Charting The
Course to College
College Planning Workshop
July 15, 2011
Warning Signs for Parents…
(resource: www.FiskeGuide.com)
• Put the high school college counselor’s home
number on speed dial.
• House-hunt in North Dakota to enhance child’s
“geo” appeal
• Change license plate to read “650CR/610M” on
family car
Warning Signs for Students…
(resource: www.FiskeGuide.com)
• Message on cell phone notes you are on the honor
roll and a member of the National Honor Society
• Demand that your family only communicates with
you using SAT vocabulary words
• You memorize the Tier I and Tier II institutions of
the U.S. News national rankings
COLLEGE
Values for the Voyage
• Why do I want to go to college?
• What excites me most about college? What scares
me?
• What are my strengths? Weaknesses?
• What type of student am I?
• How do I prefer to learn – in small group
discussions or larger class lectures?
Values for the Voyage
• What are my educational and career goals? Academic
interests?
• What activities mean the most to me?
• What excites me most about college? What scares me?
• What makes me special? What talents or insights can I
contribute to a campus community?
• What experiences help to make me a bit uncommon?
Back to the Basics
• Academic Plan: Challenge yourself (you may
surprise yourself)
• Pursue your passions – it’s about quality, not
quantity
• Ask people you know & respect for referrals
Back to the Basics
• Start with a map!
• Check out the web resources
http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator
www.collegeboard.com
www.cappex.com
www.ctcl.org
Individual college websites www.allegheny.edu
• Make the time – 1 hour each week
Back to the Basics
• Get organized!
-Read, assess, file & recycle
-Not interested? Let the college know
-Interested? Respond to requests
-Create a timeline of important dates
- Application deadlines (6-8 schools)
-Financial aid & scholarship deadlines
-Test dates
-Open house or HS visit opportunities
-Start a journal or pro/con list for each college
choice (continually assess/refine your college list)
Back to the Basics
• Avoid being a “stealth applicant”
-Initiate contact
-Respond to paper/online requests
-Connect at your high school or local fair
-Alumni interviews
-Campus Visits
Demonstrate Interest
• Make reference to distinctive characteristics of the college and
how those qualities fit your abilities, personality and style
particularly well.
• Pay attention to the entire application – College Application
Supplements (www.commonapp.org)
• Keep note of admission decision notification dates. If the
dates have passed (or close to the date), contact the office to
inquire about your file’s status with the admission committee.
• If wait listed at your top choice, be sure the admissions office
is aware of your interest. Send a letter of interest to the
director. If capable, visit to speak with a counselor.
Back to the Basics
• Clear, thoughtful and accurate communication is key
-Create a connection (counselors, teachers,
college professionals…and your parents!)
- Read the instructions
- Do it yourself
Charting the
Course to College
College Planning Workshop
July 15, 2011
Final Thoughts…for Parents
• Recognize that gaining admission to college is
merely one step in a process of education.
• Resist doing for your students what they are
capable of doing themselves.
• Resist relying on rankings and college selectivity
alone.
• Realize that researching, selecting and applying to
colleges does not have to be an expensive process.
• Keep this process in perspective.
Final Thoughts…for Students
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Be confident! Take responsibility.
Be deliberate!
Be realistic and trust your instincts!
Be open-minded!
Use a variety of resources for gathering info.
Be honest; be yourself!
Limit applications to a well-researched number
Know that what you do in college is a better
predictor of future success than where you go.
“It is your future and no one else should
prepackage your approach to the process.”
- College Unranked