It’s back to school time and for high school seniors that means the start of the college admissions process. Two of the most important parts are doing a thorough college search and writing a good college essay. Here are some tips to help you ace both steps.
There are a few things to think about when you weigh the benefits of going to a private school versus a public school. One of the most obvious is cost. Normally, a public school is less expensive, if you are an instate resident. However, a private grad school ended up being cheaper for me because they had the funds to pay me to be a teaching assistant. I mention this because private schools often have more money, can offer more financial aid, and can give your child access to state of the art equipment (for free so that they don’t have to rent anything). I know that funds helped the crew team be undefeated and first in the nation when I was at Yale. I also know that having access to an AVID editing system and other state of the art within an expensive industry, benefited me greatly when I was at USC.
It is also worth mentioning that many public schools are located in some of the most expensive cities, or at least the rent is often outrageous. By contrast, many private universities are located in areas with inexpensive rent (often because they are in bad neighborhoods. For this reason, I would strongly recommend taking a self-defense class prior to your child’s freshman year. (If you’re in Northern California, I would recommend IMPACT Bay Area).
SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK (Students, Alumni & Campus Reps):
1. What kind of equipment or facilities will be available to me as a student?
2. What do most students do after they graduate?
3. By the time I am a junior, what will the typical class size be in my major? Will I be in a small seminar with a faculty member?
4. If, five, maybe twenty years after I graduate, I need access to my records or to contact another alumni or faculty member, how will the college assist me, if at all?
Kamala Appel, Keys to the CASTLE College Admissions Secrets & Tips to Look Exceptional, More success, Less stress.