What the New SAT Means to You

By: Patrick O'Connor Ph.D

The start of a new calendar year means more juniors are now turning their attention to the college application process—and to the tests which are often part of that process.  Since College Board has announced changes to the SAT, this means some juniors may not be sure what tests to take, or how to prepare for them.

It would be easy to see this change as one more adjustment for college-bound families to make. But the switch gives students an opportunity to make the most of a new situation—especially since…

The change takes effect in 2016.  If you are a high school junior, absolutely nothing has changed.  All the test prep materials out there will still work, so you are good to go—which means you should pass this column along to your tenth grade friends.

Tenth graders, double down on your studies. No one has seen specific questions that will be on the new SAT, but the goal of the new test is to better measure what students understand from their work in the classroom.  As a result, the more you understand from class, the better prepared you’ll be for the test—just make sure you know the difference between memorizing (“Who was the first president of the United States?”) and understanding (“If the first US president was alive, what three things would bother him the most about government today?”)

Plan on taking the PSAT in the fall.  A new version of the SAT next spring means there will be a new version of the PSAT this fall—and there’s nothing like the PSAT to get you SAT ready.  Some schools will offer the PSAT test for free, but if your school charges a fee, it’s worth saving your pennies now for an experience that will pay off big dividends in eight months.  PSAT test prep materials will be available when you come back to school in the fall.

Give your school counselor support and space.  In the next year, your school counselor will have to interpret the current SAT; plan for the new SAT; help teachers adjust curriculum to meet the demands of the new SAT; revamp the test prep classes and seminars they offer so they’re ready for the new SAT, and make sure they understand how to interpret the subscores of an SAT that isn’t created yet. Much of a counselor’s work on your behalf is done when you aren’t around, and that will include more hours on the SAT this year. They’d much rather spend the time working with you—but for now, they will have to workfor you. The best thing you can do is be patient, and appreciative.

Be ready to take both the ACT and SAT next spring.  Just like two English teachers approach teaching differently, two college tests approach assessment differently—and one approach may make more sense to you than the other. Since that difference can play an important role in where you go to college, plan on taking each test next spring—and if you need help paying for the ACT, ask your counselor if you qualify for a fee waiver.

There are two kinds of excitement in planning for college—the kind that leads to worry, and the kind that leads to action.  The SAT announcement seemed to have come out of nowhere, but it can still take you somewhere.  Just where is largely up to you—and that’s the good kind of excitement.

College Admissions Trends to Watch in 2015

By: Patrick O'Connor Ph.D

2014 has been a remarkable year in college admissions, and next year promises to be no less exciting.  Some trends will build on the changes that occurred this year, and some will seem to come out of nowhere. Either way, here’s what you’ll want to watch for in 2015:

College Costs, Part 2  Spring always brings renewed concern that the price of college is too high, but college costs spend months in the 2014 headlines, as average student debt for a Bachelor’s degree surpassed $30,000 in many states.  Tuition increases have slowed, but not stopped entirely; state legislatures will take this issue on in earnest, since it isn’t an election year.

More Aid for International Students  Lower oil prices mean fewer full-pay families in oil-dependent countries overseas. Look for colleges to offer more aid to international students to advance their goals of campus diversity and full classes.

More Support for School Counselors? 2014 brought praise for school counselors as never before, with the White House launching a multi-faceted initiative to get counselors better training in college admissions, and to get colleges to increase college access. After three college summits and Michelle Obama’s address to the American School Counselor Association, the center of action shifts to the states, where educators, policy makers, and foundations will combine their time and talents to move this agenda forward, whether or not it enjoys further attention in the national spotlight.

Resurgence in Technical Training  Increased college costs and the modest rise in unemployment for four-year college graduates are leading some states to wonder if the drive to send more students to four-year colleges is economically sound. Look for state officials to lead a resurgence in touting the benefits of vocational and technical training, news that could resurrect hurdles for low-income, first generation students to explore the full array of education opportunities after high school.

More Test-Optional Admissions Programs…  The new SAT is scheduled to roll out in 2016, leaving colleges time to consider the importance of standardized testing in their admissions process.  The number of “test optional” colleges has increased every single time SAT or ACT changed their test—and this will be no exception.

…and More Innovative Admissions Methods  Goucher College shook the foundation of college admissions this fall when they announced students only needed to submit a 2-minute video to apply, and some colleges are considering questionnaires to determine if admitted students have the social skills and stamina to complete a degree.  This “no test, no transcript” approach is something to watch in 2015, as grade inflation and test prep courses lead more colleges to consider new ways to see if students will enroll and complete.

A Crossroads for Community Colleges New pressures are requiring colleges to consider how to help enrolled students finish a degree, including community colleges, where degree completion has traditionally only been one part of the definition of a completing student.  Will a community college student no longer be considered a success if they take the four classes they need to get a $10,000 raise at work—and if not, is that a good thing?  Stay tuned.

Fewer Students, More Applications  Birth rates show high school graduates will decline for at least 8 years, but there are more college applications going out than ever before.  This will continue next year…

More Parental Involvement in Applying ...as will the increase in parents who want to help “edit” student essays and “organize” a student’s communications with colleges.  Any trend decreasing student ownership of the application process is a step in the wrong direction.  It isn’t likely, but let’s hope this practice slows. 

Six Words of Advice for Parents of College-Bound Juniors

By: Patrick O'Connor Ph.D

One group is more anxious about this year's college admissions decisions than the parents of this year's seniors -- and that's the parents of next year's seniors. Junior parents love their children, and they would welcome any advice colleges could offer that would give their child's application an inside edge.

To support that effort, here's what a college admissions officer told me when I asked for advice I could give to junior parents:

"Let your child drive the bus."

The explanation she offered for this counsel, combined with long-standing conventional wisdom, gets to the heart of the college application process, and shows what admissions officers are looking for in a successful applicant beyond the numbers:

Initiative From start to finish, a college application has to send the message that applying to this school was the student's idea, and the student is excited enough to do something to bring that idea to life. This is why so many colleges want students to visit campus or meet the admissions representative at a local college fair; it shows the student is serious about their application.

That seriousness is questioned when the application is completed in what is clearly the handwriting of an adult, or when parents call the admissions office to ask questions. This is particularly true if the parent starts the call by saying "We're applying to your college next year." If the student wants to start building a meaningful relationship with the college, they make the calls, and speak in first person.

Synthesis Well-meaning parents insist they only help their child complete a college application because it is too complicated. Colleges certainly don't want the process to discourage students; at the same time, applicants show they possess the traits needed to be successful students at selective colleges by demonstrating the flexibility, organization and persistence needed to create an application crafted exclusively by the student. That's why it's best for students to schedule an hour or two each weekend in the fall to focus on college applications -- it gives them the best chance to create an application that is rich with their voice, and their voice alone.

Originality Everyone has a unique view of the world, and a good college application gives the admissions office a glimpse into a student's ability to share their particular vantage point. Colleges understand that view may not be fully developed at age 17 -- in fact, most hope it isn't -- but they also understand that unique view should be consistent across all parts of the application. A 20-minute weekly college meeting between parents and applicant gives the student the right mix of structure and encouragement to shape their own answers, and assure their ownership of the application process.

Authenticity Students have different reasons for attending college, but each reason has a common purpose -- students want to get something out of the experience. A strong college application shows the admissions office what that purpose is, and taking the time to wrestle with each part of a college application not only gives the application more clarity and confidence; it also gives the applicant more clarity and confidence.

It may be hard for parents to watch students struggle at first with this important task, just as it wasn't easy to watch them strike out at the plate, listen to their first violin solo, or feel them let the clutch out too soon. Great hitters and virtuosos are made with time, effort, and the opportunity to get better, and so are good drivers. The best way to help them reach their college destination is to give them the keys.

School Counselor Summit II: Big Teams, Big Plans, Big Possibilities

By: Patrick O'Connor Ph.D

The White House initiative to strengthen school counselors and college access took a big step forward, when development teams from 30 states convened at the San Diego State University in mid-November to share and develop ideas on how to improve college access, readiness, and completion.  The first White House summit this summer offered 125 attendees insights into best practices in improved counselor readiness in college counseling. The November summit brought together about 400 participants with the goal of taking the broad framework established this summer and building a foundation for growth to meet the individual needs of their state.

The San Diego State gathering was notable for three reasons.  First and foremost, there were far more school counselors present at this second summit.  This was an important advancement, since it brought the voice of school counselors into the discussion of college access innovation in a way it has not been included before.  With such a large school counselor presence in the discussion and construction of state-based plans to improve counselor training and college access, it is more likely these plans will have attainable goals that will be reached through programs and policies that will realistically advance school counselors and their training from where they are now to where they want to be, all in the interest of helping students make better college choices.

A second important component of November’s meeting was the variety of other educators and education partners.  Invitation to the San Diego State summit was predicated on having a group of advocates who could not only plan change in college access, but deliver on those plans as well.  As a result, many state teams included school superintendents (Including one state superintendent), principals, state-based policy makers, and a surprising number of counselor educators.  The strong presence of this last group was particularly encouraging, since interest among counselor educators in improving counselor training in college advising has been significantly absent in many regions of the country.  Their attendance last week suggests systemic change in graduate school training of counselors may at last be at hand.

Finally, the state-based goals announced at the November summit represented a wide array of approaches that are needed in the field of college access.  From increasing the number of well-trained school counselors to improving counselor training to emulating successful models of increased college attainment, development teams used the inspiration and resources of this national convening to focus on the challenges counselors and students were facing back home.  The end result promises to be a variety of state-based solutions to a host of challenges facing counselors interested in raising college attendance and completion rates, with each successful approach likely to be structured in a way that could be implemented by other states.  Since education has always been a state-based responsibility in the US, the labors of the development teams promise to bring greater focus and autonomy to college access policy at the state level.

The next White House-led meeting of counselor advocates is scheduled for December, when select state leaders descend on Washington to announce the commitments their state is willing to make in the interest of helping more students make strong college choices, and supporting the counselors who work with these students and families.  This next gathering is likely to be smaller than the convening at San Diego State, but since many of the initiatives announced in December will be the result of the work of the teams meeting In November, it’s more than safe to say the impact of the San Diego State summit will resonate in Washington—and beyond—for quite some time.

An Update on My Letter to Michelle Obama

By: Patrick O'Connor Ph.D

It's been almost a year since Michelle Obama raised the importance of college awareness and college opportunity, and almost a year since I asked Mrs. Obama to make sure this discussion included awareness of the need for better training in college advising for the school counselors. One year isn't long in the policy-making world, but it still seems like a good time to ask: How's it going?

In a nutshell, things are moving along nicely:

• In January, President Obama hosted a White House event for colleges that pledged to increase college access and opportunity for low-income students.

• This summer, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan called on state school leaders to make sure school counselors received needed training in college readiness and college advising.

• That same week, Mrs. Obama presented at the annual conference of the American School Counselor Association, where she reiterated the importance of school counselors, and the need for more counselors and more training in college advising.

• These same points were the basis for a White House Summit held in July at Harvard, where participants discussed steps that could be taken to advance these important efforts.

These events laid the ground for a second White House Summit in San Diego. About half of the states have developed action teams committed to advancing the goals The White House has outlined. The goal of the San Diego program is to share those plans and put details into them, so the groups can return to their states with a program, a vision, and a deadline.

Response to Mrs. Obama's initiative has generally been favorable, especially among school counselors, who have long felt their work is either misunderstood, taken for granted, or ignored. At the same time, some responses to this effort have been dubious, raising questions that need to be considered as the college access movement advances:

• To date, not a single state has responded to Secretary Duncan's call for an initiative positioning school counselors to be greater advocates of college access. Those attending next week's summit (and that includes me) will need to consider how to engage state school leaders in ways that lead to a proactive response -- and that usually involves some kind of financial incentive.

• A growing number of policy makers are confusing Mrs. Obama's initiative with a mandate that all students attend a four-year college. Effective counselors understand four years of college don't always fit into the right plan for some students -- but many low-income students don't realize they have the potential to succeed at college. Changing that dynamic lies at the heart of this effort; this needs to be clear to everyone.

• Some opponents are adamant that more training in college counseling isn't needed, if schools would just hire more counselors. Citing some states where there is only one school counselor for over 1000 students, critics question just how much counseling can be done with unreasonably large caseloads.

Some very successful efforts are underway to reduce high counselor caseloads(especially in Colorado), but veteran counselors and educators with caseloads ranging from 400-3000 report significant improvement in their college counseling programs, once they receive specific training in college advising. As one counselor put it, "You can drop my caseload to 250, but that isn't going to help much if I don't know what I'm talking about."

Policy makers know improved college training is only one part of the solution to the challenges counselors face, but it's an important part. The San Diego summit can bring this vital element to life -- and that needs to happen in less than a year.

Setting Up a College Counseling Office

By:  Patrick O'Connor Ph.D

The key to a successful college counseling program is transparency—we create a curriculum and share it with the community, we create avenues of communication with students and parents to make sure they understand the goals of the curriculum, as well as the individual steps taken to reach those goals, and we create a College Counseling Advisory Committee to spread the word about our program, and get feedback from key constituents.

All of this transparency doesn’t mean a thing if the tools of the curriculum aren’t accessible to students and parents.  This is one of the MAIN reasons students and parents give low marks when they evaluate college counseling programs that appear to be great; the material is indeed wonderful, but they can’t get to it.

Accessibility is the partner of transparency, so it’s time for a check-up of what your counseling spaces look like. (There are some good ideas here middle school and elementary school counseling offices can use, like creating a College Corner with some age-appropriate materials, including lots of information on how to pay for college.  It’s never too early to share that information with parents!)

Your office

_____  You have a large work area where students can interact with college information, either in print form or online. The room is bright and inviting, with college posters and informational displays on completing financial aid forms, applying for scholarships, and more. This can double as the space where colleges visit and talk with students.

_____ The print resources—catalogs, college guides, test prep information, college applications scholarships—are organized in colorful binders or file crates (not file drawers) that are clearly labeled, with directions on how to use them, and if students can check them out or keep them.

_____The online versions of these resources are readily available and easy to find, thanks to a set of instructions that are taped to the table where your computer(s) are, attached to the bulletin board above the computers, or outlined on your college counseling Web site, which is the home screen for any computer in your work area.

Your Web site

_____ Your Web site is up to date with fresh information on topics of interest, where the home page has links or tabs to resources by topic. If your office is on any social media site, that’s mentioned here as well.

_____Your Web site address is displayed on every publication you create.

_____ The  front page of the Web site includes basic information students need to complete a college application, including the school’s name, address, phone, fax, and CEEB number.  It also displays the names of all counselors, their direct dial numbers, and e-mail addresses, and how student and parents can register for text reminders from your office (if you offer that service).

_____ If students are allowed to order transcripts online, this process is outlined on the Web site.  Directions are also included for how alumni can request transcripts.

_____ There is a clearly marked section for Colleges that includes an electronic copy of your school profile (which includes your Web site address), as well as a link to your entire course catalog.

_____ There is a link on the front page to your current college counseling bulletin, and an area where all past bulletins are archived.

Your schedule

_____ A copy of your schedule is posted outside your office door.  This includes information on your regular availability; your availability for the current week, and information on how students and parents should reach you on nights and weekends. (“E-mail me” is more than fine.)

You Should Know About #hscc2015

By: Patrick O'Connor Ph.D

There is a movement afoot to help out public school counselors in a very important way. Here's how it's worked, so far:

When it comes to helping students apply to college, there's nothing like the annual conference of the National Association for College Admission Counseling. About 6,000 college representatives, school counselors, and other professionals involved in college access meet to get caught up on current trends and issues, consider where the college application process is heading, and talk about the students that are applying to college.

NACAC is a great experience for every counselor who can attend, but the cost isn't always within reach of most school counselors -- especially public school counselors. A conference this big has to be held in a big city, and that can be pricey. NACAC moves the conference around the country, so it's easier to get to when it comes closer to a counselor's school -- but three nights in a hotel and the conference fee are still sometimes out of reach, even after NACAC offers significant scholarships to public school counselors who couldn't otherwise attend.

Enter David Quinn, an educator from Washington who has paid his own way to more than one NACAC conference. David decided more public school counselors needed to attend NACAC, not only to learn from those in attendance, but to help conference attendees hear more about the challenges public school students (and counselors) face when it comes to college.

Bates College in Maine accepted the challenge, and has agreed to pay all expenses for a public school counselor to attend the 2015 NACAC conference in San Diego. Bates then challenged Pitzer College to do the same; Pitzer said yes, and then threw the challenge down to Brandeis. The challenge is now shuttling across the country, with some colleges offering to pay for two counselors;  recently, a private high school (Harvard Westlake) has taken up the challenge, and is also paying for a public school counselor to attend NACAC.

No one has sent the challenge to me, but I know a good thing when I see it. I don't do independent counseling any more, but I do have some royalties saved up from the last book I wrote -- and I can't think of a better way to promote better college planning than to bring a public school counselor to NACAC 15.

I'm proud to be the first author of a college guide to accept the High School Counselor Challenge, and I now challenge every other college guide author, independent counselor, motivational speaker, college essay writing coach/tutor/guide, test prep organization, summer counselor institute, and -- what the heck -- Julia Roberts to take up the challenge as well. None of us make a fortune off of what we do with our books and services (well, Julia does OK), but none of us have to figure out how to help 900 kids get to college with no resources, either. It's time for some perspective.

There's more to figure out here -- like how to pick the counselor, when to introduce them to NACAC so that the conference doesn't overwhelm them, and what might happen after the conference -- but there's time for that. Two dozen colleges know that in order for good college counseling to occur for everyone, the college conversation has to include everyone -- which means my fellow college guide authors and suppliers of college application support have some catching up to do.

I'm in for #hscc2015. Who's next?