Additional Resources
FAQs
Can the college office help families with financial aid information?
By all means. There are institutional awards and general awards for both need- based and merit awards.
How does the college office communicate with colleges and universities?
Through multiple channels and via multiple activities. These include: college visitors that come through our college counselling office doors, larger college fairs in our area, regional and national conferences and the counseling staff getting out and visiting campuses.
Will college counselors review students' essays/applications/supplements?
Yes, indeed. All students’ work will be reviewed before being submitted to their respective schools.
Will college reps be visiting Berkshire? What if no rep from the school my child is interested in is visiting campus? Up to 100 admission officers do visit Berkshire every year and if a school of interest does not visit, we’ll arrange for a student to connect via Skype, allow for a campus visit to that school during the spring term of 5th form or fall of 6th form year.
Can students still do college visits this fall? Fall of senior year is a time for students to visit schools. The best time to do this is during the October Fall weekend.
Should my child apply Early Decision? Even if they need financial aid? We strongly encourage all students to be prepared well-enough to make an informed decision on whether or not they’ll apply for the early rounds of Early Decision or Early Action. Whether or not aid is available for students in the early rounds varies from school to school. College counselors will work with students at identifying the aid opportunities at respective schools of interest.
How many schools should my child plan to apply to? This varies from student to student, but we like to see 8 apps per student.
Does my child need to take the SAT/ACT again? What about Subject Tests Typically, best SAT results are earned within 3 attempts. The College Board has stated that after taking more than three SAT 1 tests, students results are not better and commonly will go down. I would advise the same for the ACT. Two times are recommended, and a 3rd should be the last. There are only 40+ schools that require the SAT 2 Subject Tests. There are many more that “recommend” them. Be sure to look at the admission requirement webpages and communicate with your college counselor the schools of interest to judge whether or not your son or daughter should take the SAT 2s.
What can I do as a parent to most effectively support my child's college process? Ask questions. Be involved. Communicate with your child’s counselor and, where possible, take advantage of school breaks to visit schools or better inform yourself about the schools in which they are interested.
STANDARDIZED TESTING SCHEDULE
For students returning to campus:
Berkshire will be administering the following standardized tests on campus. For the School based testing, students do not need to register in advance. Berkshire will order the tests and students will be charged after.
SAT/SAT Subject Test Dates: Wednesday, Sept 23:
School-based testing; only Berkshire Wednesday, October 14: School-based testing; only Berkshire Saturday, November 7*: National testing, including Subject Tests, open to the public *only date for SAT Subject Tests
ACT Test Dates: (students must register themselves at www.actstudent.org) Saturday, September 12 - unlisted test center restricted to Berkshire students only Saturday, October 24 - unlisted test center restricted to Berkshire students only
For students who are participating in distance learning: At this point, ACT and SAT do not have any plans to offer online testing for the fall of 2020. Students who are not able to return to campus will need to register at a test center close to home. Berkshire is not able to assist in registering students at outside test centers. If a student qualifies for a fee waiver, please contact the College Office to receive a code. Many colleges and universities across the country have amended their testing policies to accommodate students who are unable to test, and this will not put them at a disadvantage.
Please be aware that these test dates and policies are subject to change. The College Office will update our blog regularly regarding any additional changes.
Important Test Registration Numbers:
Berkshire School Code: 221900
Berkshire Test Center Code for SAT: 22-708
Berkshire Test Center Code for ACT: 195110
FINANCIAL AID RESOURCES
FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
www.fafsa.ed.gov
CSS/Financial Aid Profile
Berkshire Parents Guide
College Board
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/pay/index.html...
Fastweb
http://www.fastweb.com/
Need-Blind Admissions
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Need-blind_admission