Sunday, May 7, 2017

FAQs from Sophomores

I visited Mr. Cilley's Ignatian Leadership classes in April 2017 to answer their questions about college. Here are the most frequently asked questions:


  1. what's a good SAT score? 550 on each section is the national average, and that's a good score if you have a B average at Cheverus. If you are an A student, your scores should be commensurate, in the 600s and up.

  1. what are the best colleges for getting a business degree? Students should visit business-only colleges like Bentley, Bryant and Babson to see if they want that type of college. They should visit smaller colleges to see if an economics degree is more to their liking, or a large university that houses a business college to compare. Here are some places where Cheverus students study business: Seton Hall, Hofstra, Southern NH University, St. Joseph's College of Maine, USM.
  2. What colleges are good for a psychology major? Clark in Worcester has one of the best psych programs in the country, so start there. If it's too urban or quirky for you, know that most colleges and universities have strong psych programs since it's such a popular major.
  3. How important are SAT scores? SAT scores are 3rd in importance, where gpa is #1 and courses are #2.
  4. What are the most expensive and least expensive colleges? Least expensive way to get your degree is to begin at a community college then transfer to a 4-year college or university to complete your degree. Private colleges such as Bates, George Washington, BC are around $65,000 a year for tuition, room and board. Large southern universities such as Alabama and Mississippi sometimes offer in-state rates (lower than out-of-state rates) to students with high ACT or SAT scores. See this list http://college.cheverus.org/2011/10/how-can-i-afford-college.html
  5. What is the GPA needed to get into BC? 4.0 with all honors and AP courses all 4 years, plus SAT scores in the 700s, or ACT 32+
  6. Should I take an AP course? If you are earning an easy A in a college prep course, consider moving up to the honors or AP course the following year. As you read in question #3, courses are the 2nd most important factor in college admissions. Colleges want to know that you challenged yourself in high school.
  7. How can I get into a college that requires high test scores? Becoming a better test taker is job #1. Take a prep course or do your own free prep at home. Here's a list of resources: http://college.cheverus.org/2011/11/sat-and-act-prep.html
  8. What is grad school? Graduate school comes after your 4-year bachelor's degree. Some students earn their bachelor's and wish to continue their schooling to earn a master's degree. Some jobs require a masters degree.
  9. What is the best way to narrow down the field for all the possibilities of colleges? Location might be an area to begin with: do you want to be a plane ride away from home, a car ride away from home and if so how far? Size might be another way to narrow your choices: visit a small school like St Joseph's, a large university like UMaine, and figure out what size school is right for you. If you don't know what you wish to major in, that's ok, because the focus should be in finding places you like, where you think you could be a happy and successful student.
  10. Is a liberal arts college they best way to go? This is a hotly debated topic! Some people think you should go to college to get a specific job, like going to WPI to get an engineering degree or to RIT for a computer degree. Others argue that earning a degree is the most important thing, and the major is not that important since you will learn to read, write, interact with others, all by earning a bachelor's degree.
  11. Is it more difficult to get into colleges that are far away? No. In fact, once you get outside New England, admit rates go up. You live in the area with the most competitive colleges in the country!
  12. What is the biggest college in the country? Probably some place like University of Texas Austin, with 40,000 students. 
  13. Are there places that will admit me with a 3.0 GPA? Yes! Plenty of places would love a B average from a college prep high school. Here are some: Merrimack, Saint Anselm, St Joseph's College (ME) and St. Joseph's University (PA), USM, UMaine, Southern NH University, Assumption, Endicott, Johnson & Wales, Suffolk in Boston, Husson, Franklin Pierce, Plymouth State, UNE, Colby Sawyer. 
  14. What are the colleges that offer _____ sport? Check out the complete listing of each sport at every college here: http://scholarshipstats.com/

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