Dare to Dream, Dare to Do—Take a College Counseling Class This Summer

By Patrick O'Connor Ph.D

This is a tough time of year to be a school counselor.  You are giving every free moment to life at school, running the awards assembly, putting the final touch on next year’s schedules, calling parents to tell them graduation will have to wait until summer school’s over, and consoling the senior whose parents didn’t really want to hear about summer school.  It’s the busiest time of the year, an intense time when you say goodbye to students rich with promise, wish the best to students you’ll never see again…

…and face that quiet moment in your office when the last bell rings, wondering if you could have done more.

I remember that feeling—you can’t help but have it when your caseload weighs in at about 475 students, and you’re lucky to get to know half of them in any given year.  My first few years found me relying heavily on instinct when I worked with the crisis students; knowing what to say to students with low grades or absent parents was a natural part of the counselor I’d become, so it was easy being the go-to guy when things got tough. 

The larger challenge was helping students make college plans that were as big as their aspirations. When less than 50% of your students head off to college, you want two things to happen:  You want to make sure those heading off to college find the best place to succeed, and you want the “less than 50” to grow to “way more than 50”—not because everyone should go to college, but because not everyone who should go to college gets the help they deserve.

Time went by, and I gained a little confidence in helping students with college plans.  Thanks to the patient advice of many, many colleagues, I started to become the go-to guy for college, too, watching a lot of first generation students find their way to—and through—college. Like the end of It’s a Wonderful Life, that’s a story that just doesn’t get old. 

After a while, I became one of those patient colleagues, a little amazed my fellow counselors would ask me college questions, but glad I could help them out, and even more glad I could help their students out. Once I saw how many counselors were looking for help, I begged colleges to offer more training to counselors in college advising, but no one saw the need the same way I did…

…so I started a class myself.

We’re in year five now, and the class is taught through the continuing education programs at community colleges.  The tuition is cheap, and the camaraderie is amazing; 15-20 school counselors giving up one week of an already short summer, digging in to development theory, curriculum development, and college application logistics.  They each leave with a plan and a program to make college access stronger in their buildings, and when they e-mail me their success stories, it’s kind of like It’s a Wonderful Life on steroids.

I’m offering the class again this summer, including an online version that creates a community of learners that’s just as fierce.  I know your summer is short, but if you keep thinking you’d like to do more with college planning, there’s a way to do that now.  You keep telling your students to dare to dream; maybe now it’s the time to lead by example, and dare to do.

I’m at collegeisyours@comcast.net if you’re interested.

College Access and Your Principal-- It's Time to Talk

By Patrick O'Connor Ph.D

If you’ve been looking for evidence to support a request to provide more college programming, look no more.  A new report from the National Association for College Admission Counseling offers these nuggets on college counseling in general:

• “Schools with higher four-year college-going rates were more likely than those whose rates were lower to spend a greater proportion of their time on college counseling.
• “Schools with higher four-year college-going rates and schools spending a larger proportion of their time on college counseling were more likely to report college preparation as their primary goal.
• “Schools with higher four-year college-going rates were more likely to require a parent's signature on career and education plans.”

And then, they drop this bomb:

·         “Only 18 percent of ninth-grade students had spoken with a counselor about college.”

Combined with reports from formidable groups like Public Agenda and College Board, the NACAC study offers an avalanche of material supporting an increase in early college readiness and college advising. Counselors have intuitively understood it’s a bad idea to begin college conversations in the 11^th grade; these studies confirm those intuitions, and urge us to do more…

…but we can’t do this alone.  It would be easy enough to create a college awareness lesson to slide into the Health curriculum.  But these studies are talking about much more than that; they’re pointing to an attitude about college access that has to permeate the counselor’s day, the counselor’s office, and the counselor’s colleagues.  There is no doubt the school counselor needs to be the school’s chief college advocate, but the counselor shouldn’t (and can’t) be the only college advocate.  You have to build a community of supporters.

That’s where the studies come in handy.  When it comes to assembling the team, your first draft choice is your building administrator, and if you want to win them over, you have to speak their native language—data. This is especially true in schools where resources are scarce and where parents may question the value of college.  If you want your principal to really understand what college can do for the college aspirations of students whose parents didn’t go to college, show them these highlights from the report:

• “The percentage of time that counselors spent on college readiness activities was positively related to first-generation college students believing college was affordable. 
• “A family member talking to a counselor (or teacher) about post-secondary admission requirements was positively related to first generation college students' plans to enroll in a bachelor's degree program. 
• “First-generation students' speaking to a counselor about college was positively related to their intentions to enroll in a bachelor's degree program and taking or planning to take the SAT or ACT.”

In other words, the gateway to a brighter future for first generation students is their school counseling office.

It’s going to take more than a couple of studies to win your principal over, so you may want to look at the college advising curricula that are offered by College Board and NACAC—both are comprehensive, and both are free.  With ample lesson plans and programs dedicated to improving college readiness, and with data to show the impact these programs can make on the college plans of ninth graders, it’s time to talk college access with your principal, and time to say goodbye to lunch duty.

You can access the report and other college access materials at http://www.nacacnet.org/research/research-data/nacac-research/Pages/Preparing-Students-for-College.aspx

College Board’s College and Career Readiness Program can be found at http://nosca.collegeboard.org/eight-components

NACAC’s Step By Step College Awareness and Planning program can be found athttp://www.nacacnet.org/research/PublicationsResources/Marketplace/student/Pages/GuidingEducation.aspx

Is College Worth It?

By Patrick O'Connor Ph.D

It seems like all the latest college stories claim college isn’t worth it.  Recently, a Nobel-winning economist has said the current level of student debt is unacceptable; a new ranking method indicates the value of each college based on the average salaries of its graduates, and several articles predict the college of the future will be more about online learning and the accumulation of mastery certificates than about classrooms, fall football games, and actual college degrees.

Counselors know the current college picture isn’t perfect, but a closer look at this latest wave of articles shows a lack of understanding of life after high school—a life that’s a little more complex than the authors would have us believe.

·         Student debt is a major issue, but so is consumer debt.  Recent stories suggest the average college graduate completes a Bachelor’s degree with about $27,000 in debt, while other stories indicate the average American household that has credit card debt owes over $15,000 for goods and services put on plastic.  Is the real issue how much private colleges cost, or is the real issue that Americans need to develop new purchasing behaviors as a whole?

·         A closer look at the new college rankings shows us what we already know.  The “best” colleges at creating high-paying jobs are engineering schools, and the “worst” colleges in this area are art schools.  These results suggest counselors need to make sure art students understand they shouldn’t plan on going into this field for the money—except, of course, we already do this.

·         The articles predicting the death of the on-campus overlook the results of the alternatives.  Many of the Massive Online Open Courses that seem to be all the rage are enrolling thousands of students, but have completion rates of less than ten percent—far worse than the graduation rates of most colleges. 

These college concerns leave us with incomplete answers when it comes to issues other than the bottom line and preparation for a better job.  If life after high school is just the accumulation of skills through online courses, where do our 18-22 year-olds live while they’re taking these classes?  How do they learn more about the world if learning involves staring at a screen for three hours a day at the kitchen table they’ve known all their lives?  What experiences will challenge their values and help them prepare for an independent life if the first four years of life on their own look remarkably like the last four years of life with Mom and Dad?

It’s important to remember college is more than the sum of its parts.  For better or worse, college is a place where students grow up; where they learn the rest of the world doesn’t look like them, and the entire world isn’t all about them.  Interacting with people who see things differently and who live different lives is a key component to realizing that growth—growth that can’t fully be realized when the only way students meet is through a screen, or rushing through a series of exams to get a credential to be a better worker.  College is also about learning to be a better person.

Many students spend far too much money and far too little time thinking about their college choice and its relationship to the rest of their lives.  With more time and better training, counselors can help students make better choices for life after high school, and make the most of the resources they have to make sure college enriches their lives, souls, employment opportunities—and the rest of the world.

Advice for Your Juniors—Four College Plans to Make Now

By: Patrick O'Connor  Ph.D

Advanced Placement season is upon us, which means many juniors are spending every free minute with their nose in a book, reviewing notes, or trying to connect to a web site while shouting "Can't you go any faster?"

Given this frenetic level of activity, this probably isn't the time to be talking about fall -- but there are a few autumnal things to put on the smartphone, personal planner, or family fridge. This can easily be done when you're taking a food break from your AP studies -- you are eating regularly, right? -- and once August comes, you'll be glad you planned ahead.

Check Your Senior Schedule 

The first step towards college is to graduate from high school, and that won't happen unless you have the classes needed for your diploma. Schedules will be finalized over the summer, and computers make big mistakes sometimes -- so be sure to double check. Look for your schedule when it comes in the mail in August, and think twice about making any last-minute class changes to easier classes. Senior year is supposed to be challenging.

Testing, Testing 

The SAT and ACT are both given in May and June, but some juniors just aren't ready to take on these tests while prepping for AP exams and wrapping up their demanding classes. If you'd like a little space between your tests, you're in good shape; ACT offers a test in mid-September, and SAT has an early October date.

The challenge here is that you'll have to register in August for these tests. Make a note to check the SAT and ACT Web sites around August 1.

College Application Deadlines 

seem to be moving up every year, including many public universities where thousands of students apply. This isn't a good trend -- most students write better essays when they're in school, not on vacation -- but if your top college picks want your application in September, now is the time to know.

The best way to plan out your applications is to make a list, or develop a spreadsheet. Around August 1, check the application deadlines on each college's Web site, and list your colleges by deadline, earliest first. If your first application isn't due until October 1, you have all of August to hit the beach; if anything is due in September, mark your calendar forAugust 20th as the day to start that application, then go back to the pool.

Ask for Letters of Recommendation 

No matter when your applications are due, now is the time to ask your teachers for letters of recommendation. This may not seem like a big deal to you -- after all, they can use the same letter for every college you're applying to -- but there's a good chance you aren't the only student who wants a letter from this teacher, and teachers get very busy when school starts, doing things like, well, teaching.

It's true that you're crazy busy now, but this deserves your time and attention. As soon as mid-May rolls around, talk to the teacher in person and ask if they would be willing to write you a good letter of recommendation. If they agree, thank them, and follow up with an email or note, letting them know when you need it. This is NOT the kind of thing to ask for by phone, email, or text; if you want them to give up their time for you, you need to give up some of your time for them.

Got it? OK, back to Tolstoy, then on to summer.

Why Every Senior Should Be Just Like Sara

By Patrick O'Connor  Ph.D

Sara came home from a softball came last spring and was surprised to see her father’s car in the driveway.  May was a busy month in his line of work, so he usually went back to the office after watching Sara pitch, finished a little paperwork, and came home in time for a late dinner.

That day, he greeted his daughter in the kitchen. “Nice game, Ace!”

“Thanks, Daddy.  Why are you home?”

He beamed at his 11^th grade daughter and said, “I have a surprise.  There’s an overseas community service project heading to a small village in Haiti.  They’ve opened a large orphanage there for children who lost parents in the earthquake, and they need volunteers to help with the babies, so the residents can rebuild their homes.”

Sara peeled an orange while her father continued. 

“You’d be there four days, and you’d be making a difference in the world.  Your grades are strong and your pitching is great, but I think something like this could put you over the top at the colleges we’re talking about.  The Web site for the project is up on the computer. What do you say?”

Sara continued to peel the orange.  “Can we talk about it at dinner?”

Her father was a little deflated, but he still smiled back.  “Sure, honey.  I’m going to run back to the office for a little bit, but I’ll see you at seven.”

Dad came through the kitchen door at 7:15 and quickly took his place at the table with the rest of the family.  After more congratulations for Sara’s great game and a little razzing about her hair from her tech-savvy brother John, her dad said “So, how about Haiti?”

Sara put her fork down slowly and looked up.  “It’s a great idea, Dad, but I looked on the Web site.  Does this trip really cost $6000?”

Her father choked on his ice water, while Sara’s mom gave him a long, cold stare.

“We can afford this, Sara” he said, smiling faintly.  “It’s about your future.”

Sara looked down at her placemat again, and swallowed hard.  “Well, I looked up the name of the town I’d be going to.  It turns out Habitat for Humanity is working there, too, and they need $4000 for a new pump so the town can get fresh water again.  I also called the Boys and Girls Club down on Wilson Street, and they said they could really use some help this summer.

“I sure appreciate the offer, Daddy, but don’t you think it would be better if I stayed here, and we sent the $4000 to Habitat for Humanity?  That way, the town would have fresh water forever, John could get that new computer he’ll need for high school next year, we’d have a little money left over for my college fund, and I could still make a difference in the world.  It would just be a difference in my own neighborhood.”

Sara’s mother did a very bad job of trying to chew nonchalantly, while John tried hard to wipe the tears out of his eyes in a 14 year-old macho fashion.  Her father’s shoulders relaxed, as he smiled almost to himself, and said “Yeah, honey. That’s a great idea.”

Sara is now a senior, and has heard from her colleges—but the question you should be asking yourself is not “Where did she get in?”

The real question to consider is “Does it really matter?”