Top Ten Trends in College Admissions (with a few bonus references on Michigan)

By:  Patrick O'Connor Ph.D

1. Competition for college admissions is up at many colleges.  More students are applying to college—and when they do apply, students are applying to more colleges than ever before.  Since most colleges aren’t admitting more students, this makes it harder to get admitted to selective and highly selective colleges.
2. This is especially true in Michigan, where Michigan State University and The University of Michigan are on track to receive a record number of applications this year, making admission more challenging.  This means more students are likely to start at another four-year college or a community college to transfer to U-M or MSU, a process that requires them to work closely with the transfer advisors in Ann Arbor or East Lansing.
3. More colleges are actively recruiting students from overseas. This is especially true among private colleges, making the applicant pool bigger and wider than ever before.
4. Test scores seem to matter more now than ever before at highly selective colleges, but students need more than high test scores to gain admission.  Seehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/patrick-oconnor/what-the-first-round-of-c_b_4646207.html
5. Colleges report that students are writing essays that don’t really tell the college all that much about the student, and that has a negative impact on the student’s application.  See http://www.huffingtonpost.com/patrick-oconnor/i-can-tell-you-nowtheir-e_b_3118268.html
6. Students are looking past a small question asked by many colleges that is a key part of the application process.  Known as the “Why Us?” question, this essay is used to make sure the student has really looked into what a college has to offer—but many times, the student doesn’t do enough research to provide a strong answer.  See http://www.huffingtonpost.com/patrick-oconnor/the-college-application-mistake_b_3982839.html
7. Students are borrowing more money to pay for college, making reliance on scholarships and merit scholarships more important than ever.  There are ways to cut the cost of attendance—look for colleges that offer merit scholarships (www.meritaid.com is a good place to begin), or think about other ways to earn college credit—seehttp://www.detroitnews.com/article/20090905/OPINION03/909050349
8. Parents are asking for more information about paying for college.  Now is the time to make sure paying for college is discussed with parents well before 11th grade, using resources like www.studentaid.ed.gov and http://www.finaid.org/about/Remember that financial aid officers from colleges are usually thrilled to come talk to high school parents about paying for college, and make great guest speakers.
9. Many colleges have stopped requiring ACT or SAT scores as part of the admissions process.  Many colleges are realizing that these scores don't give much additional information about a student the college doesn't already know from grades and letters of recommendation.  For these schools, students can can send the scores in if they want to, but they don't have to take the tests at all for purposes of admission. See www.fairtest.org/university/optional.
10. Many school districts are forming college-going partnerships with Local College Access Networks (LCANs) and the Michigan and Michigan State College Advising Corps.  These groups supplement the college-going efforts of school counselors in important ways, and create a larger sense of community support for college-going students.  For more information on LCANs, seehttp://www.micollegeaccess.org/grants . College Advising Corps information can be found at http://www.micollegeaccess.org/our-partners 

A Four-Year Degree is Worth More Than Ever

By:  Patrick O'Connor Ph.D

The world of higher education was thrown yet another loop this week when the Pew Research Center released a study on the value of a four-year college degree.  It’s long been known that four-year college graduates make more money than students who stopped going to school after earning a high school diploma, but the report suggests that gap is widening for two reasons:  the salaries of college graduates are going up, and the salaries of high school graduates are going down.

How much of a difference are we talking about?  $17,500 a year, among full-time employed 25 -32 year-olds. Since the average college graduate with debt owes about $30,000 at the time they complete their degree, the numbers suggest students are still better off to borrow that high amount, since the costs will more than pay for themselves within a few years of full-time employment.

Combined with the lower unemployment rate among four-year college graduates (4.5% vs. the national average of 6.8% in 2012), the message is clear—four years of college is worth it.

What does this do to current conversations about training after high school?  A great deal. The recent White House Summit on college affordability called on colleges to find ways to make college more affordable for all students, and to create solutions to slow annual increases in tuition.  Minimizing the increase in college costs is always a good idea, but these survey results show that students can engage in thoughtful borrowing plans to pay for college with the assurance they’ll have jobs to pay off the loans, and have significantly higher salaries throughout their careers.  Colleges certainly have a role to play in keeping costs low, but students don’t have to defer their college dreams, as long as they develop a strong educational and financial plan.

The report also gives something more to consider for the “not everyone needs 4 years of college” movement.  After seeing increases in the number of students dropping out of four-year colleges without a degree, some policy makers are promoting other training programs as viable alternatives to four years of college.  Citing the importance of many of the careers available to students without a Bachelor’s degree, leaders are pointing to the vital role community colleges can play in the development of the workforce.

Students with talents and interests in the trades should by all means pursue their passions—but those looking to two-year colleges for a financial advantage over high school graduates are sure to be disappointed.  The Pew research indicates full-time employed 25 to 30 year-olds with an associate’s degree or some college training are making $30,000 a year, while high school graduates are making $28,000—an annual difference of only $2,000.  While some career fields will be exceptions to these numbers (plumbing and spot welding come to mind), the data point a clear path to financial security—and that path runs right through the doors of a four-year degree.

These results offer an alternative approach for policymakers to consider.  Rather than emphasize the importance and financial vitality of education programs other than four-year colleges, perhaps policy makers could find ways to support the efforts of school counselors and others to teach students the necessary skills for college completion.  Too many students approach college thinking their studies will be “just like high school.”  With improved training in college advising, and relief from non-counseling duties, school counselors could present seminars and simulations that teach students how to build the skills of persistence, networking, and problem solving that will lead to a four-year college degree, and a brighter economic future. 

Ten Things Teachers Can do to Improve the College-Going Culture in Their Building (Leave a Copy of this in the Faculty Room)

By:  Patrick O'Connor Ph.D

1.      Understand your school’s college counseling curriculum.  It may seem like college counseling is all about “getting in” and finding a way to pay for college, but there’s much more to it.  Ask to see your counseling office’s curriculum; they would welcome the chance to show it to you.

2.      Consider your role in the college counseling curriculum. Counselors teach students how to communicate to colleges, but that curriculum is built on a solid foundation in English.  Counselors help students research and compare colleges, using critical thinking and analysis taught in literature, the social sciences, math, and science. It takes a team to build the skills and excitement that gets a student to—and through—college.  Your part of that teamwork is critical.

3.      Know that college awareness is a K-12 process.  Students and parents develop their attitudes about college early—especially in low income communities, or towns where few parents went to college.  College isn’t for every student, but every family needs to understand what college is about before making an informed decision—and some of that understanding needs to start in elementary school. 

4.      Talk to students about your college experience.  Most students know you went to college—but where, and why?  Hearing your stories—successes and challenges—makes the college search more real to them.  It also encourages them to ask questions, and makes them less fearful of making mistakes. 

5.      Talk to parents about your college experience.  Parents are always interested in hearing about college experiences, especially if you were the first in your family to go to college, or if you have children who are in (or finished with) college.  A word or two from you at parent conferences or the basketball game can give them important perspective on the value of college.

6.      Suggest your school participate in College Application Week.  This fall event helps seniors apply to college, and shows all students everything college can be.  Teachers wear their college gear, hold college trivia contests—in short, they work with counselors to create a spirit week for college.  There’s a nice introduction to CAW here—and most of the advice applies to all states: http://www.micollegeaccess.org/events/college-application-week

7.      Create counselor/classroom partnerships.  You need every minute of your period to teach your curriculum—but what if you have a spare 15 minutes at the end of a quiz, where a counselor could present a lesson on doing a college search?  How about using that essay unit to work with counselors to teach the basics of a college admissions essay? Talk to your counselor for more ideas.


8.      Share your community connections. Students are always asking counselors for help finding internships, job shadowing experiences, college contacts, and money for college.  Your neighbor, college roommate, or membership in a community foundation could make a difference to that student’s college plans.  Share your contacts with your school counselors, and watch all the good that will come.

9.      Keep the college application calendar in mind.  College application crunch time usually occurs one fall weekend, and one December weekend—and students aren’t always the best time managers. The same is true for visiting college campuses; there’s never a good time to go, but they need to see their next school, which will double as their next home. When these events come up, see if you can go easy on the homework.


10.  Keep your counselors in the loop. Students are more likely to tell you—or their friends—about college decisions.  Make sure you pass that information along to your counselors—especially if a student seems upset about it. 

Ten Things Principals can do to Improve the College-Going Culture in Their Building

By: Patrick O'Connor Ph.D


With National School Counselor Week next week, your principal may be wondering how to honor your work.  Slip this to their administrative assistant, and see what happens—and be sure to remind them if you prefer dark or milk chocolate.

1.      Ask this your school counselors how you can be of help.  School counselors are the coordinators of the college-going curriculum in your building, so keeping in touch with them keeps you in touch with the successes and needs of your college-going climate.  Meet with them regularly

2.      Support your school counselors.  Improvement in a college-going culture begins with support of those leading the creation of that culture.  There are five key ways administrators can show that support—understand all five, and be sure to ask your counselors what else you can do.  http://hscw-counselorscorner.blogspot.com/2013/10/administrative-support-of-counseling.htm

3.      Know the two parts of the college-going curriculum in your building.  College-going culture is far more than “getting in” to college.  The two parts—college awareness and college readiness-- are integral parts of every other curriculum in the building, and run the K-12 span.

4.      A college-going curriculum starts well before junior year.  You didn’t misread the last sentence in point 2.  Attitudes about college are shaped early, in both students and parents, so it’s crucial to have a college-going curriculum at every level of learning.

5.      Colleges want more than good grades and test scores.  These important data points reveal only part of the demonstrated qualities colleges want to see in applicants.  Extracurricular activities, service opportunities, essays, and recommendations address other qualities vital to a successful college application, including intelligence, creativity, critical thinking, persistence, reaction to setbacks, leadership, self-knowledge, innovation, synthesis, effective communication, empathy, curiosity, and analysis.

6.      A college-going curriculum doesn’t have to be built from the ground up.  A number of strong (and free) resources exist that are ready for your counselors to implement and tailor to the needs of your students and your community—for starters, see:

• http://www.nacacnet.org/research/PublicationsResources/Marketplace/student/Pages/GuidingEducation.aspx
• https://nosca.collegeboard.org/eight-components
• (and for tips on effective counselor-principal relationships-- https://nosca.collegeboard.org/research-policies/principal-counselor?affiliateId=noscahero&bannerId=counselor ) 

7.      College awareness is for every student.  Not every student needs to go to college to fulfill their personal or career goals, but every student needs to know what college offers before they can make that decision.  Make sure all students are involved in college awareness activities.

8.      All postsecondary plans have equal value.  Students who thoughtfully choose a path other than college are doing just as much for their families and communities as students who thoughtfully choose college.  Work with your school team to make sure the plans of all seniors are equally respected and celebrated.

9.      It takes a community to make students college-aware and college-ready.  A Counseling Advisory Committee consists of community leaders who come together for one goal—to support all counseling efforts in your building, including college-going.  This team leads to more scholarships, internships, and support with the logistics of applying to college.  This is an ASCA requirement—if you need help building one, take a look at http://hscw-counselorscorner.blogspot.com/2013/12/cry-for-help-or-pity-party.html

10.  Your counselors need more and frequent training in the college selection process.  Only two counselor education programs in the country require a college counseling course, and less than 30 offer one, so most counselors learn about college counseling on the job—and with high caseloads, that can be difficult.  More training is usually needed throughout a counselor’s career—for one possible training option, see the class I teach at http://www.collegeisyours.com/College_Counseling_Class.html

New Studies: Liberal Arts Majors Make Money, MOOCs Don’t Get Completed, and Snow Days Rock

By:  Patrick O'Connor Ph.D

You’re not alone if you think winter is a good time to curl up with a good read. Professional journals are awash with reports, studies, and findings that impact a great deal of our work—here’s a small sampling of what’s out there:

• A report from MIT and Harvard shows what most counselors could have predicted--completion rates for online courses is remarkably small. Over 800,000 people signed up for the Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) the two institutions offered last year, but less than five percent completed the course—and over a third never opened the course material.  If those numbers sound worse than students who enroll in traditional classes, there’s a reason for that—they are…

…but the authors of the report say that’s not their fault, and measuring the success of a MOOC by the percentage of completers misses the point of MOOCs.  "Some students who register for MOOCs have no intention of completing, and some instructors do not emphasize completion as a priority. Success and failure take many forms."

It’s certainly encouraging to hear some students are signing up for MOOCs merely for the sake of learning—but isn’t that also the case for face-to-face colleges?  The authors of the study may have a point, but they also may be using the claim to hide a larger issue—that students are finding the courses harder than they thought they would be.  That isn’t news to veteran online teachers—and since policymakers are expecting traditional schools to ramp up completion rates, you can bet this report won’t be met with open arms in Washington.  http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/completion-rates-arent-the-best-way-to-judge-moocs-researchers-say/49721

•  Another report suggests parents don’t have to worry that their child with a liberal arts degree will spend their entire life living at home.  The American Association of Colleges and Universities joined with the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems to produce a report suggesting many liberal arts majors in the middle of their careers make more money that those who majored in a professional area, and employment rates are about the same. There is an initial employment and earnings gap at the start, but liberal arts majors catch up…

…and seem to offer employers more as a whole.  The report indicates employers still place a high value on the critical thinking skills that are the essence of a liberal arts education, qualities more professional degrees aren’t teaching.  The report doesn’t guarantee success for anyone, but provides assurance that successful students who follow their passions are likely to do well in the world, regardless of where that passion lies.  http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/01/22/see-how-liberal-arts-grads-really-fare-report-examines-long-term-data#ixzz2r8BqG02J

 

• Finally, Harvard offers great news about snow days.  Despite the insistence of Grinchy policy makers, snow days have no impact on student achievement.  In many cases, this may be due to policymakers adding a couple of extra days of school in regions where winter weather is hazardous, but calling a day off because of bad weather doesn’t hurt students…

…instead, not calling snow days seems to have a negative impact on learning.  If the weather is bad and school’s open, fewer students come to school; that means teachers have to take more time to bring the absent students up to speed on an entire lesson, and that slows the learning process.  While the report doesn’t address this point, this could be due to the strategies teachers have for condensing two lessons into one when there’s a snow day—strategies that don’t work when half the class has had the whole lesson.

Either way, be sure to pass this one along to your principal! http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2014/01/snow-days-dont-subtract-from-learning/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=hu-twitter-general 

Celebrating Our Work, Even in January

By: Patrick O'Connor Ph.D

January can feel very hard on school counselors. We help students get over the post-holiday slump and back into the groove of going to school, we prepare for testing, we embrace a new round of schedule changes, we talk students through the college admissions decisions they received over break, and—let’s be honest—we count the time down to Presidents Day. Little did Lincoln and Washington realize how much freedom they were giving to school counselors, simply by being born the same time of year!

Of course, we don’t always have to wait for days off to feel a sense of satisfaction—in fact, two recent reports suggest we have a great deal to feel good about all the time.  A.S. Belasco recently conducted a data review of high school graduates who went on to postsecondary institutions, and the findings are impressive. Here’s a note from the Results section:

…(S)tudents who visited their counselor for college-related information were more likely to enroll in postsecondary education and at four-year institutions in particular. Results also demonstrated that the influence of school-based college counseling varied based on socioeconomic status, and that low-SES students were likely to yield the most benefit from their relationship with a school counselor.

The findings went on to point out that students from low socio-economic schools (SES) had a greater likelihood of going to a four-year college if they visited their high school counselor in both 10^th and 12^th grade, and not just 12^th grade.

These results are very encouraging for a couple of reasons.  First, the results confirm that counselors do make a difference when helping students develop plans for study after high school.  Counselors have known this for a long time, but this data analysis goes a long way to provide empirical support of this position.

Second, these results offer some evidence to refute the current claim that high school counselors are “undermatching” low-SES students. The study doesn’t analyze counselor effectiveness by type of four-year institution, but the results do suggest students who meet early and regularly with their counselor get the support and “push” they need to look at four-year colleges.  This lays the foundation for more research from the same data to see what role counselor influence plays in students applying to highly selective colleges.

Many of the points raised in this study support the findings of a little-used College Board study from last year.  High schools in Oklahoma were randomly selected to receive an additional school counselor.  At the end of the study, college- going rates were compared between the high schools that received an extra counselor, and a control group of high schools that received no extra counselors. 

The summary of the College Board findings suggested that, on average, the presence of an additional school counselor led to a 10% increase in the number of students attending college.  In addition, the findings indicated that the degree of the increase was impacted by the amount of training the new counselor had received in college advising.

While these results are tentative, the two studies support some long-held counselor beliefs:

•  Counselors make a difference when it comes to students’ plans for life after high school.
• This is especially true in low-income high schools, where students start to work early with their counselor.
• College attainment increases when student/counselor ratios go down.
• College attainment increases when school counselors receive more training in college counseling.

Now that’s worth celebrating!

Belasco’s study can be found at http://www.umass.edu/schoolcounseling/uploads/ResearchBrief10.1.pdf

The College Board Report is here:  http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/advocacy/policycenter/research-brief-measuring-impact-high-school-counselors-college-enrollment.pdf

Welcome Back!

By: Patrick O'Connor Ph.D

Counselors are coming back—or digging out—from a well-deserved holiday break, only to discover a handful of challenges and opportunities awaiting them at the office.  If you’ve had a good break, one of those challenges may be remembering your computer password; once you’re past that one, here are a few things to keep an eye on as you and your students settle back into the routine:

College admission Decisions—more ‘Maybes’ than ever before.  High school counselors will likely return to a number of seniors who received dismaying college news over the break, as many strong, competitive colleges ended up deferring a high number of students.  While this isn’t unusual at the highly selective colleges, more selective schools are asking good applicants for additional information like current grades—and these requests are being made of students who would have easily been admitted just a couple of years ago.

While the holidays may have given seniors time to sort out their options, the return to school gives them fewer distractions, and more reason to focus on the surprise news they received in December.  Be sure your first few days includes ample time in the hallways, so students can find you and set up times to see you. January may not be the best time to rework college lists, but given the curves some schools threw students, now is the time to refocus college plans.

Planning for life without the PLAN.  As reported in a previous column, ACT will discontinue its PLAN and EXPLORE tests at the end of this year, replacing them with the ASPIRE test, a series of assessments that can be used by all students in grades 3-11.  While these new tests may offer more fluidity in pupil accounting options, they can also create gaps in some long-standing testing plans of middle schools and high schools, especially since ASPIRE doesn’t use the same 1-36 grading scale of the ACT.

This change in testing may not be news to you, but you don’t want this to become news to your principal or district coordinator this spring, when it’s time to order tests.  Once the snow settles after  the first week of class, find some time to meet with everyone who could be impacted by this change, and make sure to think far down the road; October 1 isn’t time to realize your Fall Testing program has to change to accommodate ASPIRE.

“This New Class is So…” January is typically a short school month, but it’s often the first time teachers articulate their impression of the new ninth grade class in a high school, or the sixth grade class in a middle school.  For the first four months of school, they were all students from different feeder schools; by now, they’re a cohesive whole, and their tone and values are getting easier to read.

The time to capitalize on those impressions is now.  If you have a staff development day coming up, put together a brief survey and series of guided questions to create a discussion of what teachers are seeing in the academic, social, interactive, and moral development of these new students.  February – April is an ideal time to provide students with the programming and resources needed to understand more about themselves and the world around them, and faculty can tell you where the biggest needs lie.  Don’t miss this opportunity to create a collaborative opportunity to improve the quality of learning and living in your building, as you confirm your role as the school leaders in shaping affective climate.