November, 2012

November = College Admissions Deadlines!

October is always a hectic month in the admissions world.  If your child is a 9th, 10th or 11th grader – be forewarned!  The UC and Cal State applications opened October 1, and the Early Action and Early Decision deadline for many colleges is November 1.  It’s October when many students come to realize that LOOKING at colleges is fun, and APPLYING to colleges, less so.

I made October even busier with a four day trip to Denver for a national admissions convention, plus a three day college tour with 48 students to Northern California at the end of the month! I’ve updated the college visits pages on my website, with photos and impressions of the University of Denver,Colorado State University, Colorado College and the University of Northern Colorado, as well as UC Merced, San Jose State University and the University of the Pacific. [My NorCal trip also included four colleges I’d already visited, so I’ve updated those as well – UC Berkeley, UC Davis, Santa Clara and Stanford.]

November brings more deadlines!  Some Early Action and Early Decision applications are due November 15 (there are some due in December or later). UC and Cal State applications are due November 30th – and don’t wait until November 30th to hit the “submit” button! Get those applications done early, before Thanksgiving, when there is less chance of a problem arising.

SAT and ACT Tests 
When should your junior take the SAT and/or the ACT?  For the SAT, you should consider taking it in either January or March (see test dates here), and for the ACT, February or April (dates here).  Both tests are also offered in June, and the SAT is offered in May as well.  If your junior is taking AP courses, keep in mind that the AP tests will be in May.  Both the SAT and ACT have free test prep resources on their websites (SAT and ACT).  If you are interested in test prep courses or in-home tutoring, please call me (877-5-MAGGIE (877-562-4443)) for a referral.

If you are the parent of a sophomore or junior who is interested in taking a practice SAT test, Revolution Prep is offering a $10 practice exam at High Tech Los Angeles, on the campus of Birmingham Community Charter High School in Van Nuys.  The practice SAT will be offered on January 26, 2013 (THIS IS THE SAME DAY AS THE REAL TEST) – click here to sign up.

Free Seminars! 
Do you have friends whose kids are in 9th, 10th or 11th grades? I am available to give a free “College Admissions 101“ seminar. You provide the location and a dozen (or more) parents.   And if your friends are already knowledgeable about college admissions, broaden your horizons with my “Hidden Gem Colleges” presentation.  You know about Harvard, Stanford and Yale, but let me share some little-known colleges that could be a great fit for your student.  Call or e-mail for more information.