My post at the MyUSearch.com blog

My recent post at the myUSearch.com Blog.

The title of this post may seem pretty obvious … But over the past few weeks while reading applications I have stumbled upon (and have been reminded of) a few pieces of terrible advice many students are getting during their application process.  I am going to address two of them here in hopes that this post will be shared, and these bad ideas stop spreading.

1) Apply to the major you want.

Again self-explanitory … but hear me out.  At many institutions there are “top” and “most competitive” majors. These are the majors the schools are known for.  At the University of New Haven these are Forensic Science and Criminal Justice.

Because a college accepts the most applications for its top programs, naturally they are going to have to be a little more selective when reviewing an application from a prospective student.

If you fear not being admitted to a university for its top major, and someone tells you to apply for another major, or to apply “undecided” to the school and plan on applying to transfer in to that major once you enroll … Stop.  DO NOT simply apply to a university as “undecided” because you think it will make it “easier” to be admitted to the university.

First, you still need to meet overall admission criteria to the school.  And second … What makes you think getting in to the major you REALLY want will be any easier once you enroll?  In fact … it may be MORE difficult because of the availability of room in smaller upperclassmen classes.

Does this mean you should not apply undecided to a college at all?  Of course not.  In fact, I recommend it if you are TRULY undecided about your future plans.  But don’t use the “undecided” box on a college application as a “back door” to the school’s most competitive program.  Apply for the major you want … If you don’t get in at least you will know what you will need to do so you can qualify in the future.

2) Send your test scores when you take them

This past week alone I had a large number of students that opted to switch their application from Early Action I admission to Early Action II because they waited to get their November SAT scores before they decided to send them to the schools.

First, not only does that take away the advantages of applying under Early Action I … but more importantly, what does waiting help?  Waiting to submit your scores does not change your scores.  All it does is keep your application from being evaluated in a timely manner.

The obvious reply is “I want to use score choice to identify which scores to send you”.  My answer to that statement … Many colleges take your highest scores anyway; so why bother?  All score choice does is gets you to take the SAT multiple times when you otherwise may not have.  Many universities will request your full scores if you do not send all of them anyway.  Why bother?

These two bad pieces of advice make the college search a lot more stressful than it needs to be.

That’s all for now!

After one of the longest and most successful recruitment cycles ever, the UNH Admissions Staff is hitting the road once more … This time working with students and families for Fall 2010 and beyond!

This year our staff is more accessible than ever.  Not only have we all embraced the power of text messaging with prospective students … but we have also started using Facebook profiles for each of us to communicate with our prospective students.  We know that you guys don’t check e-mail … That’s why we are there for you on FB … So you can ask us your questions about majors and programs, admissions and financial aid, and campus life … on your platform.  Click here to check out my new profile. We gave our staff shiny new iPhones … so they better use them :-)

Click here to find your counselor so you can connect!

What else is new with our communication with students?  Well … no more e-blasts with random information.  You get enough of the same “Our school is the best place for you” messages from every other school.  Nope … we’ll be sending a weekly e-newsletter called the “Weekly Charge”.  The concept?  Give you a weekly, easy to accomplish task related to your college search.  If you choose to attend UNH, great … if not at least you are on your way to good things wherever your path takes you.

Finally, we’re also working hard to make sure you are kept in the loop in regards to your application for admission (should you choose to apply of course).  Not only will you get timely updates about the status (or what is still missing), but you will be able to check it yourself in your ChargerZone account, as well as in your “Weekly Charge” newsletter.

How else is UNH working hard to make sure students are making the right choice?  Well … we’re keeping the ‘rents in the loop.  Understanding that parents are more and more an integral part of a student’s college search, we have created resources specifically for them.  In addition to our awesome interactive Parent’s Guide for College and Financial Aid Planning (also available as a PDF), we have a quarterly parent newsletter and e-newsletter called “Charger Connection”.  This newsletter is a great addition to our communication arsenal, and provides parents with some great tips for helping their student down the right path.

The final piece of course is MyUNHSpace: An exclusive online community for students who apply to UNH and are accepted under Early Action I.  This site will open on December 17, and will allow students to communicate with each other, find roommates, ask questions about campus life from real students, and interact like never before.

We encourage you to let us know what you think!

• Post your questions and thoughts on our Facebook page or MySpace profile
• Join us on Zinch.com and CollegeWeekLive
• Don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions … that’s what we’re here for.  Our policy is as long as you don’t swear, use derogatory or offensive remarks, or post anything bad about another college … any question or statement is fair game.

I hope this post finds you well.  GOOD LUCK!