College Admissions: Now Is the Time To Consider Transferring

January 13, 2022 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

In our practice, we are increasingly seeing students who are making the decision to transfer while in their freshman and sophomore years. Here are some of the main reasons I see why students decide to transfer:

They are unhappy: Why remain in an environment for four years where you will be unhappy and miserable – and pay tuition, room and board that will cost you (or your parents) $200,000 – $250,000.
Fresh start: From time to time, a student may have faced unexpected challenges and they desire a new college environment.
Institutional prestige: You may be attending your safety school and you want a second chance for your preferred school or you were discouraged from applying to your dream school. In any case, you desire what we call an UPGRADE.
Pre-graduate school preparation: Your current college may not have a strong pre-law, pre-med or pre-business program needed for graduate school admissions preparation or employment.

Upgrade_transfer_college-admissions_Dr_Paul_Lowe_Admissions_Advisor — **College Transfer: Time to *UPGRADE* to a different college!**

Whatever the reason for transferring, the bottom line is that you need to develop an effective action plan to transfer. Consider seeking professional, expert advice: Why? In my professional experience, I find that prospective transfer students need to develop individualized, effective transfer plans and implement them. As a transfer student, you no longer have the assistance of your public high school or private high school college counselor. You will need an educational consultant who specializes in college transfer admissions. You’re basically on your own in the transfer process that is even more competitive than when you applied to college the first time!

Dr_Paul_Lowe_Educational_Consultant_Admissions_Advisor_BS_MD_programs_IECA_HECA_Harvard_Yale-Princeton — **Dr. Paul Lowe, Admissions Expert**

Dr. Paul Reginald Lowe, founder and managing director of Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group, provides comprehensive counseling advice, exclusively for admissions to top private schools; Ivy League and highly-selective colleges/universities; BS/MD programs; graduate and medical schools and top visual and performing arts programs. The admissions affiliate: Ivy League Admissions Advisors specializes in admissions to Ivy League and highly selective colleges, Dr. Lowe also specializes in helping students who have been wait-listed, deferred or rejected gain admission into their top-choice schools: College Application Rejected. and student who wish to transfer to another college: College Transfer Admissions Advisors.

What Parents Need to Know to Succeed at College Admissions?

November 26, 2021November 26, 2021 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

Parents call us to understand how my firm has a continual level of admissions success. Why are our clients so happy the day decisions are released? Let me explain.

We embrace Empirical Analytics by using data, technology, client-case studies, campus-expert panels, our specialized knowledge, and over 23 years of experience to answer questions, navigate challenges, predict outcomes, and to help our clients make informed decisions that provide results-based admissions success.

Simply put, we are the best in the admissions advisory business! No other admissions consulting firm, with our team make up, has the historical, experiential and cultural perspectives that allow our clients to consistently win at the college admissions game. We share our perspectives and empirical analytics with our clients which gives them an admissions edge.

Dr_Paul_Lowe_Admissions_Expert_Different_we_know_we_are_different

After all, isn’t admissions to Ivy League, highly selective college/universities and BS/MD programs a competition?

**College Admissions is a Competitive Sport.**

Different_Dr_Paul_Lowe_Admissions_Advisor_different_unparallel_unmatched_unrivaled — Dr. Lowe and his team of diverse admissions experts provide ***unrivaled, unmatched and unparalleled*** admissions advisory and educational research services for their clients. Most importantly, you work **DIRECTLY** with Dr. Lowe and get the benefits of his entire team. By working with Dr. Lowe, ***one-on-one***, you work with *his* reputation, *his* expertise, *his* experience and *his* success!

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College Admissions: What’s Your WOW FACTOR?

Wow_factor_College_BS_MD_Admissions_Dr_Paul_Lowe_Educational_Consultant_Advisor

September 23, 2021September 29, 2021 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

Over the past 10 years, I have been talking in my webinars/seminars and writing in my blogs about the WOW factor and its importance in successful college admissions acceptance!

As college admissions becomes increasingly more competitive, admissions officers and committees look beyond high GPAs, high standardized test scores, ESEs (expensive summer experiences), tailored resumes and achievements and seemingly amazing, but generic essays. Dr. Lowe and his team continue to use the Wow Factor Admissions Concept with their clients.

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What’s your personal “Wow Factor” that will make you stand out and get accepted to the college of your choice? It’s a factor that your admissions officer will look for as well as discuss with the other admissions committee members as to the reason you should be accepted.

What is a personal “Wow Factor”? Your charisma, confidence, motivation, initial impression, appearance, communication skills, attitude, self-esteem, authenticity, presence, etiquette, manners, harmony, rhythm and vibe all contribute to your wow factor. Your wow factor is what makes you different! It’s your distinguishing trademark, your personal brand that must be placed in a positive light to a committee of six to ten diverse people to get accepted. It’s the kind of aura that is genuine, authentic and resonates. To truly identify your WOW factor, you need an outside perspective, a third party, that understands how admissions committees will review your character.

It takes Dr. Lowe and his team hours to weeks discover and months to cultivate a client’s WOW factor. After that, we develop strategies to convey that brand to Ivy League and highly selective colleges and BS/MD programs.

Our admissions strategies help applicants spotlight their unique characteristic(s) that make admissions officers say “Wow! We want this student!”

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Transfer Acceptance Rates at Top Colleges

February 23, 2020March 2, 2020 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

As the college application season begins to draw to a close (decisions for competitive schools will be released in late March), one would believe that everything is slowing down. But actually, we are in the throes of the college transfer season! Many college freshmen and sophomores, after a semester or so, have already decided that they need to transfer to another college. Throughout the years, I have encountered many students who wish to transfer. It is now becoming a growing trend. In our practice, we are increasingly seeing students who are making the decision to transfer while in their first semester, freshman year. Here are some of the main reasons why the students I encounter decide to transfer:

They are unhappy: Why remain in an environment for four years where you will be unhappy and miserable – and pay tuition, room and board that will cost you (or your parents) $200,000 – $250,000?
Fresh start: From time to time, a student may have faced unexpected challenges, disciplinary actions at a college and they need a new college environment.
Institutional prestige: You may be attending your safety school and you want a second shot or you were discouraged from applying to your dream school. In any case, you desire what we call an UPGRADE.
Pre-graduate school preparation: Your current college may not have a strong pre-law, pre-med or pre-business curriculum needed for graduate school admissions preparation or employment.

Most of the parents who call us are calling for an upgrade! There are fewer spots available especially in the Ivies and highly competitive colleges.

Students are on their own during the transfer process: No college counseling support will be available from their current guidance counselors or private high school college advisors and there is no transfer help from the college which they are currently attending.

Here is a list of acceptance rates at top colleges:

Barnard College – 21.8%
Brown University – 7.7%
California Institute of Technology – 1.9%
Carnegie Mellon University – 7.3%
Columbia University – 6.1%
Cornell University – 17.1%
Dartmouth College – 1.5%
Duke University – 6.6%
Georgetown University – 6.6%

“Year after year, I hear the horror stories from parents whose kids got in nowhere because they thought the college admissions race was just about grades, SAT scores, their perceived ‘unique’ applications, generic essays and perfect connections.” – Dr. Paul Lowe

“Admissions is a competitive sport! Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe

“We provide our clients access to our specialized knowledge!” – Dr. Paul Lowe

Dr. Paul Reginald Lowe, founder and managing director of Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group, provides comprehensive counseling advice, exclusively for admissions to top private schools; Ivy League and highly-selective colleges/universities; BS/MD programs; graduate and medical schools and top visual and performing arts programs. Its medical school admissions affiliate: Medical School Admissions Advisors. The admissions affiliate: Ivy League Admissions Advisors specializes in admissions to Ivy League and highly selective colleges, Dr. Lowe also specializes in helping students who have been wait-listed, deferred or rejected gain admission into their top-choice schools: College Application Rejected. and student who wish to transfer to another college: College Transfer Admissions Advisors.

Brown University Midyear and Transfer Admissions

Dr_Paul_Lowe_Admissions_Expert_Brown_University_Van_Wickle_Gates

January 28, 2020January 30, 2020 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

On January 21, Brown University had its ceremonial procession through the Van Wickle Gates.

This unique procession involved 51 transfer and 6 visiting students who started their classes at Brown, become a part of the Brown community and enjoy the Brown academic and social experiences.

The Mid-Year Transfer Program is designed specifically for incoming sophomores. To be eligible for transfer admission to Brown, a student must have completed at least one full year of college study (or its equivalent) before their planned matriculation at Brown.

This year, all of our clients who applied to Brown’s Midyear transfer program were accepted!

Congratulations to students and their parents!

Our parents-clients are happy, overjoyed and excited that they can now call their sons and daughters – Brown University students and future alumni!

“Admissions is a competitive sport! Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe

“We provide our clients access to our specialized knowledge!” – Dr. Paul Lowe

Dr. Paul Reginald Lowe, founder and managing director of Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group, provides comprehensive counseling advice, exclusively for admissions to top private schools; Ivy League and highly-selective colleges/universities; BS/MD programs; graduate and medical schools and top visual and performing arts programs. Its medical school admissions affiliate: Medical School Admissions Advisors. The admissions affiliate: Ivy League Admissions Advisors specializes in admissions to Ivy League and highly selective colleges, Dr. Lowe also specializes in helping students who have been wait-listed, deferred or rejected gain admission into their top-choice schools: College Application Rejected. and student who wish to transfer to another college: College Transfer Admissions Advisors.

We Are The Best – Let Us Prove It

July 22, 2019July 31, 2019 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group at its affiliate firms have created a new campaign: “Are the Best – Let Us Prove It.”

Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group affiliates: Ivy League Admissions Advisors, Boarding School Admissions Consultants, Private School Admissions Advisors, BS MD Admissions Advisors, Medical School Admission Advisors and location affiliates help their clients successfully navigate the competitive admissions process to top private day and boarding schools, Ivy League and highly selective colleges and universities BS/MD programs and graduate schools.

Year after year, we receive calls from disappointed parents (and students) who either tried the competitive admissions process on their own or hired inexperienced educational consultants who are not specialized in the hyper-competitive admissions process. The result: admissions disaster and catastrophe – rejection from all their top day and boarding schools, colleges and universities and acceptance into “good fit” safety schools!

We have been in business for over 21 years and take pride in our unmatched admissions success and results.

“Admissions is a competitive sport! Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe

“We provide our clients access to our specialized knowledge!” – Dr. Paul Lowe

The College Admissions Landscape Has Changed Again: Adversity Score

July 1, 2019August 6, 2019 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

The College Board, the New York based nonprofit that oversees the SAT, plans to assign an adversity score to every student who takes the SAT to try to capture their social and economic backgrounds. This fall, 100 colleges and universities will join the 50 colleges (which include Harvard, Yale, Cornell and University of Michigan) already utilizing this new metric designed to place students’ SAT scores in the context of their socioeconomic advantages or disadvantages.

This adversity score is calculated using 15 environmental factors that influence a student’s home and school life – including the neighborhood’s crime rate and poverty levels, the community’s average educational attainment, housing values, and vacancies. While students won’t see, know or be told their scores, colleges will see the numbers when reviewing their applications.

What does this mean for rising seniors? The college admissions landscape has changed again. Colleges will have an objective tool that will not just consider a student’s race, but their socio-economic class in making admissions decisions. To be clear, colleges and universities have considered socioeconomic factors previously; but the pilot study of this method using the adversity score has accelerated the inclusion of lower income and minority students. Admissions will be even more competitive!

“Admissions is a competitive sport! Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe

“We provide our clients access to our specialized knowledge!” – Dr. Paul Lowe

College Admissions: How will You Differentiate Yourself from the Crowd

May 28, 2019May 28, 2019 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

I am often asked the question by parents during my seminars how can my child differentiate themselves in the competitive admissions process to get admitted to their dream school.

There are 7 factors that you can control to this end:

Common Application
Personal Statement
Supplemental Essays
Letters of Recommendations
Extracurricular Activities
WOW Factor
Hire a college admissions expert who knows the changing policies, politics and diplomacy in admissions.

If you don’t differentiate yourself from the crowd, you will be among 41,350 students who were rejected from Harvard (43,330 applied, 1950 accepted), or, the 36, 123 students rejected from Brown (38,674 applied, 2,551 accepted) or rejected (34,665 rejected from Yale (36,843 applied, 2,178 accepted.

It’s actually that simple!

Dr_Paul_Lowe_Ivy_League_Admissions_Expert_Advice — You need to hire a high-end college admissions expert who understands the **holistic approach and review process** and the **committee-based review process** when evaluating applicants for admissions. And an expert who knows the changing **policies, politics and diplomacy in admissions**.

“Admissions is a competitive sport! Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe

10 Best Colleges in New Jersey in 2018

May 24, 2019May 25, 2019 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

I visit several New Jersey colleges and universities annually. There is a perfect college or university in New Jersey for all those seeking to further their academic careers. I find that they are diverse in nature based on academic rigor, campus size and admissions policies.

Each year, Money magazine ranks college and universities. Money ranked 727 of the best colleges based on quality of education, affordability and outcomes. And while the usual elite, highly selective institutions topped the list, 21 New Jersey colleges made the cut. Only Drew University was left off the list.

Here are the top ten best colleges in New Jersey along with their overall Money magazine ranks.

Princeton University (#1)
The College of New Jersey (#35)
Rutgers University-New Brunswick (#65)
Ramapo College of New Jersey (#113)
Stevens Institute of Technology (#153)
Montclair State University (#164)
Rowan University, Glassboro (#182)
College of Saint Elizabeth, Morristown (#193)
New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark (#199)
Stockton University, Galloway (#218)

As an “elite/veteran” member of New Jersey Association for College Admissions Counseling, I continually visit New Jersey colleges and universities to ensure that our clients are aware of the changing campus environment and admissions policies at each individual institution.

Dr_Lowe_Larry_Alterman_NJACAC_Atlantic_City_resize_600 — Dr. Lowe and Larry Alterman, 2019 NJACAC President at the NJACAC Annual Conference in Atlantic City, May 20, 2019

“Admissions is a competitive sport! Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe

Dr. Lowe Visits Harvard College

May 16, 2019May 24, 2019 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

Dr. Lowe and his team of admissions advisors visit Ivy League, prestigious and elite colleges several times annually, where they have the unique opportunity of interacting one-on-one with directors of admissions and senior admissions personnel.

In May, I visited Harvard College. This is my third visit to Harvard College this year. Each visit, I have the opportunity to meet professors and admissions personnel and talk about the college. I met several students on the Harvard Yard and they were friendly and modest. I sensed that they knew that they would be the future world leaders.

This year, Harvard’s acceptance rate was a record-low 4.5 percent. For the Class of 2023 with 1,950 of the 43,330 applicants. This year marks the fifth consecutive application cycle in which the percentage of accepted applicants has decreased.

What does this mean for rising seniors (this year’s juniors)?

If Harvard is your first choice, it’s getting even harder to get accepted.

My recommendation?

Applicants will need an expert college admissions advisor who:

has the experience and expertise in working with applicants who are applying to Ivy League colleges and universities.
continually visits colleges and universities.
understands how to efficiently and appropriately advise applicants.
understands the admissions policies and what admissions officers are looking for.
spends time with applicants brainstorming and implementing admissions strategies.
guides applicants through the minefields of the Common Application, personal statements and supplemental/short answer essays.

“Admissions is a competitive sport! Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe