Thanks Goucher!

Goucher College

• Another Maryland CTCL school, this small liberal arts college has their eyes set on the future. They have massive construction on campus that will include a future freshman housing village, new centralized dining hall, new science center, and new interfaith center. 
• Every single student studies abroad, something that no other college in the country can say. 
• In the words of their dynamic President Jose Bowen, many colleges are in the business of content but Goucher believes that the jobs of the future haven't been invented yet so they are in the business of making sure students learn how to learn. 
• Speaking of the charismatic President, he allows students to sign out his dogs for walks, a phenomenal idea that I've never seen on any other campus. 
• The new dorms have been designed based on data analytics. Things like requiring students to have roommates in their freshman year (as opposed to luxury singles), sacrificing room size for common spaces (and putting faster WiFi in those common spaces) to encourage interaction with peers. These small things nudge students into building connections with others and investing themselves with on-campus life instead of the world of high school through their phones or Facebook accounts. 
• Goucher does not require a CSS Profile for Financial Aid and there are merit scholarships available up to $30,000 per year. 
• Last year they became accredited to award degrees to people who are incarcerated, a really wonderful and rare thing for a liberal arts college to be involved in and a sign of their commitment to educate all types of students and do work related to social justice. 

Overall Impression-- This is a school that does things with intention.  It is refreshing to see a place think about what students truly need, not just what they want. For them to be committed to turning out better people, not just issuing diplomas.

What a pleasure it was to be hosted by these 11 colleges this week. Thank you to the Crab Crawl and the ElRo PTA for their supporting my participation.

Thanks St. John's College and Washington College!

St. John's College

• St. John's, in Annapolis, is the third oldest college in the country, founded in the late 1600s. They offer no majors-- instead all students earn a Bachelor's in the Liberal Arts. Don't let this fool you though into thinking graduates are without academic passions or career options. Students go on to graduate school in droves and are well prepared for the working world in jobs that require communication, critical thinking, and deep knowledge.
• The curriculum is interdisciplinary and led by 'tutors' -- what they call professors here. All tutors teach all subjects, so it is possible to have an instructor who is as new to a topic as the student. 
• There are no textbooks. Instead, students read 40 'Great Books' and learn even fields of math and science by reading the texts of people like Ptolemy and Einstein. 
• Grades are not shared with students unless they go to the Registrar and ask to see them. Instead, students get real interactive feedback from their tutors and have a chance to talk about their progress. If you are the kind of student who thrives on checking the decimal points of your GPA, this probably isn't the school for you. 
• The video you see above is the entirety of the first year cohort, taking their chorus class (part of that universal curriculum). Even for students without a musical background, this course is intended to help students understand not only the beauty of music but also how to work together, how to approach things that are unfamiliar, and maybe even how to appreciate Latin (the perennial anthem of the school is a chorus favorite: a psalm performed in Latin). Seeing it in person gave me chills.
• This is a quirky place. In addition to reading, they devote their time to the likes of croquet and swing dancing. It is a place of juxtapositions-- simultaneously nontraditional and ultra-traditional (doesn't get much more traditional than reading Plato), hyper intellectual and open to taking students who don't have straight As or high test scores (they are testing optional). 
• They have a second campus in Santa Fe!
• Earlier this year I went to a reception in NYC at the home of the author of this article. He calls St. John's the most future proof college in the country. 

Overall Impression: Schools like St. John's are what make being a college counselor fun. In a world where I devote my time trying to prove that fit matters and that all schools are not interchangeable, a campus like this comes along and makes my job easy. Admittedly, this is a once in a decade kind of school-- meaning the odds of having a student interested in taking this kind of intellectual risk, interested in working this hard, and bold enough to look past college selectivity in place of fit. But, with that said, they are seeking 140 students per year who truly thrive in this kind of space.

Washington College

• Washington College is the only college in the nation to use George Washington's namesake with his blessing. He sat on the equivalent of the 'board of trustees' when Washington College was founded in the late 1700s and his legacy is woven throughout campus. 
• Located on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Washington College boasts 60% of their student body from out of state. 
• On tour, we got to have an impromptu conversation with a Professor and he was earnest in his enthusiasm for the students and community. This is a place that will provide individual attention. 
• Their most popular majors are Business and Biology. 

Overall Impression: For a student seeking slightly warmer weather than New York, a small campus environment steeped in history, and the chance to qualify for merit scholarships, Washington College checks all of those boxes.

Thanks McDaniel, Mount St. Mary's, and Hood College!

McDaniel College

• The CTCL chapter for this colleges starts with the sentence "If you are looking for a place without pretense and full of genuine care, McDaniel should be at the top of the list."
• This campus felt authentic and personal with a slice of Division I style school spirit. 

• Founded 150 years ago as Western Maryland University, they changed their name in the early 2000s because they were not, in fact, in Western Maryland (the name was rooted in the Western Maryland Railroad company).  
• More than requiring that every student have a perfect record, they concern themselves more with course selection and rigor (particularly in the senior year). They have been test-optional for more than 20 years.
• They have the McDaniel Plan, a core curriculum with multiple choices embedded within it. 
• I often reference to families that there are private colleges that will, in many cases, cost the same or less than a SUNY. Sound the alarm because McDaniel is one of those places. Sound the other alarm too because they only require a FAFSA to apply for aid, not a CSS Profile. 
• In what is one of the most unique scholarship options I've heard of, they started a new Educator's Legacy Scholarship for any child of an educator (broadly defined as a teacher, Principal, Secretary, Cafeteria Worker, ANY person working in a K-12 school) that will automatically give $25,000 in financial aid per year to admitted students. Only Carleton comes to mind as another school making a serious and identifiable effort to recruit and serve middle class families. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. (They also have similar initiatives for children of Veterans and children of Alumni). 

Overall Impression: I won't try and hide it, McDaniel is the kind of campus I'm constantly looking to add to my arsenal. Situated on a classic college hill, the setting is beautiful, the people are committed, admission is attainable, and merit scholarships are available. Football, and school spirit, is a huge part of campus culture, but the small setting means it doesn't come at the sacrifice of personal attention.

Mount St. Mary's University

• Founded in 1808 (the second oldest Catholic college in the country!), Mount St. Mary's retains a strong connection to its religious foundation. 
• They have an undergraduate college but also a seminary and future priests share are sprinkled among the people you'll see walking around the campus. 
• They recently added Cyber-security as a major, one of few schools with program that isn't online.
• Division I athletics with under 2,000 students, it is a rare combination. 

Overall Impression: Over 60% of students identify as Catholic and on the spectrum of Catholic schools I would place this one towards the 'more religious' end of the scale (there are 5 chapels on campus, for example). The staff was clearly very passionate about their work and students seemed happy to be attending. 

Hood College

• Originally a Women's College, Hood went co-ed to commuters in the 1970s and then fully co-ed with men living on campus in 2003.  
• This change angered many alum and they sent back their signet rings as a way display their dissatisfaction. Hood however took those lemons and made lemonade, re-gifting the rings to students who couldn't buy their own. Over time, this became a new tradition where the family of deceased alum send back the ring to be passed on to a new generation. 
• The campus is in Westminster, Maryland - a very cute area with historic streets and a sprawling park. The campus buildings are all done in the Georgian style and bricks and columns abound. 
• The President holds open office hours, demonstrating just how student centered the school.

Overall Impression:  At dinner, an administrator had the students in the room recite the impromptu Hood acronym that summarizes their school: Hope, Obligation, Opportunity, Democracy. Hood is a school full of kind and good-natured people.

Thanks Notre Dame of Maryland University, Loyola Maryland, and Stevenson University!

Notre Dame of Maryland University

• Women's college with a small, safe, tight knit community-- small as in under 1,000 students.
• Test Optional since last year, though test score submission is required for the Honors program.
• I say it in junior meetings all the time, but it is so exciting to see in person: Women's colleges carry the torch for college access and enrollment diversity. This school was full of dynamic young women of color and first generation college students (referred to at ND as Trailblazers). Their energy was palpable. 
• This campus is adjacent to Loyola's and the schools even share a library. A great way to still have a co-ed community at a single sex college. 

Overall Impression: If you seek a supportive community and a place where you and your peers can be transformed, this might be the right fit for you. Seeking a party school? Ultra intense admission/academics? Large lectures where you can be anonymous? This isn't the place for those things.

Loyola University Maryland

• 4,000 undergraduate students make up this Jesuit school. 
• Mostly comprised of stone buildings with modern and updated interiors, Loyola's campus is desirable in quite a few ways. It has a defined space without being cramped or exceedingly sprawling. 
• Offers majors in Arts & Sciences, Business, and Education. 
• About 70% of students self identify on an enrollment survey as Catholic, but levels of practice vary widely. 
• Two thirds of students study abroad and there is a core curriculum to give all students a solid foundation in all major disciplines, including Religion. 
• Payscale.com rates them as the #2 school in all of Maryland, behind the Naval Academy, for mid-career salary rates. 
• Fun fact: the Starbucks on campus sells more coffee than any other Baltimore location, including BWI airport.  

Overall Impression: This school probably would be the school, so far, to be the best fit for the largest number of Eleanor Roosevelt students. The vibe was happy without being fluffy. The facilities were clean and bright and proximity to the city with an enclosed suburban campus is the best of both worlds. 

Stevenson University 

• Formerly Villa Julie until 2008, Stevenson University has literally been reborn from the ground up over the past ten years. They are in the process of transitioning to their new Owings Mills campus, a place where all buildings and spaces are less than 10 years old. This new iteration is a school that is focused on connecting higher education to career, so students all leave with a clear set of goals and a pathway to a job. 
• They prioritize student success and launched a new program last year where every student has a Student Success Coach -- a guide to help students stay on track and progress toward their degree and beyond. 
• A large number of professors are adjuncts, but as a result they are a wonderful resource for internships since many of them work in the real world and can connect students to jobs opportunities and colleagues.   
• It is clear that a lot has been invested in creating an athletic department to give on-campus life a new dimension. The transition from commuter school to residential college is obvious.
• This is the first campus of the tour to proactively discuss Disability Services with us in a meaningful way. I see this as a wonderful sign as a counselor because it means they are eager to work with all students and unafraid to continue (if not enhance) services provided at the high school level. They say they want to remove the stigma of having a learning difference and they are walking the walk. Bravo!
• International students are eligible for financial aid.

Overall Impression: For a student who would thrive with a little scaffolding, Stevenson seems like a place that won't let you fell through the cracks very easily. With their brand new campus, they are also a good fit for students who care a lot about the physical plant of the school and who crave modern amenities and architecture. 

Thanks MICA and Johns Hopkins University!

I'll be spending this week in the Baltimore area visiting 11 private colleges on a counselor tour called the Crab Crawl. Because know how demanding these tours are, I'm going to prioritize getting summary information up on the blog each night, even if it comes in the form of a bulleted list.

Maryland Institute College of Art - MICA

• Oldest continually operational visual arts college in the country, founded in 1826
• A good fit for intellectual thinkers seeking technical training in the arts
• Students seeking a BA in a Liberal Arts setting can expect to take 30-45% of their courses in art and design. By contrast, students at a place like MICA getting a BFA can expect to take 65-70% of their courses in art and design. 
• Option to cross register at other Baltimore area schools, Johns Hopkins in particular
• Particularly useful for students interested in prosthetic design or medical drawing to be able to take science courses
• Portfolio of 12-20 pieces required with application
• Compared with other art schools, MICA is an accredited art school that offers a decent balance between structure and exploration
• They do offer academic merit aid, something not found at every art school
• 1220+ on the SAT or 26+ on the ACT
• The artist who did the recent portrait of Michelle Obama, now at the Smithsonian, is a MICA Professor

Overall Impression: For the right student (artsy, funky, creative, seeking a community of makers) could be a great way to earn a degree in art and still be prepared to enter the working world and make a living (career services and internships were emphasized, my tour guide, for example, has an internship at the Whitney Museum this summer). 

Johns Hopkins University

• Urban residential campus with an undergraduate focus (a little over 6,000 students total). About 70% of students study the Arts & Sciences and 30% study Engineering.
• Students here describe themselves as working hard academically but also working equally hard to be involved in the campus community. 
• Research is a strong aspect of academic life, across all disciplines. 
• The supplemental essay was changed recently to ask about collaboration. Johns Hopkins has a reputation for being cutthroat, but they see themselves as much more collaborative. They consider who else is in the room-- the Professor and other bright and interesting peers-- to be an essential element toward attracting the right students to their campus. 
• They do not track demonstrated interest and have discontinued interviews as part of the application process. They do offer informal small group chats to students seeking that on their campus visit. 
• About 40% of the class enrolls via Early Decision, so visit with enough time to decide if this is a route you want to take. 

Overall Impression: Our tour guide told us one of the main factors he used in deciding where to enroll in college was the ability for him to continue running his antique license plate store on Ebay. I cite this to illustrate that this is a place that embraces quirkiness (it was also my favorite moment on the tour). Students are driven, excited about learning, and seem to find fun in non-traditional places. 

Thanks UT Dallas!

Thank you to the University of Texas at Dallas for hosting me on their campus last week in order to learn about the McDermott Scholars Program. Let’s get a few things out of the way first:

1)   I knew nothing about UT Dallas before this trip. I’ve only ever been to Texas once before and as Midwesterner turned New Yorker, it hasn’t been a school on my radar.

2)   McDermott Scholars isn’t your run of the mill merit scholarship for bright students. It is a full service, highly competitive, all inclusive scholarship that includes not only full tuition and room and board but also a stipend, round trip airfare home twice a year for students in the continental United States (1x a year for international), $12,000 toward a study abroad experience, and what amounts to year-round mentoring, enrichment, and cultural experiences both on campus and off.

3)   This school might be too smart for you. Yes, you read that right. If your vision of college is tailgating and creating a class schedule with nothing before noon and three-day weekends, you can save your energy on exploring UT Dallas. You will hate it. See Exhibit A below.

Ok, cool, you kept reading. You want to go to college to learn something and learn it deeply. So now, what is this school and where did it come from?

UT Dallas is a young school. That explains why you might notice the trees aren’t tall, and the library doesn’t have stained glass windows, and there aren’t 80 year olds meeting up for reunions. They don’t have a football team, so you haven’t see them on ESPN. In fact, they are much better known for their Chess Team.  Originally founded in the 1960s as a post-graduate think tank, UT Dallas only enrolled their first freshmen in 1990. Since that time though, they have grown and now they have an enrollment of over 25,000 students, about 65% of which are undergraduates. Admittedly, many students commute but residence life on campus is strong for those that live there and because the college itself is young and the on-campus housing is even younger, the facilities are bright and modern. (For context, there are about 5,000 students who reside on campus full time. Keep in mind though for people worried that is too small of a resident population, you are still talking about the equivalent of an entire small liberal arts college living in campus housing. Yes, it is a small portion compared to the entire student body, but no you won’t feel isolated or alone.).

One of the school’s original founders was Eugene McDermott, a brilliant and generous man who was one of the founders of Texas Instruments (TI). You likely know TI because they have a corner on the high school calculator market. I myself was a proud owner of a TI-82 back in my AP Calculus BC days.  After his death, his wife Margaret continued her commitment to UT Dallas and in 2001 endowed the McDermott Scholars program, my hosts for this trip. (At 106 years of age, she is, to this day, a passionate supporter of UT Dallas).

McDermott Scholars are the cream of the cream. To be eligible to apply, students must have at least a 1490 or 34 test score. Then the expectation is to have top grades, leadership, and character experiences to match. Sixty students are invited to the final round of the interview and ultimately about 24 are selected and attend UT Dallas. There are some strings attached, like being required to live on campus all four years and participate in sponsored trips (both with the group and independently to study abroad). Students in the program pursue research opportunities, internship opportunities, and many go on to apply for and win prestigious graduate fellowships and admission to law, medical, and business schools.

Even for applicants who might not be McDermott material, UT Dallas might still be a great option. Over 25% of undergrads receive some formof merit scholarship and all scholarship recipients are ALSO automatically ableto pay in-state tuition rates, even when they don’t live in Texas. That means that an ElRo student who is strong but might not be McDermott eligible could still attend UT Dallas for less than the price of a SUNY if you are from a family that doesn’t qualify for federal or state aid. (The lowest merit scholarship qualification starts at 1410 SAT/30 ACT –about half of ElRo’s class would potentially be in the running). Unlike a lot of other schools, UT Dallas is also a high quality school that still believes in admitting all qualified applicants. Translation – this is a Likely for many ElRo students who struggle to find places they can be surrounded by bright students AND be guaranteed admission. (I’m looking at you, Northeast colleges who drive application numbers and track demonstrated interest and ability to pay and drive ED apps and EA apps in order to find ways to deny capable students just to boost US News rankings). Don’t believe me? The average SAT is 1320 and the average ACT is 29, yet over 60% of applicants are admitted. Self-selecting pool of bright applicants seeking a highly intellectual environment equals unicorn status of the large school with academically strong student body. And oh, what’s that, you care about diversity? Like many colleges, they have room to improve with African American students*, but 70% of students identify as students of color and I saw real meaningful interactions on campus between people who didn’t look like one another. I’ve been to over 100 colleges and can confirm this is not the case everywhere.

*Note, they do have recently founded chapters of Historically Black Greek organizations, so baby steps are being taken.

If I had to try and categorize UT Dallas I would say it is a place that reminds me of a more selective RIT with students who have the personalities that would gel with kids who attend Beloit. That is to say: a mostly STEM oriented school where learning and relationships are paramount and who see college as a vehicle to a career and satisfying intellectual curiosity. They instituted an honor code a few years ago, so things like trust and honesty are pillars of the campus experience. Admittedly, most students here are from Texas. If that’s a deal breaker for you, c’est la vie. But lots of out of state public colleges (UVa, UNC, etc) have an overwhelming majority of in-state students and it doesn’t stop our students from applying. And before you paint Texas with a broad brush, know that UT Dallas is LGBTQ friendly with gender neutral housing and staff report that both ends of the political spectrum are represented on campus. It should also be noted that both International and Undocumented students are welcome on campus and both groups are eligible for merit aid.

I very much enjoyed learning about this hidden gem of a school and I can only hope that one of our ElRo students would be lucky enough to be named a McDermott Scholar. Many thanks to my hosts for a wonderful experience!

P.S. - Additional piece of trivia, prior to being assassinated JFK traveled to Dallas to give a speech at UT Dallas (though at that time they were not an Undergraduate college) about the US commitment to science and technology.

Thanks Pace University!

This past Friday, I attended a counselor day at the Manhattan campus of Pace University. With so many schools in the NYC area, I'm always excited at the chance to see a campus that is new to me. Though I'm familiar with Pace and knew about their offerings generally, nothing beats walking around the buildings and seeing the students in person.

The first thing that I found out is that the Pace Manhattan campus is actually larger (in terms of student body) than the Pleasantville campus, this was not something I had realized! They are home to over 6,000 students and have four high rise dorms in the Financial District (many with UNREAL views-- see above) ready to house students looking for an urban college experience. (About 70% of freshman live on campus).

When counselors were given the chance to dive a little deeper into certain aspects of the school, I opted to learn more about the Honors program and the Computer Science Department. The Honors program sounds like a great potential fit for many ElRo students. The criteria for Honors admission includes having at least a 90 average and scoring above a 27/1270 on the standardized admission tests. The program includes an automatic scholarship of at least $15,000 per year and gives students access to take at least 8 honors classes during their tenure at Pace. The Computer Science department is also clearly a place full of passionate students. It was emphasized that a prior background in coding or computers is not required in order to be successful, so long as the student is a problem solver and comes ready to learn.

Other attractive elements of Pace include the performing arts department (though these programs are not for the casual performer, plan on an audition and competitive programs with limited seats).

Thank you to Pace for hosting this event!

Boston NACAC - Day 3

I'm eager to return to ElRo simultaneously exhausted and professionally reinvigorated. It is never easy to be out of the office, particularly in September, but the opportunity to participate in this conference and connect with so many other passionate professions is truly a gift. Thank you to the PTA for their support!

Yesterday was the closing day of the conference and I attended three educational sessions.

My first session was called "College Applications-- The Importance of Managing the Helping Parent." The task of trying to encourage a healthy balance of parent involvement in the college application process is never easy. This session went over the profile of six common 'helping' parents and suggested ways to try and redirect toward healthier and more productive behavior patterns. Many of these scenes are all too common at our school and I hope we can continually strive to keep the focus on helping support our students and give them the chance to navigate this potentially stressful process with unconditional support.

The next session was "How America Pays for College" which is an annual look at trends in financial aid and family decisions around college funding. The presenters shared that while 85% of Americans view college as one of the most serious and important investments they can make, only about 20% have a conscious plan for how to pay for it. This disconnect results in the potential for a lot of family discord and challenge. To borrow from the world of financial investing, the panel encouraged us to suggest that the family take a portfolio approach to college applications -- making a list from all ends of the selectivity spectrum in order to diversity options. This not only will result in more acceptances, it also increases the odds that those acceptances will be affordable. One of the most useful facts I learned in this session is that the typical financial aid package provides about 35% of the cost of the school to be covered by grants and scholarships. This leaves the family with needing to come up with the rest of the cost 'pie' via parent contribution, student, contribution, and/or loans. So much of the financial piece has to do with application strategy. I strongly encourage all parents/guardians to have frank conversations with their children about the amount they can/cannot comfortably contribute toward college. Keeping this conversation behind the scenes is a huge mistake and rarely results in a happy home come spring.

My conference ended with a panel called "Holistic Admissions: Friend or Foe." Here they broke down the rather nefarious origins of holistic admissions and also debunked some myths around its current use.  The concept of holistic admission gives the illusion of it being personal and something that is in control of the applicant, but that is not really the case in reality. Admissions offices are skilled at sussing out the elements presented in the application, but they are doing so in the context of the rest of the incoming class. Thus the control is with them, in deciding on the balance of things like institutional priorities, regional balance, gender balance, the balance of leaders vs followers, etc. All the applicant can do is embrace the lack of control and have faith that their personal qualities, the very most holistic parts of their application, will be what leads them on a path to success. Panelist Andrew Flagel from Brandeis put it best when he said "when we reject you, it is rarely about you. It is likely about us."

On to Salt Lake City for 2018!

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Boston NACAC- Day 2

I realize I'm posting this on Saturday. Yesterday was really long.

The first session I went to yesterday was about how to most effectively write recommendations in an organized narrative format. In that spirit, I'm going to be entering this blog post as a series of shorter highlights instead of regular paragraphs. 

• 'Recommendations That Changed Lives' is going to be a NACAC session that people talk about for years going forward. I'm not saying that as a possibility, I'm saying it as a fact. Multiple people who were there with me used phrases like "The price of my registration was worth it for that session alone. If I left now, I would have gotten my moneys worth."
• This session was about a growing trend of high school counselors replacing traditional letters of recommendation with 'organized narratives' using bullet points and headers to give brief nuggets about the student instead of carefully crafted paragraphs. 
• The presenters did their due diligence in contacting colleges to make sure these new 'letters' would not negatively impact students and the overwhelming response from colleges was not just that it wouldn't hurt, but that the colleges preferred this model.
• The most important elements of the letter are explaining the quality of the student's character and any special circumstances in their life. This can be done efficiently and effectively with bullet points. 
• They also brought up the idea of using peer comments in letters - something I'm strongly considering piloting this year. 
• The Common App session was next for me. I always try to attend to be sure I'm aware of new changes within the application. 
• We've had confusion at ElRo about the new self reported transcript function. 
• ONLY the six schools that are requiring it will be able to see it.  
• Because we are an annualized school, if students do this they will need to be very careful and accurate in their reporting. 
• When in doubt, select the 'other' option and type in the text field the specifics about non-traditional courses/credits. 
• New integration with Google Docs to import text into the application 
• Fun fact - these schools founded the Common App in 1975:  Trinity, Lafayette, Amherst, Harvard, Emory, Goucher, Princeton, Oberlin, Colgate, Bowdoin, Colorado College, Vassar, SMU, Mills and Carleton. Nice to see a wide range of places, locations, and selectivity levels. 
• My final session was called - Uncharted Territory: Getting First Generation Students to Consider Broader Options. 
• Fewer action items within this session, but it is always a nice reminder to spend time with like minded colleagues in our mission to expose students to all of their college options.
• The rest of my day was spent in the exhibition hall, visiting vendors, and in the counselors college fair.  

Today, Saturday, is the final day. I'm eager to attend the rest of the sessions and return to the office re-energized!

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Boston NACAC - Day 1

I started the day at a lecture hosted by SMU where we got the opportunity hear from Dr. Eric Bing, an SMU professor in the area of public health. This has become one of my favorite NACAC events, because I really value the opportunity to hear from college faculty, not just admissions staff talking about statistics. I love getting to listen to a lecture again, it brings back the days of being a student! He spoke to us about his work looking to make large scale public health impact using small scale interventions. Things like diagnosing cervical cancer with a cell phone camera and teaching surgeons how to practice performing hysterectomies using virtual reality tools you can buy at Best Buy. He was a dynamic speaker and SMU showcased once again what their campus has to offer. We also got a quick update from last year's speaker about the progress on SMU's cultural intelligence initiatives. They are doing great work across many disciplines. It shows.

The conference opened with keynote speaker Dr. Shaun Harper from USC. He spoke on the opportunities we have, as college counselors and admissions professionals, to break the cycles of racism that might not be as overt as what we saw in Charlottesville. This year more than ever, our work in this arena holds a tremendous amount of weight and we must all strive each day to push back against all forms of inequality and oppression.

I decided to start off my educational sessions with my favorite type of session: the ones designed for colleges. I opted to attend "Let’s Talk – Selective College admission Offices and Committee Based Evaluation" a session about CBE, a new reaching format pioneered at the University of Pennsylvania in 2013. In this model, admissions officers work in the office to read files as a team. The file is usually broken up into two sections and each member of the team reads one half -- either the academic side of the application or the personal side. They shared that this new model fosters unparalleled levels of office mentorship between veterans and new staff. It makes reading faster and prevents reader bias since every file has at least two sets of eyes on it for the initial read. They espoused the higher levels of efficiency and stronger professional development. Schools using this model of reading are increasing rapidly, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it become widespread in coming reading cycles. It is already being used at about 15-20 schools in some form (either just in the Early Decision pool, or for the entire class) -- places like NYU, Swarthmore, Bryn Mawr, and Oberlin. Some of my fellow counselors have concerns about the impact of this reading model on applicants, but I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt for now. It seems to foster happier readers and happier readers does not have a downside to me. 

Tomorrow is the hardest day - the longest and most intense - but I'm ready!