College Summit: Indiana Edition!

After working in the world of college admissions for two years, I had the luck and good fortune to be hired by the New York City Dept of Education as a college counselor. Part of my role, I was told by the new school, was that I would be the coordinator of a program called College Summit. So, before I'd even stepped foot in the school as a counselor, I was sent off to a four day workshop at St. John's University as a writing coach and chaperone.

Five summers later I'm no longer the college counselor at that NYC high school, but I have returned each summer as a volunteer with College Summit, an organization that aims to build a college going culture in schools where there is not one. The summer workshop takes about 10 peer leaders from each of the College Summit schools and gives them a four day intensive experience where they will write their personal statement, learn about life on a college campus, and meet with a college counselor. ANY college graduate out there reading this can apply to be a writing coach and admissions or guidance professionals can apply to be a college coach. Every year it is a great experience!

Over the next four days I will be a college coach at Indiana State University. This is my first time at a workshop in the Midwest and I'm excited to work with a new population of students!

How Juniors Should Spend Summer

 

The space between Junior and Senior year is pretty unlike any other time in a person's life. You are about to enter the final year of high school, but are not yet an adult. You are not independent, but probably think you should be. You have one more year of academics ahead of you to earn your first major academic benchmark: a high school diploma. Unlike your summers in college, you don't have the same pressure to network and get internships that will lead to full time job prospects. You are building a resume, but it is for college admission not a promotion.

Suggestions for Summer:

1) Make your summer count. This means something different to different people, but think hard about how you are utilizing the time you have off of school. Usually, this can mean some combination of the following: a job, an internship, an enrichment class, college visits, and test prep. Like a stock portfolio, there are different proportions of these things that may be right for each person. The main important thing though is making sure that the balance is right for YOU. Summer will go very very quickly. Be sure that you don't find yourself the third week in August looking back at summer and nothing to show for it. (** please note - I never said everyone had to do everything from that list - if you aren't in an enrichment class or are not taking test prep or do not have a part time job that is a-ok!)

2) Missing school to visit colleges is NOT an excused absence. Don't like it? Talk to the Chancellor, it isn't our call. Colleges want to see top academic performance from students. That is virtually impossible if you are missing the foundational element of good attendance. So, be thoughtful about when you plan to visit college campuses. These should really take place over the summer, or in the fall on days when we don't have school or on weekends. Visit the college websites to see when they offer summer tours. Yes, I realize you won't get to see the campus running at full capacity. But that is OK. If you end up getting in and really want to decide about going you can go back on a school vacation in the spring.

3) Draft your essays over the summer, but recognize that they are still in draft form. Getting started early is a great idea. Colleges will typically publish their essay topics in August (The Common App has actually already released their main personal statement prompts) so take advantage of the summer as a way to get some ideas down on paper. Don't fall into the trap though of being so focused on getting essays done that you rush through them or are not open to constructive criticism once the school year starts. Coming up with a personal statement (and the various supplemental essays that colleges will require) takes time and nuance. Being stubborn and saying 'I did them all during the summer' won't help you. Plan ahead with estimated deadlines. You may have a different timeline than your friends.

4) Start to talk about finances with your family. Way too many people wait until way too late to start talking about the financial reality of college. It can sometimes be uncomfortable for parents/guardians to talk about things like assets and income with their teenager. And that is ok - some things can be left to the imagination. But, students and families SHOULD be open about a realistic college budget, the maximum amount of loans that will be an option, and negotiating how much the student will be responsible for paying (either up front or later on in paying back loans). How do you view $30,000? -- some individuals would call this number a great deal for year of college education, others would say that should be the total cost for all four years. If you don't have the conversation you won't know where your child/parent/guardian falls on that spectrum. Remember, a good college list includes 'financial aid likelys' --- it is ok to apply to more expensive schools, but have affordable guarantees as a back up.

5) Wear sunscreen.

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Where did the year go?!

Source: Uploaded by user via Alyssa on Pinterest

I realize I probably say this every year, but holy moly, this year went fast! I know I've only posted a few times recently, but hope to get back to my old pace soon. As the year draws to a close, below I've listed a few general comments for both graduating and rising seniors.

Graduating seniors: you did it! It is such an exciting time for you to be closing one chapter and starting another! You are the largest group of graduates that our school has ever seen. From a college counseling prospective, this was challenging for me. :) I wrote almost 120 letters of recommendation and processed over 1,250 applications and there were times when I felt like getting it all accomplished would be impossible. But we've made it and I'm thrilled to say that every graduate has a plan to enroll in some form of post secondary education next year. As a public school counselor, I am humbled to be fortunate enough to be able to say that. The committment that our school has to the college counseling process is far too rare - many thanks to the PTA for their continued financial support. Without them, and their support for things like Naviance and my attendance at professional development conferences like NACAC, the college process at our school would look very very different.

Rising seniors: buckle up! The next year is going to be exciting, difficult, frustrating, tiring, thrilling, and scary. Just remember that ALL the information you need is right there for you to find - if you start feeling confused or overwhelmed, go back to the drawing board. Use resources like Naviance, the college office handbook, and this blog to try and sift through the myths and find the facts. You will get into college. And you can even have fun doing it if you remember to honor your strengths.

End of the year announcements: graduating seniors, your final transcript will automatically be sent on the last day of school to the college that you have listed in Naviance. No further action by you is required. Rising seniors, if you want to take Kaplan test prep at ElRo for the October SAT, the classes start August 18th and you need to register online at https://erhsnyc.ejoinme.org/SAT. The course is $500, but scholarship discounts are available for students that qualify.

Summer is almost here, dive in!

Kaplan is coming to ElRo

The issue of test prep is a tough one. On the one hand, we want to offer affordable high quality test prep on campus so that our students can have convenient access to a class. On the other hand, we don't want to create a culture where test prep is implied as a mandatory requirement for our students. Over the years, we have had various companies as our test prep partners and I continue to endorse the idea that students and families need to pick the test prep provider that best fits their individual needs.

With that said, I am excited to officially announce that ElRo will be working with Kaplan next fall to provide an on campus SAT prep class for the October 2012 SAT. The course will start with a diagnostic exam on August 18th and will meet weekly all the way up until the exam. The cost of the course is $500 and payment can be submitted by either a check made out to 'Eleanor Roosevelt PTA' or via online payment at the following secure payment site:https://erhsnyc.ejoinme.org/SAT. If the $500 fee is cost prohibitive for your family, contact Ms. Cohen to find out if you qualify for a significant scholarship. The number one way to qualify for the scholarship would be through being on the free/reduced lunch list, but a few other circumstances can also qualify a family for a fee reduction. Spaces in the class are limited and will be given out on a first paid first enrolled basis. If you planned to take test prep at ElRo next fall, sign up now! We do ask that all registrations be made BEFORE June 27th. Late registrations can be done on a space available basis, but on time registration is greatly encouraged.

The full letter that was sent out and the full schedule is posted as a pdf on the ElRo College Office website, click here (then scroll to the bottom of the page).

I'm still here! And Thanks SUNY!

Ack! It has been awhile since my last post - my apologies! May seems like a month when things would be winding down for me but, au contraire, this is actually one of my most busy times because of AP exams!

I'll try to post some information about those in the days and weeks ahead, but first I want to say thank you to SUNY for hosting the SUNY Forum on Friday at the Fashion Institute of Technology. As a newly appointed member of the SUNY Advisory Board, I was excited to participate in this annual event (and am still kind of getting over the fact that I was asked to serve on the board). The day gave us the opportunity to hear from the President of FIT, the Chairman of the SUNY Board of Trustees, as well as other SUNY staff. I really liked the panel of SUNY graduates who were from the city who were able to give their perspective about how going upstate was the right fit for them. We also had a session on experiential learning and STEM careers. A great resource that I learned about is www.nycareerzone.org - a website that helps students learn more about various careers and the paths toward reaching different occupational goals.

Thanks SUNY!

Image of SUNY Oneonta (where two of the panelists attended)

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!

The World May Never Know

The coming week and a half will be when the majority of admission decisions are released nationwide - leaving seniors across the country celebrating, sobbing, or in purgatory between the two. In advance of most of these decisions being released, I encourage seniors to remember that 10 or 15 years from now this time will be one of many emotionally volatile times in your life. Yes, college admission is important. Yes, it can impact the direction of your life. But no, it won't define you.

I've posted before about how gifts can initially look like challenges and challenges can initially look like gifts. But in this post I'd like to comment on the temptation you may feel to question how or why things happened as they did. The answer is: you'll never know. Was it your SATs? Was it that math grade? Was it that someone else had cured cancer and you hadn't? The truth is, the answer could be yes. But worrying about that now won't help you in the slightest. Don't fixate on the reason. Don't hypothesize about why your friend got in and you didn't. (Or, even less advisable, why your enemy got in and you didn't). The fact is you have NO way to know. As a former admission officer I can tell you that while you try to be judicious with every decision, it is impossible over the course of 3 or 4 months to keep the exact same opinions. And professional judgement always tips the scales on one day in a way it might not the following week. Don't stress over it.  Embrace the schools where you were admitted--the schools which are, in fact, dying to have you enroll.

The rest that sent you a skinny envelope? You can re-apply for graduate school and do it all over again ;)

Let the Madness Begin!

(And I don't mean Junior meetings - I mean basketball!) You can take the girl out of Indiana (ranked as a #4 seed, aahhhh!), but you can't take the Indiana out of the girl. My favorite time of year is here again where my love of amateur sports is combined with my love of colleges - it is time for March Madness!

This year is a bit unique for me, in recent memory, because there are soooo many more 'little guy' teams that made the cut.  This is exciting to me from a college counseling prospective because regardless while you could argue if it is fair or not, the exposure that comes from being a part of the tournament really can help students and families discover schools that they may ordinarily have overlooked. See the full Men's bracket here and Women's bracket here.

Some of my perennial faves? Davidson - pleassseee consider schools in the south, they can be awesome! Creighton - yes, it is in Nebraska. But it is ranked the #1 Regional University in the Midwest (yes I hate rankings, but I do like them if it helps a student/family open their mind to new options). Plus, it is Jesuit so it is automatically close to my heart as someone who has previously worked for a Jesuit school. And while we're in the Midwest, don't overlook Kansas - it is far less rural than it sounds and offers some really top offerings in journalism and communications without being prohibitively difficult to get into (I'm looking at you Northwestern and Syracuse).

So the next time you tune in to a game, fire up the Naviance as well and learn more about the schools themselves. PS - just for fun - if you are into the competition of it all, consider joining a charity bracket like the one being run by the One Percent Foundation - their mission is to encourage all people to donate 1% of their income to charity. Check it out!

Class of 2012 by the Numbers

I've recently transitioned form working mainly with seniors to working mainly with juniors. This is a significant thing for a lot of reasons, but this year in particular it is unique because the junior class came to ElRo the same year that I did. I can't believe two and a half years has gone so quick! But, I thought this would be an appropriate time to share some preliminary numbers about the Class of 2012 and their college application process.

# of seniors currently on register at ElRo: 135
# of applications filed: 1154
Average # applications per student: 8.5
# of teacher recommendations written: 286
# of acceptances, so far: 442
Average SAT score, 2400 scale: 1812
Average SAT score, 1600 scale: 1201*
Average Composite ACT score: 26

*This is our first year where the average SAT score ended up above 1200 on the 1600 scale. 

I plan to post a full summary, along with the list of schools where students were admitted, in May.

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