NACAC National Conference, here I come!

My goal was to AT LEAST get my summer posts finished before leaving for NACAC. Since I leave tomorrow for a very early morning flight, it is clear that isn't going to happen. So, stay tuned for NACAC updates and then my final summer visit post.

It is always tough being out of the office for this conference, but the benefits of going far outweigh the challenges. I will first be visiting the University of Colorado, Boulder and then attending the NACAC conference. Check back here for updates about my trip!

Summer College Visits: Part 4 of 5

Ack! The year has really gotten away from me already - school has started and I'm still blogging about summer! My apologies, but hopefully you'll enjoy this installment. This day of our trip was centered around Ithaca, New York. It was my first time to Ithaca and it I really enjoyed it! We visited Ithaca College and Cornell University - and made more than one trip to Collegetown Bagels -- ok, fine, it was four trips, but we only bought food three of those times. . .

On the larger side for a private school (with 6,000 students), Ithaca College offers a lot of different liberal arts and pre-professional options. Known for being strong in communications (check out the Parke Scholars program), Ithaca also has fantastic facilities for students in the arts and business. We past by a business lab that offers a live trading station-- not too shabby for upstate New York. Students are required to live on campus for the first three years (always adds to a sense of community and school spirit) and it is a nice example of a school that still gives out merit aid. For the first time this year, Ithaca is going testing-optional so that makes it an even better option for students that are not happy with their test scores. I was really impressed with the people that I met and offerings that I heard about at Ithaca. Admittedly, similar to schools like Hampshire, they are fighting an uphill battle as a school that moved to their current campus in the 60s and thus have no buildings that predate that era architecturally. If you want stained glass and gothic spires, you won't find it. But they have done a great job adding new green buildings to campus and really taking advantage of the amazing views and vistas that surround them. Plus, if you really need a break from the more post modern look, students can take up to 12 credits at Cornell so go down there to get your brick and ivy fix. Ithaca was one of my favorite visits this summer, thank you to our tour guide and the admission staff for taking the time to show us around!

Next up came Cornell University - a real enigma when it comes to colleges. What is its identity? Ivy League School? Land Grant University? Pre-professional behemoth? Stress factory? Chill large school in a small town? A little bit of all of those things? After walking around my conclusion is Cornell's identity depends on who you ask. Like many large schools, I get the sense that different people, with different experiences, would classify it as it uniquely applies to them. I would venture to say that the students learning about bovine farming have a drastically different perception of the school than the students in hotel management program and those different from the engineers and those different from the Political Science majors . . . . Thus, all the matters is if the niche you'd like to be a part of can exists there. An additional layer of mystery exists for New York state residents, who have the opportunity to pay in state SUNY tuition at some of Cornell's schools. While the university strongly tows the party line of 'choose the school that fits you best' - I would have to strongly encourage any student from a middle income family to explore if their major of interest exists in one of the SUNY tuition colleges. Fit is certainly important, but avoiding loans is too. (I say middle income because low income families should get financial aid packages to cover the cost and high income families may not have price as a major concern in the college process). Cornell is a place with a long and deep history. The admissions counselor we spoke with described it as a collaborative environment, but one where no one will hold your hand; independence is essential in order to thrive. Interestingly, she also made specific mention of Tompkins Cortland Community College as a feeder school for their transfer admissions. More to come on TC3 in the next post. Finally, I couldn't resist taking a picture in the student bookstore of one of the largest index card section (with its own sign) I've ever seen ;)

Summer College Visits Part 3 of 5

My second college visit trip took me to upstate New York (with a small pit stop in PA). We started the day with a visit to University of Scranton, a Jesuit university in Scranton, Pennsylvania. To say that Scranton (both the city and the college) exceeded my expectations is an understatement. This small college (only about 4,100 students) prides itself on capping all classes at no more than 35 students. If you think you'd excel in a place where you get individual attention, this school will fit the bill. (Note the individual welcome the 'Allison Cohen Group' got at reception in the picture above). As a Jesuit school, there are two theology and philosphy courses that are required as part of the curriculum, but don't let that scare you - students can choose what exact courses they are interested in. Though the vast majority of students are, indeed, Catholic I was very surprised to learn that one of the largest Orthodox Jewish communities in Pennsylvania is located two blocks away and there is a Mosque on campus. Unique aspects include a 7 year Physical Therapy program and an equestrian club. Standardized tests are not required if students meet certain minimum requirements and there are merit scholarships that the majority of ElRo students would qualify for. Housing is guarantee all four years. If your only frame of reference for Scranton is The Office, I definitely encourage you to come out and see the city and campus for yourself. Dunder Mifflin may have put Scranton the map in the collective consciousness of pop culture, but don't let their comic interpretation of the city be the end of the story. Oh, and one final thing, they have an AMAZING magical milk shake machine in one of their dining facilities.

Next we made our way up to Binghamton University- arguable the most selective (or second most selective, depending who you ask and what data you look at . . . ) SUNY campus in the entire 64 campus system. We had a really nice tour of 'The Brain' (as the students refer to the main campus buildings) and had a chance to learn more about the campus structure. I don't have to spend much space here describing why Binghamton appealing. With affordable in-state tuition, a strong reputation beyond just the state of New York, a location that is drive-able from NYC, and opportunities for research Binghamton is a frequent choice for our students. It was particularly nice to see the sense of identity formed by the housing structure - with students assigned to various housing communities each with their own personality and flair. It was also hard to ignore the significant upgrades being made to the physical plant of the school - SUNY is starting to break away from the square brick building stereotype they may have been known for in the past. We got to tour a brand new dorm facility with expansive views of the surrounding wooded hills. Sometimes students and families criticize Binghamton for not having much of a town nearby. I can't say they are wrong. But, what I would counter argue is that schools like Binghamton - with 12,000 students - do a great job of having enough on campus programing to make the immediate surroundings borderline irrelevant. Word to the wise, Binghamton has an Early Action application that is due November 15 - if you want to maximize your chance for admission, I strongly encourage you to file by this date. The biggest mistake students make with Binghamton is assuming they will get in - Binghamton has had to become more and more selective each year so if this is the only SUNY on your list, think again.

Summer College Visits Part 2 of 5

The second day of the Pennsylvania tour brought us to Lehigh University and Lafayette College.

The joke on Lehigh University's campus is that you won't gain the freshman 15 -- the hill won't let you. They aren't wrong. A small university on a hill overlooking Bethlehem, PA - Lehigh may not be too far back in your memory after their win over Duke this past spring. For a school of less than 5,000 undergraduates, Lehigh is known for being a highly selective school with an emphasis on flexibility. There are no major requirements and students frequently combine courses of study to pursue their specific interests. They are looking for students that do more than just study - they want students that are active in their community and who want to look at the world with a global perspective. More than half of the students hail from only three states (New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) but given how easy it was to get to Bethlehem from New York City I can see why. They are one of a growing number of schools that have pledged to remove loans from financial aid packages for students with a household income of less than $50,000. And even for families with higher income ranges they have a track record of minimizing the gap between what families can afford and what they are asked to pay. In line with my blog entry from earlier this summer, Early Decision applicants do make up a huge percentage of their freshman class, so if you fall in love think about applying that round. Unlike ElRo, almost 60% of the student body is male - possibly due to the fact that Lehigh is very strong in the Engineering and STEM fields - areas that still enroll more men than women.

Our last stop in Pennsylvania took us to Lafayette College in Easton, PA. About half of the size of Lehigh, Lafayette is the smallest Division I school in the nation. The admissions officer that we met with took an enormous amount of time out of his afternoon to speak with us and show us the campus - a personal touch that really mirrors the individualized support that Lafayette prides itself on. Strong career services and robust alumni connections a community that goes beyond the bounds of campus. As a school that only serves undergraduates, Lafayette doesn't need to spread its resources across anything other than the undergrad experience. The faculty mentorship is top notch -- our admission officer touted a professor that let him do his laundry at his house and who he still stays in contact with now that he's working at the college. On the tour, I loved the integration of the newer structures among the more traditional buildings. The motto of Lafayette is Cur Non, from Marquis de Lafayette's family motto "why not." (He's the bust pictured above). So if you are looking for a strong liberal arts or engineering experience less than two hours from New York City, get yourself to Lafayette to check it out. Cur non?

(Added Lafayette bonus -- Easton is also the home of Crayola Crayons - scene of my favorite Sesame Street clip ever! I want to major in crayon making!)

Summer College Visits Part 1 of 5

Over the past two weeks I've been to ten college campuses. This post will be part one of five to describe where my travels have taken me. Every summer I look forward to seeing more campuses in person and this year was no different. A few colleagues and I got together for two different trips - one to Pennsylvania and one to upstate New York.

The first campus we visited was Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania. This is a school that I am really surprised doesn't have more ElRo applicants and deposits. I can't help but wonder if part of that could be that on paper it may seem like a small religious school. But that would be a mistake. It is by no means large, but I think a student looking for a small liberal arts environment would be very happy with a place about five times as large as our high school. And though the school is Lutheran, there is one Jewish student for every Lutheran student (each make up about 30% of the student body) making it one of the highest percentage of Jewish students in the nation. Moral of the story being not to judge a school only by its cover. I was impressed with the athletic facilities for a Division III school and love the feel of the campus. There is also a strong arts community on campus, so many different types of students can find their niche. This is the kind of Admissions office that remembers the names of their applicants-- I casually mentioned that I knew two Muhlenberg grads and the Admissions officers knew both of them. The red doors come from the Lutheran roots and are meant to be welcoming. They are.

Next, we visited Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. One of the biggest assets for Moravian is the town of Bethlehem - it really had a vibrant and bustling vibe and seemed like the type of place that I would want to spend the afternoon exploring. Moravian's campus is historic in nature with a few rooms on one of their main campus buildings visited by our founding fathers. I was also interested to see that even in this economic downturn, Moravian had a ton of construction going on - always a good sign to see that a school has funds to invest in infrastructure, campus expansion and improvement. Moravian has two separate campuses that are connected via shuttle. I thought one of the best highlights of the tour was the fact that studio art students are given individual studio space - a nice bonus for art majors.

Both campuses visited on this day are EXTREMELY easy to get to from New York City -- our drive only took about 90 minutes but it felt like we were a world away. Next up -- Lehigh and Lafayette!

What's All the Fuss About? Early Action and Early Decision Decoded

At College Night this past year we had a question from the audience about Early Decision - mainly why it exists and what the point of it is. The panel was already off to a late start and we had only a few minutes before we started our workshop sessions. I tried to address the question quickly, but promised that I would explore it more deeply on the blog. So, here we go!

First, we need to understand the definition of Early programs. Early Decision is a binding admission program where students submit their application by an earlier deadline in the fall and get their outcome earlier than the general pool (usually by the last week in December). Because the program is binding, students can only apply Early Decision to one college. Some schools have even more restrictions, but for now, just remember ED is binding and you find out if you get in or not in December instead of April (when most Regular Decision letters go out).

An offshoot of the idea of ED is Early Action - a non-binding admission program where students submit their application by an earlier deadline and get their outcome earlier than the general pool but are NOT required to enroll. One more time - all together now -- Early Decision is BINDING, Early Action is NOT BINDING. I'm going to focus this post on ED, since it seems to cause more confusion.

(This is a long one - click below for the full post)

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.

Image

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).