Spring 2010
Dear Parents and Student:
This year’s college
admissions results are turning out to be more selective than ever,
not only for students who applied to private universities, but also
to those opting for top tier state schools and smaller liberal arts
colleges. Many well qualified students were denied admission or
placed on “wait” lists. More
aggressive recruiting by colleges in this economic downturn, a jump
in applications from minority students and a boost in the number of
students filing more applications
to find the best financial aid offers have contributed to
this situation. Additionally, record numbers of California students
are applying to eastern, midwestern and southern schools due to
severe educational budget cuts in that state.
I retired several years ago as the Director of College Guidance with
34 years experience in teaching (English) and college admissions
counseling. For the past
nine years, I have been assisting students in local public and
private schools (including Wissahickon, Germantown Academy, Upper
Dublin, and CB East) and can provide parental references attesting
to the effectiveness of my counseling. For example, last year some
of my students earned acceptance into Penn (Wharton), Princeton,
NYU (Stern), M.I.T., Cornell, Yale, Duke, and Penn State
(Honors Program). Other admissions included Boston University,
Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, U. Michigan, Syracuse, Swarthmore, Johns
Hopkins, Villanova, Bucknell, Gettysburg, U. Pittsburgh, George
Washington, Vanderbilt, Boston College, Lafayette, Northwestern, U.
Maryland, and U. Colorado.
In 2008, the
cost of attending a 4 year public university – after financial
aid- equaled 28% of a median annual income: a 4 year private
university, 76%.
With an investment this
great, it makes sense to seek professional advice.
Avoid costly
false-starts in choosing the right college and major course of
study.
Provide an opportunity
for your son or daughter to receive ongoing assistance in
choosing and writing effective short responses, essays and
application supplements.
Discover ways to improve
your son or daughter’s chances of completing college in four
years. (Fewer than 50% of students graduate in under 5 years)
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Mistakes,
missed deadlines, and poorly written essays are often
responsible for college rejection letters. |
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Many schools, unfortunately, do
not maintain sufficient staff in the guidance office to provide
necessary one on one counseling to assure entrance into the best
schools commensurate with the student’s ability and academic
record. |
My approach is to
take on a very limited number of students. I begin the process with an
intensive interview with both the parents and student. The student’s
academic history (including SAT scores, class rank/grade point average,
extracurricular activities, volunteer work and personality traits) will
be evaluated in detail.
During the initial
interview the following will be accomplished:
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Develop a timeline listing critical
steps and dates
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Select an initial target list of
schools based on the student’s ability and academic interests
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Discuss the pros and cons of applying
for ‘early decision’ or ‘early action’
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Know what is involved in developing a
comprehensive Activities Sheet
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Learn what is successful (and what is
not) in writing college essays
If you decide to
continue, you will receive the following:
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A computerized pre-formatted Activities
Sheet
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Help in choosing the best essay topics
and suggestions on how to start writing
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Fine tuning of your essays
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Suggestions on how to secure effective
letters of recommendation from teachers, employers, etc.
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Selecting ‘safety’ and ‘reach’ schools
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Developing a realistic list of colleges
to which you will apply
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Deciding which campuses to visit
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Coaching on making a good impression in
the college interview
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Phone and e-mail answers to numerous
questions that will come up during the application process
Unlike most independent college
consultants who charge a pricey flat fee, my services are calculated on
an hourly basis. The total cost generally ranges between $400 and $800,
depending on the number of essays a student has to write and how many
corrections are needed. This fee can be compared favorably to an SAT
Prep course and offers one on one tutoring.
Good luck in your college search. If you wish to set up the initial
interview, please contact me as soon as possible since timing is
critical. If you decide not to proceed at this time, please keep this
letter on file should you elect to seek assistance at a later point.
Virginia Ann Schuler
College Counselor
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