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College Planning Experts on KIVA AM 1550
Founder and CEO, Brian Safdari opens up with Mike & Rudy of KIVA AM 1550 “More Positive Talk Radio” in an interview about his journey from struggling student to entrepreneur and College Planning Expert.
“College is a very successful [and profitable] business and as a student, you don’t think about that, just the academics and the education and going onto your career.” Safdari tells Mike & Rudy.
Brian reveals the truth about being a victim of the college system which has compelled him to teach others the tricks of the trade. Tune into the entire interview here.
Deadline for Cal Grant Looms
Is your student about to miss out on up to $38,832 of free money for college? The deadline is looming For the Cal Grant. Many parents will lose out on thousands because they will not know how to take these two simple steps. Don’t miss this MARCH 2nd, 2011 DEADLINE.
Since 1955, the State of California has had the leading program in the nation to help students afford college, but most parents don’t even know it exists, so every year, tens of thousands of families miss out on a grant worth up to $9,708 of free money… a year.
For me, It’s really sad to hear about how many parents miss out on getting all the money that’s available for their kids. Right now, California is 40th in the nation for getting our students educated past high school, and many students aren’t going for financial reasons. Yet, this program can pay ALL of their tuition if they qualify, and most people will miss out because they don’t apply or they miss a deadline.
In fact, in 2005, over 75% of the graduating seniors did NOT complete a simple application for this grant.
I personally think that what is really sad is that our rate of college admission is plummeting as a state, with 14.5% less students going to college now than were going ten years ago. At that rate, our income level will fall below the U.S. average by the year 2020. Enough is enough already! We need to get our children educated!
College Planning Expert Brian Safdari is a strategist when it comes to maximizing college acceptances, reducing out-of-pocket costs as well as assisting you and your family to successfully navigate through the higher education system. His own story has compelled him to help others in maximizing their education and minimizing the cost. For more on Brian and how The College Planning Experts can help you: sign-up for a FREE workshop nearest you or contact us.
Choosing the right SAT Subjects
It’s important to understand that choosing the right subjects for the SAT Subject Test portion is just as crucial as choosing the right university. Here are some common questions about the SATs and how to better understand why they are critical to the admissions process.
Why are they so important for top colleges?
In short, they help colleges interpret your grades and equalize grading scales from high school to high school.
How does an A at school X compare to an A in school Y?
Well, if one student scored a 770 on the Bio SAT Subject Test and the other scored a 580, we’d know that the first school had a much “truer” grading scale and that the competition was simply not as strong at school Y. In effect, these scores either show that a student deserved the high grades he received, or that the school simply hands out many A’s. With that being the case, students usually have to submit 2-3 SAT Subject Tests at most competitive colleges.
Students should consider very carefully which tests they sign up for – most students don’t even realize that the average test scores are totally different on every SAT Subject Test!
Most assume that the mean score is 500, but that is not the case. Take the Math I and the Math II. Many students take the I thinking it’s “easier,” but the average score on a recent test was 588. If you miss a handful of questions, you will not even score in the 700′s! Compare that to the Math II – the average score was recently 659! That means you can get a bunch wrong and still be in the700′s (on a recent test, you could get 7 wrong and still score a perfect 800). In other words, every test has a different group of test takers – the kids who take the II are a smaller group, but a stronger group. Take exams like the
Chinese – since almost all the kids who take it actually speak Chinese, the average has been very high: 752! Here’s another fact to keep in mind: the percentile scores do not get reported to colleges, only the grade. Most admissions officers don’t differentiate or even worry about if you 750 was “high” or low for your test. So those who get a 752 on the Chinese test (the highest average of all the SAT Subject Tests) score only 50%, but the score still looks strong.
The message is, it pays to study the average scores and pick tests based on your ability and the scoring curve. The average information is available on the College Board’s web site and is actually printed on the score reports you receive back after taking SAT Subject Tests. Use them to your advantage!
College Planning Expert Brian Safdari is a strategist when it comes to maximizing college acceptances, reducing out-of-pocket costs as well as assisting you and your family to successfully navigate through the higher education system. His own story has compelled him to help others in maximizing their education and minimizing the cost. For more on Brian and how The College Planning Experts can help you: sign-up for a FREE workshop nearest you or contact us.