Free College Counseling for Your Students and You

by Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D.

I’m happy to tell you a free college counseling tool is now available for you and your families.

Nineteen years ago, I had a counselor’s dream job. No testing duties, no scheduling duties, no graduation checks, no lunch duty—and all I did was college counseling, with a caseload of 45 seniors. This was a far cry from my first year as a school counselor, where I had a caseload of over 400 students, all seniors, and I was in charge of everything. I even had to meet with students to talk about any disciplinary issues they were involved in. Talk about awkward discussions.

Once that ideal year was over, nineteen years ago, I tried to figure out how I might help counselors who were still where I once was. Too many students, too many duties, and too little training in college counseling puts far too many counselors in a position where they want to help students build what comes after high school, but simply can’t.

And that’s how College is Yours was born. I wrote each chapter with three things in mind:

• If I were talking to a student in person about this aspect of college counseling, what would I tell them, and how would I say it?
• If I were a school counselor, what would I want all students to know about this part of college counseling?
• How do I keep this information short and to the point?

About 40 chapters came together, each one 600 words or less. The idea was to give students the background ideas they needed to know, in a format they would come back to. Trying to figure out how to prepare for the SAT? Open that chapter, read it in 90 seconds, and apply the information. If students had this information ahead of time, the precious minutes they had meeting with their counselors could be used to individualize college plans. There was no need to go over the basics — now was the time to bring them to life.

Nineteen years and three editions later, this format is a success, with hundreds of counselors, families and students discovering what college is all about in a way that is effective, efficient, and exciting. It’s been great being part of that journey…

…but the audience needs to be bigger.

That’s why I’m giving the book away for free. Just follow this link, and you’ll be able to:

• Read it online for free
• Download it for free
• Add it to your counseling website for free
• Email it to students and families for free
• Share it with community-based organizations, faith-based youth groups, and anyone else. 

For free.

The book has had a great run, but the cost still gets in the way of students getting the help it offers. That’s over.

My only hope is you’ll share it with all your students, including those in grades 9-11. The book has strategies about how to make the most out of high school, starting in ninth grade. Too much college planning starts too late in high school. In a few short chapters, College is Yours fixes that, all without eating up precious face-to-face time with students.

For free.

So click here, and spread the word.

We’re in a time when people don’t think college is worth it. Trouble is, they come to that conclusion before they really explore college. That needs to change, and this book can help do that. For free.

Off you go.

Counselor Letters of Recommendation Matter. Here’s Why

by Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D.

“Belinda Myers wears oversized striped men’s shirts to school nearly every day.”

My best guess is that someone had made a copy of this student’s college letter of recommendation on the school’s Xerox machine, and left the original on the glass plate. So, I read it.

It would prove to make a world of difference, since I later became a college counselor, and had to write hundreds, if not thousands, of these letters. My graduate school training taught me nothing—absolutely, positively nothing—about this, so all I was left with was my unhoned wits, and my vague recollection of the start of that one college letter I had read years ago.

It’s getting to be that time of year again, where counselors with hundreds of kids will be asked to write a letter of recommendation for them as if each student were their own child. Some colleges let counselors check a box where they can choose not to write a letter at all, simply because their caseload is so big, they don’t think they can really do the student any justice.

But that only means that the counselor letters that do get written, and get the job done, mean that much more to getting a student into college.

So try this:

The goal of the letter is, on one page, a reflection of who the student is, how they see the world, what matters to them, and what they’ve done in high school. Happily, you can say some of this without going into huge detail, as long as you know a little about the student, and a story or two that mirrors their life. 

Gather your data so that you can achieve the goal. Sure, you have way too many students—but you see nearly all of them a couple of times a year, to schedule classes, or do vocational searches. Change these exercises so that it’s less about the task at hand, and more about them. If the vocational search says they should be a mortician (by the way—they all say that), ask the student how they feel about that, or what they had hoped the results would say, and why. There’s a story. Managing those pesky schedule changes? “We can talk about your change once you tell me the best and weirdest things that happened to you this summer.” It may not tell you a story you can share with a college, but it will tell you about the student. Six or eight of these interactions, and you’re good to go.

Remember that the college isn’t looking to your letter to talk about academic readiness (that’s the transcript’s job), other than a sentence about if they are curious about the world, and how hard their classes were compared to the rest of the curriculum. The real question your letter needs to address is “Who are we getting if we admit this kid?” That’s not a letter—that’s a conversation over drinks at the end of the day. Write your letter with that in mind.

Start with the story. The line I quoted above was the first line in the letter. Not adjectives, not platitudes—a genuine look at who the student was. After the story, talk about their academics, discuss where they’re headed (because you asked about this during your junior interview with them). Finish with another story, or more of the first story, and you’re good to go.

You went into this job to get to know students, and make a difference in their lives. Get to know their story, and share it with their colleges.

New Trends (?) in College Admission

by Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D.

Summer was a time for change in college admission. Here are a few of those changes, and what they might mean to school counselors as they advise their students:

Testing Less Optional Several high profile colleges announced they are once again asking students to submit ACT and SAT scores when applying for admission. Since these colleges are among the handful mainstream media covers to death, it’s easy to think this is a trend.

It isn’t. A report from FairTest indicates about 90 percent of all colleges are still test optional, including some of the more popular ones. Some school counselors may still urge students to take a test to keep their options open, but if your students largely fit the bill of applying to colleges within 150 miles from home, knowing their policies is the best place to build your college counseling strategy.

The $100,000 Colleges National media also seemed to have a field day with the colleges where the cost of attendance pushed into six figures. Many of these articles fail to explain how few students actually pay full freight, aiming for the Chicken Little approach towards college costs that leads to fear, misunderstanding, and lots of parents who decide they can’t afford college without even bothering to look into all the options.

There are 16 colleges that pass the 100K benchmark, leaving the number of colleges under that price at, well, almost all of them. In the 1950s, average college tuition was about the cost of a new Chevrolet. Today, average college tuition is about—the cost of a new Chevrolet. Cars may cost too much today as well, but this should still be enough to begin a down-to-earth conversation about college affordability.

Want to Come Here? Great! Efforts are underway to increase college applicants, a result of the upcoming decline in high school graduates. The state of Michigan joined these efforts this summer with MI College Match, a program where qualified students fill out some basic information, including interests and their preferred college options, submit a transcript, and wait to hear back from any or all of the 21 public and private Michigan colleges participating in the program. No formal application, no essays, no letters of recommendation.

Similar to direct admission programs offered by Common Application and the state of Alabama, MI College Match is only open to students attending high schools involved with programming at the Michigan College Access Network, an organization focusing on growing college access for first gen and low-income students. The challenge for participating colleges is evaluating these applicants against those who will still be submitting a traditional application with all the trimmings. If they can make this work, it could mean a big shift in how students choose colleges.

AI and College Essays Application essays have fallen under greater scrutiny with the arrival of Artificial Intelligence, a tool that makes it much easier for students to let a computer come up with the right way to write their way into college. Early AI detection software doesn’t seem to be doing the trick, leaving admissions offices wondering what to do—not that they need it, since admissions officers have long been good at sorting out essays 17-year-olds couldn’t possibly write.

Still, help them out by making this your policy about AI, and promoting it heavily:

“Colleges expect all applicants to be the writers of their college essays—not the primary writer or chief editor, but the actual writer. Don’t use another person, or a computer, to write, or even help write your college essays. Self-discovery is hard, but it’s important. Write them yourself.”

Introduction to College (And Life)

by Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D.

A new year means a new start. Let’s remind ourselves — and our students about what really matters.

The reason schools exist The goal of education is for students to learn more about themselves and the world around them. This includes the learning of facts, the understanding and invention of ideas, how to get along well with others, and the challenges we face as residents of the planet. 

Colleges exist for these same reasons Ask any college graduate about their experience, and they will tell you about the friends they met, the moments that changed their life, and how much they learned about themselves. Most headlines insist college is just a place for job preparation, that paying more for tuition than you’ll realize in pay differential is a waste of time. Evidently not.

Not everyone needs to go to college Future barbers are just as important as future doctors, and they don’t need to go to college, any more than future doctors need to go to barber school. On the other hand, if they’d like a bigger look at the world around them without having to leave the continent, a year or two of college could do that in ways few other things can. They won’t make more money as barbers, but they might be, you know, more fulfilled.

You don’t have to choose College or Not in high school No matter what’s next, success in high school lies in doing three things:

Take the most challenging and interesting classes you can, and be a good student So do the homework, take notes, review your homework and your notes, and at the end of each study session, ask yourself, how does this relate to what I learned yesterday?

Challenge yourself with learning activities outside the classroom A job, clubs, the youth group at your place of worship, sports teams—there are lots of ways to be an active participant and student of life. Find the stuff you love, and don’t be afraid to try new things. You were a really bad walker when you started. You got better.

Volunteer your time Everyone can do something to make the world a better place, including you. Share your time, share your talents, be a listening ear, coach a fourth-grade basketball team. You are needed.

Explore colleges Not every college requires four years of living in a dorm, and things like size, location, who else goes there, and the classes they offer make colleges very different from one another. Investigation is part of all growth, including the times when you conclude “Thanks, but I’ll pass”. But investigation comes before conclusion.

Applying to college is generally not rocket science The average student who goes to college applies to 5, all within 150 miles from home. The application for each of these colleges usually takes about 20 minutes to complete, without help from anyone. If the application is more complex, free online resources can help you put the pieces together, and most schools have counselors that will do the same thing.

College costs money In the 1950s, average college tuition cost as much as a new Chevrolet. Today, average college tuition costs—as much as a new Chevrolet. Expensive colleges usually offer help with paying for those who need it. Make sure you apply to a couple of colleges you like that are affordable, and you’ll be fine. Going into debt to go to college is a choice, not a mandate. You can still get a degree, buy pizza once a week, and start your career debt free.

That’s why you’re doing what you’re doing.

Welcome back.

Summer Musings

by Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D.

Another year. Whew. Time, at least for most of us, for at least a few days of remembering just how great it feels to sit without a computer screen in front of us, and, if we’re lucky, how sweet a ripe watermelon really tastes.

Given that well deserved rest, we might also have time to think some bigger thoughts about our profession, and consider ways to take on issues that, if done well, can help every student who’s thinking about college. Here’s my list for summer ponderings.

We say we hate the mania, and yet… All the May 1 news continues to be about the same 25 colleges with admit rates lower than the chances of getting struck by lightning. Until that changes, perhaps we should stop wondering why rising senior families are anxious about college, and may decide not to even bother to apply, even though the vast majority of colleges admit 50-75% of their applicants. Our profession, and our society, continues to be content with keeping this secret—and our profession seems to like it that way.

The Brag List A day hasn’t gone by in the last week when at least seven high schools or independent college counselors have posted their “Admitted To” lists to LinkedIn, with more schools posting them in full-page ads in their local paper. 

While the stated goal is to congratulate their college-bound students, that’s something that can be done—and is best done—with a handwritten note, small gift, or direct conversation. Printing the acceptance list may seem to do this, but it has the disadvantage of lending a tone of “look at me” that reinforces the idea that college admissions is about winning and losing. It also continues to suggest students doing something else with their lives—like going to HVAC technical training for six months to begin a career where they can support their ailing parents—are less noble. 

Double Depositing This is also the time of year when a handful of professionals come out in favor of double depositing, the practice where a student gets to May 1 with all the information they need to choose only one college, but decides to choose more than one. 

College choice is about the student, and that in turn is about making sure the student learns the skills, mindset, and maturity needed to make a strong college choice. It’s also about the college, because this is a partnership. If the student has all the information in hand by May 1, expecting them to make a firm commitment is an opportunity to practice the adult skill of decision-making with integrity to their decision-making partner. Any college that asks for a May 1 commitment without giving the student a full financial aid offer is demonstrating the height of hypocrisy, and, with all respect, gets what they deserve. Otherwise, the band is playing, and it’s time for the student to dance with one partner.

The college selection process remains, at its core, a pretty simple idea—spend time working with 9-11 grade students to understand more about themselves and the world around them, and help them find a next place to continue that exploration. We can get back there, as long as we are willing to stop blaming the problem on others. The great cartoon character Pogo is right again. We’ve met the enemy, and the enemy is us. It’s a hard truth, but the sooner we take it in, the sooner we can move forward.

Have a great summer, and, as always, thank you for reading.

We Opened Up College Access Last Week to Thousands of Students

by Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D.

It started with a call from a mother on the West side of Michigan. A member of her family was about to apply to college, and was thinking about applying to some schools without submitting her SAT scores. In this student’s case, that issue had already been decided, since Michigan had a state law requiring SAT scores that are part of statewide testing to be placed on the student’s transcript. Colleges still require transcripts, so, like it or not, colleges got the scores. 

Part of my work requires me to pay attention to issues like this, and when a state law prevents students from living out their college dreams, I’m supposed to call this to the government’s attention, and diplomatically ask them to cut it out. The only way to do that here was request the law be changed, a process in Michigan that parallels that of the federal government, nicely described by Schoolhouse Rock. 

I have the good fortune to know a public policy colleague whose passion is access to school. He was a leader in the state legislature, so in the time it takes most conversations to get around to how are the wife and kids, he understood the problem, and said the words every amateur lobbyist loves—“Leave it with me.” He found a legislator willing to sponsor the bill, and it made its way through the process with remarkable speed. It really seemed like everyone, Republican and Democrat alike, got it.

And then. With about eight weeks before the bill expired, the last vote needed to pass the bill was never scheduled—and we couldn’t find out why. Politics afoot, the bill died, and had to be reintroduced the next year. Unfortunately, the sponsor of the bill suddenly found himself in a dicey political situation, where no one wanted to give him, or any of his legislation, the time of day. After the dance of asking the original sponsor for his OK to get someone else to take over—now there’s a conversation-- there just weren’t a lot of avenues to pursue, since everyone was preoccupied with reelection.

Enter year 4. I heard a member of the House might be willing to take up this work, a former teacher. A meeting in January yielded interest, but no action—until August, when committee hearings for the bill were suddenly being held with two days’ notice. Counselors (OK, I) and our key allies scrambled to put witnesses together, including a public-school counselor so persuasive, I was convinced the committee was going to ask her out to lunch.

Suddenly, we were back on track. Unanimous votes out of committees and on legislative floors, combined with delays for things like the legislature being out of session for deer hunting season (welcome to Michigan), ultimately led to one final vote. A phone call suggested this last vote might once again never come. It came two days later. Unanimous again.

There is incredible cynicism about the value of governance and the value of college these days, with people thinking efforts to make things better are vain. That’s easy to believe if all you do is look at the whole picture. Instead, find a small piece, and think about changing that.

 The governor signed the bill into law, so democracy is better, thanks to a high school junior, a caring mom, and a few folks who still believe good can be created out of thin air. It took time and effort. Valuable things do.

And thousands of students I’ll never meet benefited from my part in this work.

Talk about humbling.