Eight Reminders for Your College Applicants

By:  Patrick O'Connor  Ph.D

Now that the calendar has turned to a new year, seniors are turning their attention to
graduation.  It’s easy to see why, since the end of high school includes so many exciting activities—but it’s also important to make sure students are doing what they need to do to make sure graduation happens on time.

This is especially true for seniors who have applied to college.  Most of them assume all that’s left for them to do now is wait to hear back from their colleges.  That may be true for some, but more and more colleges are reaching out to students with all kinds of requests and reminders.  Here’s a list you may want to share with your seniors, so the logistics of applying to college stay on track.

Make sure you’re graduating.  Colleges don’t care about gym credits; your high school might.  Now is the time to make sure you’re really going to be done with high school this spring.  Ask your counselor one last time.

Check your email regularly, including the spam filter.  Email may seem like old news to you, but it’s the way most colleges still reach out to students.  This is how you’ll know if your application is incomplete, if there’s a housing deposit due, or if there’s a scholarship you could qualify for.  Check email three times a week, and include a search of your spam filter—you never know what you might find.

Complete the FAFSA and other financial aid forms.  Getting into college is great; being able to pay for it is even better.  Many states have a February 1 or February 15 deadline for state aid, and almost all colleges won’t give you any aid without a FAFSA. Take the time to fill out the form, and check with your counselor on resources that can help.

Notify colleges of schedule changes.  It might be fine with your parents if you drop AP History for History of Pizza, but your colleges may see that move differently.  You promised your colleges—including the ones that have already admitted you—you’d keep them informed of any changes.  If you have a new schedule, you owe them an email.

Notify colleges of disciplinary changes.  This is also true if you’ve had a run-in with the school’s code of conduct since you applied to college—if you’ve been suspended, put on probation, or received some other discipline at school, you likely have to report it to all your colleges.  Talk to your counselor to make sure, and to find out the best way to handle this.

Review your admission packets.  You have until May 1 to submit an enrollment deposit at any college that’s admitted you, but some colleges require you to pay housing deposits or sign up for orientation sooner than that.  Now’s the time to re-read your admission materials, making sure you’re staying in touch with your schools.

Stay in touch with the counseling office.  The college you end up attending is going to want a final transcript, and that’s usually sent by your counselor.  Make sure you know how, and when, to let them know where you’re heading, or enrolling to college will be impossible.

Finish strong.  The best way to be college ready is to keep sharp in your high school classes.  It’s also the best way to make sure your grades don’t dive, which could lead colleges to decide maybe you aren’t all that serious about learning after all.  There’s room for senior fun and great grades; do both.

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Picking a College? Don’t Do This

By:  Patrick O'Connor  Ph.D

Students are beginning to sort out their college choices, and make a final decision about where thy should go.  I tell my students there’s only so much data they can use in this decision, and, sooner or later, they need to turn off the data sources and follow their well-informed hearts. To support that point, here are a few ideas on what not to consider in a college decision.
A major you made up in the first place. Now that your college search is over, you can tell the truth — you really don’t know what you want to study in college. You said it was going to be Archaeology because that’s the first thing that came to mind at your college interview, or when Uncle Jim asked you in front of everyone at Thanksgiving, and, well, you couldn’t really say “I don’t know,” right?

If you’ve somehow ended up with three colleges that offer little else besides classes like From Darth Vader to Indiana Jones: A Family Tree That Needs Pruning, it may be time to re-evaluate your list, since archaeology isn’t your true calling after all. Yes, this may raise the ire of your parents, but better to tell them now than after you’ve earned a year’s worth of credits that won’t transfer.

Undecided is the most popular major for college freshmen, and with good reason. If you need time to sort out your future, pick a college that gives you that time. Uncle Jim will be pleased in the long run — more important, so will you.
Where your high school sweetheart goes. I know exactly how you feel. You can easily see the two of you together when you announce your run for the White House as the high school sweethearts whose love lasted forever. That would be great.

Here’s the thing — not all high school sweethearts go to the same college. They go to different schools, find a way to share those experiences with each other, graduate from college, and start their life together. Two different lives that are one.

It can work that way for you, too. If nursing school is their thing, you can support them — but you don’t have to go there, too. I mean, they were in marching band while you ran cross country, and that worked out, right? They follow their passions, you follow yours, and you have a rich life together through the trust you have in one another. That’s the basis of a good life, a good relationship, and a good college choice.
Money only. College A and College B both have great majors, and each campus gives you the right blend of comfort and challenge. College A is $20,000 less than College B, so you pick College A. Great.

College C is offering your buddy a full ride, but doesn’t offer either of the majors your friend wants, is in a part of the country they don’t like, and has a campus that gave them a bad feel. College D isn’t perfect and involves some debt, but your pal loves it — it’s just that College C is such a bargain.

Cost is certainly a huge part of the college decision, but it costs a lot of everything else to go to a college that gives you neither a promising future nor an exciting present. Think carefully about the money, but make a choice that wisely balances long-term financial debt with short-term personal sacrifices. That isn’t to say you should ignore cost completely, but too much of either is a bad deal.

5 Admissions Questions to Ask on a College Tour

By:  Patrick O'Connor  Ph.D

With the end of college application season, juniors are anxious to jump in to the college selection process with both feet—and that’s a good thing.  Exploration of college options is an integral part of personal growth.  If done well, it helps a student understand more about the options available to them—college and otherwise—and gives them better insights into their talents, their interests, and their needs.

One of the best ways to begin this process of self-discovery is to visit an actual college campus or two.  Online searches are great, but there’s an intuitive part of the college search that only a campus visit can fill. 

Fall or winter visits are still the best, but no matter when you go, it’s important to make the most of each visit by preparing a list of questions ahead of time that are based on your interests. ACT and College Board offer a nice set of starter questions, but you’ll want to add these five questions to any list you build:

Does my major affect my chances of admission? Students often gauge their chances of admission on college-wide information, like average GPA and overall percentage of students admitted. But some colleges limit the number of students they’ll admit to specific programs, and that could include the major you’re interested in. Engineering, honors colleges, and accelerated professional programs are the usual suspects, but the only way you know History is wide open is if you ask — and if your major is limited, ask what they’re looking for.

Do you offer residential programs? Many big colleges know some students thrive best in smaller classes where they can get to know their professors — and that’s why they offer residential programs, or living-learning communities. Often based by major, these programs typically hold classes in the student’s residence hall, which is where their professors have their offices, and many offer research opportunities students wouldn’t otherwise be able to access. It’s the best of a big and small school, all in one campus.

Do you ask what other colleges I’m applying to? Students are often surprised when colleges want to know where else they’re applying — and while most colleges don’t ask, it happens often enough that students should be ready for the question. If a college of interest tells you they do, don’t be shy; ask them what they use the information for. They may just use it for statistical purposes, but it may play a role in your admissions decision or scholarship package. It’s better you know.

Does your net price calculator include merit scholarships? The U.S. government requires all colleges to have a net price calculator on their website (can’t find it? Search for “(Name of Your School) Net Price Calculator”), but not every calculator takes the same factors into consideration when giving you a price tag. If you think a college will offer you merit money (check here to see what your college might offer), make sure you know if that’s part of the calculation, or bonus money.

Do you consider ability to pay when reviewing my application? Colleges would like to give all students the aid they need to attend, but school budgets just don’t allow for that. As a result, some schools will look at the financial need of an applicant as part of the admissions process. This changes from year to year and varies from school to school, so make sure you know what the policy is for each of your colleges—and if you get an answer you don’t understand, your very appropriate follow-up question is “what does that mean?”

Safe Schools Report and School Counselors—What’s Next?

By:  Patrick O'Connor  Ph.D

Amid the whirl of preparing students for December break, school counselors haven’t had the chance to digest the Federal Commission on School Safety. Counselor organizations and civil rights groups have largely responded with disappointment over what the report included, and what it didn’t include:

• The report did recommend the removal of guidelines for school punishment policies that had been put in place by the Obama Administration. These guidelines were installed to help address the imbalance of school discipline practices that adversely affected students of color. Civil rights advocates see this as a step backward in the efforts to support underserved populations.
• The report offered little guidance on removing guns from school, or policies to strengthen current gun control efforts. While the report also backed away from President Trump’s recommendation to arm teaches, counselor groups viewed the lack of recommendations on gun control as a huge void.
• While mentioning the need for additional mental health resources in schools, the report did not recommend specific funding targets or service goals for either the states or the federal government.

It would be easy to see the lack of specificity in these key areas as limitations on our abilities to move local efforts forward in school safety. At the same time, the simple presence of a national report on school safety is more than enough to fuel counselor efforts to begin local discussions on this important issue. This is particularly true if counselors keep these key points in mind:

• The Trump Administration has long believed that education is primarily, if not solely, a state responsibility. Since that’s the case, it shouldn’t be a surprise that ED has developed a report that creates a framework for discussions the states need to fill in with programs, policies, and goals that are tailored to meet their unique needs. Since that was clearly the objective from the day the Commission was created, viewing the report as an invitation for local discussion is the best way to go.
• Safe schools is still a hot topic among state legislators and policy makers. While the Commission’s report contains no specific funding recommendations, Congress has already provided the states with additional Title IV A Funding, money that can be used for everything from offering AP classes to increasing student mental health services.  States are currently deciding just how to use that money, so now is the time to find out which agency in your state is overseeing the distribution of those funds, and make the case for using more of that new money for safe schools.
• State funding for safe schools is still on the table. The increase in Title IV A could be reason enough for state officials to decide they don’t need to break open local coffers to support this effort.  On the other hand, elected officials who made safe schools a campaign issue at the state level could be persuaded to see the Federal money as a good start—one that needs state support to really make a meaningful difference.
• This is a huge issue with principals. School counselors lament that principals don’t provide counseling programs with enough budget, support, or credit for the important work done to advance their building’s mental health goals.  With safe schools dominating the headlines, any principal would gladly welcome a counselor-constructed plan to advance safe schools as a department goal.  That can pay big dividends for students and counselors alike.

We often tell our students to find a way to make lemonade when life hands us lemons.  The Safe Schools report, if nothing else, gives us an opportunity to practice what we preach.

Five Trends to Watch in the Year to Come

By:  Patrick O'Connor  Ph.D

It’s the annual December toss-up- do you write about the year in review, or do you write about the year to come?  A little advanced planning would allow me to do both, but the life of a school counselor means planning ahead is a luxury.  Let’s just look ahead, shall we?

The Harvard Case Comes to Its First Resolution  The first few months of 2019 will undoubtedly bring a decision in the Harvard Admissions case, where plaintiffs claimed Harvard had shown bias against Asian Americans.  This case will likely be appealed to the US Supreme Court, but the initial decision itself could be more than enough to lead colleges to alter the tools they use in reviewing applicants.  Most likely up for consideration is the use of standardized testing, where assigning a number to a student’s ability is one of the easiest ways to create a comparison among students, even if the basis of the comparison is faulty. Advocates of test optional admissions see a ruling for the plaintiffs as one more nail in the coffin of standardized testing, and a rise in the use of the more amorphous holistic review.

Other College Testing Likely to Change  A large number of colleges stopped requiring students to submit the writing portion of either the SAT or ACT in 2018, leaving the number of school requiring the test at around a dozen.  Since nine of those schools are the UC colleges, keep an eye on what, if anything UC does with their policy.  Combined with the ever-shrinking number of colleges requiring Subject Tests, 2019 could see a major shift in the role testing plays, and in the development of home-grown alternatives for those who will want to see expertise in specific areas (we’re looking at you, engineering schools.)

Self-Reporting Scores and July Application Windows  Colleges allowing students greater control of their own application (and the chance to save some serious money) are letting students report their own grades and test scores, requiring verification as a condition of enrollment.  This welcome news makes it easier for students to apply, but when paired with the new trend of colleges offering incentives for students to apply as early as July 15 of their junior-senior summer, there could be an increase in incentives for students to complete their college plans before senior year even starts.  This change would throw a real wrench into the logistics and staffing of most counseling offices, and has led some counselors to wonder if early has finally become too early.  Keep a close eye on this.

The Reality of Free College  Colleges and policy makers continue to look for ways to make the financing and paying of college more manageable and palatable for students and families.  Of these options, the Free College movement is likely to gain some traction, thanks to the rise of several progressive candidates in Congress.  A balanced evaluation of current efforts will include an assessment of who really pays for free college, and if it advantages those who aren’t already advantaged by the current system.  Early findings in both these areas are murky; bringing the issue to light can only help all involved.

Liberal Arts Colleges Limping Along?  A few well-placed college counselors are hearing about colleges who are experiencing the pain of discounting themselves into near bankruptcy.  Unlike past predictions that the “college bubble will burst”, this reality is expected to affect small liberal arts colleges only, and over a number of years.  Continuing declines in some high school graduation rates might only exacerbate the problem, as colleges may have to spend more to get the attention of fewer students.

Reflections on a College Tour

By:  Patrick O'Connor  Ph.D

 

I had a first in my college counseling career last week when I went on an organized multi-college tour.  When you’re the only person in your office—as I was for so long—getting away to see colleges is, at best, a one day commitment, so the idea of taking an entire week away from the office to see nine college campuses was new to me.  It also left me wondering if I could follow the advice I offer my students—to write down your impressions the minute the tour is over, so you don’t confuse the qualities of one campus with the features of another.

It turns out I didn’t have too much to worry about in that department.  This tour has been going on for ages, and those in charge leave no detail to chance.  We were greeted with an itinerary that would have made any logistics expert shed a tear of joy, including a booklet that included a summary of the essential statistics and vital qualities of each school.  I was free to add my own notes in the ample notes section in the back, but even if I didn’t, there was no way I was going home with nine schools jumbled in my head.

Overall, the experience taught or reminded me of three things about this profession, all lessons that were timely.

College admissions folks are pretty amazing.  A tour of this magnitude requires the organizers to pay attention to things that ostensibly have little to do with helping students choose a college—where do we park the bus, is the mascot going to be available for pictures with the counselors, what events do we hold for the tour group at night.  Each college managed these details flawlessly, and when an all-day rain soaked the tour To. The. Bone., the host school welcomed us to an hour lecture, replete with space heaters to dry our shoes, and a fresh pair of dry socks, adorning the school mascot no less.

This is going on during the busiest time of the year for these college admissions offices.  All nine schools offer some kind of early admission deadline, requiring admissions officers to give up most nights and weekends to reach decisions on each applicant—and that’s under normal circumstances.  Throw in an organized tour of 35 or so school counselors who have never seen your campus before, and the time management challenge can go from interesting to mind altering.  Not with this group of hosts, which was gracious and warm from start to finish.  If there isn’t a special level of heaven for these folks, someone should start building it now.

College students are nothing short of inspiring.  Every college visit included a tour of the campus led by a current student, as well as a panel of student speakers talking about life at the college.  Most of these students are paid by the college for their work, so it would be easy to view these events in a mercenary way, much like asking the waiter if the soup is good.  Really, what are you expecting them to say?

All the satires of college tours underestimate the x factor—the genuineness of the students running them. Each of the nine colleges was getting ready for final exams, but each tour included no less than a dozen students who were telling us their stories, not the company line.  The student studying math and science who will soon be doing currency analysis for Godman Sachs.  The many students planning on bringing their social justice interests to light in years of service.  The former Marine who will graduate a highly selective college at age 39, who basically had to talk the college into accepting a transfer student.  They all had other things to do—including the tour guide who was presenting his graduation thesis as soon as he was done giving the tour—but they also had a story, and a desire to share it.  There’s no way I’m mixing up those stories, so there’s no way I’m mixing up those colleges.

We do pretty great work.  Part of being a good tour participant is looking past the presentations- which offer summaries of the school—to understand the pulse of the place itself.  That wasn’t hard to do in this case.  The nine schools we toured were distinct in mission and tone, but they all had one thing in common—their students were thrilled to be there, and said they wouldn’t be happy anywhere else.  From interactions at the bookstore to remarks made in classrooms, it was clear the students at those schools got up every morning with no intention of leaving anything on the table.  So much for the “it doesn’t matter where you go to college” argument.

A lot of that has to do with us.  It’s easy to let the media convince the world that college admissions is a cutthroat endeavor, that there are only six great colleges in the world for everyone, and that no one can possibly hope to finish a college degree on time, unless of course they then go straight off to debtor’s prison.

Nine colleges and five days letter, I’m reminded how little is understood about the college search—and how much we do to shed light on it.  Our caseloads aren’t always optimal, the “other duties as assigned” are nothing short of maddening, and there is never enough time or resources to serve every deserving student.  Stepping away from the office to see the After effect of our work—including a reunion with one of my former students, who works at a college admissions office—I’m remined of how much good we are doing in this world, making a big process personal to so many, even as there is more good to do. We have much to be proud of, and much to be grateful for.

Of Course It Matters Where You Go to College

By:  Patrick O'Connor Ph.D

There’s an article making the rounds on social media, claiming it doesn’t really matter where you go to college, as long as you apply yourself and make the most of the opportunities available at wherever you end up going.  Given the timing of the piece, it’s safe to say the article is designed to cushion the blow when the first round of application decisions start coming out next week.  I imagine the intent is to offer support to students when a college tells them No, or worse yet, Maybe.

That intent is very important, but it is also a little misguided.  Students certainly need to understand there are probably several colleges that offer what they’re looking for in terms of size, location, cost, atmosphere, major, and more.  In developing this list of qualities, the student may come across one school they see as Perfect, where an offer of admission will be seen as making the sacrifices of high school more than worth it, and a No will lead to the conclusion that all of that hard work and learning just wasn’t worth it. That can be dangerous, no matter what decision the college makes, so a conversation about Perfect schools is important, to be sure, and should be had throughout the counseling process.

That’s very different from telling a student “Pick anywhere, and you’ll be fine.”  A student interested in Criminal Justice isn’t going to get excited about a school that doesn’t offer that major, no matter how likely they are to change their major once they start college.  The same is true for a student who is looking for a college rich with school spirit who ends up at a commuter campus.  The classes may be the same as at the more spirited school down the street, but for that student, the college experience won’t be.  And students who end up at a school that calls for more financial resources than their budget can allow?  They will never spend a day in class without worrying how they’re going to pay all of this off.  That isn’t college; that is a state of perpetual anxiety.

Before labeling this concern as a defense of a generation of unresilient snowflakes, think about the process most counselors use when helping students pare down the list of colleges they should consider.  Effective college counselors ask students strong open-ended questions that limit the range of possible schools.  “What are you looking for in your next school?,” “Do you know what you’d like to study?,” and “Does the location of the school matter to you?” are all designed to get a student to think about the aspects of college that will offer the right mix of opportunity, challenge, and support for them.  What does it say to a student who has embraced online college research, college fairs, and campus visits in search of the right colleges—things you encouraged them to do-- when you now tell them, in essence, hey, just kidding?

For most students, college is the first time in their lives they have some say about  where they go to school, or at least want to go to school.  A well-developed college list reflects the student’s best understanding of who they are, what matters to them, and how they see the world.  Telling them now they’ll be fine no matter what college they go to disrespects their aspirations, their understanding of self, and their investment in the college search.  The college selection process started with the student’s vision of what success looks like. It’s best to use that as a guide until the process ends.