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Show looking for a student any student to talk to. What does all this mean to you? If you're the parent of a college-bounstudent, it means that you have a radically improved chance of enrolling your son or daughter into a better school than you might have expected. Being admitted to the "college of one's choice" vas once the high school senior's dream. Today, it's come a lot closer to being a sure bet. comparable figure for the last 20 years. In fact, the most likely error high school students are liable to make is to underestimate their chances of college admission, and aim too low in their choice. But even the best of students should be sure to apply to at least one "safety school" a place where he is certain to gain admission. d four-yea- r public institutions will be approximately $2000 a year. Such costs may seem exorbitant to parents, and college officials aren't happy about them either. Colleges have limited faculty pay raises and cut back on many educational programs in middle-incom- is, however, that most How does it work? The parents fill out a confidential statement of income, which is available at any high school guidance office. They'll be asked to state such items as income, number of children in college, assets and unusual expenses. From this form, and with the help of tables, the financial aid officer computes a "reasonable expected contribution" from the family toward the cost of a year in college. If this "contribution" figure is lower than the cost of the particular college, a "need" has been established. Here's a table that gives the College Scholarship Service's estimate of expected "contribution," assuming that only one child will be in college: Income (before taxes) MWhWlLlHtt SWP f HOUSE PAINT AMERICAN Left WOD twnau on vn IIKRIT.V.E' uJ andmetal -- sJPfclS ,. . vtolli can give. you a Great Outdoors choice Only Sherwin-William- s Latex House Paint, of either SWP Gloss House Paint, or g at a price of $7.99 a gallon. SWP Gloss House Paint takes a shine to all your house. Put it on siding, doors, most anywhere. For a soft, beautiful finish, use Latex House Paint. Easy to apply. Easy to clean up. Sale ends September 4th. Shop for barThe Sherwin-William- s gains throughout the store. See the Yellow Pages for your nearest A-1- 00 labor-savin- A-1- 00 out-of-sta- te Sherwin-William- s Decorating Center. SHERWIN-WiLUAM- S HELPS YOU DO TALL. Of course, getting into a good college is one thing paying for it is another. It's estimated that for the current academic year, expenses at the average four-yea- r private college will be $3281. And that doesn't include the cost of textbooks, pizza, and other miscellaneous items, so that a more accurate annual bill would be around $3800. The the past few years in an effort to hold down tuition increases. Officials point out that the ar.nual cost of a private has kept pace school education (roughly) with the cost of a new family-siz- e car including and a few other options. Unfortunately, many parents automatically rule out private colleges for Family Family $ 447 $2104 $1460 $4016 $2979 $2'000 This means that a family with two children and an annual income of $1 5,000 would be expected to contribute $2104 to the cost o( a year in college. That's around $1700 lower than the $3800 cost at the average private college. Thus, the family would have established a $1700 "need." $10,000 $15,000 Similarly, other schools reconsidered eminently prestige-consciou- s by spectable as parents such Duke, Stanford, Carleton, Bowdoin and Oberlin still turn away many applicants. And gaining admission to some state universities such as University of New Hampshire, University of North Carolina, and William and Mary in Virginia remains extremely difficult for students. But aside from exceptions like these, getting into a good college in the 1970's will be easier than at any time during e Establishing 'need' ar Prestige schools middle-incom- parents can qualify for financial aid at private institutions if they apply. 90 percent chance One seasoned admissions officer estimates that a student with a C average and a score of 400 (out of a possible 800) on the verbal section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) could be admitted to 90 percent Of the four-yea- r educational institutions in the U.S. This estimate is confirmed. by a high official of the College Placement Bureau in Washington, D.C., who adds: "Anybody who can graduate from high school can be admitted to colseveral good four-yeleges, no matter how feeble a student he or she may be." None of this means that any student can be admitted to all of the 1450 accredited four-yea- r colleges and universities in the United States. Harvard, Yale and other Ivy schools still have League three to five times as many applicants as they can take. However, anyone thinking that Ivy League schools automatically accept the best students is laboring under an illusion. It's by no means unusual for a top Ivy League school to admit an outstanding ice hockey player or a high school class president who ranks jn the second fifth of his class while rejecting the salutatorian and several g other applicants from the same school. their children because of cost. Some e families don't bother to apply for financial aid, either because they feel there's a stigma attached to doing so, or because they erroneously believe such help is available only to the poor or underprivileged. The fact $ 893 Empty places Many private colleges are ready to do something to meet that "need," in the form of an outright grant, a loan, a job for the student, or a combination of all three. The entire sum may not always be but colleges forthcoming, faced by the threat of empty places are generally willing to meet a "need" in the $500-$150- 0 range. After all, half a tuition is better than no tuition at all. If you and your son or daughter want a state university or other public institution, fine. But if you'd really prefer a good private college but are afraid that its admission standards are too high or its cost more than you can bear, take another look. 9 |