Category Archives: college guidance

Today’s guest post is from Ryan Hickey, the Managing Editor of Peterson’s & EssayEdge and is an expert in many aspects of college, graduate, and professional admissions.

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It may seem like everyone you know is boasting about how their child effortlessly juggles advanced classes with guitar lessons, volunteering at the senior home, and learning Cantonese. It’s enough to give you a complex about whether or not your teen can even compete when applying for colleges.

Well, fear not. Here are five things you can do to ensure your own student’s trajectory is on the fast track toward college acceptance while preparing your teen for college.

1. It’s okay to put all your eggs in one or two baskets.

The Rushmore syndrome of encouraging your child to join every club in sight results in a student that seems like a jack of all trades and master of none. Admissions committees are no longer fooled by a student who suddenly seems to be interested in 30 different projects the summer before junior year. Instead, focus on your child’s specific interest and let them actually achieve a level of proficiency. It is much more important to demonstrate genuine skill and commitment. Also, it often leads to a solid topic for an application essay.

2. Leadership is better than variety.

On a similar note, by applying meaningfully to just one or two extracurricular projects, a student can begin to build a level of responsibility. This kind of maturity is something colleges particularly look for in applicants.

3. Looking for something to add fast? Volunteer!

Community service is not only a great way to help others, it can help your teen too. If you feel like something is missing in your child’s transcript, volunteering can be a low-level commitment addition. Also, it is generally relatively easy to gain a leadership position quickly in a volunteer setting just by showing some initiative.

4. What are you going to do with your life?

Specific career goals post-graduation can differentiate your child from other applicants. Make sure you have a conversation about this and keep in mind that this goal is not something that goes on any permanent record. The larger idea of presenting oneself as forward-thinking in an application gives your teen the desirable aura of confidence in their direction. Maybe your daughter wants to be a veterinarian—check to see if it’s possible for her to shadow a local vet. Again, it’s not imperative that he or she actually adheres to this once they get into college, put admissions committees like to see that kind of drive.

5. Be true to your school

A great way to stand out in your applications is to know exactly what you want in a university. One important metric that colleges use to compare to each other is called “yield ratio”—that’s the number of students that accept admission after it is offered. Schools like to feel wanted, and therefore one of the best ways to prepare your teen is to help identify exactly what he or she is looking for in a school and then narrow down choices to ideal places. This requires a little research and some tough decisions. It also means trying to make an official visit, if possible.

Don’t feel tempted to nudge your student into another program just because it might look good on a transcript. Like everything else, honesty is the best policy. It all boils down to specifics. If your child can demonstrate commitment and leadership in one subject that makes them focus on a future academic goal that can be linked to a particular university program, that is superlative application fodder. No need to know a word of Cantonese.

About the Author

Ryan Hickey is the Managing Editor of Peterson’s & EssayEdge and is an expert in many aspects of college, graduate, and professional admissions. A graduate of Yale University, Ryan has worked in various admissions capacities for nearly a decade, including writing test-prep material for the SAT, AP exams, and TOEFL, editing essays and personal statements, and consulting directly with applicants.

college guidance, college majors, college planning, Wednesdays parent

Wednesday’s Parent: The #1 Question to Ask Before Applying to College

August 12, 2015 Suzanne Shaffer 1 Comment

The new school year is beginning and high school seniors will be making that difficult choice: choosing a college. It’s certainly a process of eliminating the unaffordable ones, the ones that are either too far away or too close to home, and the ones that simply don’t interest your student. But before applying to college, there is a #1 question you should ask your student.

What is the first question you ask your student before he applies to college? Here are a few standard inquiries:

Where do you want to go?
What do you want to major in?
What size college do you want to attend?
How far away from home do you want to go?

and the ever popular, What do you want to be?

But are these the best questions to ask when applying to college? Should your student be thinking beyond the obvious and delve deeper into what they expect to get from their education?

So many students enter college without a goal or purpose. This can end up costing parents money and added years of college attendance. You can’t, of course, expect every 18-year old to know what they want to do after graduation, but you can guide them on the right path.

POCSMom and Long Island College Prep Examiner Wendy David-Gaines sheds some insight into the question you SHOULD be asking your college bound student. Once you read it, you will say DUH! It makes perfect sense!

Answer this, and then apply to college

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Wednesday’s child may be full of woe but Wednesday’s Parent can substitute action for anxiety. Each Wednesday Wendy and I will provide parent tips to get and keep your student on the college track. It’s never too late or too early to start!

The bonus is on the fourth Wednesday of each month when Wendy and I will host Twitter chat #CampusChat at 9pm ET/6pm PT.

Wednesday’s Parent will give twice the info and double the blog posts on critical parenting issues by clicking on the link at the end of the article from parentingforcollege to pocsmom.com and vice versa.

admissions, college guidance, Wednesdays parent

Wednesday’s Parent: What is a Perfect Fit College?

May 27, 2015 Suzanne Shaffer 1 Comment

What is a perfect fit college? When asked, “how do you determine if a college is the right fit?”, overlook all the emotional motives:

Your friends are going there
Your parents went there
You like the football team
Your boyfriend/girlfriend has chosen it
You want to impress your friends by the name
You want to stay close to/or move far away from home

Once you remove those emotional motives, you can concentrate on six criteria that will help you determine whether or not the college is a “perfect fit”:

A place you can afford.
A place that provides the academic program that meets your needs.
A place that provides the style of instruction that best fits your learning style.
A place that provides a level of rigor and challenge equal to your ability.
A place that feels like home.
A place that values you for what you do well.

You will notice that #1 is about the financial fit. Before you even look at 2-6, you MUST be the “voice of financial reality”. This will save you much heartache in the future. In an article on University Parent’s blog: Reality, fit and substance—The ultimate college list, financial fit is key:

Before your student gets her heart set, get clear on what your family can afford. Take half an hour to work through the “net price calculator” available on most school websites, or use the FAFSA4caster to estimate federal student aid. These tools calculate your family’s financial need — essentially the difference between the college sticker price and what the formula says you are able to contribute.

Net price calculators don’t assess potential merit aid — institutional money set aside for students based on varying factors like GPA, standardized test scores, advanced courses, etc. Some institutions include merit calculators on their websites; many do not. To learn how specific schools determine merit aid, don’t hesitate to call the admissions office and ask.

With net price and merit aid estimates in hand, your student’s list can be more economically viable. If you and she have assumed that private scholarships and loans will fill gaps, the amounts you are supposing are now clearer, and that’s a good thing.

Once #1 is addressed, you should encourage your teen to “chew” on each of those remaining and think about what it is they want to get out of a college education. College is more than bricks and mortar and a place to get a diploma. It’s a place where the mind is challenged, social interaction abounds, friendships are formed and a place your college-bound teen will call home for at least four years of their life. That “perfect fit” will assure your teen is comfortable, challenged and ready to learn.

Read Wendy’s Post: The Prime Relationship Between College List and College Fit

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The bonus is on the fourth Wednesday of each month when Wendy and I will host Twitter chat #CampusChat at 9pm ET/6pm PT. This week’s guest will be Jessica Velasco (@Admissions411) discussing college fit.

college guidance, college majors, Penn College

Degrees That Work: A Working World Within a College

May 21, 2015 Suzanne Shaffer 2 Comments

This week I continue my series on Degrees That Work—a look at Pennsylvania College of Technology. Take a visual walk with me across the campus and you will see there are labs; and then there are labs.

Anyone who has ever been to high school or college has done lab work related to a class. But as I mentioned previously, Penn College is no ordinary college. What does that mean? The labs on their campus are no ordinary labs. It’s one thing to add a lab to coursework days after the subject is studied. It’s another thing to use the lab for hands-on training and experience immediately after learning about it in the classroom.

Penn College has taken this concept and turned it into a well oiled, rock star training, job securing, life-altering education.

These labs simulate the working world

It may be hard to visualize the scope of these on-campus labs, but imagine several mini-worlds all operating under one roof. You have a chef’s kitchen, fully equipped with students taught by professional chefs and a fully staffed restaurant serving their culinary creations. Across the campus you have a construction zone with miniature houses from foundation to roof, with plumbing, electrical, and trim work all being completed by the students. In another facility on campus you have welding cubicles where each student has the opportunity to practice his craft with real-world simulations on pipes and fittings. Walk down a long corridor and you find yourself in a full automotive diagnostic room and automotive bay with actual vehicles and students solving electrical and mechanical problems.

Off campus on separate facilities you can find an aviation hangar with every flying craft imaginable from a helicopter, to a small single engine plane, to a private jet, to a commercial airliner donated by FedEx. A short drive down the road there is a forestry department with actual logging facilities, greenhouses, and several working oil rigs used to train students for the oil industry.

These labs teach students how to deal with real world problems and issues

Students are given hands-on experience dealing with and diagnosing problems as their education progresses. By providing students with actual problems, Penn College teaches them to master these problems and find solutions before they enter the workforce. The automotive training requires students disassemble and reassemble a complete engine, diagnosing any problems that might occur upon reassembly. The aviation training gives student actual simulation experiences with warning lights, faulty wires, and instrument malfunctions.

Have you ever wished that the student nurse trying to draw blood had actually practiced on a live human before you? Penn College solved this problem with their SIMM family. Students in their health science program get the opportunity to practice using this SIMM family. These simulations cover everything from live childbirth (I got to experience this!) to caring for the rest of the family. Instructors can simulate illnesses and emergency situations that might arise during a healthcare situation. This SIMM family is like no other in any education training program.

These labs prepare students to enter the workforce as fully trained employees

Once students graduate from Penn College they can hit the ground running. It’s not necessary for employers to train them on basic techniques or skills. They are familiar with equipment, tools, practices and techniques used to work at their chosen career immediately after graduation. Employers hire Penn College students because they know these students have been trained properly and are familiar with their products, services, and equipment.

These labs spawn creativity, innovation, and confidence

Students from Penn College compete in competitions all across the country. They are challenged to search for ways to solve common problems and push the boundaries using the skills and techniques they learn in these labs. Manufacturing engineering technology students have spent the past year constructing, from scratch, a battery pack intended for lithium batteries and an electric car. Just recently, Penn College student chefs helped prepare the Kentucky Derby feast for 140,000 fans. Students are encouraged to move beyond the basic textbook knowledge and find ways to improve the working world with the skills and technology they receive from a Penn College education.

Watch this short video to see why students love the working world within Penn College:

If you missed the first article in the series, click here–>Degrees That Work: One College’s Best Kept Secret

admissions, college guidance, college prep, Penn College

Degrees That Work: One College’s Best Kept Secret

May 12, 2015 Suzanne Shaffer 4 Comments

Imagine knowing when your student graduates from college he will have a skill, a high quality liberal arts education, and a job. Imagine a technical education with a liberal arts degree. Imagine your student doing a job he actually enjoys and is related to his major after graduation. Until recently, these claims did not seem possible—that was until I visited and met the students at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

After the first hour of my visit at Penn College I said, “This is the best kept secret in college admissions.” Why haven’t I heard of them? Why haven’t other colleges adopted this philosophy? And why on earth aren’t more parents aware of this college option?

This is no ordinary college. It’s a college with a national reputation for education that impacts real life. Companies support the college, sending equipment and materials for training because they know the college will train competent students they can hire after graduation.

This is no ordinary campus. From the day a student arrives on campus he begins to have a hands-on education. Students spend a significant amount of time practicing what they learn in class. The campus labs simulate real working environments.

This is no ordinary faculty. The faculty of Penn College are industry professionals. They have worked in these industries developing hands on experience, sharing that expertise with their students.

This is no ordinary tuition bill. Four out of five students receive financial aid to cover the cost of college. To top it off, this college is a bargain: tuition room and board for in-state residents is under $30,000 a year; out of state students pay just a few thousand more.

This is no ordinary degree. A Penn College degree combines a comprehensive liberal arts education with hands-on experience using advanced technologies. This is a real advantage for graduates, who have the experience upon graduation to go immediately into the workforce.

This is no ordinary technical college. From sports, to greek life, to student led clubs, to full on-campus housing, to a faculty and administration (right up to the President of the college) that can be found walking around campus, interacting with students on a daily basis, this college has it all. It’s just like any traditional college campus–but so much more.

These are no ordinary alumni. During their centennial celebration the alumni launched their Penn College Scholarship Campaign. They raised $6.4 million for scholarships, increasing the college’s scholarship aid by 165 percent from 2011 to 2014.

If this isn’t enough to cause you to schedule a visit to Penn College, take a walk around campus and look at the companies who support the college. Their banners and company logos are scattered throughout campus. These companies promise to employ their graduates, and most students have job offers before graduation. I spoke to students in the automotive fields, welding, aviation, and health careers. Every one of the seniors I spoke with were looking forward to joining the workforce in a career that they love after graduation with secured jobs.

In the next few months I will be showcasing Penn College and their Degrees That Work. At the end of the series, this college will no longer be “the best kept secret” in college education.

college guidance, financial aid, mom approved tips

Mom-Approved Tips: How Will You Make the Final College Choice?

April 13, 2015 Suzanne Shaffer

The May 1st decision deadline is approaching and families are anguishing over that final college choice. The college your student chooses will be her home for the next four years. It will be her extended family. Her choice should take into consideration those two facts. But how will you make the final college choice?

Make another college visit

It’s time to revisit the colleges. This is by far the most important element of making the final college choice. If the college hosts admitted student events, your student should attend. This visit could have a profound effect on their decision. Spend as much time on campus as needed—talk with students, attend a class, talk with professors, and take your own campus tour.

Compare financial aid awards

After the visit, compare the awards. Who offers the best financial aid package? Will the awards carry your student through all four years of college (are they renewable?). Did the college include loans as part of the package? Was your student “gapped”?

Even if the college is your student’s first choice, the award should factor in to your decision. The last thing you or your student want is to graduate with overwhelming student debt. Trust me—she will thank you in the future for being the voice of reason.

Compare colleges who offered admission

In an article I wrote for University Parent, How Will Your Senior Decide?, I make these suggestions:

Begin by reexamining all the factors your student considered when applying. For each college or university, take a second — and closer — look at location, academics, the size of the student body, and other elements that made your student feel it would be a good fit. Review statistics including the freshman retention and four-year graduation rates.

It’s been months since she submitted her applications. If she got in, is she still in love with her first-choice college? Has she learned anything about the school since she applied that changes the way she views it? Has anything changed for her? Does the school still fit with her long-term academic and personal goals?

This is a good time for your student to gather information from a few trusted sources. She doesn’t need to invite everyone she knows into the decision-making process, but it can really help to consult with older siblings and friends, or teachers, coaches, or counselors.

Based on this research and reflection, make a list of pros and cons for each college and compare them side-by-side. The top two or three should be evident.

Before your student accepts a college’s offer of admission, take all these factors into consideration. You want your student to be happy, but you also want her to graduate with minimal debt.

admissions, college guidance, college planning, financial aid, parenting, Wednesdays parent

Wednesday’s Parent: Don’t Be Fooled

April 1, 2015 Suzanne Shaffer

Today is April Fool’s day. I have to admit, it’s not one of my favorite Hallmark holidays. I’m not much of a prankster and I always disliked being on the receiving end of a prank. None of us do. But colleges, all over the country, are pranking parents and students today. How? With the financial aid award letter. But don’t be fooled.

Colleges don’t back their admission offer up with money–if a college wants your student, they will back it up with a financial “reward”. No award indicates they are counting on your student declining their offer. Read this…

Colleges pack those letters with loans–a prank because every student and parent can get a student loan. Read this…

Colleges misrepresent their true cost on those letter–often leaving out expenses that should be considered and not giving the true cost of attendance. Read this…

Colleges “gap” students–they don’t award enough financial aid to meet the family’s EFC. This leaves a gap in the award and what the family has to pay. Read this…

Colleges consider it an award letter although there’s no award–even if all they offer is a student loan. That’s not an award. That’s not even an olive branch. It’s a slap in the face. Read this…

Be a wise consumer. Don’t be fooled by award letters. Do your due diligence and compare offers, crunch the numbers, and make a wise financial decision. Remember that part of the perfect fit college is the financial aspect. A college who won’t back their offer up with money isn’t a college you should consider.

Don’t be pranked by the colleges. I would never fool you; but Happy April Fools Day!

Read Wendy’s post: How a Joke Helps No Fooling College Prep

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The bonus is on the fourth Wednesday of each month when Wendy and I will host Twitter chat #CampusChat at 9pm ET/6pm PT. We will feature an expert on a topic of interest for parents of the college-bound.

admissions, college guidance, college planning

Tips for Getting Off the Wait List

March 31, 2015 Suzanne Shaffer

The life of a high school and ultimately college student is often filled with opportunities to navigate through new situations, learn new competencies and skills, and deal with problems that haven’t been faced before. Your chances of being successful and overcoming perceived barriers are entirely dependent on your ability to remain positive and take initiative to alter your outcome.

Take for example, the ever notorious college wait list. Students work hard to get advice from academic counselors regarding available options, explore different schools of interest, and work feverishly to complete the often rigorous process of applying. Then, the moment comes when you receive notification that you have been wait listed and will be contacted if and when any changes are made to your status. Rather than sit idly by, here are some proactive tips you can use to increase your chances of getting off the wait list a securing a spot on the college campus of your choice.

First: Know What NOT To Do

Have you ever tried to acquire a certain outcome only to discover your efforts have actually been counterproductive? In this specific situation, there are definitely behaviors that can come across as desperate, selfish, and even unprofessional which could potentially cost you an opportunity to become a student. These behaviors include:

Continuously contacting admissions counselors
Having your parents argue your case to the school
Compiling irrelevant or trivial messages and material to send to the school
Relying on gimmicks like gift giving
Recruiting alumni to write letters on your behalf

Second: Contact Admissions

An initial phone call to the admissions office may help reveal the reason you were placed on the wait list. Often, admissions staff is happy to talk with you and provide some insight into your academic standing. Once you have a better idea of why you were wait listed, you can make confident decisions going forward in your quest to be accepted.

Third: Be Informative and Honest

An excellent way to proactively move your way to the top of the wait list is to write a letter that clearly states your interest in the school, its extracurricular programs, and its relevance to your area of study. Be sure to include any updated information regarding awards you have received or recognitions you were given in regards to your academic successes. Speak with your school’s college counselors to learn if they have any insight; perhaps they’ve worked with students who have also been on your dream school’s wait list.

Conclusion

Your efforts to proactively work with the school staff will be far more effective than simply waiting and hoping for the best or being overly obsessive and making endless phone calls to argue and pester. With the right amount of determination, a professional demeanor, and a positive attitude, you may find success in working your way off of the college wait list.

admissions, college guidance, college planning, mom approved tips, parenting

Mom-Approved Tips: “Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be”

March 30, 2015 Suzanne Shaffer

Recently a new book was released by the New York Times op-ed columnist Frank Bruni: Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania. As you can imagine, it’s quite the controversial topic, especially among Ivy League colleges, current students and alumni.

Of course, I (and so many other college counselors) have been saying this for years: Does it Matter WHERE You Go To College? Mr. Bruni just put it down on paper and in a best-selling book. Parents and students are resonating with its message. Why? Students and parents are filled with stress, anxiety, and frustration over the college prep process–test prep, essays, college choice, financial aid decisions and more. We are tired of our students putting all their future expectations of success on a college name or reputation.

Read some of the reviews of the book:

“For students, parents, teachers, and everyone else suffering during the college admissions process, Frank Bruni offers an outstanding resource. Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be is a thought-provoking look at how the system works-and a fresh, reassuring reminder of what really matters in the college experience.”
-Gretchen Rubin, bestselling author of The Happiness Project and Happier at Home

“The supposition that intelligence can be measured, that success can be predicted, and that the combination of the two creates happiness is rightly exploded in this sharply observed and deeply felt book. In deconstructing the college admissions process, Frank Bruni exposes the folly by which enfranchised people measure their own lives. He speaks with a voice of urgent sanity.”
-Andrew Solomon, National Book Award-winning author of Far From the Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity

“Frank Bruni provides the perfect course correction for students and parents who get sucked into the college admissions frenzy. I should know. I was one of them.”
-Katie Couric

“Frank Bruni has a simple message for the freaked-out high school students of America. Calm down. Where you go to college matters far, far less than what you do once you get there (and afterward). He urges families to look beyond the usual suspects and find a school that’s going to offer something more useful than a window sticker. His clear, well-researched book should be required reading for everyone caught up in the college-admissions game.”
-William Deresiewicz, bestselling author of Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and The Way to a Meaningful Life

“For families caught up in college-application madness, this book provides a much-needed tonic. For the rest of us, it’s an inspiring call for a wiser, saner approach to American higher education.”
-Paul Tough, bestselling author of How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character

“Your worth is not determined by the university you went to. Or, in other words, “Where You Go is Not Who You’ll Be.” Alleluia. That’s the exact mantra every student and parent must heed as they navigate the stressful college admissions process. I’m doing it for the fourth time and this excellent writer’s new book could not have come at a better time for me. As Frank Bruni brilliantly demonstrates, your worth is your worth and it’s yours to make wherever you go.”
-Maria Shriver

Read this quote from Frank Bruni’s guest post on The College Solution:

…What we desperately need to do in this country is change the focus of the discussion from where you go to college to how you use college. In what directions do you need to grow? In what ways does your frame of reference need broadening? If kids were coached to worry about that, and not about the college name splashed across the sweatshirts they’re wearing, they’d be better for it. All of us would.

Do yourself (and your teens) a favor–focus on the education, the experience, and the joy of the college search. Years down the road, it really won’t matter where they got their diploma.

App Tuesday, college guidance, college planning

A New App to Help With the College Search: 4 Year Trip

March 26, 2015 Suzanne Shaffer

4 Year Trip gives users more than just information about colleges. GPS technology sends notifications about nearby events, users gain rewards for using the app, and searching for scholarships is always a smartphone away.

Attending the right higher educational institution takes much research and planning. 4 Year Trip, a new iOS and Android app created by app development team, Droiple, aims to take a lot of the stress out of searching for the right college while adding incentives for searching.

4 Year Trip, a new app to help with the college search, recently launched in Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store on February 15, 2015. The app offers many perks to those who use 4 Year Trip as their search tool for local and out of state colleges and universities. By using the app, users have access to website links, phone numbers and other campus information to over 3,000 colleges and universities, right on their smart phones.

Beyond basic research info, 4 Year Trip also offers tools for:

Finding nearby college fairs
Finding scholarships
Using the “Wall” to see what others are up to
Finding a future roommate

and much more.

College can and should be memorable – filled with classes, studying, campus events, building friendships and lasting bonds, and for most students, the college years are the experience of a lifetime. This is what 4 Year Trip wants users to have, an experience of a lifetime by using the app to assist with starting the journey through higher education.

“We created 4 Year Trip because we saw a need for students to be able to make better decisions about attending college,” states Justin Yuille, Co-Developer. “We designed 4 Year Trip so students could take their time researching while having a good time doing so.”

4 Year Trip’s GPS technology will notify a user of any university or college event that is happening nearby. For example, while passing a local campus, a notification may sound with information about a college fair.

To help students with their search, 4 Year Trip also has a section named ‘Get Schooled Videos’ directly within the app. Watching the videos helps students learn what it takes for finding, applying, and getting into one of the colleges of their choosing.

The Rewards section on 4 Year Trip allows users to earn points every day for check ins, shares, and posting photos. Points are redeemable for prizes like SAT Prep, coffee, gift cards, tablets, and more.

Parents and students who are interested in turning the search for the right higher educational institution into a more enjoyable and stressless time, 4 Year Trip can be downloaded in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

Parenting for College

Category Archives: college guidance

Preparing Your Teen for College: Finding the Balance Between Well-Rounded and Burnt Out