Building Your College List

Webinar Transcription

2025-02-20 – Building Your College List

Lonnie: Hello, everyone. Welcome to CollegeAdvisor’s webinar, “Building Your College List.” To orient everyone with the webinar timing, we will first begin with our presentation, and then we’ll have an opportunity to answer your questions in a live Q& A. At any time, you are able to go ahead, you know, you might have a question while our presenter is, is, um, doing a presentation, you are more than welcome to Put your question in the Q and a tab.

We just know that we’ll get to it at the toward the end of the webinar. Um, so with further ado, let’s go ahead and meet our presenter. Would you like to introduce yourself?

Kane: Yes. Hi there, everyone. My name is Kane Willis. I am an admissions officer. here at CollegeAdvisor. I used to work at Haverford College.

I’m in admissions, a highly selective liberal arts college outside of Philadelphia. Um, and, um, I’ve also worked at, you know, several private schools across the country in college counseling as well.

Lonnie: Great. Awesome. Well, we have a lot in store for you all. So before we get started, we would like to start our first poll to give you, we want to get a sense of what grade you are in.

So this question probably appeared right in front of you on your screen. If you can let us know what grades you are in, it allows us to just find ways to, you know, speak directly to our live audience before we jump into our presentation. This is such a great topic, Kane, because As I think back to my experience of applying to college, I wish I would have took the building your college list portion a little bit more serious.

I applied to some great colleges, but I wish I’d had more intention behind the schools that I actually selected to apply to. This is a really, really good topic and just kind of already going to the poll. Thank you all for putting your responses in so quickly. We have 61 percent of our live audiences in the 11th grade, 30 percent 10th grade, and then we have under 10 percent that are in the 9th grade as well as in the 12th grade.

Kane: Oh, awesome. Awesome. Very cool. I love seniors. Very nice to see you. We don’t see much of you right now, but that’s super exciting that you’re here. Awesome.

Lonnie: Awesome. So with that, Kane, I’ll turn it over to you to talk about what is a college list and why it’s so important to create one.

Kane: Yeah. Um, so, um, what is a college list, right?

Um, so, um, in my mind, um, and, you know, and how I’ve, you know, come to define what a college list is, you know, I see that it’s a living, breathing document that evolves and matures as, as you do the student throughout your college admissions process. Um, right. And so a college list allows students to understand and internalize the college admissions process in a reflective yet honest way, um, and, um, allows students to, um, Um, allows the student to break up.

I think, um, the process in a common way of organization, right? And so, uh, what does that mean? How does that come about? Right? And so when we’re talking about, um, what this means as a living, breathing document, right? It’s a document that I think that is frequently visited, right? Um, you know, it’s something that evolves as you do.

So as you learn about it. what you prefer, what you like, what your preferences are in terms of colleges. Um, it is a document that’s totally going to change over time. It might get bigger before it gets smaller. Um, actually, um, right. And so in of itself, um, what’s really important to remember is that this is your college list, right?

And so, um, in some, basically on a college list, typically there’s a, it’s, it’s, it’s on average, it’s a spreadsheet. Some people use Google, um, you should use whatever platform you feel comfortable with. Um, I’ve never been a spreadsheet person and I’m a person who goes like, you know, you know, left to right and up to down, um, right in itself, but other people like, you know, process things different ways.

So however you process, um, in and of itself, um, you know, use that source because in and of itself, um, it’s incredibly important that you feel. you know, comfortable with the colleges and you make your colleges yours. So you should read it and it should be organized in whatever which way you feel it should be organized.

Um, it should include those any type of categories that you want to have, right? I think there are essential categories, right? Such as, um, you know, location and mid rate. Um, you know, average standardized test score, average GPA. If they track that, um, maybe student population is something that is really important to you.

And so you maybe have the student population down. Um, maybe you have Um, you know, what type of color the school is, right? Maybe that’s important to you. I very much in love with a good school color. Um, right. And so, but you know, all these categories should be very pertinent to what you find valuable, um, at the time.

And you can always feel free to add categories, take away categories. Um, if there’s a category, for example, that is maybe stressing you out, Maybe hide that category. Um, you might want it, but you know, go ahead and hide that category just so you’re not looking at it all the time. Um, and so, um, as we go on to, um, you know, the next slide, basically, um, what factors should a student consider when beginning a college list?

Right? And so, you know, kind of kind of taking a step back. And so yeah. I think, you know, before getting into, you know, the typical and technical places, um, you know, of the traditional, um, you know, college, let’s just explain, um, it’s important to first define what makes you happy, um, and identify those things that keep you fulfilled and inspired, I think, um, not only as a student, but in life.

Um, why is that important? Why is that valuable? Um, I’ve always said that no college deserves deserves a student at their best, and they cannot take care of a student at their worst or when they’re not at their best. Right? And so in some, um, you have to be willing to understand who you are, right? And what makes you happy and identify those pieces.

What pieces, for example, do you come every day, you know, to your live space, um, that you might take for granted. Um, for example, you know, when I went to college, um, there are many things I actually did not realize I took for granted. For example, Um, one of the most important things that I didn’t realize to me was my was the ability to get my haircut, right?

I didn’t realize how valuable that was. I went to school in rural Massachusetts. I went to Amherst College. Um, right. And I did not think about my ability to get a haircut. Um, but that is something that I found incredibly valuable. Um, another thing is as well is that, you know, something I found valuable that I didn’t know is that, um, you know, I’m from Latin descent.

Um, I identify as multiracial and there weren’t the kinds of foods that I typically liked and enjoyed. Um, and so I had to seek out those resources and navigate as we were those resources while I was at college, as opposed to having that be a part of my college selection process. Um, right. And so, um, you know, it’s so, it’s so important to identify, I think, you know, what are those aspects that make you happy?

And in terms of fulfillment, um, what type of fulfillment and joy do you get? Um, you know, from this, just the things that you do. Um, is it your ability to, you know, run casually, for example, on a track freely? Um, is it, um, your ability to be an advocate? Um, is it, um, you know, being a, uh, social justice warriors for pets and animals?

Um, in general, what are those things, right? And can you pursue those at that college? Um, right, because these are the factors that will ultimately lead you to the school that is the best fit for you, right? In sum, there is no perfect college. Um, you know, out there, just like there is no perfect seat. Um, there is not, uh, there’s not the expectation that a student is perfect.

Um, and I don’t think there’s the expectation that a college is gonna be perfect, um, in some, but when we’re talking about fit, um, you know, it, it’s really about. Your ability to be happy at the institution. I think oftentimes when we look at a college list, um, we’re focused on the, um, the, some of the two of the, of the, how many categories there are.

And those two categories tend to be the name of the college and the admit rate of the college, um, and maybe the standardized testing of a college, right? Um, there’s such more, there’s such much more value than a name and a number, right? Um, right, because. More than a name makes you happy and you are more than a number, right?

And so, it’s important that you see that value in yourself so that you’re able to, I think, put your best foot forward in the college admissions process because that’s going to allow you to be more reflective, um, I think, in this process. It’ll allow you to produce your best essays, uh, to produce your best interviews, um, and so on and so forth.

Um, and so when is a good time to begin your college list? Um, I always say after you identify why you want to go to college. Um, I, um, learned that maybe students don’t always ask themselves that question, but it’s important to identify why you want to go to college. Well, what’s the purpose of college for you?

Um, well, and if you don’t know the answer to that question, which is okay, Um, ask around like, you know, why did others go to college around you? Well, what did they find or maybe what didn’t they find and what did they find later because they went to college? Um, you know something that I think it’s just a point of question to ask yourself these days Um, I always say speak to your parents, um, whether or not your parent went to college or not Or what type of calls they attended?

Um, understanding, I think, um their values, um in and of itself Um, and understanding, you know, what they would want in the college for you, I think is also really important. Uh, parents have a very much a keen insight, um, on a lot of things on you, my students, you know, even though you don’t think so, they’re very much aware of many, many things.

Um, and so asking them their honest opinion, and parents, I think it’s important to listen to you, to your students, because, um, you know, contrary to popular belief, your opinion values Arguably the most out of anyone’s opinion. Um, right. And so, um, you know, always, I think, you know, be ready and available for your students.

Always feel free to support them in any way possible. Um, you know, for example, my, um, when I, when I would stress in the college admissions process, my mom had like a, a box of sour skittles and some sour and um, and a box of Sprite like in a closet somewhere. So when I would stress you to bring me some sour patch and sour skittles and then she would bring me um, you know, a Sprite and then I would be like, okay, I’m ready to write my essay now.

Um, and so, you know, just be mindful of those things parents as well. Um, and just, just be there for your students and students, same thing. Um, and so, uh, meet with your college counselor. Um, that’s also, I think, you know, very valuable, very Important. They have such great and powerful insights. Um, regardless of how big or small your school is, even if you have 500 students, if not more to a counselor or if you have 20 to a counselor, um, meeting with your college counselor I think is essential.

Um, and if you, and, and as long as you make yourself known, you will meet with your counselor. Right. That’s the important part. You can be. Um, one in 21 and 500. It’s the students that make themselves known that that will get the attention of your college counselor. Um, right. Um, research a variety of different types of colleges, universities.

Um, there are different colleges and universities out there, and there are more categories than just beyond smaller bars, colleges. And, you know, national universities. Um, it’s important to understand the nuances and the subcategories of what those quote national universities are. Um, for example, one of those subcategories could be, um, a liberal arts college, right?

And then in of itself as well with national liberal arts colleges, there could be a subcategory as research liberal arts colleges, right? Um, very, very, very important. Um, I think it’s important to visit different college campuses. Um, and so while Um, you, some of you might have already identified. Um, you know, maybe some colleges is important and maybe think you think, you know, and if you know, you know, right?

However, if you haven’t visited other colleges and different types of colleges, maybe you don’t just yet, right? You have to give yourself that chance and opportunity. I think to learn about what a small college is like a big college is like, um, an all women’s college, a college on the East Coast, West Coast.

No, not everyone is able to financially afford that. But himself, you want to put yourself in the best position to understand Um, whether that’s attending an online webinar, an online tour, being able to speak on hand and have email exchanges with a student or professor. Um, right. These are things that you can get access to the admissions office.

Always contact the admissions office when you want something in this process. Um, and they will try to make it happen as best as possible. Like, let’s say, you know, you really value your classroom experience and you can’t get to, let’s say you live with. I don’t know on the East Coast and you want to go to a class at Stanford or USC or Pomona or Occidental College.

Um, you know, someone might get you in a zoom to get into that class, right? So just it’s important to, you know, make sure that you remember that admissions offices are our friends. Um, and then also understand how you learn best. Um, oftentimes students don’t truly understand how they learn best, um, even students with straight A’s, um, right?

Um, and understanding the nuances of how you learn best, um, and what that means for you, I think is incredibly important. Um, and that will, I think, hopefully lead you to a really wonderful major, um, eventually and a really wonderful college experience. Um, you know, what are some helpful tips to narrow down your college list as you get closer to applying?

Um, you know, one of these things that, you know, students don’t think about is identify your course workload, um, and how you approach high stress situations and busy moments. That will give you a sense of the length of your college list. So on average, typically, I’ll say maybe an introductory college list.

Um, the average college list is about. 30 schools, right? From t you will then narrow it d of itself. You want to be yourself and ensure you’re the application expectation and all the deadlines. Um itself. Typically, students I would say on average ab right? The average is a bi there are many students w But there may seem to apply to just one school because they applied just to their early decision school and get in.

Um, right. And so, you know, it’s skewed in that way, right? Um, but with that being said, um, it’s important to be reasonable. So be reasonable with yourself and not expect yourself, um, to apply to all, you know, 20 college slots that you have, you know, in the common app. And so something to be, I think, incredibly mindful of.

And I think that if you are having trouble identifying that it’s important to, I think, Identify that. Identify that. Um, and so, you know, speak to your counselor, speak to your advisor and, and, and get their opinion. Speak to your teachers. Um, you know, you will have your favorite schools in this process. Um, and after you have identified a top note in detail, your wise for each, right?

Um, there are, there are gonna be differences between your top five. Right. Um, school side and typo there. My fault. Um, but identify your typically people identify their top five schools. Um, you know, pretty immediately. Um, and so, but again, looking at these top five, are there differences? Are there similarities?

Is there anything that you’re compromising? um, why and identify those things, right? And then as you identify, you know, those categories that you find are, um, what constitute that, what constitutes the school as a good fit, for example, um, begin applying and testing, um, you know, to see if you’re able to find similar categories, um, and similar things that bring you joy at other colleges, right?

Um, there’s gonna be some colleges You’re going to be willing to compromise something. Um, and some colleges, you’re not going to be willing to compromise that same thing. Ask yourself why that is, right? Is it because this college is in the city and this college is rural? Like, what are those things that you’re willing to compromise?

Um, and why? And it’s important to understand and ask yourself that why. Um, and so how many schools should be on a student’s final college list? I’m glad that I’m very consistent. I just said, I said it 14 earlier and I said, stick with it now. Um, and so, um, with that being said, um, on average, um, you know, there are 8 to 14 schools on a college list, uh, split between, uh, through the four selectivity tears.

Um, and, um, should be. And so basically what we’re thinking about that in context, um, on average, you have maybe high reach schools, right? Then you have some reach schools, you have target schools and you have likely schools. Um, right. And so you want to make sure that you’re applying to a variety of these institutions throughout the various rounds in the admissions process.

Lonnie: Okay, so now we’re starting to talk about the more about the college list. We get into the number of colleges. But before we Um, continue. We just want to pause so we can get a sense of where you are in the college application process. So we know that for our live audience here this evening that we have mostly 10th and 11th grade students.

So the process begins even as soon as the 9th grade. So we want to know where you are. Let us know as the poll is launching. I think it’s probably going Filtering in the responses. Okay, I see they are starting to come in. I’m going to just give it a couple of more seconds.

All right, here we go. So we have 70 percent of our live audience. They are researching schools, which is perfect alignment to our webinar and building your college list because you want to do your research so that you can put the right schools on there that meet your needs. So I love seeing that. We have 27 percent that haven’t started, which is okay.

We know after this presentation, you’re going to have some tools and resources and knowledge for you to get started with that research process. And then we have 4 percent that are working on their essay, 3 percent that are getting their application material together and 3 percent that are almost done.

So congrats. to those who are almost done. That is an accomplishment. Okay, King, I will turn it back over to you to talk about the reach target and likely schools. What are they?

Kane: Yes. Um, thank you. Um, so, um, what are reach target and likely schools in of itself? Um, a reach school is going to be a school that’s Going to be on average, difficult for a student to get into now?

Um, you know, I think that there is, you know, a lot of nuance when it comes to reach schools, target schools, and likely schools. So basically when we’re looking at your reach schools, on average, you have maybe a, um, you know, less than 15% chance of being admitted. Right? When I say that, I say that very specifically, like you specific.

have less than a 15 percent chance of being admitted. Um, and I’ll identify, I’ll teach you how to identify that in a second. Our target school typically I want to say, um, can hover between anywhere between a 30 to, you know, 50 percent admit rate, um, you know, for any student. Um, and then a likely school is a school that you’re likely to be admitted to.

Um, right. And so basically everything beyond that. Um, and so, um, there can be so like I said, there can be subcategories. They’re going to be some schools that are like high target, right? You know, I’m sure you noticed that I didn’t hit that percentage 15 between 15 and 30. That might be a high target school.

Um, right in of itself. And right. Um, there can be low target. There can be, you know, um, you know, low, um, low reach as well. It depends on how you want to identify and where you’re crossing those lines in itself and your college counselor or a college counseling professional can help you do that in itself.

And so when we’re talking about, you know, reach target likely schools, um, you know. How do you know what school is going to be in the context of a reach target? Likely for you specifically, right? And so, um, data, data, data, data, data will tell you some things, not all things, right? But just some things, right?

And so in some, um, if you can find a school secondary school report, um, just having the school’s name, secondary school report in Google. Um, many colleges won’t have that, but some will. Um, if you want to look at one that’s, I think, really telling, um, Amherst College, where I went to college, has a very good secondary school report.

And, um, you know, it will tell you a lot of data, um, that I think that is incredibly valuable and just so, so, so important in terms of, um, you know, how students apply into the process. They break down everything from the You know, students, um, admit rates, you know, per SAT score, for example, you know, and it’s very honest and very and very thorough.

Um, you know, for example, you can see that there’s a category on there that there were some students who had a 0 percent admit rate, um, who were admitted. Right. And so like, you know, anything can happen, I think, at these, you know, you know, wonderful institutions. Um, right. Um, another piece, um, that I think is important to look to is the first year admission student class profile.

Again, school name, class profile, our first year class profile, our 2020, whatever, uh, class profile. Um, and so, um, with that being said, that’s gonna tell you about the average, um, admitted student. Um, no, no, no, sorry. Yeah, admitted student. Um, and it’s important to understand that, right? Um, because the average admitted student is very different from the average student that is yielded, right?

What does yielded mean, or yield? Yield is a student who attends. Right? Admitted student are the students who are admitted, but not remember everyone who admitted doesn’t go. Um, even that’s the most selective schools, everyone who’s admitted who doesn’t go. And so you’re going to see that those stats on average are going to be higher, right?

Um, then you’re typically admitted student. Now, not every school will release their, um, uh, kind of yielded data. Um, and they don’t sometimes and you won’t find that data. The yield data. I think that in some is very sensitive to a college. Um, but with that being said, yeah. Um, be mindful of that admitted.

And it’s always going to be students who were admitted if they have the students who eventually attended, you know, the year before. Great. Um, but they’ll tell you, um, average class rank, average GPA if they track that. And if they track class class rank, um, in himself, they’ll tell you, um, you know, where they’re coming from across the world, across the country.

Um, you know, amongst a variety of other things, maybe some of some context as what was in their curricular profile. Wow. So very valuable to look up the class profile to figure out where you fall. Um, they typically do report average SAT and ACT scores unless they specifically don’t track those. For example, there are schools that are test blind, um, like the UC system, right, the University of California system.

So they don’t have those on their website. Um, so it’s irrelevant. Um, and so with that being said, they have other things on the website, um, that will help you, I think, identify. Um, the fit, um, in terms of your, uh, the possibility of you being admitted to that institution. Um, and so with that being said, looking at the middle 50 percent of a GPA of a, um, SAT score, um, I think could be, you know, viable and, and, and relatively, um, you know, insightful.

For example, like an SAT score doesn’t always tell you, um, a student’s capabilities. And so let’s say that doesn’t say your capabilities, apply your GPA instead. Right. And ignoring the GPA part. Why? Because the GPA part typically is inflated, um, in some type of category or some type of way. Why? Because schools recalculate GPA sometimes, right?

Um, there’s a thing called a, um, SR, which some of you might get very familiar with. Um, you type in your grades, you type in curriculum there, and your GPA is recalculated for you. Um, and then that is, that spits out a GPA to the counselors, um, you know, at the, at the different universities and colleges. Um, some colleges will report.

Unweighted, GPA weighted GPA. Um, also not everyone’s GPA is on a weighted scale though, and that weighted scale can differ. Some kids can’t have a 5.0 and some kids have a 5.3 and some kids are outta seven. Um, and so, like I said, there’s, there’s a conversion there. Um, on average you’ll probably find that, um, the most selective institutions in the country.

Um, and the student and the schools that are typically traditional liberal arts colleges, they don’t typically track GPA, um, but bigger schools will. And so something to be mindful of, um, and then also ask your CollegeAdvisor or your college counselor for guidance in this regard. Like, what is the reach?

What is the target? What is likely for me, right? Um, you know, understand what those processes are. And I think that will be incredibly valuable for you. Um, so, um, when should a student’s list be finalized? And so I say that your list should be finalized. Well, your list should be finalized 30 days before your first deadline within the, excuse me, within the incoming or with the upcoming application round, right?

So there are different application rounds that happen throughout the process at different times, right? So you have early action, restricted early action, early decision, early decision two. Um, right. Good decision. Wait list. There’s rolling admission, right, et cetera. Um, and so, um, and so if you’re applying EA, for example, um, and the first deadline of your abs is, you know, October 1st, um, even though the rest of your apps are due, um, you know, on October 15th, your final list should be done by, uh, by, um, August 1st, right.

Or September 1st, excuse me. Um, right. And so like himself, your entire EA list, Should be done by then, right? And then apply that to regular decision. Don’t feel like you need to necessarily narrow down all your schools at once, right? So what you can do is you can have the round like on your college list.

For example, you can have the deadline, right? And then you can focus on a subsection of schools as the deadline comes comes focused in itself. Contrary to property belief. My parents, right? Students will not finish their applications or maybe even start their applications over summer. Um, and so with that, the summer is for a lot of reflection.

Um, it’s for a lot, a lot of beginner writing, not necessarily finishing applications, but giving the students, um, the tools they’ll need, um, to, to, to navigate the application process because in and of itself, there’s, there’s a lot more than just the actual physical application that is involved in the application process, right?

There’s demonstrated interest. Um, there are different types of interviews that occur. Um, you know, college visits call. And that goes both ways. Colleges also visit high schools and students visit colleges, right? There’s so much that will happen throughout the school year. And so at times, um, you know, a student who might finish their applications early, um, might want to go back and revisit their supplements because in some they may have learned something different, um, that they really love and they really value and they want to write about that instead.

And I’m not saying wait, I’m not saying, you know, uh, you’ll definitely finish them early. Um, it’s a balance, right? I think when you feel like you’re ready to when you have your why, right, that is when you Apply. Um, and that’s how I see that as well. Um, and so, um, with that being said, um, what factors should a student, you know, take into consideration when taking schools off their list?

Um, right. I think one of the most important questions to ask yourself is this financially feasible? Parents, um, and some as well. I think that, um, it’s important to, to understand, uh, the, the context of your finances, um, and, uh, all the nuances, you know, therefore, um, and so, um, is it financially feasible that, that is so valuable and so important?

Um, parents, um, there’s something called a net price calculator. Um, online. So you can just type in any school’s name and type in that press calculator. I think you’re catching up on the Google thing. Um, right. And legally, they all have to have that there. Um, if and if you are doing it wrong, call the financial aid office, they will help you.

Um, if no one’s tracking you in the financial aid office, like no one really is tracking you in the in the college, you know, when you’re calling a college admissions office, no one’s really like noting your number down and your name doesn’t really matter. They’re there to help you and they’re very underutilized and they want to help and they wish they could help more.

And so always feel free to call a financial aid office. They will help you and they will be very thorough and they will always get back to you. They’re just a lovely and awesome people. Um, do you feel like you’ll be happy at this college? Right? Why are you applying to this college? Are you applying to this college because, um, your cousin went there or because you’re applying to applying to apply?

Um, right. Like that’s important things just to understand. Cause in South Africa, if you’re applying to applying to apply. you’re probably not gonna have a strong essay or a strong application at school, right? Um, you want to make sure you’re having strong applications. It’s not about the quality, it’s about the quantity of your applications.

Quantity, sorry, uh, quality gets students in to schools. Um, and so, uh, another important question to ask yourself is what is the campus culture like surrounding academics? Um, socializing in common spaces and when pursuing future professional opportunities, um, you know, I think that in some, you can find that these could be three different cultures.

Do you enjoy those different cultures? Or do you enjoy most of that culture that exists at that school, right? Typically, on average, um, you know, how do you kind of get, how do you keen into this is, um, asking students, um, every admissions office has a bunch of student interns, ask them. And then when, if you ever visit a school, ask someone else, um, right?

Um, and some, basically, I can guarantee you that the, the, the, The student that the admissions office is going to give you is different than the student that maybe the physics professor might give you, right? Um, even though there’s a physics major in the admissions office, they’re going to be two different students though.

Um, right? And so why? Colleges are a big place. Um, so that’s how you’ll get different opinions. Um, and then, um, do you think you’ll be successful in and outside the classroom, um, in your pursuits of choice, right? Um, I think it’s very, very, very, very important. Um, some people don’t, I think, understand the context of this.

But for example, let’s say you’re like a model you in our mock trial. Um, and, um, you want to identify, for example, let’s say you love those, um, um, organizations are participating in them on the really lovely clubs. Um, and my you, for example, is the best and traditionally has been the best mock trial. Um, you know, kind of school in the country for a very long time.

Uh, they have like tryouts. My school didn’t have tryouts for my trial. Yeah. But they have tryouts and it’s really hard to get in and it’s incredibly selective, right? So you want, it’s important to understand to see, understand like where you will fall in. I think, um, your pursuits of interest regardless of where they, uh, regardless of their academic, you know, or extracurricular or personal, um, something to, to, to be mindful of.

Um, and so, um, what are resources for building college lists? Um, College rankings are, um, useful in the sense of they will give you an overview of what the college is like, right? I think that is a quick way to dissect information, um, right? Not, not the ranking in itself. I don’t really care about the ranking.

You can see that colleges go up and down all the time. It doesn’t really matter. It’s really about the historical information that’s there. That’s what’s the important piece, right? A demonstrated interest and interviews and visits will give you. Um, an idea of how to narrow down your college list. Yes, an interview can help you narrow down college list.

Let’s say your list is still too big, but you know why you might want to apply to that school. Like it’s, and if they offer an interview, interview, because that interview is going to give you different information. You should always interview regardless. But, um, even if you think you might not be applying to the school, like for sure, maybe the interview tells you something different, something to be mindful of.

Um, you know, uh, student led, uh, basically. Um, you know, research papers, um, and in some, um, as well, like student resource, um, information. So, such as a school newspaper, for example, um, might tell you something, um, it just depends on that specific, um, institution. But you’ll just go online and you’ll find the student newspaper, you’ll find different, um, research, um, uh, papers, you’ll find different, um, like a law school journal, um, right?

There are different things they’re going to tell you. Um, about that, about the school that you might not get from the admissions office, um, because again, the admissions office and the admissions website, it’s not going to have everything, right? Um, uh, post graduation data is very important, like where are people working after, where are they going to grad school after, uh, very important, what percentage of the class is employed, um, what percentage of the class is pursuing options, what percentage of the class is taking the gap year, you know, going abroad, like they will tell you those things where they’re going, like what are the type.

You know, 5 to 10 companies, uh, top five graduate schools, what the medical school rate is. Um, and that’s going to all be on, um, you know, the websites as well. Um, if you have a trouble navigating and just ask for the information, they’ll give it to you. Um, financial aid calculators. Um, and also teachers, teachers went to college.

Um, they are, they are wonderful people and they know a lot of kids who went to college, right? Teachers on average, um, have the most students who went to college compared to even college counselors. Um, right. And so they know a lot. Um, they’ve written a lot of recs. They’ve been around the block, so make sure you utilize them, um, wisely.

Um, very valuable. I love teachers, um, in and of itself. Um, but I’m gonna turn, oh, turn it back over.

Lonnie: Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. Okay, so audience, we’re now gonna move into our live questions and answers. Before we go into the live questions and answers, I just want to share a few, um, reminders or updates is that today’s session It is being recorded and it will be available on our CollegeAdvisor.com webinar tomorrow. If you would like, um, you can also click on the handouts tab and you’re able to download the presentation that Kane is going over. You’ll have it readily available to you. So now we’re going to move into the questions and answers. We’re going to try our best to get to every question, um, that you are asking.

And so we’re now going to jump right into the first one. Are you ready? Yeah. Okay, so this one is it reads that I am homeschool. Um, so I don’t really have something like a college mentor and my teachers are everything’s pre recorded. And so the only person that I really have that kind of serves as a mentor is my grandmother.

What are some of the differences we need to look at when you’re homeschool compared to a public school?

Kane: Yeah, that’s a great question. Um, when it comes to homeschool students, um, and some there are going to be, um, I think so. For example, your academics, right? Um, those recorders coming from somewhere. Um, right.

And so being able to reach out to that source, I think will be important and valuable. Um, I think that, um, your grades are being graded somewhere, right? Who’s grading those grades? Um, when, what is their feedback and some and have you enjoyed that feedback? Um, is that feedback that, um, you know, you’ve been able to internalize that you’ve been resonating with, um, that is, I think, a very, very important, right?

So, um. In some, like, regardless, there has to be a person, even if, for example, you type in your passport and it’s all digital and it spits out a number after you’re done, right? There’s still someone there, right? And so it’s important to reach out to the source and in some, I think, you know, start that kind of communication, um, right?

And so. Um, with that being said as well, I think that, um, depending on the year you are, I think that, um, it’s important to consider, um, you know, um, an option as well that is going to get you in contact with, with, with, with a person, whether that is on zoom, um, or, you know, meeting, you know, occasionally in person, um, because college recommend, like teacher recommended recommendations are required, um, in the college admissions process, I think you’ll really rarely find a school that does not have a, um, you know, required teacher recommendations.

So I think that’s important in terms of CollegeAdvisor. Okay. Um, there are places like CollegeAdvisor that can help you with that, um, for sure. And, you know, definitely introduce you to a counselor. But also, um, in some, you know, um, a variety of people can serve as that resource. Um, and there are a lot of, I think, easier, um, and, and, um, accessible.

resources as well. For ex or nearby university, whe or four year, it doesn’t have professionals that c So something to be mindfu in a broad sense, right? you know, what is availabl isn’t. And I think that w some of your answers. Um, a great question. And also question asking this is o right? And ask, you can a matter if you’re in the 9th grade, 12th grade, whatever like, ask them and they’ll answer the question.

There’s always someone on duty and they’re always willing to talk because that’s what they’re supposed to do that day.

Lonnie: Great, great. Um, this is a clarifying question. What did you mean by selective tiers?

Kane: Yeah, so selective tiers are just basically, um, they, they’re, I mean they, these, um, each, each tier or each category falls within a, a specific and percentage.

And so I broke that down between like, you know, one to 15%, um, you know, relatively. Um, and that one 15, that one to 15% admit rate is for that specific student. not necessarily the admit rate at that school. Um, right? Because the school can have a 40 percent admit rate. You still might only have a 15 percent chance of getting in.

And we talked about identifying how to identify that, um, as well. But again, um, if you’re having trouble identifying that, um, speak to your college counselor, um, and use the data to use that data to help you identify, I think, where you might fall in the category above the top, um, above the mid 50 percent in the mid or the lower 50%.

Um, and schools have that data laid out. Um, for you as well.

Lonnie: Awesome. This question says what electives can help? I’m sorry, what electives help get you into better colleges?

Kane: Yeah, I think elected you like doing. Um, right. I think that that’s an easier said than done when you love something. You just do it to do it because you love it, which leads you to greater success in that particular category.

Right. And so doing something because you think that’s what someone wants you to do isn’t going to necessarily, um, lead you to success in the college admissions process. Um, to see a student light up about something, it doesn’t matter what that something is, but about something is something special, I think.

Um, right. And so, um, do what you love and do what you enjoy. Um, and you want in some, it’s important to, I think, be mindful of that. You will want, I think, a level of diversity within the context of, you know, your extracurricular activities, right? A level is just that. You can identify what that level means for you.

But there is, there is a lot of value in someone who has mastered music and just does music. There is value in that, right? You have to remember that schools are not necessarily looking for all of the most well rounded students, right? That’s not how an institution functions, right? Students are pointy every which way, right?

Like they can be like a math genius. They can be a well rounded student. They can be like a music person who’s also an arts person, right? All these pointiness come out to be a well rounded class, right? And so pointiness is valuable, too. And so But if you are focused, right, you want to make sure you are having success, that you are identifying, that you are, if you’re the worst violin player, and you have just done all the violin stuff, and that’s all you do, you know, good on you, you’re, you’re showing a level of commitment, right?

You’re showing that you are dedicated to something, you’re showing the value that you place on the work that you put in, and that is what they care about. Um, they don’t necessarily care about the activity in itself. They care about the value you bring out and how you utilize that value to help others and what you’re gonna bring to the institution.

That is what they’re looking for when you’re looking at your activity, not necessarily the activity in of itself. Um, and so, yes, there are things that are very, like, interesting, I guess, right? Like you and China NASA. Great. You worked at Panera. Great. Right. Um, like, like, it’s really about how you talk about everything, right?

It’s really about how you talk about it in your interviews. It’s really how you talk about it, um, in your, um, you know, in your school, in your, sorry, in your extracurricular list, because just the name doesn’t do it, right? You have to be able to, um, Resonate with someone. And that’s so important.

Lonnie: Very, very important.

Um, so our next question reads our acceptance rates based off all students that apply. If my ACT and GPA are above the published average for the school. Does that increase my odds of being accepted?

Kane: Um, actually, sometimes having having, um, a GPA and SAT That’s above it, right? Not actually, um, in of itself.

It’s and you know, I think that, like, it just depends on the school schools do their admissions work in such different ways. And it’s important to really unpack an admissions process at a school. Um, how do you unpack admission process at a school? Go to their information sessions. They have them online.

They have them in person. They’re readily available. Um, you know, and so are these schools. They’re an email or a call away. Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone. Someone will eventually answer. Um, right. And so with that being said, um, no, I mean, like, it’s really about you. Because, for example, you can have the perfect grades and perfect, you know, um, you know, test scores and whatever.

But let’s say you’re applying to X school. And at the end, you really say, I want to go to Y school because while you wrote about the wrong school, so you’re not going to be admitted. Right. Um, and so, and also it’s about the depth of your, the depth of your, there’s so much that goes in the process than just beyond, um, you know, kind of your grades and SAT score.

Those are just, um, honestly, I think that when I was in Mrs. Officer, um, I, I spent maybe at least. Um, and that’s that my office took extensive notes. Not every office takes extensive notes. Um, and we were probably the most extensive, but maybe four minutes of that. And it takes on average, maybe a 25 minute read.

And that’s average. I think that people go faster than that. Um, there is committee based, um, evaluation models. There are single based evaluation models. There are committees. Um, and so there’s a lot of ways that a student can be admitted to the institution. And it’s important to understand that, um, and you learn those things by going to the information sessions.

Transcribed

Lonnie: Okay, next question. How? Oh, it just disappeared. Okay. How important are the four year GPAs? Additionally, do colleges pay attention to freshmen GPA? So I would assume this question maybe is like, how important is your GPA like each year in high school? And they wanted to know which one did they look at the most?

For admissions. Yeah.

Kane: Um, you, yeah. And some, they’re gonna be looking at your senior year and junior year at the closest, um, particularly your junior year. Um, and, um, and, and your senior is just so depends on how you’re applying senior and I’ll get that, get into it in a second. But, um. In some, let’s say you didn’t get the hottest grade freshman year.

That’s okay. Um, as long as you have a very stark upward trend, I think that that’s incredibly valuable. Um, you especially, um, given the context of, you know, COVID has thrown off, I think a lot of, you know, standards. Um, right. And so standards mean like standards of learning. Um, and so with that being said, students are, I’ve noticed every year there are students equipped with different types of strengths in the writing process.

Um, there, there, there are definitely some things that are incredibly valuable. wonderful and more incredible from that I’ve ever seen. And some things that are definitely gaps and the lack of information as well. Um, and so with that being said, um, an upward trend I think is very valuable. Um, and if there is something that occurs or happens, um, just note that In the additional comments section or the in the academic progression section.

Um, and they will read that. Um, it’s important to remember that they will read that. So you want to make sure that is thoughtful and thorough, um, and in some though, like, so when it comes to your senior year, like those grades, your junior grades matter the most, but those grades can get and can get you immediately disqualified, um, you know, from the admissions process, for example, right?

So like, if you have a C, Um, senior year on average, typically, like you might be waitlisted or deferred from a school. They’re going to probably wait if you apply early decision. Um, no matter what that school is, right, they want students, you have to remember, while you are in your hardest curriculum ever, you are also your smartest ever that you’ve ever been.

Um, and so it’s important to understand that you’re going to be doing your best work. And so make sure that you’re taking a workload that you can handle. Um, you know, there’s no value in taking all APs and getting straight Bs. Um, there’s not. Um, you want to have more As than Bs, um, in, in your senior year, uh, or more Bs than Cs if you’re a BNC student.

Um, it doesn’t really, whatever you, whatever is this, I always, I say C generally. I see, if you’re a C, for example, as a D, Right? Like then that’s how you are as a student that that is your seat right to me. All right. And so I wanted to make sure I clarify that. Um, and so with that being said, you want to want to make sure that you don’t have your seat.

Um, and so be mindful of that.

Lonnie: Right, right. Okay, next question. Um, how, how can high school students ensure their college list is well balanced between reach match and safety schools?

Kane: Yeah. Um, and so my rule of thumb is have, I know two to three likely schools. I love your likely schools. Do you want to make sure if they typically will, um, offer interviews, interview with them first?

Um, and some know everything that you that you want about them because those are your likely schools, right? If you don’t show them love, they’re not so likely, are they? Um, and so, um, be mindful of that. Um, and so, um, love those schools. If you love those schools, you’ve done your work. I think that your list can be whatever it wants to be after that.

Um, I say balance because typically it’s nice to receive a variety of different types of admissions. admissions, um, differences in offers. If you apply to all reach school on average, you have to remember that most people don’t get into those schools and it can be disheartening, I think, to get a wait list or rejection after rejection because that does happen.

I haven’t seen they do get into great places and go to amazing places. It’s just They, those admits come in between, right. Or they come all before and none after. Right. And it’s just, it’s just valuable I think, to receive different types of admissions, obviously from different types of schools, which is why we talk about having a, a strong college list.

’cause it can, you can get into like some of your favorite schools, but not get into most of your schools. And so even though you got into some of your favorites, like that might leave an impression, um, that, that is not necessarily. The impression is supposed to give off, right? And so that’s why we say, you know, have a well balances.

But if there’s some schools that you’re like, you know what, if I just get one of these, I’m happy by all means, do you do what you need to do, right? Um, just make sure that you are honest about yourself, about when you receive your decisions. Some schools get into. I’ve had since we’ve gotten to basically every, I have had students who got into every single school that they’ve applied to.

And then I’ve had students who Yeah, I’ve had many students who’ve gotten into, um, and I’m not talking about early decision, I’m just talking about regular decision, like, I’ve had a student who, like, hit Princeton, who hit Brown, who hit, uh, Cornell, they hit every single school, um, right, except for USC, um, and so, like, with that being said, like, Just do what you feel like is best in the process and do what you think is gonna, um, result, I think, in just a healthy, uh, senior year.

That’s really, really important. A healthy senior year is incredibly important and incredibly valuable, um, to both everyone in your household. Let me trust, trust me about that. Um, yeah.

Lonnie: Okay. Do colleges pay attention to your middle school or elementary school grades?

Kane: Uh, no, unless you are reporting, uh, said middle school grades, um, or if you’re like a child genius and you are like in middle school, but like are taking like AP Calculus BC, like great.

Um, but, um, in some basically, so like if you’re reporting your Spanish class or your, uh, math class from middle school, which typically will be the only. Um, well, not Spanish foreign language class. Let me correct myself, um, foreign language class and or math class. Um, or maybe even science class. Um, uh, you know, are you reporting that for credit?

Are you reporting that on your transcript? Then it matters a little bit. Um, right? Because they’re looking at the grade. They can just see it. But in some still has, you know, less value than your most recent grades.

Lonnie: Okay, these are really great questions that are coming in. Um, the next question is, does being a student athlete give you an edge in college admissions?

Kane: Um, that’s a great question. I mean, yes and no. Um, right. Um, and this is also applicable to artists applicable to, um, anyone in which brings value to an institution, um, that is, um, marketable. Right. Um, and so with that being said, like, yes, it is like, yes, there are scholarships, right? For for student athletes.

That’s very clear, right? Like you have to hit a benchmark to be admitted because in some, if you hit that benchmark, that means you can do the work at the school. Most students who apply to colleges can do the work at that school. It’s really about everything else, right? Um, it’s really about how you talk about your academics, etcetera.

But yes, being a student athletes. can’t help you. But arguably it is the most like the process and admissions office has, right? They are very picky and very choosy. Like there are. I used to, you know, be involved in that process, the selection process of student athletes. Um, and like This level of standards that they hold kids to and who they want in terms of talent is very selective and arguably more selective than the actual regular admissions process.

Um, right. So that is something to realize as well. There’s a lot that there’s going to be a lot more asked of you if you’re submitting, you know, additional, um, portfolios or supplements, as they say, right. Cause you’re submitting technically an athletic supplement and art supplement. You know, in some, right?

But, uh, and it’s gonna, it’s going to, um, you know, trans, it’s gonna, it’s just gonna unfold in different ways for each person, depending on your level of talent. If you are the best bassoonist and they need a bassoonist, best be known, you’ll be admitted to that institution, right? And with the swiftness, with the quickness, um, and so, uh, just know that.

So yeah, so there is valuable in being very talented at something.

Lonnie: Okay. Um, Let’s see, do you have any suggestions on how to narrow down or figure out what to major in?

Kane: It’s hard, um, to know that, right? Because there are some, um, majors that don’t exist in academia, um, you know, before college, um, right? And so, um, ask yourself, not necessarily which subject you love, but what topic have you loved?

Right? What thing? What’s the thing that gets you excited every day? Right? Um, in some basically, right? For example, um, you know, it took me a minute to find what that is. And eventually I found what it is. I’m doing it right now. Um, right. And that’s not necessarily taught in college, right? Um, but the what the what the underlying factor was, I love and some, you know, understanding being.

um, people and learning why people make, you know, different decisions and, um, you know, understanding, you know, what, you know, kind of drives those decisions and, and that force. And so I took a lot of, you know, you know, philosophy, not philosophy, sorry, political science classes, some philosophy classes, some religion classes, um, sociology, anthropology, but I also took neuroscience and take physics.

Um, right. There’s so many things that in order to really understand what, what that kind of strand is and what that means you have to take. And I went to a college that had an open curriculum. So I just designed basically my own major. Um, and so, um, yeah, I mean, um, and so think about like what you’re passionate about, um, what you’re excited about and remember that everything is academic, uh, because everything that is created comes from someone who built it and you need to go to school to do that.

Right. Um, so just remember what that means for you. So like if you are jazzed by, right. Like, for example, a specific genre of novel, um, or you’re jazzed by a specific video game. Like, understand what exactly is getting you jazzed about that video game, right? Or jazzed about that novel, um, or jazzed about sports, um, or anything, right?

There is something that you will be able to pursue academically that’s going to help you get that, right? Um, and that’s going to help you actually, uh, refine and define that interest. Um, and so I think that is really valuable in terms of your reflection. Now. And some what’s really lovely about the, um, college major process is undecided.

It’s fine to push that. Um, right. And that’s important. Um, so remember that as well. And it’s fine that you don’t know right now what you want to major in because you’re maybe about 17, 16, 15, 12. Um, and so just, but continue to unpack that and ask questions. Um, and that will hopefully lead you to some type of answer.

Lonnie: Okay. Okay. So I am going to actually now just take a short pause for questions and answers. We’ll get right back to them. But I would love to share with you all more about the work that we do here at CollegeAdvisor. So for those who are in the room who aren’t already working with us, we know how overwhelming this process can be.

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During this meeting, you’ll receive a assessment of your academic profile, Along with some initial recommendations on what you can do to stand out. At the end, you’ll learn more about CollegeAdvisors premium one on one packages that can pair you with an expert like Kane who can support you in building your college list even more, editing your essays, and much, much more.

Okay, so we have A few more minutes left of our questions and answers. So I am going to jump right into the next question, which says does having a lot of community service hours matter to colleges?

Kane: Yes, if it matters to you. Um, I think that in some you’ll find that, you know, uh, that’s some, some, some, sometimes community service is required to graduate from, from high school.

Um, right. And so, but having to make, like, you, if you’re not finding value in that, right, or fulfillment or, or, or success, um, you’re not going to have much to talk about. You’re just going to say, I have these many hours of community service, like, um, right. And some, so it’s important to be reflective about those hours, right.

Um, And mention, I think, um, kind of, um, sorry, my ex minister turned on at the exact same time I was speaking. Um, but, um, mention, um, like, why you do the work that you do and specifically why I pursue that type of community service. Like, what is the greater goal, right? You want to make sure you elaborate on this.

So, yes, as long as you bring them to the value, right?

Lonnie: Okay, I was reading through the questions. Um, our next question is, um, does being the valedictorian or the salutatorian increase the likelihood for getting accepted into a specific college.

Kane: Uh, for sure. Um, right. Like there’s something important and valuable about being the best student at your school. Um, that won’t necessarily always get you admitted to a specific school, but it will get me get you admitted to a lot of schools.

Why? Because you have good grades. Um, right. That’s really good. It’s not necessarily the range of the range. Sure. Um, I think that, um, I will say this. If you can be in the top 10 percent of your class, that’s what you’re trying to aim, right? That, that, that is the goal. And if you know you’re not close, just get higher than where you are right now, right?

That is the value. That’s important. That number top, that 10 percent number, that is a benchmark. That is something that is evaluated in the rankings. to be mindful of.

Lonnie: Okay, I is regarding like dual en you like to just share ov colleges view dual enroll

And if you do recommend it, I’m just kind of letting the questions like maybe how many classes should a student take

Kane: for sure and dual enrollment. They’re great classes, right? If you’re able to take them, fantastic. If you’re not also fantastic. Um, it’s, um, it’s basically they’re showing your fluency within the subject.

So if you’ve gone beyond the most demanding curriculum at your school and you need to do that, you should go ahead and do that. Um, it’s it is seen. I mean, it’s a it’s a very, yeah. It’s hard, right? Don’t it’s a college class, right? There is value in that. Now be mindful of you might not always get credit for that.

There’s some schools that be like, no, you’re gonna come here and take this biology class. Um, right. And but in some schools that will give you credit for that biology class that you took. Um, I would say this just kind of, um, yeah. So just take classes that you’re gonna be successful in. I know that, for example, taking, um, a traditional college semester, um, four classes.

That means that it’s for actual class. That’s the equivalent of four Your long classes, um, right. Um, so remember that. Um, and also, um, if you can make sure that, um, that, that dual enrollment, uh, course, um, and grade are not on your high school transcript, I can explain why right now ’cause I don’t have the time.

But just remember that piece. Um, you can always send the college transcript separate and they will get that right. Um, so re remember that just if you can keep it off your high school transcript, just go ahead and do that.

Lonnie: Uh, what is early decision and is it worth it? I’ve heard that there could be disadvantages.

Kane: Um, it’s the most powerful decision making process. I think that the college admissions process holds, um, that’s where, that’s where schools have their largest admit rate. Um, the advantage is, um, like you’re, you’re in a smaller pool of students. They also haven’t read the rest of their pool yet, right? Um, like, for example, there, there’s a school somewhere on the East Coast where they’re, they’re, um.

Early decision in mid race 25 percent and have 800 applicants for the for the 25 percent admit rate and they admit half their class. Their class is about 450 students. And then regular decision is like 18, 000 people right to fill up the remaining 250 slots, right? And so Think of those numbers and think of that possibility, right?

And so, yes, there is an advantage. The disadvantage is that, like, there’s nuance in the context of who they’re taking. They, schools have to yield a football team, for example, right? That will inflate some numbers. Right. Why? Because there’s a lot of players on the football team. Right. Like, so, like, they’re trying to admit, um, students who, you know, who the, um, the music department might need as well.

Right. And so those are called, um, uh, institutional priorities. And each school has a different priority. Right. It’s not necessarily a football team. It’s not necessarily music. Um, right. There are different things and it changes year by year. what they need. Um, you will never know because they’re the institution’s priorities, not yours.

Um, right. And so, um, remember that that that that is where the disadvantage can come. And so sometimes the school that might seem like they have a high admit rate in early decision actually may not if you are applying and do not meet some of those institutional priorities. But I always encourage students to apply early decision because that is their best time to be admitted.

Again, I’d rather be in a poll of 800 than a poll of 16, 000. for the same exact 250 spots.

Lonnie: Okay, let’s see. We have time for a couple of more questions. Okay, so this one says, I can sometimes be unorganized. So in your opinion, you know, what’s the best way to kind of decide if this college is like the one for me?

Kane: So the question is, I’m unorganized and how is it best to identify a school that the school is, okay, um, I mean, unorganized or not, I think that like, um, just put yourself in those organized situations, like if you visit schools, right, they’ll take you on a tour, like you’ll follow, you’ll listen. Sometimes, um, right?

And so, like, you’ll pick up on things. Um, in an info session, like, if you feel like you will wander off, you know, watching your laptop, um, and some basically, um, go in person if you’re able to, if not, see if they offer recorded sessions where you’re able to split up the session. Um, and if it’s health or if you’re more interactive, like asking if you can have a call with a student, um, typically it won’t necessarily be within themselves or sometimes it will, but they’re busy people too.

Um, and so, like, find your way. Okay. There is a way that you can interact with someone that, um, will resonate with you. And so find what that is for you. Um, it might not be the traditional tour. It might not be, um, an info session. And so, um, figure that out. And then in sum, um, pursue that method. Okay.

Lonnie: So Kane, you did a fantastic job sharing a lot about the work that we do.

And I apologize. I didn’t switch the screen, um, for our audience to actually. Scan our QR code. So I’m going to leave this QR code on here and we’re going to take one more question. Is that okay?

Kane: Of course. Yeah.

Lonnie: Um, so again, this QR code is on the screen for you all to sign up for a free session with one of our college advising representatives to learn more about the services that we offer, but also we can do an assessment of where you are academically.

Okay. So the next question reads, do you have any, just like, Suggestions on what we should use to do our college research,

Kane: what they should use suggestions, what they should use to do college research. Um, there are many resources out there that are platforms that are free for students. Um, there Naviance, um, is one, um, I think Seattle, you can put Seattle for free.

Um, they’re just admissions officer. Um, sorry, they’re just admission. They’re just student platforms that actually your school might use. And so ask what your school is utilizing. They might use score. They might use Naviance. Like you should have, they should have an account for you or just should be able to create one for you if you can’t.

You can go create one yourself and it’s free. Um, right. And some like, um, and that’s really valuable. Um, the difference is a free account versus school account is that you can, is that admission, sorry, is that college counselors can use that platform to send your college admissions materials, right? Um, this isn’t something you have to worry about, but I would just utilize.

You know, again, scoring Naviance on slate, um, as well. Um, and those will, I think, help you identify, um, quick and fast information in terms of data and, and, um, in terms of, um, getting access to colleges. Like there is an inbox and, um, score, for example, where colleges can email you. Um, if you add them to your, like, list in, in there or initial list, and you’ll be able to read those emails.

Actually, there’s something that it can be very valuable. Um, and so, like, that, um, I think will just help. You just be innately involved, and it will also keep you organized, too, by the way. Um, very valuable there, too. And you can connect them to your Common App, as well. Like, you can actually directly link those accounts directly to your Common App.

Lonnie: Awesome, that is awesome. Okay, well, with that, that was our final question. So, thank you, Kane, for sharing all this great information about building your college list. Reminder audience that you can download the handouts by clicking on the handouts tab. And with that we are now going to conclude. Have a great day evening and we look forward to seeing you in an upcoming CollegeAdvisor webinars.

Kane: Bye. Bye my friends