Prediction Tools Gauge College Admissions Chances (U.S. News & World Report)

As a high school senior in New York City, Taylor Florio was set on his future college destination. "I always knew that I wanted to go to a California school," he says. "That was the main factor in what schools I looked at."

Florio's guidance counselor suggested he use a college predictor tool to gauge admissions chances for each school. What he came to realize was that the majority of universities he was considering were deemed reach schools. Now a rising senior at Chapman University in California--one of his reach schools according to the admissions chances calculator--Florio says that, while it did not impact his application decisions, this tool affected many of his friends' college plans.

"I think that I'm someone who stands out who didn't let these predictors hinder my decisions," he notes. "[But] a lot of my friends didn't even apply to schools outside of New York because of them."

[Discover the risks of applying to a reach school.]

It is one of the most important-and stressful--decisions for a student, and narrowing a list of potential colleges is often a daunting process. Many families, confused and overwhelmed by the challenge, rely on outside assistance to ease the burden.

A Google search for "chances I get into this college" garners 252 million results, including MyChances.net, which claims its prediction tool will "correctly predict college admission over 90% of the time." AdmissionSplash, an app built for use on Facebook, determines a student's chances, offering ranges from "very poor" to "very good." Both programs use basic information including test scores, addresses, and extracurricular activities to determine a student's likelihood of getting into a particular college.

While these tools may be one way to start a college search, they can't determine a student's chances on a case-by-case basis as precisely as admissions professionals can, says Tom Delahunt, vice president of admission and financial aid at Drake University.

"How data is collected [for these tools] is sometimes an issue and schools change from year to year," Delahunt says. "They don't know what schools are looking for any specific year."

[Get tips and advice to finding the right school for you.]

Matt Munson, the founder and CEO of the college admissions consulting site Acceptly, says that many of the college predictor tools available to the public create a disservice because they do not look at all aspects of the student. Instead of helping them improve their candidate profiles and inspiring them to be ambitious with their college search, Munson states that some prediction tools may return results for just a few schools--and those may not be good fits for the student.

"They're looking at so few elements of a student's profile that there's no way that they are providing informed decisions for students," he says. "In our view, that's very dangerous."

It is important for a site to be honest with its users when a tool does not have enough data from the school or student to make a confident calculation, says Chris Long, president of the college matching service Cappex.com, whose site features a college admissions chances calculator. "If we don't have a lot of data, we specifically will tell the student that our confidence in that prediction is lower than if we had a lot of data on the college and on the student," Long says.

The goal of these tools is not to deter students from applying to particular schools when providing admissions predictions, but to "set their expectations properly," Long acknowledges.

"We never communicate to a student that you shouldn't bother applying," he says. "But, rather, when you make that application you need to understand that there are certain aspects of your background that may not be as competitive at that school."

[Learn more about applying to college.]

While Drake's Delahunt sees benefits in admissions prediction tools, he firmly believes that making a physical visit to campus and meeting with faculty is the best way to make a decision about where to apply. "[College] is too big an investment to depend on a data model."

Although rising college senior Florio may not agree with the use of predictor tools as a means to determine which colleges to consider, he sees the potential utility. "A lot of guidance counselors use them to prepare students," Florio says. "When you get rejected from a college, it's pretty heartbreaking. So I think [these tools] are there to give us a realistic point of view."

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5 Tips to Use the Summer Before College Wisely (U.S. News & World Report)

After running a 12-year marathon, many high school seniors cross a long-awaited finish line with both a diploma and a college acceptance letter in hand. And between that race and the next lay three warm summer months, often devoid of responsibility.

How should students fill that time? Should they rest up for the oncoming academic rigors of college, keep their minds active by revisiting old study materials, work, or travel? A little of each, experts say. Overall, the worst thing that students can do is allow the malaise of so-called "senioritis" that plagues so many in the spring to stretch into the summer and subsequently the fall. Then, the consequences of lethargy could be dire--and expensive. Instead, students should use the five tips below to successfully manage the summer before their freshman year of college.

[Get tips on getting along with your roommate.]

1. Don't stop reading: Experts universally agree that students must, above anything else, make sure they read during the summer. Some schools, like Adelphi University in Garden City, N.Y., and Kansas State University, have summer reading programs. Even if such a program isn't in place, experts say, be sure to keep your mind engaged by reading carefully, not merely cruising through a modern page-turner.

"Practice reading like a college student," says Brandon Miller, assistant vice president for student success at Baylor University. "Take notes for yourself. It will help give you feedback on how you're comprehending the reading material versus just thinking, 'I'm going to highlight it. Look, I'm studying.'"

2. Recharge your batteries: Students can read and relax simultaneously--and they should, experts say. Though it's important for students to keep their minds and bodies active during the summer lull, making time to relax is paramount before they're greeted by months of what is likely the most difficult coursework and demanding tests they've ever faced. "If you want to be competitive, downtime to recharge yourself is as critical as peak performance," says management consultant Nick Vaidya. "It is hard to get one without the other."

[See 5 ways to make a jobless summer productive.]

3. Try something new: Students who may feel daunted by jumping into a new environment this fall should take the plunge a little early, experts say. Students could volunteer or immerse themselves in a program overseas so that they can grow comfortable with adapting to new environments and activities. Josh Irons, director of product marketing at StudyAbroad.com, touts the benefits of foreign language immersion programs in which students live in another country for a few weeks in hopes of learning a new language through osmosis. Some programs--including trips to Brazil and Costa Rica--offered by organizations such as Global Semesters and schools like New York University don't start until late July or early August, so interested students can still sign up.

"These opportunities can often ease the transition, especially for students that haven't spent much time away from home in an unfamiliar environment," Irons says. "Participants have to find common ground with others that may come from very different backgrounds so that they can work together to be successful-a situation they are likely to encounter in college."

[See how to avoid depression in college.]

4. Earn some cash: The cafeteria food may seem enticing at first, especially given that most freshmen's parents shoulder the cost, but many students will spend more on dining out than they think, college officials say. And other expenses, such as tickets to events and shopping, can add up quickly. While students are still under their parents' roofs, they should get a part-time summer job that allows them to stockpile some cash in advance of the semester.

5. Go to orientation: Some schools require students to attend orientations that last a week or more. Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla., for instance, has a monthlong Autumn Term for freshmen that couples orientation with a reading-intensive course before the traditional fall semester starts. On the other end of the spectrum, many large state institutions make their one- or two-day orientations optional.

Though it's not a requirement, college officials agree students should sacrifice their free time and take part so that they can familiarize themselves with the campus and meet their new classmates. "If they have an orientation, go to it," says Greg Eiselein, an English professor at Kansas State University and co-director of the school's program that helps freshmen transition to college life. "All of the research shows that if a student attends orientation, they'll do better in college."

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