Colleges That Change Lives Tour Comes to Seattle

If you are interested in taking a deeper look at some colleges that fly under the radar, but are arguably just as significant as those big ‘name brand’ schools, take a look at Loren Pope’s book Colleges That Change Lives (CTCL) which explores colleges that share common characteristics such as a lifelong love of learning and providing a foundation for a successful life. When Mr. Pope put together this book in 1996, he wanted to look beyond misconceptions and misinformation about colleges in this nation, and wanted to provide families with alternatives to make informed choices.

According to the CTCL website, the schools share the following characteristics:

• low student-to-faculty ratios that foster collaboration, engaged learning, and personal attention
• a commitment to undergraduate education focusing on the liberal arts and sciences
• a living and learning environment that is primarily residential and emphasizes the benefits of community, personal growth, participation, and involvement
• smaller student enrollments
• out-of-classroom learning opportunities including participation in internships, study abroad, service to others, and special interest activities
• holistic admission policies including several with “test-optional” routes to admission
• alumni networks that stand ready to help graduates with professional and career development opportunities

This month, the Colleges That Change Lives group will visit our area and give you an opportunity to learn more about the forty colleges that are a part of CTCL such as Whitman College, College of Wooster, Centre College, Rhodes College and St. Olaf College to name a few.

They will be in Bellevue (Seattle), Washington on July 28th at 10:00 AM (promptly) at the Meydenbauer Center.

P.S.
Did you know that Steve Carrell, Jennifer Nettles, Michael C Hall (“Dexter”) and Jennifer Garner (the other half of Ben Affleck) are all CTCL grads? Check out CTCL’s notable alums with this interactive slideshow.

HS Seniors: Time to Kick-Start Your Summer

If you are a high school senior, there are some things that you can do this summer to make the most of your two months ‘off’ to best prepare for the college application process.

By now, you should be in the thick of things – narrowing your college list and making arrangements for summer visits. By September, you should know where you want to apply, so there is no time like the present to start digging in and really exploring your college list. In addition to identifying your learning style (that is, what learning environment best suits you), your strengths, weaknesses, your admissibility, potential for aid (use the net price calculator) and college must have’s, you need to spend time getting to know your college choices by analyzing their websites. Do they have what you want, does their philosophy meet your own, what opportunities will you have for internships or research, will you be able to continue special interests like sports, music, leadership, etc.?

After you have spent a lot of time exploring the college’s website, it is helpful to visit other websites such as U-CAN, College Navigator, and Unigo to explore further. Be sure you consider the value of the education offered and explore statistics released as part of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE).

In addition to exploring your college list, you can consider doing:

Visits
I don’t think there are many of you out there that would buy an expensive pair of jeans or a new car without trying it out. You can read about it, look at pictures, but you really don’t know how it fits you. The same would be true of one of your biggest investments – your college education. College brochures are attractive, websites offer details relating to statistics, but what you really need to do is to see it, to know if you can ultimately see yourself there. Summer visits are a bit harder, as you won’t see the campus when it is in session, but you will get an opportunity to see the facilities, speak with admissions, chat with a coach or professor and explore the surrounding community.

Test Prep
Seniors – summer is your last opportunity for SAT or ACT test prep. Juniors – now is the time to jump on the standardized test prep wagon – really, now is the time. I encourage you to explore local companies where you will have an opportunity to work in a small group or one-on-one with a tutor. Can’t afford it or can’t fit it into your schedule? Visit this free resource to get some help – Number2.com. Seniors – you will want to sign up to take your second round of SAT or ACT tests this fall. Registration deadlines fall well in advance of test dates, so go ahead and register today.

College Fairs
College Fairs and regional receptions are a great way to get to know the college on your home turf. The college comes to you, making it easier for you to reach out and connect. Get on the mailing list to ensure you get invited to area events. You should also check out the Colleges That Change Lives fair this summer. If you haven’t heard about this interesting group of colleges, take a few minutes to explore their website.
Colleges That Change Lives Fair
Meydenbauer Center
11100 NE 6th Street

Bellevue, WA
July 28, 2012 at 10 AM

Artists and Athletes
Use the summer to develop your athletic resume, polish your portfolio or prepare for your audition. Don’t forget, if you want to play DI or DII in college, you must register with the NCAA.

Launch the Essay and Application Process
Summer is a great time for seniors to begin the college essay writing process. Often a great deal of the work can be completed by September 1st as you aren’t dealing with mounds of homework. On August 1st, the Common Application goes live – this is when you can create an account, upload the Personal Statement and begin working on the Supplements as they become available.

If you have any questions about how you can personally kick-start the application and essay process, feel free to give me a call. I work with students on essay brainstorming as well as provide guidance throughout the application process in the fall.

Colleges That Are Still Accepting Seniors for Fall 2012

On May 3rd, the National Association of College Admission Counseling released the results of their space availability survey. 375 colleges across the United States reported that they are still accepting applications for either freshman or transfer admissions (and often both).

If you missed the national reply date on May 1st or are unhappy with the college that you have deposited at for the fall, you may wish to scroll through the list of colleges to see if any are right for you. Don’t wait though; you will need to act quickly. The first thing you should do is contact the college directly and ask if they still have space and the process for applying at this late date. Don’t assume that the spaces will still be available a month from now – or even a week from now.

There are a few surprises on the list, including University of San Diego, Gonzaga University and Villanova University. Other interesting schools include Oregon State University, Agnes Scott College, Guilford College, Hope College, Knox College, Kalamazoo College and Lawrence University to name a few (many of these are College that Change Lives schools).

If you need some help with a late application, do not hesitate to call me!

Budgets Continue to Decline at Many Public Universities

The annual Grapevine study on state funding for education was released today. It reports that state support for higher education sunk by 14.5% in Washington, 13.5% in California and 15.4% in Colorado.

For those of you considering a public university for the fall of 2012, you may wish to dig deeper and examine how your future university’s budget woes might affect your academic experience. Will it take you longer to graduate? Will it be harder to get the classes you need? Will the academic department that you wish to study in be cut?

To read the full article, please visit Inside Higher Ed.

Despite Tuition Increases, University of Washington is Still a Bargain

On Thursday, the Board of Regents voted to increase tuition by 20% at the University of Washington, bringing the cost to $10,574 for undergraduate students. It is the largest tuition increase in the history of the school and has many people worried. However, putting the tuition into perspective on a national scale, the UW is still a bargain.

The U.S. Department of Education also released its College Affordability and Transparency report on Thursday, which lists colleges that are most expensive to least expensive, both in the public and private categories. The highest tuition at a public university in the nation is Penn State University at $14,416 (this number does not include room/board and fees). Rounding out the top five are University of Pittsburgh ($14,154), University of Vermont ($13,554), Saint Mary’s College of Maryland ($13,234) and New Jersey Institute of Technology ($12,856). UW does not even make the list of our nation’s most expensive public universities.

The Affordability list also ranks colleges with the highest increases in tuition, with Northern New Mexico College leading the pack with a 51% tuition hike. Once again, UW does not make the list.

It is good to consider this too – if you were to attend some of the nation’s most expensive private colleges, you could be paying upwards of $50,000 (tuition and room/board which is not included in the above amounts for the public universities). Many private colleges award fantastic merit and need-based scholarships, so don’t rule them out, but the cost is something to keep in perspective when reading about UW’s tuition hike. The top five most expensive privates are Bates College in Maine ($51,300), Connecticut College ($51,115), Middlebury College in VT ($50,780), Union College in NY ($50,439) and Colby College in Maine ($50,320).

Where are the other bargains? For private colleges, you can look to Puerto Rico for the best bargains, starting as low as $4,000. Berea College, Embry Riddle University and Brigham Young University all fall under $10,000 for tuition. For 4 year public universities, in-state tuition is a bargain at the various branches of the University of Puerto Rico, as well as local options Seattle Community College, Bellevue College and Lake Washington Technical College.

Spring 2011 College Receptions

There are some colleges that are on the road this spring, hosting presentations for prospective students. While many of these events will be big, it still can be a great way to get an overview of the admissions process and learn more about each school.

If you are interested in any of the following schools, please visit my website, where I have links to each event.

Whitman, Colorado College, Oberlin and Occidental
in Seattle, WA
May 16th – 6:30pm – 9:00pm

Jesuit Excellence Tour – Jesuit colleges and universities
hosted at Seattle University
May 17th – 6:30pm – 8:00pm

Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, Penn, Stanford
Exploring College Options Tour
in Bellevue, WA on May 22nd
in SeaTac, WA on May 23rd

Brown, Rice, University of Chicago, Columbia, Cornell
Exploring Educational Excellence Tour
in Seattle, WA on May 26th

Boston College
hosted at Seattle Prep
May 26th at 7pm

Northwestern University
in Seattle, WA on June 12th
in Bellevue, WA on June 13th

Carnegie Mellon University
hosted at Lakeside Academy, Seattle, WA
June 14th at 7:30pm

Colleges That Change Lives (CTCL) – a group of small liberal arts colleges from across the U.S.
in Bellevue, WA on July 30th

Changes Announced to the 2011-12 Common Application

Today the Common Application announced changes to their 2011-2012 application. While most of the changes were small, they will help to make the application process more user-friendly to both students and admissions counselors. The new version will ask more detailed questions about language proficiency where students can check one of five options to describe their ability best. The application will once again have a word limit for the personal statement. Students will be asked to submit an essay that is between 250-500 words to help keep the process fairly consistent. Students will be happy to know that the Secondary School Report has changed a bit too – now your guidance counselor can add a letter of recommendation from some other school official who can better describe their strengths.

48 schools have joined the Common Application this year, including University of Southern California and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. That brings the total amount of participants up to 460 schools.

High school students who want to preview the new version online or see new member schools can do so now, however, they cannot fill out anything until it goes live on August 1st.

High School Seniors: Wise Words of Advice

I would like to share with you an article written by Detroit Free Press Columnist Mitch Albom. In his March 20th column, he shares his thoughts on college rejection letters and how these denials could actually be doing you a favor.

Dear High School Seniors,

I know you weren’t expecting a commencement address. It’s still March, and you haven’t even gotten to throw up at the prom yet.

But you are at a crossroads. In a matter of days, you will get letters from colleges you applied to. Some will be thick. You will like those. Some will be thin. You won’t like those so much.

I am here to say: Don’t fret if that letter is thin. You will survive. You may even prosper.
It seems incredibly hard to get into colleges these days. You wouldn’t think so, given what they charge. You can run an airport on their room and board bills.

Yet last year, places like Princeton and Brown had nearly 20% increases in applicants from the year before. The University of Chicago jumped 42%. You’d think they were giving away diplomas, instead of asking for your house, your keys and your firstborn.
But even worse than the financial burden on your parents is the implied standards they are setting for you kids. Today, excellence isn’t enough. Gandhi would be put on a waiting list.

When we were applying to college, you needed good grades, a decent test score and one teacher willing to forget the time you pulled the fire alarm and write you a recommendation.

Today, you need to cure cancer.
Preferably before your junior year.

The mythical cream of the crop?
As an uncle to 15 nieces and nephews, I have been seeing my share of these applications. I have to say, I don’t know how you do it.
First of all, when do you have the time? Your nightly homework is as much as we got the entire ninth grade.

And the application itself? Some universities use the “common app,” which permits millions of kids to stuff their credentials into the same essay question.
But let’s talk about those questions. They ask you to write about an experience that changed or influenced you. And instead of writing what really comes to mind (a first kiss after soccer practice), you feel compelled to write about saving manatees from extinction off the gulf coast. Even if you never did save manatees. Because you heard about some kid who actually did save manatees, and he also carried 100 pairs of pajamas to victims of Hurricane Katrina, and he also plays jazz bass (upright) and in his spare time finished a sequel to “Catcher in the Rye.”

Oh, and he scored 36 on his ACT.

I’m not sure such über-students really exist. But people talk about them. You hear about them getting in to Harvard, Princeton, Stanford. So much so, that good, intelligent, ambitious kids don’t even want to apply to those places, because they don’t feel “special” enough. It’s as if schools today put out a vibe: “What, you don’t know how to reconstruct a hydraulics system? You should have studied harder — in grade school.”

Never too young for the fast track?
So it was no surprise this past week to read of a New York City woman who is suing a private preschool academy for putting her 4-year-old daughter with younger kids and therefore affecting her chances at an Ivy League education. Never mind that all 4-year-olds should be covered in orange paint. This mom is already thinking about the day you seniors are about to face. And she’s terrified.

Well, relax. Because here’s the thing: When you get older, you realize college doesn’t make you, you make college. Many an Ivy Leaguer is now lying on a couch, and many a community college grad is running a profitable company.
Ironically, just as elite universities have become so precious in their selection, they are being debunked as the only way to success. The Internet has changed everything about information flow.

Remember Matt Damon’s character in “Good Will Hunting” who taunts a Harvard student by saying in 50 years he’ll realize he “dropped a hundred and fifty grand on a (bleeping) education you coulda got for a dollar fifty in late charges at the public library”?
Of course, you don’t remember. You were 4 years old. But there was truth in those words, more today than ever.

So believe in yourself. You can springboard from any decent school. Open those mailboxes. And if choice No. 1 doesn’t come through, just remember, even Michael Jordan watched two players picked ahead of him in the NBA draft.
What’s that? … Who’s Michael Jordan?

Thank you, and good day.

Forward Thinking: Summer Plans

Don’t shriek in horror when I say that you should be thinking about summer plans. No, not the laying on the beach type of summer plans, but the ‘let’s do something meaningful’ experience. There are many different approaches to cultivating a meaningful experience and it will certainly vary depending on who you are and what your goals are, but there are a few things to keep in mind. First of all, you should never participate in a summer experience because you think you should for college applications. If it doesn’t impress you, it won’t impress anyone else. If you are doing something to pad your extracurricular resume, it is probably also a bad idea.

What can you do? Well, the first step is to set up a time to talk to me and we can develop a plan specific for you where you will not only be involved in something this summer, but you can continue to grow in this area of passion. You can also read this great article that recently ran in the New York Times – Does Helping Help You Out?

Gap Year Fairs are Springing Up

If you feel a bit tired after the college application process, you might want to take some time to recharge your batteries. Gaining in popularity, more and more students are taking a year off after graduating from high school to explore the world and their goals, and to prepare for that next academic step in college. Gap Year programs are plentiful and they are either academic in nature or focus on personal growth through service and discovery.

First and foremost, a gap year does not replace going to college. A high school senior would still go through the process of applying to colleges, and then depositing at their college of choice on May 1st. They would then defer their admission for one year. As a matter of fact, colleges such as Harvard, Princeton, Tufts and NYU encourage students to consider the option of pursuing a gap year. William Fitzsimmons, Harvard University Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, is a strong proponent of the gap year and has said that “many speak of their year away as a ‘life-altering’ experience or a ‘turning point,’ and most feel that its full value can never be measured and will pay dividends the rest of their lives.”

Want to know more? You might want to explore the Seattle Gap Fair on February 13th from 1 – 3:30pm at the Northwest School. To find out more information about locations across the U.S. and gap year programs in general, visit USA Gap Year Fairs.