114 | Demystify College Admission & Aid | Brian Eufinger | Edison Prep
Feb 11, 2019
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Brian Eufinger from Edison Prep shares insights on college admission and financial aid. Topics covered include the importance of challenging classes and extracurricular activities, maximizing opportunities for admission and aid, improving test scores through hard work, finding qualified tutors, and the significance of internships for career development.
Strategically plan for financial assistance by seeking scholarships and merit-based aid from institutions based on criteria like GPA and test scores.
Start preparing for college admissions early by building a strong academic foundation and participating in extracurricular activities.
Dedicate time to study and practice for the SAT and ACT tests starting in sophomore or junior year for improved scores and increased admission chances.
Take full-length practice tests in sophomore year to determine which test, SAT or ACT, the student performs better on, to focus on and maximize their strengths.
Deep dives
The Power of Certificate Programs and Career Pivots
In a rapidly changing world, many industries have been negatively affected, leading to a tarnished career outlook. Certificate programs provide a cost-effective and efficient way to pivot into a new career, offering fantastic income potential and remote work flexibility. Salesforce is highlighted as a potential option due to its immense growth potential and attractive starting salaries, even for those without prior experience.
Avoiding Student Loan Debt and Exploring Scholarship Opportunities
Student loan debt can be a major burden, but there are strategies to avoid it altogether. Seeking out scholarships and merit-based aid from institutions can significantly reduce the financial burden of college. Many schools publish criteria for scholarships based on GPA, test scores, and other factors, allowing students to strategically plan their path to financial assistance.
How to Optimize High School Years for College Admissions
Preparing for college admissions starts as early as middle school by building a strong academic foundation and being involved in activities outside of the classroom. In high school, focusing on achieving a high GPA, challenging oneself with advanced courses, and excelling in standardized tests like the SAT and ACT can greatly enhance college admission chances. It is important to strike a balance between extracurricular activities and academics, ensuring that commitment to sports or other activities does not compromise academic performance.
The Value of SAT and ACT Preparation
While the SAT and ACT tests are often seen as stressful, they play a crucial role in the college admissions process. Preparation for these tests should begin in sophomore year or junior year of high school. By dedicating time to study the test content and practice with sample questions, students can improve their scores and increase their chances of admission to their desired colleges. Brute force studying is not necessary, and a few hundred hours of focused preparation can yield significant results.
The Importance of Early Test Preparation
Starting test preparation early, such as taking a full-length practice test in sophomore year, can help students identify their strengths and weaknesses in the SAT and ACT. This allows them to plan and prepare more effectively, avoiding last-minute cramming and missing important deadlines.
Choosing Between the SAT and ACT
Sophomore year is a good time to take full-length practice tests for both the SAT and ACT to determine which test the student performs better on. The SAT values speed and has more time per question, while the ACT is more straightforward but has less time per question. Most students are naturally wired to excel in one test over the other, and focusing on the preferred test can lead to better results.
The Power of Internships and Meaningful Work Experience
Doing meaningful internships in high school and college can provide valuable insights and help students build their resumes. Internships allow students to explore different fields and discover their likes and dislikes early on, which can lead to more informed career choices and avoid wasting time and effort pursuing the wrong path.
114 | Brian Eufinger, co-founder of Edison Prep, dives deep into the college admissions process and explains how a student should approach grades and test scores to give themselves the best college options, and how to pay for college without collecting a huge student loan debt.
Most merit aid that students earn comes directly from the university.
Brian attended Washington University in St. Louis, earning about 2/3 merit scholarship and pieced together other scholarships and on-campus jobs to pay for his education.
Many states or schools give merit scholarships for students who earn high test scores and high grades.
Brian is surprised by the vast differences in aid packages among schools with similar academic profiles.
Many schools will offer a few high school classes in the 8th grade year.
Brian’s advice for helping students get into the best college and find the best merit aid is to sign up for challenging classes, starting in middle school if you can, earn the highest GPA possible, and find a few extracurricular activities you are passionate about.
A super high SAT score will not offset a bad GPA; you can repeat a test, but not a class from 9th grade.
The Common Application has made it more difficult for universities to evaluate an overwhelming number of applications, which is why a students’ numbers are so important when admissions officers are making initial evaluations.
Grade inflation makes it difficult to understand GPAs; your student just needs to stand out among their school peers.
Earning a “C” in their junior years is one of the bigger mistakes a student can make.
The No. 1 academic risk for high school students is over committing to extracurricular activities, including sports, when they should be focusing on academics.
Division I schools are able to give out athletic scholarships, while Division 3 schools typically don’t offer athletic aid. However, there are still options for earning scholarships at Division 3 schools for student-athletes.
Merit aid is based on evaluation of your grades, test scores, application, etc.
Need-based financial aid is based on perceived financial need.
Students don't need 1,000 hours to study for SAT/ACT tests; if they treated tests like a sport for one season, they would have all the hours they need.
The perfect time to start studying is after sophomore year, before junior year is complete.
Sophomores should make sure to take a full-length practice test, created by the actual test makers, to determine whether they’ll be more successful on the ACT or SAT.
It’s better to focus on one test than to try to be good at two.
Practice is crucial.
The best calculator for these tests is the TI-84 Plus CE, followed by a TI-84 and TI-83.
It’s best to find a local tutoring company, with a small number of employees, that hires full-time professional tutors.
