Achieve the College Dream

You Don't Need to Be Rich to Attend a Top School

By (author) Maria Carla Chicuen

Publication date:

19 May 2016

Length of book:

180 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9781475827347

Students with few resources rarely apply to top colleges. Even when they have the academic and extracurricular merits to be admitted to institutions like Harvard, Yale and Princeton, these students usually opt for less selective universities. Many ignore that top colleges are actively seeking outstanding candidates regardless of their economic background. What’s more, a great number of colleges offers generous financial aid to make sure every student can afford to attend.

This book is the definitive resource to help high-achieving, low-income students access the best possible college. The author draws from her extensive experience in education to provide advice on important aspects of the path to college such as pursuing a strong high school curriculum, preparing for standardized exams, complementing learning at school, developing leadership, and finding expert help and role models—all through affordable strategies. In the book, the author also guides students through the college application and selection processes, as well as the steps to obtain enough financial aid.

From the very first page, the author sheds light on her own journey to college through deeply personal vignettes, demonstrating by example that students with few resources can reach and succeed at the top universities in the United States.

Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Trust Me: It’s Possible
Glossary: Key Terms to Navigate This Book and the College Applications
Chapter 1: A College Education: The Path to Prosperity and Opportunity
Going to College vs. Getting a Job
The Importance of College vs. Graduate School
Chapter 2: Selective Colleges: A Most Affordable Option for Low-Income Students
The Policies that Make Top Colleges AffordableWhy Harvard Might Be a Student’s Cheapest Option
Chapter 3: The Meaning of High Achievement: What Admission Officers are Looking ForThe “Holistic” Application ReviewAcademic SkillsExtracurricular ParticipationCharacter
Chapter 4: Meeting the Academic Admission Requirements at No CostChoosing the Best Possible High SchoolPursuing a Rigorous CurriculumPreparing for Standardized TestingThe Role of Parents
Chapter 5: How to Succeed in Extracurriculars Without Spending MoneyFind What You LoveExplore Opportunities at SchoolExplore Opportunities Outside of SchoolScaling Your Initiative
Chapter 6: Finding Accessible College Counselors: The Expert and the Role ModelFinding a College Counseling ExpertFinding a Role ModelMy Essential College CounselorsChapter 7: How to Choose Target Colleges in Three StepsThe “Right” Number of Target CollegesLikelihood of AdmissionCritical CharacteristicsStrategies to Explore Colleges
Chapter 8: Applying for College Admission: What it Takes and How to Do It for FreeApplication RequirementsMain Application FormsUniversity SupplementsStandardized Test ScoresWhat Do the ACT and SAT Test?What Are the SAT Subject Tests?When Should Students Take Standardized Exams?How to Report Standardized Test Scores to CollegesEssaysSupplemental MaterialsRecommendation LettersSchool ReportsResume or Curriculum VitaeApplication FeesApplication TimelineChapter 9: Securing Financial Aid to Pay for CollegeFinancial Aid From UniversitiesScholarships From External Organizations
Chapter 10: Accepting an Offer: The Last Step in the College Application Process
Appendix: Convinced It’s Possible? College Preparation Timelines and ResourcesEpilogue: An Open Letter to the Dreamers
Glossary
About the Author

Achieve the College Dream: You Don’t Need to be Rich to Attend a Top School is the sort of guide that does more than offer step-by-step instructions about how to pique admission officers’ interest, how to pursue a rigorous curriculum and how to explore extracurricular activities that don’t empty out the bank account. Maria Carla Chicuen has written a guidebook to inspire other students to reach for the stars. Achieve the College Dream provides an inspirational message from someone who has been there, done that and wants to inspire — nay, convince — others it can be done.