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 * WILMINGTON FRIENDS SCHOOL** **COLLEGE GUIDANCE** Welcome! Please scroll down to see documents and links for various topics, including GPA, athletic and arts recruitment, test prep, college visits, past programs, and more. The menu on the right will take you to other pages.   This wiki is a work in progress; please contact Jessica Smith (jsmith@wilmingtonfriends.org) with comments or questions.

General Information:
School Profile

Parents' Night Memo - quick reference for college overview, including fairs.

Overview of college guidance, grades 9-12.

GPA Calculation and Sample Transcripts

Your Crucial First Step Before Looking At Colleges - figuring out your expected family contribution (EFC) - what colleges expect you to pay, and what you can afford

The One Question Most Americans Get Wrong About College Graduates - if you're wondering whether a college education is still valuable

Graduating and Looking For Your Passion? Just Be Patient - in other words, you don't need to pick a major or know exactly what you want to do right now!

Advice college admissions officers give their own kids

Ivywise.com compilation of acceptance rates from 2005 and the last three years...a good snapshot of the way college admissions has changed and is changing.

The Highly Selective College Admissions Process - our memo on applying to colleges such as Harvard, Penn, Yale, UVA, Duke, Stanford, etc., with additional resources within.

A Few Thoughts About College Rankings - our memo, with lots of articles linked within.

Washington Monthly article - [|"Introduction: A Different Kind Of College Ranking"]

When Advanced Math Placement Is A Struggle - A Q&A article with a teacher in the //New York Times// that discusses issues around course placement.

For Accomplished Students, Reaching a Good College Isn't As Hard As It Seems - a good explanation of why low admission rates don't mean much, and how the increasing number of applications is leading to a self-perpetuating cycle...more applications leads to lower admission rates leads to more panic leads to more apps.

Stop Fixating On These Colleges - elite colleges don't give merit aid, making them some of the most expensive colleges to attend. Here's a reminder that there are many other great and more affordable colleges and universities out there. See also, more recently, Is a Trophy School Worth the Price?

[|How To Survive the College Admissions Madness] - a reflection from Frank Bruni of the //New York Times// that reminds us of the many paths to success (besides attending an elite college).

We Don't Need More STEM Majors, We Need More STEM Majors With Liberal Arts Training - food for thought from a Rhodes College chemistry professor.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,Verdana,sans-serif;">" <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Verdana,sans-serif;">[|Why Focusing Too Narrowly In College Could Backfire] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,Verdana,sans-serif;">" - Wall Street Journal article.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">CollegeData, a great source for objective information about colleges. See this blog post on The College Solution to see one way to use this information.

Want Your Child To Get Into College and Have a Good Life? Here's How <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- a thoughtful, realistic response to the recent Harvard report, "Turning the Tide: Inspiring Concern For Others and the Common Good Through College Admissions."

Kick Off for College (required for juniors) Program and Documents
=Parents and Parenting: Resources=

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Verdana,sans-serif;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Verdana,sans-serif;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Verdana,sans-serif;">

First Steps (for ninth and tenth graders) Program and Documents:
First Steps Presentation <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">School Profile Questionnaires and Sample Resumes Writing Your High School Story: College Admission Advice for Ninth and Tenth Graders Practice ACT memo (for 10th graders) (browse the wiki for more!)

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For Juniors:
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Junior college meeting questions - please read through before your college meeting.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,Verdana,sans-serif;">** @http://tinyurl.com/campus-visit-tips ** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,Verdana,sans-serif;">** @http://tinyurl.com/tips-for-college-essays ** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,Verdana,sans-serif;">** @http://tinyurl.com/sample-college-essays ** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,Verdana,sans-serif;">** Sample Common App **
 * College Essay Work in English Class**
 * English class plan**

For Seniors:
Pre-Arranged Absence Form for College Visits

Limiting College Applications - Kathleen's email to seniors with timeless advice.

Wait List Strategy

Deferral Strategy

Making the Final College Decision - college office memo, with links inside Worksheet: Can You Afford Your College Choices? Worksheet: Choosing Your College Priorities What I Learned From Turning Down My Dream College - from a student who got off the wait list, but decided not to take the offer.

Application 101 (a.k.a. Boot Camp, which happens the August before senior year)
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Application 101 packet
 * Sample Common App **
 * Guide to Common App, step by step **

Welcome to Application 101! <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Very first directions for Application 101 (Boot Camp). <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Boot Camp Day 2 - YOUR TO DO LIST. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Zoomita.com - to help organize your supplemental essays