Article: Wait Listed by Your Dream College? Here Are 6 Steps to Take Now

Wait Listed by Your Dream College? Here Are 6 Steps to Take Now

• Kaitlin Mulhere @KMulhere

March 25, 2016

Boost your chances of getting out of the "friend zone" and into the class of 2020.

When college acceptance letters are mailed out this month, tens of thousands of students will open a mixed bag.
They won’t be denied outright but instead relegated to the limbo known as a “wait list.”

The practice of wait listing—where colleges defer an admissions decision until accepted students have either taken or declined a spot in the freshman class—is essentially a school’s way of saying, “We like you, but we just can’t commit right now.”

Colleges often use a wait list to round out how their class looks. If there aren’t enough students in a certain major or from a particular region, the school will give wait-listed applicants who can help it meet those goals a higher priority. That makes it nearly impossible to predict your chances of getting off a wait list with any certainty, since it all depends on who applied in the first place, who chose to enroll, and how your characteristics compare to theirs.


Being wait listed is especially common for students applying to selective colleges, but some 550 colleges use them. More than 150,000 students accepted a spot on one in the fall of 2015.
Common as they are, however, wait lists remain one of the least transparent parts of the college admissions process. There are no rules for how many students can be put on a wait list, how long applicants can remain there, or even how long those who are accepted off the wait list have to decide whether they want to enroll.

Despite all that uncertainty, there are a few things you can control.

“Most colleges will be as upfront as they can be, if you ask questions,” says Jake Talmage, director of college counseling at St. Paul’s School in Maryland. Here are the steps to take and questions to ask.

1. Consider your odds
Between 2007 and 2010, colleges admitted less than a third of wait-listed students, on average, according to a study from the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC). But that percentage drops considerably at more selective schools. At colleges where fewer than 50% of applicants overall were admitted, just 17% of students got in off the wait list.
These statistics can swing wildly from year to year at any given school, but it’s still worth asking your target college these questions:

• How many students are usually offered spots on the wait list?
• How many usually accept spots?
• How many are ultimately admitted?

You can also look up the college at bigfuture.collegeboard.org. Many schools have wait list statistics under the “applying” tab.

2. Solidify your plan B
No matter how confident you feel that you’ll be admitted off the wait list, you should submit a deposit to another school to ensure that you have a spot somewhere in the fall. Most colleges require a deposit by May 1.

That deposit—typically $100 to $500—is money you won’t get back if you ultimately enroll at the other college where you were wait listed.

Bear in mind that if you aren’t accepted off the wait list, your Plan B college could be where you end up on come fall. So note when its freshman orientation starts and whether you need to send a separate deposit for on-campus housing, too.

3. Show you’re still interested
When Muriel Chase was put on the wait list for Marist College, she wasn’t too upset. The college wasn’t even one of her top schools. But when she went for a visit after she’d been wait listed, she fell hard.

Within about a month, she’d visited again, talked regularly on the phone with her admissions counselor, and ultimately, got accepted. She’s now a student employee in the admissions office and talks to prospective applicants about the process.

Colleges want to close their wait list—that is, fill all their open spots—as soon as possible, so they like to make offers to the applicants who are most likely to accept. In fact, at some schools, such as Vanderbilt University, the wait list is the only time where demonstrating your interest matters.
It’s important to go the extra mile—but not the extra five miles. Kent Rinehart, dean of undergraduate admissions at Marist, says reaching out every two or three weeks to update the admissions staff and ask about the status of the wait list is fine. But don’t call every other day. Also avoid more elaborate ploys, such as sending baked goods or gifts to the admissions staff.

But do consider writing a letter to the admissions officer explaining why that school is still your top choice (or one of them, if that’s the case). Update the office on your academics, too, by sending in recent grades and anything noteworthy, such induction into an honor society.

Finally, parents: Don’t do your child’s bidding here.

“It shows a lot more when you’re the one who’s taking initiative,” Chase say to students.
Be sure to heed any directions the college gives with its wait list notification. Some will ask for specific follow-up information, such as additional recommendation letters.

4. Figure out if you can afford it
When you’re asking colleges about their wait list admission stats, ask about financial aid for wait-listed students, too. Chances are, getting in off the wait list will be more expensive than regular admission.

Nearly four in 10 colleges that have a wait list are need aware, which means they’ll consider how much students can afford to pay in deciding which ones to admit. That’s good news for families who can afford the college without extra help, less good for those who need aid.

Even if a college doesn’t favor students who can afford to pay, you may not be in line for the same aid as students accepted during regular admission. Some colleges, such as Miami and Villanova universities, don’t offer any merit aid to students admitted from the wait list. At many colleges, whether you receive any grants or scholarships will depend on what’s left in the financial aid budget.

Almost half of the colleges in the NACAC study said they provided grant aid to all students admitted off their wait lists. But some of those colleges may have chosen students who needed only limited aid, or they may have awarded some aid, but not enough to make the college truly affordable for the family.

To get a better idea of where you’ll stand, ask the college:

• Are students admitted off the wait list eligible for the same financial aid as other students?
• Have students admitted off the wait list in the past received grants or scholarships from the college?
• When do students admitted off the wait list learn about their financial aid package?

5. Prepare to make a quick decision
With regular admission, students have at least a few weeks to evaluate colleges’ offers, weigh what they like about different schools, and ultimately decide which one they want to go to.

That’s not the case with wait lists. NACAC recommends that colleges give applicants at least 72 hours to decide whether to accept their offer, though there’s no binding rule. You may have even less time to evaluate the financial aid package, which doesn’t always come with the initial offer of acceptance.

One way to make your decision easier is by setting the ceiling price you can afford to pay ahead of time, says Rick Clark, director of undergraduate admissions at Georgia Tech.

6. Be positive but realistic
The optimists like to say that the bright side of being wait listed is that it’s not a downright denial. True enough, but the harsh fact is that at most colleges, the majority of wait-listed students will eventually be denied admission anyway.

We get it—a wait list designation from your top college makes it hard to move on. There’s always the “what if” scenario in the back of your head that keeps you from fully committing to the college you sent your deposit to. Clark writes in a blog post that it can be especially tough for wait-listed students to hear their friends talking about who they’re rooming with or what activities they’ll join freshman year.

Most colleges don’t turn to their wait lists until after May 1, and many will still be offering admission to students on wait list through June, well after some high school graduations.
Clark suggests students in that position focus on why they’re excited about college in general, regardless of which school they end up attending. That will let you enjoy the spring of your senior year even as the exact details of your future remain unknown.

Sophia Tewa contributed to reporting.

Class of 2018 Summer Opportunities and Open Houses

Spring Open Houses

Smith College Women of Distinction
Women of Distinction is a program for high school seniors that highlights the opportunities at Smith for African American, Latina, Asian American, and Native American students. Admission is competitive. Smith will provide round-trip transportation, meals and accommodations for all participants. 
October 20-22, 2017
Apply at www.smith.edu/admission/wod


MassBay Community College Spring Open House
Saturday April 29, 2017
10am - 12pm
Wellesley Hills Campus
For more information: www.massbay.edu/openhouse

Middlesex Community College Admissions Open House
Register online at middlesex.mass.edu
Saturday April 8
9:30am - 12pm
Cowan Center
33 Kearney Square
Lowell, MA 01852

Tuesday April 25
5:30pm - 8pm
Campus Center
591 Spring Road
Bedford, MA 01730

Northern Essex Community College Annual "College for a Day"
April 12, 2017
9am - 2pm
Please call Vengerflutta Smith at 978-556-3444 before April 1 to express interest
For an agenda and list of classes you can visit: www.necc.mass.edu/college-for-a-day

New England School of Photography Open House
April 30 2017
11am - 2pm
RSVP at www.nesop.edu

Maryland Institute of Art (MICA) Open House
Sunday April 9, 2017
9am - 3:30pm
Find more information at www.mica.edu/junioropenhouse

Siena College
JUNIOR JUMPSTART
Friday, March 31
12:45 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
Regardless of college interest, this is an opportunity for juniors to meet admission counselors, tour campus and attend workshops packed with helpful information.
Students can register at siena.edu/visit.

The Peterson School Open House
Learn more about starting a career in the trades
petersonschool.com
April 27, 2017 - 2:30pm - 5:30pm
350 University Ave, Westwood, MA

April 27 - 2pm - 5pm
25 Montvale Ave, Woburn, MA

Summer Opportunities

UVM Summer Academy - Health & Medicine Program 

UVM Summer Academy is an outstanding, academically challenging 4-week program (2 weeks on-campus, 2 weeks online) for high school students who have completed 10^th, 11^th, or 12^th grade and are interested in exploring healthcare and medicine as a field of study. Our Summer Academy programming, which is offered in partnership with the top ranked UVM Larner College of Medicine, features world-class faculty, a vibrant campus community, and introduces students to the fascinating world of modern medicine though hands-on learning labs, lectures, demonstrations, and hospital visits.

With unparalleled faculty support, students will discover their interests, develop an understanding of potential medical career paths, and receive an experience that will set them apart when applying to college. What’s more, students who successfully complete the program will earn 3 UVM college credits.

---

Dates

UVM Summer Academy is a hybrid program with 2 weeks of on campus work and 2 weeks of online work:
July 9: Residential students move into the residential hall.
July 10 – 14:  MTWTF, 9:00am – 5:00pm First week of on campus course portion

July 15 – 16: Weekend activities for Residential students
July 17 – 20: MTWT, 9:00am – 5:00pm: Second week of on campus course portion
July 21: Residential students move out of the residential hall.
July 22 – Aug 4: Online portion of the course.
Students are required to complete both the on campus and online portions of the program to be successful.
Apply at: http://www.uvm.edu/~summer/precollege/summer-academy/

Northeast Mindfulness Teen Retreat
Dates: August 8-13
Location: Middlesex School, Concord, MA
Ages: 15-19
Tuition is 1% of annual family income, up to $2000
Deadline July 25: All applications received after this date will be put on a wait list
Register at: https://ibme.info/register/youth/northeast-teen-retreat/

Article: Take Me To Your Leaders: What College Admission Deans Are Looking For

Take Me To Your Leaders: What College Admission Deans Are Looking For

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/take-me-to-your-leaders-what-college-admission-deans_us_58a74d4fe4b0fa149f9ac561

 

02/19/2017 05:58 am ET | Updated Feb 20, 2017

“The college invasion.” This is how my high school seniors describe the scene on our campus each fall. Admission visitors—like extraterrestrials—arrive in their rental cars with big smiles and stories of bright new worlds. Their message is always the same—“take me to your leaders.”

College admission officers spend weeks on end traveling the world, recruiting tomorrow’s leaders. But what exactly are they searching for? How do they define a leader? Who will they choose to take back with them? What qualities will these individuals embody? How will they be identified, wooed and culled? These are the questions silently percolating in young minds as they listen to these visitors describe fascinating futures filled with exploration and engagement.

Leadership—few other words have such power to instill angst in college applicants. Perceived as a referendum on one’s strengths as person and admission candidate, assuming the “lead” is coveted as a prerequisite to college success. Books have been written, movies made, classes created and whole industries born around leadership development. High school students are seduced by summer programs with “leadership” in the title, as if the secret to college admission triumph. These same students scramble—Hunger Games style—to assume positions as leaders among their classmates in the hopes that they can fill in the “I am worthy” blank on their admission application.

“Position/Leadership description:_______________________” they are asked. The mere omission of an answer feels like the kiss of death to the average high school senior. They ruminate over feelings of inadequacy, if in their young lives, they have not been anointed with an official title. Before long, in the race to the top, leadership loses meaning and purpose.

Leaders of the Pack

As we emerge from the contentious 2016 presidential election cycle, the notion of leadership has been turned on its head and dragged through the dirt. We watched as the individuals who are charged to lead our nation, traded insults and acted imprudently. Audaciously, candidates and their ambassadors engaged in a race to see who could talk the loudest and capture each stunted news cycle or Twitter feed by spreading fear and discouragement throughout a preoccupied populace.

Likewise, when we look to high profile athletes, artists and other leaders of our time, we often find individuals embroiled in scandals, lies and abuse. It begs us to question: do we mindlessly ordain positions of leadership without intentionality and substance but rather based on status, strength or symbolism?

In many ways leadership is a misnomer—it has become a throw away term and we easily default to a “leader of the pack” mentality where the alpha dog rules the day. It can elicit images of a drill sergeant marching his soldiers around or the captain of a ship barking out commands. But what is a leader really and how do we determine leadership potential? This is a dilemma that has stumped college admission officers and intimidated prospective applicants for ages.

What Does it Mean to Lead?

Ask three individuals about the significance of leadership and you are likely to receive as many different responses. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines leading as:

“a : to guide on a way especially by going in advance b : to direct on a course or in a direction c : to serve as a channel for.”

 

Indeed, a combination of these meanings encompasses true leadership. It often requires the initiative to take a risk and “go in advance,” being willing to serve as a pioneer and sacrifice comfort for the betterment of a group. Leading can also require a readiness to direct or make a difficult decision, owning the outcome for one’s self and the people one represents. The final and arguably most important facet of leading is the idea of “channeling” the hopes, aspirations and initiatives of those who one guides. A true leader serves as the vehicle through which a community or organization functions at its best.

At The Derryfield School our working definition of leadership is “intentional and sustained engagement for the common good.” To lead without purpose is misguided, and dedicated leadership requires connection and involvement that goes much deeper than the surface. A thoughtful model of leadership is one where ego is left at the door and the central focus is on a greater objective that benefits the whole. We need leaders who provide inspiration, not perspiration—individuals that motivate others by encouragement rather than by instilling fear. We need paradigms of leadership that involve listening as paramount to success.

Lessons on Leadership

While it may be easy to define a leader in principle, college applicants want to know how colleges view leadership. Who are these “leaders” that admission committees want to admit, and what qualities are they searching for? I asked colleagues in college admission to share their ideas on what it means to lead. Here is what they had to say:

“Someone who stops to ask the question: “what is the RIGHT thing to do in this circumstance?’”—Andy Strickler, Dean of Admission & Financial Aid, Connecticut College

“Leadership is deep engagement in an area of interest - not necessarily an officer in an organization. Rather than the president of the student government, I love the student who has been the chair of the dance cleanup committee for a few years. Who wants that job? And yet, she consistently gets a few students who will stay late after the dance to clean up the detritus left by classmates. That, to me, is leadership. No accolades but lots of commitment and follow through.”—Deb Shaver, Director of Admission, Smith College

“A leader is someone who shoulders responsibility for larger group decisions. A leader is also someone who inspires others to act, holds forth broad ethical and inclusive principles and organizes the time and energy of all people to a purposeful and successful diverse community of living.”—Paul Thiboutot, Vice President and Dean of Admission, Carleton College

“Someone who inspires others and who brings differences together toward a common goal. A leader is willing to take risks in the presence of adversity.”—Beth, Wiser, Executive Director of Admissions, The University of Vermont

“A leader is someone who influences others to make a difference. A leader can be loud and bright but a leader can also be quiet and soft - if he or she inspires, excites, and motivates others, I would call that leadership.”—Kelliann Dietel, Admissions Counselor, Lafayette College

“Someone with highly developed emotional intelligence who is a mentor, a decision maker (through collaboration and consultation), and an ethical role model. A leader is engaged in the discussion and is sensitive to the validity of ideas outside of their comfort zone.”—Beverly Morse, Associate Dean of Admissions for International Admissions, Kenyon College

“A leader is someone willing to establish a collective following, however a great leader is one who takes in the advice of their peers to achieve a collective goal or initiative. A great leader listens and understands the need to persist when the going gets tough.”—Tim Neil, Assistant Director of Admission, Sewanee, The University of the South
 

“A leader is someone who notices what is not being accomplished that should be worked on and improved...not for their own gain but for the benefit of the group or a special subgroup that has less resources and needs help. A leader also organizes others to assist her/him in this effort.”—Don Bishop, Vice President for Undergraduate Enrollment, University of Notre Dame

“A leader is a great listener who can motivate others to be thoughtful and effective. Too often we are stuck assessing leadership roles and have a harder time identifying leadership qualities.”—Peter Hagan, Director of Admissions, Syracuse University

“A leader is someone who supports and encourages those around them; communicates big picture goals clearly and effectively; and continually builds relationships to advance the mission of the team. Someone who tempers action with wisdom and balances humility and confidence.”—Rick Clark, Director of Undergraduate Admission, Georgia Tech

“A leader is one who motivates and inspires others to a common vision.”— Michael Sexton, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Santa Clara University

“A leader is someone who takes initiative to stand up for what they believe in, who is critically self-reflective, and who knows how/when to support the voices of others when others step up to lead.”—Erika Blauth, Assistant Director of Admission, Colorado College

There you have it…easy right? These sentiments can be inspiring, and simultaneously overwhelming. While it is comforting to realize that colleges are looking beyond traditional position titles for demonstrated leadership, it does present a greater dilemma. How on earth does one begin to show these lofty qualities on a college application beyond the small box where a candidate can list “club president,” “lead in the musical” or “athletic captain?”

An experienced admission officer is like a miner, digging for evidence of leadership in many forms. It is incumbent upon them to look deeper and value different models and demonstrations of leading. Educators must refuse to accept a narrow concept of effective leadership. It is the applicant’s job to find creative ways to provide the evidence for which the admission office can dig. Students need to articulate for themselves the authentic story they want to tell and then communicate that message in their application.

When asked how they identify the qualities of a leader in an application, admission officers point to interviews, essays and teacher or counselor recommendations—each as a way that candidates can highlight unique stories of thoughtful leadership. Absent a title, ongoing involvement in an organization or activity with increasing engagement can show commitment and one’s growing role in their community. Application readers are looking for instances when students are willing to make a stand or take a risk. They are curious to see how students show care for, and positively impact, others’ lives. Even small signs of responsibility such as an applicant taking the reigns in the college search and not just following the crowd or their parents’ direction. Frequently it is the pursuits that students don’t do for a resume that carry the most weight, so don’t chase the position, live the qualities.

Leadership is about the common good, not divisiveness, isolation or touting one’s greatness at the expense of others. It is not about always being right or having the answers. It is about openness, listening, dedication, support, unification and intention. Compassionate leaders are those who can positively influence culture, and who can accept failure and admit imperfection. These are the young people that colleges seek as they scour the country for our next leaders. True leadership will be a collective effort, much greater than any one title or position.

Great Article for Parents and Students

Tired of people asking where you’re going to college? Here’s what to say.

By Christine Koubek February 23

(Illustration by Sean Freeman)

 

Everywhere she’s gone during the past few months, high school senior Katie Phelan has been asked a variation of one question: Where are you going to college?
 
In the hallways of her high school, at friends’ houses, at family events, even while she was trying on clothes at the mall. “One of the ladies working there was asking me through the curtain — while I was changing,” she recalls.

“The topic is almost unavoidable,” says Phelan, who attends the private Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney, Md. Even though she knows that most people are well-meaning, and that some are simply using the question as an icebreaker, it’s nerve-racking. “The more I talk about it, the more I realize how stressed I actually am.”

“Any questions that you don’t have an answer to are difficult,” agrees Patty Dirlam, a senior at Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg, Md. “They serve as a reminder that we do not have everything figured out, that we may be in a bit over our heads.”

Parents, high school counselors, independent college consultants and therapists know one of the most fraught elements of the college application process is the inquiries seniors get, whether from kindly acquaintances, judgmental relatives or nosy neighbors.

Plus, especially in the age of social media, choosing a college is “their first big decision that’s very public,” says Tish Peterson, director of college counseling at the private Holton-Arms School in Bethesda, Md.

Peterson, who spent nearly 20 years in college admissions before joining Holton-Arms in 2000, has watched with concern as the application process has become accelerated and more pressurized nationwide. “That’s something we need to acknowledge and deal with, so that students are capable of making as good a choice as they can for themselves,” she says.

To help deal with that pressure, some high school counselors, especially at private schools, and independent consultants are arming students with strategies for managing the process’s stress points — including the inevitable questions.

Robbye Fox, a counselor with the College Lady, a Washington-area independent college counseling group, encourages students to embrace this time as a period to develop important social skills. After all, this is likely only the beginning of the queries students are going to get in their lifetimes, questions such as when are you going to get married/have kids/finish that degree/ buy a house, etc. “Learning how to politely sidestep these questions from well-meaning others is a skill they will be able to use again and again,” Fox says.

Peterson begins advising students in their junior year to anticipate what kinds of questions they will get and think through which information they’ll share with friends, and with adults outside their immediate family.

“We try to empower them so they don’t feel awkward about their responses,” she says.

And if they don’t want to share? “We also tell them it’s perfectly acceptable to say: I’ve decided to keep that information private. Or: I’ve decided not to talk a lot about my college process until I’ve made a decision about where I’m going.”

To make that easier for students at Holton, “We also suggest that here in school teachers and other students not constantly bombard seniors with questions about where they’ve applied or been admitted,” says Peterson, “because they really need to have a break from the constant focus on the college process.”

If students do want to talk about it, Peterson and other counselors suggest that they emphasize the range of schools on their list. Emily Livelli, associate director of college counseling at Georgetown Day School in Washington, urges students to have more than one “first” choice (disclosure: the author’s son attended GDS). “That way they are not putting all of their hopes and dreams in one basket,” Livelli says, “but rather they have picked schools that are a good fit for them and what they’re looking for and can honestly say to that question: I don’t have a first choice; I’m excited about all of my choices.”

Another reason not to get too caught up in talking about a favorite school is that teens grow and change quite a bit throughout senior year. “As they get to April or May, their priorities may have changed, so we want them to take a fresh look, not to just go for the sizzle, or rush to deposit at a school that contacts them the most,” says Jim Mahoney, a counselor at the independent Blake School in the Minneapolis area.

When Phelan and her mother brainstormed responses that were polite yet respectful of Katie’s needs, they came up with a similar strategy.

“Most times I say, I applied to a lot of schools in the South, but I’m still waiting to hear back, so we’ll see,” Phelan says. Then she turns the conversation to things going on at Good Counsel.

Redirection (a skill any parent will tell you comes in handy) can be informative. Fox suggests that students reframe these conversations as an opportunity to ask adults about their experiences, perhaps by saying, How did you go about deciding what to do after high school? Or: What led you to your current career/field? “They never know what helpful tidbit they may pick up from the adult’s response,” Fox says.

Fox also recommends students try to lighten up the situation through humor. “I try to get their creative juices flowing and help them come up with a story that’s linked to one of their interests,” she says. For example, a boy who loves ice hockey might respond to questions about his future with something akin to, I might take a year off and drive the Zamboni for the Capitals.

Students aren’t the only ones dealing with this pressure. “The most dangerous place to be as the parent of a senior is the sideline of a fall sporting event,” half-jokes Whitney Bruce, a postsecondary counselor at Maine Coast Waldorf School. Peterson notes that parents “can also feel judged or scrutinized in the process.” She suggests parents field inquiries by saying, My daughter has applied to a range of schools she’s interested in, or, Once she hears and decides where she’s going, we’ll be happy to share the news.

 

When colleges start responding, uncertainty can be replaced by complicated emotions aroused by acceptances and rejections. Though counselors emphasize that a college decision isn’t a verdict on a student’s worth, rejection can be devastating.

At the Blake School, Mahoney often tells students: “Sometimes you just have to feel the hurt. You loved the college and you weren’t admitted. Go hit a golf ball or go for a run, and get up the next day and begin again. There are some positive decisions around the corner.”

In addition to dealing with their excitement and dejection, students will be trying to exercise “the ability to be happy for someone and then sad for yourself, and vice versa,” Livelli says.

Bailey Weinstein, a senior at Langley High School in Fairfax County, Va., wishes he’d kept the schools he’d applied to private. “It’s not because I don’t want my friends to think less of me, but I hate knowing that they’re rooting for me to get in, and because I feel like they were disappointed for me when I got deferred.”

Under these circumstances, it can be especially difficult to answer the blunt, Did you get into X school? Mahoney says he reminds students to divulge only the information they feel comfortable sharing. One possible response: I’m lucky to be choosing between a few exciting options. If the questioner presses, he suggests: I’ll be happy to let you know when I make a final choice.
 
If the questioner is a fellow teen, however, opening up can help, says Falls Church, Va., clinical social worker Devra Gordon. “What I tell kids is, if you bring it up, you will be surprised at the floodgates that open, that others are experiencing these feelings and these doubts. And you might get some great peer advice about how to handle those things.”

Gordon, a former public schools social worker, says answering college-related queries can be especially difficult “for kids who decide to take a gap year, or for kids for whom college is not their plan.” She suggests that parents of kids pursuing a nontraditional path help equip them for the onslaught: “Say, ‘How can I support you talking about it?’ Sometimes just having a prepared sentence helps because it gives you confidence in what you’re doing.”

In communities with a highly educated parent population where it seems as if everyone is going to a selective four-year institution, it can be challenging to keep college decisions in perspective. “It’s easy to believe that that is the norm, and it’s not,” says Bruce. She tells students that “going to college is life-changing,” no matter where they wind up.

Alexandra Robbins, who attended high school in competitive Montgomery County and is the author of “The Overachievers: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids,” tries to remind students that acceptances and rejections can boil down to mundane details — and luck. “Rejection could be as simple as the school orchestra needs a French horn player,” Robbins says. She also emphasizes that what matters is not the name of the college as much as what students do when they are there.

Sometimes the best advice comes from those who have been there not so long ago. The college counseling office at the Bush School in Seattle hosts a breakfast each winter for recent alumni and current seniors. It’s an opportunity for the high-schoolers to see that there are many different ways to go, at all points in the process, explains Melissa Ewing Lanctot, co-director of college counseling at the school.

“They talk about what they’re studying, or about changing majors, and what they wish they’d known a year or two years ago,” Lanctot says. “And the students see, ‘Hey, I am going to be there — be them — pretty soon, and I’m going to make it.’ ”

So what can adults do to not add to the stress?
 
Advice for parents from counselors and consultants includes asking relatives to back down on the college questions and avoid talking about it daily or allowing it to overshadow everything else. “If your child really wants to talk about it, that’s great,” Livelli says. “And if they don’t, pick one finite time per week to check in on anything that needs to be worked on or talked through, and let the rest of the week be about all the other things going on senior year.”

If you’re a well-meaning relative or neighbor, Bethesda psychologist Anita Iverson suggests posing open-ended questions. This allows students to choose whether to talk broadly or to narrow the topic to specific schools. Some examples: Is there anything you’ve discovered that surprised you as you visited colleges? How are you faring with the whole process?
 
Phelan, the high school senior, hopes parents asking their kids’ friends about college plans can be nonjudgmental — and avoid the temptation of listing all the schools their own children have been accepted to. “It is life, and we all do have to deal with it,” she says, “but I just hope that more people can be sensitive about this college process.”

Christine Koubek is a freelance writer based in Maryland.

E-mail us at wpmagazine@washpost.com.

Your Financial Aid Award Explained

Copied from https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/financial-aid-awards/your-financial-aid-award-explained

Your award probably consists of a combination of gift aid, loans and a job. Each of these is very different from the others. Understanding the differences is important.
You need to know what you have to do to continue receiving financial aid from year to year, and how your aid might change in future years. Plan your finances now, so you can complete your degree on schedule.

Gift Aid Is the Best Form of Financial Aid

You don't have to repay it or work for it. Gift aid can be a scholarship, a grant, or other assistance, such as a tuition waiver. Questions to ask:

• What do I have to do to keep my scholarship?
• Is there a minimum grade point average (GPA) or other condition?
• Do I have to do anything more than maintain satisfactory academic progress?
• Can I expect to receive the same assistance each year I’m in college?
• What happens to my aid if I win an outside scholarship?
• Can the aid be increased if my family has financial problems?

Loans Must Be Repaid

If your student loan is based on need, it is subsidized. This means you don't have to pay the yearly interest while you're in college. However, after you leave school, your payments include the amount you borrowed plus interest.
Unsubsidized loans aren't based on need. These loans require you to make yearly interest payments.

Questions to ask:

• What are the terms of my loan?
• Is the yearly interest paid by the government?
• What is the interest rate and when do I start repayment?
• How much will I owe by the time I graduate?
• How much is my monthly bill going to be when I graduate?
• Will my loan increase after my first year and if so, by how much?

A Job Is an Opportunity to Earn Money

If your package includes a job, also known as student employment or work-study, it means the aid office may help you find a position where you can earn the amount expected. Your earnings are most often used to pay education costs like books and personal expenses. Questions to ask:

• Do I have a guaranteed job or do I have to find one?
• How are jobs assigned?
• How many hours per week will I be expected to work?
• What is the hourly wage?
• How often will I be paid?
• Do I get paid directly, or is my student account credited?

Comparing Your Financial Aid Awards

Use the Compare Your Aid Awards tool to get a side-by-side comparison of your aid awards. Read about how to compare your aid awards and analyze your results.

OPTIONS FAIR AT WESTFORD ACADEMY - MARCH 31

The Westford Academy Guidance Department will be holding an Options Fair on Friday, March 31^st during all four lunches.  The purpose of the fair is to provide students with information about alternatives to the four-year college track after high school.  The following organizations will be attending:

Maverick Technical Institute	Certificate Program
Alexander Academy Cosmetology and Beauty School	Certificate Program
Mount Wachusett Community College	Two-Year College
Peterson School	Technical Program
Division of Professional Licensure	Multiple Licenses
Northern Essex Community College	Two-Year College
United States Navy	Military
Workers Credit Union	Financial/Employment
Middlesex Community College And Dual Enrollment Program	Two-Year College
Universal Technical Institute	Technical Program
Continental Academie of Hair Design	Certificate Program
Nashoba Valley Technical High School Post-Secondary Program	Technical Program
United States Marine Corps	Military
UPS	Employment
Army National Guard	Military
Rustic Pathways	Gap Year Programs
Metropolitan Pipe and Supply	Employment

Overheard in Committee: Dropping Classes

by Admit It! March 17, 2017 2 Comments

 

Committee season is upon us. As I’m posting this, our dean staff is meeting to have thorough, passionate, and detailed discussions about this year’s applicants. During the weeks leading up to April 1, we like to post “Overheard in Committee” blogs in order to give you a glimpse of the types of conversations we have.

Today’s post is brought to you by Associate Dean David Trott (at William and Mary).

Overheard in Committee: “Why did this student drop AP Calculus?”

So it happens fairly frequently. You applied in December, well before the application deadline, and sent all the colleges you applied to your transcript listing your senior year courses. But then for one reason or another you have to change your schedule. Maybe you developed a food allergy and the food science class you thought would be fun really doesn’t make sense any more, medically speaking. Or perhaps you thought if you dropped that last period elective course of the day you could leave school early and get home and surprise your parents by vacuuming the house before they get home from work. I mean, you wouldn’t just drop a class to make life easier on yourself, would you? Well, guess what, in most cases, that’s really okay. That’s not to say you should go to your counselor tomorrow and drop a class or two, but here’s our take on things:

You work hard, we get that. You like to challenge yourself, and that’s terrific. Make no qualms about it, your first semester of senior year is tremendously important in our admission process. But, generally speaking, your core courses hold the most weight in our review process; math, science, English, languages, history, etc. If you have a really solid senior schedule and then you have a couple of electives, we’re not going to get too upset if you decide to drop Choir, Yearbook, Journalism, or something of that sort.

But drop AP Calc? Not sure I’d do that. So here’s the crux of the biscuit. If you have questions about dropping a class, don’t hesitate to call us. We’re honest folks, and will let you know what we think. Communication is the key. The less information we have in committee the more interpretation options we have. There may be legitimate reasons you have to drop a core class or switch up your schedule during your senior year. But make sure you let us know the reason behind the change. Drop us an email, or give us a call. We’ll make sure your regional dean is notified, and a follow-up conversation can take place if necessary.

In summary, as an admission staff, we expect you to continue along your academic path in your second semester of senior year. Remember that the more you get out of your senior year core classes, the better prepared you’ll be for your transition to college. (Should we admit students from the waitlist, senior year grades are also a big part of our discussion when extending admission offers.) At the same time, we want you to lead healthy, balanced lives. Should you deem it necessary to re-arrange your schedule, we will likely understand. We simply request that you be transparent with us, and that you keep our office informed and up-to-date.

Stay tuned next week for additional updates from our office. Happy Friday!

David Trott
Associate Dean of Admission

Schreyer Honors College at Penn State University

Schreyer Honors College at Penn State University will host its Scholars Day Open House on Friday, April 28. This is an opportunity for prospective students and their families to learn more about the Schreyer Honors College and Penn State through Scholar student panels and presentations by Deans and the SHC Admissions staff. The event also includes an information fair with various University departments and academic colleges.

The Schreyer Honors College is a leading force in honors education nationwide. We provide numerous opportunities for academically prepared students to achieve excellence with a keen focus on leadership and civic engagement. Our Scholars graduate prepared for rewarding careers at some of the world’s leading businesses and organizations. They are also accepted into some of the best graduate schools and programs across the nation and around the globe.

Please feel free to email us at scholars@psu.edu with any questions about this upcoming event or about the Schreyer Honors College in general. We also welcome you to check out our website, and to stay connected with us on social media.

Spring College Fair Opportunity

Greater North Shore Catholic High School Spring College Fair

All High School Students are invited!

Over 100 Colleges and Universities will attend!

April 4, 2017

6:30pm-8pm

Malden Catholic High School

99 Crystal St.

Malden, MA

Class of 2017 Updates

2017 Student-View Scholarship Program
No SAT/ACT, essay, application or fee required
Login to www.student-view.com and complete a 15-20 minute application survey about colleges. The scholarship will e awarded via a random drawing, announced in May 2017
The deadline is April 22, 2017

Reminder to WA graduating seniors:  The WA Trustee Award and Community Scholarship application process for the Class of 2017 is underway. The firm deadline for submitting all applications will be Monday, March 20th at 2:00 pm. Only applications with a submitted timestamp from March 1st to March 20th will be considered. There will be no exceptions!  Detailed information and instructions for applying are on the WA website, under Guidance, click on the Senior & Trustee Scholarship link.  http://wa.westfordk12.us/pages/westfordWa_trustees/listing

**Additional scholarships can always be found on Naviance under the Colleges tab

Class of 2018 Updates

ACT: Next Test Date: April 8

ACT Online Prep™—A dynamic program accessible at home or on the go, online and through an app, offering a personalized learning path and guided plan based on test answers and test date, official study resources and assessments from the ACT, and Interactive games.

ACT® Kaplan® Online Prep Live—A virtual classroom experience with expert Kaplan-certified instructors, offering all the benefits of ACT Online Prep, plus interactive, live streaming classes, recorded sessions to watch anytime, and support delivered in real time by instructors, even outside of classroom hours.

SAT: Next Test Date: Saturday March 11 

Summit Educational Group Free Proctored SAT and ACT
North Andover, MA
When: Saturday, March 18, 2017
Time: 9am-1pm
Where: Merrimack College
315 Turnpike St, North Andover, MA 01845
For more information or to register, please follow the link below or call our MA Office at 1-800-698-8867.

Summer Programs

UCONN School of Engineering
Explore Engineering Program 2017
Sunday June 18 to Thursday June 22
Sunday June 25 to Thursday June 29
Cost: $700
To apply and find out more about Explore Engineering, please visit the website at: www.edoc.uconn.edu/explore-engineering/
FIRM Application Deadline of April 15, 2017

Wentworth Institute of Technology
S.E.T. in the City - A Day of Career Exploration in Science, Engineering, & Technology for High School Girls
Saturday March 25, 2017
9am - 5pm
Register at http://www.bostongirlsstem.org/set/apply.html

2017 Summer Precollege Programs, July 17-28, 2017 at Hampshire College
https://summerapp.hampshire.edu/

Ithaca College
Residential Pre-College Programs for High School Students
One-week: June 25-30
Three-week: July 2-21
Ithaca Writers Institute: July 2-14, 2017
Visit ithaca.edu/summercollege

University of Hartford Summer Term 2017
The Hartt School: Music, Dance, and Theatre
Visit hartford.edu/hartt/summerterm for more information.

Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies: Programs for Grades 7-12
Apply today at spcs.stanford.edu/find-yourself

School of Creative & Performing Arts 
2017 Summer Camps
socapa.org for more information

UNH-IOL Python Workshop
May 3rd to 26th | 3:30 - 5:00 PM | Wednesdays & Fridays
21 Madbury Road | Durham, NH
A great opportunity for 8th - 12th graders interested in coding!
While working with UNH CS Department Lecturer, Sofia Lemons, students will gain: Basic Knowledge of Coding Syntax & Structure
•    Hands-On Experience
•    Engagement in Creative Problem Solving
•    Skills in Computational Logic
•    Create your own games and animations  ...And Much More!
Price: $175
https://www.events.unh.edu/RegistrationForm.pm?event_id=23601&utm_source=IOL+Educator+Contacts&utm_campaign=bd01eeb5f6-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_02_20&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6b2085808e-bd01eeb5f6-441257657

Coastal Ocean Science Academy (COSA) 2017
We are excited to be planning for another great summer of marine and environmental research, exploration, and learning at Northeastern’s Marine Science Center in Nahant, Massachusetts. Registration materials are available on our website: http://www.northeastern.edu/cos/marinescience/outreach/coastal-ocean-science-academy/

Another program you might be interested in is our April Vacation Marine Science and Mosaic Art Program. During this 4-day program, students will explore and study local and far away coastal habitats, while also building a marine mosaic: http://www.northeastern.edu/cos/marinescience/outreach/under-the-sea-mosaic/Open Houses

Gateway to Bucknell - Open House
Saturday April 8
Register at bucknell.edu/GatewaytoBucknell

Pennsylvania College of Technology Spring Open House
Saturday April 1, 9am - 3pm
Register at pct.edu/visit/openhouse

SIENA COLLEGE JUNIOR JUMPSTART
Friday, March 31
12:45 - 4:15 p.m.
Students can register at http://info.siena.edu/junior-day?utm_source=GCemailMar6&utm_campaign=junior-jumpstart&utm_medium=email.

Landmark College Open House
Saturday, April 8,
This event is open to all students & families who are interested in touring our beautiful Vermont campus, meeting professors, and learning more about how Landmark College can be a key part of their success. Whether your students are aiming to build skills with a Summer Program, or to attend LC to earn an Associate or Bachelor’s degree, this is the opportunity to learn more. As the college of choice for students who learn differently, LC has had more than 30 years of experience helping students gain the tools they need to succeed in college.

March Madness - An Article from Challenge Success

March Madness

Posted March 14, 2012 | by Madeline Levine | Posted in Courageous Parenting

Every psychologist knows that there are certain times of the year when the phone starts ringing like mad. Winter holidays are one of those times when people’s hopes for idyllic family reunions often meets the reality of your uncle who drinks too much, your siblings who reliably don’t show up or your mother who thinks you married “down.”  Most of us in the mental health profession stay close to our offices between Christmas and New Years, anticipating teary, disappointed calls from adults who find, once again, that their Norman Rockwell visions have turned into Edvard Munch’s The Scream. For decades, this was the toughest time of year for both patients (well, many people actually) and therapists, when old hurts, disappointments and wounds unexpectedly reappeared, often taking center stage.

But times have changed and we have a new contender for the emotionally toughest time of year – and that is March – when college acceptances and rejections come in. What is profoundly different about this difficult time from what I described above is that, for the most part, it is unnecessary and fabricated not out of real trauma, but manufactured trauma. My phone rings this morning at 8AM (right after mail delivery) and a sobbing mother relates how her son was just rejected from “ the only school we wanted.” The first thing to note of course is the “we.”  I’m assuming it’s her son who is going to college and not the whole family. But like many of these phone calls, the bleeding between the needs of the high schooler and the needs of the parents, practically needs a tourniquet. Parents are beside themselves about rejections that are incidental to their children; children are beside themselves about disappointing their parents. The normal level of excitement and disappointment that one would expect at this point is so out of proportion to the reality of what it means to go to Wisconsin instead of Michigan, Georgetown instead of Princeton, Santa Cruz instead of UCLA or Sonoma State instead of San Jose State as to defy easy explanation. So here’s my best shot at what is really going on during March Madness.

First of all, we’ve come to believe that where our children go to college will have a profound impact on how their lives turn out. There are companies that “guarantee” admission to a prestigious college if you start working with them while your child is still a toddler. Many schools begin college preparation in 6^th grade and even more in 9^th. This emphasis lets our children (and ourselves) know early and regularly that high school and even childhood are staging areas for something that will happen years, even decades later. In fact, both childhood and adolescence have a whole bunch of requirements of their own that have nothing to do with where your child ultimately goes to college. Long before that happens, they need to show self-control, get interested in themselves and the world, know how to talk and work with other people and reflect on their future selves. Premature focus on college takes away much needed time from the tasks and skills that kids need to master in order to go on and be successful college students, and then successful adults.

So does the college that your child goes to matter? Yes, of course. But not necessarily in the way we’ve become accustomed to thinking about it. Colleges and universities matter when they fit well with the needs, interests and temperament of your child. The child who thrives in a big social setting is unlikely to do well in a small rural school. The child who loves structure, may struggle with a school where there are few requirements. College is a match, not a prize. We have our eye on the wrong ball when we care most about the “ranking” of the college our child goes to. Academically talented kids, for the most part, go to competitive schools. But these handful of top schools can fill their classes many times over with bright kids. No kid should feel like a failure (another typical March phone call – a crying youngster who won’t get out of bed saying “I did everything right and it was for nothing.”) It is a tragedy to have high performing kids feel like failures when they don’t get into the toughest schools. It is equally a tragedy to marginalize kids who go to community colleges.  “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future,” said Yogi Berra. Few of us have walked a straight and narrow path to “success.”  Many of us have changed focus, schools and careers. We should know better. There are few individual things that will determine our life’s trajectory. Life is simply more complex than that. No school guarantees success in life and no school eliminates it.

Instead of crying over rejections, we should be celebrating acceptances with our kids in March. Of course going to a high-ranking school may carry potential advantages. But an Ivy League study showed that there were no ultimate differences in workplace success or satisfaction among students who were accepted to Ivy League schools and attended and those who were accepted but didn’t go there. Ultimately it is your child’s life. The best guarantees of success for our children – not at the end of the grading period, not when they get into college – but twenty years down the line when they move into their adult lives, have to do with real involvement with learning (not just going through the motions,) a good emotional foundation and good values. Their college acceptances have nothing, or little, to do with your parenting. This is about your child. And they should feel good about moving towards one of the greatest transitions in their lives. Wherever your kid gets into college this month, go out and celebrate. This is how you share without bleeding. 

 
Madeline Levine, Ph.D., is a nationally known psychologist with over 25 years of experience as a clinician, consultant, and educator. Her New York Times best-selling book, The Price of Privilege, explores the reasons why teenagers from affluent families are experiencing epidemic rates of emotional problems. Her follow-up best-selling book, Teach Your Children Well, focuses on expanding our current narrow and shortsighted view of success and providing concrete strategies for parents. Her two previous books, Viewing Violence and See No Evil, both received critical acclaim. Dr. Levine began her career as an elementary and junior high school teacher in the South Bronx of New York before moving to California and earning her degrees in psychology. She has taught Child Development classes to graduate students at the University of California Medical Center / San Francisco. Dr. Levine lectures extensively to parent, school and business audiences both nationally and internationally.