College rankings worth considering

Thursday, November 22, 2012



Dear Mr. Bradshaw — I am applying to 10 or more colleges, and I came across the latest college rankings published by U.S. News & World Report.


How important are these rankings in getting a job after graduation, and how should I evaluate them? — Applicant

College rankings worth considering

Dear Applicant —

College rankings can be important for several reasons.

The most obvious is, they indicate the quality of the faculty and student body. In a nutshell, the best colleges draw the best students and professors.

Competition among schools is fierce, and the rankings serve as a measure of their success.

For example, the 2012 U.S. News & World Report rankings show the following admission selectivity rates that can used by employers as a gauge in recruiting employees.

• Indiana University is ranked 82nd with a 72 percent admissions rate.
• Purdue is ranked 65th with a 68 percent admissions rate.
• Notre Dame is ranked 17th with a 24 percent admission rate.
• Harvard and Princeton are tied and rank first with a 6 percent and 8.5 percent admissions rate, respectively.

Translated into practical terms, if you are applying for a summer internship, the selectivity of your college is a huge advantage. Many companies use these rankings to decide where to recruit and know that top colleges already have done much of the work for them by vetting students through the competitive application process.

In fact, many students are offered full-time employment after completing summer internships.

Take, for example, a student who is interested a career in finance. Despite the recent calamity in the economy, Wall Street still attracts the cream of the crop of economics majors.

To get an internship at one of the top firms is not easy.

The profile of the successful candidate is heavily skewed toward students at schools that score well in the rankings.

Company officials know that he or she must be an outstanding person to be admitted to a top college. The student will have had high scores on entrance examinations and an exemplary extracurricular activity record.

The years of hard work and preparation that precede admission to a top college are considered when employers are considering new hires.

After all, these companies are putting their futures in the hands of these young people, and they will be competing for promotions and greater responsibility throughout their careers.

To be sure, magazine rankings are not perfect predictors of future employment success.

You need to make sure that your college choice is a “good fit” for your career aspirations, and that you dedicate yourself to making the most of your undergraduate experience.There are close to 3,000 colleges to choose from nationwide and admission to these colleges is complicated.

Bradshaw college consulting takes the pressure off ensuring that your college search experience is one to look forward to rather than dread.

Work with a college consultant that can assist guide you through the proper way to write your essay, conduct your interview, test, and apply for financial aid.

Get help choosing the right college or getting into the college you desire to attend. Call: Toll Free: 866-687-8129

Competition grows for elite admissions

Dear Mr. Bradshaw — My husband and I have three children in grades 9 through 12 and know parents who have hired college consultants to work with their children. Is this a growing trend? I never heard of this when I was seeking college admission. When did this practice begin? — Parent

Dear Parent — There is no “official” history linked to college consultants, but I have a theory based on 20 years of experience.

The main reason parents hire college consultants is, the competition for admission gets tougher each year. The difference between when you were preparing for college and today is, there are more international students and children of immigrants competing for a seat at the table.

Many of these students come from countries where hiring consultants to prepare for college has been practiced for years. Many of the students are from Asia, where families spend thousands of dollars on consultants to prepare their children for college entrance exams

In Japan, they are called “cram schools.” China, Korea and India also are major users of tutors. The pressure is on these students to score well on exams to have a chance to attend a top college and, eventually, a successful career.
Many American parents are familiar with the Japanese term “Salaryman.” These employees work long hours and dedicate their lives to their companies. This dedication develops, in part, because as young students, they attended “cram schools” after their regular classes and full time on weekends. Many students study up to 90 hours a week, with the goal being high scores on admissions tests.

A student from Japan who attends a top American prep school had an interesting perspective on the difference between the undergraduate experiences of students in America and those in Japan who attend well-respected colleges.

He said: “In America, one’s college years are seen as a time to expand your knowledge and prepare for the professional world. In Japan, the prestige and history of a college frequently determines a person’s job placement.
“Once a student has been accepted by a top Japanese university, they are relieved from the stress of attending ‘cram schools’ and decide to party during the entirety of their undergraduate years. They know that the reputation of their school will play a decisive role in their future job placement, and they lose the incentive to perform well and reach their full potential.”

Americans, although many may not know it, are experiencing a true revolution in the way students prepare for college. It starts in preschool and moves on to private coaching and college consultants who prepare students for the SAT and tutor them in writing and leadership skills.

I often am asked if college admissions officers can tell when a student has been coached. The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers says no.

At top schools, it is expected that students use consultants in test preparation and to help with their essays. One spokesman for a major university said because of the shortage of economic resources in high schools, there is a need for consultants to help students navigate the increasingly difficult admissions process.

Is Admission to an Ivy League School Worth $2 Million?

Two million dollars is extreme, but many parents hire consultants to give their kids an edge. The Independent Educational Consultants Association estimates there are 4,000 to 5,000 such consultants in the U.S., a majority of whom specialize in college-level admissions.

Average income for these experts ranges from $49,000 to $131,000, depending on experience.

The focus for many aspirational parents: the Ivy League. “It’s like going to Hollywood,” says Gerald Bradshaw, president of Bradshaw College Consulting. “Being in the movies, being with the stars.”

Read More

Build learning skills at early age

Dear Mr. Bradshaw —

Our son just started seventh grade. He is an excellent student, and we want him to continue to do well so he can apply to a top college.

When should we start thinking about hiring a consultant or tutor to make sure he stays at the top of his class? — Parent

Dear Parent — The sooner you have an expert evaluate your son’s academic achievements, the better. Many companies provide tutoring services and suggest the best way to prepare for colleges.

There are well-known tutoring companies with offices in Northwest Indiana. Many parents have found their diagnostic evaluations helpful in spotting potential academic flaws. They also help students develop good study habits and testing skills.

Would you believe my youngest client is 3 years old? She is an American who lives in Moscow. Her parents hired me to find the best preschool in New York City or in the San Francisco Bay Area. They want their daughter prepared for a top college and will do whatever is needed to improve her chances for admittance.

We all know the value of preschool, where a child learns at an early age. Students learn how to adapt socially with other children and how to follow instructions from someone other than their parents. The transition from home to school is an important part of what children learn in preschool.

Another less talked-about benefit of preschool is, students learn how to compete with other children. There is a built-in advantage to vying for top scholastic honors.

The positive feedback teachers give preschoolers helps them as they move to grade and middle school. These children are less fearful of making mistakes and look forward to teachers helping them. The sooner they realize making mistakes is part of learning, the better.

You often have read in this column about the importance of earning top grades as a high school freshman. The transition from middle school to high school demands discipline and focus. This means earning a 4.0 grade-point average and not a 3.25.

You cannot average out a poor freshman year, even if you do well as a sophomore and junior.

I tutor seventh- and eighth-graders for the SAT. I also teach a writing program for younger students that focuses on expository writing and essays, including fiction and nonfiction. This training helps them to score well on the writing portion of the SAT.

By the time these young clients reach high school, they have increased their critical reading and writing skills, and are well ahead of their classmates.

In summary, it is never too early to hone a child’s learning skills. Admissions competition at top colleges is growing tougher each year, and anything you can do to increase the odds of academic success for your son is in his best interests.

I tutor a number of middle school students who plan to apply to top prep schools for high school. Prep schools have admissions requirements, including SAT-type tests and personal interviews.

The percentage of prep school graduates admitted to Ivy League schools is much higher than public schools. An interesting statistic is, on average, 60 percent of prep school students receive financial aid. This dispels the myth that only rich kids attend prep schools.

There are close to 3,000 colleges to choose from nationwide and admission to these colleges is complicated. Bradshaw college consulting takes the pressure off ensuring that your college search experience is one to look forward to rather than dread.

Work with a college consultant that can assist guide you through the proper way to write your essay, conduct your interview, test, and apply for financial aid.

Get help choosing the right college or getting into the college you desire to attend. Call: Toll Free: 866-687-8129

Start early on application process

Get some tips from a top college consultant on how to be ahead of the game in the college application process! Gerald Bradshaw works with hundreds of students a year helping them achieve their goal of getting into the college of their choice!

— Here are some tips that will give you a leg up on applications.

† Because the fall semester of your senior year is normally the busiest time in your high school career, the earlier you start the application process the easier it will be to meet deadlines. The worst thing you can do is get bored with the process, which happens more often than students realize. The best way to avoid this is to finish mundane things first.

Start early on application process

Start by filling out the basic information required in the Common Application, which allows you to complete the document online or in print.

The College Board started accepting applications Aug. 1, so you need to get started quickly. Explore the websites of the colleges and universities in which you are interested to get as much background information as possible about the school and the academic areas that interest you. You also need to look for the special essay questions required by the schools of your choice.

† Make a list of extracurricular and civic activities, because admissions offices look for more than top test scores and grades. There is intense competition for the few openings in top colleges, and they want well-rounded students who have a global perspective and interests beyond academics.

† If possible, visit the schools that interest you. If this isn’t possible, college admissions offices are more than happy to take email or phone inquiries. I frequently call Harvard’s admissions office, and someone always answers on the first ring.

† Two warnings — be aware of your posts and those of your friends on social networking sites.

College admissions officials understand the need for individual expression and might never look at them. But there is no rule that prohibits them from doing so. Be on the alert for anonymous comments placed by jealous classmates. The competition can be cutthroat when it comes to top colleges.

Clean up your email address. Names like “hotbabe” or “Ihatetests” will not impress admissions people.

Use your real name, or at least part of it, in your email address. This will make it easier for admissions committees to search for your correspondence.

If your name is taken, add a few numbers after it. Believe me, this will help when school officials sort through all the emails you send.

† Always be honest about your academic record. Letters of acceptance can be revoked. I know of one college that confirmed an anonymous tip that a teacher had caught a student plagiarizing an assignment in high school. This led to that student’s offer of admission being revoked.

I suspect if the applicant had disclosed the infraction, which occurred during his freshman year, and explained the circumstances and detailed what he learned from the experience, there may have been a different outcome.

† Essays are pivotal in the application process. Most top colleges require a personal essay, and some require as many as 10 or 15.

Essay answers give you a chance to tell the school something about you that is not reflected in other parts of the application. Never leave blank a request for an essay.

Many students do not know that each essay is given a numerical score and could be critical to your acceptance. I suggest writing about some interesting quirk that reveals a unique facet of your personality.

I had a client who wrote about her ability to identify a song after hearing just a few notes. The subject was trivial, but charming, and she was accepted at a top school.

Remember, you are responsible for marketing yourself, and no one can do it for you. Brush up on your writing skills and use the essays to your advantage. I promise you won’t be sorry you did.

There are close to 3,000 colleges to choose from nationwide and admission to these colleges is complicated. Bradshaw college consulting takes the pressure off ensuring that your college search experience is one to look forward to rather than dread.

Work with a college consultant that can assist guide you through the proper way to write your essay, conduct your interview, test, and apply for financial aid.

Get help choosing the right college or getting into the college you desire to attend. Call: Toll Free: 866-687-8129

Factor global economy into major

Friday, September 28, 2012

My role as a college admissions consultant has increasingly become that of a career adviser, as students have become aware it is not just where they study but what they study that prepares them for success.

The global economy and shifting of our manufacturing base overseas means being smart and ambitious is not enough anymore, especially if you grew up in one of the older industrial areas of the country, such as Northwest Indiana.

First-generation college students from blue-collar families are especially vulnerable because they have limited chances to learn about professional careers outside their communities. Often lacking is access to professional advice and information that can help them link their educations to careers.

If the global economy is affected it is similar to a domino effect. Budgets dry up and infrastructure crumbles, university enrollment rates double. The quality of education globally is damaged.

High school seniors are applying to colleges more than ever before. Top-tier colleges are also rejecting more applicants more than ever before, leaving disappointed students and parents questioning “why?" What could I have done differently?”, “Did I miss something?”

Before you get into that position contact a college consultant that know what colleges expect. Your chances are high with the right preparations when applying to the college of your choice.

College Consultant - Bradshaw College Consulting - Factor global economy into major

Leadership, service projects vital

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Dear Mr. Bradshaw —I still am mystified that my neighbor’s child was denied admission to all the top colleges he applied to last year. He is a brilliant student with an outstanding academic record.

My son is a sophomore, and I don’t want that fate for him. Tell me, what are colleges looking for in an applicant? Is it more than just good grades and test scores?

We have asked many people, and no one seems to have an answer that would account for an excellent student not getting in. I hope there is still time to adjust my son’s curriculum, if that is the issue. —Concerned Parent
Leadership, service projects vital.

Read Mr.Bradshaw's, America's Top College Consultant, Answer To This Concerned Parent!

College Consultant - Bradshaw College Consulting - Leadership, service projects vital