By Nancy Wasserman Cocola, MSW, CSW for GuidanceChannel.com
Students all over the country will soon be frantically attempting to complete their college applications. Educators and guidance counselors are at the receiving end of all the questions, anxieties, and confusion inherent in the college selection and acceptance process. So how does a student and his or her parents wade through all the facts, figures, and intangibles to decide what would be a good match for them?
Begin The Process Early
The earliest conversations students have about college often come as they make their course selections in high school. But for freshman and sophomores, college is a distant construct. Their immediate thoughts are on dances, movies, driver’s ed, bio labs and football games. By junior year students are mature enough and aware enough to begin the process in earnest. However, there will always be those few students who sport a maddeningly casual attitude until December 30th of their senior year…two days before the applications are due!
Engage Parents
Engaging parents early is essential. By October of junior year, an evening meeting for all students and their parents or guardians can be an eye-opener. It’s the time when you will get a sense of how many of your students have involved adults working with them, and you’ll quickly learn how much parents know about the college process. Armed with this information, you will be able to better tailor future events, and determine the type of materials you need for such group experiences. For the student whose parents do not speak English, support at home can be limited. That is why Spanish (or other) language copies of every handout you give are a must, as you seek the support of parents.
Answer The Question, “Why Go To College?”
Career exploration is a great place to start with students who are undecided about whether or not to go to college. By helping students identify their interests and strengths they can begin to look at careers that would be a match for them. Showing students the educational requirements to pursue a career in their field of interest is often the best motivator to help them choose college as an option.
Look Beyond The Four-Year College
Many a skilled and successful adult has furthered their education at an excellent alternative to a four-year college, which offers the traditional Bachelor of Arts and Sciences degrees. Community Colleges are public institutions often supported by state and local revenues making the cost for an education there more reasonable. Students receive an Associate degree. Junior Colleges are private two-year colleges offering Associate of Arts and Science degrees, and are often residential. Technical Colleges place a special emphasis on education and training in technical fields. However not all of these colleges offer a two year associates degree.
Ask The Pertinent Questions
Students must first gather information about themselves before they are able to go about the process of gathering information about colleges. So begin by having students answers some key questions.
- How far away from home are you comfortable going?
- Is there a region of the country you would favor?
- Do you prefer an urban, suburban, small city or rural setting?
- How big of a campus and student body seems right for you?
- Do you have a particular area of study you wish to pursue?
- Is ethnic, religious or political diversity an important consideration?
- Do you want a purely liberal arts education or a more specialized education (i.e. business, engineering, pre-med or nursing)?
- Are schools with sororities and fraternities a positive or negative draw for you?
- Are you interested in a public or private school?
- How do you think you will pay for college (scholarship, grants, work/study, loans, parents)?
Now that the field is narrow, students and their counselors can make a list of those schools that meet their criteria and proceed to solicit information from them via email or phone.
Select The Test That`s Right For You
Standardized tests play a part in the college selection process, though their importance varies from college to college. Once again, the earlier a student enters the process, the better off they are as exposure to the test can help students improve their scores. Below is a list of many of the tests students may need to take:
PSATs should be taken in the fall of junior year to help students recognize where they stand in relation to other college bound students.
SAT®I Reasoning Tests include verbal and mathematical reasoning and aptitude testing. Recent changes to the test include a writing section. Access to practice tests can be purchased online or at a bookstore.
SAT®II Subject Tests are not required by all colleges. It’s recommend that students take these tests soon after completing the course material in school.
ACT Assessmentsare designed to evaluate high school students` general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work.
TOEFL® exams are intended to evaluate the English proficiency of people whose native language is not English.
Use The Common Application!
It is no longer necessary to laboriously type out each application, using messy whiteout to cover the inevitable typos! The Common Application, which is accepted by over 250 colleges, is accessed online, filled out once, and sent directly to the student’s list of colleges! Many colleges have their applications posted on their own websites and students can apply right there.
Keep Perspective On The Essay
The Essay -- no two words have ever struck so much fear into the hearts of so many adolescents! While the prospect of writing the college essay may seem daunting at first, there are a few simple thoughts and tips that will help students keep the task in perspective.
- Students should begin with a brainstorming session and progress to an outline of the points they wish to make.
- Encourage students to think in terms of conveying personal qualities not just facts.
- Colleges are looking for a student’s ability to be reflective.
- A single passion like model building or mountain biking can make a revealing essay.
- Keep the focus narrow and personal.
- Writing, which is evaluated with equal weight as their actual personal “story,” should use words students are comfortable with and employ conversational language.
- Review by a parent is fine, but often cannot offer an impartial assessment. Teachers are a better choice to review and support students’ efforts.
Visit Schools Whenever Possible
There isn’t a college course book or brochure that can capture the “feel” and “culture” of a college. That is why visiting schools, whenever possible is the best way to know if a student will be comfortable there. However, visits are not always possible. At www.CampusTours.com students can get a virtual tour of almost every college campus.
Make The Most Of A College Interview
Whether on campus or off, the interview can turn out to be a pivotal part of the selection process for both the student and the school. While many schools say these interviews are non-evaluative, making a positive impression on an admissions officer can take a borderline application and push it over into the accepted column. Encourage students to be prepared for their interviews. They should research the school in advance, have questions at the ready that run the gamut from “What are the internship opportunities on campus?” to “When must you declare a major?” and be prepared to talk about why they would like to come to the school. While bringing their resume of accomplishments is not always necessary, it can be an icebreaker at the beginning of an interview.
Take Advantage Of Resources For Financial Aid and General Information
There are an array of online sites that provide a wealth of information for students and their parents.
www.collegeboard.com features database of information gathered by the College Board from 3,300 college officials. Visitors will find scholarship and financial-aid information, easy-to-use CSS Profile applications, and SAT sign-up and mailing services.
www.review.com features database of information gathered by the reputed Princeton Review on 1,500 colleges. The “Counselor-o-matic” on the site serves as a fun-to-use tool to help students develop a list of schools. There are also applications for 650 colleges.
www.mapping-your-future.org features college search and financial aid information which you can select to see in Spanish.
For those who do not have access to a computer, the local library often has a section with a variety of respected college guides that are perfect to help steer parents and students in their preliminary college searches.
