Tag: International students

What If You Are Rejected or Deferred Early Action/Decision?

~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

As the early decision results come flooding in there is a mixture of feelings in the air. While some happy students settle in for the holidays with their acceptance letters in hand, others will be disappointed and stressed in discovering that they have been deferred to regular decision or, worse-case scenario, rejected. For those who are deferred, their applications will be re-considered along with the thousands of Regular Decision applicants. In the Regular Decision pool, the selection process becomes even more competitive and selective. The likelihood of acceptance is even lower.

Many students try the strategy of applying to what they perceived to be safety schools because they think the school will likely accept them early, only to discover that they are deferred or rejected. In either case, deferral or rejection, SOMETHING WENT WRONG. The problem is that the application errors that caused the rejection or deferral, if not discovered, will continue without rectification to the regular decision pool and result in multiple rejections.

With only a few weeks left in the application season, I recommend that students scrupulously reevaluate their deferred or rejected early/action application and carefully plan a workable strategy in this crunch-time.  (1) Prepare more applications.  (2) In the case of deferral, see what else the college might need.  (3) In the case of rejection, especially if this was your safety (non-reach school), you seriously need to review your application.  (4) In all cases, you may need to hire an educational consultant who is an expert in post-decision admissions advising.

For parents who engage our services after the disheartening news of deferral or rejection, I use our post-decision strategies.  I discover what the student did to be rejected or deferred, build upon their current student profile and accomplishments and re-energize their application so that they are removed from the deferred list and placed on to the accepted list.  Additionally, I assess the student’s Regular Decision applications (due by January 1) to identify mistakes on their Early Decision application so that their mistakes do not become viral and affect the student’s Regular Decision applications.

The worst thing a student can do is to settle for a safety school after all their hard work and find themselves (and their parents) in this unhappy situation of being rejected from their dream schools and reach schools.

 

Dr. Paul Lowe is the manager director of Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group network.  He and his team of admissions advisors, through the admissions affiliate, Ivy League Admissions Advisors, help students gain admissions to Ivy League and highly selective colleges and universities.  Through his admissions affiliate:  College Application Rejected, he specializes in helping students who have been rejected, deferred or waitlisted.

Early Decision and Early Action Notifications: 2017-2018

~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

It’s mid-December and the majority of early decision and early action notifications from the Ivies and most of the highly selective colleges and universities are here! Many applicants with high SAT/ACT scores, high grades and seemly perfect applications and personal statements were rejected or deferred to the regular decision pool.  For example, Harvard has offered admission to 964 applicants out of 6,630 students who applied early,  Yale: 842 accepted, 5733 applicants, and Princeton: 799 accepted, 5402 applicants.

Here are several Ivy League and highly selective college and universities that have notified students:

  • Barnard College:  December 12, 2017
  • Brown University:  December 14, 2017
  • Cal Tech:  Mid-December
  • Carnegie Mellon University:  December 10, 2017
  • Columbia University:  Mid-December
  • Cornell University:  December 14, 2017
  • Dartmouth University:  December 14, 2017
  • Duke University:  December 14, 2017
  • Georgetown University:  December 15, 2017
  • Hamilton College:  December 15, 2017
  • Harvard University:  December 12, 2017
  • Johns Hopkins University:  December 15, 2017
  • MIT:  December 14, 2017
  • Northwestern University:  Mid-December
  • Notre Dame University:  Mid-December
  • Princeton University: December 13, 2017
  • Stanford University:  December 8, 2017
  • Swarthmore College: December 15, 2018
  • Tufts University:  Mid-December
  • University of Michigan:  By December 24
  • University of Pennsylvania:  December 13, 2017
  • Yale University:  December 14, 2017

Dr Paul Lowe is the managing director of Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group network.  He and his team of admissions advisors, through the admissions affiliate, Ivy League Admissions Advisors help students gain admissions to Ivy League and highly selective colleges and universities.  Through his admissions affliiate:  College Application Rejected, he specializes in helping students who have been rejected, deferred or waitlisted.

Top Boarding Schools with Fencing Programs

~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

Many U.S. as well as international middle school and high school students are actively involved and compete in fencing as an interscholastic sport.  As result, many parents seek boarding schools that support the fencing-athlete.

Here is a list of top boarding schools with fencing programs.

  1. Phillips Academy Andover
  2. Phillips Exeter Academy
  3. Lawrenceville School
  4. Hun School of Princeton
  5. Dana Hall School

 

Dr. Paul Reginald Lowe is the managing director and lead admissions expert at Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group’s Private School Admissions Advisors.  Dr. Lowe specializes in providing exclusive concierge-type admissions advisory services for U.S. and international students who are interested in applying to top U.S. boarding and day schools.  Dr. Lowe helps U.S. and international students gain admissions into their top-choice private schools even after they have been waitlisted and rejected.

Winter College Planning Checklist for High School Juniors – 2017

college planning checklist
~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

It’s still fall, but it’s not too early for high school juniors to continue (or for some to start seriously planning) for the competitive college admissions process.

There are lots of things to do during the winter months.

  1. Prepare for SAT/ACT.
  2. Consider taking SAT-Subject Tests
  3. Plan to take AP exams in May.
  4. Plan to visit colleges
  5. Refine your choices of colleges by comparing and contrasting schools and attending college fairs.
  6. Review and assess where you stand academically.
  7. Plan your senior schedule based on your current course performance.
  8. Review, assess and take inventory of your accomplishments, activities and work experiences.
  9. Plan your summer activities.

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Dr. Paul Reginald Lowe is the managing director and lead admissions expert at Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group.  Dr. Lowe specializes in providing exclusive concierge-type admissions advisory services for U.S. and international families and students who are interested in applying to Ivy League and highly selective colleges and combined BS/MD programs.  Dr. Lowe also helps students gain admissions into their top choice private schools and colleges after they have been deferred, wait-listed and rejected.

As an experienced and trusted admissions advisor for over 20 years, Dr. Paul R. Lowe is an active member of the following organizations that uphold the ethical and professional standards and principles of good admission practices in college and independent school counseling: Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA), National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC), New Jersey Association for College Admission Counseling (NJACAC), New York State Association for College Admissions Counseling (NYSACAC) and International Association for College Admissions Counseling (IACAC).

Top Boarding Schools with Equestrian Programs

~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

Many U.S. as well as international middle school and high school students are actively involved and compete in equestrian as an interscholastic sport.  As a result, many parents seek boarding schools that support the equestrian-athlete.

Here is a list of top U.S. boarding schools with equestrian programs:

  1. Taft School
  2. Loomis Chaffee
  3. Kent School
  4. Canterbury School
  5. Dana Hall School
  6. The Ethel Walker School
  7. The Thacher School

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Dr. Paul Reginald Lowe is the managing director and lead admissions expert at Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group’s Private School Admissions Advisors.   Dr. Lowe specializes in providing exclusive concierge-type admissions advisory services for U.S. and international families and students who are interested in applying to top U.S. boarding and day schools.  Dr. Lowe also helps U.S. and international students gain admissions into their top choice private schools after they have been wait-listed and rejected.

Early Decision and Early Action Dates for 2017-2018 College Applications

~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

It’s Early Decision and Early Action season!  Applicants have already submitted their applications and are waiting patiently for their decisions.  Competition to Ivy League and highly selective college remain high.  Therefore, expect many applicants with high SAT/ACT scores, high grades and seemly perfect applications and personal statements to be rejected or deferred to the regular decision pool.

Here are some early decision and early action notification dates for Ivy League and high selective colleges and universities:

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Top Colleges and Student Debt

College Financial Aid
~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

Many expensive private non-profit four-year colleges try to keep student borrowing low by giving generous financial aid to undergraduates from lower-income families.  Among highly selective private non-profit colleges, Harvard University was the most successful in keeping federal student-loan debt low for its graduates who took out such loans.  Six Ivy League schools, including Harvard, were among the top 25 on that measure. The list below shows a school and the median debt for its graduates.

1.  Harvard U. – $6,500

2.  Duke U. – $7,500 | Princeton U. – $7,500

4.  Rice U. – $10,228

5.  Pomona College – $11,000

6.  Piedmont International U. – $11,326

7.  Cornell U. – $12,000

8.  Stanford U. – $12,475

9.  Amherst College – $12,975

10.  Haverford College – $13,000

11.  Grinnell College – $13,170

12.  Dartmouth College – $13,462

13.  Yale U. – $13,500

14.  Vanderbilt U. – $14,000

15.  California Institute of Technology – $14,350

16.  Bates College – $14,450

17.  U. of Chicago – $14,500

18.  Williams College – $14,583

19.  Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering – $14,710

20.  Claremont McKenna College – $14,968

21.  Brown U. – $15,000 | John Hopkins U. – $15,000

23.  Georgetown U. – $15,500

24.  Hamilton College (NY) – $15,760

25.  Middlebury College – $15,889

Source:  U.S. Department of Education, National Student Loan Data System

Keep this in mind as you make your plans for college admissions!

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Dr. Paul Reginald Lowe is the managing director of Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group network. He and his team of admissions advisors, through the admissions affiliate, Ivy League Admissions Advisors help students gain admissions to Ivy League and high selective colleges and universities. 

What College Athletic Coaches Are Looking For When Recruiting (Part 3)

~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

Part 3 of a 3-part series.  

You’ve been playing your sport for 5-10 years and you want to be recruited or at best recruited and receive that four year athletic scholarship from your top choice college. Don’t sell yourself short.

My advice after over 20 years in the college admission business and constantly talking college coaches and Athletic Directors are these additional points college coaches are looking for:

  1. Coach Ability: Coaches want someone who wants to be coached. They don’t want someone who questions what they do and insists on doing something else. A coach has a program in which they have developed an elite team; they want someone willing to fit into that mix.
  2. The WOW Factor: What’s your personal athletic “wow factor” that makes you stand out and get recruited. What do I view as a your “wow factor”?  Your charisma, confidence, motivation, initial-impression, appearance, communication skills, attitude, self-esteem, authenticity, presence, harmony and vibe.  What personal characteristic is truly unique, captivating and exciting about you? And how will you contribute and or passively transfer these characteristics to teammates, to your class and to professors.   It’s a factor that coaches look for as well as discuss with the admissions committee as to the reason why they want you at their school on and off the team.

See Part 1 – Points: 1-3 and Part 2 – Points: 4-6.

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What College Athletic Coaches Are Looking For When Recruiting (Part 2)

~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

Part 2 of a 3-part series.  

You’ve been playing your sport for 5-10 years and you want to be recruited or at best recruited and receive that four year athletic scholarship from your top choice college. Don’t sell yourself short.

My advice after over 20 years in the college admission business and constantly talking college coaches and Athletic Directors are these additional points college coaches are looking for:

  1. Mental Toughness and Sportmanship: Beyond your ability, your academic record and your desire to attend and play, coaches want to know how you carry yourself on the court.  Games between evenly matched players often come down to who is mentally the strongest.  Coaches want to know how you think during a match and how well you understand the game. They are looking for those with “true grit”. How you respond when you are down in a match or get a bad call is important.  Do you lose your temper and focus or are you able to remain calm and adjust your strategy?  And while it may be cliche to say so, being able to win and lose with respect for your opponent and the game is very important.
  2. Team Fit: When coaches recruit a player, they are choosing somebody they are going to spend a lot of time with over the next 4 years. They are looking for students who are nice to be with when traveling and eating together as a team.
  3. Reliability:  Coaches look for students who are reliable and who are going to do what they are supposed to and someone who is going to show up on time, everyday, where they need to be. Being punctual is essential in all aspects of life and for some coaches this is very important.

2018 Top 10 Connecticut Private High Schools

~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

As more Connecticut public school districts face budgetary cuts, increase classroom sizes and social issues in high schools, more parents are choosing private high schools as an alternative.  Additionally, the growing number international families choosing Connecticut private high schools as well as families relocating from Manhattan to Connecticut (primarily Fairfield County) has increased the application pool and competition to gain admissions into coveted slots.

If you are looking for top schools based on college admissions acceptance, Niche released its 2018 Best Private High Schools ranking: Connecticut private high schools.

Niche, a company that researches and compiles information on schools released its latest ranking of the best private schools in the US, specifically highlighting the best schools that prepare students for elite colleges.  By elite colleges, I am referring to colleges parents already know about: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Brown, UPenn, Cornell, Dartmouth, Stanford, MIT, Duke, and Johns Hopkins.

Here are the top 10 private high schools in Connecticut by rank:

  1. Choate Rosemary Hall
  2. The Hotchkiss School
  3. Hopkins School
  4. Kent School
  5. Greenwich Academy
  6. Taft School
  7. Loomis Chaffee School
  8. Brunswick School
  9. Miss Porter’s School
  10. Westminister School

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Dr. Paul Reginald Lowe is the managing director of Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group network.  He and his team of admissions advisors, through the admissions affiliates, Greenwich Admissions Advisors and Private School Admissions Advisors help students gain admissions to elite private schools in throughout Connecticut.  Dr. Lowe and his team of admissions advisors also visit prestigious and elite schools where they have the unique opportunity of interacting one-on-one with heads of schools, directors of admissions and senior admissions personnel.