Reminder:Junior Parent College Planning Night

This is a reminder that the junior parent college planning night will be held Tuesday, April 10^th at 6:30 pm. The presentation will be held in the O’Keefe Commons, and there will be breakout sessions for parents with their son’s counselor, where specific questions can be posed. If you are unsure of your son’s counselor, make sure you ask him before the presentation. Topics that will be addressed include college application timelines, standardized testing, importance of visiting colleges, introduction to financial aid, creating a realistic college list, parent and student responsibilities, decision plans, and much more! We will also introduce Naviance to parents and demonstrate how to navigate the system and which tools to use. Parents will be given their son’s transcript with their own personal Naviance code to get started. This is a very important night for all parents of juniors at Prep, so please make every effort to attend if you are free!

-Mr. Joseph Korfmacher, MA

Juniors-Make sure you register for SAT/ACT

This is just a quick reminder that the May 5^th SAT registration deadline is quickly approaching. The regular deadline is Friday, April 6^th. All juniors should take at least one SAT or ACT before the summer break, however it is strongly recommended to take two of these tests before the start of senior year. Also, students who are planning on applying to more selective colleges and universities should look into SAT Subject tests. There are a multitude of tests to take, but they are not all offered each testing date. The SAT subject tests offered for the upcoming May date are: Spanish, French, Math 1, Math 2, U.S. History, Physics, Chemistry, Biology E/M, and Literature. For the June SAT date all of these subjects will be offered in addition to Modern Hebrew, Latin, German, and World History.

It is very important that students do not wait until their senior year to take either the SAT or ACT for the first time. Although this can be done, senior year can be extremely busy and preparing and sitting for the standardized tests is not something you want to just try to “fit in” during your senior year. Also many early action/early decision/priority deadlines are in November and early December of senior year. This will not give students planning on applying early, enough time to receive SAT scores. So do yourself a favor and if you have not done so already, go online and register for the SAT and/or ACT. If you believe you may qualify for a fee waiver, please do not hesitate to contact your school counselor.

To register for the SAT, please click here.

To register for the ACT, please click here.

-Mr. Joseph Korfmacher, MA

Spring Suggestions for Seniors

Here are a few reminders for seniors and their parents in the never ending month of March:

1)      Be patient and try to stay calm as those regular decision e-mails of notification begin to roll in. Many have just been sent out and others will be sent out at the beginning of April. Because of the amount of applications, this process sometimes is delayed a few days…try not to freak out…the undergraduate admissions office has not forgotten about you and they are not trying to play a trick on you. You will have an answer soon enough, so try to relax and keep yourself busy, maybe even with your senior year course work?! This leads me to reminder number 2…

2)         You have heard these two words for three and a half years now, but I will tell you again… 'Avoid Senioritis’. We understand that most students have heard a positive answer from at least a few of their schools, and that the weather is unusually warm and inviting to do anything but high school homework right now. However, you must try to muster-up the strength to keep taking a serious approach to your studies and keeping your grades where they have been. As a counselor, I understand the importance of down-time, fun, and relaxation, and I am not saying you shouldn’t relax and be excited about the next step in your life. However, there needs to be a balance, and the commitment to your high school work must continue until graduation. Although it is rare, if there is a drastic decline to your senior year grades, schools reserve the right to rescind your acceptance. Also, it would be a shame to waste 3 ½ years of hard work, which has gotten your cumulative GPA to where it is, with one bad semester. Finish what you started and end on a high note! I can assure you that you will have a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction if you give it your best effort throughout your four years of high school.

3)      Make sure you follow-up with deferrals and once you select a school to attend, notify the other schools of your decision. If you have been deferred from a school or placed on the waiting list and you are still interested in that school, make sure the colleges are aware of your continued interest and update them with any new accomplishments on your part. As talented as college admission counselors are, they are not mind readers. If the school is still high on your list, send admissions an e-mail explaining your high interest in their school. Also, once a decision is made on your part on which school you will attend, and out of courtesy, notify the other schools that you no longer need to be considered for admission or that you will not be attending their institution in the coming fall.

4)      Be excited for all of your acceptances, but be aware that your peers may not have heard great news from some of their choices. It is great to celebrate getting into your colleges, just be mindful of others during this process, and be supportive of your friends, whether they were accepted or not from their schools. Also, be mindful that a “safety” school for you may be a “reach” school for your friend. Try not to compare colleges, but celebrate all acceptances!

5)      Keep your counselors informed about decisions and show your gratitude to your teachers, who wrote letters of recommendation. Your counselor has been working very hard with you throughout this entire college process, and we truly do want to hear about the responses from all schools. Just keep us updated either by stopping by the office or sending an e-mail…it’s that easy! Also, teachers are not required to write you a letter of recommendation and they certainly do not get paid to do so! Take a few minutes out of your day to write a short ‘thank-you’ note to the teachers who spent some of their free time writing a recommendation letter. This is the right thing to do and teachers will surely be appreciative of the notes!!

6)      Keep searching for community/organizational scholarships. More and more scholarships will continue to pop up, and make sure you keep your radar on, so when they do appear, you can apply to them. Even if the scholarship is for $1,000, it is worth it to take the time to apply and give yourself a chance of receiving some extra money towards your education.

7)      And the final suggestion for students at the end of their senior year in high school is to spend time with family and enjoy these last few months at home. Most students will be going away for school and the time spent with parents and siblings will drastically decrease. College is an amazing experience, but life will certainly be different. Enjoy these last few months at home, and make time for your parents and siblings, making sure you are grateful for everything they have done for you up to this point.

College Spotlight

Haverford College: Haverford College is your classic, small liberal arts college. Set on a beautiful green campus in suburban Haverford, Pennsylvania, you will see students studying with their feet up in the library, playing cricket, and walking around the large pond avoiding the geese. If you are looking for a large institution, Haverford will not be your place, as there are only 1,200 undergraduate students, with an average class size of under 14. Historically, Haverford is a Quaker institution, and although no longer officially a Quaker school, they still follow much of the Quaker ideals of a community in many different ways. About 50% of the faculty lives on campus, who take seriously the importance of direct engagement with the students, and almost everything is student-centered. If students want something changed, they will take a vote, and the school will work with the students to make the changes a reality. It truly is a community that is consensus driven in all aspects of academics and student-life. There is also a school-wide honor code, which is embedded in the ideals of Trust, Concern, and Respect. The honor code is a part of everything at Haverford, including un-proctored exams, which can be taken at the students’ own time. What is most impressive is the passion from the students and how they all work together to achieve greatness. There is little competition, as students never discuss grades amongst each other. It is also very important to be social at Haverford, with balance of hard work and down-time at the utmost importance. If you are looking for a very small liberal arts college, where you cannot hide, will be forced to push yourself, and will need to work with others, check out Haverford, as it may be the place for you.

Percent admitted: 25% (50% of ED candidates are admitted)

Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1

Required: SAT test and two SAT subject tests, or ACT with writing

Middle 50%: Critical Reading: 650-750/ Math: 650-750/ Writing: 660-760 ACT: 30-33

Tuition plus R&B plus fees per year= $57,050

Percent of need met: 100% with average financial aid package of $38,054

Every senior will complete a thesis, regardless of major

Drexel University: Drexel is a private university that is largely a co-op school. This means that students will go to class full-time one semester, and then work full-time in a job related to their major. These mainly are paid jobs that provide students with excellent hands-on experience. Drexel is located in the heart of Philadelphia with nearly 14,000 undergraduate students. If you are looking for a green campus with lots of trees and ponds, Drexel is not your school, as you will certainly have the fast-paced feeling and busy atmosphere of a city going to school here. Drexel admissions warn that incoming students should be ready to work hard, as tons of information is jammed into tight schedules. Students should be bright and highly motivated to succeed at Drexel in many of their majors from engineering and business to interior design and education.

Percent admitted: 55%

Student-to-faculty ratio: 10:1

SAT is required, and if taking ACT, the writing test is optional

Middle 50%: Critical Reading: 540-640/ Math: 570-670/ Writing: 520-630/ ACT: 23-28

Tuition plus R&B plus fees per year= $53,200

Automatic $3,000 scholarship if parent went to Drexel and $3,000 scholarship is sibling has or currently is attended Drexel.

$1,000 scholarship is Drexel alum writes a recommendation for you

Average 6-month co-op salary is $16,000

SPP Counseling Team's Review of Recent College Tour

As mentioned in the previous blog, members of the college counseling staff embarked on a college tour in Pennsylvania for four days, visiting nine colleges and universities.  This was a great experience, and we thought it would be helpful to share some information about a few of the schools, including admission trends and overall facts and tidbits on the schools.

Lafayette College: Lafayette is a private, small college, in a suburban setting (roughly 2,500 undergraduates) set on a beautiful campus in Easton, Pennsylvania. Lafayette is a liberal arts college, and they stick to a liberal arts education, having all students, regardless of majors, take an array of humanities courses. Lafayette has a very strong engineering program and with the establishment of a new film studio, their arts department is growing and becoming more competitive.  Walking around the campus, students seemed very involved in different activities, and many students were active in the quad throwing the Frisbee and football around. Lafayette is the quintessential college campus, which is not too big or too small, with a lot of green and beautiful facilities. There is a great community feel and a real sense of mindfulness and openness.  Here are some quick facts on the school:

Percent admitted: 40%

Student-to-faculty ratio: 11:1

Middle 50% SATs: Critical Reading: 590-680/ Math: 620-700/ Writing: 580-680 ACT: 26-31

If submitting the ACT, the writing section is required

Tuition plus Room and board plus additional fees per year= $54,720

Percent of need met: 99% with average financial aid package of $37,958

Top 2% in country for endowment per student in nation

Ranked 18^th in country for career services and has great alumni connections

No business school

Lehigh University: Lehigh is a private, smaller mid-sized university is a suburban setting with roughly 4,900 undergraduate students and 2,000 graduate students. The campus is set on rolling hills with historic buildings that are nothing short of breathtaking.  Students are spread out in numerous terrific majors in Arts and Sciences (40% of students), College of Business and economics (30% of students), and the College of Engineering and Applied Science (30% of students). The average class size is 27 students, and regardless of major, all students must have 20% of their courses in the humanities and social sciences. Although it is a university, the only graduate schools available are the graduate school of education and they offer 7-year programs in Medicine, Dentistry, and Optometry. Here are some quick facts on the school:

Percent admitted: 33%

Middle 50%: Critical Reading: 580-680/ Math: 640-720/ ACT: 28-31

If submitting the ACT, the writing section is required.

Tuition plus Room and board plus additional fees per year= $52,800

Percent of need met: 96% with average financial aid package of $34,700

One of only 10 colleges that offer Internships at the United Nations

40% of students are in Greek Life

45% of accepted students are in Early Decision pool

Saint Joseph’s University:  St. Joseph’s University is a Jesuit, private, smaller mid-sized university in a suburban setting, right outside of Philadelphia, with roughly 5,200 undergraduate students and 3,500 graduate students. St. Joe’s has made tremendous strides in the last few years, growing their campus size by 38 acres and developing new buildings all over campus. Being a short cab ride or train ride from Philadelphia makes it an ideal location for those students who enjoy all of the opportunities a big city offers, but would prefer to  not be directly in the heart of a city. St. Joe’s is dedicated to providing all students with an education for the whole person, aligned with the Jesuit philosophy. There is a general education program that sees students taking theology, philosophy, ethics, writing, science, and language courses adding up to 60 credits in Arts & Sciences, in addition to their courses associated with their major. St. Joe’s has increased the amounts of majors and minors, with 34 and 40 respectively. They are now offering a new music major and film studies majors, as well as a sports marketing major and entertainment marketing major.  Unlike many colleges and states, an education degree at St. Joseph’s is reciprocal in every state. Also, the country’s largest food marketing program is at St. Joe’s, as well as the biggest Jesuit business school.  Here are some more additional facts about St. Joseph’s University:

Percent Admitted: 78%

Student-to-faculty ration: 13:1

Middle 50%: Critical Reading: 510-600/ Math: 520-610/ Writing: 520-610 ACT: 22-26

If submitting the ACT, the writing section is optional

Tuition plus Room and board plus additional fees per year= $49,840

62% of accounting graduates have been offered positions at the Big 4 accounting firms

Jesuit Scholarship available for students from Jesuit high schools that have a 3.0 GPA worth $3,500

College Tour For Prep's Counselors

Students and parents, the week of March 5^th to March 9^th, members of the college counseling department will be away in the Philadelphia area visiting ten colleges and universities, meeting admission counselors, and participating in breakout sessions with other high school counselors from across the county. This is a great opportunity for Saint Peter’s Prep counselors to make connections with college admission counselors and to retrieve tons of valuable information to better assist our students in finding the best colleges for them. This will be an extremely busy trip for the Prep counselors, and because of this, Prep’s College Knowledge will be taking a week hiatus. However, if time permits, we will try to blog about some of the school’s we visit and any pertinent information, so please check back for that!

For everyone who has been visiting our site, the Prep college counseling department would like to thank you all, and we hope this has been a useful tool. Remember to e-mail Mr. Joseph Korfmacher if you have any questions about the blog or would like to suggest a topic to discuss! The regular weekly blogs on college admissions will be back the week of March 12^th!!!