Introducing Scoir

Last month, I had the pleasure of introducing the Class of 2020 to our new online college advising platform, Scoir.

Pronounced "Score," Scoir is going to replace Naviance as our primary online college application organization tool. I've been using Naviance since I joined the school ten years ago, so this change is both significant and exciting.

There are quite a few factors that lead to this change. I'll describe a few below:

• Scoir is free for schools. Alternatively, Naviance has almost tripled in cost without tripling the functionality that our school uses. This change will save the PTA a significant amount of money without losing any of the key features that are the most useful for students and their parents/guardians. This includes historical acceptance data for our school. 
• Scoir graphs (also known as scattergrams) combine ACT and SAT data onto one screen. I've literally been begging Naviance to institute this change for a decade and it never happened. Scoir recognizes how necessary this is and their graphs combine everything into one. Naviance's approach to graphs was totally user-unfriendly (and in some cases mis-leading). I'm thrilled to be able to now provide students more complete, accurate, and robust data.
• Scoir allows students to keep a 'notebook' with their thoughts and reflections about school tours and visits. They can even upload photos to store notes and images of things that struck them about the school. This will be very useful during supplemental essay and interview season. I hope students take advantage of this feature. 
• While this impacts students much less than it impacts me, please know that the level of quality customer service provided by Naviance was abysmal. Like picture the basement, then go a few floors below that. That was Naviance customer service/user experience. In recent years they have opted to roll out new features in inopportune times, experienced outages during peak periods, and remove functions even though they were popular with school counselors. Alternatively, my experience with Scoir has been very positive. Their staff is personable, responsive, and open to feedback. The site is definitely not perfect and is absolutely still in a growth phase, but I'm optimistic about the future and excited to be using their platform. 

To learn more about Scoir click here

As always, students get their individual accounts at the kickoff during Regents week of their Junior year. Parents/guardians are also invited to have accounts at that time. 

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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Columbus NACAC - Day 1

The NACAC conference is officially in session!

I spent the morning at a lecture sponsored by SMU where we got to hear from a wonderful SMU faculty member, Dr. Maria Dixon Hall. She spoke to us about a new initiative at SMU to try and shift the culture around race and culture on campus. The plan is to not just implement orientation trainings or hire faculty of color but to instead try to help all students increase their cultural intelligence. Her recommendations for how to do that in your every day life is to try and not just talk to a person from a different culture but to instead try and understand their culture through exposure. Perhaps her most interesting suggestion is to visit a grocery story -- a place to observe very nuanced cultural behaviors. It was a wonderful talk and a great way to start the day.

His head is a Buckeye! (Ohio State mascot, tree byproduct, and delicious peanut butter and chocolate treat)

For the afternoon, I checked off one more college visit by going to see The Ohio State University. As the third most affordable school in the Big 10 for out of state students, Ohio State should probably see more traffic from ElRo students than it does. In and out of state students are evaluated on the same 10 factors and preference is not given based on residency the way it might be at public land grant universities in other states. Letters of Recommendation are optional and OSU is on the Common App. Best of all, there is merit money available to students to the tune of full tuition. In order to qualify for merit aid, students must apply by no later than November 1. There are also some additional essays to complete in order to compete for some of these merit dollars. To learn more, look up the National Buckeye program and Morrill Scholarship on their website. Like other Big 10 schools, the benefits here include endless academic options, massive amounts of research, and serious school spirit.

The Oval

I also want to point out that when I try to explain to families that the cost of living in the Midwest will help pay back the cost of the plane ticket, here is what I mean:

This cost me $6.80. That salad had Kale and quinoa in it. KALE. Plus a drink and banana.

In an interesting stroke of luck, the Geology museum on campus has this gorgeous quartz found in the 1800s in Ellenville, NY -- home of the ElRo senior trip!

I finished out the day by attending the annual NYSACAC meeting and connecting with fellow New Yorkers here at the conference.

Tomorrow is always the hardest day with an early start and late finish, so I'm signing off for now.

OH-- IO!

Turning the Tide

If you have access to the internet, have turned on a TV, or read a headline today you probably caught wind of the new Harvard Graduate School of Education Making Caring Common report entitled "Turning the Tide Inspiring Concern for Others and the Common Good through College Admissions" that was released today. In case you missed it, this is a report, endorsed by many college and university admissions folks, that attempts to address the troubling direction that college admissions is going and suggest healthier alternatives for both students and schools.

You can read the executive summary of the report here or the full report here. 

An Op-Ed by Frank Bruni was also published yesterday in anticipation of this release. 

Included in the report are recommendations, some of which, I'm pleased to say, have already been a part of the school culture that Eleanor Roosevelt High School is trying to build. However, these goals can only be accomplished with buy-in from our students, parents, and guardians, so I hope that you will read through the report and reflect on how you can be a key player in making these recommendations a reality. 

Some examples:

• The report recommends ". . that students engage in forms of service that are authentically chosen—that emerge from a student’s particular passions and interests— that are consistent and well-structured, and that provide opportunity for reflection both individually and with peers and adults."As you are all aware, ElRo asks students to submit 20 hours of community service per year to demonstrate their connection with the community around them. We have a designated Community Service and Internship liaison (Ms. Genova-Hall) to help support students that feel they need extra guidance in accessing opportunities. I've said many times in multiple forums that our aim is for students to engage in their world. The requirement of community service aims to push students past the point of just going through the motions to complete service hours and instead help them find ways to use their passions as jumping off points for building up year after year of meaningful and authentic connections in their local, regional, national, or even international community. While things like raising money or participating in awareness campaigns are a start, a better way to demonstrate caring is for students to engage directly with those that are impacted. Raising money for breast cancer research is good, serving as a patient escort for individuals seeking breast cancer treatment is even better. Making posters about recycling is good, becoming a Central Park teen park ranger is better.
•  The report recommends "Colleges should tell students that taking the [standardized] test more than twice is very unlikely to meaningfully improve students’ scores." It has always been my recommendation that students sit for either the ACT or the SAT twice and taking the test more than that is not a useful or productive way to spend their time. Twenty years from now, you won't look back on endless sessions with a tutor as an experience that shaped your personality. Using that time to volunteer, or read classic literature, or get an internship at a museum very well could have a lasting impact on your life trajectory. 
•  The report recommends "Admissions offices should convey to students that simply taking large numbers of AP or IB courses per year is often not as valuable as sustained achievement in a limited number of areas." At ElRo, we make a conscious effort to be transparent about our policy to limit AP enrollment. 10th graders can take up to one AP course and 11th and 12th grade students are typically limited to two AP courses. This long time policy is in place to help students both manage their mental/emotional health and to help students make the connection between sincere academic interest and advanced coursework. We have been long time resistors of the "AP Arms Race" and I'm happy to see this report will encourage a continuation of those policies. 
• The report recommends "Admissions officers and guidance counselors should challenge the misconception that there are only a handful of excellent colleges and that only a handful of colleges create networks that are vital to job success." I make a concerted effort to help re-frame the idea of what makes a 'good' college. I'm constantly recommending places like the schools found in the 'Colleges That Change Lives' network and a common refrain in my meetings with students is to encourage a well balanced list of reach, target, and likely schools. The name on your college diploma that matters most is your name, not the college's. You control much of your success via your drive, tenacity, ambition, and willingness to trust in your own ability. 

The content of this report is enough to fill hours of philosophical discussion and entry after entry on a blog like this one. I present these highlights and links to encourage you to think about these things in your own family and reflect honestly about if you are part of the identified problem or (hopefully) part of the solution. 
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The Redesigned SAT Experiment

As I hope you all know by now, the SAT is launching a redesigned exam in March of 2016. This change will impact the Class of 2017 and beyond and has already be the source of many discussions between and amongst students, parents, school counselors, and colleges.

After reading a book about a mom who set out to get a perfect score on the SAT, I thought it might be interesting to put my money where my mouth is and sit for the redesigned exam along with the rising juniors. My goal in doing this is a little different than hers (I'm not super focused on getting a 'perfect' score), but I am hoping to show some solidarity with the Class of 2017 as they too are faced with being the first to take the redesigned exam.

I'm not going to get a tutor or spend huge chunks of my life in a test prep class, but I am planning to also try out another new product that the College Board is rolling out: free online test prep with Khan Academy. The site just went live last week and students (or their college counselors) can create personalized online accounts where free diagnostics, practice questions, and exams are available to all. This is the College Board's attempt to fight back against prep that is driven by socioeconomic status - allowing all students, regardless of income, the chance to get exam practice directly from the test provider (CB is working in collaboration with Khan Academy - something no other test prep company can claim).  I take a little issue in the assumption that an online self-moderated portal can compete on a level playing field with an in-person tutor/group class, but I do respect the effort to make free prep available to those that are self-disciplined enough to seek it out. I don't suspect it will greatly impact a huge portion of test takers, but for those on the fringe who really are able to take the help and run with it, I think it is a great thing.

So, I tried my first two diagnostics this week - one in Reading & Writing and one in Math. The diagnostics are untimed and you are encouraged to just do your best so the portal can get a sense of what level you'll need to start with. For the first time in awhile, I was flooded with memories of taking standardized tests and the indecision that comes along with picking among choices that often tempt you to be torn between 2 or 3 different answers. Even though I knew it was just a diagnostic and even though it was for a test that literally has zero impact on my future, I couldn't help but be a little on edge as I pressed submit after finishing the ten questions. To my delight, I got ten out of ten correct on the Reading & Writing -- things were looking good!

A few days later, I decided to give the Math diagnostic a try. This one I was avoiding a bit because I was going to be starting with a diagnostic for the section without a calculator. (The redesigned SAT is going to have some math where a calculator is permitted and some where it isn't).  To give you some background, I've never been amazing with math but I have been amazing at working hard at math. What that means is that in elementary school when I moved classes between 3rd and 4th grade I unfortunately missed the units where we learned multiplication and long division. I've never, even now, learned my times tables and mental math is not my strong suit. Even with this gap in my math education, I focused really hard on catching up and was able to make it to AP Calculus BC during my junior year of high school. I then continued on to Math Topics, the most advanced math class in my school, even though it wasn't required for my high school diploma. So as you can see - my history with math is a complicated one. I found great success with the material, but it has never come to me naturally. As I start to prepare for this redesigned SAT next March, I'm confident that nothing on the exam will be something I've never seen before (there isn't any Calculus on the test) but I also haven't solved a math problem since my first semester of college in the fall of 2000, so I am going to need a lot of practice to get back into fighting shape.

Anyway - long story short - the math diagnostic for the portion with no calculator was hard. Like hitting road blocks no idea what to try next hard. Like getting 4 answers correct out of 10 hard. I know I'll get better with practice, but I think in the age of digital everything where every student has a calculator on their phone in their pocket in day to day life, this no calculator section is going to be a hard sell.

I'm going to try and continue with Khan Academy between now and March, giving you periodic updates here on the blog. Any current 10th grade student who wants to give Khan Academy a try, be my guest! There are certainly worse ways to spend a few hours per week this summer.

Because I suspect many students will just opt for the ACT - this redesigned SAT isn't as crazy a deal as it might seem. Students will be taking a redesigned PSAT this fall, so that should help give students additional information if it is worth taking.

(On a semi-related tangent - anyone interested in taking a Kaplan group course for the current SAT in preparation for the October 2015 test can register at: http://kaplanatschool.com/eleanorrooseveltny  The course begins in August. Be sure to use the discount code 150CLASS to get the lower price negotiated for our school)

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Chapman University

Q: Is it possible to frown while looking at a palm tree? A: No.

As some of you may already know, I've made a habit of volunteering with College Summit over the summer. This year, I decided to mix it up a little bit and I signed up for a workshop in Southern California, at University of Redlands, that will be starting tomorrow. In the days preceding the workshop, I've been catching up with a friend from graduate school who is also a college counselor and we decided to visit Chapman University yesterday.

Founded before the Civil War, Chapman is one of the oldest colleges in California.

Chapman is a medium sized private university (5,600 students) located in Orange, California about one hour from Los Angeles. To give some additional perspective, it is 15 minutes from Disneyland - the most popular off-campus job option for Chapman students. There are a variety of academic options at Chapman, including things like business and film. The campus footprint isn't huge, but for students from the Northeast that likely won't have cars, the size means it is totally manageable. I was pleasantly surprised to see that many of our fellow tourmates represented a great deal of regional diversity. And I don't mean regions around LA, I mean families visiting from Maryland, Wisconsin, and Washington state.

Notable and unique attributes of Chapman include the Holocaust Education program and library, dedicated 10 years ago by Elie Wiesel.  The campus is full of sculptures (both traditional busts and more modern works) and there are multiple fountains and plazas for students to gather, study, or relax. Officially affiliated with the Christian Church (though our tour guide said that the connection is rather distant and he didn't feel that religion played a role in everyday campus life), I was very impressed with the Interfaith Center. The building and surrounding zen garden were really beautiful and clearly done with a lot of foresight and planning. Lastly, I have to point out that unlike most colleges in our neck of the woods in NY, Chapman also has two outdoor pools on campus -- one for fitness/competition and one for leisure (see below).

That is a pool. For students. Where they can study for their class called 'Reasons to Go to College In California."

In the wake of the recent college sexual assault article in the New York Times, I was particularly struck by the fact that the back of the restroom stalls at Chapman have big stickers with detailed resources for victims of sexual assault. There is obviously much to be done in addressing this on college campuses, but I greatly appreciate the fact that this is already part of the consciousness at Chapman.

P.S. I would also be overlooking a really important part of my visit if I didn't mention the waffle sandwich that I had across the street from the school. Come visit Chapman just so you can come have lunch here.

Really? More like really delicious.

CVC Tour Day 1 - Vermont!

Today was Day 1 of my week in Vermont for the Consortium of Vermont Colleges tour. From now until Friday I will be visiting 18 campuses all across Vermont. Did you even know there were 18 colleges IN Vermont? Well, FYI there are more colleges per capita in Vermont than any other state.

Today's first school was Lyndon State College. We were welcomed by President Joe Bertolino, a dynamic and personable man who makes it a priority to meet every single perspective student that comes to visit Lyndon's campus. It was also exciting to hear that he came to Lyndon from Queens College - giving hope that New Yorkers really can transition to a rural Vermont school and be happy. Lyndon is a public school with about 1500 students on campus. There was a clear trend among students to be active, specifically through skiing, snowboarding, and mountain biking. Admittedly many students leave campus on weekends to go ski, but students report being very open to inviting friends who might not be from Vermont or have their own car. Academically, the learning style that is best served at Lyndon State is experiential. Flagship programs include Atmospheric Science (the Weather Channel was founded by Lyndon alums), electronic journalism and arts, and outdoor education. Most buildings are interconnected -- ideal for Vermont winters -- and that includes a newly constructed building that was really nice (especially for being at public college, which have a reputation for sometimes struggling with maintaining buildings).

Next we made our way to Sterling College. I know we will be seeing quite a few really unique schools this week, but something tells me this one is going to rank up there as most unique schools I've ever visited. Sterling is one of seven work colleges in the country, meaning students both attend classes and run the school - doing everything from custodial tasks, to running the farm and wood shop, to cooking meals. These campus roles help keep tuition low and the buy in from the students was palpable. About 45% of students are Pell eligible and the average debt at graduation is only $20,000. Remember when I said this place was unique? It is a requirement to bring your own axe. Seriously. The focus of the school is on environmental stewardship. Students are passionate about environmental conservation, sustainable agriculture, and ecology. Many go on to work on organic farms, be teachers, and get involved with environmental policy. Not surprisingly, Sterling is Testing Optional and the type of student interested in being one of the 120 students on campus (total, not per class) is self selecting. It is common for students at Sterling to start out somewhere else and find their way to Sterling by transferring. The average age of students is a little higher than normal at 21. It is not a competitive type of learning environment, but there is a dual emphasis on being both hands on and intellectual. They also gave us snacks, which were delicious and pretty obviously NOT made by any type of corporation. I asked the student panel what they would do if given a huge monetary donation with no strings attached -- the best thing they could come up with was making tuition free for everyone. I get the sense that most people there are in search of something that money can't buy. From the looks of it, they are well on their way to finding it. (pictures above are from Sterling).

The final stop of the day was Johnson State College. More similar to Lyndon, Johnson State is a public college with about 1200 undergraduate students. The most popular majors are Education, Outdoor Education, Visual Art, and a new major in Wellness and Alternative Medicine. About 70% of students are from Vermont, but my tour guide was from Ohio and was very pleased with her new life in rural Vermont. Johnson is about 45 minutes from Burlington and they run a shuttle three times a day on the weekend taking students there if they want a change of scenery. Two of the things I found most interesting about this school were the fact that they run a transition program for those that might need a little extra support entering a four year college and the fact that they assign a book for the entire freshman class to read that then becomes the theme for the year. This year's book was about Detroit and there have been guest speakers, musical performances, service trips to Detroit, and even the upcoming graduation speech will focus on this theme.

More March Madness Fun!

Has their ever been a more fun idea than this WSJ listing of 'teams' of alumni from each of the 64 schools in the bracket?! I do take a little issue in the inclusion of people who didn't actually graduate, but I do still appreciate this unique take on comparing the schools. Enjoy!

Best Website of All Time

Ok, the jury might be still out on the 'all time' award -- but boy is this website a useful tool. College Reality Check is a transparent way to look into college data and potentially help students and families guide their college search. A few caveats:

1) This data is based on AVERAGES - a net price you see listed should NOT be assumed to be the cost you'll be given. Remember, Financial Aid is based on a lot of factors, not just income. Your true price could be higher or lower than the amount listed on this site, but this site CAN be used to give you a general sense of if a school leans more toward the affordable or expensive side.

2) Use the graduation data as part of the picture, but not all of it. It is great for colleges to be held more accountable for the percent of students that actually attain a degree. However, I think most students would be shocked to see how common it is for students to not finish college. You'll see that the national average for college graduation is a mere 33.3%. Yes, there are some schools with graduation rates well above 90%, but the playing field isn't level - it is easy to have 90% graduation rate when you are an Ivy League school who starts with students that are already predisposed to being academically motivated AND where a strong endowment can make sure that students don't have to drop out for financial reasons. The converse of this means that the graduation rate at community colleges also has to be taken with a grain of salt -- only a small fraction of community college students earn an Associate's degree. Why might that be? Well, for starters, the mission of community colleges is to have much more open enrollment than a more selective 4 year school. That means that there is a trade off where these colleges take a hit on graduation rate in exchange for giving everyone a chance to succeed. Plus, many students use community colleges as a springboard for transferring to a 4 year school. Maybe the student only spends 2 semesters there then moves on to get a bachelor's degree? The community college doesn't get credit for graduating the student (because they didn't award them an Associate's Degree) but they did serve as a conduit for that person to eventually earn a degree somewhere else. When you add the transfer rate to the graduation rate many community colleges DO meet that 33% national average. For ElRo students, also consider that since you are coming from a rigorous high school you have a much higher chance of being part of that graduating cohort. Lastly, many community college students are enrolled without the intention of earning a degree (they may be adult students taking a few classes after retiring from a different career, they may be part time students taking classes for enrichment, etc).

3) Remember to look at all the data - not just one piece. One school might have a higher graduation rate, but if the cost is also higher that graduation rate might not apply to you if you have to end up dropping out because you can't afford it. Another school might be a few thousand dollars more expensive but the starting salary for graduates might be $20,000 more per year - potentially making it worth the investment.

4) One flaw I see on this site is it doesn't seem to take into account in-state vs out-of-state costs at public colleges. I wish they would show a breakdown of how residency impacts net price. Maybe for version 2.0  . . . .

'Tis the Season

 

As 2012 winds down, I'd like to send out a gentle reminder that the end of the calendar year is a great time to take a minute to thank the teachers that wrote you letters of recommendation. I can speak from personal experience when I say that writing letters is something I just don't have time to do during the school day. Every letter represents time taken out of my weekend to advocate for an ElRo student. A teacher, who shall remain nameless, commented how nice it would be if students would say thank you - not with a gift - but with a card or email. I encourage you to make a habit, as you get older, of thanking those that have helped you along the way. Take this opportunity to acknowledge the hard work the teachers have put in to help complete your application. Good karma is real, pass it on.

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Hey Seniors, Don't Lose Steam

 

Don't lose steam just because it is December! If anything, now is the time you need to be working harder than ever - both in class and on the college application process. With Early Action deadlines over (with the exception of a few Sandy extensions), there could be the temptation from some Seniors to take it easy. That would be the wrong move! Why? Consider the following:

If you applied EA or ED you are going to be getting your decisions back about 2-3 weeks from now. If you got into your schools, there is a chance your college application process is over - hurray! But, for many of you that did not do binding Early programs (or for some that did, in the event that you are denied admission or deferred to regular decision) you are going to have additional applications that you need to submit.

Call me crazy, but I think there is a chance that the quality of application you can do now, when you aren't rushed or heart broken, will be higher than the one you squeak out in the last two weeks of 2012. Fight the urge to procrastinate and get those other apps ready to go. 

Even if you don't press submit and pay for them yet (in fact, that is a genius way to save a little money - since if you get in ED you will just have to withdraw the apps later anyway). But getting all the essays written, the supplements checked, and the details organized now will make it so that your only application tasks after December 15 will be clicking the submit button and turning in a transcript request form.

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10th And 11th Grade - Sign up for the Practice ACT

Hey Sophomores and Juniors!

Just like Coke and Pepsi are two different brands of soda, the ACT and the SAT are two different brands of college admission test.  All colleges will accept both the SAT and the ACT so I encourage all students to try both types of test in order to determine the one they are naturally stronger in. Then, you can proceed with things like test prep or flashcards or online practice drills to try and maximize your score.You already took the PSAT last month, so . . . .

ElRo is hosting a practice ACT exam through Kaplan on Saturday, December 8th for any interested 10th or 11th grade student that preregisters at: http://bit.ly/eleanorrooseveltact

Registration for the practice exam will close on Monday, November 26th. 

If this test date is not convenient for you or you prefer to take a practice ACT somewhere else that is FINE. This practice test at ElRo is not required. If you are in 10th grade, we do plan to hold another practice ACT next fall so you'll have the opportunity then. In addition, virtually EVERY test prep company offers free diagnostic exams (for both the SAT and ACT) so just pick one and schedule it if you prefer to go that route. 

Some people will only drink Coke (aka: me) and others prefer Pepsi. Some people can't taste the difference. Give yourself the opportunity to see if one 'brand' is better for you when it comes to college. If both end up being equal, you can pick the one you just plain old liked better.

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Dogs as Stress Relief for Finals

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

My Summer Reading

Full confession: I'm not very good at reading in my free time. Working at a school that values reading so much, I had a goal this summer to make use of the New York Public Library and I've had an awesome time reading some really interesting books. (Side note: NYPL is amazing. It is seriously amazon.com for zero dollars. Check it out! Pun intended).

The one I just finished is called The Big Test by Nicholas Lemann. The Big Test is a really fascinating look at the history of testing (and its implications) on our educational system and society as a whole. Granted, I'm a sucker for non-fiction, but I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in understanding how a small exam ballooned into a full fledged industry (complete with industry offshoots like test prep) that has had such a deep and lasting mark on higher education.

Happy Reading!

Almost Time For College Summit

For the past three summers I have volunteered with College Summit (short video above), first as a Writing Coach and Chaperone and then as a College Counselor. It is an organization that helps schools systematically build a college-going culture.  Even though now I'm working in a school that already has a college-going culture in place, it is an honor to work with College Summit Peer Leaders and a great highlight for my summer. Ms. Hsu is even joining in this year, serving as a Writing Coach at a workshop.

I'm heading to Yale next week to volunteer and I can't wait!

Chancellor's Day - Use it or Lose it!

A common concern of students and families is that they have to visit campuses during weekend mornings or in the heart of summer when there is very little happening on campus. One potential fix to this dilemma is taking advantage of Chancellor's day to complete a college visit that is within one day's driving distance. As a mid-week school day, it is a wonderful time to try and get the best of both worlds. It allows you to visit a college when professors are possibly there and the Admissions Office is open without having to have an unexcused absence from school.

Below I have done just a very quick search of some schools that are within driving (or MTA) distance and would allow students to see a campus before the end of the year.

This is just a short list - feel free to explore Admissions websites and see what other schools are offering tours and information sessions. Click on the name of the school and it will take you to the visit website for that school.

Thursday, June 10

NYU - 10:00 am Tour

Marist - call to inquire 845-575-3226

Tufts - 9:15, 11:30, 2:30 Tours (yes, I know Boston is a stretch for a one day drive. Go Jumbos!)

Wesleyan 9:00 am , Noon, 3 pm Tours

Clark 12:30 pm Clark Conversations 1:30 pm Tour

SUNY Purchase - 10:00 am Tour

City University of New York - CUNY - 11:00 am Tour

Drew University - 10:00 am, Noon, 3:00 pm Tours

Google your own!

Remember, even if a parent/guardian had to work students will (hopefully) be going to college all on their own. Taking a trip to one of these more local campuses (especially in the five boroughs) can be done all by yourself. Be sure to register ahead of time if you can. All city students will be off school, so it could be crowded!

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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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Earth Day College Tip!

In honor of Earth Day (and next week's Unique NYC College Fair), I'd like to recommend a great way to reuse those return address labels you get for free in the mail: College Fair pre-filled out bio information! When you (or for parents, when your student) get free return address labels in the mail after getting on some pesky mailing list or as a thank you for donating to a charitable organization, bring the stickers to college fairs so all the student needs to do when they are filling out the card is peel and stick. It is a great way to keep the labels out the landfills and save time at crowded college tables. Obviously, some questions on the college inquiry cards may require some additional attention, like your intended major, graduation year and current school, but using the stickers will speed up the process. It is also a great benefit to the poor student worker back at the college that has to decipher smeared ink, messy handwriting, and so on. Win/Win!

As a reminder, students should only use the return address labels if THEIR name and address is listed. Parents should not be the ones on the mailing lists, students are the future applicants, right?

For students that may not have pre-existing extra return address labels sitting in a drawer at home, don't dismay. You can go to any office supply store and buy labels for you to type the information on ahead of time (try Microsoft Word Label Wizard). You can even add that other additional information I mentioned some schools may request (like our school code 333648, your birthday, intended major and graduation year). If you have the option of choosing your own size label, try and choose one a little bit on the larger size so you can use a slightly more reader friendly font.

I look forward to the fair next Wednesday with the 11th grade students. We will be leaving ElRo to head to LAB after school on Wednesday. All juniors are expected to attend unless they have a job, have childcare responsibilities or have a sports practice. While parents cannot attend the Unique NYC College fair, they can go to the NACAC fair this Sunday at the Javits Center.