Category Archives: admissions

admissions, college guidance, college planning, parenting

5 Reasons to take another look at your 2nd choice colleges

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Some of my favorite lyrics from a Rolling Stones song state a very simple truth:

You can’t always get what you want

But if you try sometimes, you just might find

You get what you need.

If you have a teenager in the house, they have probably learned this lesson long before the college application process. As you grow older (and hopefully wiser) you experience this reality in life and come to realize that those forks in the road often mean greater opportunities for growth and adventure. Your teen, however, might not be as open to this philosophy, especially when it comes to their college choices.

Here’s the good news, however. I have 5 very GOOD and LOGICAL reasons to take a another look at your 2nd choice colleges:

  1. Everything happens for a reason–How many times have we all said this to our children? There could be a dozen reasons why their 1st choice college didn’t offer them admission or enough financial aid to attend. Admissions counselors tell us that each application is a subjective process and they can’t admit everyone. While it might seem like a rejection to your teen, in reality it’s their decision that your student might not be a good fit for their college. Take that as a cue to move on and find the college that feels they ARE a perfect fit!
  2. In the light of day everything seems different–College choices are often made based on peer pressure, parent pressure and status. After all the hype and stress of applying, it’s easier to sit down and look at the choices your student made in a more objective light. The pressure of applying is now gone and all you need to do is thoughtfully evaluate those colleges that have offered admission. The ball is now in your court–you get to decide!
  3. A closer look might reveal a hidden gem–Take some time and diligently investigate the colleges further down on the list that have offered acceptance. Compare offers, visit their campuses again, talk to current students and be open to discovery. You never know what you might unearth in the process.
  4. Those other colleges on your list are more than sloppy seconds–Your 2nd and 3rd choice college made the list for a reason. Don’t look at them as sloppy seconds, but realize that they could have been your 1st choice all along. How many of us have passed over life choices, only to realize later that we discounted their value and missed out on amazing opportunities.
  5. What you NEED is always better than what you WANT–It’s true. We often want things that aren’t always the best for us. We teach our kids to pursue needs before wants; the same can be true for the college choices. Your teen may want an Ivy League logo on their vehicle, but what they need might be a small private university with smaller classes and individual attention.

Parenting a college-bound teen means you will be facing disappointment throughout the college admissions process. Use those opportunities to teach some life lessons that your student can take with them to college. If they learn these lessons before they leave home, college will be a much more enjoyable experience.

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For 5 reasons why your 2nd choice college might be your BEST choice, visit my colleague Wendy David-Gaines’ blog (POCSMom). Wendy was a (POCSmom) Parent of a College Student and was once a pre-POCSmom as well. She likes to help parents de-stress during the college process and has written a book of stories and anecdotes to help parents see the lighter side of college. You can also subscribe to her FREE monthly newsletter for some great POCSmom tips

admissions, college guidance, Guest Posts

Inside the mind of an admissions counselor

Getting inside the mind of an admissions counselor gives parents and students valuable information and insight. Parliament Tutors is conducting interviews with admissions counselors all across the country and they asked me to post one of them on my blog. I was happy to oblige because the answers to their questions give applicants an idea of what they consider to be important in the college application process.

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A special thanks to Jordan Hassell for participating in our Admissions Spotlight Series.  Mrs. Hassell is an admissions officer at Berry College in Rome, Georgia.  Joseph Fernandez from Parliament Tutors conducted this interview.


As an Admissions Counselor, what are your day-to-day responsibilities?

An Admissions Counselor works with prospective students from the time they first become interested in Berry College until they begin classes as a new student.  We attend college fairs and visit high schools to share information about Berry. We meet with students when they visit campus, we correspond with them throughout the admissions and financial aid processes and we read their applications to make recommendations on admission decisions.
What do you consider the most significant parts of an application, the parts which applicants should prepare the most carefully? 

At Berry, we are mostly concerned with a student’s academic record. Students should pay careful attention to their high school curriculum choices, maintain a strong GPA in core classes and maximize their SAT/ACT scores.

What common pitfalls should applicants be careful to avoid?

Avoid being lazy through the application process. Be sure to complete all required sections of the application, submit a thoughtful essay, use proper grammar and punctuation instead of text lingo and pay attention to deadlines.

Are there any myths about the application process which you would like to dispel?

While we do look for active and well-rounded students, extracurricular activities and multiple recommendation letters do not allow us to overlook deficiencies in the academic record.

What advice would you give to an applicant with below-average test scores but significant work experience?

Maximize your test scores by taking more than one exam. Take advantage of free test prep resources through your school or public library. Use your resume and essay to highlight how you are prepared for college coursework.

What do you look for in a letter of recommendation?

We like to see candid details about a student’s preparation for success in college. We also verify a student’s academic and disciplinary records.

How much faith do you have in the ability of the SAT or ACT to predict success in college?

While scores are not the only factor considered, combined with GPA and rigor of curriculum, exam scores do serve as an indicator of potential success in college coursework.

Suppose an applicant has little or no experience relevant to your program, but has significant experience in other fields.  What can that applicant do to distinguish himself or herself as a good candidate for your program?

Complete a solid high school curriculum, earn strong grades and maximize SAT/ACT scores by taking more than one exam. Share details in your college essay that may help us understand how your interests and experience will contribute to our college community.

This is interview was conducted by Joseph Fernandez, an SAT Tutor from Parliament Tutors — an Houston Tutoringcompany.

admissions, parenting

What do you do when a college rejects your student?

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Colleges have been responding to the early decision/early action applications and students across the country have received those long awaited acceptance/rejection letters these past few weeks. Hip hip hoorays are easy to handle and a welcome addition to the holidays. Feelings of rejection can cloud the family’s holiday spirit and make it difficult to celebrate while facing the disappointment.

What do you do when that ill-fated letter arrives? How do you handle your feelings? How do you handle your student’s feelings? How to turn lemons into lemonade?

When the letter arrives

When the letter arrives and is opened you may want to try and spin it into a positive. Resist that temptation. It’s upsetting to both you and your student. Allow some time to display the emotions related to the disappointment and the feelings of rejection. It’s only natural to feel them and it certainly hasn’t been the first or the last time your student will be disappointed.

Your feelings

Parents take these letters personally. How dare they reject MY child! Our disappointment can often overshadow the feelings our student has. Be careful and don’t project your disappointment on to your student. He/she feels bad enough already; the last thing they need to feel is that they disappointed their parents by not getting accepted.

Your student’s feelings

Every student reacts differently. Some might shrug it off (to your surprise) and others might see this as the end of their world as they know it. The hardest part of this whole college process is dealing with disappointment and rejection. All the truisms in the world won’t help at this moment. Hold them, hug them, and let them know that you feel their pain. Don’t spout off truisms like “it will be ok” or “you don’t want to go there if they don’t want you.” Your student needs the time to deal with their disappointment and move on.

Embrace the life lesson

Once the time has passed and your student is able to be objective, use this as a life lesson. Remind them that there is a place for them and that there is a college where they will feel wanted and accepted. Point out that life is filled with disappointments that often turn into opportunities and you never know what lies ahead on the path you might not have originally chosen.

Every child faces disappointment and rejection throughout their life and a parent’s goal should be to help them face those hurtful times with love and perspective.

 

admissions, college guidance, college planning, parenting

Q&A: The College Prep Process

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Last week, I was a guest on #CollegeCash chat on Twitter discussing college preparation and the online resources that are available for parents and students. Since not everyone can attend these chats or is active on Twitter, I thought it would be nice to share the questions and answers here on my blog.

Question: When do parents start the college prep process?

  1. Ideally you should start talking to your student about the value of an education when they start school and amp it up in middle school.
  2. 9th grade students should pay close attention to course selection enrolling in AP honors classes, math and science.
  3. 9th graders should also start looking for that ONE extracurricular activity to concentrate on in high school.

Question: What do you see as the parent’s role in the college prep process?

  1. Parents should let the student “drive the car” but go along as a passenger/guide
  2. Parents can help with organization and gentle reminders regarding deadlines
  3. Parents need to be there for advice, support and questions but don’t take control of the process

Question: What online tools do you recommend for comparing colleges side-by-side?

  1. I love Zinch because you can create a profile, compare colleges and get matched w/colleges and scholarships http://www.zinch.com
  2. You can use the College Board’s tool to compare colleges as well http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/search/index.jsp
  3. Some more sites are: http://www.collegeview.com/index.jsp & http://www.collegexpress.com/ & http://www.cappex.com & http://www.collegeconfidential.com

Question: What online tools do you recommend for test prep?

  1. For vocabulary prep, @sheldonwordnerd has the BEST online tool available http://www.word-nerd.com
  2. Practice tests are imperative so take advantage of them online here http://sat.collegeboard.org/practice & http://www.number2.com/ & http://www.actstudent.org/testprep/index.html
  3. Read their blogs & follow on Twitter: @elizabethonline @akilbello @sheldonwordnerd @preppedpolished @PWNtheSAT @staceyhowelott 

Question: What online tools do you recommend for financial aid?

  1. The definitive site for financial aid info is http://www.finaid.org/
  2. Of course ALL parents should complete the FAFSA http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ to qualify for financial aid
  3. Saving for College provides parents with all the info about financial aid http://www.savingforcollege.com/ & lets you compare savings plans

Question: What online resources do you recommend for college visit preparation?

  1. Visit college websites and look for video tours and information related to each individual college
  2. @collegevisit has all the tools you need to plan, organize and prepare for college visits http://www.smartcollegevisit.com
  3. Before the visit you can check out @YOUniversity ’s virtual college tours and even hear from students  http://www.youniversitytv.com/

Question: What online tools do you recommend to help with the essay?

  1. @vcollegeadvisor has some great essay tips via video http://www.youtube.com/user/PreCollegeCoach#p/a/u/0/Ago6tIEnL0g
  2. @collegebasics offers some good tips on different essay topics http://www.collegebasics.com/applying-to-college/admissions-essays/
  3. @butwait provides a pocket essay editor of 13 tips https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=ah89knd3kmzc_469cq94ghdq
  4. If you’re looking for some actual student essay examples, look here http://www.teenink.com/college_guide/college_essays/

Question: Where do you find information about individual college statistics?

  1. I like College Navigator because it’s easy to view statistics and compare  http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/ 
  2. Another great resource for statistics and more is CollegeData http://www.collegedata.com/
  3. The College Board also offers a tool to research college information http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/search/index.jsp

Question: What information can you share about the Net Price Calculator?

  1. The net price calculators were mandated to help parents and students estimate the actual cost of college BEFORE applying
  2. Not all calculators are created equal; use them as a tool but don’t expect 100% accuracy on cost estimates
  3. Colleges are required to have them on their sites but they are often hard to find; you might have to do some digging

Question: How can parents be assured they are getting EXPERT advice about college and not just being scammed?

  1. I wrote a blog recently about this topic http://www.parentingforcollege.com/2011/11/07/parents-beware-its-a-jungle-out-there/
  2. Some key points: investigate all claims using Google; ask about them using social media; are they associated w/other experts?
  3. Don’t believe claims unless backed up with facts and if it’s too good to be true, it usually is

I would also like to add another great resource for parents, especially because it’s another parent going through the process with her kids and blogging about it:

Dr. Strange College : How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Journey

 

 

admissions, college guidance, college planning

Parents Beware: It’s a jungle out there!

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In the world of instant information and “non-accountability” there are scam artists out there who want to take your money. Just because someone has a website and claims to be credentialed, it doesn’t make it so. The internet is a jungle where you can post just about anything you want and claim to be an expert. It’s your job as a wise and savvy parent college coach to do the detective work and make sure a company’s or person’s claims are legitimate. It’s also your money and possibly your student’s future hanging in the balance. Parents Beware: it’s a jungle out there!

Following are my tips on how to “check out” the services offered by anyone in the college admissions industry:

  • Investigate the claim and the organization (and people) making the claim–If it appears too good to be true, it usually is. There are NO GUARANTEES in the college admissions business. Shortcuts NEVER work and promises that claim they do are never valid. A simple Google search can tell you a great deal about the person or company making the claim. Do some digging before you plunk down your money hoping for the promised results.
  • Talk to people in social media about them–If the company or person has a bad reputation in social media there is a reason. Ask other experts in the specific field about them. Ask other parents if they have used them. Look for REAL recommendations from REAL people. Remember that it’s easy to “make up” results online–always check references.
  • Check out the people they “hang with”–Experts in the college admissions business will gravitate toward other experts. If you see them being recommended by other college  experts, it will give you a good idea of their value and their worth, especially their credibility.
  • Do they have associations within the college market?–Are they recommended by other experts or other college-related blogs? Do they have associations with other experts within the college market and is their content found on other college sites or other sites that offer college-related advice?
  • Do their colleagues see them as experts?–This is IMPORTANT. A company or person with credibility will be recognized by other experts, especially in their specific area of expertise. If you can’t find anyone endorsing them, use that as a RED FLAG.

In the next few weeks, I’m going to be compiling a list of TRUSTED EXPERTS in the college admissions field. Once it’s complete, you can just click on my TRUSTED EXPERTS tab on my website and be assured that these people I am recommending will not “take the money and run” and will give you and your student reputable advice.

It’s a jungle out there and you need a guide–PARENT COLLEGE COACH to the rescue!

 

 

admissions, college planning

Deadline: That AWFUL word in college admissions

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I pride myself in saying, “I work best under pressure”. That might be true, but it causes havoc in my household when I’m scrambling to complete a project right up to the last second. Here’s one of those instances where I will say, “do as I say and not as I do”. You can’t use this philosophy in the college admissions process. Every aspect of the process revolves around deadlines.

Here is the list of deadline-specific tasks:

  • Testing registration
  • Early action / early decision application submission
  • Regular decision application submission
  • FAFSA submission
  • PROFILE submission
  • Scholarships submissions
  • College acceptance deposit
  • Final transcript submission

College admission is ONE task in life that won’t allow “do-overs” or “extensions”. It is an unforgiving process that will cost you hundreds and even thousands of dollars for procrastinating and not filing on the appropriate deadline. So here is my ONE PIECE OF SAGE ADVICE:

DO EVERYTHING EARLY!

  • Register early for the SAT/ACT tests.
  • Complete the application EARLY and get it in to the colleges before the deluge of “wait until the last minute” applications arrive.
  • Complete the FAFSA the minute it becomes available (even if you have to estimate).
  • Submit all scholarship applications EARLY.
  • Followup on all the parts of your application to verify that the colleges received them.

Remember that EVERY college is different; do your homework and stay abreast of any college-specific deadlines.

For a list of deadlines, check them out at the College Board’s website:

 

admissions

A game changer for college recruiting

Last week, I wrote a short post about how colleges are using social media to connect with students. It’s a game-changer in college recruiting. Small colleges can level the playing field and stand out from the crowd by using social media. Unknown colleges can establish a presence and draw in students who might never have even known they existed.

US News-Education published an article today listing 5 ways that colleges are reaching high school students. Here’s a short summary:

  1. QR Codes–Hamilton College created a fall admissions poster featuring only a giant QR code, which led visitors to a custom welcome page. Students on high school campuses responded positively to this “cool” recruiting technique.
  2. Video chats–Ohio Wesleyan University hosts four or five group video chats during the academic year for parents and students, with each chat having a theme.
  3. Facebook Contests–Misericordia University used university bookstore gift certificates as prizes to incoming freshmen who replaced their Facebook picture with the college logo. It was a way to expand their reach and monitor the conversations that “friends” were having about the picture.
  4. Tweeting behind the scenes–Texas Tech used Twitter to cover a photo shoot story included in their annual recruiting material. They actually created a hashtag and made the photo shoot an event as opposed to just a piece of mail.
  5. YouTube video series–New School in NYC has created a series of recruiting videos entitled, “Are You New School?” These videos feature students discussing uncommon topics like the dating scene or being overwhelmed by the size of the city.

If you have a college-bound teen, look for these innovative ways that colleges will be connecting with your student. An innovative, forward-thinking college might be a perfect fit for your student and a great place to educate an innovative, forward-thinking student.

 

admissions, parenting, social networks

Colleges and Social Media

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I just read a great post by a parent who is going through the college admissions process talking about College Admissions Secrets. Take a few minutes to read it because it addresses an important issue with parents: What can I do to assure my student will get accepted to college? Is there a secret?

One admissions officer was asked this question and responded using social media (Twitter). Do you think this was from one of those “helicopter” parents?

I would bet that some admissions representatives regret the day that parents found them on Twitter and Facebook. Now they can ask the questions they have been dying to ask, even at the dismay of some of the college representatives.

For colleges and students, social media can be a two-edged sword in many respects. It gives colleges the opportunity to connect with a larger applicant pool and share their message to a vast number of prospective students. But it also allows the parents of those applicants to interact and insert their questions into the process. Social media allows students to connect directly one-on-one with college representatives and current students. But it also means that students need to be more vigilant about their online persona because the colleges are watching.

If you would like to see how two colleges are using social media to reach students, follow the links below:

Hofstra University

Cornell College

If your student is applying to one of these colleges or any other colleges with a social media presence, let them make the connections themselves. Don’t be one of those parents who make admissions officers run for cover. Encourage your student to search for each college’s social media page and pursue those connections on their own. Let them, as one admissions representative once told me, “drive the car”.

admissions, college guidance, college planning, organization, parenting

Interview with Power Women Magazine

Last week I did a radio interview with Power Women Magazine about the college prep process and my Parents Countdown to College Toolkit. In it, I discussed the steps necessary to prepare for the admissions process, how to stay organized, and the 10 mistakes parents and students often make when applying to college.

Click the link below and you can listen to the interview.

 

 

Power Women Magazine Radio Interview

admissions, parenting

FREE Webinar–Beating College-Bound Stress

It’s not often that parents can find information about how to deal with the stress that surrounds the college admissions process, let alone find it for FREE. Kay Kimball Gruder, a Certified Parent Coach by the Parent Coaching Institute, and Wendy David-Gaines, author of “Parents of College Students-Survival Stories” are joining together to provide parents with some tips on how to de-stress during the college process, especially during your college-bound teen’s senior year of high school.

Date: Tonight September 26, 2011

Time: 9PM ET

Location: Online–Register by clicking here

Cost: FREE

If you are the parent of a college-bound student, particularly in the senior year of high school, chances are you are feeling STRESSED. This webinar is designed to reduce college-bound stress by sharing common communication patterns that exist and traps to avoid. Participants will gain STRATEGIES for better communication concerning:

  • Issues of money
  • Expectations for your student’s senior year in high school
  • Partnering in the college process