The post Get Into the Best Colleges For You first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

During a recent conference in which members from Rocky Mountain Association of College Admission Counseling, Western Association of College Admission Counseling and Pacific Northwest Association of College Admission counseling came together there was a session about how educational consultant and counselors work together.

Some of the lessons I walked away with:

1) Think about a stool. A stool you might say? Yes, a stool. When the student, parent and high school counselor work together you have a three legged stool. Add in a consultant and you have a four legged stool. What does that give you? More support and more balance.

2) High school counselors have a lot on their plate. They may not be solely responsible for college counseling and may have to split their time with other counseling roles and course scheduling. A consultant may be able to complement the high school counselor well in the sense that they can focus on the students who need more attention and research for things such as unique programs or disabilities.

3) There are a lot of things that counselors and consultants can learn from one another. If we can can learn from each other and in turn teach our students, the students and families are ultimately the winners in the process.

4) We all need to sing the same song or it won’t sound good to listen to.

5) Families can sign a disclosure form to release communication between consultants and counselors.

Great College Advice

The post Can Educational Consultants and High School Counselors Work Together? I Say Yes. first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

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A Liberal Arts Education

There are a lot of great statistics that provide a certain level of insight into the small Liberal Arts experience. These facts and figures provide an effective quick glimpse into this four-year life-transforming experience and even provide a superficial taste of what it means to be a student at a small Liberal Arts school. But today, I’d like to disregard logic, evade reason, and instead dive right into the heart of what makes a Liberal Arts experience truly special.

Years from now, I won’t remember that I went to a school with an average class size of seventeen or that our student-to-faculty ratio was eleven to one. Instead, I’ll remember the time I spent with Mr. Johanson driving to admission events. I’ll remember the hours we spent talking about our lives, hoping for our futures, and singing along to Taylor Swift. Statistics are great, but it’s the stories that I will remember forever.

I’d like to share with you a few of my favorites.

During my senior year, I decided to make a change. I had played it pretty safe during my first three years as an undergrad, but that year I had resolved to turn things around, to step out of my comfort zone. Naturally, I decided that the next logical step was to read original poetry at the fall talent show.

The evening arrived, my time slot came and went and I was truly better for having done it. As the evening pressed on, sitting in the back of the crowded theater, I noticed our university president, Dr. Rock Jones sitting a few rows away.

As is true at so many small Liberal Arts Schools, Dr. Jones was endlessly involved on campus. He was at nearly every sporting event and always visited with students during lunch. That night was no different. At the end of the evening, Dr. Jones ran up on stage and performed in a final skit, ending the show with laughter and a roar of applause.

Weeks later I found myself alone walking through campus and came across Dr. Jones walking with Gene Castelli, our director of dining services. As we crossed paths, Dr. Jones turned to Mr. Castelli and said, “You better watch out for this one, or he’ll write a poem about you.” Even a year and a half removed from my undergrad experience, this moment still sticks with me. I’ll always remember the time I read poetry for Dr. Jones.

He picked me up at 6:30 in the morning, a car already filled with the smell of coffee. Dr. Spall and I were headed down to an annual history conference held in Central Ohio and had a good bit of driving to do before the sun came up. I had been invited to the conference to present a paper on environmentalism in Britain after the Second World War.

Dr. Spall had been invited to fill his role as the ‘most popular person at the conference.’ He picked me up bright and early and was surprisingly chipper for the time of day. We talked superficially at first, about weather, travel, and beating the traffic. But as we got deeper into the drive, the conversation changed.

It turned toward his youth and the pranks he pulled into high school. He told me about his wife and kids and the ups and downs that come so naturally in life. We talked about my future and my own highs and lows. Suddenly, though, the conversation turned to dancing. As I mentioned earlier, I made a hard effort to get outside of my comfort zone during my senior year. Aside from my big poetry debut at the talent show, I also decided to take a swing dance class during that final semester.

Late over the course of our 3-hour trip, I was complaining to Dr. Spall about the two left feet I had inherited from my parents. I assured him that “Swing Dance” was quickly becoming my hardest class. Little did I know that Dr. Spall and his wife had been swing dancing four times a week for months and he had only just gotten the hang of it after weeks of struggling. The presentation I made that spring will drift from memory, but I will always remember that early morning drive, commiserating with Dr. Spall about the challenges of swing dance.

I strongly believe that small Liberal Arts Schools attract a very distinct type of person. Though there are always groups that don’t get along, there is an underlying commonality between liberal arts students, sharing a similar essence despite their diverse backgrounds.

I have one final story to share with you.

Chester walked into breakfast on the first day of his freshman year and placed a large black box next to him on the table. He poured himself some cheerios, looked up and smiled a big toothy grin. Dramatically, a loud raspy voice sounded through the box. “Oh, sorry,” Chester apologized; “I’m listening for trains.” It didn’t take long for me to learn how deep Chester’s love for trains ran. He had been published in a national train magazine, for which he had supplied his own photos.

He’d spend hours down the street at the tracks listening, waiting there with his camera. Sometimes I’d forget Chester’s infatuation with trains only to be pleasantly surprised all over again. We’d be out running, jogging on some back deserted country road, and there’d be a whistle in the distance.

Promptly and without cue, Chester would inform all who cared to listen of, the type of whistle, the type of engine, and even what it was hauling. I will admit to you, as I admitted to Chester on countless occasions, I don’t really care about trains.

Yet somehow, despite this tremendous gap in interests, Chester and I quickly became great friends. This story doesn’t have a funny or snappy ending; it just ends with me saying how thankful I am to have Chester in my life. Liberal Arts schools attract unique students, and I’m so grateful that they do.

I’d like to end this post with a confession: sharing these stories has been as much for me as it has been for you. I am so thankful for my Liberal Arts experience, and there is nothing like reliving moments from four incredible years to bring back all of those feelings of appreciation. These are some of my fondest memories, and there are still hundreds more.

The beauty of it all is that these same kinds of stories can be found at small Liberal Arts Schools all over the United States. These stories are mine, but I’d urge you to go out and find your own.

Thanks for your time,

Jake Bonnell

https://greatcollegeadvice.com/

The post Liberal Arts Education: The Greatest Thing Ever (An Unbiased Perspective) first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

TRANSCRIPT:

One of the other things that I found were interesting about Bates is the history matters. History matters with a lot of these colleges and Bates is very different from most of the other New England colleges in that it was set up by Free Will Baptists. And the Free Will Baptists were committed to ensuring that Bates was a campus that would be welcoming, not only to the local community and to America’s elite.

But also to women, so it was the first college in New England to accept women and also other minorities, including blacks. This was set up before the end of the Civil War, and from the very beginning they accepted freed slaves into the campus community.

So why does that matter? Well, it’s part of the ethos. It’s part of the way that Bates thinks about itself and presents itself and projects itself into the world, that this is a progressive learning community. It’s an intentional community that has always been diverse. That has always been accepting of people of every stripe, including every religious background, every socioeconomic class, every ethnic background.

So that is just one of the core principles at this college that does set apart a little bit. Everybody’s going to talk about how they’re into being welcoming and tolerant and accepting. And of course that’s part of the American reality today. But Bates has walked the walk from the beginning of its history whereas some of the Ivy League schools, well, all of the Ivy League schools. And many other elite small colleges in New England just didn’t begin that way. So that’s an important part of Bates’ history to keep in mind.

Mark Montgomery
Expert Educational Consultant

The post Educational Consultant on Bates 3 of 5: A Welcoming Community first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

Here is a list of some of the most important things to remember while you study in the United States so that you don’t find yourself faced with a violation of the F-1 regulations:

• Make sure that your data is always current in the SEVIS system. What is SEVIS? SEVIS stands for the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, a database maintained by the U.S. government that holds information on all international students in the United States, including their addresses, school programs, work authorizations, and other data. While the school’s Designated Student Officer (DSO) is responsible for entering information into the SEVIS system. To keep your record in order, you are responsible for getting that information to the DSO.
• Always have a current paper copy of your I-20.  An I-20 is a SEVIS-generated document issued by your school which contains your personal, financial and academic information, and is signed by you and the DSO.
• Do NOT engage in employment off-campus without proper authorization. F-1 Visa students are not allowed to work, except in very limited circumstances. (We’ll explore this topic in more detail in a future blog post.)
• Maintain a full course load; “full-time” means 12 credit hours for undergraduates and 9 credit hours for graduates during the entire fall and spring semesters.
• Keep your school and USCIS informed of any address changes. International students must report any change of address within 10 days. Since some students move frequently, it is easy to forget this rule, but it is very important. There is no reason to risk an interruption or premature conclusion to your studies in the U.S. because you forgot to tell USCIS you moved into a new apartment.

Before going overseas, always make sure you are allowed to travel and that you have proper documentation to return to the U.S. Remember to check with your DSO about travel regulations, particularly during the summer. You must carry an original I-20 with a recent travel signature, and a passport valid for at least 6 months. The F-1 visa in your passport must be valid. If not, you will need to make an appointment to apply for a new F-1 Visa if you are still eligible.

When travelling, you should also carry the following:

The post International Student Immigration Issues #4: Maintaining the F-1 Visa While Studying In the United States first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

• 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

The post It’s Not Too Late to Apply for Fall 2012 Admission at Some Great Schools! first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

Great College Advice

The post There are no SAT Tests in the Summer! first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

Are you ready to make your commitment? How are you spending these last few days leading up to May 1 deciding?

– Flipping a coin?
– Trying that t-shirt with the college name on the front on one more time?
– Getting feedback from the people you trust?
– Reading the fine print on the financial aid forms once again?
– Chatting online with current students to get your final questions answered?
– Writing pro and con lists?
Everyone makes their final decision in a different way. My advice? It echoes that of our NACAC 2011 keynote speaker, Jonah Lehrer. Go with your gut.
Go with what your instinct tells you. You’ve visited the campuses, spent the time researching, read all of the brochures, gone on the website hundreds of times and now the time has come to take the next step. Listen to what your gut is telling you and ask yourself, “Will I be happy here?” Is the answer yes? Then sign your name on the dotted line and start getting excited for this new adventure you are about to embark on!

The post Seniors, Are You Ready For May 1st? first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

These are just a few highlights. There are lots more out there to explore!

Great College Advice

The post Looking for a College Focused on Sustainability? first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

Video Recap:

After a visit to the University of Northern Colorado, I had a chance to connect with one of my graduate school friends who now works in residence life. She shared a few tips about filling out the housing application.

1) Be honest on the housing application. Students, please please please – fill it out yourself! Whether you are messy or clean, a late riser or an early-to-bed kind of person, or a smoker/nonsmoker. You want to let the housing office know so they can match you with a roommate who will complement your style.

2) Look for living and learning communities. Living and learning communities are great ways to connect with students who share a common interest. There are often extra perks such as taking classes right in your residence hall, access to special field trips, guest lectures, proximity to your classes, etc.

3) You are going to be sharing space. Be ready to learn how to compromise! Sharing your room can be a challenging experience. If it is your first time doing so. Set up a contract with your roommate and certain guidelines you want to follow to be respectful of one another.

The post Tips for Filling Out Your Housing Application first appeared on College Admission Counseling.