The Blue Streaks of John Carroll University

John Carroll University is located about 20 minutes west of Cleveland, Ohio, in University Heights. This Jesuit university, named after the first archbishop of the Catholic Church in the United States, has over 3000 students. On a recent campus visit, this liberal arts university prides itself on offering the ‘iTunes generation’ a little bit of everything because not every student fits into a particular mold.

Boler School of Business

The most prestigious program on campus, the Boler School of Business is an Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) institution. In addition, the Boler School maintains the independent Accountancy accreditation, placing the school in the same category as only 11% of all collegiate business programs in the United States.

Another unique aspect of the Boler School is their commitment to the core values of Jesuit education: leadership and service. There are four Centers for Professional Development available to students. Students can choose from expanding their interest of entrepreneurship, developing leadership skills, corporate social responsibility internship programs and a lecture series featuring an area CEO.

Enrollment Managers

John Carroll University provides families with the experience of working with an Enrollment Manager. Unique to JCU, this means families will speak with one person regarding enrollment, scholarship opportunities and financial aid throughout the college process. This one stop approach omits many miscommunications between offices while providing families with timely and proper responses to questions or concerns. This unique concept helps the family and the school develop a relationship with JCU, even prior to the students arrival on campus.

Liberal Arts Core Curriculum

In the fall of 2015, JCU will introduce their new liberal arts core curriculum. This new academic strategy  lowers the core curriculum requirements from 54 to 42 credit hours. This does not mean less coursework for students, but the opportunity for professors to teach courses across the curriculum, while also potentially fulfilling graduation credits in a student’s major. This will also provide students the opportunity to expand their educational intellect through a true liberal arts educational experience. Though over 40% of JCU students either double major or minor, the goal is to increase the number of students double majoring or adding a minor by graduation, potentially increasing their value to future employers.

Jesuit Educational Values

John Carroll University was founded in 1886 by the Society of Jesuits on the concept of educating the student as a whole. The Jesuit Educational Values of intellectual, spiritual, emotional and physical development are still evident at JCU. The college’s core value and mission emphasizes social justice and service to the community and the broader world. The school was founded on Jesuit and Roman Catholic beliefs, the campus welcomes people from all faiths.

If you would like to learn more about John Carroll University, or other colleges, please contact us or leave a comment.

Emerging College Application Trends

During the past few college application seasons, new trends have begun to emerge. Some of these trends are part of the evolution of the college application while others are simply gaining more popularity with colleges. It also seems that as one college amends their application, other comparable colleges oftentimes implement similar changes.

Self Reporting Grades

As paper applications are retired and applications are completed online, a few extra mouse clicks mean applying to multiples colleges (see Common Application below). To prevent an abundance of paperwork, colleges are allowing 'Self Reporting Grades.' Colleges empower students to report their academic grades. As students apply to an increased number of schools, the number of applications per school grows, creating less time to review applications. Allowing students to report their own grades creates a more efficient process for all involved. Of course, the student's honesty is expected as transcripts are eventually sent prior to final admission. Yet, schools have seen few circumstances of students falsifying grades.

Holistic Review

A Holistic Review is when an admissions office reviews a candidate's entire application to determine acceptance. Many factors are considered, such as: grades, standardized test schools, rigor of high school courses attempted, Advance Placement courses, extracurricular activities and leadership positions held.

An increasing number of colleges are turning to holistic review, especially smaller, more competitive schools, in order to hand pick an ideal freshmen class. This allows colleges to diversify their student body and ensure the needs of the school are met. This could mean anything from selecting conservative students on a liberal campus, admitting students from underrepresented states to a sousaphone player for the band. This method controls the creation of the ideal freshmen class, while not restricting itself to standardized test scores and grades.

Common Application

One large reason colleges review applicants holistically is due to the Common Application. This application is used by 548 college and universities worldwide. Schools who agree to use this application agree to review a student holistically, not simply through academics.
Students complete a 'common' core of questions regarding their academic background, along with their extracurricular activities. Students will also upload documents such as letters of recommendation and transcripts. Lastly, applicants are expected to answer one of the five essay prompts. Once complete, students can submit an application to numerous colleges at once. Colleges may add additional questions, or even a supplemental essay to the application, ranging from one to seven questions. An increasing number of schools are using this application system, as it is growing in size (31 new schools added in 2014). For more information on the Common App, read this blog post.

Test Optional

As schools are moving to holistically reviewing student applications, an increasing number of colleges are moving away from 'gross' numbers by becoming test optional. This means, for various reasons, students may choose to report their standardized test results to the school. If a student chooses not to report their ACT or SAT scores, colleges have less information to review. This creates a stronger emphasis on information such as grade point average, rigorous course work outstanding extracurricular activities and a dynamic college essay to showcase the entire student's body of work.

If you are interested in any of these topics or have other questions, please leave a comment for discussion. If you would like to know more information regarding any of these points, please contact us.

The Fightin' Irish of Notre Dame

The University of Notre Dame is one of three colleges located just outside of South Bend, Indiana. It boasts to being the most "National university in the United States," because students travel an average of 850 miles to attend. This top liberal arts college and research institution is home to nearly 8000 undergraduate students.

Roman Catholicism 

The geographically diverse campus is also proudly Roman Catholic, with 80% of all student self-identifying with Catholicism and 93% of a Christian faith. Founded by the Congregation of the Holy Cross in 1842, Notre Dame du Lac (French for "Our Lady of the Lake") has a multitude of religious statues, murals and aspects throughout campus. These include the eight story high The Word of Life mural on the Hesburgh Library ("Touchdown Jesus" for football fans) and famed Notre Dame Grotto to Our Lady of Lourdes. Though, being Catholic is not required for attendance, the university boasts the largest Campus Ministry office in the entire United States while celebrating over 100 Catholic masses a week in one of the 57 chapels throughout campus. For football fans, the Notre Dame Basilica celebrates mass a half hour after the end of each home football game.

Residence Hall Life

When fellow alums meet for the first time, the first question usually asked is, "what dorm did you live in?" Living in one of the 29 dorms on campus helps to create an identity for students, especially since Greek life is non-existent on campus. Students create their sense of dorm identity by competing in interdorm competitions (such as intramural sports), celebrate mass in their individual dorm chapel or participate student dorm government. The dorm culture is so strong that 80% of all undergraduate students live in dormitories all four years on campus.

Mendoza College of Business

One of the five colleges in the university, the Mendoza College of Business is ranked among the top five business schools of U.S. colleges by various sources, including #1 by Bloomsburg Businessweek for five consecutive years. Established in 1921, this prestigious college offers six undergraduate degrees and four graduate degree programs. Upon completing the unique First Year of Studies program, business majors enter the Mendoza College their sophomore year. Starting with the 2014 college application season, first year applicants will mark this college's preference as a course of study, thus being "pre-approved" for admission into Mendoza upon meeting first year studies requirements.

The School of Architecture

The School of Architecture was formed in 1899 and was the first Catholic university to award this degree in 1898. The smallest of the six colleges in the university, this five year program requires all juniors enroll in The Rome Studies Program. This 3rd year program provides students the opportunity to study sustainable architecture and urbanism while living in Rome, Italy. Upon return to campus, fourth and fifth year students will take their experiential learning and apply it to American city planning and eventually their individually chosen thesis project.

To learn more about the Fightin' Irish of Notre Dame or how to apply for admission to this highly selective college, contact us.

How Will You Apply to College?

Applying to college has changed dramatically the past 15 years. In addition to no longer using paper applications, colleges have created different application decisions and deadlines.  

Early Decision (ED)

Early Decision is a binding agreement between the student, parents, school counselor and college. The contract stipulates that if offered admission, the student will withdraw all other applications and accept admission into that school.

A student would apply ED to a college if they knew it was their absolute top choice, especially at a school in which they might not be the strongest applicant. The ED applicant pool is much smaller than the Regular Decision pool. This allows for students to be compared with a fewer number of applicants, as only ED applications are compared, thus increasing a student's chance of admission. It can hurt a student if the student does not stand out amongst other applicants.


Early Action (EA)

This application deadline allows students to apply earlier to a particular college/university, usually on the first of November. In return, colleges agree to act on their application earlier, by the end of the calendar year. This is a plus for students because they will learn earlier if they are accepted to college. If denied or deferred, this provides additional time to reassess their college applications. As with ED, schools only compare EA applications when admitting students. Colleges again, prefer the EA process because they are able to accept a particular amount of students which will many times increase the probability of students accepting admission.

Restrictive/Single Choice Early Action

This is a newer entry into the college application process, generally seen in a highly selective college. This application option will allow students to apply 'early' to one college. The difference between this option and ED is that there is no binding acceptance agreement. Students ethically agree not to apply ED or EA to other colleges, in hopes of an early acceptance from a highly selective college. Once a student receives notification, they are free to apply to other colleges.

Regular Decision (RD)

This is the standard option for a student application. Some schools will offer a 'rolling admissions' option in RD. This means that schools will notify students days or weeks upon receiving a completed application. Other schools will notify students in the applicant pool on one date later in the application process (around March or April 1st).

TIPS: Always remember to pay attention to deadlines. Students should also pay attention to all aspects of their application files to ensure they are complete, such as letters of recommendations, essay supplements, fees, etc... Missing a deadline or a component of your file might mean missing out on an opportunity to attend the school of your choice.

There are more pluses and minuses to the application processes, contact us to learn which option is best for you.

Explaining How to Use the Common App When Applying to College

The Common Application, also known as the Common App, is an undergraduate college admission application shared among 517 member colleges and universities in the United States and 6 foreign countries. About one-third of these member institutions use the Common App as their exclusive admission application. Founded in 1975, the Common App is currently in its 4th edition.

Online Exclusive Application

The Common Application has two versions: first-year admission and transfer admission. Each of these applications are available exclusively online, paper copies cannot be submitted to member schools. The first day to begin the application for the following fall is August 1st. The commonality of the application allows for all entered information to be submitted to selected schools electronically via the Common Application website. A student may also create separate versions of the application for individual schools if they wish. Once the application is transmitted to a college online, it cannot be changed for that college. If the student would like to edit the application after submission, they must contact the college directly. The Common Application also allows the student to submit and track other components of their application such as supplements, payments, and school forms.

Holistic Review

The mission of this not-for-profit organization is to encourage member schools to create a 'holistic selection process' for student admission. This means a student is judged subjectively by each prospective school using such factors as essays, letters of recommendation and extracurricular activities along with objective factors such as class rank, standardized test scores and Grade Point Average (GPA). The Common App believe this holistic review allows for schools to promote equity and integrity in the college admission process. Only schools who accept the holistic admission criteria (not solely objective factors) are accepted into membership.

Essay Prompts

There are five essay prompts on the Common Application in which a student has the flexibility to choose to answer one. Five new questions were created for the 4th edition which began for the 2013-14 admission year. Along with new questions, the length of the essay remained at the 250 word minimum, but increased from 500 to a 650 maximum word limit. The essay prompts are the main aspect of the application. The student should allow the admission office to learn about their: values, uniqueness and creativity. The student should also be creative, reflective, expressive and honest about themselves, while portraying their writing and critical thinking skills.

Supplement Questions

Many member institutions require a 'Common App Supplement.' These are additional question(s) that are asked in order to complement a student's application. Many times, colleges will ask specific questions regarding the school or programs they have to offer. There are only two restrictions for a supplement question: that it does not re-ask questions already answered and that it does not violate the National Association for College Admissions Counselors Statement of Principles and Good Practice.

If you would like more advice or tips on the Common Application, contact us.

Create a Dynamic Resume for College

Summer is almost here, but that should not mean that it is time for a high school student to rest. Rather, it should mean the student should work on activities that have been low on their priority list during the busy school year. One of these items should be to create or edit their high school resume. Here are some suggestions on what a student should have on their resume.

Involvement  

If your student has not already done so, they should get involved. Every school has a plethora of sports, clubs and activities. If students are unsure about a club's activities, they should seek out the sponsor or attend a meeting. Remember, students are not obligated to attend the next meeting. Colleges seek students who actively participate in a variety of activities. Joining a school activity can help students expand their circle of friends, establish a college resume and perhaps even find their passion.

Leadership Positions

Colleges do not want to see a plethora of activities on a student's resume, but rather a few in which they are deeply and passionately involved. Perhaps a student can show off their leadership qualities by becoming the captain of their athletic team. This does not mean they have to be the best player on the team, but the hardest working player or the motivator. Perhaps they can work hard in an attempt to become first chair in their section in band, or take on roles of their club/student council with their eyes on the club presidency. Colleges want dynamic students on their campus who can succeed when being challenged.

Rigorous Coursework

Over the years I have had conversations with numerous college admissions representatives (or the same people that read your student's college application). One of most important factors colleges use to evaluate an applicant’s admissions are their high school transcripts. Each representative examines the high school transcripts to assess how much a student has challenged themselves. They especially look for Honors or Advanced Placement level coursework. Admissions representatives understand that these elite courses are not for every student, nor do they want to see poor marks on the transcripts. The suggestion was given for a high school student to enroll in the hardest courses that will challenge themselves, while experiencing success.

Internships/Job

"If my high school student does not get involved at school, they will NEVER get into college!" It is true colleges want students involved, but perhaps school activities are not of interest to the student. Yet, students still need to be involved in something other than the 'Couch Potato Club.' Perhaps they can seek employment in a field of potential college major/career interest. This will provide invaluable experience in the field, while being exposed to everyday tasks. If a job is not available at a particular company, perhaps there are summer internship opportunities or even a job shadow program. This will also help a student to build communication skills and high school resume, while exposing them to the concept of networking with potential employers.

Do you have other ideas on what a high school student can do to create a dynamic college resume? Leave a comment and let us know.  Need help with your high school student in the college selection or application process, Contact Us.

Decoding the Financial Aid Letter

As the May 1st deadline approaches for students to inform colleges of their intent to enroll, it is the perfect time to decode the financial aid letter. Listed below are four types of 'awards' found on a typical financial aid letter.

1. Scholarships

A scholarship is an award based upon student merit, meaning, students have accomplished something exceptional. This is on their high school academic record or their standardized test score (ACT, SAT, etc...). Other types of scholarships are based upon a student's unique talent, such as their athletic performance or musical ability. Scholarships are awarded for various lengths (first year only, renewable for four years, etc...). Make sure you investigate their stipulations. No matter the length, scholarships do not need to be repaid to the school.

2. Grants

These are similar to scholarships as they do not need to be repaid, but they are based upon 'need.' These can from the institution in which you were accepted or from the federal government. There are 3 common federal grants:

• Federal Pell Grant: Up to $5,500 awarded to students who demonstrate financial need. 
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant: In addition to the Pell Grant, this award is up to $4,000 for families that demonstrate exceptional financial need. 
• TEACH Grant: Up to $4,000 is provided to students who take coursework in education. Students then agree to complete four years serving children in low-income communities. 

3. Federal Work-Study

This program is designed for students to earn the awarded amount in an on or off campus job. There are ample campus jobs reserved for federal work-study students. Students cannot earn in excess of the amount offered on the award letter. Most common positions are working in the admissions office, school cafeteria or recreation center.

4. Loans

Many time, in the financial award letter, schools will package in loans to help defray the remaining cost of attendance. The four type of main loans are:

• Direct Subsidized Loan: These are the first loans awarded based upon financial need. They are given for a 10 year repayment period and accruing interest is paid by the Department of Education (DOE) until 6 months after a student leaves school. The loan limit is $3,500 to $5,500, depending upon the year in school.
• Federal Perkins Loan: These loans are in addition to the above loan, if the government deems there is still financial need. The interest rate is slightly higher, but again, interest is paid by the DOE provided a student is in school. The loan limit is up to $5,500 for undergraduate students.
• Direct Unsubsidized Loan: These loans are not based upon financial need. The borrower is responsible for all interest. The amount awarded is based upon grade level and dependency status. 
• Direct PLUS Loan: This loan is for a student's parents or guardians. It is not based upon need and the borrower assumes all interest. The interest rate is slightly higher, but generally it will be lower than an outside private (or bank) loan. The maximum amount borrowed is the cost of attendance, minus any financial aid received. 

Remember, when comparing financial aid award letters, do not compare the amount the school is awarding the student. Compare the financial commitment of the family between schools and the amount of loans the family will have to repay.

If you have questions regarding your family's financial aid award letter or how to prepare for the rising cost of college, contact us.