1. 56 | SCHOOLS GUIDE 2015
T
HEINDEPENDENTEDUCATIONALCONSULTANTSASSOCIATION
conductedasurveyin2014thatuncoveredthetopstrengthsand
experiences colleges look for when reviewing applications. The
three most important factors were a rigorous high school cur-
riculum, grades that represent a strong effort, and solid scores
on standardized tests (ACT/SAT).
So students shouldn’t be afraid to take on a challenge when it comes to
theircoursework.Thepayoff,especiallyifyouovercomethatchallenge,will
be worth the effort.
Melissa Gorbandt, director of admissions at Northern Kentucky Uni-
versity,saysthatstudentsshouldpursuerigorousacademicsinhighschool.
“ThismeansthattheyaretakingadvantageofAdvancedPlacementcourses,
honors classes, and dual-credit courses at local universities, and working
toward strong ACT and SAT scores,”she says.
Colleges want to see your grades have an overall upward trend, but it is
preferred to have slightly lower grades in a rigorous program as compared to
perfect grades in a less-challenging class.
Holly Pollock, director of undergraduate admissions at Morehead State
[college guide]
»GETTINGACCEPTED
TOTHECOLLEGEOF
YOURCHOICEISGETTING
MORECOMPETITIVE.
WEASKEDLOCAL
ADMISSIONSEXPERTS
HOWASTUDENTCAN
MAKETHECUT.
BY KYLEY FREDRICK
YOU’RE
IN!

2. SCHOOLS GUIDE 2015 | 57
University,suggeststhatsophomoresand
juniors take ACT and SAT tests early and
pay attention to the feedback so they can
improve their scores.“The ACT specifi-
cally gives important information on how
astudentisstrugglingwithineachsubject
area,”she says.“They should read it and be
informed, then take action. For example,
if that test tells them they are struggling
in a math area, they should get a tutor or
extra help.”
So what if your academic résumé—
curriculum, GPA, test scores—closely
matches that of another student? What
sets you apart? The IECA survey says the
next two influential strengths are a well-
writtenessayandpassionateinvolvement
in a few extracurricular activities.
“Putting forth the effort to write an ap-
propriateandgrammaticallycorrectessayis
essential,”says Alicia Kornowa,director of
admissions for recruitment at the Univer-
sity of Cincinnati.“They should definitely
list what they do outside of the classroom
such as sports, volunteering, or clubs. For
somestudentsthiscouldbeapart-timejob
orbeingacaregiverforafamilymember.We
just want to see how students spend time
outside of the classroom.”
A killer essay is one that is well con-
structed and highly personal.Give insight
into your personality, values, and goals.
Colleges, when reading about your extra-
curriculars,areinterestedincommitment
and depth. It’s to your advantage to have
heavy involvement in a few activities, es-
peciallythoseinwhichyou’vegainedlead-
ership skills.
To show just how much you want that
acceptance letter, go visit the college. Dan
Marschner, assistant director of admis-
sions at Xavier University, says it’s ben-
eficial to be on the campus during the ad-
missionsprocess.“Trendsshowthatthere
are students applying to more and more
schools to ease the process,”he says.“We
would recommend that students be more
intentionalinshowingwhattheyareinter-
ested in. When you actually walk around
thecampus,meetpeopleandseethefacili-
ties;itisamorehelpfulpieceofthepuzzle.”
Now simply wait for that acceptance
letter.
MoneyMatters
»THEUCECONOMICSCENTERISHELPINGTOIMPROVE
FINANCIALEDUCATIONFORK–12STUDENTS.
I
T’S NEVER TOO EARLY TO START LEARNING ABOUT MONEY.
With the curriculum and classroom programs developed by
theUniversityofCincinnatiEconomicsCenter,kindergarten-
erslearnthatmoneyisearnedbydoingajobandwehavetomake
smart choices for how to spend it. Third graders are taught the
responsibility of borrowing money and paying it back. A Stock
MarketGameforgrades4–12hasstudentsworkinteamstoinvest
a virtual $100,000, research companies, and figure out ratios.
The Economics Center creates the curriculum and provides
educatorswiththeprofessionaldevelopmentandresourcesthey
needtobringittotheclassroom.Nowmorethanever,theCenter
isdedicatedtoenhancingeconomiceducationinthecommunity.
In the aftermath of America’s economic recession, “the curricu-
lumhasnotchanged—theneedforthecurriculumhaschanged,”
says Julie Heath, director of the Economics Center.
Students and teachers from Cincinnati Public Schools work
primarilywiththeprogram.Thematerialisage-appropriateand
introduces realistic concepts to students. Heath says the pro-
gramisnotsolelyconcernedwithteachingstudentsaboutsaving
money; it is about developing good decision-making skills, tak-
ing responsibility, and learning from your own mistakes.
“Financial education is not what people typically think of as
financial education,” she says. “Most people think of very rudi-
mentary skills like how to write a check, but that is not true. It is
truly teaching children to make good decisions. It could relate to
money, behaving well in class, or not dropping out, but it applies
across their lives.”
In fact, the curriculum has helped kids become better stu-
dents. In classrooms with the program, attendance rose from
47% to 81%, class preparedness went from 33.5% to 65%, and
the number of students with no disciplinary infractions went
from 41% to 65%. —k.f.