Dear Babs,What are the benefits of going to a community college first? I had some personal problems during the end of my sophomore year and my grades really went downhill so I don’t know if I can get into a 4-year university. I ultimately want to study criminal justice at UCLA, but I need to bring up my grades.
Is community college a good idea for me? Will I be able to transfer?

-College Bound???

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Dear College Bound???(!!!)

It sounds like community college is a great idea. You can get your pre-reqs out of the way, save money, and live close to home while you sort your personal life out.

Community college will be a lower-stress environment, and will really enable you to focus on your schoolwork and get your studying back on track. In California, a community college student can transfer to the UC system with a minimum GPA of 2.4 (instate) or 2.8 (out-of-state) and 60 transferable credits. Check with your local college and with UCLA to make sure that the subjects you take are transferrable. Most community colleges will have a specific “liberal-arts” program that is designed for hopeful transfers such as yourself. This program will include English and writing courses, social sciences, calculus and physical sciences. Make sure you stick to these required courses, take a full course load, and you shouldn’t have trouble transferring in two-years.
Community college is the perfect option for students like you who may not be ready to live away from home full-time just yet, but still want to further their education.

Good luck!

-Babs

Dear Babs,

Where should I go to College? Should my daughter apply to an Ivy? When should I apply for Financial Aid?

-the Average Joe

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Dear Average Joe,

Dear Babs, CampusCompare’s nationally syndicated advice column, has the answer.

First there came Dear Abby, Ann Landers, Miss Manners. In September 2008, Dear Babs joined their ranks as the new diva of the advice column. “Dear Babs”, CampusCompare’s advice column for the college search, provides millions of college-bound students with the advice on navigating the tricky college selection process.

“Dear Babs” is a nationally syndicated column via the McClatchy network of newspapers reaching a combined distribution in the millions. From the Kansas City Star to the Sacramento Bee, “Dear Babs” answers questions from high school students and parents on finding a best-fit college. Her responses are always informed, honest, and timely-with a bit of wit to boot.

What does “best-fit college” mean, exactly? According to Babs, “Your best-fit college is the college that works with your personality-it’s the kind of place you could see yourself living for four years, and not getting bored. It challenges and excites you, as well as providing you with emotional and academic support throughout your undergrad.”

“Dear Babs” not only provides support for stressed out students, but for their equally-anxious parents. Her advice sets the rumors on college admissions straight to help parents focus on what’s best for their children. Whether offering financial-aid info or moral support, Babs understands parents’ concerns for their children’s education and helps them find the resources to make their son or daughter’s future a success.

Babs also stands out for supporting her reader’s interests beyond the classroom. Websites devoted to such passions as fashion and football , like www.sportsag.com and www.fashionaddict.com are publishing the Dear Babs column, including tips for getting into (or onto) the field. Babs understands that there is no guarantee to a good job in this downturn economy, and the key to success is to do well in a subject-any subject-that interests you.

Look for “Dear Babs” in your local newspaper in the online teen and parent sections, or get the RSS feed here: http://www.campuscompare.com/college-resources/dear-babs/?feed=rss2&p=77

Dear Babs,

I heard all this noise about how the FAFSA has changed. Is it really going to be much easier? What should I know about it? How will it affect how my daughter applies for financial aid?

-Father asking for some advice

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Dear FAFSA,

For those of you readers who don’t know, the FAFSA has announced changes to its forms in order to make it easier and more accessible to those in need of Financial Aid. Most significantly, the FAFSA will be cut down from 30 pages to 10. This drastic cut will definitely make filling it out much less time consuming, and less like your 2nd taxes. In addition, students will be able to save the FAFSA form without filling out their parent’s information. Although this info is still required, it will make it easier for students to complete what they can while they wait on their parents to provide them with their financial information.

So what does this mean for you? Well, it basically means 2/3 of this laborious task is no more. The process will be more automated and web-friendly, and more closely compatible to your tax forms. So take a happy sigh of relief, and figure out what to do with 2/3 of the time you WOULD have spent scrambling for obscure financial data. Perhaps a movie?

Good Luck!

-Babs

Dear Babs,

I’m getting my SAT scores back this Thursday, and I’m pretty sure I didn’t do as well as I had hoped. I heard that if you want to get into a top-school, you need to get above a 2100. Is this true? Should I forget about going to a good college?

-Bad Tester

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Dear B.T.,

I wouldn’t shelve your college plans just out. Lately, there has been a lot of talk about colleges de-empahasizing the importance of sat scores in their admissions decisions. A growing number of top liberal-arts schools are joining the “SAT Optional” movement, including Bard College, Bennington College, Bates College, Drew University, and Connecticut College (to name a few). Sarah Lawrence, a private liberal arts college in New York, does not even consider SAT or ACT scores in their admissions decision. They feel that the SATs do not provide a good measure of future success at their college. In addition to a long list of some of the nations best liberal arts colleges, the president of the University of California spoke against the use of these standardized tests.

Many more colleges are simply trying to downgrade the weight of the SAT’s in admissions decisions. If an otherwise excellent applicant has poor SAT scores, it won’t automatically rule him/her out. Other schools do still emphasize SAT scores-often large universities need objective criteria to quickly filter through massive piles of applicants. Also, some schools pay attention to the SAT’s because it is a criteria that affects their rankings. Basically, low-SAT scores may or may not hurt you. If your grades are good, but you find that your SAT scores leave something to be desired, take heart. Look into some “SAT Optional” colleges to see if one might be a good fit for you, and try and make your application stand out in other areas. After all, you are more than just a test score.

Good Luck!

-Babs

Dear Babs,
My daughter will be going to UNC in the fall, about a 3-hour drive away from home, and I want to know if I should let her take the car with her to college. It’s just an old used car, but I don’t know if it is necessary or not.

-Vehicular-Particular

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Dear VP,
Well, that all depends. UNC is in a very nice college town, small but with plenty to do. The campus itself is pretty enclosed, so most of the social scene will be on campus at frats/sororities, dorms, and sports games.
I honestly doubt that she will need her car on a day-to-day basis, but if she likes to come home often it may be easier than you going there to pick her up. If there is a nearby greyhound bus, that is also an option. Compare the cost of college living with a car on campus, and without a car. Shameless plug: our financial-aid calculator can do it automatically.
It’s not a bad idea to test the waters without a car for one semester. Her first semester at school, she should really be focusing on making friends, getting used to college life, and exploring campus-not going home every weekend (as much as you would like her to). It will be cheaper, and she won’t have to worry about finding parking. Some schools do not let freshmen have cars on campus, so you should definitely contact UNC on-campus housing to see what their policy is. If after one semester, it seems more practical for her to have the car then by all means, let her have it.
Good Luck!
-Babs

Dear Babs,

I’m trying to pick my courses for next year, and I want to know which A.P. course I should take to impress colleges, A.P. Bio or A.P. U.S. History (I’m already taking A.P. English and A.P. Calc, but my school doesn’t recommend taking any more than three courses).

-Ambitious Peter

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Dear A.P.,

Well, that really depends on what sort of colleges you are applying to. If you are going to apply to a school for the sciences, an engineering program, or plan on doing pre-med, then I think A.P. Bio makes a lot more sense. If, however, you’re just applying to a general liberal-arts or humanities program, than take whichever class you like better.

The real end-goal of an A.P. course is to get college credit before you even apply to college. Sure, they look good, but you’ll also save possibly thousands of dollars and the boredom of taking “Bio 101″ or “Intro to American History” with 300 other of your “closest” friends. So take whichever course you think you’ll be more likely to take in college, and want to bypass a general pre-req. Some schools require every freshman to take a science class. If science isn’t your thing, you might actually want to take A.P. Bio now, as you’ll probably get more teacher-attention and the course might be a bit easier. Just remember that if you want college credit, you’ll need to get at least a 3 on your A.P. exams (and more likely a 4).

It doesn’t really matter which A.P. course you take. Three A.P.’s is an impressive course load, regardless. Just take the one that is more likely to get you out of an onerous college course.

Good Luck!

-Babs

*In honor of “LGTB Pride Month”, Babs will answer questions on the LGTB college search.

Dear Babs,

My son is starting college in the fall, and I’m worried for his safety. My son is gay, and I’m concerned that there will be homophobia on campus. I’ve heard about gay-bashing and hazing, and I’m worried that he will have a hard time making friends or worse-be assaulted. He said he wants to join an LGTB rights group on campus, but I’m worried that will just invite others to single him out. Is there anything I can do to protect him?

-Protecting Papa

Dear Protecting Papa,

Of course you want to protect your son. Sending your kids off to college for the first time is stressful enough without having to worry about bigotry. However, you shouldn’t be concerned about a campus LGTB rights organization. By joining an LGTB club, he won’t be singling himself out for harassment-he’ll be protecting himself with a group of peers.

Strength is often found in numbers. By joining an LGTB rights group, your son will meet people who know what it’s like to have to deal with other people’s prejudice. He will find support and friendship. Prejudice is never brave-bullies are less likely to pick on someone with a strong support network. Joining an LGTB rights organization is actually possibly the best thing your son can do to protect himself.

One thing you can do is contact the school to see what kind of institutional support the campus offers. Make sure they include the words gay, lesbian, or transgendered in their anti-discrimination policy. See if they offer any LGTB leadership organizations so that your son can learn how to stand up for his rights on campus, even in the face of harassment.

Although there is bigotry, hatred, and violence on college campuses, there is also a wealth of support. Many schools now protect the rights of their LGTB students, rather than ignore them. College is the time that your son should be making friends, learning, and discovering who he is as an adult. You will never be able to shelter your son from all the hatred in the world, but you can show him that he doesn’t need to hide who he is and that he can stand up for his rights.

Good Luck!

-Babs

Dear Babs,

I’ve heard about the SATs, but what about the SAT Subject Tests? Do I need to take them or are they optional like the PSATs? Which ones should I take? Are there any tricks to know?

-Overwhelmed

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Dear Overwhelmed,

The SAT subject tests were started as a supplement to the regular-old SATs. The SATs are supposed to be a measure of your aptitude for learning-not what you already know. In order to better assess the actual knowledge of students applying to college, the College Board, the non-profit organization that administers the SATs, created the SAT Subject Tests. Quite simply, SAT Subject Tests tell colleges how well you know a particular subject.

Ninety-percent of the time, SAT Subject Tests are not optional-most competitive colleges will require at least two. Generally speaking, it’s a good idea to take the SAT Subject Test in writing and in math. Some schools require you to take three, in which case the third test is a “wild card”-take whichever test is in your best subject. Depending on what kind of program you are applying for, you may not have to take writing or math. For instance, most engineering schools will ask for level 2 math, and two science subject tests.

If you’re not sure where you will apply, don’t worry-you have until the fall of senior year to take the SAT Subject Tests. You’ll help yourself out by taking the subject test soon after you’ve completed studying the subject. For instance, if you take bio junior year, take the SAT Subject Test for bio in June after junior year. The Math SAT Subject Test is divided into two parts, level one covers algebra and geometry, while level two involves trig and some pre-calc. It’s recommended that you hold off on taking the math test until the fall of senior year, so that you can learn as much math as possible beforehand.

Unfortunately, there aren’t as many “tricks” to the SAT Subjects Tests as the SATs. To a certain extent, you just need to know the material. Studying what material will be on the test, however, will greatly improve your score. Try and keep the material fresh in your mind, and brush up on you’re good multiple-choice test taking skills (eliminate, eliminate, eliminate!) and you will do fine.

Good Luck!

-Babs

Dear Babs,
My son, Sam, is going to apply to college in the fall. His school is very competitive, and there is a lot of pressure for students to go to a top-ranked school. I don’t want him to feel to stressed out-I’m more concerned that he gets into a school he likes/ we can afford, than one that is “ranked” well. What can I do alleviate some of the stress he is feeling?
-Sympathy for Sam
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Dear Sympathy,
The best thing you can do for your son is just tell him what you have told me. Knowing that you’re not concerned with how prestigious his college is will probably ease his mind. But, in case your words aren’t enough, here are 3 facts on why you should choose a school that’s a good fit for you.
1) Almost 30% of students transfer colleges. That means that millions of students picked their school for the wrong reasons the first time around. If you choose a school that you like, rather than a “name” school, you can avoid transferring.
2) Don’t let numbers fool you. There is little evidence that starting salaries and hiring rates are better at the more prestigious colleges. When looking at “averages” like starting salary, consider who the typical student is. Starting salaries at tech-heavy schools are going to be higher than your standard liberal-arts college, simply because more students are going to go into higher-paid jobs.
3) The best research is often at state schools. What? State schools? Yes, the top research programs in engineering, the sciences, and many of the social sciences are all in state schools. You can study with world-class professors whether you go to a big-name private school, or the school around the corner.
I don’t know whether these facts will help, but tell your son to think about it this way: The key to success is to put yourself in the right environment. Regardless of how “good” or “prestigious” a school is, if your son doesn’t like it, he won’t have the support he needs to do well.

Good Luck!

-Babs

Dear Babs,

I want to be a therapist when I grow up. I’m taking a psych class as an elective next year in high school, but what should I do when I go to college? What sort of college major should I have? What is the usual career path for a therapist? Any good schools for therapy?
-Wanna Get Psyched

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Dear Get Psyched,

Taking a psych class in high school is a great way to get started. When the time comes for you to take Psych 101 in college, you’ll be ahead of the class.

If you want to be a psychologist, than the most obvious route is to major in psychology. It’s a pretty general degree, meant to provide you with an overview of the field. If you want to be a practising therapist, then you will need to obtain a graduate degree in some field. If you want to be a therapist, there are a few ways to go about it:

A therapist can either be a psychologist or a psychiatrist. This is a gross simplification, but it pretty much holds true. Psychologists have a PhD in psychology and cannot prescribe medication, while a psychiatrist has gone to medical school and can. Nowadays, most psychiatric illnesses require both “talk” therapy and drug therapy, so there are some advantages to going to medical school. Another way to be a therapist is to get your Masters in Social Work, or MSW. A person with a MSW can set up private practice as a therapist, but cannot prescribe medication. These therapists are often used instead of psychologists with children, families, or people with substance abuse problems.

It’s hard trying to figure out what you want to do for the rest of your life while you’re in high school, and frankly, you shouldn’t even try. Having an interest in psychology is a pretty good start. My advice would be to take your psych class next year, and maybe look at majoring in psych in college. Lucky for you, psychology is a pretty popular major, and most schools have an excellent department. Since you’re not sure what exactly you want to do in the field of psychology, why not try and find a school with psychology, social work, and pre-med programs? NYU, BU, or any big state school are good places to start. Once you’ve gotten a better feel for the field, you can decide if med school, social work, or graduate school is right for you.

Good Luck!
-Babs