The Personal Touch and the Senior Bucket List

I tweeted these two articles @gpscollege yesterday, but because both of them discuss issues that I think are valuable, I wanted to briefly mention them on the blog as well.

First, the power of the personal.  Research shows that even the slightest personal touch can make a difference in a student's college success, and to me, it stands to reason that the same can be said for their high school career.  I also believe it goes both ways.  Colleges and high schools need to find ways to engage students both in and out of the classrooms, but students also need to make the effort to find ways to connect with their school.  Many times I've told students that they cannot sit in their dorm room and wait for someone to "ask them to come out and play."  College is the perfect time to try some activities that you've never tried before and joining a club is an ideal way to meet new people outside your normal friend zone. The bottom line is that being involved in even one activity can make a student happier and more successful.

For those parents who are already dreading the day their daughter leaves for college, the second article, "A Parent's Last Call List for Senior Year" also offers some terrific advice.  Taking your daughter to college is a privileged moment in time and should be celebrated! This is, after all, what it is all about.

Have a safe weekend everyone!

STEM, or is it STEAM?

One of the most interesting things I heard while I was at NACAC was that you don't have to be an A student to be an engineer.  That may not surprise some of you, but since I'm not a math person, I just assumed you had to be really, really strong in math to go down that path.

Now, it would be disingenuious to suggest that you don't have to like math or have at least somewhat a head for it, but there's so much more to the STEM fields than that.  Engineers, computer scientists, etc. don't just sit in a cubicle all day by themselves.  They collaborate with many groups of people, and they are some of the most creative people in the workplace (this is where the arts - STEAM- comes into play).  One engineer I spoke with said she was looking for students who could create and organize a project, one who could harness the support of her classmates to accomplish the project.  So you can be a really good mathmetician but perhaps not such a good engineer.

STEM fields go far beyond the math-science paradigm.  These days there are so many more paths to follow: computational math, packaging science, media arts and technology, game design, computing security, ceramics engineering - and that is only the tip of the iceberg.  Science, technology, engineering and math are much more interdisiplinary that some people think (frankly many careers are).  Having a good grasp of history and the arts and music and psychology and political science, and many other subjects can actually make you a better engineer or doctor or teacher or businesswoman or college counselor...even if you're not a straight A math girl.

Demonstrated Interest...One More Time

I promise I will stop writing about this topic at some point (well, maybe) but having participated in a session on this topic at the NACAC (National Association of College Admission Counselors) Conference today, I thought it important to mention one more time.

Whether you think it fair or not, there are quite a few colleges and universities that track a student's interest and they use it in some way when making an admissions decision.  The good news is that it's really not that hard to do.  Here are a few tips that might help.

1.  If an admissions representative is visiting your high school, make a point of speaking with him or her.  Many of you did this last Tuesday night at our first GPS/McCallie college night program, and a few more of you demonstrated your interest by stopping by the college office to speak with Lehigh and Baylor during the day.

2.  When you visit a college campus, make sure the admissions office knows you're there.  Don't just go spend the night with your sister or an alum, do the official tour.

3.  You might be surprised what a simple hand-written thank you note will do.

So far, so good, right?  This isn't so hard.  Now keep reading.

4.  Do the optional statement on the application if there is one.  This is a chance for you to explain to the school why you are a fabulous fit for them.  You have the opportunity to talk about your campus visit.  Tell them about something you saw, something you read, or something you heard while on your tour...something that appealed to you or piqued your interest even further.  Even if you haven't visited, you can write about something special the admission counselor told you or a special program you read about on the school's website.  Read the courses you will have to take.  Yes, you read that right: read the course catalog.  Is there a class that is of particular interest to you?  (By the way, this will keep you from saying you want to major in something that the college doesn't even have.) Tell them how you became interested in the school in the first place. Was it your college counselor, a friend, an unplanned visit that hooked you? They like to know these things.

And take it one step further.  Read the school's mission.  Does it resonate with you?  If the school's goal is to produce social activists or global citizens, does that describe you too, and if so, what have you done that falls in line with their mission?  Colleges are looking for "fit," so if you fit, explain why (but be specific).

5.  Even after you have applied, stay in touch with the admissions counselor. Don't get carried away, of course, but you can email her if there's something new to add to your application.  Perhaps you got the starring role in the musical or your basketball team made it to the state tournament.  Maybe you've started volunteering at the Northside Neighborhood House, or your physics grade has dramatically improved.  A word of caution though:  your emails should be professional, grammatically correct, and to the point.  And no silly email addresses.  Use your GPS one.

Here's the bottom line: Contacting the college in a meaningful and purposeful way is a way to continue showing your interest and your knowledge about the school.  And that is never, ever a bad thing to do.

What is a NACAC conference?

Even though my students know I'm attending the annual NACAC conference this week, they probably don't realize what that means for them.

First of all, NACAC stands for the National Association of College Admission Counseling, an organization of which we are a member.  By being a member, it means that we also abide by their Statement of Principles of Good Practice.  It's a code of sorts, kind of like the GPS Honor Code, and we take it very seriously.

This week thousands of high school and college admissions professionals are gathering in Indianapolis for the conference.  It is a time for professional development, with sessions ranging from athletic recruitment to financial aid to how to write effective recommendations.  As a member of our regional board of directors, Mrs. Goldbach will also be voting on issues that are important to the entire membership, including our students.  And along with my colleagues from Tulane, Rhodes, and Pitzer, I will be presenting a session on the use of demonstrated interest in the admissions process, a topic that I have written about before in this blog.

But perhaps more important for our students, there are two reasons why we attend this conference. First, we have the opportunity to network with colleges and universities all across the United States. We are here to promote GPS, to explain the value of a GPS education, and to assure the colleges that if they accept our students, they are getting some of the most curious, creative, and interesting students anywhere.  Second, we are able to advocate specifically for our girls.  We will have the time to speak with admissions representatives from Wake Forest and Furman, Georgia and Washington University in St. Louis, Tulane and Duke, just to name a few.  We have the chance to mention girls by name, discuss their strengths, and explain why our girls will be a good fit for their college(s).  This conference is all about our girls.

We believe that GPS girls are outstanding, and we want to make sure our college counterparts know that too!  So while you continue to work hard in school, know that we will be spreading the gospel of GPS here in Indiana.

What factors count in the college process?

Today's post isn't really going to be a surprise; after all, I'm sure you've heard it all before.  But it doesn't hurt to remind you what factors will be important when you apply to college.  And if you are a freshman or sophomore, you should particularly pay attention to this information.

Grades matter. Yep, they really do.  But so does the strength of your curriculum, so if you are contemplating dropping that honors or AP course (or that fourth year of a foreign language), you need to think twice.  Why are you really dropping it?  You don't like the teacher, or you don't want to work that hard? How might someone else interpret that?  More important, what does it say about you?  It's okay to struggle sometimes, and some of the best teacher recommendations I have ever read were about students who struggled mightily.  Your willingness to work hard and stick with it says a lot to colleges.

It is also important to note that some colleges - about half of them - consider 'demonstrated interest' as a factor in admission.  That means they want to know you're serious about your application.  It means you have taken the time to talk to an admissions representative and/or visit campus. You've read the website and consulted other sources.  And when you answer the question "why do you want to attend this college," you can explain why the school is a good fit for you.

Every year the National Association of College Admission Counseling surveys its members to see what factors are important in the admission process, but they also explain how different colleges (for example, large universities or smaller colleges) use that information.  Your college counselor is another valuable resource, because she knows how it's done.

Now get back to work.

Rankings....Bleech!

I've talked about rankings before, so I'm not going to say too much, except "don't go down that road." The purpose of the college process is to help you find schools that FIT YOU, not schools that fit someone else's idea of what makes one college better than another.  You all know that there are wildly successful people who attended all types of colleges and universities, and not everyone who attends a highy ranked school is successful.

There all all sorts of rankings: best colleges, best food, happiest students, most socially aware, best college traditions, best place to party, prettiest campuses,  oddest mascots...you can find a list of just about everything.  The US News and World rankings are probably the most popular, but The New York Times is about to jump into the frey.  Like I said, just don't go there.

But if you are tempted to jump into the rankings and ratings game (or you know you're going to despite my warning), take a few minutes to read this advice from The National Association of College Admission Counseling.  It's good stuff.

Alternative Applications

Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland has been in the news lately for its decision to allow students to submit a video application instead of the traditional one.  More specifically, rather than send in test scores, essays, and recommendations, students can send in a self-produced two minute video that explains why they want to attend Goucher and how they hope to thrive once they get there.  Goucher is not the first college to do this however; several years ago Tufts University began accepting videos as a supplement to the traditional application.

While I agree with the "experts" that the college application is difficult and perhaps even a mess, there are potential pitfalls with the video application as well.  In an interview with NPR last week, Robert Sternberg, a professor at Cornell University and formerly of Tufts, said "Goucher is making a step in the right direction by introducing new ways to allow students to say who they really are."  But he added, "video applications might backfire for some students," because it "puts an emphasis on how well you perform for a camera."  Some people will naturally perform better than others, and despite the fact that Goucher claims it will not give more credence to videos that are more slickly produced than others (and I believe they will make every effort to do that), I worry that it opens up another "arms race" of sorts, i.e. who can produce the most professional video (sound, lights, backdrop, etc.)?

There are other alternative application practices that colleges have adopted . Many have stopped requiring standardized tests*, and every year more and more colleges are adding their names to that list.  Others, like Bard, College, have come up with ideas like the Bard Entrance Exam, an on-line essay students may choose to take.

I don't claim to have the solution for making the application process fairer, but I appreciate that colleges are beginning to try.

*For the complete list of colleges that do not require standardized tests, go to FairTest.org.