A N S W E R I N G A L L T H E C O L L E G E

Q U E S T I O N S : H O W T O G U I D E

S T U D E N T S & P A R E N T S

N E B R A S K A H I G H S C H O O L C O U N S E L O R I N S T I T U T E

– F R A N K S A C K S

“College is a match to be made, not a prize to be

won.”

W H Y A M I G O I N G T O S C H O O L ? V S

W H A T I S T H E B E S T S C H O O L ?

• The myth of fit

• Guideposts

• Find your “blank”

W H A T B E S T P R E D I C T S C O L L E G E

S U C C E S S ?

• Myth: It’s better to get good grades than take a

challenging curriculum.

• Grades vs Challenging Curriculum

• Something else?

W H A T D O C O L L E G E S L O O K F O R ?

• Holistic read vs Data read

• What personal qualities stand out? How has student

contributed to school/community? Has student shown

special talent in any field such as math, science, art,

athletics.

Data read: Numbers of Honors/AP courses, gpa, class

rank, ACT/SAT scores.

2 0 1 5 S T A T E O F C O L L E G E

A D M I S S I O N

W H A T M A K E S A G O O D C O U N S E L O R L E T T E R V S A

T E A C H E R L E T T E R O R I S T H E R E A D I F F E R E N C E ?

Teacher: Put the lens on the learner! How the student makes an

impact in the classroom, on their peers and react to challenges

within the classroom. Main focus is on academics

Counselor: Summarize the WHOLE student! Describe what

stands out about student. Has student taken advantage of

challenging curriculum? How has this student contributed to the

school/community. Describe how student demonstrates strong

character/maturity.

S H O U L D I A P P L Y E A R L Y D E C I S I O N O R

W A I T F O R R E G U L A R ?

• Rolling Admissions

• Traditional Admissions

• Early Decision - BINDING

• Early Action

H O W D O I H E L P M Y S T U D E N T

A T H L E T E S ?

• NCAA & NAIA

C A M P U S

V I S I T S

• Nothing replaces the value

of a campus visit.

• Do your local one first.

• Find your “blank”

F I N A N C I A L

A I D E

2 Types

• Merit based

• Need base

2 Sources

• The college you attend

• “Outside” sources

M Y T H S & R E A L I T I E S

• “My high school will get me in to college.”

• “Test Scores are more important than my GPA &

Class Rank, and these are the only things colleges

care about.”

• “If I ace the ACTs or SATs I can get in anywhere.”

• “To find the right college, one must first decide on a

major and a career.”

M Y T H S & R E A L I T I E S

• “Big colleges have so much more to offer.” OR “Small colleges

offer the most personal education.”

• “Unless I’m in a big city, I’ll be bored.”

• “I need to apply to 10 or more colleges to assure I get into one.”

• “The more prestigious a college is, the better the education will

be.”

• “Even if I get financial aid, I will still have large loans to repay

when I graduate.”

Q U E S T I O N S ?