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What to Look for in a Community College to Increase Your Chances for Success

Marjorie — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:39:51 +0000

Jennifer Gonzalez of The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that some community college practices can increase student retention and graduation rates. Some of these include:

Providing and requiring remedial education for students who need extra work in reading, writing and math.
Offering experiential learning, that is, learning from experience rather than (or in addition to) from textbooks and lectures.
Requiring new students to attend orientations, including how to use the library and academic and support services.
Providing and making sure students take advantage of test preparation materials and resources.
Encouraging students who work and/or have dependent children to consult faculty about how many courses to take.
Offering student success courses that teach such things as time management and good study habits.

It seems that students who take advantage of these services are much more likely to graduate from a community college. Not only should colleges try to implement such offerings, but students, particularly first generation, underserved students, should look for them as they make choices about where to go to college.

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February and March Admissions Checklist for Seniors

Marjorie — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:11:25 +0000

Here are some suggestions about how to deal with your college acceptances:

Deciding Which College Is The Best One For You

General Information: Some acceptance letters have conditions tied to them: be sure to check for this.

Deciding On One: It is always useful to spell out the pros and cons of attending each college that you are considering. The process for deciding on one college includes:

√ Identifying what you want in a college

√ Examining the financial aid packages

√ Re-reading your notes about the different colleges

√ Consulting with good sources

√ Attending pre-admit days or receptions

√ Rating each school on a scale from 1 to 10 (1 = No way!, 10 = The best!)

√ Deciding based on what your head and heart tell you to do

Even if you make a decision about a college that you later regret; it’s not fatal. You can always transfer to another college.

For more information about what to do to decide on just one college, you can read my chapter on this subject here: The End Of The Admissions Road. There is also a lot of useful information about Dealing with a Wait List, Appealing a Denial and what to do if you want to Take a Gap Year.

Timeline

May 1 is the deadline by which colleges want to hear that you accept their invitation to attend their college. You also need to fill out any housing forms you have been sent.
Do it and celebrate!

Important! Many colleges pay close attention to second semester grades. Don’t even think about slacking off: keep your grades as high as you can. Keep in mind that colleges do rescind acceptances if student grades precipitously drop second semester, senior year.

Let us know as your acceptances come in! We can’t wait to hear.

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Juniors College Admissions February 2012 To Do List

Marjorie — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:37:35 +0000

Here is a February 2012 admissions checklist for juniors, that we recommend you review, personalize it, and share with your classmates and friends. : )

BEGIN PUTTING TOGETHER YOUR COLLEGE LIST.

With a list in hand, start researching colleges by reading the various guidebooks, including The Fiske Guide, The Insider’s Guide, and/or Colleges That Change Lives. You can also go online to see what students have to say about colleges on www.unigo.com and www.collegeprowler.com.

Be sure that you are prepared for any test before you take it. If you haven’t already, make arrangements to get some admissions test tutoring. Many test sites fill up for these dates and some students end up having to drive far away from their home because close-by test locations have been filled.   Visit the College Board and ACT sites for more information.

BEGIN MAKING PLANS FOR THIS SUMMER.

Believe me, it’s not too early. Colleges are very interested in what students do with their time when they are not in school.

PUT TOGETHER A FIRST DRAFT OF YOUR ACTIVITIES RESUME.

For a sample resume, go to http://admissionpossible.com/check-lists/.

Recently, some assorted pieces of information have come to my attention recently through the National Association of Admissions Counseling (NACAC):

1. FACEBOOK

While there are wildly differing practices among colleges, apparently admissions officers at some schools (e.g., the University of Wisconsin) are open to searching MySpace and Facebook for information about applicants to their respective colleges. Students should take precautions to make sure their privacy is protected on these sites:

√ Go to the privacy settings of your Facebook to make sure that only people you want are selected.

√ Create groups of friends that have access to different levels of information, such as your photos, posts and profile info..

√ NACAC listserv counselors recommend that if a student is going to post information about him or herself, “…it should pass the Grandma test…if you don’t want her or an admissions officer, future employer, scholarship committee, high school principal, etc. to see the information, don’t post it…”now or ever..

√ Also, NACAC counselors also suggest that you take a careful look at your email address to make sure that it doesn’t give the wrong impression.

2. NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY VERSUS NATIONAL HONOR ROLL

Students often get information from bogus organizations that make it seem like they are being honored by another legitimate one. For example, National Honor Society is a highly regarded organization that recognizes high school students who demonstrate excellence in areas of scholarship, leadership, service and character. National Honor Roll, on the other hand, is a group similar to Who’s Who Among High School Students, membership of which carries no weight in the admissions process. While not exactly bogus, just about anyone can join, and the ultimate goal is to get the student (or his/her parents) to buy their respective publications in which the student is listed.

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Attention Juniors: The Common Application Essay Questions for Next Year’s Application

Marjorie — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:57:32 +0000

The Common Application has just announced that the essay questions for the 2012-2013 application will be the same as this past year. This is good news, because you can start thinking about what you want to write for these essays any time from now on.

A. SHORT ANSWER:

Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences in the space below or on an attached sheet. (1000 characters with spaces maximum.)

B. PERSONAL ESSAY:

Please write an essay (250-500 words) on a topic of your choice or one of the options listed below. This personal essay helps us to become acquainted with you as a person and student, apart from courses, grades, test scores and other objective data. It will also demonstrate your ability to organize your thoughts and express yourself.
Your Common Application essay should be the same for all colleges. Do not customize it in any way for individual colleges. Colleges that want customized essay responses will ask for them on a supplement form.

C. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Please upload a document here if you wish to provide details of circumstances or qualifications not reflected in the application. (No word count)

Application essay writing should first start with the question you are answering and also pay close attention to the character and/or word count you are given. College admissions people are very picky about your answering their specific questions and following their directions. In a future blog piece, I will tell you how to collect personal stories that will make great content for your application essays, as well as step-by-step directions for how to make essay writing easy, effective and even fun.

Sophomores and freshmen should know that there will be a completely new Common Application, including new essay questions, beginning 2013-2014.

I also posted a college admissions to do list for Juniors so be sure to check that out. And please let me know if I can help create a to do list for something specifically related to College Admissions. You can find adMISSION POSSIBLE on Facebook and on Twitter at @admissposs.

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College Admissions Advice: To Do List for Sophomores and Parents

Marjorie — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:49:44 +0000

College Admissions Advice: To Do List for Sophomores and Parents (January 2012 – June 2012)

IN GENERAL

Begin thinking about what you want to do this coming summer. Colleges are just about as interested in what you do outside of school and with your summers as they are in your academics. Make sure you choose something you really enjoy.
During school breaks and while on vacations, swing by any colleges that are nearby just to have a look at what different colleges are like.

JANUARY

Take stock of how you are spending your time in and out of school. Is there anything you want to add or eliminate from your schedule? Make sure that everything you do is either something you enjoy or “counts” academically.
Decide whether you want to take any Subject Tests for advanced classes in which you are enrolled. The possibilities are:

English, History & Social Studies

Literature
US History
World History

Mathematics & Science

Chemistry
Biology E or M
Math Level I
Math Level 2
Physics

Languages

Chinese w listening
French
French w listening
German
German w listening
Italian
Japanese w listening
Korean w listening
Latin
Modern Hebrew
Spanish
Spanish w listening

* All language with listening tests are given only on the November test date. Here are when the regular Subject tests will be given in 2012 that might correspond with your taking AP Tests.

Subject Tests 2012 : May 7,  June 4

* Just so you know, starting with freshman applicants fall quarter 2012, UC will no longer require two Subject Tests. They will still review them if applicants choose to send them and some majors at different UC campuses will still require them. Many other colleges continue to require or recommend 2 Subject Tests. No college requires more than 2.

FEBRUARY / MARCH

Begin researching and making contact with the best test tutors in town so that you will have a place with one of them next year. If you want recommendations, let me know.
Make sure that you are signed up for AP tests that are given at your school in May if you happen to be taking an AP course right now.

APRIL

Attend the National Association of College Admissions Counseling college fair at the San Diego Convention Center March April 26 or in the city in which you reside.

MAY

Finalize your summer plans.
Carefully choose your next year classes, taking into consideration the rigor of the program and balance in your life.
Take the AP test for any AP class in which you are enrolled.

JUNE

Ace your Finals.

I also posted to do lists for Juniors and Seniors, so please share with your classmates. And please let me know if I can help create a to do list for something specifically related to College Admissions. You can find adMISSION POSSIBLE on Facebook and on Twitter at @admissposs.

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College Admissions To Do List for Juniors and Parents (January – June 2012)

Marjorie — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 23:56:00 +0000

IN GENERAL

Because a number of colleges ask for a writing sample as a part of their applications, save some of your best English, history, and other papers from this year.
Every once in awhile stop by to say hello to your high school counselor. You want to make sure that this person knows who you are as he/she will be filling-out your application School Report forms, something to which admissions officers pay a lot of attention.
Also, take extra time to “make nice” with teachers who you might ask to write recommendations for you.
Stanford University has just announced its summer institutes for middle and high school students. Click here to learn about Stanford Summer High School programs.
Here is a link to a web page that provides information about other great summer programs. The Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth website also lists many cool things to do. Be sure to click on the other links listed on the site.

JANUARY

Take stock of how you are spending your time in and out of school. Is there anything you want to add or eliminate from your schedule? Make sure that everything you do is either something you enjoy or “counts” academically.
Decide when you are going to take the different college admissions tests, making sure that you complete all by June of this year.    Here are when the College Board and ACT tests will be given in 2009. Sign up now, even though it seems like a long time away.

SAT and Subject Tests 2012 : January 20 , March 10 (SAT I only) , May 5 , June 2

ACT 2012 : February 11 , April 14 , June 9

FEBRUARY

Begin putting together a list of colleges in which you are interested; start reading about them in the various guidebooks.
If you haven’t already, make arrangements to get some admissions test tutoring. It is said that students who don’t get tutoring underscore by 200 points.
Begin thinking about what you want to do this coming summer; colleges pay particular attention what applicants do the summer before senior year.
Put together a first draft of your activities resume.

MARCH

Remember that junior year grades are very important, especially Spring semester.
Make plans for summer activities, including applying to programs that interest you.
Consider using Spring Break as a time to visit colleges.
Make sure that you are signed up for AP tests that are given at your school in May.

APRIL

Attend the National Association of College Admissions Counseling college fair at the San Diego Convention Center (April 26), or in the city in which you reside.    For students living in a city other than San Diego, click here to learn about fairs in other US cities.
Continue exploring and narrowing down your college list.

MAY

Ask favorite teachers if they will write recommendations for your college applications.
Finalize your summer plans.
Carefully choose your senior classes, taking into consideration the rigor of the program and balance in your life.
Take the AP test for any AP class in which you are enrolled.

JUNE

Have your college list narrowed down to the colleges you like best.
Ace your Finals.

Next week, I will be posting College Admissions January 2012 To Do for Sophomores so come back for more college admissions tips and advice.

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College Admissions January 2012 To Do for Seniors and Parents

Marjorie — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:37:21 +0000

For some of you, all of the college applications are done and gone. Yippee! For others, there are a few left to do. What a wonderful feeling that is! Besides letting one college know that “they are the one” before May 1, here are some things to do.

Students with Early Decision acceptances need to say yes to their schools.
For students who applied Early Action, Early Decision and/or Regular Admission, complete the top portion of the 2010-11 Midyear Report form and make sure your high school counselor completes his/her part and submits it to every college on your list.
Make sure that each college to which you have applied receives an updated copy of your school transcript that includes first semester grades.
For colleges that provide you with application information on-line, check the respective websites to make sure they have received everything. Follow-through appropriately. If a college does not provide online information, make a call and ask them if they have received all of the required application materials. If the answer is yes, say thank you. If the answer is no, find out what is missing and immediately act to get them the missing material.
Because a lot can happen between the time you fill out an application and the beginning of the new year, update colleges with a written note addressed to the College Admissions Committee with any new information, including recent awards, athletic achievements, volunteer efforts, etc.

Later this week, I will be posting College Admissions January 2012 To Do for Juniors and Sophomores so come back for more college admissions tips and advice.

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Flying Tips During the Holiday College Break

Marjorie — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 22:33:23 +0000

Dear Students and Parents,

Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal had some very good advice about steps you can take to prevent picking up a cold or flu when you’re traveling by plane. If you’re going to be flying off to visit Grandma or visit a college or two over the holiday break, I thought you might find this useful.

Drink water to keep yourself hydrated and also use a saline spray to keep your nasal passages moist
Frequently clean your hands with an alcohol based hand sanitizers.
Use a sanitizing wipe to clean off your tray table before using.
Avoid seat back pockets: they are filled with bacteria
Open your air vent and aim it so it passes in front of you, thus pushing bacteria away from you.
If you sit next to someone who is coughing and sneezing or looks feverish, ask to be moved. Better a middle seat someplace on the plane than one next to a sick passenger.
Avoid airline pillows and blankets.
Airline bathroom surfaces are filled with germs. Wash your hands and use hand sanitizers.

The “hot zone” for getting a bug from a fellow passenger is two seats in front and in back, as well as either side of you. If you’re interested, the name of the article is Germs on a Plane! How to Stay Healthy at 30,000 feet by reporter Scott McCartney.

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The Underserved’s College Admission Needs

Marjorie — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 20:20:52 +0000

The Underserved’s College Admission Needs
(low income, first generation, foster youth, and underrepresented students of color)

The Problem
At a recent National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) national conference, very disturbing information was presented about the availability of college admissions counseling to public high school students. I then did my own research. The following is some of what I heard and found:

The American School Counselor Association says that a good student-counselor ratio is 100 to 1; however, actual student to counselor ratios in the U. S. are stunningly low.

Due to budget cuts, the national student to counselor ratio is 488 to 1 (National Center for Educational Statistics)
In California, the ratio of students to counselor is nearly 1000 to 1. California is last in the nation in this important marker! (California Department of Education)
29 percent of California schools have no counseling programs at all (California Department of Education, 2011) This is particularly true for underserved schools in urban and rural areas.
When counselors are available, students spend an average of 20 minutes per year talking with their counselors. (National Center for Educational Statistics) In most large public high schools, counselors only spend 10% of their time talking with students about college. (Josh Boshoven, Director, NACAC, A Numbers Game for High School Counselors, US News)

The Implication
The lack of college admissions counseling for underserved high school students is nothing short of tragic. At the time when critical information, resources and support are needed for a successful transition from high school to college, there is little or none available. Students who receive no or perfunctory admissions counseling are less likely to

1) go directly to college after high school;

2) make good choices about the college they attend;

3) have critical information about financial aid (FYI: the lack of financial aid is the #1 reason for underserved students dropping out of college). (March, 2011, study by Jean Johnson, Public Agenda, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation)

4) 60% of students who fail to go onto college come from households where parents have not gone to college themselves. Equally important is the fact that young adults who fail to complete college are much more likely to come from families from poorer income groups and lower levels of education. (p. 8 Can I Get a Little Advice Here? Gates Foundation)

There is a direct correlation between educational level and unemployment at all ages, but among 18-24 year olds the rates of unemployment are:

30% for people with less than a high school diploma
22% for those with a high school diploma
13% for those with some college
10% for people with an Associates degree
9% for those with a Bachelor’s degree (State of Young America study, 2011, a joint publication of Demos and Young Invincibles)

According to the California Department of Education, “inadequate or nonexistent school counseling programs lead to the unanticipated stratification of low income and students of color as they bear the brunt of this problem.” In other words, the students who need college admissions information and counseling the most are the ones who get the least.

What To Do About This
College admissions and education professionals, if not the American public, must begin acting to rectify this admissions counseling crisis. Each person needs to think about what he or she can do, a little or a lot.

As an independent practitioner, I counsel underserved students on a pro bono basis. I have posted a special section for Underserved Students. I have also donated 30 copies of adMISSION POSSIBLE to The Preuss School UCSD (a school for first generation students), 20 copies to Just In Time (a program for foster youth) and 75 copies to New America Schools (for immigrant students) in Colorado. I have spoken with Dr. Mary Walshok at University of California, San Diego Extension about how her College Admissions Certificate might focus more on underserved students.

This is just a beginning. I am reaching out to other people and groups to see what else can be done. As I said, each of us needs to carve out a little or a lot of time (depending on what is going on in our lives) to bridge the gap between what the “have” students in our country get in terms of college admissions counseling and what the “have not’s” don’t get. I urge you to pull up your sleeves and join me in doing something, anything to help the cause.

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June-January 2012 – To Do List

admin — Thu, 26 May 2011 13:41:05 +0000

June – January 2012

Junior (about to be Senior) To Do List

From June through to the end of December, here are some things for you to do.

JUNE

Internet

√ If you now use aol or hotmail, change to Yahoo, G-mail, cable or DSL service so that you can make full use of college on-line applications.

College List

√ Make sure that you have a solid college list of 10-15 schools that are in Reach, Good Chance and Pretty Sure categories (based on your SAT scores compared to successful applicants at the colleges).

Activities Resume

√ If you haven’t already, complete the first draft of your activities resume (see Checklists for examples).

JULY

Contact With Colleges

√ If you haven’t done it before, July is a good time to make contact with the colleges on your list to let them know you are interested.

AUGUST

Essay Writing

√ The new Common Application will become available August 1. For students who are in a fall sport or major activity, this is a good time to use your resume to begin brainstorming ideas for the short and long Common Application essays.

Testing

√ Make sure that you are signed up for any SAT I, Subject Test, or ACT tests that you want to take in the fall.

College List

√ Your college list needs to be finalized by the middle of this month.

Early Action/Decision

√ Decide whether you want to apply early to a college/s.

SEPTEMBER

Calendar

√ Taking into consideration your schoolwork, sports and activities, block out time each week from now until December to work on applications

√ Note application due dates on your calendar so that you can work out a schedule to complete them on time

Applications

√ Gather applications for your final college list (download and print). Identify the essay questions for all your applications and put them on the adMISSION POSSIBLE essay grid (see Checklists for grid)

√ Decide on a focus for your applications, and topics for essay questions that will help admissions officers know who you really are. Use your Activities Resume to come up with ideas.

√ Brainstorm content and stories for essays

Letters Of Recommendation Packages

√ Give your high school counselor, teachers and/or other recommenders materials for Early applications including filled-out top part of forms, addressed/stamped envelopes, a list of the early colleges and their respective due dates, and activities resume. (See Checklists for what to include in recommender packets)

College Admissions Reps

√ Meet any college rep of colleges on your list that comes to your high school

OCTOBER

Applications

√ Most colleges have early application deadlines that are at the end of October, while a few have deadlines as early as the middle of October. Check to see what your early application deadlines are.

√ Complete your early, rolling, or first choice school applications.

√ Make sure that your high school counselor, teachers and other recommenders send off their recommendation packages for your early, rolling or first choice school applications.

NOVEMBER

Applications

√ Continue completing other top-choice college applications, recycling essays from applications already completed.

DECEMBER

Applications

√ Complete the rest of your applications

√ Photocopy all pages of your applications before emailing or send them

√ Confirm that your SAT and/or ACT scores are sent by the College Board and/or the ACT group to each college

√ Have your transcript sent to each college

√ Make sure that your recommenders have sent in their respective letters or forms

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