2010.05.21 20:29:43

Patrick OConnor

College Admissions Advice from College Admission Officers at Hot Schools

If a college you love is too far away to visit, there’s a good chance the college will come visit you.  Some popular colleges will visit high schools in the fall, so ask your school counselor if the college you care about ever pays your school a visit. 

If they don’t, they may still visit your area; they’ll just host a visit on a weekend or at night, usually at a hotel.  These hotel visits can draw a big crowd (300 or more!), but since the information is valuable, you should go—and be sure to ask a question!

These same colleges often host meetings with school counselors—hey, you’re not the only one who needs to keep up with the hot schools!  I had the chance to attend one of these breakfasts last week, which was hosted by five strong colleges, and they had some good ideas to pass along:

APs or college classes?  High school students often decide to take classes at a local college instead of taking the AP classes their high school offers.  The thinking here is colleges will be more impressed by a student taking “real” college classes than students who stay at the high school and slave away over AP courses.

The reps at the breakfast—from Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, Penn, and Stanford—felt otherwise.  They said taking APs was actually the better thing to do; they felt staying at the high school showed a greater commitment to the school community, and they added that credits from other colleges most likely won’t transfer to their schools, where high AP scores might earn credit. 

They didn’t address what to do if you want to take a college class that isn’t offered at your high school—your best bet is to call the admissions office of the colleges you’re interested in and ask.

Surprises in this year’s applications.  The college reps were asked if they saw any trends or changes in the applications they read this year.  They said they saw an increase in the number of students who indicated an interest in math, science, and business.  This isn’t unusual—an increase like this also occurred in the last bad economy, since students wanted to make sure they would have marketable job skills—and since the economy is taking its time turning around, it’s likely these majors will also be popular ones next year.

Counselor letters.  Like most colleges, these five require a Secondary School Report, where counselors are asked to provide some basic information on each student.  This is also an opportunity for the counselor to share their thoughts about the student, or talk about any unusual circumstances the student might have been through in high school.

The reps said they knew it was hard for counselors to write good recommendations on their students, since counselors have to see so many students—they said they thought counselors had about 200 students to see, when in fact it’s usually much higher.  They encouraged the counselors to write as much as they could about each student, and then they talked about some counselor “recommendations” that are a form where the counselor basically says the student was never suspended or expelled, or has a criminal record.

My advice?  Counselors can really cheer for you, but since they have so many students to see, you’re going to have to make the first move.  Respect their time and space, but find a way to get your counselor to get to know you; if every other applicant sends in a checklist, your counselor’s letter will help that much more.

college admission | college counseling | Ivy League | College advising | AP | advanced placement | school counselor

2010.05.06 21:34:41

Patrick OConnor

Meeting Next Year's Challenge of Getting Into College Begins May 17th

In the last couple of weeks, we’ve talked about this being a record-breaking year for college applications, and I’ve offered come hints to juniors on how to make sure their college application process is as smooth as possible.  It seemed like all of the bases were covered…

…and of course, that meant something had to change—which it did.

The surprise came this week, when plans were announced to lay off at least 26 counselors in Oakland County, Michigan.  Oakland County is the third wealthiest county in Michigan, and was the home of some very serious money before the US auto industry took a hit two years ago.

Most of the eliminated positions are elementary counselors, so a number of experienced elementary counselors could be transferred into high school counseling jobs next fall.  It’s great that they have counseling experience, but it’s unlikely they will have experience counseling students about college.

If that’s the case in a county that’s still doing OK in the dollar department, chances are your school district is thinking about similar plans, which could mean the counselor you have now won’t be the counselor you have senior year—and that’s not good.

Every part of the college selection process works best if parents, students and counselors work together and plan ahead, and this challenge is no different.  To make sure your senior year is strong, and their college options are all they can be, take these simple steps as a family:

* Ask about counseling plans for next year.  Now is the time to find out if your school is planning a reduction in counselors, or a change in counselors.  This would also be a good time to urge your school board to look elsewhere for budget savings; since most counselors work with 350 or more students, now isn’t the time to make that number bigger.

* Introduce yourself to your new counselor early. If you are getting a new counselor over the summer, now is not the time to be a stranger.  Contact them over the summer, and ask for a meeting to bring them up to speed on your college plans.  Better yet, have your folks contact the principal and offer to host an open house at the high school for all the students of the new counselor.  This will allow the counselor to hit the ground running come September.

* Insist on well-trained counselors.  Parents are surprised to find out most school counselors didn’t have any training in graduate school in how to help guide families through the college selection process.  That’s not their fault—only about 30 counselor training programs offer a course devoted just to college advising—but such training is available.  I offer an online course that trains counselor in college advising—it’s under the Classes and Events tab on the Web site.

* Warm up your computer.  The week of May 17th is National Action Week, a time to tell school boards, principals, state legislators, and Congress that school counselors are valuable and necessary.  There’ll be more information on the Web site next week, and there’s more at http://www.nacacnet.org/LegislativeAction/LegislativeNews/Pages

/NationalActionWeek.aspx—tell your friends, tell the PTA, and be ready to fax at will.

Applying to college isn’t as easy as it was when today’s parents were high school seniors, but a little advanced planning, combined with keeping the best interests of the students at heart, can create a solid foundation of college success for the Class of 2011 and beyond.  Get your letters ready—the time for action is now.

college admission | college counseling | college entrance

2010.04.29 21:54:13

Patrick OConnor

Choosing a College? Forgetaboutit.

It’s really getting down to the wire. This Saturday is the day you have to send notification to the one college of your choice that you’ll be attending there in the fall.  If you’re still trying to figure out what college gets to hear your version of “I’ll Be There”, let’s review some of the ground rules:

• You can only deposit to one college on May 1.  Depositing at 2 colleges is trouble—if they both find out, they can rescind your admission.  In addition, this can hurt you in the fall; if you’re going to a small college where 40 students said “yes I’m coming” and suddenly say “just kidding”, your college is out a couple of million dollars and 40 students—so guess who has less classes to choose from with larger class sizes?  Right—you.
• If you’ve applied to Canadian colleges or colleges overseas that don’t notify until late May or June, it’s important to deposit at a US school by May 1.  If your late-notifying colleges say no to you, you have a college to go to; if they say yes, you can cancel the deposit at the US school and ask for it back (they may say no, but ask anyway).
• Same thing if you are on a waitlist at the college of your dreams.  The waitlists are expected to be *very* unpredictable this year—they are long, and many colleges aren’t expecting to go to them—so make sure you have a spot somewhere else this Saturday.

That’s the easy part.  The hard part is having two or more great colleges that want you, and you just can’t decide.  You’ve made a “good” and “bad” list for each, you’ve gone back to your notes from the fall, you may have visited again since April 1st—you’ve even bought a sweatshirt from every college to see what color you look best in—and still, no decision.

Here’s my suggestion—stop thinking about it.

Seriously.

If most of your waking hours in April have been spent thinking about this decision, some part of your brain is about to short circuit—and that won’t be helpful once you get to college.  If you’ve done your homework, you just have to let things settle; when you least expect it, the decision will creep up on you like the alarm clock for school on Monday morning.  Focus on homework, go look at prom dresses (again), figure out why A-Rod ran across the pitchers mound last week (Dude!)…

…or go bowling.

I know—you stink at bowling.  So does everyone.  But here’s the thing about bowling—the harder you try to make it work, the worse you do. Squeeze your fingers in the holes, and you get tossed down the lane with the ball.  The best thing to do is pick up the ball, drop your shoulders, and let the ball guide you.  It won’t turn you into Dick Weber overnight (ask your parents), but the outcome is much better this way

It’s great you want to make the right college decision—it’s important to you, you deserve a good decision, and you’ve put a lot into it.  But right now, for the next couple of days, it’s time to let the idea of college wash over you like the wave pool when you were seven.  Don’t run into the water—let the water come to you.  Let that feeling be with you, and your college choice will be there by Saturday as sure as there are spring showers.

college selection | financial aid | college counseling

2010.03.05 01:55:40

Patrick OConnor

Choosing a College is More Than Smoke and Mirrors

Today’s column begins with another college quiz.  Ready?

2.      What person was recently quoted as saying “I’m not very pretty”?

Frequent readers have the first answer tattooed on their arm, next to the Web address for Colleges That Change Lives.  The purpose of college is to give you the opportunity to continue to live the wonderful life you already have, and to understand more about yourself, the world, and your relationship to the world.

I’m pointing this out again because this is the time of year when all kinds of people forget that.  As seniors and their families wait for the March Madness of college decisions, and as juniors get back their tentative class schedules for next year and decide if it’s “college-worthy”, it’s easy to think school is more about thick envelopes and “getting in” than personal growth.  

That’s not to say high school should be a breeze, or that diligence and achievement shouldn’t be recognized. But what does it say about college choice if you get into a name college you’d hate going to, or if you get a 7  AP class senior-year schedule with so much homework you can’t even remember your name? There’s a fine difference between self-growth and self-destruction, and if you’re not careful, this approach to college can spill over into other areas of your life, like dating, career exploration, or self-identity…

…which leads us to Question 2.  The person who thinks they aren’t pretty is Anne Hathaway.  Right—not the Anne Hathaway who works at the corner deli, but the Anne Hathaway.  It’s nice to hear a little humility coming from Hollywood, and  I certainly don’t want to diss the reigning queen of Genovia, but either a new mirror or a new perspective is in order— and such is the case when the dream of being admitted to college is more important than the reality of going there.  The first ground rule is keeping grounded.

This same topic is addressed in a must-see movie. “Race to Nowhere” documents the lives of students who discover that more really can be less, and some of these lessons are hard ones.  The trailer’s at www.racetonowhere.com  Take a peek before you decide if a fourth community service project is really all that important— and either way, do your community a service by asking your counselor to set up a screening of this film for your school.

“But dude”, says you, “aren’t you the guy who tells us colleges want us to do all this crazy stuff?  Isn’t it your job to tell us to dance a little faster in order to win the game?”

I honestly don’t think I’ve ever called college choice a game—if I did, I was wrong.  Classes, extra-curriculars and community service aren’t the elements of a game—they are ingredients in the recipe of your life, and my job is to give you cooking lessons.  The recipe for life—and for college success-- is only complete with healthy doses of perspective and self-knowledge.  Without them, you might end up like this guy, who didn’t think he was good enough to be a professional singer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA 

And just how did Paul Potts decide to audition for Britain’s Got Talent, which led to performing before Queen Elizabeth and selling over 4 million albums?

He flipped a coin.

choosing a college | applying to college | college counseling | college entrance

2010.02.26 22:14:31

Patrick OConnor

College Admissions: It's Not A Safety School if It's Not You

To Sheila, it seemed like the perfect safety school.  It had the program she wanted, she was well above the college’s average GPA and test scores, and she liked the college’s reputation for an above average social life.

Even though she was admitted to one of her first choice colleges, the Plan B school hit the A list when she was offered a large merit scholarship and an invitation to join the school’s Honors College.  The promise of small classes and the sense of adventure called to her, and she answered—she sent her deposit in and left her hometown in the dust.

The romance lasted one year.  Halfway into the second semester, she realized she was already taking junior-level classes in the university’s Honors College, and some of them didn’t ask very much from her.  She sat back and did the math— since she was on track to complete senior-level classes as a sophomore, what would she study for the last two years of college?

Around the same time, she realized there was only so much partying she needed in her life, which was much less than her fellow students needed.  She had a thoughtful conversation with her parents, finished the semester, and transferred to the first choice college she’d been admitted to the year before.

What lessons did Sheila learn that could help you?  Simple:

There’s no such thing as a Plan B school.  Sheila didn’t give a single thought to the social lives of the other colleges she applied to, but it was one of the main reasons she applied to the college she attended—and that change should have been the wake-up call that this wasn’t the college for her. You definitely need to apply to at least one college where your chances of admission are strong, but that doesn’t mean you’re looking for a different kind of college. Keep the same criteria, and make them all first choice colleges.

Look past the labels.  Honors colleges, residential programs, and learning-living communities offer smaller classes, which are generally a plus—but they also offer fewer classes, which can be a minus. If AP credits or placement exams take half the limited choices off the table, that makes college less of a learning experience, and more of a hep community with lots of people your age that’s interrupted by the need to go to class once in a while.  College is about living AND learning—make sure you’ll get the chance to do both.

Turn off the disco ball in your head.  Merit scholarships and junior-level placements can be real ego boosters (and can sure help cash-strapped parents), but if the college just isn’t you, it’s like paying half-price for a pair of jeans you’ll never wear.  If April finds you thinking about a school you didn’t pay much attention to six months ago, you MUST visit the campus again. Pull out the list of what you wanted in a school, and view the campus clearly; it’s cool if your priorities have changed in a school because you’re a different person now, but it’s not cool if you need to change the person you are because of the priorities of the school. Look.

Listen to your counselor.  No disrespect to Sheila, but I told her family to do these things, and they blew me off.  We may be older, we may drive ugly cars, and our hair isn’t what it used to be, but our job is to guide you around the landmines of college selection—and we are very good at it.  Let us help you.

college entrance | college counseling | college admissions | safety school | safety schools | choosing a college

2010.02.19 21:51:38

Patrick OConnor

Summer Classes-- A Real Education

There you were, waiting in the counseling office to review your schedule for next year, when you came across the Summer Enrichment brochure your school district just published this week.  As you scanned down the list, there, nicely nestled between “Adventures with Water Colors” and “Anyone Can do Figure Drawing”, you saw it—“Algebra 2, Tuesday Wednesday Thursday mornings, starts in June, ends July 20.”

Do your eyes deceive you?  Could it be the year-long class that is causing so many other problems with your schedule can be easily set aside by giving up 18 hours this summer?

Sure—just like you’d be rich if everyone mailed you a dollar.

Don’t get me wrong—summer classes can be great, and many students have taken them to “double up” in Math, Science, or English—but they sure didn’t do it in 18 hours, and neither will you.  If summer classes are on your mind, keep this in mind, and you won’t lose your mind:

What’s your goal?  Begin your search for summer classes by looking within—why do you want to take a class?  If it’s a love for the subject, remember that most students taking local summer classes are there for Round 2—their grade in the class wasn’t all that great the first time they took it, and they want to improve it (or have to improve it) before fall. 

It’s great they’re doing that, but if you’re taking Creative Writing to discuss ideas and themes, and most everyone else is taking it for credit recovery, this might not be the best match. Try  http://www.petersons.com/summerop/code/ssector.aspm for a list of summer programs attended by students who can’t get enough of learning.  Many of these programs are taught on college campuses, and while they often cost more than local summer school, many offer scholarships.  Ask and see.

What’s their goal?  It’s also important to know what’s going to be taught in a class.  The Algebra 2 class may only meet for 18 hours, but it’s most likely designed to be a review for students who’ve already had the class once.  If Math isn’t your thing, and especially if you plan on taking Pre-Calc, this micro-math class is not the thing to do.  Ask for a syllabus ahead of time—better yet, talk to the teacher.

Got free time?  Unless the class is PE (which is a great class to take in the summer—dude, you’re outside!), class time will require study time, which impacts summer afternoons, summer nights, and summer weekends.  If the class means something to you, make sure you can give it your all, both in terms of time and attention.  You won’t get much out of studying on a July night if your head is in the book but your heart is at the beach.

Dare to dream.  Summer classes are also the best time to try something new, with little or no risk attached.  Sure, it’s a great time to knock off a required Health class—but what about a class in a department of the school you’ve never set foot in?  You future architects and engineers should know that the best designers have a background in the fine arts—so the Water Color and Figure Drawing classes I mentioned earlier might not be a bad idea after all (busted!). 

School is about credits, but education is about learning— spend the summer with your eye on the big picture, and you may go back to school in the fall with something more than just a change in your credit count.

Meanwhile, send those dollars to collegeisyours@....

College advising | college counseling | summer classes

2010.02.10 19:49:36

Patrick OConnor

Give Semester Advice the Old College Tri

Last week’s column on scheduling brought a response from a family where the high school is on trimesters, so classes (and grades) switch in November, March, and June, not at all like the January-June semester schedule.  Their two main points were:

-Telling us to mail first semester grades in January doesn’t help, since we already sent first trimester grades in early December.

-Ditto for schedule changes.  Since trimesters started in December, it is what it is—and since trimesters are harder to schedule, juniors have already scheduled their classes for next year.

Trimesterites, lest you think the last two columns are merely kindling to fan the flames of your cozy Valentines Day fire, uncrumple those two fine tomes, and go with the flow as follows:

If a college has deferred you, students on trimesters sent updated grades in early December, long before most colleges decided on their Early applicants.  Even if you sent a note and your grades were en el fuego back then, it will be 3 or 4 months between the time you last contacted the deferring college that said “tell us more”(which really means “show us how much this means to you”) and the time they review your file again.  Tell me—does this time warp translate as showing genuine interest?

The solution here is simple, Danny Zuko—tell them more, one more time!  If your high school sends home mid-trimester grades, passing those good grades along to colleges will show that not only were you good in December, but you’re still good now, and their college is where you still want to be.  Some high schools may even finish the second trimester in mid-March, which could be enough time to send some colleges the good word just as they’re reviewing their deferred applicants. 

Either way, mid-trimester grades can go out now.  Use the occasion to write another very brief note about what’s new in your life and your genuine interest in the school, and they’ll have the latest news—and a refreshed perception—about where you are, and what matters to you.

In terms of schedules, I’m sticking to my guns. Whether you’re a senior starting second semester or third trimester, the chance will come—either right now or in a month-- to ratchet your schedule down a notch. If your grades were strong last report card, there’s no reason to do this—just say no. This may be even harder for trimester students, since the start of your last term is that much closer to the finish line; practice in the mirror if you need to, but a little nyet, nein, non, and “as if” now goes a long way later.

Juniors, if your school really has asked for your schedule for next year, don’t worry—Like Arnold, they’ll be back.  Low enrollment, computer glitches, and last minute layoffs will give you at least three opportunities to pick up “AP Ultimate Frisbee” and drop “Jane Adams and Jane Addams: Common Souls Separated by an Uncommon Spelling”. 

The goal is to make the most out of the learning experiences you have in high school, and I have a hunch your house has 4 Dyn-O-Glos hanging around, but nary a copy of Twenty Years at Hull House. Keep the challenge high—colleges will notice, and more important, so will you.

GPA | college entrance | college admission | college counseling

2010.02.06 18:07:30

Patrick OConnor

Applying to College? Schedule Wisely

We’re a week away from President’s Day, which means there’s only one thing on the minds of college-bound students—schedules.  By this, I don’t mean “My homework is really cutting into my social schedule” or “Dude!  Three girls asked me to the Sadie Hawkins Dance—do you think I can make that work?”  Rather, I mean your school schedule—of classes—for school?

Wow, it’s clearly time for winter break.

I know you’re storing up on wings and dip for tomorrow, so I’ll make this quick:

Seniors, even though this is the last semester of your high school career, you still need a strong schedule.  Even as we speak, colleges are reviewing your applications, and one of their big questions is if you have the ability *and* the desire to really tear up college classes.  Your grades from past semesters may say “You bet”, but if this semester has six sections of The Anthropology of Texting, chances are you’ll hit campus with a rusty brain and an inability to write words with vowels in them.  Bottom line?  Keep the neurons firing by taking classes that make you think.

“But hombre” say you, “I’m smart enough to make this work.  I’m entitled to some time off.” 

OK—consider this.  If your college application says you’re taking a challenging load of academics, and you change your schedule to swap out AP English for “American Idol:  Boon or Boondoggle?”, you have to contact the college immediately to tell them your schedule has changed..  No matter how smooth you think you are, do you really think there’s any way a college will see this change as good news?  Sure, it’s tough now, but Tom Hanks was right—it’s supposed to be hard, or everyone could do it.  Your teachers will cut you some slack come May and June—meanwhile, jump into the work you told colleges you love, and see what’s there to get juiced about.

Juniors, you don’t need a pep talk to take tough classes now, since sixth semester is Show and Tell time. However, your counselors will be coming around in three weeks to sign you up for senior year classes—and that’s when the temptation to board the Blow-it-off bullet train will be strong.

Here’s my encore:  The primary factor used by nearly every college in reading an application is if the student has challenged him/herself by taking the most demanding classes available.  If you’re getting As in French 3, and there’s a French 4, it goes on the schedule; ditto for Calculus and Shakespeare.  If your school offers a course called Expository Writing, it’s on the list; college students tell me this is THE course that helped them see how to write great papers in classes other than English.  Be advised--  “Expository” comes from the Latin expos, which means “to write so many papers you’ll wear out a pencil a week.” Tough?  Yes.  Beyond you?  Please!

You’ve probably heard that the number of high school graduates will go down next year, and that leads you to believe you won’t have to work as hard to get admitted to college.  The first part is right, but the second part isn’t; even with the bad economy, more students are going to college than ever before, so colleges are likely to pick and choose the top students for at least the next few years.  Make their work easy for them—gird yourself, smoke the tough classes, and give yourself a reason to be proud when the thick envelope arrives from your college.  That’s the recipe for a super touchdown.

college counseling | schedules | college entrance | college admission

2010.01.28 22:05:28

Patrick OConnor

College Applications-- The Early Returns, and What They Mean to You

Since President Obama failed to mention it last night, the state of college admissions is strong—in fact, maybe a little too strong!  Many colleges are reporting record application years again, and some will be accepting applications for two more months.  This makes sense, since this is the largest high school class in history (next year’s class will be smaller, by the way)—it seems the bad economy is having very little impact on applications.

While applications are up, the number of admitted students is mixed.  Some schools have already admitted more students than last year, but it seems a number of colleges with Early Action (EA) programs are taking more of a wait-and-see approach; students are reporting an increase in the number of deferrals from EA, where colleges ask students for grades from their current classes, and compare these deferred students to those who applied to the college on a later deadline,

The larger number of “tell us more” responses isn’t too much of a surprise; with more high school seniors wanting to hear sooner from colleges, and since EA programs don’t require an early commitment from the student, colleges want to make sure there’s plenty of room for good students who apply later on.  Still, it’s understandable why students with above-average records could see a deferral as a defeat, rather than a delayed possibility for achievement.  It takes a great deal of thought and planning to submit early applications, and when a letter comes back with an answer of maybe, it’s hard not to take it personally.

What does this news all mean to seniors?  It depends on where you are in the application process:

-- If you haven’t applied to any colleges just yet, two words—“now” and “more”.  Most colleges have received at least 80% of all the applications they’ll be getting, which usually means they will evaluate any new applications more closely.  Make sure your applications are neat, thorough, and sent in by Ground Hog Day, and if you were going to apply to 4 colleges, make it 8—the volume of traffic is very heavy, so everyone can be more choosy.

--If you have applied and don’t have a firm acceptance yet, it’s time to break out the college guides one last time.  More EA applications usually means more regular applications—and that will lead to more deferrals and rejections this spring.  Don’t play the April fool; there are great colleges with deadlines of February 15 and March 1 that will give you a decision 2 or 3 weeks after you apply.  Find one that will work for you, and let that be your winter blanket.

--If you’ve been deferred, be sure you’re in touch with the college now.  Most students who are deferred will obediently submit their current grades, keep their head down, and hope for the best—but colleges will not be admitting most of their deferred students.  A three-paragraph note that updates what you’ve been doing, what you plan on doing, and why State U is still of interest will separate you from the crowd, and create room for dialogue with the college.  If you haven’t done so, this too is a must this week—and if you have no acceptances, see the point above, and find a school that will say yes in February.

--If you’re in at the college of your choice and feeling good about things, well done.  Get back to the business of high school-- spring will soon be here with senior mayhem—and lend a kind word to seniors who haven’t heard.

applying to college | early action | college admission | college selection | college counseling

2010.01.23 01:25:50

Patrick OConnor

Financial Aid and Final Exams-- Waiting? Wondering? Why?

You’re probably studying for finals for your seventh semester—the grades colleges just love to see—or you’ve completed them, and are waiting for the grades to come in. Either way, you’re convinced the best thing you can do is stand in front of a mirror and see how quickly you can say “Do you want fries with that?”, just in case this college thing doesn’t work out.

The rock of your support, your parents, aren’t much help either.  If they are working on financial aid forms at a normal clip, they’re shocked at all the paperwork they need to complete the FAFSA.  If they filed on January 2nd, they may have heard back from the Federal government already, and all they can seem to say is “Congress really thinks I can pay this much for college?”

With Conan on his way out, and a Republican senator from Massachusetts on his way in, there seems to be no relief to the madness— just what can you do?

Friends, I am a professional—please attempt to do this at home:

• Help your parents calm down. The FAFSA asks for material most families need to fill out tax forms—they just need the information sooner.  Tell your parents to “think taxes,” and be amazed by how happy that idea makes them.  If the forms aren’t around, they can use last year’s tax information as an estimate, and update with the actual numbers later.

• Get them to phase two.  A large number of families don’t get grants from FAFSA, but you have to apply anyway before a college will give you need-based aid.  Once you’re done with FAFSA, get your parents to fill out the forms the college needs completed—Profile, their own form, whatever—so you can be considered for institutional-based aid.  If you don’t know what they need, call and ask; in this case, the only stupid question really IS the one that doesn’t get asked.

• Hit the Web yourself.  With college essays and final exams as warm-ups, your writing skills are at their peek—hit www.finaid.org or other scholarship search sites to find cash you could earn with an essay everyone else is too tired to write.  I once won a trophy in a 10K race for my age group, and I run about as well as an 8-track player.  What did I do to earn the gold?  I was the only one in my age group to finish.  Get it?

• Man up and move on.  You may think you have nothing better to do but freak while you wait on your grades, but the world begs to differ--good students don’t wait for anything.  Now is the time to DO—focus on your studies, because colleges have many more qualified applicants than seats.  If your last semester in high school is a let-down, it won’t take much for the college of your dreams to change their mind, and you want to avoid that nightmare.  Also, go teach something to someone. The best college students know what it means to learn AND to teach, and with college applications done, you have some free time.  Go coach a basketball clinic at the Y, tutor at the library, show your mom how to Skype— believe me, you’ll want her to have that skill in a couple of months.

college applications | college counseling | paying for college | scholarships | financial aid

2009.12.28 18:41:47

Patrick OConnor

As Application Deadlines Loom, Make a Plan

I’d like to think you’re reading this just to check in and wish me a Happy New Year, but I know better—you’re here because your college apps need to get out now, and you need some help.  Here goes:

Double check the deadlines.  A number of colleges changed their deadline from January 1 to January 4, so go to the Web site of each college you’re applying to and make sure you have the right date.

Complete your application online.  If you really are working with a January 1^st deadline, applying online allows you to hit submit at 11:45 pm on New Year’s Night; if you’re applying by mail, you have to get your application to the post office by 11:45 am on New Year’s Eve.  That’s an extra 36 hours, and a lot less snow on your shoes.

Check your schedule.  You’ll want to give yourself time for breaks, sleep, meals—and family events. If Uncle Bob’s holiday brunch is scheduled for Friday morning, you want to know that now, not Friday morning, so check your schedule with your parents.  They’ll be pleased to see you’re looking ahead, and that will ease the college stress they’re feeling, too.

Vary your activities.  Most students decide to leave the essays of an application for last.  That’s OK if you’re only working on one application, but if you’re looking at three or four, your essays won’t be as fresh if you write ten in a row.  Start with an easy essay, then go back and fill in your name and address—then back to an essay, then over to your high school activities.  Variety keeps most writers focused.

The “Why Us?” question matters the most.  Previous columns have told you how to approach the “Why do you want to apply here?” question.  Even though you’re in a hurry, be sure you do your best writing with this very challenging question that usually has a limit of 100 words—your answer has to be specific to that college, and can be a deal-maker, so it’s worth the time.

Send test scores now.  SAT and ACT scores can be ordered online during the holidays, so take the time to make sure they get sent to the colleges that request them.  You’ll need a credit card to order them; use this as a break from your essays, and a chance to touch base with your parents to let them know how things are going.

Transcripts and teacher letters will have to wait.  If you discover a form that’s supposed to be completed by your teacher or school counselor, there isn’t much you can do with those right now.  Fill out the top of each form, and make a note to touch base with teachers and counselors the first day school’s back in session; colleges usually give supporting documents a little more time to arrive, but your material really needs to make the deadline.

Build in time to double check essays.  Dazzling essays lose their shine when they have misspelled words, bad grammar, or talk about how much going to Brown would mean to you when the essay is going to Lawrence University.  There’s a difference between being in a hurry and being sloppy—now is the time to show the colleges you know what that difference is.

Celebrate wisely.  Whenever your applications are finished, remember a great application is successful only if you’re around to actually go to the college next fall.  Be safe, be sober, and only ride with those who are the same.

Happy New Year-- you can do this.

college applications | college deadlines | essays | admission | college counseling

2009.12.03 23:14:31

Patrick OConnor

Grades and College Applications: What's Your Road Map?

It’s now time for the world’s easiest college admissions test.  Ready?

Question 1.  If I were to compare my high school transcript to a geographic feature, I would choose:

1. A mountain
2. A valley
3. A ski slope
4. The end of a ski jump
5. A very high plateau

Time’s up—let’s check your answer, and see what this means about your college applications:

If you chose a mountain, this means you started high school with OK grades, had great grades in 10^th or early 11^th grade year, and went back to OK grades in late 11^th grade or during this first term.  If this is the case, colleges may be wondering why your latest work isn’t as strong as your Rocky Mountain work.

If you chose a valley, this means your early grades were strong, then you hit a rocky patch, and now you’re back at your usual level of work.  Colleges will definitely want to know about what caused the unexpected drop in altitude.

The ski slope is also known as the negative trend— grades in 9th grade were the highest you’ve earned, and they have been declining ever since.  This is a cause of concern to colleges—if you keep getting lower grades each semester, where will your GPA be after your first semester of college?

If you’ve picked any of these, you’ll want to address these trends with the college.  If  low grades can be attributed to an unexpected challenge— illness, family issues, or something personal—it’s usually wise for you or your counselor to tell the college why things didn’t go as planned.  If your grades have turned around, it’s important to point that out; even though it’s clear on your transcript, pointing this out assures the college that the storm has passed, and you expect to have strong grades from here on in.

If you find yourself in the middle of a tough time with grades right now, it’s time for some quality counselor time.  A personal challenge in senior year is one thing; but if the grades are low because your classes are too hard, that’s something very different. The time to sort out the cause and build a plan is now, with the support of someone who can help the colleges understand.

Some students are hesitant to talk about the challenges they’ve had, either because the memories of that time are still too fresh, or they feel the colleges will judge them on their behavior.  If this is the case, your counselor can address the issue, either in a note to the college, or through a phone call.  Either way, it’s important for someone to talk about it; transcripts don’t lie, and if a bad run of grades isn’t explained, the colleges won’t know what to think— and you don’t want that to happen.

The end of the ski jump is known as a positive trend, where your grades have been getting higher and higher every semester.  Colleges may want to know why you started out low, but generally they’re pleased about this, since it suggests you’re improving your grades all along. If there was a personal issue early in your high school career, mention it; if not, it might be wise to let it go.

You high plateau folks are fine, as long as you’re taking the most challenging classes you can handle.  If for some reason the colleges think you didn’t ramp it up, and could have, they’ll take that into account—but you’ve still got a lot to be proud of.

A’s all around!

college counseling | counseling | grades | college help | college applications

2009.10.17 03:50:38

Patrick OConnor

College Essays Continued

I’ve had the chance to ask college reps what they are looking for in terms of student essays.  While some of these ideas aren’t new, they’re still important:

It’s a personal statement, not a book report  It’s often said a good personal statement will tell the college a story.  That’s true—you don’t want to write an essay where you say “I love History” when you can tell them an example of when you knew History was your thing— it’s much better to show them than to tell them.

The key is telling the story and include your thoughts and feelings, not just a narrative of what happened—colleges want to know the what, but they want to know about you as you went through this experience as well.  So yes, by all means tell a story, but be sure to tell them your view on the story—let them see the experience through your eyes, mind, and heart.

Write what you want to say, not what you think they want you to say  This is still the essay that makes reps either want to jump out of windows or change to upsizing fries for a living.  While books like “100 Winning Essays” mean well, they really don’t help all that much, because they seem to suggest a) the student got in because of the essay (and you never know that) and b) you can get in writing something just like one of these essays.

Neither is true—they want to hear about you, as written by you.  A good test of this is to read your final draft out loud.  If it sounds like a thank you note to Aunt Martha for the new socks she gave you, or that sing-songy voice too many people use when reciting the Pledge of Allegiance with no thought or feeling, it’s not your final draft.  This is where being buddies with an English teacher is a boost—they will not only point out grammar issues, but they’ll honestly say if this sounds like you or not.

Don’t overlook the small questions  The second essay answer that makes reps howl at the moon is the response to the questions they ask about their school, known as the “Why Us?” question.  Here, colleges want to know what it is specifically about that school that interests you—so even if it’s a small liberal arts college with a study abroad program, using that for your “Why Us” answer doesn’t work, because there are three dozen other colleges that fit that description.

Visit the college Web site, and find out what you value about that college.  Try and describe that in an adjective or two, and center your “Why Us” answer on those qualities.  Mentioning a specific program or activity only available at that college is fair game, and talking about why you see their college as different from other colleges can work, too, as long as you don’t mention the other college by name. When you’re done, read your answer; if you can use that answer for any other college you’re applying to, look deeper, and try again—this tiny answer can make a big difference.

The same is true for any other short answer question—detail and insight.  If they ask “How did you hear about us?” try something like “You were recommended by my high school counselor, and when I visited campus, I knew he was right.  You offer a simulation room with live downloads from Wall Street, and your lacrosse team is the right mix of competition and cooperation for me.”  Boom.

college counseling | college essays

2009.10.09 23:46:54

Patrick OConnor

Writing Essays Shouldn't Bring Adversity

It has been a heavy-hearted week for the sports fans of my hometown.  After a summer-long stay in first place, the Detroit Tigers came out on the short end of a tiebreaker game, leaving the team without a playoff spot, and leaving their fans with a case of athletic adversity.

The goal of the essay is for colleges to learn more about you. Essays are the opportunity to bring yourself to life, to show a college the you behind the grades and test scores.  Effective essays should tell them a story, give them a taste of your voice and a peek at the way you look at the world, and show them your ability to write.  Regardless of your topic, keep these in mind as you respond.

A challenge isn’t always a crisis.  Some colleges may ask for a “setback” or “adversity”, but what that means is really up to you.  This may include a serious situation, but challenges aren’t always life-threatening as much as they are life-jarring, or life-changing.  Wake-up calls come in different ringtones—talk about one that authentically got you thinking, and you’ll be fine.

essays | college counseling