Ann Somers College Counseling

08/18/2020

This is one if the most beautiful butterflies called Diana Fritillary blue. This one is further north than usual - warm summer? I love this color combination of teal blue and amber. I tried to follow it as it flitted about and for a short time it alighted on my shoulder. I tried to capture the photo, but couldn't get it fast enough. I felt honored though!

03/16/2020

Hi,

What a difference a couple of weeks has made! You may have been looking forward to spring break only to find out you might not go back to school for weeks, months or until next semester.

Online or remote learning methods will be different from school to school so be patient as the teachers try to deliver and maintain a high level of instruction. It will be challenging for everyone, but it may be a real opportunity for schools to find ways to teach to accommodate different situations.

This is also an opportunity for you to do some more research if you haven't made your final college decision. College research may be a lot more interesting than some of your courses, so you've got a good excuse to do something else. Your parents will welcome this distraction!

Most of the colleges have virtual tours, either on their website or in Guided Path, if you use this software, under the tab called "You Visit". If you never got to visit a school, or want a refresher, take a 5-minute tour.

If you've narrowed your choices down to 2-3 schools, you can dig deeper into the department of your major and see if they have a four-year academic plan of required courses and choices within your major. Have any of the professors recently been recognized for outstanding research or publications? Which courses are you looking most forward to taking? What course seems the most daunting? Are internships available and will you be able to study abroad if you want to depending on your major?

Go ahead and send in your enrollment fee and housing deposit, especially if you have definitely decided on your final choice. Some enrollment fees are refundable as long as you request it prior to May 1st so pay attention to the rules. Housing deposits are almost always refundable prior to May 1st.

Things may change, rules may be relaxed and deadlines may be extended. Check your top college choices for updates and pay close attention to your email and possible texts if you provided your cell number for news from schools.

As you know, things are day-to-day right now. The colleges and universities are scrambling to get final commitments from admitted students but they are limiting or eliminating "admitted student visit days". If you have any questions about your schools, contact your college representative. They are so knowledgeable and helpful and many live in your area.

05/12/2018

Is your son or daughter looking forward to a little R & R this summer after a tough year of high school? Better think again if he or she is planning

11/30/2017

Lara Zammit is a senior at Mercy High School who is working on her college applications. 

10/13/2017

If you had an IRA Rollover, 401k rollover or other pension rollover in 2016 and reported it as a 1099 on your tax return, you might want to wait before filing your FAFSA. There is a glitch in the communication between the IRS Data Retrieval Tool and FAFSA. The DRT pulls your rollover as a distribution and may show it as income on your new FAFSA, thus incorrectly inflating your income and reducing your student's financial aid eligibility.

Use the Net Price Calculator from any of your schools, or the FAFSA4caster to determine your estimated Expected Family Contribution, then look to see what your FAFSA shows after your IRS data has transferred. Or you wait to see when this newest glitch is corrected. Schools will definitely be aware of the problem so don't panic!

Personalized and comprehensive college planning for high school and transfer students - finding the best academic, social and financial fit school for you!

09/07/2017

It’s fall and sports are back in full swing at every high school in the country. About 8 million students participate in high school sports, but that number dwindles down to 480,000 in the NCAA in college. Only about one third of those NCAA student athletes get scholarship money to play and a very small percentage make it to Division I. Talk about the tip of the iceberg! So if you want to play competitive sports in college, you have a unique journey in preparing for, and searching out the colleges that not only fit your academic plans, but also fit your athletic talents and aspirations and your family’s financial picture.

http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/research/estimated-probability-competing-college-athletics

08/08/2017

Here is some of the "best and the worst of" college visits and planning. There is definitely some good advice from this mother of twins who chose not attend the same school but there are also easier ways to simplify the process.

A top 10 list of advice for parents who will one day embark on college visits with their children -- even if you haven't had kids yet.

08/02/2017

Photos

08/01/2017

The Common App is live today! Be patient with the error messages. Probably too much traffic on the site. Let me know if you need help with the Common App or the essay and writing supplements.