Important Considerations for entering college

as a Freshman or transferring:

 

• The majority of scholarships are available to Freshmen applications.   Limited scholarships are also available to transfer students,  but there will generally be less scholarship money available to them.

• Housing may only be guaranteed for Freshmen applicants only.  Check with your favorite schools!

• Many colleges have activities and curriculum planned specifically to integrate Freshmen into their college, faculty and environment, but these are normally available only to Freshmen.

• Transfer students do not have to take SAT/ACT tests.

• While many colleges are becoming test optional (meaning that they do not require scores from SAT or ACT tests), homeschoolers many times are still requested to take these tests if they are coming in as a Freshmen.   You must check on each school directly to determine their homeschool requirements.  

  • MANY schools that require tests will require SAT + SAT II subject specific tests OR the ACT only.   If you are planning on applying to schools that request tests, you can take practice tests at home to see which of these two test match your skills better. A generalization:  girls normally prefer the ACT!

• The UC Schools generally allow transfers only as a Junior, but most private schools allow transfers at any time.

• Private schools generally have significantly larger endowments for scholarships than do public universities, and are able to provide much more robust financial aid packages.   Do not be scared off by their higher pricetags!   With an ability to graduate in 4 years, higher financial aid packages, subsidized internships and foreign abroad programs, the private school may end up being less expensive than a public school!  

  • Juniata, one of the "Colleges That Change Lives"offers a 4-year graduation guarantee that covers the costs of any courses in a student’s major that need to be taken after his or her fourth year!   On top of their fabulous faculty (Nobel Prize winner, National Academy of Science Alums, inventors and more), 90% of their students are accepted in Medical, Veterinary, Dental and Optomety schools!   And because they are not on the radar of most applicants, their acceptance rate is a very high 71% of applicants.   There are so many of these types of wonderful colleges out there for you to learn about!

  • On the other hand, the Cal State system has an extremely low rate of students graduating in 4 years - just 16% according to NPRed.  It may seem like a more affordable option, but it may not be.

 

A word about College Rankings;

 

Recommended Books:

• Colleges That Change Lives; 40 schools that will change the way you think about colleges by Loren Pope

• Looking Beyond the Ivy League by Loren Pope

• Fiske Guide to Colleges  (one of the things I like about this guide is the comparable colleges list.   When you find a college you like, the list will tell you about other colleges like that one!)

• What High Schools Don't Tell You by Elizabeth Wissner-Gross (well, homeschoolers don't really have high school counselors, but this does give some nice info about preparing a child with summer activities and other tips.  I don't love the emphasis on "top" schools, but the idea of using high school to indulge in different types of summer camps and concentrating activities is potentially helpful.)