What the college list doesn't tell you

Each year GPS posts the list of colleges our most recent graduates will be attending (aka, the Where O' Where's).  It's always fun to watch the seniors as they see their names go up on the door, but the truth is that list doesn't even begin to tell you how much thought and effort has gone into the process of choosing a college.

In the end, it really isn't about the name of the school; rather it is, as this story from the National Coalition of Girls describes, about finding the college or university that speaks to them.  It is about discovering themselves, and it is about finding a college where they can be that authentic self for the next four years. Unless you've been through the process, no one will never know how much time, energy, introspection, and financial consideration goes into making this decision, and no one should ever judge the final list based on their own preferences or assumptions.

Each decision is only about one girl and her family.  After all, the college decision is usually the first really big decision a student gets to make, so if my students are happy and satisfied with their choice, than I am also very happy. That's the way it should be.

The New SAT (and PSAT)

By now most of you are aware that the SAT (and the PSAT) will change beginning in March 2016.  That means our current sophomores, the Class of 2017, will be taking the newly designed test, so let's look at the options you have.

Next year the sophomores and juniors will take the new PSAT.  The College Board has released a sample practice test that students can take, along with answer explanations so that you can grade yourself.  We suggest that you find the time this summer to take the test and see how you do.

As you prepare to apply to college, you will have several standardized test options.  First, we strongly encourage students to take both the SAT and the ACT, because colleges will accept your highest score from either test.  That's worth repeating: colleges will take your highest score from either test.  But then it gets a little more complicated.  In addition to the ACT, as juniors you will have the option of taking the old SAT in January of your junior year or the new SAT in March.  However, you could also take both.  To me that seems like a lot of standardized tests, but it is an option.

So what do we recommend? My advice would be to talk with your college counselor to devise the best individual testing plan for you.  The college process isn't one size fits all, so we will help you figure out what options make the most sense for you.

In the meantime, take the practice test.  Khan Academy is partnering with the College Board to develop a test prep program (and they too can personalize it for you), so check them out at
khanacademy.org.  Later this summer, be on the lookout for an email or letter from Mrs. Goldbach that will outline other test prep options for GPS students.  And don't forget that there are many colleges and universities that don't even require standardized test scores for college admission. You can check that list out at fairtest.org

Your Child is Heading Off to College.... What PARENTS Need to Know!

As we tell our senior parents during GPS' annual "Separation Seminar" program, going to college is an American rite of passage, and as such, it can be fraught with excitement, anxiety, hopes, fears and every other conceivable human emotion.  So much emphasis is placed on the students' role of transitioning to college - as well it should be - but parents' lives are also going to be changing drastically, often in unexpected ways.  Whether this is your first, last or only child leaving your home to truly start living their own life, gain support and insight from parents who have been there before.

Knowsymoms is an excellent resource for moms and dads of college students.  The website offers a free toolkit which provides "top 10" lists and links to a wide range of pertinent articles, blogposts and relevant videos.

Advice for College Freshmen

You've still got a few months before you leave, but I'm sure you've already started thinking about life as a college freshmen.  You may have already know or contacted your roommate, and perhaps you've started collecting all the things from home that you will take with you next fall.  Lots of people will offer you advice, including us, but here is a short list of things you might want to remember once you get there.  Thanks to one of our favorite blogs, The Prospect, for providing this sound advice.

From San Francisco to South Carolina

During the month of April I had the good fortune to visit several college campuses, and I want to offer a quick snapshot of a few of them.

1.  For girls who are considering a big city, you really should take a look at the University of San Francisco.  Home to around 6,000 undergraduates (that hard to find medium size school), USF is a wonderfully diverse campus that is always on the lookout for students who are engaged in their school and community.  A Jesuit university, it is only about 30% Catholic, and all faiths are more than welcome.  Signature programs include nursing, communications, international studies, architecture and urban planning, data science, entrepreneurship, hospitality management, and performing arts (a major you can combine with social justice).  They should also be opening an engineering program in 2017.

I found the University to be open, inclusive, and very

University of San Francisco

comfortable. They have created a learning environment that integrates every student into the community, and students inevitably leave asking "How can I use my gifts to make the world a better place?"  Like all Jesuit schools, they emphasize justice, compassion, grace, integrity, and humanity.

Because of their location (and an excellent career services office), finding internships is not hard to do.  After all, San Francisco is home to Twitter, Google, LinkedIn, Apple, Sales Force, Pandora, and Yelp, just to name a few.  Not as competitive as some schools in big cities (NYU, Georgetown, GW, or BU), it is a fantastic option that you should investigate.

2.  It's been a while since I visited Clemson University, so it was fun to go back and see what's new. They have an undergraduate research program called "creative inquiry," where students can research things like "Are double stuff oreos really double-stuffed?" or "can you really pick up dropped food and eat it if it's only been there for five seconds?"  So not only can you get real research practice, but you can do it while investigating a less serious topic.

Another interesting major at Clemson is packaging design (one of only four or five schools in the country that have it).  From start to finish, a PD major focuses on packaging construction and marketing (consumer interaction) and packaging design and management.  Clemson has also opened a beautiful architecture building, complete with open air studio and nooks for presentations.  No portfolio is required, but the major is pretty intense. Nursing, agriculture, business (marketing), and education are strong majors, as is, of course, engineering.

Finally you should check out the Calhoun Honors College.  The SAT/ACT minimum is around 1320/30, and demonstration of intellectual engagement and involvement in activities is important for admission.

If you want to know more about these schools, or my stops at Wofford, Furman, the University of South Carolina, and the College of Charleston, stop by my office and let's talk.

May 1, Decision Day

It's the first day of May, and that means high school seniors everywhere have to make a college decision if they have not already done so.  Most of our students have, but for a few, it's down to the wire. It's also a good time however, to look back at far they've come.  Only a year ago the girls were wrapping up college classes, researching colleges, and touring campuses, followed by the countless number of applications, essays, and interviews that brought them all to this day.

The GPS Class of 2015 applied to 369 colleges, a small number for us, but it's a small class!  Those colleges covered the entire country, from California to New York, Texas to Michigan, and many states in-between.  They applied to some familiar large state universities and relatively unknown small colleges (at least for us), but in the end, they have found the college that fits them best.

So we're celebrating with them today (with cake)!  Congratulations to the Class of 2015!