This is the time of year college counselors just love. With the seniors on their way to graduating (you there--be sure to pay your book fees and pass your finals), and with the juniors focused on final exams that complete a very important semester, almost no one is coming into talk about letters of recommendation,college searches, or financial aid.

For as much as I enjoy this brief respite (which happens to coincide with the Stanley Cup playoffs), I wouldn't really be doing my duty if I didn't share some important information with seniors and their families:

It's not too late to apply to college.

I know, I know--you think you're well aware of the choices you have now, which probably include community colleges and a couple of commuter colleges that take applications through August (and these are great options). These perennial choices are certainly on the list, but thanks to the economy, there are some others as well. Consider these entrees:

• The dream school you found after May 1^st. It's not uncommon for seniors to have “where are you going “discussions with other students at graduation parties, or standing in line for graduation rehearsal--and then you hear about the place you've been looking for but never found. Last year, I would have said call, but don't expect much; this year, not only should you call, but you should ask about financial aid to boot--especially if it's a private college. The economy continues to chug along, but recent increases in interest rates and the bankruptcy of GM means many college plans will change yet again, and soon. This could create opportunities for you--so call and ask, and if you don't like the answer you get, call again in a month.

• The college who said no to you, Part I. It may be that a college who's hurting for students is a college who hurt your feelings by denying you admission in the fall--the only problem is, they haven't got enough students now, so you're looking a lot more promising. Many colleges that are in this bind feel they CAN'T call you, because of a commitment colleges keep to each other--once a student deposits at College A, College B doesn't play Jack Sparrow and try to hoist your petard to their school. They have to stick to the code, but there's nothing in the code that says you can't call--give it a thought.

• The college who said no to you, Part II. Once you're on the phone, be sure to ask if they'd be willing to consider you for admission in the summer semester, or in January. Many colleges are starting to make admission offers for early and late starts, especially the late starts, when they know that, despite everyone's best efforts, some students just won't be coming back after Christmas break. These options are also appealing because they give you either a summer on campus to get used to the place (putting you ahead of the freshmen who arrive in the fall), or fall semester off to chill, work, or do some serious community service work before you have to hit the books again--and if you're afraid this means you can't get football tickets, ask!

Some people say colleges are only being flexible because they need students, while others say these changes are overdue, and will be around to stay. Either way, here they are, waiting for you--check them out, and see what can happen.

While high school seniors are dashing to the mailbox to pull out admission decisions, another college-bound group is dashing to the mailbox to send in college applications. Even as we speak, transfer applicants are doing the same transcript/essay/letter of recommendation dance high school seniors completed in December, hoping that their second set of college dreams will come true when they hear from admission offices in May.

Since more high school seniors are looking into starting their careers at a college close to home before they head out to School #2, now would be the time to cut and clip this advice on transferring colleges:

- Look far and wide. The search for a transfer college is different than the search for a first college. Online colleges, night and weekend colleges, and colleges with “campuses” in office buildings are designed to help students finish the education they started somewhere else. In addition, many colleges won't even look at your high school transcript once you have a year of college under your belt--so good college grades could open up more college choices as well. Of course, their football games aren't nearly as interesting as the gridiron gigs at the colleges you looked at as a high school senior, but after a year or so of college, these other options may make more sense for your goals.

- Look in the mirror. More than just your college options may have changed when you look to transfer schools. Most students change majors three times once they start college, so the list of best schools you have now may not apply when your love for Archaeology changes to a love for Architecture--or when your interest in pledging a sorority at 18 is overshadowed by an interest in job security at 20.Build your next list on the things that matter to you then, not now--new dreams will require new choices.

-Know what you're giving up. Transfer students have different options, but that doesn't mean they have every option. Many highly competitive colleges don't admit many transfer students, and some don't admit any at all. This may change if the economy continues to drag (“Hey, what's one more junior?”), but now would be the time to see ifUtopiaUniversitytakes transfers, and if so, how many. If getting in as a transfer student seems unlikely, consider deferral for a year.

-Be frugal with your credits. Not every class at College A transfers to College B, and some that do will only transfer as elective classes, not required ones. Keeping an eye on what will transfer is a full-time job, a job that's held by the counselors and advisers at College A. Meet with them every semester to scope out the schedule that will keep your transfer options focused and open--and remember, what matters is how many credits your new school wants to you complete once you're there, not how many credits they'll accept from where you've been.

-Be frugal with your wallet. Many colleges offer scholarships just for transfer students or members of Phi Theta Kappa, the community college honor society. Why?In most cases, there's a better chance you'll finish your degree than the students who entered that college as freshmen. Ask about special grants for transfer students--now is the time to shop around.

The two-college solution is used by more people than you realize, and economic times suggest this group will grow. Keep an eye on your goals and your options, and don't be afraid to look around--observation is the key to a great education.

You there, with the Chemistry book in your hands--did ya know there's a spider Web between that page you've been looking at and your eyebrows?It's time for a break...

...or should I say, a change? If you've been looking at that book for a mole's worth of seconds, you don't know we're getting a new president of theUnited States. (Of course, if you've been studying for a mole's worth of seconds, you don't even know about the United States--or dinosaurs, for that matter.) Barack Obama's campaign for change electrified a country, and millions of students texted Barack to join the ranks of his bffs. Once the campaign was over, changes started to take place...

...but many Obamaites don't think the changes are all that James. Circuit City just closed, banks are still broke, three Middle Eastern countries are still up for grabs, and someone on your block just lost their job, their house--or both. Your parents remember the ad that asked “Where's the beef?”, and that's what many people want to know about the promises of change--to them, this is looking lamer than a Britney Spears cover of a Snoop Dogg record.

But that's the thing-- change isn't magic. Just like you can't snap your fingers and move your Chem grade to an A++, war, world hunger, and bad mortgages aren't just going to go away when Barack Obama takes the oath Tuesday. Changing direction starts with putting your hand on the wheel and taking a new route--you drive your way out of where you are and head towards where you want to be.The scenery may look familiar, but if you give it time keep the goal in mind and do something new--rather than wish for something new-- you'll see new turf and fresh opportunities soon enough.

As it is with government, so it is with you. That last report card may not exactly be what you hoped for, but it's done; the question is, what do you want the next report card to look like, and what are you willing to do about it? Once you know, you're going to put on the same clothes, head for the same high school--and make something new. The scenery may look familiar, and right about January 27^th, you might wonder if anything is going to change. But if you look closely, you'll see new turf--the library, the study skills center, that NHS tutor in Chemistry who's actually kind of cute--and fresh opportunities will be there...

...and outside the classroom, too. President-elect Obama has asked all Americans to honor Dr. Martin Luther King the day before the inauguration through community service. Since it's January, this can't become one of those barbecue national holidays anyway--so why don't you give this a try? Call the library, the Red Cross, the senior citizens home, and see what you can change in two hours. But do me a favor--keep this off your college applications. This one's for your neighbor, your country, and your new president; show them all what real change means by changing the way you give of yourself-- for one day, don't keep track of the good you do.

Robert Fulghum was right--you learned the most important word in kindergarten, and it's “Look.”Once you know what's possible, remember change is something that's made, not given, not even in 6.02 times 10 to the 23^rdyears.Seeing change might seem to take that long, but living change starts as soon as you're ready to inaugurate it.

How's today sound?