What do colleges mean by “accepted range of SAT for middle 50 % is 1850-2080?”

The middle 50% statistic means that the middle half of the entering class at a college scored in this range on the SAT (or ACT or GPA). That is, 25% of students scored below this range, and 25% scored above this range. If you are in the middle of the middle 50%, then, at least on the SAT statistic, you are in the target range for this college.

What is Early Decision (ED) application process ?

From the National Association for Admission Counseling Statement of Principles and Good Practices:

Early Decision (ED) is the application process in which students make a commitment to a first-choice institution where, if admitted, they definitely will enroll. While pursuing admission under an Early Decision plan, students may apply to other institutions, but may have only one Early Decision application pending at any time. Should a student who applies for financial aid not be offered an award that makes attendance possible, the student may decline the offer of admission and be released from the Early Decision commitment. The institution must notify the applicant of the decision within a reasonable and clearly stated period of time after the Early Decision deadline. Usually, a nonrefundable deposit must be made well in advance of May 1. The institution will respond to an application for financial aid at or near the time of an offer of admission. Institutions with Early Decision plans may restrict students from applying to other early plans. Institutions will clearly articulate their specific policies in their Early Decision agreement.

If you are accepted under an early decision plan, you must promptly withdraw the applications submitted to other colleges and universities and make no additional applications. If you are an early decision candidate and are seeking financial aid, you need not withdraw other applications until you have received notification about financial aid.

How to handle “typical” questions in an admission form ?

Generally you come across the following questions in your application/ supplement form:

• How would you describe your personality?

• What areas of personal development you need to improve upon?

• Why admission committee should give you admission?

The admissions officers want an honest self appraisal of what you are like in terms of  your personality (shy or outgoing, confident or unconfident, mature socially or immature, disciplined or lacking in self discipline, serious about studies or casual, goal oriented or uncaring, independent or dependent  upon others).

You should be honest to state what aspects of any of the above areas you believe you can improve upon.  Honest responses always impress the admissions officers.

The admissions committees are asking you to tell what makes you a strong candidate for their rigorous programs. You want to tell them that you are a serious student, motivated to learn, independent, determined to become a professional pharmacist, intelligent, and have a solid academic foundation to take on specialized higher educational studies.

This assumes that you can honestly state these positives based on your school performance and personal activities.

How to Convert Your GPA to a 4.0 Scale ?

Colleges report GPA (grade point average) on a 4.0 scale. The top grade is an A, which equals 4.0. This is the standard scale at most colleges, and many high schools use it.

If your high school uses a different or weighted system, you need to convert your GPA to a 4.0 scale for this tool. Talk to your school counselor or get a rough conversion by substituting these values:

A+ (97-100) = 4.0
A (93-96) = 4.0
A- (90-92) = 3.7

B+ (87-89) = 3.3
B (83-86) = 3.0
B- (80-82) = 2.7

C+ (77-79) = 2.3
C (73-76) = 2.0
C- (70-72) = 1.7

D+ (67-69) = 1.3
D (65-66) = 1.0
E/F (below 65) = 0.0

Source : http://www.collegeboard.com/

Do the US Universities reject applicants because of financial aid?

No, the US Universities do not reject qualified candidates because of financial aid needs. However, in general, available funds for non-US citizens are more limited, since Federal funds cannot be used in this case.

Some US universities are more generous than others for international applicants. If you are a strong student, it is wise to apply to slightly less competitive colleges, which might be more likely to offer merit based aid.

Liberal arts colleges – their benefits!!!!

Basically, a liberal arts education is neither liberal in the political (American or British/ European) sense of the term, nor focused in the visual or performing arts (though one can concentrate in these areas).

The notion of a liberal arts education is to study a broad body of knowledge in several different areas, which colleges organize differently. Basically, these tend to be the humanities (history, philosophy, literature, etc.), social sciences (political science, psychology, sociology, etc.), sciences and mathematics, visual and performing arts.

You might find them categorized differently, but the idea is that students will explore a variety of fields and develop a broad educational background. As they progress through college, students will “major” or concentrate in one or more disciplines, gaining more detailed and advanced understanding in those areas. Second, a liberal arts education teaches students how to think, how to reason critically, approach problems analytically, communicate in writing and speech, how to digest and synthesize information, and so on.

SAT Optional Colleges List Soars to 280

At least 280 four-year college and university campuses now have policies which do NOT use ACT or SAT results to make admissions decisions for many applicants, according to a new FairTest survey. That figure represents an increase of nearly four dozen test score optional schools since a similar count in 1995 and a rise in the total by almost one hundred since 1994.

The current ACT/SAT optional list includes highly selective private liberal arts schools, such as Bates, Bowdoin, Dickinson and Lafayette, as well as public universities in several states including Arkansas, Kansas, Maine, Oregon and, most recently, Texas.

The growing test score optional movement reflects increasing concerns that reliance on ACT and SAT results limits the diversity of applicant pools, excludes many young people whose talents are not reflected by multiple-choice tests and favors students who can afford expensive coaching courses. Many of the schools on the FairTest list have conducted their own studies which show that standardized tests do little to increase the ability of their admissions officers to predict success at their institutions.

In addition to the 280 schools on the list, FairTest found that hundreds of other undergraduate institutions have deemphasized standardized exams in their admissions processes but have not yet taken the step of dropping their test score requirements.

Source : http://www.fairtest.org

The Standard of Excellence – NACES

NACES® is an association of private foreign educational credential evaluation services committed to formulating and maintaining ethical standards in the field of foreign educational evaluation.  Within the United States, no government agency monitors the establishment of foreign credential evaluation services.

NACES® members serve foreign-educated persons who have completed part or all of their education outside of the United States and who are seeking further education, professional licensure, or employment in the United States.

Evaluation reports prepared by NACES® members are judgments based on appropriate reference material, including current research.  NACES® member organizations examine documents for accuracy and authenticity.  Reports include information about the credential awarded and the U.S. equivalency.

How to make my essay / personal statement work?

The essays on the college applications or rather personal statements have two purposes:

One is to reveal the ability to write a coherent statement using mature and appropriate language and grammar. How well one writes is as important as what one writes.

The second purpose is to provide insights into an applicant’s personality, values, special interests, goals and dreams for the future, what he or she hopes to take from the college experience.

So you do not have to have had extreme positive or negative experiences in your young life. Focus on the elements listed above and provide examples from your school and personal life that reveals who you are.

Excitement and energy are contagious when a student writes essays on the college applications and articulates in interviews their genuine commitment of time and emotion to a good cause.

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The
essays on the college applications or rather personal statements have two
purposes:One is to reveal the ability to write a coherent statement using
mature and appropriate language and grammar. How well one writes is as
important as what one writes. The second purpose is to provide insights into an
applicant's personality, values, special interests, goals and dreams for the
future, what he or she hopes to take from the college experience. So you do not
have to have had extreme positive or negative experiences in your young life.
Focus on the elements listed above and provide examples from your school and
personal life that reveals who you are.Excitement and energy are contagious
when a student writes essays on the college applications and articulates in
interviews their genuine commitment of time and emotion to a good cause.
Excitement and energy are contagious when a
student writes essays on the college applications and articulates in
interviews their genuine commitment of time and emotion to a good cause.

What do colleges look for in references?

Colleges like to see recommendations from individuals, who know you well and can speak to your abilities as a student and qualities as a person, which will help you be successful in college and contribute to the college and campus community.

Impressive names and credentials are less important in a reference writer than direct connections to you and experience working with you in an academic setting (particularly important for the one or two teacher recommendations required by many colleges) and/or overall school or community setting.

Sometimes it makes sense for a student to add a recommendation from an advisor, a coach, music or art instructor, a youth leader or an employer.