Thanks Beloit! (COWS Day 4)

Today was the final day of the COWS tour and we finished with a morning at Beloit College. We took a tour of campus and, similar to the other schools, got to grill both a faculty and student panel. One might fear that after five such set ups that these events would start to blur together, but I can assure you that is not the case.

Beloit is a school that knows who it is. They are not glamorous or glitzy with over the top facilities or students that carry business cards (yes, I've seen that before on a campus tour). But they are a school that clearly values community, collaboration, and intellectual curiosity. Another counselor asked both the faculty and the students separately what they would do to change the college if given and unlimited budget and no rules. The faculty said they would give the money to the students so they could participate in more travel opportunities off campus and come with them on research trips. The students said they would give the money to the faculty for their classes and research. Cue the collective "awwwwwww."

The values at Beloit are clear. They would (and I think probably do) sacrifice decorative upgrades to the physical plant in exchange for putting those funds toward the intangible things on campus. I would wager that the conversations in the classroom and the confidence that students have when they graduate are off the charts even if the endowment isn't (one student on the panel referenced having to re-learn social norms in the real world where giving your boss criticism at a job isn't recommended after being so used to collaborating with his professors and peers).

I'll be candid to say that Beloit isn't for everyone, but I think for the right candidate, it could be perfect. In closing, I have to mention a final example of Beloit's uniqueness. The bookstore stocks Beloit t-shirts in Japanese and Chinese (10% of the student body is international, and there is funding for international students), something I've never seen in any other bookstore that I've visited. Beloit thinks different. If you do too, you should check it out. And considering it is literally 5 minutes from the Illinois border and less than an hour and a half from O'Hare you can get there faster than some parts of New York state.

On to St. Louis!

Thanks University of Wisconsin - Madison! (COWS Tour Day 3)

We had an early start today with a Lawrence student panel (my comments from yesterday stand, the panel was amazing.) There was a student from Manhattan on the panel and I can confirm that city kids can go to Lawrence and love it. Following the panel, we had the chance to do a mock Freshman Studies class with a Lawrence Math Department professor. We read a short excerpt from Jorge Luis Borges and discussed it. Yes, their math professors teach courses that involve literature, art, philosophy, and music. So. Impressed.

Next we headed to Madison to visit the University of Wisconsin- Madison. Turns out we were not the only people with this plan, as President Obama was also in Madison for a rally on the UW campus. This cramped the style of the Admissions Office and their plans for us, but they pulled a Tim Gunn and 'made it work.' We still were able to have a staff panel, student panel, and campus tour. The location, between two gorgeous lakes, provides for amazing sailing (and views) and the immense academic offerings mean there is something for everyone. I'm talking a major in Dairy Science. So seriously, everything. (Schools of note that you may not find at every school: Nursing and Pharmacy). I'm a sucker for the Big 10, so for students looking for a large Research I university, Wisconsin is a great choice.

Toward the end of the day we headed to our third school of the day, Beloit. I'm excited for our official day here tomorrow, but the area surrounding Beloit is just lovely. It feels quaint, historic, and homey all at once.

More tomorrow when I make my way to St. Louis!

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Thanks Marquette, Ripon, and Lawrence! (Day 1 and 2 of the COWS Tour)

I can hardly believe that in the less than 48 hours since my last post I have done so much. Thanks to my generous hosts, I have had the chance to visit Marquette University, Ripon College, and Lawrence University. It is hard to narrow down just a few things to mention about each, but I'll do my best below.


Marquette University, a Jesuit school, clearly has a place near to my heart because of my own experience working for Jesuit institution. Of all of the schools I'm seeing on this tour, Marquette is the most urban and could potentially appeal to the Eleanor Roosevelt students that want to be in a city, just not New York City. I was also pleased to learn that Milwaukee is ranked #7 for cities with Fortune 500 companies (read: internship opportunities). As one student from California put it, college is the best time of any to live in a cold place. It is safe, affordable, and less than two hours by plane (my one way ticket was under $100). In many cases, it could be cheaper and faster to get to Milwaukee than to some SUNY campuses. Chew on that.

Ripon College this morning showed us a totally different setting. A small college of about 1100 students in a small town, I was impressed with the student panel and felt the students each had some really great insights about why they chose Ripon. There was a larger international population than I was expecting and some seriously generous Financial Aid going on (I'm talking an automatic $1,000 grant just for filing a FAFSA, regardless of income). Ripon isn't the place for everyone, but the students here seemed extremely happy and for a person looking for a small town experience with strong Division III athletics, Ripon could be a great option.

Late this afternoon we arrived at Lawrence University for our tour (our information sessions and activities will continue here tomorrow). I don't want to gush, but I going to. Loren Pope talks about this school changing lives, and from what I can see, he wasn't kidding. Lawrence is a combination of a liberal arts college and a music conservatory. It's small student body feels much larger than it is (only 300 more students than Ripon) and Appleton adds to the dynamic that Lawrence is not in the middle of nowhere (despite being in Eastern Wisconsin). The buildings and views are fantastic. The student body is diverse (and diverse in a meaningful way, where students are actually interacting with one another). Student interests are eclectic and it seems that being unique is embraced. Our tour guide, a 6'8'' senior basketball player, had to run off from our tour because he was late for Pilates. This is a school that manages to feel intellectual and stimulating but that is not highly selective. For anyone willing to get on a plane to go to school, run-don't walk-to add this one to your list.

Next up, University of Wisconsin!

*Image above is from the Milwaukee Art Museum (I visited Sunday Morning). It was AWESOME and is the first Calatrava building to be built in the United States. New York isn't the only place that can be on the cutting edge, +10 points Milwaukee.

Pre NACAC College Tour

I made it to Wisconsin!

I'm excited that I will be spending the next few days on the C.O.W.S. (Counselors Observing Wisconsin Schools) Tour. I'm being generously hosted by Marquette, Ripon, Lawrence, University of Wisconsin and Beloit before heading down to St. Louis for NACAC. My goal is to update the blog very frequently so you can see what I'm up to each day. Being out of the office this time of year is very difficult, but seeing campuses first hand and having the opportunity to present at NACAC are worth the sacrifice.

For now, I'll say that I've managed to forget how cool things can get on Lake Michigan in Fall. Cool as in it was in the 50s when I arrived tonight. And I brought open toed shoes to wear :/

More updates soon!

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Getting Down to Business . . .

The year is already off to a great start and I want to take a minute to go over the basic items that each grade level should be working on right now.

Seniors:
  - Scheduling/Having your Senior Meeting - Many apologies, but if you are applying Regular Decision your meeting will likely be in November. I'm here for you though, so if you need help before then, please reach out.
 - Last minute college visits - Be mindful of when you do these, as we want you to be in school as much as possible.
- Final Testing - You have until November to Re-Test if you applying Early, until December if you are applying Regular.
- Applications - begin applications online. CUNY, SUNY, and public out of State schools should be filed no later than Thanksgiving, but the earlier the better. If you have a late meeting, just email me to discuss ahead of time, before pressing submit.
- Use our resources: essay help, Guidance interns, Naviance, Walk In Wednesdays, College Handbook - there are many ways to get support if you need it. No question is a bad question.

Juniors:
- Consider taking the Mock ACT this weekend
- PSAT will be October 13, learn more here
- Junior year is the last year colleges will see on your final transcript when they are making decisions next year, start strong so you won't be scrambling in the spring to bring up low grades.
- I know it seems early, but if you want to take the SAT at ElRo in the Spring, register for your seat now at www.collegeboard.com Most Juniors take the exam in March, May, or June.

Sophomores:
-PSAT will be October 13, learn more here
- Building strong relationships with your teachers and being involved in your community (school, neighborhood, church, youth center . . . ) will help bring your life into balance. These networks are building blocks for the steps you'll take in the future.

Freshman: 
-Welcome to ElRo! I'm so excited to be at Ramapo with you!
- Focus on the adjustment to high school, college will come later
- Remember your grades from 9th grade will be seen by colleges, so start off on the right foot.

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Thanks U. Va!

 

Wow, have these first few days of school been crazy! I'm going to try and update the blog more often, but I had to quickly post about a Counselor Breakfast I was able to attend on Tuesday hosted by the University of Virginia and the Jefferson Scholars Foundation.

U. Va was one of the first campuses (or should I say "Grounds") that I ever visited, at the tender age of 10, because my grandparents lived in Richmond and we went to walk around the school that Jefferson built. My positive memories from that experience were only reinforced at the Counselor Breakfast. Out of state admission is fierce, but I hope to see some ElRo grads headed to Charlottesville in the years to come.

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Back to School, Back to School . . .

I know people say it every year, but boy did that summer vacation go by fast! Tomorrow is the first day of school and in honor of all of the ElRo students and staff, I have posted the clip below from one of my favorite 'school' movies, Dead Poets Society. Realistically, I know that most of our current students probably have not even heard of this movie, all the more reason that I encourage you to watch.

I hope that each of us, students and staff, can remember to stand on our desks every once in awhile. Especially when it comes to the college search process, a new perspective can go a long way.