Are you waiting fto find the "right" college?

Like this student blogger, we have students who really don't know where they want to go to college.  Like him, they can see themselves just about anywhere or studying a variety of subjects. Large, rural, small, urban...they're waiting for some sign to tell them where they should apply. If only it were that easy. Somewhere along the way, you've been led to believe that there is one "dream" school out there or that at the age of 18, you should know what you want to do for the rest of your life.  I don't buy it.

As I have said many times, finding colleges - yes, that's plural - is like one giant research project. First of all, there's no such thing as one perfect school.  The object is to find several schools that will be a good fit for you.  Second, you can be too picky. It's unlikely that one school is going to have every single thing you are looking for in a college, so you might need to figure out what the most important characteristics are and then be willing to compromise on the others. Even if you do your homework, you may find that no school jumps out as "the one," and that's okay too. And third, I don't believe many people go to college knowing exactly what they want to study or do for the rest of their lives.  The statistics bear that out: most people change their major at least once.

At the risk of repeating myself yet again, I firmly believe your college experience will be what you make of it. You may not end up attending the school you had your heart set on, but you may find (if you only try) that the school you attend has everything you wanted and even more.

Sometimes a "No" is the best thing that could happen to you

I know it's hard to think about now, especially if you've just received bad news from the college you most wanted to attend, but that "no" from your dream school may be the best thing that ever happened to you.  Of course you'll never really know what direction your life might have taken had you gone to school there, but chances are you will have some amazing adventures wherever you go. In the end - and I truly believe this - college will be what you make of it, and if I know anything about GPS girls, I know they will make the best of their college years.

http://nyti.ms/VZUjCI

Should an English major cost more than a science major?

Being an English major myself, I don't agree with this idea, but Florida's governor is proposing that university tuition rates be frozen for students majoring in "strategic areas." For example, a student who is earning a degree in engineering would pay less for that degree than someone who is majoring in history or English. It just doesn't quite seem fair to me, but you be the judge.

http://nyti.ms/UUaLBT

Fastest Growing Careers

Have you always wanted to be a veterinarian? Or have you though about a career in physical therapy or convention planning? If you have, then congratulations! According to CNN Money, those are among the ten fastest growing careers. See the full list, plus the median pay scale and potential for growth at http://cnnmon.ie/TSAVnN
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Waiting for the envelope...or the email!

Many years ago I read a wonderful column titled "Rite of Passage to Adulthood" by the sydicated columnist Ellen Goodman.  In it, Ms. Goodman wrote about how seniors "run this gauntlet together as classmates...and as competitors."

As we await the first round of decisions for those girls who applied early action or early decision, I am always reminded of the reality of this statement.  Were you "accepted" or "rejected?" Are you in or are you out?  It is probably the one thing about my job I dislike the most, because it is so difficult for teenagers not to see this as a referendum on themselves, and many of them cannot help but compare themselves to their classmates and friends. I wish they wouldn't.

"These acceptances that come by mail are not some final, or even critical, judgment," said Ms. Goodman.  "Those of us who have been through other seasons know that. But they come at a vulnerable moment, at the edge of adulthood, when the young are just about to become full-fledged owners of their own lives. The letters come delivering tickets that lead in a hundred different directions."

The truth is there is no perfect college. There is no one school that will fulfill all your dreams. Wherever you go, it will be what you make of it. You will find friends if you look for them, if you are willing to put yourself out there and let them find you.  Some of our girls may be thrilled this week as they open those letters (although they're emails now); some of them may be very disappointed. As parents and teachers and counselors, we know how truly wonderful our girls are, but it will still hurt.

As Ms. Goodman goes on to say "For the very first time, inseparable friends opening those envelopes may feel the chill of distance. For the first time, a class of mates may really understand how our world tries to subdivide their future." So as I recently told the seniors, celebrate the good news but be aware that one of your classmates may not be so lucky this time around (she will be just fine later on though!) And as parents, don't put too much emphasis on this process. Come May 1, all of our girls will have a home.

Great Advice for Juniors

Sometimes you don't have to reinvent the wheel.  This is some wonderful advice for juniors as they start the college process (if they haven't already). I especially appreciate his comments about being committed to the process.  Finding the right schools takes time and effort.