Class of 2020 Newsletter June 2019
Seniors, we hope that you've enjoyed the opening weeks of summer and that you've taken some time to relax following final exams and end of year projects. Though Carey Hall is largely empty and quiet, the college counselors encourage rising seniors and their families to be in touch with us during the summer. Our collective goal is for every senior to have completed his research and campus visits before the start of senior year. This will put you in the very best position to complete strong applications and have a smooth admission process, so please stay in touch.
Summer Checklist
Students, by the end of August please attend to the following:
Parents, please consider the following:
Monthly Focus
Summer and Fall Standardized Tests Historically, many students have posted their strongest standardized test scores in the summer or fall of their senior year. Thus, we advise students to register for a fall standardized test. Click here to register for the August 24 SAT. Click here to register for the July 13 or September 14 ACT.
NCAA Eligibility Center Juniors aspiring to compete athletically on the NCAA DI or DII level must start the eligibility process now. Go to the NCAA Eligibility Center website to complete the form and begin the process.
The Common Application has announced the essay prompts for 2019-2020. For those students applying to the University of Maryland, College Park, remember that they take only the Coalition Application. Essay topics for the Coalition Application can be found here. The college counselors will work with each student individually on his essays, and we expect to review each piece of writing before it's submitted to colleges. An early start on essays allows counselors and students more time to work together on essay drafts and also helps alleviate some of the stress of the busy senior fall. During two separate weeks in August, Gilman faculty offer a summer application essay workshop designed to help you complete a significant amount of application work within one week. You can register for the workshop here. The dates are August 12-15 or August 19-22.
College Visits and Interviews In last month's newsletter, we offered guidance for making the most of college visits and preparing for admission interviews. Further information can be found on the CCO website. We advise all students to sign up for interviews where available. Schools offer a variety of interviews: on-campus admission interviews, Skype interviews, local admission interviews, or alumni interviews. Know what kind of interview a school might offer, and be sure to sign up for or request an interview per each school's procedure.
College Affordability and Value We are increasingly mindful of the rising cost of a college education. We hope that families turn to us to have honest conversations about financing college costs. If an applicant will have his college choice shaped by affordability, then he needs to know that before the application process has started. We are also keenly invested in the broader issue of value. All of us want to ensure that students and families can not only afford college but that the experience provides our graduates with meaningful value and a strong return-on-investment. As part of your search, we encourage the use of College Results Online. College Results Online provides comparisons of colleges' average net price, graduation rates, and some very important data on debt and default rates.
Financial Aid: Net Price Calculators In an effort to be more transparent about the actual cost of attending a particular college and to help you plan for college expenses, each college's website hosts a Net Price Calculator (NPC). Some schools also use MyinTuition. You can use these tools to estimate your "net price" to attend a particular college or university. Net price is the difference between the "sticker" price (or full cost) to attend a specific college, and any grants, loans, work study, and/or scholarships for which you may be eligible. We encourage parents who may be applying for financial aid to utilize these tools at any school for which your son expresses interest. They take only about 15-20 minutes to complete, and doing so will help you better understand the true cost of schools on your son's college list.
Standardized Testing Dates
ACT 7/13 SAT 8/24 ACT 9/14 SAT 10/5
Counselor Spotlight
Mr. Baker and Mr. Herman recently returned from the 2019 College Tour. A group of rising juniors and seniors visited Delaware, Providence College, Brown, Tufts, Boston College, Harvard, and Trinity College. In addition Gilman alums Spencer Morris and Paul Garcia joined the group for dinner and conversation about college and professional life in the Boston area. Read more about the trip here.
For Your Consideration
Please take some time to read the following blog post from our colleague at William Penn Charter School on the importance of demonstrated interest at some colleges: The Lowdown on Demonstrated Interest. Visiting a campus, signing up for an interview, and connecting with a school's regional admission officer -- in appropriate and thoughtful ways -- can "demonstrate your interest" in a school.
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