box than you may expect.

Take Raise.me, for example. I recently had the opportunity to meet with folks from Raise.me, a new organization that is partnering with colleges across the country to help families rack up "micro-scholarships" against the astronomical costs of higher education. Starting in 9th grade, students can accrue these small, conditional scholarships from colleges for accomplishments such as getting an 'A' in science class, making the Varsity swim team, being involved in community service, partaking in various extracurricular activities, and much more. If you wind up attending a school you've selected through Raise.me, the micro scholarships you've built up will be applied to your tuition.

The process is very simple; go to their website, create a free account (Name, DOB, High School, and graduation year), select any or all of the schools they partner with, input your accomplishments, and watch the scholarships grow. The Raise.me platform is retroactive, meaning even juniors and seniors can enter any high school accomplishments to count toward Raise.me scholarship money (as long as the college's submission deadline has not passed).

Currently, this organization is partnered with 65 colleges, including Tulane and Temple, but will be adding an average of one new school per week. Students may choose to connect to as many colleges on Raise.me as they want, and are under no commitment to attend those schools. However, if they do choose to attend a college selected through Raise.me, the school is bound to give them the amount in their account. The scholarships range in amounts, and can be small, but receiving any scholarship money for your accomplishments is a great way to offset college costs. Parents, this is also a great motivator for high school students to become more involved in school activities, sports, or even work harder in the classroom. Of course, getting that 'A' in Calculus is a win on transcripts, as well, but it won't hurt to also get $500 from a college for receiving that grade!

Raise.me launched for student-use 6 months ago, and has grant funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Facebook, and UPenn. So students, check out the website, connect with colleges, begin listing your accomplishments, and watch the potential scholarships accrue in your account! If you haven't had motivation yet to get involved in the classroom, on the field, or in extracurriculars, maybe a little money towards your college education will help.

Best of luck with this experience, and as always, happy searching!

Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA

YouVisit: Seeing College Campuses Virtually

I have always stressed the importance of visiting college campuses. It is one of the most, if not the most important part of the college search process. Sure, you can research most of the information on the college websites and websites such as College Board and Naviance, but it is tough to get a true feeling for the school without walking the campus, sitting in on classes, eating in their cafeteria, or talking with current students and professors. It is essential to plan ahead during high school breaks and vacations to schedule campus tours at colleges across the country. However, sometimes families do not have the time or money to visit every college the student is interested in attending, this is just a fact. So the next best thing to physically walking the campus, is to "walk" the campus virtually.

To my knowledge, the most comprehensive virtual college visit website is YouVisit. This website allows you to search for hundreds of colleges across the country, and when you select the school, you are instantly "standing" on their campus. A real-life student appears and is your tour guide for the campus visit. You can just sit back, relax and have them take your all over the campus, or you can jump to specific parts of the campus and learn important information about the school. This is definitely a website you want to visit, while looking for colleges. Enjoy the world of virtual visits, and as always, happy searching!

-Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA

College Spotlight- Saint Louis University

Recently, I have had the pleasure of traveling to nine colleges in Seattle, Portland, and Saint Louis. Visiting schools across the country give me great perspective and insight on the different programs and environments available to all students. Since I have always worked with students in the NYC area, I have noticed that most students and families are “stuck” in the 3-5 hour bubble of schools. Of course, there are hundreds of terrific colleges and universities in this part of the country; I hate to see students limit themselves. Traveling around the country has opened my eyes to some incredible places, and I am excited to share these experiences with all of you. In the coming weeks, I will highlight the schools I visited, and I hope that you will take a closer look at these schools and others, that you may not have thought about before.

The first university I would like to highlight is Saint LouisUniversity, most commonly referred to as SLU. Here are a few SLU ‘quick-hitters’:

SLU became the first university west of the Mississippi in 1818, and in 1927, became the first federally licensed school of Aviation.

SLU is a Jesuit University, and is often ranked as 1 of the top 5 Jesuit Universities in the country, and in 2013 was a Fiske “Best Buy School”. SLU also has a top 100 business program (AACSB accredited), has an incredible and unique engineering program, and is ranked as a research university.

SLU has just under 8,700 undergraduates, a 12-1 student/professor ratio, 24.4 average classroom size, and houses over 100 undergraduate programs. The most recent retention percentage from freshmen to sophomore year is an outstanding 88% and growing!

Middle 50% for admissions- GPA: 3.81 (weighted), SAT: 1080-1330, ACT: 25-29

Scholarships Available- Merit awards range from $3,000-$16,000 and there is a Presidential (full tuition) scholarship available, where applicants usually have a 3.85 and 30 (ACT) or 1330 (SAT). SLU has no limit to the amount of Presidential Scholarships they give out. The average total package they give out to students is $24,000.

SLU’s top 10 programs, in reverse order are communications, chemistry, bio-chemistry, biomedical engineering, health sciences, psychology, physical therapy, nursing, biology, and STILL DECIDING. ‘Still Deciding’ is the number one “major” for incoming freshmen. Students, who do this, can take any classes during the first 1-2 years, and as long as they have a 2.5 GPA, they can then go into any major they want (except for physical and occupational therapy).

Unique Programs:

Accounting Scholars- Students need 3.6 GPA and 30 or 1330 test scores. Can get Bachelors and Masters in 5 years and are able to sit for CPA exam right away.

Pre-Law Scholars- Students need a very good academic record and 28 or 1250 tests scores. If accepted into program at SLU freshmen, they are guaranteed entry into the SLU law school, which has a very new building in downtown Saint Louis.

Health Sciences- SLU is one of 27 schools that have a Masters track for athletic training, which is a direct admit as a freshmen. They are also only 1 of 2 schools in country that have a registered dietician (RD) and culinary arts major.

Parks College ofEngineering, Aviation and Technology- Houses the first federally certified flight school in the nation. Aviation students will graduate with over 250 hours of flight hours. There are numerous engineering degrees, including flight science, aviation management, and a global aviation track. This school also has a 3-2 program with Washington University in Saint Louis, where students can get a BS and MS in chemical engineering.

Fun Facts:

SLU has tremendous study abroad opportunities, which is highlighted by their own campus in Madrid.

SLU has D1 sports, andclub/intramural opportunities for all students. Their top sport is men’s soccer, where they have won 10 NCAA titles.

SLU has a gorgeous, green campus, with incredible academic, athletic, and housing facilities. It is also only 5-10 minutes from downtown Saint Louis. Perfect for students who want to be near a city, but still have that traditional college campus experience.

Their mascot is the “Billiken” which is a mythical creature that represents everything as they ought to be.

Overall Thoughts:

I have visited many colleges and universities across the country, and to be perfectly honest, I was blown away by Saint Louis University. This is place where I think most students can be very happy at, and I look forward to recommending it to students and families for years to come. SLU has a diverse curriculum with some cutting edge programs, and top notch academics. Students, who want to be teachers to CPAs to pilots, can all find a home at SLU. It also has the safe, open, diverse, and dynamic environment that will make people of all backgrounds feel at home. This is not a school full of cliques, but rather is a place that is one community open to everyone. SLU is a school that may not be on the radar for many families in the NYC, but it really should. SLU’s popularity is growing, and this is a special school in the Midwest. Wherever you may be thinking in terms of academics or college environment, Saint Louis University is certainly worth a look…and I doubt you will be disappointed.

-Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA

Helpful College Info Website

Greetings everyone!

Let me first apologize for my absence from my own blog for the last couple of weeks. As all of you in the middle of the college application process know, it is extremely busy right now! However, I hope to be a bit more active going forward.  As we race to the end of this year, I know most seniors and families are stressing a little bit as we get ever-so-close to ED and EA decisions. Some have already been sent out, but most will be delivered a few days before Christmas. Unfortunately, with nation wide Common Application issues, some schools have pushed back their notification dates to the New Year. Whether you have heard already, will be hearing soon, or haven't applied yet, there is still a ton of time to work on applications and choosing colleges. The research for colleges, programs, and scholarships should never stop, and I wanted to share a helpful website to you all. It is called College Week Live, and is good for counselors, students, and parents. There is a ton of information on colleges and financial aid options, and there are live videos, where professionals will discuss various topics. From what I can tell it is free, so check it out, create a registration and enjoy!

-Mr. Joseph Korfmacher, MA

Schools for the Performing Arts Database

For students who are interested in pursuing a college degree in the performing arts such as acting, directing, playing an instrument, etc., there is now a comprehensive database out there that can provide a ton of information and direction for these types of schools. This website will be run by Playbill and can be used by students and parents to help search for these types of programs and colleges. Check the following site out and enjoy: PlaybillEdu

Mr. Joseph Korfmacher, MA