College Guidance Q & A

As the Director of our College Admissions program, Larry receives numerous questions from applicants and their families. This question to which he responds this week pertains to Advanced Placement testing.

Q: Is it possible to get into a highly selective college without AP test scores?

A: Let’s be sure to distinguish AP coursework from AP testing.

AP Courses indicate to a college that a student has selected a rigorous curriculum in high school, taking advantage of what was offered. So AP courses, where they are offered, are a good credential for highly selective college admission.

If your high school does not require that you take the AP test to receive AP credit, you can choose to skip the test. Offhand, I don’t know that any college requires an applicant to submit all AP scores, although some few require candidates to submit all SAT and ACT scores. (Some high schools report AP scores on the transcript, although that is a thorny issue.)

When you arrive at college the AP tests can result in credit towards graduation or waiver of a prerequisite course. This is usually a registrar's decision, not an admissions function.

The more selective the college, the more unlikely it is that you will receive credit towards graduation.

Do you want advanced standing? Do you want to skip a foundation course? If that option is offered, talk to an adviser on campus first and evaluate your readiness.

Good luck.

If you have questions about college admissions or would like to learn more about our services, please contact us at larry@learningassoc.com.

Secondary School Placement

As a school placement consultant, Holly devotes a great deal of time to researching secondary school options for her clients. Recently she met with Caitlyn Adams-Davis, Senior Director of Admission & Financial Aid at Westover School in Middlebury, Connecticut, an all girls boarding and day school; Peter Anderson, Director of Admissions Operations & Financial Aid at Pomfret, a boarding school in Connecticut; and RJ Swift, the New Jersey Admissions Representative at Northfield-Mount Hermon, a boarding school in Massachusetts. Holly finds that making these personal connections enriches her understanding of each school's culture and offerings. She is able to stay abreast of the most current developments and ask questions that will serve her school placement clients.

Holly advises families with students of all academic profiles entering kindergarten through high school. She consults with families and guides them through the entire private day school/ boarding school admissions process. When appropriate, Holly serves as a liaison between the student and the admissions office at each school to which the student applies.

Before the initial meeting, the family completes an application form and provides copies of the student's school records including report cards or transcripts and standardized test results. Holly reviews this material in order to understand the student's academic background. Next the family meets with Holly virtually to identify priorities and preferences for the type of school, location, extracurricular activities, and any other specific requirements. Based on the family's input, Holly generates a target list of schools to meet their criteria. The family visits the schools to determine their level of interest.

Holly assists the family in identifying the schools to which the student will apply and contacts the admissions officers at the schools to determine the viability of the student's candidacy. She tracks the application, testing, interview and student visit deadlines. Throughout the process, Holly meets with the student to manage these deadlines and complete tasks. She coaches the student through essay completion and effective interview techniques. Once admission offers are received, Holly helps the family make the final decision.

If your family is interested in exploring private day and boarding school options, please contact Learning Associates.

College Guidance Q & A

As students are working on their college applications, they are immersed in the details and requirements - writing prompts, academic interests, family information, and questions. One particular application question prompted this week's question for Larry.

Q: Why do colleges ask "Have you previously applied"?

A: Some archive applications for a time and some do not. Some will simply reactivate a record in their archive - some will not.

Unless you are lying throughout your application, why not answer? You are either a transfer student now, in which case you are being measured mostly according to your record of achievement in college, or you have taken time off without going to college, in which case your academic record is the same as it was before (and the college you are applying to now can see the chronological gap since high school graduation).

So deal with the fact that you previously applied, if you did. Don’t treat is as your dirty little secret, turn it to your advantage. If you can see no way to do that, apply elsewhere.

We have helped students who did not get accepted to their first choice, highly selective colleges. They were accepted at other excellent colleges and attended first year there, having remarkable success. They then applied to the other colleges once again, as transfer students, were accepted, did well, and graduated. Being very familiar with the details, we can certainly understand how and why all this happened as it did.

In addition to first time applicants, Larry also provides guidance to transfer students. This process has different requirements, complexities, and deadlines. Larry has helped many transfer students find their college fit. If you would like to learn more, please contact him at larry@learningassoc.com.