Last year in the PVI Guidance Department we processed nearly 1800 transcript requests for the class of 2008. Of those requests, somewhat over 500 were for a November 1st deadline. More than a quarter (but less than a third) of our seniors applied either early action or early decision.

 

What's the difference? Briefly, early decision is a binding agreement that if you are accepted you will enroll at that school. Early action is non-binding. It is common for schools to hold a November 1st deadline for these applications. I have found some resources from NACAC that can help eliminate some of the confusion about this.

 

First, is a quick chart that divides the application options: Definition of Admissions Options

Second, an article from the "Steps to College Newsletter": Early Decision and Early Action: Does the Early Bird Get the Worm?

 

I find both to be informative and accurate. 

 

However, if you skim through the internet, you will find many educational "consultants" who strongly advise that students race to complete their applications early in the hopes of having an easier time of getting in. I have found this reasoning to be poor advice. Here's why: It is not accurate that early applicants always have an advantage. For the most part, I see admissions offices skimming off the cream of the crop in the early process and deferring everyone else into the regular decision pool. Check into the school stats link of a College's profile in Naviance (it's blue), look specifically for the difference between the average GPA accepted for regular versus early. At some of our most commonly applied to schools the difference is measured in hundreths of a GPA point and NOT always in the early applicant's favor.

Now on the flipside, there are a few good reasons to apply early. They are:

1) Your profile is already a good match for the school.

2) You're ready to apply. Your test scores are in. You're not banking on showing an improvement in the senior year. You have your letters of recommendation and your essay(s) complete. You will not be rushing your application because you are already done. Why wait?

3) For Early Decision, the school is definitely your first choice and you do not need to compare financial aid packages from other schools.

For more on the early admission options, please read the article I linked above. If you have questions about whether of not early action/early decision is for you, please feel free to contact your counselor.

I have recently been reading The Catholic Family Handbook by Fr. Lovasik. I skipped past the first half of the book to jump directly into How to Raise Good Kids. Within the first night of reading I was struck by the tone and message of the book. Consider the following snippet:

 

"...the sublime and difficult task of child-rearing demands that you be willing to embrace self-sacrifice and self-discipline. You must have inexhaustible patience, deep faith and trust in God, devotion to duty, prayerfulness, and a right reverence for your children's human dignity. You must have a serenity that no reverses can disturb and that rests upon faithful devotion to doing God's holy will. You will not falter if your confidence in God does not falter. Such stability and unfaltering bravery is the ideal of every good mother and father. You must be so deeply rooted in the changeless God that your children need only your example and wisdom to become exemplary Catholics."

 

Wow!...

 

That's a tall order. So what do we do with this? As parents do we despair and say, "This is impossible. I cannot do this. There's no hope for my family. I might as well watch TV" or do we say, "Yeah, I cannot do this. I need to pray for God's grace and aid so that with His help I will be able to fulfill this responsibility."

 

It would be unfair of me to not mention that Fr. Lovasik's book does contain several chapters that provides guidance on how to parent. I must admit that I have not finished the book, but it seems so far to be a really good read. Check your parish library for it. I doubt that you will regret it.

 

Now a brief note to students: If you've read this far, I commend you. This should serve as a challenge to you as well. Think about when the last time was that you acknowledged your parents for the hard task they've undertaken. Honoring your mother and father shouldn't be excluded to a twice a year event. Furthermore, be quick to forgive your parents for the times that they have fallen short and proved themselves to be human.

 

I hope all my readers find the blog helpful and that their families are blessed.

Something that we're seeing a lot more of in Virginia is students taking the ACT. A LOT MORE. The ACT organization of course is thrilled with this and has labeled Virginia as one of their "growth states." Note that traditionally Virginia has been SAT territory and Collegeboard still administers more SATs w/in the Commonwealth than the competition.

 

So nearly every college-bound student  in this area takes the SAT, but now students and families are asking more questions about the ACT. The most commonly asked question is whether or not to sit for the ACT (hence the title line).  

Well, in short it cannot hurt you to take the ACT. My experience is that most of my students score within a similar range when they take both the SAT and the ACT. Yes, the scores look different, but when we apply the latest concordance tables, it looks that for the most part students perform equally well on both tests (despite their differences).

 

Every once in a blue moon a student will perform significantly better on one test than the other. I have not yet been able to see an identifiable pattern. So I am not in a position to recommend one test over the other. When it comes to taking both tests I'm lukewarm.

 

Now for a disclaimer: There are counselors who fervently advise that their students take both tests. Their arguments for taking both tests typically include the following. 1) You'll never know which test you're better at if you don't take both tests. 2) It will look better to provide your colleges with a more complete profile of your abilities since the ACT and SAT are different tests. 3) Since it cannot hurt you to take both, it can only benefit you.

 

The first point assumes that you will score significantly better on one test over the other, which I have not seen to be true. The second point assumes that admissions officers will give you a bonus for taking both tests. Some admissions people I've spoken to have said that it's nice to have both, but that it doesn't change their ultimate decisions. The third point displays dualistic thinking, that probably doesn't work. Simply because something cannot hurt you, doesn't imply that it will benefit you.

 

Well, I have used a lot words to state that I'm neither for nor against the ACT and I'm neither for nor against taking both the SAT and ACT. If you are applying to college you will sit for at least one test. Like picking between chocolate and vanilla soft serve, it's hard to go wrong (and you can choose a swirl if you can't decide). 

Many of my students are well aware of how poorly I remember names. I proved this weakness yesterday in the hallway when I blanked on a name of someone who I'd spoken with on more than one occasion. How embarrassing!

 

Now I've heard that one can improve their chance of remembering a persons name if they use it three times in conversation within the first three minutes of meeting someone new. Even this gimmick doesn't seem to help me much other than putting pressure on me to figure out a way to directly address a person thrice within a relatively short span of time. Did I use their name only twice or did I go over by one? Do I get extra memory credit if I say their name again? Oh, what was it that we were talking about anyway? ... Not usually a good way to started with someone new in my opinion.

 

So, if I look like I'm at a loss for your name, please forgive me and refresh my memory. This goes double for parents who stop me in the supermarket when I'm trying to decrypt Mrs. Kochis' notes that we need: "NO dbl fibe brd."  Bonus points for anyone who can help me with that. 

Nearly every year I participate in the Paul VI faculty rosary. Volunteers choose one mystery and say that decade everyday for the intentions of the Paul VI community. This year my mystery is The Wedding at Cana.

 

The Wedding at Cana is great! It's the start of Jesus' public ministry. It shows how He was obedient to his mother. And like all the luminous mysteries it points to Jesus as the Son of God.

 

But rather than comment on these points I'm going to make a simple plea: Pray for us! Pray for the students. Pray for the faculty & staff. Pray for the Paul VI community at large. We need your prayers. We subsist on the grace of God. It's easy to get caught up by the world and bamboozled by the noise that surrounds us. We have a lot of good workers here (students and teachers alike), but if it weren't for God's goodness, we'd be nothing. So, please pray.

 

Thank you.