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Another year comes to an end and we want to congratulate you on all your accomplishments. We know many of our students have received good news from their early decision colleges and others are still working on their regular applications. We will be posting up some updates of our students in the new year, so stay tuned. As it is easy to get caught up in achievements, we’d like to encourage everyone to reflect on some of the most important accomplishments, those that are often overlooked in the college prep world because they can’t be fully explained on an application. Have you taken time this year to help others? Have you worked to be a better person this year than you were last? These accomplishments are far greater than any standardized test score can measure and more important than any college acceptance letter. And don't forget: Education opens doors and creates opportunity. May you experience the joy of the season with those you love!
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Most students who are pursuing academic studies at a college or university in the US must first obtain an F-1 student visa.
There are common exceptions to this general rule. For instance, if a student is a citizen or permanent resident of the US, or if the student is participating in a short-term J-1 program, they do not need an F-1 student visa. So, what does this F-1 visa allow students to do? Students may lawfully enter the US. After being admitted to a US college or university, the student applying for the F-1 visa is issued the Immigration Form I-20. The F-1 visa allows a student to lawfully enter the US. The student applies for the F-1 visa after being admitted to a US college or university that is authorized to issue the Immigration Form I-20. Many international students apply for their student visas at the US embassy or consulate closest to their residence or home country. Students on an F-1 visa may work part-time during the academic year while in the US. The visa application process involves a brief in-person interview, and the application instructions vary by location. For a consultation or training in this process to apply for a visa, contact LAEC experts for more information. The data we will be using in this boarding school ranking is based on objective measures, which include historical acceptance rates, the average SSAT scores, average SAT and ACT scores, percentage of students attending Ivy-League universities, and even alumni endowments.
These factual data will assist parents as they search for the best private boarding school options for their families. Hopefully, these ranking can assist families when applying to top schools. There are many other great school options in America, even if they are not listed below. 1. Phillips Exeter Academy. Exeter ranks #1 for consistently having their students matriculate into the top Ivies and MIT for the past three years. They also have the highest SAT median score from their graduating class (at the 2100s) and a high SSAT average (94th percentile). 2. Phillips Academy Andover. Tied with Exeter for having the highest SSAT median at 94th percentile, Andover has one of the largest alumni endowment. Offering their students a variety of advanced placement (AP) classes, the majority of Andover's college matriculation also consists of the Ivies, Stanford and more. 3. Lawrenceville School. With high median SAT scores at 2090s, Lawrenceville is also impressive having students matriculated into the Ivies and Stanford for the past three years. Like Exeter, Lawrenceville is known for their Harness approach to teaching. 4. Groton School. With one of the highest SSAT average scores for their incoming class at 90th percentile and one of the highest SAT median scores for their graduating class in the 2080's, Groton is smaller than the aforementioned boarding schools, yet has one of the largest alumni endowments, which allow the school to provide some of the best resources for their students. 5. Middlesex School. Known for their rigorous academic program, Middlesex has high SAT averages at the 2090's. With Harvard, Columbia and Dartmouth as part of their top college matriculations, this school is considered one of the top boarding schools in the US. For boarding school or magnet school consultations and services, contact Lee Academia to find out more. When many students begin their college applications and send off their college applications, they may actually forget that the application itself is just one part of what needs to be submitted. There are several other documents that must be received before your file is considered ready for review by the college. And because of this, many students are going to receive a ton of emails and postcards just after they submit their applications, notifying them that all their materials have not been received. Panicking parents and students will begin to stress out. Here are some ways to avoid having your application sidelined in the admissions process.
School Forms / Naviance Your school college counselor should have a list of colleges that you will be applying to several weeks before your first deadline. He/She will need to prepare all the forms that need to be submitted from the school. Some guidance office will rely on students to pick up the documents and send them to colleges, while others will collect and send all the school materials together. So, what are the forms that MUST be received by each of your colleges? Teacher recommendations, the guidance counselor recommendation, your transcript, and the school profile MUST ALL be received by each of your colleges. Some schools now file electronically via the Naviance or Common App, but other schools may still remain locked in the era of paper and the U.S. Post Office (also known as snail mail). Thus, it will be important to give your counselor plenty of notice as to where you will be applying. If school materials get lost in the mail, some colleges will wait a few days for another set to be sent, but it is better to avoid this situation. Test Scores (SAT I, SAT II Subject Tests, or ACT scores) These test scores must be sent directly from the reporting agency to colleges, unless you are applying to a test optional institution. The only scores that colleges will accept come directly from the Collegeboard (www.collegeboard.com) for the SATs or the www.act.org for the ACT. With an unusually high number of issues with missing SAT scores during some of the early admissions, it would be best to request your scores at least 2 weeks before your deadlines whenever possible. Payments Students, do not forget that in order for your application to be processed, your payment must be received. Most college allow credit card payments, and/or checks. Make sure you put your ID or SSN number on the check and send it directly to the admissions office (follow directions). For students who are submitting a fee waiver, be sure to call the admissions office and make sure that the required information for a waiver was received and that your request was accepted. Supplements While all the aforementioned are important, the Supplements is the part of the application that can be deal breaker. Colleges may wait for late SAT scores or payments, but if the supplements are not transmitted by the deadline, the application may be rejected. So, make sure you work carefully on these essays and submit them on time. For college services, contact Lee Academia consultants and avoid application rejections.  As many Early Decision or Early Action student applicants are finding out if they've been accepted, rejected or deferred now and in the next few days, they need to keep their heads up high. It is impossible to predict the outcome. If students followed directions, did their best in school, on their admissions tests, and the application process, and also submitted everything in time, they can only wait for the decisions to come back this month.
This is both an exciting and scary moment for the applicants. If students are "deferred", and find themselves in this limbo, here are some guidelines for how to proceed. 1. Don't Panic. Remain calm. Most likely, if you've been deferred your credentials are in the ballpark for getting accepted. If they weren't, you'd be rejected. So that's the good news. However, your application wasn't so far above average that the college wanted to give up a spot in the entering class until they could compare you to the full applicant pool. The percentages vary from college to college, but some students do get accepted after being deferred. 2. Find Out Why You Were Deferred Unless the college asks you not to do so, give the admissions office a call and try to find out why you were deferred. Be polite and positive when making this call. Try to convey your enthusiasm for the college, and see if there were particular weaknesses in your application that you might be able to address. Practice with our consultants before you make this call to the college's admissions office. 3. School Guidance Counselor Your high school counselor can find out some information from the college admissions for you. Contact Lee Academia to find out how you can approach your counselor for the information. 4. Be positive and Be Polite As you try to get out of deferral limbo, you're likely to correspond with the admissions office several times. Try to keep your frustration, disappointment and anger in check. Be polite. Be positive. Admissions officers are remarkably busy this time of year, and their time is limited. Thank them for any time they give you. 5. Send a New Letter of Recommendation Is there someone who knows you well who can really promote you effectively? If so, an additional letter of recommendation might be a good idea (but make sure the college allows extra letters). Ideally, this letter should talk about the specific personal qualities that make you an ideal match for the particular college that has deferred you. Lee Academia can help you decide who to ask for this new letter of recommendation. 6. Send Supplemental Materials Many applications, including the Common Application, provide the opportunity for sending in supplemental materials. Try not to overwhelm the admissions office, but you should feel free to send in writing or other materials that will show the full breadth of what you can contribute to the campus community. 7. Update Your Information Chances are the college will ask for your midyear grades. If you were deferred because of a marginal GPA, the college will want to see that your grades are on an upward trend. Also, think about other information that might be worth sending:
8. Have a Back-Up College or two While many deferred students do get accepted during regular admissions, many do not. You should do all you can to get into your top choice school, but you should also be realistic. Make sure you have applied to a range of reach, match and safety colleges so that you will have other options should you get a rejection letter from your first choice. 9. Letters If you have been deferred but have new information to present to the college, you'll want to write a letter presenting the updates. Contact Lee Academia. They can help you formulate letters to "pursue the waitlist". Remember, the advice above is general and that every college and university has its own policies when it comes to sending in additional documents. Check with your college and work with Lee Academia on this process to make your college years, wherever you attend, meaningful and successful. |
Stephenie Lee
Stephenie, having been a tutor/instructor/mentor since 1996, discovered her passion and founded Lee Academia Educational Consulting, LLC. after she left the dental and medical field. She loves teaching/mentoring and counseling her students. Her passion lies in educating others and helping them pursue their educational path. Today, certified in College Counseling and with more than 10 years of experience, Stephenie and her team continues to blog about current updated educational news and events. Archives
April 2016
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