The Rehabilatory Power of Education

Those of us in the field of education sometimes take higher education for granted. We serve families who expect their children to attend a four-year college and work with students who look forward to this life transition. There are others, however, for whom higher education is not a possibility. These people have made poor decisions in the past and are incarcerated in federal prison. I applaud Wesleyan University for their new program at a CT high security prison. Yes, the inmates involved in this highly selective program have committed heinous crimes, but they also have the capacity for critical thinking and a desire to learn. I am interested in seeing the results of this social experiment of sorts. Will involvement with the Wesleyan program correlate to a decrease in violent behaviors from these inmates? For those inmates with the potential for parole, how will this program affect their future behavior and aspirations? Click here to read a blog about this program.

NACAC

While I take time to process the last week of NACAC convention madness, I encourage you to read Jacques Steinberg's NACAC blog posts on The Choice blog. The posts detail some very interesting sessions and trends in the field of college admissions.

I promise, my own NACAC themed blog posts will arrive in time.

Postsecondary Paths and a Liberal Arts Education

Last night, several parents and students came together for my annual College Night program.  After leaving this event, I reflected on the diverse post-secondary paths taken by my students over the last three years.

Although nearly 100% of my school's graduates are bound for four-year colleges, I think it is important to recognize that there are several ways of getting there. Some students may begin at a community college. Contrary to previous public opinion, the community college option is actually an academically rigorous path where students can pursue various courses of study and cultivate their passions. Furthermore, this path is often a less expensive option than traditional residential four-year colleges. Sometimes, beginning this way can help financially prime a student for later academic pursuits.

A second, more popular post-secondary option for my students and other students around the world is a gap year. A gap year is a year between high school and college where the student typically defers enrollment to college to travel, intern, work, etc. My students who have pursued this option have done so through gap years in Israel such as Young Judaea and Israeli yeshiva study programs. This year, The Shoshana S. Cardin School will be hosting a MASA Gap Year in Israel Fair on November 3 from 5-7pm. This event will be open to the Baltimore community and will feature representatives from numerous gap year programs and Israel/Jewish studies college programs. For more information on gap years in Israel, visit http://www.masaisrael.org/.

No matter how the student gets there, post-secondary education is becoming a hot topic in our society. Every child is unique and there is no single path or magic equation toward future success. For some students traveling in Israel for a year will help them mature and prepare them for rigorous academic studies in college, while other students may just dive right into a campus experience. No matter their path, I am confident that my students will succeed and thrive.

This final thought reminds me of a quotation I heard last week at a lecture at Goucher College about the state of liberal arts in American higher education.  The guest speakers represented a range of academic disciplines and careers.  One particular comment that resonated with me was the description of a liberal arts education as "intellectual and emotional training for the real world." As both an educator and a product of a liberal arts education, I think that description is very accurate.  In college and in my college counseling practice, when asked "what do you do with a major in sociology (or any other liberal arts major)?!" I always answer: "Whatever you want!"  And that's true.  I firmly believe that students from liberal arts colleges and college preparatory high schools that emphasize cross-disciplinary study can indeed do whatever they want as they progress through higher education and the "real world."

The First 50 Days

The first 50 days of senior year will fly by not only for students and parents, but also for their college counselors.  While students work on their essays, applications, and visit colleges, the counselors are busy scheduling college visits and writing recommendations.  Many students and parents don't realize the time and effort put forth by college counselors during this time of the year.  Although I have a small senior class, I still write a two-page recommendation for each student. I can only imagine the time crunch the larger schools feel!

To add to our pressure, many universities have bumped their deadlines up.  As a Maryland school, many students will be applying to the University of MD, College Park. Our outstanding state flagship university has pushed their proioirty deadline to November 1.  While this forces students to submit both parts of their applications earlier than previous years, it also requires the counselors to complete the student recommendations a month earlier than previous years.  While I recognize the reasoning UMD admissions professionals used for pushing this deadline forward, it doesn't make me any less stressed.  College counselors take the recommendations very seriously. We put a lot of time and thought into accurately portraying our students and advocating for them.  While working on recommendations, the counselors are also balancing other duties and helping students complete applications.

Here are some tips that will help relieve some of your counselor's stress during the first 50 days of the school year:
Students...
- Adhere to deadlines.  If we have to rush to get your recommendation and transcripts ready by an early date, you should be on top of that deadline too. It's YOUR future.
- Communicate.  Talk to your counselor about your likes, dislikes, passions, interests, life struggles, etc. Sharing this information will help us write a better recommendation that shows various aspects of your life.
- Say thank you.  It means a lot to us. 

Parents...
- Be aware of your child's deadlines. Although your child should advocate for himself, you can serve as a steady reminder.
- Be patient with the counselor. He/she is balancing a lot early in the year. 
- Trust us.  We will advocate for your child and work very hard to help your child reach his/her college admissions goals.

49 days to go!

A Lifetime of "Acceptance"

I'll admit it, I watch Lifetime movies.  Trading in their usual sappy love story for a tale of high school angst,  the Lifetime television network recently aired an original movie entitled "Acceptance" based on Susan Coll's novel of the same name.  The novel has sat on my bookshelf for a while and now warrants a real read.

The satirical yet heartwarming story follows three suburban DC high schoolers who are in the midst of the college admissions process.  Taylor, the main character, is attempting to balance her parents' crumbling marriage, downward grades, unreasonable parental expectations, and her own self-image.  Her former beau, affectionately nicknamed "AP Harry" by his peers because he took the most AP classes possible, changed his daily life, dress code, and social circles in an attempt to fit Harvard's illusive criteria.  Thirdly, is their Indian friend Maya who experiences extreme parental pressure to get into a "sticker worthy" school.  The sticker in question - the one on the car windshield, proudly announcing to the world that "my child goes to X University."  All three students live in a pressure cooker environment where every student gets the SAT question of the hour texted to their cell phones and where the Ivy League is a common goal for the top tier students (and their parents).  Amidst the Ivy League dreams is a ringer college, fictional Yates College, that was erroneously ranked as America's 50th best college, thus propelling it into the high stakes world of selectivity.  How do they become more selective - turn more students down.

All of the students experience a mixed bag of admissions decisions.  The overarching theme, however, is that the term "acceptance" doesn't just apply to admissions decisions.  In the end, the students, parents, and admissions professionals realize that self-acceptance and self-awareness is more valuable than a "fat envelope."  This is a valuable point for current high schoolers to keep in mind.  Getting into the "perfect" or most selective school should not be tied to your self-worth.  And, parents, please don't base your parental success on your child's college admissions decisions.  You are more than an application (or your child's application).

As a college counselor whose professional life revolves around this often wacky process, I am partially appalled, but not surprised by the actions and behaviors displayed by the characters in "Acceptance." I wish I could be more surprised by the intense parental pressure or anxiety felt by the students in the movie.  In reality, most students are not like those students at fictional Vernon High School and admissions deans aren't as cut throat.  After watching the film, I wanted to reach out and hug each character, reassuring them that they are all worthy students.  In real life, every student will find his/her place.  As I have said in previous posts, there is no perfect college nor a magic admissions system/equation.  Every chid is unique and will find his/her place in the world of higher education.  Our job as parents and counselors is to help cultivate that sense of personal acceptance.

Former College Tour Guides Anonymous

Hi, my name is Hallie and I was a college admissions tour guide. In some ways, former tour guides have an unspeakable bond and shared stories much like recovering addicts. We commiserate over stories of umbrellas gone awry, nosey parents, tripping over curbs, and other tour anecdotes. It takes us years to recover. The hardest aspect to get over - walking backwards.

In a recent post on "The Choice" blog, NY Times reporter Jacques Steinberg wrote about a recent initiative to turn tour guides around. Walking forward encourages a more collegial environment and puts prospective students and parents at ease. Walking alongside the tour guide hopefully gives the prospective student a sense of being a real student at the college. It's like walking next to your friend, walking through the quad while chatting about clubs and upcoming campus events. Plus, I agree with Mr. Steinberg in his recognition of mothers as the leading anxiety producing sources when walking backwards. But for some tour guides, klutziness happens when walking in either direction. I applaud colleges for taking the time and effort to reevaluate their tour programs and really tailor them to the needs of the prospective applicants.

When looking at prospective colleges, students should pay heed to the tour. This is your chance to witness real college students in their "natural habitats." Students - ask questions, stay to the front of the group, and step away from your parents. It's ok (and often expected) for you to ask risque questions that may be on your mind when you are out of earshot of mom and dad. Parents - don't be shy about asking your questions too, but try not to embarrass your child. Teenagers are concerned with their image upkeep, so encourage them to make this trip about their own future and taking initiative. And please remember, tour guides are just students. While they may be extremely knowledgeable about clubs, activities, departments, and other campus happenings or statistics, there are certain questions that are better if left for the admissions professionals. Tour guides will probably not know specific details about financial aid, scholarships, admissions quotas, and admissions chances. Finally, it's ok if you don't mesh or click with your tour guide. This is just one student who is sharing his/her perspective with you. Spend time in public spaces around campus. I urge students to take 20-30 minutes alone (aka away from parents) and pretend to be a student. Sit on the quad, go to the library, sip coffee in the student center. Chat with other students and see what you learn and how you feel in that environment!

On a side note - I trained the F&M tour guide pictured in the NY Times blog and she's a great tour guide whether walking forward or backward!

Happy touring!

Listening Skills

As the school year looms in the not too distant future, many rising seniors are anxious to begin a monumental year. Senior schedules are a mix of academic challenge and enjoyable reflection. In my experience on both sides of the "admissions desk," I have come to realize that this mix is sometimes a point of contention.

Admissions deans do their best to properly guide prospective families and provide them with the necessary tips to increase all applicants' chances of acceptance. However, communication is key between all parties - admissions dean, applicant, applicant's family, and high school counselor. People sometimes hear what they want to hear. If the admissions dean says "take a lot of AP courses" and "GPA is a very important evaluative criteria," families should listen carefully and interpret these tips within the context of the applicant's skills, passions, and proficiencies. Every child is different. Applicants, counselors, and parents should assess the individual child's skills to determine the best course of action together. Senior year is a difficult year, and overloading certain students with advanced classes just because "College X said so," has the potential to snowball into academic and emotional stress on the student. Just because the student takes 5 AP classes or takes an additional SAT Subject Test, doesn't assure acceptance. Listening skills are extremely important in this process.

With that caveat in mind, seniors (and juniors) should challenge themselves with upper level courses within reason. Senior year is a time of transition. Students must balance college applications, essays, activities, and school work all while accepting the fact that their lives are in flux. My tip to seniors - enjoy your senior year (within reason). Enjoy your time with your friends, take lots of pictures, and continue to indulge in your passions. In addition, ALWAYS do your homework, thank your teachers for writing letter of recommendation for you, and hone your time management skills. With a clear mind and open ears, the college application process and the subsequent life transition can go smoothly.