Rolling Admission

Many colleges offer rolling admission as their only method of offering admission to prospective students. This means that they accept applications on and on-going basis until there is no longer space available. As soon as an applicant has put together a complete application package (the college’s application and any supporting documents that the college requires – high school transcript, letters of recommendation, etc.) they can submit them to the college’s admission office and the student will receive a decision shortly thereafter. I have worked with colleges that send rolling admission decisions within two weeks, and with others that send rolling admission decisions within four to six weeks. These colleges often have a predetermined number of seats available in each major they offer. With that in mind, it’s beneficial for interested students to submit their applications as soon as possible – the more seats that are available, the better your chances of acceptance.

Is this like Early Decision, under which you are committed to a college if admitted? Not at all. Rolling admissions colleges and universities offer seats to qualified students shortly after they apply and typically allow students until May 1 to submit a deposit.

You might ask, “What’s the downside?” Other than trying to complete applications, send test scores, and request and compile letters of recommendation as soon as possible – do-able, but definitely requiring focus and a bit of ambition – there is none!

Before moving forward, consider your back-up!

Before moving forward, consider your back-up!

When students begin to compile the list of colleges which they will apply to, it’s important to put focused thought and effort into choosing a back-up or “safety” school. This begs the question, “What exactly is a safety school?”

I like to use a three-pronged approach to deciding if a college should be considered a good back-up or safety school.

1)     Acceptability - When looking at a school’s requirements for admission, you can see that you not only meet them, but exceed each one. For example the college might require scores on the SAT that are in the 1100 range, but yours approach 1400. They ask for 3 years of high school science preparation and you have 4, plus you’re enrolled in and excelling in a college science course while a high school student. When meeting with students I often joke that this prong should be called the Jimmy Neutron prong, as in the college would consider you among their top students when looking at your application. For many students the local community college is a viable option to fulfill this criterion – but not for all (see #3, below).

2)     Affordability – While I understand, on a deep and personal level, that college is just plain expensive, a safety or back-up school’s cost should be at a level that you can afford. Putting together student loans, grants and scholarships, savings and/or gifts, and even a college-sponsored payment plan, you can manage the bill for this school.

3)     Affability – (admittedly named as such to have a tidy 3-pronged list) This is a school you would be happy attending. You like the campus, the location, the clubs and athletics, and the majors offered. If your heart’s desire is to live on campus then many community colleges become disqualified at prong 3 because they may not offer on-campus dormitories.

Measuring colleges against all three of these considerations takes some time and effort. I might suggest that you should put in more work pursuing a clear back-up school than any other school on your list – it might turn out to be your home for at least a year therefore you should be as sure as you can be that you’ll be successful at it, able to afford it, and, of course, happy with it!

Who’s afraid of the ASVAB?

The ASVAB, or the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery is part of the ASVAB Career Exploration Program provided by local armed services personnel. While the connection to the military may be intimidating to some, this is an excellent program designed to help students discover how their interests and skills relate to more than 400 occupations. The test also helps students understand where their verbal, mathematical, and science/technical skills lie.

It’s available for juniors or seniors and will be held on the morning of November 9, 2016. Stop in or call the VUHS Guidance and School Counseling Office to reserve a seat.