Our blog is one year old!

Our blog is one year old!

It's been a great year, and to celebrate, we've compiled 10 of your all-time favorite blog posts:

What do you believe?

RESULTS: 2014-15 College Admissions & Financial Aid Cycle!

71% of Recent College Grads Still Receiving Financial Help From Parents

Where Are You Going, and How Will You Get There?

8 Steps to Acing the College Admissions Interview

SAT & ACT: Do I really have to take both? (See our 2014-15 numbers!)

4 Tips for Getting GREAT College Recommendation Letters from Teachers

Does the PSAT Matter?

College Costs & Financial Aid

3 Biggest Misconceptions About the SAT & ACT

Remember to let us know if you have any friends or neighbors who might enjoy our blog!

Mike, Debbie, Erin, Chris, Jeremy, and Rena

SAT & ACT: Do I really have to take both? (See our 2014-15 Numbers!)

"Do I really have to take both?"

It's a question we hear from many students every year at the start of SAT/ACT season. And our answer is, "Only if you want to maximize your chances of getting into the best school with the best possible financial aid package for you."

The numbers speak for themselves. On average, our students who took only one of the two college entrance exams received an average financial aid offer of $16,250 from each school, with an offer of $16,800 from their #1 choice.

Compare that to students who took both tests! Students who took both the SAT and the ACT received an average of $22,000 per school, with an offer of $27,000 from their #1 choice.

Why might this be the case? Students who take both tests have the chance to tackle the same content in different forms. Some students find that the structure of one test simply suits their strengths better than the structure of the other test does. You can then decide whether you want to focus on studying and retaking your better of the two tests. Students who score significantly higher on one test can submit just their best scores to colleges, a tactic that has benefited many of our students.

Furthermore, students who perform equally well on both tests can still submit both sets of scores to colleges, providing the school with more evidence confirming that the student is a good academic fit.

As our rising juniors work hard to prepare to take the SAT and ACT for the first time this fall, we'd like to share some other fun facts and interesting statistics from our 2014 & 2015 graduating classes. Click here for the full results!

Remember, colleges prioritize GPA and test scores when determining how much merit aid a student will receive, so it's important to show the best numbers possible.

 As our results show, these are tests that you can and should study for. Students who took advantage of our SAT & ACT resources raised their scores by an average of 229 points on the SAT and 4 points on the ACT. A boost of that magnitude will make a huge difference when colleges make decisions about admissions and financial aid!

If you still need to schedule your initial student meeting with me to get started with our online SAT & ACT courses, please email erin@enspherecps.com or call us at (724) 745-0305.

Erin, Director of Student Services

P.S. Join us on September 10th for our family event, "SAT & ACT Steps to Success!" Admission is free to all Ensphere families (or $99 per student for non-Ensphere members). Seats are filling up fast, so let me know ASAP if you'd like to reserve your spot!

Tuition Hikes at State Schools: Watch Mike on KDKA-TV!

What was Mike doing on Friday evening?

Mike sat down with KDKA money editor Jon Delano to talk about expected tuition hikes at state schools.

The local schools affected include Cal U, Clarion, Edinboro, IUP, and Slippery Rock. Pitt and Penn State have yet to announce their expected tuition increases.

For Mike's thoughts and more, click here!

If you'd like to schedule a meeting with Mike to review your family's college funding plan, please reply to this email or call (724) 745-0305.
 
Remember our four steps to a successful college journey: determine the student's career path, find the right-fit school, graduate on time, and develop a plan for paying for college and beyond.

Let us know if you have any questions; we are here to help!

Erin, Director of Student Services

P.S. In case you missed last week's announcement, we've published our event calendar for the upcoming season! Some events are expected to fill up very quickly, so email or call the office to save your seat.

Ensphere Family Events: July-December 2015

This year's events have been a BIG hit, so we are happy to announce our upcoming season of events for Ensphere families (and guests)!

We've heard your requests, and this season's events will include, among others:

• "Let’s Plan Ahead: Time Management & Study Skills!"
• "What Are Colleges Looking For On My Transcript?"
• "SAT & ACT Steps to Success!"
• "All About the Financial Aid Process!" 

Join us at these events and more to make sure you have everything you need for a successful college journey. We believe successful college planning involves identifying a career path, picking the right college, graduating on time, and having a written plan for funding college. Our family events are designed to support you in each step along the way.
 
Check out our calendar (click here) for information on upcoming events for freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors!

 

What have families been saying about our events?

Very informative. - Janet K.

Great session. Extremely helpful. - Karl S.

I would like to take the time to thank Erin for an absolutely flawless presentation last week. From content to delivery, I was so impressed with her enthusiasm and knowledge of her subject. I find working with Erin a true joy! – Monette S.

Content very helpful and worthwhile. - Cindy H.

 Nice job. Informative, to the point, and helpful. - Kim M.

Great presentation today! - Monica K.

Very helpful. - Ciara H.

I just wanted to take a minute and give credit where credit is due. You did a fantastic job tonight, Erin, in giving the presentation, "What are Your Chances?". I, along with my son and daughter, found the information presented not only very informative but very helpful as well. My daughter said, she wishes she could have known the information she learned tonight back when she was a freshman in high school as a motivator. I told her "I've been telling you all along." She said, "I know Mom, but no offense, but coming from you isn't the same and is kind of like nagging, but hearing it from someone else in the industry is motivating." Anyway, great job Erin! My kids have been trying to do their best, but I think they're feeling a little more flame under their butts after tonight to do even better if they can. Thanks again! – Joan S.

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To save your spot at an event, please email erin@enspherecps.com or call (724) 745-0305.

 
If you know of any friends or neighbors who might benefit from the Ensphere experience, you can reply to this email or click here, and we'll extend an invitation.
 
We'll see many of you in the coming months!
 
Erin, Director of Student Services