Are You Having Nightmares?

If you are a senior, it is easy to realize that first semester is disappearing-poof-going, going, almost GONE! Have you finished your applications? Have you sent your test scores? Have you sent your transcripts? It will soon be second semester and time to complete the FAFSA (and any other paperwork you might need to complete to qualify for financial aid and/or scholarships).

Glub . . . Glub . . . Glub . . . Do you want to be underwater with your paperwork?

By the way, while you are taking care of business, remember that first semester grades matter. (Hate to tell you this, but so do final grades!) Find a study buddy like my friend Al and really get feathered up for your exams because a lot of you are going to have to send seventh semester transcripts to colleges. What do you want them to see when they review your regular decision applications--good grades or, well . . . let’s not go there.

L8R,

Clyde

Been There, Done That–Advice from a successful friend . . .

Feeling a little caged in with all of the decisions you’re having to make about your future? I was talking with my friend, Buster, who offered a few tips about surviving the college search process. There’s a lot to consider, and it can be overwhelming. Here’s what he had to say:

First thing to do? Bite the bullet and just sit down and talk with your parental units about just how you’re going to pay for college.


Money is usually not everyone’s favorite subject, but knowing where your parents feel financially comfortable can be a first step in creating a dialog and letting them know that you appreciate their involvement in the process. While there is a great deal of financial aid/scholarship money available, the expectation on the part of the colleges and on the part of the federal government is that the family will pay for college to the degree the family is deemed able to do so given the parameters of the aid process established by Congress. In other words, based on the information you and your parents submit on the FAFSA, the government determines what your family can afford to pay for college. Colleges will have their own formulas to determine how institutional aid may be distributed on their campuses. Some colleges require the CSS PROFILE. Others will have college specific aid forms. The key is to know what forms are required by schools that are of interest to the applicant. Merit money awards can require financial aid applications or may be completely independent of the aid process–this varies from college to college. Do your research!


Take it from me, while the ultimate decision is yours, having the parentals happy with your college/career choice or just happy with the fact that they were included and consulted during the search process can make for a much better junior/senior year.

Not everyone’s parents went to college and those who did may have a different view of what they enjoyed versus what you want out of the experience. For you to know you have the support of your parents and your parents to know that you care what they think can be great for the whole family. The same holds true for siblings. The decision of which college to attend and how much to pay impacts everyone in the family. Some of my buddies forget that this time might be the last they experience life as a full-time resident with their families. The dynamic changes the moment mom and dad drop you off at the dorm.

Ready to apply? Get a professional email address AND CHECK your e-mail.

It can be detrimental for a college/potential employer to see an unorthodox/unprofessional e-mail address. It is fine to have separate personal e-mail (for your friends) and professional e-mail addresses. Just think . . . when you apply online and the school wants an address on file, do they really need to know that you are a cheerchic? Do they really need to know that you think so highly of yourself that your email address is shorelinehottie23? Sure the name of your rec league soccer team may be the Shoreline Hotties and your number is 23, but colleges and potential employers won't necessarily put that together. A professional email address is a must. It is one you can have for the rest of your life, unlike clyderulz34.

Woof,
Clyde

????????? How do you apply to college?

The clock is ticking – get with the program.


Here are some pointers that may help.

• To be ready to have good options when it is time to apply, take hard classes–work hard in those classes.

• Take ACT/SAT/SAT subject tests at the appropriate times. Before testing, take a few sample tests and analyze your performance on them. Test scores matter to many colleges when it comes to admissions.

• Attend as many programs/sessions/fairs as possible–keep files of information.

• As a junior, make a list of colleges that might be good matches. (Don’t freak out–that list can have 25 places on it when you are a junior. It is easier to narrow down than it is to expand the list as a first semester senior.) Use every tool at your disposal to do this.

• The list should be vertical (meaning stretches in terms of difficulty of admission and those where admission seems likely). Compare your individual profile with the profiles of accepted students. Many factors should be considered–size, distance, location, composition of student body, out-of-class life/community factors, scholarship/financial aid possibilities, town/gown relationships, majors (remembering that many students will change their minds about majors), career planning and placement services available as well as job/graduate placement track records for the specific colleges–really the list is endless.

• Visit. If you can’t visit in person, visit virtually (on the web). Remember that demonstrated interest is reported by a NACAC survey to be a factor “of considerable importance” in admissions by 21% of the colleges responding to the NACAC survey.

• Narrow the list down by early September of your senior year.

• Follow any application procedures established by your counselor/school. Deadlines matter!

• Complete the application paperwork. NACAC reported that 80% of applications last year at surveyed colleges were submitted online.

• Request test scores from the testing agencies– www.act.org and/or www.collegeboard.org. Allow plenty of time for this.

• Follow the directives of each college regarding Score Choice.

• Proofing all materials prior to submission is essential.

• Keep copies of submitted materials.

• Relying on spell check and grammar check for essays is not a winning idea.

• Make your essays a conversation with the reader... If you aren’t funny, this isn’t the time to take up humor as you write! By the way, short essays are hard to write and write well...and they matter!

• If the colleges request letters of recommendation, follow their guidelines. Give your recommenders time to do a good job. Pick people who know you well. If the recommender must mail the letter, make sure he/she has a stamped addressed envelope with his or her return address indicated on it (not yours!!!).

• Follow your high school’s policy for requesting transcripts and secondary school reports. Remember, transcripts are required by virtually every college–initial ones and final ones.

• If you are an NCAA prospective Division I or II athlete, register with the NCAA Eligibility Center and follow their directives.

• Know that even online applications take some time to process. Make sure to confirm that your materials submitted online (or by snail mail) have been received.

• Expect some overlap–materials may be on the campus or in the campus computer but not registered yet in the online credentials received folder.

• Keep your grades up–all acceptances are conditional. Every college will require that you submit a final transcript that shows your performance for second semester senior year. It matters. There is such a thing as rescinded admissions.

Back in a bit- I gotta rest,
Clyde

You’re Special...just send in this app

OK friends, I’m delving into the realm of politically incorrect. Any of you guys get those snap apps–you know the personalized kind that says you don’t have to do an essay; you might not even have to pay an application fee? Was it called a VIP app? Do you feel special and wanted? Some of my senior friends got these.

Here is what my counselor has to say about that:

Was the college or university on your radar list to begin? The reality is that this is a fishing expedition on the part of the college. Think of this as an ad in a magazine, a commercial on TV. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but hundreds, thousands of these applications go out each year and the number of them being disseminated is growing geometrically. My counselor says this is really about colleges acting as businesses–making sure that posteriors are in desks when the following fall rolls around.

Bad reason to apply to a college–you know nothing about the school, but the application is free.

Good reason to apply to a college–you’ve done your homework, researched the college in terms of size, programs available, personal fit quotient–you know a lot and it seems like a good match.

DUH! This isn’t a gift.

The old-fashioned kind that comes in the mailbox or the electronic version that comes via your computer is just that–mail. Getting mail from a school doesn’t mean you will get in AND getting a free application doesn’t mean a school is a good fit for you or that you can get in that school.

Get the picture! See those darts in the middle of the page? Dart throwers gum up the works for every applicant. Do your homework. Apply to places that are a good fit for you. Ignore they hype–do it right. Otherwise, you might end up like feeling all caged up like my friend Zeus.

Talking about all this application stuff is making me tired. I need a rest.

CYA,

Clyde

Blood Pressure...170/110

What are your counselor’s/college adviser’s numbers? Have you made his or her blood pressure rise because you are a world-class procrastinator?

There is a plane headed in your direction. You’ll either be on it or miss the flight. November 1 is a big day in the world of college admissions. Many Early Action and/or Early Decision applications must be postmarked by that date. If you fall into the category of any early admissions plan, make sure you are taking care of your part of the application equation–meaning the application, submitting test scores, writing any required essays, requesting any needed recommendations, and giving your counselor the paperwork to submit the necessary material from your high school. DANGER!!!!!It is not advisable to give your counselor this information on Friday, October 29–just before school is dismissed for the weekend. Plan ahead! Allow your counselor and your recommenders enough time to do a good job on their parts of your paperwork.

Next up–Aren’t you special? You got a snap app! Right now, I need to contemplate helping some friends with homework.




L8R,
Clyde

High School Preparation for Engineering

While in high school students who want to prepare for a career in engineering
should plan to take:



1. All of the college preparatory mathematics course that are offered by your school, such as:


Algebra I
Algebra II
Geometry
Trigonometry
Math Analysis, Pre-Calculus, Calculus

II. Sciences

Chemistry
Physics
Biology

III. Any courses in typing and computer science offered by your school

IV. English courses with particular emphasis on development of good writing and speaking skills

V. Electives such as:

Mechanical drawing
Foreign languages
Psychology
Art
Music
The University of Alabama at Birmingham
www.eng.uab.edu

Opportunities . . . Near and Far

Wanna be a Dragon?

When looking for places to put your paws down and continue your education, don't overlook the back yard! I recently visited UAB . . . not exactly in my back yard, but not on the other side of the country either. I had no idea how many programs were available to students at this school. So . . . one of my first rules of college exploration:

Make college visits! See what is available.

UAB, for example, is a sleek, modern-looking place in an urban setting, but it does have a green feel to it and it is an incredibly diverse campus. Everybody knows UAB as a pre-health career place - I mean, everywhere you turn, you trip over hospitals and clinics and the like, but there are some cool other programs here too. For example, UAB has the only accredited undergraduate program in Biomedical Engineering in the state. I visited the visualization cube and it was way cool. Ask your parents - it was kind of like being in the holodeck on Star Trek. UAB also has the only Nuclear Medicine program in my state, the only Industrial Distribution program in the Southeast and one of four Forensic Accounting and Information Science programs in the country. Who knew? Next time, I'll give you some tips from their College of Engineering on what high school students need to study in order to be ready to pursue a degree in engineering.

For those who want a real challenge in a university setting and also want the community feel of a smaller program combined with specialized mentoring, check out the Honors Academy at this university.

I also had the opportunity to hear Linda Luck, the prehealth career advisor for UAB juniors, seniors, postbacs (that is somebody who already has abn undergraduate degree) and alums. She gave some great advice for students who want to go to medical school and advised us to check out their site .

Wanna know how to prepare in high school to become a health professional? Check this out.
You can even see some study recommendations for those who are thinking about becoming a doctor.

Can you see yourself at UAB?

Gotta go see what other opportunities I can dig up!

CYA,

Clyde