-Have a discussion about how you will communicate when they leave for college. Will you plan to check in on the phone or via email at a certain time each week (or for some of you, every day?). Set up a plan now that will help you feel better about staying in touch when they leave.

-Have a conversation about finances. Talk to your student about how you want to handle their bank account (are you setting one up at a bank with a branch nearby their college?) and what your expectations are for personal spending money when they are away at college.

-Talk about their summer plans. The summer after high school is a tough one. The students aren’t quite off to college but also want to feel more independent now that they are done with high school. Set up expectations for how they will spend their time over the summer and create some balance for them.

- Ask them to start keeping track of their own calendar. When they get to college they are going to have to stay on top of advising appointments, class schedules, club meetings, sports practices and more. Sit down with them and show them how you usually make this work and ease them into the process and encourage them to begin scheduling their own appointments.

-Take a look at the parent or family section of the college website. Many colleges now have a parent section of their website or a specific parent office. This often contains helpful information about where to stay when you go to visit, emergency alerts, ways to get involved with a parent’s association, and more. They may also offer suggestions of things you can be doing now to prepare to let your student go.

-It may sound silly but talk to your student about what you plan to do with their room at home when they leave for school. Some students want assurance that their room (at least for the first year) won’t change and will remain a secure place for them to return to on fall or winter break.

-Make sure they are aware of resources and places to go if they need assistance. Remind them about the school’s counseling services or health services and what is covered there under their policy. Let them know that Residential Advisors are also good resources for things like roommate issues.

-Discuss a realistic packing list. Many big box stores now offer college packing lists, in fact there are even phone apps that have these. Go through them together and sort through what is necessary, what you already have, what will need to be purchased, and when things should go to school ( Maybe the skis don’t need to leave home until Thanksgiving break)

-Ask them what questions they have. Your student likely has a lot of questions on their mind at this point. Let them know you are open to talking.

image credit: http://www.cupofjoe.tv/2011/06/let-go.html

The next few months are a great opportunity for current high school juniors, and their families, to understand the application, the questions it asks, the format, and how it is used before it launches on August 1. You will also be able to see the essay questions that you will be asked as well as how the forms look that your teachers and counselor will be filling out for the letters of recommendation.

You can log on to the CommonApp website and see the pdf version of the 2012-13 application that they recently posted to start preparing.

image credit:https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/Default.aspx

Taylor was a student who came to me last fall seeking guidance. He had gone through the entire admissions process on his own with his family and school his senior year of high school, decided on the university he wanted to attend, went to orientation and then decided it was not the right school for him. Upon this realization, he sought out my guidance to help him find a new school that would better fit his goals of finding a school with a fashion program.  Listen to what Taylor has to say here:

All of us at Montgomery Educational Consulting are thrilled Taylor has found a new home at Savannah College of Art and Design and is happy with his decision.

Why is the tour guide so important?  Because, unless you proactively do some searching beyond your tour, the tour guide is going to be your primary impression of the campus and the students on that campus when you leave.  It’s simple psychology, if you like and can relate to the tour guide, you’re going to like the school and be able to see yourself on that campus.  On the other hand, if the tour guide doesn’t do much for you, then most likely, the school will fall short in your mind, too.

Most colleges and universities realize that their tour guides represent the “face” of the school, and they use their tour guides accordingly as an extension of their marketing efforts.  Tour guides are trained and guided in what they talk about, and they are hand-selected to be positive ambassadors for the school.  In some cases, tour guides are paid, and the school certainly isn’t paying them to be negative about their college experience!  Tour guides are knowledgable members of the campus community, and you should most definitely get their point of view on the school.  But, you should also ask yourself, am I getting a true or complete picture of life at this school, if I just listen to the tour guide?

On the flip side, even with a well-trained, positive tour guide you may come away unimpressed.  Perhaps, the tour guide is an athlete in a fraternity, and you hate sports and could never see yourself as part of the Greek system.  Or, maybe the tour guide is studying engineering, and you are all about loving Classics.  Whatever the case, it’s important to remember that the tour guide is only one data point.  There are potentially thousands of other students who are also on that campus who could leave you with a completely different impression.

So, what’s a confused tour-taker to do?

• Take a good look around while you are on campus.  Observe the student body with a critical eye.  Could you see yourself fitting in?
• Stop random students as they walk across campus and ask them to tell you about their college experience.  What do they like?  What do they hate?  Don’t be shy.  Most college students are more than happy to talk to you, especially if they feel strongly one way or the other about their school.  The more students that you talk to, the more you’ll get a true sense of the school.
• Try to connect with students from your town or friends of friends who are going to that school and ask them to spend some time with you while you are on campus to take you around and answer your questions.  They’ll give you a different and more candid point of view because they have no reason not to.

Johnson and Wales is not right for every student. It takes a student with a certain dedication and passion toward a specific career goal to make this campus be the “right fit” for them. It was easy to quickly recognize that this was not the place to recommend to your average 17 year old student who is undecided about their career path but that it was a great place for some highly motivated and well-directed students. So, I asked Wes and Brennan about what kind of student they thought was right for Johnson and Wales.

Video Summary:

Wes, who works in admissions, highlights the fact that students who want to go to Johnson and Wales should be extremely driven. Students with clear goals of where they want to go professionally in areas such as business or culinary arts can really thrive here. Students who are excited about the opportunity to spend significant time making professional connections, do internships, and get the “real world experience” may find  Johnson and Wales to be a good match.

Brennan, who works in student life, adds in that one thing that sets Johnson and Wales apart from some other schools, geared toward specific trades and a professional track, is that they do offer a true college experience for those students who are looking for it. They actually have a distinct college campus, an opportunity to live in dorms, campus events, student government and clubs and activities. It is a nice way to create some balance for students who want the “trade school” experience with some real college campus flavor thrown in.

While not captured on video, one of the highlights of my visit was an amazing tour guide who talked about her experience with the faculty. She said Johnson and Wales is really great for the student who wants their faculty to be coming directly from the industry they want to work in. She talked about her professors who would literally go through the textbooks and say “here is what you really need to know” and then connect her and her peers with the colleagues they knew who were still in the industry for internship or work experience.

So, again, students starting to do college visits remember to ask yourself the tough questions such as: how driven am I? How clear are my career goals or do I still need some time to explore? How passionate am I about a particular career at this point in my life? These kinds of questions may help you filter through your college list.

Then your counselor calls you in to make your class schedule for senior year.  More than anything else, you want a break! Resist that temptation!

Do not slack off when you arrange your senior schedule.  Sure, you might have filled most of your requirements for graduation, but if you’re applying to competitive colleges, this is not the time to go half day.

In your Senior year, you need to be taking the most rigorous schedule possible.  If you’ve taken one AP in Junior year, now is the time to take two APs.  If you’ve taken two APs junior year, now is the time to take three APs. You get the idea.

Some seniors are even taking five APs.  Of course if you had an extremely difficult time in junior year with two APs, it’s advisable to stick with two APs for your senior year.

The key is to not  decrease the number of your rigorous courses.  Colleges want to see that you continue to challenge yourself each year.

A difficult senior year course load can be daunting.  That’s why you want to complete as much of your college application as possible over the summer before your 12th grade year.

Juliet Giglio

Educational Consultant in Syracuse, New York

Every year after the May 1st National Response Deadline, the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) conducts a survey of colleges in which it asks colleges and universities whether they still have space available to accept students for the fall of the upcoming school year.  The first round of responses is in (colleges continue to respond for several more days/weeks), and, as of May 2nd,  over 375 schools have space for either freshmen or transfer students, and they continue to accept applications.  Here’s the breakdown of the space availability:

• Freshman space available:  362 colleges
• Transfer space available:  374 colleges

Although it may seem that there are fewer and fewer slots available for students trying to get into college, this year had more schools reporting that they had space still available after May 1 than in the previous 12 years!

Also, if you think that you can’t afford to apply to school as a late applicant because financial aid resources will be all gone, think again!  Over 370 schools reported that they had institutional financial aid still available for late applicants.

One caveat, is that you still must be considered a “qualified applicant” to gain admission at these schools.  In other words, just because they have space, and you apply, this does not mean that you will get accepted.  If you had no chance of gaining admission during the regular admissions period, you won’t get accepted during this late application period, either.

Here’s just a very small sampling of schools who are still accepting applicants:

1. Albright College, PA
2. Albion College, MI
3. University of Arizona, AZ
4. College of the Atlantic, ME
5. Drew University, NJ
6. Eckerd College, FL
7. Elizabethtown College, PA
8. Evergreen State, WA
9. Gordon College, MA
10. Guilford College, NC
11. Hofstra University, NY
12. Hood College, MD
13. Juniata College, PA
14. Kalamazoo College, MI
15. Knox College, IL
16. Lawrence University, WI
17. Loyola University, MD
18. Manhattanville College, NY
19. University of Maryland-Baltimore County, MD
20. Mills College, CA
21. New College, FL
22. Oglethorpe University, GA
23. Seton Hall University, NJ
24. Stetson University, FL
25. Smith College, MA
26. Susquehanna University, PA
27. University of San Diego, CA
28. University of Tampa, FL
29. Villanova University, PA
30. Wheaton College, MA

To see the whole list of over 350 schools, check out the NACAC site by clicking here.  The list is available and updated through the end of June.

If you’re interested in applying to any of the space available schools for the Fall of 2012, you should contact the school admissions office directly to ask them how to best do that.  But, do it soon.  Space is available for now, but may be gone quickly!

Andrea Aronson

College Admissions Specialist

Westfield, NJ

1) Sign up early for orientation. If your college offers different orientation sessions throughout the summer certain sessions may be more popular and may fill up faster than others.

2) Make sure you are signing up for the correct orientation session. Sometimes orientation sessions are scheduled based on the academic program you are in. Make sure you register for the right program.

3) Look for pre-orientation programs. Sometimes colleges offer wilderness adventure trips or community service projects to allow groups of students to bond before even attending orientation. These can be great opportunities to learn about the surrounding area and meet new friends quickly.

4) Many colleges these days offer orientation programs specifically designed for parents and families. These can be helpful sessions to learn about ways to help your student (and you) transition. They are also a great way to connect with other parents and to meet campus staff that you may need to be in touch with in future years.

5) Find out if course registration will be taking place during your orientation session. Make sure you take the time to read about the course options prior to arriving on campus.

6) Set up appointments with any specific offices you need to coordinate with. For example, if you have a learning difference and need to speak with someone regarding accommodations make sure to contact the Disabilities Services office on campus. If you have a food allergy, make sure to connect with someone in dining services to learn how to stay healthy while eating on campus.

Once you arrive at your orientation, make sure the STUDENT is taking the lead.  This is your first step into finding your place on campus. The faculty and staff on campus expect that you will be making decisions, not your parents. Carving your own way starts right now!

But I do believe that if you have a 9th grader who is taking taking HONORS BIOLOGY,  it’s worth taking the SAT Subject Test in Biology NOW- before your child forgets about photosynthesis and everything else they learned.

Taking it now will give them a jump on all the tests that will be thrown at them junior year.

SUBJECT TESTS

There are a total of twenty SAT Subject tests in five different subject areas.  These include:  ENGLISH, HISTORY, MATH, SCIENCE and LANGUAGES.  Chances are your child won’t take more than four or five of these tests.

SUBJECT TESTS TO TAKE IN 9th and 10th GRADE INCLUDE:

Math 1 –  covers subjects up to Algebra 2.

Math 2 -  covers all math up to Calculus.

Biology - best to take when you are studying this in school.

Chemistry - best to take when you are studying this in school.

World History – great to take when you have AP World History in 10th grade.

According to the College Board,

“Students take the SAT Subject Tests to demonstrate to colleges their mastery of specific subjects such as English, history, mathematics, science, and foreign languages.”

And lackluster  SAT Reasoning Test scores can be offset by amazing SAT Subject Test scores.  That will be helpful when you’re applying to college – when you are a senior.

Juliet Giglio

Educational Consultant in Syracuse, New York