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Low ACT or SAT Scores? Here's Why You Shouldn't Panic...

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:51:15 +0000

If you're applying to college, you've probably spent one or two miserable Saturday mornings filling in ovals and writing rushed essays for the ACT or SAT. Whatever you think of these exams, they are an important piece of applications to the majority of four-year colleges. If you're worried about your performance on the ACT or SAT, take a deep breath and realize that low scores don't have to dash your dreams of going to a good college.

For one, nearly all selective colleges have holistic admissions. They assess you as a whole person, not as a few numbers. You can compensate for low standardized test scores with a good academic record, glowing letters of recommendation, a winning admissions essay, interesting extracurricular activities, a strong interview, and a clear demonstration of interest. Also realize that there are around 850 test-optional colleges including prestigious places like Bowdoin, Wake Forest and Sewanee.

That said, it's true that you aren't likely to get into Harvard or Stanford with an ACT composite score of 18. But as you browse through the college profiles, keep in mind that 25% of all matriculated students had scores below the bottom number in the ACT and SAT score ranges. Those students all demonstrated other strengths that appealed to the college admissions officers.

Related Reading:

Low ACT or SAT Scores? Here's Why You Shouldn't Panic... originally appeared on About.com College Admissions: U.S. on Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012 at 11:51:15.

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"What Do You Want To Major In?" - College Interview Tips

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:54:56 +0000

Many, many college applicants are not yet sure about a major. So if a college interviewer asks you about your desired field of study, don't panic. You don't want to shrug your shoulders and dismiss the question, but there are strategies for responding to the question that show your academic interests even if you haven't yet decided on a major. These tips for talking about college majors can help you craft a winning answer.

More Tips for Common Interview Questions:

"What Do You Want To Major In?" - College Interview Tips originally appeared on About.com College Admissions: U.S. on Tuesday, February 21st, 2012 at 15:54:56.

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Top Catholic Colleges and Universities

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:45:03 +0000

The United States has some amazing colleges and universities affiliated with the Catholic Church. Boston College, Georgetown and Notre Dame all have highly selective admissions, strong academic programs, chapters of Phi Beta Kappa, and well-known Division I athletic teams.

Santa Clara University
Omar A. / Flickr

I've chosen the schools on my list of the top 23 Catholic colleges and universities using a range of factors including reputation, retention rates, graduation rates, academic quality, value, student engagement and curricular innovations. The schools vary widely in size and institutional type.

If you're wondering what it takes to get into these Catholic colleges and universities, each school on the list is linked to an admission profile that includes acceptance rates, average test scores, costs and other information. You can also check out these tables of data for matriculated students:

Finally, if there's a Catholic college or university that isn't on my list that you think should be, you can share your recommendation with other readers.

Top Catholic Colleges and Universities originally appeared on About.com College Admissions: U.S. on Monday, February 20th, 2012 at 17:45:03.

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Top Middle Atlantic Colleges and Universities

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:24:07 +0000

My list of the top 35 Middle Atlantic colleges includes four Ivy League universities and some of the nation's top liberal arts colleges. The top picks range from schools with over 40,000 students to tiny Cooper Union with fewer than 1,000. Schools on the list include private and public institutions, urban and rural schools, and religious and secular institutions.

Cornell University Baker Lab
Photo Credit: Allen Grove

No one will be surprised to find Princeton, Columbia, Haverford and Swarthmore on the list. Some of the other schools aren't quite as well known. To see who made the top 35, check out the top Middle Atlantic colleges and universities. If there is a school that you think should have made the list, share your recommendation below. Evaluation of colleges is a subjective process, and I welcome your input.

More Top Picks by Region:

Top Middle Atlantic Colleges and Universities originally appeared on About.com College Admissions: U.S. on Monday, February 20th, 2012 at 17:24:07.

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How to "Demonstrate Interest" When Applying to College

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 10:00:59 +0000

A study by NACAC, the National Association for College Admission Counseling, found that about half of all colleges and universities claim that an applicant's demonstrated interest in their school is either highly or moderately important in the admissions process. This means that at many schools taking a campus tour, interviewing, and contacting your admissions representative can improve your chance of being accepted.

The reasons why demonstrated interest matters are many, but in general colleges want to extend offers of admission to students who are sincerely interested in attending. Students who have low interest are clearly less likely to accept an offer of admission, and if they do accept, they are more likely to transfer to a different school.

Demonstrating interest is not difficult, but it is also something you don't want to ignore when applying to colleges. Here are 8 ways to demonstrate interest in a school. Also read more on why demonstrated interest matters.

How to "Demonstrate Interest" When Applying to College originally appeared on About.com College Admissions: U.S. on Sunday, February 19th, 2012 at 10:00:59.

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GPA, SAT and ACT Data for Top Liberal Arts Colleges

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 15:48:42 +0000

If your heart is set on getting into one of the country's top-ranked liberal arts colleges, realize that you're going to need good grades and standardized test scores. Also keep in mind that admissions are holistic, so the schools will also be looking for a winning essay, glowing letters of recommendation, interesting extracurricular activities, and challenging courses. In some cases an impressive interview and clear demonstrated interest can also help.

GPA, SAT and ACT Data for Top Liberal Arts Colleges originally appeared on About.com College Admissions: U.S. on Saturday, February 18th, 2012 at 15:48:42.

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Top Texas Colleges and Universities

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 09:31:28 +0000

Texas has a strong mix of public and private colleges and universities, as well as a significant number of strong schools with religious affiliations. You know Rice University will be on the list -- it's one of the country's best private universities. And, of course, the University of Texas at Austin is on the list -- the flagship school typically ranks among the country's top public universities.

University of Texas at Austin
Silly Jilly / Flickr

Some of the other schools on my list of the top 13 Texas colleges may be less familiar. The colleges on the list were chosen based on a variety of factors including academic reputation, curricular innovations, first-year retention rates, graduation rates, financial aid and student engagement.

If there's a Texas college that you'd like to see on the list, share your recommendation below.

Compare Top Texas Colleges: SAT Scores | ACT Scores

More Top Picks by State:

Top Texas Colleges and Universities originally appeared on About.com College Admissions: U.S. on Saturday, February 18th, 2012 at 09:31:28.

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GPA, SAT and ACT Data for Top Public Universities

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:00:52 +0000

If you want to get into a top public university such as Berkeley or UNC Chapel Hill, you're going to need good grades and strong standardized test scores. Realize that these prestigious universities do not have a cut-off for grades, ACT scores, or SAT scores. Highly selective universities have holistic admissions, so the admissions officers will be looking at more than empirical data. Challenging courses, a winning essay, and interesting extracurricular activities also play an important role. In many cases, letters of recommendation, a strong interview, and your demonstrated interest can also improve your chances.

GPA, SAT and ACT Data for Top Public Universities originally appeared on About.com College Admissions: U.S. on Friday, February 17th, 2012 at 11:00:52.

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850 Colleges Don't Require SAT or ACT Scores

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:33:18 +0000

FairTest keeps an up-to-date list of the colleges and universities that do not require SAT or ACT scores. The current number stands around 850 institutions, and every year more schools join the test-optional movement. This is good news for students who feel that standardized test scores fail to measure accurately their preparedness for college. The flurry of test cheating scandals this past year gives even more energy to the push towards test-optional admissions, as do abuses such as Claremont McKenna's inflation of SAT data.

SAT Book Burning
-Marlith- / Flickr

While most of the country's top-ranked colleges and universities don't appear on the list, more and more selective colleges are making the move to test-optional admissions (for example, Wake Forest, Pitzer, Bowdoin, DePaul, and Mount Holyoke are all test-optional).

To learn more, check out this article on test-optional colleges, and visit the FairTest website to see the complete list of test-optional colleges.

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Top Virginia Colleges

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 08:32:01 +0000

The best Virginia Colleges vary widely in personality, mission and location. My picks for the top 17 Virginia colleges include public and private universities, public and private liberal arts colleges, two women's colleges, and two military colleges.

Randolph-Macon College
Photo Credit: Randolph-Macon College

You can probably guess that the University of Virginia, College of William and Mary and Washington and Lee University are on the list. Some of the other top picks may be less familiar. The schools on the list were chosen based on a variety of factors including academic reputation, curricular innovations, first-year retention rates, four- and six-year graduation rates, financial aid and student engagement. Check out the list to see who made the cut.

To get a partial idea of what it takes to get into these top Virginia colleges, I've created side-by-side comparison charts of the ACT scores and SAT scores of matriculated students.

Is there another Virginia college that you think deserves a spot on the list? If so, share your recommendation below.

More Top Picks by State:

Top Virginia Colleges originally appeared on About.com College Admissions: U.S. on Friday, February 17th, 2012 at 08:32:01.

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