Nov 1 Reminders!

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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Don't Kill the Messenger . . .

The following article was sent to me by an ElRo parent as something that I, and our community, may benefit from reading. It originally ran in the New York Times and was written by Dave Marcus. I think it is a wonderful reminder for parents/guardians to try to honor their kids where they are AND a wonderful reminder for students to cut their parents a little slack and remember that the pushing comes from love. Image

Help Them, Teach Them, but Don’t Live Through Them

By DAVE MARCUS

Published: October 23, 2010

THE woman corners me after I give a speech about college admissions.

“My son isn’t the best student,” she begins, “but we think he has a good chance of getting into. ...”

I can guess: Stanford or Duke, Yale or Northwestern. I’m sure I already know the story. The boy has a B-plus average and disappointing SAT scores, but Dad went there, and a family friend used to work in the admissions office.

For seven years, I’ve crisscrossed the country, discussing what I learned while writing two books about teenagers. Help your children find their hidden talents, I advise parents. Teach your children to be independent. Don’t live your dreams through your son or daughter.

As this mother shares her application strategies, I want to recommend that she let her son find his path. I stay quiet, though, because I’m struggling to follow my own advice.

(continued after the jump)

New York Cares Day!

Thanks to the seven ElRo students that joined me yesterday in Staten Island for New York Cares Day! Our team combined students from ElRo with alumni from Tufts and we helped spruce up PS 42, an elementary school. I hope it becomes an ElRo tradition!

CSS Profile - Because There Is Always Room For Another Step

hitchcock profile
Originally uploaded by a75

Among all of the ED and EA deadlines, many schools throw in another pesky item that is easy to forget: the CSS Profile.

The CSS Profile is a handy scholarship tool, created by none other than our friends at the College Board. It allows schools to evaluate family income and assets and it provides additional details to the information required on the FAFSA. Another bonus is that it is able to be completed prior to January, which is how long you have to wait for the FAFSA to be released. So with the Profile, schools can use it to estimate Financial Aid packages for Early applicants.

Not every school asks for the profile, but I recommend checking the Financial Aid website of every school you (or your child) is applying to to check and see. Much of Financial Aid is about meeting deadlines, so filing the CSS Profile is not something you want to put off. Many schools have this form due much earlier than the FAFSA (many Nov 1 or Nov 15) so don't delay and get working on it. In general, it will normally be required at private schools and some out of state public schools, but not at CUNY or SUNY schools.

Remember students that graduate from high school this spring and matriculate this fall need to fill out the CSS Profile for 2011-2012, the school you when they will be requesting aid.

There is a fee for filing the profile (this is something run by the College Board after all), but in the scheme of things the cost should be small relative to the possible gain of getting grants and scholarships. I recommend everyone file for aid even if they think they will not qualify. One, you may qualify even though you thought you wouldn't and two, your school may require students file for aid in order to get merit scholarships. (The reason for this is they want to be 100% sure they can't get any state or federal money for you).

In a time when many students are furiously working on essays and applications, the CSS profile is a task many parents and guardians chose to take on (since it deals with so many financial details). Treat it as a way to work side by side as a family and make sure that both college applications and financial aid documents make it in by the deadlines.

With a Little Help From My Friends . . .

PSAT day is over!  I couldn't have done it without the support of so many people that helped make the day work. The PSAT for 10th and 11th grade involves coordinating over 250 testers, proctors, classrooms, sealed exams, attendance sheets, timers . . . . you see where I'm going with this. Ms. Strasser and Mr. Landri were total rock stars in helping get the day organized and without them I don't think I would have made it through the day without crying. (see: AP exams 2010 :/)

For the 12th grade, my friends (literally, as in my friends from outside of ElRo some of whom I have not seen in years) did help me out. Four of my amazing friends from college came in to participate in a panel. They dispensed great advice about everything from college applications, to surviving the college process with your parents, interview skills, graduate school, and changing your major. Laura, Colin, Elliot and Kate --- thank you for being such great sports and taking time out of your busy week to come and talk to our students. I couldn't have asked for better responses to the student questions.

In the afternoon, once again ElRo staff, the guidance interns, and a volunteer from Learning Leaders helped facilitate the essay writing workshop. I hope, for students that took that hour seriously, there was some real progress made toward stronger, better, and more authentic personal statements.

Sophomores and Juniors, you should get your test results back in early December. Until then, check out the free 'question of the day' feature on the College Board website.

PSAT Next Wednesday

With all of my application and college visit postings, I'm excited to give the 10th and 11th grade a little blog love. Unfortunately, I wish I could be writing about something other than bubbling in circles, but alas the PSAT is next week and I want to give everyone the run down.

Who: 10th and 11th grade
What: PSAT, offered for free through the Board of Ed
When: Next Wednesday, October 13, report to school no later than 8:30 am
Where: At ElRo, students will get room assignments when they arrive
Why: For 10th grade it is a benchmark to let you get familiar with the test and see how you do with no prep or previous exposure. For 11th grade it is a qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship, but more importantly it is a more accurate updated baseline to where your SAT can be predicted to fall (I suggest students take the real SAT in the spring semester)

The test lasts two and a half hours and students will have lunch at ElRo followed by a movie.

What to bring: #2 Pencils, a good eraser, and a calculator. NO PHONES OR ELECTRONICS ARE PERMITTED 

Tips:
- The PSAT/SAT penalize for incorrect answers, so if you don't have any idea on a hard question, leave it blank. On the other hand, the ACT (a different college standardized testing brand) does not penalize for wrong answers. The way to remember: answer ALL questions on the ACT answer SOME questions on the SAT.
** Yes, they've already planned for those of you want are thinking that you'll just answer three or four easy questions and get a perfect score. At most leave 3 or 4 blank per section.
- I know it sounds like the opposite of what I just said, but guessing IS ok if you can narrow it down to two or three choices.
- Relax. The P in PSAT means practice so your scores are not reported to colleges and have no impact on your applications. The test is just for you. You'll do better if you are not stressed.
- Don't forget your supplies, the math section is much less fun if you don't have a calculator.

Good Luck!

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NACAC Conference Day 3

Daylight St. Louis Arch - Entirely Abandoned for a Moment
Originally uploaded by Mister Joe

Today was the final day of the NACAC Conference in St. Louis and I feel like the sessions just kept getting better and better. The three sessions I attended today were about the college process for students with Learning Disabilities, helping students write the personal statement, and the myth of the idea of college 'fit.'

I'm looking forward to bringing back all of this information to ElRo and sharing it with our community.

It has been hard being out of the office at such a busy time (and even harder dealing with writing letters of recommendation when a suitcase is involved) but I know the time at Ramapo, the COWS Tour, and NACAC were worth it. I met great new people, saw some old friends, and learned a lot.

Give me a little bit of a chance to catch my breath next week, but as always, send me an email if you have any questions or have trouble tracking me down. Students, Wednesday Office Hours are back on this week and college visits are really going into full swing.

Let October begin!

NACAC Conference Day 2

So, I picked the picture above because this conference is entering into the marathon stage. Since last Saturday I've visited five college campuses, attended three presentation sessions, presented one session, and gone to a college fair that lasted two and a half hours. Not to mention that I took it upon myself to enter the unofficial competition for eating the most fried ravioli at conference receptions. Pass the gatorade.

I apologize for not posting yesterday, but after the big day I just couldn't bring myself to open the computer. Big shout out to my co-presenters Kevin Fleck, Amy Warren, Marissa Lifshen (you know her!!) and Yetunde Daniels Rubinstein. I had so much fun and I hope the attendees in the room know how much it meant to us that you were there. There never feels like there is enough time to answer questions (especially given our topic: being a first year counselor or entering a new school).

Final two sessions today!

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NACAC Conference Day 1

The whole purpose for me being out of the office this entire week is centered upon the national conference for the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). This marks my second year in attendance and I'm honored to have been selected as one of the presenters at this year's conference. I have never presented at a national conference before, so if you are reading this before Friday at 10:15 am please wish me luck!

I started the day by registering and getting my official name badge and credentials. I then promptly lost my schedule booklet within two hours of receiving it :/ So far I've been able to hang on to my replacement copy.

The bulk of my afternoon was spent in the opening session. I enjoyed hearing the keynote address from Harvard professor Dr. Roland Fryer and was even more excited to learn that one of my fellow COWS counselors from my Wisconsin trip, Steve Peifer, is secretly a super amazing (and well recognized) honoree at this year's conference. His remarks upon receiving his award were a plea for those of us in the United States to help feed Africa, a mission he has been fulfilling for many many years.

In the evening, I spent time at the CACHET reception. I would love to see more students consider Engineering. It isn't as limiting as it sounds, engineers are really just problem solvers so it is a very adaptable major for later careers (my friend from college was a mechanical engineer and is now a lawyer). Check out the schools in the collaborative if you are thinking engineering.

More updates tomorrow with my big presenting debut!