Pacific Northwest Tour - University of Puget Sound

On a day when my colleagues and students at Eleanor Roosevelt managed to have, what turned out to be, a false alarm snow day, I was out of the office participating in day one of the Pacific Northwest Five Consortium Tour. We got the chance to see the University of Puget Sound, located near Seattle in Tacoma, Washington.

Gorgeous atrium by UPS alum Dale Chihuly.

UPS is one of the schools added to the more recent edition of Colleges That Change Lives list. These are schools that consider themselves to be places of transformation and where students can bank on lots of personal attention. With stunning views of Puget Sound, Mt. Rainer, and Craftsman style homes in a residential section of Tacoma, this is a lovely school with 2,400 undergraduates. Their identity is rather sporty/outdoorsy (not a huge shock given the geographic location) and there is access to pre-professional majors like Business that are deeply rooted in the liberal arts. There is a core curriculum that is writing heavy and lets students delve deeply into seminars that span from topics like The Third Wave: Rock After The Beatles, to Imagining Blackness, and Exploring Bioethics Today. They are testing optional

My largest takeaways, from a college counseling perspective, have to do mainly with ways that UPS doesn't always follow the herd. For example, they have a practice of not maintaining a significant waitlist. This means they don't string students along or keep a cushion of 'courtesy waitlists' of students the have no intention of later admitted. Instead, their waitlist might contain 20 students, those that they truly might end up reaching out to if a space arises. They also have a relatively tiny international population (though they admittedly are looking to grow it). They have approximately 2% of their students identifying as international, something that I find refreshing at a time when so many schools seek out up to 20% of their class from full pay international students as a way to increase their operating budgets. Also, while they have Early Decision, it is not a huge enrollment stream, so Early Action and Regular Decision students still get a very fair shake.

I was thrilled to be able to have breakfast with Audrey P., ElRo Class of 2016 and current UPS senior. To me, it seems she is thriving. I was most impressed by her senior Capstone project where she is looking at the influence of pregnancy on incarcerated women as it intersects with race/ethnicity. It sounded like a fascinating topic and I'm so glad to see her doing well and representing our school on this campus!

In closing, I want to share how struck I was by the inclusive and welcoming climate for LGBTQ+ staff and students. It seems that the entire community was committed to helping all incoming and continuing students feel welcome and comfortable enough to be themselves. Not to say their work is done or that any campus is perfect, but the conversation appeared to be ongoing and at the forefront of the campus consciousness.

Tomorrow: Whitman College!

Thanks SUNY Potsdam!

Earlier this week, I attended an info session at the SUNY office on 42nd street hosted by SUNY Potsdam. We have had a few ElRo students enroll at Potsdam in the past, but this was a wonderful re-introduction to the campus and offerings.

Let me start by saying that absolute best part of SUNY Potsdam: it is testing optional. Only one other 4-year school in the SUNY system (SUNY Delhi) can say the same. That means Potsdam understands that for some students, their academics are a better representation of their potential than their test scores. I'm eager for the day that more SUNY schools follow suit.

Despite being about 6.5 hours away, 40% of students are from New York City. A common criticism I've heard of schools upstate is how the campus culture is so different from what city kids are used to. Here, while the location is certainly not in a large city, at least your fellow classmates are likely to be able to relate to the adjustment required to small town life. Potsdam is also located near SUNY Canton, St. Lawrence University, and Clarkson so there are about 12,000 college age students in the immediate area. (There is also a cross registration agreement where students can take courses at these other campuses, all included as part of their Potsdam tuition).

Academically, some signature programs at Potsdam include: the Crane school of Music (audition required), theater and studio art, and the school of professional studies which includes both education and business.

The average GPA of an admitted student is an 88, but students with stronger numbers are offered scholarships. Considering the full price is only about $20,000 per year, this makes Potsdam one of the most generous and affordable campuses in the state for ElRo students. For students who do submit testing, the merit scholarship range starts at 24 ACT/1100 SAT. Again, we are talking about a very very high probability of merit aid for ElRo students.

Potsdam isn't just an awesome fit for top students. They also have fantastic options for students that might need additional support to be successful in college. They offer both a traditional EOP program and a Bridges program (without the same household income requirements) to allow for a pathway to college for students who might otherwise have a hard time finding a good fit.

I was pleased with all that we got to hear at the information session and if just made me more eager to make a trip up North. Thank you Potsdam!

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Thanks Oberlin!

Today I had the opportunity to visit Oberlin College and I can now understand why we have had five ElRo students in the past four years enroll at this school.

Oberlin is a small liberal arts college with two divisions: the college and the music conservatory. It is known as a place that is progressive, open-minded, expressive, and creative. I think the thing I was most struck by was the people. The students seemed genuinely happy to be there and the environment was accepting and warm.

Unique elements of Oberlin include the fact that they have 3 required January Terms (J-Term for short) for all students where they undertake a project or internship. These can range from doing science research to writing a screenplay to exploring their career interest. Many peer institutions might feel isolated or exclusionary (with literal gates around campus), but not Oberlin. They pride themselves on being well integrated into the town of Oberlin. The conservatory at Oberlin is unique for its focus on undergraduate students (many conservatory programs allot huge portions of the resources to graduate students, but Oberlin hardly has any graduate students in music). About one third of conservatory students earn a double degree in the Liberal Arts. I should also add that it is very unique to see an Admissions staff with so many veteran members. Almost everyone in the office has been there more than 5 years, with many people there over 15 years. That is not the status quo and is a sign that people really believe in the mission and are treated well by the administration.

Oberlin was the first college to graduate a person of color and the first to award a degree to a woman in a co-ed setting. This is a place that wants to break barriers, tackle difficult questions, and honor their own moral and ethical code. I don't get the impression that this is a campus where students spend energy on surface things like clothing, hairstyles, and makeup. The 'come as you are' vibe is palpable. It is the kind of place that cares about the environment, LGBTQ+ rights, and equal pay. If those are not the kind of conversations you want to hear in the dining hall, this school should not be on your list.

ElRo takes Oberlin!

A highlight of the visit was getting to connect with Caley W. - ElRo Class of 2013. She is a student athlete (soccer) and said that she has loved her experience at Oberlin. She is a fourth year majoring in Economics and told me that she feels like Oberlin helped her grow more than she ever expected. I am so proud of her!

I'm now in Columbus, eager to reconnect with colleagues and attend sessions at NACAC!

Thanks Case Western Reserve University!

I'm in lovely Ohio this week to visit schools and attend that National NACAC Conference.

Today I got to visit Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, an exciting opportunity! As anyone can tell from Naviance, we have had a tough time at ElRo cracking the code of what students would fit best at this school. After spending the day there, I think I have a little bit of a better sense of who would be happiest there and what direction the college is moving in.

Frank Gehry designed the School of Management (aka Business)

CWRU evolved from two different schools (Case and Western Reserve) and has the reputation of being rather 'STEM-y.' But, they actually have four undergraduate colleges within the college: Engineering, Business, Nursing, and Arts and Science. I would categorize the school as pretty research-centric and the physical location being near four hospitals (including the world renowned Cleveland Clinic) only adds to the reasons it is a good fit for a student interested in science, pre-health, or both. What sets it apart? For one thing, the students were described as very focused. This is not an exploratory place for the liberal artist. This is for the student who already has a general direction. (It is ok if that direction is the humanities -- they have easy access to art museums, concert halls, and historical sites). 

think[box]

Materials at think[box]

A highlight of today was getting to see the think [box] a maker space on campus that is designed to be an incubation place for innovation. Students (and community members) can use the tools and materials there to create anything they can imagine. This includes things on 3-D printers, embroidery machines, woodwork, electrical circuits, and really anything you could think up.  This kind of creativity is encouraged and it was nice to see such a fully formed and well run place for people to try out their ideas and build truly anything they can think of.

Perhaps the most confusing aspect of Case Western is the notion that there is a single door entry point -- meaning that any student admitted to Case Western can major in anything Case Western offers. That means that students do not need to meet individual criteria in order to change majors once they are here. It means that if you get into Case Western, you have your choice of any of the programs offered (one exception being Music--an audition is required). This policy though isn't to be confused with the idea that Case Western doesn't pay attention to what academic course of study you list on your application. They are still a functioning school, after all, and they need their school to have balance. As one might expect, Engineering is the most popular area of interest and it is also one of the programs with the highest standards. Two thirds of students are majoring in a STEM field.

This school has seen a tremendous amount of growth in the past ten years. As in going from under 8,000 apps per year to over 23,000 apps per year. The acceptance rate last year was about 35%, so more people are getting denial letters than any other sort. They also used to be a school that pulled students mainly from the state of Ohio. Now only 22% of students come from the Buckeye state.

So why would CWRU be attractive to ElRo students? For one thing, they offer merit aid. And starting this year they plan to be need aware but meet 100% of demonstrated need for all admitted students. (Being need aware will most likely impact those on the margins --admissions wise-- the most). That means middle income students should be given a much more fair shake when it comes to financial aid packaging. Loans will be reasonable and students won't be gapped. Then when it comes to merit scholarships, even higher income homes can potentially see discounts in tuition. The location is also very very attractive. Coming from NYC, the Midwest can be a hard pill to swallow for some. But the flight here was under an hour and fifteen minutes! It sometimes takes me that long to commute to ElRo! With a little over 5,000 students in an urban area, Case Western offers the best of a lot of worlds. There is Greek life, but this isn't a party school. I think our students who find themselves looking at places like University of Rochester, University of Chicago, and Carnegie Mellon would also benefit from looking at Case Western.

I hope we can start hitting our stride with this school. Cleveland is a wonderful city and one that I think many ElRo students would be very happy with for their college experience. 

On to Oberlin tomorrow!

Thanks University of New Hampshire!

Photo: Emily Colman

 This April vacation brought me to the University of New Hampshire, a school that I am pleased to say will be making its way into many conversations that I have with ElRo students as we discuss college options. This medium sized land (and sea and space) grant university truly offers the best of lots of different things. There are all kinds of majors: from engineering, to business, to nursing, to the liberal arts (check). It is a gorgeous New England campus with buildings that have managed to be renovated without losing their character (check). The location about an hour from two cities (Boston and Portland) and smack in between the ocean's coastline in one direction and mountains in the other (check). And did I mention that almost every ElRo student would be admissible? This is bordering on unicorn status: the 'likely' that you can like if you are a high achieving student. If I had to compare it to other places, I would say it feels to me like a less hippie University of Vermont and a smaller and more beautiful University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

The students I saw seemed grounded and happy. In fact, in a recent Gallup pilot survey of 19 colleges, UNH alumni reported being the happiest later on in life out of all 19 participant schools. If New Hampshire sounds obscure to you, rest assured that they have an Amtrak station on campus. So NYC students can connect through Boston to get there without needing a car. We also go the chance to eat in the dining hall four separate times - something that I really value on college tours. Part of why UNH probably felt this was a good idea is that the food is some of the best college dining food I've had. I wasn't surprised to learn that their dining services are all in-house, not outsourced to a corporation. They had Vegan-friendly, Allergy-friendly and even Passover friendly options.

The curriculum is divided up roughly in thirds - with most divisions having 1/3 of the classes from the major, 1/3 from the core curriculum (known as Discovery) and 1/3 other electives. This allows for exploration and guarantees that all students will leave having some general knowledge in 10 different subject areas that make up the Discovery coursework.

A clear goal of the University is to encourage more study abroad. We learned that, as a nation, the United States sends about 260,000 students per year to study abroad whilst accepting about 1,000,000 foreign students to study abroad here. We can do better and UNH wants to be part of that change.

This school is a real gem. If you want a public D-I school within only a few hours of New York City I strongly recommend you go and visit. The out of state tuition is about $40,000 per year, but many ElRo students would qualify for merit aid that could bring that total down to about $25,000 per year before need-based aid is factored in for those that qualify. I have a good friend who is a fellow college counselor in California and she tipped me off to UNH a few years ago, but now that I've seen it with my own eyes, I can attest: this is a school that deserves to be on a lot of lists.

Thanks Macalester!

This morning we visited our final school of the tour, Macalester College in St. Paul. Unlike the other schools yesterday, Macalester would, by far, be the easier transition for a NYC student because of its urban proximity. The school is surrounded by traditional urban sprawl (with both lovely homes and retail shops/dining options) and is only a few miles from the airport. A “mission driven’ liberal arts college, Macalester focuses on core values like: internationalism, academic excellence, civic engagement, and multiculturalism. While the arts and humanities are alive and well, Macalester also offers interdisciplinary majors like Data Science and International Studies – both of which are very popular. All students have to complete graduation distribution requirements, creating structure made up of flexible options for each of the mandated categories. Both the President and the students we talked to mentioned Macalester’s encouragement of problem solving and creativity. They regularly hold 'Mac-a-thons' and one great idea that was born out of these incubation sessions is something called Nüdl – a student created mealshare program that pairs up culinary hosts with people looking to make new friends and try new foods. Students sign up for the ‘Nüdl’, pay the host a nominal fee (as in, $3-$5 to cover the cost of the food), and get together to eat. The student we were chatting with was Honduran and hosting a Nüdl for six people later that day. It sounds so amazing! 

With 2,000 students, Macalester’s commitment to global issues is nothing new. While they have Kofi Annon as an alum, the UN flag has been flying on their quad since the 1950s, decades before Annon assumed his role as Secretary-General. They have had international students since before it was cool to have international students. Perhaps my favorite part of the morning though was the mini-lectures they arranged for us. Too many schools overlook this great resource on these types of counselor tours. They give us faculty on panels but they don’t let the faculty shine in their natural habitat: the classroom. This is a missed opportunity, because the 20 minute music lecture we got this morning was highly engaging, enjoyable, and educational. What better way to see the liberal arts in action than by showing us, not just telling us. If you want a small liberal arts school in a thriving city and you care about social justice or social action, Macalester checks off a lot of boxes and awards merit aid. 

Overall, my first trip to Minnesota was a huge success. Thank you to these three schools for hosting me and giving us such an in depth look at your campuses!

Inside Mount Holyoke College's Application Review

Thank you to Mount Holyoke College for hosting me this week for a conference dedicated to understanding the application review process. I've been on many guidance counselor 'tours' to help me understand the unique personality of colleges over the years, but this is the first time I've been invited to an event focused instead on a really detailed look 'behind the curtain' about how the application reading process works.

Especially because I left the world of college admission before most colleges transitioned to reading files online, this was a really cool way to go back to those days of reading files and experience how technology has changed things. While every college has their own unique priorities in reading, this helped me understand much more deeply how and why Mount Holyoke admits the students they do.

Too many young women discount women's colleges without giving them a fair shake. Some of the reasons to consider a women's college include: greatly increased diversity (including more than just racial and ethnic diversity), stronger financial aid packaging (both merit and need based), stronger STEM outcomes (including medical school and PhD program acceptance rates), and the legacy of tradition and alumna connections. A small liberal arts college isn't right for everyone, but if you are considering other top quality small schools, Mount Holyoke deserves to be in the mix. The young women I got to meet over these three days were poised, bright, articulate, confident, and engaging. If that sounds like an environment you might like, you know what to do. An added bonus, of course, is that in the event you do feel the need for a change of pace, there are four other nearby colleges where you can cross-register (three of which have male students enrolled).

I want to thank the Mount Holyoke staff for their transparency and hospitality. It was a great three days! I also had the chance to catch up with current Mount Holyoke student and ElRo Class of 2014 Elro Alum Chloe L. (pictured above)!

Thanks Siena!

Earlier this summer, I was able to participate in a counselor visit program at Siena College, located in Albany, New York. This Franciscan (Catholic) college proved that it has a lot to offer. The small student body allows for personalized and individualized education. Their founding principles are: Diversity, Optimism, Respect, and Service.

They had, hands down, one of the best student panels I have ever listened to (and this marks my 126th campus visit). The fact that it occurred during the summer is even more mind blowing (typically the options for students to hand pick from is much more limited over the summer since the majority of students are not on campus). What I liked about it is they really presented a wide variety of students, each passionate about their academic interests and reasons for picking Siena. Unique programs include: an 8 year medical combined degree program, an honors division, and a Bonner Scholarship program for students committed to community service.

Siena is now testing optional (yay!) but note that demonstrated interest does count. A little over half of the applicants are granted admission. They are also very supportive of transfer students, so if they don't admit a student they are willing to work with them to find a way for them to potentially transfer in the future if they are seriously interested in Siena.

Overall, it was a really lovely campus visit and Siena was a great host. For students open to going to a small school located near Albany, this would make a solid addition to the list. The staff and students were welcoming and energetic -- two very important things!

Thanks Siena!

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Thanks TCU and Trinity University!

This morning I attended a breakfast hosted by TCU and Trinity University, two colleges located in Texas. I am always eager to expand my knowledge of new regions of the country and it was great to get to hear a little bit about these two schools. Let me start by also reminding New Yorkers that a common concern that some parents/students have when I try to talk about leaving the Northeast is that there is a fear that they don't want to go to a part of the country that isn't open-minded/liberal/diverse/you get the idea. Yet, the irony is that in stereotyping the non-coastal parts of the US as backwards or prejudiced or too full of people that don't think like me you are perpetuating the issue of using preconceived notions as grounds for making decisions (which, let me remind you, is what you said you didn't like about these so called close-minded places). I'm not suggesting that there aren't real differences in society based on regional location, only that citing intolerance for other viewpoints as your reason for being intolerant of other viewpoints is circular logic.

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TCU stands for Texas Christian University. Yep, the word Christian is right in the name. But before you start making those judgements we just talked about, know that not everyone on campus is from Texas, not everyone on campus is Christian, and not everyone on campus is religious. At breakfast we learned the topic of religion usually comes up when students are commenting on one of two things: 1) The school not being Christian enough or 2) The school being too Christian. In other words, there are all types of people on campus who are able to find their niche, completely separate from the religious affiliation. (For anyone curious though, there is no required religious participation and more than just Christianity is welcomed on campus, they have a Hillel people!) Over 40% of the 8,500+ students come from outside of the state. Located in Ft. Worth, TCU is in a city and with that comes things like internship opportunities at major companies. With approximately 25% of the student body made up of students of color, they are doing the same as (if not better than) schools in the Northeast with diversity enrollment, so say goodbye to your fear of the student body being homogeneous.  Full price tuition is about $50,000 per year but merit scholarships are a very real possibility (the traditional range for merit awards begins with an SAT score of 1850+, aka half of the ElRo class) - easily bringing the cost down to more like $30,000 with their Dean's scholarship.

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Trinity University is located in San Antonio - another blue dot in the sea of red you might be imagining when you think of Texas. Despite the name, Trinity University is no longer religiously affiliated and hasn't been for more than 60 years. A small college (2,200 undergrads) the campus has about one third of the students coming from outside of Texas. It is a welcoming place, as evidenced by the fact that they made headlines five years ago when a transgender student rushed a sorority. (On the topic of Greek life, all chapters are local as opposed to national and less than 20% of the students participate in Greek life). Similar to TCU, most ElRo students would be pleasantly surprised to see the potential merit package they might get from Trinity. The college is transparent about the fact that a 90+ GPA and 1220+ SAT (on the first two sections) can mean a possible scholarship of $12,000-$15,000 per year - and there is even a more modest scholarship range for students slightly below this threshold.

These two schools might not be right for everyone, but I do encourage all students to push their comfort zones and look outside the box to find hidden gems tucked all around this great nation. Don't be afraid to try something new. Schools like these are thirsty for New Yorkers to join their ranks, give them a chance to show you what they can offer.

College Night 2014!

This is a funky week being back in school only one day before our annual College Night! I hope the short week though won't prevent people from attending one of our best nights of the year for helping 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students better understand the college application process.

I am excited to remind everyone that tomorrow, Thursday, April 24th from 6:00-8:30 pm we will have a great night of college information to share. The night will be structured the same way that it has in the past -- a panel discussion, two short workshops of your choice, and a mini college fair. Workshop topics include: Financial Aid, The Common Application, Essay Writing, Parent Do's and Don'ts, and the CUNY/SUNY system. Information will not be coming from me, instead it will come straight from the source: Admission professionals from around the country. Representatives will be attending from: Reed College, CUNY, Virginia Commonwealth University, SUNY, and Wesleyan. These were selected intentionally to expose people in attendance to: in state public schools, out of state public schools, private schools, local schools, and schools that are far away. The panel discussion will be held in the auditorium.

Even if you attended last year, I encourage you to come back so that by the time you are a senior you will be an expert on these topics.

I can't wait to see you there!

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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.

Join me to Demystify Standardized Tests!

 
Tomorrow night (Thursday, January 23), ElRo will host our annual PTA meeting on the topic of standardized college admission tests. I strongly encourage all 9th, 10th, and 11th grade families to come learn more about this topic. It is, without a doubt, the topic that I get the most questions on throughout the year and this session is designed to give basic information about what the tests are, how they are used, how they are unique, and what the recommended timeline is for signing up for the exams. Kaplan will be joining us to present this information -- note this presentation is not specifically about Kaplan test prep, so if you want information about their methods or signing up for their services you will need to contact them separately.

The PTA meeting will begin at 6:00 with the standardized test presentation slated to follow (estimated start time 6:20).

I hope to see you there!

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FAFSA Information Night

The annual FAFSA information night with certified financial planner Anthony Becker will take place this Thursday, December 5, at 6:00 pm in the Michael Stolz Auditorium at Eleanor Roosevelt High School. Any senior (and their parent/guardian) who plans to submit a FAFSA in January to apply for financial aid for college should attend this meeting. It is also STRONGLY recommended that any junior family interested in financial aid attend so they can get a preview of the types of questions they will be asked a year from now when they apply for financial aid.

See you there!

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What To Expect From the College Process

Are you the parent/guardian of a 9th, 10th, or 11th grade student? If so, I encourage you to join me Thursday, November 21 for the 'What to Expect from the College Process' Q&A PTA meeting. The PTA meeting begins at 6:00 pm and will be in the auditorium. Come ready to ask questions! Students are also welcome to attend.

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Thanks SUNY Maritime!

Yesterday I attended the SUNY OpInform Counselor Workshop at SUNY Maritime, located in Throggs Neck. What a total hidden gem of a campus! Despite being on the tip of the Bronx, I felt like I was a world away. The small campus is home to about 1,800 students who are mainly interested in working on ships. As a result, about 90% are part of the regimen that are hoping to earn their license to work on board a boat. This means that those 90% dress in uniform (contrary to popular believe, these are NOT military uniforms) and the vibe on campus is really unique.  I should add, there are ROTC options on campus and about 10% of the students plan to join the military (typically as part of the Coast Guard, Navy, or Marines), but it is a much smaller population than one might assume. SUNY Maritime is an amazing example of a true niche college located right here in the 5 boroughs. For students with a passion for the water, this is an amazing school for science, technology, and engineering. There is also a job placement rate of over 90% (very few maritime colleges exist, so they do a great job of filling need in the job market) and it seems like a place that is great for students that are hands on learners. They have their own ship docked right on campus and students were buzzing about all day. The campus is also home to Fort Schulyer, a US fort that predates the Civil War. The picture above is from the campus library that is inside the fort. It was stunning.Word of warning, about 86% of the students here are male. That is also probably a pretty accurate mirror of the percent of people in the maritime industry that are male, but it is certainly something to keep in mind for both the pros and cons that come along with it.

In terms of the meeting, I went to two sessions - one about college readiness and one about honors programs at the SUNY schools. The college readiness session mentioned something that I think ElRo does a good job, which is making the senior year the most challenging year. This helps to keep momentum and give students the bridge they need to be successful in college. For the second session, I think I probably could do a better job of reminding students and families about the honors opportunities at SUNY schools. I'm going be more conscious of this going forward. The SUNY honors programs have published stats that can be found here. They also made the great point that the bulk of SUNY honors programs exist at 2-year colleges. I know most ElRo students are looking at 4 year degrees, but starting at an honors program at a 2 year school isn't a bad option for students that would be more successful starting somewhere first and then applying to transfer to their dream school later.

Two more things of note: SUNY is ranked 4th in the nation for public school system 4 year completion rate - meaning students at SUNY are more likely to graduate and graduate in 4 years than schools in 45 other states. Not too shabby. Also, younger students, keep your eye on www.suny.edu - it is getting a face lift in the spring.

Attention all 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students and families:

You are invited to College Night next Thursday, April 18th at 6:15 pm. The evening will consist of a panel discussion in the auditorium, two small workshops on topics related to college, and a small mini fair with the colleges in attendance. Even if you are not interested in the exact schools attending College Night, you should still come because the information is designed to be informative about the college process in general. The evening will conclude by 8:30 pm.

Colleges currently scheduled to be represented include: Bard College, SUNY Brockport, University of Chicago, Lafayette College, CUNY, and Ithaca College. There will also be a representative from HESC, New York State's Financial Aid division.

I hope to see you there!

ps -- The monthly PTA meeting will take place prior to College Night -- starting at 5:30 pm in the auditorium -- parents/guardians please arrive early so you can participate and hear updates on the PTA's current initiatives. The College Office could not function without the support of the PTA!

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Come to College Night!

Every year, the PTA generously hosts a College Night in the spring for families grades 9-11 to attend to learn more about the college process. In my dream world, we'd have standing room only in the auditorium tomorrow (Thursday, April 19)! The event will start with a PTA meeting at 6:00 pm and runs until about 8:30 if you stay for the whole thing.

My biggest fear is that students or parents/guardians decide not to attend because they think that the colleges in attendance are not schools that their student wants to attend. Big mistake! First off, you can't be sure in spring of the 9th, 10th, or 11th grade year what schools will or won't be on the 'list.' But, more importantly, the evening is designed to address general college issues, so that even if you don't end up applying to one of the participating schools, you WILL want information about the topics being presented.

The evening will begin with a panel discussion in the auditorium, with real Financial Aid and Admissions professionals answering audience submitted questions. Then we will break up into classroom based workshop sessions. Each session will be repeated so you can see two different topics of your choice. Then there will be a short mini fair to end the evening and it is here that you'll have the chance to learn school specific information from the representatives.

I hope to see you there!

Image - Hobart and William Smith (will be at College Night, naturally), picture from their website this past week!

See you Thursday!

Just a reminder that tomorrow (Thursday, January 19) is a college related PTA meeting: Demystifying Standardized Testing. I encourage any parent, guardian, or student grades 9-11 to attend to learn more about how testing works. The meeting is at 6:00 pm in the auditorium!

FAFSA Info Night - December 6

Our annual FAFSA information night is coming on on Tuesday, December 6th at 6:00 pm in the Auditorium. The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid that is required in order to get financial aid for college. Seniors and their parent/guardians are strongly encouraged to attend if they plan to file for financial aid. Juniors and their parent/guardian are also strongly encouraged to attend because it is often too late to move assets around if you wait to learn about how the FAFSA works during the fall of senior year. Knowledge is power so come learn about this important form so you won't be scared of it!

FAFSA basics:

- The FAFSA is free. Never, ever, ever pay a website or company to submit this form on your behalf.
- The FAFSA is not a scholarship granter. All the FAFSA does is allow college Financial Aid offices to see your family's financial profile and what the government thinks your family can afford to pay toward college (aka the Estimated Family Contribution, EFC). Each school can interpret and award scholarships at their discretion using that same EFC from the FAFSA.
- The FAFSA should be filled out in January of a student's senior year. It is not yet available and won't be until January 1. Most schools need it submitted no later than February.
- The FAFSA must be filled out each year a student is requesting aid. Otherwise how would a school know that your family won the lottery or that a parent lost a job?
-Everyone should file a FAFSA, even if you think you won't get lots of aid. At most private schools a family income needs to be over $250,000 per year in order to be ineligible for need based aid. And even for families in that scenario, the FAFSA can at the very least help you to qualify for an interest free loan from the government which can be a nice way to spread out the cost. Plus, many schools require a FAFSA be filed even for merit aid.

See you December 6!

(ps the link above is a little 90s throwback that makes the cut for this post because of the iconic 'money dive' at 19 seconds, woo ooh!)

Back From the Trenches

I'm not sure the PTA meeting this Thursday should retain its name 'Back From the Trenches' because I'll still be in the trenches until next Monday with AP exams and the Senior Trip. . .

But, I do hope that all 9-11th grade students and families will attend the annual PTA meeting where ElRo alum, current seniors and parents/guardians participate in a panel discussing the college process. It is a perfect chance to hear from students about their individualized experience. The meeting will take place May 19th at 6:00 pm and everyone is invited.

See you there!

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