Tips for Seniors

I know there are probably not many seniors reading the College Blog at this point, but I figure I should still share a few suggestions that can be stored away by younger students and parents for when the time comes to head to college. I'll try and skip over the more general tips and give some really new ideas that you may not have already thought of before.

1) Most people already know that colleges typically partner with one or two computer brands to offer incoming students a chance to purchase a computer at a reduced price. But get even more bang for your buck by purchasing the computer online via a rebate site like www.ebates.com (referral link). They offer 1% cash back at Apple. Check and see if your bank offers something similar, Bank of America's 'Add It Up' program is one example that offers 2% cash back at Apple. It may not be a large amount of money, but when it comes to making college affordable, every little bit helps. (You can also buy more than just the computer with these sites- consider them for other items like bedding, office supplies, and even your books once classes start)

2) Keep your eye on the mailbox this summer. The April 1st mail gets all the glory, but some of the most important documents actually arrive over the summer. Here you'll get information about housing, your first payment requirements, and course registration. As someone that got a phone call in August from my college asking me to choose between the only two Freshman Advising seminars that still had space, read your mail carefully and respond to all deadlines on time.With colleges becoming more and more 'green' this also applies to email accounts. If you used your ElRo account when you submitted the application, update it with an email you'll have access to for many years to come.

3) Stockpile Bed, Bath, and Beyond coupons. Seriously. You can use multiple coupons in one visit and you can normally use expired coupons. If you are not already on their mailing list, sign up now. For students attending college in another city or state, also explore Bed, Bath, and Beyond's Pack N Hold option where you can shop in your home city and then pick up all of the items at the other location near your college. You can even still edit your order prior to check out if you opt to pick up the items at the other location (as opposed to having it shipped directly to the school). If you will have access to a car in the college city, I suggest the store pick-up option. I shipped my boxes when I went to school, and the mail room was insane during move in. It may not even be located near your dorm, so save yourself the drama and hit the store instead of the campus package room. 

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Calling All Hummingbird Parents!

Last night, unsurprisingly, I attend the CTCL NYC event. I say unsurprisingly because I've been hawking the event pretty hard via emails, this blog, Junior meetings, and the website. For those of you that attended with me, you will get the reference in the title of this post. It refers to a comment that Marty O'Connell (Executive Director of Colleges That Change Lives) made during the introductory session. She suggests that we encourage parents and guardians to become less of the famed 'helicopter' parent and transition to be more of a 'hummingbird' parent. Hummingbirds care for and nurture their eggs and babies, but then when they are strong enough they push them out of the nest. In this same way, with the college process the student that is most successful is also the one that is forced to think and work independently. The person planning on going to the school should take on the brunt of the workload when it comes to researching, asking questions, and interacting on campus. This is why, as you may have noticed by now, parents and guardians cannot edit the prospective college list in Naviance. Only the student account has access to this feature. 

I had a great time at the event and only wish I had more time to stop and talk at every table. But I knew the purpose was really for the students to meet the colleges so I tried to just say a quick hello to a few representatives and keep moving. I will say this though, you can tell a lot about a college by who they send to a fair. I spoke with more than one Director of Admission. A school that has a Director out on the road, particularly in May, says a lot about how committed the Admissions office is to a holistic review of their applicants. These schools truly walk the walk when they say they have a different approach.

I know most of our Juniors were on the Washington, DC trip - but hopefully the parents in attendance took away some valuable information. For students that are brave enough, I eagerly anticipate the day when I see a lot more applications filed (and students enrolling) at places like Eckerd College*, Wabash College, Juniata College, Beloit College and the rest of these fantastic schools.

* Hi Maria! I hope your Google Alert found me! 
 
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CTCL Reminder

I recently blogged about the CTCL event that is taking place in NYC tomorrow, Wednesday May 26. What I neglected to realize at the time is that this coincides with the Junior trip to Washington, DC. It is unfortunate that it works out this way, but I still encourage any student not going on the trip and ALL parent/guardians that will be in the city to consider attending this information session and fair. CTCL are some amazing schools and should be a part of more student college lists. If Parent/Guardian(s) are able to attend without their children use that opportunity to learn about the different schools, fill out inquiry cards for your students (see my tip about that here) and report back your findings to your child when they return from the trip. This is just one of many ways to learn about these schools. Younger students and families- still consider going in case you have a conflict during your Junior year when this event takes place.

From Locke to Loch Ness, All You Need is Love

Last night marked both the end of the Senior Trip and the Series Finale of LOST - two journeys that took a lot out of me. In the end though, my comments about each are sort of similar. Good people, ups and downs (and sometimes upside down loops), a beach, and complete and total exhaustion lead to some pretty good times. On LOST we watched a bunch of strangers from different walks of life come together and build meaningful relationships with one another. I know the meaning of the show is up for debate, but from where I sit right now it seems that the message centers around life's central themes of love, companionship, loyalty, and patience. At ElRo I saw the same thing this weekend, with students from all different social groups come together to enjoy one and others company and the Virginia Beach sun.

Both the trip and the show remind us: you have to come together before you can let go. Here is to the Class of 2010!

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Don't Miss 'From the Trenches'

Reminder -- the annual PTA meeting 'From the Trenches' is taking place Thursday, May 20 at 6:00 pm in the Auditorium. The panel will include ElRo alumni, parents, and current seniors. You will be able to submit questions to the panel and hear a variety of perspectives and experiences regarding the college process. Both students and parent/guardian(s) are invited to attend.

We hope to see you there!

Featured College Blog: T is for the T

So there are lots and lots of College Blogs out there and I figured every once in awhile I should share a few that I find particularly enjoyable. As I mentioned in my first post, MIT is considered the real trail blazer when it comes to Admissions Blogs. But their foresight a few years ago has really blossomed into a huge trend in higher ed with schools reaching out to students and families through a blog format.

For today, I bring your attention to 'T is for the T' a blog by Chase Gregory '12 that comes from my alma mater and is mostly awesome for the fact that, unlike a traditional blog, it is a blog made up of comic strips. Above you'll find one sample. I selected it because Joe Litvak was my freshman adviser and I find Chase's obsession with the English Department rather endearing.

There are two great things about this blog. 1) I think it does help embody a spirit of a student at Tufts, something that is hard to do with glossy admissions brochures. 2) Did I mention it is a bunch of comics? College admissions is usually stressful and complicated and headache inducing. Chase's comics remind us that much of college is actually about smiling and growing and living.

It was hard to pick just one comic to feature, so check out the whole blog for yourself by clicking here.

(*and for those curious how the story from the above comic turns out, a later comic in fact reveals that there was indeed a party thrown)

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Colleges That Change Lives NYC Event

At NACAC this past year, a Senior member of the Columbia University Admission Staff was speaking on a panel that I attended. He told us, a room full of High School Counselors, to stop inviting him to College Events at our schools. Instead he requested that we invite the schools listed in Loren Pope's Colleges That Change Lives.

So if you won't take the advice from me, take the advice from Columbia: these schools are the real deal. The colleges profiled in this book are not necessarily glamorous. They probably are more likely to elicit 'huh?' than 'ooohhh' when it comes to name recognition. But, they provide higher quality, lower cost, and better educations than any of the Ivy League (or near Ivy League) schools. Why? They take students and push them to be better. They teach things like true intellectual inquiry, self reliance, and the benefits of hard work. Professors actually teach. They know students' names. Instead of paying for lecture halls full of tons of people and 'learning' via lecture absorption and regurgitation on a multiple choice exam, your tuition goes toward learning how to actually pursue knowledge. Best part? They accept students with all types of profiles and many are Testing Optional.

I could probably write much more than just one blog post on these schools, but for now I'll just encourage you to attend the New York City CTCL Tour on Wednesday, May 25 at 7:00 pm at the Hotel Pennsylvania. It is a free event that will include a discussion followed by a fair. For more information, click here.

Recommendation Time!

It seems almost impossible, but it is that time of year when Juniors will be asked to secure their letters of recommendation for next Fall. Juniors have been given a form in Advisory where they can collect their recommender's signature as a confirmation that they will be writing on their behalf. In the Fall, they will take the same form around to remind the teacher of the agreement and confirm that they will still be getting a letter from that recommender. Another copy of the form can be found here (scroll to the bottom and download the 'Recommendation Confirmation from Teachers' form).

This form is due back to me no later than June 9th.

Some teachers may also require students submit additional information in order for a letter to be written. They may request a resume or a form that describes a little about the student and their involvement. A general template of one of these forms can also be found on the ElRo website, on the Class of 2011 page by downloading the 'Teacher Rec Request Form.' When a student gets a confirmation signature they are encouraged to ask about any of these extra stipulations.

Students are encouraged to ask two teachers to write a letter of recommendation their behalf. These two teachers can be from any class year and can know the student in any capacity (classroom, extra curricular, sport team, adviser, etc). However, it is a good idea to balance the recommendations and not have them come from only one department or only one year of instruction.

More than two teacher recommendations is typically not recommended. There is a universal joke in admissions offices about the thick files. Unfortunately the joke is on the applicant-- in their effort to come across as outstanding, they stand out for submitting way too much. If you need 5 or 6 recommendation letters, what are you trying to prove? For what are you compensating? Trust in the people you select and stick with two teachers and a guidance letter. Each letter should add a new dimension to your application. Can a third teacher really cover something the other two have not already mentioned?

Finally, be polite when asking a teacher to write for you. They are not mandated to do help with this task, so any show of respect is greatly encouraged. Don't assume that someone will definitely take time from their busy schedule to vouch for you. Remember, you are always working on your recommendation in the way you act and are perceived. Your behavior in the hallways, academic honesty in all subjects, and attendance are factors in the tone of the letters you will receive. Even though this is a task that requires action right now, this is something in the making from the first day you walked through the door at ElRo. 9th and 10th grade students take note, you have already started the college process through interactions you have each day.

Missed the SAT II Deadline?

Last week marked the last day students could register for the June SAT exams without a late penalty. As I've been hearing from multiple people, this deadline was actually a bit moot because most New York testing locations were already full. But, don't despair. All is not lost. Even if you are a 10th or 11th grade student that had hoped to take an SAT Subject test in June, you still have a few options.

(Remember: The majority of colleges do NOT require SAT Subject tests and many schools will accept the ACT with Writing in place of the SAT and Subject tests. If you had not planned on taking any subject tests, don't worry, many people never end up needing them. Keep reading though as the same information can also apply to the regular SAT)

1) Test Standby
      This is the most risky option because in addition to costing additional money (See fees here) you are also never guaranteed a spot when you test Standby, so you could easily get all pumped up and ready to take an exam on Saturday morning and then get to the test center and find out they cannot accommodate you. However, if you are determined to test this June, it is one option to try. Keep in mind, you cannot use a fee waiver if you test Standby and you will need a paper registration form filled out.  Given that no 10th or 11th grade student should be in a 'do or die' testing situation, I would probably go with the next option.

2) Test in October - the first offering of the 2010-2011 Cycle
     SAT Subject tests are designed to cover material that is not included in the regular in-school coursework. The idea behind and SAT II is to indicate how much of an 'expert' a student is in a particular subject. It is intended to be an assessment of knowledge above and beyond a traditional high school course. As a result, it may actually be in your favor to get a book to study from over the summer, enrich your current knowledge base for the subject, and test in October when you have had a few months extra to prepare. This takes a lot of self motivation, but if you truly have a high aptitude in a subject, this should be something you actually look forward to.

3) Really do some meaningful college research to see which colleges actually require the exams. You may realize that your time is better spent preparing for, and improving, your SAT I score.

Bottom line, don't beat yourself up for missing the chance to register for the June exam. Regardless of if you test Standby, test in October, or don't test at all it will all work out in the end!

Admission Accomplished!

Earlier this week, we continued the tradition of 'Admission Accomplished' where seniors fill the downstairs bulletin board with where they plan to be in the Fall. This list is probably the most frequently asked about piece of data from both prospective and current ElRo parents. Never fear, the full list of colleges that accepted a member from the Class of 2010 will be posted online soon (see the list from years past by clicking here - scroll to the bottom of the page and download the Word document).

Thanks to an impromptu AP audit from ETS (we passed with flying colors!) I didn't get to participate in Admission Accomplished this year. But that doesn't diminish the huge amount of pride I have for the wonderful outcomes (and really some gutsy enrollment decisions) of the Class of 2010. With students enrolling everywhere from Clark to Duke, Penn to NYU, SUNY Cortland to Queen's (in Canada!), Hampshire to RPI - the class has done an excellent job valuing fit over just looking at rankings or sweatshirt appeal and getting read to start the next chapter. My personal mission, accomplished.

He Stood and Delivered

With AP exams starting on Tuesday, it is a good time to honor Jaime Escalante, an amazing teacher that lost his battle with cancer earlier this year. Mr. Escalante taught Calculus in Los Angeles and is a testament to show how passionate teachers, willing students, and hard work can lead to amazing results. Despite being from one of the lowest income districts in California, Mr. Escalante's students would consistently score very highly on the AP Calculus exam. His work made a huge impact on the College Board's effort to use AP courses as a way to help close the achievement gap.

My pre-algebra teacher in 6th grade showed us the movie Stand and Deliver. Her impact on my education and Mr. Escalante's on the lives of his students are examples of how lucky we all are to have our lives cross paths with amazing educators.

Read more about Jaime Escalante and his impact on the AP here

Photo: Matt Wright