Savvy consumers will want to look carefully at student loan options and make sure they understand the long term obligations they are undertaking. Many families are getting way in over their heads with Parent Plus loans. Over a million families last year took on Parent Plus debt, for a total of over ten billion dollars.  Many parents find these loans to be appealing because they want to support their kids’ college dreams and they prefer to take on debt rather than saddling their children with it.  Unfortunately, Parent Plus loans can be the road to financial disaster. With high credit limits, bad interest rates and unforgiving repayment terms, consider Parent Plus loans with extreme caution.

What are Parent Plus Loans?
The Parent Plus loan program is run by the federal government. These loans are offered to parents after their student has maxed out the amount of regular (Stafford) student loans they can take each year. It is the parents, not the students who are taking on the responsibility for paying back Parent Plus loans. These loans lack some of the desirable features of other regular student loans. The interest is high and the repayment terms are not as flexible. They offer very high limits so they allow families to get into debt that they will be very unlikely to be able to repay.

Problem One: No Consideration if You Will Be Able to Afford to Pay it Back
The screening process for the Parent Plus loan doesn’t consider your income or your ability to repay. The process only looks at negative credit history. If you’ve failed to pay bills in the past, it can disqualify you for the loan. But having no or very little income won’t stop you from being approved because income is not considered in determining loan eligibility.

Problem Two: Very High Amounts of Borrowing Allowed
Parent Plus loans are offered in the amount of the full Cost of Attendance. The Cost of Attendance is determined by the college and it includes tuition, fees, room, board, books, etc.  If the college has a Cost of Attendance of $50,000 a year and the student is receiving $10,000 in grants and other student loans the parents are eligible to borrow the entire remaining $40,000 balance for just one year.

Problem Three: Interest Rate
Parent Plus loans currently have an interest rate of 7.9% and a loan origination fee of 4% which ends up making the interest rate closer to 9%. While the rate of interest on Stafford Loans has increased it is still lower than on Parent Plus loans.

Problem Four: No Desirable Repayment Terms
Student loan debt cannot be discharged during bankruptcy. Parent Plus loans also lack some of the desirable features offered on regular (Stafford) student loans. These features include: deferments for medical disability or graduate school attendance, income-based repayment, and the possibility of loan forgiveness for public employees.

Problem Five: Don’t Mess with the Feds
There can be many reasons why families may struggle to repay Parent Plus loans. Illness, disability, job loss, and bankruptcy do not change your obligation. As a lender, the federal government has powers that private companies do not. If you fall behind in paying your debt they can withhold tax returns and garnish a portion of wages and even Social Security payments.

What to Do Instead
It is rarely a good idea to look at Parent Plus loans as a primary way to pay for college. But there are ways to avoid having to take out these loans:

Start College Planning Early
Do not develop a college list independent of cost considerations. Yes, as parents we want to make our kids’ dreams come true. But no child’s dream should be on the back of their parents being buried under debt and being unable to ever retire. These are tough conversations to have with our kids, but they are crucial. Make sure your student is applying to financial safeties – schools where they are likely to be admitted and to be able to afford to attend. Consider a wide variety of options, including community colleges and private schools where your student is a likely candidate for merit aid.

Maximize Stafford Loans First
While parents are kind to want to spare their children taking on student loan debt, they should not see Parent Plus loans as an alternative. It is a better plan to let your kids borrow on the student loans that offer better repayment terms. You can help by making interest payments on unsubsidized loans while they are in college and do what you can to help pay down the balance after they graduate.

Look at Other Financing Options
If you have assets and a good income, work with a financial planner to look at more desirable options than Parent Plus loans. That may include lifestyle changes, moving assets, refinancing your house, or a loan with better interest and repayment terms.

Already in Over Your Head? Consider a Transfer
$50,000 in debt for the first year at NYU? Making it $200,000 by the time you graduate isn’t going to make it better. Look hard at the public university options in your state and try to bail out before it gets worse.

The post Parent Plus Loans: Borrower Beware appeared first on Homeschool Success.

Tougher Academics in High School
Thirty years ago many of us just took a couple of years of science and foreign language. Increasingly the expectation is that strong students will have four years of all core academics – English, math, science, social science, and foreign language. More students are taking calculus in high school. Make sure you are checking on requirements early during your student’s high school career. Participation in programs such as Advanced Placement (AP) or dual enrollment courses in which students take college courses are much more common.

More Emphasis on Test Prep
It used to be many students just took the SAT or ACT once, cold, without preparation and that was all it took. Now,  students are preparing more intensively for tests and taking tests multiple times to improve their scores.

Increased Competitiveness
Acceptance rates at highly selective colleges are much lower than they were in the past. What it took to get into an Ivy League college thirty years ago is quite different than what it takes today. Many highly selective colleges have admissions rates below 10%. What makes that statistic more striking is that most of the students who are rejected are highly capable students with great grades and test scores. The rejected applicants likely could be successful at the colleges that denied them admissions, it is just a matter of space.

Applying to More Colleges
It is very common now for students to apply to 7 to 10 schools. There are a number of factors fueling the greater number of applications. The Common Application has made it somewhat easier for students to apply to more schools, which has in turn driven acceptance rates down. Many students also apply to more colleges because financial aid and scholarships are unknown and they wish to improve their odds of a good financial package. Make sure your student is building a college list that is balanced allowing good odds of both admissions and scholarships.

ACT or SAT
Regional variations in the acceptance of the ACT or SAT are disappearing. Every college accepts either test so more students are taking both tests. Students are advised to take practice tests at home early and concentrate on the test they are likely to score higher on.

Increased Costs
College costs have increased dramatically with costs rising twice as fast as the rate of inflation. Students need to incorporate a realistic understanding of costs into their college admissions strategy. Parents are advised to research college costs early and be open with their kids about what they can realistically afford.

Wider Geographical Area
While most students do still attend college within 100 miles of home, more and more students are looking outside of their local region. This has also increased the competitiveness of some colleges, as more students from the East and West Coasts consider Midwest colleges. Students’ college costs may be affected by where they choose to go to college. Understanding regional advantages can help students earn more scholarships and lower costs.

Greater Variety of Specialized Programs
Students are increasingly seeking out programs that offer something special. These programs include advanced research opportunities, honors programs, combined BA/MA programs, three-year bachelor’s degrees, internships, and degrees in contemporary areas of studies such as environmental sustainability.

Online Applications
Most applications are now submitted online. Many schools participate in the Common Application which allows students to use one form to apply to many colleges at once. Other schools that do not participate in the Common Application often have their own online systems, each with a different procedure.

The post 10 Ways College Admissions Have Changed appeared first on Homeschool Success.

Earning college credits during high school is generating a lot of buzz in homeschool circles. Through options like CLEP, AP, and dual enrollment some students are hoping to save money and shorten their time in college. Here are answers to some of the questions homeschoolers ask most often about CLEP exams.

What is CLEP?

The College Level Examination Program is offered through the College Board. CLEP was originally designed to meet the needs of adult learners returning to school, but is increasingly being considered as an option for traditional aged students. CLEP offers 33 different exams on subjects such as College Algebra and Psychology. The exam is intended to verify that a student has attained equivalent knowledge of a one or two semester college level course. Some colleges award credit for students achieving particular scores on the exams.

Can homeschoolers take CLEP exams?

Yes. While these tests were originally intended for non-traditional adult learners and people serving in the military, they are now open to homeschooled students as well. There is no minimum age requirement for CLEPs and students do not need to be affiliated with any particular type of public, private, or homeschool program.

How do I take CLEP exams?

CLEP exams are given on the computer at test sites, often community or technical colleges, selected by the College Board. Tests can be taken year round. The College Board website gives contact information for the local test centers. Exams typically cost around $100 including both the fee for the College Board and any local proctoring fees charged by the test site.

What is the format of CLEP exams?

The exams are typically 90 minute multiple-choice tests and are taken on a computer. The composition exam has a different format. The College Board offers sample questions online to get a feel for the difficulty of the exams. There are also many sites online offering test prep materials. Many public libraries also offer CLEP test prep books and access to online databases that include test preparation practice materials.

What topics to CLEP exams cover?

There are 33 CLEP exams available in five different subject areas. These areas include History and Social Science, Composition and Literature, Science and Mathematics, Business, World Languages. The most popular exams are algebra, foreign language, and history. Most CLEP exams are intended to reflect the content of lower division, introductory college courses that would typically be taken in the first or second year of college.

Will I earn college credit for my CLEP score?

Colleges vary widely in whether or not they award credit for CLEP scores. In general, less selective colleges award more credit. Highly selective colleges do not usually award credit based on CLEP scores. If you know the college you plan to attend, it makes sense to look carefully at their CLEP award policy. Look at not just if the CLEP score will earn credit but what this credit will accomplish. You want to focus on tests that will meet specific requirements for graduation. Just earning general college credits is of limited use. Students want credits that meet specific graduation requirements for general/core education or major courses. The only way CLEPs will save you time and money is if the college you choose to attend gives you credit for a course you need in order to graduate.

Will my CLEP score help me get into college?

The reality is that most colleges really aren’t that difficult to get into. At some less selective schools, such as regional state universities, CLEP scores may provide good support for the homeschool transcript. That said, most of these schools accept most students who apply. At more competitive colleges, CLEP scores will generally not be helpful for admissions purposes and don’t carry the same weight that strong AP or SAT subject scores will.

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Nearly 850 colleges have taken the plunge to become test free. Some test free colleges extend this policy to homeschoolers. For example, Providence College is test optional and “home schooled students are encouraged to submit detailed information about the depth of their curriculum including reading lists and a graded writing sample.”  However, many other test optional colleges have decided this policy will not apply to homeschooled or international students. Here’s a few examples of colleges that are  test optional for most students but do not extend this policy to homeschoolers:

Bowdoin College in Maine is widely listed as a test optional school. They do not require SAT or ACT testing for most students. However, they have an exception to that rule for homeschooled students and students who attended ungraded secondary schools. These students are required to submit not only the SAT or ACT, but also two or more SAT subject tests including math and science.

Denison University near Columbus, Ohio is one of the Colleges that Change Lives. Denison is test optional for most candidates but homeschoolers are subject to a different policy. They are required to submit SAT or ACT scores as well as a detailed portfolio including a transcript and course descriptions.

St. Michael’s in Vermont is a test optional school except for homeschoolers. Their homeschool policy states “Because of the nature of homeschooling it remains in the applicant’s best interests to submit as many objective assessments, including SAT or ACT scores, as are available in order to help us make the best assessment of the student’s academic preparedness for college-level work. We also recommend that you submit syllabi and reading lists for each year of high school, as we want to see that you have studied the necessary high school graduation requirements.  We often rely more heavily on standardized test scores when reviewing applications from home schooled students.”

When it comes to looking at test optional colleges homeschoolers should remember:

• Even many colleges that list themselves as test optional may not apply this policy to homeschoolers.
• Be prepared to provide a detailed explanation of their curriculum and approach.
• Even at colleges who will accept students without ACT or SAT scores, other means of outside validation such as community college grades will carry more weight.
• Homeschool families must research every individual college carefully. Do not rely on general information posted online about admissions.

The post Test Optional Policies May Exclude Homeschoolers appeared first on Homeschool Success.

Unfortunately, the natural tendency of a lot of students in this situation is to just freeze up or shut down. Feeling uncomfortable and scared they do the exact opposite of what they should. Sometimes students just assume that first failed test or low grade was a one-time thing, or they blame the professor and figure it is hopeless. Some even stop going to class and just try to avoid thinking about what is happening.

Instead of shutting down try the following strategies to get your grades back on track:

Take action as soon as possible
Do not wait for the next test and assume it will get better. The earlier you act in the semester the greater range of options you have to resolve a poor grade. Waiting until right before the final is usually too late.

Speak with your professor
Professors tend to be very busy before and after class so office hours are a better time to get individual help. If you are not available during your professor’s office hours, ask to schedule an appointment at another time.  Know that your instructors are there to help you. If you don’t ask for help they can’t help you.

Get back to basics
Always go to class, take good notes, read your textbook before class, review your notes after class, and make studying for this course a top priority. There is no substitute for putting in adequate study time.

Make sure you understand your assignments
Write down assignments carefully and ask your professor to clarify anything you don’t understand.

Use campus resources
Take advantage of free tutoring offered on campus. Good students don’t hesitate to ask for help. Often just a small amount of individual instruction can make a huge difference.

Power in numbers
Find a study buddy or form a study group.

Hit the web
Look online for resources and videos to explain key concepts. This can be particularly helpful for introductory math and science courses.

Change status
Talk with an adviser about your options for withdrawing or dropping a class or switching to a pass-fail status. The options for these changes vary widely from one college to the next. So you should research and find out the individual policies and deadlines of your college. Before you change your status, make sure you understand the implications of this decision for merit scholarships, financial aid and for your GPA. It is a good idea to make inquiries early in the semester. Knowing the policies will give you a better idea what options you have if you need them.

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Learning to take good lecture notes is an important skill for success in college.  This is a skill that can be practiced in the high school,  homeschool, or as part of dual enrollment courses.  One research study found that 62% of what a student hears in class is forgotten by the next day. Good notes will help you recall most of the material, but you don’t need to write down everything in order to take notes. Learning note taking systems will allow you to be selective in what you write down and still get down the main ideas of the lecture.

Tips for Improved Note Taking

1. Set up organized notebook(s). Have clear divisions for different subjects. A little time spent organizing the notebook at the beginning of the semester will save hassle looking for lost materials later. Always put the date on each page of your notes and write down a topic if possible.

2. Review your notes every day or week. Make a quick review of class notes at the end of the day. You can fill in missing areas. It is the reviewing of notes that makes note taking an effective study method. Students with a system often find they need to study less before exams.

3. Choose a seat in the classroom where you can easily see the board and hear the instructor. Research shows that students who sit in the front of the room tend to get better grades.

4. Don’t try to write down every word. Write lists, abbreviate, use arrows and draw pictures. Don’t let writing get in the way of listening.

5. Pre-reading or skimming your book before class will give you an idea what material is in the books so you know what you can skip in your notes. Reading ahead will give help your brain begin to organize concepts into a framework that will help you remember what you learn during lecture.

6. Review any online class notes or PowerPoints provided by the instructor. Reading these before class will let you eliminate unnecessary note taking.

7. Put a question mark by material you don’t understand during the lecture. This will help you know what you need to follow up on with close reading or by asking the professor.

The post Note Taking Strategies appeared first on Homeschool Success.

The way a student studies and prepares during the final days and weeks before AP exams can make all the difference. While homeschoolers may enjoy AP courses for the challenge they provide, for most homeschoolers earning a strong score is also a goal. AP. Scores of 4 and 5 are most likely to be helpful for selective college admissions and for earning credit in college. Nationally, many students taking AP exams fail to make a passing test score. Here are five tips to help your homeschooler down that home stretch and toward their goal of a strong AP score

Step One: Good Quality Prep Guide

No matter the curriculum your child has used to prepare for the exam, having a great test guide available can make all the difference. Some of the best known publishers of guides include Princeton Review, Barron’s, Kaplan, and CliffNotes. The quality of the guides varies by subject so there is no one best publisher for every subject. Either visit a bookstore where you can look at a variety of choices or read reviews on Amazon carefully. Be aware that some AP exams have been revised and if you are in a subject that has had a recent revision, such as AP biology, you want to be sure you are choosing an up-to-date guide.  For students who have budgeted plenty of time to review it may even be worth buying a couple of guides. If you weigh the cost of two $15 books and the potential to earn over a thousand dollars of college credit, it may be worth it to get more than one book.

Step Two: Know How the Exam is Graded

AP exams aren’t just testing the student’s knowledge of the subject, but instead are looking specifically at how the student can answer questions within the prescribed format of the test. Understanding how the exam will be graded can help your student prepare answers in a way that graders value. Yes, this is basically teaching to the test and we all hate that. But it is part of the game and by high school age it is not a terrible thing for students to learn to understand expectations and meet them.Grading rubrics for AP exams can be found in prep books and also on the College Board website.  Here is an example from the AP World History Exam:

Reviewing this grading rubric can help your student understand what is expected by the AP reader. Students can also look at examples on the College Board of exams that have received different scores.

Step Three: Practice Tests

One of the single most effective methods of preparing for any test is to take sample tests. If at all possible make sure your student takes at least one full length practice test under normal test conditions. They should be in a quiet room, use a timer, and take the test all the way through, with the required breaks. The test prep guide will include information about scoring the practice exam. This is a good opportunity to encourage the student to think like a test grader using the rubric. Seeing how the scores add up can help lower anxiety by making it clear to the student that they can still get many multiple-choice questions wrong and earn a good score on an AP exam. Because these exams are intended to be given to students from different schools using widely differing curriculum, there is a built in more of a “wiggle factor” than there is with a lot of exams. So, students should relax and understand they don’t need to get 90%+ correct to get an A.

Step Four: Target Weak Areas

Carefully review the results of the practice exam and identify areas of weakness. Study and review as needed. Rather than taking another full length exam, students may find it more effective to just take isolated sections or questions that review the areas where they need to improve.

Step Five: Good Sleep – Low Stress

Review the tips to make test day successful. Don’t cram the night before. It never works and will increase stress. As your student approaches test day, make sure they have the needed materials available (calculator, snack, etc.) and then encourage them to take some downtime and get a good rest.

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The AP English Language and Composition Exam

The AP Language exam is intended to function as an introductory college composition course. As this tends to be a diverse and varied course it can be taught in many different ways. The course aims to help students learn to read a wide variety of different styles of nonfiction from a variety of time periods. Students learn “close reading” of a variety of prose styles and learn to consider the author’s time period and influences. There is an emphasis on learning rhetorical strategies, such as critical reasoning and identifying different styles of argument. Students are also taught to use these styles to improve the quality of their own personal writing. Emphasis is placed on techniques such as understanding the audience and the importance of revision.

What to Expect on the AP Lang Exam

The AP language exam is three and a half hours long. 45% of the exam score comes from a one hour long multiple choice section with approximately 55 questions. The remainder of the exam two and a half hours long and is made of three free response questions. On the multiple choice portion of the exam students are given passages and asked questions about rhetorical devices, structures, purpose, and citations. The free response section includes prompts on synthesis, passage analysis, and argument.  Each essay is given a score between 1-9.

AP Lang Scoring

The score distribution in 2012 was as follows (approximate percentages):

5: 11%

4: 20%

3: 29%

2: 28%

1: 11%

AP English Literature and Composition Exam

AP English literature course is intended to encourage students to study classic and contemporary literature. Students learn to analyze literature of different genres and time periods. As would be expected in a good high school literature course, students should be learning about tone, style, theme, figurative language and symbolism. The course should also encourage students to develop their thinking and composition skills through writing about literature.

The AP Lit exam is three hours and fifteen minutes long. The multiple choice section is about an hour long and covers fifty five questions and tests the student’s ability to read and answer questions about a prose section. This multiple choice section makes up 45% of a student’s grade. The remainder of the exam is made up of three free response essays. On these essays students are expected to read carefully and construct written arguments rooted in an understanding of material they are presented.

AP Lit Scoring

The AP Lit score distribution in 2012 was as follows (approximate percentages):

5: 8%

4: 18%

3: 30%

2: 32%

1: 11%

Will My Student Earn College Credit?

There were about 400,000 test takers of each the AP Lit and AP Lang exams last year and the majority will not earn college credit for their efforts. College policies vary widely on awarding AP credit or using AP scores for placement.  The most common situation is for colleges to award credit for scores of four or five. Some less selective colleges will award credit for a score of three and a few of the most selective colleges will only provide credit for scores of five. On the AP language exam 31% of test takers last year received a four or a five on the exam. On the AP literature exam just 26% of test takers received a four or five. Both AP Lit and AP Lang are considered among the harder AP exams.

Students should also be aware some colleges and universities will award “general credits” but will not waive the requirements of first year English. Many colleges see an importance in all first year students taking the same introductory composition courses because writing is such a fundamental skill to college success. As an illustration of the widely varying polices here are some examples of how a sample of colleges award credit for AP English exam scores.

Georgia Tech:  Scores of 4 or 5 on either exam earns three hours of a credit and counts for an introductory English course.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln: AP Lang score of 4 or 5  results in a three credit intro composition course. AP Lit score of 4 or 5 results in a three credit intro lit course requirement.

Bryn Mawr College: Scores of 5 on either exam result in two credits.

University of Oregon: AP Lit: scores of 3 and above will be awarded credit for a four hour English course. AP Lang: scores of 3 and above will be awarded credit for a four hour composition course.

Marquette University: AP Lit: scores of 4 will receive credit for a three hour English course, scores of 5 will receive credit a total of six hours of credit for two different English courses. AP Lang: scores of 4 will receive credit for a three hour English course, scores of 5 will receive credit a total of six hours of credit for two different English courses.

Rice University: Scores of 4 or 5 on either exam earns three hours of credit and substitutes for two different introductory English courses.

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Great Books programs are based on the idea that students benefit from a strong foundation in the Western intellectual tradition. Students enrolled in Great Books programs can expect to intensively read and discuss classical works from authors such as Homer, Plato, Leonardo Da Vinci, Thomas More, John Locke, Isaac Newton, John Stuart Mill, and Jean-Paul Sartre. Great Books programs have their detractors as well. Some students are put off by the “dead white guy” focus and the lack of emphasis on practical or pre-professional skills. That said, many intellectual students continue to be drawn to the intensive challenge and seminar style format of Great Books-focused college programs.

While there are a number of colleges that boast about their Great Books programs, it is important to carefully research offerings. Sometimes college programs that are listed as Great Books may actually amount to nothing more than a couple of semester long introductory freshman seminars. This may be a nice complement to a broader liberal arts education but will likely be inadequate to meet the interests of students who would like this type of education to be their primary focus. Here are a few Great Books style programs that homeschoolers may wish to consider:

St. John’s College, Annapolis and Santa Fe

Great Books aren’t a side-dish at St. John’s College – they are THE dish – and that’s why St. John’s is the best known college for students wishing to have a college experience completely focused on an immersion in the Western Intellectual tradition. St. John’s College has two campuses. The larger of the two is in Annapolis, Maryland and the smaller in Santa Fe. Students are allowed to switch back and forth between the two campuses. St. John’s College website explains the philosophy “The college’s coeducational community, free of religious affiliation, takes an open-minded approach to ideas of all kinds. Rather than being told how and what to think about what they’re reading, St. John’s students are asked to reach their own conclusions through deep thinking, critical analysis, and intense discussion.”

To get a better sense of the offerings at St. John’s prospective applicants should take a look at the college’s reading list which outlines the curriculum which proceeds in chronological order. While St. John’s may appear to be “less selective” as 82% of students are accepted applicants should recognize this occurs because it is a self-selecting applicant pool where non-intellectual or weak students tend not to apply. That said, students who are very bright and good readers may be reassured that St. John’s average ACT and SAT scores are in the mid-high range and this score will be within reach of many homeschoolers.

St. Mary’s College of California, Moraga California

St. Mary’s College near Oakland and San Francisco, is known for its Great Books program as well as programs in business and nursing. St. Mary’s is a Roman Catholic liberal arts college with a beautiful campus. Great Books is offered through a major called Integral Studies. This program is modeled after the St. John’s program. Students not enrolled in Integral Studies are all required to take a four semester series of seminars based on a chronological exploration of the Western tradition. In addition to the Integral studies major, classical homeschoolers may be interested to know St. Mary’s offers majors in Latin and Greek. Applicants to St. Mary’s will want to know that 69% of students are admitted with average SAT section scores in the 500 to 600 range.

Baylor University, Waco Texas

Baylor University is a popular option with many homeschoolers. Baylor is a private Baptist college with about 12,000 undergraduate students. While Baylor’s overall program is not focused on Great Books, students interested in pursuing this field should look at Baylor’s Great Texts of the Western Tradition. Baylor offers both a major and a minor in Great Texts where students “will find a sustained curriculum in the greatest works of human intellectual and creative achievement which will be a profound asset in any profession or graduate study.” Great Texts is also offered as a secondary major to students who wish to add liberal arts to a more pre-professional type of major.

Pepperdine University, Malibu California

Pepperdine University offers a four semester series in Great Books. Pepperdine is affiliated with the Church of Christ. The Great Books program is housed in Seaver College which is a smaller liberal arts program housed within the university. The Great Books program is a four semester chronological based program for students interested in teaching and service. Applicants considering the Pepperdine program should understand this is a highly selective program which accepts just 32% of applicants. The average SAT scores are in the mid 500 to 600 range. The beautiful location of the college certainly contributes to the size of the applicant pool.

University of Notre Dame, Indiana:

Notre Dame offers a three year Program of Liberal studies based on Great Books in Western and Catholic history. Students meet in small seminars for intensive discussion. This Program of Liberal Studies is intended to provide a foundation in intellectual history and it is combined with other major programs. Notre Dame is a very selective school admitting about 20% of candidates with average SAT scores in the mid 600 to 700s.

Mercer University, Macon Georgia

Mercer University is a liberal arts college with Baptist affiliations. Mercer offers an eight course Great Books program students can use to meet general education requirements. Students read classic books and participate in small seminar style courses with fewer than twenty students. Applicants should know Mercer is a “moderately selective” college which accepts about 60% of applicants who typically have scores in the high 500 to low 600 SAT range.

Smaller Great Books Programs

Thomas Aquinas College, located in Santa Paula, California offers a full Great Books curriculum. According their website, “The College’s syllabus is composed exclusively of the seminal texts that have, for good or for ill, animated Western civilization. Each one speaks to the reality at the core of human experience, a reality that transcends time or place.” Thomas Aquinas has fewer than 400 students and is affiliated with the Catholic Church.

Shimer College of Chicago is a small, well-respected program centered around the Great Books. An independent college with just around 150 students, Shimer College is housed on the campus of Illinois Tech. Shimer College’s curriculum is entirely constructed around seminar style courses studying the Great Books with Socratic questioning. Homeschoolers may also be interested to know that Shimer offers a Homeschool and NonTraditional Student scholarship worth up to $6,000 a year.

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Visit or revisit your final choices
Visits often clinch the decision. If you visited during junior year, that was a long time ago and you may have a very different perspective now. Many colleges offer admitted student visits. Visiting a college when you’ve been accepted can be a very different experience than visiting before you applied. Sometimes students are afraid to “fall in love” with a college if they don’t know if they will be admitted or can afford it. Other students may find that on the revisit their “dream” doesn’t shine as brightly.

Weigh financial offers
Take the time to carefully crunch the numbers. Look at the requirements of any merit scholarships. Do you have to maintain a certain GPA and is it a realistic GPA for you?  It is not at all uncommon for students to end up losing merit scholarships.  Consider the value of your degree. While prestige should not be the biggest factor to consider, it is worth evaluating how your degree will prepare you for career or graduate and professional school.

Remember that grants don’t need to be paid back but loans do. If you are taking out student loans, set aside an hour to work with student loan calculators and make sure you absolutely understand how much debt you will be taking out by the end of college and what sort of monthly payment you can expect to make. Consider the average time to graduation and see how that will affect your costs. Encourage your parents to talk openly and honestly with you about costs and what they are comfortable with. Try to avoid Parent Plus loans.

Making the decision based on a boyfriend, girlfriend, or friends is rarely a good idea
The vast majority of students who make their college choice based on staying close to a boyfriend, girlfriend, or high school friends end up regretting it. It may be hard to believe, but most of those relationships will be over by Thanksgiving .

Where will you be happiest?
Happy college students are much more likely to be successful. Happiness increases the chance you will stay in college and graduate. Think about the person you actually are, not the person you think you might want to be. When you think about who you are right now, what factors are most important to you? Consider academic challenge, friends, arts, sports, faith, community service, time in nature and campus activities.  Try to visualize yourself on a typical weekday in college. Where do you see yourself? What about on a weekend?

Many paths to a good life
If after weighing these considerations you still are struggling to make a decision, that suggests you could be happy at any of the schools you are considering. There are no perfect colleges and no perfect college decisions, but many very good ones. Remember that most students end up being happy with their college choice.

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