Full Description
From the college admissions experts-where to go, how to get in, and how to pay for it Zinch.com is the largest online social network connecting students with colleges and scholarship opportunities. With 2.5 million student profiles and more than 800 universities-from Yale to Stanford, and American University to community colleges-Zinch offers students an efficient, relevant, and effective way to find the "right- fit" school, how to get in, and how to pay for it. Getting In: The Zinch Guide to College Admissions & Financial Aid in the Digital Age is your college admissions how-to guide, written by experts with insider guidance to the entire college admission process. Leveraging the power of Zinch.com, it covers every aspect of the college application process, from choosing the right (vs.best) schools, visiting campuses, improving your odds with a dynamic application strategy, meeting with a college advisor, working with athletic recruiting, applying for financial aid, knowing what to do if you are on a wait list, and much more. Incredibly well-connected authors Leverages the power of Zinch.com, the largest online social network of its kind Application do's and don'ts If you are one of the 2.2 million high school seniors ready to embark on the next step in your education, Getting In: The Zinch Guide to College Admissions & Financial Aid in the Digital Age is your go-to guide for getting into the college of your dreams-without ever breaking a sweat.
Contents
Foreword. Acknowledgments. About the Authors. Introduction. Why This Book. The Best Way to Use This Book. How to Improve Your Odds. 1 The Truth About College Admissions. The Top 10 Myths of College Admissions. 10 Things Colleges Don't Want You to Know. 2 Before You Ever Apply. Course Selection. The High School Profile. The Advanced Placement Class vs. the Regular Class. SAT vs. ACT. Independent Counselors. 3 Behind the Scenes. A Vast Field. The Myth of Selectivity. The Gatekeepers. Admission Constituencies. The Constituency Influence. Yield: How Many Students Must Be Admitted? The Well-Rounded Class. The Three Facts of Admission Life. Notes from the Road-Fall 2010. 4 Choosing the Right (vs. "Best") Colleges. Is This a Family Decision? Exploring the Possibilities. Visiting Colleges. Ranking Colleges Your Way. Ranking Yourself the College's Way. Deciding Where to Apply-Your Final List. 5 Your Application Strategy. Improving Your Odds. STEP 1: Do a Self Assessment. STEP 2: Create Your Starter List. STEP 3: Evaluate "Early" Options. STEP 4: Meet with Your College Advisor. STEP 5: Make Your Final Where-to-Apply List. STEP 6: Create Your Application Schedule. STEP 7: Determine Your Positioning and Packaging. STEP 8: Execute, Execute, Execute. 6 The Hook: Putting It All Together. Positioning. Hooks Thanks to Fate or Good Fortune. Hooks That Work. Completing the Application Package. Application Do's and Don'ts. 7 Athletic Recruiting and College Admission. The College Athlete. The Lay of the Land. Basic Eligibility. Getting Started with the Recruiting Process. Ivy League Colleges Are Different. The Student's "Play". Should Students "Lie" Too? Title IX-Women Athletes. The College Walk-On. Big Fish in a Little Pond or Little Fish in a Big One? 8 Paying for College. The Real Cost of College. In-State vs. Out-of-State Residence. The "Big Picture" Process. The Expected Family Contribution. Types of Funding. The Link Between Admissions and Financial Aid. Financial Aid Counselors. Making Sense of Aid Awards. 9 Getting In: The Final Chapter. Thriving (Not Just Surviving) During the Long Wait. Your App Is Submitted-Now What? What to Do When Decisions Arrive. What to Do with Your Acceptances. What to Do If You're on a Waitlist. How to Appeal a Decision. What to Do If You're Not Admitted Anywhere. Postponing College for a Year. Transferring to a Different College. APPENDIX A: Case Studies. APPENDIX B: Sample Essays. Index.
