elro.college.counseling

Junior Kick Off!

2012-02-10T14:24:00.000-05:00

I've been waiting for this week for awhile now - the start of the college process for students that came to ElRo the same year that I did! Well Class of 2013, the time is now! On Monday, we had the official kickoff to the college process with our College Office assembly. Students heard a very broad overview of the process in an assembly and were also given a paper copy of the College Office Handbook to hopefully take home, read, and share with parents/guardians. As an aside, each student will only get one hard copy of the handbook, so guard it well and don't lose it! Just in case, a digital copy of the College Office Handbook can be found here

Next Monday, Seniors will visit Advisory classes to present on how to use Naviance and then Juniors will register for their Naviance accounts. (Registration codes will be emailed to students on Monday and every student is expected to sign up by mid-week).

Once registered with Naviance, Juniors should complete their Junior Naviance Survey and then fill out the Junior Meeting Request online form in order to be assigned their Junior meeting with me. I know that is a lot of steps-- so, let's summarize:

1) Get trained on Naviance on Monday
2) Log in to ElRo email, get registration code, and sign in to Naviance for the first time
3) Fill out Junior Survey on Naviance
4) Using link posted on Naviance, fill out Junior Meeting Request
5) Keep an eye on your inbox to find out when your Junior meeting will be!

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Thanks University of Miami!

2012-02-03T22:54:00.000-05:00

Thank you to the University of Miami for hosting me and 30+ other counselors on a counselor fly-in program so we could see the campus first hand. We have had an action packed day where we have had a chance to hear from various staff, students, and even President Donna Shalala - and one theme is clear - Miami occupies a niche that is very hard to find. As a private school, with an acceptance rate below 40%, with a student body of 10,000 students, near a city - it is a combination that is very, very, hard to find. Even more impressive is the significant diversity on campus - with around 50% of students identifying as students of color and 20% of students are international. If that isn't a global campus with a diverse perspective, I don't know what is.

In addition, it is one of few selective schools that still offers merit based scholarships and it is also one of few selective private schools that does not ask for the CSS profile. Multiple university staff poked fun at their counter intuitive tendency of offering a staggering amount of options to a relatively small group of students. In other words, for the number of clubs, services, majors, minors, and on-campus events amenities they offer students they should have a student body and revenue stream three or four times their size. But instead, they prioritize an individual student centered approach - willing to spend more money if it means making more students happy.

I was particularly impressed with the presentation by Dr. Patricia Whitely, VP for Student Affairs. She had such a clear passion for working with students and taking a human approach to discipline. Speaking of being impressed, we were lucky enough to have dinner with President Shalala. The photo above is a nod to a story that was shared that embodies her approach to serving the campus. A performance artist installed hammocks on campus and was upset when students were 'sitting' on the art. After hearing this, and after the art installation was over, President Shalala now has hammocks hung up during finals week every semester. On an additional side note, next time you have dinner with her at her gorgeous home, make a special request to have the cake-pops for dessert. They were amazing ;)

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PTA Meeting Summary - Understanding College Admissions Standardized Tests

2012-01-24T16:11:00.000-05:00

Many thanks to Maureen from Revolution Prep for coming to present to the PTA last week about how to understand the various college admissions tests. Below are some useful slides that she shared (all graphics used are from Revolution Prep, to learn more about test prep from this company go to www.revolutionprep.com)

The format of the PSAT

The format of the SAT

The format of the ACT

The differences and similarities between the PSAT, SAT, and ACT

As always, my advice is as follows:

All students are encouraged to examine their performance on both the SAT and ACT (usually via their PSAT and mock ACT scores). Whichever test the student is naturally better on is the one they should take twice for real. Some students feel they will maximize their score by taking a prep course or using a tutor. A course or tutor should only be used for the one type of exam they already know they have a natural ability in. If a student tests the exact same on the two tests, they should pick the test they like studying for best. Colleges will all take either the SAT or ACT with writing.

Testing should be done during the spring (January to June) of Junior year, with senior year fall as an option for re-testing. Most students at ElRo are best served by trying to maximize their SAT Reasoning Test or ACT with writing score as opposed to worrying about taking tons of SAT Subject Tests. Two or three Subject Tests are required by a small subset of the most selective colleges. If a student wants to apply to those schools, they will need to take the tests, but the majority of students will not need to focus on them. If a Subject Test is taken, it is encouraged to be taken in June, at the end of the course in that subject.

If a student is not satisfied with their testing scores, they are encouraged to look at www.fairtest.org a website that indicates schools that are testing optional (meaning no test scores must be submitted in order to be admitted).

See you Thursday!

2012-01-18T16:28:00.000-05:00

Just a reminder that tomorrow (Thursday, January 19) is a college related PTA meeting: Demystifying Standardized Testing. I encourage any parent, guardian, or student grades 9-11 to attend to learn more about how testing works. The meeting is at 6:00 pm in the auditorium!

Financial Aid PD Tips and Reminders

2012-01-12T15:10:00.000-05:00

Thank you to the New York State Financial Aid Administrator's Association and HESC for offering their annual Financial Aid professional development yesterday, which I was able to attend. I can't even begin to put all of the information that I learned into one blog post, but I do want to share some highlights that I think students, parents, and guardians will find useful.

- The FAFSA is really starting to push the option of linking your taxes (if filed electronically) with the FAFSA to reduce the need to be selected for verification and to lower the chance of making an error with the data entry. The Data Retrieval Tool (or DRT) is not available right now, but should be in a few weeks (ideal since that is when most people will start filing taxes). The site should remind/encourage families to use this too, but it is highly recommended. My understanding is you WILL be able to submit the FAFSA now indicating that you 'will file' taxes for 2011 then when you log back in in a month to update after you have filed your taxes you can opt in to the DRT feature.

- Student aid is at constant risk of being cut by your federal legislators. Go to 'Save Student Aid' on Facebook to learn more and find out how to speak to your representatives to try and reduce further cuts.

- TAP is a grant given to NY state residents if they attend a college in NY state. You will be prompted to fill out a TAP application after you submit your FAFSA, but the link is pretty small (it is next to the orange arrow that says 'optional feature' on the page that comes up after you submit). If you miss this link (or close the window after you submit the FAFSA without clicking it) you will need to wait 5 days before you can complete the TAP application. If this happens, don't worry, it is not very time sensitive and you will probably have to edit your TAP application in May anyway once you decide where you are going. (The TAP award is only calculated for one school - the first New York State school that you list on your FAFSA. If you end up not getting in or not going to that school, you can manually update the school via that TAP site). Your adjusted gross income for your NY state return must be under $80,000 per year to qualify for TAP. The awards can be up to $5,000 per year.

- Colleges that require the CSS Profile can provide fee waiver codes to low income students if the ones provided to the student when they fill out the CSS are not sufficient. Students should call the individual college where the CSS is required, but whose fee was not covered by the College Board, and ask about Fee Payment Codes. This was the most exciting thing I learned at the whole workshop!! (Please note, this does NOT mean that every family can call up the schools and ask for fee waivers. These still only apply to students who have a financial hardship in paying the fees associated with filing the CSS. Remember, it is a financial based form. Colleges will be able to see your income and assets, only ask if you really need it).

- If your family has a change to their financial situation that is not clear on the FAFSA or CSS, call the Financial Aid office at the school and inquire about what kind of professional judgement can be made to adjust your award package. This would be in a situation say where a parent lost a job in February of 2012, or got an illness diagnosis in November of 2011.

- NEW THIS YEAR: If your EFC has an asterisk * next to it and you've been selected for verification, you can no longer provide documentation to the colleges via a 1040. Thanks to fraud and lots of people faking these documents, colleges are now only supposed to accept a tax transcript from the IRS, which the parent will have to call the IRS to request. It was suggested to have the transcript faxed as opposed to mailed on paper, since mailing it will take significantly longer. If a family doesn't have access to a fax machine please use the school's fax number and make me aware of when to expect it so I can be sure the main office is prepared to get such a sensitive document. If you are are not selected for verification, you don't need to worry about this step.

- For students that are undocumented, I highly recommend connecting with the New York State Youth Leadership Council. They offer a support group for undocumented students and are a fabulous resource to understand how to apply, attend, and afford college. If you fall into this category, please see me so I can give you more information. Their website is www.nysylc.org if you are not undocumented but want to help support legislation to open up paths to citizenship for students in this category, look up ways to support the DREAM Act.

- Overall the main idea with Financial Aid is MEET DEADLINES and triple check every number before submitting. It is easy to make mistakes, especially when you rush. File the FAFSA this month then be sure to remember to log back in and update the entire thing with your 2011 numbers. They make you jump through a lot of hoops, but ask yourself if that is worth the chance to get money. Usually, it is.

Apps wind down, Faf$as wind up

2012-01-05T12:46:00.001-05:00

Source: flickr.com via One Crafty on Pinterest

The New Year brings a new beginning! It also brings lots of financial forms. January is the month where senior families need to be filing the FAFSA (in addition to the CSS Profile if it is required and hasn't been completed already).

Most Common Questions About Financial Aid:
Click below to read!

Why should I fill out a FAFSA? I'll never get any money.

It is true, we can't know for sure what kind of financial aid package a school will or will not give you. However, most families, especially those that make less than $225,000 per year, will qualify for some form of financial aid at most private schools. Some families that make more can still end up qualifying depending on the number of people in the house, the number of kids in college, and other factors that could affect a family EFC (Estimated Family Contribution). Long story short - no one can force you to fill out the FAFSA but if you don't you are essentially telling the college that you plan to pay full price. Best case scenario - you get aid you were not expecting. Worst case scenario - you spent some time filling out a free form and ended up right where you started paying full price.

What documents will I need for the FAFSA? Are they the only documents I'll need?

To fill out the FAFSA be sure that you have access to the following right there in front of you as you are filling it out online (don't guess or go from memory!): Social Security Numbers for both the student and the parent (or alien registration number if you are a permanent resident), most recent tax return, final paystub(s) from 2011 to indicate yearly income, parent's date of marriage/divorce (if applicable), basic information like date of birth for both parent and child, bank statements to indicate amount in checking and savings, financial documents if the parent or child owns a business or farm.

What should I be sure I've done before starting the FAFSA?

If you are male and 18 or older on the day you file the FAFSA you need to have registered with selective service. You can also complete this at the time you are doing the FAFSA, but why distract yourself when you are already stressed? Just do it ahead of time. Regardless of if you are male or female, you and your parent are going to need a PIN. The PIN is an electronic signature and is a four digit number that you will get to pick out. You will keep your PIN your entire live, so pick it and remember it. If your parents have ever filled out a FAFSA before (for themselves or an older sibling) they already have a PIN and don't need to make a new one (but they do need to remember what it is). The site to make a PIN is: http://www.pin.ed.gov/PINWebApp/pinindex.jsp

What if my family's 2011 taxes are not done yet? It is only January, we like to get an extension.

Not this year you don't. Taxes need to be completed as early as possible. However, that doesn't mean they need to be done in January, the FAFSA will ask if you've filed and you can respond "I will file" but you need to follow up and file them sooner rather than later. If your family income is stable from last year to this year, you can use the 2010 tax return to estimate the values that the FAFSA asks for. Then, when the 2011 return is done go in and update the FAFSA with the new values.

It says I can list 10 schools to share my FAFSA with, but I applied to more than 10 schools, what do I do?

Remember when I suggested to students that they apply to no more than 10 schools . . . . But, if you've done that, you'll need to start by ranking your top ten schools and putting those down first. Balance your 'top ten' both by where you like best AND where you think you'll have a good chance to be accepted. Then after your FAFSA is fully processed (normally about 3 days) you have to log in and edit the schools, replaced the old ones with the others you didn't originally have room for. BUT keep in mind, if you did the FAFSA without your taxes being done, you'll need to repeat this process EVERY time you make an adjustment to your FAFSA.

How long do I have to get the FAFSA done?

It depends on the school, but my advice is to get it done during January, and not the last day of January. You can't blame the site for being slow and crashing when you waited until the final few days to log on. As always, be sure to check the individual school deadlines on their direct websites.

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012!

2011-12-25T13:03:00.000-05:00

Source: google.com via Christine on Pinterest

The application season is entering the final stretch! As we finish up the year don't forget to take a break to spend time with friends and family. They are more important than the Common App. Also give some black and white movies a chance, they are better than the Common App too.

Wishing everyone a great 2012!

December Decisions

2011-12-19T11:04:00.000-05:00

Source: etsy.com via pinkleo on Pinterest

I've been trying my best to come up with a fun youtube explanation of the different EA/ED decisions like last year, but with so many copyright issues and videos unavailable, I've come up short. So, just a post will have to do.

There are three outcomes to any admission application: admit, defer/waitlist, and deny. Defer is what happens in an EA/ED round and waitlist is what happens in the regular round.

With an admit, for an ED school, the game is over. It means you will be enrolling at that school and you need to withdraw all of your other applications. There is no room for financial aid comparison and I can't, ethically, allow you to pursue any other schools if you have been given a spot via ED. To withdraw, you will most likely need to contact each of the other schools you have already submitted applications to, in writing, and say that you want to withdraw your application. No need to explain more, they know people apply ED. If you were smart and held off on pressing submit then your job is even easier, just clean up your Naviance account and send in your deposit.

If you were denied, this is a time to mourn. It is never fun to get bad news and I sympathize with how disappointed you must be. All you can do though is view it as a blessing in disguise. It means you were not meant to go to that school anyway and that you should focus your efforts on finding a better fit for you. At least you can go to bed knowing that you put your best foot forward, made your intentions clear, and gave yourself the best chance of being admitted.

Being deferred can be actually be more challenging than being denied, because it means you have to still cling to the hope that you could be admitted during regular. What you should do is be sure that you've emailed me about adding your name to the mid-year grade report list (so I will know to send your senior grades in January) and then focus your efforts on the rest of your applications. Next month, I also encourage you to contact the schools where you were deferred and send them a note letting them know of your continued interest (assuming that is that you have continued interest. If you were deferred from a school you really don't plan on going to anyway, this step is not necessary).

Tons of deadlines are coming in January, so the time is now to really get focused and finalize all essays and apps. Remember, if you need something sent in prior to break, get it to me asap. But yes, it is FINE to have me send something the week we are back even if the deadline was January 1. Deadlines are for students. School documents can come in during a short window after the deadline without penalty.

Remember, start gathering financial paperwork now, the FAFSA goes live January 1!

PSAT

2011-12-13T13:56:00.000-05:00

The 11th grade has now been given their PSAT scores - I hope the assembly was informative and helpful. Below is the follow up email sent out to all students:

- The PSAT is out of 240 points, there is no official 'good' score, but the percentiles can help you see if you feel your performance is a good representation of your ability. Instead of seeing scores as 'good' or 'bad' consider if you made progress from your 10th grade PSAT and if you think you can make any additional progress for the real thing.

- Utilize the free resource www.collegeboard.com/quickstart with your personalized access code (from your score report) to get individualized test prep, personality test, career inventory, and college research.

- Compare your PSAT score to a mock ACT score and see what test you did better on. Then register for the real test to be taken in the spring of your Junior year. Register now because testing centers will fill up FAST. Go to www.collegeboard.com if you plan to take the SAT, go to www.actstudent.org if you plan to take the ACT. Never tried the ACT? Contact a test prep company to see about a free or low cost diagnostic exam.

- ElRo will be having one more $5 practice SAT opportunity on Saturday, January 21. If you are interested, register at www.revolutionprep.com.

- The two best ways to improve your scores are: taking repeated practice tests and reading high level books outside of class to improve your vocabulary and reading comprehension. If you decided to enroll in a test prep course, you should do so in the spring of your junior year or the summer between your junior and senior year. You should plan to take whichever exam you are better on (ACT or SAT) TWO times between now and November of your Senior year. You can pick which two administrations work best for your study plan and schedule. Not everyone needs to take a class, you may also want to explore buying a prep book (or getting it from the library), doing your own online practice at my college quickstart, or getting a private tutor.

- If you qualify for free or reduced lunch then you can take the ACT/SAT two times for free. See me for the waiver code numbers so you can register online.

- I have practice booklets for the exams available in my office. Remember, register for your exam(s) now!

A few other things we didn't talk about today but are still important:

- If you are an ACT person - meaning you did better on the ACT- remember to always register WITH writing. Some schools require it so better to just have it on there in case.

- Use your percentiles as a guide to see if it makes sense for you to be taking SAT Subject Tests. Some of the most selective schools in the country ask for 2-3 subject tests in addition to the SAT. Some schools allow the ACT with writing to replace the SAT Subject Tests, but if you are not an ACT person then you probably want to get some subject tests done in June of your Junior year (since you'll be finishing up the courses where you may want to take a subject tests, like for example US History or Physics). Keep in mind though that only students that feel they are going to be competitive applicants in a highly selective pool should focus on worrying about subject tests at this time. Translation: if your main PSAT/SAT score could use improvement, aka you are not in a top percentile, focus on that instead of subject tests. Not sure if the schools you are thinking about require the exams? Just check the school's Admissions website, all requirements will be listed there.

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FAFSA Info Night Wrap Up

2011-12-07T10:10:00.000-05:00

Source: howaboutorange.blogspot.com via Clare on Pinterest

Thank you to Anthony Becker for, once again, generously sharing his expertise with our students and families in regards to the FAFSA line by line presentation last night. I know the material can be difficult and overwhelming to hear at such a fast pace and going straight through, but just being there hopefully helped everyone pick up a few key points about filling out the form. If anyone has additional questions and feel they could benefit from a sit-down meeting with Mr. Becker (who is a Certified Financial Planner) you can call him at 914-722-1777 to schedule an appointment. Please keep in mind that he is very busy so you should call soon if you want to see him.

Here are the key highlights that would want to reiterate:

- If you don't apply for aid, you can't get it. It is in most people's benefit to at least apply. Worst case scenario, you don't get aid, but best case scenario you could qualify for something you were not expecting. The usual cut off for income for a family to get need based aid with one person in college is about $220,000 of income, or less, per household. Some schools won't give merit aid if you don't fill out the FAFSA though, so again, it is smart for everyone to try.

- Evaluate your assets to see if there is a way to shift money out of the certain categories that work against you into other categories that will not. For example, if you have lots of money in a savings account but also have lots of credit card debt, it is normally advisable to pay off the credit cards and lower the amount in savings because colleges won't factor in the credit card debt when making the financial aid package and the interest rate on consumer debt is much higher than that of a student loan.

- 529 accounts are, in Anthony's words, 'sticky.' Most families do not benefit from having them because to the government and the college that is money that you have already set aside to pay for school, they are going to ask you to use those up first before giving you additional aid.

- The FAFSA is filled out by the student for the household they live in. If your parents are divorced, you should fill it out for the home you live in the majority of the year (there are 365 days, you have to live in one place more of the time). The other parent will not be considered for the FAFSA. However, the more generous schools will normally also ask you to fill out the CSS Profile. This document will ask for your non-custodial parent information. Every school is different in how they analyze these forms and every family is different in how they are evaluated by these forms (for some families, the FAFSA will show a lower Estimated Family Contribution, or others the CSS will give a more accurate number for what a family can afford).

- Identity is huge for the government. You MUST use the exact name and spelling listed on your Social Security Card (and same goes for parents). If you don't, your FAFSA will be taken off the 'conveyer belt' (And that just means delays for you and other people getting packaged before you. Not ideal.)

- Pay attention to the wording on the form. The form is meant to be filled out by the student - so if a parent is doing it for the child be sure to remember if you are wearing the student hat or the parent hat for each section (the form asks for information about both people).

- Do. Not. Lie. On. These. Forms. Fraud is serious. It isn't worth the risk.

If you have questions and don't decide to use a certified financial planner to help you, there is a FAFSA help line at 1-800-433-3243 and a FAFSA web help section at: https://fafsa.ed.gov/help.htm

The form will go live for seniors January 1. Be sure you are filling out the 2012-2013 form because that is the SCHOOL YEAR when you'll be in school. The CSS is availiable now if your school requires it. You do have to pay for the CSS but the FAFSA is free. Never go to any FAFSA website besides the .gov one. The others are scams.

December is Here!

2011-12-01T11:18:00.000-05:00

Source: Uploaded by user via Patrice on Pinterest

December is here! How is this possible? For seniors, there are many tasks I would recommend at this point in the year. Starting with: are you where you need to be with your applications? At this point, ALL public school applications should be submitted (including CUNY, SUNY, and out of state public schools). Don't forget the supplements! For regular decision private schools, you technically have until the deadline to submit, but I don't recommend putting it off. There are other Financial Aid related tasks for the coming weeks, so get the applications in and done with. Were you an EA/ED applicant? If so, remember your work isn't done. You'll find out in a few weeks if you got in or not and in case the news isn't want you want to hear, your other apps need to be complete and ready to submit so you can do it without having to go back and edit your essay or fill in your activities.

Already submitted items? Now what? I recommend calling the admissions office at each of the schools where you applied and asking them the "status of your application." This is admissions lingo for "did you get all the required items that I sent you like: my payment, my application, my letters of rec and my test scores. (**Note: many schools now have online portals where you can see the status of your application, if they have that, no need to call, just log in online and see if it says everything is complete). If any one of these items is missing, we want to get it to them asap. Most offices will take about 10 business days to process items, so if you just submitted a transcript request form Monday and I sent your items out Tuesday don't call Wednesday and be surprised if they say your transcript is missing. At the same time, don't wait until December 13th to call that EA school that we sent items in to back in October. Errors and glitches happen, just don't let them happen to you.

Curious to know if I've processed your request? Don't email me, just log in to Naviance and check the office status column. 'Initial Materials Submitted' means your requested items were sent.

What happens if you call about your status and something is missing? First line of defense: tell them how you applied. Was it via Common App? If so, they need to check their processing department because your items were sent electronically via a company called Docufide. Was it a SUNY school where you used the SUNY app? If so, they need to check the SUNY Central Guidance Portal (they will know what that is) because that is where I've uploaded your documents. Was it a CUNY school? If so, they need to have your correct OSIS number and test scores. Next line of defense: confirm with them your identifying information. If you applied with one name but your transcript or test scores says a different name (due to a hyphen, nick name, or a middle name, etc) that could be causing the issue.

Items still missing? Find out from them if there is a FAX NUMBER or EMAIL ADDRESS where I can submit the items. Then email me that fax/email address and tell me what I need to re-send. The last resort option is re-mailing things in on paper (= weeks of processing- yuck!).

The next phase of this process is Financial Aid - if your schools take the CSS Profile, you can work on that now. The FAFSA will be a task for January. Scholarships have ongoing deadlines, so feel free to apply! Remember, December 6th is our FAFSA night at 6 pm.

FAFSA Info Night - December 6

2011-11-28T15:39:00.000-05:00

Our annual FAFSA information night is coming on on Tuesday, December 6th at 6:00 pm in the Auditorium. The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid that is required in order to get financial aid for college. Seniors and their parent/guardians are strongly encouraged to attend if they plan to file for financial aid. Juniors and their parent/guardian are also strongly encouraged to attend because it is often too late to move assets around if you wait to learn about how the FAFSA works during the fall of senior year. Knowledge is power so come learn about this important form so you won't be scared of it!

FAFSA basics:

- The FAFSA is free. Never, ever, ever pay a website or company to submit this form on your behalf.
- The FAFSA is not a scholarship granter. All the FAFSA does is allow college Financial Aid offices to see your family's financial profile and what the government thinks your family can afford to pay toward college (aka the Estimated Family Contribution, EFC). Each school can interpret and award scholarships at their discretion using that same EFC from the FAFSA.
- The FAFSA should be filled out in January of a student's senior year. It is not yet available and won't be until January 1. Most schools need it submitted no later than February.
- The FAFSA must be filled out each year a student is requesting aid. Otherwise how would a school know that your family won the lottery or that a parent lost a job?
-Everyone should file a FAFSA, even if you think you won't get lots of aid. At most private schools a family income needs to be over $250,000 per year in order to be ineligible for need based aid. And even for families in that scenario, the FAFSA can at the very least help you to qualify for an interest free loan from the government which can be a nice way to spread out the cost. Plus, many schools require a FAFSA be filed even for merit aid.

See you December 6!

(ps the link above is a little 90s throwback that makes the cut for this post because of the iconic 'money dive' at 19 seconds, woo ooh!)

MP1 Grades

2011-11-21T09:46:00.000-05:00

MP1 Grades came out on Friday. I hope that any cases of Senioritis have been fought off with lots of Vitamin C and rest, because high school lasts for four years and dramatic changes in the last year can mean not such good things when it comes to college admissions.

MP grades do not appear on ElRo transcripts. Only final grades will be added to transcripts in June. Therefore, if your college needs to see your senior grades, you need to check the 'mid year grades' box on the transcript request form. If checked, I will add you to my list to send your MP1 and MP2 grades in January (because January is mid-year). Be aware that attendance, lateness, and teacher comments can be seen on the report card. Be sure you are proud of all elements, not just your grades.

If you need MP1 grades sent to an EA or ED school, please confirm with me via email that I have that noted on my list. I plan to work on mailing out the EA/ED grades today for those that requested it. We can't guarantee that the school will get them in time, but we can certainly try. Not every college will consider senior grades (ie University of Maryland) and others still require mid year grades (ie Syracuse University) so just be sure to check the college's website to review their individual policy.

Keep working hard as we enter MP2 - the finish line is getting closer every day!

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November halfway over?!

2011-11-15T15:14:00.000-05:00

Source: Uploaded by user via Arlene on Pinterest

Crazy as it is - we have reached the halfway point for November so application completion should really be going full force for all seniors. Below are the reminders and tips I would give to all seniors during this time:

1) The time to apply for CUNY, if you have not already, is now. Don't dilly dally, just do it. Flat fee of $65 for six campuses. Be sure that your list includes some options where you are in range profile wise (translation: don't only put Baruch and Hunter if your grades or SAT are lower than their averages). There is no essay and all you have to do for your transcript to be sent over is enter in your OSIS number (school ID number). No excuses for this not to be done already. If you are applying via Macaulay Honors you have until December 1, so get going if you haven't already!

2) The time to apply to public schools (SUNY and out of state) is now. I recommend getting public school applications submitted by Thanksgiving.

3) Clean up your Common App and only have colleges listed in your Common App account where you actually plan to apply. A new feature on Naviance this year syncs your Naviance list and your Common App list. Sounds great, until you realize that the Naviance list all of sudden has 17 schools because the student has 8 'maybes' in their Common App account. Fine for the interim, just be positive that you delete the schools from the Common App once you rule them out and also remove them from your Naviance list if they are lingering there.

4) I recommend a maximum of 10 schools, but many students ignore the first part and just hear the 10 part. Don't feel pressure to apply to 10 just for the heck of it. Be thoughtful about your list. As long as you have balance: some reach, some target, some likely that you LIKE your list is fine as it is. I only applied to four schools and I survived.

5) Don't forget to order official score reports from the testing company.

6) Even if you applied EA or ED to your top choice schools, you should still be working on your other applications right now. We hope, of course, that you'll be admitted EA/ED, but in case you are deferred or denied you want the other apps to be totally ready to go so you don't have to work on them when you are still mourning the disappointment of the EA/ED decision. Trust me, you won't regret it.

7) Breathe. Repeat. And in the words of my fourth grade teacher: when in doubt, read the directions.

(Image is of Kenyon College - how gorgeous!)

Thank you University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Amy Gutmann!

2011-11-10T17:02:00.001-05:00

What an exciting day for ElRo! Our 11th and 12th grade students were lucky enough to have an assembly with Dr. Amy Gutmann, President of the University of Pennsylvania. It was so thrilling to have a higher education professional of such prestige visit our school and it was a great opportunity for our students to hear from such a fabulous speaker. Dr. Gutmann highlighted her hope that students can use college as a time to pursue their passions. She also discussed how important it is to seek out schools that are both high quality and affordable - a message I certainly support! (University of Pennsylvania, under her tenure, has been at the forefront of being generous with Financial Aid so that any admitted student can attend without needing to take out loans).

After the assembly, Dr. Gutmann was interviewed by Audrey C. (stay tuned to hear all about the interview). Many thanks to everyone from University of Pennsylvania for making today happen! I am so proud of our students and school!

Update - Check out the coverage of this event on the NY Times The Choice Blog

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You're Invited

2011-11-08T00:09:00.002-05:00

42-20042094, a photo by mylifemix on Flickr.

Attention all 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students and Families:

You are invited to a 'What to Expect From the College Process' Q&A on Wednesday, November 9th at 6:00 pm in the Auditorium. This event is designed to help give you some information now, since the first formal introduction to the College Process won't happen until the spring of a student's Junior year. Students are welcome to come without parents/guardians and parents/guardians are welcome to come without students.

Please come ready to ask questions!

NSC/FAFSA Opt Out

2011-11-01T10:25:00.001-04:00

It is time once again for the FAFSA/NSC opt out form - available here and blogged about last year here.

What does it mean? The short version is: the government wants to track more accurate data about two things- how many students successfully apply for financial aid (by filing a FAFSA) and how many students enroll in college and what their outcomes are (data compiled by a service called National Student Clearinghouse).

According to the Federal government, all student data is fair game for inclusion UNLESS the family fills out one of these opt out forms. So, if you don't want your data included, you need to submit a form. If you are ok with your data being included, you don't have to print and fill out anything. There is no penalty for opting out and also no incentive for opting out - it is 100% your decision.

If you don't have a printer, Ms. Feldman has hard copies in her office. This opt out form is due back to Ms. Feldman by November 23 so she can enter the data into the computer system.

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BRRRR

2011-10-29T15:39:00.001-04:00

Snowy Pumpkin, a photo by MCScola on Flickr.

Has there ever been better EA/ED deadline weather? I just checked. No, no there has not.

How to Submit a Transcript Request

2011-10-25T10:42:00.000-04:00

Step 1 - Submit your application. I cannot process requests for applications that are not yet filed. This is both to be efficient with my time AND to make sure that when I send your documents, they have somewhere to go once they reach the school.

Step 2 - Complete a Transcript Request Form

Transcript Request Forms can be printed from the website or picked up in hard copy in the Guidance Office in the bin next to the light switch.

All the steps for the form are listed on it. Read it fully prior to submitting it so you don't miss any steps. This form will remind you to order your official SAT or ACT score reports for schools that require them and will ask about things like which teacher letters you want sent, if you qualify for a fee waiver and need me to submit it, or if you want your mid-year senior grades sent in January (some schools require this, others you can decide if you want them sent. You can also request this later, so long as you email me the request in writing in early January.) A parent signature is required for this form if you are under 18. Please complete this step with care. Don't just blindly check every box. I've already been getting some with the names of Guidance Counselors on the teacher lines or the Common App box checked for schools that are not even on the Common App. Be mindful!

Step 3: Be sure Naviance is up to date.

This is listed on the form, but just to remind you, there are a few things you need to do in Naviance for me to process your request.

-- Be sure the colleges is listed in the 'Colleges I'm Applying To' tab. This tab will look like this:

-- Be sure you click the 'have you applied?' link and indicate the correct round of admission (EA/ED/RD etc) and method of application (Common App or not). When you do it will bring up a screen that looks like this:

Both of these Naviance steps need to be completed in the Student Naviance account, it cannot be completed in the Parent Account.

Step 4: Submit Transcript Request Form

Put the completed form in the bin, located right underneath where you picked up the form, for me to process it.

There are paperclips provided in the top bin (shown in picture earlier in this post) if your form and proof are not already attached. You need to submit a transcript request form for every campus you apply to, with the exception of CUNY where you can just give me a copy of the page of your application that indicates your campus choices. Because you go to a DOE school, I don't have to submit anything to CUNY via mail, they can access your grades via your OSIS number. I'm pretty flexible on what counts as 'proof' - this can be a print out of the Common App screen that shows that campus as submitted, a copy of the email that says 'thank you for applying', a proof of payment page . . . etc. Only one page is necessary, I don't want a copy of the entire app.

I will get all items out as soon as I can, but please understand that it will not always be immediate. The form asks for 2-3 weeks lead time mostly to give me and your teachers a chance to complete your letters. Remember, for the majority of schools the deadlines are for the students only, they will understand if school documents are not there exactly on time. If this concerns you, then I advise getting in your forms as soon as possible. We have never had a situation where a school denied a student for an issue with their school documents when a transcript request form was submitted in a timely way.

Once your form is submitted, you'll be able to see the status of your request form in Naviance. When your transcript is sent it will update to "Initial Materials Submitted." I would then contact the college about three weeks after you see 'Initial Materials Submitted' to confirm the status of your application. Remember, once I send in the items, the college still needs to organize their incoming mail and edocuments, which normally takes between 10 and 15 business days.

Happy Applying!

Applying FAQ!

2011-10-18T21:15:00.000-04:00

First off, let me apologize to anyone I've been emailing with that feels like my tone is a little curt - I PROMISE it isn't personal! What you are reading is probably just me trying to shorten an explanation that I've typed a few dozen times that day. So, instead I wanted to post a little 'Applying FAQ' to try and cut down on the emails and to put all of the information in one place.

What is our CEEB Code?

333648.

How and when should I send my test scores?

You should order your score reports the minute you officially decide to apply to a school. Even if you don't plan to press submit for a few days or weeks, send your scores ahead of time because it can take between 3 and 6 weeks to process the scores. Your scores are not on your NYC transcript and I will not be sending out unofficial score reports for you. You need to order the official score reports directly from the testing company. Students, you'll need to log into your accounts and follow the prompts to 'order scores.' Each company has a different policy on what scores are included, how much they cost, and when the free score reports expire that came with your registration. Read the directions carefully and all should become clear. Remember, use code 2950 to save on sending scores to CUNY - that one code will allow all 6 of your campuses to see them. I do not recommend 'rushing' scores. They will charge you more and your score will probably not get to your application any faster because rushed scores are sent in on paper. And paper in a mail room of 100,000 pieces of mailed isn't exactly 'rushing' anywhere. Order SAT scores by logging in to your 'organizer' at www.collegeboard.com and ACT scores at www.actstudent.org.

How big is our class? What is my rank? How many credits is the class I'm in?

All of this information can be found on our Class of 2012 Profile (first pdf file in the list). In reference to the ranking, you'll note that our school does not rank. Credits are typically 2.0 for the year for a class that meets daily, but the main idea here is you need to be consistent, so just make sure the proportions are correct on what you are listing and you should be in the clear (ie - you don't list Economics for 2.0 and English 12 for 2.0 since Economics is only half the year and English is the full year).

What do I put for the counselor name/title/phone number/email/fax number/blood type?

This information is listed at the bottom of every single email I send. Use that and you'll be all set! (Don't panic, blood type was a joke).

When should I press submit?

I've requested that seniors please wait to officially press submit until after their senior meeting. The reason for this is I don't want you to have proceeded with a bunch of applications only to realize after our meeting that you need to recenter and make a new plan of action. Students should though be working on the online applications and saving as they go prior to the meeting. HOWEVER, if you didn't schedule your meeting early enough and there are no slots left before your first EA deadline, you can still submit that application. All I ask is that you email me your plan so I can be informed about it. We'll then talk about your full list at your meeting. As a general rule of thumb I would submit applications by the following dates:

CUNY - asap, particularly because there is no required essay. I do recommend using up all 6 slots and using the admission table posted online to be sure you have enough target and likely schools.

SUNY - No later than Thanksgiving, but earlier is always encouraged. If a school has EA and you feel comfortable with your grades and scores, do it. It isn't binding. For most you can use either the SUNY app or the Common App. They are equivalent.

Out of State Public Schools - Varies by deadline, but typically err on the side of earlier being better. Schools like University of Texas, Austin, University of Maryland, Indiana University, and University of Michigan each have 'priority' deadlines that it is really important to meet. It is up to you to know these deadlines and abide by them.

Private Schools - Just meet the stated deadline. If you are going EA or ED, this is probably Nov 1 or Nov 15. If you are going RD, this is probably Jan 1 or Jan 15. This will always be posted on the individual school website. Go there to check and make a timeline.

Can you read my essay?

Unfortunately, I'm not in a position where I can read and edit every students essay. I'm of the practice that if I can't do it for everyone, I won't do it for anyone. But this doesn't mean you can't get essay support at school. We have a weekly volunteer, Ms. Taitz, who is a published author and does a great job of giving feedback. We also have two fabulous guidance interns that you can speak to about what you've written. I caution you though, limit the number of editors you use. Going to 5 or 10 people will just muddy the waters. And, if you ask for help be open to feedback. At this point in the year, every single senior should have their essay draft started.

What do I do after I apply?

Update Naviance and complete a Transcript Request Form. The form is posted online but you can also pick up a hard copy in the guidance office. It is essential that you indicate on Naviance what round of admission you applied. If you don't, your deadlines will appear later than they are and your teachers may not get their letters in on time. You may notice that the form requests 2-3 weeks lead time for your items to be sent. Don't panic, traditionally deadlines are for students, so the school portion can come in a little bit later. Typically, it does not take me 2 weeks to send the documents, but that window is there to insure that you don't wait until the very last minute. If I get 150 transcript requests the day before the deadline, it will naturally take some time for me to get through them. You will always be able to tell the status of your request by logging in to Naviance.

Can I apply to School X if I applied to School Y?

Again, the answer here can be found in the policy of each individual school. Students should be looking at websites to clarify if they don't understand something like a Restricted Early Action policy or an Early Decision policy. I also emailed around this Common App chart to help you break it down.

Also, as a word of gentle caution, please remember that the students are the ones going to college so they should be the one applying. I understand that it will take some major time management and possibly some sacrifices, but students really need to be the ones going through the motions here. Parents, your best role is that of cheerleader. Trust that your students are independent enough to complete these applications on their own. Reminding them is great and sitting by their side as they do it is also great. Checking it over after they complete it is great. But doing it for them won't help them 12 months from now when they truly are on their own. I know it is tempting, but please let them be the ones to do the heavy lifting.

So what can parents do now?

The most important thing parents can do, other than be supportive and help calm the student down if they are stressed, is usually to organize the financial aid process. Some private schools may require the 2012-2013 CSS Profile. Some EA/ED private schools may even require the CSS Profile by November 1. Because so many financial documents are involved, it is a good idea for the parents to take the lead on this piece of the process.

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Hope to be back soon!

2011-10-16T11:49:00.003-04:00

The Juggler II, a photo by Helico on Flickr.

Sorry for the lack of recent posts - hope to update again soon! October is busy!

Quieting the Monkey Mind

2011-10-06T00:23:00.001-04:00

Anyone who has seen me come to or leave school may notice that, on more days than not, I have a yoga mat on my back. My teachers often talk to the class about quieting the 'busy monkey mind' and since I'm usually at class after work it is easy for me to associate some of their comments to my job. I know the point of this blog is to give advice, tips, and instructions for the college process, but if you hear me out on this I hope you'll see the connection.

As a college counselor at a school on the Upper East Side, arguably one of the neighborhoods in this city (or even perhaps this country) where monkey minds about the college journey are the loudest, the words of my teacher this week really resonated with me on Tuesday. In yoga, the monkey mind is the distracting chatter in your head that sidetracks you away from your breathe. It is what pulls you away from the present, drags you off of your rooting seat, and makes it difficult to focus. It isn't flying crow or handstand, but quieting that monkey mind and honoring yourself that are two of the hardest things to master.

How is this related to college? There is a lot of distracting chatter in the college process too. There are always voices hinting about a student's application not being good enough, scores not being high enough, essays not being polished enough, bank accounts not being rich enough, worries upon worries that do a lot toward gaining an ulcer but not a lot toward gaining admission. Colleges split hairs over rankings assigned by misinformed magazine editors. Students spread rumors about the 'only' type of people that get into XYZ school. Fees get paid to various experts to help 'guarantee' admission to this school or that. Panic sets in that you aren't doing enough, aren't saying the right thing, and won't get in to your #1 school.

Just like in yoga, we have to work together - colleges, counselors, parents, guardians, and students - to quiet the busy monkey mind. Take out the remote control and press mute when your aunt's neighbor's boyfriend's son tells you about the breaking news about how to get in to "these types of schools." My yoga teacher this week reminded us that we already have everything that we are looking for. The impossible poses are made up of aligned body parts, muscles, bones, and breath- things each and every one of us have. You don't need that extra stuff. The experts and the tutors and the guidebooks and the magazines . . . . the answer is already within you. Your gut should have just as much input into this process as that other manufactured stuff. Know yourself. Know your child. Rankings and sweatshirts and bumper stickers don't last. An education, lifelong friends, and independence do. Those are the valuable things from a college experience. Turn down the volume on those scary voices. Sit and listen to hear what other quieter, more authentic, voices that chatter might have been drowning out. The list will improve. Chances of admission will improve. And overall health and happiness will probably improve too.

When the monkey mind gets chatty, as it is bound to do, take a moment to breathe and recenter. Surrender your head to your heart and you'll see that you already have everything you need.

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NACAC Day 3

2011-09-26T23:05:00.000-04:00

Sometimes you attend a session at a workshop that is a real sleeper session. I don't mean a session that you sleep during, I mean a session that you go into assuming it will be about one, relatively straightforward thing, and leave with your mind racing about how many different facets there were to this previously simplistic issue. The session I attended on Saturday morning about Net Price Calculators (NPC) was a sleeper session.

I went into it figuring that I should brush up on NPCs because they will be mandated to be available from every school starting in November. (For those looking for some background, a NPC will allow a family to get a financial aid estimate from the college well before their official package is calculated. It isn't final, but it is supposed to illuminate how much the school will actually cost the student out of pocket.) What I discovered wasn't so much how the NPCs will work. Turns out they will be individualized to each college, some more complicated than others, usually with the more complicated and longer the calculator the more accurate the estimate is assumed to be. But that is just the tip of the iceberg. What the panelists shared is that some schools may actually use the NPC as a yield tool; research shows that students that complete a NPC are actually better prospects than those that don't. In other words, completing the NPC is actually way to show demonstrated interest. Schools are also going to be forced to be much more transparent much earlier in the process, showing their hand, if you will, before a student has even pressed submit. This is going to be particularly influential at schools where merit aid is awarded as students may end up shopping around to find schools that are going to throw some scholarships their way. I really loved how this session made me think about the NPC in a new and deeper way. I'm very very eager to see how this all plays out in the next year. Will there be any influence on application rates? Deposit rates? Will fewer huge loans be taken out? I encourage any senior to run through the NPC for each of their schools once they make their list. If you don't end up with any affordable numbers, maybe reconsider swapping out a school or two. (Remember, NPC is only an estimate, no financial aid package is complete until the FAFSA is completed in January and the offers are made by the Financial Aid office).Visit here to see a compilation of some of the existing NPCs out there.

The last session I attended was a panel discussion of current high school and college students in the New Orleans area who were questioned by the audience about the use of technology in the college process. As a person with a college office blog, I was interested to see what students had to say. Some of it was things I knew already (high school students are not on twitter). Other things surprised me (high school students react positively to being called by colleges after they have applied). But one thing that I commend the session on most is the use of real live students instead of just industry experts. More NACAC sessions could benefit from student involvement.

Many thanks to the supportive PTA for sponsoring my trip to NACAC. My colleague noted the disproportionately small number of public school counselors in comparison to private and independent counselors at NACAC. I'm so fortunate to be able to represent a New York City public school. Thank you!

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NACAC Day 2

2011-09-25T23:59:00.000-04:00

Source: bobbypinblog.blogspot.com via Jenny on Pinterest

I just had to do a double take in reference to how many days of NACAC I still needed to blog about - I'm back in NYC but there is still so much to share from New Orleans!

Friday started for me bright and early with a pre-session breakfast hosted by the UC system. We got a great snapshot of a variety of UC campuses and the general feeling seemed to, understandably, be that the UCs are eager to increase out of state enrollment. Something that I view as a win-win situation for students having the chance to experience some really great schools with strong reputations (and 300+ days of sunshine per year). The most important thing for applicants to understand is the unique UC application - only able to be submitted during the month of November and 100% student driven with no transcript, rec letters, or outside input. The average non-resident GPA is 3.4 and all students must be UC eligible via a list of A-G subjects required by the schools. Luckily, the ElRo curriculum means that these A-G credits are never going to be a problem. The criteria for the arts credit where the student is in a year long course, where the first semester builds upon the second, could trip a few people up, but there is some flexibility for out of state students.

The first session I attended was called 'College Admission and Counseling in the 21st Century.' As if I wasn't already a huge fan of Lee Coffin (Dean of Undergraduate Admission at Tufts ;) this session bumped him up to a whole new level. His explanation and defense of the Tufts supplement detailed how Tufts has maintained selectivity AND worked to circumvent the poisonous cycle of staffs being asked to continually drive up application numbers and test scores and drive down admission rates was both refreshing and transparent. The theme of this session dealt with how the 21st Century selective admission is a combination of both data and voice, one without the other will make it hard for a student to be admitted.

Next, I went to a scholarship session with panelists from the Coca-Cola Scholarship, an individual from Fastweb.com, and the author of Million Dollar $cholar who is currently a Junior at Morehouse. They did a great job of dispelling some myths about scholarships and giving some resources about where students can go to apply. I won't list every myth here (to see them, you can buy the book Secrets to Winning a Scholarship) but two I'll note are:

1) "You can rely on scholarships to fund your entire tuition." In reality, more than 2/3 of scholarship winners win less than $2,500. The attitude to take is obviously one of effort and optimism, but don't put all your eggs in one basket expecting to use scholarships to fund the full bill.

2) "The majority of scholarships are for underrepresented minority students." In fact, the data shows that middle class caucasian students are over-represented statistically among scholarship winners and they are the ones with the highest probability of winning. I recommend interpreting this in a way that applies to a few of his other points too: you'll never win if you don't enter. If you find scholarships that you don't qualify, keep looking, they are out there. As the other panelist who is a current student shared, you need a scholarship state of mind if you want to win (aka focus on the positive and never give up).

The panel recommended visiting www.scholarshipproviders.org for an additional scholarship resources besides Naviance, Fastweb, and the individual Financial Aid websites of the school.

The afternoon session I went to was about the results of a study that investigated if there is gender or racial/ethnic bias in letters of recommendation. To the researchers dismay (but my delight) the study did not find any evidence of bias on most of the measures they looked at. It was interesting to think about this issue though as I get ready to write 100+ letters, we can always challenge ourselves to be more cognizant of these kind of issues.

On Friday night there were many great receptions to choose from, but we ended up going to the events sponsored by Tulane, Catholic Colleges Admissions Association, and the California schools. Thank you to each of the sponsors for treating us so nicely-- it was a long day but worth it!

NACAC Day 1

2011-09-23T00:03:00.000-04:00

Source: minimalmovieposters.tumblr.com via Brooke on Pinterest

Today was the first official day of the conference and it has been a busy time filled with saying hello to old friends and making a few new ones. (There also may or may not have been beignets involved).

The keynote speaker was Jonah Lehrer, author of How We Decide, and he focused his remarks around the different psychological traits that correlate with success and how those traits can translate into the college application process for high school students. I really enjoyed his speech and will highlight below some of the main take away points:

1) The highest predictor of success is a quality called 'grit' - defined by Angela Duckworth's research as “perseverance and passion for long-term goals.” Students that have grit are the ones that don't shy away from challenges, even challenges where they fail multiple times, instead they keep going, find creative solutions, and resolve to redouble their efforts to try and improve. It is this quality, he said, that is the best predictor of college success - not SAT scores, not high school grades, not socioeconomic status.

2) Colleges that make it on a student's list need to pass the 'underwear test.' Just like we wear underwear and can't feel it against our skin, a college's appeal can easily wear off. It is the colleges that never lose their excitement and newness that earn a place on the list because they are places where the idea of acceptance never gets boring. You don't adapt to them or get too comfortable with them, you remain excited to find out if you've been accepted. This 'underwear test,' in my opinion, is especially applicable to the targets and likelies on a list. If you aren't consistently excited about the prospect of going to a school, move on and replace it with a school with a similar profile that DOES consistently excite you.

3) Pure rational thought is a disease. Literally. He presented the argument that emotion HAS to play a role in decision making because it is the only way to push past the indecision of rationality. How does this relate to college admission? Listen to your gut. Trust your instincts when making decisions about where to apply and where to go. Dwelling for days or weeks on the pros and cons of certain aspects of the process will only paralyze you. Free yourself by letting your heart take over for your brain some of the time. Take your emotions seriously, they are not going away.

4) Lastly, a famous psychological study called the marshallow experiment where young children are offered the option of eating one marshmallow now or waiting 20 minutes and getting two marshmallows in return. Like the quality of grit, it was discovered that the ability of children to delay their gratification for those 20 minutes is a very strong predicter of later success, including academic and social success. (He also played us an amazing clip of actual kids during the study. I cried with laughter. Here is a similar more recent example.) The best part of some follow up research was the discover that delayed gratification can be taught, suggesting that some children that don't naturally have the ability to distract themselves from temptation can in fact learn these skills. This has huge implications for increasing school success for traditionally at risk populations and for helping college students that may struggle with the college transition learn new skills that can help them both in college and in life.

After the keynote, I went to the my first professional development session. The topic was letters of recommendation. While most of what was discussed was things that I'll be going back and sharing with ElRo faculty, I did ask a question of the panel about how to best instruct students in terms of who they choose for their letters. I was affirmed to hear back that indeed the student/teacher relationship trumps all. Even if that teacher isn't from a core subject or isn't from a more recent grade, if they are the best staff person to describe your classroom performance and personal qualities then they should be the one writing on your behalf.

Finally, I finished the day with the annual CACHET reception, a group of colleges with Engineering and STEM fields. It is always nice to chat with these fabulous schools. If you are thinking about this area of study, check them out.

Pre NACAC - New Orleans and Tulane!

2011-09-22T12:40:00.000-04:00

Source: google.co.uk via Fiorella on Pinterest

I made it to New Orleans! I'm here to attend the National NACAC conference, a time for high school counselors and college admissions counselors to convene for lots of great educational sessions, professional development, and networking. The conference starts later today, but first I want to tell you about my final college visit for the week: Tulane University.

I took a cab straight from the airport to Tulane University, a medium size private selective university in New Orleans. Thank you to Tulane for the wonderful Jazz lunch that you provided for counselors, it was a welcome sight after my morning of traveling! Tulane students performed some rousing musical pieces- what better way to compliment lunch than with a trombone, tuba, saxophone, and trumpet?

The campus was managable in size and had a combination of both historic New Orleans architecture and new modern buildings with steel and glass. Best fun fact: students travel farther to attend Tulane than any other school in the nation. Over 75% of students travel more than 1,000 miles to get to there. It may be located in the South, but New Yorkers will be in good, and regionally diverse, company. Tulane is the only school in the nation with a public service requirement and their outreach efforts post-Katrina continue to this day. Considering its size, the fact that it has Division I NCAA sports, and its academic profile there are few other schools in the nation that can offer the same type of experience.

For students interested in attending Tulane, it is strongly encourage to apply during the Early Action or Single Choice Early Action (this means you can't have filed any other Early round applications) rounds. There is no application fee and the deadline is November 15. Tulane students report a high quality of life and a high satisfaction with their school. During the short presentation of the school, my favorite quote was "There are no bad colleges, only bad fits." From what I could see, the students I observed appear to have found a fit that is just right. Thank you to Tulane for hosting the event and allowing me to get my first taste of New Orleans.

Indiana Counselor Tour- Day 2 Purdue University and Butler University

2011-09-22T02:15:00.000-04:00

It seems impossible that Day 2 of the Indiana tour was technically yesterday, but it is indeed true. We started the morning at Purdue University in West Lafayette and finished up at Butler University in Indianapolis.

Despite my love of the state of Indiana (and my love of colleges), I had never been to Purdue until this tour. Blame it on the fact that both of my parents went to IU, but the spirit had never moved me to visit Boilermaker country. I'm going to level with you: Purdue really exceeded all of my expectations. I knew ahead of time that all four of the colleges we were going to were great, but I was pleasantly surprised by our time at Purdue. Perhaps due to my parent's indoctrination, I had a perception that while Purdue was a top notch school, particularly for Engineers and other STEM majors it wasn't as visually welcoming as IU. Boy, was I wrong. Yes, the architecture is different and the limestone is less dominant, but it had just as many classic red brick buildings as Amherst. It also felt like every single building we visited was either brand new or had been renovated in the past 10 years. Whatever capital improvements that have been made to counteract the stereotypes about visual appeal have worked. Aside from the aesthetics though, I was also impressed with the facilities. They have a huge building where students can build sections of life size buildings and bridges to test their designs in a safe environment. They are not just about the sciences and engineering though, students can also pursue business, agriculture and the liberal arts. Purdue combines a great reputation with an impressive campus. The Wall Street Journal lists Purdue as the second most popular school by recruiters and 1 in 50 engineers in the US are Purdue alumni. Not too shabby, not too shabby at all.

Our day ended at Butler University, a place where I took my SATs and spent a summer during college as a Clowes Hall intern, but a school where I had never been on an official tour. (Full confession, they had me from the minute we walked off the bus when they allowed us to each take our picture with Blue II, the Butler mascot - an English Bulldog.) I was already a fan of Butler basketball and having the chance to pet Blue II was a serious thrill. The Admission Office's impressive series of events only went up from there when we were treated to a variety of Starbucks drinks ready and waiting for us as we passed through the bookstore. Well played. Then, the piece de resistance was the opportunity for any interested counselor to shoot some hoops on the floor of Hinkle Fieldhouse (of Hoosiers fame). I passed on the free throws, but Butler deserves major props for integrating some really creative ideas into our time on campus. On our visit we heard from various departments and staff members. Highlights include things like the fact that business students run an investment portfolio with $1 million of the school's endowment. Education students complete an entire year of student teaching, double what is required at most schools. Pre-Pharmacy and Physician's Assistant programs can include auto-enrollment into the programs themselves as long as minimum criteria are met for students admitted as freshman. Lastly, they highlighted the audio engineering and recording opportunities - programs for students that are not necessarily musicians. Overall, Butler is a small place that does a variety of things very very well. It is a Division I NCAA campus near a city with a true campus. Not an easy combination to find (similar options would be places like Davidson, though Davidson is more selective in terms of admission).

The four schools we got to see in Indiana on Monday and Tuesday were a great sample of the variety that can be found in the Midwest. The best part? Every school I saw would be a target or likely for most ElRo students. A huge thank you to the Admissions Staff at each of the four schools involved, your generosity and planning helped me see four great campuses!

Tomorrow - New Orleans Pre-NACAC!

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Indiana Counselor Tour- Day 1 Indiana University and Earlham College

2011-09-21T00:44:00.000-04:00

Source: etsy.com via Kelsey on Pinterest

Back home again, in Indiana . . . Greetings from the Hoosier State! I've been here touring schools for the past two days and I apologize for the delay in posts, but we've been busy! On Monday, our group of 24 counselors spent the day at Indiana University and Earlham College and today we visited Purdue University and Butler University. I'll start with Day 1 and try to update day two tomorrow . . .

Indiana University, or IU, was the college I was most familiar with of the four because both of my parents are graduates and many of my close friends are too. I'd been to campus many times, but if memory serves, never on a formal tour. As a flagship public university, IU offers what many Big Ten schools can offer: amazing programs across many fields, tons of school spirit, and a high return on your investment in terms of how much you get out of the (relatively) affordable tuition that is being charged. I only say relatively because like all public schools, out of state students pay more than in-state students. But, IU also mentioned some very attainable merit scholarships that should help a little, at the very least it can bring the cost down to closer to what a SUNY campus would cost. The campus itself is full of trees, green space, and gorgeous limestone buildings. The surrounding town of Bloomington is the quintessential college town and the sizeable number of New York students on campus should help ease any fears of feeling out of place in the Midwest. Programs of note include the world renowned Kelley Business School, the over eighty (yes, 8-0) language programs offered on campus, and the Hutton Honors College (to be eligible for entry students need a 1350+ on the first two sections of the SAT or a 31+ on the ACT; there is scholarship funding linked with Honors). For the first time this year, IU will be superscoring the ACT, so add them to the growing list of schools that will be taking on this relatively new practice. If you are a student thinking about places like Penn State and Michigan, you'd be remiss to leave IU off of your list.

We didn't know it at the time, but a big trend on these Indiana visits would end up being photoshoots. Here I am with the other NYC counselors attempting our very best IU cheer arms-- fists for the 'I' and blades for the 'U.' A for effort?

Next we went on to Earlham, a small liberal arts college in Richmond, Indiana founded in the Quaker tradition. Earlham was both the smallest and probably the most unique of the schools we visited. Unique because I think it probably fits in with the smallest range of students. But, for those students that it does fit for, I think it probably fits the majority of the time more perfectly than not. IU may offer something for everyone, but Earlham provides everything for some people. You may remember hearing about Earlham through the Colleges That Change Lives book or fair. I had never been to the campus before and was pleased with both the facilities and the level of student satisfaction among the students we spoke with. The counselors were broken up into mini-groups to learn more about specific parts of the University. If I had on close toed shoes I would have gone with the equestrian group to see the stables (horse enthusiasts, take note) but instead I channeled my AP Euro teacher from high school and opted to go to the Quaker history talk in the Earlham archives.

My impression of Earlham is that it is a great match for students that are also interested in places like Beloit, where they strive for individual attention and high quality teaching. Don't come for bells and whistles, better to come looking for a place where professors go by their first names and students value life's simple pleasures. If you want mainstream, you may not find it (or the social hierarchy that goes along with it). But, if you want an education they can definitely help you with that. One last thing I found interesting: Earlham requires only the FAFSA for Financial Aid, not the CSS profile. For some families, this could for or against you, but it is worth noting since it is a bit different from many other small liberal arts schools. If Earlham is a place you are seriously considering, but you are having trouble affording the trip out to campus, reach out to the Admissions office to see if you can apply for a travel grant. They are pretty generous in this arena.

Tomorrow: Purdue and Butler!

Thanks Reed, University of Rochester, Lafayette and University of Toronto!

2011-09-14T16:18:00.000-04:00

Source: google.com.ph via Candy on Pinterest

This morning I attended a counselor breakfast hosted by University of Rochester, Reed College, Lafayette College and the University of Toronto.

We got to hear from the director of the Office of Undergraduate Research at Rochester. Not surprisingly, there are many opportunities for students to pursue research at Rochester. His remarks highlighted the interdisciplinary connections that research brings and how the experience with research can help students determine their own academic and career path.

Reed's portion of the morning was exciting for me because I've never had the opportunity to visit Portland and I'm always hungry to learn more about schools on the West Coast. The anecdotes that the representative shared really helped to crystallize in my mind the types of students that would love Reed. For example, she shared how a big debate on campus had to do with the change of one of the core course texts from the Iliad to the Odyssey. There was then a followup debate about which translation was selected. Reed students are nerds (her words, not mine) that love learning for learning's sake. Other key components to note: there are no league sports at Reed, so if you were hoping to join an NCAA team, look elsewhere. They are also a school with an 'honor principle' so students are expected to be trusted with take home tests and classwork. I hope I can visit campus one day!

Lafayette, on the other hand, is on my short list of campuses to see in the near future. At only 60 miles away from New York City, it is a great small liberal arts college that, unlike Reed, has Division I sports! It is also unique in that it is a Liberal Arts college that has always had Engineering (similar to places like Swarthmore). Though the Engineering department is best suited for engineers that want to 'cross train their brain' -- in other words: practical engineering, not theoretical engineering. Described as a college setting with university resources, Lafayette makes a lot of sense for many ElRo students. They are seeking active hands-on learners that are looking to build relationships with professors. Be prepared to write. All students, including Engineers, are pushed to think critically and express those thoughts on paper.

Sadly, I had to head back to school before I could hear the University of Toronto's presentation, but be sure to check out their website if you are thinking about college in Canada.

Thanks again to these schools for hosting the event!

Back to School!

2011-09-08T21:45:00.000-04:00

Source: None via Meghan on Pinterest

Welcome back ElRo! Or, for 9th graders and transfer students, welcome for the first time! The start of the year always comes with mixed emotions, fear that I didn't get enough done over the summer and excitement to get the fall underway. Luckily, the excitement normally wins. Stay tuned to the blog over the coming months as I'll post many important college related posts. For today I wanted to start with a brief overview of what each grade should be thinking about as we begin the 2011-2012 year.

9th Grade

-First, I hope you are reading this blog for fun and not because you are already stressed about college. If it is the second reason, take a breath. You are going to be just fine! High school is a great time, it is ok to enjoy it a little bit.
-Your only real job right now is to get adjusted to high school. For most students the biggest challenge is time management. Be thoughtful about staying on top of your assignments and you'll stay on the right track.
-Do your best in your classes, the grades you earn in June will be the first set of grades to go on your high school transcript.
-Build relationships, both with peers and teachers. Your peers you'll need as you build your social circles and your teachers will be a great resource later when it comes to needing letters of recommendation for college.

10th Grade

- If you did well last year, keep up that momentum.
-If you struggled last year, today is a new start. Your past doesn't have to define you, there are still two more years that will show up on your college application transcript, take advantage of the knowledge around you and give your teachers evidence that you are applying yourself.
-You'll be taking the PSAT for the first time in October. Go to www.collegeboard.org to familiarize yourself with the test. Sign up for the Question of the Day to get in the habit of thinking about the exam without stressing about it.

11th Grade

-This is the first year you are eligible to take AP courses, they are called AP for a reason, you are probably going to be expected to work harder, study longer, defend your position better, and go deeper than you ever have before. Embrace that challenge AND understand that being a 'good' student doesn't mean that you'll automatically always get high grades. If it was easy to get an A in an AP class, then it wouldn't be AP.
- You'll be taking the PSAT for the second time in October. Utilize the My College Quickstart portion of the PSAT score report from last year to learn how to maximize your score.
-Stay focused, these grades from this year are the last final grades colleges will see on your transcript. Be sure you are sending a message you want them to see.
-At the same time, don't let the stress monster get the best of you. Yes, colleges care about grades, but they also care about what you are learning, your character, your effort level, and your passions. Don't fixate on the numeric grades, focus instead on if you are really dedicated to understanding the material.
-You are invited to attend college visits at ElRo so long as you don't have a class, email me if there is one you want to attend and I'll sign you up manually since you don't yet have a Naviance account.

12th Grade

-Plan. Plan. Plan. All the answers you need are right here in front of you. Be methodical about making an application plan and you'll accomplish all that you need to on time. Most parts of the application process are straightforward, they only get complicated when you skip a step, rush, don't read directions, or listen to rumors.
-If you haven't already registered for your final ACT/SAT exams do so immediately. Seats in NYC go fast. Email or see me if you qualify for a fee waiver.
-Naviance is your friend. Keep your college list updated and use the site to register for college visits at ElRo.
-Pay attention to your email. I take great strides to make sure that you are informed about every detail of this process. I'm expecting you to hold up your end of the bargain by checking email regularly.

Senior Meetings

2011-08-24T14:49:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the blog hiatus, I was off with ElRo Model UN in Beijing, China. We got back last week and I can't believe how quickly summer is coming to an end!

I want to make this post about Senior Meetings because I started them this week in a new initiative to get a head start on this year's historic senior class (140 students!). Many thanks to the students and families that have signed up for these early meetings, I'm so glad that it was something you all were interested in.

What is a Senior Meeting?

Senior Meetings are the second of two meetings that each ElRo student will have with me. The first one, the Junior Meeting, is a time for me to get to know you and a time for us to go over the characteristics you think you want in a school. The Senior Meeting is a time for us to have a much more concrete conversation about the exact list of schools you plan to apply to and for me to give you feedback about your choices. I've always maintained that I'm a guide, not a decision maker. I'll give you advice that you certainly don't have to take. But remember, I'm really trying to give you suggestions that will maximize your success. A list with 8 reaches and one likely may sound like a good idea now but history shows that it isn't such a hot idea when decisions come out. Bottom line: you construct your list, I just give you feedback.

When can I have my senior meeting?

Students and parents were sent out an email earlier this summer with a link to a nifty new Gmail feature that allows you to log in and schedule yourself for a summer meeting. This has worked great so far and I will continue using this method for the fall meetings. I've gone ahead and added a few other afternoon slots and will continue to add more slots around the first day of school. The reason for this is, as always, students can't miss class for their meeting so I want you to know your program before you sign up for a meeting. Everyone will have a meeting, I promise. They will take place during September, October, and November.

Can I start applying to college now?

While it is ok (and probably a good idea) to start applications now, please hold off on actually clicking submit until AFTER your senior meeting. Why? I want to be sure we have touched base about your plan of action. If I discover that you are a little off the mark I want you to have not wasted lots of time and money on applications that won't work for you. As you might imagine, this means that I recommend the September meetings go to people who are seriously considering Early Action or Early Decision, that way we can talk well before your first deadlines. Regular decision applications to private colleges are normally not due until January. As a rule of thumb, I recommend filing public school applications by no later than Thanksgiving (or sometimes earlier at unique places like Maryland with priority deadlines). If you happen to be a person that doesn't get a Senior Meeting slot on the early side, but need to file a couple public school applications please just shoot me an email so we can be on the same page. It is an exception to the policy that I'm happy to make.

What should I bring to my Senior Meeting?

Just you and your parent/guardian if they are able to attend. I also ask that you go into Naviance beforehand and update your active application list to include the schools you would like to talk about and that you are seriously considering. Other than that just come with an open mind ready to hearing feedback.

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Thanks Penn State!

2011-08-02T19:36:00.002-04:00

Creamm, a photo by FontaineRittelmann on Flickr.

Last week (things have been busy, sorry for the delay!) Penn State was kind enough to sponsor a trip to their University Park campus for local guidance counselors - let me start by thanking them for their generosity.

We spent the night at the historic Nittany Lion Inn (a hotel located on campus) and had the opportunity to hear President Graham Spanier speak to us during a dinner reception. The following day we participated in the 'Spend a Summer Day' visit opportunity for prospective students and families. This gave us the chance to go on a tour, attend a student panel, and learn more about the specific programs and offerings. It also gave us numerous opportunities to hear about the infamous Creamery and the delicious ice cream that Penn State has been making for years. We even went so far as to ask every UP native we saw (including the session presenters and alumni volunteering on corners around campus) what their favorite flavors were.

One thing is very clear about Penn State - they do many things very very well. Even up to and including the organization of the event, there were calm and informed staff, volunteers, and students EVERYWHERE on campus. I can only imagine the logistics of coordinating such a day, but Penn State made it look easy. Our tour here was smaller in size than some of the private school tours I went on earlier in the month. There was also a very clear Penn State Pride oozing from everyone. The alumni volunteers I'm talking about are not recent grads, they included men and women in their 80s out on a hot summer day to share their love of Penn State. At the student panel, we asked the students where they would be in school if they hadn't come to Penn State. The first respondent (a mineral and earth science major from New York City) looked bewildered for a second then without skipping a beat said: Penn State, Altoona?

Overall, I would say that if you are looking for a school with lots of opportunities (and lots of students) Penn State should make its way on to your list. Keep in mind though, University Park admission is significantly more selective than the other 20 campuses in the Penn State family and it is very common for students to attend one campus for two years and then transfer with ease for their Junior year. Recruiters know Penn State as a stand up institution full of top graduates. Malcolm Gladwell also makes a pretty strong case for it in his piece 'The Order of Things.'

My only reservation about Penn State is that it (like many out of state public schools) has very little wiggle room for financial aid. Yes, the sticker price is lower than a private school and for some families it is a true bargain. But if merit aid is what you are after, have back ups in case Penn State's price tag is an issue.

If that is a con though, the ice cream really is a pro. I had Keeney Beany and it was an investment I can vouch for.

Pioneer Valley Colleges: Day 3 Amherst College

2011-07-23T09:17:00.000-04:00

The final day of the college tours led me to Amherst College where I would be transitioning over to my role as College Coach at College Summit for the second weekend in a row. We were very lucky that my College Summit schedule meant that we would need to go to the 9 am info session and 10 am tour because it was seriously hot.

My impression of Amherst is first influenced by the campus itself. Despite being just a few blocks from the town, there is a very tranquil feeling with large brick buildings and lots of grass. The mountain views don't hurt either, I can only imagine what it looks like in the Fall with the trees changing color. The details about Amherst are similar to other highly selective small colleges - holistic application review, a variety of very strong liberal arts majors to choose from, and a small residential student body. With less than 2,000 students this is a school that often falls off the list of many ElRo students because of the small size. But I would urge students to really think about how a school of this size may not be as small as they think. Yes, there is only one dining hall, but coming from a high school of 500 may make 1700 feel like just the right size. Amherst has no core curriculum, so students are allowed (and encouraged) to explore whatever they want without feeling obligated to study subjects they are not interested in.

My only complaint? No air conditioning in my dorm room for the College Summit workshop ;) I will say, on the upside, the dorm itself is very well maintained. It was the former gym from the turn of the century and they have framed photographs of the space from that time hanging in the hallways.

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Pioneer Valley Colleges: Day 2 Mt. Holyoke and Hampshire

2011-07-21T20:16:00.000-04:00

The second day of our tours brought us to Mt. Holyoke and Hampshire.

Mt. Holyoke is a women's college but definitely has unique aspects that differentiate it from the other colleges in the area. Specifically in contrast to Smith, Mt. Holyoke has a more flexible housing structure (less of a 'sorting hat' atmosphere than Smith - but still the same AMAZING dorm facilities. See: Walk-in closets.) and it has a more structured curriculum (as opposed to Smith's open curriculum). Locations also differ, despite the proximity. Mt. Holyoke has a much more spread out campus in a smaller town. This contrasts with Smith's cozy feel in walking distance of the bustling Northampton. Something to really take note of is the diversity of perspectives on campus - 1 in 4 students is international and almost 30% of domestic students self identify as students of color. One of the 7 sisters, this SAT optional school was really welcoming and full of traditions. I particularly liked the class colors and mascots assigned to each incoming class, and the superstition about only walking up the library stairs on the side that your class's flag is on. If you visit be sure to check out the beech tree near the library, easily the largest living tree I've ever seen outside of the Pacific Northwest. I'm glad they changed the library expansion plans to save it from being cut down. Speaking of trees, the Mt. Holyoke seal has a palm tree on it. The hope at its founding is that it would be an oasis of knowledge. Mission accomplished.

In the afternoon we visited Hampshire College, the inspiration for the image at the top of this post. I didn't see this exact sign, but one very much like it at the entrance to the dining hall. If it doesn't make you smile then Hampshire probably isn't for you. ;) The best way I can describe Hampshire is to say it is a place for individuals who are passionate. I found the students and staff we met to have a really unique combination of being extremely open and laid back but at the same time very interested in thinking about big ideas in a very cerebral way (and deep seeded passion). Hampshire students are known for taking the most advantage of the 5 College system - the average student has taken 8 courses on another campus. These courses supplement the hands-on discussion-based work they do on campus. There are no textbooks, students only use primary sources. There are no tests, students instead write papers. There are no grades, professors (who are addressed by first name) instead write a narrative to describe the student's achievements, areas to work on, and personalized suggestions of future courses to take. By Division III (aka senior year) the work more closely resembles the creation of a Master's level thesis. Students conduct research, or write a novel, or direct a movie, or make an invention, or found a company - ANYTHING that helps them think critically and create some type of new or original thought. In a way, I would say Hampshire could be described as the hippie* cousin of Beloit - no pretense, no judgement, just intense learning and a celebration of individuality. Don't come to Hampshire looking for quaint buildings, the campus was founded in 1970. But if it is content of knowledge that you seek, Hampshire may be exactly what the doctor ordered.

*Disclaimer: I'm not saying you need to be a hippie to fit in at Hampshire, only that that philosophy of focusing on social justice, a supportive environment and freedom of thought dominates the campus. I got the sense that everyone was welcome on campus.

Pioneer Valley Colleges: Day 1 U Mass Amherst and Smith

2011-07-20T21:32:00.000-04:00

Before I start up with round 2 of College Summit on Thursday, I decided to add on tours to the five colleges in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts. I am joined by the college counselors from Millennium and the NYC iSchool (so you aren't confused when I keep saying "we"). The 5 College Consortium of U Mass-Amherst, Smith, Mount Holyoke, Hampshire and Amherst College offer something for almost everyone. I'll give you my impressions of the schools I've seen here on the blog.

Our first stop was the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, the largest of the 5 schools with about 20,000 undergraduate students. Our fabulous tour guide Colleen did a great job of handling our large tour group---a nice parallel to how U Mass Amherst is able to work with a large number of students and still get the job done well. Highlights of this campus included the Marriott hotel located on campus that offers Hospitality and Tourism students hands on internship experience without leaving the confines of the campus. They also offer an Honors program, eligible candidates typically have an A average and above a 1300 on the first two sections of the SAT. This is just one program of many that is designed to help make this huge campus feel more personal. I was really pleased with what I saw at UMass. This is a great school for a student looking for a flagship public school with tons of different academic disciplines, division I sports, and a location that is very different from New York City but not very far in terms of distance. Plus if a student did start to feel overwhelmed or like they wanted a change of scenery they can register for a class at any of the 4 other campuses (free bus service provided among all 5 locations).

Next we headed over to Smith College, a women's college located in Northampton. I found the buildings on this campus to be absolutely stunning. The school's founder stipulated that all buildings build reflect the time period in which they were constructed so there is a nice array of both historic and more modern LEED certified buildings. The campus itself does have a bit of a condensed feel, but in a homey and welcoming way. The three unique aspects of Smith, as per the information session, are: an open curriculum, the Praxis paid internship program available to all students, and the unique housing system where students find their 'home' on campus with a lot of pride coming along with it. The dorms here more closely resemble actual homes than they do standard collegiate housing (think grand pianos, wallpaper, walk in closets, etc). Smith is very clearly a place full of very confident women. They are multi-talented, articulate, and intelligent. It seems it would be a great fit for a young woman looking to change the world. Generous financial aid, the beautiful campus, and the longstanding traditions make this school a really great opportunity for any woman looking into small liberal arts colleges. Plus the town of Northampton is a short walk away and has more diverse (and delicious) food offerings than I've ever seen in such a small area. Maybe they were inspired by Smith alumna Julia Child? (She's front and center in the picture above, a photo from the Promenade Committee at Smith in 1934).

Next up: Mt. Holyoke and Hampshire

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College Summit Manhattan College

2011-07-16T23:25:00.001-04:00

It is July which means it is time for College Summit! I'm at my first of two workshops for the summer, typing this from my extra long twin bed at Manhattan College. Tonight's banquet was full of some really powerful personal statement 'sneak peeks' and I'm impressed, as always, with the work that the peer leaders have been putting in.

At one point during tonight's event a young woman thanked her college coach for being the first person she can remember to every sit down for an hour and listen to her wants, dreams, and aspirations. These workshops are a reminder for me of the power of resilience. I am humbled, honored, and thrilled to have the opportunity to meet these dynamic, kind, strong young people with powerful stories to tell. I encourage any college graduate reading this to volunteer next year as a writing coach. You don't need to be a writer or a teacher, just have an open mind and heart and you'll be perfect for the job.

Next week I'll have an encore performance as a college coach at College Summit: Amherst Edition!

Summer Updates

2011-07-12T12:37:00.000-04:00

Source: weheartit.com via Terry on Pinterest

Rising Seniors will be happy to know that Naviance has officially been updated to include the current cumulative GPAs and most recent June ACT and SAT scores. If you log in and see that something seems off, please email me and we'll look into it.

We also got back the AP scores and I'm excited to report that the average test scores in almost every course went up from last year - great work everyone! Special shout out to Mr. Jonas and his Stats class, where the report shows not a single score below a 3!

Stay cool out there. . .

2011-06-30T15:04:00.002-04:00

School's Out!

I hope everyone has a fabulous summer. I'm looking forward to possibly the busiest summer that I've ever had, but I'm excited for every minute!

Beyond the jump I've put together a list of tasks that rising Seniors should be thinking about in anticipation of the fall. Stay tuned to the blog over the summer. I'm going to be away at various points, but will continue to post when the spirit moves me. Don't forget to wear sunscreen!

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Rising Senior Task List:

1) Register for any Fall standardized tests. By this time, everyone should have already determined if they are better on the SAT or the ACT and should have at least one official exam under their belt. Register now for your 'retest' to see if you can improve your score. I know the SAT registration is already live, ACT I believe should be going live shortly. Seats go FAST, especially in Manhattan. Sign up now! (Remember, ElRo doesn't always offer every exam date, so plan ahead and find an alternate location near your home if you have to). Email me if you qualify for a fee waiver and need a code. Remember, your free score reports that you get with registration will expire, so if you know 4 schools that you know you'll apply to, go ahead and list them so your scores can be sent for free. Applying to CUNY? Use code 2950 to give all CUNY schools access without having to pay for the reports individually.

2) Prepare for said standardized tests. Most people have a hard time improving their test scores without practice. Don't expect a different result with the same ingredients. Do practice exams, drills, and maybe even a class if you are not happy with your score. We offer classes for both the ACT and SAT here at ElRo through Revolution Prep. Go to www.revolutionprep.com to register. Call 1-877-738-7737 if you need a scholarship to make the class affordable, they will provide you with the application.

3) Visit campuses. Do NOT wait until your senior year to see the schools in person. There isn't enough time for you to get to all of the schools and you'll be counted absent if you miss school. For an initial visit, the summer is a perfect time to go. I've already got 7 campus visits of my own on deck for the summer . . . Check the school websites for information on when tours and information sessions are offered and how to register. Always be sure to sign in once you get there (if that is an option) because some schools track 'demonstrated interest' so if you go on a tour or 'walk around' on your own without telling the admissions office you are there you won't get the added boost in your file of having been there.

4) Brainstorm your personal statement. You don't need to set an unrealistic goal and say that your personal statements have to be finished by the first day of school. That will stunt your essay's ability to grown and evolve. However, you SHOULD be getting drafts down on paper. You'll feel much better about your applications if the essay (the hardest part) is 90% complete before you even create your Common App account. There is no one way to write the perfect essay, but almost any school will let you use almost any topic so don't let the fact that your list isn't finalized stop you from getting started. Be honest. Share a small snapshot of yourself, not a regurgitation of your resume. If someone else could have written it, you aren't done writing yet. There are many resources online and many books published with tips and suggestions. Use those things if you need them, but the main goal is to make yourself three dimensional. It should be about 2 pages double spaced in 12 point font, give or take a paragraph. Longer than that, you've said too much. Shorter than that, you missed a chance to give a glimpse into who you are.

5) Update your list in Naviance. As you see schools and do research, keep a running list of schools you are thinking about. If you see a school and hate it, remove it from the list or indicate your interest level on your account. This will help you stay organized and will help me see what you are thinking. The list can only be edited by the student, sorry parents/guardians!

6) Consider Early Decision/Action. You don't need to know for certain where you are going to apply by Labor Day. But, if you have a feeling that you have a strong first choice and that you will be applying in an Early round, it is better to get that plan in motion over the summer so that you can hit the ground running. This means you may be a good candidate for an August senior meeting (I'll send everyone info about this over the summer) and it also means you should plan ahead by sending your scores to the school if required and looking to see the topics of the supplemental essays. Time management is the key to a stress free college process, so if you know ED/EA is in the cards plan ahead so you set deadlines for yourself well before the actual deadlines.

Things you don't need to worry about:

Letters of Recommendation. These will be confirmed with teachers once you return in the fall. If you hear from a teacher individually, obviously help them with whatever they ask for, but in general letters will be submitted in Sept-Dec by the teachers via Naviance and sent by me with the rest of your school documents.

Transcript Requests. I'll go over the process for requesting school documents with you in the fall. Thanks to Naviance, most items go electronically and can be processed within two weeks of your deadlines.

Seeing every single school you apply to. It is totally natural to still need to go on a handful of campus visits during the weekends in the Fall semester. If you can't avoid it, don't worry about it. You can also save a few visits for after you are admitted to the school, though this is not recommended to do this with frequency because you'll run out of time to see the schools.

Hooray!

2011-06-22T10:23:00.000-04:00

I'm pleased to report that 90% of ElRo students that sat for the Physics Regents earned a passing score. Great work!

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To Test or Not To Test

2011-06-14T09:54:00.000-04:00

A popular question I've been getting lately from Juniors is: should I take the Physics Regents? The short answer is: Yes. The long answer is: Yeeessssssss.

When someone asks that question, my answer mainly comes from a philosophical place. I truly believe that ElRo is one of the best schools in the city. I think we have talented students, strong teachers, and a devoted parent population. If anyone in the city should be taking the Physics Regents, it is us. We want to talk the talk? We have to walk the walk. That means when you take a Regents course and you sit for the Regents exam.

Do I think every ElRo student is expected to get 100? No. One of the best things about our school is that we have every student take three years of lab science: Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. But not every one of our students is a scientist, so it is only natural for some people to struggle in these courses and on these Regents. But that only reinforces the idea that we aim to teach our students not because we are chasing perfect numbers on a transcript, but because we think that even the writers and the artists and the historians should be exposed to Newton and Einstein.

Colleges focus on your transcript. Yes, they will see your Regents scores. But the classroom grades carry far more weight. I'd even go so far as to say they carry all of the weight at many private colleges and schools out of state. For those colleges that are more familiar with Regents, the Physics exam is never going to be the most crucial. Basic math and ELA? Yes, for those you really should earn at least an 85. But for 'bonus' tests like Physics, just having done your best and taken the test is going to show the admission office that you are committed to your education.

Lastly, it is only fair to your teachers to sit for the exam so they can have a better grasp of how they did over the course of the last year. If you don't even sit for the test, how will the department know where they have gone wrong and what they have done right? You owe it to them to give up those few hours in order to demonstrate your knowledge.

Embrace the challenge. Push yourself. Eleanor Roosevelt said you should do one thing per day that scares you. I think we've got June 15th covered.

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Where will you be on Chancellor's Day?

2011-06-07T11:44:00.000-04:00

This Thursday, NYC public high schools are only in session for staff. This leaves a great opportunity for students to make local college visits - a rare chance to see a school on a week day. This means a higher likelihood of talking with professors, seeing students on campus, and visiting a class (even if it is a summer school class).

Not sure where to start? First, visit the website of the school you are interested in and locate the portion of the website that deals with visits and school tours. Most schools will offer both an information session and a student led tour. Pre-register whenever possible, though I've yet to hear of a school that turned away a walk-in. Be sure to sign in once you get there though, in case the college tracks demonstrated interest.

Need help? Here are some local schools that you could easily get to in one day - some just via the MTA!

Brooklyn College - Click Here

Wagner College - Click Here

Purchase College - Click Here

Barnard College - Click Here

Drew University- Click Here

University of Pennsylvania - Click Here

Haverford College - Click Here

The Cooper Union - Click Here

Sarah Lawrence - Click Here

Connecticut College - Click Here

Happy Touring!

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Letter of Recommendation Requests

2011-05-31T13:05:00.001-04:00

Today, Juniors are getting a form where they will indicate who will be writing their letters of recommendation (due next Fall with their applications to many colleges around the country). Students should ask one or two ElRo teachers if they would be willing to write their recommendation letters. If they agree to write, the teacher signs their name on the form and the completed form is then returned to me. Then, in the Fall, students will get the sheet back and be asked to re-confirm with each teacher.

The form is due back next Wednesday so I can enter the recommenders into Naviance and speedy teachers can get to work uploading their letters over the summer.

Who to choose? Think about a teacher that knows you well. Think about someone that can speak to your level of involvement in class and your ability to think critically. What classes have really given you the opportunity to shine? Some students also have teachers that they know both inside and outside of the classroom. While this is primarily an academic letter of reference, a teacher that also serves as a coach or club adviser can perhaps share how they have seen you in a leadership role or how your character comes through in your extracurricular activities.

I'm asking for TWO names. More than that gets pretty repetitive most of the time. And trust me, the teachers put in a lot of work doing these letters. You won't offend them by not asking them. If you really want that third person's opinion included, have them send me an email with 2-3 sentences that they would have put in the letter. I can then quote them in MY guidance letter. Now everyone is happy ;)

If you end up losing your paper that you get today, you can download the 'Recommendation Confirmation from Teachers' form from the Junior section of the College Office ElRo website.

**For all of you students out there, the picture above consists of all the parts of something called a typewriter. In ancient times people used these to type letters. On paper. Image

Thanks Colleges That Change Lives!

2011-05-25T15:59:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Marty O'Connell and all of the representatives present this morning for the Colleges That Change Lives Counselor Breakfast. This group of schools is something I mention in almost every Junior Meeting and it was so wonderful to be able to speak with the representatives without feeling like you are taking them away from speaking with students and families. Today's breakfast and fair were a great way to connect with the schools and learn a little more about a few of the campuses.

The reason I'm such a staunch advocate for these schools is they help us redefine schools that are 'best.' It is exciting to find schools that produce intelligent and successful graduates without requiring every person to be in the 99th percentile. These are schools full of high quality research, interesting faculty, and classrooms full of learning (and I'm not talking about learning how to copy notes from a lecture). Contrary to popular belief, these schools are not 'easy' and the work students are expected to do is in some ways more challenging and in-depth than the work at some more selective institutions. The difference is the spirit of these schools focuses on the undergraduate. They focus on helping meet students where they are and raise them higher. I've only had the pleasure of seeing a few of these campuses first hand (places like Lawrence, Beloit, and Hope) but I'm eager to visit more. From what I've seen, Mr. Pope's assessment is correct. These are fantastic schools.

Tonight is the second installment of their College Fair for students and families (7:00 pm at the Hotel Pennsylvania). No reservations are required. I dare you to go and not find at least one school that can offer what you are looking for.

Thanks Duke, Penn, Stanford, Harvard and Georgetown!

2011-05-25T00:50:00.000-04:00

This morning I attended the 'Exploring College Options' counselor breakfast and got to hear from representatives from Duke, Penn, Stanford, Harvard and Georgetown. These kind of events are useful both to hear directly from the schools about their offerings and most recent admission cycle and to connect with other college counselors in the area.

Topics covered included:
-Harvard's return after three years to Early with the option for Restricted Early Action for the applicants next fall. This means that students can submit a non-binding Early Action application to Harvard so long as they do not file Early Action or Early Decision applications at any other schools.
- The repeated theme of extensive resumes being unnecessary.
-The common thread for all five schools of very strong need based financial aid, particularly for families with household income below $60,000 per year (with significant aid available for those at or around the $100,000 mark).
- The school specific mini-essays are important. To be given one of the coveted spots at these schools they are looking for candidates that have meaningful connections with their campus. Wanting to go to Penn because you want a 'good school on the East Coast that is strong in Business' isn't going to cut it.

It goes without saying that these 5 schools have exceptionally low admission rates. This means they are looking for exceptional candidates. Every applicant in their pool is presumed denied until proven admissible. That isn't a bad thing, but applicants have to know going in just how steep a climb they have ahead of them. Don't be overwhelmed though - tomorrow I attend the breakfast for Colleges That Change Lives - schools that are equally as exceptional but that don't have such daunting admission statistics. Regardless of if whether you are talking about Reaches or Likelys a good college list should have a little bit of both.

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Back From the Trenches

2011-05-16T11:45:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure the PTA meeting this Thursday should retain its name 'Back From the Trenches' because I'll still be in the trenches until next Monday with AP exams and the Senior Trip. . .

But, I do hope that all 9-11th grade students and families will attend the annual PTA meeting where ElRo alum, current seniors and parents/guardians participate in a panel discussing the college process. It is a perfect chance to hear from students about their individualized experience. The meeting will take place May 19th at 6:00 pm and everyone is invited.

See you there!

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Acceptance By David Marcus

2011-05-12T12:29:00.000-04:00

I've just finished another book that should be on the 'must read' list for students and parents/guardians as they begin the college search. In Acceptance, author David Marcus profiles Gwyeth 'Smitty' Smith in his final year before retirement as a guidance counselor in Oyster Bay, New York. The book talks about his philosophy on college admissions and profiles a few of his students as they go through the application process.

As a new counselor to the profession, I was relieved to find that almost all of Smitty's suggestions and opinions are in line with my own. He too worked to increase the visibility of the ACT and recommended all students try both before deciding which one was best for them. He also believes that less is more and that the ideal size for a college list is more like 8, not 18. He encourages students to view the college process as a way to not just pick a school, but to discover themselves. The goal being for students to figure out what things they value most, what the colleges value most, and make decisions based on fit not brand name, rank, or name recognition in your community. The best college counselors don't tell students where to apply, they help them discover it on their own.

A few things in the book did make me sad though. Or maybe sad isn't the right word, jealous is probably better. Smitty had a caseload of about 30 seniors. Next year I will have somewhere around 139. (**In all fairness, he was a guidance counselor not just a college counselor so he also had to divide his time into working with the underclassmen on his caseload. I'm exceedingly lucky to work in a school where I can devote 100% of my time to the college process. I wouldn't want to trade that, even if the senior class was two or three hundred.) Smitty also co-taught an essay writing class elective during the school day. A class like that wouldn't work at ElRo (aside from not having a teaching license, I use many periods a day to have student meetings, if I was also in a classroom my brain would overflow.) but it did illustrate how students can come to love writing if they really are willing to work at it. Though we can't offer a class, I do think students can still utilize the strategies they taught in their own revisions. The last thing I am jealous of is the encyclopedic knowledge Smitty had of so many different schools. But just like in the book, Smitty's response to that would be to point to his greying temples and remind me that he's "old." I'll get there, one counselor tour and NACAC conference at at time.

Long story short, in addition to my previous recommendations here here and here, add Acceptance to your reading list.

In other news, save the date for next week's PTA meeting, Back From The Trenches on Thursday at 6:00 pm.

100!

2011-05-12T12:23:00.000-04:00

100s day, a photo by Cowpernicus on Flickr.

Remember in elementary school when on the hundredth day of school you did nothing but celebrate the number 100?

I counted 100 Fruit Loops for a necklace; I counted 100 pennies in a jar; I broke down 100 marbles into piles of ten. My mom put "1 0 0" in stickers on my lunch baggies. Well, the day has come that I am making my 100th blog post! A lot has gone on in the past year and I hope that this blog has been a place for students, parents, guardians and any other visitors have found to be both entertaining and informative.

Thanks for reading!

One Down, Two to Go!

2011-05-08T22:59:00.000-04:00

Week 1 of APs are over, two more to go! We made it through and I'm crossing my fingers for lots of 4s and 5s coming our way this summer. A few reminders as we start week two. No food or drinks are allowed in the exams. It isn't my rule, it is the College Board's. If you need a water bottle or snack you need to leave it at the door of the exam room and have it during the break. There are also no cell phones allowed, even if they are off, in the possession of test takers. Please make things simpler and just leave them at home on the day of the test. Angry Birds will still be there when you get home from school. Last, I want to remind students and parents that AP exams excuse you from class during the exam, but you are still expected to go to your courses the rest of the day. I know it takes stamina to make it through the long test, but sitting through a few more periods of class shouldn't be too difficult, particularly for ElRo students. Mr. Saliani has his 'A.C.E.' acronym for Academics, Community and Ethics. Being in school every day for the entire day is a great way to embody that.

Good luck to AP Music and Bio tomorrow!

Admission Accomplished!

2011-05-04T21:52:00.001-04:00

The day is here! All of the hard work of the Class of 2011 was celebrated yesterday at the annual 'Admission Accomplished' ElRo event, where students post their enrollment decisions for the fall on the bulletin board in the lobby. The energy was really great as students wore their college t-shirts and reveled in their accomplishments.

Without further ado, click through to see the full list of admission and enrollment decisions for this year's class.
Image by Lihan Yao '11
The following is the current list (based on the decisions students posted in Naviance). I'm particularly excited to see so many students who will be the first from our school to attend their college. I hope they are trailblazers for students to come!

You will see the college name followed by the number Accepted then the number Enrolling*

For example, 7 students were accepted to American and three students are attending.
(This list does not include students that were Waitlisted.)

Adelphi University 2 0

Allegheny College 4 0

American University 7 3

Bard College 5 3

Barnard College 1 0

Barry University 1 1

Baruch College of the CUNY 17 2

Beloit College 1 1

Binghamton University 18 3

Borough of Manhattan Community College of the CUNY 6 0

Boston College 3 2

Boston University 7 1

Brandeis University 2 1

Brooklyn College of the CUNY 12 0

Bryn Mawr College 2 1

Bucknell University 1 0

Buffalo State College of SUNY 6 0

California College of the Arts 1 1

Cedar Crest College 1 0

Chapman University 1 0

City College of New York 9 2

City University of New York 2 0

Clark University 4 2

Colgate University 2 0

College of Charleston 1 0

College of Mount Saint Vincent 2 0

College of Staten Island 3 0

College of William and Mary 2 0

Columbia College 1 0

Columbia University 2 2

Concordia University - Montreal 1 0

Connecticut College 1 0

Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science & Art 1 1

Cornell University 6 4

Dickinson College 1 0

Drew University 1 0

Drexel University 3 0

Duke University 2 0

Earlham College 2 0

Eckerd College 7 1

Elizabethtown College 1 0

Elon University 2 1

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - FL 1 1

Emerson College 2 0

Emory University 1 0

Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts 2 0

Fairfield University 4 1

Fairleigh Dickinson University 1 0

Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison 1 1

Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Los Angeles 1 0

Fashion Institute of Technology 1 0

Fiorello H. LaGuardia Community College of the CUNY 1 0

Florida State University 2 0

Fordham University 9 5

Franklin and Marshall College 1 0

George Mason University 1 1

Goucher College 7 1

Grinnell College 1 0

Guilford College 1 0

Hampshire College 5 1

Hobart and William Smith Colleges 1 0

Howard University 1 1

Hunter College of the CUNY 21 7

Indiana University at Bloomington 7 0

Ithaca College 2 0

James Madison University 1 0

John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the CUNY 10 4

Johnson & Wales University 2 0

Juniata College 1 0

Kent State University 1 0

Kenyon College 1 0

King's College 1 0

Kingsborough Community College of the CUNY 2 0

Lawrence University 1 0

Lehman College of the CUNY 15 0

LIM College 1 0

Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus 1 0

Loyola Marymount University 2 0

Loyola University Maryland 2 1

Loyola University New Orleans 1 0

Lynn University 1 0

Macaulay Honors College at CUNY 2 0

Manhattan College 2 0

Manhattanville College 1 0

Marist College 2 0

Marquette University 1 0

Maryland Institute College of Art 2 0

Marymount Manhattan College 2 1

McDaniel College 4 1

Medgar Evers College of the CUNY 1 0

Miami University, Oxford 1 0

Michigan State University 1 0

Middlebury College 2 0

Mount Holyoke College 2 0

Mount Saint Mary College 2 1

New York City College of Technology 3 0

New York University 9 3

Northeastern University 11 2

Northwestern University 1 1

Oberlin College 1 1

Occidental College 1 0

Pace University, New York City 1 0

Pace University, Pleasantville Campus 1 0

Parsons The New School for Design 1 1

Pennsylvania State University, Altoona 4 0

Pennsylvania State University, University Park 18 3

Plattsburgh State University 3 0

Pomona College 2 2

Pratt Institute 2 1

Providence College 1 0

Purchase College 9 1

Purdue University 1 0

Queens College of the CUNY 7 0

Queensborough Community College of the CUNY 3 0

Quinnipiac University 3 0

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 2 1

Rider University 2 0

Rochester Institute of Technology 1 1

Roger Williams University 3 0

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey at New Brunswick 2 0

Sacred Heart University 1 0

School of Visual Arts 1 0

Siena College 2 0

Simmons College 1 0

Skidmore College 3 0

Smith College 2 0

Spelman College 5 0

St. John's University - Queens 4 0

St. Lawrence University 1 0

State University of New York at Albany 17 3

State University of New York at New Paltz 16 2

Stony Brook University 20 2

Suffolk University 3 0

SUNY Alfred State College 1 0

SUNY at Farmingdale 1 0

SUNY College at Brockport 3 0

SUNY College at Cortland 11 0

SUNY College at Geneseo 8 1

SUNY College at Old Westbury 1 0

SUNY College at Oneonta 7 0

SUNY College at Potsdam 2 0

SUNY College of Technology at Canton 1 0

SUNY Delhi 1 0

SUNY Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome 1 0

SUNY Morrisville State College 1 0

SUNY Oswego 4 0

Syracuse University 3 0

Temple University 4 0

The American University of Paris 1 0

The George Washington University 3 1

The University of Arizona 1 0

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 1 0

The University of Texas, Austin 1 0

The University of the Arts 1 0

Towson University 1 0

Trinity College 2 0

Tufts University 1 0

Tulane University 7 3

Union College 1 0

University at Buffalo The State University of New York 9 0

University of California at Berkeley 1 1

University of California at San Diego 1 0

University of California at Santa Barbara 2 1

University of Central Florida 1 1

University of Connecticut 4 0

University of Delaware 7 1

University of Georgia 1 0

University of Maryland, Baltimore County 2 0

University of Maryland, College Park 14 3

University of Massachusetts, Amherst 21 1

University of Miami 5 0

University of Michigan 7 3

University of New Hampshire 1 0

University of North Carolina at Asheville 1 0

University of North Carolina at Charlotte 1 0

University of Pennsylvania 2 1

University of Pittsburgh 5 0

University of Rhode Island 6 0

University of Rochester 3 0

University of South Florida, Tampa 1 0

University of Vermont 13 0

University of Virginia 1 0

Ursinus College 3 1

Utica College 3 1

Vassar College 1 1

Wagner College 1 0

Wake Forest University 1 1

Washington University in St. Louis 1 0

Wellesley College 1 0

Wesleyan University 3 3

West Virginia University 2 0

Wheaton College MA 6 1

Williams College 1 0

Xavier University of Louisiana 1 0

York College of Pennsylvania 1 0

York College of the CUNY 6 0

* I apologize for the format of this data - I can't figure out how to put a table with columns into blogger!!

Thanks Michigan! Thanks MIT, Brown and Yale!

2011-04-29T22:29:00.000-04:00

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In the past 36 hours, I've participated in the Unique NYC College Fair, been to a reception for Michigan, watched Wills and Kate tie the knot, been to a counselor breakfast for MIT, Brown and Yale, and worked a Friday of a three day week following school break. It has been a whirlwind to say the least!

The Fair was great. As always, many thanks to the NYC Lab School for their gracious donation of space (and countless hours of planning).

Last night, the University of Michigan hosted an admitted student reception that, in all honesty, was the absolute best college event I've ever been to. I know it sounds hyperbolic, but the entire thing was flawless. There was a packed ballroom, plentiful (and substantial) food, a panel of University representatives, blue and gold ballons and lots of positive energy flowing. The part that really sold me though was the brilliant idea of having the 30 or so alums in attendance come to the front of the ballroom and pass the microphone to share their names, class year and major, hometown and current job. Each one was more confident and successful than the next. Well played Michigan, well played. As a final flourish, each student in attendance was also given a Michigan t-shirt and laundry bag. The evening was celebratory without a heavy hand of a marketing team. You all know by now that my heart lies in the Midwest. If you get accepted to Michigan and go to one of their receptions, I think yours will too.

The royal wedding was amazing. It has little to no connection to college other than the fact that the couple met at St. Andrews. I loved every second.

From this morning, I want to extend a thank you to MIT, Brown and Yale for hosting a counselor breakfast. (Blogger extraordinaire Matt McGann was there. Cue the geeking out, he's a college blog master!) These types of events are a great way to stay connected with colleagues and with the different schools. My favorite highlights from the comments shared by the schools at breakfast? 1) A student submitted resume is of little importance, as most schools really just want you to convey your strengths on the main application. They'll see it, but it will be in the back of the file. 2) Really, just send these schools two letters of recommendation. A third is ok if you do outside scientific research and your advisor wants to write on your behalf, but other than that, two is what they want. 3) MIT likes its own application, don't hold your breath for it to join the Common App. 4) Read the Early Action and Early Decision rules for EVERY school very carefully. More and more schools have idiosyncratic policies (and even more they have policies that change from one year to another). Here is what Yale, MIT and Brown have to say on the matter.

I pretty much feel like this now. Next week AP exams start - sharpen your #2 pencils!

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Unique NYC College Fair

2011-04-25T22:30:00.002-04:00

College brochures…, a photo by netspencer on Flickr.

It is that time of year again! Time for the junior class to attend the Unique NYC College Fair! Held at the NYC LAB School, ElRo is lucky enough to be included with a great mix of other academically rigorous small public NYC high schools to meet and greet about 100 college representatives at this annual fair.

Permission slips for 11th grade students can be found here at the bottom of the page. Sorry parent/guardians, this fair is only for students. Not yet in 11th grade? Don't worry, you'll get to attend when you are a junior.

Remember my college fair tip from last year . . . . and brush up on my top 4 reasons to attend college fairs.

College Night 2011

2011-04-11T09:36:00.000-04:00

Please join us this Thursday, April 14 from 6:00 to 8:30 pm for ElRo College Night. This annual PTA meeting will include a panel discussion with admission representatives, two workshops let by admission representatives, and a mini college fair. The colleges scheduled to participate are: SUNY Purchase, Bryn Mawr, Northeastern, SUNY Albany, CUNY Lehman College, CUNY Brooklyn College, The Cooper Union and Union College. The PTA meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m. and the panel will begin at 6:20 p.m.

All students and families, grades 9-11, are encouraged to attend.

Happy Spring!

Dollars and Sense

2011-04-07T10:34:00.002-04:00

Trip Coinage in a One Gallon Jar, a photo by Seth Dillingham on Flickr.

Deciding where to apply is a big decision, but deciding where to enroll brings things up to a whole new level. I, of course, want students to consider 'fit' when picking a school. Being happy socially, academically, and emotionally is really important. But the reality is that cost is also a very real factor for the majority of families. Students need to be informed consumers. They need to map out their financial aid packages for every single school to compare how much they will be asked to pay.

Most schools will ask families to take out loans. This is a normal and expected part of making an investment in your education. But there is a difference between taking out loans, particularly subsidized loans, and borrowing upwards of $20,000 or $30,000 per year in order to make ends meet.

Every family is different, but my general rule of thumb is that borrowing $5,000 or even $10,000 a year is reasonable if you know that you are fiscally responsible and that you will have a plan for how you will pay back the money. But, borrowing more than that, especially if you already know that being thrifty is difficult for you, is not a good idea.

I stress to every family that they should have at least one viable affordable option (normally a CUNY or SUNY). If students can be open minded, they may realize that the affordable school may also allow them to be happy academically, socially, and emotionally.

If your financial aid package is good, but not great, consider filing immediately for a financial aid appeal. Some schools have a little flexibility and will grant some additional aid for students that ask. The worst they can say is no. But the appeal process normally takes weeks, so file any paperwork as soon as possible. Call the Financial Aid office of the school for more details.

Weigh your options. Be informed. Don't write off schools that are not your first choice until you investigate the cost. And don't forget, loans will be included on the financial aid package, so be sure to count them separately from grants and scholarships. Only looking at the 'total aid award' number at the bottom can be misleading.

Still overwhelmed with the finances? Come by the Guidance office and one of the guidance interns can help you break it down.

Lastly, remember if you plan to enroll at a college located in the state of New York, you may be eligible for a TAP grant. You will need to go to www.hesc.com and indicate your final enrollment decision so your TAP grant can be calculated.

Retro Remix: Gifts and Challenges

2011-04-03T22:55:00.000-04:00

Source: minimega.dk via criz on Pinterest

When I first started this blog one year ago, the second blog entry I made was called "Gifts and Challenges." I'm re-posting it here for two reasons. One, not many people were reading the blog a year ago. Two, the message is one that I want every class of seniors to read, because I really do believe it.

From March 28, 2010:

   Ten years ago this week I opened an email that informed me I had been accepted to the college that I would end up attending. I have to admit, my college process was a little different than the environment that exists now, particularly in cities like New York, but regardless I can certainly still remember the anticipation of finding out where I'd been admitted and realizing the shift from hoping someone would choose me to instead being the one doing the choosing.
     That email was probably one of the most significant 'choice points' I have had in my life so far. My eventual decision to leave home and go to college in a place that was totally new has had a trickle down effect that has rippled through many other decisions that followed. That isn't to say I wouldn't have ended up being about the same person that I am now, but I doubt I would have pushed my boundaries (both academically and personally) in the same way had I selected one of my other options.
     I know the temptation is there to compare your own admission outcomes to your peers. It is easy to be jealous of another person's acceptance. To ask yourself, why them not me? I know getting a small envelope can feel like the worst moment imaginable. I also know getting a big one can feel like you have just won the lotttery. Those are real emotions. Don't ignore them.
    What I think you may eventually realize though is that most of life can be distilled down into a series of gifts and challenges. Different people have different proportions of these two categories, but they are almost always there. I would also go so far as to say that people, almost always, mistake one category for the other.
    My email ten years ago felt like a gift. And I absolutely feel lucky to have experienced all the things that I did in the four years that followed that acceptance. But with that gift also came a lot of challenges. The academics were hard. I had to spend many a weekend reading chapter after chapter in the University library and doing research for papers and exams. I entered college totally on my own. My roommate and I had exchanged pictures and 'get to know you' notes in the mail. This was before Facebook. There was not a single person on campus that I knew ahead of time. I had to meet everyone from scratch. My junior year I faced maybe the hardest challenge of all, dealing with the death of one of my close friends. It was the first time I had ever lost someone that was my own age. But while these things were challenges on the surface, I have come to realize that they were also gifts in disguise. The academics helped me continue to establish my work ethic. Meeting all new people helped me discover more about myself and resulted in many wonderful friendships that still continue to this day. The death of a friend was devastating, but I discovered the best way for me to deal with my grief was through service. I went on a Spring Break that year to Albemarle, North Carolina doing Habitat for Humanity a trip that, even though I didn't realize it at the time, was exactly what I needed to cope.
      For the many of you that are getting such exciting news from schools you have been accepted to, these moments are absolutely gifts. Getting in to your top choice school is a wonderful accomplishment. But don't mistake the gift as something that will come without challenge. And for those who may be disappointed with either their decisions or financial aid packages, these challenges may actually be gifts too. Life takes us on some pretty interesting paths. Having the level of understanding to recognize the positive in the negative (and the challenges in the gifts) is the best guidance I can give.
    Over the next four weeks most seniors will decide where they will spend the next four years. Some may feel like they are faced with more gifts than others, but life has an interesting way of taking us the places we are supposed to go.

Rough Week?

2011-04-01T13:16:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited and thrilled for students that have had good news from colleges- we've done exceptionally well as a school and have much of which to be proud. But many of the conversations I've had with students and families inevitably focus on the disappointing news, a waitlist or denial, that people are struggling to reconcile.

My best advice is to take some time to mourn but do so while watching the video above. OK Go is known for their inventive music videos (Robert Altman and Alfred Hitchcock would applaud their single cut format) and this song has particular resonance for coping with bad college news. What pushed it over the finish line to make it blog post-worthy? It features the Notre Dame Marching Band - a college in Indiana - how could I resist?

Let it go, this too shall pass.

Turning Point

2011-03-31T11:13:00.000-04:00

Today is a big day in the world of college admissions because it is a turning point. Up until now, it was the schools holding all of the power, deciding who gets a fat envelope and who doesn't. But today is different. Today, the students are the ones with the power and the colleges are the ones begging to be chosen.

The next few weeks will be challenging. Some students already know where they will deposit. Some are hoping for a spot from a waitlist. Some are torn between a few great options. Others are going to question 'why me,' or more accurately 'why not me?' Others still are having hard conversations with their family about things like loans and 'overall value' - things that are really unfair for us to ask 17 and 18 year old young adults to have to worry about. (But we must, because few things in life as real and longlasting as debt).

For those that are curious, our Naviance stats now show about 46% of applications resulted in acceptance and about 13% resulted in a denial. Over 400 decisions are still listed as 'unknown' so if you are a senior reading this, please enter any decisions that you have. Some schools with rolling admissions are still sending out letters, so if you haven't heard, be patient. Give the schools a call just to confirm if they have everything and if they can give you a ballpark of when you'll hear.

I'm so proud of the Class of 2011, I think the decision outcomes have, for the most part, been really really exciting and positive. Like the Venn Diagram above, much more is still to come, but enjoy the moment now. You deserve it.

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NCAA Spotlight: Butler

2011-03-27T21:20:00.002-04:00

Butler Bulldogs Basketball, a photo by Butler University on Flickr.

You couldn't expect Butler to get this far and me not make a special entry about it, right?

Butler is on my 'Underutlized' list and not just because of their basketball program. Butler is a great Midwestern liberal arts school that is, refreshingly, not impossible to get into. While it isn't a great fit if you are looking for an urban experience (NYU it isn't . . . ), Indianapolis is a bigger city than you might expect (#12 in the nation, thank you very much).

Butler offers undergraduate programs in everything from business, to pharmacy, to education, to the fine arts. I did an internship during one college summer at Butler's Clowes Memorial Hall. With less than 5,000 students, it isn't a college you can go to if you are looking to be anonymous. But if you are brave enough to go to college where you'll most likely arrive courtesy of a boarding pass, give Butler a look. Not convinced? You may end up a Butler student after all: many colleges accept their study abroad programs as approved for their students so you may still have a chance to root for the Bulldogs without being on their campus for four years.

Click here for basic admissions info

'Cause You Don't Really Love Me, You Just Keep Me Hanging On

2011-03-23T13:28:00.001-04:00

As decisions have been coming in, I wanted to bring up the issue of being waitlisted. In the same vein as the Glee admission decision post, I wanted to express how some people might feel about the waitlist with the song above. (This song was featured on Glee too, but Fox has oh so kindly not released the clip on YouTube. Not a huge issue though because a 1966 original isn't too shabby). Why do they keep running around, playing with your heart?

At most colleges, there are three outcomes in the main round of admission: admitted, waitlisted, and denied. The first and last category are pretty straighforward in terms of their emotional reactions, but being waitlisted is a bit murky. Should you be excited that you are still in the running? Should you be disappointed that you weren't good enough to make it in from the start? Should you be hopeful? Should you move on?

The answer is it is normal to probably feel a combination of all of the above. Being waitlisted means exactly what they say in the letter. They liked you and your application, they think you would be successful at their campus, but they were not able to offer you a seat in the incoming class at the present time. If they end up with openings, you are still in the running to be considered.

[Click below for the rest of the post]

Why does a school do this? For one, if they admitted every student they liked and thought was capable of the work, they would run out of seats, so they use the waitlist as a way to fill the class to a 'just right' level instead of risking being over-enrolled. Sometimes schools guess wrong and over-enroll just with the first round of admitted students, but they normally try to avoid that at all costs. Second, schools are worried about their rankings. Being selective is something that many schools value (a riff on this will be saved for a later blog post). So some schools, particularly if they have a deep and rich applicant pool, are less motivated to admit every student and are more apt to admit a core group and then offer admission off the waitlist as a way to see who is actually serious about coming to their school. In other words, if a school has made 1,000 waitlist offers but only hears back from 200 students that want to remain on the waitlist, in their minds they have just 'saved' their selectivity data 800 admits that they would have been wasting. It is true, some of those 800 may have just been so jaded and upset about the waitlisting that they would have enrolled if admitted but were too angry to stay on the waitlist, but when a school is getting thousands and thousands of applicants, they are normally willing to take the risk.

What should you do if you are waitlisted? If the school is one of your top choices and you really would still go there if you had the chance, you should remain on the waitlist. The decision letter should have instructions about how to notify the school that you want to remain on the list (normally there is a form to return or a website to go to). Next, focus on the schools that you did get into and decide by May 1 where you would like to deposit. Even though you could end up getting a spot where you were waitlisted, you need to have a plan in place in the event that things don't change. You will risk losing the deposit if you end up getting in off the waitlist, but it is a small price to pay in exchange for having a place to go to school in the fall. Last, contact the school where you were waitlisted with updated information about your senior year and a short statement about your continued interest. The note doesn't need to be long, but it should explain why you feel that school is a fit for you. Also have me send a copy of your MP3 grades so they can update your records.

Being waitlisted does NOT mean you are rejected, so don't let yourself get discouraged. At the same time, make a plan where you choose among the options you do have. Things normally have a way of working themselves out, so don't focus on the negative.

If you are eventually admitted from the waitlist, be aware that sometimes financial aid is more limited for students admitted via waitlist. When deciding if you want to stay on the waitlist, also weigh the factor that you will remain in emotional limbo potentially through the entire summer waiting hear the outcome. If you know that sort of agony is too much to handle, you can make the choice to walk away.

The Next 10 Days

2011-03-20T12:49:00.001-04:00

The next ten days will be the time when the majority of admission decisions are released to applicants. In the meantime, you may be curious to know where we stand.

So far, ElRo seniors have entered into Naviance that 35% of the total applications have resulted in an acceptance. About 5% have been denied admission and we are still waiting on the 58% that are unknown. (In case you think my math is fuzzy, remember there are a small number that are waitlisted or withdrawn).The class filed 1,085 applications, an average of 9.5 per student. Bring on April!

ps. I warned you about Butler.

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Thanks Brandeis!

2011-03-17T14:11:00.000-04:00

This morning I had the chance to attend a breakfast for counselors hosted by Brandeis University. We had the opportunity to hear from both the Dean of Admission, Mark Spencer, and the new University President, Dr. Frederick Lawrence (he even mentioned an Einstein quote I'm fond of!).

Most interesting was to hear that Brandeis was able, even during a time of transition and with the economic downturn not far in our past, to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need for this year's admitted class. Good news for students that will get a thick packet in the mail (ps. decisions go out tomorrow).

Brandeis is a great option for students that are interested in the mission of social justice, want to go to a small school with big opportunities, and that are looking for a challenge. Fun Fact: Eleanor Roosevelt spoke at Brandeis's first commencement in 1952 - all the more reason for ElRo Huskies to add it to their list! Thanks Brandeis for a great morning, I just hope some of those admit packets are headed our way . . .

March Madness!

2011-03-13T20:31:00.000-04:00

The next three weeks are some of the most exciting of the entire year. Not just because all the anticipation of where students will be accepted comes to an end, but because it is time for the NCAA Tournament. Why do I love the tournament? Let me count the ways:

1) I'm 4'10'' - my athletic prowess leaves a little to be desired. But you don't have to be skilled on the court to get excited about these games. And unlike the NBA, players aren't on multi-million dollar contracts with endorsements and uber-dramatic personal lives; players are student athletes, they actually pass the ball, and they are so excited to be playing you can feel it through the tv.

2) It puts the spotlight on colleges you may not know about. When a team like Davidson or Butler makes a run for it, it reminds us that small liberal arts colleges are out there. I'm thrilled if it leads to just one more student considering a school outside of their comfort zone and looking at a school they had not heard of before. May I suggest revving up Naviance during the commercial breaks?

3) Just like the college admissions decisions that will be on our mind over the next 6 weeks, the way the bracket plays out doesn't always make sense. In the same way that some students will be disappointed if they don't get in, some teams that 'should' win are faced with an upset. Just like how some students don't seem like they can be admitted to some schools end up with a thick packet in their mailbox, some teams, through a combination of luck and hope, win games that it seems like they shouldn't. With both the decisions and the games, things happen for a reason. Life doesn't always work the way it 'should' -- if it did the bracket would be irrelevant and the whole tournament could be predicted based on the seeds. The joy of the games are that they are unpredictable. Same goes for the college admissions decisions. Sit back and enjoy the ride.

4) The Bracket. As I alluded earlier, my basketball skills are not so hot. I took summer school gym in high school and for the basketball skills test was told to just stop trying because my time trial to complete a sequence of drills was already far past the 'F' time limit. But the bracket is another story. In my Fordham days, I won first place. Looking for a pool to join for a great cause? I'm planning to join Backboards to Blackboards a charity bracket for Building Tomorrow, a non profit founded by a William and Mary grad I went to high school with.

5) The NCAA tournament is FUN. Through much of the school year, the college application cycle is filled with the stress of deadlines and panic of students and parents worried about a lot of things. March is a little gap of happiness in between the frenzy of the fall applications and the decisions in April and AP exams in May. Working hard is great, but coming together to enjoy something fun is even greater.

Stay tuned over the next few weeks as I'll try and highlight certain colleges in the tournament that are worth checking out.

In related news, let's hear it for the ElRo Huskies who have had some nice basketball success of their own!

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Thanks Baruch!

2011-03-07T08:39:00.001-05:00

Thanks Baruch! CUNY Baruch hosted a Guidance Counselor day on Friday that I attended and it was nice to learn about the opportunities (in addition to seeing the beautiful facilities) that Baruch can offer. We heard from a panel of students and had the chance to interact with other guidance counselors. Most exciting was the surprise that one of our ElRo graduates was in the promotional video! Without question, CUNY offers the highest quality affordable college education to New York residents. I dare you to find a place that is more committed to equity, access, and affordability.

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Course Selection Advice

2011-03-02T13:41:00.000-05:00

I know I just recently posted about AP course selection, but sometimes information is best relayed when it comes from an outside source. Here is a link to The Admission Game- College Planning Blog with a description of how to select courses for senior year. I think the same advice can be applied to the earlier grades as well. I've attended conference workshop sessions with Peter Van Buskirk (Founder of the Admission Game) in the past and can confirm that he is the real deal.

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President's Day: College Style

2011-02-21T12:14:00.003-05:00

Lincoln_DC
Originally uploaded by maryn0503

We don't have school this week - a perfect opportunity for 11th and 12th grade students to visit college campuses without missing school. I'm going to be taking a break from blogging but I couldn't resist posting this fun link from Wikipedia with a list of where every US President went to college.* There may be a few campuses on there that you weren't expecting. See you next week!

*All but 7 US Presidents have attended college - the last to be elected without going to college was Grover Cleveland.

AP Mania!

2011-02-14T12:32:00.002-05:00

This week the 10th and 11th grade will each have an assembly to talk about AP offerings for the 2011-2012 year. As a small school (with a small teaching staff), we have to strike a very careful balance in terms of the number of AP subjects we can offer and the size of the AP classes. This means that every year some students are disappointed because we either don't offer a course they wish they could take or we are not able to include them in the course due to more demand than there are slots (or their failure to meet eligibility criteria).

You can read more about our AP Policy here, but click below where you'll find some basics for AP course selection.

- Our school philosophy strives to make it so that students elect to take an AP course because they passionate about the subject, not because they think they 'need' their transcript to lead to admission to college. Yes, colleges look at the courses you choose to take, but far too often it is easy to approach the situation wondering "I need to take one or two AP classes for colleges to see, which ones will I be able to get into . . . " when really the conversation should start with "I'm so eager to go deeper into my studies in (insert subject here), I'm going to request that AP course and hope I can take it"

- There are some basic eligibility requirements for AP courses - we evaluate a student's overall GPA, subject specific GPA, attendance, lateness, and commitment to their studies. A strong AP candidate is one that has a thirst for knowledge in a subject and is eager to put in more time in that subject. They are also expected to go beyond just logging hours and move toward higher level critical thinking.

- EVERY class at ElRo is designed to be challenging. We expect EVERY student to pass the Regents exams and EVERY student to be studious, bright, and engaged in the classroom. Failure to be approved for an AP course does not mean that the school doesn't feel you are a highly capable student with the ability to do great work, it just means that in that particular subject we were not able to place you in the class.

- The question is often posed: Do colleges want to see As in easier classes or lower grades in AP classes. A college representative answered this best this fall at an ElRo visit when she said, "we want you to get As in AP classes." ;) That was kind of a joke, but there is a lot of truth to it too. Colleges that accept, say, 1 in 4 of their applicants are in a position to really split hairs and expect top grades in the most challenging courses. But, most colleges take more applicants than that. So my advice is to first forget about the grade and ask yourself if you are passionate about the subject. If the class ends up meeting zero period, would you be excited to go? If your grade wasn't weighted, would you still be interested in the class? If grades didn't exist and you were in school just for the pure joy of learning, would you be excited about this subject? If the answers to those questions are yes, proceed to the second stage of questions. The next thing to consider is: given the rest of my courses, will I be able to balance doing all my school work AND devote the time and energy needed for this AP course? As a college counselor, my advice would be to always be aiming for an 85 or higher in every class. If you are already struggling in some subjects to earn a B, think twice about how many APs you request, even if they are in a different subject. Or perhaps think about how MANY you take. For example, if you love math and it comes easy to you, AP Calc may be a great idea, even if you have a harder time with the humanities. But, instead of trying to take two AP classes, maybe stick to just AP Calc and focus the rest of your time in keeping your other subjects in check.

- Enrolling in an AP class isn't just about the passion and the colleges seeing your course rigor, there is also the AP exam that is the culmination of the course and can result in college credit being awarded for the class. All students in the course must sit for the exam. As a school, we have to be accountable to try and have our students earn as many scores as possible that will earn them credit . The College Board provides us with a tool to predict AP exam performance and we anticipate using it to help determine class placement. It may also be used to factor into course appeals. We have never been a school that is just about test scores and I hope we never will be, but it is always a goal for the school to improve our AP exam performance and help students earn as much credit as possible in the process.

**This image is an ode to Valentine's Day. Please do not misconstrue the blog post image to represent the thoughts and feelings of the blogger. I do not <3 any product of the College Board or any system that causes so much unnecessary stress for students and parents. I do, however, <3 candy.**

The Time Has Come!

2011-02-08T14:14:00.000-05:00

Junior College Meeting forms went out last week. The ball is officially rolling for Juniors. Reminder: in order to get your appointment assigned, students must not only return the signed form, filled out with their scheduling preferences, but they are also required to fill out the Junior survey in Naviance. This can be found by logging on to Naviance, clicking on the 'about me' tab, and clicking on the survey link on the left hand side of the page. The survey must be officially submitted in order for me to know that it is complete. And be careful, the page will time out and you will lose your work if you don't save often. Parents/Guardians do not have a Naviance survey to complete, but they are invited to submit a parent questionnaire to aid in the writing of the letter of recommendation. Another copy of the Junior Parent Questionaire can be downloaded here.

I've got over 140 meetings to schedule, so please be patient and flexible if you don't get your first choice. The junior meeting will last about 45 minutes and parents/guardians are invited to be in attendance.

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Want out? Speak now or . . . .

2011-02-03T09:55:00.001-05:00

One aspect of a law called FERPA helps protect the privacy of students from having their information released without their consent.

There are two new initiatives going on right now that are requesting information from schools - one at the Federal level where the US DOE plans to track FAFSA completion rates (the FAFSA is the application for Federal Student Aid that 12th grade students fill out) the other where the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) plans to track what happens to students after high school (in other words, do they go to college, if so where, if so do they graduate, etc).

Every student will have their information released unless they complete the opt-out form, found by clicking here. The information they plan to release includes your name, birthday, graduation year, and address. There is no penalty for opting out. My understanding is that these pieces of data will not be made available to the public, but they will be made available to the US DOE and NSC who are compiling the data about these two issues (FAFSA and post-secondary outcomes).

If you want to opt out the form must be returned to Ms. Feldman in the main office by no later than February 20th. If you can't print it out, see Ms. Feldman for a hard copy.

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Application Season By The Numbers

2011-02-01T14:16:00.003-05:00

(Image January 21: LOST Originally uploaded by keribeth)

I could stare at this list of college application trends for hours. My take aways: the Common Application really does have a huge impact, some people are clearly smitten with schools that they shouldn't be, and we've apparently finally discovered Macalester.

Before you have a knee jerk freak out reaction (so many applicants, so few spots, I'll never get in!), I'm reminded of the thoughtful comments of Jim Bock Dean of Admission from Swarthmore during a pre-NACAC tour in 2009: when a school gets more applicants that normally indicates a larger trend that the student has more schools on their list, which means the college has to send out a larger number of admit packets to fill their class. So be sure you think about the numbers in context, the percent admitted at some of these schools may not actually change.

SAT/ACT Admissions Testing Info Night

2011-01-26T10:46:00.000-05:00

We had about 25 people attend the SAT/ACT Admissions Testing Info Night last night - many thanks to Maureen and Tara from Revolution Prep for their thorough and well organized presentation! For those that missed it, Princeton Review has a nice breakdown of the differences between the ACT and the SAT here. I recommend their book SAT or ACT? for families that want a really extended look at understanding the two exams and how they differ.

As a summary, here is what we discussed last night:

- All colleges will take either the SAT or the ACT, it is best for students to explore both options, then focus on raising whatever test they naturally do better on (or if they have a similar performance on both, whichever they like better).

- SAT Subject tests are only required at a small percentage of schools, but they tend to be the most selective schools. If a student knows they are highly skilled in a subject, and that they would be excited to do additional studying in that subject for a subject test, they should take the SAT Subject test at the conclusion of the course, when the information is freshest in their mind.

If a student is in 10th or 11th grade and was not satisfied with their PSAT score, it is more important to raise the main test score first, before worrying about subject tests. In other words, those highly selective schools (that take, say, 10% of applicants) expect BOTH a high main SAT score AND strong performance on the SAT Subject Tests.

The average SAT score for the current senior class is currently hovering right below an 1800 on the 2400 scale. This would indicate that most students are safe focusing on bringing that score up and not losing sleep over subject tests.

For the few schools that require subject tests, most ask for only two or three (ie - if World History isn't your thing, go ahead and wait because you may be better at US History)
Some schools will accept the ACT with writing in place of both the SAT and the SAT Subject Tests. This is a great alternative for students that may have missed the chance to take Subject Tests but still wants to add some reach schools to their college list.

- Revolution Prep offers courses at ElRo and registration for a course will also provide you with a bonus online booster class which include prep for tests like the APs and the Subject Tests.

I've been waiting for a chance to use this 20x200 print for a blog post. I know the text is pretty small, but click the link for the full version. It applies to much of this process we call college admissions.

Whole New Look for the College Board

2011-01-21T09:53:00.000-05:00

I was shocked today to find that the College Board has undergone a makeover and changed their website. The first major change is they are now going with a .org address instead of a .com address. I guess someone in PR liked what they saw at the ACT - their site has always been .org ;)

They have also dramatically reorganized things. Maybe I'm just resistant to change, but I'm not a huge fan. You now have to scroll down to find the links to the AP, Professionals page, etc. And, from what I can see, there is now no longer a dedicated 'Parents' tab on the homepage.

You should notice though that they do have an SAT page link right on the top left, since most visitors are probably looking for that. As an alternative, students may want to bookmark http://sat.collegeboard.com/home.

I'm sure I'll get used to this, but it is a little on the busy side if you ask me. My advice: take TIME to explore the site and don't panic when you aren't seeing what you need. Read the information fully before you get frustrated, I've found that they normally do address the issue that you are looking for, you just have to read carefully.

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In Celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.

2011-01-17T00:37:00.002-05:00

MLK STATUE Originally uploaded by ewilly011

Martin Luther King Jr. was a graduate of Morehouse College, Class of 1948.

Mid-Year Grades

2011-01-13T12:37:00.000-05:00

As the second Marking Period winds down, I want to remind everyone the procedure for sending out mid-year senior grades. Every college is different in their application processing. Some require grades from the first semester of senior year to be sent. Others do not (you can find this out by checking the college Admissions website, if it lists mid year grades as a requirement, you know they need them. If they don't mention it, you can assume that they don't). Some students want their senior performance to be included in their application because it is stronger than their previous years. Others still are deferred from Early Action or Early Decision, and need their mid-year grades for evaluation in the regular round. No matter the reason, here is how the process works at ElRo:

Students must let me know, either directly on the original Transcript Request Form or via email, that they want their senior grades sent. For students in the Regular Decision round, the grades will be sent as soon as the MP2 report cards are released. That report card falls in the middle of the year, hence the "mid" in mid-year grades.

Some students may only be proud of one Marking Period and not the other. Unfortunately, if a school is asking for mid-year grades they typically are expecting to see both Marking Periods. This is why I've said from the start of the year that Senior classes count.

Right now, I have 516 individual report cards that need to be sent. If you are unsure if I have you on the list, please feel free to email or drop by my office. If you know for a fact that you already emailed me, no need to do it again, I promise you are on there.

Why not automatically send semester grades everywhere for all applicants? First reason: there are over 1200 applications currently filed by this senior class. I'm only one person. Sending non-required items that don't add something new to an application isn't an effective use of time and resources. Second reason: I've already discussed the world of the college application processing/mail room. The chance of mid-year grades actually reaching a student file is definitely not 100%. Schools get better at sorting loose documents every year, but in the triage of finding missing items, Senior grades are normally at the bottom of the list. If the school doesn't require them, many senior report cards end up in a pile of papers that never even make it into the reader's hands so it is better to focus our efforts on the places that really need the items.

Sometimes colleges will also specifically reach out to me if they feel they need to see Senior grades, in that case, the first semester grades will be sent. If students requested senior grades for an Early Action round, the report card was sent after the first Marking Period since those decisions came out last month.

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Thanks Posse!

2011-01-07T11:09:00.000-05:00

Wednesday night I had the pleasure of attending the Posse Scholar Awards Ceremony in support of ElRo senior Johnny Qiu, who was selected as a Posse Scholar to Lawrence University. We are so lucky to have had a student picked this year - there were over 3,100 students nominated and each school only accepts between 10 and 12 students, so it is a real accomplishment of which our school should be proud. Above are pictures of two Posse groups - the first are current freshman at Vanderbilt including ElRo's own Ryan Hess '10 (front right); the second are current sophomores at Dickinson including Derik Cardona, the first student I worked with that was selected for Posse (front center).

Congratulations to all of the Posse Scholars - I hope it is just the beginning of our good fortune for the class of 2011!

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Mock SAT This Saturday

2011-01-04T09:43:00.003-05:00

As promised, below is the information from the phone call that just went out to 10th and 11th grade parents. The Mock SAT will be from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm:

"I’m calling to remind you that this Saturday, January 8^th, we are offering a $5 Mock SAT at ElRo for 10^th and 11^th grade students. This exam is not required, but is being offered as a way for students to gain more exposure to the SAT, particularly after getting their PSAT scores back last month. To register, go to www.revolutionprep.com. The fastest way to sign up from there is to enter our zip code, 10021, then click the tab labeled ‘Practice Exams’ . Then click ‘Enroll Now’ and follow the instructions to pay online. The $5 fee acts as a fundraiser for ElRo. Students that take this practice exam are not required to register for a full Revolution Prep class and scores on the practice test do not count toward anything. If this weekend is not convenient, or students are not yet ready to start preparing for standardized tests, that is no problem. Virtually every test prep company offers free or low cost diagnostic exams and families are free to choose the prep option that is best for them. Again the site for registration is www.revolutionprep.com. Students must pre- register by no later than Thursday in order for enough exams to ordered. This message will also be posted on the ElRo College Counseling Blog. Thank you."

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Happy Holidays!

2010-12-24T23:57:00.002-05:00

buddy xmas Originally uploaded by chotda

I'll be taking a mini-blogging break this next week. Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2011!

PSAT - What Next?

2010-12-21T15:34:00.001-05:00

All the PSAT scores have been returned, but I know there are probably some students and parents with lingering questions. In case the students are having trouble remembering how to interpret the scores from my session, here is a summary of what to know:

-Make like a snowflake and chill. The PSAT is just a benchmark to see how students do on the College Board brand of test. Some students do significantly better on the ACT. Others benefit from applying to testing optional schools. No two students are alike (another thing in common with snowflakes), so resist the urge to make comparisons.

- To convert a PSAT score to an equivalent SAT score: add a zero to the end of each section. The PSAT sections are out of 80, the real SAT sections are out of 800.

- PSAT scores are distributed on a normal curve, meaning a small percentage of people score very low and very high, but the majority of students score in the middle. For the PSAT, this means most students in the nation score around a 50 on each section. Learn more about SAT score by clicking here.

- It is useful to look at not just the raw score, but also the percentile. For students that are testing in a top percentile (say 85th percentile or higher) this may indicate a natural ability on standardized tests and it may mean that the student should explore taking SAT Subject tests in the end of their 10th or 11th grade year if they are considering applying to highly selective colleges where these exams are required. Most colleges do NOT require SAT Subject Tests, but for those that do the best candidates are the students that are naturally strong test takers. If a student is in a lower percentile, they are probably better served bringing up their main SAT score before devoting time and energy to an SAT Subject Test. Some schools also allow the ACT with writing to count in place of the SAT and Subject Tests, so if students are not ready for Subject Tests as underclassmen it does not necessarily mean that they lose the opportunity to apply to these selective schools.

- Utilize My College Quickstart. Students can register for free online test prep from the College Board that is personalized to their strengths and weaknesses based on the PSAT. Don't miss this opportunity to get individual feedback on how to improve. A little bit of practice over a long period of time is a great way to improve your scores. Please note, the College Board username and password will be the same for the rest of high school. Do NOT make duplicate accounts or make an account in a parent's name. This should be completed by the student.

- Maximize your reading time in Advisory to really push your reading level. The best way to improve your SAT Critical Reading and Writing score is to read high level books. It is no accident that ElRo asks students to read books outside of those that are assigned for class. Opt for high level books (and even consider reading with a dictionary on hand) to learn vocabulary and expand your literary horizons.

Still confused about testing? Please attend the testing info night on Tuesday, January 25 at 5:00 pm in the Auditorium.

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Dogs as Stress Relief for Finals

2010-12-16T22:29:00.000-05:00

Yes, I'm biased. But seriously LOVE this idea.

Early Action/Decision Outcomes: The Glee Edition

2010-12-12T19:22:00.000-05:00

What better way to deal with the anxiety around December decisions than with the joy of song. There are three possible outcomes in Early: Denied Admission, Deferred to Regular Decision, or Admitted. I think the cast of Glee can express reactions to these outcomes best.
(**Full disclosure: I was in show choir in high school. My sister was too.)

Denied Admission: Even if you are sad and angry, a catchy tune and dancing is a win/win. Playing on repeat is encouraged.

Deferred to Regular Decision : Deferred truly does not mean denied, absolutely explore other options and be open minded to alternate routes, but don't give up hope.

Admitted: You declared your love, the feeling was mutual.

Happy Hanukkah - PSAT Results are In!

2010-12-06T14:18:00.003-05:00

Tiny bubbles... Originally uploaded by peater

Yes, I know not everyone celebrates Hanukkah, but for me, getting the PSAT results counted as a present. The PSAT was administered to 10th and 11th grade students in October and we got the score reports in last week. Starting today, I will be distributing the scores to students. I will visit 10th grade advisory classes one at a time to hand back the reports. The 11th grade will get their scores all together in an assembly on Wednesday.

I know this staggered approach means that some students will see their scores before other students, but I think the sacrifice is worth it in order for me to give the best possible information out to the students. It also allows me to answer more questions one on one and hopefully will make it easier for students to absorb what I have to say.

I encourage all 10th and 11th grade student to utilize the code on the bottom right of their score report, which will allow them access to a free test analysis and personalize study tips by going to www.collegeboard.com/quickstart

Remember, the P in PSAT stands for Practice, so if you are not happy with your performance, there is still time to improve. I'll probably have addition blog posts about understanding the score report, but I wanted parents/guardians to know to be on the lookout to ask their child about the exam.

Thanks Fordham!

2010-12-02T22:22:00.000-05:00

Tonight was Fordham's annual Holiday Party at the Lincoln Center Campus- an event I'm proud to have been a part of for the past five years - first as an Admissions Counselor at Fordham and then as a High School College Counselor. As always, it was great to see old friends and chat with colleagues. The picture here is of Fordham's Rose Hill Campus by ElRo's own Lihan Yao, a member of the class of 2011. He is such a talented photographer! Thanks for letting me use the image.

Go Rams!

The Backup Plan

2010-11-30T09:43:00.000-05:00

Many students have applied Early Action or Early Decision this year and are waiting for their decisions to be returned over the next few weeks. Of course, I would love it if every candidate was accepted to every school to which they applied, but chances are some people will be faced with deferrals and denials. My advice is to work on preparing the rest of your applications now. The very worst thing to have to do on the break between Christmas and the New Year is work on applications after you are already feeling defeated from an EA/ED decision. Better to get everything in tip-top shape now so you can be ready to press submit later, once you know the Early outcomes. If you end up being accepted ED, yes, you will have wasted a little of your time, but trust me, at that point you won't mind.

Prepare for the worst, and hope for the best. Remember, opening a skinny envelope is not the end of the world. But, do yourself the favor of putting in the time now so you will not have to later.

Crossing your fingers also never hurts.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T10:56:00.000-05:00

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What should you do about missing documents?!

2010-11-22T21:39:00.000-05:00

Imagine your mailbox at home. Now imagine you got a few thousand pieces of mail per day. Welcome to a college admissions mail room. It is not surprising that it takes days, if not weeks, to open, sort, and categorize all of the incoming items that go into applications. About two weeks after you see I have submitted 'initial materials' on Naviance, I recommend calling the schools where you have applied and asking them about the 'status of your application.' This should prompt the student worker (or whatever other lucky soul happens to be on phone duty) to pull up your file in their computer and tell you if it is complete. When they do this, they likely cannot see any of the actual parts of the application, so don't ask them about a specific teacher letter or have them tell you what scores they have in (according to FERPA they actually can't verbally share scores with callers). Instead, they should be able to tell you, in general, what required items are missing.

If something is not there that should be here is what to do:

-If you applied to the school via Common App, have your Common App number ready and see if they will transfer you to the processing department because if Naviance says the documents were sent, they should have access to them. BE PATIENT - the people on the phone are doing you a favor, you catch more flies with honey . . . .

- If you didn't apply with Common App, still see if they can track down your documents via a company called Docufide (the umbrella company that Naviance uses to send documents).

- If they check and they truly can't find the items, try to get the name and email address of a human that actually deals with document processing and/or file completion. Pass this information on to me in an email, and I will send your items right away. I'd much rather send the document to a person that can make your file complete than add one more piece of random paper to their mail room that will take weeks to process.

- Second best? Get a fax number (and ideally a person's name that I should fax it at attn to)

- Last option - confirm the address where the item should be mailed and email that to me.

- Scores missing? Next step is to log on to College Board/ACT and confirm that you placed an order. Then pick up the phone and call them to see if there is an estimated time of delivery. Hopefully you will discover they are on their way. Again, be courteous to the phone operators, they are just doing the best that they can to help and scores are advertised as taking up to 6 weeks to arrive at a college.

- Whatever you do, don't panic. Colleges often send out those 'incomplete application' notices as a way to cover themselves. They often are not able to use data that is current and you may call and discover that in between the time that they sent the 'missing items' letter and now your file has become complete. There are still about three weeks before ED and EA decisions are finalized, so it is not too late.

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Thanks Barnard Office of Financial Aid!

2010-11-19T16:41:00.000-05:00

Thank you to Susan Lee, Senior Associate Director of Financial Aid at Barnard for coming to our PTA meeting last night! Her expertise was put to good use during our conversation about how the Financial Aid process works. Part II of our Financial Aid themed PTA meetings will be December 16 at 6:00 pm and will focus on filling out the FAFSA form, line by line. Remember, Seniors fill out the FAFSA starting in January of their Senior year. However, younger families are invited to attend to get a heads up about the types of questions they will be asked.

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"As Einstein used to say, ‘Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.”’

2010-11-16T10:47:00.000-05:00

I was pleased to read this article in the New York Times about the perils of rankings and how sometimes small and seemingly obscure data can dramatically change a school's rank. I've said it before, I'll say it again: rankings exist to sell magazines. They intentionally change the formula each year in order to get different results.

Speaking of the formula, the criteria itself is questionable at best. Peer ranking counts as a factor in ranking? How much your friends like you is a task best left to Facebook. The bottom line is that every college has strengths and weaknesses. The majority of the 3,000+ colleges out there have at least a few things that they are really really good at. For people interested in those things, they could rank "#1" on their list.

But, people allow themselves to put so much weight into a pointless magazine (or book, or article, or any other 'ranking' organization . . . I'm an equal opportunity ranking basher) that they sometimes lose sight of the fact that there are probably a few kids that are miserable at Harvard and Williams (see that, they can't even limit themselves to anointing one number one, they have to separate Universities and Liberal Arts Colleges . . . ). There are also some kids having their ideal college experience at SUNY Albany, ranked number (gasp!) 143.

I admit, I do have the US News from last year because I got it for free at the Baltimore NACAC. And I do bring it out in some college meetings. Why? Because it is a quick list of schools that can help me double check if I missed a place. I'm not in it looking for a difference between #7 and #12, I'm jogging my memory.

Moral of the story? Don't take rankings as something written in stone (the publishers wouldn't want that either, they need you to buy next year's magazine). Use rankings as a place to start the exploration; look up places on the list that you have not heard of. Pay less attention to the numerical rank and more attention to the information you discover after looking the school up on your own. Also, consider multiple sources - Washington Monthly and Forbes also publish lists that often look different from US News. Last, promise that for every ranking list you look at you will read at least section of Colleges That Change Lives.

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Save Your Items from Destination Nowhere

2010-11-11T10:49:00.001-05:00

Destination: nowhere in particular Originally uploaded by thekermanns

A few of you have been offered free 'priority' or 'VIP' applications to some schools and they have offered to waive the fee. Great! We know I'm all for saving money. However, there will be a major processing issue if you decide to use that free app, and then still have that college listed in your Common App account.

Why? Naviance is linked with the Common App. If it sees you have a school in your Common App list, even if you have not submitted any part if it, it will send your documents to the college via Common App. And it will never end up being downloaded by the college, because you won't have filed a Common App with them.

How to fix this? Update your Common App. Delete schools that you are not using a Common App for. That way, I won't send your items and have them lost in the abyss of the internet, never reaching their destination.

Thanks!

FAQs

2010-11-08T00:16:00.000-05:00

If I had a nickel for every question I've answered in the past week about . . . . It seems there are a few common questions that keep coming up - please see below for the answers!

Our School Code is 333648

My title is College Counselor (Though honestly, you can call me Guidance Counselor, College Adviser, I'm really not picky . . . and neither are the colleges)

My phone number is 212 772 1220 x4

ElRo's Fax number is 212 772 1440

ElRo does not offer Honors classes. Colleges will know this because they will get a copy of our school profile with your transcript. They understand that because we don't have a traditional 'tracked' system, we don't have a need for Honors classes because all students are working at a rigorous level. We do offer a small number of AP courses and College English, all of which are weighted.

The GPA can be found on the transcript. It should also be accurate in Naviance.

Our school is annualized, so final grades are posted once per year. An academic class that meets 5 days per week is worth 2.0 credits per year. An elective class that meets fewer days per week is worth 1.0 credits per year (or 0.5 credits per semester if the course is only one semester long).

We do not run on a trimester system. You just leave the column blank on the Common App.

We do not rank.

When in doubt, check the school website first. Most information you need should be there (or on our 2011 profile).

Happy Applying!

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Thanks New School!

2010-11-02T13:22:00.001-04:00

The New Face of Parsons
Originally uploaded by The New School

This morning I was hosted at a counselor breakfast for the New School with presentations by Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts, The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, and Parsons The New School for Design. Full disclosure, they had me when I walked in and saw that a piece by Kara Walker was in the stairwell up to the second floor where the breakfast was being held. She is one of my favorite artists, so the morning started off on the right foot.

In a nutshell, here is what I learned:

Eugene Lang should be on the radar of anyone looking for small seminar classes in an urban environment. You get the benefits of New York City, without the size and anonymity (and sometimes out of reach selectivity) of NYU.

Jazz and Contemporary Music is a wonderful option for students that are looking to be musicians. It is not a classical conservatory (for that, see Mannes) but it is a really great fit for students that have clear musical performance goals. A live audition is required. They also offer a dual degree program with Lang that can be a good thing for students (and parents) that want some academics to 'fall back on.' FYI-The way to apply for that dual program is to check the box on the JAZZ application (not to file a Common App for Lang).

Parsons may be the face of the New School that people know best, thanks to Tim Gunn and the popularity of Project Runway. But Parsons is not just for fashion designers, they also offer programs in things like photography, product design, game design, architecture, and even business administration! A portfolio, and the 'Parsons Challenge' is required, but what a fun place to make it work! (I couldn't help myself . . . )

Thanks New School for a delicious breakfast! I recommend students that don't have class today and next Thursday take advantage of touring local schools to get some visits out of the way and not have to miss school doing it.

Nov 1 Reminders!

2010-10-30T18:14:00.000-04:00

What a busy week! With Parent Teacher Conferences, Cinderella Meets The Wolfman, and Early Action deadlines, I'm not complaining about the fact we have two four school day weeks coming up.

I understand the stress as our first round of deadlines approach - but here is some advice to help you make it through.

- Remember at almost every school (I'm looking at you University of Texas at Austin :/ ) they are flexible enough to operate so that the student's portion of the application is due by the deadline and school items and test scores (where required) can arrive a little bit later. Relax, your stuff will get there.

- How can you check if your transcript request has been processed? Log in to Naviance. If you see 'Initial Materials Submitted' that means it was sent.

- Many students just got their October SAT scores back. I had recommended that students pre-order their scores in order to speed up the process of their application becoming complete. In case you did not do that, I recommend you send the scores now. Log in to your College Board account to do this. I DO NOT recommend rushing your scores. A rushed score report will be mailed to a college on paper. The last thing colleges need right now is paper. Your score, sent the regular way, will go to the college on a disk and be uploaded. It will still take some time to get there, but it will be faster and more reliable than a rushed report. The regular method is also less expensive.

- About two or three weeks from now, call the schools you have applied to and ask about the 'status of your application.' That way you can confirm that your items have been received.

- For public schools, including SUNY and CUNY, I recommend applying by no later than Thanksgiving. Next Tuesday and the following Thursday when we have no school would be great days to spend working on filing applications.

-For younger students, Election Day and Veterans Day may be great days to take a college tour. Think about campuses in New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington DC and Boston, as all could be places you could visit in one day.

Happy Halloween!

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