Which School is the Right Fit? A Lesson on College Choice

It is now June.  Colleges have released decisions to the graduating class of high school seniors and as they celebrate and/or cry over the letters they received, juniors are faced with the growing realization that soon it is their turn to begin the daunting process of college applications. But before this process can truly begin, these juniors are faced with a difficult and personal question: Which schools should I apply to and eventually go to? 

The initial impulse of most students is to break down their college choices to a simple game of percentages and base their list off of schools that are aligned with their academic merit, i.e. many academically accomplished students will blindly apply to most of the Ivy League and other top tier institutions hoping for an opportunity to obtain a coveted spot into their acceptance lists. However, to approach one’s college list in this manner is actually a monumental mistake. Colleges are incredibly diverse both in atmosphere and approach, and an appropriate fit for one student can be completely incompatible to one of his/her siblings even if from a cursory review their academic stats may make it seem that they are equivalent to one another. In reality, application/academic viability is only one category out of many that need to be considered when deciding which schools are best to apply to and it is the goal of most college counselors to help students find schools that fall into that viable academic window while still accounting for what is the best “fit” for the student. 

College “Fit” is best defined as the categories or traits about a college that most align with a students needs and while there are a lot of factors that need to be considered, I broke down some of the immediately important ones into a set of broader categories: 

Academics, Financial Aid, Campus Setting, Student Body, and Housing

[There are many more factors than above but for the sake of brevity I am cutting this list a bit short]

Academics: Broadly speaking Academics can include a wide array of different factors that all ultimately play an impact on how a student may perform when they first enter campus. 

Financial Aid:  While this section of “fit” isn’t the most applicable to students from more affluent backgrounds with parents who are more than happy to pay for their child’s education, Financial Aid is without a doubt one of the most important aspects of determining whether or not a student should go to or apply to a particular college.  This category should rank higher in importance the more financial aid a student needs in order to see attending college as a fiscally responsible endeavor. The reason why I say this is because there is a rather significant number of elite college institutions with a poor history of providing financial aid to students and it is often a frustrating and severely disappointing endeavor to go through the entire process of applying and getting accepted to an institution only to find the student could not attend because they cannot afford it. 

Campus Setting:  The “Campus Setting” of an institution is best described as the type of general environment surrounding the school. Location and distance from the city is one part of this formula. Some institutions are located in the center of major cities (NYU, Columbia, UCLA, etc) while other institutions can be found relatively far away from a major metropolitan center (Amherst, Cornell, Wellesley, etc) while other institutions can be defined as something in between. While many people may downplay the importance of location to a student’s general enjoyment of their college, it is recommended for students to try to go to institutions more analogous with what they find comfortable.  A student who lived their whole life in an urban environment would likely struggle to adapt to one far away from a city. In reverse getting a student used to the more quiet environs of a town to adapt to a major metropolitan center would be difficult as well. Location also plays a critical part with weather.  It is important to remind students (particularly those living here in Los Angeles) that winter is real in other parts of America. New York and East Coast states are not gentle to students in the winter. [Side note: The availability of food more aligned with a students personal preference can also play a large part in setting to students]

Student Body:  Generally student bodies are reflections of the priorities of their respective institutions. Some schools emphasize technology, some emphasize drive/motivation, and others emphasize leadership.  It is important to refrain from typecasting students into particular categories; however, there is merit to be found in making sure students aren’t going to schools where they don’t align with the mission of their respective school and don’t feel they will fit in.  Competitive students will thrive in competitive environments but such an environment might also equally hurt students who are less competitive and more communicative. At the same time a competitive student will find certain student bodies incredibly frustrating as they are faced with peers unwilling to challenge them. 

Housing: Different schools have vastly different housing situations.  It’s very important that students take the time to research what housing situation they prefer.  Some schools offer on-campus housing all four years of undergraduate while other major institutions may only offer 1-2 years  Some schools even have in-campus organizations that facilitate housing that require being recruited into.  Depending on the institution it's important for students to know what they are signing up for before they choose to finally apply and attend campus. 

At Royal Education, it is our duty to help students work out what institutions fit with them the most. We are constantly striving to be on top of information and strategies in order to increase students’ chances to get into their dream colleges and we are adapting to society's many changes in light of what is happening with COVID-19. We have helped students receive offers from internships and summer programs in various nonprofit organizations and universities even during these tumultuous times, and we hope to be able to do the same for your child. Feel free to reach out to us to schedule a meeting if you have any questions or if you are interested in any of our services:

Website: www.royaled.net

Phone Number: (818)-275-3424

Facebook: www.facebook.com/royaleducationinc

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/royaleducation

Twitter: @royaleducate

Message to the Community About the Coronavirus

There is no doubt about it. The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is rapidly adjusting everything we know about education and academic testing. It has massively impacted our community, as every person has had to change personal habits or activities due to the spread of the virus. In the education field, universities such as Harvard, UCI, UCLA, and USC have decided to close their campuses for the rest of the year in order to contain the spread, converting to online classes for the rest of the semester. Furthermore, high schools in the Los Angeles area have temporarily closed (with some of the schools extending their Spring Break), impacting the pace that teachers and students are going through the curriculum in the classroom.

What does this all mean?

As this is an article focused particularly based around high schools (and the impact it has on students), I will be focusing on the virus’s impact on education. It is hard to state exactly all of the changes that the College Board (the company that creates the AP and SAT exams) will make. So far, the March and May SAT exams have been cancelled in order to protect students. It has become apparent that with the progress of the virus, it is best that everyone tries their best to distance themselves and socially isolate. 

Note that in this current time where there is a lot of misinformation and rumors floating around regarding the coronavirus, Royal Education does not want to present any misinformation that could be perceived as predicting the future, including in regards to what the College Board will do next. Currently, the College Board has an official statement that the makeup exams for March along with the May exam will be cancelled. The next anticipated date for the SAT will be June 6th, along with the AP exams happening from May 4th - May 15th.

When it comes to the AP exam, the College Board has made the following announcement on Twitter:

While it is not guaranteed that the College Board will administer the AP exams online, it seems that the College Board will entertain it as a possible option if the coronavirus situation gets worse with no mention of postponing or canceling the exam. In this regard, it may be alarming to students that are currently taking AP classes and plan to take the AP exams & SAT Subject Test of the respective topic. With the AP curriculum being extensive and thorough, any deviation from the pacing on these exams will only negatively impact students when it comes to being prepared for their AP exams and associated SAT Subject Tests as students will either not have: (1) finished covering all content for the AP exams, or (2) practiced enough in order to be prepared for the exam. This will then impact the possible score that students should be getting on the AP and SAT Subject Tests.

What is Royal Education doing?

In the case that schools in the area temporarily shut down, we have already made plans to adapt to the circumstance that is occurring. We have created our own personal system in which to conduct online classes and tutoring sessions in order to support students during this time. We will be having online classes in the various AP topics (AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Calculus, AP Statistics, AP European History, AP United States, AP English Language, etc.) and SAT Subject Tests (Math II, Biology, Chemistry, US History, etc.). The intention of these classes is to prepare students for the AP exam, by reviewing old concepts and pushing forward into newer concepts to ensure that students are still on track towards being prepared for the AP exam.

We are committed to having classes conducted online in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The online class sessions will be conducted in a manner in which the students can still interact with the instructor, to ensure that students can still maximize on their learning. At Royal Education, we will do our best to continue being vigilant of the news, adapting to the circumstances as we go. By doing so, we believe that we can ensure that students still are progressing forward during these difficult times while building towards a brighter future. Feel free to reach out to us through the following outlets if you have any questions about our services, or about anything else:

Website: www.royaled.net

Phone Number: (818)-275-3424

Facebook: www.facebook.com/royaleducationinc

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/royaleducation

Early Action & Early Decision - Changes for 2019

It is the time of the early when Early Decision, Early Action, and Restrictive Early Action admissions have come out. Here are the number of applicants and percentage acceptances for some of the top universities:

It is important to note some trends and misunderstandings that exist around the early application process.

It is true that for most schools (asides from Brown University and Princeton University) there is a noticeable increase in percentage of acceptances to the respective schools. This can be attributed to the fact that most of the increase in percentage is due to a drop in the number of students who are applying to these schools under the early application process. It is also important to point out that only two schools in this list had an increase in the number of applicants from year 2018 to 2019 (Brown University and Cornell University), both of which implement the Early Decision admissions practice. Most of the universities (asides from Cornell University) have not significantly changed the number of students that they accepted in the early application, only differing by around 50 applicants.

It is important to dismiss some of the myths that people have around the early application process. The general assumption is that for the Restrictive Early Action and Early Action, it increases the chance that a student gets accepted, as here is a quick example of this:

It may seem that automatically, it is obvious that students have a better chance during Restrictive Early Action v. Regular Action (13.4% v. 4.5%), but this is a false assumption. Many times, stronger applicants who come from higher income background or are legacy students tend to apply for the early application process, skewing the numbers to seem as if Early Action or Restrictive Early Action increases the chance of acceptance. While this may be the case, it is important to distinguish Early Action / Restrictive Early Action from Early Decision applicants. Here is another example to view:

In this instance, Cornell’s admitted students for its Early Decision process has a decently sizeable acceptance pool in comparison to the Regular Action. While it is hard to say if it is significant enough to impact chances for a student getting admitted, it is assumed to be so due to the nature of Early Decision. Once a student applies Early Decision, they must commit to the school that they applied early (which also entails other factors that come into play, including a reduced financial aid package).

At Royal Education, we are constantly striving to be on top of information and strategies in order to increase students’ chances to get into their dream colleges. We have gotten students into universities such as California Institute of Technology (CalTech), Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Stanford University, and we hope to continue bringing out the full potential and best results for every student we work with. Feel free to reach out to us to schedule a meeting if you have any questions or if you are interested in any of our services:

Website: www.royaled.net

Phone Number: (818)-275-3424

Facebook: www.facebook.com/royaleducationinc

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/royaleducation

SAT: Trend in Difficult Curve and Predictions for Future Exams

Recently, many students who took the SAT this August 2019 ended up finding out that the curve for the exam was significantly more punishing than many other SAT domestic exams in the past. Shown below is the score breakdown for the first 10 questions wrong that students would receive for the August 2019 SAT exam:

August 2019 - SAT Domestic Exam Score Curve

It is appropriate to state that the curve was severe for many reasons. To start, all sections (Reading, Writing, Math) automatically have points deducted from the total score of the exam from the moment that the student made one mistake (Perfect Scores for each section - Reading: 400, Writing: 400, Math: 800). This is usually not the case for many exams and for comparison we placed the August 2018 score breakdown below.

August 2018 - SAT Domestic Exam Score Curve

Both charts were compiled based on data online from reported score reports. While it is normal that each exam has a different curve dependent on testing difficulty and comparison of student performance among those who took the SAT in the United States, it is evident that the August 2019 SAT exam was significantly more punitive for mistakes in mathematics. One mistake in the August 2019 Math section incurred a 30 point deduction, while one mistake the August 2018 Math section still allowed students the chance to get a perfect score. It is mentioned that the August 2018 Math section was harder in comparison to the August 2019’s, but there are also other outside factors that influenced the general curve for the August 2019 exam.

1. Ban on SAT Exams in China

In 2016, CollegeBoard disqualified all 45 testing centers in mainland China due to constant issues with rampant cheating and test leaks. After the crackdown, the only testing centers that can currently administer tests within China are located in Hong Kong. However, due to the recent political unrest in the region, it is likely that many Chinese parents were reluctant to allow their children to travel to take the test there. Lacking options, many Chinese students who hope to attend United States universities are now pushed to travel out to take the SAT, bringing around a phenomena where travel agencies are capitalizing on these students: sending them to many locations such as Macau, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea. With the years to come, it is anticipated that the United States will become a more popular spot to take the SAT for international students.

2. International Curve on the SAT

It is important to note that it is not purely due to the ban on SAT exams in China that brought around many international students to take the SAT in the United States. The more important factor that brought around international students to increasingly take the SAT in the United States is due to the differing curves that exist between the international and domestic SAT exams. In order to prevent cheating, CollegeBoard has implemented separate tests for international and domestic SAT exam takers, making the testing curves dependent on the region that students are taking the exam. With the May 2019 International SAT exam’s curve, it is evident that the curve for this test is worse than even the August 2019 SAT Domestic Exam Curve:

May 2019 - SAT International Exam Score Curve

Due to these reasons, it is expected that for the years to come there will be a continued increase of international students, especially from China and South Korea, that will be taking the exam in the United States especially in August in order to have a more favorable curve on the domestic SAT in comparison to the international version. While factors such as the difficulty of the exam are important factors that could have had an impact on the curve for the August 2019 exam, it is evident that international students will further influence the curve that exists on the domestic exams. CollegeBoard will need to address the potential issues with their metrics for the curve on the SAT exam in order to ensure that evaluation of student performance is more accurate.

In the increasingly competitive nature of college applications in the United States, it has become more and more evident that there is a need for students to plan and be informed around the trends occurring in all aspects, from SAT exams to the college application process. This is where we, at Royal Education, can help. In Royal Education, we keep constantly updated and informed on the current trends that exist in education, grounding our work in research and facts in order to guide students to the best of our abilities. We hope that this article informative around the trends in the SAT. If you have any questions about our services or want us to write about a particular topic, feel free to reach out to us in the following social media outlets:

Website: www.royaled.net

Phone Number: (818)-275-3424

Facebook: www.facebook.com/royaleducationinc

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/royaleducation

The Importance Around Balance

High school is not easy. In order for students to go to upper tier universities, they are expected to balance an endless list of academics, standardized testing, school clubs, athletics, outside organizations, and internships. With the amount of workload that students have to handle, many parents and students believe that the only option in order to succeed is sleep less.

This is not true.

To logically explain, let’s say that a student decides to only sleep a few hours in order to study more. This begins a chain of events that will continue to escalate from that moment forward. Starting from the moment they deprive themselves of sleep, the student is already at a disadvantage the next day. They will find themselves struggling to listen in class and their capacity to learn more advanced concepts is slowed from sleep deprivation. This mental slowdown not only impacts their higher learning cognitive capacity but also their efficiency in performing learning tasks or even recalling information. This then decreases student efficiency and increases the amount of time they need to complete tasks such as studying and homework thereby causing a “spillover” effect where sleep deprivation one night causes further sleep deprivation the next day. Once the student begins depriving themselves of sleep they find themselves caught in a negative cycle of more and more exhaustion. It is this exact scenario that oftentimes is the main cause of student academic burn-out and works as a huge destructive force on student physical and mental health. Sometimes it can seem hopeless and impossible to avoid due to the incredibly competitive nature of high school and the college application process...

But, this is avoidable.

Over the years of college counseling, I have seen this constant theme among students that are burning out. Students tend to believe that there is no other option, and sometimes accept the idea that they will give up their physical and / or mental health just to get into a good college. This is not at all what I believe students should be doing, and I usually end up talking to students about their daily routines in order to fully understand potential issues that exist. Here are the three main points that I tend to end up providing to students, as many of them suffer from these issues:

1. Become more efficient on finishing tasks.

2. Become more aware of personal time inefficiencies.

3. Learn how to multitask whenever it is possible.

It may seem that these points are obvious, but parents and students both do not seem to fully grasp what these points entail.

When it comes to being more efficient on finishing tasks, I have noticed that most students tend to be mediocre at best. Many times when I ask students how long it takes them to complete certain tasks, I find out that they are spending easily 1~2 hours more than they should be. It may be that the student is slow at reading, too caught up in trying to write perfectly, or other possibilities, but these factors collectively serve to negatively impact the rest and personal time students have every day. This is one significant aspect that distinguishes the top students from the rest. I have seen the top students finish, at times, double the amount of work that a standard student completes while still maintaining high quality work and understanding of the content. The reasons for this can vary, but the important fact is that skills such as reading fast or writing efficiently are quintessential skills that need to be developed over time.

Students also tend to be inefficient. Procrastination is a common issue that many people face, but students are usually unaware of how much time they waste. It becomes important that if they have a tendency to be distracted, there needs to be a fixed schedule set up that allows students to keep track of their progress. Small changes like this can help students improve in managing their time and becoming more expedite.

Along the common theme of being more efficient and effective during the day, students need to also learn how to multitask. There tends to be the belief that if students goes to do an activity like volunteer, then they should not do anything else. Dependent on what activity they are participating in, such as volunteering at a hospital, students will sometimes find themselves with downtime, where they are just sitting around and waiting for the supervisor to give them another task. During these times, students should be taking these moments to work on assignments from school or study so that they do not have to stay up later. Finding such opportunities will only benefit the student more later on.

We, at Royal Education, are here to help through this process. Through our college counseling program, we help students improve their study habits in order to not only help them improve their grades, but also support them as scholars so that they have the skills needed to be successful in college. Along with all this, we are also able to help students through academic advising, college applications, and more. Feel free to reach out to us to schedule an appointment through the information below:

Website: www.royaled.net

Phone Number: (818)-275-3424

Facebook: www.facebook.com/royaleducationinc

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/royaleducation

The Importance of Summer in High School

It is that time of the year again. Students are finishing up the semester, working through their last finals and projects, and finalizing their grades. It is at this time that students and parents should understand that a little preparation goes a long way to ensuring a smoother transition into the next year.  At Royal Education we offer a number of programs during the summer to help get students ahead while also working to maximize the opportunities they can grab during the vacation.

Rising 9th Grade (Freshman) Students

There is a huge misconception that students graduating from middle school are unable to prepare for high school in advance of entering campus. This is actually a prime time to start building their high school record, whether by taking prerequisite courses, or even starting long term extracurricular activities such as volunteering. All of these activities count under the 9th grade for college application, as the student is technically registered as a high school student the moment they graduate from middle school (as they have completed all the credits necessary).

It is important to have strong foundations starting in high school. This requires strategizing on many factors such as courses, extracurriculars, and even potential interests that the student has. Royal Education takes our college counseling seriously, as we dedicate our time to make choices that will pull out the full potential of each student. By looking for many potential paths that the student can take, we believe in shaping each individual’s high school experience in a way that will allow the student to maximize their learning in a healthy way.

Rising 10th Grade (Sophomore) Students

As rising sophomore students who just had exposure to their first year of high school, most sophomores will be faced with their first Advanced Placement (AP) course(s) in the upcoming year. It is important to emphasize that courses labeled as AP should not be taken lightly. Many times, students end up receiving their first bad grade due to how difficult AP courses are. It is important that students start learning the study and work habits necessary in order to take their respective AP course(s). If they haven’t already it's important to fast track the development of these work habits to ensure a smooth transition in the upcoming year.

At Royal Education, we have developed preview AP courses for the upcoming summer to address this need such as Biology, Calculus, Chemistry, Computer Science, English Language, English Literature, European History, and United States History. The intention is to allow students to gain early exposure to the rigor of the concepts covered, and to constantly test content knowledge in order to provide assessment on how well the student will do during the school year. By doing so, students will feel more prepared to improve on particular concepts that they are weak on while lessening the workload that the student will face during the school year.  

Rising 11th Grade (Junior) Students

During this time, it is important for the upcoming 11th grade students to start preparing for the ACT or SAT exam along with SAT Subject Tests if they haven’t done so already. At this point, junior students should have exposure to most of the mathematics and literary concepts covered in the exams. As this standardized assessment score is an important factor that colleges take into consideration, it becomes more of a necessity for students to score well as college admissions have only become more difficult in the last few years.

This summer, Royal Education has developed multiple classes for ACT, SAT, and SAT Subject Tests, designed to allow students to gain thorough exposure, practice, and understanding of the concepts covered in these assessments. At Royal Education, we have instructors who have the experience and passion to improve students scores, as it is evident from our track record. We strategize on how students can improve their scores, targeting common errors so that we can maximize the results that each student is capable of achieving.

Rising 12th Grade (Senior) Students

From all else, rising 12th grade students should prioritize planning and strategizing their college applications. Even if the applications for colleges are not open until later into the summer, rising seniors should start thinking about factors such as:

1. Which Colleges to apply to

2. Essay topics

3. Financial Aid and Scholarships

While it may seem burdensome for seniors to start during summer, these factors become large issues as they progress throughout the school year. As many seniors tend to carry a large number of AP courses, leadership positions, and multiple other tasks occurring in tandem, college applications tend to become a task left at the last second. This is detrimental, as this can cause students to have subpar essays and mistakes on their college application that can reflect negatively towards their chances for admissions.

At Royal Education, we are providing guidance and much more for all students, regardless of what grade level in high school. We have the experience and dedication to provide the supports needed in order for students to not only improve their scores and college applications, but also enhance their experience through the high school process. Always feel free to reach out to us through the following outlets if you have any questions about our college counseling services or other educational supports through these outlets:

Website: www.royaled.net

Phone Number: (818)-275-3424

Facebook: www.facebook.com/royaleducationinc

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/royaleducation

The Guide to Advanced Placement: How To Be Ready for It

It is currently May, a month that many upperclassmen recognize as the month of Advanced Placement (AP). As the admissions to colleges have increasingly become difficult, it becomes more imperative for students to appear competitive towards colleges by taking increasingly difficult courses to prove their academic competitiveness. But, with the increase in difficult comes the insecurities that freshman and sophomore students face when choosing AP courses: Which ones should I take? How many should I take? Will I be able to handle the specific AP course(s)? I will cover the common questions asked in the hopes to help not only those who are currently in preparation for AP exams, but also for those who plan to take AP’s in the near future.

Which ones should I take?

The AP courses you should take is first dependent on these questions:

1. How many AP courses are available at your school?

2. Are there any class/course restrictions in your school?

3. Which ones you can handle?

Based on the situation that students are in, if there are multiple AP’s available that the students are allowed to take, then the third question becomes most pertinent. It is important to note that if the student struggles in specific science courses like Biology (due to the student taking a similar course previously), then it may not be the best idea to take on a course like AP Biology.

How many should I take?

This is really dependent on the student. It is not recommended that a student who did not ever take an AP courses suddenly take on 4 or 5 AP classes, unless the student already has a well established work ethic. It is best to spread the difficulty of the AP course load throughout the high school years, if permitted by the respective high school. It is also dependent on the AP courses selected and the respective school teacher for each course. A course such as AP Chemistry will be more difficult in comparison to a course such as AP Human Geography, so even the particular courses selected should be taken into consideration. Also AP Calc AB under one teacher might be significantly easier/difficult than under another teacher.

Are AP Scores that important for colleges?

There are multiple benefits for taking AP classes. Not only do a number of colleges (including those in the University of California system) count AP courses as college credit if the student gets a 4 or 5 on the exam, but it also shows the validity of the AP courses taken at the student’s high school. Many times, colleges are unable to gauge the quality of the AP courses that the student has taken simply based on the grade, thus AP exams are a way to show this. It is important for students to aim for the highest score (5), as these scores are submitted to colleges when senior year comes around.

Will I be able to handle the specific AP course(s)?

It is hard to determine when a student is ready for a particular AP Course is they have never taken similar courses to the AP class that the student is interested in. During times like this, it is recommended that students actually preview the AP material during summer. By getting an idea of how difficult the particular AP course is, the student can take the initiative and possibly change his or her schedule during the beginning of the school year if the class combination is too difficult.

At Royal Education, we are offering AP preview courses that will involve instruction and examinations to allow students to not only grab an advantage in the AP course, but to also gain an understanding of how difficult the course is and to develop the skills necessary to be successful in the course. We thrive to be the best in bringing the best out of each student that we work with. Feel free to reach out to us through the following outlets if you have any questions about our services, or about anything else:

Website: www.royaled.net

Phone Number: (818)-275-3424

Facebook: www.facebook.com/royaleducationinc

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/royaleducation

I Got Admitted to Multiple Colleges: Now What?

I want to first formally congratulate you and your parent(s) / guardian(s) on your acceptance to multiple colleges. While it may or may not be the case that you were admitted to the university of your dreams, having the ability to choose between multiple prospective campuses is always something you should be proud of. Today’s article is focused on the next steps you should consider when weighing the options that you have, as each college you have been admitted to will offer different options.

Step 1: What are you looking for?

It may seem like a basic question, but surprisingly, many students fail to first sit down and list out their priorities when it comes to college acceptances. It is important to realize that a question like this shouldn’t be taken lightly. The answer to what is most important will vary based on each individual. Is it financial support? Internship or research opportunities? Doing study abroad programs? These choices will shape what college you may want to attend. As a result, priorities can be subject to change. It is important to remember that getting admitted to college is only the beginning.

Step 2: Determine the Importance of  Financial Aid, Loans, and Scholarships

This is a deeply personal question that each family must realistically come to grips with before determining which schools are really up for consideration. Some families will have the luxury of enough income to afford a full priced college tuition (or even multiple at once).  However, most families do not have this luxury. In this situation it is important for these families to determine a financially responsible budget and balance that against financial aid offers from accepted colleges. The first important point of distinction from a financial aid package to recognize is the difference between financial aid and academic/athletic scholarships. While financial aid adjusts based on your family’s income, scholarships usually have stipulations and stay capped at the value that it is awarded. Also, if you are coming from a lower socioeconomic status, it may not be worth the amount of loans you need to take out at times to attend a particular college.  This could mean potentially giving up an acceptance to a “more prestigious” institution in favor of going to a comparable university that is economically more viable for the family. That being said, before you despair from seeing a disappointing financial aid package be sure to first talk to the Financial Aid Officer of the respective school to see if it is possible to lower the amount of loans and increase the amount of aid you can receive from the university.

Step 3: To the student: Take some time to understand the school before you choose to live there for 4 years.

While you may have a particular preference to choose a state such as California over out-of-state universities, I recommend that you do not automatically default to this line of logic. Rather, I recommend that you as a student take the time to travel outside of California before making a decision as to which school they wish to go to. If possible I highly recommend you to attend pre-freshman orientations to campuses you like most. If finances are restricted, I further recommend that each of you reach out to the schools they are interested in to see if some of the cost can be subsidized. Visit the campus and interact with current students at their respective universities to get a better idea their campus culture and see if its a fit with what you expect.

The other suggestion I have is to look at what resources and outside opportunities are available to you as a student at that school. Not only look to see if you like the environment and available restaurants are around the school, but also see if there are a number of organizations and companies that match your interests. By being nearby, it allows you to have the chance to gain opportunities such as internships and attend events in the area.

In the end, the important factor that you must remember is that your happiness should be a priority. Make sure to do some research, talk to people, and find out which school makes you feel like your best self. By finding this balance, you will maximize the opportunities and friendships that you will make at the university.

Once again, congratulations to all of your achievements. Royal Education is proud of the work we do in college counseling, and we thrive to be the best in bringing the best out of each student that we work with. Feel free to reach out to us through the following outlets if you have any questions about our services, or about anything else:

Website: www.royaled.net

Phone Number: (818)-275-3424

Facebook: www.facebook.com/royaleducationinc

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/royaleducation

Scholarships for College

Many high school students are currently either finishing up their junior year of high school or are waiting for responses from colleges that they have applied to. In lieu of this time period, it is a good opportunity for junior and senior high school students to start seeking out scholarships, in order to minimize the cost of attending college. As a former Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund application reader (one of the largest Asian scholarship organizations in the United States) and a Gates Millennium Scholarship recipient, I wanted to provide a few tips to students as to how to maximize scholarship opportunities to help offset the financial burden of going to college.

TIP #1: Apply to as many scholarships as possible.

While it may seem that I am stating the obvious, students will often fail to maximize their application opportunities either due to procrastination or unwarranted misgivings. Some of the concern that students feel is whether they will even be considered for the scholarship, as many times they believe that they didn’t struggle as much in their personal life in comparison to other people who may have gone through factors such as homelessness. While it may be true to a certain extent, this thought process should not be a delimiting factor as to whether to apply. Let the scholarship funders and readers make that decision.

TIP #2: Be honest and sincere in the scholarship essays.

This is an important factor that scholarship readers are evaluating for. Many times, I have seen essays from students that are short and/or lack the emotional depth needed to capture my attention. It is important for students to talk about their personal background, especially if it is one that clearly details their personal struggles and their triumphs over the difficulties life tosses their way. It is these type of essays that not only tell me that the student is still striving to achieve his or her best (as evident from applying to the scholarship), but also that the student is resilient. Many times, students feel as if scholarships are a measurement for how much one has struggled personally -- that if they did not become homeless, starve, or come from a single parent or foster family background, that their difficulties are trivial. This is not at all the case, as struggles come in different shapes and sizes. It is good that students recognize their personal privileges and opportunities that they received, but students should also recognize that the purpose of scholarships are also to recognize individual’s hard work and achievements. So make sure to write personal essays that show how you grew over the years.

TIP #3: If a scholarship has a multiple essay requirement, use that to your advantage.

Students tend to end up looking at essay requirements for scholarships preemptively give up. Personally when I was applying to the Gates Millennium Scholarship, I remember looking at the 6 essay requirement and automatically thinking about not applying. Already as a high school student with a lot of academic and extracurricular responsibilities, I felt really unmotivated to apply. On top of all this, there is no guarantee that I was going to receive the scholarship. Even though this was the case, I ended up completing the application reasoning that these essays can serve as templates for future essays to other scholarships. A simple strategic choice in hindsight but its a decision that is hugely beneficial in the long run. To my befuddlement, I eventually received the Gates Millennium Scholarship despite my initial reluctance to commit to the immense workload.

In Royal Education, we ground our work through our personal experiences, implementing informed and supportive methods to ensure that all students are successful in their own capacities. We hope that this article was helpful in preparation for applying to scholarships. If you have any questions about our services or want us to write about a particular topic, feel free to reach out to us in the following social media outlets:

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Preparation for the Interview

As a prior Interviewer for Harvard University’s admissions, I have had the privilege of talking to many qualified and brilliant Harvard candidates. In the wake of the Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard lawsuit, some of the practices taught to Harvard alumni Interviewers in terms of what they should look for and how applicants are rated have been made public. However, the purpose of today’s article is to not dig into specifics revolving around Harvard University’s particular interview practices or revelations found in the recent court case. Instead, we will be focusing on what high school students should keep in mind when preparing for the college interviews. As many high school students will start receiving interview requests from the many public and private schools that they have applied to, here are some tips and thoughts to help ease students into the interview process and ensure they have as smooth an experience as possible.

Do NOT be scared or nervous.

Even though this may be easier to state than do for many students, this was something that is particularly emphasized to alum interviewers (from my personal experiences and from other interviewers’ accounts that I talked to). The main purpose of these interviews is to get to know the student better in aspects that are not covered in their written application. Students that walk into interviews overly anxious will oftentimes find themselves unable to speak or responding to questions with little elaboration.  As a result of this, interviewers are told to be friendly to help students calm down, so that the student can act and feel natural when responding to the interview questions. Students should realize that most interviewers aren’t there to cast judgement. They are there simply to get to know their applicants better.

Not ALL interviews are important, but some are.

Many times, there is contradictory discussions that interviews will make or break a student’s chance for getting into a specific university. This is not at all the case, as the weight of the interview or even the role of the interview is different dependent on the university. Some universities like Harvard see it as another part of the applicant’s admissions portfolio, allowing the Admissions Officers to understand the personality and thoughts of the applicant better. In other universities, the interview process is purely an opportunity for the student to ask questions to the alum (and has no scoring metric or report to the university). In the end, interviews usually will never make or break the student’s application unless there are severe cases that may raise red flags for the interviewer.

Definitely know your scores (GPA, SAT / ACT, AP’s, etc.).

It may come to a surprise to some, but alum interviewers are usually not informed about the students’ records or background. This practice may vary based on each university, but expect that the interviewer will only know the student’s name and high school that they attend. During the interview process, I have seen students who do not know their scores at all. This provides a subtle negative impression to interviewers, as some may assume that students does not focus on their academic performance. It is best if students review and memorize their scores before going into the interviews.

Why do you want to come to our school?

This question is a common essay topic that some of the private schools ask when students are applying for admissions. That being stated, not all of them ask this question in their supplement, and interviewers sometimes ask this question. In particular, the purpose of this question is to screen applicants who are applying purely for the branding of schools, and to also understand the deeper motivations in the student. Even if the answer is not 100% perfect, the student should have a solid answer that should distinguish their specific interest in the university compared to others.  Even a little preparation can go a long way towards helping create a desirable answer.

Trick question(s).

As a prior interviewer, I along with some of the interviewers have the tendency to ask an uncommon question to students. This is not to cause the student to panic or be concerned, but rather to see the student’s true personality. Many times, I am able to tell if students has done a lot preparation before the interview, making students seem disingenuous or systematic in responses. By creating a question such as -- “Tell me one time that you failed, and what did you do to change?” -- it allows me to see the students’ maturity and get more insight into students’ perspectives on life.

In the end of the day, it is important for students to be genuine with their responses and to not overprep. I wish students the best of luck with their interviews and their college decisions.

In Royal Education, we dedicate our college counseling services to build students to be happy and successful in their college path and beyond. Feel free to reach out to us through the following outlets if you have any questions about our services, or if you want us to write articles about a particular topic:

Website: www.royaled.net

Phone Number: (818)-275-3424

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