In Search of the Holy Grail

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In Search of the Holy Grail A Workshop
onSelective College Admission
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• A few important notes
• Our priority in the college counseling program at
  Minnetonka High School helping the student to
  find the right fit!
• College is a match to be made, not a prize to be
  won!
• Every student is encouraged to follow this rule
• You apply for admission to a college because
  you want to go there!

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• Categories of selectivity
• Most selective (Harvard, Stanford)
• Highly selective (Duke, Carleton)
• Moderately selective (Boston University,
  Skidmore)
• Selective (Hamline, Drake)

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• Most selective
• Harvard University freshman class of 1,646
• Applicants 22,796
• Admitted 2,096 (9)
• SAT Verbal 690-790
• SAT Math 700-800
• Top 10 95

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• Stanford University freshman class of 1,657
• Applicants 22,333
• Admitted 2,465 (11)
• SAT Verbal 670-770
• SAT Math 680-780
• Top 10 91

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• Highly Selective
• Duke University freshman class of 1,578
• Applicants 19,386
• Admitted 4,101 (23)
• SAT Verbal 680-770
• SAT Math 690-780
• Top 10 89

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• Carleton College freshman class of 503
• Applicants 4,457
• Admitted 1,408 (32)
• SAT Verbal 650-760
• SAT Math 660-740
• Top 10 78

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• Moderately Selective
• Boston University freshman class of 4,200
• Applicants 31,827
• Admitted 17,900 (58)
• SAT Verbal 570-690
• SAT Math 590-690
• Top 10 53

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• Skidmore College freshman class of 695
• Applicants 6,055
• Admitted 2,622 (44)
• SAT Verbal 580-670
• SAT Math 570-660
• Top 10 49

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• Selective
• Hamline University freshman class of 461
• Applicants 1810
• Admitted 1457 (78)
• SAT Verbal 560-660
• SAT Math 530-630
• Top 10 31

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• Drake University freshman class of 782
• Applicants 3,480
• Admitted 2,906 (84)
• SAT Verbal 520-640
• SAT Math 510-650
• Top 10 29

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• A few national statistics (reality check!)
• Enrollment in US colleges and universities
• Public 4-year institutions 6,837,600
• Public 2-year institutions 6,184,229
• Private 4-year institutions 4,161,815
• Private 2-year institutions 303,825

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• Enrollment at Minnesota colleges and universities
• Public 4-year institutions 130,529
• Public 2-year institutions 110,324
• Private 4-year institutions 115,510
• Private 2-year institutions 5,338

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• Other key data items
• 6-year graduation rate (in USA) at 4-year
• institutions 56
• 6-year graduation rate in Minnesota 58
• Percent of students who attend college in their
• home state 88
• Percent of students who applied to three or fewer
  colleges/universities 58
• Percent of students who are attending their first
  or second choice college 90

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• Resources for research on selective colleges
• Fiske Guide to Colleges
• Princeton Review The Best 361 Colleges
• Barrons Guide to the Most Competitive Colleges
• The Insiders Guide to the Colleges
• http//collegeboard.com/student/index.html?student
  
• http//www.collegeview.com/
• http//www.collegeconfidential.com/

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• Fiske Guide the top rated guide to the
• Best Colleges (about 300 schools)
• 19 up to 25 acceptance rate
• 63 from 26 to 50 acceptance rate
• 109 from 51 to 75 acceptance rate
• 112 from 76 to 99 acceptance rate

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• Ten Tips for Selective Admission
• Take an appropriately challenging course of study
• Visit the campus a great measure of
  demonstrated interest
• Be nice to the admissions representative who
  comes to MHS (get their business card and send
  them an email!)
• Whenever its offered, do the alumni interview
• Take special care with the why us? essay, or
  the what would you add to the Class of 2012?
  essay

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• Ten tips continued
• Beat the application deadline by a month if
  its due on January 1, send in your application
  by Dec. 1
• Pick teachers who know you well for your
  recommendations and talk to them early on!
• If your college requires SAT Subject test scores,
  commit plenty of study time as you prepare for
  the exams.
• Extend your college list to include both
  competitive options and likely options. Be
  realistic with your list!!
• If you have a first choice school, let them know
  it!!

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• Final thoughts
• The goal of the college admission office is to
  enroll a well-rounded class a community of
  individuals who add a unique talent or
  characteristic to the class. The operative
  question in selective admissions is What will
  this student add to our college?
• Make your case why is this college a good match
  for you?

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• In America, people succeed because of the quality
  of their character, not the fame of their
  college.
• Know that what you do in college is a better
  predictor of future success and happiness than
  where you go to college. (from the Education
  Conservancy.)
• Phillip Trout
• College Counselor
• Minnetonka High School
• 952-401-5746
• collegeguy_at_minntonka.k12.mn.us 9-11-07