NACAC Day 3

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

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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

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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!

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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

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

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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!

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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!

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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.