Finding and Affording the Right College

Finding (and Affording) the Right College

Ready or not, it’s time to start thinking about college—and how you’re going to pay for it. The following pages offer some tips on what to consider. They also tell you a bit about Lebanon Valley College—the right fit for the 1,630 students who call it home.

Location

A college’s setting can have a big impact on your experience.

Urban schools are often less community focused, with many students living off campus. Small colleges usually mean closer relationships between students and professors—and livelier campus life.

Located in small-town Annville, Pennsylvania, Lebanon Valley College is an energetic, welcoming community. Students really know their classmates and professors, and they enjoy life with close friends on a beautiful, comfortable campus.

Size

From as many as 60,000 students to as few as 1,200, colleges range dramatically in size.

Big universities operate on a large scale—famous faculty, big classes, and many majors to choose from.

Small colleges tend to be less specialized but offer smaller classes and closer interaction with professors.

With 1,630 students, a 13:1 student-faculty ratio, and an average class size of 20, LVC offers a student-focused education.

You’ll quickly find your place here, and getting involved is easy.

Experience

Colleges place varying degrees of priority on research, study abroad, and internships.

Helping students find ways to learn outside of the classroom requires resources that many schools simply don’t have. At larger institutions in particular, students often have to find these opportunities on their own.

LVC devotes considerable time and energy to helping students learn about and prepare for the real world. More than half of all science students conduct research with professors; nearly 20 percent of all students study off campus, and more than 60 percent get hands-on experience through a professional internship, student-teaching position, or field/ clinical work before graduation.

Community

Campus communities differ widely depending on size, location, and residential system.

Students at urban universities tend to live and spend much of their free time off campus. Those at smaller colleges tend to be more involved with campus life and are more likely to live in campus housing.

The LVC community is dynamic, residential, and supportive.

Our students benefit from a diverse student body, more than 90 clubs and organizations, guaranteed housing, and a wide variety of collegesponsored (and often free) activities and excursions.

Academic Offerings

Colleges vary in the type of education they offer.

Colleges and universities span a wide range of educational philosophies. Some focus on preparing students for a specific career, while others take a liberal arts approach, asking students to explore a broad range of topics and disciplines.

LVC offers a balance between professional preparation and broad intellectual growth. You’ll complete a major and gain a solid foundation in your chosen field while also developing critical thinking and communication skills that will give you a competitive edge in whatever you do.

Professors

Find out who will teach you— and how accessible they will be.

It won’t matter how famous your professors are if you never get to talk to them one on one. At many larger schools, courses are taught by graduate students instead of professors.

Courses at LVC are taught by professors who love to teach and interact with their students.

Because of our small scale and personalized approach, professors are able to go beyond just teaching subject matter to help students develop vital, universal skills.

Facilities and Resources

Exceptional facilities and resources are only helpful if you get to use them.

Big universities boast expensive equipment and impressive facilities, but often the first priority for these is given to graduate students.

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Everything at LVC is available to you. We offer sophisticated equipment, advanced physical therapy training facilities, cuttingedge recording studios, smart classrooms, and other specialized teaching technologies—all for use by undergraduates.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

College is a big investment.

Scholarships and other financial support are often a critical factor in choosing the right school.

State universities may seem to cost less than private colleges, but they usually offer far less financial assistance, and it often takes students more than four years to graduate. Some colleges offer little aid or scholarship support and depend on students who are able to pay full tuition.

Rankings

Remember that college rankings mostly exist to sell magazines.

The idea that a mathematical formula can identify the best colleges has been widely debunked. The real question is, what’s the best college for you?

Outcomes

Be sure to ask how a college’s students do after graduation.

The answer says a lot about the school. Does it have a solid reputation? Does it offer strong career counseling? Do alumni help students find internships and jobs?

LVC is well known for its generous, guaranteed Presidential Scholarships.

Any student graduating in the top 30 percent of his or her high school class receives an automatic scholarship—up to half tuition for those among the top 10 percent.

Need-based aid is also available.

Overall, 98 percent of LVC students receive some form of financial assistance.

LVC fares well in a number of categories tracked by U.S. News & World Report. The one that probably means the most to you: we’re ranked second in the North in the “Great Schools, Great Prices” category among the “Best Regional Colleges.”

Within six months of graduation, 76 percent of LVC graduates responding to our annual survey were employed, and 30 percent were in graduate or professional school. LVC faculty, career counselors, and alumni all help prepare students to succeed in their lives after college.

Wherever you are in your high school career, here are some things to keep in mind as you prepare for college.

SOPHOMORE YEAR

JUNIOR YEAR

SENIOR YEAR

You might not even be thinking about college at this point, but there are things you can do now that will help a lot down the line.

It’s time to start learning about specific colleges and building a list of favorites, but it’s just as important that you keep up your grades.

With the end in sight, you’ll have to balance college applications with the work it will take to finish high school strong.

Course work: Most colleges consider all four years of high school when making admission decisions.

Good grades now mean better options and scholarships.

Testing: Take the PSAT in the fall and the SAT or ACT in the spring.

A strong PSAT score can lead to scholarships.

Testing: Take the SAT or ACT again in the fall; most people do better the second time, and most colleges consider only your best score.

Reading: Reading will sharpen your mind, expand your knowledge, and help you discover things that interest you—all things that help you in college.

Volunteering: Giving to others builds character and perspective; colleges are always looking for communityminded citizens.

Other activities: Colleges want to fill their communities with active people who have many talents and interests.

So keep on doing the things you enjoy.

Part-time job: Working helps you earn money for college and builds skills, discipline, and responsibility.

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College research: Use websites and guidebooks to learn about different schools. Make a list of application requirements and deadlines for each one you are considering.

College visits: Visit campuses and talk with admission counselors.

Take a notebook and a camera—and ask plenty of questions.

Finishing strong: Colleges want to see high school transcripts with good grades and challenging courses—particularly in junior and senior years.

Financial aid: Learn about financial aid terms and options. It seems complex, but there is a lot of money out there to help you pay for college—and people willing to help you figure it all out.

Timelines: There are a lot of dates to remember.

Make a calendar of admission and financial aid deadlines, and keep lists of other things that must be done.

Time management: It’s easy to get overwhelmed during your senior year. Try to divide the things you have to do into a series of smaller tasks.

Financial aid: Do what you can to keep on top of the financial aid deadlines and paperwork. Don’t be shy about asking for help with this.

Presidential Scholarships 2012-2013 LVC awards automatic Presidential Scholarships to all students graduating in the top 30 percent of their high school class. The criteria below shows you at a glance how much scholarship money is waiting for you at LVC.

Vickroy Award

One-half tuition scholarships are awarded to all entering freshmen ranking in the top 10 percent of their high school graduating class.

Leadership Award

One-third tuition scholarships are awarded to all entering freshmen ranking in the top 20 percent of their high school graduating class.

Achievement Award

One-quarter tuition scholarships are awarded to all entering freshmen ranking in the top 30 percent of their high school graduating class.

top 10%

$16,835 per year

top 20%

$11,223 per year

top 30%

$8,418 per year

High school students who attend schools that do not rank their students or who do not have a rank in the top 10 percent of their class, but have a combined Critical Reading and Math SAT score of 1100 or more or ACT Composite of 24, may be eligible for Presidential Scholarships through an on-campus interview.

Awards are renewable annually. Amounts shown above are based on 2012-2013 tuition.

Other LVC Scholarships and Awards

Need-Based Financial Aid

In addition to the Presidential Scholarships, LVC offers a number of scholarships and awards for students meeting special criteria.

In addition to merit scholarships, assistance based solely on your family’s financial need is available from LVC and other sources. Government and LVC grants, loans, federal work-study support, and a variety of financing options combine to help your family meet the costs of a Lebanon Valley College education.

Extra support is available to students with outstanding ability or achievement in biology, music, and leadership; to children of LVC alumni; and to qualified multicultural students based on academic achievement, commitment to service, and financial need.

Transfer students with 15 or fewer transferable credits are considered for LVC scholarships on the same basis as high school seniors.

For more information on all types of financial aid and scholarships at LVC, go to www.lvc.edu/financial-aid.

LVC™ AT A GLANCE

Hartford

PROFILE

INTERNSHIPS

A private, coeducational college founded in 1866 and dedicated to the liberal arts.

Available in every major—in Annville, Hershey, Harrisburg, and beyond.

CAMPUS/LOCATION

STUDENT LIFE

59 buildings on more than 340 acres in Annville, Pennsylvania, a town of 5,000; 10 minutes from Hershey, 30 minutes from Harrisburg, and two hours from Baltimore and Philadelphia.

More than 90 organizations, including music, theater, student media, greek, pre-professional, political, athletic, recreational, religious, language-focused, and service clubs and groups.

STUDENTS

ATHLETICS

1,630 full-time undergraduates, mainly from the mid-Atlantic but also representing New England, the Southeast, and a number of foreign countries.

Ratio of women to men is 55:45.

A member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA), Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC), and Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC), LVC offers the following sports: Baseball Basketball Cross Country Field Hockey Football Golf Ice Hockey Lacrosse Soccer Softball Swimming Tennis Track and Field (indoor and outdoor) Volleyball

FRESHMAN CLASS PROFILE

468 students, primarily from Pennsylvania and the midAtlantic region. Percent in the top 30 percent of their high school class: 77; average SAT score: 1088; average ACT score: 22.5.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

34 undergraduate majors, plus self-designed majors and a range of minors, concentrations, and pre-professional options; graduate degree programs in physical therapy, business administration, music education, and science education.

STUDY ABROAD AND OFF-CAMPUS PROGRAMS

• •• •• • • •• • •• •• • •• •• •• •

• men’s • women’s AFTER LVC

Programs in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., as well as in 11 foreign countries including Argentina, Australia, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, and Spain.

In the past five years, about 76 percent of alumni responding to our annual survey were employed within six months of graduation; about 30 percent were enrolled in graduate or professional programs.

CAREER SERVICES

Call in advance to schedule a private campus tour and information session with an admission counselor.

A full range of support, including Career Connections, an online network of LVC alumni.

VISITING

New York City (150 mi.)

Lebanon Valley College Harrisburg (28 mi.)

Philadelphia (89 mi.)

Washington, D.C. (150 mi.)

Richmond

2012-2013 COSTS

For full-time students: Resident Tuition, fees, room, and board: $43,650 Commuter Tuition and fees:

$34,370

FINANCIAL AID AND SCHOLARSHIPS

Approximately 98 percent of students receive some form of financial assistance. LVC scholarships are guaranteed to all students in the top 30 percent of their high school class; generous need-based aid is also available.

CONTACT LVC

101 North College Avenue Annville, Pennsylvania 17003-1400 1-866-582-4236 admission@lvc.edu

www.lvc.edu

At Lebanon Valley College, admission decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion/ creed, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status, or any trait protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws and/or College policy. The College does not discriminate on any of the foregoing bases in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, or its scholarship and loan programs.

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