The clinic provides 12 hours of instruction and personal guidance with key aspects of college planning, including college searching/matching, essay development and editing, career/major planning and assessment, financial aid guidance, model campus tours and interview preparation, and more. After completing the clinic, each participant will be far ahead of many of his or her classmates with much of the work of applying to college complete or solidly begun. Parents are invited to attend the financial aid and scholarship class meeting.

At the conclusion of the sessions each participant will receive a detailed, personalized report with college matches, the student’s edited essay draft, the college major assessment report, a point-by-point college planning timeline, financial aid and scholarship recommendations, and more.

Dr. Ransdell launched her education consulting practice, Pinnacle Education Consulting, LLC, in 2007 in the Denver area.  Lisa works with all kinds of students, sharing with each insight from her 20-year career as a higher education administrator and 28-years as a college faculty member (ongoing). She is a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association, and the Denver-Boulder BBB.

Lisa’s past clients are attending or headed to schools like the University of Denver, the University of Colorado, the University of Chicago, Gonzaga University, the University of Southern California, Villanova University, Louisiana State University, the University of Oregon, and many more excellent colleges. The summer clinic is very affordable and offers phenomenal value and terrific benefits to participants and families.

For info/to register: LRansdell@comcast.net                   303-635-6620

Campus tour at UC Berkeley

Over time many of these religious affiliations were dropped, becoming artifacts of the passage of time. At present some 800 out of nearly 4000 U.S. colleges claim a religious affiliation, with some maintaining a loose historical connection and others more serious relationships with a denomination or faith. The largest grouping of religious-affiliated colleges is Catholic with 221 schools. In descending order the rest are Methodist (94), Baptist (67), Presbyterian (59), Lutheran (34), and Jewish (21).

Why would a student who belongs to a different church or denomination, or one who is agnostic, or spiritual-rather-than-religious want to consider a school with a religious affiliation? First of all, many of these schools are academically excellent, offering a high quality education, superb facilities, and great faculty. Some religious colleges were founded by orders with long and honored educational traditions, like the Jesuits. Second, for the quality of the education received, religious-based colleges often offer good value, particularly as private institutions, which can be among the priciest U.S. colleges. Third, such schools often have a coherent campus culture with many linkages between academics and campus life. Educational researchers have long observed this to be a key feature of student success as measured by college freshman retention rates. Fourth, many, although not all religious-based schools are smaller, with low-student-to-faculty ratios, another strong and desirable characteristic associated with excellent instruction.

Finally, many of the fears about religious institutions are simply wrong and stereotypical. Most of these schools aren’t out to indoctrinate or convert students. Many don’t require chapel attendance, and either don’t have religion or theology curricular requirements, or allow such a requirement to be fulfilled in incredibly imaginative and expansive ways. To assess the religiosity of a religious college, should this be a concern, peruse their website, visit, and ask questions.

From a recent published list of the “twenty best” religiously affiliated colleges in the U.S. from Forbes Magazine, here is a sub-set: Centre College, Danville KY (Presbyterian); Boston College, MA (Catholic); Kenyon College, Gambier OH (Episcopalian); DePauw University, Greencastle IN (Methodist); Geoffrey Fox College, Newburg OR (Quaker); Doane College, Crete NE (United Church of Christ); Salem College, Winston-Salem NC (Moravian); Transylvania University, Lexington, KY (Disciples of Christ). Among my personal favorites from my college tours and recent client acceptances I would include Earlham College, Richmond IN (Quaker); Hope College, Holland MI (Reformed Church); Villanova University, Philadelphia PA (Catholic); Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma WA; Santa Clara University, Santa Clara CA (Catholic), and Gonzaga University, Spokane WA, (Catholic).

Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA

College majors with the best hiring prospects:

The hiring outlook was said to be best in the following fields: accounting and finance, engineering, computer science, marketing, education, health care, and social services. This is certainly welcome news.

A well-chosen minor, and an internship can make a difference!

My own advice: college students can further improve their prospects by taking additional coursework (electives or perhaps a minor) in areas that add marketable skills to those associated with their degree, whatever it might be. Examples include foreign language study to the point of relative fluency, grant writing, and web design. Also I can’t stress enough how important it is to complete an internship or two that relates to your academic major while you are attending college. Graduates who can boast real-world experience are miles ahead of their fellow students who only have academic credentials, and occasionally an internship leads to a job offer.

General impressions: CA publics are more open to applications from out of state students, likely due to the allure of the extra tuition money during their continuing hard times. It does seem that things are more stable among the state institutions these days, although there are still “impactions” in effect at some schools: special admission restrictions affecting academic programs where demand exceeds supply.

I should have made it to even more California colleges in my three days, but couldn’t resist the allure of side-trips to Napa and Sonoma – what can I say? I will likely write more in coming blogs about each institution, but in the meantime enjoy my photo of the historic Sather Gate at Cal (Berkeley).

Quality of teaching

Private liberal arts colleges (PLACs) tend to have faculty who love to teach, and who were hired primarily to teach.  It is almost never the case at a smaller liberal arts college that classes are taught by graduate student teaching assistants. Class sizes at these schools tend to be smaller also. It is so much easier at this type of school to be known by your faculty members and to have strong connections with them from the outset of your enrollment.

Reasonable cost

Costs can be quite reasonable at PLACs, even more so than you might expect. If you are looking at state institutions outside of your home state, compare the cost of these with their out-of-state tuition charges with the cost of private schools (that don’t assess such fees). Very often the costs are comparable. Private schools also often have great financial aid packages available. Do your homework on cost and you may be pleasantly surprised!

If you are looking forward to expanding your horizons socially, and feeling bored with the students at your school, remember that you will be starting fresh wherever you go. A PLAC of 2200 students will expose you to a new group of students whom you likely have never met before, and from all over the U.S. It may be less overwhelming to fit in more quickly at such a school than at a public institution of 22,000, and believe me, by graduation time you still won’t know all members of your class!

Multi-talented graduates

PLAC graduates are regarded favorably by prospective employers and graduate schools due to their broad skills and critical thinking abilities. The lists of students accepted by graduate and professional schools always features large numbers of graduates of PLACs.

Here are a few of my personal favorite liberal arts colleges in the U.S.: Kenyon (OH), Grinnell (IA), Haverford (MA), Pomona (CA), and Lawrence (WI). I encourage all of my clients to give private liberal arts colleges a good, long look.

Alabama U

Arizona U

Arizona State U

Auburn U

Baylor U

British Columbia U

Chicago U

Colorado U

Colorado State U

Denver U

Gonzaga U

High Point U

Kansas U

Louisiana State U

Marist College

Michigan U

Montana U

Montana State U

Nebraska U

North Carolina U

Northwestern U

Ohio State U

Oregon U

Oregon State U

Penn State U

Philadelphia U

Purdue U

Santa Clara U

Swarthmore College

Texas A&M U

University of Southern California

Villanova U

Virginia U

Washington University St. Louis

I am so proud and so pleased for these wonderful young people with whom I have had the privilege of working, and I wish each of them the very best! (Note: of course, some clients applied to and were accepted by multiple schools.)

 Why tour before applying?

It’s great to learn from a client that her or his family started visiting schools early (sophomore year isn’t too soon!), possibly incorporating visits in family vacations and trips. In my view the more visits, the more students are likely to become discerning judges of what a college has to offer. It is also the case that some schools interpret a documented visit as an indication of sincere interest, a bit of an advantage for the applicant later when the college is evaluating applicants.

How to plan college tours and make arrangements….

The majority of schools offer twice a day dual offerings, most typically an information session led by an admissions staff member, and a tour conducted by a current student.  Both are valuable, and provide key information and impressions that can help with evaluating institutions. A typical schedule for a given college is a morning info session (for example at 10 a.m.), perhaps in the building where the admissions office is located, followed by a one-hour tour at 11 a.m.  Then there will be an afternoon pairing of sessions at perhaps 2 and 3 p.m. This allows for the possibility that families can schedule two schools in one day, provided they are close enough to permit travel from one to another.

Visits should be planned and scheduled well in advance. Go on the college website and click on Admissions, or Prospective Students.  Somewhere on the site there should be a schedule for campus visits that shows times and locations. It may be possible to register for a visit directly on the site, although you may need to call the admissions office to receive confirmation. Once you are registered you will probably receive information in the mail or via email, and possibly a parking pass also.

Some schools offer a much more in-depth experience, especially to seniors and candidates of high interest. These add-ons may include the possibility of meeting with a professor, staying overnight with a current student in a dorm, eating a meal in the dining commons, or attending a class. For students applying to distinctive programs such as athletics or musical ensembles, additional events may be open, such as observing a rehearsal or meeting with a coach. I suggest locating the admissions rep for your school or region and contacting that person to learn about the possibility of an expanded visit.

Remember that a significant focus of admissions events is a marketing orientation, so do your homework beforehand and ask good questions about the things that matter most to you. Try and grab a copy of the student newspaper while on campus, as the stories may reveal a more inside perspective. Chat up as many current students as possible during your time on campus, especially some who are not affiliated with the admissions office.

Touring colleges across the U.S. is a constant for me as an educational consultant, and I never tire of it. Some fun things that I do to commemorate a visit is to take several photos while on the tour, and stop by the campus bookstore to purchase a pennant and a pack of pens or pencils.  The pennant is for my office, and the pencils are for gifts for clients. I hope you enjoy your college tours as much as me!

Why Wait Lists?

Admissions professionals, high school counselors and educational consultants know that wait lists were established by colleges for their convenience, not out of concern for students, and for the simple reason that colleges don’t wish to have any empty beds reserved for freshmen come next fall as classes are about to start. Unfortunately, some students get false hope from a wait list outcome, and fail to move on and get excited by opportunities at a great school that really wants them.

So what should you do if you were unlucky enough to be waitlisted by the college (or colleges) of your dreams? First, acknowledge that being waitlisted is tantamount to being rejected. Look seriously at your acceptances; generate more enthusiasm by considering these schools more thoroughly (make a second visit, initiate contact with professors and enrolled students, spend a night on campus), and begin to imagine that you might get a great education and actually have fun at one of these places.

What can be done about being waitlisted?

In the meantime, especially if you really had serious reason to fall in love with the college that spurned you beyond “It’s Ivy League, and the campus is so beautiful!” you can make an effort to appeal to the admission representative at the school for your area. Affirm your continued strong interest and reasons why the school is a great match for you, and update your application with any recent developments that reflect well on you. Be polite and courteous and make sure that you don’t act in a way that might result in you being perceived as a whiner or a pest (share what you are saying in letters and emails with someone with knowledge of college admissions, like your counselor or consultant). Should it come time to move on, do so gracefully, and remember that your attitude helps to create your reality no matter where you are headed.

Having attended Occidental College near Los Angeles for one year, President Barack Obama transferred to Columbia for his Bachelor’s degree. He also completed a JD from Harvard University Law School.

Republican nomination seeker Mitt Romney attended Stanford, but transferred and completed his undergrad degree from BYU. He additionally completed an MBA and JD from Harvard.

Rick Santorum received his Bachelor’s degree from Penn State, MBA from the University of Pittsburgh, and JD from the Dickinson School of Law.

Newt Gingrich collected his BA from Emory University, and an MA and PhD in History from Tulane.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton completed her undergraduate studies at Wellesley (and was their first-ever student graduation speaker), and a JD from Yale.

Vice President Joe Biden finished his Bachelor’s at the University of Delaware and his JD at Syracuse.

Current House Speaker John Bohner completed his undergraduate degree at Xavier University in Cincinnati. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi completed her Bachelor’s at Trinity Washington University.

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper wrapped up a BS and MS in Geology from Wesleyan University, while Denver Mayor Michael Hancock earned a Bachelor’s from Hastings College in NE, and an MPA from CU-Denver.

Interesting stuff! One tentative conclusion is that among leading politicians college graduation is the norm, and often from prestigious institutions.

When: Saturdays beginning March 10 at 2 p.m. on the downtown Denver Auraria campus (building and room to be announced). With the exception of April 13, most meetings will last 90 minutes.

Cost: $25 for textbook (ordering information will be supplied).  Each session costs $20; the full six-session series may be paid for in advance for $100.

ACT Review Session Dates/Topics:

March 10:

• overview of the ACT, ACT test sections, and test-taking strategy; self-study plan for maximum readiness

March 17:

• full English section administration and review

March 24:

• No meeting; Auraria campus is closed for Spring Break

March 31:

• full Math section administration and review

April 6:

• full Reading and Science section administration and review

April 13:

• full ACT test administration (3 hours)

April 20:

• review of full test outcomes; overview of ACT essay writing section

Dr. Ransdell is a former academic services Dean and Assistant Provost at schools like The University of Denver and Denison University (OH), and a continuing faculty member at Metropolitan State College of Denver. She established her education consulting practice in 2007, and has since then helped many Colorado families with all aspects of college planning.

Like Lisa Ransdell on FaceBook or Twitter to receive Pinnacle Education News You Can Use, regular updates on trends in college admissions in Colorado and nationwide:  http://www.pinnaclecollegeplanning.com

•  To register, (or for further information) email LRansdell@comcast.net
• or call 303-635-6620