Class of 2018 - Last update of your Junior year!

Juniors (or should we say SENIORS!),
 
As we close out this school year, we wanted to remind you of your summer "to do" list. Remember: we are not trying to ruin your summer! Our expectation is that you complete the items below, which will make the college process more manageable in the fall. 

Remember: there are essay tips on the main page of your Naviance account as well as the prompts for the CommonApp essay. You will receive instructions towards the end of the summer on how to share your essay in order to purchase your parking pass.

Please sign up to stay informed:
o    Guidance Blog: http://waguidance.blogspot.com - sign up for email updates using the Follow by Email box on the right hand side
o    Remind text @WA18 to 81010 

Summer To-Do List:

• Continue college research and visits
• Complete Senior Data Sheet in Naviance - under the About Me tab - be detailed as this is for our letters of recommendation
• Work on Common Application: www.commonapp.org - becomes "live" on August 1 (accounts already made will rollover)
• Open and start completing the individual college supplements - additional essays that some schools may have
• Continue to update resume
• Complete essay & await instructions on how to share with your counselor
• If you are applying Early Action deadlines -notify your counselor/teachers who are writing recommendations upon returning to school

Dont forget to register for ACT/SAT and/or subject tests for summer/fall test dates 

SAT
August 26 test date - Registration deadline is July 28
October 7 test date - Registration deadline is September 8

ACT
September 9 test date - Registration deadline is August 4
October 28 test date - Registration deadline is September 22

Rutgers School of Engineering Tour: The School of Engineering (SoE) hosts department tours for prospective students and their families to provide an in-depth overview of the engineering departments and curricula. Department tours run during the spring and fall semesters (typically during February-April and October-November) and take place on select Fridays. In addition, general SoE tours are available during the summer months. Below are the dates for our General Engineering Summer Tours. Online registration will be available by Wednesday, June 14. 
 

Tuesday, June 27
Thursday, July 13
Tuesday, July 18
Thursday, July 20
Thursday, July 27
Thursday, August 10
Thursday, August 17


In collaboration with Undergraduate Admissions, the Engineering Tour begins at the Rutgers University Visitors Center at 10:00 a.m. with an Admissions Info Session and a five-campus bus tour. On this tour, you will get to see one of the Busch residence halls. Afterwards, you will have time to grab lunch on your own at the Busch Student Center Food Court.  The Engineering session will resume at 1:00 p.m. with an Engineering Dean's Overview, Student Panel and two Engineering departmental visits. You will receive an itemized agenda in your confirmation email, after submitting your registration form online. 

If you have any questions about visiting the School of Engineering, please email us at tours@soe.rutgers.edu.

Wesleyan Open House with Transportation Assistance Program
To apply for TAP, application and all supporting materials must be submitted by the appropriate deadline.
For more information, visit: wesleyan.edu/admission/openhouse/tap.html
Dates: Columbus Day (10/8/17-10/9/17) and Veteran's Day (11/9/17-11/10/17)

Dean College Summer Preview Days
July 28, August 4, and August 11
Visit dean.edu/spd or call 508-541-1508 for information, directions and to register


 
 

Article: A Stanford dean on adult skills every 18-year-old should have

A Stanford dean on adult skills every 18-year-old should have

Written by Quora

The Art of Parenting

April 13, 2016

 

This question originally appeared on Quora: What are the skills every 18 year old needs? Answer by Julie Lythcott-Haims, Author of NYT bestseller How to Raise an Adult; former Stanford dean; podcast host.

1. An 18-year-old must be able to talk to strangers

Faculty, deans, advisers, landlords, store clerks, human resource managers, coworkers, bank tellers, health care providers, bus drivers, mechanics—in the real world.
The crutch: We teach kids not to talk to strangers instead of teaching the more nuanced skill of how to discern the few bad strangers from the mostly good ones. Thus, kids end up not knowing how to approach strangers—respectfully and with eye contact—for the help, guidance, and direction they will need out in the world.

2. An 18-year-old must be able to find his or her way around

A campus, the town in which her summer internship is located, or the city where he is working or studying abroad.
The crutch: We drive or accompany our children everywhere, even when a bus, their bicycle, or their own feet could get them there; thus, kids don’t know the route for getting from here to there, how to cope with transportation options and snafus, when and how to fill the car with gas, or how to make and execute transportation plans.

3. An 18-year-old must be able to manage his assignments, workload, and deadlines

The crutch: We remind kids when their homework is due and when to do it—sometimes helping them do it, sometimes doing it for them; thus, kids don’t know how to prioritize tasks, manage workload, or meet deadlines, without regular reminders.

4. An 18-year-old must be able to contribute to the running of a house hold

The crutch: We don’t ask them to help much around the house because the checklisted childhood leaves little time in the day for anything aside from academic and extracurricular work; thus, kids don’t know how to look after their own needs, respect the needs of others, or do their fair share for the good of the whole.

5. An 18-year-old must be able to handle interpersonal problems

The crutch: We step in to solve misunderstandings and soothe hurt feelings for them; thus, kids don’t know how to cope with and resolve conflicts without our intervention.

6. An 18-year-old must be able to cope with ups and downs

Courses and workloads, college-level work, competition, tough teachers, bosses, and others.
The crutch: We step in when things get hard, finish the task, extend the deadline, and talk to the adults; thus, kids don’t know that in the normal course of life things won’t always go their way, and that they’ll be okay regardless.

7. An 18-year-old must be able to earn and manage money

The crutch: They don’t hold part-time jobs; they receive money from us for what ever they want or need; thus, kids don’t develop a sense of responsibility for completing job tasks, accountability to a boss who doesn’t inherently love them, or an appreciation for the cost of things and how to manage money.

8. An 18-year-old must be able to take risks

The crutch: We’ve laid out their entire path for them and have avoided all pitfalls or prevented all stumbles for them; thus, kids don’t develop the wise understanding that success comes only after trying and failing and trying again (a.k.a. “grit”) or the thick skin (a.k.a. “resilience”) that comes from coping when things have gone wrong.

Remember: Our kids must be able to do all of these things without resorting to calling a parent on the phone. If they’re calling us to ask how, they do not have the life skill.

UC Summer Webinars

Students can chat live with UCSB Admissions Counselors about the UC application, Personal Insight Questions and more. Registration is live!

Personal Insight Question Workshops: Learn more about the UC Personal Insight Questions and tips about the writing process on Tuesdays at 4 p.m. and Wednesdays at 6 p.m. PST.

Freshman Selection at UCSB: Which of UCSB's three undergraduate colleges is the right fit for you? Hear a detailed overview of the selection process for UCSB freshmen on Wednesdays at 4 p.m. PST.

UC Application Workshops: Take a step by step look at the UC application and some tips on how to best present yourself on Thursdays at 4 p.m. PST.

Class of 2017 Scholarships

**Additional scholarships can always be found on Naviance, under Scholarship List**

 2017 SimpleTexting $1,000 College Scholarship Contest

For the 3rd year in a row, SimpleTexting is offering a $1,000 College Scholarship for a deserving high school senior or current college student. If you are currently enrolled in college or headed there in 2017-18 and want to win a $1,000 college scholarship to help cover expenses, consider entering the SimpleTexting College Scholarship Contest. SimpleTexting will award a $1,000 college scholarship to a highly motivated student who can thoughtfully express how their mobile device improves their lifestyle.

The Prompt:
In 800 words or less, tell us how your mobile device improves your life. You can touch on how texting connects us in a positive way (through communication with friends, family, church, work, etc.), the convenience of apps and mobile services, and/or significant achievements that your cellphone has helped you accomplish.

How to Enter:

• Answer the prompt above in 800 words or less.
• The file name should be your full name and date of birth. Example: John-Doe-1-15-1995.docx.
• Email the Word document as an attachment to scholarships@SimpleTexting.com with your response. Use the subject line: 2017 SimpleTexting $1000 Scholarship
• Submission must be received by midnight on December 15, 2017.

Here’s How You Win:

• Send us your response, following the guidelines above.
• We will pick a winner by January 10, 2018, and notify you. (It’s subjective; we’re going to pick our favorite response.)
• We will email you to confirm mailing address, and send you a check or Visa gift card in the mail for $1,000.
• We will announce the winner on our company blog.

To Be Eligible:

1. You must be a graduating senior in high school or a freshman, sophomore, or junior in college in the US Territories.
2. You must be graduating high school or in college and between the ages of 16 and 22.
3. We reserve the right to verify the date of your high school graduation and/or college enrollment.
4. Any and all content may be used in future SimpleTexting marketing.

BigSun Scholarship Deadline

The scholarship for the BigSun Organization has a deadline of June 19, 2017.  Please encourage your students to apply.
Amount of Award  -  $500.00

Please visit our website at http://www.bigsunathletics.com to learn how to apply.

Class of 2018 Updates

We’re in the final stretch of the school year. Make the most of this last full week before finals. You can do it!

Remember to pass in your teacher recommendation forms to your guidance counselor as soon as possible.

May SAT Scores will be available this Thursday, June 8 on the CollegeBoard website (www.collegeboard.org).

Summer is a few weeks away. See the below checklist to stay on track with your summer goals in preparation for a busy and exciting fall.

College Application Summer To-Do List
• Continue college research and visits – use “Colleges I’m Thinking About" in Naviance to keep track.
• Continue to update your resume
• Complete a solid draft of an essay: reminder - you will not receive a parking pass upon return to school in September without one.
• Work on the Common Application (available at www.commonapp.org)
• Register for fall test dates (SAT, subject tests, or ACT)
• Complete Senior Data Sheet in Naviance (counselors require this prior to our fall meeting with students)
• Determine if you are (or seriously considering) applying Early Action or Early Decision to any colleges to notify your counselor upon return to school in the fall.

Student Parking Update

Starting today, June 5, the WA student parking lot will be open for all students and no passes will be required.

AP STUDENTS

Any AP student who took an exam this May will be able to get their scores online in July.  Students need to sign up for a College Board account at www.apscore.org. Students must have an account to access their scores.  Some students may already have an account.  Remember your College Board username and password and your 2015 AP Number.  Look for an email at the email address you put on your AP answer sheet reminding you how and when to access your scores.

Open Houses/Information Sessions

Wheaton College (MA) Upcoming Events  
July 14 Preview Day*
July 28 Preview Day*
August 11 Preview Day*  
*by registration only

Summer Tour & Information Session Details  
Monday-Friday, May 30 - August 25, 2017  
Tours*
10:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m.
Information Sessions*
11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m.  
Interviews*
We strongly recommend prospective students interview with our staff. Interviews are available from June 1 until December 8, 2017. Interviews are offered to (rising) seniors only.
*Online registration preferred

Discover@Wheaton Summer Program for High School Students
Do you have current students interested in learning about change-making and entrepreneurship? Dennis Hanno, President of Wheaton College will be leading a week long seminar Innovation and Social Change on Wheaton’s campus, July 10 – 14, 2017. Learn more on the website: https://wheatoncollege.edu/

Your GW: An Overnight Program Celebrating Diversity & Inclusion

Every year, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions welcomes prospective high school seniors who are committed to succeeding in a diverse and inclusive environment to participate in Your GW - An Overnight Program Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion. This program allows students to see firsthand how we put knowledge into action at GW while learning about the diversity and cultural opportunities within our community. Dates: We have two Your GW dates. Each events takes place Thursday evening through Friday evening.

September 28-29 Application Deadline: August 25

November 9-10 Application Deadline: October 10

*Accepted students are expected to participate in the full program. Students will be matched with a student host from the Dean’s Council for Multicultural Recruitment. The Your GW application is now open. To apply for the program, students must complete the following:
1. Submit the Your GW application
2. Respond and submit in 300 words or less to one of the following questions in the application:

• How has your high school experience influenced your desire to attend a diversity fly-in program such as Your GW?
• Should college admissions' offices think about diversity when recruiting a class each year? If so, why? If not, why not?

3. Send a high school transcript (an unofficial copy is acceptable) to admevents@gwu.edu
The admissions team will review all submitted applications and notify students after the application is complete, on a rolling basis.

For any questions, please contact Karime Naime at knaime@gwu.edu.

Article: Admissions Shocker: Life Isn't Fair

Admissions Shocker: Life Isn't Fair

Georgia Tech administrator tries new approach to dealing with complaints from parents and others that flood competitive colleges this time of year. Could this work?

By Scott Jaschik

June 5, 2017

 

Richard Clark started a recent blog post with two real examples of complaints he has recently received:

• “How can you waitlist my son? He has 30 points higher and two more APs than your average. And we know someone down the street who got in that....”
• “Something is wrong with your process if my daughter who has been through as many medical issues as she has and still has a 3.8 is not getting in. Talk about not being fair...."

Clark, director of undergraduate admission at Georgia Institute of Technology, wasn't writing just to commiserate with colleagues. Nor did he use those comments as starting points to defend competitive college admissions as precise and fair.

Rather, he argues that it's time to share what admissions professionals know: their business is not fair. He doesn't say admissions decisions are being made in unethical ways, but that any sort of objective "fairness" just isn't possible in competitive college admissions.

"[U]ltimately, the admission process for schools denying twice or three times or sometimes ten times more students than they admit is not about fairness. It’s about mission," Clark writes.

He hopes that by talking about the issue he will encourage those rejected (and their parents) to move past the averages or ranges for test scores and grades and think about the particular qualities a college might be seeking.

For example, the most obvious "unfairness" at Georgia Tech is the vastly differing admissions rates for in-state and out-of-state applicants. The university's overall 23 percent admit rate reflects a 42 percent rate for Georgians and an 18 percent rate for those from out of state.

Clark said in an interview that the focus of admissions guidebooks on overall numbers helps to perpetuate an idea of what is "fair" and who is entitled to admission.

And the problem with that focus, Clark said, is that those numbers don't tell of the incredible credentials of those getting rejected. At Georgia Tech, the entire applicant pool has an SAT average of just under 1400 and each applicant has taken and done well in an average of eight Advanced Placement courses. So credentials associated by some with assuring admission are really just about assuring that one is logical in the applicant pool.

About 85 percent of those who apply to Georgia Tech could succeed there if admitted, Clark said. Admission at competitive colleges has long since ceased to be about weeding out those who can't succeed.

While some competitive colleges can deal with such a situation by growing, that's not possible for all. Georgia Tech has, at the master's level, used online education to expand its student body. But that's not possible for every program, Clark said.

Clark said he wrote the piece in May, not April, because he finds that there is a "delayed reaction" to rejections and that the fairness complaints come in May, not right after admissions decisions have gone out.

While Clark said he hopes to help change the discussion about fairness, he stressed that he understands that fielding complaints comes with the territory of leading a competitive admissions program.

He said that he realizes that "all the emotions build up" when parents aren't happy about an admissions outcome, and that admissions professionals need to remember the motivations. "We tell our staff all the time that this comes from a place of love," Clark said. "It's because they love their kids."