Don’t Let the College Bubble Burst Yours

Ever since school’s been out, a number of articles are showing up questioning the value of college.  They usually make these points:

1. The cost of college is increasing at a rate faster than inflation.
2. More people are taking out more loans for college.
3. Most people think a four-year college degree will automatically get them a better job, but…
4. Many people who get a four-year degree don’t get a good job, which leaves them with lots of college debts to pay, but no way to pay them—they call this “The College Bubble”, and they worry it may lead people to bankruptcy.

I’ve always agreed with this concern.  College is about making dreams come true, but giving life to a dream is always centered on what you’re willing to give to it *and* what you’re willing to give up for it.

Depending on the dream, that might mean eating more tuna fish and less sushi, waiting for the summer’s blockbuster movies to make their fall debut on DVD, or working a day job so you write the Great American novel at night.  This kind of lifestyle change could last longer than a year or two—just ask the award-winning poets who spent their lives working on the assembly line, or the actors who still wait tables in the winter, until it’s time for summer stock.

What’s the best mix for you?  It’s hard to say.  One promising high school pitcher gave the minor league five years, then went back to college and earned his teaching degree—he was still in great shape, but enough was enough.  On the other hand, a great actor jumped right into teaching after college, then realized she wasn’t ready to give up the dream just yet, so back she went to graduate school.  And then there are the many business workers who made a good living for 20 years, then gave it up to go to cooking school or social work.  They knew they had to have some stability first, and so they deferred their dreams.

As you think about the mix that’s best for you, keep three things in mind:

-         The question “Is College Worth It?” is about something more than money.  Seeing the world, and seeing the world a different way, is just as important as learning a trade.  College can be about all those things.

-         Don’t ignore money completely.  One of these stories I read talks about a student who has $100,000 in college debt and a degree in Religious Studies.  In this case, it may take a miracle to get out of that debt—so if you can’t see a way to make the ideal and the practical work together, talk to someone who can help sort things out.

-         Look long and hard at your options.  One of the key points I always make is that a great student can have a great experience at a good (and less expensive) college.  If you know how to make the most out of high school, you’ll have the skills and life vision to make the most out of any college, and probably the grades for a merit scholarship at an OK college.  At the end of the day, that might be the way to go—for you—or maybe it means no college at all.  That’s great—at least you looked.

College isn’t for everyone, but neither is not going to college—and either way, you aren’t everyone.  Get to know yourself, and your plan will emerge, provided you’re willing to work hard and ask for help.

college entrance; college counselin

College Applications and College Essays: Work Hard, and Remember, “This Isn’t Facebook”

Another group of admission representatives from highly selective colleges were in my hometown last week to talk with students and parents about their schools.  They also had a breakfast meeting with counselors, and their responses to questions about the application process have a little something for every member of a college-bound family:

Supplemental essays are the game-changers.  We’ve talked before about the Common Application, where students fill out their name and class schedule just once, saving time and avoiding repetition.  Hundreds of colleges welcome Common App, but almost every college asks you to submit an extra essay or two (or three) you’re supposed to write just for them…

…and it seems this is where things begin to go badly in a hurry.  Many students are putting very little thought into these essays, which can include questions like “What makes our college different from the other colleges you’re applying to?” Since the essays are much more important than your address (they assume you’ve got that answer down), you really want to make these answers count.  So don’t spend 30 seconds on the college Web site and answer “Your mascot is a marsupial, and the other colleges have mammals.”  You have to take the time to think about why this college is special to you; when essay time comes, come back and find out how this is done.

Talking to your BFFs?  I think not.  The reps were also dismayed at the very revealing content of many of the essays.  As a group, these admissions officers were young, so they know all about Tweeting, IMing, and News Feeding—but they also know a college essay isn’t the place to talk about what you did in the high school parking lot after homecoming, har har har.  Yes, you are indeed supposed to use your own voice and be yourself in a college essay,-- but use that voice to share your vision of solving a world problem, or a life lesson you learned that isn’t R rated. Be you, but be your best you—and that’s “you”, not “u”.  LOL.

Write with a brainy heart, not a hearty brain.  The reps also had a word for students who think they can smooth talk their way into a college by getting “help’ with their essays, or buying them online:  “Sorry.”  It’s one thing to have someone proofread your essays, or to ask an English teacher to tell you if the essay sounds like you.  Downloading a “winning essay” and retro-fitting it, or getting someone else to give your essay a boost creates an admissions file that’s inconsistent, immoral, and just too slick for a high school student.  So write your own stuff, and share your thoughts and feelings with a reasonable amount of restraint. How will they know the difference?  As one rep said, “We’re savvy, too.”

“Let the kids drive.”  This is the advice one rep gave to parents about the admissions process, and it’s perfect.  A student admitted to a highly selective college will have to have a strong set of skills to make it through the next four years.  The college application process test drives these skills—time management, written and oral communication, research, stress management—and just like driver’s ed, Mom and Dad can’t take the wheel, or the student could crash once they’re really on their own.  Applying to college may be a new experience for a student, but the only way they get better at those skills is with a lot of practice and a little parental help, not the other way around.

college admissions | college essays | applying to college | parents and college | Common Application | Facebook

College Admissions Advice from College Admission Officers at Hot Schools

If a college you love is too far away to visit, there’s a good chance the college will come visit you.  Some popular colleges will visit high schools in the fall, so ask your school counselor if the college you care about ever pays your school a visit. 

If they don’t, they may still visit your area; they’ll just host a visit on a weekend or at night, usually at a hotel.  These hotel visits can draw a big crowd (300 or more!), but since the information is valuable, you should go—and be sure to ask a question!

These same colleges often host meetings with school counselors—hey, you’re not the only one who needs to keep up with the hot schools!  I had the chance to attend one of these breakfasts last week, which was hosted by five strong colleges, and they had some good ideas to pass along:

APs or college classes?  High school students often decide to take classes at a local college instead of taking the AP classes their high school offers.  The thinking here is colleges will be more impressed by a student taking “real” college classes than students who stay at the high school and slave away over AP courses.

The reps at the breakfast—from Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, Penn, and Stanford—felt otherwise.  They said taking APs was actually the better thing to do; they felt staying at the high school showed a greater commitment to the school community, and they added that credits from other colleges most likely won’t transfer to their schools, where high AP scores might earn credit. 

They didn’t address what to do if you want to take a college class that isn’t offered at your high school—your best bet is to call the admissions office of the colleges you’re interested in and ask.

Surprises in this year’s applications.  The college reps were asked if they saw any trends or changes in the applications they read this year.  They said they saw an increase in the number of students who indicated an interest in math, science, and business.  This isn’t unusual—an increase like this also occurred in the last bad economy, since students wanted to make sure they would have marketable job skills—and since the economy is taking its time turning around, it’s likely these majors will also be popular ones next year.

Counselor letters.  Like most colleges, these five require a Secondary School Report, where counselors are asked to provide some basic information on each student.  This is also an opportunity for the counselor to share their thoughts about the student, or talk about any unusual circumstances the student might have been through in high school.

The reps said they knew it was hard for counselors to write good recommendations on their students, since counselors have to see so many students—they said they thought counselors had about 200 students to see, when in fact it’s usually much higher.  They encouraged the counselors to write as much as they could about each student, and then they talked about some counselor “recommendations” that are a form where the counselor basically says the student was never suspended or expelled, or has a criminal record.

My advice?  Counselors can really cheer for you, but since they have so many students to see, you’re going to have to make the first move.  Respect their time and space, but find a way to get your counselor to get to know you; if every other applicant sends in a checklist, your counselor’s letter will help that much more.

college admission | college counseling | Ivy League | College advising | AP | advanced placement | school counselor

College Admissions and Tests-- Send the Scores for Free

A recent column talked about when and if you should take the SAT or ACT a second time (the short answer was yes, but read the whole column, since it’s still up). In addition, a ton of  wrong information is out and about on these tests that could cost you more money that front row seats at the Eminem/Jay-Z joint concert at Harwell Field in Detroit, and cost you more sleep than the folks who live next to Harwell Field are going to lose that very same night.

In the interest of setting the record straight (get it—Eminem?  Jay-Z?  Record?), here’s the info on the tests—read on to make sure you’re Not Afraid:

Every college that requires testing will accept the SAT and the ACT.  There used to be a time when colleges on the coasts only took the SAT, and all the Midwest colleges only accepted the ACT.  The days of one test only colleges died about three years ago, when Wake Forest made the jump from SAT only to test optional (this deserves a “dude”!).  While there may be a small college or two out there that’s still test-specific, any college that recruits nationally will accept and welcome either test, if indeed they want any tests.

Many colleges are test optional.  Another change in the past three years is the number of colleges that don’t require any testing at all.  Many of these colleges see the test as one more stresser you just don’t need, or a piece of information that just doesn’t tell them all that much  So if you want to send your scores, cool; if not, equally James. A partial list of these schools can be found at www.fairtest.org; you’ll notice Wake Forest is on the list as promised.  Sarah Lawrence is as well, but that can be misleading, since Sarah Lawrence is actually Test Optional Extreme—even if you send them your scores, they do not look at them at all.  (And yet again—“Dude”!)

Send the scores before you see them.  This is the big issue that would make Doctor Evil pull his hair out if he were a school counselor—and if he had hair.  ACT and SAT will send your scores to as many as four colleges at no extra charge, as long as you tell them where to send the scores before you actually take the test.  If you wait to send the scores after you get them, it costs you at least $9 per college, and sometimes more. My advice?  Save the dough, and send the scores for free.

“But dude” says you, “what if I score badly?   I don’t want a college to hold bad scores against me!”

I get that—and the answer is they won’t, even if you send them bad scores.  After talking to a lot of colleges and hobnobbing with my fellow school counselors, I can tell you I know of no college that sees a high ACT score and a low ACT score and uses the low scores in their decision.  In fact, some colleges have computer systems that only let the admissions officials see your best scores, and other colleges will “superscore” your results by taking the best sub-scores of each test and putting them together.  Not every college has these services, so ask—but even if they don’t, you won’t find a school where bad scores are used in a decision.

You need to do your best on the tests, but don’t let them get the best of you—that’s the secret to test success beyond a Reasonable Doubt.

college admissions | ACT | SAT | college testing | admission requirements | college applications

Meeting Next Year's Challenge of Getting Into College Begins May 17th

In the last couple of weeks, we’ve talked about this being a record-breaking year for college applications, and I’ve offered come hints to juniors on how to make sure their college application process is as smooth as possible.  It seemed like all of the bases were covered…

…and of course, that meant something had to change—which it did.

The surprise came this week, when plans were announced to lay off at least 26 counselors in Oakland County, Michigan.  Oakland County is the third wealthiest county in Michigan, and was the home of some very serious money before the US auto industry took a hit two years ago.

Most of the eliminated positions are elementary counselors, so a number of experienced elementary counselors could be transferred into high school counseling jobs next fall.  It’s great that they have counseling experience, but it’s unlikely they will have experience counseling students about college.

If that’s the case in a county that’s still doing OK in the dollar department, chances are your school district is thinking about similar plans, which could mean the counselor you have now won’t be the counselor you have senior year—and that’s not good.

Every part of the college selection process works best if parents, students and counselors work together and plan ahead, and this challenge is no different.  To make sure your senior year is strong, and their college options are all they can be, take these simple steps as a family:

* Ask about counseling plans for next year.  Now is the time to find out if your school is planning a reduction in counselors, or a change in counselors.  This would also be a good time to urge your school board to look elsewhere for budget savings; since most counselors work with 350 or more students, now isn’t the time to make that number bigger.

* Introduce yourself to your new counselor early. If you are getting a new counselor over the summer, now is not the time to be a stranger.  Contact them over the summer, and ask for a meeting to bring them up to speed on your college plans.  Better yet, have your folks contact the principal and offer to host an open house at the high school for all the students of the new counselor.  This will allow the counselor to hit the ground running come September.

* Insist on well-trained counselors.  Parents are surprised to find out most school counselors didn’t have any training in graduate school in how to help guide families through the college selection process.  That’s not their fault—only about 30 counselor training programs offer a course devoted just to college advising—but such training is available.  I offer an online course that trains counselor in college advising—it’s under the Classes and Events tab on the Web site.

* Warm up your computer.  The week of May 17th is National Action Week, a time to tell school boards, principals, state legislators, and Congress that school counselors are valuable and necessary.  There’ll be more information on the Web site next week, and there’s more at http://www.nacacnet.org/LegislativeAction/LegislativeNews/Pages

/NationalActionWeek.aspx—tell your friends, tell the PTA, and be ready to fax at will.

Applying to college isn’t as easy as it was when today’s parents were high school seniors, but a little advanced planning, combined with keeping the best interests of the students at heart, can create a solid foundation of college success for the Class of 2011 and beyond.  Get your letters ready—the time for action is now.

college admission | college counseling | college entrance

College tests-- don't ACT out- find a way to do better!

Just when the hallways at school were quieting down as seniors made their May 1 decisions, the cries of “Oh the madness!” are now coming from the juniors who have received their ACT scores from early April (yup, they’re online—the ones in the mail will come in about three weeks.)  Even though many of these juniors should be studying for the APs they’re taking next week, all they can do is stare at their e-mail from Iowa and say “How did this happen?”

If this is your first ACT, calm down—it happens to almost everyone.  No matter how much you practice, there’s nothing to replace the first ACT experience… except of course, the second ACT experience, provided you score higher.

Several juniors have asked if a re-take of the ACT is in order.  The answer (of course) is—it depends.  If something unusual happened the day you took the test—if you weren’t feeling well, if there was a fire drill in the middle, if you felt nervous about the test, or (true story!) if you fell asleep during the test, or if you walked out from the test and said “I can do better”, a re-take is most likely in order—see if you can sign up for June.

On the other hand, some students simply look at the scores and want them to be higher—so they wonder about a re-take.  The best answer I can give here is to consider if you really feel you can score higher—it’s great to *want* the scores to be higher, but do you think you gave the ACT your best shot?  If you’re not sure, and you want to give it another go, by all means make it happen…

…but before you register, consider if you’re ready for a re-take.  For example, some students feel a particular score was surprisingly low—for many students, this is the Reading score.  If your Reading score surprised you, you’re going to want to get some help with reading comprehension skills before you do the re-take—and you want to do this for more than one reason. 

First, if your reading comprehension needs improvement, there’s a good chance you scored lower on the Science section as well—because the Science section is really a Reading test with scientific content, and not a science test.  If you love Science, your score might be higher than your Reading score—but that probably has to do with the fact you liked what you were reading.  There’s a good chance the Science score could go higher with some comprehension help (incredibly, this doesn’t always apply to your English score, since English is more about mechanics), so that’s something to consider.

Second, since improving reading comprehension generally takes time, June might not be the best time for an ACT re-take, so this might wait until September.  If this freaks you out, you might want to consider taking a Spring SAT, since only one of the three sections of the SAT emphasize the kind of reading the ACT Reading portion does.  Again, there’s nothing hard and fast about these rules, but if you find yourself needing some time to sharpen your reading skills, and you want to get a decent set of scores, the plan may be to do a Spring SAT, followed by a Fall ACT—and remember, the scores from the September ACT will be delivered to colleges around October 8th,, just in time to be used to review your killer application.

college entrance | college applications | college tests | ACT | college test re-takes

Choosing a College? Forgetaboutit.

It’s really getting down to the wire. This Saturday is the day you have to send notification to the one college of your choice that you’ll be attending there in the fall.  If you’re still trying to figure out what college gets to hear your version of “I’ll Be There”, let’s review some of the ground rules:

• You can only deposit to one college on May 1.  Depositing at 2 colleges is trouble—if they both find out, they can rescind your admission.  In addition, this can hurt you in the fall; if you’re going to a small college where 40 students said “yes I’m coming” and suddenly say “just kidding”, your college is out a couple of million dollars and 40 students—so guess who has less classes to choose from with larger class sizes?  Right—you.
• If you’ve applied to Canadian colleges or colleges overseas that don’t notify until late May or June, it’s important to deposit at a US school by May 1.  If your late-notifying colleges say no to you, you have a college to go to; if they say yes, you can cancel the deposit at the US school and ask for it back (they may say no, but ask anyway).
• Same thing if you are on a waitlist at the college of your dreams.  The waitlists are expected to be *very* unpredictable this year—they are long, and many colleges aren’t expecting to go to them—so make sure you have a spot somewhere else this Saturday.

That’s the easy part.  The hard part is having two or more great colleges that want you, and you just can’t decide.  You’ve made a “good” and “bad” list for each, you’ve gone back to your notes from the fall, you may have visited again since April 1st—you’ve even bought a sweatshirt from every college to see what color you look best in—and still, no decision.

Here’s my suggestion—stop thinking about it.

Seriously.

If most of your waking hours in April have been spent thinking about this decision, some part of your brain is about to short circuit—and that won’t be helpful once you get to college.  If you’ve done your homework, you just have to let things settle; when you least expect it, the decision will creep up on you like the alarm clock for school on Monday morning.  Focus on homework, go look at prom dresses (again), figure out why A-Rod ran across the pitchers mound last week (Dude!)…

…or go bowling.

I know—you stink at bowling.  So does everyone.  But here’s the thing about bowling—the harder you try to make it work, the worse you do. Squeeze your fingers in the holes, and you get tossed down the lane with the ball.  The best thing to do is pick up the ball, drop your shoulders, and let the ball guide you.  It won’t turn you into Dick Weber overnight (ask your parents), but the outcome is much better this way

It’s great you want to make the right college decision—it’s important to you, you deserve a good decision, and you’ve put a lot into it.  But right now, for the next couple of days, it’s time to let the idea of college wash over you like the wave pool when you were seven.  Don’t run into the water—let the water come to you.  Let that feeling be with you, and your college choice will be there by Saturday as sure as there are spring showers.

college selection | financial aid | college counseling

Money for College Comes from Nowhere!

It was mid-April, and Maura was just about to send in her enrollment deposit at the college of her choice.  It hadn’t been the first choice on her list, but the financial aid package was considerably better than the offer that was made at her top choice school.  This would leave more money for graduate school—and besides, a second trip to campus convinced her she could be happy and successful there.

Maura took her deposit check to her mailbox, only to discover the mail had come early that day.  She flipped through the mail on her way up the driveway and discovered a letter from the financial aid office at her top choice school.  “We’re glad you’re still considering us” the letter read, “and we wanted to let you know we found another $3000 in annual grant money for you.  Please let us know if you have any questions, and we look forward to seeing you in the fall.”

Maura ran back to the mailbox and texted her father to tell him the good news.

While this may sound like the best dream you could have that doesn’t involve front row seats at a Lady Gaga concert, students had experiences similar to this one last year with their eyes wide open.  For reasons that can’t be explained, many colleges sent out letters in the midst of decision month to admitted students who hadn’t sent in their deposits that said “hey, we just ripped open the mattress, and look what we found!”  The economy was tough, there were more than enough students to go around, yet Santa came early to these seniors, and proved to be a game changer.

Since it happened last year, is it likely to happen this year?  It’s hard to say—and that’s the problem.  On the one hand, seniors are getting phone calls every night from well-meaning students saying “Hope you’ll join us”; on the other hand, families who know about last year’s mystery money are telling students to hold on and see what happens, thinking colleges will court them like presidential candidates schmooze undecided voters on Halloween—except of course, the students get cash, while the voters don’t.

Since we can’t tell which colleges might be offering incentives to which students, families should consider two things.  First, if you’re in Maura’s shoes, call your first choice college and tell them they’re it, but the money situation is tight—this isn’t bargaining as much as it’s being honest.  While last year’s bonus bucks came to students out of the blue, many more students got increased aid by simply asking for it—so that might be worth a try.

 

Second, read your admission information carefully.  It’s true you have until May 1 to deposit at 1—and only one—college, but some colleges engage in the shady practice of giving better housing and top dibs for class registration to students who deposit before then.  That’s violating the spirit of the May 1 deadline, but it’s still being done, and that could leave you with five 8 AM classes next fall, and having Mr. Ed as your roommate. If your college is offering these “bonuses”, call them to see if they have more aid for you, and go from there.  If another college calls with more money before May 1, you can always cancel your deposit at School A, but you might not get it back.  

The windfall for last year’s undecided students makes this April an even crueler month—take a close look at your options, then make your best call.

 

 

choosing a college | applying to college | college admissions | paying for college

College Admission Acceptances-- a Year of Wow!

Students, parents and school counselors are still spinning from a week of college news that surprised even the most cautious college watchers.  Thin envelopes, noisy e-mails, and overworked Web sites have left a cloud of data and decisions that ask two questions—what happened, and what’s next?

First, a look at what happened:

• As expected, all highly selective colleges reported an increase in the number of applications—but the increase was larger than expected. This means more students were applying to college than ever before, AND these students were applying to more colleges than ever before, meaning many selective colleges offered admission to less than 10% of their applicants.
• Why were students applying to more colleges?  First, the economy. High unemployment and the tight housing market are still making parents cautious college consumers.  As a result, students applied to economic safety schools (this is why public colleges saw big application jumps) and to more colleges that were out of reach, hoping to find one that would offer a better financial aid bargain.
• Second, Harvard and Yale.  Word continued to spread about the bargain these schools are for families that make less than $160,000 a year; as a result, more families who thought they couldn’t afford an Ivy are applying to Harvard and Yale.  While this is good for these colleges, it makes admission that much harder, meaning the “traditional” Harvard and Yale families had to apply to more colleges.  This explains part of the reason why colleges as small as Swarthmore saw big application jumps.

What does all of this mean?  Three things:

• More students with more choices.  Students who used to have one or two acceptances from safety schools now have three or four.
• More uncertainty.  These students can still only attend one college, meaning more colleges will get “no thanks” notes from many admitted students.
• Bigger waitlists.  Many colleges expect an increase in the number of admitted students who attend somewhere else, so they’re padding their waitlists, just in case.

If you have many college acceptances, congratulations!  In addition to reviewing the financial aid offers from these colleges, review your notes from when you visited these colleges to help make your decision. 

If possible, visit these campuses a second time between now and May 1.  It’s been at least three months since you applied, and five months or more since you visited.  You may have different interests now than you did last fall, or you may see the college a different way.  There’s a big difference between “I hope I’m admitted here” and “Do I want to go here?”  Make sure you’re answering the right question, now that they’ve said yes.

If you’ve been waitlisted, ask yourself if you’d still want to go to this college if they called today and said “Yo, our bad—you can come.”  If the shine is off this college, take your name off the list and move on. 

If not, send back the postcard with a brief, updated list of all you’ve done since you applied, see if a teacher can write another letter, and be prepared to wait until late June for the college to run through the wait list, knowing financial aid may be limited at that point.  Of course, be sure to deposit at another college by May 1^st, just in case.

In a year of surprises, there are sure to be more to come.  For now, find a quiet place to focus on what matters most to you—the answers on what to do next will fall in place.

college admissions | college applications | college acceptances | waitlists | financial aid

College Decisions-- Yours, Not Theirs-- May Be Surprising

When it came to applying to colleges, Bob put together a strategy that expected the unexpected.  Knowing the three colleges he liked the most were highly selective, he followed his counselor’s advice and applied to 4 other colleges that were only a little less selective—but the difference was slight enough to increase the chances Bob would be admitted to at least 2 of these schools. 

With seven applications in, Bob figured he could count on 2 of his Plan B schools, and maybe one of his top schools.  Once he had three admissions letters in front of him, Bob figured the choice would be obvious.

That’s when Surprise Number One came in. 

Bob’s already heard from his 4 “safety” schools, and he was admitted to all of them.  As he expected, three of them offered him a merit scholarship, but two of those offers were for over half the cost of attendance.  It’s not unusual for students with comparatively high grades and scores to be offered money, but this was more money than Bob (and his counselor) had expected, and it was more acceptances that he was anticipating.

Then along came Surprise Number Two.

Bob’s also been admitted to one of his top pick colleges, and went back for a visit last week.  Since one of his B schools was in the same area, he stopped and visited there as well—and now it’s his top choice.  He found out more about the research opportunities and small classes, and felt very much at home when he stayed overnight on campus.  “I’m really surprised” he said, “This college doesn’t match up at all with what I was looking for last fall.”

What lessons can you learn from Bob’s experience?

Admit rates are higher at some schools.  The top colleges may be admitting fewer students, but many other colleges are admitting more, knowing a larger number of those admitted students are less likely to come, either because of money, or because they applied to more colleges than students in past years.  Either way, you may find more colleges are saying yes.

Merit money is up.  These colleges are making the most of record numbers of applications from strong students.  If you attend that college, their average GPA and test score rankings go up, and so does their reputation.  That’s why they’re digging deep to get strong students to their schools.

Look closely.  People do indeed change in 6 months—like Bob, what you wanted in a college may be different now than it was in September.  This is why another visit to each campus is a must, if you can do it.  You’re that much closer to going, so you have to be that much more confident in knowing. Hit the road.

Look closely, Part II.  It’s always nice to be wanted, but when you visit your B schools, look with your eyes and heart, and less with your wallet.  Paying half tuition is still a waste of money if the place isn’t for you, or if they’ll run out of interesting classes for bright students like you next year. It’s great to have new goals today—just make sure they’re new for the right reason.

Bob ended up with a different kind of unexpected than the one he planned for, but if he uses the same tools of self-knowledge and self-listening, he’ll still end up with a rock solid school.  March Madness is for basketball teams—learn some lessons from this student, and you’ll go bobbin’ along on the road to the right college.

college decisions | college acceptance | college entrance | college admission | merit scholarship

College Admission and Community Service

One of the most perplexing parts of the college selection process has nothing to do with classes, grades or testing—it’s community service. This nuanced (hey—SAT word!) part of the college application made headlines a few years ago, when a number of able-walleted students participated in “designer” community service programs that took them across the globe, where they dug latrines, built roads, and created water purification plants in remote villages. 

Students thought this kind of work would be a real eye-catcher to the colleges, but they turned out to be wrong.  Colleges certainly value missionary work and emergency support for victims of disasters, but it turns out they put equal value in fixing up the street where you live and the town you call home.

Since community service hasn’t been in the headlines lately, families wonder if colleges care about it any more—and the answer is yes, but in a different way.  Many high schools have instituted mandatory community service as part of their graduation requirements, thinking this would give all of their students a boost in the college application process.  Once again, the colleges were not amused; it turns out if “volunteer” work is required, it loses most of its shine in the eyes of a college.

So what do colleges value in the eyes of volunteer work, and how much is “enough?” 

Colleges have always valued students who get that community service is a natural extension of who they are, and that is no different today.  The student who walked by a homeless man and decided to start a homeless shelter is a hero in the eyes of a college, not because the student looked good on paper, but because the student had a good heart.  Ditto for a basketball player who coaches 4th graders at the Y, the chess whiz who starts a club at the town library, and the student who reads to Alzheimer’s patients at the local hospital.  These students aren’t wondering how much more they have to volunteer to get into college—they’re wondering what more they can to do make a difference.

“But my kid doesn’t see the world that way.  What am I supposed to do?”

If you mean “what am I supposed to do about getting them into college?”, most colleges consider community service along with work, sports teams, and the play as “extra curricular” activities, so if your child is strong in other areas, you may be OK.  There are some places that look solely at community service; to sort out which is which, ask the college.

But if your question means “what can I do to motivate my child to make a difference”, the answer is-- set the example.  Most students engaged in community service started out at an early age, boxing food with their parents at the food shelter, serving Thanksgiving dinner as a family at the Salvation Army, or being the errand runner while Mom and Dad built a Habitat for Humanity.  Just because they’re teens doesn’t mean it’s too late; the need for volunteers is great, and as long as you have a car that can fit the whole family, there’s a project that can fill your schedule.

If your kids are video game mavens, it’s even easier.  “Evoke” is a new online game with serious graphics and a serious mission—work with your fellow secret agents to solve a real-world global task (see http://socialentrepreneurship.change.org/blog/view/could_this_game_be _a_game-changer) .  If you can’t get your student off the couch, take a laptop and some cheese doodles and join ‘em—and begin the journey of self that ends in serving others.   

community service | college admission | college choice | college entrance

Choosing a College is More Than Smoke and Mirrors

Today’s column begins with another college quiz.  Ready?

2.      What person was recently quoted as saying “I’m not very pretty”?

Frequent readers have the first answer tattooed on their arm, next to the Web address for Colleges That Change Lives.  The purpose of college is to give you the opportunity to continue to live the wonderful life you already have, and to understand more about yourself, the world, and your relationship to the world.

I’m pointing this out again because this is the time of year when all kinds of people forget that.  As seniors and their families wait for the March Madness of college decisions, and as juniors get back their tentative class schedules for next year and decide if it’s “college-worthy”, it’s easy to think school is more about thick envelopes and “getting in” than personal growth.  

That’s not to say high school should be a breeze, or that diligence and achievement shouldn’t be recognized. But what does it say about college choice if you get into a name college you’d hate going to, or if you get a 7  AP class senior-year schedule with so much homework you can’t even remember your name? There’s a fine difference between self-growth and self-destruction, and if you’re not careful, this approach to college can spill over into other areas of your life, like dating, career exploration, or self-identity…

…which leads us to Question 2.  The person who thinks they aren’t pretty is Anne Hathaway.  Right—not the Anne Hathaway who works at the corner deli, but the Anne Hathaway.  It’s nice to hear a little humility coming from Hollywood, and  I certainly don’t want to diss the reigning queen of Genovia, but either a new mirror or a new perspective is in order— and such is the case when the dream of being admitted to college is more important than the reality of going there.  The first ground rule is keeping grounded.

This same topic is addressed in a must-see movie. “Race to Nowhere” documents the lives of students who discover that more really can be less, and some of these lessons are hard ones.  The trailer’s at www.racetonowhere.com  Take a peek before you decide if a fourth community service project is really all that important— and either way, do your community a service by asking your counselor to set up a screening of this film for your school.

“But dude”, says you, “aren’t you the guy who tells us colleges want us to do all this crazy stuff?  Isn’t it your job to tell us to dance a little faster in order to win the game?”

I honestly don’t think I’ve ever called college choice a game—if I did, I was wrong.  Classes, extra-curriculars and community service aren’t the elements of a game—they are ingredients in the recipe of your life, and my job is to give you cooking lessons.  The recipe for life—and for college success-- is only complete with healthy doses of perspective and self-knowledge.  Without them, you might end up like this guy, who didn’t think he was good enough to be a professional singer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA 

And just how did Paul Potts decide to audition for Britain’s Got Talent, which led to performing before Queen Elizabeth and selling over 4 million albums?

He flipped a coin.

choosing a college | applying to college | college counseling | college entrance

College Admissions: It's Not A Safety School if It's Not You

To Sheila, it seemed like the perfect safety school.  It had the program she wanted, she was well above the college’s average GPA and test scores, and she liked the college’s reputation for an above average social life.

Even though she was admitted to one of her first choice colleges, the Plan B school hit the A list when she was offered a large merit scholarship and an invitation to join the school’s Honors College.  The promise of small classes and the sense of adventure called to her, and she answered—she sent her deposit in and left her hometown in the dust.

The romance lasted one year.  Halfway into the second semester, she realized she was already taking junior-level classes in the university’s Honors College, and some of them didn’t ask very much from her.  She sat back and did the math— since she was on track to complete senior-level classes as a sophomore, what would she study for the last two years of college?

Around the same time, she realized there was only so much partying she needed in her life, which was much less than her fellow students needed.  She had a thoughtful conversation with her parents, finished the semester, and transferred to the first choice college she’d been admitted to the year before.

What lessons did Sheila learn that could help you?  Simple:

There’s no such thing as a Plan B school.  Sheila didn’t give a single thought to the social lives of the other colleges she applied to, but it was one of the main reasons she applied to the college she attended—and that change should have been the wake-up call that this wasn’t the college for her. You definitely need to apply to at least one college where your chances of admission are strong, but that doesn’t mean you’re looking for a different kind of college. Keep the same criteria, and make them all first choice colleges.

Look past the labels.  Honors colleges, residential programs, and learning-living communities offer smaller classes, which are generally a plus—but they also offer fewer classes, which can be a minus. If AP credits or placement exams take half the limited choices off the table, that makes college less of a learning experience, and more of a hep community with lots of people your age that’s interrupted by the need to go to class once in a while.  College is about living AND learning—make sure you’ll get the chance to do both.

Turn off the disco ball in your head.  Merit scholarships and junior-level placements can be real ego boosters (and can sure help cash-strapped parents), but if the college just isn’t you, it’s like paying half-price for a pair of jeans you’ll never wear.  If April finds you thinking about a school you didn’t pay much attention to six months ago, you MUST visit the campus again. Pull out the list of what you wanted in a school, and view the campus clearly; it’s cool if your priorities have changed in a school because you’re a different person now, but it’s not cool if you need to change the person you are because of the priorities of the school. Look.

Listen to your counselor.  No disrespect to Sheila, but I told her family to do these things, and they blew me off.  We may be older, we may drive ugly cars, and our hair isn’t what it used to be, but our job is to guide you around the landmines of college selection—and we are very good at it.  Let us help you.

college entrance | college counseling | college admissions | safety school | safety schools | choosing a college

Summer Classes-- A Real Education

There you were, waiting in the counseling office to review your schedule for next year, when you came across the Summer Enrichment brochure your school district just published this week.  As you scanned down the list, there, nicely nestled between “Adventures with Water Colors” and “Anyone Can do Figure Drawing”, you saw it—“Algebra 2, Tuesday Wednesday Thursday mornings, starts in June, ends July 20.”

Do your eyes deceive you?  Could it be the year-long class that is causing so many other problems with your schedule can be easily set aside by giving up 18 hours this summer?

Sure—just like you’d be rich if everyone mailed you a dollar.

Don’t get me wrong—summer classes can be great, and many students have taken them to “double up” in Math, Science, or English—but they sure didn’t do it in 18 hours, and neither will you.  If summer classes are on your mind, keep this in mind, and you won’t lose your mind:

What’s your goal?  Begin your search for summer classes by looking within—why do you want to take a class?  If it’s a love for the subject, remember that most students taking local summer classes are there for Round 2—their grade in the class wasn’t all that great the first time they took it, and they want to improve it (or have to improve it) before fall. 

It’s great they’re doing that, but if you’re taking Creative Writing to discuss ideas and themes, and most everyone else is taking it for credit recovery, this might not be the best match. Try  http://www.petersons.com/summerop/code/ssector.aspm for a list of summer programs attended by students who can’t get enough of learning.  Many of these programs are taught on college campuses, and while they often cost more than local summer school, many offer scholarships.  Ask and see.

What’s their goal?  It’s also important to know what’s going to be taught in a class.  The Algebra 2 class may only meet for 18 hours, but it’s most likely designed to be a review for students who’ve already had the class once.  If Math isn’t your thing, and especially if you plan on taking Pre-Calc, this micro-math class is not the thing to do.  Ask for a syllabus ahead of time—better yet, talk to the teacher.

Got free time?  Unless the class is PE (which is a great class to take in the summer—dude, you’re outside!), class time will require study time, which impacts summer afternoons, summer nights, and summer weekends.  If the class means something to you, make sure you can give it your all, both in terms of time and attention.  You won’t get much out of studying on a July night if your head is in the book but your heart is at the beach.

Dare to dream.  Summer classes are also the best time to try something new, with little or no risk attached.  Sure, it’s a great time to knock off a required Health class—but what about a class in a department of the school you’ve never set foot in?  You future architects and engineers should know that the best designers have a background in the fine arts—so the Water Color and Figure Drawing classes I mentioned earlier might not be a bad idea after all (busted!). 

School is about credits, but education is about learning— spend the summer with your eye on the big picture, and you may go back to school in the fall with something more than just a change in your credit count.

Meanwhile, send those dollars to collegeisyours@....

College advising | college counseling | summer classes

Give Semester Advice the Old College Tri

Last week’s column on scheduling brought a response from a family where the high school is on trimesters, so classes (and grades) switch in November, March, and June, not at all like the January-June semester schedule.  Their two main points were:

-Telling us to mail first semester grades in January doesn’t help, since we already sent first trimester grades in early December.

-Ditto for schedule changes.  Since trimesters started in December, it is what it is—and since trimesters are harder to schedule, juniors have already scheduled their classes for next year.

Trimesterites, lest you think the last two columns are merely kindling to fan the flames of your cozy Valentines Day fire, uncrumple those two fine tomes, and go with the flow as follows:

If a college has deferred you, students on trimesters sent updated grades in early December, long before most colleges decided on their Early applicants.  Even if you sent a note and your grades were en el fuego back then, it will be 3 or 4 months between the time you last contacted the deferring college that said “tell us more”(which really means “show us how much this means to you”) and the time they review your file again.  Tell me—does this time warp translate as showing genuine interest?

The solution here is simple, Danny Zuko—tell them more, one more time!  If your high school sends home mid-trimester grades, passing those good grades along to colleges will show that not only were you good in December, but you’re still good now, and their college is where you still want to be.  Some high schools may even finish the second trimester in mid-March, which could be enough time to send some colleges the good word just as they’re reviewing their deferred applicants. 

Either way, mid-trimester grades can go out now.  Use the occasion to write another very brief note about what’s new in your life and your genuine interest in the school, and they’ll have the latest news—and a refreshed perception—about where you are, and what matters to you.

In terms of schedules, I’m sticking to my guns. Whether you’re a senior starting second semester or third trimester, the chance will come—either right now or in a month-- to ratchet your schedule down a notch. If your grades were strong last report card, there’s no reason to do this—just say no. This may be even harder for trimester students, since the start of your last term is that much closer to the finish line; practice in the mirror if you need to, but a little nyet, nein, non, and “as if” now goes a long way later.

Juniors, if your school really has asked for your schedule for next year, don’t worry—Like Arnold, they’ll be back.  Low enrollment, computer glitches, and last minute layoffs will give you at least three opportunities to pick up “AP Ultimate Frisbee” and drop “Jane Adams and Jane Addams: Common Souls Separated by an Uncommon Spelling”. 

The goal is to make the most out of the learning experiences you have in high school, and I have a hunch your house has 4 Dyn-O-Glos hanging around, but nary a copy of Twenty Years at Hull House. Keep the challenge high—colleges will notice, and more important, so will you.

GPA | college entrance | college admission | college counseling

Applying to College? Schedule Wisely

We’re a week away from President’s Day, which means there’s only one thing on the minds of college-bound students—schedules.  By this, I don’t mean “My homework is really cutting into my social schedule” or “Dude!  Three girls asked me to the Sadie Hawkins Dance—do you think I can make that work?”  Rather, I mean your school schedule—of classes—for school?

Wow, it’s clearly time for winter break.

I know you’re storing up on wings and dip for tomorrow, so I’ll make this quick:

Seniors, even though this is the last semester of your high school career, you still need a strong schedule.  Even as we speak, colleges are reviewing your applications, and one of their big questions is if you have the ability *and* the desire to really tear up college classes.  Your grades from past semesters may say “You bet”, but if this semester has six sections of The Anthropology of Texting, chances are you’ll hit campus with a rusty brain and an inability to write words with vowels in them.  Bottom line?  Keep the neurons firing by taking classes that make you think.

“But hombre” say you, “I’m smart enough to make this work.  I’m entitled to some time off.” 

OK—consider this.  If your college application says you’re taking a challenging load of academics, and you change your schedule to swap out AP English for “American Idol:  Boon or Boondoggle?”, you have to contact the college immediately to tell them your schedule has changed..  No matter how smooth you think you are, do you really think there’s any way a college will see this change as good news?  Sure, it’s tough now, but Tom Hanks was right—it’s supposed to be hard, or everyone could do it.  Your teachers will cut you some slack come May and June—meanwhile, jump into the work you told colleges you love, and see what’s there to get juiced about.

Juniors, you don’t need a pep talk to take tough classes now, since sixth semester is Show and Tell time. However, your counselors will be coming around in three weeks to sign you up for senior year classes—and that’s when the temptation to board the Blow-it-off bullet train will be strong.

Here’s my encore:  The primary factor used by nearly every college in reading an application is if the student has challenged him/herself by taking the most demanding classes available.  If you’re getting As in French 3, and there’s a French 4, it goes on the schedule; ditto for Calculus and Shakespeare.  If your school offers a course called Expository Writing, it’s on the list; college students tell me this is THE course that helped them see how to write great papers in classes other than English.  Be advised--  “Expository” comes from the Latin expos, which means “to write so many papers you’ll wear out a pencil a week.” Tough?  Yes.  Beyond you?  Please!

You’ve probably heard that the number of high school graduates will go down next year, and that leads you to believe you won’t have to work as hard to get admitted to college.  The first part is right, but the second part isn’t; even with the bad economy, more students are going to college than ever before, so colleges are likely to pick and choose the top students for at least the next few years.  Make their work easy for them—gird yourself, smoke the tough classes, and give yourself a reason to be proud when the thick envelope arrives from your college.  That’s the recipe for a super touchdown.

college counseling | schedules | college entrance | college admission

College Applications-- The Early Returns, and What They Mean to You

Since President Obama failed to mention it last night, the state of college admissions is strong—in fact, maybe a little too strong!  Many colleges are reporting record application years again, and some will be accepting applications for two more months.  This makes sense, since this is the largest high school class in history (next year’s class will be smaller, by the way)—it seems the bad economy is having very little impact on applications.

While applications are up, the number of admitted students is mixed.  Some schools have already admitted more students than last year, but it seems a number of colleges with Early Action (EA) programs are taking more of a wait-and-see approach; students are reporting an increase in the number of deferrals from EA, where colleges ask students for grades from their current classes, and compare these deferred students to those who applied to the college on a later deadline,

The larger number of “tell us more” responses isn’t too much of a surprise; with more high school seniors wanting to hear sooner from colleges, and since EA programs don’t require an early commitment from the student, colleges want to make sure there’s plenty of room for good students who apply later on.  Still, it’s understandable why students with above-average records could see a deferral as a defeat, rather than a delayed possibility for achievement.  It takes a great deal of thought and planning to submit early applications, and when a letter comes back with an answer of maybe, it’s hard not to take it personally.

What does this news all mean to seniors?  It depends on where you are in the application process:

-- If you haven’t applied to any colleges just yet, two words—“now” and “more”.  Most colleges have received at least 80% of all the applications they’ll be getting, which usually means they will evaluate any new applications more closely.  Make sure your applications are neat, thorough, and sent in by Ground Hog Day, and if you were going to apply to 4 colleges, make it 8—the volume of traffic is very heavy, so everyone can be more choosy.

--If you have applied and don’t have a firm acceptance yet, it’s time to break out the college guides one last time.  More EA applications usually means more regular applications—and that will lead to more deferrals and rejections this spring.  Don’t play the April fool; there are great colleges with deadlines of February 15 and March 1 that will give you a decision 2 or 3 weeks after you apply.  Find one that will work for you, and let that be your winter blanket.

--If you’ve been deferred, be sure you’re in touch with the college now.  Most students who are deferred will obediently submit their current grades, keep their head down, and hope for the best—but colleges will not be admitting most of their deferred students.  A three-paragraph note that updates what you’ve been doing, what you plan on doing, and why State U is still of interest will separate you from the crowd, and create room for dialogue with the college.  If you haven’t done so, this too is a must this week—and if you have no acceptances, see the point above, and find a school that will say yes in February.

--If you’re in at the college of your choice and feeling good about things, well done.  Get back to the business of high school-- spring will soon be here with senior mayhem—and lend a kind word to seniors who haven’t heard.

applying to college | early action | college admission | college selection | college counseling

Financial Aid and Final Exams-- Waiting? Wondering? Why?

You’re probably studying for finals for your seventh semester—the grades colleges just love to see—or you’ve completed them, and are waiting for the grades to come in. Either way, you’re convinced the best thing you can do is stand in front of a mirror and see how quickly you can say “Do you want fries with that?”, just in case this college thing doesn’t work out.

The rock of your support, your parents, aren’t much help either.  If they are working on financial aid forms at a normal clip, they’re shocked at all the paperwork they need to complete the FAFSA.  If they filed on January 2nd, they may have heard back from the Federal government already, and all they can seem to say is “Congress really thinks I can pay this much for college?”

With Conan on his way out, and a Republican senator from Massachusetts on his way in, there seems to be no relief to the madness— just what can you do?

Friends, I am a professional—please attempt to do this at home:

• Help your parents calm down. The FAFSA asks for material most families need to fill out tax forms—they just need the information sooner.  Tell your parents to “think taxes,” and be amazed by how happy that idea makes them.  If the forms aren’t around, they can use last year’s tax information as an estimate, and update with the actual numbers later.

• Get them to phase two.  A large number of families don’t get grants from FAFSA, but you have to apply anyway before a college will give you need-based aid.  Once you’re done with FAFSA, get your parents to fill out the forms the college needs completed—Profile, their own form, whatever—so you can be considered for institutional-based aid.  If you don’t know what they need, call and ask; in this case, the only stupid question really IS the one that doesn’t get asked.

• Hit the Web yourself.  With college essays and final exams as warm-ups, your writing skills are at their peek—hit www.finaid.org or other scholarship search sites to find cash you could earn with an essay everyone else is too tired to write.  I once won a trophy in a 10K race for my age group, and I run about as well as an 8-track player.  What did I do to earn the gold?  I was the only one in my age group to finish.  Get it?

• Man up and move on.  You may think you have nothing better to do but freak while you wait on your grades, but the world begs to differ--good students don’t wait for anything.  Now is the time to DO—focus on your studies, because colleges have many more qualified applicants than seats.  If your last semester in high school is a let-down, it won’t take much for the college of your dreams to change their mind, and you want to avoid that nightmare.  Also, go teach something to someone. The best college students know what it means to learn AND to teach, and with college applications done, you have some free time.  Go coach a basketball clinic at the Y, tutor at the library, show your mom how to Skype— believe me, you’ll want her to have that skill in a couple of months.

college applications | college counseling | paying for college | scholarships | financial aid

As Application Deadlines Loom, Make a Plan

I’d like to think you’re reading this just to check in and wish me a Happy New Year, but I know better—you’re here because your college apps need to get out now, and you need some help.  Here goes:

Double check the deadlines.  A number of colleges changed their deadline from January 1 to January 4, so go to the Web site of each college you’re applying to and make sure you have the right date.

Complete your application online.  If you really are working with a January 1^st deadline, applying online allows you to hit submit at 11:45 pm on New Year’s Night; if you’re applying by mail, you have to get your application to the post office by 11:45 am on New Year’s Eve.  That’s an extra 36 hours, and a lot less snow on your shoes.

Check your schedule.  You’ll want to give yourself time for breaks, sleep, meals—and family events. If Uncle Bob’s holiday brunch is scheduled for Friday morning, you want to know that now, not Friday morning, so check your schedule with your parents.  They’ll be pleased to see you’re looking ahead, and that will ease the college stress they’re feeling, too.

Vary your activities.  Most students decide to leave the essays of an application for last.  That’s OK if you’re only working on one application, but if you’re looking at three or four, your essays won’t be as fresh if you write ten in a row.  Start with an easy essay, then go back and fill in your name and address—then back to an essay, then over to your high school activities.  Variety keeps most writers focused.

The “Why Us?” question matters the most.  Previous columns have told you how to approach the “Why do you want to apply here?” question.  Even though you’re in a hurry, be sure you do your best writing with this very challenging question that usually has a limit of 100 words—your answer has to be specific to that college, and can be a deal-maker, so it’s worth the time.

Send test scores now.  SAT and ACT scores can be ordered online during the holidays, so take the time to make sure they get sent to the colleges that request them.  You’ll need a credit card to order them; use this as a break from your essays, and a chance to touch base with your parents to let them know how things are going.

Transcripts and teacher letters will have to wait.  If you discover a form that’s supposed to be completed by your teacher or school counselor, there isn’t much you can do with those right now.  Fill out the top of each form, and make a note to touch base with teachers and counselors the first day school’s back in session; colleges usually give supporting documents a little more time to arrive, but your material really needs to make the deadline.

Build in time to double check essays.  Dazzling essays lose their shine when they have misspelled words, bad grammar, or talk about how much going to Brown would mean to you when the essay is going to Lawrence University.  There’s a difference between being in a hurry and being sloppy—now is the time to show the colleges you know what that difference is.

Celebrate wisely.  Whenever your applications are finished, remember a great application is successful only if you’re around to actually go to the college next fall.  Be safe, be sober, and only ride with those who are the same.

Happy New Year-- you can do this.

college applications | college deadlines | essays | admission | college counseling

Early Admissions Decisions: Don't Let A Deferral Grinch You

The smoke is finally clearing from Early Notification Week, when students who applied Early Action or Early Decision heard the news from many of their colleges.  Students and counselors are reporting a record number of deferrals this year, where colleges wait until winter to make a decision on the student’s application.

I know—you applied early because you wanted to hear early, choose a college, and get back to the business of being a high school senior, and suddenly the decision you thought would be over one way or another, isn’t.  That’s not especially soothing…

… but on the other hand, it’s pretty cool.  A dozen years ago, almost all early applicants were either admitted or deferred, but no longer—at most colleges, an early applicant who wouldn’t be successful at that college is now being told no in December.  That means if you were deferred this year, the college sees some potential in your application…

…now, you just need to build on it.  Most deferral letters asked students to submit seventh semester grades; now that those requests have been passed along to school counselors, most students think there’s nothing left to do but sit and wait—and they would be wrong.

First, if the college wants to see your grades, they’d better be your rockin’ best—so focus your neurons on something besides DJ Hero 94 and figure out what you can do to make your grades sparkle.  If you’re still in school, this means making the rounds with your teachers to ask if extra credit or make-up work is possible.  I’m not trying to go all Ebenezer on you, but there’s bound to be some down time around the 28th or 29th where an hour or two of school time can send you on a trip to A Land.  If the college that said “show me something” means anything to you, it’s worth the effort.

Second, unless the college says otherwise (like MIT, who only wants to hear from you once), you should write a letter back to the college now to tell them about all the great things you’ve been up to since you sent your application in.  This is a small way to demonstrate continued interest in the school, but it’s big enough to separate you from the students who won’t write anything at all.  Don’t feel obliged to make stuff up (“It was an honor to accept the Nobel Prize on the President’s behalf”), but don’t be shy--and speak from the heart.

Third, this is no time to pine—and I’m not talking about your Kwanzaanukahmas tree here.  A record number of students are applying to college this year, and a higher percentage of those applied early—that overwhelmed the colleges.  If you were hoping one person would ask you to the New Year’s dance, and thirteen people popped the question, you’d want some space to sort things out, right?  Colleges are no different—it’s a banner year, and they want things to work out in the best possible way for everyone.  Time—and your continued communication with them—will help them do that.

It’s hard not to take “tell me more” personally, but if you see this is more about the college than about you, the best thing to do is to give them exactly what they want—more of the very best you that you can offer. Jump at the chance; be clear, smoke your grades, don’t go crazy, keep the big picture in mind, and the next leg of your college journey will be sweeter than walking in a winter wonderland.

college entrance | college admissions | deferred | college decisions