Ascent College Advising
Types of Admissions
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Rolling Admissions:
Students are given a large time period during which they may apply, and the university sends acceptances as soon as the completed applications have been processed. Students who apply early have a better chance of being accepted. Florida students: FAU, FIU, UCF, UNF, USF, FAMU, FGCU, Florida Poly and UWF all have a rolling admissions policy. However, there are different priority deadlines for scholarship opportunities for the different universities. Apply early and check out the scholarships for those universities where you are applying!!
Regular Admission:
You submit all elements of the application by a specified date and receive your decision within a reasonable and clearly stated period of time. You may apply to other schools without restriction. UF, FSU and New College have regular admissions policies. Any university that uses the Common Application or the Coalition Application will have a regular admission date.
Early Decision=BINDING:
ED applicants:
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Apply early (usually in November) to your first-choice college. This is like a marriage - it must be the university that you dream of and would definitely attend if you are accepted.
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Receive an admission decision from the college well in advance of the usual notification date (usually by mid-December).
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Agree to attend the college if accepted and offered a financial aid package that is considered adequate for your family.
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Apply to only one college early decision.
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Apply to other public universities under regular admission plans.
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Withdraw all other applications if accepted by ED.
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Usually a nonrefundable deposit is due in advance of normal dates.
Early Action=NON-BINDING:
EA applicants:
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Apply early.
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Receive an admission decision early in the admission cycle (usually in January or February).
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Consider acceptance offer; do not have to commit upon receipt.
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Apply to other colleges under regular admission plans.
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Give the college a decision no later than the May 1.
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Restrictive Early Action:
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Apply by the November 1 deadline and receive a decision by mid-December.
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This is a non-binding early program, meaning that if you are admitted you are not obligated to enroll.
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You may also apply at the same time to any public college/university or to foreign universities but you are restricted from applying to other private universities' Early Action and Early Decision programs.
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You have the flexibility and freedom to apply to other institutions during the regular decision round unless their scholarships are linked to the early action decision. You have until May 1 to compare your admission and financial aid offers and provide your response.
Deferred Decision:
The college has determined that they require more time and/or information to provide you with a final decision.
Waitlisted:
With so many students applying to universities, many universities have waitlists. “Waitlisted” means that you are still under consideration for acceptance from that university and may receive an acceptance if there is room. Please note that “waitlisted” is not a definite admission to that university. Each university is unique, deciding how many are admitted from the waitlist and in what order. It's important to talk to me if you are wait-listed at any university.
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Deferred Admission:
This plan permits a student, once accepted, to postpone matriculation for one year in order to pursue other plans. Documents detailing your deferral reason/plans for your deferral year are usually required and must be approved by the university.
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General College/Cost Information
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You have lots of factors to consider when deciding which university is the "right fit" for you:
Types of Colleges:
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Public Colleges--colleges and universities are supported by local and state governments and offer lower tuition rates than private colleges, especially for students who are residents of that state.
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Private Colleges--these institutions rely on tuition, fees, and private donations. Some private colleges offer substantial financial aid packages to students.
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For Profit Universities--these institutions are businesses and are usually more costly. This could mean graduating with more debt. They usually offer many degree programs which prepare you for a specific career. Note that sometimes credits earned at these for profit universities do not transfer to other colleges and universities.
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Universities--these are usually larger, and are made up of several colleges such as engineering, health sciences, and liberal arts. They offer bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees and a broad range of majors.
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Liberal Arts Colleges---offer degrees in non-technical areas. Usually these schools require a more diverse program of study for graduation.
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Specialized Colleges---schools offering a narrow program of studies, usually focused on technical education or fine arts.
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Four year colleges--offer bachelor's degrees
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Two year colleges, also known as Community Colleges--offer associates's degrees. After earning an associate's degree, you can transfer to a four year university to complete your bachelor's degree. They also offer certificate and technical programs that help you prepare for a specific career. They are usually the least expensive option for college.
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Technical Colleges---these colleges offer programs that will prepare you to work in a specific industry or career.
Cost of College:
Net Price Calculators:
The federal government requires all colleges to have net price calculators on their websites. The calculators are meant to provide a reliable estimate of how much it will cost you to attend a specific college, based on your family's financial circumstances. Click here to access the net price calculator for the college of your choice.
The cost of a college education varies greatly. Cost should be a prime factor in making your college choice but should be seen from the view point of out of pocket expense. Find out what merit and financial need scholarships are available at the colleges you are considering, so you can determine what the actual cost to you will be, before eliminating more expensive colleges from your list.
The Fafsa4caster will help you determine how much financial aid (grants (free money), work study, and student loans) you will receive.
Some highly selective universities meet 100% of financial need and for those high level students who are accepted, it may be less expensive for those students to attend that private university than to attend a public university in Florida.
Some universities meet 100% financial need of students.Click here to see the list.
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In-State vs. Out-of-State Costs:
In general, Florida (in state) public universities are less expensive then private or out-of-state universities.
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Out-of-state, public universities charge higher tuition costs to those students who are not from their state, and whose parents do not live, work, and pay taxes in that state.
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Private universities charge the same tuition for in state and out-of-state students.
However, some private colleges offer significant scholarship programs that can even the playing field when it comes to cost.
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Also, merit based scholarships from out-of-state colleges may make the college less expensive.
Some highly selective universities meet 100% of financial need and for those who qualify/get accepted, it may be less expensive for those students to attend that private university than to attend a public university in Florida.
See me to learn more about the possibilities.
College Size:
Large Schools:
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Enrollment over 10,000 students.
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Typically large class sizes for general education classes in first two years.
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More diverse curriculum and more options in specialized study areas.
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Greater variety of extracurricular activities and organizations.
Mid-Sized Schools:
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Enrollment is 3,000 to 10,000 students.
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More personalized approach than larger school.
Small Schools:
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Enrollment generally below 3,000 students.
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Smaller classes throughout the four years of college.
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Greater chance for participation in athletics and leadership opportunities.