Mr. K's College Knowledge

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 proces...

Being on the waitlist at one of your top choice colleges is never a fun time. Students have worked so hard, and have already waited so long for a decision, just to hear that…they have to wait a little longer. However, if you have been put on the waitlist at your dream school, it is not the worse news in the world, as it is better than being straight-up denied. There are a few important things you should know about the waitlist, also known as the purgatory of college admissions… 1) Put a deposit elsewhere! You never quite know when or if you will hear that you have been taken off the waitlist. Often, you will not hear back from the waitlist until after May 1 st , as this is national deposit day. Schools will see what percentage of the students they have accepted will be attending their school. If the number reaches their goal freshmen enrollment, schools will not go to their waitlist. However, if they are low, they will move to their waitlist and start notifying students they have...

Well, the new PSATs are finally here, and only about a month late...but they are here, so let's try to grasp how to see the scores and decipher what they actually mean! We all knew the PSATs were changing, as are the SATs, this March. In the past, the PSATs had four main scores: the critical reading section, math section, writing section, and a total score. The highest one could score on each section was an 80, with a highest total score of 240. That was simple enough...throw simple out the door, as everything is different now! As of yesterday, January 7th, sophomores and juniors who took the PSATs in October should have received an email from the College Board alerting them that their scores were available. If you missed this email or never received it, students can login to their College Board account . If you never created a College Board account, you can do so by going HERE . OK, so once you are in the system, select the PSAT/NMSQT scores (make sure it is for 2015) or if t...

Hey Everyone, For anyone involved in college admissions whether it be high school counselors, college admissions representatives, or the students applying, we have all been frustrated with the issues College Board has had with making their SAT and PSAT scores available. High schools have still not received scores of their students from the October test, and many students had issues with getting their scores sent to colleges on time. Now, we just found out that the PSAT scores will be delayed! Usually, the PSAT scores are sent to high schools and students in early December. However, this year, sophomores and juniors will need to wait until January 7th.  Hopefully, College Board gets their act together soon, because I know we are all tired of this waiting game. Joseph D. Korfmacher, MA

It is just about April 1 st , and almost all college decisions have been mailed out. From what I am seeing, it looks as if it has been another super competitive year for students at colleges across the country, especially the highly selective ones. Although we hope all students have some good news to focus on, I know that most students have their share of denials and waitlists. If you were denied from a school, at least you went for it, as the only thing worse than a denial is the regret of never applying to the school in the first place. Also, if you are still in love with the school, you can always apply next year. If you were placed on the waiting list, hang in there…it could be a long time before or if you hear from the school. Here are a few tips if you find yourself on this list: ·          When third quarter grades are available, ask your counselor to send the grades to these schools ·        ...

Waiting on the waitlist is never a fun time during the college application season. Students have worked so hard, and have already waited so long for a decision, just to hear that…they have to wait a little longer. However, if you have been put on the waitlist at your dream school, it is not the worse news in the world, as it is better than being straight-up denied. There are a few important things you should know about the waitlist, also known as the purgatory of college admissions… 1) Put a deposit elsewhere! You will not hear back from the waitlist until after May 1 st , as this is national deposit day. Schools will see what percentage of the students they have accepted will be attending their school. If the number reaches their goal freshmen enrollment, schools will not go to their waitlist. However, if they are low, they will move to their waitlist and start notifying students they have now been accepted. Unfortunately, since this is after May 1 st , the student must put a de...

College visit season should be kicking off now for most juniors. Colleges are in session for only 2 more months, and it is best to visit while students are still on campus. As I have mentioned before, college visits (if possible) are one of the most important parts on the entire search process. Student cannot duplicate the experience of walking the campus, sitting in classrooms, eating the cafeteria food, and much more other than actually making the trip to potential colleges and universities. Most people would never think about buying a car without seeing it, taking it for a test drive, and asking the dealership questions. So if you  wouldn't  do this with a car, why would you even think about doing it with a college? So it is obviously very important to see the schools first-hand, but make sure you have questions ready to go for admissions counselors, professors, and students…yes even current students! One of the best things you can do while visiting a school is to wal...

As of now, the majority of students have applied to at least one college, and many will hear decisions in the next couple of weeks. The waiting game can be extremely nerve-wracking and happens during senior year, which is already stressful all around. At the beginning, students scramble to complete their applications while balancing busy extracurricular and academic schedules. They worry about their choice of college essay topic, their list of schools, and whether or not their applications have arrived safely in the admissions offices. As second semester begins, though, most of the applications are out, midterm grades are finalized, and a period of waiting ensues. Many schools will not send out decisions until April, and so students wait, in a state of uncertainty about the vast next step of their lives. There is so much activity and so many stressors during senior year that we sometimes forget that it is a crucial period of transition, not only for students, but for parents and ...