Admissions decisions released in March

Students around the world will learn in March the admissions decisions on applications to summer programs, boarding schools, and colleges. The month of March is an emotional ride of highs and lows. Years ago, students would receive notices via postal mail. Now, many students find out either in their email inbox or through an online website. At least with the postal mail, you could sometimes tell the decision by the thickness of the envelope. All you have to do now is hold your breath when you click to see whether the top line begins with “Congratulations!”

If you’re admitted

I encourage all students who gain acceptance to a boarding school or college to take advantage of the special Admitted Students events. These events offer an opportunity to see the campus again (or for the first time) more personally. Sure, there will be alot of “wining and dining” to get you to come to their school, but that’s OK. You will have an opportunity to meet faculty, current students, administrators; eat in the dining halls; and maybe stay overnight. It’s during these events that you really decide whether you want to attend this institution. In the past, I’ve had students change their minds altogether about which school to attend. (On a personal note, I visited an Admitted Student event at Columbia University, as a high school senior. It was so much fun that I knew I couldn’t attend college there. . . . too many distractions in Manhattan for my personality type!)

By May 1

You must notify all colleges or your decision by May 1 (For boarding schools, it’s usually in April. Please check your letter.) This means that even if you’ve decided that you’re not attending that college, you must still let them know. And please, please, only send one deposit!

All the best to families as they wait to hear the news!

Where have you been accepted?

The first SAT for 2011-2012 is October 1

Seniors who are taking the SAT this Fall still have time to register for the test without any late fees. When planning whether you want to take the exam in October, November, or December, here are 3 things to keep in mind:

1. If you’re applying early, please make sure you confirm with the college(s) the last acceptable SAT date. This will ensure that your application is complete by the deadline. Most colleges will not review an incomplete application.

2. Plan for ample study time. You may study through an online program, take a class, or work with a private tutor. The most effective approach will be whichever program you can complete. Some students use a self-guded book. Even if you’re discipline enough to follow a self-guided plan, it will be just as important to stick with a study plan to completion.

3. Be familiar with the test-taking rules. For example, students must take the SAT and subject tests separately. So if you need to retake the SAT and/or SAT II (subject tests), you cannot take both exams on the same day! Also, not all SAT Subject tests are offered for each term. Depending on which subjet test you select, your test dates may be limited.

Here are upcoming dates for the SAT. Choose them wisely!

SAT Date Registration Deadline
October 1, 2011 September 9, 2011
November 5, 2011 October 7, 2011
December 3, 2011 November 8, 2011
January 28, 2011 December 30, 2011
March 10, 2011 No subj tests February 10, 2011
May 5, 2011 April 6, 2011
June 2, 2011 May 8, 2011

 

Common Application is now ready for College-bound Seniors

It’s August 1 which signals that it’s almost back-to-school time for students and for rising seniors, the Common Application is now available. Applicants will find several new colleges have been added this year, like Rhode Island

College (Graduation rate: 46.1%), UNC-Chapel Hill (Graduation rate: 85.7%), and Howard University (Graduation rate: 65.2%).  A posting from EdWeek outlined the process for getting started:

Students register for an account and then access the system online. Users can search for colleges by criteria they enter and then click on the schools where they want to apply. Applicants fill out demographic information and their activities and upload their essays.It doesn’t have to be completed in one sitting. Students can work on the form on and off. The completed form can be previewed in a PDF format before sending. Technical assistance is available at the Common App Support Center.The popularity of the Common Application is growing. Last year, almost 2 million applications were submitted through the Common App Online. A new single-day record was set on Dec. 31, 2010, when students submitted 127,175 applications.The system does streamline the process, enabling students to complete one form to send to any number of participating colleges.

via College Bound – Education Week.

Applicants must still be careful in completing the Common Application. Here are 2 important steps to heed:

  1. Plan your time accordingly because several colleges have supplemental essays in addition to the 2 primary essays. These supplemental essays should speak directly to the selected college, whereas the general Common Application essays should not refer to the specific college(s).
  2. Review . . . review . . . review . . . before submitting the Common Application. Once you submit, you can not make any changes to the forms.

Please listen to our podcast on College Application Review for more tips on what to do before pressing the “submit” button!

The Cell Phone Feature that all of my College-bound Teens must change

When I send my teen clients an email, it can take days or weeks before I hear back from them. When I send a text . . . there’s an almost immediate response. Texting has thus become a natural way to communicate in my practice. This recent article discusses the prevalence of cell phones and the serious issue of sexting. However, I have shared with my students another serious feature of cell phones that every parent should know about and every student should change in their settings.

75% of children between the ages of 12 and 17 have cell phones. Of that number, 72% send an average of 1,500 text messages a month. Older teenage girls send 38% more texts and boys of the same age group.And according to an abcnews.com article by Cristen Conger, “As of 2009, 20 percent of kids between six and 11 years old had a cell phone, according to a Mediamark survey. Moreover, cell phone ownership has increased most dramatically over the past five years -– 80.5 percent -– among ten- to 11-year olds.”The main concern for parents of cell phone wielding students is “sexting.” Sexting is a term used for sending or receiving an inappropriate or explicit message, picture or video. A survey conducted by SpectorSoft, a company that develops monitoring products for Computer, Internet and mobile phone users in business, education, government, and homes, indicated that 49% of parents polled said their children had received a sext message or picture, and that 21% had been a victim.

via Safe Cell Phone Use Requires Vigilance from Parents | EducationNews.org.

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Why I wouldn’t consider a boarding school

mak_boarding_school_02

This week on Facebook, I read some interesting comments from parents and others about the prospects of sending their own child to boarding school. There are two interesting trends that have been happening among boarding school enrollments that I’d like to highlight.

1.     The majority of parents are not “sending” their children to boarding school. Instead, students are seeking out boarding schools and getting parents on board with the idea. Just recently, while visiting Phillips Academy Andover, I met a family from the Midwest who was considering boarding school for their middle schooler. The parents both expressed some reservations because they were unfamiliar with boarding school environments. Nevertheless, they were willing to consider this option because their daughter had a strong interest in attending.

2.     As the awareness of boarding schools increases through organizations like TABS and educational consultants, families are learning that there is a great deal of variety among boarding schools. Likewise, many boarding schools require an interview, which means that students must visit the campus. Students can learn so much about the culture of a boarding school through these campus visits. One of my students this year who was applying to board school admitted that his campus visit helped him decide against applying to a program. On the other hand, a visit to another campus affirmed his decision to apply and eventually attend.

As my own children approach high school, I admittedly have struggled with whether I would allow my teens to attend a boarding school. When I visit the lush campuses that look more like colleges and witness what’s happening on a programmatic and pedagogical level, the offerings of a boarding school are compelling. So it’s somewhat easy to understand why families choose that option. However, when I consider the contrast and old stereotypes, here are the reasons that I would not consider a boarding school for my own child:

1.     Would not consider a boarding school because of its location – Most boarding schools are located in New England but there are a number of strong schools in the Midwest and even California!

2.     Would not consider a boarding school because of its brand name – The brand name of a boarding school may say something about its traditions and history, but says nothing about the current quality of the program and whether that campus is a good fit for my own child’s academic, social, and developmental needs.

3.     I would not consider a boarding school because my child’s friend attends – Sure, it may ease the transition for my teen if they already knew a friend in a school. Every child is different, though. So the reasons that his friend’s family chose a school may not be the same for my teen.

With this shortlist of “don’ts” out of the way then that still leaves the possibilities wide open. Now it’s just a matter of thinking critically about how to support my child in obtaining the best educational situation that will meet his learning, social, and developmental needs. There are more questions to ask about his preparedness and maturity as well. After then, I must be willing to let go of my own desires.

Would it be selfish of me to consider my own desires to perhaps have my teen stay close to home, even if boarding school is a better opportunity than he’s mature enough to handle?

What College-Bound Students Can Do This Summer

Several months ago, I broadcast a show on summer programming. That show had a more general focus for students across the grade levels. As I mentioned than on that program, summer planning starts much earlier than we want to think. It must be a Law of Murphy, by now because every year, I talk with families about the importance of planning early for summer and invariably each year I get a surge of inquiries about summer programs in April and May. Yikes! J

Even if your summer is shaping into a blank slate, don’t push the panic button just yet!

Many high school students have about 2-3 weeks remaining in the school year. Summer is right around the corner but there are still some things that you can do to feel more prepared and less anxious about college admissions in the Fall. For Sophomores, junior year typically brings a jump in academic rigor on top of the increased attention to college visits and test-taking, For juniors who will be seniors next year, you know that the fall will be super busy with college applications on top of your coursework and other senior activities.

Lisa Bleich, college admission extraordinaire and founder of College Bound Mentor joined The Education Doctor Radio Show. Lisa is a former professor at Whittier College, an alum of Brandeis University, and the Harvard B-school. During the show, we count down, ala Letterman, our Top 10 Things that College-bound Students Can Do This Summer! You can be more prepared and less stressed about college admissions .  .  .  .

 

What College-Bound Students can Do this Summer!

Teens staying sober and out of trouble through Drug Court

The springtime is great! The sun is starting to shine more and the flowers are blooming. Although I am on pins and needles through the admission decision announcements, I look forward to the months of March and April. If I can just make it through those months, my favorite event of Spring is around the corner in May.

Graduation Time

My students walking across that stage. . . . families tearing with joy . . . . I can go to graduations over and over without tiring. Unlike any other graduation I’ve attended before, a Drug Court graduation ceremony moved me to tears.

My friend invited me to the ceremony. She has played an integral role in the success of these graduates so I attended in support and admiration of her work. The students looked like regular teenagers, decked out in their gowns. The setting felt a bit unusual because the graduation took place in a courtroom. The ceremony starting at the exact hour with the presiding judge giving his remarks. He was warm, yet brief. His brief remarks though intimated the depth and trials of what these graduates had experienced during their completion of Drug Court.

What is Drug Court?

Teens get in trouble. The trouble with the law, family relationships, drugs, or alcohol. You name it, and there’s an addiction that gets in the way of being a teenager or staying in school. Drug Court is like “traffic court” in that you participate after you have broken a law and it proceeds in lieu of serving jail time. Through the moths of drug court proceedings, students receive substance abuse counseling with the support of a community of officials, educators, and counselors. Students may have setbacks during their drug court time. However, the graduates of drug court affirm that they are sober and seek to stay out of the judicial system. The chances are good in that an estimated 90% of Drug Court graduates stay out of jail. A proud moment indeed!

 

More interesting articles to check out:

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Early college high schools and the seeds of the Gates Foundation

Several years ago, there was a lot of media attention on Early College High Schools. Schools were opening across the country to fulfill a vision to provide a rigorous curriculum with a supportive structure to a generation of students who may have not had those opportunities otherwise. These mission-focused schools gave hope to low-income students and first-generation students, which is another way of describing those students whose parents did not attend college. I am a first-generation college student! The parents play an important role in this process but this critical factor is often overlooked.

The other big “media frenzy” if you will around Early College High Schools was that the Gates Foundation was very involved in these initiatives, providing the seed capital for their success. The Gates funding boosted the start-up efforts of the early college high school movement, while other funding sources have sustained these initiatives. In fact, many early adopters of this reform remain true to their mission and the number of early college high schools continues to grow, even with far fewer resources.

In this show, Dr. Judy Hennessey, Superintendent of Dayton Early College Academy (DECA) joined us to talk about this movement.  I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Hennessey when I first relocated to Ohio and learned so much about Early College High Schools and not only what was happening in the state of Ohio but throughout the country. DECA was the very first early college high school in the state of Ohio,  has won awards, and is widely recognized for fulfilling its mission and graduating this population of students from high school into college.

Did you know that the college graduation rate for first-generation students is less than 30%? Listen to this podcast and find out what DECA is doing to get first-generation students ready for college and ready to graduate from college.

Early College High Schools

Get your “Glee” on with tips for how to apply to college in visual or performing arts

The subtitle for this show could have been “So you think you can Dance? Sing? Play an instrument? Draw?” Or another subtitle could have been “It’s more than a Youtube video.” We discussed “How to apply to College in the Visual and Performing Arts.”

Many families may not realize until right before the admissions deadlines that the process for applying to major in the visual or performing arts or even if you want to participate in those areas as extracurricular, is a bit more nuanced. For example, the Common Application has a place where you can indicate if you’re applying to a college and want to pursue those interests. Some colleges even have special deadlines and regional auditions for those who want their talents to be considered in their admissions portfolio.

My guest featured in this segment is Halley Shefler, who formerly served as Dean of Admissions for the Boston Conservatory, played with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and recently founded ArtsEdge, which counsels students on visual and performing arts admissions. Halley shares with listeners those nuances and insider tips on how to apply to college in the visual and performance arts.

Please listen to this show BEFORE you even think about applying to college in the visual or performing arts!

How to Apply to College in Visual and Performing Arts

College Prep School – Western Reserve Academy

On a recent visit to Western Reserve Academy (WRA) in Hudson, Ohio, I lost my place on the map! One of the things that strike me whenever I visit the campus is how it reminds me of a quaint New England town tucked away from the hurriedness of an urban center. If I didn’t read the sign, perhaps I would think I was in Hanover, NH, or Wellesley, MA. When I talk with students and administrators, it’s clear that the curriculum is challenging, but the culture is fun and rooted in Midwestern values.

These photos highlight some of the features of the campus that are worth mentioning:

  • Almost all of the faculty live on campus, in dorms as well as private homes;
  • WRA is a “three-sport’ high school, which means that students must participate in sports or take a physically active course as an alternative. The gym probably gets a lot of use throughout the year.
  • The library facilities are top-notch and seniors spend plenty of time there to complete their senior thesis.
  • The “Green Key” club is special in that it matches every new student with a senior student. This supports a good way for new students to get integrated into the community.

This final feature is important from an academic point, as well as social. Community is really important at WRA.