Retro Remix: Gifts and Challenges

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When I first started this blog one year ago, the second blog entry I made was called "Gifts and Challenges." I'm re-posting it here for two reasons. One, not many people were reading the blog a year ago. Two, the message is one that I want every class of seniors to read, because I really do believe it.

From March 28, 2010:

   Ten years ago this week I opened an email that informed me I had been accepted to the college that I would end up attending. I have to admit, my college process was a little different than the environment that exists now, particularly in cities like New York, but regardless I can certainly still remember the anticipation of finding out where I'd been admitted and realizing the shift from hoping someone would choose me to instead being the one doing the choosing.
     That email was probably one of the most significant 'choice points' I have had in my life so far. My eventual decision to leave home and go to college in a place that was totally new has had a trickle down effect that has rippled through many other decisions that followed. That isn't to say I wouldn't have ended up being about the same person that I am now, but I doubt I would have pushed my boundaries (both academically and personally) in the same way had I selected one of my other options.
     I know the temptation is there to compare your own admission outcomes to your peers. It is easy to be jealous of another person's acceptance. To ask yourself, why them not me? I know getting a small envelope can feel like the worst moment imaginable. I also know getting a big one can feel like you have just won the lotttery. Those are real emotions. Don't ignore them.
    What I think you may eventually realize though is that most of life can be distilled down into a series of gifts and challenges. Different people have different proportions of these two categories, but they are almost always there. I would also go so far as to say that people, almost always, mistake one category for the other.
    My email ten years ago felt like a gift. And I absolutely feel lucky to have experienced all the things that I did in the four years that followed that acceptance. But with that gift also came a lot of challenges. The academics were hard. I had to spend many a weekend reading chapter after chapter in the University library and doing research for papers and exams. I entered college totally on my own. My roommate and I had exchanged pictures and 'get to know you' notes in the mail. This was before Facebook. There was not a single person on campus that I knew ahead of time. I had to meet everyone from scratch. My junior year I faced maybe the hardest challenge of all, dealing with the death of one of my close friends. It was the first time I had ever lost someone that was my own age. But while these things were challenges on the surface, I have come to realize that they were also gifts in disguise. The academics helped me continue to establish my work ethic. Meeting all new people helped me discover more about myself and resulted in many wonderful friendships that still continue to this day. The death of a friend was devastating, but I discovered the best way for me to deal with my grief was through service. I went on a Spring Break that year to Albemarle, North Carolina doing Habitat for Humanity a trip that, even though I didn't realize it at the time, was exactly what I needed to cope.
      For the many of you that are getting such exciting news from schools you have been accepted to, these moments are absolutely gifts. Getting in to your top choice school is a wonderful accomplishment. But don't mistake the gift as something that will come without challenge. And for those who may be disappointed with either their decisions or financial aid packages, these challenges  may actually be gifts too. Life takes us on some pretty interesting paths. Having the level of understanding to recognize the positive in the negative (and the challenges in the gifts) is the best guidance I can give.
    Over the next four weeks most seniors will decide where they will spend the next four years. Some may feel like they are faced with more gifts than others, but life has an interesting way of taking us the places we are supposed to go.

Rough Week?

I'm so excited and thrilled for students that have had good news from colleges- we've done exceptionally well as a school and have much of which to be proud. But many of the conversations I've had with students and families inevitably focus on the disappointing news, a waitlist or denial, that people are struggling to reconcile.

My best advice is to take some time to mourn but do so while watching the video above. OK Go is known for their inventive music videos (Robert Altman and Alfred Hitchcock would applaud their single cut format) and this song has particular resonance for coping with bad college news. What pushed it over the finish line to make it blog post-worthy? It features the Notre Dame Marching Band - a college in Indiana - how could I resist?

Let it go, this too shall pass.

Turning Point

Today is a big day in the world of college admissions because it is a turning point. Up until now, it was the schools holding all of the power, deciding who gets a fat envelope and who doesn't. But today is different. Today, the students are the ones with the power and the colleges are the ones begging to be chosen.

The next few weeks will be challenging. Some students already know where they will deposit. Some are hoping for a spot from a waitlist. Some are torn between a few great options. Others are going to question 'why me,' or more accurately 'why not me?' Others still are having hard conversations with their family about things like loans and 'overall value' - things that are really unfair for us to ask 17 and 18 year old young adults to have to worry about. (But we must, because few things in life as real and longlasting as debt).

For those that are curious, our Naviance stats now show about 46% of applications resulted in acceptance and about 13% resulted in a denial. Over 400 decisions are still listed as 'unknown' so if you are a senior reading this, please enter any decisions that you have. Some schools with rolling admissions are still sending out letters, so if you haven't heard, be patient. Give the schools a call just to confirm if they have everything and if they can give you a ballpark of when you'll hear.

I'm so proud of the Class of 2011, I think the decision outcomes have, for the most part, been really really exciting and positive. Like the Venn Diagram above, much more is still to come, but enjoy the moment now. You deserve it.

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NCAA Spotlight: Butler

Butler Bulldogs Basketball, a photo by Butler University on Flickr.

You couldn't expect Butler to get this far and me not make a special entry about it, right?

Butler is on my 'Underutlized' list and not just because of their basketball program. Butler is a great Midwestern liberal arts school that is, refreshingly, not impossible to get into. While it isn't a great fit if you are looking for an urban experience (NYU it isn't . . . ), Indianapolis is a bigger city than you might expect (#12 in the nation, thank you very much).

Butler offers undergraduate programs in everything from business, to pharmacy, to education, to the fine arts. I did an internship during one college summer at Butler's Clowes Memorial Hall. With less than 5,000 students, it isn't a college you can go to if you are looking to be anonymous. But if you are brave enough to go to college where you'll most likely arrive courtesy of a boarding pass, give Butler a look. Not convinced? You may end up a Butler student after all: many colleges accept their study abroad programs as approved for their students so you may still have a chance to root for the Bulldogs without being on their campus for four years.

Click here for basic admissions info

'Cause You Don't Really Love Me, You Just Keep Me Hanging On

As decisions have been coming in, I wanted to bring up the issue of being waitlisted. In the same vein as the Glee admission decision post, I wanted to express how some people might feel about the waitlist with the song above. (This song was featured on Glee too, but Fox has oh so kindly not released the clip on YouTube. Not a huge issue though because a 1966 original isn't too shabby). Why do they keep running around, playing with your heart?

At most colleges, there are three outcomes in the main round of admission: admitted, waitlisted, and denied. The first and last category are pretty straighforward in terms of their emotional reactions, but being waitlisted is a bit murky. Should you be excited that you are still in the running? Should you be disappointed that you weren't good enough to make it in from the start? Should you be hopeful? Should you move on?

The answer is it is normal to probably feel a combination of all of the above. Being waitlisted means exactly what they say in the letter. They liked you and your application, they think you would be successful at their campus, but they were not able to offer you a seat in the incoming class at the present time. If they end up with openings, you are still in the running to be considered.

[Click below for the rest of the post]

The Next 10 Days

The next ten days will be the time when the majority of admission decisions are released to applicants. In the meantime, you may be curious to know where we stand.

So far, ElRo seniors have entered into Naviance that 35% of the total applications have resulted in an acceptance. About 5% have been denied admission and we are still waiting on the 58% that are unknown. (In case you think my math is fuzzy, remember there are a small number that are waitlisted or withdrawn).The class filed 1,085 applications, an average of 9.5 per student. Bring on April!

ps. I warned you about Butler.

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Thanks Brandeis!

This morning I had the chance to attend a breakfast for counselors hosted by Brandeis University. We had the opportunity to hear from both the Dean of Admission, Mark Spencer, and the new University President, Dr. Frederick Lawrence (he even mentioned an Einstein quote I'm fond of!).

Most interesting was to hear that Brandeis was able, even during a time of transition and with the economic downturn not far in our past, to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need for this year's admitted class. Good news for students that will get a thick packet in the mail (ps. decisions go out tomorrow).

Brandeis is a great option for students that are interested in the mission of social justice, want to go to a small school with big opportunities, and that are looking for a challenge. Fun Fact: Eleanor Roosevelt spoke at Brandeis's first commencement in 1952 - all the more reason for ElRo Huskies to add it to their list! Thanks Brandeis for a great morning, I just hope some of those admit packets are headed our way . . .

March Madness!

The next three weeks are some of the most exciting of the entire year. Not just because all the anticipation of where students will be accepted comes to an end, but because it is time for the NCAA Tournament. Why do I love the tournament? Let me count the ways:

1) I'm 4'10'' - my athletic prowess leaves a little to be desired. But you don't have to be skilled on the court to get excited about these games. And unlike the NBA, players aren't on multi-million dollar contracts with endorsements and uber-dramatic personal lives; players are student athletes, they actually pass the ball, and they are so excited to be playing you can feel it through the tv.

2) It puts the spotlight on colleges you may not know about. When a team like Davidson or Butler makes a run for it, it reminds us that small liberal arts colleges are out there. I'm thrilled if it leads to just one more student considering a school outside of their comfort zone and looking at a school they had not heard of before. May I suggest revving up Naviance during the commercial breaks?

3) Just like the college admissions decisions that will be on our mind over the next 6 weeks, the way the bracket plays out doesn't always make sense. In the same way that some students will be disappointed if they don't get in, some teams that 'should' win are faced with an upset. Just like how some students don't seem like they can be admitted to some schools end up with a thick packet in their mailbox, some teams, through a combination of luck and hope, win games that it seems like they shouldn't. With both the decisions and the games, things happen for a reason. Life doesn't always work the way it 'should' -- if it did the bracket would be irrelevant and the whole tournament could be predicted based on the seeds. The joy of the games are that they are unpredictable. Same goes for the college admissions decisions. Sit back and enjoy the ride.

4) The Bracket. As I alluded earlier, my basketball skills are not so hot. I took summer school gym in high school and for the basketball skills test was told to just stop trying because my time trial to complete a sequence of drills was already far past the 'F' time limit. But the bracket is another story. In my Fordham days, I won first place. Looking for a pool to join for a great cause? I'm planning to join Backboards to Blackboards a charity bracket for Building Tomorrow, a non profit founded by a William and Mary grad I went to high school with.

5) The NCAA tournament is FUN. Through much of the school year, the college application cycle is filled with the stress of deadlines and panic of students and parents worried about a lot of things. March is a little gap of happiness in between the frenzy of the fall applications and the decisions in April and AP exams in May. Working hard is great, but coming together to enjoy something fun is even greater.

Stay tuned over the next few weeks as I'll try and highlight certain colleges in the tournament that are worth checking out.

In related news, let's hear it for the ElRo Huskies who have had some nice basketball success of their own!

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Thanks Baruch!

Thanks Baruch! CUNY Baruch hosted a Guidance Counselor day on Friday that I attended and it was nice to learn about the opportunities (in addition to seeing the beautiful facilities) that Baruch can offer. We heard from a panel of students and had the chance to interact with other guidance counselors. Most exciting was the surprise that one of our ElRo graduates was in the promotional video!  Without question, CUNY offers the highest quality affordable college education to New York residents. I dare you to find a place that is more committed to equity, access, and affordability.

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Course Selection Advice

 I know I just recently posted about AP course selection, but sometimes information is best relayed when it comes from an outside source. Here is a link to The Admission Game- College Planning Blog with a description of how to select courses for senior year. I think the same advice can be applied to the earlier grades as well. I've attended conference workshop sessions with Peter Van Buskirk (Founder of the Admission Game) in the past and can confirm that he is the real deal.

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