Anyone involved in the College Scholarship Selection Process?

[NewGuy2005 53]

Hi Folks,

I have 2 daughters in the 11th grade and could use some advice on guiding them toward extracurricular activities that will improve their chances for securing college scholarships.

They both have a 4.0 grade average and will probably continue that through the end of 12th grade. As I understand it, in addition to good grades they will need to show involvement in the community and school related extracurricular activities.

What sort of outside activities stand out? What sort do not help?

What about:

Model U.N.?
Quiz Bowl?
O Ambassadors? (It's a teenage philantropic organization connected with Oprah Winfrey)
Volunteering at a homeless shelter?

Any advice appreciated. They are great kids and I want to steer them in the right direction.

[VTmotoMike08 0]

Try being a minority!

[missbrz 0]

I went through that just a little while ago. What I was told is that it matters less what you do but how you do it. They don't care if you're in 50 different things that sound impressive. They'd rather see you in 2-3 things that you show dedication to. A few years in the same volunteer program or becoming a captain/primary officer of a club or two looks better. Also, their test scores should hopefully reflect their grades.


If you haven't, set up profiles for them on http://www.fastweb.com/ It's a sight that organizes TONS of scholarships & will tell you which ones you are eligible for based on your profile. There are a lot of scholarships that no one applies to and they'll just give it to whomever applies. Don't just go for the big full time ride types either. $500 is books for a few semesters if you're careful with it, and fewer people apply for those thinking why bother. But a couple $500 scholarships add up.

Hope this helps & good luck to them

[NewGuy2005 53]

Sounds like good advice. Thanks

[NewGuy2005 53]

I'm half Italian. Does that count?

[kallend 2,131]

Yes, I have been on selection committees since 1995.

I DETEST applications that just look as if they chose activities to impress the committee (or worse, their parents did).

I look for high achievement in something reasonably measurable (like sports, music, etc.). High SAT or ACT scores are good too, and selection of hard classes rather than "easy A" classes. I have NO faith in school grading standards except in AP courses.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[NewGuy2005 53]

I can understand that. I bet you see a lot that you detest.

The stakes are very high and with most kids you have a fairly short window of opportunity to get them "ready to show." It's not like you or I where we've had many years to discover our interests and devote ourselves to them. I imagine that can lead to a lot of superficial accomplishments

[VTmotoMike08 0]

Quote

I'm half Italian. Does that count?

Maybe. Being half Puerto Rican and making average grades and participating in no extracurriculars worked nicely for me. Don't hate the player, hate the game!

[NewGuy2005 53]

Well, it's two years later and it's over. One week from now we will be taking our daughters to college. Here is some of what I have learned:

1) There is no substitute for for high scores on the PSAT, SAT, and ACT tests. The vast majority of merit scholarship money is awarded based on these scores.

2) Extracurricular activities matter, but they are not as important as scores on the above standardized tests. These are just the "icing on the cake" but standardized test scores are the cake.

3) Have your kids start taking those tests early and often. Taking a test is more than just a matter of what you know. There is also some skill involved and that skill can be improved through practice. Improving that skill won't make up for a lack of knowledge, but it might get you an extra point or two that can make a very big difference.

Another benefit to taking the test repeatedly is that early on you can assure your kid that they are taking it strictly for practice. That takes the pressure off and makes it easier on them.

Case in point: One of my girls had a migraine on the morning of one of her tests. Consequently, she ended up scoring one point less than her sister. Her sister was awarded some scholarships that she did not get because of that one point. She improved that score on a later test. It's good to get a second (or third) chance.

4) Pay attention to the PSAT test that they administer in high school. The National Merit Scholarship is based on PSAT scores.

5) Have your kid take both the ACT and the SAT test. Different areas of the country tend to emphasize one test over the other, but most schools will accept either test. The reason for taking both is that one test favors factual knowledge and the other test favors problem solving ability. (at least that is what I have been told)

Your kid might excel in one test over the other but you won't know which one until they take both. One of my kids did slightly better on the SAT than she did on the ACT and that helped.

6) The college application and scholarship application process takes place over a fairly short period of time and requires a lot of work. Plan ahead for your kid's senior year of high school to be busy. Make sure your kids know in advance that this is going to be a lot of work and they are the ones that will be doing it.

7) Get a separate calendar that you keep deadlines in. There will be a lot of them and there will be no mercy for you if you miss one.

8) Limit the number of schools that your kid applies to. A lot of people may not agree with this. There is a lot more to applying to a college than filling out an application. Once they are accepted, there are scholarships to apply for which may mean further essays to be written. There are also may be additional financial aid applications to be filled out for each school that you are considering.

One school is not enough, but ten schools is probably too many.

This can pile up really fast. Know your kid and what their tolerance will be. They will have to stay on their game and keep up their energy and enthusiasm through all of this. You will have to act as their coach or cheerleader or whatever to help keep them on task.

9) Follow up, follow up, follow up. Things can and will go wrong and you will have to be watching in order to recognize when something has gone wrong.

Any time anything had to be sent in, we always made sure that it was received.

Some of the application websites you encounter may not be well designed and will not leave you feeling confident that everything went through OK. When in doubt, pick up the phone or e-mail for verification. Things don't always happen the way they should.

10) There are some things that are too important to leave your kids to do unsupervised. Anything that involves deadlines or money needs your oversight.

Well there you go. Good luck if you are going through this process. Let me know if you have any questions.

Ken

[kallend 2,131]

Best wishes to your girls.

I've been teaching college freshmen since 1978. Hard to believe that this year's group were born after Gulf War 1, during Clinton's administration.

That they won't really remember the "Millennium Bug" scare, or know any time that homes didn't have internet access. To them, exposed bra straps have always been a fashion statement, not a wardrobe malfunction, women have always piloted war planes and space shuttles, and Benjamin Braddock (the Graduate) is old enough to be their grandpa.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[NewGuy2005 53]

Thanks.

Times have changed. For the better, in my opinion.

One thing that really strikes me is that a lot of kids these days don't like to drive.