WOW! I am knee deep in a project for teens…helping them to navigatie a blended learning program… The work is inspiring me to convert my coaching program into a vook or an emag… gotta practice my ability to created hyperlinks… Let’s see if this…
Your College Search: How to Tame Your Fears and Find the Colleges That Fit!
will take you and me to the place to get questions answered – whether you are a teen or a parent, lots of questions arise duing the admissions process. Check out the mp3 files my colleague, Jane Massengill, and I developed!
In my radio show this week, College Bound & Determined, I do a quick recap of where you need to be in your college search process->if you want to have the time and energy to enjoy (!) the process. Take a good look at this mindmap, figure out where you are… and your next steps.
If you want support in the process, shoot me an email or, even better, sign up for a complimentary strategy session, jill {at} majorinyou,com
You’ve heard about FAQ’s… I think SAQ’s-Should Ask Questions-are even more important!
1. What are my values and how will they influence my college search?
2. How do I learn best?
3. What type of programming/curriculum do the different colleges offer?
4. How well do I handle money?
(cash, bank accounts, credit card, debit card, debt)
5. How do I take care of myself?
(eating, sleeping, boundaries, refusal skills, time, responsibilities, advocating for what I need and want…)
6. What’s my current knowledge and skill level in handling long terms project and work with peers?
7. What are admissions office personnel really looking for?
8. How can I best show who I am to colleges?
9. Which scholarships are a good match for me?
10. How are my relationship than my parents changing? What do I want it to be? How can I create that?
11. How do I want to spend my senior year in high school? What can I do to make sure that happens?
So quick and to the point, here are the problems… Next post: Solutions!
1. Not knowing the parts of the search and selection process In my experience, too many teens and their parents believe that the information provided by the high school guidance department is all they need to know about choosing the colleges that are the best matches-not by a long shot! You need to find out the big picture by reading books, visiting websites, talking with professionals… advisors, coaches.
2. Too tight a timeframe for process Start their college search in fall of your junior year. While it doesn’t need to take a year or longer to complete the process, it sure is nice to know that there’s plenty of time to get it all done! ANd, if you haven’t started yet, don’t fret, start now!
3. Not knowing self To show your best self you need to explore and be able to speak clearly and concisely about your strengths, challenges, learning and social needs and preferences. I use the strengths test on www.authentichappiness.com with the teens I coach… and they LOVE it! Not only do they learn to see themselves in a different light, they can use the new knowledge to tackle some of the challenges they will face. Understanding your academic and social needs, preferences and challenges will also help you make the right choices in seeking and choosing colleges
4. Not enough talking with trusted adults Communication needs to be open and often between you and your parents… about what matters-goals, interests, worries, money, timelines, milestones, testing, and moving from home, to name some of the key areas.
5. Falling prey to media hype There’s such a swirl of information and hysteria about the college admissions process… Be careful what’s listened to, look closely at what’s being said, and consider the sources.
6. Listening to others (not to be confused with not enough talking with trusted adults) Some teens (or sometimes the people in their lives) think they should go where their mom, dad, best friend or favorite teachers went to college… I’d say think again! While the suggestion may be a good fit… be sure that your are looking through your own eyes and not someone else’s.
7. Lack of planning To feel comfortable you need to start the process in the fall of their junior year-and if you are in the arts or sports then you must be thinking about the process even earlier…My interview with Kathleen Suss, executive director of Concordia Conservatory of Music and Art, which aired the week of June June 6 , 2011 (listen here) explains these special circumstances. And, if you have any special learning needs, starting the college search and selection process early is critical. Susan Howarth, in another interview with me on College Bound and Determined, (check the archives), shares great information about supporting teens with learning differences.
8. Lack of organization Taking on any new task requires a re-thinking of how to organize: this is a project of enormous proportions. You might want and need some support. I work with teens to discover their way of organizing and build on their skills rather than imposing mine.
9. Not enough research – “unthoughtful choices ” This particular mistakes is related to several others
- Not knowing all the steps on the path of this marathon
- Listening to others who offer suggestions about where to go – and thereby avoiding research Feeling nervous and so avoiding any tasks when increase worry and concern
- Lack of experience with such a large task so that it feels like it’s just to big to get their arms around
10. Not visiting colleges If you have the opportunity to visit a college or all the colleges on your list, should do it!How many time have you heard me say, “should”? My question is, “How can you apply to a college that you haven’t visited? How do you know what it feels like?” To me, and I may be biased, because I love going places, but visiting schools is one of the most fun parts of the process-or at least it can be! It’s an opportunity for you to check out the possiblities-campuses, students, classes, the food, student activities, the surrounding areas.
11. Submitting less than stellar essays This is your opportunity to really share who you are, and so the essays require a lot of brainstorming, planning, writing and revising. One essay expert I know suggests eight to ten drafts of the essays.
12. Getting lackluster letters of recommendation from teachers Teens often think that teachers that like them will give them great letters of recommendation and while that might be true it’s not the criteria to use when choosing a writer. Teachers, coaches, counselors that write letters need solid information from you: Why did you choose those particular colleges, what are your areas of strength, and your growth over the course of high school career in the writer’s area of knowledge. The letters need to be customized and writer’s can’t do that if they don’t have the specifics about the school. I’ve devoted a section of a show, which is now in the archives, to getting great letters of recommendation.
13. Not interviewing What a lost opportunity! It’s another way in which to shine – show the admissions office personnel that you are so much more than the paperwork. In my coaching work, I always suggest that teens prepare, practice and partake of interviews!
Next post: The Flip Side to the Dirty Dozen Mistakes… Finding and Following the Easier Path to College
The Long & Winding Road… Professional & Personal Paths Since College
Here’s a graphic, to give a sense of where I have been since attaining my bachelor’s degree… For me, it was all about following my interests and passions, both in and out of school… I’ll be updating this within the week – to account for life since 2009 (when I created this).
If you would like the backstory to this post, listen to this week’s radio show, College Bound & Determined, here.
A year in the life… of a high school junior/senior
As promised, on my radio show, College Bound & Determined, here are the highlights of that last crucial year in the the journey to find the colleges that are the best matches.
Every week on my show, I create the space to step back and think about the college search and selection process. Check out my savvy guests, thoughtful questions, and fresh ideas. Parents learn ways to help their teens move away from the frenzy and teens can hear new techniques for making the shift from feeling anxious, confused, and overwhelmed to confident, organized, and successful in finding the colleges that are the right fit! Listen in, here.
This week on my radio show, College Bound & Determined, we talk about choosing a major as a way into the college search adventure. I have a cautionary tale to tell…
I chose a college based on my desires to work with children with autism, (and therefore to major in psychology), and remain in the northeast. I found a school that appeared to have just what I wanted… and then discovered that psych was a good, but not a great, fit for me. So I explored other options, discovered the field of education and immediately, I felt at home. My happy ending was a double-major, in both psych and education with the result of a solid foundation in my future field of special education. I chose a school with lots of choices-and it’s fortunate I did!
I want to take this conversation one step further: to recognize that being curious, open minded, flexible, and dedicated to a vision can lead to amazing results.
Check out the timeline of my life since college… It shows how many paths I have taken-professionally and personally, stemming from a double major, further education and, I might say, an adventurous spirit. There is so much possibility!
Long and Winding Road
I’ll update this in June at the conclusion of some more amazing adventures!
As promised! Here are the highlights from the videos, articles, and sites I have scoured to learn how you can get great letters of recommendation from your teachers.
1. Plan ahead: Give your teachers the information and stamped, addressed envelopes at least 4-6 weeks ahead of the applications’ deadlines so they can get it done. This means that you must know which schools you are applying to (and why).
2. Chose teachers from junior year core courses-math, history, science, english; and, if you are going to specialize in biology in college (for example), and you believe you will get a good recommendation letter from the bio teacher, ask that teacher! Nothing ventured nothing gained!
3. Ask the teachers you chose, “What do you think you can say about me?” or “Are you willing and able to write a letter of recommendation for me?”
4. Prepare for an appointment with each teacher by: gathering materials/the work you completed in that teacher’s class-papers and projects, and your resume.
5. Make an appointment to sit down and talk with the teacher about the materials you gathered, and talk about your passions/what subjects interest you so that the teacher can write about you as a person.
6. Tell the teachers why you want to go to that/those particular schools-why those schools are special AND why you are a great fit for those schools.
7. Letters are not only about academics, they can also describe additional aspects of your personality-leadership skills or citizenship, volunteerism… so you may want to mention those experiences also.
8. If another teacher-in art, health, music-or a coach knows you well then you want to submit a supplemental recommendation letter. BE SURE to ask the college first, to be certain that you are permitted to submit a supplemental recommendation letter, and then talk with the teacher.
9. If you were enthusiastic and successful in class… maybe you didn’t get an A, but you contributed and worked hard, that teacher may be a good person to approach for a supplemental recommendation letter.
10. If you are worried that teachers or the guidance counselor doesn’t like you-yet you need a recommendation letter, make an appointment, sit down with the individual and explain your interests in the colleges-take initiative.
Feel free to send me an email or call me with your questions about getting the very best letters! I’d love to help!
It’s the beginning of November so let’s review who needs to be doing what right now!
Seniors
√ Check in with/Create (!) your calendar -> test dates, fees, deadlines for various pieces of college applications
√ Take second round of SATs and subject tests, and take the ACT
√ Work on college applications – check list of schools that accept common application
√ Write supplemental essays for colleges requiring them
√ Complete financial aid applications/meet the deadlines
√ Complete search for scholarships and add deadlines to your calendar
√ Visit colleges: Visit classes, stay overnight, do interviews
YIKES! That’s a lot to handle!!! To add one last thought to that lengthy list…It’s my hope that you are completing packets for your guidance counselor – your resume, transcript info, recommendation forms for teachers… all those niggling details…
I’ll talk more about how you can work effectively with the guidance counselor/college adviser next week…
Juniors
√ You have taken the PSAT… how did it go? What are you plans for scoring higher on the SAT? Study on your own, taking a class, or getting tutoring? Make a plan
√ Start your self discovery process – What are your strengths, needs, wants, challenges?
√ Think through preferences for areas of study and/or careers of interest, and generate a list
√ Talk with guidance counselor/college adviser. Begin the process of helping them know you better so they can be even more helpful.
√ Talk with your parents about college costs, the range of costs – yet don’t eliminate any types of schools yet!
Seniors you’re nearing the homestretch of your search and selection process… while juniors, it’s time for you to fully engage… the sooner you start the easier it will be for you to enjoy this adventure!
Remember to create a plan and commit it to your calendar!
And if you’re looking for support with your search, join my fr*ee Preview Call, click here How to Jumpstart Your College Search! on November 10th at 8 pm (ET)
It’s October, and that means that it’s time to get organized so that you can accomplish all that’s a part of the college search AND enjoy your junior year!
It’s way too easy to get caught up in the details (test prep, testing, reviewing college websites and brochures, doing research, visiting campuses), feel overwhelmed, and begin to despair. I’d like to suggest that you take a deep breath and think of the big picture…
With the gorgeous fall weather today, I think about the look and feel of campuses. When you close your eyes and imagine… What type of campus comes to mind? Do you prefer
> traditional, ivy covered buildings or more modern architecture
> a compact campus in a city or one that’s big and sprawling in the countryside?
> a campus busy, teeming with students, or moving at a slower pace?
What feels right to you? Or, is all this talk about environment irrelevant to you?
When I went on my solo roadtrip to check out colleges throughout New England, I saw four different schools in the same number of days. By the time I got to the last school I walked from the parking lot to the admissions office, did my interview, got back in my beloved, secondhand car and headed for home. By the time I got home I decided that I wanted to apply Early Decision to the last school I visited. I gave them a call that afternoon to check that I still had time to do so. I did, and the rest is (happy) history. I have to tell you that the look and feel of the campus were not really important to me… though for some students it makes all the difference…
Figuring out what matter most to you is the key here… Take some time this weekend to get clear on who you are: your strengths, needs, challenges, and wants. As you become clear on who you are and what you want, it becomes easier to sift and sort through the wealth of information available about colleges. Know yourself first and the search becomes simpler!
