| It is highly recommended that early in the college | | | | of former U.S. Representative Shirley Chisholm (D-NY) |
| selection process, parents and student(s) visit some | | | | come to mind here, "When morality comes up against |
| schools to determine if they'll be suitable. The criteria | | | | profit, it is seldom that profit loses." |
| that must be considered before any college is applied | | | | Parents and student(s) should make the official |
| to include: | | | | unofficial visit to potential schools no later than the 10th |
| - Average GPA, SAT I, class rank for acceptance | | | | grade. Colleges are always impressed when a 9th or |
| - The school should offer enough choices in the event | | | | 10th grader pays a visit. By keeping in touch with |
| the student changes their major | | | | officials you've met, in essence, you will have added |
| - Size, location, Greeks, religious affiliation | | | | points to both your GPA and SAT I scores by |
| - Percentage of freshmen that return for year two | | | | establishing a rapport. When the time comes, |
| - Percentage of freshmen that graduate in four years | | | | administrators will be able to associate a face with |
| - Percentage of financial need met | | | | your application. This helps a merely qualified student |
| - Percentage of gift aid/self-help awarded | | | | become a far more acceptable one. |
| - On or off campus job opportunities | | | | However, before packing your bags and filling up the |
| - Meal plans and dietary situations met | | | | SUV with gas, make a checklist that includes the |
| - Name recognition | | | | following: |
| - Student/teacher ratio | | | | Confirm that everything you plan to visit will be open |
| - Average class size, semester or trimester | | | | and, ideally, that school is in session. Ask plenty of |
| - Percentage of professors who teach and | | | | questions and be an attentive listener. Consider bringing |
| percentage of teaching assistants | | | | a video camera or tape recorder for your notes no |
| - 2 or 4-year college or university | | | | matter how good your memory is. Find out who reads |
| - Co-ed dorms | | | | applications from your area and, if possible, try to meet |
| - Freshman cars permitted | | | | with a reader and be sure to keep in touch with them. |
| - Handicap accessibility | | | | Student athletes should meet with a coach or two. |
| - Cost of the sheepskin | | | | Listen to the school radio station and get a copy of the |
| It is also recommended that you determine if the | | | | campus newspaper. If the student has Greek |
| school uses a need-blind or need-sensitive admissions | | | | intentions, visit some frat or sorority houses. Students |
| policy. Need-blind is a practice where the student is | | | | should check out the dorm unannounced, introduce |
| evaluated without any regard to family income or | | | | themselves to attending students and pick their brains. |
| assets. Need-sensitive is a shameful policy used by a | | | | Have a snack in the cafeteria. After all, their food is |
| host of elite schools such as Duke, Emory and | | | | what the student will be eating for the next four years! |
| Stanford. These schools will admit a less than qualified | | | | Students who have decided upon their course of |
| rich kid in anticipation of a large contribution to their | | | | study should make every effort to arrange a meeting |
| own endowment funds. In essence, the wealthy family | | | | with the head of that particular department and audit a |
| has bought an admission ticket to a school where their | | | | class or two. This may require an overnight, giving the |
| student might never have otherwise been accepted! | | | | student a greater opportunity to check out the dorm. |
| It's anyone's guess how many other schools enrich | | | | These are some college selection websites I |
| their coffers in this deceitful, unprincipled manner. Duke | | | | recommend: |
| has even been brazenly open about this policy, and I | | | | - For alternative criteria go to or call 617-864-4810. |
| find it curious that shortly after reaching their $2 billion | | | | They have a list of some 300 schools that apply |
| fund raising goal in 2003, they reduced their freshman | | | | non-traditional guidelines in the Admissions Process. |
| acceptance percentage from 7.5% to 4%. The words | | | | |