Acceptance By David Marcus

I've just finished another book that should be on the 'must read' list for students and parents/guardians as they begin the college search. In Acceptance, author David Marcus profiles Gwyeth 'Smitty' Smith in his final year before retirement as a guidance counselor in Oyster Bay, New York. The book talks about his philosophy on college admissions and profiles a few of his students as they go through the application process.

As a new counselor to the profession, I was relieved to find that almost all of Smitty's suggestions and opinions are in line with my own. He too worked to increase the visibility of the ACT and recommended all students try both before deciding which one was best for them. He also believes that less is more and that the ideal size for a college list is more like 8, not 18. He encourages students to view the college process as a way to not just pick a school, but to discover themselves. The goal being for students to figure out what things they value most, what the colleges value most, and make decisions based on fit not brand name, rank, or name recognition in your community. The best college counselors don't tell students where to apply, they help them discover it on their own.

A few things in the book did make me sad though. Or maybe sad isn't the right word, jealous is probably better. Smitty had a caseload of about 30 seniors. Next year I will have somewhere around 139. (**In all fairness, he was a guidance counselor not just a college counselor so he also had to divide his time into working with the underclassmen on his caseload. I'm exceedingly lucky to work in a school where I can devote 100% of my time to the college process. I wouldn't want to trade that, even if the senior class was two or three hundred.) Smitty also co-taught an essay writing class elective during the school day. A class like that wouldn't work at ElRo (aside from not having a teaching license, I use many periods a day to have student meetings, if I was also in a classroom my brain would overflow.) but it did illustrate how students can come to love writing if they really are willing to work at it. Though we can't offer a class, I do think students can still utilize the strategies they taught in their own revisions. The last thing I am jealous of is the encyclopedic knowledge Smitty had of so many different schools. But just like in the book, Smitty's response to that would be to point to his greying temples and remind me that he's "old." I'll get there, one counselor tour and NACAC conference at at time.

Long story short, in addition to my previous recommendations here here and here, add Acceptance to your reading list.

In other news, save the date for next week's PTA meeting, Back From The Trenches on Thursday at 6:00 pm.

100!

100s day, a photo by Cowpernicus on Flickr.

Remember in elementary school when on the hundredth day of school you did nothing but celebrate the number 100?

I counted 100 Fruit Loops for a necklace; I counted 100 pennies in a jar; I broke down 100 marbles into piles of ten. My mom put "1 0 0" in stickers on my lunch baggies. Well, the day has come that I am making my 100th blog post! A lot has gone on in the past year and I hope that this blog has been a place for students, parents, guardians and any other visitors have found to be both entertaining and informative.

Thanks for reading!

One Down, Two to Go!

Week 1 of APs are over, two more to go! We made it through and I'm crossing my fingers for lots of 4s and 5s coming our way this summer. A few reminders as we start week two.  No food or drinks are allowed in the exams. It isn't my rule, it is the College Board's. If you need a water bottle or snack you need to leave it at the door of the exam room and have it during the break. There are also no cell phones allowed, even if they are off, in the possession of test takers. Please make things simpler and just leave them at home on the day of the test. Angry Birds will still be there when you get home from school. Last, I want to remind students and parents that AP exams excuse you from class during the exam, but you are still expected to go to your courses the rest of the day. I know it takes stamina to make it through the long test, but sitting through a few more periods of class shouldn't be too difficult, particularly for ElRo students. Mr. Saliani has his 'A.C.E.' acronym for Academics, Community and Ethics. Being in school every day for the entire day is a great way to embody that.

Good luck to AP Music and Bio tomorrow!

Admission Accomplished!

The day is here! All of the hard work of the Class of 2011 was celebrated yesterday at the annual 'Admission Accomplished' ElRo event, where students post their enrollment decisions for the fall on the bulletin board in the lobby. The energy was really great as students wore their college t-shirts and reveled in their accomplishments.

Without further ado, click through to see the full list of admission and enrollment decisions for this year's class.
Image by Lihan Yao '11

Thanks Michigan! Thanks MIT, Brown and Yale!

 

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In the past 36 hours, I've participated in the Unique NYC College Fair, been to a reception for Michigan, watched Wills and Kate tie the knot, been to a counselor breakfast for MIT, Brown and Yale, and worked a Friday of a three day week following school break. It has been a whirlwind to say the least!

The Fair was great. As always, many thanks to the NYC Lab School for their gracious donation of space (and countless hours of planning).

Last night, the University of Michigan hosted an admitted student reception that, in all honesty, was the absolute best college event I've ever been to. I know it sounds hyperbolic, but the entire thing was flawless. There was a packed ballroom, plentiful (and substantial) food, a panel of University representatives, blue and gold ballons and lots of positive energy flowing. The part that really sold me though was the brilliant idea of having the 30 or so alums in attendance come to the front of the ballroom and pass the microphone to share their names, class year and major, hometown and current job. Each one was more confident and successful than the next. Well played Michigan, well played. As a final flourish, each student in attendance was also given a Michigan t-shirt and laundry bag. The evening was celebratory without a heavy hand of a marketing team. You all know by now that my heart lies in the Midwest. If you get accepted to Michigan and go to one of their receptions, I think yours will too.

The royal wedding was amazing. It has little to no connection to college other than the fact that the couple met at St. Andrews. I loved every second.

From this morning, I want to extend a thank you to MIT, Brown and Yale for hosting a counselor breakfast. (Blogger extraordinaire Matt McGann was there. Cue the geeking out, he's a college blog master!) These types of events are a great way to stay connected with colleagues and with the different schools. My favorite highlights from the comments shared by the schools at breakfast? 1) A student submitted resume is of little importance, as most schools really just want you to convey your strengths on the main application. They'll see it, but it will be in the back of the file. 2) Really, just send these schools two letters of recommendation. A third is ok if you do outside scientific research and your advisor wants to write on your behalf, but other than that, two is what they want. 3) MIT likes its own application, don't hold your breath for it to join the Common App. 4) Read the Early Action and Early Decision rules for EVERY school very carefully. More and more schools have idiosyncratic policies (and even more they have policies that change from one year to another). Here is what Yale, MIT and Brown have to say on the matter.

I pretty much feel like this now. Next week AP exams start - sharpen your #2 pencils!

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Unique NYC College Fair

College brochures…, a photo by netspencer on Flickr.

It is that time of year again! Time for the junior class to attend the Unique NYC College Fair! Held at the NYC LAB School, ElRo is lucky enough to be included with a great mix of other academically rigorous small public NYC high schools to meet and greet about 100 college representatives at this annual fair.

Permission slips for 11th grade students can be found here at the bottom of the page. Sorry parent/guardians, this fair is only for students. Not yet in 11th grade? Don't worry, you'll get to attend when you are a junior.

Remember my college fair tip from last year . . . . and brush up on my top 4 reasons to attend college fairs.

College Night 2011

Please join us this Thursday, April 14 from 6:00 to 8:30 pm for ElRo College Night. This annual PTA meeting will include a panel discussion with admission representatives, two workshops let by admission representatives, and a mini college fair. The colleges scheduled to participate are: SUNY Purchase, Bryn Mawr, Northeastern, SUNY Albany, CUNY Lehman College, CUNY Brooklyn College, The Cooper Union and Union College. The PTA meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m. and the panel will begin at 6:20 p.m.

All students and families, grades 9-11, are encouraged to attend. 

Happy Spring!

Dollars and Sense

Trip Coinage in a One Gallon Jar, a photo by Seth Dillingham on Flickr.

Deciding where to apply is a big decision, but deciding where to enroll brings things up to a whole new level. I, of course, want students to consider 'fit' when picking a school. Being happy socially, academically, and emotionally is really important. But the reality is that cost is also a very real factor for the majority of families. Students need to be informed consumers. They need to map out their financial aid packages for every single school to compare how much they will be asked to pay.

Most schools will ask families to take out loans. This is a normal and expected part of making an investment in your education. But there is a difference between taking out loans, particularly subsidized loans, and borrowing upwards of $20,000 or $30,000 per year in order to make ends meet.

Every family is different, but my general rule of thumb is that borrowing $5,000 or even $10,000 a year is reasonable if you know that you are fiscally responsible and that you will have a plan for how you will pay back the money. But, borrowing more than that, especially if you already know that being thrifty is difficult for you, is not a good idea.

I stress to every family that they should have at least one viable affordable option (normally a CUNY or SUNY). If students can be open minded, they may realize that the affordable school may also allow them to be happy academically, socially, and emotionally.

If your financial aid package is good, but not great, consider filing immediately for a financial aid appeal. Some schools have a little flexibility and will grant some additional aid for students that ask. The worst they can say is no. But the appeal process normally takes weeks, so file any paperwork as soon as possible. Call the Financial Aid office of the school for more details.

Weigh your options. Be informed. Don't write off schools that are not your first choice until you investigate the cost. And don't forget, loans will be included on the financial aid package, so be sure to count them separately from grants and scholarships. Only looking at the 'total aid award' number at the bottom can be misleading.

Still overwhelmed with the finances? Come by the Guidance office and one of the guidance interns can help you break it down.

Lastly, remember if you plan to enroll at a college located in the state of New York, you may be eligible for a TAP grant. You will need to go to www.hesc.com and indicate your final enrollment decision so your TAP grant can be calculated.

Retro Remix: Gifts and Challenges

Source: minimega.dk via criz on Pinterest

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.