Finding the Fit

1. Finding the Fit Personalizing the College Search/Selection Process Bellevue School District February 2012 Claire Nold-Glaser, M.Ed.

2. Don’t Be Scared By The Stories! • The majority of colleges and universities in this country admit more students than they reject. • Reality lags reputation • Open yourself up to possibilities beyond a narrow band of colleges. You will be pleasantly surprised. • Compare your academic profile to those of recently admitted & enrolled students. • School counselors/career specialists have institutional knowledge.

3. Adolescence & AdmissionsKeeping perspective • Erickson’s Theory of Social-Emotional Development • Identity vs. Role Confusion • Who Am I? • Internalized recordings of external messages from family, friends, school, community, popular culture, e-community on the internet • Am I normal? • Am I competent? • Am I lovable & loving? • Swings between independence & dependence-input from parents as supporters & guides, not shaming dictators So, how is the college process like learning how to ride a bike?

4. Students-Own your process • Talk with your parents. What are their hopes & dreams for you? What parameters do they have for you? • Be patient with your parents. They want the best for you & you can help them understand. It’s very normal to not know exactly what you want to do. • Making sound decisions will lead to satisfying & successful experiences.

5. Points for Parents to Consider • Listen to your child…be patience with the process. What are their hopes & dreams? • Don’t micromanage the process. Check in but don’t nag, nag, nag. Ask counselor for help to get your child moving. • Established college update time • Don’t get caught up in the frenzy: test prep, summer programs, resume builders • Don’t “package” your child. Encourage their true sense of self.

6. Know Yourself & Your Reasons for Attending College • Why really, are you going to college? • Expanding education & preparation for careers • Interests & values • Personal goals • Strengths & weaknesses • Extra-curriculars & social life • Influence of family & friends

7. Consider College Characteristics • Majors & Educational Programs (undecided-ok) • Accessibility of faculty & advising • Location & Size (don’t use high school size as the comparison) • Mission statement of the college. • Costs (COA) & Financial Aid (WUE) • Religious Affiliation • Accreditation of school & of selected programs • Campus Activities/Student Life • Support Services • Admission, Retention & Graduation Rates

8. How Do You Pick Colleges? • How do you pick your friends? • Spending time together • Learning about each other & the interests you share • Judging a friend’s value based on their GPA?Zip code? Circumference of their head? • Admission Statistics  Value of hospital based on who is sitting in the ER • Substance vs. reputation & status

9. Beginning Your Search • Sizing Yourself Up Survey (handout & can also be found in the Fiske Guide to Colleges • College Navigator Website-Use Search Tool on the LH side. Be sure to click on “More Search Options.” Generate & SAVE list. • UCAN-network.org, collegeportraits.org, insidecollege.com

10. Campus Visits • Plan ahead • Reserve your spot on the daily campus tour & take the tour. Get out of the car! Students, ask questions on the tour. • Meet with an admissions counselor • Attend a class • Meet with a professor from a department in which you have some interest • Walk the halls & read the walls…snoop politely • Talk with students & faculty. How about the lunch lady? • Career services…of more interest to parents than students • Send a thank you note

11. Marketing • The underbelly of college admissions… • Beware of “priority applications.” • Doctoring of data (apps completed vs started; student to faculty ratio, scores) • Does the school participate in NSSE? What have they learned about their student’s experiences? • Contact professors (strengths of program, description of students, faculty retention) • Text Messaging/Facebook-be polite & clear—no thank you

12. Thoughts • College planning is not a game. • There are no absolutes-look out for “list-mania.” • Research! • Be mindful of the teenage years. Anxiety, anger are covers for fear & uncertainty. • Open yourself up for discovery • The key question is not, “Is college X a good college?” Rather, the question is, “Is X a good college for me?”

13. Take responsibility for your future • This is an important decision…there are great options for you! • Be patient, listen & explore with an open mind. • Find your fit, don’t change yourself to fit a college image. Remember the glass slipper. • What you do in college is a better predictor of future happiness & success than where you go to college.

14. How is the process like having a part-time job? • Trophy school vs. fit. College admissions isn’t a judgment on your parents or your upbringing. College admissions is not a judgment of your life.

15. Handouts • Sizing Yourself Up Survey • NSSE Pocket Guide http://nsse.iub.edu/html/pocket_guide_intro.cfm

16. Resources • Books : • Looking Beyond the Ivy League-Pope • Colleges that Change Lives-Pope • College Match: A Blueprint for Choosing the Best School for You-Antonoff & Friedemann • Less Stress, More Success: A New Approach to Guiding Your Teen Through College Admissions & Beyond -Jones & Ginsburg • The Fiske Guide-Fiske • Making the Most of College-Light • The College Finder-Antonoff • The College Board Book of Majors

17. Websites • http://nsse.iub.edu/html/students_parents.cfm • http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/ • www.ucan-network.org • www.hecaonline.org (click on “Families”) • www.ctcl.com • www.act.org • www.collegeboard.com • www.ncaa.org • www.google.com • www.collegeplanninghelp.com(see Useful Links)

18. Congratulations! Best wishes as you embark on this exciting adventure! Questions? Comments? Claire Nold-Glaser claire@collegeplanninghelp.com LIKE College Planning Help on Facebook